Peaceful days can wear down a person's fighting spirit.
Fortunately, Bai Luo never had much fighting spirit to begin with, but he didn't want to just waste away either.
On the fifth day at Bubu Pharmacy, Bai Luo was officially "discharged." Baizhu had used some method to remove the densely packed stitches without leaving a single scar on Bai Luo's stomach.
After leaving a note saying, "Charge it to Tartaglia," Bai Luo disappeared.
"Mr. Baizhu, is this really okay?"
Watching Bai Luo vanish before their eyes, Gui couldn't help but ask with concern.
He didn't know Bai Luo's true identity, so he was a bit worried about the whole "Tartaglia will pay" thing.
After all, the medicinal porridge they had been preparing for Bai Luo over the past few days had used a lot of expensive herbs, and the cost added up to a staggering amount.
Strangely enough, Bai Luo had only been drinking the medicinal porridge every day, yet he hadn't lost any weight. In fact, he had gained quite a bit, not looking like a patient at all.
Could it be... that this man had some unspeakable relationship with Mr. Baizhu? After all, they both shared the surname "Bai."
"Don't worry, someone will cover the medical fees."
Baizhu was well aware of how wealthy the Fatui were. Not only could they cover the medical fees for these few days, but they could probably buy out the entire Bubu Pharmacy without breaking a sweat.
So, he calmly continued organizing the herbs.
"Gui."
"Yes, Mr. Baizhu? What do you need?"
"Go fetch some lotus seeds. I need them for the medicine."
"On it!"
Normally, gathering herbs was the job of the herb-gathering apprentice, Qiqi. But since she had gone to the mountains to collect herbs and wouldn't be back for a while, Gui had to take over.
Gui hurried to the pond, intending to pick a few lotus pods. But before he could even step into the water, his expression changed.
"Mr. Baizhu!"
"What is it?"
"The koi fish, lotus pods, bamboo by the pond, and even the bamboo shoots—they're all gone! Bai Luo took everything! He even drained the pond, took the rocks, and scooped up the mud! All that's left is an empty hole!"
"???"
Baizhu froze for a few seconds, then his entire body began to tremble. He walked out of Bubu Pharmacy and looked at the dry pond that had been empty all morning, the bottom already baked by the sun. He nearly spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Bai Luo!!!"
...
"Bai Luo, you dog!!!"
Tartaglia was equally furious.
He had carefully timed his visit to Bubu Pharmacy to coincide with Bai Luo's recovery. But instead of finding Bai Luo, he was handed a thick stack of bills by Baizhu.
There were treatment fees, medicine fees, public facility damage fees, garbage cleaning fees, and even compensation for lost herbs.
Who knew how Bai Luo had managed to eat every single frog and koi fish in the pond in just five days? The pile of bones left behind made Tartaglia's blood run cold.
What made him even more despairing was that if Bai Luo refused to fight him, he might really have to keep using a bow in battles.
Even though he had gotten somewhat used to using a bow during this time, it still felt incredibly awkward.
That day, many people were looking for Bai Luo, but no one could find him. All they knew was that he had left a letter saying he had gone to Inazuma.
But while these people were searching for Bai Luo, they didn't notice that a new person from Inazuma had appeared in Liyue.
He had red hair, wore a red robe, carried a katana, and wore a cat-faced mask. He smiled at everyone he met, exuding a cheerful vibe.
That day, the weather was clear and sunny. Though there weren't many clouds, the gentle breeze made it feel just right.
At Wanmin Restaurant, the chef greeted the new customer as soon as he walked in.
"Customer, feel free to sit anywhere that's open. If there's something you'd like that's not on the menu, I can still make it!"
"Then I'll have some Mondstadt grilled fish."
The Inazuman with the cat-faced mask ordered a Mondstadt dish in perfect Liyue dialect. Little did anyone know, this man's current nationality was Snezhnayan, and he had a student in Sumeru.
"Coming right up! Please wait a moment, customer!"
The young chef didn't show any displeasure at the customer ordering a Mondstadt dish. Instead, she cheerfully began preparing the meal.
The two major culinary traditions of Liyue Harbor—"Liyue Cuisine" and "Moonlit Cuisine"—each held half of the culinary world in their grasp. To determine which was superior, the two sides had been locked in a fierce rivalry, constantly trying to outdo each other.
But Wanmin Restaurant was different. As the only restaurant that had managed to survive under the pressure of these two culinary giants, it definitely had something special.
"Lu~ lu~"
A creature that looked like a small red panda climbed onto Bai Luo's table and waved at him in a very familiar manner.
"Ah, customer, I'm sorry! This is Guoba, my friend. He doesn't bite."
Xiangling, noticing Guoba's rude behavior, quickly came out to apologize. In the past, many customers had been scared off by Guoba's antics, so she was worried Bai Luo might be frightened too.
"It's fine. Seeing him reminds me of an old friend, so it feels kind of familiar."
Bai Luo smiled as he spoke. Guoba reminded him of someone, though that person probably didn't miss him.
At the same time, a certain red-haired justice enthusiast in Mondstadt sneezed.
"Really?"
Xiangling looked at Guoba in confusion. After taking him aside, she whispered, "Do you have a sibling?"
But Guoba clearly couldn't fully understand Xiangling's signals. After thinking for a moment, he looked up and gave her a look.
[Have you eaten yet?]
"..."
Okay, completely on different wavelengths.
Talking about Guoba, it all started when Xiangling was a child.
Back then, Liyue Cuisine and Moonlit Cuisine were the two dominant forces, and they had engaged in numerous culinary battles.
However, the "battle of delicacies," which focused solely on price and not on taste, led to the monopolization of rare ingredients in Liyue Harbor, sparking outrage among countless chefs.
Naturally, Wanmin Restaurant was also affected.
Upholding the belief that ingredients shouldn't be judged by their price and that deliciousness was the true measure of a dish, Xiangling embarked on her culinary journey.
One day, she wanted to try brewing Glaze Lilies and Sweet Flowers together to create a brand-new dish. But she ran out of Glaze Lilies at home and had to go pick some herself.
That day, it was pouring rain. Tired and hungry, she took shelter in a cave, where she found a shrine.
She had two Spicy Meat Buns with her, so she offered one to the shrine and ate the other herself. After that, she fell into a deep sleep.
When she woke up, Guoba was by her side.
Perhaps Guoba had taken a liking to her cooking, because from that day on, the two became inseparable friends.
After Guoba returned with her, only her master chef could get close to him.
Otherwise, while Guoba wasn't afraid of people, he didn't usually approach strangers. The only time he had greeted someone like this was when they met the very knowledgeable Mr. Zhongli.
So why was this man from Inazuma being treated the same way by Guoba? Could it really be, as he said, that he also had a companion like Guoba?