Genshin Impact, the spear remains.

Walking along the country lane, the summer evening breeze swept up the sweltering air and blew it toward Bai Qiyun.

The weather, which should have been unpleasant, became his remedy. His body, ravaged by the frozen tree, was slowly recovering under the gentle breeze.

"You're really quick."

Bai Qiyun glanced at his side, where a blonde girl was devouring an apple that appeared out of nowhere.

"Hmm, no problem."

It was just a matter of taking Xiangling back to her room; she could finish such a small task in less than three minutes.

Taking a bite of the apple, the crisp texture and sweet juice burst in her mouth. The way the girl chewed it was like a kitten on the street, which was delightful to watch.

"But are you sure you can do it?"

Although Bai Qiyun didn't say it, Ying saw through his thoughts at a glance.

It was simply to fight on Xiangling's behalf.

"grasp?"

As if he had heard something strange, Bai Qiyun rolled his eyes at Ying.

"There aren't that many things you can be sure of doing."

Upon hearing this, Ying nodded, feeling that there seemed to be some truth to it.

"Too."

A boy and a girl stroll through the countryside.

----------

"What? You're saying you want to compete against me in Xiangling's place?"

Looking at the young man from Liyue in front of him, Brock sized him up with a suspicious gaze.

After being stared at by her for a while, Bai Qiyun felt uncomfortable all over.

"What's wrong? Don't worry, even if I lose, your previous conditions still stand."

He put his hands on his hips and glanced at the other person casually.

Perhaps he thought the pose was cool, because he held it for a few seconds before removing it.

"No... I just feel that beating an unknown chef doesn't seem as meaningful as Xiangling."

The outspoken Brock immediately voiced his thoughts.

As soon as she said it, she realized that her words seemed to be somewhat condescending.

However, since they were competitors, she couldn't be bothered to change her tune.

"As for that, you can rest assured. I am considered her half senior brother, and I have some ability."

After hearing what the other person said, Bai Qiyun couldn't help but smile.

He doesn't dislike straightforward people; he just hopes the other person has the ability to match that confidence.

Otherwise, we might lose badly later.

Oh.

"Okay, since you insist, then it's settled. I'll go find someone to be a judge."

Just as Bai Qiyun admired Brock's personality, Brock also had a good impression of the young man who was competing for his junior sister.

Although we don't know why Xiangling couldn't participate, at least she kept her promise and showed up.

"Looking for someone? No need for that."

Just as Brock was about to take her first step, Bai Qiyun stepped forward and interrupted her.

The setting sun teetered on the horizon, its orange-yellow rays stretching endlessly, dressing everyone in the most dazzling gown.

"It's getting late, so let's make our match themed around the dinner of the residents of Qingquan Town."

Brock raised an eyebrow at Bai Qiyun's slightly arrogant words.

The woman crossed her arms over her chest, staring at the boy in front of her again as if she were trying to get to know him anew.

Are you serious?

"Yes, this way there are more people, and the margin for error is also higher."

Bai Qiyun was completely unconcerned about Brock's surprise.

For him, this kind of competition is the most normal. More people means greater diversity of customers, and the differences in individual tastes will be erased by the sheer number of people.

On the contrary, if Brock were to find a few people, putting aside whether she would deliberately set a trap for him, even if she unconsciously found a few random people, as the chef of Clearspring, she would definitely know more about the judges' eating habits than he did.

That would be detrimental to him in the end.

However, Brock hadn't thought about any of these things; she was simply surprised that the boy in front of her dared to challenge her like this.

Is this the usual custom in Liyue?

"You'd better think this through. I know exactly what the people in town like to eat. Don't say I'm taking advantage of you later."

To avoid unnecessary trouble in advance, Brock felt it was better to be upfront about things first.

But clearly, the person didn't intend to accept her favor.

"It's alright, these things won't affect the outcome of the game."

More than these details, Bai Qiyun was concerned about where he would cook next.

Looking around, all that could be seen were piles of weeds. The only thing with a stove in front of the Brock's house was a stove for them to use.

Emm

Speaking of which, Brock was their temporary landlord, so it's best not to make things too awkward.

"How about setting the main theme of the competition as 'a dinner'?"

While Bai Qiyun was looking around, Brock set the theme for the competition.

Since Bai Qiyun was the one who first suggested having more judges, it's reasonable for her to make her own request now.

"Yes, no problem."

Bai Qiyun had no objection to this topic.

"That's settled then. I'll go back and get ready. Just let me know when everyone's almost here."

He didn't plan to linger here. It was getting late, and if he didn't hurry up with his preparations, he might run out of time, which would be terrible.

After confirming the final details with Brock, Bai Qiyun took Ying back to their temporary residence.

Because it was a rented, uninhabited warehouse, the rooms separated at the front and back were very spacious.

Even if Xiangling is resting in the other room, he can still do whatever he wants here without any problem.

"You seem very confident?"

Looking at Bai Qiyun, who seemed like a completely different person as soon as he entered the kitchen, Ying was a little curious.

She had seen him cook in the wild before, but this was the first time she had actually watched him cook in the kitchen like this.

"confidence?"

Not understanding the meaning behind Ying's words, Bai Qiyun simply treated the competition as he had when he was back in his hometown.

However, in his words—

"The competition begins the moment you step into the kitchen."

Bai Qiyun tidied up the kitchen a bit, moving the cleaver and cutting board to places where they could be easily reached, and also packed up the leftover food scraps from last night's cooking and put them in the trash can.

Watching the boy's unusually serious expression, Ying rested her chin on her hand and watched him thoroughly clean up the somewhat messy kitchen.

He even casually tossed aside the bag containing the apple cores that she had left on the table.

"But if you ask why I'm so serious, it's probably because I have a duty to fulfill."

While tidying up the kitchen, Bai Qiyun chatted with Ying.

They were busy with their hands and their mouths too.

"obligation?"

"Well, if I were still in Liyue Harbor, I would just be a junior apprentice, but if I leave Liyue, then I would have the obligation to represent 'Listening Rain Pavilion'."

A chef's duty.

The young man from Liyue has never lacked responsibility and commitment.