Suddenly, Xiangling seemed to see her Deck… as if it were shining with a fiery glow!
At the sight of this card, a faint tear welled in Xiangling's eyes, but she quickly steadied herself.
[Recipe Notebook] (Spell Card)
On the card, a young Xiangling stands in the kitchen, holding a pot steady in her hands.
"Dad! I want to learn to cook!!"
Her father, Master Mao, nods and hands her his life's work—the "Recipe Notebook."
On the notebook's flyleaf, a line reads:
"There are many secrets to cooking."
"But!"
"The most important secret is to love cooking with all your heart!"
Anyone else might have grumbled at such an old-fashioned lesson, but Xiangling cherished it like a treasure. In her eyes, it was precisely by holding to that creed that her father had persevered through the rivalry between the Li Cuisine and Yue Cuisine schools.
At the time, their open and covert struggles had reached a fever pitch. Many small restaurants were suppressed—Wanmin Restaurant included.
"Delicacies shouldn't be divided into noble or common!"
Seeing rare ingredients like matsutake and crab forcibly monopolized filled Xiangling with anger. Her way of expressing it was to take up Wanmin's big ladle.
"It's time to build on Dad's foundation and make a change."
"No matter what ingredients I use, I'll make food that's super tasty!"
Even the finest ingredients are nothing if you can't make them delicious!
Just like… even the strongest cards are meaningless if they can't connect with your heart!
"Next—let me show you!!! My bond with Dad, with Guoba, and with everyone at Wanmin!"
Xiangling had nothing on the field, three cards in her left hand, and in her right, the freshly drawn [Recipe Notebook].
"That's more like it! Xiangling, bring out the momentum of Wanmin's waitress and head chef! Don't be cowed by Director Hu!"
"Go, Xiangling!!!"
Seeing Xiangling cheer up, Guoba yipped happily.
Xiangling placed the card in her Spell/Trap Zone and smiled at Hu Tao:
"I activate the Spell Card—[Recipe Notebook]. For every 1000 Life Points I've lost this duel, I randomly add 1 [Food] card to my hand!"
As [Recipe Notebook] resolved, the field transformed into Wanmin's back kitchen. Master Mao appeared before Xiangling.
"There are many secrets to cooking."
"Still!"
"The most important secret is to love cooking with all your heart!"
With that, he handed Xiangling the [Recipe Notebook]. She took it, and the kitchen faded. Master Mao, smiling, faded as well. [Recipe Notebook] split into four cards.
"Since I've lost 4000 LP this duel, I randomly obtain four [Food] cards!"
She swept the four Food cards into her hand, grinning like the day she first stir-fried something delicious—joy written all over her face!
Last turn, it had looked like "three cards and you'll OTK me, Hu Tao?!" Now the tables had turned. Xiangling had seven cards in hand—even if her field was empty… with this many ingredients, there were infinite possibilities!
Xiangling fanned her hand at Hu Tao, her two round eyebrows quivering like two fluffy blue Mora.
"With so many ingredients, making a great dish will be a piece of cake!"
Seeing her produce four cards at once, Hu Tao's anticipation rose. After all, seeing many different effects is one of dueling's joys!
The regulars at Wanmin—the gourmets who always asked for Xiangling personally—were thrilled to see her hand swell by four.
"Haha, who'd have thought Xiangling could cook while dueling~"
"As expected of Xiangling's deck—duel by cooking!"
"Right on brand—her true calling~"
"Even with an empty field, seven cards in hand could still create a miracle!"
"But Director Hu has four monsters out—that's a big lead."
"True."
"This duel… is only just beginning!"
"If not for last turn's lucky [Emergency Provisions] in the Graveyard, it would've been over… regardless, luck is part of dueling skill!"
"Luck? That's called bonds, okay! Go read the Yu-Gi-Oh! manga!"
Amid the buzz, Xiangling played her first card from seven:
"I Normal Summon [Culinary Apprentice]!"
[Culinary Apprentice] Level 4│FIRE│Warrior│1000 ATK / 1000 DEF
A short blue-haired girl about 1.2 meters tall appeared on Xiangling's field—round face, round eyebrows, a red, Chinese-style short dress, a chef's hat, and a full set of cooking tools. On closer look, she resembled Xiangling by seven or eight parts.
"What do you want to eat?! Even if it's not on the menu, tell me—I'll make it for you!"
With [Culinary Apprentice] successfully Summoned, Xiangling still had six cards left.
"Next, I play the Spell Card [Food – Jueyun Chili]! Effect!!! Scorch the opponent's lowest-ATK monster on the field, then recover Life Points equal to half that monster's ATK."
Hu Tao currently had four monsters:
[Zombie Master] ATK: 2300
[Goblin Zombie] ATK: 1600
[Lost Ghostling] ATK: 800
[Breaker the Magical Warrior] ATK: 1600
The lowest was [Lost Ghostling] at 800.
As [Food – Jueyun Chili] resolved, dozens of Jueyun Chilis appeared. [Culinary Apprentice] placed them before her, drew a knife, and swiftly chopped them into pieces, preparing a dish. The duel stage filled with their spicy aroma.
Guoba cheered—Jueyun Chili is a spicy Liyue specialty. Its scent alone heats the body and makes one crave water, sending people racing toward a "Jueyun peak!"
Hu Tao's monsters all furrowed their brows at the heat. The weakest, [Lost Ghostling], couldn't take it first—reduced to vapor by the chilis and ascending on the spot!
"Ah! Little ghost… safe travels… sob~"
Though [Lost Ghostling] had no sense of smell, under [Food – Jueyun Chili]'s effect it could only depart early.
"You bit me just now—this pays it back!"
With the 800-ATK [Lost Ghostling] destroyed, a red stream flowed from it into Xiangling.
"Since [Lost Ghostling] with 800 ATK was destroyed, I recover Life Points equal to half its ATK!"
Xiangling's LP rose from 2000 to 2400.
"Next! I activate the Continuous Spell [Food – Special Ham]. While this card remains on the field, your monsters gain 200 ATK!"
This "special ham" is smoked leg meat—a thin slice fills the mouth with fragrance. A large ham appeared on Xiangling's field, its aroma wafting. [Culinary Apprentice]'s ATK rose from 1000 to 1200, and she sliced off a generous piece to set by her tools, clearly prepping a meal.
With the Continuous Spell resolving, some customers unfamiliar with Continuous Spells grew curious.
"What's a Continuous Spell?"
"You don't know? Once it activates, it stays in effect. Simple as that."
"Oh… just like the name!"
After two Food cards, Xiangling still had five cards.
"Next, I activate the Continuous Spell [Food – Liyue Rice]. While this card remains on the field, your monsters gain 200 DEF!"
Much like the ham, [Food – Liyue Rice] boosted DEF while it stayed. A big sack of rice appeared, raising [Culinary Apprentice]'s DEF by 200. She scooped out a big bowl to prepare.
"Alright! The ingredients are almost ready! Now for the final one! I play the Spell Card [Food – Horsetail]!"
Horsetail grows in Dihua Marsh, a purple plant that stands taller and fuller than the surrounding reeds—despite the name, it looks like purple foxtail grass.
"Effect: reduce all opponent's monsters' ATK by 200!"
Purple horsetail sprouted across Hu Tao's field, veiling her monsters' vision; their ATK dropped by 200.
[Zombie Master] ATK: 2100
[Goblin Zombie] ATK: 1400
[Breaker the Magical Warrior] ATK: 1400
Hu Tao sneezed at the purple sea. "That's four Food cards in a row—what's she making? This combination of ingredients feels familiar… Jueyun Chili, ham, rice, horsetail… Ah! That dish!! I know it~"
"Me too—Liyue specialty snack: Jueyun Guoba?!"
Jueyun Guoba is a Liyue specialty: quick-fry sliced [Special Ham] with [Jueyun Chili], then pour it over crispy rice made from [Liyue Rice] and [Horsetail] fried together. With refined meat and spice mingling, ordinary rice becomes a scorching-hot delicacy.
With [Culinary Apprentice] on the field and four [Food] cards used in succession, Xiangling now had only two cards left—yet, her smile remained, brimming with confidence.
"Alright! The ingredients are assembled. Next… it's mealtime~"
At Xiangling's side, Guoba's eyes sparkled and drool nearly fell. Jueyun Guoba is, after all, the origin of Guoba's name—proof enough of his love for it.
Hu Tao wouldn't be outdone: "Bring it! Send the Guoba over!"
...
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