[Genshin Impact]: I can become stronger by cooking.

"Eh?"

Farusian glanced at Zhongli in surprise. He was calm and composed, and his demeanor was reserved. He did not seem like a reckless person.

After a moment's thought, he nodded slightly and gestured for Zhongli to sit down in the seat next to him.

"Mr. Zhongli, you're a native of Liyue, so I wonder if you're familiar with Celestial Mechanisms? I really don't understand the working principle of this Celestial Mechanism described in these few pages of the book." (??﹏??)

After Zhongli took his seat, Farusan raised her questions to him.

Zhongli took Faroshan's draft, asked a teahouse waiter for a pen, circled a few places on the draft, and then handed it back to Faroshan.

"This young lady is quick-witted and exceptionally intelligent. Her initial idea is already very close to the answer. Given time, she will surely be able to understand its underlying principles independently."

"However, this mechanism has many parts, and studying it is quite time-consuming and laborious, so it's inevitable that you'll have moments when your mind isn't focused. I've marked the minor flaws, and I believe that with your intelligence, Miss, you'll be able to understand the principles of this mechanism on your own."

Taking the draft from Zhongli, Falushan lowered her head to study it.

A moment later, a sudden realization dawned on her, and Farusan's furrowed brows relaxed.

"Mr. Zhongli, you are amazing! Your understanding of Liyue's mechanical arts is truly profound!"

"You flatter me, Miss. I am only a few thousand years older than you, but I have been doing research for a long time."

On this day, under the guidance of Zhongli, a living fossil, Falushan's research level in Liyue's mechanical arts skyrocketed.

As the sun set and it approached the appointed time with Chao Ke, Falushan finally got up to say goodbye to Zhongli.

Just before leaving, Farusan suddenly remembered something and asked Zhongli.

"Mr. Zhongli, you are so learned, have you ever heard of the [Lock of the Mortal World]?"

Zhongli's body trembled, and his hand holding the teacup shook, almost spilling the tea.

He looked at Farusan with a serious expression and asked.

"Where did you learn of the name 'The Lock of the Mortal World', Miss?"

Farusan was taken aback and said, "I heard it from my... lover. I heard it was a token given to the Rock King by a demon god named Guizhong."

As she spoke, Farusan suddenly realized what was happening.

"Wait, does this mean that this story isn't well-known in Liyue Harbor?"

Zhongli exhaled a breath of stale air. "I haven't heard the names 'Locking of the Mortal World' and 'Return to the End' for countless years. I'm afraid I cannot answer the question you raised, Miss."

"It's alright, Mr. Zhongli. I was just asking out of curiosity."

Farusan was free of questions and was about to leave when Zhongli suddenly asked a question.

"Miss, may I ask what your lover's name is?"

Seeing Zhongli's sincere expression and after spending a day together, Farusan felt that Mr. Zhongli was not a bad person, so she told Zhongli his name, Chao Ke.

After Farusan left, Zhongli remained silent and motionless, simply sitting quietly in her original spot.

Zhong Li only slowly came to his senses when the teahouse staff reminded him that they were about to close.

I picked up the teacup and drank the tea, which had already cooled down, in one gulp.

Autumn tea has lost its initial aroma; all that reaches the taste buds is a hint of bitterness.

"Return to the end..."

"Another instance of wear and tear...?"

----------------

【Wanmintang】Restaurant.

Farusan, who had been running all the way, finally arrived at the meeting place they had agreed to meet when they left home, just in time.

Looking around at the restaurant, which seemed to be doing poorly, Farusan was puzzled as to why Chao Ke had chosen this location.

But since he chose the location, we just have to wait.

So, bored out of her mind, Farusan squatted down by the roadside and picked up a twig, gesturing at it on the ground.

"I wonder if that freak is smart enough. The design is too difficult. It would be terrible if he couldn't open it no matter what he did."

"How about we keep the design simple..."

Just as Farusan was lost in thought, she suddenly smelled a familiar fragrance in the air.

"This flavor is... [Traditional Coconut Charcoal Cake]?"

Without a doubt, there is only one person who can recreate this flavor in Liyue.

Sure enough, as Farusan looked up, she saw Chao Ke's figure.

As Chao Ke, carrying the dishes, looked at Farusan squatting on the ground, an idea suddenly popped into his head.

I can't control myself, I just have to do something stupid.

Chao Ke leaned down to look at Falushan and said.

"Are you here to take a dump?"

"Snapped!"

A twig was thrown at Chao Ke's face.

Farusan clenched her pale fists and glared at Chao Ke through gritted teeth.

He placed the plate on the table and hugged Falushan.

"Okay, okay, just kidding. Go wash your hands, dinner's almost ready."

Considering that Chao Ke had specially made coconut charcoal cakes, Farusan snorted coldly and stopped throwing a tantrum at Chao Ke.

At this moment, Xiangling, who had just come out of the kitchen, put the food down and curiously tugged at Chao Ke's sleeve.

"Brother Chao Ke, is this the lover you mentioned?"

"Yes."

After all the dishes were served and everyone was seated,

Chao Ke introduced Farusan to Master Mao and his daughter, and also told Farusan that he had become Master Mao's apprentice and was learning Liyue Cai.

After everyone got to know each other, the atmosphere at the dinner table was quite harmonious.

Farusan quickly adapted to the style of Liyue Jianghu cuisine.

Rich in oil and flavor, some are even heavily spicy; just a couple of bites and you'll experience the delightful taste.

However, there was one dish on the table that Chao Ke tasted once, and then he didn't let Farusan eat any more.

This dish is the creative dish that Xiangling came up with tonight: "Special Cold Poultry Salad".

The original "cold poultry dish" has been creatively enhanced with a variety of plants, making it a dish that is visually appealing, fragrant, and delicious.

However, after taking a bite, Chao Ke felt a slight disturbance in his stomach and intestines.

If Chao Ke's current physical condition is already like this, then the remaining few are even more likely to be affected.

Chao Ke simply took the dish away, also reminding Xiang Ling and Chef Mao not to try it again.

Chapter 86 Materials [Additional update]

[Bonus chapter for raising the rating from 6.9 to 7.0. Also, thanks to Guye Tuoge, Jueguang, and many other readers for their support. Four chapters tomorrow.]

Although there was a slight hiccup at the end, the group still had a great time.

At night, Liyue Harbor is brightly lit, and a gentle sea breeze blows from the sea, bringing a refreshing early autumn feel to the passersby.

Inside the Baiju Inn, after washing up, the two slept together under the same quilt, completely honest with each other.

Farusan leaned against Chao Ke's chest, lost in thought.

Chao Ke's thoughts were quite simple: the farmer was tenderly stroking his two little white rabbits, helping them grow up quickly.

Farusan suddenly slapped away Chao Ke's groping hand, turned around and looked him straight in the eye, asking.

"Perverted pervert, I have a question for you."

"Didn't I tell you not to use that name anymore? What's the problem?"

Farusian scoffed, "What, did I call you the wrong person? Didn't you do anything wrong?"

Chao Ke smiled awkwardly. Well, it seems that this title wasn't wrong after all.

"Seriously, let me ask you, how do you think your IQ is? Is it smart enough?"

Chao Ke was stunned. He never expected that Farusan would suddenly become serious just to ask him this question.

"I think he's pretty good. What, you're already worried about our child's intelligence?"

After saying that, Chao Ke patted his senior's sensitive spot and said, "Don't worry, the child's intelligence comes from his mother. With a mother as smart as you, the child won't be unintelligent."

Farusan bit Chao Ke in shame and indignation.

“I didn’t say that. Remember what you said: you think your IQ is excellent.”

After saying that, Farusan turned her head away and stopped looking at Chao Ke.

The farmer was slightly taken aback, but then he found the two missing white rabbits once again.

"Hey, Senior Farusan. What do you mean by asking me this all of a sudden?"

"Don't tell you."

"Oh?"

Chao Ke raised an eyebrow. "Senior, whether you tell me or not is not up to you."

----------------

The next day, early morning.

Senior Falushan's mouth is really tight; I interrogated Master Chao all night last night but couldn't get anything out of her.

After waiting for a while, the senior, who had been working hard all night, reluctantly got out of bed.

After having breakfast together, the two parted ways and began their respective work.

When Chao Ke strolled leisurely to the Wanmintang restaurant, he found only Chef Mao inside, guessing that Xiang Ling had probably gone out to find ingredients again.