Just a few words were enough to confirm the identity of the young Zhongli, a wandering bard.
There are many professions on the Douluo Continent, among which the soul master is the noblest.
The bard, too, is a profession, one that sings and praises beautiful things. Whether commoners or nobles, all hold a favorable impression of bards.
Though this group may seem of little practical use, everyone enjoys listening to their pleasant words and songs of praise.
"Barbatos, it's a pity you arrived a few days late. Otherwise, you could have stayed in Liyue for free," Xiao Xiao said with some regret.
Currently, all residences and shops in Liyue are fully occupied, leaving new travelers with no choice but to stay in hotels.
It's a shame that a talented bard like Barbatos couldn't stay in Liyue for long.
"It doesn't matter," the young Zhongli waved his hand and continued, "The ballads in the wind need to be sung. I can't stay in Liyue for long. Whether I have a stable residence or not is unimportant to me. It is my lifelong wish to bring beauty and songs to more people."
When these words were spoken, everyone was stunned, and they couldn't help but look at the wandering bard twice.
This is a bard who truly has ideals and ambitions, unmoved by external things! Such a person deserves high respect!
Xiao Xiao stroked his chin, looked up at Zhongli again, and said, "Barbatos, you are new to Liyue, so you probably don't understand a lot of things. How about I take you around?"
At this point, Xiao Xiao paused and continued, "Though I don't know much, I definitely know more than you, and I am more than enough to be your guide!"
Zhongli: "…"
"Thank you very much, Miss Xiao Xiao!" The young Zhongli bowed to Xiao Xiao and spoke kindly.
"You're welcome, you're welcome!" Xiao Xiao waved her hand and said, "Actually, you look a lot like an old friend of mine. Hehe... I can only tell you this much. If you could meet him, you would definitely understand!"
The person in front of her only bore a slight resemblance to him, but she already felt a liking for him and wanted to get to know him better.
As for the possibility that "Barbatos" might be a bad person, Xiao Xiao had never considered it. In Liyue, no bad person dares to cause trouble!
The person Xiao Xiao was referring to was as clear as a mirror in Zhongli's heart. An old friend...
Since arriving in Liyue, Xiao Xiao had become much more lively. She was no longer as timid as before but had grown much more confident.
This is also why she could take the initiative to talk to "Barbatos." The change in her personality made her appear more vibrant and sunny.
Xiao Xiao placed her hands behind her back, tilted her head slightly, and walked ahead of "Barbatos."
"This street is a food street. Many chefs from the Douluo Continent have opened shops here!"
"..."
Xiao Xiao, who was walking in front, never stopped talking.
She could be described as chattering nonstop, enthusiastically introducing the delicious food on both sides of the street to Zhongli, even though she hadn't tasted any of it herself.
"This restaurant is called Huo's roasted Fish, and the owner is just a boy of 11 or 12 years old!"
"Don't underestimate him because of his age. I heard even Celestial Power Star came to buy his secret recipe!"
"Barbatos, would you like to try this roasted fish?"
Xiao Xiao turned around, blinked, and asked Zhongli.
While the food she had seen earlier looked delicious, it was a bit too expensive for her budget.
However, Huo Yuhao's roasted fish was different. It was priced affordably, making it accessible not only to her but even to the poorest people in Liyue.
Of course, there were no poor people in Liyue at present.
Zhongli's eyes twitched, and he quickly declined, "Sorry, I never eat anything from the sea."
"Huh?" ×3
Zhongli's voice wasn't loud, but it piqued the curiosity of Xiao Xiao, Beibei, and Huo Yuhao.
Could it be that this "young man" felt pity for these fish?
"Um... I didn't expect you to be so caring..." Xiao Xiao said awkwardly, touching her nose.
"Not really, I just don't eat..."
"???"
The three of them didn't know that Zhongli had slain countless "aquatic products." Even if he tried his best, it would take him a long time to count them all...
This time, without waiting for Xiao Xiao to say anything, Beibei stepped forward and approached Zhongli and Xiao Xiao, saying, "My two guests, our shop now not only sells roasted fish but also various kinds of barbecue, such as roasted whole lamb, roasted clams..."
As Beibei said, Huo's roasted Fish Restaurant had evolved into a full-fledged barbecue restaurant.
The roasted fish made by Huo Yuhao was delicious, and with his mental power, the other roasted dishes he prepared were equally mouthwatering.
This expansion was a suggestion from a customer, and after some discussion, the three of them had quickly introduced new barbecue items to the menu.
After hearing this, Xiao Xiao's eyes lit up, and she said to Beibei, "Do you have a menu here? I'd like to take a closer look!"
"I'm sorry, but this was a last-minute addition last night, so the menu hasn't been prepared yet," Beibei replied, shaking his head. He continued, "Just tell me what you two like to eat. If the store doesn't have the ingredients, I can also go out and buy fresh ones!"
"Barbatos, what do you want to eat?"
Hearing that there was no menu, Xiao Xiao felt a little disappointed. She turned to Zhongli and asked what he preferred.
Since she had invited Barbatos to eat, it was only right to prepare food according to his taste.
"Hmm~"
Zhongli pondered for a moment before saying, "Then let's have a roasted whole lamb. The store should have the ingredients, so I won't trouble you to go out and buy them."
"Alright, we'll have a whole roasted lamb!"
Xiao Xiao didn't think much of it and agreed immediately.
Beibei's face lit up with delight. Roasted whole lamb was an excellent choice!
For Tang Ya, slaughtering a sheep was far more useful than killing dozens of fish.
Even with other barbecue options in the store, they always tried to accommodate Tang Ya so she could fully utilize the characteristics of her martial soul.
The larger the animal, the better. If it were a soul beast, that would be even more ideal!
Unfortunately, only ordinary animals were available for purchase at the moment.
However, there were occasional surprises in the fish they caught, with a few ten-year or hundred-year sea soul beasts appearing from time to time.
The main issue was that the East Sea was too far from where soul beasts gathered, and hunting soul beasts on land wasn't easy.
Besides, indiscriminately killing soul beasts wasn't a good practice for soul masters.
"Xiaoya, it's time to slaughter the sheep!"
Beibei called out to the kitchen.
"Got it!"
In the kitchen, Tang Ya responded almost instinctively.
Her abilities weren't meant to be publicized, so whether it was killing fish, sheep, or processing other ingredients, everything was done in the kitchen.
This was also why Huo's roasted Fish had two kitchens, one just outside the main entrance and the other in the most secluded corner of the hall.
As the faint fluctuations of soul power emanated from the kitchen, Tang Ya quickly sent a processed sheep to Huo Yuhao.
At this time, Huo Yuhao and the others had just opened the store, and there were no other customers, so the three of them were relatively free.
As Huo Yuhao began roasting the lamb, Tang Ya glanced at Zhongli and Xiao Xiao. A flicker of curiosity passed through her eyes, but she didn't say anything further.