The sizzling hot chili oil flowed over the tofu garnished with green onions, resembling scorched earth and forests, inspiring awe.
Venti carefully scooped half a small spoonful. Before he even brought it to his nose, the spicy and savory aroma made him instinctively cover his nose and sneeze.
"Good Hunter does not allow food waste. If you start eating, you must finish it!"
"If you give up now, I will help you take care of this Mapo Tofu!"
Ryan smiled, enticing him, "The first Bard of Mondstadt, surely you're not scared, are you?"
"Is your courage even less than Albert's?"
Venti rubbed his stomach, feigning ignorance, his eyes darting around.
This thing was too terrifying!
His Divine Power told him that something very bad would happen after eating it!
"Hehe, I'm full!"
"I don't want the rest of the dishes!"
"This Mapo Tofu, I'll give it back to you!"
After speaking, he ignored Ryan's provocation and prepared to escape after gaining an advantage.
Ryan reached out and grabbed the corner of the other party's cloak, pulling him back.
Other gods, he wouldn't dare!
But Barbatos...
"You've used the spoon, so finish this bite!"
"After all, I gave you a plate of Coral Fish, you wouldn't be so ungiving of face, would you?" Ryan said with excitement and the pleasure of teasing a god.
"Come on! It's just one bite!"
"If you don't cooperate, next time you come to Good Hunter, it will be double the price!"
Ryan was full of amusement, and the surrounding customers joined in the clamor.
Watching a spectacle and seeing others make a fool of themselves is human nature.
Hearing Ryan's threat, Venti visibly hesitated.
"For next time at Good Hunter..."
He mumbled, hesitating for a long time, then closed his eyes and gulped down half a spoonful.
A visible red color rose from his neck to his forehead, bringing with it beads of sweat.
"Cheers to our brave warrior!" Ryan saw his chance and let go of Venti.
There was no significant difference between one bite and the whole thing anyway; both could make a person feel incredibly spicy.
"Amazing!"
"He ate it without even blinking! He has... hic... the demeanor of me, the Great Adventurer King!"
A drunken man staggered out of The Cat's Tail, leaning against the side, watching the commotion.
He stumbled and put his arm around Venti, boasting.
"I... I once shared a bowl of Hell-level Mapo Tofu with a friend, and I immediately gained Pyro Divine Power, spitting three streams of fire to eliminate ten Hilichurls on the spot."
"In my dream, I even obtained a Pyro Vision and fought alongside the 'Darknight Hero.'"
"Come, have another bite!"
"Let's... battle the Hilichurls together!"
Venti opened his eyes, teary-eyed.
Looking at him, he hissed and gasped for air.
He fanned his tongue with both hands, exhaling gusts of wind.
The chili-flavored wind immediately made the man unable to open his eyes, and his nose and tears flowed freely.
A burning sensation raged on his skin.
A glowing Damselette seemed to float above his soul, carrying the scent of Mapo Tofu.
Wind God — Grace of Love!
"Water, water, water..." Venti flew up with a whoosh, then landed on the ground, stomping his feet in a hurry.
He grabbed someone and pleaded, "Quick, quick... give me water!"
"Your Anemo Archon Barbatos is going to die!"
"Wuwu..."
Ryan couldn't bear to look at his miserable state.
Before he could be dragged to the Knights of Favonius for cursing a god, he thoughtfully handed over a wine bottle.
"Hmph—!" Venti instantly perked up; even the spiciness couldn't stop his craving.
He gulped down more than half a bottle and finally came back to life.
"It's Angel's Share, a new wine just put on the counter! Where did you get it?"
Venti forgave this mortal for his attempted murder and asked curiously.
Ryan smiled but didn't answer. As the wine connoisseur of Dawn Winery, was it strange for him to get one or two bottles of new brew?
"How does it feel?" Another bottle of wine appeared in his hand, and he poured himself a glass.
"The flavor from another world is indeed very ATK, like an attack from the Pyro Archon."Venti's eyes lit up as he drank his wine, exaggeratedly describing this Hell-level Mapo Tofu, and shamelessly begged for the new wine in Ryan's hand.
"A little more, a little more! It's still so spicy!"
Ryan smiled and poured him a glass.
Just now, it was only a small retaliation; he didn't really want to cause any unpleasantness.
After the prank was over, it was time to mend their relationship.
After this incident, this Wind God would surely have a deep impression of him, thinking of him whenever he felt spicy.
At the same time, because of what the drunkard and Venti said, he got new inspiration for the Mapo Tofu advertisement.
Pyro Divine Power, Pyro Vision, Pyro Archon's ATK — all seemed like good selling points that could attract those reckless Adventurers to come and try.
Mondstadt, under the Anemo of freedom, never lacked brave warriors who sought death.
"You, a small Bard, have you even fought with the Pyro Archon?" Ryan pretended not to know his identity and casually teased him.
"Not just the Pyro Archon, I've also fought with Rex Lapis, and swapped the Cryo Archon's scepter..."After drinking, Venti's statements were completely taken as drunken ramblings by those nearby.
Rex Lapis, the Pyro Archon, and the Cryo Archon are all among the Seven Archons who rule Teyvat, high above.
It's impossible for ordinary people to even meet them, let alone fight.
They had seen people brag when drunk, but never someone brag so loudly when drunk.
You think you're the Anemo Archon!
Indeed, Bards just love to sing random legends and put themselves into them.
You must be the one often warned by the Church nuns for slandering the Wind God!
Today, if Ryan hadn't been there, he would have been taken to the Knights of Favonius again.
"Amazing, amazing..." Ryan was noncommittal.
Because according to his understanding, Venti was indeed lying and bragging!
He should have been the one who got beaten.
"It's a pity, for someone as powerful as you, you couldn't conquer this delicious Mapo Tofu!"
Venti was momentarily embarrassed.
"Ryan, give me a regular version of Mapo Tofu!" a customer ordered.
"Okay! Just a moment!"
Under Venti's terrified and admiring gaze, Ryan quickly finished that plate of Hellish Lava in a few bites!
The short break ended, he put on his apron, washed his hands, and returned to the kitchen.
"I look forward to our next meeting, Mondstadt's most outstanding Bard!" He bowed deeply.
Venti smiled.
Looking at Ryan, who hid many secrets and seemed to know his true identity, he took out the glass sphere Vision from his waist and transformed it into the wooden lyre "Der Frühling."
He dedicated an old song to the liveliness of Good Hunter.
"I look forward to our next meeting, traveler from another world!"
"I represent the Anemo Archon and bless you to see all the beautiful scenery of Teyvat, to form many good relationships in Teyvat, and to find your way back home!"
An invisible blessing, like a gentle breeze, enveloped him.
...
Ryan finished his day's work and walked out of Good Hunter, finding two Damselette waiting.
"Future great existence, you have grown again! You, who returned after an endless journey, who traversed the turning of suns and moons, who received the protection of a mysterious existence, and who came back with glory and wealth! Just like the hero from the epic, you have once again appeared before Her Royal Highness."
Fischl's green eyes shone with the light of wisdom, a light that saw through everything.
She almost bluffed Ryan, who was tired and not thinking clearly!
He had thought she discovered the Grace of the Spring Spirit.
"Young Miss! I tried to find you several times! You cried loudly in your room last night, saying you were eaten by a Hilichurl!" Oz added from the side.
"Shut up! Oz!" Fischl's face turned crimson with a bang, and she pinched Oz's crow beak.
"To cause Her Royal Highness such worry! It is my fault!" Ryan felt a warmth in his heart.
He raised his arm, willing to join Fischl in her chunibyo antics.
"The Royal Princess's legend remains in my chest, transforming into the Sacred Judgment of Thunder, shining upon Aether! The fiends and monsters on the path are no match for it!"
"Protecting me is the Divine Power of Her Royal Highness and Immernachtreich!"
"For this, I bring the Wind Spirit from the distant Grape Kingdom, the land of wine, as a gift of apology and gratitude, to my most beautiful Royal Princess, Your Highness!"
Ryan smiled and took out two shining crystal cores from his backpack.
He handed one to Fischl and the other to Amber, who was stifling a laugh beside him.
"This one, I give to my dearest Master of language and archery!"