Chapter 524: Mundane Memories

Guyun Continent, Tianyun City.

Another year was drawing to a close. For cultivators, this was but an insignificant moment in the fleeting passage of time, but for mortals, it marked the approach of the most important time of the year—the New Year.

A heavy snow fell, blanketing most of the city's streets and alleys in white, except for a few cultivator residences and inns. Following an age-old custom, every household inserted freshly cut peach branches between window lattices and pasted brightly colored couplets on door frames.

By dusk, the sun had set, and the sky had grown dim.

On a street in the eastern part of Tianyun City, where mortals gathered, merchants had already lit large red lanterns early, hanging them high alongside banners and wine flags, illuminating the entire street.

Steam rose everywhere in the alleys, filled with the aromas of various mortal foods, mingling with the rhythmic cries of vendors, creating a lively and bustling atmosphere full of the smoke and fire of human life.

A delicate young girl in a red cloak, holding a brightly colored, mouthwatering candied hawthorn stick, walked slowly through the crowd.

Her entire face was buried in the cloak's wide hood, but her expression seemed somewhat forlorn.

"Big Brother and the others aren't here, and I don't know when Elder Li will return..." The girl parted her pearly teeth, bit off a sugar-coated hawthorn, held it in her mouth, and mumbled indistinctly.

Just then, she suddenly looked up and caught sight of a tall man in green robes at the end of the long street, walking toward her with a smile on his face.

The girl was startled at first, her almond eyes wide with disbelief. She quickly swallowed the hawthorn in her mouth and hurried forward to meet him.

When she drew near, she saw through the crowd that beside the man was a young girl with rosy lips and white teeth.

At that moment, the little girl was tugging at the man's clothes with both hands, wrinkling her nose as she looked around.

"Elder Li... Lord Li..."

Upon reaching the man, the girl immediately pulled down her hood and bowed to the man in green.

This man in green was none other than Han Li, who had traveled all the way from the Huanglan Continent, and the girl in the cloak was naturally Meng Qianqian, who had been staying in Tianyun City.

"No need for formalities. I entered the city through the East Gate and happened to sense your aura, so I came by," Han Li said with a slight smile.

"Uncle, who is she? Her cultivation is so low, and her aptitude is quite ordinary too," said the girl beside him, withdrawing her gaze from the street food that had caught her attention. She looked Meng Qianqian up and down and pursed her lips.

"She's your junior sister," Han Li said, feeling a headache coming on as he scolded her.

Meng Qianqian lowered her head in shame and softly said, "Senior Sister, please take care of me."

The girl beamed with joy: "Good junior sister, this is for you."

With that, she produced a bottle of pills from somewhere and tossed it to Meng Qianqian.

"Let's return to Guanyue Garden first. I have matters to discuss with you," Han Li said, noticing that the surrounding mortals were casting strange glances their way. Though no one dared to stop and stare, many were stealing looks.

"Yes!" Meng Qianqian quickly replied.

"So fragrant! I want to eat first," the girl said, wrinkling her nose at the aroma wafting from a tavern. Han Li dared not leave her alone; if this little girl really let loose, she might eat half of Tianyun City. He said, "Alright, I haven't had these in a long time either."

"Which place is good?" the girl asked, swallowing her saliva, already impatient.

"Are there any larger restaurants nearby? I haven't had mortal food in ages; I do miss it a bit," Han Li said, looking at Meng Qianqian.

"Yes, yes! The Guangyue Tower and Huichun Zhai nearby are both excellent. I'll take you there," Meng Qianqian nodded repeatedly.

She had strolled this street many times recently and, though not an expert, knew the food quite well. She immediately led Han Li toward the nearest Guangyue Tower.

But before they had even passed one intersection, the girl, already unbearably hungry, was drawn to a steamed bun shop by the roadside.

"This place's lamb buns are quite famous around here. We could try them," Meng Qianqian recommended.

Han Li nodded, and the three sat down.

The shop assistant who greeted them was a hunchback. Seeing their extraordinary bearing, he hurried over with a smile and asked, "What would you like, esteemed guests? Our lamb buns are the best for a hundred miles around."

"Three baskets of lamb buns first, with three bowls of lamb offal soup, well-cooked," Meng Qianqian said, placing a silver ingot on the table.

"Right away!" the assistant replied and turned to leave.

Before long, three steaming baskets of lamb buns were brought to the table.

Unable to restrain herself any longer, the girl grabbed a fluffy bun, bigger than both her hands, and took a big bite.

The soft bun skin broke open, and slightly golden broth spilled out, filling her mouth with a rich meaty aroma.

A look of satisfaction spread across the girl's face as she chewed rapidly.

The shop assistant, who hadn't yet turned away, stared wide-eyed, afraid the little girl might burn herself and he'd be blamed by the boss.

Just as he was about to warn her, he saw the girl finish the first bun, wipe the grease from her mouth, and hastily grab a second to stuff into her mouth.

Then, her speed increased, faster and faster, until he could no longer see her chewing—only bun after bun disappearing into her mouth.

The assistant stood there dumbfounded, his mouth half-open.

"Uncle, this thing called 'lamb bun' is so delicious! Give me another hundred... no, a thousand baskets!" the girl exclaimed, her face full of delight.

This time, not only the hunchbacked assistant but also the other diners turned to stare.

"Is it really that good?" Han Li laughed.

"Mm," the girl smacked her lips.

"Assistant, how many more are ready in the back? We'll take them all," Han Li said with a smile.

The hunchbacked assistant was stunned, momentarily at a loss.

Thinking the man was worried about payment, Han Li reached for silver, only to realize he had none—only various magical treasures and materials, and mostly immortal essence stones.

Being rich yet unable to pay the bill; Han Li was probably the first person in the city to have such a problem.

Meng Qianqian understood the situation. With a flick of her wrist, she placed a mid-grade spirit stone on the table.

Compared to those in the mortal world and the Spirit Realm, the common folk of the Northern Frost Immortal Domain had longer lifespans and stronger bodies. Though they still used gold and silver as currency in daily life, they were not unfamiliar with spirit stones, which were considered immortal money.

Since spirit stones stored the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, ordinary people carried them to benefit from their subtle influence, prolonging life and strengthening bones and muscles, even if they couldn't directly absorb the spiritual power.

Thus, spirit stones circulated as a high-level currency in the mortal world and were even sought after by wealthy merchants and nobles.

But the spirit stone Meng Qianqian produced was far superior in quality to ordinary ones, extremely rare in these streets, and immediately drew everyone's attention.

Fortunately, the bun shop's owner was also drawn by the commotion. She glanced discreetly at the mid-grade spirit stone on the table, learned the situation, and realized she had encountered distinguished guests. Smiling, she said, "Thank you for your patronage, esteemed guests. This spirit stone is too precious; how dare I accept it?" Even as she spoke, she had already slipped the stone into her bosom.

The owner quickly went to greet some regular customers, asking them to come back tomorrow. The surrounding patrons, heeding her advice and realizing these three were no ordinary folk, stopped staring and turned back, only to find their own buns had disappeared.

"Compared to the taste of magical treasures, this is truly a different flavor," the girl said, beaming with joy.

"Senior Sister... you... you usually eat magical treasures?" Meng Qianqian stared at the little girl, dumbfounded.

"Of course. What other good food is there in this city?" the girl asked, looking out of the shop.

"This street has more than just this place. Further down, there are Huangqiao sesame cakes, lotus seed cake, fermented rice balls, crispy wontons, spicy rabbit heads, cross-bridge rice noodles, red-oil wontons, beggar's chicken, scallion pancakes, soup dumplings..." Meng Qianqian rattled off like counting treasures.

Before she could finish, the girl's eyes were already shining, and she couldn't help swallowing.

"I don't know what they are, but they sound amazing... Alright, after we finish here, take me to the next place immediately," she said, her eyes curving into crescents as she wiped her mouth.

Just then, the hunchbacked assistant brought another ten baskets of buns. The girl sucked in her breath, and the ten baskets vanished into her stomach.

Watching this, Han Li couldn't help but smile. He picked up his bowl and took a sip of the lamb offal soup.

The soup was a bit cloudy, rich in flavor but without any gamey smell. As it went down his throat, a warmth spread through his stomach.

It was a taste he hadn't experienced in a long time.

Han Li had forgotten how many years it had been since he last ate mortal food. This bowl of lamb offal soup suddenly pulled him back into the mortal world, reminding him of the isolated yet simple mountain village in the human world.

He looked around at the lights and the flowing crowd, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly:

On the path of cultivation, he had seen too many celestial sights. Occasionally looking down at the mortal world, he found the scenery equally unique.