On the street, the crowd was bustling with excitement. It seemed like more than half the town's people had gathered here.
The originally spacious street was now packed solid, with people shoulder to shoulder, their toes touching the heels of those in front.
The air was filled with the aroma of various foods, mixed with the sounds of laughter and expectant whispers.
Although it wasn't a holiday, an atmosphere usually reserved for festivals had formed.
Both sides of the street were lined with temporary stalls. Some quick-witted vendors, seeing so many people gathered, seized the opportunity to sell snacks and drinks. The sounds of eating and drinking rose and fell, and business was quite good.
Children darted through the crowd, holding candied haws or cotton candy, excitedly pointing at the two cooking stations in the center and asking their parents questions, their eyes full of curiosity and anticipation.
The adults stood in groups of three or five, some on their tiptoes, others pushing their way to the front, all just to get a clearer view.
A match between Special Grade Chefs was something they might only see once in a lifetime.
Therefore, upon hearing the news, a large number of townspeople and tourists had flocked over, wanting to witness the prowess of a Special Grade Chef, creating this unique scene.
Time slowly ticked by to five in the afternoon, and the sky began to be tinged with a reddish glow.
From either side of the street, from Shōkei-en and Hyakuchō-kyo, two figures slowly approached.
As they arrived on the scene, the clamor of the crowd seemed to be put on pause, and everyone's gaze focused on them.
The first to catch the eye was Wang Zhi. He wore a flax-colored, traditional-style chef's uniform with four stars on his right shoulder, representing his status as a Special Grade Four-Star Chef. Every step he took was steady and powerful.
His expression was serious, his eyes revealing a confidence and composure born from long experience. In his hand, he carried an exquisite wooden cooking case, carved with intricate floral patterns, which looked exceptionally stately.
"It's Master Wang Zhi! I can't believe the helper Hyakuchō-kyo hired is him! This man once won third place in the Xi'an Province Special Grade Chef Competition!"
Someone in the crowd exclaimed in a low voice, revealing his identity for all to hear.
A chef who reached the Four-Star level was a prominent figure anywhere and wouldn't take action lightly. If it weren't for a major favor owed from his youth, he would never do something as shameful as bullying a junior.
"A Special Grade Four-Star... that's a Special Grade Four-Star Chef! I really can't imagine how his opponent could possibly win. He'll be completely outmatched in experience alone!"
"Shōkei-en is in trouble this time. But with a top student from Totsuki in the family, maybe they can win it back in a decade or so."
Watching Wang Zhi place his cooking case on the station, some spectators couldn't help but sigh. Even a regular Special Grade Chef was considered top-tier in their small town, let alone a Special Grade Four-Star.
"Hey, the one competing for Shōkei-en isn't Little Megumi, why is it that handsome young man? Could he be Little Megumi's boyfriend? Or is he a hired helper? Can that kid be trusted!?"
In the crowd, a few uncles who were familiar with Megumi Tadokoro were about to cheer for her when they realized the one competing for Shōkei-en was Dylan. The cheers caught in their throats and died away.
"Most likely her boyfriend. I saw them holding hands when they came back earlier. They were so intimate, it would be weird if he wasn't her boyfriend."
A lean man wearing a waterproof apron and glasses spoke up. He was a fishmonger at the seafood market and had been gutting fish for five or six years, his eyes as cold as if they held no emotion.
"I'll have to give that kid a serious warning later. Tell him not to break Little Megumi's heart, or I'll risk my old life to break his third leg!"
"Same here, same here."
As soon as someone brought up the topic, several burly men nodded in agreement, all concurring that scumbags were unacceptable, and they began chatting based on this theme.
For a moment, the atmosphere of the scene was completely sidetracked.
Seeing this, the surrounding people quickly moved away, afraid of being associated with these uncles. They had no desire to have their third legs broken.
The competition grounds.
Dylan and Wang Zhi stood facing each other. Neither spoke first, simply locking eyes in silence.
Behind them were the staff from their respective inns, now pushing forward the ingredients they would be using, drawing the gazes of the surrounding audience.
"What a huge monkfish! A monkfish this massive must be a rare sight even at the fish market! I can't believe Shōkei-en managed to get their hands on something like this!"
Watching Megumi Tadokoro push the monkfish forward, the crowd began to discuss it. The monkfish was suspended by a hook, its body as large as a fourteen or fifteen-year-old boy.
A monkfish of this size was exceptionally rare. It would be normal for only one to appear at the fish market in an entire year. Only the most skilled fishermen could catch one!
Generally, a monkfish of this quality would be reserved by a major restaurant the moment it appeared. It was truly unexpected to see one here this year.
However, for a competition with an entire inn on the line, it seemed quite normal for an ingredient of this caliber to appear. After all, ingredients have a price, but an inn is priceless.
"But have you noticed? The monkfish is being wheeled out on a crane instead of being prepared in the kitchen beforehand. Is he planning to perform a hanging cut?! If he messes that up, it'll be a joke, and he'll lose any impression points from the judges."
"That's right, the hanging cut is a very famous technique in our town. Almost any halfway decent chef knows it!"
"But I don't think he's a chef from around here. I wonder where he's from, and where he learned the hanging cut technique."
Someone muttered to themselves, a hint of anticipation in their eyes. For the people of this small town, watching a hanging cut performance was the best form of entertainment.
"The hanging cut isn't exclusive to our town. It's normal for others to know it. I just wonder how skilled he is, and if it's any different from ours..."
Watching Dylan approach with two Tanlang knives, the local townspeople in the audience began to whisper among themselves.
Since they were all neighbors, even if not well-acquainted, they mostly recognized each other. The sudden appearance of a stranger naturally piqued their curiosity.
"Teacher Dylan..."
Although she had unconditional faith in Dylan, now that the moment had arrived, Megumi Tadokoro couldn't help but feel a pang of nervousness.
It had nothing to do with trust; it was mainly that the current atmosphere was just too tense. If they lost the match, they would be plunged into a point of no return.
However, compared to their nervousness, the people from Hyakuchō-kyo had already started their victory celebration. They had laid out a spread of delicious food at the entrance of their inn, clearly planning to enjoy it while the match started to add to the atmosphere. Even the employees had smiles on their faces, because not a single one of them thought Wang Zhi would lose.
A veteran Special Grade Four-Star Chef against a fledgling kid—no matter how you looked at it, there was no suspense. They didn't even know why this whole charade was necessary.
"Kid, I'm giving you a chance to challenge me. This might be the only one you get in your entire life. I hope you cherish it."
Because Dylan had previously let Megumi Tadokoro develop the recipe, such a dismissive attitude had greatly annoyed Wang Zhi. His attitude toward him worsened considerably, and he began to mock him directly in front of everyone.
"I'll return that sentiment right back to you. This is also your only chance to challenge me. By rights, a Special Grade Four-Star isn't even qualified to challenge me."
Faced with Wang Zhi's condescending words, Dylan was not angered. He deftly threw the words back at him. His nonchalant demeanor was truly infuriating!
"I hope your cooking is as sharp as your tongue!"
Wang Zhi sneered. At this point, there was nothing more to say. Everything would be settled with skill. Let's see who's a mule and who's a horse; everyone will see who is weak and who is strong.
"Since this match is being held on our commercial street, then this old man will have the audacity to act as a judge, to ensure fairness and impartiality, without any bias."
Just then, a portly old man walked up, his eyes shining as he looked at Wang Zhi and Dylan, volunteering to be a judge.
"It's Master Izumino!"
"To think this competition would even attract his attention."
"The only Special Grade Chef in town. He's already eighty years old. I hear he earned the title of Special Grade Two-Star last year."
"If even he can't be a judge, then there's probably no one else in town with the qualification."
As the old man appeared, the scene erupted into discussion. Many people recognized him: Izumino Masao, a veteran Special Grade Chef who worked at the largest restaurant in town. Many townspeople had eaten his cooking, and he was held in extremely high regard.
"Very well. We were just about to select judges from among the townspeople. Since you've volunteered, sir, we have no reason to refuse."
Dylan spoke up at the right moment. Megumi Tadokoro had just come forward and informed him of the old man's identity. He had great respect for chefs like this who had dedicated themselves to their posts for so long.
"Why don't I be the second judge?"
"The Old Town Mayor."
"It's the Old Town Mayor!?"
Another slightly aged voice sounded. An old man holding a cane walked forward through the crowd, which parted for him, and volunteered to be the second judge.
"This is so lively! Then leave the third judge's seat for me! No one's going to fight a little girl like me for it, right? I want to taste the work of a Special Grade Chef too!"
Pushing through the crowd with a burst of energy, causing a wave of complaints, a sweet and cute-looking girl with twin pigtails, light makeup, and pink-themed clothes spoke eagerly.
When she saw that only two judges were seated and the third seat was empty, a delighted smile appeared on her face, and she promptly sat her big butt down.
"This..."
Seeing this, the surrounding audience looked at each other in bewilderment, because she was a complete stranger. In other words, she wasn't from the town.
Someone not from town daring to snatch a spot... everyone was a bit speechless, but out of politeness, no one spoke up to contest it. And so, the panel of judges was complete.
"It's getting late. If we delay any longer, the sky will be dark. The cooking time is no more than three hours. Begin your cooking."
As the most respected person present, the Old Town Mayor glanced at the darkening sky and took on the role of host, announcing the start of the match.
Dylan and Wang Zhi paid no mind to these details, their faces turning serious and focused as they looked at the ingredients their respective inns had prepared on the cooking stations.
Because they knew their opponent might not be simple, despite their outward displays of contempt, their hands would not be careless.
After all, losing this match would be a true and utter disgrace.
"It's starting."
Megumi Tadokoro and Tadokoro Mieko simultaneously placed their hands over their chests, their eyes betraying a hint of nervousness. This was the battle of fate that would decide the ownership of the inn!
As the competition was announced to begin, Dylan, standing before the suspended monkfish, suddenly closed his eyes. Everything around him grew quiet.
The enormous monkfish was hoisted high by an iron hook. Due to the wind, the fish's body swayed slightly, as if it were still struggling, and the iron chain creaked.
With a gentle wave of his hand, the Pojun knife shot out from behind him like lightning. The blade accurately pierced the monkfish's head. With a twist of the blade, the head and body were instantly separated, the sound of bone and flesh tearing crisp and clean. He then gently removed the head and placed it on an iron platter to the side.
Next, with another flick of his wrist, the Tanlang knife glided across the fish's belly like a ghost. With a light flick of the blade, the belly split open like silk, and the organs slid out like flowing water, yet not a single drop of blood splattered. The entire sequence was as smooth as flowing water, as if he were dancing with the fish. Wherever the blade passed, flesh and bone were perfectly separated.
"Hah!"
His eyes sharpened in an instant as he exhaled a breath of turbid air.
After the Tanlang knife came the Wuqu. The Wuqu knife was as light as the wind in Dylan's hand. The blade skimmed along the fish's body, slicing the flesh into pieces as thin as a cicada's wing, each slice so uniform it seemed measured with a ruler.
The fish slices flew from the monkfish's body, scattering in the air like a silver snow, gently landing on the iron platter, arranged in perfect order.
The Lianzhen knife danced in his hand like a paintbrush. The blade glided lightly over the fish skin, deftly removing the entire slippery monkfish skin in one piece, which was also placed on the iron platter.
The next moment, the Jumen knife fell abruptly, its blade like a hammer, crushing the fish bones to powder without damaging any of the surrounding flesh. The Lucun knife was the last to strike, its blade spinning like a whirlwind, cutting the fish meat into uniformly sized blocks, each as round and smooth as a pearl.
This entire process was like flowing water, as if practiced countless times. The monkfish was perfectly dismantled, with the head, bones, flesh, and skin all separated and neatly arranged on the silver platters.
"What sharp processing technique!"
"In an instant! It was processed in an instant!"
By the time Dylan was finished, the audience was already dumbfounded, wearing expressions of disbelief, because despite all that work, less than a minute had passed in real time.
Such a masterful hanging cut technique—even the most skilled hanging cut master in town couldn't compare!
Even Wang Zhi, who was processing bok choy, couldn't help but look up, a grave expression appearing in his eyes for the first time. This kid seemed to be a bit different from what he had thought...
"No, I can't be affected by my opponent. Calm down and focus on my own dish."
But he quickly lowered his head again, took a couple of deep breaths, and refocused his attention on the bok choy on the station, peeling off the outer leaves that were of poor quality to improve its overall appearance.
"Pork, ham, and bok choy, tribute vegetable, shrimp, and even green and yellow bell peppers... such a rich array of ingredients..."
"What kind of dish is that Special Grade Chef preparing?"
If the monkfish Dylan was processing was a famous local specialty, then what Wang Zhi was handling were local products that were not only grown and raised locally but also common elsewhere, and not particularly famous.
"Say what you will, the quality of those vegetables is really something. They were probably just pulled from the garden. Just looking at the color makes them look delicious!"
Someone couldn't help but exclaim in admiration. The ingredients Hyakuchō-kyo had prepared for Wang Zhi were all of the highest quality. The roots of the vegetables still had a small amount of fresh soil on them, clearly just dug up from the ground.
"I saw them butchering a pig this afternoon. That piece of pork belly must be fresh too. They're really pulling out all the stops for this match!"
"You can say that again! After all, the stake of this Shokugeki is an entire inn."
As they talked, Wang Zhi began to simmer a chicken broth. After adding various ingredients to the pot, he covered it with a lid, leaving a small gap, and waited while he prepared the other ingredients.
First, he quickly diced the ham and set it aside in a bowl. Then he took the lotus seeds from a plate, removed their cores, and also set them aside in a bowl.
He cut the green pepper, yellow pepper, and chili into small, whip-like pieces. He deveined and minced the shrimp, and minced the pork belly and the remaining chili.
Next, using the minced pork belly as a base, he added the minced shrimp, chili, diced ham, and lotus seeds. Then he added salt, white pepper, a small spoonful of cornstarch, a little sesame oil, and finally an egg white, and mixed it all evenly.
After mixing the filling evenly, the next step was to slam it. Wang Zhi was seen picking up the filling and slamming it down repeatedly until it became firm.
He brought a pot of water to a boil, added a small amount of salt, and placed the washed bok choy inside, while preparing a bowl of ice water on the side.
Once the bok choy was slightly blanched, he used a strainer to scoop it out and plunge it into the ice water. After it cooled rapidly, he squeezed out the excess water so it wouldn't affect the texture.
"By removing the core, I can pack in more filling. This dish is all about layers of texture and an unparalleled sense of satisfaction."
Wang Zhi muttered to himself. He opened up the prepared bok choy, used a small knife to carve out the core, and placed the prepared meat filling inside, setting it aside.
The firm meat filling and the bok choy could adhere well together, but to prevent it from falling apart during steaming, it needed to be tied.
However, for an elegant dish, using string would inevitably affect the aesthetics and texture. So, Wang Zhi chose tribute vegetable, using a long strip to tie a neat bow.
He trimmed the stuffed bok choy slightly with a sharp knife, ensuring the upper leaves weren't too large, which would affect the final presentation's beauty.
At this point, the dish was basically complete. After steaming in a steamer for about eight minutes, it was garnished with the green, yellow, and red peppers, and drizzled with clear chicken broth to enhance the base flavor, then it was ready to be served.
As the clear chicken broth was poured over the stuffed bok choy, a golden light rose from the edges of the broth and the vegetable, making even the dim evening glow seem brighter!
"Glowing Cuisine! It's the legendary Glowing Cuisine! It's truly better to see it once than to hear about it a hundred times! It's really that dazzling, like a sun radiating with brilliant light!"
The Special Grade Chef who was earlier called Master Izumino shot up from his chair, slamming his hands on the table, his eyes filled with shock.
He had heard there was a Special Grade Four-Star Chef at the competition and had immediately rushed from his home, precisely to witness the legendary Glowing Cuisine. Now that his wish was finally fulfilled, tears streamed down his old face.
"Please, enjoy. I've named this dish 'Golden Soup Jade-Stuffed Bok Choy'. The ingredients used are all inconspicuous but ever-present ingredients from this small town.
Like all of you, who work silently but contribute constantly, you too will one day shine in your respective fields. This is what I want to express."
Presenting the Golden Soup Jade-Stuffed Bok Choy to the three judges, Wang Zhi explained the concept of his dish.
He used only common ingredients, yet he created a glowing-level dish. Even if they were just local ingredients, they could become brilliantly radiant!
"Excellent! A wonderful idea! Even a golden phoenix can fly out of a mountain valley! As expected of a renowned Special Grade Four-Star Chef, his first move is a concept beyond the reach of ordinary people!"
After hearing Wang Zhi's passionate speech, the Old Town Mayor led the applause.
As an elder here, his greatest hope was to see the town's residents succeed. Even if born in the countryside, they could still shine in their respective fields.
This dish truly spoke to his heart!
"It is indeed a very fine dish. Stuffing meat into bok choy, complemented by clear chicken broth, blending several flavors into one dish. It's quite remarkable."
The pink-themed, sweet-looking girl nodded lightly. She first leaned over the dish to smell it, then picked it up with her chopsticks to observe, evaluating it before tasting.
A good dish doesn't even need to be tasted; just smelling its aroma is enough to know it's incredibly delicious. The Golden Soup Jade-Stuffed Bok Choy before them was exactly that.
"The freshness of the bok choy and the richness of the meat filling complement each other. The umami of the chicken broth runs through it all, while the tribute vegetable and peppers add a unique flavor and texture.
Thus, every bite brings a new experience. This unique flavor makes one uncontrollably moan! It's simply too amazing!"
As the dish entered her mouth, the pink-haired girl couldn't stop letting out soft moans. Her small face became exceptionally rosy, and her body trembled slightly from the dish.
"Ah! The lingering taste is incredible!"
The impact was like continuous waves, one after another without pause, until it completely broke through her defenses, leaving her collapsed on the table.
"The most amazing part is the layers of texture. The outside is crisp, the inside is tender, with that soft, supple feeling. The flavor of the bok choy is exceptionally special, and paired with the minced meat and chicken broth, it's so delicious it could make your eyebrows fall off!"
Master Izumino also gave high praise, a slight flush appearing on his old face. The profound flavor lingered in his mouth, lasting and continuous. It could be called a masterpiece!
"As expected of a glowing-level dish! Just the aroma alone has intoxicated so many people!"
"If I could just have one bite, I'd be willing to do anything!"
This was the thought of everyone present. Just smelling the aroma from the plate made them fantasize about it. If the judges hadn't finished it in time, and if some strong-willed people hadn't held them back, many would have likely rushed forward just for a single bite.
And the three judges were now sitting in their seats with satisfied expressions, continuously offering extremely high praise with professional terminology.
_____
🔥 New stories are out! 🔥
🪦 Save 25% on my P... page right now.
✅ Read 40 chapters ahead on all series.
✅ Get exclusive content and updates.
Help us hit our targets:
🎯 100 Powerstones = +1 free chapter for all
🚀 80 MEMBERS = +5 bonus chapters (all stories)!
👻 P - Walnutchan