Roasting dragon meat took quite some time. Cuts were made across the surface to allow the spices and oils to seep in, then it was placed over the fire.
"Hall Master, the fire isn't hot enough! Add more flames!"
"Oh, oh~" Hu Tao, holding a massive drumstick in each hand, waved casually. The flames beneath the giant bone of meat suddenly surged higher.
"Fire elements really are convenient! If I ever want to grill meat, I just need to snap my fingers!"
"And if someone has perfect control over flames, they could grill the meat crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside in no time. I'm honestly kind of jealous~"
"It's not that easy," Hu Tao said, tossing the bare bone aside. "Sure, grilling meat is simple, but without understanding seasoning or heat levels, I often burn it to a crisp. Cooking isn't as easy as it looks."
"Otherwise, Xiangling wouldn't be so famous, even with her Pyro Vision."
Hearing this, Bai Mo couldn't help but ask, "Speaking of which, when a Vision holder dies, does their Vision disappear?"
"Nope," Hu Tao replied. "But the Vision is bound to the user. Once they die, the Vision is just a pretty trinket."
Bai Mo's eyes lit up. "Then... there must be a lot of unclaimed Visions out there, right? Can I buy one?"
"What would you want with that?" Hu Tao asked, puzzled. "People have tried to reactivate abandoned Visions before. Aside from one or two miracles, all of them failed."
"If you really want one, I think our Wangsheng Funeral Parlor still has a few in storage."
"They belonged to adventurers who passed away in the wild. No one came to claim their things, so we kept them in the warehouse. You can go grab one if you want—no one's using them anyway."
There's no way they're useless!
Even if they can't be activated, ancient dragons might still be attracted to them.
In the world of Monster Hunter, many Elder Dragons can manipulate natural elements.
Take Namielle for instance, who controls water. Kushala Daora summons storms. Teostra and Lunastra wield flames. Vaal Hazak spreads miasma. Kirin summons lightning. Velkhana controls ice…
While not all Elder Dragons can manipulate nature, those that do certainly stand out.
Even the raging Bazelgeuse had been drawn to the power of a Vision. Clearly, there's potential there.
Whether or not it works, there's no harm in testing. As Hu Tao said, unused Visions are just lying around.
As Bai Mo pondered, the roasted dragon meat and stewed goose were nearly done.
Lifting the pot lid, Bai Mo added chopped potatoes, cabbage, and glass noodles.
"Hall Master, more fire!"
"Okay~"
Still drooling over the roasting dragon meat, Hu Tao happily tossed another fireball under the pot.
Heh~
Xiangling has her magical fire-spitting Guoba. I have Hu Tao, the fire-boosting Hall Master. I'm not at a disadvantage at all!
To reward Hu Tao, Bai Mo split the roasted dragon meat in half.
Each half had a massive bone perfect for holding with both hands.
Hu Tao didn't hesitate—she grabbed her piece and took a giant bite. "Mmm, delicious! Hot! Super hot!"
"Hall Master, no one's fighting you for it. Why are you in such a rush?"
"But Xiao Bai, the meat you grilled is so fragrant! And I've never had meat like this before. It's amazing!"
"If you like it, have more!" Bai Mo lifted the pot lid and gave the stew one final high-heat finish. "Here, try the stew with the roast. They go well together."
"Hehe~ awesome. Xiao Bai, why don't you become our funeral parlor's chef?"
"Aunt Meng's cooking is great, but I've eaten it for years now. It's getting old. If you and she took turns cooking, it'd be perfect!"
Bai Mo didn't agree to that idea directly. Instead, he ladled a big bowl of stew and handed it to her. "Here, eat first. As for being a chef… maybe later. I'm still learning the ropes."
"Oh right, Hall Master—if I ever need a side job, can I apply at Wanmin Restaurant? I'd like to learn from Master Mao and Xiangling about Liyue's culinary arts."
"Of course, of course!" Hu Tao clapped joyfully. "Then once you're trained, our parlor will have its own master chef!"
Although that outcome seemed unlikely, Bai Mo didn't reject the idea.
Honestly, staying at the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor wasn't a bad option. Outsiders might find their work eerie, but everyone inside was friendly and welcoming.
And besides, having Hu Tao around made things more fun and lively.
Maybe it wasn't a bad idea to settle down in Teyvat with them.
After polishing off half the roast and a big bowl of stew, Hu Tao lay on the ground, completely satisfied, rubbing her belly.
"Ahh~ that hit the spot. Xiao Bai, next time let's go on an assignment together!"
"Hehe~ just thinking about eating something this delicious after a job fills me with motivation!"
Bai Mo smiled and nodded in agreement. Cooking wasn't a problem—and there were even free "punching bags" to train with.
Just like Hu Tao said, after a bit of exercise, food really does taste better.
Besides, in his original world—so peaceful and mundane—his powers were wasted. Here in another world, he could finally unleash them freely.
His earlier battle with the monsters had awakened every cell in his body.
Fighting… truly was the path to becoming stronger.
After eating, Hu Tao returned to the pile of monster corpses. Confirming they were completely burned, with no risk of reignition, she pulled out a shovel and began digging.
"Xiao Bai, help me dig the graves! The Wangsheng Funeral Parlor doesn't just kill—we bury too!"
Why did that sound like something a bandit gang would say?
By the time Bai Mo and Hu Tao returned to Liyue Harbor, the sky still hadn't begun to brighten.
After resting in bed for a few hours, Bai Mo woke up feeling completely refreshed.
"Yo~ you're up! Just in time—Zhongli came back too. He even brought some ingredients!"
Bai Mo looked curiously toward Zhongli.
"The Hall Master is correct," Zhongli said with a gentle smile. "To help you prepare an authentic Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, I visited some old acquaintances and asked for their assistance in gathering ingredients."
"These are Dragon's Breath Peppers and fresh Mist Lotus Pods I gathered at Qingyun Peak. As for these two Pearl Chickens—they are extremely rare delicacies."
He gestured to the ingredients laid out in the kitchen.
Seeing this, Bai Mo clasped his hands gratefully. "Thank you, Brother Zhongli—and please extend my thanks to your friends as well."
"They didn't help for free," Zhongli replied. "I promised them that once Xiangling finishes the dish, they'd each get a bowl."
"Isn't that only fair?" Bai Mo said, unfazed. "Without their ingredients, we couldn't cook a true version of the dish."
"Indeed. It will take two more days to finish collecting everything. In the meantime, we can start the prep work."
"I also spoke with Miss Xiangling earlier and explained what ingredients I'd be responsible for. She should be hard at work right now."
Zhongli was right. When Bai Mo arrived at Wanmin Restaurant, Xiangling was busily washing a massive wine urn—one of the essential tools for making Buddha Jumps Over the Wall.
"Ah, Big Brother Bai, you're here! Just in time—the Feiyun Commerce Guild delivered the 20-year-old wine jar! This urn must be over 30 years old. It was tough to find!"
That Xingqiu sure works fast...
"Well, in that case, make sure he gets an extra helping of soup later~"
"Hehe~ of course! But everyone needs to share evenly. That's how it's most delicious!"
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T/N:
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