Upon arriving at the courtyard, Su Han saw the little chef hard at work cooking.
Her efforts were being slightly hampered by Guoba, who was causing trouble.
Xiangling placed her hands on her hips, puffing out her cheeks in annoyance.
"Guoba, no stealing! Big Brother Su Han is coming over in a bit. If you eat everything, how am I supposed to serve him?"
"Lululu…"
Hearing Su Han's name, Guoba tilted his head as if remembering something.
He actually began to dance around, looking to be in a very good mood.
"Yo, hello you two."
"Ah! Big Brother Su Han, you're here so quickly! My dish still needs a little more time. Why don't you chat with Madame Ping for a bit first?"
Xiangling seemed a little surprised. She had thought he would be busy for a while longer.
Guoba, on the other hand, rushed over the moment he saw Su Han.
"Lululululu!"
"Don't worry, I didn't forget your gift. Here, eat up."
Su Han handed the fried skewer he was holding to Guoba, whose face immediately lit up with a smile.
He patted Guoba's head, then turned and sat down in front of Madame Ping.
"It's a pleasure to meet you for the first time."
"Mm. Liyue has become quite lively again recently," Madame Ping began. "That child Ningguang is very capable, but she has always lacked a certain decisiveness. What you did recently was very well done."
Madame Ping made no attempt to hide her opinion, directly affirming his actions in punishing the Fatui.
Clearly, even when she was away, this Adeptus had not been neglecting the affairs of Liyue.
Su Han poured himself a cup of tea and shook his head. "I was simply angered by the inaction of certain people. They are a part of Liyue, yet they only care for themselves. The result is that the power in Liyue is fractured, allowing the Fatui to boss us around."
The Liyue of today, managed by the Qixing, appeared calm on the surface, but in reality, it was not so simple.
Each of the seven stars represented a different faction.
Take The Chasm, for example. Some wanted to investigate it thoroughly, while others wanted to exploit it at all costs, as long as they could excavate high-quality ore. Otherwise, their own family's enterprises would be affected.
"Yes, that is the drawback of mortal rule. I never thought you would be able to see things so clearly. You are truly worthy of being the one he has taken a liking to."
"The Liyue of today has finally regained a spark of vitality," Madame Ping said with a gratified smile.
The Liyue of the past, though stable, was like a pool of stagnant water, completely lacking in energy.
The Lord Emperor had long wished to step down, but there had never been a good opportunity.
Now, with Su Han's arrival, things were finally looking up.
Whether it was the alchemy laboratory at the Guili Plains or the use of Haki to train soldiers, none of these things could escape Madame Ping's notice.
"Others may be wary of the Fatui, but I am not. If anyone dares to harm my people, I will make them regret that decision for the rest of their lives," Su Han declared.
He didn't care about the Fatui or anyone else.
If it came down to it, they could just go to war. He knew the plot, anyway.
Looking at the young man's arrogant demeanor, Madame Ping smiled. "It's good to be young, always so full of confidence. If those other fellows were like you, Liyue would have far fewer problems."
"Well, let's not talk about these things."
"That child Xiangling is almost done cooking. Let's prepare to eat. Let me see how much she has improved during this time."
She was Xiangling's master. The two had met during a cooking competition.
Because of Xiangling's sentiment that "good food should have no class distinction," she had taken her in as a disciple.
Usually, aside from teaching her culinary arts, she also taught her some martial arts.
Just as she was speaking, Xiangling came over carrying a dish.
"Master, Su Han, come and try it! My specially made dish: Liyue-style Panda Mapo Tofu!"
The moment the lid was opened, flames erupted from the plate.
A panda-shaped figure could be seen frolicking within the fire.
When the flames disappeared, the panda transformed into tofu and fell back onto the plate.
Unlike Xiao Dangjia's version, this Mapo Tofu was filled with the power of flames and the unique aroma of Jueyun Chilis.
Just the smell alone was enough to make one's mouth water.
Madame Ping was surprised. "Is this that otherworldly dish you told me about?"
"That's right! Go on and try it, Master. That guy was really skilled. If it wasn't for the skills you taught me, I'm afraid I would have lost," Xiangling said.
In the competition that day, Xiangling had relied on the ultimate flavor, otherworldly ingredients, and the special power imbued in her dish to defeat her opponent.
If it weren't for the Jueyun Chilis and the use of her elemental power, who would have won and who would have lost was truly uncertain.
Su Han picked up a piece with his chopsticks and tasted it. The flavor was impeccable—numbing, spicy, fresh, and with a sweet aftertaste. A scorching power lingered in his body for a long time.
This wasn't just a dish; you could call it a buffing medicinal meal without any problem!
"This flavor is excellent. To think you would use sugarcane to make the sweet tofu. Mm, Jueyun Chilis, and you've paired them with a bit of Violetgrass. You used your Pyro element again, didn't you, child? Infusing the power of the element into the dish, allowing the flavors to fuse perfectly. The control of the heat is also absolutely perfect."
Listening to Madame Ping's critique, Xiangling playfully stuck her tongue out at Su Han.
It was true. She had "cheated" again.
As the wielder of a Pyro Vision, she could perfectly control flames. This was something other chefs could not do.
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