Liyue's Secret Archive, formally registered as the "Liyue Department of Secret Research and Strategic Countermeasures," is often regarded by those with some degree of status as a repository of Liyue's thousand-year heritage—a mysterious and illustrious institution.
Simply put, it's a quirky department that has been hoarding a millennium's worth of relics, half-preserving and half-researching them in the modern day.
Unsurprisingly, the true leader behind this peculiar department is always the current head of the Gu family—though this is more of a figurehead role.
The unbroken lineage of the Gu family has made them a reliable "skill tree" for the research-obsessed maniacs of the Archive, who constantly dream of prying advanced techniques and treasures from the Gu family vault for their studies.
However, the term "overly ambitious but woefully inadequate" perfectly encapsulates their style. It's not an exaggeration—it's just how they operate.
In fact, this tendency might as well be ingrained in every Liyue native: an obsession with hoarding anything useful, potentially useful, or possibly useful in the future.
And the excuses they use? Always grandiose, such as "The Gu family is small; rare treasures must be distributed to prevent loss," or the classic "For the sake of Liyue!"
But the Gu family, with its Archon-level eccentricity, doesn't fall for such pretenses. As the pinnacle of the food chain, they keep the Archive firmly under control.
Typically, Gu Sanqiu avoids the Archive to save himself the headache. After all, the researchers are better off left to their own devices.
Even if he gave them precise instructions, unless they were blessed with the protagonist's absurd luck, the best they could do is recreate scenes from a thousand years ago.
But merely recreating past glories isn't enough to prepare for the future.
Letting them grow independently while keeping the reins tight enough to prevent missteps is the best course of action for now.
"There's still time, still opportunity—why not try for something better?"
Gu Sanqiu shook his head. He wasn't sure if his approach was the right one. Previous family heads had also refrained from meddling too much in the Archive's affairs, and their reasoning might have been pure laziness...
"Whatever. Eating is the most important thing right now."
---
Wanmin Restaurant
"I'm here for some spice!"
"Hey, big shot! Finally done with work?"
Chef Mao teased as Gu Sanqiu drifted in like a piece of paper on the wind.
"Yeah, sort of."
After spending the entire day reviewing documents, getting verbally harassed by the Archive researchers, and mocked for being single, he was too drained to care about appearances. If not for maintaining some dignity in front of those maniacs, he'd have used Geo energy to summon a cushion and just collapsed on the spot.
"Chef Mao, the usual, please."
"You got it. Hang tight."
The enticing aroma wafted through the air, stirring Gu Sanqiu just enough to twitch like a corpse reviving on a crime scene drama.
Though, it wasn't just the fragrance of the food—it was something more.
"Wait a second..."
He sat up and eyed Wanmin Restaurant's signature spicy boiled fish, sniffing the air cautiously.
Hiss—
Gu Sanqiu inhaled sharply, bolting upright in a near-instant resurrection.
No other reason—this bowl of boiled fish was outrageously spicy!
"How many Jueyun Chilis did you put in this?!"
He picked up a chopstick's worth of chilis and popped them into his mouth. "Hmm... It's not the quantity..."
A peculiar sensation spread through his body, as though his insides and outsides were ignited. It was as if the spiciness had transcended flavor and become actual flames.
"Xiangling, quit hiding. You made this, didn't you?"
Ta-da! "I knew you'd figure it out, Sanqiu!"
A short-haired girl popped into view, grinning. "Only you could immediately recognize my cooking. You really are the person I need to surpass on my culinary journey!"
"Where'd you pick up this flair for drama?"
Gu Sanqiu chuckled. "If you wanted me to try your dish, you could've just asked. No need for theatrics."
"Hehe, my cooking has improved a lot recently."
Xiangling plopped down on a stool, beaming. "Turns out, using elemental energy to nourish ingredients actually works! You're amazing for suggesting it."
"To be clear, I didn't come up with that on my own. I read about it in a book."
Gu Sanqiu poured the broth over his rice. "What have you been up to lately?"
"Hehe, didn't you taste it?"
Xiangling grinned. "This meat is special—sourced from Springvale in Mondstadt. I raised and trained the boars myself before butchering them for the dish. Can't you taste the difference?"
"Springvale boar meat, huh? What's this about 'training'?"
"I traveled to several regions, studied their climates and the diets of the local boars, and developed a universally applicable method to enhance meat quality through training."
Xiangling's eyes sparkled with excitement. "So? Can't you taste the freedom of Mondstadt in this premium meat?"
"Impressive. Only you could pull something like this off."
Gu Sanqiu took a bite. "The flavor's great, but why go all the way to Springvale? I remember there are good farms near Liyue."
"Well, I heard Springvale meat was exceptional. As a chef, I have to be meticulous about my ingredients."
"Fair point. Though, I wouldn't call it 'freedom'—it's more like an explosion of fiery flavor."
"Huh?"
Xiangling looked disheartened. "Does that mean using elemental energy to nurture the meat was a mistake? But if I skip that step, the flavors and textures will clash. That'd be a disaster too..."
"If I used Anemo energy to nurture it, would it help? But I don't know anyone with an Anemo Vision."
"If you want to try it, I'd suggest using a bit of Slime Condensate from Anemo Slimes to coat the meat before applying elemental energy."
"That way, it'll deepen the so-called 'freedom' essence while ensuring the flavors blend seamlessly under the power of fire."
"Basically, think of incorporating Swirl reactions into your 'Xiangling Special Boiled Fish.'"
"Aaah! You always make it sound so easy! I still have so much to learn!"
Xiangling groaned briefly, then clenched her fists, suddenly reinvigorated.
"Never mind that! Let's have a serious cooking showdown!"
"I decline."
Gu Sanqiu's expression was flat. "I've been working overtime for days. Just being able to grab a meal is a luxury. I'm not wasting energy on that."
"How could you say that? As a chef striving for the pinnacle, you can't neglect honing your craft!"
---
T/N: Ooooh I remember now, It was from a different Genshin Translation that I cancelled that I was remembering moments from
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