Thursday, 04 March 2021 20:54

Genshin Impact: The Many Secrets of Bubu Pharmacy | Game Rant

Written by Hank Whitson
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Players get a brief brush with Bubu Pharmacy and its colorful staff in Liyue's main story arc, but the business is still rife with mystery.

Every character in Genshin Impact has an affiliation with one of Teyvat's many organizations, from national forces such as the Fatui, to local garrisons like the Knights of Favonius. One of the most curious institutions in Liyue is the Bubu Pharmacy, run by the slightly-shady Dr. Baizu, the kind-hearted Herbalist Gui, and their undead errand girl, Qiqi. Players first encounter the Pharmacy during Liyue's Archon Quest, but one gets the sense that Genshin Impact's destination for Herbal Medicine has more secrets waiting to be revealed.

Bubu Pharmacy is famous, at least throughout the region of Liyue, as citizens readily entrust their lives to Dr. Baizu's medicine. The pharmacy is housed in an impressive-looking building at the end of Liyue's north-most terrace. Players can expect to visit the location frequently for a recurring commission, "Good Medicine Tastes Bitter," where the Traveler must provide Hongdou with Almond Tofu to complete the quest.

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Most of the time, players will interact with the pharmacy's gold-hearted counter attendant, Herbalist Gui. During the Lantern Rite, Gui makes a wish for slow business, with medicines collecting dust on a shelf, as his industry is based on treating illness. The other two members of the pharmacy are more notable, however.

The proprietor of the pharmacy, Dr. Baizu, is rarely seen outside the company of his talking pet snake, Changsheng, whom he drapes around his neck like a scarf. While Baizu cannot be recruited at time of writing, players speculate that he shall be added as a party member in the future. This would be notable, because Baizu's Vision is Dendro—which would make him the first playable character who can manipulate the Dendro element ever revealed, which could affect the balance of Genshin Impact's elements.

Little is known about Baizu, except that his medicine is powerfully bitter, and he is responsible for taking in Qiqi, despite her being a forgetful, zombified child. It is hard to tell if his affection for her is genuine or exploitative, as she makes a convenient errand girl. Qiqi, for her part, does not seem to mind the arrangement, but she often gets lost on account of her poor memory, and cannot always remember what Baizu looks like. Ironically, even though Qiqi must exercise to stave off rigor mortis, she is still in better shape than Baizu. Herbalist Gui states that Baizu is frail due to an unknown ailment, which may explain why he is not currently playable (or serve as an early warning about a pitiful defense stat-weight).

Even less is known about Baizu's companion, Changsheng, though she seems to have a wry sense of humor.  When the "Guizhong" Archon Quest brings the Traveler and Zhongli to Bubu Pharmacy in search of Everlasting Incense, the snake blithely cautions the party that her owner will try to fleece them.

As one of the best healers in the entire game, Qiqi deserves a detailed discussion unto herself, but she also is an integral part of the Bubu pharmacy, serving as an errand girl and herb gatherer for Baizu and Herbalist Gui. In game, she is described as a zombie, with a character design that is strongly reminiscent of Jiangshi—a type of hopping, Chinese vampire—as indicated by the seal hanging from her forehead.

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Baizu and Herbalist Gui never seem worried about Qiqi, who frequently gets lost, or forgets what she was doing. Qiqi is easily confused, as indicated by her sending the Traveler on a misguided goose-chase for a "cocogoat," a type of adeptibeast that Qiqi presumably imagined to be the source of coconut milk. Qiqi has a strong dislike for Hu Tao, owner of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, as she tries to bury Qiqi at every opportunity, insisting that she is a corpse and should be laid to rest accordingly.

Even though there is no need for medicine in Genshin Impact—at least as of yet—players should stop in to the pharmacy at least once during their travels to procure the Lotus Seed and Bird Egg soup recipe. And Travelers who are growing tired of scaling mountain peaks for Qingxin, or scrambling across cliff faces to pluck Violetgrass can find a small supply for sale at the pharmacy, which will refresh every three days.

Genshin Impact is now available for mobile devices, PC, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5.

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