"Since this is for Qiqi, I need to prepare it a little differently."
Gu Sanqiu adjusted his headscarf, checking to make sure no one was paying attention, and then slowly activated his Vision. The amber-colored gemstone flickered faintly, and a barely perceptible dragon's head emerged within it, radiating an invisible aura of authority.
"Uh, grandpa, ancestor, Lord Rex Lapis, this isn't disrespectful, really. This is just a small experiment for the sake of Liyue's culinary future."
"Power from the frozen north, ice crystals from the heights of heaven, heed my command, gather here."
The amber Vision vibrated slightly, and a delicate, ethereal ice crystal materialized in the air, gently floating into the small bowl Gu Sanqiu had prepared.
"Should be fine... right?"
In the mystic arts, many practitioners could summon both fire with one hand and ice with the other, but they usually tapped into their own power, and the gods didn't pay much attention to it.
But Gu Sanqiu had just used his Vision—an item that governs a specific element—to cast a spell of an entirely different element. That sort of thing was far more audacious than simply offending someone directly.
However, when no meteor came crashing down on his head, Gu Sanqiu quickly relaxed. Whether Zhongli noticed or not, for now, he was safe.
"Hmm, maybe I should avoid these risky stunts in the future."
He removed the noodles from the pot and carefully poured half of the ice crystal into them, swirling his wrist deftly to dissolve the crystal into a fine mist that infused the noodles. The other half, he dumped into the broth.
"Now I'm thinking elemental chefs would probably be in high demand. It'd certainly save on ingredient costs."
Gu Sanqiu shrugged. Aside from Xiangling, there probably weren't many chefs with a Vision, but there were certainly plenty of food lovers. The culinary scene at Wanmin Restaurant was bustling, after all.
"Little Guzi, food."
"Here you go, ancestor. Today's special: chilled giant chicken leg with bone broth and cold noodles."
Unfortunately, no critical hit or damage boost effects.
Gu Sanqiu's face lit up with a smile as he handed the dish to Qiqi.
Qiqi ate slowly and methodically, much more refined than others her age. Her expressionless face and deliberate chewing made it impossible for Gu Sanqiu to gauge her reaction.
"Not bad. Tasty."
Qiqi stood on her tiptoes, placing her bowl and chopsticks on the food cart. Then, she gave Gu Sanqiu a thoughtful look, as if hesitating over something.
Gu Sanqiu smiled awkwardly and crouched down, moving his head closer to her.
"Yes, Little Guzi, good. Thank you."
Satisfied, Qiqi patted Gu Sanqiu's head through his scarf, then turned and walked toward Bubu Pharmacy.
Gu Sanqiu pulled off his headscarf and discreetly summoned a few small mice made from Geo energy, sending them scurrying in various directions.
"No one's following, and no strange creatures are around. Looks like she really did just come to the orphanage to deliver candy. No troublemakers this time."
"Sanqiu!"
－＝≡ヘ(*・ω・)ノ
Hu Tao suddenly appeared from a nearby rooftop, waving her hat at him.
"The Crux Fleet has returned to port! Come shopping with me? I want to buy some fun stuff."
The Crux is back?
Gu Sanqiu was caught off guard for a moment, then nodded. "Sure, let me just drop off the food cart first."
"Hehe, I'll wait for you at Wanmin Restaurant."
Hu Tao vanished in a flash, while Gu Sanqiu pushed his ramen cart to a secluded spot, raised his finger, and activated his golden finger.
The black hole appeared again, and the food cart dissolved into a pure white light before being sucked into it. For a split second, Gu Sanqiu thought he saw the faint image of a plain-looking man smiling at him.
Item obtained: Three Soul Fruit
Origin: Underworld
Note: This fruit nourishes the soul on three levels: essence, energy, and spirit. Rare in the living world but apparently common in the underworld.
"Nice! Just as I predicted."
The dull, ash-gray fruit might look unimpressive, but it was something Gu Sanqiu had been eyeing for a while.
Ever since he realized that his golden finger seemed to be an unlimited "ingredient supplier," he'd wondered if it worked in reverse too—could it extract valuable items when he put things into the black hole?
And now, it seemed his theory had been right.
The Crux Fleet, led by its captain Beidou, was well-known across Teyvat. Beidou was a formidable woman often seen in a love-hate relationship with a certain white-haired big sister. Known as the "Teyvat's Little Luffy," Beidou and her crew brought back exotic goods from distant lands, and every time the fleet returned, the docks became lively with market stalls and festivities.
Of course, this caused headaches for local authorities, but Beidou's charm and reputation meant no one really tried to stop her from turning the harbor into a giant marketplace.
And the merchants? They certainly weren't complaining. They saw it as an opportunity to strike lucrative business deals rather than worry about minor disruptions to public order.
Naturally, this was exactly what Hu Tao had in mind. As the ambitious director of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, she saw every fleet's return as a golden chance to explore new business opportunities—or, at the very least, take a break and have some fun.
"Sanqiu, I'm broke today, so you'll have to handle the payments and check the goods for me, okay~?"
(^▽^)
(╬￣皿￣)
"Seriously? You dragged me out here for shopping and didn't even bring any money? Where do you get the nerve?"
"Geez, Sanqiu! How can you be so stingy when you're out with such a pretty girl? Honestly, who taught you to be so rigid and boring?"
...
(_ _)ノ｜
It wasn't really his fault, but why did he feel like he had just lost an argument?
"Why don't you bring along your parlor's guest consultant, Zhongli, if you need someone to verify the authenticity of the items? He's famous for being knowledgeable."
"No way! That'd be like shopping with a parent, and where's the fun in that?"
Hu Tao made a playful face at him. "Besides, if he comes along and decides to buy a bunch of stuff, there's no way I could afford it."
That last part was probably the real reason!
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If you spot any mistakes let me know so I can fix them.
Read up to Chapter 30! [P@treon.com/WiseTL]