In Sumeru, pretend to be a scholar

"Don't know?" Dixia frowned.

Zakaria explained, "One of the sources of Shahark's Yin-Yang magic is the Celestial Arts of Liyue. My understanding of the Life Theory healing methods cannot wake him up..."

He paused slightly, raising the talisman in his hand: "But this talisman is also of the same origin as Liyue's Celestial Arts, so it might have a miraculous effect."

Desia was somewhat suspicious, but she didn't question him directly. Instead, she looked at Wang Yan and asked, "Mr. Wang Yan, you're from Liyue. Do you know anything about this kind of talisman?"

In fact, even without Dixia asking, Wang Yan's gaze was already fixed on the talisman in Zakaria's hand.

Upon hearing Dixia's question, Wang Yan calmly replied, "Many talismans in Liyue have the effect of protecting oneself and one's life. I don't know much about them, but..."

Wang Yan pointed to the talisman in Zakaria's hand and said, "This talisman is inscribed with the Rock Lord's decree. Perhaps we can give it a try."

Under the effect of [Understanding Language], Wang Yan was able to understand the vermilion characters on the talisman, which read: "Imperial decree of Lord Yan, to protect peace."

This is a very simple amulet.

"Oh, I see. How do you use this?" Dixia asked curiously. "Does it need elemental power to activate?"

In her view, most of these extraordinary items require elemental power or other forces to activate.

Zakaria thought for a moment: "The person who sold it to me didn't say anything, but I've heard that Liyue has talisman water... How about I make some for Sakhalin to drink?"

Wang Yan wanted to remind the other party that even if it was talisman water, it couldn't be drunk directly by mixing it with water. There had to be a ritual, and then the talisman had to be burned before mixing it with water.

But Wang Yan was afraid that if he spoke out, the scholar in front of him would actually try it.

"Ahem, no need. This is a talisman. Try putting the talisman on the patient." Wang Yan coughed, stopping Dixia from getting the water bottle.

"Huh? Does it work if I put it on my person?" Zakaria asked, looking puzzled.

Wang Yan wanted to ask, "What else?", but thinking about the other party's behavior of going out to get the talisman, he knew that the other party probably hadn't carried the talisman with him since buying it.

If you don't carry a peace charm with you, what kind of peace can it bring?

"Let's try it first, and if it doesn't work, we can soak it in water," Wang Yan said softly.

Zakaria nodded thoughtfully, "Yes, let's give it a try."

As he spoke, he slowly placed the talisman in his hand onto the convulsing Shahak.

Then, under the gaze of the three, the bright yellow talisman glowed slightly, a smudge appeared on the edge of the talisman, and a burnt smell spread.

At the same time, the terrifying incantation on the patient, who was still convulsing, gradually disappeared, the pain on the patient's face was relieved, and the tightly closed eyes slowly opened.

“Hey, it really works.” Even though it was he who took out the talisman, Zakaria looked surprised. “Perhaps we can put this on the purchase order and ask the Order to buy more for the House of Health.”

A single sheet of paper can wake a comatose patient; it's much simpler than him painstakingly treating patients.

Dixia looked at the patient with concern: "Shahak, how are you feeling?"

Although Shahak had woken up, he was still weak. Looking at Desia, he nodded gently: "Thank you, Desia..."

Then he looked at Zacharia: "Dr. Zacharia, I choose to keep these incantations."

Wang Yan immediately looked at him.

This guy... he seemed to be unconscious just now, but he was actually awake?

Not only Wang Yan, but the other two were also surprised.

"You heard everything I just said?" Dixia exclaimed in surprise.

Zakaria: "I thought you were unconscious. Was it some kind of fake coma?"

As he spoke, he fell into thought again.

Shahak was brought to us by Desia. He was already unconscious when he arrived. Later, Zakaria used the secret methods of the Life Theory to suppress the Yin-Yang Magic's draining of his life force, and Shahak began to convulse continuously.

During this time, he never opened his eyes, so Zakaria tacitly assumed that the other person was unconscious.

However, their previous condition may still need to be studied.

Shahak, unaware that Zakaria was already planning to continue studying his coma, weakly said, "I need power. I choose to leave the incantation behind."

Dixia looked at him, sighed, and nodded: "Okay."

Hearing Dixia's agreement, Shahak felt relieved and closed his eyes again.

The previously hidden incantation reappeared, and looking at the talisman, it was completely unrecognizable as it had been burned.

Seeing this, Dixia quickly called out to Zakaria, who was deep in thought: "Dr. Zakaria, Dr. Zakaria."

Zakaria snapped out of her thoughts and looked at the patient: "Hmm? Why did he faint again? Did he say something?"

“He said he chose to preserve the spell,” Dixia replied.

Zakaria nodded: "I knew he would make that choice."

Wang Yan asked curiously, "Why?"

"Didn't Dixia tell you the story of Shahak?" Zakaria asked in return, then, seeing Wang Yan's confused look, she explained, "Shahak was a pitiful man. His entire clan died at the hands of monsters, leaving him all alone. That's why he always lived as a lone wolf. His life was all about becoming stronger and seeking revenge."

After saying that, Zakaria added, "Since he has made this choice, I will transfer him to my laboratory. You don't need to do anything else after that."

After a pause, Zakaria looked at Desia: "The medical expenses you paid in advance will also be refunded to you."

Since the other party agreed to cooperate with him in the experiment, he naturally couldn't charge for the treatment.

In fact, Zakaria even had to pay out of his own pocket to buy supplements for Shahak for the experiments.

Dixia clearly understood the key point, and nodded without refusing: "Okay, then we'll be going now."

After saying that, she tugged at Wang Yan's sleeve, and the two left the Health Home.

Chapter 39 Dixia's Invitation

On the way back to Menakali Shop.

Dixia expressed her gratitude to Wang Yan again: "I'm really sorry to have troubled you, Mr. Wang Yan, and even made the trip with me. How about I treat you to a drink? I haven't had lunch yet."

From the Menakali shop to the Health Center, and then busy at the Health Center for half a day, it was already afternoon.

The streets of Sumeru City were still bustling with people, and the aroma of spices wafted from the roadside.

Upon hearing Dixia's invitation, Wang Yan instinctively wanted to politely decline, but his stomach rumbled loudly.

Upon hearing this, Dixia burst into laughter: "It seems Mr. Wang Yan has agreed. Let's go to the Grand Bazaar; we might even catch a performance."

Wang Yan wasn't embarrassed at all; when you're hungry, you have to eat.

However, he still politely said, "Just call me Wang Yan. It's too formal to keep calling me 'Mr.'"

"Haha, that would be even better. I'm not used to being too polite." Dixia laughed even more heartily.

As a member of the Gold Plating Brigade and a daughter of the desert, Dixia is meticulous but also a generous person.

She called him Mr. Wang Yanyi today. It was fine at first, but as they got to know each other better, she started to feel a little uncomfortable.

The two chatted and laughed as they walked toward the Grand Bazaar.

...

Sumeru City itself is a three-dimensional city built on the 'Sacred Tree', with a complex multi-layered structure.

And at its very bottom is where the Grand Bazaar is located.

As a commercial hub, the Grand Bazaar has a more vibrant, down-to-earth atmosphere than the Bao Bao shopping street, and is also more accessible to the general public.

If Guobao Street is closer to the commercial plaza in Wang Yan's mind, then the Grand Bazaar is a farmers' market. Although both are used for commercial activities, there are still significant differences between them.

However, this does not mean that the Grand Bazaar is inferior to Baoshang Street.

On the contrary, because of its more accessible nature, the Grand Bazaar is more lively than the Baoshang Street, and there are more people coming and going there.

The presence of the Zubair Theater further transforms the Grand Bazaar into a comprehensive hub integrating culture, commerce, and dining.

In the past, when the Great Sage Azhar was in power, this place was disliked by the Church, and cultural activities were once banned, which led to the Grand Bazaar's decline for a period of time.

However, after the Traveler helped the Little Lucky Grass King defeat the Great Sage and regain control of the Order, the Void was shut down, and the entertainment ban was naturally lifted.

The Grand Bazaar has regained its prosperity and even reached a new level.

Following Dixia into the area, Wang Yan was quickly drawn to the lively atmosphere around him.

Although he had stayed in Sumeru City for more than half a month, he had never actually been here.

Sumeru City is very large. Commuting to work and reading after get off work has already taken up a lot of Wang Yan's time. If it weren't for Dixia speaking up today, Wang Yan might have had to wait for Nilu's special event before coming to the Grand Bazaar.

The narrow but not crowded streets are lined with stalls and shops, with colorful tents, flags and string lights weaving together to create a dazzling canopy.

The vendors' shouts, the customers' haggling, the children's laughter and running, and the faint sounds of rehearsal music drifting from the Zuber Theater in the distance... all these sounds blend together into a symphony full of life.

People's clothing is also more diverse. In addition to the common scholar's robes and merchant's attire, you can see many travelers in desert-style clothing, local residents dressed simply but in bright colors, and even people dressed in costumes from other countries.

Meanwhile, as the two went deeper, a complex and alluring aroma gradually filled the air.

The freshly baked naan bread smelled of wheat, while the neighboring stall had piles of spices that emitted a mixture of cumin, curry powder, and cinnamon. From afar, the aroma of roasted meat and the sweet scent of fruit wafted over...

Wang Yan felt that this was a very standard Sumeru food street, and the smell made his mouth water.

"How's it going? Pretty lively, huh?" Seeing Wang Yan's expression, Dixia smiled proudly. "This is the most vibrant place in Sumeru City. If you ask me, this is the place where people should be."

Wang Yan nodded, observing with great interest as he walked: "It's really nice, very lively."

“Haha, you’ll love it here.” Dixia walked through the crowd with practiced ease, with Wang Yan following closely behind. “Come on, I’ll take you to a great place. I always go there whenever I come to the Grand Bazaar.”

They turned a few corners and came to a relatively spacious corner where several small food stalls were gathered, and the aroma of grilled meat was particularly strong in the air.

Dixia walked straight to one of the stalls.

The stall had a simple charcoal stove, on which sizzling meat skewers were arranged on an iron rack. The oil dripping onto the charcoal fire stirred up puffs of white smoke and an enticing sizzling sound.

The stall owner was a dark-skinned middle-aged man wearing an apron stained with oil. He was deftly flipping the meat skewers, and when he saw Dixia, he immediately gave her a familiar smile.

"Dishia! Long time no see! Still the same as before?"

The middle-aged man had a loud voice with a desert accent.

“Uncle Tarik! The usual, double! I brought my friends here today to try your cooking!” Dixia responded cheerfully, then turned to Wang Yan and introduced, “Uncle Tarik’s roast meat is the most authentic in the entire Grand Bazaar. It’s marinated with the finest spices from Sumeru, and the charcoal is specially selected fruitwood charcoal.”

Uncle Taric looked Wang Yan up and down, then smiled and nodded: "A friend of Dixia's? That means he's one of us. He may not be as good as Dixia said, but he certainly won't disappoint you. Please have a seat."

Wang Yan smiled and said, "Then we must try it."

Dixia said to Tarik, "Twenty skewers of grilled coconut meat, two servings of Aru bibimbap, and two cups of Chi Nian wine."

She ordered with practiced ease, clearly a regular customer.

"Alright! Please sit for a moment, it will be ready soon!" Uncle Taric quickly grabbed a handful of meat skewers and placed them on the grill, then scooped rice from the large pot next to him.

Wang Yan glanced at it and noticed that the rice didn't seem to be plain rice; it appeared to contain flour and beans.

Taric scooped out rice, then took out a small pot, scooped out a spoonful of sauce, and poured it over the rice.

And that's how you make a bowl of Aru Bibimbap.

"Don't let its simplicity fool you, it's not easy to make it delicious." Dixia pulled out a small wooden stool at the table and sat down, explaining with a smile, "This Aru bibimbap originated from Aru village. It's made with rice, flour, soybeans, and tomatoes. But if someone isn't skilled enough, it's barely edible."

She paused for a moment, then pointed to Taric, who was busy at work: "And what Uncle Taric makes is both delicious and filling."

After thinking for a moment, she added, "However, the best taste is still Candice's; that's the real delicacy."

"You've made me want to go visit Aru Village," Wang Yan said, feigning a longing expression.

Dixia smiled happily: "I'll take you there sometime. Candice values ​​education a lot. If you go to Aru Village, she'll definitely treat you well."

"Then I'm afraid I'll have to beg for favors," Wang Yan said with a smile.

The two chatted and laughed, and the atmosphere was quite pleasant.

Soon, Uncle Tarik brought over two large glasses of deep amber-colored liquor. According to Dixia, it was a low-alcohol liquor made from red berries and dates unique to the desert, with a sweet and refreshing taste and fruity aroma, which was very popular.

Wang Yan tasted it and found it to be quite good. Compared to the Zao Ye wine he had drunk before, it had a refreshing taste with a touch of sweet and sour, which must be the flavor of the Chi Nian fruit.

Perhaps due to the abundance of fruits in Sumi, there seems to be very little grain-based wine here; most of it is fruit wine.

However, this suits Wang Yan's taste perfectly; it's quite good as a beverage.

Soon after, Aru's bibimbap and grilled meat were served.

The rice in Aru's bibimbap is distinct, each grain coated in a rich sauce. When you put it in your mouth, it's even more tempting than meat, even though it doesn't contain any oil or meat.

The meat pieces on the skewers are uniform in size, grilled to a crispy exterior and tender interior, coated with a layer of dark red spices, steaming hot and emitting a tantalizing aroma.

"Come on, don't be shy!" Dixia grabbed a skewer of grilled meat first, took a big bite, and squinted her eyes in satisfaction. "Mmm! It tastes just like before! Wang Yan, try it!"