People in Xumi: I am really not the Dragon King

Chapter 567 Xiangling: Mr. Zhongli and Hu Tao have taken good care of me, why don't we ask them if they want to go to Inazuma?

"Mizuki-nee, speaking of which, you mentioned before that you had a shop in Nata. I heard you only came back after the lockdown in Inazuma was lifted?"

"But you seemed to be in a hurry when you were traveling, and you didn't even eat properly. Was it because you wanted to see your friends and family?"

I managed to lead the large dogs to a place where they wouldn't obstruct traffic, and then I took out some food from my person and fed them.

While Xiangling was enjoying the feeling of being surrounded by a group of furry creatures with a slightly troubled expression, she suddenly remembered something and curiously turned around to look at Mizuki beside her.

This woman has a very special aura; she just looks ethereal, like a sweet cotton candy that makes you want to take a bite.
!!!

My movements froze, and I instantly realized that the ingredients I had been handling recently were too strange; my mind hadn't quite recovered yet.

Realizing that the other party seemed to be very sensitive to things like malice, and seeing that Sister Mizuki had become wary and even her pointed ears were tense as she looked around at her surroundings.

Xiangling patted the big dog beside her, then guiltily looked away.
".?"

"Strange, is this an illusion?"

"I just felt a chill, like I was being watched, but I couldn't find anyone no matter how hard I looked. I've never experienced anything like this before."

Looking left and right, I couldn't find anyone suspicious.
The feeling I just experienced was very similar to that of the legendary monsters from long ago that enjoyed hunting dream-eating tapirs.
"Uh, well, that must be my imagination."

"After all, Liyue is quite safe. I'm still nearby, so how could anyone possibly harm you here, Mizuki-nee?"

"Don't worry! Guoba is actually super amazing! Sister Ruixi, you don't need to worry about anyone else targeting you."

Realizing that she hadn't been exposed, Xiangling breathed a sigh of relief, tilted her head slightly embarrassed, and tried to steer the conversation back on track.

"It only appeared for a moment and then disappeared; I guess I was just imagining things."

After looking around twice, Mizuki lingered on the little panda in front of her for a few seconds with some confusion, then shook her head, thinking that there must be something wrong with her perception.

"—Let's go. I remember this place should be near your family's restaurant. To be on the safe side, let's talk somewhere else."

"I'm a bit tired after walking for so long, and I need to rest for a while before continuing to Inazuma."

Large, portable grottoes are generally only created by the immortals of Liyue; there are no such convenient things in sorcery.

Before meeting Xiangling, he ate a lot of dry food along the way, and even the color of his hair became a little worse.

I am acutely aware of how important the condition of a monster's fur is.
Thinking of the divine child's precious tail, Mizuki felt she needed to get herself in good shape to better deal with this old friend.
"Huh? So, Mizuki-nee, you're Inazuma's great monster?!"

"Transformation? Like Aunt Xianyun?"

"Not human, no wonder I had that feeling just now. Cough, it's nothing, Mizuki-nee, please continue."

Inside the Wanmin Hall, in the backyard.

To express his apology for making the other person nervous,

After informing her father, Xiangling personally took the other party to the place where she used to practice cooking and prepared a table of dishes.

Upon hearing that Inazuma actually possessed such incredible "monsters" as in the legends, Xiangling paused, her eyes lighting up instantly.

".?"

"Strange, why do I have that feeling again?"

After looking left and right, they still couldn't find anything unusual.

With a slight sigh, Mizuki realized she was probably too tired and needed to rest for the night.
"--Yes, although I've heard that there are also cases of mythical beasts transforming into humans in Liyue, the principle is probably quite different from ours, and their power is generally much stronger."

"If a celestial beast that has achieved mastery of cultivation chooses to transform into human form, then that Aunt Xianyun you mentioned might be an extraordinary person."

Most monsters transform into human form by practicing specific demonic arts; one could say that the purpose of their cultivation is to become human.

Anyone who can transform into a human, regardless of how they achieve it, can generally be called a "great monster." Therefore, some little creatures often retain the habits they had when they were animals and are lured into a trap by just two dried fish.
The transformations in Liyue are completely different. In many cases, they are just a side effect of cultivation. Legend has it that the power of those immortals is even enough to intervene in the battlefields of demon gods.
"."

Shaking her head, no longer pondering the vast difference between most powerful youkai and the "sages" of Liyue, Mizuki continued to explain:

"Before I became what I am now, I was a 'Dream Eater,' I don't know if you've heard of me."

"As their name suggests, the Baku clan feeds on dreams. Although they have some unique characteristics, they are not powerful monsters and are not particularly skilled in combat."

? ? !

"—Dream-eating?! Dreams can be eaten? Are they tasty? What do they taste like? Can they be used as an ingredient?"

His eyes lit up, and before he could finish speaking, he excitedly poked his head out from the edge of the table, getting so close that he almost leaned in.

Having traveled to so many countries, Xiangling had no idea that there was such an ingredient that she had never even considered.

"."

"Hmm, the taste of a sweet dream is like the finest dessert. Everyone's dreams are a little different, but it's rare to actually have one."

"Nightmares are terrible, like wet, uncooked deep-sea fish, messy and with an extremely complex texture."

"However, we generally do not trespass into other people's dreams without their consent, and if ordinary people cannot taste them, then dreams are probably not convenient as ingredients."

She could feel the girl's genuine love for cooking, and unable to resist her expectant gaze, Mizuki answered honestly.

"Oh, can't it be used as food? What a pity."

"I'm so curious about what dreams taste like. Will they be slippery like slime?"

Somewhat dejected, they couldn't think of any good solutions.

But if dreams are so delicious...
He raised his head slightly, recalling his experiences on the road; he had often seen the other person munching on hard, dry rations.

The girl, whose hair was styled in two double buns at the back of her head, paused slightly, then added with some confusion:

"But, even though you can eat such delicious food as dreams, why do I feel like you, Sister Mizuki, ate very ordinary things the whole way in Sumeru, and you didn't even go into my dream to take a look?"

"If you asked me, I would definitely agree that you should go in and have a couple of bites, Sister Ruixi."

After all, I'm also curious about what my dreams taste like—whether they're like spicy steamed buns or more like fresh, giant octopus from Yunnan.

"." "Well, the reasons are complicated. On the one hand, it's presumptuous to make such a request so soon after we met."

"Furthermore, the environment around Sumeru is quite special, and even if I obtained consent, I couldn't do it."

"Within the authority of that 'God of Wisdom,' I cannot influence or manipulate anyone's dreams, not even observe them."

"However, the other party didn't seem domineering at all. In fact, because I couldn't consume the Dream Realm, they even gave me some power as compensation."

Even though it was just a passing by, I still developed a fondness for the grass god I had never met before.

After all, the power that the other party gave him might be insignificant to the gods, but its actual value far exceeded countless beautiful dreams.

Despite possessing power far exceeding that of the Baku, it still actively compensates for the limitation on its dream abilities. Such actions make it hard not to wonder what kind of deity it truly is.
"Hoo, in short, I am currently the most powerful demon in the clan, and I need to be responsible for my younger brothers and sisters."

“My people have been feeling unwell ever since the calamity of the abyss, and I need to go back and investigate the specific reasons.”

"Nightmares related to the abyss are extremely dangerous. Even I was unconscious for several days after consuming the dream of a Nata warrior."

After eating some of Xiangling's cooking, I found it somewhat unbelievable that dishes made with ordinary ingredients could be so delicious.

Having rediscovered the joy of eating after so long, Mizuki no longer hid her worries and told him all the reasons why she was in such a hurry to go back:
"Inazuma has now lifted the country's isolation policy, making the journey back much easier. After all, I am a great monster of the Baku clan, so no one will stop me."

"I originally planned to set off as early as possible today, since investigating the cause should take a little while."

"But I just had several inexplicable hallucinations, and I'm clearly not in good condition. If I go back like this, I'm afraid I'll not only encounter danger on the way, but I'll also have a hard time dealing with my old friend."

Each time she returned, the divine child would appear nearby immediately, though the reason might differ.

Although it's not like when they were little, when he would rush up to her as soon as they met and let her taste what her sweet dreams were like, she's long been used to this bickering way of getting along.

You have to prepare beforehand, otherwise you'll definitely be used as a source of amusement.
"Oh? Is that so? That's why you were in such a hurry on the way here?"

"But I really know nothing about healing monsters. My master didn't mention what to do if the Baku got sick, and besides, my father said she hasn't been around lately."

I took breaks as suggested by the other party along the way. Even though it was just sleeping, I felt much more energetic after waking up.

The girl in front of her, Mizuki, has a very gentle and considerate personality, and Xiangling really wants to help her.
But going to Jueyunjian would take too much time, and he hadn't even seen what a Dream Eater looked like yet, so he was completely unaware of the situation.
"Don't worry, it's okay."

"I'm fairly good at dealing with dreams, and I can try to solve them on my own. Tonight, I just need a place to rest for the night."

"The realm of dreams is inherently very difficult to reach. Even among the priests of Nata, very few can surpass the Dream Eater. We shouldn't encounter any major trouble."

Sensing the girl's feelings, Mizuki, with her long blue-purple hair and maid-style attire, tried to comfort her.

"But what if the situation is really complicated?"

Xiangling blinked, wondering if there was anything she could do to help.

"Oh, that would be difficult."

"The Dream Eater's direct combat power is the lowest among monsters, but in exchange for this sacrifice, it has an adaptability to dreams that is second only to gods."

"If even I am helpless in this matter, and the Baku clan doesn't have much wealth..."
In the worst-case scenario, I might have to take a few of the little creatures as payment and go to Mount Sumeru to ask those two gods for help.

He shook his head, half-jokingly.
Mizuki didn't think the situation was really that bad; she was mostly trying to comfort the girl in front of her.

"--Hmm, don't think about it. Maybe the little Baku just has an upset stomach."

"Although Inazuma has just experienced a disaster, the gods of Sumeru intervened remotely to help reduce the losses, and everyone is now preparing for the summer festival."

"I remember you seemed quite interested in yokai. If you really want to go see Inatsume, you can come with me tomorrow. You can bring any friends you have with you."

? ? !

"--Huh? Really? We can really go to Inazuma together?"

"—They've been closed off from the outside world for a long time, so I couldn't go and exchange culinary skills with them. I've wanted to go and take a look for a while now!"

"For so long, aside from the fireworks that Sister Beidou brought back from there during last year's Lantern Festival, even the special wood that Wangshengtang wanted has been...?!"

He paused, as if suddenly remembering something, and his eyes grew brighter.

Xiangling thought of a friend who often sent her brewed plum blossom wine and that learned and knowledgeable guest, and suddenly felt that bringing these two along might have a surprising effect:
"—Mizuki, are you saying that the tribespeople are feeling unwell for no apparent reason? Especially after the monster invasion?"

"I thought of two friends who have helped me a lot before. Before I leave, I might as well ask them if they want to come along!"

"These kinds of problems with no identifiable cause are usually very troublesome. If the cause in your community is something like evil spirits, then perhaps these two friends can help."

That Zhongli guest was knowledgeable in everything; he was proficient in everything from cooking and healing to writing books and composing poems.
Although everyone claims to know a little, it seems like I've never encountered anything he doesn't know.

Although Hu Tao occasionally likes to scare people, she has the most experience in dealing with all kinds of difficult and complicated diseases at the Rebirth Hall, and she also often comes into contact with monsters and the like.

They had both helped me a lot in the past, and this was a good opportunity to repay them.
If Mr. Zhongli and Kurumi have some free time recently, even if they go to Inazuma and don't know anything about the Baku, they can at least attend the amazing festival that Mizuki mentioned.
"Two friends? That's fine. You can ask them if it's convenient for them recently."

"Well, it's getting late. I need to rest at the place you recommended for the night so it will be easier to set off tomorrow."

Ruixi stood up, nodded, and didn't think there was anything wrong with bringing two more ordinary people along.

"."

"Hmm? Is there anything else you want to ask? Why do you look like you want to say something but are hesitant?"

As I reached the door, I vaguely sensed a gaze still fixed on me from behind.

The Baku clan are natural-born psychologists, so they are not unfamiliar with this feeling. Mizuki asked curiously.

"Uh, there is indeed one more crucial question I almost forgot to ask."

Nodding, Xiangling recalled her previous experience in Mondstadt. After a slight hesitation, she finally asked:
"—That's right, I've wanted to make dragon steak for a long time. I've heard there are a lot of dragons in Nata. Is it possible to catch and eat the dragons there?!"

Ruixi:? ? ?
He froze, bewildered by the unexpected question. He had considered many possibilities, but he never expected the other person to ask this.

For some reason, I sensed a familiar feeling in the other person's eyes; the dangerous aura was very similar to the 'illusions' I had felt earlier that day.

If you're interested in "dragons," do you want to make dragon-shaped steaks?
Mizuki, considering the other person's "interest" in yokai, suddenly hesitated about her decision to bring people over.
(End of this chapter)