[Genshin Impact]: I can become stronger by cooking.

There are some things they won't say on their own initiative, so don't go up and ask them.

The caravan captain had long since passed the age of being curious about everything. For him, being able to return to Sumeru City safely was more important than anything else.

The atmosphere in the caravan suddenly became somber, with only the pack animals diligently making their way back to the lush rainforest as quickly as possible.

Upon arriving at the Luowanyi Pass, Chao Ke, unwilling to linger in the eerie atmosphere, took the still unconscious Falushan and bid farewell to the caravan.

After the entire caravan passed through the border inspection and cleared the gate, Chao Ke headed towards the checkpoint.

As expected, the guards at the checkpoint stopped Chao Ke and scanned his information with a virtual terminal.

"Sir, there is no information about you in the 'Void Terminal.' Is this your first time in Sumeru City?"

Chao Ke nodded, "I came from Fontainebleau."

The guard nodded. Judging from Chao Ke's clothes, they didn't seem to be of local style. However, his attire was quite luxurious, so the guard didn't dare to neglect him.

"Alright, sir, please come with me to the instructor's office to register. And who is this young lady in your arms?"

As the guard spoke, he locked his "void terminal" onto the still unconscious Farusan.

【…】

The guard was taken aback; the usually efficient and fast "Void Terminal" was suddenly lagging when scanning the girl.

This was the first time such a situation had occurred since he became a guard.

"Gongora, what are you doing standing there so slowly? Can't you see the long line of people waiting to cross the border?"

However, the guard named Gongora seemed not to hear his superior's words and just stood there blankly.

After a long response time, the "Void Terminal" finally transmitted the identification results, but the identity of this girl was truly...

Abak walked up to the guard Gongora and kicked him in the backside.

"Why are you spacing out during work hours?"

Gongora then seemed to snap out of his daze. "No, sir... please use the 'Void Terminal' to check this girl's identity."

"Tch." Abak glanced at Gongora with disdain. "What, you've got your eye on her?"

After saying that, Abak used his "Void Terminal" to scan the unconscious Farusan.

After a while.

"Gudu!"

A sound of swallowing saliva was heard.

The answer presented in Abak's mind, where the "Void Terminal" was located, made him wonder if he was still asleep and hadn't woken up yet.

"Falushan, an outstanding scholar of the Academy of Teachings, recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Sumeru Puzzle-solving Association, one of the founders of the Shahavara Academy, and one of the founders of the discipline of classical mechanical arts."

"A scholar of the epistemological school, whose research field is 'interpreting the composition and solution of various mechanisms in ancient relics based on unearthed documents such as stone inscriptions'."

"Disappeared a century ago after exploring some ruins..."

"This, this, this..."

Abak and Gongora exchanged a glance, both understanding each other's thoughts.

In Sumeru, a realm where knowledge corresponds to power, both the dazzling "one of the founders" in the girl's profile and the "a hundred years ago" qualifier in the "Void Terminal" implicitly reveal one thing.

This unconscious girl was not a matter that they, as mercenaries, could handle.

“Gongora, you take these two gentlemen and let them rest inside the pass. I will go and consult with Scholar Beham.”

Gongora nodded, handed over his duties to his colleagues, and then led Chao Ke into the pass.

"Sir, the scholar in your arms has a rather sensitive identity...why don't you come with me to an inn inside the pass to rest first?"

Although Gongora spoke very politely, judging from the way he gripped the spear tightly, he probably didn't leave Chao Ke any room to refuse.

Chao Ke didn't mind and waved his hand, saying, "Lead the way."

On the border of Sumeru, Chao Ke was much more relaxed than he had been in Fontaine.

To put it bluntly, given the current official combat strength of Sumeru, if Chao Ke wanted to leave, there really wasn't anyone who could stop him.

Those who can consistently outmatch Chao Ke in combat strength are not under the control of the Xumi official authorities.

Gongora led Chaoke to the only hotel in Kawan Post Station, the Golden Sands Journey.

"Madam Mayam, please get this gentleman a room and also bring over some of our specialty roasted meat."

Mayam glanced at the unconscious girl. He should have questioned her, but since the guards of Kawan Post Station were right beside them, he figured her identity shouldn't be a problem.

So Mayam handed Chao Ke the key to a twin room.

After entering the room, Chao Ke gently settled Farusan on the bed, then followed Gongora out of the room and found a chair outside the inn to sit down.

With nothing else to do, Gongola took the initiative to chat with Chaoke.

"Sir, how did you get to know that... uh, that scholar?"

"Me and her?"

Chao Ke's eyes darted around, and an interesting idea popped into his head.

"Come closer, I'll give you a hint."

Upon hearing this, Gongora moved closer to Chao Ke, hoping to hear some juicy gossip.

"Let me tell you, Farusan and I are actually lovers. We were on a romantic trip in the desert of Sumeru, but we accidentally fell into a ruin and were trapped there by its mechanisms for hundreds of years."

"Ah? Sir, you're also from a hundred years ago? But... but your identity isn't recorded in the 'Void Terminal'?"

"Hey, that's right. Didn't I tell you? I'm from Fontainebleau, and my love affair with Farusan actually started in a ruin in the wilderness..."

Chao Ke rambled on casually, while Gong Gola listened intently, occasionally asking Chao Ke for advice on matters of the heart.

Seeing the situation getting worse and worse, Chao Ke's lips twitched. He was about to interrupt the conversation and tell Gongora the truth.

But the arrival of two figures interrupted their conversation.

"Where is Senior Falushan?" A scholar with an extremely excited expression rushed over and asked Gongora.

Upon seeing that the visitor was the scholar Beham, Gongora immediately stood up and instinctively told him the answer.

"That senior is resting in the hotel, room number XXX."

"Take me to meet that legendary senior."

Scholar Beham exclaimed excitedly, straightening his appearance as he walked.

There was even a hint of pilgrimage in his eyes.

Abak, standing behind him, was slightly surprised to see Beham's expression, which was unlike his usual serious and calm demeanor.

When the group entered the room, they found that Farusan had already woken up.

She just sat on the bed with a blank expression, like a girl with no money, no job, and no income.

Beham stepped forward first, his voice trembling as he spoke.

“Fara, senior Farusan, my mentor’s mentor was Tiziano, and he was your student back then. Do you remember him?”

"Even on his deathbed, he was still thinking about your disappearance and left you with many words, which we, the younger generation, have the opportunity to pass on to you."

However, Farusan seemed not to have heard Beham's words and remained sitting silently in the same spot without any reaction.

Beham was startled when he caught sight of Farusan's lifeless eyes.

"What... what exactly happened to Senior Farusan?"

Beham turned to look at the crowd behind him and asked.

Abak then pointed to Gongora beside him, "Neither of us knows whether this scholar named Farusan was brought back by that traveler from Fontainebleau."

"Oh?"

Beham looked at Chao Ke, scrutinized him from head to toe, and then asked.

"Traveler from Fontainebleau, may I ask how you discovered Senior Farusan, and what happened in the meantime that caused Senior Farusan to become like this?"

Just as Chao Ke was about to answer, before he could even open his mouth, Gongora beside him answered for him.

"This gentleman from Fontaineble and this scholar were in love. They accidentally got caught in a ruin during their love trip and were imprisoned for a hundred years."

Beham: "???"

Beham never expected this answer.

Just as he was about to question her, Senior Falushan silently got off the bed, stepped through the crowd, and walked to Chao Ke's side.

Not only did she press her face against Chao Ke's chest, but she also gently rubbed against it, as if searching for a familiar scent.

"have to."

Chao Ke put his hand to his forehead.

You shouldn't have been so sarcastic. Now, it's going to be difficult to explain yourself...

Chapter 53 A girl who's given away so easily like this senior is bound to have good fertility luck.

After one hour.

Everyone gathered around the table, enjoying the roasted meat that the proprietress, Mayam, had brought.

"So that's how it was. You and Senior Farusan were trapped in that mysterious ruin for a hundred years. What a wondrous experience..."

As he spoke, scholar Beham poured Chao Ke a glass of fruit wine.

During the banquet, Chao Ke tried several times to tell everyone that he was just joking and that he and Farusan were not lovers.

but...

Looking at Farusan, who had been sticking close to him throughout the entire banquet, he figured that even if he said it, it wouldn't be very convincing.

"That's all."

Chao Ke was too lazy to argue anymore. He figured he could just apologize to Farusan properly once she regained consciousness.

He could at least be considered her savior, and at most he would get a few hits from [Bilan Heavy Machinery] afterward.

After figuring it out, Chao Ke stopped being coy and started treating Falushan openly and generously.