Xiangling had no desire to listen to Hu Tao sing in the marketplace.

She quickly steered the conversation elsewhere.

Glancing at the large bag behind Mu Yang, she asked,

"Are you here to buy ingredients for the Moonchase Festival?"

Mu Yang nodded. "Yes. I've been working on a new idea recently, so I needed quite a few ingredients."

Hu Tao, standing nearby, immediately understood. "Ah, I see, I see! No wonder Xiangling's always talking about it—you're a fellow enthusiast!"

Xiangling completely ignored Hu Tao, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "A new dish?! Can I taste-test it?"

The reason for her excitement was simple—she knew Mu Yang's culinary skills were exceptional.

Like the erudite Mr. Zhongli, Mu Yang often provided incisive critiques.

Add to that the countless praises from Lumine and Paimon about his cooking, and Xiangling's curiosity only grew.

But given Mu Yang's status as an adeptus, she couldn't very well ask him to cook for her, could she?

Wouldn't that be asking for a shortened lifespan?

Thus, taste-testing was the perfect opportunity—a chance to sample Mu Yang's cuisine.

"There's no need for taste-testing."

The moment these words left Mu Yang's mouth, Xiangling's face fell. Heartbroken, on the verge of tears...

"♪~" Guoba reached out to comfort her.

Mu Yang hadn't finished. "After I've finished making it, I'll send some over to you."

Xiangling looked up. "Send it over?"

Her mind conjured an image of Mu Yang personally carrying a dish to her—it felt oddly out of place...

Mu Yang clarified, "It's not a dish—more like a type of pastry."

Mu Yang holding a pastry box—yes, that seemed much more natural.

"Then I'll look forward to it!"

"As for Mr. Zhongli's portion, Director Hu can handle the delivery."

"No problem, leave it to this director!"

After exchanging a few more words, they parted ways.

No sooner had Mu Yang bid farewell than Shenhe single-handedly lifted the massive bag behind her.

This action thoroughly startled the people around them.

Such a heavy bag—with just one hand?!

Mu Yang inwardly cursed—this was a miscalculation.

He quickly flipped his hand, storing the ingredients in his system inventory.

Then, with Shenhe in tow, he vanished on the spot.

My dear disciple, when we're out in public, don't leave such a bizarre impression on people!

Looks like I'll need to get her a copy of "Basic Common Sense for Living in Liyue."

"They really come and go like the wind..." Xiangling remarked, still standing in place.

"I always thought someone with Miss Shenhe's demeanor would only eat herbs and drink dew."

Xiangling placed her hands on her hips. "Hu Tao, that's such a stereotype! Mu Yang frequents Wanmin Restaurant all the time, he—"

Hu Tao playfully covered her ears. "You've said this way too many times—if I hear it again, I'll grow calluses~"

——————

Master and disciple soon returned to Mt. Aocang.

Before they even landed, they spotted Cloud Retainer tinkering with several large contraptions.

"Master, we're back."

"Oh, Shenhe's back?" Cloud Retainer, absorbed in her thoughts, didn't notice the situation—nor did she catch Shenhe's use of "we."

"Cloud Retainer, what's this?"

Hearing Mu Yang's voice, Cloud Retainer hastily looked up.

"Mu Yang?! When did you arrive?"

"You were just too focused." Mu Yang approached the large devices. "What kind of mechanism is this?"

Of course, having read the script, Mu Yang already knew—but he was a master at playing dumb.

The great immortal bird proudly raised her head. "The Mechanical Cooking Device."

"The Mechanical Cooking Device?"

Cloud Retainer launched into an enthusiastic explanation.

This Mechanical Cooking Device could not only mark nearby ingredients but also automatically cook them once placed inside.

Additionally, it had a function for processing leftovers—truly perfect.

The only issue was the lack of suitable ingredients—otherwise, she could've demonstrated its prowess right then and there.

Shenhe spoke up. "Master, we just bought many ingredients in Liyue Harbor. There should be some you can use."

Mu Yang nearly lost his composure—Shenhe is far too honest.

Cloud Retainer had clearly gotten carried away with her own excitement.

If this device were truly ready, she wouldn't have been so lost in thought earlier.

The fact that she hadn't even noticed two people approaching spoke volumes about its current state.

Best to leave it to Teyvat's most famous hard worker—Lumine—to help her sort this out later.

Mu Yang helped smooth things over. "The ingredients I just bought are all for making 'mooncakes.'"

"Mooncakes?"

"A new idea of mine."

"I see." Cloud Retainer nodded, then produced three recipes. "These are the three dishes I plan to program into the Mechanical Cooking Device."

"Try making them first. This one wishes to compare the flavors."

Mu Yang took them and skimmed through. "Wenxin Tofu, Braised Beast Meat, Rice Pudding."

Cloud Retainer didn't hide the truth.

Because Mu Yang hadn't visited Mt. Aocang in many years,

the other adepti sorely missed his cooking—but aside from Marchosius, none of them knew how to cook.

They certainly couldn't ask Rex Lapis—who would dare make such a request?

Cloud Retainer did know a little about cooking, but her skills weren't up to par.

So she pored over culinary texts, hoping to use her mechanical arts to replicate the perfection of Mu Yang and Marchosius' dishes.

These three dishes—one meat, one vegetable, one dessert—were the ones she deemed most suitable.

"Alright, then. Keep at it." Mu Yang said.

Having reviewed the recipes, he realized one ingredient was still missing.

He turned to Shenhe. "Go gather some bamboo shoots."

"Yes, Master Mu Yang." With that, Shenhe activated an acceleration talisman and departed.

Mu Yang, meanwhile, entered Cloud Retainer's abode to begin cooking.

Once the two had left, Cloud Retainer immediately returned to her work.

I may have exaggerated earlier—the parameters aren't even adjusted yet.

The heat source issue isn't resolved either.

Who'd have thought those two would coincidentally return with ingredients?

Shenhe's too straightforward—thankfully Mu Yang was here, or this would've been hard to explain...

Inside the abode,

Mu Yang surveyed the kitchen.

Though he hadn't visited in years, all the utensils were spotless and neatly arranged.

It was clear Cloud Retainer had put in great care.

First, he kneaded the dough, then covered it with a clean cloth.

It needed to rest for about twenty minutes.

While Shenhe was away, Mu Yang took the opportunity to "open the cheat menu,"

having the system prepare fillings like five-nut, BBQ pork, red bean paste, egg yolk, and lotus seed paste.

Once these preparations were complete, he turned his attention to Cloud Retainer's three dishes.

The Braised Beast Meat was relatively simple—

first sear large chunks of meat, then sauté carrots, potatoes, and onions for fragrance.

Combine the two, add broth, and simmer until the liquid reduces.

The Rice Pudding, however, was somewhat… abstract. Mu Yang had never eaten it before.

Still, he followed Cloud Retainer's recipe precisely.

The soft, sticky rice blended harmoniously with the sweet milk—surprisingly delicious.

Just then, Shenhe returned.

"Master, here are the bamboo shoots."

Mu Yang stared at the enormous bundle on the ground—good grief, how many did you harvest?!

"There weren't any houses near the bamboo forest, were there?"

"No, Master."

Mu Yang sighed in relief. Good.

"Try these two dishes on the table first. See how they taste."

The moment Mu Yang finished speaking, Shenhe dug in!

The aroma had already captivated her the moment she entered.

Whenever Master Mu Yang was around, she instinctively cast aside her usual ascetic discipline—

such delicacies were simply impossible to resist...