"Haah~ That was quite the satisfying battle. With your help, Xiaobai, I saved a lot of energy! Now all that's left is to purge the demonic aura from their bodies and cremate the corpses."
"Eh~ That's it?" Bai Mo asked with some doubt, "Aren't we going after the source? The real culprit behind all this — the evil spirit you mentioned?"
"Haha, that sort of thing will be dealt with by the immortals. We've done enough on our end." Hu Tao waved her hand casually, then pointed toward a nearby pond. "But you — you're covered head to toe in demonic blood. You should go wash up first~"
Glancing down at the thick coating of foul-smelling monster blood on his body, Bai Mo had to agree. The stench was unbearable now that the adrenaline of battle had faded.
Following Hu Tao's directions, Bai Mo headed to the pond and plunged right in, scrubbing himself clean. By the time he returned, Hu Tao was dragging monster corpses into a pile.
The blood on her own clothes had long since vanished — burned away effortlessly by her fire element. Far more convenient than dealing with rock element cleanup.
"You're back! All those bits and chunks scattered around are your doing. Mind helping clean them up~?"
Looking at the indescribable mess lying around, Bai Mo nodded. But using his hands? Way too gross.
He summoned the power of his Geo element and conjured a large stone shovel. Then, with steady rhythm, he scooped all the gory remnants into a pile.
Once the cleanup was complete, Hu Tao began her ritual.
Now dressed in the signature black robes of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, she raised her Staff of Homa and began chanting solemnly.
Under her incantation, a glowing formation gradually appeared beneath the monster corpses. Strange symbols and ancient runes lit up the ground. Bai Mo suspected this wasn't a normal burial array — it had likely been quietly set up earlier while he was washing off.
Not that he was curious. He had no intention of prying into the Funeral Parlor's secrets.
Still, the faintly glowing formation seemed to resonate with the heavens. A mysterious aura began to emerge. The foul demonic energy clinging to the corpses was being drawn out — black mist converged in the air, taking the form of a shadowy black tiger.
The tiger struggled against the formation, but it was trapped, barely able to roar — clearly its power had been greatly weakened.
Once no more black mist emerged, Hu Tao raised her staff, and the Vision embedded within it lit up instantly.
A flame burst forth from the Staff of Homa, bright like a beacon in the night.
"Dust to dust, earth to earth. Foul spirits — return to nothingness!"
With a decisive swing, the fire leapt into the black tiger's body. Within moments, it was engulfed in flames, roaring silently as it disintegrated into smoke.
But the fire did not die out — instead, it spread, igniting the pile of monster corpses in a blazing funeral pyre.
"It's over..." Hu Tao exhaled softly, withdrawing her staff and swaying slightly beneath the moonlight.
She knew the battle had ended for now, but the darkness haunting Liyue's lands would not disappear so easily.
Still, this was the mission of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor — and tonight, they'd succeeded.
"Phew~ All done!" Hu Tao flopped down on a rock amid the ruins. "Xiaobai, I'm starving. Got anything to eat?"
Bai Mo had been about to compliment her, but seeing her slumped and pitiful, he just shook his head and pulled out a large iron pot.
"Alright, how about some authentic iron pot stewed goose?"
"Yes! Yes! Quick, cook it! Otherwise, I might have to treat you to my homemade ghost dishes!"
Bai Mo didn't respond to her threat — he just got to work: washing the pot, adding oil, preparing the ingredients.
"Hall Master, add some fire!"
"Got it — Fire Butterfly Spark!"
With a flick of her hand, Hu Tao conjured a beautiful flame-shaped butterfly, which flitted down and ignited the firewood under the pot.
Bai Mo's goose stew was based on a classic Northeastern recipe.
He started by heating a mix of soybean oil and pork lard, then added parboiled goose meat, searing it until the surface turned golden and fragrant. After that came the spices — cinnamon, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise — and a couple of Liyue-specific ingredients: Jueyun chilis and a dash of aromatic fruit powder.
Once the fragrance filled the air, he added water and two bottles of Mondstadt beer to cover the goose and began slow simmering.
"I promise, my cooking's top-notch. Leave it to me~"
"Perfect. While it simmers, why don't you grill something too?"
With a human fire-starter like Hu Tao on hand, the barbecue pit was quickly set up.
"Hey, Hall Master — the fire's your responsibility! It's gonna take a while to stew the goose, so I'll grill a few snacks first."
Thanks to his Vision's spatial storage, Bai Mo had all his cooking gear with him.
Soon, skewers of chicken legs were lined up on the grill — each thick, juicy, and still warm from hunting.
He even brought out a special cut of meat from the Monster Hunter world — a massive bone-in slab.
As the meat cooked over the flames, a savory aroma began to waft through the air.
Ten large drumsticks sizzled as they roasted, Bai Mo carefully turning them for even heat. When they began to char slightly, he made a few cuts in each to help the flavors seep in, then brushed them with his custom barbecue sauce.
Finally, he sprinkled on salt, cumin, chili powder, and black pepper. A few more minutes — and they were ready.
"Hey, no need to rush. There's plenty!"
Hu Tao was already drooling. She couldn't resist.
"I feel a poem coming on!"
"Got one!"
Though she had just claimed to be too tired to move, Hu Tao had already bounced over and grabbed a steaming chicken leg.
"So hot! So hot~!"
She held it in her hands and, while blowing on it, recited:
"Golden shine, chicken divine,
Oil glistens, scents entwine.
Crispy outside, tender heart,
Savory bliss that won't depart.
Heaven's feast on humble plate,
This juicy leg I celebrate.
With joy and hunger intertwined —
A taste of heaven, boldly defined."
True to her "Back-Alley Bard" title, it was very much a street-style food poem — but it did the trick.
"Hmph! That's my official praise of your cooking skills!" Hu Tao grinned as she took a bite of the drumstick, then turned to gaze thoughtfully at the moon. "In such a moment... the Back-Alley Dark Poet must sing."
As she became fully immersed in the joys of good food, Bai Mo returned to tending the bone-in dragon meat and stewed goose — his culinary focus undisturbed.
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T/N:
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