The investigation team's first stop—Qingce Village.
This place had many ancient texts and old books, so they could ask around for information.
Lumine, who had friends everywhere, also knew people in Qingce Village.
She quickly led the team to find the current caretaker of Qingce Village—Granny Ruoxin.
"Granny Ruoxin, we'd like to ask you something!"
"Does Qingce Village have any ancient texts? The really old kind."
Granny Ruoxin thought carefully and pointed the group in a direction.
Over there was an old storage warehouse belonging to the Feiyun Commerce Guild.
Inside were many books that couldn't fit in their main residence.
The young master of their family often came here to read.
The young master of the Feiyun Commerce Guild was, naturally, Xingqiu.
Everyone present knew him—and knew him well.
As the group walked over, before they even reached the warehouse, they heard someone shouting, "Help! Thieves!"
Lumine and Mu Yang acted simultaneously, leaping over the warehouse roof.
They found three Treasure Hoarders surrounding a servant, about to attack him.
The Treasure Hoarders were no match for Lumine and Mu Yang, who subdued them instantly.
The servant, recovering from the shock, held his forehead.
"Ah... Today was the scheduled day to clean the book storage. I never expected to run into thieves..."
"Are you alright?"
The servant quickly assured them he was fine and thanked the two for their help.
After calming down, he recognized the great hero Lumine, the adeptus Mu Yang, and the Yuheng Star Keqing.
This lineup thoroughly intimidated him.
Back then, during the battle at Guyun Stone Forest, it was these people, right? What kind of luck did these Treasure Hoarders have to run into them...
Keqing got straight to the point, asking if there were any books about the "Stove God" here.
The servant scratched his head. In his understanding, the Stove God was Rex Lapis—why separate the two?
The fire used for cooking comes from the stove, and stoves are built from stone.
Isn't that Rex Lapis's blessing?
[That makes some sense, at least he managed to explain it.]
[Hehe, there are too many devotees of the Liyue Emperor.]
[Who understands Rex Lapis better, you or me? (leans back strategically)]
This interpretation was quite widespread among Liyue's common folk.
However, Keqing now clearly trusted Mu Yang's explanation more—that the Stove God was Marchosius.
She still wanted to check books related to the Stove God.
The servant was a bit embarrassed. He was only responsible for cleaning.
If they really wanted to know where specific books were, he'd have to ask Young Master Xingqiu.
"Anything you want to ask me?" Xingqiu suddenly appeared, bringing Chongyun along.
"Hello, everyone!" Chongyun immediately spotted his idol, Mu Yang.
If there weren't so many people around, he would've rushed over already.
Xiangling asked, "Why did you two come?"
"Idle hands are the devil's workshop. I wanted to read here for a while, so I dragged Chongyun along."
Chongyun scratched his head. "I'm just here to keep him company."
He'd only come to accompany Xingqiu for reading, but he got to meet Adeptus Mu Yang too—what a win!
"With Yuheng Keqing and Adeptus Mu Yang both here, it seems you all have important business."
Keqing explained their purpose and asked Xingqiu if there were any books about the "Stove God" in the warehouse.
Xingqiu had personally organized the books and had some recollection.
"If I remember correctly, there's a book called Liyue Mythology: Forgotten Tales that mentions the Stove God."
Xingqiu and Keqing entered the warehouse to check the ancient texts...
Chongyun walked over to Mu Yang and thanked him for the mooncakes he'd sent yesterday.
They tasted great, and his whole family loved them.
Mu Yang nodded slightly but didn't tell him they were made by his aunt.
It wasn't the right time yet.
Keqing and Xingqiu soon finished checking the books.
They found something, but not much.
In Liyue Mythology: Forgotten Tales, the Stove God was described as "dragon-like."
This matched the legends about Rex Lapis.
The group looked at Mu Yang, who shook his head.
He could only recall the name "Marchosius."
Chongyun spoke up, saying his family also had many ancient texts and he had some impression of the Stove God.
"Legends say he once appeared in the Guili Assembly, but whether it's true or not is hard to say."
After all, books are written by people.
People write what they think.
Different people have different thoughts, so records vary.
The group decided to head to the Guili Assembly to continue their investigation.
However, before leaving, Xiangling had something to ask.
"Xingqiu, Chongyun, can you tell me about your food preferences?"
Chongyun recoiled in horror.
"Xiangling, are you preparing for Liyue's Masterful Chef Competition?"
Xiangling scratched her head. "It's just a competition, why do you look so scared?"
Chongyun, being honest, said, "Xiangling, this is serious. Please don't bring any weird dishes to the competition..."
[Hahaha, now we know how Xiangling usually treats her peers.]
[Even Hu Tao, who can make the "Grand March of the Departed," is scared—imagine that.]
Xiangling put her hands on her hips. "What do you mean, weird?!"
Xingqiu, ever the instigator, added, "Probably referring to dishes like Slime Slider Wild Mushrooms or similar."
Xiangling's confidence wavered slightly—the Slime Slider Mushrooms' reputation wasn't great, so she couldn't argue.
But then she reconsidered. "This time, I have Mu Yang personally guiding me."
"Plus, with our research, we can definitely create more convincing, more appealing dishes and win the championship!"
"Personally guiding?!" Someone in the room was instantly jealous...
Mu Yang: "I wouldn't call it guidance. Xiangling's skills are already championship-worthy. It's just that her ideas are innovative, so others need time to adjust."
Lumine gave a thumbs-up. "As expected of you."
Paimon: "Mu Yang, can you teach me how to chat with people?"
Mu Yang said Paimon should just be herself.
"Really? Hehe..."
[Now, this is what you call professionalism.]
[Don't mess around, Mu Yang—if Paimon stops talking, where will I get my entertainment?]
[Go buy Paimon some sunflower seeds.]
Back to the main topic.
Due to his constitution, Chongyun couldn't eat spicy or hot foods, so he preferred cold dishes.
Xingqiu had a lighter palate, enjoying mild and fresh dishes.
Superior broth vegetables, steamed river/seafood, stews...
He loved all those kinds of dishes.
"Mhm... another light-eater. Got it."
Chongyun was still a bit worried.
Even with Mu Yang's endorsement, everyone's food preferences were wildly different.
Xiangling's research would yield very mixed opinions—would that really help?
Xiangling said seriously, "Of course! You're all my customers. Bringing smiles to customers is a chef's mission!"
[Keyword triggered: "Bringing smiles." Let's duel!]
[Card game players, really...]
On this point, no one present had any doubts.
Mu Yang said, "Pure-hearted and caring for customers—that's why I believe Xiangling can win."
Xiangling's ideas were just a bit unconventional, preferring unique approaches.
But her skills as a chef and her original intent were undeniable.
After being praised by everyone, Xiangling was a little embarrassed.
Once the questions were done, the investigation team set off for their second stop.
Chongyun, left standing there, felt like he was on an emotional rollercoaster.
Ah! I was the first one here, so how did Xiangling become Adeptus Mu Yang's disciple first?!
Actually, she hadn't.
Xiangling was exceptionally talented—her culinary skills didn't need teaching.
She moved the Stove God at four years old—what more could anyone teach her?