Hu Tao skipped ahead of Lu Li, occasionally bending down and looking back over her shoulder to wave at Lu Li.
The plum blossom hair ornament on her head trembled with Hu Tao's movements, looking very cute.
"Little brother Lu Li—"
"Do you know which is my favorite poem in 'three hundred liyue sweet poems'?"
Hu Tao drew out her words, a wide smile on her face, already showing the prototype of a future Director of the WangSheng Funeral Parlor.
"Is it 'Sweet · Morax'?"
Hearing Lu Li's answer, Hu Tao suddenly stopped and widened her eyes.
"Wow!"
"You actually guessed it right!"
"My Old Director said this poem was written by a consultant of the WangSheng Funeral Parlor, and Hu Tao likes it very much."
Hu Tao clapped her hands and began to hum and laugh heartily.
"Put me in ancient Liyue, I'll definitely surpass Morax ♦ →, all the Adepti will serve me ♦ →..."
The two chatted about sweet poems all the way, and before they knew it, they arrived at Chihu Rock.
The sign of Wanmin Restaurant was particularly striking under the sun, and Guoba was squatting at the entrance, gnawing on a roasted potato.
"Xiangling! Xiangling!"
"One serving of Boiled Black-Backed Perch!"
"I brought a little friend to eat!"
As soon as Hu Tao rushed into the restaurant, she shouted at Xiangling in the kitchen.
A small head with a Horsetail peeked out from behind the stove, and Xiangling wiped the sweat from her forehead.
She looked Lu Li up and down.
"Oh? A new face!"
Xiangling blinked, "Little friend, can you eat spicy food?"
Lu Li smiled faintly.
"I can even eat Jueyun Chili raw, so a mere Boiled Black-Backed Perch is certainly no problem."
Hu Tao fanned the flames from the side, whispering.
"Xiangling... add a lot of chili, add some of the high-purity chili extract you developed!"
Xiangling smiled slightly, indicating her refusal.
"He's still a child..."
If it got out that the food at Wanmin Restaurant made someone faint from the spice, how would they do business?
After about ten minutes.
"Boiled Black-Backed Perch is here!"
Xiangling brought the Boiled Black-Backed Perch to Hu Tao and Lu Li's table.
Lu Li felt his nose sweat just from smelling it.
If he ate it, it would definitely be incredibly delicious!
After eating Abyssal food for a whole year, seeing this human food, Lu Li now very much wished to eat a bite of food from the surface.
Skirk, who was watching Lu Li from the corner, also couldn't help but swallow her saliva when she smelled the spicy aroma.
Lu Li tasted a bite of the Boiled Black-Backed Perch, and his entire mood brightened.
Lu Li planned to bring a portion for Skirk when he left.
But.
If the prepared Boiled Black-Backed Perch was packed to go, it would greatly affect the taste, far from being as delicious as it was now.
「You tasted the Boiled Black-Backed Perch, gained a unique insight into cuisine, and created the 'Universal Cookbook'.」
In Lu Li's mind.
The long-silent voice came again.
Only this time, what Lu Li created was not something to enhance his combat power.
But a 'Universal Cookbook'.
Lu Li instantly felt that he had a profound understanding of cooking.
Just by glancing at the unfinished Boiled Black-Backed Perch on the table, Lu Li comprehended a menu in his mind.
Although Lu Li had never cooked before, and his best food was only instant noodles, he had now become a grandmaster of the culinary world!
This was his heaven-defying comprehension.
Lu Li decided to buy some ingredients later and go back to cook a meal for Skirk.
To let her know what was more delicious than Abyssal food.
After comprehending something new, Lu Li continued to eat Fish.
Just as Lu Li was enjoying his meal.
Suddenly, there was a commotion at the entrance.
Three Millelith walked into Wanmin Restaurant, their gaze fixed on Lu Li.
"It's that child!"
"Someone reported that he was abducted by a zombie to Liyue Harbor!"
"I wasn't abducted, Qiqi brought me to play." Lu Li's mouth was full of Fish, and he answered indistinctly.
The three Millelith looked at each other.
"Qiqi? That little medicine boy from Bubu Pharmacy?"
Hu Tao quickly stood up.
"Two big brothers, this is my little brother! He's not an abducted child!"
Although Hu Tao was still a child.
But Hu Tao's Old Director had a good reputation in Liyue, and with Hu Tao, the granddaughter of the WangSheng Funeral Parlor Director, as a guarantor.
After asking a few questions, the Millelith quickly left.
The misunderstanding was resolved.
Hu Tao mysteriously leaned into Lu Li's ear.
"Later... do you want to see our WangSheng Funeral Parlor's super secret treasure!"
The secret treasure of the WangSheng Funeral Parlor?!
Lu Li's mind raced, thinking about what treasures the WangSheng Funeral Parlor might have.
The WangSheng Funeral Parlor mainly handled funerals.
So, what could be the treasure of the WangSheng Funeral Parlor, could it be... "Is it a coffin?"
Upon hearing this, Hu Tao excitedly grabbed Lu Li's hand.
"Exactly—"
"It's a coffin, this coffin was made from millennium agarwood collected by my Old Director, and if you lie in it, you can dream of Adepti!"
Lu Li thought to himself:
Young Hu Tao is truly enthusiastic, to entertain a friend she's only known for less than a day with such a good item, isn't that being too informal?!
However.
Lu Li wasn't very interested in lying in a coffin... "Ah... that's not necessary, I have to go home later."
Hu Tao was persistent.
"Come on, come on!"
"After you lie in the coffin, I'll treat you to almond tofu!"
Skirk, observing all this, couldn't help but rub her forehead.
"What good child invites friends to play by lying in a coffin..."
After finishing the Boiled Black-Backed Perch.
Lu Li paid the bill, then went to buy some ingredients and seasonings.
Lu Li planned to cook a meal for Skirk when he returned to the Abyss, and Skirk felt relieved seeing this.
However.
Skirk wasn't too sure if the food Lu Li made would be delicious.
After all, when they were in the Abyss.
It was always Skirk who cooked, things like grilled lizards, rock rat meat porridge, centipede ice snake tea... After buying the ingredients, Hu Tao took Lu Li to buy a set of Liyue traditional clothing.
After Lu Li changed his clothes, he instantly felt very light, and coupled with Lu Li's appearance, he looked exactly like a Liyue child.
Finally... at Hu Tao's enthusiastic invitation, Lu Li still returned to the WangSheng Funeral Parlor with Hu Tao.
But Lu Li still refused to lie in the coffin.
The afterglow of the setting sun spilled onto the eaves of the WangSheng Funeral Parlor, dyeing the vermilion door frame a warm orange.
Hu Tao held Lu Li's hand.
She skipped over the threshold, but stopped the moment she stepped into the courtyard.
Inside the hall.
A young man dressed in plain white clothes was weeping, his shoulders trembling slightly, tightly clutching a faded peace charm.
"Old Director, I entrust my Old Director's funeral arrangements to you."
Old Director Hu stood beside the young man, his aged hand gently resting on his shoulder, his voice low and gentle.
"Birth, aging, sickness, death, the world is impermanent... Please accept my condolences."
Listening to the words from his Old Director.
Hu Tao's smile froze, she stared blankly at the young man, then turned to look at her Old Director.
The Old Director who always smiled and played with her, his back now seemed so thin.
"Old Director... will you also leave me one day?"
This thought, like a tiny thorn, suddenly pierced Hu Tao's heart, and Hu Tao subconsciously tightened her grip on Lu Li's hand.
Even though she was the future Director of the WangSheng Funeral Parlor, Hu Tao was still just a child now.
She hadn't fully understood the matters of life and death.
After seeing off the young man.
Old Director Hu turned around and immediately saw Hu Tao and Lu Li standing in the courtyard.
Hu Tao's eyes were red, as if she was holding back tears.
But she stubbornly refused to let them fall.
"Little Hu Tao?!"
"What's wrong? Who bullied our little ancestor?!"
Old Director Hu squatted down, his rough thumb wiping across Hu Tao's eyes, clearing away the tears that were about to fall.
Hu Tao suddenly threw herself into her Old Director's arms, burying her small face in his clothes.
"Old Director... you won't die, right?"