Tohru pinched her nose with one hand and asked with a strange tone, "What is this? It smells so bad."
"Hehe," Liu Ming didn't reply, still looking a bit odd.
Tadokoro Megumi wasn't much better off, but as a chef, she didn't hide away like the other two.
She remained seated, though her expression was a little uncomfortable.
Liu Ming, under her shocked gaze, placed the stinky dish in front of her.
"Do you remember what I said a couple of days ago? This is my apprenticeship gift to you. Surprised? Unexpected?"
"Master, did I hear that right? This is for me to drink? Are you sure it won't kill someone?" Tadokoro Megumi pointed incredulously at the black, garbage-like concoction on the table.
"Would Master ever harm you? Good girl, drink it down in one gulp." Liu Ming's expression at this moment was like a strange uncle trying to trick a little girl.
Tadokoro Megumi showed an expression uglier than crying. "Do I really have to drink it? What exactly is this? It's so stinky."
"This is a good thing, of course," Liu Ming said, no longer needing to hide it from her. He explained directly,
"This is the unique formula of our sect - Appetizer Soup. It's specifically used to develop taste buds on the tongue and enhance the sense of taste. It's permanent, you know. If you weren't my disciple, you wouldn't even get to drink it."
Tadokoro Megumi's face changed drastically upon hearing this. She, of course, knew how important taste was to a chef.
She had heard of some dishes that could temporarily enhance taste perception, but a permanent effect? This was the first time she had ever heard of it.
"Master, what you said about permanent taste enhancement, is it true?" Tadokoro Megumi's voice even trembled a little.
"Silly disciple, would I lie to you about something like this? Doesn't your school have a God Tongue? As long as you drink this, your sense of taste won't be much worse than hers."
"Master," Tadokoro Megumi's eyes began to well up with tears of gratitude.
Ever since she became his disciple, Master had treated her like family. Whenever he cooked, he would explain all the key points in detail,
various processing techniques, cooking methods, and ingredient pairings. He held nothing back, truly treating her as a successor.
In this short time, her culinary theory had improved qualitatively. All that was missing was the tempering of time.
If her taste nerves could achieve a breakthrough, even just imagining it, she could envision the terrifying improvement her strength would undergo.
At this moment, she had a decision forming in her heart: Is it really good to continue staying at Totsuki Academy? Instead of staying at Totsuki Academy, it might be better to follow Master. Her culinary skills would probably improve even faster that way.
The heavy shackles of Totsuki Academy in her heart unknowingly lightened a lot.
"Let me warn you first, Appetizer Soup doesn't taste very good, and after drinking it, your tongue will hurt a lot. This pain will last for two to three days, and it's not a pleasant feeling at all," Liu Ming reminded her.
"It's okay, I can definitely endure it." Tadokoro Megumi's gaze was firm, and she nodded without hesitation.
She suddenly stood up and bowed deeply to Liu Ming.
After doing all this, she solemnly picked up the Appetizer Soup with both hands.
"I'll drink it."
It was truly awful to drink.
What kind of taste was this? She couldn't find any words to describe it.
It was like moldy durian, or expired herring in a can, even far exceeding both. As the soup entered her mouth, her tongue resisted desperately, sending a constant stream of rejection to her brain,
like waves continuously assaulting her taste nerves.
It would kill someone.
If she didn't stop, it would truly be so awful to drink that it would kill someone.
Seeing Tadokoro Megumi's completely distorted face, Kanna's small body trembled even more violently.
Tohru also shivered. She nervously asked, "Megumi, how does it taste?"
Tadokoro Megumi showed an indescribable expression. She turned her head and looked at Liu Ming expectantly, "Can I have a piece of candy now? My mouth feels terrible."
"No, you can't eat anything from now until six tomorrow morning. Not even a glass of water, otherwise all your efforts will be in vain."
Liu Ming secretly rejoiced. Fortunately, he had the skill of Emperor's Tongue. Otherwise, if he really had to drink this stuff, he was afraid he wouldn't be able to swallow it.
"How can this be?" Tadokoro Megumi felt a little regretful. Just as she was about to say something else, a sharp pain suddenly shot through her tongue.
It was an unforgettable pain. She couldn't help but gasp for air.
Tears streamed down her face as if they were free.
"Master, it hurts, it hurts, my tongue hurts, save me!"
"Just bear with it," Liu Ming felt a little heartache too, but now was not the time to be soft-hearted.
"But it really hurts!" Tadokoro Megumi's voice had changed.
"Then find something to do to distract yourself, and it will feel a little better. Don't worry, it only hurts this much at first; it will get better after a while. Oh, and this is a unique formula of our sect, so don't go blabbing about it. If anyone asks, just make up an excuse, anything."
Tadokoro Megumi nodded. She didn't want to talk anymore because her tongue hurt too much, and opening her mouth would only make it worse.
She, of course, knew how important taste was to a chef. If Appetizer Soup were to spread, one could imagine the sensation it would cause.
"Take this time to think carefully about what kind of food is suitable to sell in the display window. This is a long-term task I'm giving you, so don't forget it.