Over an hour later, everyone gathered at Starcatcher Cliff.
The night sky was dotted with stars, and in the center of the group a bonfire was lit, with everyone playing around it.
Ye Yun set up the grill, fanning with one hand while attentively roasting skewers with the other.
Noelle helped on the side, either adding charcoal or skewering more meat.
All the ingredients were freshly bought and of high quality. Just a sprinkle of salt, cumin, and chili powder made the skewers smell incredibly appetizing.
Ye Yun turned to Noelle and asked:
"Noelle, how was your experience today?"
Noelle looked a little nervous.
"It—it was fine... Just a bit too relaxing. I'm not used to it."
Ye Yun chuckled.
"There are few people now. Once we get more visitors, you'll definitely be busier."
Noelle smiled and nodded.
Ye Yun checked the mutton skewers in his hand. They were almost done, so he called out:
"Everyone! The mutton skewers are ready! Come get them if you want some!"
With a gust of wind, Venti arrived first.
"Hehe, Ye Yun, give me some! I'm taking them to eat with the old man—with some wine!"
Ye Yun handed over half the skewers.
Venti thanked him and ran off with the skewers to find Zhongli.
Over there—
Zhongli sat at a small wooden table, and next to him was Welt.
Welt and Zhongli got along very well—their personalities were somewhat similar.
Venti placed the skewers on the table.
"Come on, just drinking isn't fun. Have some meat. Gotta say, Ye Yun's cooking is top-notch~"
Welt smiled and said:
"Indeed. Ever since Ye Yun joined us, he's been handling most of the meals.
Sometimes the conductor helps cook too."
Hearing that, Zhongli put down his wine glass.
"Oh? Ye Yun wasn't originally on your train?"
Welt nodded and explained to the two how they met Ye Yun.
The two listened intently while sipping their drinks.
After Venti left—
Klee, Hook, and Diona came dashing over from the bonfire, their little footsteps quick and light.
Diona had been brought along by Venti.
When Venti went to pick up Klee and Hook, Diona was with them since she had the day off. So Venti brought her along too.
But he quickly regretted it.
In his haste to return for drinks, he forgot he was allergic to cat fur.
As soon as they landed, he started sneezing non-stop, and it took a long time for him to recover.
"Big brother Ye Yun~ Klee wants to eat, yum yum~"
"Ye Yun! Hook wants meat!"
Klee and Hook were already familiar with Ye Yun, and their conversation was casual and natural.
Diona, having only just met him, was a little more reserved.
Ye Yun gave each of the three kids a small plate with three skewers.
"Here you go. If it's not enough, come back for more."
The three little ones thanked him and ran back to the bonfire with bright smiles to start eating.
Soon after, Stelle, Lumine, March 7th, Eula, Amber, and Seele showed up.
At Lumine's suggestion, the girls planned to clear out a Hilichurl camp afterward to earn some Primogems.
Everyone was eager, rubbing their hands together in excitement.
With Amber—the living map of Mondstadt—on their team, they felt sure they'd gain a lot tonight.
As for Diluc, he was chatting with Dan Heng, which surprised Ye Yun. He didn't expect those two to hit it off.
Lisa had set up a small tea table not far from the bonfire, chatting with Jean, Bronya, and Natasha.
The three of them were discussing political affairs.
Meanwhile, Clara was learning mechanical repair from Himeko.
Clara was determined to become a great scientist and was diligently studying every day.
Over the past few days, her mechanical skills had improved significantly.
She studied theory on the train with Welt and Himeko during the day and practiced on mechanical soldiers at night.
Surprisingly, she even managed to modify a medical robot capable of handling minor injuries.
The party was going smoothly. Everyone had found companions—except Kaeya.
Left with no choice, Kaeya ended up helping Ye Yun with the grilling.
Just as Ye Yun finished cooking a large batch of skewers and was about to take a break—
Paimon came flying in, carrying her iron bucket.
"Ye Yun! One more bucket! I want more pork chops!"
Ye Yun was speechless. How could this little thing eat so much?
He had started with a whole bucket of grilled pork chops just for Paimon, knowing her big appetite.
And now? Already gone? From the look on her face, she wasn't nearly done.
Sighing, Ye Yun took out 20 more pork chops and started grilling them for her.
Kaeya brought over a big platter of assorted skewers and placed it on the table by the bonfire.
"Everyone! Skewers are ready!"
At his call, people gathered quickly.
Venti, tipsy and in high spirits, pulled out his lyre and began to sing.
His song echoed through the field, while others drank and chatted.
Ye Yun looked around and saw Himeko still teaching Clara mechanical knowledge.
So he grabbed a small tray, loaded it with skewers, and walked over to the two.
"Take a break and have something to eat. Studying needs a balance of work and rest."
The two looked up and, after a moment, nodded in agreement.
"Thank you, big brother Ye Yun, for the skewers," Clara said politely, smiling sweetly.
Himeko smiled gently as well.
"Thanks."
Ye Yun waved it off casually.
Then he suddenly remembered he was close to completing a task—
Hosting 20 different guests. He was just a few short.
The train's next stop was the Xianzhou. Lots of potential customers there.
"Oh right, Himeko, when are we heading to the next stop?"
Himeko replied:
"According to the schedule, the train will stay here for a few more days. We'll depart in about three days."
Thinking of the next stop, Himeko added:
"Our next stop is Penacony—also known as the Star of Festivities. You can explore when we get there. It's really fun."
Ye Yun smiled and agreed.
But things might not go so smoothly. The train crew, under Kafka's influence, would likely detour to the Xianzhou.
Hearing the conversation, Clara looked a little sad.
"Big brother Ye Yun~ Sister Himeko, are you leaving? Clara will miss you…"
Ye Yun laughed and patted her head.
"It's okay. Doesn't your house have a portal? You can come to the train anytime. Remember?"
Clara suddenly realized—she'd been too focused on the fact they were leaving to remember that.
"Oh right! Clara forgot."
Ye Yun chuckled.
The three of them continued chatting and eating skewers together.
Surprisingly, despite this being the wilds of Mondstadt, not a single monster came to disturb them.
***
Night had fallen.
Everyone was full and satisfied, sitting on the ground chatting.
Klee, Hook, and Diona, who had evolved from two little ones to three, were fast asleep on top of Dodoco.
Stelle looked at Venti and Zhongli and suddenly thought of a question.
"Zhongli, you're a god too, right?"
Everyone turned to look at Zhongli at her words.
Especially the Mondstadt crowd—their faces were full of surprise.
Kaeya spread his hands, a bit skeptical.
"Hey hey hey, no way! Mister Zhongli is a god?"
Jean and Diluc, who already knew Venti was the Anemo Archon, had more or less guessed Zhongli's identity.
He came from Liyue, Venti called him "old man"—who else could he be but the Geo Archon Morax?
Lisa looked at Venti and Zhongli, deep in thought.
She had long suspected Venti's identity. From Lumine, she learned that Venti could communicate with Stormterror.
Stormterror was Dvalin, one of the Four Winds. Back then, she already suspected that Venti had a close connection with Barbatos, the Anemo Archon.
Looks like she had figured out most of it.
Venti was actually the Anemo Archon—then Zhongli's identity immediately became clear as well.
"So that's how it is. This lady greets the Anemo Archon and the Geo Archon."
Amber, Eula, and Kaeya were dumbfounded.
No way! These two really are gods? Whoa.
Zhongli sighed.
"No need for such formality. I'm just an ordinary consultant now. Zhongli is fine."
Venti chuckled, "Ehe~ I still prefer it when you call me Venti. Being a god is something I only do occasionally."
Ye Yun smiled.
"That's right. Everyone here comes from different places, but here, we're all friends, aren't we? Come, let's drink to that!"
Ye Yun raised his glass.
The people of Mondstadt thought for a moment—true.
"To friendship!"
"To friendship!"
After resting for a bit, everyone went their separate ways.
Stelle, March 7th, Amber, Eula, Lumine, and Paimon immediately grabbed their weapons and went off to find a hilichurls tribe.
Diluc and Kaeya weren't idle either—the two went to clear out Abyss Order strongholds.
After failing to transform Dvalin, most of the Abyss Order had retreated from Mondstadt.
Meanwhile, in Liyue Harbor, despite the late hour, lights were still bright.
Zhongli carried a bag of grilled skewers back to Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
Ye Yun had grilled too much earlier—everyone was full, so at the end, everyone packed some to go.
As Zhongli pushed open the door to the parlor, he saw Hu Tao sleeping soundly in her rocking chair in the courtyard.
Zhongli walked over, shaking his head slightly.
"Why sleep out here? Aren't you afraid of catching a cold at night?"
He used his divine power to lift Hu Tao and carry her back to her room, covering her with a blanket.
Just as he finished, Hu Tao kicked off the blanket and sprawled out in a starfish pose.
It was summer, after all—too hot for blankets.
Zhongli placed the skewers on the table in her room and went to rest in his own.
***
The next morning.
Zhongli sat in the courtyard, leisurely sipping tea.
Beside him sat an electric fan.
He had bought it from Ye Yun—today was incredibly hot, making it hard to enjoy tea.
So he went to Ye Yun to ask about ways to cool down.
And that's how this scene came to be.
Just then—
Hu Tao's door burst open.
She leapt out full of energy.
"Ta-da! The head of the parlor is back to full health!"
She was holding the skewers Zhongli had left for her.
When she saw Zhongli, she darted over.
"Good morning, Consultant~"
Zhongli nodded slightly and poured her a cup of tea.
Hu Tao took the cup and downed it in one gulp, slamming it down on the table.
"Ahhh~ Delicious! Another cup!"
Zhongli was already used to her rough treatment of tea.
At first, he tried teaching her how to properly savor tea.
But Hu Tao wasn't interested at all. Tea? Just fancy water, right? It's best to gulp it down.
She looked at Zhongli.
"Consultant, did you leave these skewers for me?"
Zhongli nodded.
"Mm. Last night I had a gathering with friends and brought some back. Quite delicious. You should try them."
Hu Tao's eyes lit up.
"Friends? You have friends, Consultant?"
Saying that, she used her Pyro power to reheat the skewers.
Soon they were sizzling with oil, and Hu Tao grabbed one and started chomping down.
She took a big bite, stuffing her mouth full before starting to chew.
From Zhongli's perspective, Hu Tao looked just like a little hamster—puffed cheeks, constantly chewing. Quite cute.
As she ate, she noticed the electric fan next to her and her eyes sparkled.
"Wha ish dish?" she mumbled, mouth full.
She jumped off her stool and inspected the fan curiously.
She leaned in, fascinated. This thing could produce wind! So cool!
Zhongli spoke.
"This was something I got from a friend."
Hu Tao swallowed the meat.
"From the friend you had dinner with yesterday? That friend must be amazing to have such a curious thing."
She pulled up a stool and sat in front of the fan, enjoying the breeze.
Zhongli looked at Hu Tao and suddenly had a thought.
Maybe it was time to take her to visit Ye Yun?
She was growing up. Maybe it was time to broaden her horizons.
Besides, there were many outstanding young people there—Stelle, March 7th, Dan Heng, Lumine… Though young, they all shined in their own way.
After a moment of contemplation—
Zhongli made up his mind. He would take Hu Tao to Ye Yun's shop.
In Mondstadt, many had already come into contact with it.
In Zhongli's mind, Liyue should do the same—by relying on Ye Yun, Liyue could rapidly grow.
The Knights of Favonius had already grown much stronger through Ye Yun's help.
Under Jean's careful selection, some had even started practicing Wind Spirit Arts, gaining command of the wind.
Zhongli believed Liyue, with its larger scale, would develop even faster.
Liyue had far more talent than Mondstadt.
From the Adepti, to the Qixing, to the military…
All surpassed Mondstadt.
"Head of the Hall, are you free today?"
Hu Tao turned her head, mouth open to catch the breeze.
"Free! Why?"
Zhongli slowly stood.
"In that case, allow me to take you somewhere."
Hu Tao was intrigued. Oh? Where was the Consultant taking her?
She didn't know where, but happily stood beside him, ready to follow.
After all, there's no way the Consultant would ever hurt her~