After their casual chat, the group remembered their original mission—they were, after all, the Stove God Statue Investigation Team.
Thus, the team hurried to Yujing Terrace where the giant stone slab was placed.
However, just when everyone thought they'd finally see the Stove God's true form...
As expected, something unexpected happened.
Despite the intense and passionate Masterful Chefs Competition, the massive stone slab remained unchanged.
The only crack was the one that had appeared earlier.
Xiangling scratched her head. "How could this be...? The competition was so lively..."
Paimon shrugged. "Yeah, such an exciting event wasn't enough to awaken the Stove God statue?"
Keqing looked disappointed. "It seems... we still lack the connection?"
"Madame Ping only said it was worth a try, not that it would definitely work. We'll have to start our investigation over."
Mu Yang planned to add some details to the upcoming flashback scenes, so he was acting more proactive now.
To the others, his behavior made sense—after all, upon touching the Stove God statue, he had recalled the name "Marchosius."
Seeing the statue might trigger more memories.
Lumine also chimed in to comfort them. "Mu Yang's right. The Moonchase Festival still has some time left—let's think of another approach."
"Yeah! We've already spent so much time on this, what's a little more, right, Xiangling?" Paimon cheered Keqing up.
"Exactly, Keqing. We're all here with you."
Xiangling suddenly remembered the recipe Keqing had given her earlier.
Since they weren't making progress, why not cook that dish now?
"Master came by before the competition and fixed the missing characters in the recipe! I can make it now."
She didn't give Keqing a chance to refuse. "I'll find a spot to cook it for you right away—just wait!"
Turning to Mu Yang and Lumine, she added, "You two come too!"
The "Trash Lumine" persona activated. "After defeating Yanxiao, now you want to challenge us?"
"To be honest, I'm actually a hidden culinary god. Mu Yang always praises my cooking."
[I'm amazing (hands on hips), Mu Yang praise me~]
[LMAO, Trash Lumine is back at it again.]
[Wait, does Lumine just toss ingredients into a pot and wait for the timer?]
[Human-shaped Supreme Cuisine Machine.]
[Don't bring game mechanics into the story!]
Xiangling quickly waved her hands. "No, no!"
"Don't you love collecting recipes? Since you're always traveling, I thought you'd find this dish useful—that's why I wanted to share it."
"And Mu Yang, Master said you'd definitely remember this dish fondly too."
Mu Yang's expression shifted slightly. "Madame Ping said that...?"
"Yeah."
With that, Trash Lumine scurried over to give Xiangling a back rub.
"Seems I misjudged you, Xiangling. You're truly a great chef!"
Xiangling played along. "Huh? Now you're sucking up?!"
Their back-and-forth finally drew a laugh from the previously gloomy Keqing.
"...What are you looking at? Weren't you going to cook? Hurry up!"
With shared smiles, the group returned to the competition venue and borrowed a stove from the organizers.
Before long, both Lumine and Xiangling had finished making Spicy Meat Buns.
Keqing approached. "I could smell it from over there."
"Perfect timing—eat them while they're hot!"
Xiangling eagerly handed the freshly steamed buns to Keqing.
"Then I won't hold back."
Keqing took her first bite—her pupils shook, her eyes sparkled!
[Here it comes! Keqing's clothes are about to explode! The moment we've been waiting for!]
[This is a 12+ game, what 'exploding' are you talking about?!]
[That's it for today's stream, I'm switching apps. Bye, Little Gui~]
[WTF?! Get back here!]
"What's wrong? Why that face?" Paimon asked.
Keqing didn't answer, merely closing her eyes to savor the nostalgic flavor.
"Keqing, are you okay?"
Keqing opened her eyes. "...Apologies, that was rude."
"Thank you... This is exactly the taste I wanted."
"It's delicious, and... incredible. It feels like... I've returned to the days I spent with my grandfather."
Hearing such praise naturally delighted the chef.
However, Xiangling sheepishly admitted she had actually known how to make this dish long ago.
Paimon was puzzled. "You could make it without the recipe? But wasn't this from Keqing's grandfather's notes?"
Keqing explained that the recipe likely wasn't her grandfather's original creation.
Her grandfather had been a renowned real estate tycoon in Liyue and a scholar.
He loved collecting ancient texts and had deep knowledge of many lost Liyue traditions.
"As a child, I often read with him in his study. We discussed many things—like whether Rex Lapis truly existed and how much of these ancient records could be trusted..."
"He told me: 'Books are merely bridges to history. The answers you seek are for us, the descendants, to pursue and discern.'"
These experiences shaped Keqing's personality—including her views on Rex Lapis...
The recipe had been copied from her grandfather's notes—a dish he had always wanted to recreate but couldn't due to missing parts.
[One meal at Wanmin Restaurant does all this?]
[Blind Monk, you've spotted the key detail!]
"Every time he tried making this dish, he'd have me taste it while it was hot... I miss it. This is exactly that flavor."
Paimon scratched her head, surprised by the dish's ancient origins.
"My dad learned it from his dad. Apparently, it's been passed down in our family for generations."
Xiangling explained that her family called it Spicy Meat Buns—a simple folk dish, easy to make and carry, perfect for travelers.
Lumine noticed Mu Yang acting strangely after eating one.
She leaned over. "What's wrong? Did you remember something?"
Mu Yang nodded. "The inventor of Spicy Meat Buns... was Marchosius, the Stove God."
With the story nearing its climax, Mu Yang saw no need to hide it any longer.
"Huh?!"
His words shocked everyone present—including Gouba, who stared at Mu Yang in astonishment.