I, the leader of the esoteric sect, am doing great things in the infinite world!

"Oh, Mr. Zhongli and Master Li are here?" The rich aroma of food wafted through Wanmintang. Master Mao was busy chopping vegetables in the back, and it was Master Mao's daughter, Xiangling, who greeted them.

This little girl, whose real name should be Mao Xiangling, had her hair braided into a loop at the back of her head, with a bear paw-shaped hair clip on her head. Her outfit, consisting of bright red, golden yellow, and matte black, made her look like a festive lantern.

Paired with her energetic sports vest were chef's arm warmers and embroidered shoes with a distinct Liyue style.

If I had to describe her in one sentence, it would probably be "She is the daughter of Liyue".

"Hello Diluc." Li Lin squatted down and angrily rubbed Guoba's head.

"Wuhu, Wuhu".

An unidentified creature that looked somewhat like a panda made strange noises and seemed to like Li Lin quite a bit.

Zhongli watched from the side, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back.

He couldn't believe that Li Lin didn't know that the pet "Guoba" raised by Xiangling was actually the real stove demon Maxius in history.

Maxius, the god of the hearth, was born from the sparks of colliding stones. He was in charge of fire and people's livelihood and was the demon god closest to humankind.

A thousand years ago, the ancients expanded their city in Guili Plains, and the Kitchen God manifested in various forms to help them light fires and cook. Then, a sudden flood struck Guili Plains, and the Kitchen God and other immortals escorted humanity to Liyue Harbor in search of a new home. During this time, the Kitchen God invented a new food that was easy to preserve and carry: "Spicy Meat Buns."

After that, in order to help mankind avoid the troubles of natural disasters, the Kitchen God poured all his power into the earth to quell the anger of many natural calamities.

The Kitchen God, having lost his power, became much less intelligent and his size grew smaller and smaller. When he bid farewell to the immortals, he was no taller than a person.

The Kitchen God will bring you dishes of happiness and the secrets of the hearth, and tell Morax and Granny Ping about them. He then went to a small temple in the mountains and fell into a long sleep until he was awakened by a chance encounter with the spicy meat buns that Xiangling always carried with her.

.

"Master Li, it seems Guoba really likes you." Xiangling came over carrying two steaming plates of stir-fried pork slices. "What do you want to eat today?"

"Light the slime."

"Hmm, I could make it for you in the wild, but this is Liyue Harbor, and fresh fire slimes can't be preserved here," Xiangling replied after thinking for a moment.

Zhongli's throat twitched slightly, not because he was hungry, but mainly because the idea of ​​eating slime was rather horrifying.

Even during the most difficult period in Liyue, no one was so heartless as to turn slimes into food.

Without slime, Li Lin had no choice but to ask Xiang Ling to make him a plate of Tian Shu meat.

Tian Shu Pork actually looks and is very similar to Dongpo Pork in appearance and preparation, and even their origins are similar. It is said that a certain Tian Shu star felt that the dish was tasteless, so he invented the method for making it. Since then, Tian Shu Pork has become a popular folk dish in Liyue.

Of course, as the true head chef of Wanmintang, Xiangling's cooking methods would not be the same as those on the market.

The fire-attribute divine eye at her waist shone brightly, and as she ran her hand across the bottom of the pot, the iron pot was scorched red-hot with a hissing sound.

"Red hot pot?" Zhongli frowned slightly. "Normally, this kind of cooking method should be spicy, but Tian Shu meat is sweet... This makes me a little curious."

While Zhongli was pondering, Xiangling had already put the ginger slices and scallions into the pot. In an instant, a magnificent golden-red flame rose from the ordinary iron pot. The intense flames twisted and formed rings in the air before returning to the pot under the stirring of the spatula.

Flames roared and heat surged, causing all the diners to stop drinking and eating, marveling at the scene.

It's truly a remarkable sight that a young cook could manipulate such a large pot and the raging flames around it with such ease.

After the flames had circled the pot three times, Xiangling put the pot back in its original position and smoothly added the chopped pork into it. The fire gradually subsided, but a strange aroma was released.

"Hmm, we can't let it lose its flavor yet." Xiangling picked up a bamboo basket with her left hand and added the seasonings in the order of rice wine, soy sauce, and sugar with her right hand before closing the bamboo basket.

The originally enticing aroma was instantly locked away.

Then the fire broke out again.

This brutal yet domineering cooking method possesses a unique aesthetic that is utterly captivating.

"Huh, done!"

Xiangling happily waved her arm, wielding the spatula to move the charred but still intact bamboo basket away. Instantly, a rich, sweet aroma wafted out, along with the distinctive scents of scallions and ginger, making one's mouth water.

In the large plate, the surface of the reddish-brown Tian Shu meat resembled a piece of bright red agate, with the scallions, ginger, and garlic interspersed among it still retaining a hint of green. The layer of oil covering the surface was crystal clear, which was truly incredible.

"That's really fast," Zhongli exclaimed. "Originally, a dish of Tian Shu meat would need to be simmered over low heat for half an hour, but now it can be cooked and served in a short period of time. It's truly amazing."

Xiangling scratched her head, a little embarrassed: "Actually, I did use a trick. After all, making a dish of Tian Shu meat is really too time-consuming. It would definitely be too late at Wanmintang. So I used a hot pot to speed things up and also used the Eye of God. Therefore, this dish will be a bit spicy... Hey, you guys should try it and see what it tastes like?"

Li Lin clicked his tongue in amazement. He could make such a big deal out of a single dish. He could only say that Xiang Ling was truly worthy of the name.

On the surface, you might think she's just an ordinary cook, but in reality, her master is a Liyue hermit, her family's dishes are classic Liyue intangible cultural heritage, her pet is the Hearth Demon, the Liyue Land God, the promising Liyue septuplets are very close to her, and even the Geo Archon often comes here to eat.

The daughter of Liyue is an exaggerated description on the surface, but it is actually a realistic one.

Damn it, is this some kind of steamed bun shop?

Is Inazuma, a low-ranking opposition party member with blond hair, even qualified to touch a certain honorary knight of the Knights of Favonius in Mondstadt?

"Keqing and Xiangling are so close, it must be because Xiangling sold a star to Keqing." Li Lin said something inexplicable, openly and secretly persecuting a certain purple tearful cat.

Zhongli pretended not to hear, his eating manners a mixture of refinement and wildness.

He was considered refined because he ate in silence, yet he was also considered wild because he ate so quickly, finishing a bowl of rice and half a plate of Tian Shu meat in no time.

The reason it was only half a plate was because Li Lin ate faster than him, and Xiang Ling's long legs were flashing around on the side, but Master Li didn't even glance at them.

The astonishing appetite of Li Lin and Zhong Ligan not only made the other diners at Wanmintang feel that their meals tasted even better, but also made the guests who had just entered wide-eyed.

A certain orange-haired, blue-eyed scoundrel came to their table, trying to speak several times but never getting a chance to interject.

Only after finishing the plate of Heavenly Pivot Meat did the eldest son of the Winter Kingdom finally sit down with a smile: "I'm very happy—"

Li Lin raised his hand to interrupt: "Two bowls of seafood noodles, please."

"Alright!" The energetic little chef Xiangling poked her head out from the kitchen.

Zhong Li frowned: "I don't eat seafood..."

As for the uninvited Fool's Enforcer, "Young Master" Tadalia's smile widened even further: "How could I possibly trouble Mr. Li to spend so much—"

Li Lin looked at them in surprise: "I'll eat two bowls."

198. Great revenge achieved (It's really true)

The two fell into silence.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Li Lin picked up the last piece of Tian Shu meat and fed it to Guo Ba, who had run over.

"Wuhu, Wuhu".

On the dark green tabletop, unseen by anyone, the card belonging to Guoba was flashing with an orange-red light, like a hearth fire flickering in the long night, or like sparks flying when flint is struck.

[Summoned Item: "Crispy Rice"]

【Nature and Appearance: Cast】

[Rank: First Mark]

The secrets of this ancient land lie buried beneath the silvery-white ancient trees. Its shape is now vastly different from what it once was, but we have all dreamt of flames in the darkest midnight hours; hearth fires and flint fires share a common thread.

Or perhaps this was a spark that flew out when that flint shattered.

As we all know, such seemingly plausible statements are essentially irrefutable in the world of the Cultist Simulator. The fragment of flint here also explains why the Night Watcher, Pupil Door, would deliberately pluck the branch from the Genshin Impact world.

This Sichen, who has multiple origins, once studied under the master of Flint when he was still a mortal before plunging into the shadow of the reverse-hatched egg.

At this moment, Xiangling came out of the kitchen, carrying a bowl of seafood noodles: "If I serve two bowls in a row, I won't be able to appreciate the flavor. So I'll serve the first bowl first, please enjoy!"

The former has a clear broth with an enticing amber sheen. Finely crushed peppercorns, cardamom, and nutmeg are hidden in the plain white noodles. Although it is a seafood noodle soup, there is not a trace of seafood in it.

Li Lin pulled out his chopsticks in front of the two of them, picked up a noodle, and broke the amber light in the bowl. Amidst the shimmering water, the aroma hidden in the noodles and soup wafted out, and it was indeed the smell of seafood.

"What's going on? There's clearly no seafood here!"

Zhongli sighed: "Fish sauce, and the broth that was prepared beforehand, um... there should also be seafood pieces chopped so finely that their shape is unrecognizable."

“You should actually try it.” Zhongli introduced it to Tartaglia as if speaking to a friend. “Liyue cuisine is divided into two types: Liyue cuisine, which is characterized by heavy seasoning of mountain delicacies, and Liyue cuisine, which emphasizes the original flavor of seafood. In recent years, Liyue Pavilion and New Moon Pavilion, as representatives of the two major cuisines, have invisibly suppressed other schools of thought, leaving only two cuisines in the entire Liyue.”

"Until the emergence of Wanmintang, Master Mao single-handedly opened up the market, while Xiangling truly became the mainstay of folk cuisine."

Chicken bones, beef bones, corn, carrots, scallions, ginger, garlic... This dish unconventionally combines pine needles and moonflower into one bowl. What's even more remarkable is that it avoids using many precious ingredients and instead uses ordinary things to create a delicious dish that rivals the finest delicacies.

D'Artagnan didn't say anything, but watched Li Lin slurping noodles.

He suddenly regretted not eating at the Northern Bank.

In the kitchen, Xiangling took out the clams and shrimp heads that she had prepared beforehand.

Wipe the bottom of the pot with your palm, then put the cleaned shrimp heads and clams into it to cook. Once the shrimp heads change color and the clams open their shells, filter them out to remove impurities before mixing them with the broth.

The broth used this time is made with kelp, dried scallops, dried fish, and bonito flakes.

Seafood broth, plus the remaining beef bone broth, and seasonings, were added. Finally, Xiangling picked up the small bowl beside her and poured out a line of ink-black liquid.

"What is that?" D'Artagnan asked curiously. "It looks like squid ink?"

“That’s right, it’s squid ink.” Zhongli frowned slightly. “Squid ink can be eaten raw or cooked. Although its taste is really hard to accept, it is undeniable that squid ink is also of great importance in Liyue’s medicine.”

The black ink seeped into the broth, turning the entire bowl of soup pitch black. In terms of appearance alone, it was far inferior to the previous bowl of noodles.

However, when she dipped the chopsticks used for seasoning into the mixture and stirred it slightly, the seafood that had been submerged at the bottom floated to the surface, resembling large fish swimming in the Northern Sea.

"Liyue cuisine emphasizes color, aroma, taste, form, meaning, and nutrition. Top chefs not only focus on the taste of the dishes, but also on their plating and presentation. You are lucky to see a bowl of noodles like this."

With Zhongli's expert explanation, Xiangling reached out and sprinkled some powder into the bowl.

In that instant, countless "starlight" lit up the once silent and boundless "sea." Under the glow of the setting sun, the reflective fragments slowly swirled along with the soup, resembling a vast cosmic galaxy.

"A creative idea!" After a moment's thought, Zhongli clapped his hands lightly. "This is powder made from star snails. It was originally a medicinal material similar to pearls, but few people would think of adding it to dishes."