Chapter 99: Bai Luo, You Sneaky Scoundrel
A peaceful daily life can erode one's fighting spirit.
Fortunately, Bai Luo never had much of a fighting spirit to begin with, but even so, he didn't want to let himself fade into complacency.
On the fifth day at the Bubu Pharmacy, Bai Luo was officially "discharged." Bai Zhu, the pharmacist, seemed to have used some miraculous method because, after removing the countless stitches, Bai Luo's abdomen didn't bear even a single scar.
Before leaving, Bai Luo left behind a casual remark: "Ask Childe for money," and disappeared.
"Mr. Bai, are you sure this is okay?"
Watching Bai Luo vanish before their eyes, Herbalist Gui asked nervously.
Not knowing Bai Luo's true identity, Herbalist Gui felt uneasy about his so-called "Childe will pay." After all, the medicinal porridge they had been preparing for him over the past few days contained a lot of rare and expensive herbs—an astronomical expense in total.
Strangely enough, Bai Luo only drank the medicinal porridge every day, but instead of losing weight like a typical patient, he gained quite a bit and didn't resemble a sick person at all.
Could it be... there's some unspeakable connection between him and Mr. Bai? After all, they do share the same surname.
"Don't worry, someone will settle the bill," Bai Zhu said confidently while diligently organizing his herbs.
He knew very well how wealthy the Fatui were. The cost of a few days' medicine was nothing to them; they could probably buy a thousand Bubu Pharmacy without breaking a sweat.
"Herbalist Gui."
"Yes, Mr. Bai? Any orders?"
"Go fetch some lotus seeds. I need them for a prescription."
"Right away."
Normally, this kind of errand would be handled by Qiqi, the little herb-gatherer, but since she had gone into the mountains to collect herbs and wouldn't return soon, Herbalist Gui took over.
With a light step, Herbalist Gui headed to the pond to gather some lotus pods. But as he approached, his expression changed.
"Mr. Bai!"
"What's wrong?"
"The koi in the pond, the lotus pods, and even the bamboo and bamboo shoots around the pond have all been taken by that scoundrel Bai Luo! Not even the pond water, the rockery, or the mud is left. It's just an empty pit now!"
"???"
Bai Zhu froze for a few seconds before his whole body began to tremble. He stepped out of the Bubu Pharmacy and saw the courtyard's dry, empty pond, its bottom cracked under the sun. He nearly spat out blood.
"BAI LUO!!!"
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"BAI LUO, YOU SNEAKY SCOUNDREL!!!"
Equally furious was Tartaglia.
He had timed his visit to Bubu Pharmacy perfectly to confront Bai Luo after his recovery. However, Bai Luo was nowhere to be found. Instead, Bai Zhu handed him a thick stack of bills, including fees for treatment, medicine, damage to public facilities, cleaning services, and lost herbs.
No one knew how Bai Luo managed to wipe out all the frogs and koi in the pond within five days. The pile of fish bones left Tartaglia thoroughly spooked.
What pained him most was realizing that if Bai Luo refused to spar with him, he might really be stuck using his bow for all his battles forever.
Though he had grown accustomed to using the bow during this time, it still felt awkward to him.
That day, many people were looking for Bai Luo, but no one could find him. All he left behind was a note saying he had gone to Inazuma.
However, as people searched for Bai Luo, they failed to notice that a new visitor had appeared in Liyue: an Inazuman man with red hair, dressed in a red robe, carrying an Eastern-style katana, and wearing a cat-faced mask. He greeted everyone with a smile, exuding a cheerful and festive vibe.
The day was sunny and clear, with a gentle breeze keeping the heat at bay despite the lack of clouds.
In Wanmin Restaurant, the chef eagerly greeted the new guest as he entered.
"Welcome! Feel free to sit anywhere. If there's something you'd like that isn't on the menu, I can make it for you!"
"I'll have Mondstadt-style grilled fish."
The Inazuman man with the cat mask spoke fluent Liyuean as he placed his order for a dish from Mondstadt. Who would have guessed that his current nationality was Snezhnayan, and that he even had a student in Sumeru?
"Coming right up! Please wait a moment!"
The young chef showed no displeasure at the Mondstadt dish request and happily began preparing the meal.
In Liyue Harbor, the two major traditional cuisines, Li Cuisine and Yue Cuisine, each dominated half of the culinary scene. Their rivalry was fierce, with both sides continuously evolving and vying for loyal supporters.
Unlike other restaurants, Wanmin Restaurant stood out as the only one to survive the fierce competition between the two major culinary factions, Li Cuisine and Yue Cuisine. This alone proved it had something special to offer.
As Bai Luo waited for his meal, a small creature resembling a red panda climbed onto his table. It greeted him with a wave, acting as though they were old friends.
"Ah, my apologies, sir! That's Guoba, my friend. Don't worry, he doesn't bite," Xiangling explained quickly, noticing Guoba's forward behavior.
In the past, some guests had been startled by Guoba's antics, so she was worried Bai Luo might react the same way.
"No need to apologize. Seeing him reminds me of an old friend. It's oddly comforting," Bai Luo replied with a smile.
The sight of Guoba brought to mind someone from his past, though he doubted that person missed him in return.
Meanwhile, far away in Mondstadt, a certain red-haired defender of justice sneezed unexpectedly at the Dawn Winery.
"Really?" Xiangling tilted her head curiously at Bai Luo's comment. After pulling Guoba aside, she asked him quietly, "Do you have relatives like you?"
Guoba seemed to think for a moment before looking up at Xiangling with an earnest expression that seemed to say: Have you eaten yet?
"..."
Clearly, they weren't on the same wavelength.
Guoba's story began when Xiangling was just a child. Back then, the rivalry between Li Cuisine and Yue Cuisine led to a series of culinary battles. However, these contests, which prioritized extravagance over flavor, caused a monopoly on rare ingredients in Liyue Harbor, leaving many chefs frustrated and angry.
Naturally, Wanmin Restaurant felt the impact as well.
Determined to stick to the philosophy that good food isn't defined by the price of ingredients but by the taste, Xiangling set out on her culinary journey.
One day, while trying to create a new dish by fermenting Glaze Lilies and Sweet Flowers, she ran out of Glaze Lilies and had to gather more herself. It was raining heavily, and after becoming soaked, tired, and hungry, she sought shelter in a cave. Inside, she discovered a shrine.
Carrying only two spicy meat buns, she placed one as an offering on the shrine and ate the other herself before falling asleep in front of it.
When she woke up, Guoba was there beside her. Perhaps it was drawn to her cooking. From that day on, they became inseparable companions.
Since bringing Guoba home, only her master had been able to get close to it. While Guoba wasn't exactly afraid of strangers, it rarely approached them willingly. The only exception had been the scholarly-looking gentleman they once encountered—Zhongli.
So why was this man from Inazuma treated so warmly by Guoba? Could it be, as Bai Luo suggested, that he really had a companion similar to Guoba in his own life?
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