{After resolving the incident with Phantylia, the Astral Express Crew decided to stay on the Xianzhou for a while. One day, while Stelle was wandering around Central Starskiff Haven, Bailu called out to her from not far away. Stelle followed the sound.}
『 "Over here, over here!" Bailu shouted, waving her hand at Stelle.
Stelle walked up to Bailu.
Bailu looked at Stelle and asked, "Big sister, I saw you from a mile away! Are you going to Aurum Alley?"
"Aurum Alley? What's Aurum Alley?" Stelle scratched her head in confusion.
"What? You've already arrived at Exalting Sanctum, and you haven't been to Aurum Alley yet?" Bailu said, looking at the puzzled Stelle. 』
『 ....』
〘Stelle〙: So, what kind of place is Aurum Alley?
〘Qingque〙: Simply put, it's an old-fashioned food street. The Master Diviner sometimes goes there to buy Immortal's Delight, and I go there for snacks like Berrypheasant Skewers.
〘March 7th〙: Oh, got it.
〘Kiana Kaslana〙: Berrypheasant Skewers… dessert? Shouldn't that sound like meat?
〘·HSR· Welt Yang〙: Berrypheasant Skewers are made from the fruit found on the tails of Tuskpirs. Simply put, they're like the tanghulu on Earth.
〘Fu Hua〙: That is indeed a rarity.
〘Jing Yuan〙: For the record, no Berrypheasant were harmed in the making of Berrypheasant Skewers.
....
『 Stelle sighed and said, "I've been too busy; I haven't had the time to wander around."
"Aw, really? You've come all the way to Exalting Sanctum but haven't had time to sightsee? How pitiful…" Bailu said, her words piercing Stelle's heart.
Then, she puffed out her little chest with her hands on her hips and looked at Stelle. "Sigh, it seems a traveler like you who just arrived in Xianzhou definitely needs a guide!"
Stelle looked at Bailu skeptically. "Aren't you… a doctor?"
Bailu stomped her feet in protest. "What does that matter! A famous doctor who goes out on house calls would also know every nook and cranny of Xianzhou, where there's good food and fun. Hiring me will definitely be worth your while!" 』
『 ....』
〘Stelle〙: Hire? You're not like my Hotaru, giving me money instead? Sad Raccoon.jpg
〘Silver Wolf〙: That wasn't a guide; that was just the two of you flirting. What kind of guide pays their client?
〘Stelle〙: Mine!
〘Hotaru〙: ⁄(⁄ ⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄ ⁄)⁄.....
〘March 7th〙: I feel like the sweetness level on the Express is about to exceed the limit.
〘·HSR·Himeko〙: Do I need to use my coffee to tone it down a bit?
〘March 7th〙: No, no, Himeko-jie, you should just drink the coffee yourself.
....
『 "I won't charge a cent for the trip. Of course, of course, if you want to eat something, just remember to bring me along~"
"And if you encounter any minor issues like stomach discomfort or bruises while playing, a super professional healer like me can treat you immediately. Where else could you find such a good deal!"
Bailu's hidden agenda was becoming apparent, but Stelle agreed with the little guide. Having the High Elder of the Vidyadhara personally attend to your health, you really couldn't find a better deal than that.
"Then shall we go?" Stelle looked at Bailu and smiled.
"Yay!" Bailu said happily.
Afterward, Stelle was led to Aurum Alley by Bailu. Along the way, Bailu's short legs moved incredibly fast, and she kept urging Stelle on as she ran.
"Hurry, hurry! What if the snacks are all sold out if we get there late?" 』
『 ....』
〘Stelle〙: So fast!
〘Blade〙: Hmph. A unique talent of the Luofu's High Elder: running fast.
〘Dan Heng〙: …That's purely because you chase her so fast.
....
『 Finally, Bailu stopped amidst a cluster of small shops and turned back to Stelle.
"Dear traveler, we've arrived! This is Aurum Alley! When it comes to the highlights of this tour, it's obvious that there's a ton of delicious food!"
"Especially the 'Spices Supreme' cuisine at Tallay's Food Stall. You can only find flavors like this here in Aurum Alley on the entire Luofu."
"So, having said all that…"
Bailu twiddled her fingers, looking at Stelle with expectant eyes. 』
『 ....』
〘Stelle〙: Your hidden agenda is showing again.
〘Bailu〙: Hehe, since I said I wouldn't take money, I have to take something else~
....
『 "What do you want me to treat you to?" Stelle looked at Bailu's expectant little eyes and laughed.
"Ah, there are so many things," Bailu smiled.
"Garlic-infused Pork, Crisped Melon and Diced Chicken, Star Taro Braised Pork, Chili Oil Beef Offal Stew, Granny Chen's Tofu... Ugh, I'm getting tired of saying them all! Reciting medicine ingredients is easier than this!"
"Of course, we can go to the snack stalls to grab an appetizer first. You can think about what you want to eat, and I'll find a seat and wait for you." 』
『 ....』
〘Sushang〙: Just listening to this makes me hungry.
〘Guinaifen〙: Shangshang, let's go to Aurum Alley for a feast after your shift. I'm hungry too.
〘Cloud Knight A〙: Hey, Miss Sushang, don't forget us! Let's all get together.
〘Jing Yuan〙: It seems Aurum Alley is about to become very popular.
....
『 Stelle nodded after hearing this and began asking surrounding diners for suggestions on what to eat. A food blogger who wanted a free meal suggested Tuskpir Wrap and Songlotus Cake, followed by an Outworlder.
Stelle asked him if he had encountered any "traps." He told Stelle the name "Mung Bean Soda." A local had told him it was delicious, but he had sprayed it all over the diner at the next table after just one sip.
The man then advised, "Mung Bean Soda is grayish-green and tastes sour and rotten. I think only some local gourmets can stand it. You shouldn't try it just out of curiosity."
This was a piece of advice from someone who had been pranked by a Xianzhou local. 』
『 ....』
〘Fu Hanabi〙: Mung Bean Soda? Carbonated Mung Bean?!!!
〘Qingque〙: Even locals can't stomach that stuff. Like me… the taste is just too weird.
....
『 Finally, Stelle found a local diner who was still lamenting that the taste of the food here hadn't changed at all.
Stelle tapped him on the shoulder to ask for recommendations.
The man turned around and looked at Stelle. "Hmm? You're asking what's good? In Aurum Alley, you can walk around with your eyes closed and any place you pick will be delicious."
"My name is Xiaohan. Although I'm a local of Aurum Alley, I haven't been back in a long time. When I was away from home, just thinking about the flavors here made me lose sleep from homesickness."
Stelle asked again for any specific recommendations.
"Are you feeling adventurous or cautious?" Xiaohan asked with a smile.
"Depends on what you mean by 'adventurous'?" Stelle asked curiously.
"If you're really feeling adventurous, you could try some mung bean soda!" Xiaohan replied.
"I'd describe the taste as... unique. And a little sour."
"It's best to drink it in big gulps and let it fizzle in your stomach. That's a great feeling." 』
『 ....』
〘Qingque〙: There it is, the "must-try" part of Aurum Alley: recommending Mung Bean Soda to outworlders!
〘Aurum Alley Diner A〙: After all, watching the constipated expressions on those outworlders after they drink the Mung Bean—the reaction of wanting to vomit but not daring to, and the relief when they finally do—is one of our few pleasures, hahaha.
〘Diner B〙: It is fun, but can you please not spray it on me? The smell of that stuff is really hard to wash out!
〘Hanabi〙: Is it really that bad? I'm going to order a cup online to try.
〘Sampo〙: As long as the person drinking it isn't me…
〘Hanabi〙: Hmm? How did you guess I was buying it for you?
〘Sampo〙: Can I refuse?
〘Hanabi〙: The mask…
〘Sampo〙: I'll drink it! I'll drink it! I'LL DRINK IT!!!!
....
—✦In Between✦—
—✦Honkai Star Rail World✦—
On a spaceship heading towards Penacony in the galaxy, the blue-haired lady "Bosang" was trembling all over, whether from anger at Hanabi or fear at the thought of drinking something indescribable.
A Xianzhou crew member saw Bosang like this, brought a drink over, and handed it to her.
"Bosang, what's wrong? Here, have a drink to calm down."
Sampo nodded, took the drink, and gulped it down. The moment the liquid entered Sampo's mouth, he spat it all out.
"Cough, cough! What is this?"
"Oh, that's the Mung Bean Soda they showed on the light screen. I saw you shaking after the screen showed it and thought you were curious to try it. So, I specifically gave you the soymilk my mom gave me because she was afraid I'd get homesick,"
The Xianzhou crew member said, scratching his head.
"I really… thank you,"
Sampo said, collapsing.
He originally had no memory of the taste; at most, he'd deal with it once for Hanabi. Now, it was just great—he had to drink it a second time, and this time knowing exactly what it tasted like…
"Heavens, why is it so hard to get my mask back!"
Sampo screamed in his heart.
Meanwhile, the Xianzhou crew member was thinking:
Holy crap, I finally got rid of that Mung Bean Soda my old lady brought. Although it's a bit dishonest, if she comes back and finds out I haven't touched a drop, the butler will literally break my legs. Even though breaking legs isn't a big deal for a Xianzhou person, it hurts like hell!
So, sorry, Miss Bosang!
—
(Back when this chapter was released, there was a theory that Sampo couldn't enter the "World's End" Tavern because Hanabi stole his Mask, and the only way to enter the "World's End" Tavern is the masked fool mask.)