Solace Book House.
Not long after Lumine and Paimon left, Xiangling and Chef Mao walked up to the counter.
However, their expressions were completely different.
Chef Mao had sweat on his forehead, his face slightly flushed, his gaze wandering.
He looked a bit embarrassed— yet also… oddly satisfied.
Meanwhile, Xiangling looked gloomy, as if she had just witnessed something deeply upsetting.
Seeing their sharply contrasting reactions, Han Feng smiled inwardly.
"Chef Mao, finished the manga?"
"Ahem—yes, finished. Boss, your manga is indeed very good!"
Chef Mao's old face turned red as he placed the book on the counter and coughed twice.
For a seasoned chef like him, the content had still been a bit… stimulating.
Han Feng wasn't surprised.
Even in his previous world—where people were far more open— many viewers still wore headphones when watching Food Wars to avoid being overheard by parents or friends.
Not to mention present-day Liyue.
"Is it really that good? Then I'll try it next time!"
Xiangling became interested.
She knew exactly how conservative her father could be.
If even he found it engaging, then the manga must be pretty fascinating.
"Uh, well, Xiangling… it's enough that I read that one. You should stick to other manga in the future."
Chef Mao hurriedly tried to stop her.
That kind of story really wasn't suitable for his daughter.
Maybe when she was older.
"Does that manga have something I'm not allowed to see?"
Seeing her father's reaction, Xiangling narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
After all, he had just looked so… nostalgic.
That only made her curiosity grow stronger.
"No, no! I just think you should read more other interesting manga instead. Like the one you're holding—The Return of the Condor Heroes. That one should be very good, right?"
Chef Mao quickly changed the subject.
But the moment The Return of the Condor Heroes was mentioned, Xiangling's mood immediately sank.
Xiangling's Frustration
She had started reading with great anticipation.
The early story had been wonderful.
Up until Yang Guo entered the Ancient Tomb sect, everything had been excellent.
Especially the appearance of Xiaolongnü— Xiangling had been amazed.
How could there be such a pure girl?
She had instantly fallen in love with the character.
And yet—
such a girl was later violated by that Taoist from the Quanzhen sect!!!
Worse still, the man had covered his face and pretended to be Yang Guo.
Xiangling was normally a gentle, cheerful girl.
But when she reached that part, she had nearly coughed up blood from anger.
It felt like carefully crafting a perfect work of art— only to smash it to pieces yourself.
After that, she had read the rest of the story in a daze.
Even now, remembering it made her upset.
She looked at Han Feng with resentment.
"Boss Han, you created such a pure character like Xiaolongnü—so why did you arrange that kind of plot?"
"That has nothing to do with me. You'll have to find the author named Jin Yong."
Han Feng shook his head.
He was just running a manga shop.
What did the story have to do with him?
He wasn't taking the blame for that.
But Xiangling didn't believe him.
"Hmph. This manga only exists in your shop across all of Teyvat, and you're still saying you didn't write it?"
Han Feng simply smiled and didn't explain further.
At that moment, he glanced at the system panel.
The information had updated.
[Customer Chef Mao has finished reading Food Wars]
[Reward obtained — Recipe: Fried River Fish]
Note:
The dish produced by this recipe will cause diners to blush, squeeze their legs together, and moan.
[Customer Xiangling has finished reading The Return of the Condor Heroes]
[Reward obtained — Jade Maiden Scripture]
Jade Maiden Scripture:
A supreme technique created by Lin Chaoying, the highest art of the Ancient Tomb sect, and the fastest movement technique in the world.
It is mastered through joint cultivation by Yang Guo and Xiaolongnü.
The Jade Maiden Scripture must be practiced by two people, assisting each other.
Han Feng's Thoughts
"So this time there's no clothes-exploding effect?"
Han Feng chuckled inwardly.
Previously, dishes obtained from Food Wars often caused dramatic clothing explosions.
But this recipe only produced the classic "triple reaction" instead.
It seemed the people of Liyue wouldn't experience that particular spectacle.
"As for Xiangling's reward…"
His expression turned slightly strange.
The reward itself wasn't a problem.
In fact, the Jade Maiden Scripture suited Xiangling's temperament quite well.
The unusual part was—it required cooperation between a man and a woman.
And the training process was rather complicated.
During cultivation, the body would emit intense heat.
One had to practice in an open, secluded place, with clothing loosened so the heat could dissipate instantly.
Otherwise, the energy would accumulate inside the body— causing serious illness at best, or death at worst.
Without a partner to assist, the practitioner could easily go astray or even suffer qi deviation.
"Though in Teyvat… perhaps this technique can be practiced alone."
Han Feng shook his head slightly.
After all, this was a world with elemental power.
The Rewards Manifest
Buzz—
Buzz—
Two brilliant beams of light descended from the sky,
enveloping Chef Mao and Xiangling.
As information flooded into their minds, both closed their eyes to absorb it.
Moments later, the light faded.
Chef Mao opened his eyes first, his face filled with excitement.
"It really is a culinary technique!"
Only after experiencing it personally did he truly understand how Xiangling had obtained her Magical Mapo Tofu recipe.
And only then did he fully realize just how miraculous this manga shop was.
Coming here might be the greatest opportunity of their lives.
"Dad, what kind of cooking technique is it?"
Xiangling opened her eyes as well, looking curiously at her excited father.
"Fried River Fish. But… there might be a small side effect after eating it."
Feeling the details in his mind, Chef Mao's expression became complicated.
He had thought the reactions in the manga were just exaggerated storytelling.
Who would have guessed the food really produced that kind of effect?
The only fortunate thing—was that it didn't cause clothing to explode.
Otherwise, what customer would dare come to the restaurant?
Unless they took their food to go.
"A side effect? That can't be right."
Xiangling frowned suspiciously.
How could Boss Han's rewards have side effects?
Or was this simply a characteristic of the dishes from that manga?
"The side effect,"
Han Feng explained with a smile, "is that after eating it, customers will blush, squeeze their legs together, and moan."
"…Huh?"
Xiangling froze on the spot.
—------------------------------
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