"Master, is it really you?"

Shenhe couldn't believe her eyes, wondering if she was hallucinating.

It had been many years since she last saw Mu Yang.

When she asked her master, Cloud Retainer, even she didn't know the reason, only saying that Mu Yang had matters to attend to.

"What, have you forgotten your master after just a few years apart?" Mu Yang teased his dear disciple.

If it were anyone else, they might not have gotten to see this side of Mu Yang.

Sigh, maintaining this persona is really hard work.

Shenhe, of course, didn't mean it that way.

"Master concealed his aura, so I couldn't recognize you immediately. My cultivation is still insufficient."

This silly child was far too earnest—Mu Yang had only been joking.

Yet she immediately blamed herself. If she went down the mountain like this, she'd surely be taken advantage of.

Future residents of Liyue Harbor would later say: We've never seen someone so overprotective! With fists the size of sand pots, who could possibly take advantage of her?!

Since Shenhe still had some time before descending the mountain, perhaps today would be a good opportunity to take her out for a trip.

Mu Yang said, "No need to blame yourself. You've done very well."

"Has Master finished handling your matters?" Shenhe only asked whether he was done, not probing further into what those matters were.

"Yes, it's all settled. From now on, I'll still come here for the Moonchase Festival."

Hearing this, Shenhe's eyes brightened slightly—though her expression remained unchanged.

After speaking, Mu Yang followed Shenhe up the mountain, intending to first pay a visit to Mountain Shaper.

Along the way, Shenhe recounted her experiences over the past few years.

Nothing much had changed—just cultivating within these immortal mountains, accompanied by forests, birds, and beasts.

Mu Yang asked a soul-piercing question: "What have you been eating lately?"

"Qingxin… and Violetgrass…" Shenhe lowered her head.

Mu Yang seemed to have already guessed the answer. No wonder she had come to Mountain Shaper's domain to cultivate.

If she had stayed at Mt. Aocang, even Cloud Retainer probably wouldn't have let her eat like this every day.

Mu Yang wasn't scolding her over this—it was just that, with the festival approaching, she ought to treat herself better.

She wasn't a true adeptus who could sustain herself by absorbing spiritual energy like Mu Yang.

She still needed to eat proper food to replenish her nutrients. (Does she really, though…?)

The two arrived at Mountain Shaper's abode.

After exchanging pleasantries, Mountain Shaper remarked, "Ahem… It's been a long time since I've tasted your cooking. I've missed it. Will you be preparing something this year…?"

Mu Yang replied, "I have a new idea, but I'll keep it a secret for now. If you want to eat, come to Cloud Retainer's place."

Mountain Shaper spread his wings. "Well, well. Seems like you've spent all these years learning mortal things, haven't you?"

"Just look forward to it," Mu Yang said before turning to Shenhe. "Shenhe, come with me."

Shenhe asked, "Master, where are we going?"

"To Liyue Harbor to buy ingredients. The Moonchase Festival is approaching—your master's going to improve your diet."

Mountain Shaper: ??? Feels like I've been subtly roasted.

After bidding farewell to Mountain Shaper, the two swiftly made their way toward Liyue Harbor.

——————

Liyue Harbor, docks.

A pair of strikingly handsome white-haired figures were selecting ingredients.

The young man appeared slightly shorter, but he took the lead throughout, handling all the inquiries and purchases.

The woman behind him was unsmiling, like an iceberg.

Their demeanor didn't seem ordinary—both carried an otherworldly air, likely indicating they were adepti.

But do adepti need to come here to buy ingredients?

Shenhe hadn't ventured into the mortal world for a long time.

Ever since that incident where she secretly descended the mountain, she had never walked among humans again.

She wasn't sure why her master had brought her out this time.

But she guessed it might not be as simple as improving her diet.

Perhaps her master was testing her temperament by bringing her to Liyue Harbor.

At this moment, she didn't dare slack off—while following Mu Yang, she practiced the art of tranquility.

It was said that all masters could achieve this state.

Mu Yang had no idea what Shenhe was thinking. He was busy recalling what ingredients were needed to make mooncakes.

That's right—he wanted to make some mooncakes to eat. (Teyvat doesn't have mooncakes—Mu Yang invented them! A bold claim!)

To make mooncakes, the most basic ingredient was flour.

Knead the flour into dough, then add your preferred fillings, shape them in a mold, and bake them to perfection.

Mu Yang picked out the flour and paid for it.

Cloud Retainer's abode also had flour, but it might not be suitable for mooncakes.

"Now that we have flour, next is…"

"Ham, rock sugar, sesame seeds, salted egg yolks…"

As Mu Yang picked out fillings, he unconsciously gathered a hefty bag.

"Master, do we really need this much?"

Mu Yang looked down—ah, he had bought quite a lot.

"It's fine. We'll make extra to give as gifts."

"Gifts?" Shenhe was puzzled. Did this new idea not refer to ordinary cooking?

Mu Yang nodded. "You'll understand when we return."

He decided to keep it a mystery for now.

"Mu Yang! Long time no see—I spotted you from afar!"

A lively voice called out.

"Lu! ♪~"

Mu Yang turned. "Long time no see, Xiangling, Guoba. And this is…?"

Xiangling patted the girl beside her. "This is my good friend, the 77th Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor—Hu Tao!"

Hu Tao smiled and bowed to Mu Yang. "Greetings, Adeptus Mu Yang."

Mu Yang waved it off. "No need for formalities, Director Hu. Just call me Mu Yang. I've often heard Mr. Zhongli speak of you."

"He didn't say anything bad about me, did he?"

"Not at all."

"That's good, that's good. If he badmouthed his boss behind her back, this director would have to dock his salary!"

Hu Tao's train of thought was rather unpredictable.

Beside her, Shenhe murmured, "So her name is Hu Tao…"

Mu Yang introduced, "This is my disciple, Shenhe."

"Shenhe, this is Xiangling, and this is Guoba."

Hu Tao jumped in. "And the one just introduced earlier—yours truly, Director Hu Tao!"

She then added, "From what Adeptus Shenhe said, has the consultant also mentioned me to you?"

Shenhe shook her head. "I often heard your songs in the mountains. Over time, I memorized them all—I just didn't know your name."

Finally, she said that, like her master, Hu Tao could just call her by name without the "Adeptus" title.

Seeing that both Mu Yang and Shenhe were like this, Hu Tao stopped standing on ceremony.

Propping her chin on one hand, she said, "You memorized all of them? It seems Miss Shenhe has quite the ear! Tell me, what do you think of these songs?"

Shenhe answered with complete honesty.

"At first, they sounded very strange. After hearing all of them, even when I got used to them, they still felt strange—but… I didn't dislike them."

Hu Tao pretended to be hurt, hanging her head. "So that's how it is…"

Shenhe turned to Mu Yang. "Master, did I say something wrong?"

Xiangling laughed, smoothing things over. "Don't worry, Miss Shenhe. Not many people can keep up with Hu Tao's way of thinking anyway."

Hu Tao quickly bounced back. "Then how about listening to this impromptu song I just came up with?"