Night, Mt. Aocang.
A massive illuminated beast galloped through the mountains and wilds. Every leap covered a vast distance, its speed incredibly swift.
Ganyu had thought for an entire afternoon, but she couldn't come up with a solution.
Helpless, she had no choice but to return and seek Cloud Retainer's assistance.
Arriving on the mountain, Ganyu reverted to her human form. Just as she was about to step into the abode, a familiar voice drifted to her ears.
"Ganyu? Why have you returned so suddenly?"
A crane flew out from the abode and landed on a rock at the entrance, its tone carrying a hint of coldness. "Hmph, are the people of Liyue Harbor making things difficult for you again?"
"Just you wait. This Adeptus will go to Liyue Harbor right now and vent your anger for you!"
"Eh—!?"
"Cloud Retainer, you've misunderstood!"
Ganyu hurriedly blocked Cloud Retainer, terrified that this Adeptus would go and cause a huge scene in Liyue Harbor.
"However, what the Adeptus says isn't entirely wrong. I have indeed encountered difficulties, but it has nothing to do with the Qixing."
"Oh? Who is it then?"
Cloud Retainer spread her wings, looking angry. "This Adeptus will take you to reason with them!"
"It is the Lord of Geo..."
"Uh... then it is nothing."
Ganyu: "..."
Cloud Retainer instantly folded her wings, her anger vanishing completely.
There was no helping it!
That was the Lord of Geo; she certainly couldn't afford to provoke him!
"Cough, cough..."
Seeing the gaze Ganyu was casting her way, Cloud Retainer felt a bit embarrassed and had to ask, "What difficult problem did the Lord of Geo give you that has worried you to this extent?"
"Adeptus..."
Ganyu poured out her grievances, recounting the task Zhongli had assigned her that afternoon.
"...So that is the case."
Cloud Retainer nodded, pondering for a moment. "It makes sense. The Lord of Geo has already taken the alias Zhongli and become an ordinary person."
"The Infrastructure Consultant title he conferred was granted in his capacity as an ordinary person. How could the Liyue Qixing possibly recognize it?"
"To ask for an outsider to come to the Liyue Qixing's territory and start moving things around without rhyme or reason... it is indeed illogical."
"What exactly is the Lord of Geo thinking..."
"Cloud Retainer, is there really no way?"
"What kind of talk is that!"
Hearing Ganyu's question, Cloud Retainer huffed. "This Adeptus naturally has an idea."
"Fine, let this Adeptus step forward personally!"
"Eh?!"
Ganyu looked puzzled, eager to know the answer.
Cloud Retainer spoke, "That Infrastructure Consultant must also be someone who plays with mechanisms."
"You go tell the Qixing that he is this Adeptus's disciple, one who has deeply acquired this Adeptus's true teachings."
"This Adeptus sees that the Qixing are struggling to govern Liyue, so I am sending a disciple to help develop Liyue."
"If they do not agree, just say this Adeptus insists on it. When the time comes, this Adeptus will take the blame."
Hearing this, Ganyu's eyes immediately lit up.
This method was feasible!
If Cloud Retainer stepped forward, Ningguang and Keqing would still give her some face.
It was just that doing so might cause the Qixing to harbor some complaints against Cloud Retainer in their hearts.
"But..."
"Cloud Retainer, that Infrastructure Consultant's methods must be quite strong. Would he be willing to come to Liyue Harbor under the identity of your disciple?"
"After all, he is someone the Lord of Geo has his eye on."
Cloud Retainer immediately said proudly, "This Adeptus's mechanical arts are so formidable; could being this Adeptus's disciple possibly wrong him?"
"Do you know how convenient this Adeptus's Supreme Cuisine Machine is?"
"If every person in Liyue had one, cooking at home would become countless times simpler in the future."
"That Tianquan Star hinted to me that she wanted to obtain the production method from this Adeptus for mass production, but this Adeptus refused."
Saying this, Cloud Retainer was actually saving face a bit.
In reality, the reason she refused Ningguang was that the Supreme Cuisine Machine required Adeptal Energy to operate; mortals couldn't use it.
Hearing Cloud Retainer's words, Ganyu was slightly stunned.
She hadn't expected Ningguang to have privately sought out Cloud Retainer to discuss such matters.
As expected of the number one person with a business mind.
She had also witnessed Cloud Retainer's Supreme Cuisine Machine. It could cook rice automatically and was extremely convenient.
Since even Ningguang valued it highly, if the identity of 'Cloud Retainer's Disciple' was announced, Ningguang might actually give him an important position!
"Cough..."
"At worst, this Adeptus will hand over the production method of the Supreme Cuisine Machine to that [Infrastructure Consultant]."
"That way, Ningguang will naturally agree happily."
"However, this Adeptus must state beforehand: if they make it and it cannot be used, that only proves their skills are insufficient."
Ganyu nodded hurriedly. "I understand, Cloud Retainer!"
"I will go speak with the Qixing right now."
.......
Sumeru.
Gandharva Ville.
The nights in Avidya Forest were no longer terrifying.
Collei patrolled the forest boldly. Even though the surrounding trees looked like monsters baring their fangs and brandishing their claws under the moonlight, she didn't feel afraid.
She had once nestled in Ye Xi's embrace and heard him whisper softly in her ear—'All fear comes from insufficient firepower!'
Now, she felt the same way.
Ever since the Eleazar and the Serpent of Black Flame that plagued her were thoroughly removed, she felt as if she had lost her shackles and could fight with abandon.
And having two Eyes of God, she was already fearless.
If a terrifying monster appeared in front of her, she could trigger a Burning reaction with a single arrow. No monster could withstand her attacks for long.
Let alone bad people.
At this moment, the day's labor was just ending. Her patrol mission had left her near Yazadaha Pool.
Setting off from Gandharva Ville and exploring the woods near Yazadaha Pool, she would return to Sumeru City just as the patrol ended.
She followed the small path, entered the small grove near the Ye Family Compound, and then headed home.
Just as she entered the door, she heard bursts of exclamations coming from inside.
She saw Ayexia, Dehya, and everyone else in the kitchen, surrounding something unknown and discussing it all at once.
"What is everyone doing?"
Hearing the faint sound from behind, Dehya turned her head. "Collei is back. Master just researched an automatic rice cooker. It's too magical!"
"Rice cooker?"
Collei poked her head out and saw a machine sitting on the table.
She didn't know what material it was made of, but it looked very clean and beautiful.
At the top of the machine, steam was puffing out of a small hole.
That smell was the aroma of rice.
And the machine had a tail, which connected to somewhere unknown.
"An electric rice cooker!?"
Lumine, sitting in a wheelchair, scooted over and let out a gasp of amazement.
She hadn't expected Ye Xi to actually make something like this!
In the afternoon, when Ye Xi used the Abyss Core to create a wheelchair, she had already been very surprised!
At that time, she had begun to suspect whether Ye Xi was also a traveler from another world.
Now, she could be one hundred percent certain!
How could Teyvat possibly have something like an electric rice cooker!?
This was obviously not a product of this era!
If Ye Xi wasn't a traveler from another world, it would be impossible for him to know of such technological products!
She knew this because the place she and her brother lived before had this kind of technology!
Now she seriously suspected that Ye Xi might come from the same world as her!
"Traveler, do you know this machine?"
Ayexia had taken the electric rice cooker for Khaenri'ah technology and was currently researching it desperately.
She didn't understand the principles behind it at all.
Lumine nodded. "This machine is called an electric rice cooker. It uses electricity to heat the container inside."
"Then it creates weak pressure in the pot to steam the rice until it's cooked."
"By the looks of it, the rice will be ready in ten minutes!"
As she spoke, she followed the direction of the power cord to check.
She was very curious—where did this electricity come from!?
At the end, she actually saw a socket!
How was this possible!
Hearing Lumine's introduction, the girls' faces were full of astonishment.
"So magical!"
"Eh? You can cook rice without firewood?"
"That's too amazing! If it can be mass-produced, it will definitely make a lot of money!"
"Miss, we can go ask Lord Sangemah Bay. She might offer a high price!"
The nearby Ayexia hurriedly recorded this. At this moment, she also had the same question. "Although I don't know how electricity is used for heating, where does the electricity come from?"
Electro Elemental Power could indeed generate electricity, but Electro Elemental Power was extremely unstable.
Only a very few excellent individuals could manipulate Elemental Power like that.
If the output was too high, the item would be destroyed by Electro Elemental Power. If it was too low, a person wouldn't even feel it if attacked.
To achieve a stable release of Elemental Power—probably not even the General Mahamatra of Sumeru could do it!
"Paimon, push me outside. I want to see where the power source is."
"Eh—!?"
"Are you trying to work Paimon to death!"
Paimon put her hands on her hips. She had just managed to catch her breath, and unexpectedly, before she could even rest, she was being ordered around again!
"Paimon—!?"
"Ahhh! I know, I know!"
Paimon stomped her feet. Because she had badmouthed Lumine earlier today and let slip the identities of Zhongli and Venti, she was being punished by Lumine to do physical labor.
Although she was angry, she could only obediently listen.
She used all her strength to push the wheelchair, as if using the strength she used for breastfeeding.
Just then, a hand reached over and pushed Lumine out with ease.
"Eh! Dehya! Woo..."
"Hahaha, leave it to me."
Seeing Dehya's reliable smile, Paimon was about to cry. "Wuu wuu wuu, Dehya, you're so good! My phantom limbs are so tired! You're the only one who feels sorry for me!"
Paimon hugged Dehya like a face-hugger.
"Hahahaha."
Seeing the two of them laughing, Lumine sighed helplessly.
They walked out of the room and went to the back of the kitchen.
There, unknown to them when it appeared, a new massive machine had been added.
Inside the machine, there were actually several Electro Slimes!
Dehya immediately became alert and stopped everyone. "Careful, Slime attacks are quite dangerous!"
"Slimes—!?"
Ayexia looked shocked and examined the machine carefully.
There were two large glass jars in the machine: one containing the positive electrode and one containing the negative electrode.
Through the Slimes' discharge, the current entered the device above.
"It's actually a transformer."
Lumine's face was full of astonishment. She hadn't expected to see such a thing!
Through a transformer, the current could be changed to the desired intensity. This was basic physics knowledge!
It was too familiar!
She couldn't wait to find Ye Xi and ask him clearly! Which world exactly was he from!
Just as everyone was crowding around watching the Slimes, two figures returned to the courtyard.
It was Ye Xi and Alusha coming back.
They had gone outside to hunt and get some Shroomboars with decent meat quality.
These small pigs weren't big and had mushrooms growing on them. Making them into roasted suckling pigs provided both the aroma of crispy skin and a faint mushroom flavor.
After eating it a few times, it became unforgettable.
They could also be used for stir-fry, which was also delicious.
Upon seeing Ye Xi and Alusha, Dehya leaned in.
"You were out for an hour; what's the harvest?"
Ye Xi took the prey he had hunted out of his portable space. Aside from Shroomboars, there were crocodiles and other meats.
Seeing this, Dehya looked amused. "You two could finish getting these prey in less than ten minutes, right?"
"Alusha, looks like you stole quite a bit of food! Confess truthfully!"
Faced with Dehya's teasing gaze, Alusha blushed.
Just now in the small grove, with no one around, she had...
Anyway, it was very exciting.
She continued the unfinished business from this morning and was thoroughly satisfied.
"Alright, alright."
Ye Xi smiled and reached out to touch Dehya's slim waist, asking, "What are you all doing in the courtyard?"
Before Dehya could answer, Ayexia looked like a curious baby. "Master, what are the Electro Slimes in the back for!"
"That..."
Ye Xi just remembered that he hadn't had time to introduce the things he casually built this afternoon to them.
This was a good opportunity to explain.
"That is a Slime Generator."
"I use Slimes to generate electricity."
Collei, standing aside, couldn't help but ask, "Master, how did you make the Slimes behave obediently?"
This question was also something everyone was puzzled about.
Everyone had seen Slimes. For experienced adventurers, they were considered the lowest level of monster.
But for people like Dunyarzad and Setaria who hadn't been to the wild much, they were still very dangerous.
No matter what, Slimes were monsters. Keeping them at home was no different from harboring a tiger!
Ye Xi saw their worry and immediately demonstrated the [Taming] skill.
"These Slimes have all been tamed by me and will guarantee unconditional loyalty. Everyone can rest assured."
As he spoke, he raised his hand.
In his palm, a slowly rotating sigil appeared, blooming with golden light.
And inside the machine, the same sigil appeared on top of all the Electro Slimes' heads.
Clearly, these Slimes were already controlled by him and had signed a master-servant contract.
As long as he issued a command, these Slimes would work unconditionally forever!
Seeing this scene, the girls couldn't help but let out a cry of surprise.
"It can even be done like this!?"
Setaria's small face was full of disbelief. "Slimes, monsters without intelligence, can actually be tamed! This is simply a miracle!"
"That's right! If it can be done like this, doesn't that mean Slimes can have many uses?"
The two from the Akademiya immediately started discussing.
Just as they were speaking, a gentle voice came from behind.
"Unexpectedly, you possess such wisdom."
"Using Slimes as an energy source is indeed a whimsical idea."
Hearing the voice behind them, the girls all turned their heads.
"Lord Tree King! You're here!"
At these words, Collei looked stunned. "Lord Tree King!?"
"Yes!"
Dehya explained, "It is just as you think. This is the former God of Wisdom, Greater Lord Rukkhadevata."
"Eh—!?"
At noon, Greater Lord Rukkhadevata had already introduced herself to Dehya and the others.
At that time, Dunyarzad was shocked significantly.
After all, a god who had passed away for many years actually appeared alive in front of her; anyone would be scared.
Not to mention, she was the God of Wisdom who had ruled Sumeru for thousands of years!
For Dehya and Alusha, who were from the desert, it was relatively easier to accept.
After all, they didn't care much about gods.
At this moment, the surprise in Collei's heart was no weaker than Dunyarzad and Ayexia's.
The most critical point was that they weren't just surprised by Greater Lord Rukkhadevata returning from the dead.
What made them feel most incredible was that Greater Lord Rukkhadevata actually appeared here, by Ye Xi's side!
Yesterday it was Lesser Lord Kusanali, today it was Greater Lord Rukkhadevata.
Sumeru's two gods were actually both by Ye Xi's side!
This gave everyone an absurd thought.
Could it be that even Greater Lord Rukkhadevata would become everyone's good sister!
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