The Mysterious Giant Egg, Keqing's Doubts!

"Hu Tao, what are you holding...?"

Although she didn't dwell on it too much, upon seeing the giant egg-like object cradled in Hu Tao's arms, which was almost half her size, Keqing felt quite curious and immediately asked.

After all, just the size of this egg, which was far from a regular bird's egg, along with the complex, mystical golden-red patterns that could be vaguely seen, indicated that this egg was certainly not an ordinary item!

"This little thing? I found it by the roadside at Wuwang Hill. It looked pitiful, so I brought it back!"

"After all, I, Hu Tao, am such a kind-hearted person. How could I let a little creature like this be left out in the cold?"

Listening to Hu Tao's response, she spoke with conviction, transforming from a darkly humorous poet with peculiar burial habits into a righteous benefactor who cared for life!

"Looked pitiful? If I hadn't struggled to show I'm still alive, you would have buried me by now!"

Inside the giant egg, Lin Yuan felt a surge of agitation. Hu Tao had the audacity to say she felt pity for him, when she had clearly prepared a grave for him! If it weren't for his instinct to survive, he might have been sleeping beneath Wuwang Hill by now!

However, at that moment, Lin Yuan's thoughts couldn't possibly be known to Hu Tao and Keqing.

Hearing Hu Tao's seemingly playful response, Keqing's expression became serious. Usually, there wouldn't be any issues if a law-abiding citizen of Liyue brought back an egg from the wilderness. However, it was indeed a tumultuous time in Liyue, which had seen more changes in the past three thousand seven hundred years than ever before!

Not long ago, the God who created and protected Liyue Harbor for over three thousand years, the Geo Archon, had fallen.

Shortly after, the ancient god Osial, originally sealed beneath Yujing Terrace, broke free from his prison. Though he was ultimately resealed at a great cost, including the loss of the entire Yujing Pavilion, this period had undoubtedly been one of the most chaotic and tense times for Liyue.

Both the Liyue Seven Stars and the citizens were on edge. During such a time, if someone returned with a mysterious and strange giant egg from outside, it would naturally catch the attention and concern of Keqing, the Yuheng Star.

Of course, this was Liyue, a land blessed by the great might and grace of the Geo Archon. Whatever appeared here was unlikely to be excessively dangerous or filthy. From the bizarre appearance of the giant egg, Keqing could only suspect that it might be related to celestial beings!

After hesitating for a moment, Keqing spoke again:

"Well, fine. Just remember to register this egg with the Administrative Office once it hatches, and then follow the proper procedures."

"Of course! I'll be sure to report it right away once it hatches! Can I leave now?"

As if she had anticipated Keqing's response, Hu Tao smiled brightly while clutching the giant egg, casually humming a tune as she made her way toward Liyue Harbor.

Keqing stood still, watching Hu Tao and the strange giant egg gradually fade from her sight, wearing a puzzled expression.

Though relatively new to her position, as one of the Liyue Seven Stars, Keqing had access to nearly all relevant information in Liyue. A significant portion of this information was classified and unknown to the average citizen!

Some of those secrets even pertained to the Geo Archon and the ancient guardians of Liyue!

Yet, even among the confidential information Keqing was privy to, there was no mention of this strange giant egg that Hu Tao had found!

More importantly, during her conversation with Hu Tao, she had tried to observe the enigmatic golden-red patterns on the eggshell closely, but the moment she focused her gaze, she felt a heart-stopping sensation, as if this was no ordinary object!

With these thoughts in mind, Keqing's expression darkened as she muttered to herself:

"Once I finish here, I need to discuss this with Ningguang and Ganyu..."

——

Several hours later, in Liyue Harbor,

After wandering around for a few more hours, Hu Tao finally returned to Liyue Harbor just before dinnertime.

Meanwhile, Lin Yuan, trapped in the shell, perhaps due to the exertion from earlier struggles or perhaps from Hu Tao's hauntingly enchanting songs, had fallen asleep shortly after Hu Tao parted ways with Keqing.

During the time Lin Yuan dozed off,

Hu Tao had already reached the entrance of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. Due to the nature of their business, which was not particularly auspicious, very few people visited, especially at night.

Only a nameless attendant was stationed at the entrance, keeping watch.

However, upon seeing Hu Tao's return, the situation was different. Before the attendant could even ask,

her gaze was drawn to the unusually large egg cradled in Hu Tao's arms.

"Parlor Head... what is that...?"

"Oh, don't ask! Go find some more candles or oil lamps, I have use for them!"