Keqing shook her head. “Postponing the relief effort is fine, but I’m definitely attributing those supplies to you.”
“No need, it’s not like I care about that stuff… Alright, alright, whatever you say.”
Seeing Keqing’s expression darken, Gu Sanqiu quickly changed his tune.
“You say I’m impulsive, but we’re about the same age. Why do you always stick to the old bureaucratic ways? How about showing some youthful energy for a change?”
“Anything else you need?”
Keqing’s hand moved to the hilt of her sword, crackling with lightning.
“Nope, that’s it. Just make sure to bring my sister and that old fisherman over for dinner tonight. See ya.”
Gu Sanqiu retreated decisively, waving goodbye to Granny Ping before rushing home to prepare ingredients.
Once back at his house, Gu Sanqiu activated his Golden Finger ability, tossing in all the various slime materials he had gathered from Huaguang Stone Forest along with the monster drops he’d collected along the way.
“If I follow basic logic, I doubt this Golden Finger has any advanced trash-sorting feature.”
He cast out the fishing line, shaking off the thought. If he kept overthinking it, pulling things out of that void would make him feel like some kind of… dumpster diver?
A hobo scavenging for leftovers in the trash?
As soon as he felt a familiar tug on the line, Gu Sanqiu’s face turned expressionless. With a sharp yank, he pulled a creature out of the void—a flash of blue sky and white clouds followed.
“Roar!”
With the Dragon Scale Shield in hand, Gu Sanqiu showed no hesitation. Seeing it was a living creature, he swung the shield like a hammer, smashing it down.
Thud!
With a muffled impact, the beast that had so dramatically leapt from the black hole to Gu Clan’s courtyard was downed by a single blow to the head, lying motionless on the ground. It wouldn’t be long before it found its way to Wu Wang Hill’s afterlife.
“Hm, not bad.”
This shield was solid, stylish—just like its owner—and versatile. He couldn’t find a single flaw in it.
Item: Frostfur Bear
Origin: Northern Mountain Range
Note: Once a feared outsider in the northern wilderness, this creature gained dominance through sheer strength. Sadly, it’s not the brightest—anything it sees, it attacks. The Forest Security Council has marked it as a huntable target, and it’s now close to becoming a protected species due to overhunting by adventurers.
“Wow, talk about a death wish.”
“So, the lesson here is that there’s always someone stronger out there, so don’t go looking for trouble?”
With a shrug, Gu Sanqiu began to process the meat on the spot.
To be honest, he’d never cooked bear before, especially not one with such tough, cold-infused flesh.
“Still, it does have a pleasant aroma—a mix of fatty oils and the refreshing scent of mountain spring water. Interesting.”
Calmly, he skinned the bear, tossing the tougher cuts into a pot for a high flame boil.
He set aside the fatty parts, glazing them with honey and prepared Slime Condensate, seasoning them with a secret spice mix for roasting.
The tender thigh meat was sliced thin for a light steam and chilled salad.
As for the bear paws, he added premium ingredients and prepared them as a luxurious Buddha Jumps Over the Wall dish.
…
At sunset, a nimble figure scaled the walls of the Gu residence, gracefully landing in the courtyard.
“Gah?”
The Giant Shadow Eagle, here for a meal, glanced at Keqing, who had vaulted over the wall, then turned back to its master, who was preparing food for it.
“That’s about everything. Once you’ve taken these supplies out of the city, have your subordinates come to pick up the rest,” Gu Sanqiu said, packing several large bags of raw ingredients. The Giant Shadow Eagle hooked the bundles with its claws, tested the weight with a flap of its wings, and nodded, indicating it could manage the load.
Gu Sanqiu then cast a layer of invisibility over both the eagle and the bags.
“If I had to describe it scientifically, I guess you could call it optical camouflage?”
“Remember, don’t litter. Collect the trash afterward, and you can dump it in a Treasure Hoarder camp or an Adventurer’s camp—just don’t damage the environment.”
…
“You have a unique way of educating others, that’s for sure,” Keqing remarked, watching the renowned eagle of Lisha Region fly off before turning her attention to the dishes on the table.
“When did you hunt a bear outside?”
“Hm, that’s a secret. Don’t worry, it’s safe to eat, no poison involved. I even made a plate of your favorite Golden Shrimp Balls.”
“Hmph.”
Keqing’s gaze shifted to the exotic plants growing in the courtyard. “I haven’t seen Hu Tao around lately. Is she still busy?”
“Work at the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor is unpredictable—either completely idle or swamped. But if even Zhongli isn’t helping her, it’s probably nothing dangerous, just tedious chores that don’t require my involvement.”
“I’d prefer if you got involved less. It would save our intelligence department a lot of trouble.”
The main door swung open as Ningguang, puffing on her pipe, entered alongside a cheerful white-haired man carrying two large jars of liquor.
“Heh, kid, when are we going to have another fishing competition? I’ll have you know, my skills have improved a lot since last time.”
“When I have time, I’ll find you,” Gu Sanqiu replied, eyeing the old man who had reached for the food the moment he stepped in. “Wash your hands, or I’ll kick you out.”
“Hahaha, looks like you’ve grown up. Remember when we used to sneak bites together?”
The old man looked at the colorful dishes laid out. “Oh? You’ve developed a taste for refinement?”
“That’s just for air purification—not even pure spiritual energy. Strictly ornamental. If you want, I can give you some once the second generation grows.”
Gu Sanqiu was finishing the last dish on the stove. “That tree over there, with the pork shanks hanging from it, is for cultivation. Feel free to pick according to your taste.”
“Cultivational ingredients? You guys are something else, growing things like that. Looks like Liyue’s agricultural department might need to recruit some talent from Minlin.”
Noticing the old man chomp down on the pork shank, Gu Sanqiu’s lips curled into a mischievous grin.
“Oh?”
Ningguang approached with a pork shank she had just picked, tapping Gu Sanqiu’s head lightly with her pipe.
“Seems like there’s more to this than meets the eye, hm?”
“Brilliant as always, sister. This ingredient enhances mental clarity, though perhaps the method is a bit unconventional.”
Gu Sanqiu plated the final dish. “For you and Keqing, it’s more of a mental fortifier. But for this old man here, living out his retirement, it might just remind him of how things used to be.”
“And if it goes wrong, are there any serious consequences?” Ningguang asked.
“I’m not that reckless. There won’t be any harm to the body.”
Gu Sanqiu shrugged, eyeing both Keqing and Uncle Tian, who had taken a meditative posture. A sly smile spread across his face.
“But as for their state of mind… Heh, heh.”
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