novelden Chapter 130 The Legend of Thor Mission (1)
Chapter 130 The Legend of Thor Mission (1)
Now, not only Guoba himself, but everyone present except Kiana, who already knew the truth, looked at Guoba in surprise.
Unfortunately, Guoba couldn't explain the reason to them, and just then, Grandma Ping slowly walked out from behind.
"Looks like you've already had spicy meat steamed buns."
"Master!"
Xiangling turned around and said, and Paimon also hurriedly voiced his doubts.
"Grandma Ping! Quick, look! This Kitchen God looks like rice crust! What's going on here?!"
"Hehe." Grandma Ping laughed, "Yes, after all, Guoba is the Kitchen God you're looking for—the Demon God of the Stove."
"Guoba...Guoba is a demon?!"
Everyone stared at the crispy rice crust in front of them, unable to believe that such a creature could be a demon god!
“You ask me if a lively enough event can awaken the Kitchen God. I have to say, yes and no. The Kitchen God has always been a people-friendly deity who acts in accordance with people’s wishes. For him, wishes and hard work are different things.”
"Effort is skill, talent, and experience. But only aspiration represents the purest power in people's hearts. A cooking competition is certainly exciting, but it contains more effort than aspiration. Effort alone is not enough to awaken the sleeping Kitchen God."
"When Keqing ate that dish, her wish was fulfilled. Besides the answer, she also gained something more important: a beautiful memory that made her feel as if she were standing shoulder to shoulder with her grandfather. The immense power that erupted from the fulfillment of this wish resonated with the Kitchen God statue, and the Kitchen God statue reappeared in the world in its former form. Of course, the Kitchen God himself is definitely not in the statue. After all, the real Kitchen God is right beside everyone."
As she spoke, Grandma Ping looked at the happy Guoba beside her and smiled with satisfaction: "How does it feel to see a statue of yourself in your prime? Look at him, still so majestic."
“In its heyday…” Xiangling pondered Grandma Ping’s words, then asked, “Was the rice crust different back then compared to now?”
“He used to be the local deity of Liyue, and now he’s your Guoba,” Granny Ping replied. “It’s just that all the wisdom and power he once possessed has been dedicated to this land.”
"The demon god dedicates his power to the land... I've heard of this, but how exactly does one do it?" Keqing asked.
Grandma Ping opened her eyes and calmly looked at Keqing, saying, "The crises and trials faced by a land are far more numerous than you can imagine. Droughts, floods, torrential rains, hurricanes... earthquakes, tsunamis, fires, and diseases. Disasters have never completely disappeared from the land of Liyue. Troubles that have never appeared in the past will arise in the future. Mortals, without immortal bodies, are most affected by these factors."
"He was the one who accompanied you across the barren plains, to the port, to build houses, and to light fires... He was the one who lit the first night lamp in Liyue, letting the aroma of food waft into every household. Now you no longer remember him. But in the time when you still recognized him, he was the most approachable immortal."
Bathed in the soft morning sunlight, Grandma Ping looked at the statue in front of her and slowly began to tell the story of Guoba's past as the demon god of the stove.
The hearth god, Maxiuse, was born from sparks ignited by the collision of stones; he was in charge of hearth fires and the lives of ordinary people. A thousand years ago, the ancients expanded their city and established a settlement on the plains, naming it Guili Village.
The Kitchen God, a protector of the people, manifested in various forms to help light fires, cook meals, and reunite families. However, a flood destroyed their homes. The residents were forced to migrate south back to Liyue Harbor. Although the journey wasn't long, it was fraught with storms and torrential rain. Celestials escorted the people for over ten days. During this time, the Kitchen God created an ancient delicacy, consisting of naan bread and a meat sauce that dispelled dampness and cold, making it easy to carry.
In the centuries that followed, the Kitchen God no longer appeared frequently when disasters and diseases struck the land; instead, he channeled all his power into the earth. Exhausted, the Kitchen God's wisdom diminished, and when he finally departed from us, he was less than a person's height. He told the Emperor and me about the dishes that brought happiness and the mysteries of the hearth, before going to the mountains to sleep for a long time.
The Kitchen God departed this world, and crispy rice was born. The day he awoke, he ate a spicy meat-filled steamed bun made by a girl in yellow. Though he remembered nothing of the past, he was moved and decided to follow the girl. After the Kitchen God quietly disappeared, every morning, vendors would set up their stalls early, urging people to go out to buy things and start fires to cook…
It's no different from any other day, because Liyue has always been like this.
After telling the story of the Kitchen God, Grandma Ping once again turned her attention to the rice crust.
“You mentioned to us that eating and drinking are the most important things in life, because one should eat the best spiritual food and drink the essence of heaven and earth… You said this is of utmost importance, and that one must be well-fed to make the most of life. Eating and drinking can be a small matter or a big one.”
"On a small scale, one can taste a handful of millet and draw sweet spring water from the rocks; on a large scale, one can drink from a pot of starlight and moonlight and travel a thousand years on the human world. My old friend, in the days you have been asleep, Liyue has become so prosperous and so beautiful. Are you happy?"
Grandma Ping sincerely hoped to get the answer from Guoba, but she knew that Guoba was no longer as intelligent as before, and was no longer the carefree person who followed his heart. It was impossible for her to get the answer from him.
Seeing Xiangling's somewhat dejected look, Grandma Ping quickly comforted her, "Don't be sad, Xiangling. Everything has two sides. Although Guoba is not as intelligent as before, he has also cast aside his worries and truly achieved a carefree life. In this world... who is without worries? We have knowledge and minds, so naturally we will be troubled by all sorts of things."
Looking at Guoba now, Grandma Ping smiled with satisfaction.
"But he has gone further than us, possessing both wisdom and courage. He has taken on responsibilities and then let go of them. His current ease is proof that he is resting. If you treat him well, you should take better care of him, walk and run with him, eat, drink and have fun together."
Seeing the slight relief on Grandma Ping's face, Xiangling agreed without hesitation.
"I will! I will definitely do it..."
Looking at Xiangling, Keqing sincerely sighed that Xiangling was a person with a predestined affinity with the immortals. Since Guoba was following her, it meant that Guoba had already accepted Xiangling.
Keqing then expressed her thoughts one by one, and also hoped that Xiangling could take good care of Guoba so that this immortal who had given everything could enjoy his old age in peace.
Grandma Ping agreed with this view. Thus, the Kitchen God's identity was finally revealed. Xiangling remembered that Grandma Ping hadn't eaten at her house in a long time and hoped to take this opportunity to invite her for a meal.
Hearing about the delicious food, Paimon naturally wouldn't miss the chance and immediately said he wanted to go too. Seeing this, Xiangling also extended an invitation to everyone present, but unfortunately Keqing had matters to attend to with the Liyue Sept and couldn't accept the invitation.
So the group arrived at Wanmin Hall in a grand procession, and on the way they even ran into Zhongli, who was out for a walk.
Although they were taking a walk, it was almost noon. So, at Grandma Ping's invitation, Zhongli joined the group.
However, upon seeing Guoba run to her side, Zhongli unusually revealed a gentle expression, chatting with Guoba as if greeting a long-lost friend. This scene was clearly witnessed by Yelan, who was hiding in the shadows, and subsequently, these trivial matters appeared on Ningguang's table.
Ningguang glanced at the report, sighed, and then dismissed her three secretaries, keeping only Keqing, who had come to discuss the Abyss with her.
Seeing Ningguang's appearance, Keqing had some guesses in her mind.
"So, Mr. Zhongli really is..."
Ningguang smiled wryly, "I should have thought of that. Mr. Zhongli is extremely knowledgeable; he knows a little about almost everything that can be mentioned in Liyue. Moreover, he was the first to contact the Crimson Phoenix when she first arrived in Liyue Harbor..."
"Then let's treat him the same way we always have, shall we?"
"Since that lord does not want his identity to be exposed, as his subjects, we should naturally act in accordance with his will."
"Understood. Now, let's deal with the matter of the Layered Rock Abyss."
"Yes, I didn't expect another accident to occur in this giant rock abyss. It looks like we'll have to temporarily close the lower mining area for a while..."
No one knows what the two Liyue Stars discussed that day. All the people of Liyue know is that from that day on, the lower mining areas of the Laminariat became completely inaccessible. The seal was set up by Keqing herself, and only those recognized by the Stars can break it.
Meanwhile, after finishing her meal and returning to her temporary lodgings, Ayaka Kamisato had many feelings to share. She recounted everything she had seen and heard that day to her brother.
After hearing this, Ayato Kamisato couldn't help but sigh, "Perhaps this is the eternity of the Liyue people."
Now that they have achieved their main objective of coming here, and with the Lunar Festival coming to an end, it's time to consider their return journey.
So Ayato Kamisato summoned Mei and the others to discuss the matter. The tentatively agreed date was the day after the end of the Tsuki Festival to officially conclude this diplomatic activity. Kiana could choose to stay, but Mei would be better off going back to Inazuma with the Kamisato siblings first.
After all, Mei came to Liyue as the Thunder General, so it was really unreasonable for her subordinates to return to Inazuma first and leave their superior behind.
After a moment's thought, Kiana decided to follow Ayato and the others back to Inazuma. After all, their mission wasn't finished yet, and Kiana had a feeling that their mission would make progress soon.
Just then, Kong and Paimon came to their door, hoping that they could take them with them when they returned. The reason seemed to be that something had happened at Yuanxia Palace, and Coral Palace Xin Hai specially sent a letter asking Kong to go to Haizhi Island.
Ayato Kamisato had heard of the name Fuchishita-no-miya.
Legend has it that the people of Umijima Island originally lived in Fuchishita Palace, a place deep beneath the sea where there was no light all day. The people living there longed for light and also longed to come to live on the surface. Finally, one day, the Umijima Ōmikami appeared and brought the ancestors of Umijima Island to the surface.
Since then, two faiths have emerged in Inatsume: one is the faith centered on Narukami Island and headed by Mitake Narukami, the chief deity, also known as Raiden General; the other is the faith centered on Umijima Island and headed by Umijima, the chief deity.
Although it's unclear why the islanders of Umijima sent Sora to Fuchishita Palace, legend has it that Umijima Omikami brought the islanders to the surface at a price. Every so often, Umijima would reopen the road to Fuchishita Palace, and after a secret ceremony, the road would be closed again.
Perhaps this invitation to Sora was for this reason, but why did they choose to ask Sora for help instead of the Shogunate army?
After all, both sides have now entered a period of peace, and the matter of Umijima is naturally a matter of Narukami Island. Kujo Sara would certainly not miss an opportunity that could promote friendly relations between the two sides.
Could it be that there's some hidden story behind this?
Anyway, since bringing one or two more people wouldn't affect the final return trip, Ayato Kamisato simply agreed.
So, the day after the Lunar Festival ended, Kiana, Mei, Sora, and Paimon returned to Inazuma on Inazuma's fleet, while Bronya chose to stay in Inazuma and travel to all the scenic spots of Liyue with Fu Hua.
Don't get me wrong, Bronya did this simply because she hadn't finished gathering materials in Liyue yet. As for Inazuma, she had already finished gathering materials long ago, since she had spent a considerable amount of time in Inazuma, which was enough for her to complete the task in her spare time.
After returning to Inazuma, Sora immediately headed to Umijima Island, while Kiana and the others went to Narukami Shrine first.
Because they received a message from Yae no Miko the moment they disembarked, Kiana and the others didn't dare to delay and rushed to Shadow Mountain after explaining the reason.
Upon arriving at Narukami Shrine, Kiana and the others finally understood why Yae no Miko had been in such a hurry to summon them.
It turns out that abyssal monsters, which appeared out of nowhere, have been frantically gnawing on the roots of the Thunder Cherry Tree. However, the Shogunate army has no way to deal with these abyssal monsters and cannot completely eliminate them no matter how many troops they send.
Left with no other option, the shogunate army turned to Narukami Shrine for help, hoping that Yae no Miko could intervene. However, Yae no Miko was not interested in this, and since Kage had already taken action, there was even less need for her intervention.
That was the original idea, but after several days, not only did the number of abyssal monsters not decrease, but even Ying's body seemed to be showing adverse reactions.
Therefore, Yae no Miko hopes that Kiana and Mei can go and help Kage overcome this crisis. After all, if the Raikou Tree is completely destroyed, Inazuma will lose a reliable means to deal with the Abyss.
For the past few days, she hadn't even read any light novels, and her appetite had suffered. She eagerly awaited Mei and the others' return.
Kiana could only helplessly reply, "Can't you do it yourself?!"
Unfortunately, Kiana's answer was no. Seeing Kiana's lack of consideration for her master, she couldn't help but sigh deeply.
Kiana reluctantly agreed, and had Bella, who had followed her, transform back into her original form and ride on her. They began to fly towards the location of the abyss monsters, while Mei, based on the location given by Yae no Miko, found Kage, who was resting at the moment.