Chapter 45: Gandha Hill Food Street

Although Tighnari still had many lingering questions in his mind, Lin Feng did not stay with him for long. After explaining some matters in a way Tighnari could understand, Lin Feng bid him farewell due to Nafis’s return, as he wished to avoid interacting with the Akademiya for the time being.

To prevent the Akademiya from noticing anything unusual about him, Lin Feng asked Tighnari one final favor, requesting that his normal work history and other basic records not be deliberately concealed. Having no records at all would only make him stand out even more.

After teleporting away from Tighnari’s cabin and finally wrapping up the business at hand, Lin Feng felt a long-lost sense of relief.

Since no one in Gandharva Ville other than Tighnari knew Lin Feng's true capabilities, after enduring a strenuous journey, the erosion of the Withering, and tunneling deep underground, Lin Feng could finally stroll through the local market near Gandharva Ville in a relatively relaxed state of mind.

Power was undoubtedly the ultimate tranquilizer. Only by attaining the strength of an Archon could Lin Feng have even the slightest chance of transforming from a chess piece at the mercy of others into a player controlling the board across the chessboard of Teyvat.

Feeling the surging power within his body, Lin Feng experienced an unprecedented sense of security.

Since he had only slumbered underground for about twenty days, there was still plenty of time left for him to clear away the Withering zones.

Craving some delicious food, he decided to sweep through the snack stalls of Gandharva Ville before considering anything else.

Only now, equipped with a modest means of self-defense, did Lin Feng recall his original dream—to bring little Bai and taste every delicacy across the continent of Teyvat.

Although Little Bai would likely not feel hungry for quite some time to come, Lin Feng still intended to thoroughly explore the food street in the Gandharva Ville area.

Never underestimate the food street of a mere small settlement.

Even though Gandharva Ville was not large, due to the countless passing merchants and the presence of premium customers—such as the students of the Akademiya, who were foolishly wealthy and possessed voracious appetites—the local snack street had flourished long ago.

Furthermore, unlike the small villages of Lin Feng's impression, which featured monotonous categories and fixed vendors, the food of Gandharva Ville was filled with a variety of randomly refreshing regional specialties, thanks to the frequent comings and goings of traveling merchants.

The Padisarah pudding he had previously brought to the Lesser Lord Kusanali, for instance, was purchased by Lin Feng from a newly arrived dessert chef from Sumeru City. To encounter such a high-caliber dessert chef in a place like Gandharva Ville was nothing short of hitting the jackpot.

Back when Lin Feng was still a forest ranger, he had been quite fond of strolling through the snack street here by himself on days off from missions.

Even without eating anything, simply inhaling the various aromas drifting through the air and observing the bustling crowd around him was enough to help Lin Feng unwind from the tense, busy days.

Filled with a vague sense of anticipation, Lin Feng turned off his Dendro passive perception, immersing himself in the joy of opening a blind box.

—A green juice crispy ball emitting a subtle odor; blacklisted food, directly eliminated.

—Sumeru’s local curry meat wrap; the meat was ruddy and cooked to perfection, but the aroma lacked impact, clearly indicating substandard seasoning skills. Eliminated.

—What is this? Eel chazuke from Inazuma? Is it made from the floating ray-eels of the desert? A rare merchant! This is definitely something I must taste!

***

And so, starting off with a winning streak, Lin Feng continued to wander through the small market while enjoying the freshly packed chazuke.

Just as he was immersed in the joy of discovering a rare merchant, a vibrant greeting pulled him back to reality.

"Hey! Over here, over here!"

"Forest Ranger Lin Feng, look over here!"

Turning his head, he saw the youthful and radiant Naszileen waving at him from the other side of the market, accompanied by a brown-haired youth half a head shorter than himself.

"Oh, if it isn't Naszileen? Long time no see."

"And as for this little fellow beside you... could it be... the younger brother you've always talked about?"

Spotting his former colleague, Lin Feng was also quite delighted. Having partnered with Naszileen for a period of time, he had indeed heard her mention her younger brother, who aspired to become an adventurer.

"Hey, I'm not a kid!"

"While I admit you're a bit taller than me, you probably aren't that much older, right?"

Before Naszileen could reply, the brown-haired young man beside her looked discontentedly at Lin Feng, who had treated him like a child.

"Uh... I'm sorry, my brother, he..."

Realizing her brother's attitude was somewhat abrasive, Naszileen immediately prepared to apologize.

Before she could finish, however, Lin Feng gently interrupted:

"It's fine, no need to apologize. I seem to recall you mentioning that his age isn't much different from mine, so he certainly isn't a child."

With that, Lin Feng looked at the somewhat flustered youth and said earnestly:

"Sorry, it was my fault. I shouldn't have called you that." Lin Feng cut straight to the point.

"Actually, in your sister's eyes, you are already an adult capable of standing on your own. She often praises you to me when we're working."

—This was a lie. Naszileen only ever complained about her useless brother when she saw other people's children—specifically referring to Lin Feng.

However, instantly recognizing the youth's awkward adolescent temperament, Lin Feng decisively told a well-intentioned lie.

***

"Ah? Um... it's fine, I didn't really care that much anyway."

A youth who had never been respected in such a manner was clearly somewhat at a loss.

"......" Naszileen, standing beside the young man, cast a gaze filled with warning.

"Um... I'm so sorry!! It was my fault, I shouldn't have been so rude just now!"

Fearing Naszileen's majesty, the youth surrendered at lightning speed.

"However... that tyrannical sister of mine who acts like a bearded tiger? She actually praised me... really?!"

Lin Feng: "......" Young man, you are truly invincible.

As expected of a grandmaster in the realm of casual conversation, this young man only needed a dozen characters to make Naszileen glare with murderous intent, causing Lin Feng beside them to shake his head repeatedly—who could possibly save you now? You're going to have a rough time when you get home.

"Ahem, since the misunderstanding has been resolved, let's set that aside for now. Naszileen, care to grab a bite to eat?"

"I just discovered a newly arrived stall, and the proprietor's eel chazuke is an absolute masterpiece in this world. Shall I take you two to try it?"

"Really?! Where, where? Take me there quickly!"

Although Lin Feng's original intention was to change the subject, Naszileen was evidently a true foodie as well. Upon hearing about novel food, she couldn't wait to give it a try.

"It's right by the left side of the suspension bridge, at that purple food cart. Follow me; it's a bit crowded, so make sure not to get lost."

Seeing that the atmosphere had completely relaxed over the topic of food, Lin Feng led the expectant brother and sister toward the vendor's stall.

As he ate, Lin Feng chatted idly with Naszileen. Through her introduction, Lin Feng finally learned her brother's name—Franchin.

Omitting all supernatural elements, Lin Feng simply shared what he had seen and heard during his travels, which caused the little fellow's eyes to sparkle as he voluntarily lowered his generation to address him as an older brother.

Finally, upon hearing that Lin Feng was even capable of handling a Withering zone entirely on his own, the youngster could no longer hold back and asked the question he cared about most:

"Hey, Big Brother, how strong are you? Are you even stronger than the strongest forest watcher in our Gandharva Ville?!"