Although the 'Taming' skill was powerful, it had a prerequisite: a contract must be signed.
Hilichurls and Slimes, lacking spiritual intelligence, possessed basically no resistance and could be controlled with a mere thought. However, for targets with self-awareness, signing a contract was much trickier. The opponent had to be subjected to fear, shock, or other 'intense emotional fluctuations'. Only when their spirit was frustrated and their consciousness weakened could one step in and forcibly sign the contract.
Regardless, the matter of Azhdaha had to be attempted. Thinking of this, he nodded and said, "I will go handle this matter tomorrow."
"Oh?" Zhongli paused. "Young friend Ye Xi, Azhdaha's power is extremely formidable. Even I am not fully confident. If you intend to act, you must inform me. When the time comes, I will bring the Adepti along to lend you a hand."
As the Rex Lapis, he had to consider Liyue's safety. If the Descender proved unreliable, he would have to step in. A thousand years ago, he had only barely managed to seal Azhdaha by joining forces with the Adepti. If Ye Xi enraged Azhdaha and failed to subdue him, it would be troublesome. He had to be present!
Hearing this, Ye Xi nodded. "Alright."
"This is a sound-transmitting talisman. You can communicate with me remotely through it." Zhongli took out a spiritual talisman and handed it to Ye Xi.
Just as they were speaking, Xiangling arrived carrying a freshly cooked dish. "Food is served~ Customers, watch out~"
Xiangling placed the stir-fried dish on the table and giggled. "This is my handmade Boiled Fish! Please taste it!"
After speaking, she looked at Ye Xi with a face full of anticipation, clearly waiting for an evaluation. This scene drew the hushed discussions of the surrounding diners.
"Look, Xiangling actually stopped there and isn't leaving. Is she planning to watch him eat?"
"Hahahaha, I said it before. Chef Xiangling kept looking toward Mr. Zhongli's table while cooking just now. She must have taken a fancy to Mr. Zhongli's friend."
"Love at first sight?"
"Speaking of which, Xiangling has reached the age to start a family. First awakenings of love, it's the best time!"
"Don't mention it. Many families went to Chef Mao to propose marriage before, but they were all rejected. He said Xiangling was still young and refused to agree no matter what."
"Nonsense. If I had such a precious daughter, I wouldn't be willing to marry her off to some brat from another family either!"
"Who says otherwise? She cooks so well; whoever marries her will be in for a treat!"
"She possesses an Eye of God! She's beautiful, skilled in culinary arts, and wealthy. How much money must Wanmin Restaurant make? She wouldn't look twice at an ordinary person!"
The crowd discussed all at once. Meanwhile, the few diners who had followed Zhongli in, hoping to see Ye Xi get fleeced, sighed.
"I didn't expect our little chef of Wanmin Restaurant to actually take a fancy to such a sucker."
"The look on his face when Mr. Zhongli scams him for money later will definitely be humiliating, hahaha."
"His looks are decent, but his IQ isn't quite up to par."
"Don't say that. Mr. Zhongli is so formidable, how could young people withstand his bamboozling?"
"That's true!"
While everyone was whispering, on the other side, under Xiangling's expectant gaze, Ye Xi tasted the Boiled Fish and nodded repeatedly. "I've long heard that the little chef of Wanmin Restaurant possesses exquisite culinary skills. I didn't expect it to be true."
"Hehe, do you like it?"
"Mn, it suits my taste very well."
Ye Xi's words made Xiangling's heart feel sweet, and her face was filled with pride. Being praised for her skills by a handsome guy was simply a delightful thing! However, just as Xiangling was secretly rejoicing, Ye Xi spoke up. "It's just that there is still room for improvement in the use of spices."
"Eh?!" Hearing Ye Xi say this, Xiangling's heart was filled with curiosity. "Are there better seasonings?"
Ye Xi nodded and took a small bottle from his pocket, which contained several types of spices he had grown in Sumeru. Xiangling took the small bottle and sniffed gently at the opening, her eyes lighting up instantly. It was her first time smelling such a fragrance; it seemed to be a spice mixed from several seasonings.
"Young Master, where did you get this? I feel I can use it to make even more delicious dishes!"
Ye Xi smiled and said, "My name is Ye Xi. I am a merchant from Sumeru. I made these spices. If you like them, this bottle is a gift for you."
"Really?!" Xiangling was overjoyed. She smiled and said, "Then, as courtesy demands reciprocity, I'll waive your bill! We are friends from now on! Er, Mr. Zhongli's portion still needs to be charged though~"
Zhongli: "..."
As soon as these words came out, the surroundings instantly went into an uproar.
"Hah? Waived, waived the bill?!"
"Bias! This is too biased! I've never heard of Wanmin Restaurant waiving bills before!"
"Is this the benefit of being handsome?"
"Damn it, Mr. Zhongli didn't manage to fleece him?"
"This kid's luck is too good, right?!"
"So a good-looking face really can put food on the table!"
The group of diners cast envious glances at Ye Xi. Not only did he gain the favor of the little chef of Wanmin Restaurant, but his bill was also waived! This was unprecedented treatment at Wanmin Restaurant!
Ye Xi smiled and nodded. "Then I won't stand on ceremony."
Honestly, the food was delicious! Although his wives at home all had some culinary skills and made tasty dishes, compared to Xiangling, there was a significant gap. If he married this little chef and brought her home as a wife, wouldn't he be able to eat whatever he wanted in the future?
Just as he was thinking this, Xiangling suddenly asked, "Then Ye Xi, if it's possible in the future, can I buy this kind of spice from you again?"
"Of course." Ye Xi replied. "Before long, business between Sumeru and Liyue will heat up. I will come often."
Hearing Ye Xi's words, Xiangling's heart blossomed with joy. It would be great if they could meet often in the future.
"I'm going to continue serving dishes!" After saying that, Xiangling returned to the kitchen.
Before long, the table was filled with Wanmin Restaurant's signature dishes. Boiled Black-Back Perch, Golden Shrimp Balls, Crab Roe Tofu... Ye Xi ate with great satisfaction.
Finally, after having eaten and drunk to his heart's content, they arrived at the tense and exciting payment segment. Xiangling came before Zhongli and giggled. "Ye Xi's bill is waived, but Mr. Zhongli needs to pay half the cost~"
Hearing this, the diners pricked up their ears without making a sound. Especially the few tea guests who had followed from the tea stand; they wanted to see the scene of Zhongli paying even more.
Zhongli reached into his pocket, then fell silent for a moment before shifting his gaze to Ye Xi. "Young friend Ye Xi, do you have money with you?"
Ye Xi: "...."
Sounds of stifled laughter instantly came from the surroundings.
"Pfft... You can hide from the monk but not from the temple!"
"I thought that kid would be fine since his bill was waived, I didn't expect he'd still be fleeced for a meal by Mr. Zhongli! Hahahaha."
"As expected of Mr. Zhongli, his performance remains stable!"
"Now this is fun. I want to see what this kid does."
"Anyway, he's a merchant. He doesn't lack this bit of money. He should just accept being the sucker!"
"It's still not too late to run! If I were him, I'd take to my heels! Hahaha..."
At this moment, Ye Xi was speechless internally. However, how could he obediently act as Zhongli's coin purse!? For that position, having Childe and Hu Tao was enough; he wouldn't do it!
"Xiangling, see you next time!"
"Eh?!"
Before Xiangling could react, Ye Xi suddenly vanished on the spot, leaving not a single trace behind! This time, the diners of Wanmin Restaurant were all dumbfounded.
"!!!"
"What's the situation! What happened?!"
"Where's the person!? Where did that kid go! My god, seeing a ghost in broad daylight?!"
"What's going on? Did you see where he went?!"
"No! I was staring right at him! He disappeared in the blink of an eye! Truly seen a ghost!"
"Could it be, that person is an Adeptus?!"
"Hiss... With this kind of elusive ability, it's really possible he's an Adeptus!"
For a time, the restaurant was full of chaos! Many people even began searching the restaurant, but there was no shadow of Ye Xi anywhere! In broad daylight, a living person just disappeared. No one could remain calm!
Xiangling was also dumbstruck, her small face filled with disbelief. She was truly frightened. Ye Xi was clearly talking to her one second, and the next second, he had vanished without a trace. Hearing people in the restaurant talk about Adepti, she was starting to believe it too. If he wasn't an Adeptus, how could this move be explained?
'No, I have to go ask Master!' Her master was Madame Ping, a real Adeptus! If Ye Xi was also an Adeptus, then her master would definitely know!
Just as Xiangling was letting her imagination run wild, Zhongli's voice came from beside her. "Chef Xiangling, please send my bill to the Northland Bank."
After speaking, Zhongli stood up and slowly left, only there was an imperceptible arc at the corner of his mouth.
He saw it. Everything that just happened, he had seen with his own eyes. In that instant, the entire world turned gray and white. Even he could not move a single finger. He could only watch silently. He saw Ye Xi stride out of Wanmin Restaurant and disappear onto the street.
The time lasted for a full half-minute! Everyone stopped; motionless, not breathing, not even thinking. Without a doubt, this was the [Time Authority]! Time Stop!
With this kind of ability, what fear was there of Azhdaha? It was just that this ability to control 'Time' should belong to the God of Time. Why could Ye Xi use it too? This point, Zhongli could not figure out no matter what.
...
After Zhongli left, the restaurant became much quieter. Because the protagonists of this good show were all gone. They were just immersed in the shock from moments ago, still discussing among themselves.
At a table in the furthest corner, an old man wearing a hat remained stunned for several minutes! Even now, his gaze was full of shock. No one would discover that this inconspicuous old man was actually a woman in disguise. And she was none other than Yelan.
She was sitting not far from Zhongli! Despite Ye Xi and Zhongli lowering their voices just now, she still heard a part of those words!
Suppress Azhdaha! Go handle it tomorrow! Go together with the Adepti!
These key pieces of information were heard clearly by her. It was exactly this information that made her think for a moment that Zhongli and Ye Xi were fellow patients, and this meal was perhaps some patients' exchange meeting. What normal person talked about Adepti? And suppressing! And sealing! It was simply like they had some major illness!
At the time, she wanted to leave, feeling there was no point in listening further. Until just now, when Ye Xi vanished out of thin air. She was instantly stunned on the spot.
Means of the Adepti! They must really be Adepti! If Ye Xi was an Adeptus, then the news she just heard was no joke!
Although she didn't know what Azhdaha was, it must be an extremely powerful monster! She never expected things to develop like this! Now, two choices lay before her.
First, tell Ningguang about this and let Ningguang judge. Second, continue to investigate, find Azhdaha, and observe the scene! She struggled for a while, and finally had an answer in her heart.
She couldn't jump to conclusions just like that. What if this 'vanishing out of thin air' method was a visual trick? If she reported such unreliable news to Ningguang and something went wrong, it would be hard to handle. Therefore, she had to investigate thoroughly!
'The first step is to find clues about Azhdaha!'
Thinking of this, Yelan left Mora on the table, stood up, and quickly left Wanmin Restaurant. She was going to find Azhdaha's location and then witness the scene of suppressing Azhdaha with her own eyes!
...
After leaving Wanmin Restaurant, Ye Xi couldn't help but want to laugh. He knew Zhongli definitely wouldn't have expected his escape route; he must be bewildered right now! During this time, the effect of his Time Stop had continuously strengthened, changing from the previous ten seconds to thirty seconds. Therefore, he could leave Wanmin Restaurant calmly and unhurriedly.
Next, he was going back to Sumeru. Today he had to conserve his strength and energy properly. Wait until tomorrow morning to go and settle Azhdaha!
Returning to Yujing Terrace, Ye Xi walked straight into the Yuehai Pavilion. The surrounding Millelith dared not block him in the slightest.
"Lord Ye Xi!?" In the corridor, a small secretary hurriedly leaned in. She was one of Ningguang's secretaries, Baishi.
"Lord Ye Xi! The Liyue Qixing are in a meeting. I will go in and report to Lady Ningguang immediately! Please wait a moment!" Baishi's cheeks were slightly red as she hurriedly ran into the conference room.
Ever since she, Baiwen, and Baixiao saw Ye Xi, they had been discussing him. That entrance method descending from the sky, that aura enough to make Ningguang and Keqing respond carefully, and that handsome face. It was simply too charming! Just because of Ye Xi, the few of them hadn't been working properly, unable to resist secretly discussing him.
She knocked on the door and entered the conference room. At this moment, the relevant personnel of the Qixing and Eight Trades were all present.
"Baishi, is something the matter?"
"Lady Ningguang! Lord Ye Xi has returned!"
"What?!"
Ningguang nodded and said, "Everyone, today's meeting ends here. You all discuss further; I will go receive Mr. Ye Xi first. Keqing, let's go."
After saying that, Ningguang led Keqing and strode away. The others in the conference room issued exclamations one after another.
"I really want to meet this Ye Xi! I didn't expect his knowledge to be so profound, thinking of this kind of city planning method!"
"The most impressive thing is still his mechanism technique! Without the transport tool called the 'Train', these so-called urban planning strategies would all be bubbles!"
"Not so! Mr. Ye Xi is an existence who gathers both talent and technology in one body!"
"I think the rarest thing is that besides possessing miraculous mechanism techniques, he can also think of so many theories on urban construction!"
"Simply... just like a second generation of the Lord of Geo!"
As soon as these words came out, the entire conference room went silent. Because these words were not wrong at all! back when the Rex Lapis was still around, every sentence from the Lord benefited them greatly! Whether it was technology, trade, construction... in all aspects, the Rex Lapis could guide their direction. And the current Ye Xi felt no different to them than the Lord did back then!
On the other side.
Ningguang and Keqing arrived at the reception room and met Ye Xi.
"You're back. Did you finish meeting your friend?"
Ye Xi nodded. "Regarding the city planning, a small accident has occurred. I need to go handle it tomorrow morning. I have to return to Sumeru ahead of schedule."
"Eh?!" Ningguang couldn't help but become somewhat worried. The plan obtained with such difficulty couldn't have accidents! Thinking of this, she hurriedly spoke up: "Let Keqing go back with you. Tomorrow morning, you travel together!"
Keqing: ! ! !
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