"Director Hu, have you had breakfast yet? If not, I'll treat you."
Ryan, smelling the aroma of breakfast and eager to fill his stomach, asked Hu Tao.
"No need, no need. This Master is looking for you precisely to treat you to a meal."
Hearing Ryan's words, Hu Tao immediately waved her hand.
"Treat me to a meal?"
Hearing that Hu Tao was treating, Ryan suppressed the urge to eat breakfast and looked at Hu Tao in confusion.
"That's right. Consider it This Master's thanks for helping the Guest Elder prepare for the Rite of Parting."
"Of course, the most important thing is... This Master learned a new skill from Xiangling a few days ago, and I'm just missing a lucky individual to taste test it."
Hu Tao nodded her head, explaining.
"I see."
"But Director Hu, I'm very hungry right now. If I don't eat soon, I might starve to death..."
Ryan nodded in understanding, then clutched his stomach and swallowed.
"Oh, This Master cooks very quickly. This Master will cover your breakfast today. Come on, come on, follow This Master back to Wangsheng Funeral Parlor."
Knowing that Ryan was already very hungry, Hu Tao immediately took his hand and ran towards Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
"Director, aren't you supposed to..."
At the entrance of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, Morax, who was about to go out, saw Hu Tao running back. Before he could finish his question, he saw Ryan, whose hand she was holding, behind her.
"Guest Elder, don't worry. This Master knows what she's doing. There's plenty of time."
Hu Tao told Morax, pulling Ryan into Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
As they passed Morax, Ryan raised his hand innocently and greeted him.
"..."
"It seems there's a Yun-Han Opera Troupe performance this morning..."
Morax pondered for a moment, suddenly remembering a play performance today, then walked away from Wangsheng Funeral Parlor with his hands behind his back.
Ryan was thus pulled by Hu Tao to the dining table at Wangsheng Funeral Parlor and pressed into a chair.
"Stay here and don't move. This Master will be right back."
After cautioning Ryan, Hu Tao immediately ran into the kitchen.
There weren't many people left who were willing to taste her dishes; even the Guest Elder wasn't willing anymore. Now, every person who was willing to taste her dishes had to be especially cherished.
She had been looking for Ryan for several days, but unfortunately, Ryan had been hiding in Jueyun Karst all this time.
"This Director Hu is too enthusiastic..."
Ryan mumbled, then looked at his hand, which she had been pulling.
Sniff, sniff... no smell, it seems she washed her hands, very hygienic... Ryan sat at the dining table and waited for a while. He could vaguely hear movement in the kitchen, but it was all within the normal range, not like an accident.
After a while, Hu Tao finally came out of the kitchen, carrying a tray with three steaming dishes and a bowl of white porridge.
Jade Parcels, Crystal Shrimp, and a dish with a very cute presentation that Ryan didn't recognize.
The presentation looked like a group of small, round-headed creatures with noses and faces, all squeezed together.
"This is This Master's unique dish, youyou great march, developed with inspiration from Xiangling."
Noticing that Ryan's gaze was fixed on this dish, Hu Tao immediately patted her unremarkable chest proudly and introduced it.
"I see..."
Ryan nodded his head, and under Hu Tao's expectant gaze, he picked up a Jade Parcel with his chopsticks and put it into his mouth.
"Mm... the smooth-textured vegetable leaves lock in the savory flavor of the ham. The Director's cooking already has the flair of a master chef."
Ryan nodded in satisfaction.
As expected of a skill learned from Xiangling; currently, Ryan's most admired cooking skill was Xiangling's.
"Hmph hmph~ This Master's cooking is undeniably good~"
Ryan's praise was very pleasing to Hu Tao; she tilted her head back a little smugly.
Then Ryan tasted the other dishes. The Crystal Shrimp were dumplings filled with whole shrimp. When put into the mouth, the tip of the tongue felt as if live shrimp were leaping.
After also giving high praise to the Crystal Shrimp, Ryan finally picked up a small piece of Hu Tao's special dish.
It was a single piece, looking like a cute version of a little ghost... "...?"
Ryan brought it to his mouth, but for some reason, all the hairs on his body suddenly stood on end, as if a great terror was nearby.
He vigilantly looked around but found no source of danger.
"Don't worry, with This Master here, no one will snatch it from you."
Hu Tao, sitting next to him with her elbows on the table and her chin propped in her hands, watched Ryan, waiting for his final evaluation.
"Mm..."
Ryan could only respond, trusting Hu Tao's words, and slowly put the small ghost into his mouth.
His tongue lightly touched it, and before Ryan could close his mouth, he suddenly felt an electric current spread throughout his body.
'Little Ryan, come quickly, it's very lively here too. Your martial uncles all miss you~'
An unknown girl with large sleeves vaguely appeared before Ryan, beckoning him.
"Why did you suddenly space out? Is it because it's too delicious?"
Suddenly, Hu Tao's voice pulled Ryan back. The beckoning hand turned into Hu Tao waving her hand in front of him to get his attention.
"..."
"Oh, by the way, Director Hu, what was your name again?"
Staring blankly at the small hand waving in front of him, Ryan, having come back to his senses, suddenly asked Hu Tao.
"This Master's name? I introduced it before, didn't I? Never mind, never mind, I'll introduce it again."
"This Master is precisely the seventy-seventh Director of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, Hu Tao, the Hu of Hu Tao, the Tao of Hu Tao."
Hearing Ryan suddenly ask her name, Hu Tao was puzzled for a moment, but still reintroduced her name to Ryan.
"Hu Tao... a good name, Director."
Ryan put down the chopsticks and the small ghost he had licked, then clapped his hands.
"But there's a bit of a coincidence; I'm also Fox Tao, the Fox of fox, the Tao of escape."
"Adeptus Art, Vanquisher of Evil, possess!"
The next moment, Ryan performed an Adeptus Art, and the phantom of the Vanquisher of Evil appeared behind him.
Wind Wheel!
Whoosh—
Hu Tao only heard a 'whoosh,' a gust of wind blew, and Ryan vanished from in front of her.
"...?"
"You haven't given This Master your evaluation yet!"
Realizing what happened, Hu Tao quickly stood up, propping herself on the table with both hands.
But Ryan was already nowhere to be seen.
At the same time, at the peak of Guyun Stone Forest.
Ryan finally let out a sigh of relief and collapsed onto a Shitou.
He felt like he could feed on himself, an emotion called fear.
That dish... there was definitely something wrong with it!
Hiss—
Could it be... "Director Hu is the Director of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor... could she... use ghosts to cook?"
Ryan quickly made this guess, and his hair stood on end.
This was even more terrifying than him wanting to use ghosts to refine elixirs...