This is the reward I obtained at the comic store.

"This is Gabumon, the reward I obtained from the manga shop," Ningguang explained with a smile.

"The Flame Fruit I asked you to prepare is also for Gabumon," she added.

"A manga shop?"

"So, Ningguang just went to a manga shop," Baiwen thought to himself.

Then he respectfully said, "Ningguang, I understand. I will prepare it immediately."

"Gabumon, come with me," Ningguang said, leading Gabumon into the Jade Chamber.

"This will be your new home. I wonder how you, little one, will evolve in the future," Ningguang said with anticipation.

Based on what Mr. Owner said, Gabumon has not yet evolved. Typically, Digimon become much stronger after evolving. Ningguang also learned some things about Gabumon from the manga, so she was filled with expectations. She looked forward to the day when Gabumon would evolve into a different form.

Soon, Baiwen prepared many flame Fruits and brought them to the Jade chamber. After all, it was a task entrusted by Ningguang, and she wanted to ensure it was handled properly. As long as Ningguang was satisfied, she would be happy.

"Eat it," Ningguang placed a plate of flame Fruits in front of Gabumon.

Since it was her obtained Digimon, she naturally wanted to personally feed it. She also hoped to witness the growth of this little creature step by step.

Gabumon looked at the plate of flame Fruits and immediately started devouring them! At that moment, it transformed into a Food Devouring Beast... cough, I mean, Gabumon.

Soon, Gabumon finished the whole plate of flame Fruits and looked at the empty plate, clearly wanting more.

"You can't eat too much," Ningguang shook her head and smiled. After all, Gabumon still looked small, and she worried that it wouldn't be able to digest too much flame Fruit. If it still wanted to eat more, she would feed it again after it had digested.

"Alright, you stay in the Jade Chamber. I need to attend to some matters," Ningguang said.

Now, with the upcoming Rite of Descension, the Liyue Seven Stars had become busy. After all, there was no room for error in the annual ritual.

"Mr. Owner, are you from Liyue?" Hu Tao, who received a reward at the New Century Manga Shop, didn't leave immediately but curiously asked Takarou.

"I am, and I'm not," Takarou replied half-seriously.

"Is that so?"

"What does that mean? It's either yes or no," Hu Tao expressed dissatisfaction with Takarou's answer.

"Haha, Hu Tao, why does it matter whether I'm from Liyue or not?"

"Just know that you can obtain rewards by reading manga in my shop. And it only costs 10,000 Mora, which is very beneficial for all of you. That's all."

"Well, if you don't want to answer, then forget it." Since she couldn't get an answer, Hu Tao didn't intend to continue asking.

"Mr. Owner, I'll come find you another day. I'm leaving now."

"Alright."

Hu Tao left the New Century Manga Shop and went to Wanming Hall, where she found Master Moa.

"Master Moa, is Xiangling not at home?"

"Oh, it's Hu Tao. Xiangling, that girl, has gone out."

"Gone out? Where did she go?"

"That girl said she went to the vicinity of Mount Tianheng."

"At Mount Tianheng? Then I'll go find her."

With a new item in hand, Hu Tao couldn't resist trying it out, and her test subject would naturally be Xiangling.

"Very well, Hu Tao, please take care of my daughter," Master Moa said as he looked at Hu Tao.

Hu Tao and Xiangling were good friends and often played together. Besides, Hu Tao was quite capable, so there should be no problem with her taking care of his daughter.

"No problem, Master Moa. I'll be on my way," Hu Tao said.

"Alright, when you and Xiangling come back, remember to have a meal at Wanming Hall," Master Mo replied.

"Sure!" With that, Hu Tao headed confidently in the direction of Mount Tianheng to find Xiangling.

After a while, Hu Tao finally arrived near Mount Tianheng. Just as she arrived, she heard a woman's voice coming from the mountain.

"Help! Ingredients are attacking me!!"

As soon as she heard the voice, Hu Tao knew it was undoubtedly Xiangling's voice. She walked in the direction of Xiangling's voice.

There, she saw Xiangling fighting against a slime. With Xiangling's strength, she didn't need any help from Hu Tao to deal with such a small slime. As expected, Xiangling defeated the slime in no time.

Then, Xiangling collected the slime's slime fluid and walked in the direction where Hu Tao was.

When she saw Xiangling approaching, Hu Tao quickly took out the Chameleon Tea she obtained from the manga shop and drank one-fourth of it. Soon after, Hu Tao felt her body starting to change. She had actually transformed into a tree.

"I actually turned into a tree? Is this for real?" Hu Tao was amazed as she felt her transformed body.

Although Mr. Owner had already explained it, experiencing it firsthand was even more surprising than hearing it from someone else.

Before long, Xiangling finally approached. Seeing a new tree by the roadside, a look of confusion appeared on Xiangling's adorable face.

"Huh, how did a tree suddenly appear here? I didn't see it when I came earlier." Just as Xiangling was puzzled, suddenly, the tree that Hu Tao had transformed into began to sway.

"????" Feeling the tree suddenly move, a look of shock appeared on Xiangling's face.

"What's going on? There's no wind blowing, so how can the tree move?"

"Xiangling~~~" Just then, the tree suddenly made a creepy sound.

"????"

"Ah!! It's a monster!!" Xiangling was frightened and took a few steps back.

Can trees talk? She had never seen a tree that could speak before, despite growing up. Seeing Xiangling retreating in fear, Hu Tao was overjoyed. She decided to tease her a little more.

"Xiangling, I'm the slime you killed~~"

"???" A slime?

"You're a slime? Wait, aren't you a tree?" Xiangling suppressed her fear and questioned.

"I am a slime, but now I've turned into a tree, and I still possess the memories before you killed me!"

"Hu Tao is the owner of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, and she's also your friend. You should know about the matter of the afterlife."

"I know that. So you're really a slime that transformed?" Xiangling asked, trying to understand.

"Xiangling, my death was so tragic! Not only did you kill me, but you also turned me into food for others to eat."

"That's why I've come back now to seek revenge!"

"You're seeking revenge from me?"

"You just said that Hu Tao is the owner of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor and also my friend."

"After I return, I'll have her send your soul to the afterlife so you won't be able to find me."

"Teehee, Hu Tao also consumed slime fluid, so I will find her too. But she's not here now, so I'll seek revenge from you first and then find Hu Tao later!"

"Uh... I was just trying to get some new ingredients. Besides, I've never heard of slimes having souls or anything like that, and Hu Tao never told me about it."

"If you want revenge, then come after me alone. Don't go looking for my friends. Can you do that?"

___________

"No, I won't agree to that. Your friends have eaten food made with slime fluid, and I not only want to find you but also the others," the transformed slime said.

"When I find them, I'll tell them about this and make them blame you!"

"No, my friends also enjoy eating the food I make. If you want to find someone, find only me. Everyone should be accountable for their own actions," Xiangling waved her hand, not wanting her friends to be bothered by this tree-turned slime.

"Since you put it that way, I can agree, but you must promise me one condition."

"A condition? What condition?"

"That is, you can no longer use slime fluid to make food."

"Otherwise, I won't let you off the hook!"

"Not use slime fluid to make food? No, I make several dishes that require slime fluid. If I lose the taste of slime fluid, the food won't be what I desire!"

When it comes to cooking, Xiangling wouldn't agree to compromise. After all, culinary delights must not be betrayed. Just as Hu Tao was planning to continue scaring Xiangling, suddenly, the tree in front of Xiangling underwent a transformation. It transformed into the appearance of Hu Tao.

"????"

"Hu Tao?" When Xiangling saw this scene, her eyes widened.

What's going on? Did the tree turn into Hu Tao?

Wait...

Could it be that this tree was transformed by Hu Tao? And then she deliberately scared me? The more Xiangling thought about it, the more it seemed possible. After all, Hu Tao often liked to scare her.

"Hu Tao, you have some nerve coming to scare me again!" Xiangling crossed her arms and looked at Hu Tao.

"????" I've been discovered?

Hu Tao heard Xiangling calling her name, then lowered her head and realized she had transformed back to her original form.

"So it ended so quickly?" she murmured.

"Um... hehe, Xiangling, I'm sorry," Hu Tao licked her lips, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

"I actually thought slimes had souls and could turn into trees. Turns out it was just a prank by you, Hu Tao. Let's see how I deal with you today!"

At first, Xiangling was indeed scared, but now that she knew the tree was Hu Tao's doing, she wasn't afraid anymore. After saying that, she pounced on Hu Tao.

"Ah, Xiangling, I know I messed up. Don't pull on my clothes, that part is off-limits!"

After a while, the two adorable girls sat on the ground, breathing heavily on Mount Tianheng.

"Tell me, how did you turn into a tree?" Xiangling vented her frustration, feeling less angry now.

"Oh, that. It's a prop I obtained from the New Century Manga Shop. By drinking this Chameleon Tea, I can transform into trees, rocks, and other things, but it doesn't last long, as you just saw."

"Hmm, the Chameleon Tea is pretty good, but you scared me right after getting it. Hmph, it made me so angry."

"Hehe, alright, now that you've vented, don't be angry anymore."

"How about I take you to the New Century Manga Shop? When you read manga there, you might also receive rewards."

"And the owner of the New Century Manga Shop is quite handsome, you know."

Xiangling rolled her eyes at Hu Tao.

"If I do go to the New Century Manga Shop, it's to read manga, not to see that owner. What does his handsomeness have to do with me?"

"But Hu Tao, if you scare others with the Chameleon Tea, be careful of the Qixing Guard coming after you." When it came to Hu Tao, Xiangling felt a bit helpless.

Even though she was the 77th generation head of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, Hu Tao's personality was still that of a mischievous child. If only Hu Tao could mature just a little bit, just a little bit, it would be so much better.

"This is just my personality. I can't change it even if you want me to."

"Alright, do you still need to gather any ingredients? If not, we can go to the New Century Manga Shop together in Liyue."

"I've gathered almost all the ingredients. Let's go back."

"Okay."

After a while, Hu Tao and Xiangling finally returned to Liyue.

"Dad, I'm back."

In the Wanming Hall, Master Mao heard his daughter's voice and looked over. He saw his daughter returning with Hu Tao. A loving expression appeared on his face.

"My girl is back. Are you hurt? Let Dad take a look." They only had Xiangling as their daughter.

Although she usually went out to search for ingredients, as a father, he always worried about her safety whenever she left.

So every time she came back, Master Mao would ask.

"Dad, don't worry. I've learned spear techniques from the master, and I have Guoba with me. You don't have to worry," Xiangling reassured him.

"Lu~"

"Dad, let me put away the ingredients first, then I'll go to the New Century Manga Shop."

"The New Century Manga Shop? What's that?" Master Mao was puzzled when he heard the name.

"Master Mao, it's a shop where you can read manga. I've told you about it, but you don't understand. I'll take Xiangling there later, and she can tell you about it after she's done reading," Hu Tao explained.

"Alright, Hu Tao, thank you for bringing my daughter back. When you're done reading manga, remember to come over for a meal."

"Okay."

After a while, Xiangling walked out from inside.

"Hu Tao, let's go. We're going to the New Century Manga Shop. Guoba, come with me."

"Lu Lu~"

With Guoba trotting along on his short legs, Xiangling and Hu Tao walked towards the New Century Manga Shop.

"Huh, this manga shop is actually so close, right near my house."

When they arrived at the New Century Manga Shop, Xiangling was greatly surprised. Seeing Xiangling's puzzled expression, Hu Tao explained.

"This shop just opened today, and both Ningguang and Keqing came to support the owner when it opened."

"Lady Ningguang and Lady Keqing came here too?" This surprised Xiangling even more.

According to this, this shop was indeed very mysterious!

"Mr. Owner, I've brought guests!"

As soon as they entered, Hu Tao shouted loudly.

"Ah, Hu Tao, Xiangling, you're here," Takarou greeted them while Hu Tao and Xiangling nodded slightly.

Xiangling, the newly appointed head chef and floor manager of Wanming Hall, is extremely passionate about the culinary arts. Her specialty is spicy dishes. Despite her young age, she has exceptional culinary skills and is quite famous among food enthusiasts in Liyue Harbor.

Originally, the two traditional cuisines of Liyue Harbor, "Li Cuisine" and "Yue Cuisine," competed fiercely, continuously developing and expanding their respective followings.

However, the "Gourmet War," where taste and price were the only things that mattered, resulted in a monopoly on rare ingredients in Liyue Harbor, causing many chefs to be outraged.

Born into a family of chefs, Xiangling expressed her dissatisfaction in a more direct way: she took up the ladle at her family's Wanming Hall.

"Good food should not be defined by its price!" Xiangling believed in this principle and constantly sought new breakthroughs in cooking. From ice crystal flowers, slime condensate, and strange insects to hilichurl wooden sticks, everything was considered "usable ingredients" in her eyes.

Although she occasionally made some terrible dishes, Xiangling never gave up because her father once taught her, "Cooking has many secrets. But the most important secret is to have an absolute passion for cooking."

"A girl with such a personality is truly adorable!"