As the young girl sitting on the ground slowly stood up, Raiden Makoto thoroughly examined her appearance.
The girl's attire was quite revealing, with her waist and legs exposed, which was somewhat similar to Ningguang's style. A red and white scarf was connected to a red top, and a red circular cloth was tied over a black short skirt, with a yellow bow tied on the left side.
Looking closely, the girl wore a pair of white sleeves with red fixed armor on her arms, and there were a few white scales on the backs of her hands and the sides of her waist. She was not a pure human, but likely a hybrid of human and illuminated beast, much like Ganyu.
At the same time, the girl was also observing Raiden Makoto and Raiden Ei; before her were likely twin sisters from Inazuma.
"Are you acquainted with Mr. Zhongli? I saw you chatting with him just now?" The girl scrutinized Raiden Makoto and Raiden Ei with her pale green eyes. She naturally knew Zhongli, the knowledgeable consultant of the Wang Sheng Funeral Parlor, and she even felt a sense of familiarity from him.
That was also why the girl was curious about how Zhongli knew two twin sisters from Inazuma.
"Yes."
"Right, my name is Yanfei... I'm a... well... lawyer!" Yanfei finally snapped out of it, realizing she hadn't introduced herself. She then said with a smile, "If you two encounter any legal issues in Liyue in the future, feel free to find me."
"I'm a bit busy, so I'll be going now." As Yanfei ran off hurriedly, Raiden Makoto watched her back and murmured to herself, "Liyue even has lawyers now?"
"That girl, like the little qilin, is probably a descendant of an adeptus and a mortal."
"Let's go back."
Wanmin Restaurant.
When Xiangling saw Raiden Makoto return, a look of delight appeared on her face.
"Master, I've finished the dishes, come and try them." Xiangling then noticed that Raiden Ei had actually caught two Electro Slimes.
"Sister Ei really caught two Electro Slimes? You're not going to cook with Slimes, are you? I've done some research in that area too."
"I'm just using the Slimes to generate electricity..." Raiden Ei couldn't even imagine how disgusting a dish made from Slimes would be. The inside of a Slime was entirely composed of slimy, gelatinous substances; it was just too revolting.
"Generating electricity? I don't get it..."
Raiden Makoto also tasted the dishes Xiangling had prepared and nodded. "Not bad... the flavor is mellow, and the texture is quite delicate. It's very good."
"Mm-hmm." Xiangling was quite happy. "Those are new dishes I developed, inspired by some recipes Master told me about... I plan to use them for the competition."
Xiangling could have easily used the recipes Raiden Makoto taught her for the competition, but she wouldn't do that. An excellent chef must have the ability to develop new dishes themselves; only with the power of innovation can one avoid being left behind by the times.
"Sister... I'll go inside to process them first?" Raiden Ei already had an idea. She could make two large iron buckets to stuff the Slimes into, and then use two wires to connect them to the electric stove she had previously invented. That should provide real heat, serving as the heat source for her first step in cooking.
"Go ahead." Seeing Raiden Ei so dedicated, Raiden Makoto nodded. It seemed her sister was truly taking the Culinary King Competition seriously, which was good—it would save her some worry.
"Mm-hmm."
"Does Master think all the dishes are good?" Xiangling looked at Raiden Makoto with curiosity. "These are all new dishes I developed."
"They are all quite good... but there are some areas that aren't quite right... For example, this dish is a bit overcooked."
"And for that dish, there's a bit too much seasoning." Raiden Makoto said thoughtfully, "If you pay a bit more attention to those aspects, there shouldn't be any problems."
"Mm-hmm."
"However, my word isn't final. People's tastes vary. If you intend to win the championship of the Culinary King Competition, it would be better to find more people to try the dishes." Raiden Makoto smiled. "Besides, I'm not the only judge for the Culinary King Competition."
"Mm."
"Master, I was thinking the same thing." Xiangling nodded seriously. "I also plan to find a few more people to taste my dishes."
"Does Master have any good suggestions?"
"My suggestion is... you could look for Zhongli. He is quite picky about flavor... If even Zhongli is satisfied, then it won't be hard for you to win the championship." Raiden Makoto said seriously.
"Mr. Zhongli? That seems like a good idea... and Mr. Zhongli is also going to be a judge like Master, right?" Xiangling asked with some curiosity.
"Yes."
"Then let's go find Mr. Zhongli!"
...Wang Sheng Funeral Parlor.
"Oh... Xiangling, are you here to play with me again?" Hu Tao looked at Xiangling and Raiden Makoto thoughtfully, feeling curious. "You brought dishes? Are you planning to let me try them?"
"Hu Tao? If you want to eat, you can try some too... and give me a review while you're at it?"
When they arrived at the Wang Sheng Funeral Parlor, they saw Hu Tao writing with a brush. When Hu Tao noticed them coming over, a smile appeared on her face again.
"Mm."
After Hu Tao tried Xiangling's dishes, she narrowed her eyes slightly, then nodded and praised, "The taste is really good..."
"Xiangling, are these new dishes you developed?" Hu Tao was a bit curious, as she had never heard of these particular dishes before.
"Yes, they are new dishes I developed based on the recipes Master taught me. I plan to use them to participate in the Moonchase Festival's Culinary King Competition." Xiangling said seriously, "I'm sure I can win the championship."
"Of course..." Hu Tao smiled. She knew Xiangling and knew she was the best chef in Liyue Harbor. If Xiangling couldn't win the championship, who could?
"I'll be there to watch the Culinary King Competition too..." Hu Tao looked at Xiangling earnestly, then asked with some confusion: "Did you two come just to let me taste your new dishes?"
"No."
"Hu Tao, is Mr. Zhongli here?" Xiangling asked with curiosity, "I was planning to find Mr. Zhongli to have him taste my new dishes and see his evaluation..."
"Zhongli? I don't know. He vanished again after coming back." Hu Tao shook her head. "That old stick-in-the-mud is often like this; I never know where he's gone."
"Alright then."
"Zhongli is gone again." Raiden Makoto was slightly surprised. After coming back with her several times, Zhongli seemed to stay at the Wang Sheng Funeral Parlor for a while before disappearing.
It seemed Zhongli couldn't sit still either.
"Yeah, speaking of which, didn't he go out with you?" Hu Tao looked at Raiden Makoto with confusion. "You don't know where he went either? Then I have even less of a clue where he is."
"Alright." Xiangling was a bit disappointed. She had thought she could get Zhongli's evaluation, but now it seemed she wouldn't.
"What's wrong? Is it absolutely necessary to find Zhongli?" Seeing Xiangling's disappointment, Hu Tao asked thoughtfully, "I really don't know where he is... I can't help you there."
"No..." Xiangling was just a bit disappointed. As for whether she could find Zhongli, that was another matter.
"Thank you, Hu Tao."
"Then Master and I will be going?" After Xiangling said goodbye to Hu Tao, she followed Raiden Makoto out of the Wang Sheng Funeral Parlor.
"Master... you're old friends with Mr. Zhongli from the Wang Sheng Funeral Parlor... so do you know what kind of person Mr. Zhongli is?" Xiangling was curious; her impression of Zhongli was that of a somewhat stiff, knowledgeable person.
"Zhongli?"
"He's like a person made of rock." Raiden Makoto smiled. When she had asked Zhongli about Guizhong earlier, he had remained completely unmoved.
At that time, Raiden Makoto understood that Zhongli's heart was as firm as a rock—a total'steel straight man'.
That fit Morax's identity as the Geo Archon perfectly. As the Geo Archon, he was inherently as firm as a rock.
"Huh?" Xiangling blinked, not quite understanding, but seeing Raiden Makoto start walking, she quickly followed.
What did it mean to be a person like a rock? Xiangling was very puzzled.
"Hmm?" Raiden Makoto faintly sensed that someone seemed to be following her. "Someone is following us."
"Someone is following us?" Xiangling was stunned for a moment. "Master, how could someone be following us?"
"Let's head into the alley and see."
When Raiden Makoto and Xiangling entered the small alley together, she still found that a 'person' was secretly following them. To be precise, it wasn't a human.
"Come out." Raiden Makoto quietly looked around. "I have already discovered you, there's no need to hide."
As a figure appeared directly, she also saw clearly what the person looked like.
It was a young man with short green hair. There seemed to be an eye on his forehead, and his eyes were pale gold.
His clothing was of a very ordinary Liyue style, with large sleeves, and there were jade-like spikes on his shoulders.
Raiden Makoto detected a very dense karmic debt from the young man... but it didn't originate from him, meaning he wasn't the source of it, but rather someone who frequently dealt with it.
Then she probably knew who he was.
"Xiao."
"You know of me?" Xiao scrutinized Raiden Makoto thoughtfully, his tone somewhat flat.
"Of course I do."
"The Guardian Yaksha of Liyue Harbor, the Conqueror of Demons." Raiden Makoto nodded. Two thousand years ago, the first Seven Archons' gathering was held in Liyue.
At that time, she had gone to Liyue with her sister and discovered that the ley lines of Liyue were filled with the resentment of fallen Gods. She had asked Morax back then how to clear it.
Morax told her that there were specific individuals in Liyue dedicated to clearing that resentment.
She had known of Xiao's existence since then, though it was only a superficial understanding.
A hint of surprise appeared in Xiao's expression, but he soon realized that the girl before him was likely a God, just like the Rex Lapis.
It seemed he had followed the wrong person.
"Mm." But Xiao's face remained indifferent. "I did not intend to follow you... it's just..."
It was because Raiden Makoto also carried the aura of a God's resentment. He had dealt with such things for a thousand years; he was all too familiar with that scent.
To protect Liyue Harbor, he had to follow Raiden Makoto in secret, only to be discovered.
Nowadays, there were not many who could detect him in secret. Aside from the Rex Lapis and Grandma Ping, almost no one should have been able to find him.
This could only mean that Raiden Makoto was like the Rex Lapis.
"I understand, no need to apologize." Raiden Makoto smiled. To Morax, Xiao was probably like what Sasayuri was to her. If Sasayuri were still alive, she might have entrusted him with similar work.
Liyue's crisis stemmed from the Archon War period, when too many Gods perished in Liyue, leaving behind massive amounts of resentment and remnants that affected Liyue's ley lines.
Inazuma's crisis originated from various enemies in The Abyss, but with the thunderstorms present, those enemies did not dare to act recklessly.
"Master... you know him? And he sounds like an adeptus?" Xiangling blinked, observing Xiao with a face full of curiosity.
"He is indeed an adeptus." Raiden Makoto nodded. Xiao certainly counted as an adeptus, though he was different from the others.
"An actual adeptus! Are you Xiao? My name is Xiangling, I'm a chef." Xiangling was excited. Her brain occasionally didn't work quite right, so she directly ignored the question of why her master would know a Liyue adeptus and instead stared straight at Xiao.
Meanwhile, Guoba, who was beside Xiangling, also frantically waved his arms at Xiao, even jumping up to do so.
"Hello, hello."
"Can you help me try some dishes?" Xiangling was curious. Since Zhongli couldn't try them, now that there was an adeptus here, surely he could help her try the new dishes?
"I will try them." Xiao nodded. After he tasted Xiangling's dishes, he closed his eyes slightly.
"How is it?" Xiangling looked at Xiao with curiosity. Since it concerned her new dishes, she was very eager to know the result.
"Does it taste okay?"
"Mm... the taste is good." Xiao nodded with satisfaction. Guoba was still waving his arms beside him, but Xiao seemed to ignore him.
"Really... really?" Xiangling's eyes widened in disbelief. She then excitedly said to Raiden Makoto, "Master, Master, even an adeptus praised my cooking..."
"If Dad finds out, will he cry?" Xiangling was extremely thrilled and happy.
"Mm." Raiden Makoto smiled. "Your culinary skills were never poor... if even Master thinks they're good, how could others think they're bad?"
"However, it's impossible to satisfy everyone's palate." Raiden Makoto then looked at Xiao. As one high-level figure after another from Liyue appeared, she couldn't help but feel a bit envious.
Liyue was truly full of talented individuals.
"Hmm... for me, the flavor of this dish is a bit heavy. If it were slightly refined, it would be even better." Xiao nodded.
He then looked at Raiden Makoto thoughtfully, pondering a question.
Who exactly was Raiden Makoto?
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