Early the next morning, on the Loulin Ship.
"Hey, I’ve been back in the country for a few days, and I haven’t triggered a single mission. System, what’s going on? You need to explain!"
Xia Yu looked up from a pile of failed mixed spice dust on the table.
"..."
The system said, "Please actively explore!"
"I won’t talk about the rest, but is there no mission related to the talent competition?"
"..."
Xia Yu had no choice but to give up, feeling helpless.
The so-called New Year’s Talent Competition had little attraction for Xia Yu. Without the system’s tasks to whip him into action, Xia Yu felt completely unmotivated.
However, it’s not all bad, as most of his energy was focused on studying the Taboo Spices, rck Star Dust. Researching and mastering new materials is always like this; there’s no shortcut to success. He continued to diligently work even after returning ho. Xia Yu’s understanding of rck Star Dust was rapidly accumulating, and he had a vague feeling that a breakthrough was imminent.
"Optimal, perfect utilization, reaching 100%!"
"Three stones concerning the purification of the ’Jade Dragon Pot’!"
He planned to remove the failed mixed spice from the table.
Knock, knock!
Soone knocked on the door.
It was Xia Qing standing outside, arms crossed. "I heard from Aqing that you entered this year’s Talent Competition?"
"Yeah!"
Xia Yu replied as he opened the door for the old man, only to realize it was already daylight outside.
"Since you entered, you should go all the way to the end. I heard from Yan Qi that with your culinary skills, reaching the final round is expected. If you get knocked out..." The old man’s eyes showed a playful glint.
"Wouldn’t that make you the most lackluster, weakest new Lin Chef in history?"
The latter half of the sentence made Xia Yu’s face darken.
The weakest Lin Chef? Whoever wants that title can have it!
"What do you an by that, old man?" Xia Yu’s forehead twitched, "Are you hoping to see your grandson get beaten up by a special chef?"
"That’s uncertain."
Xia Qing shook his head, "The Chinese Realm is, after all, different from Japan."
"On the stage of the talent competition, the further you go, the more terrifying the backgrounds of the younger generation you encounter. At this ti, your opponents are not only the people on stage but also those ancient recipes passed down..."
Xia Yu’s heart sank slightly.
It seed to make sense.
For instance, on the Sapporo competition stage, he used the ancient recipes ’Golden Laugh’ and ’Four Divine Seafood Eight Treasure Soul Suppressing Dumplings’ to defeat strong contenders and win the championship.
If the opponents had recipes of the sa level or even higher, wouldn’t he beco the one being overturned?
Thinking this way, Xia Yu suddenly realized that the talent competition might not be the shallow pool he had imagined.
Perhaps, there would be a few who would stir up turbulent waves unexpectedly.
"But that makes it more interesting!" Xia Yu stretched lazily and went inside to freshen up.
The old man went inside, but his gaze was firmly attracted to the mixed spice on the table that hadn’t been removed in ti.
...
Approaching noon.
Xia Yu and Zhu Qing boarded the auxiliary ship one after the other, waving goodbye to the towering Loulin Ship that gradually sailed away.
This ti, the Loulin Ship would be sailing on the Yangtze River and the Huangpu River for a week. Xia Yu still had to participate in the talent competition and couldn’t travel downriver with Yan Qi and Xia Qing.
The auxiliary ship had quite a few passengers. As soon as they stepped onto the deck, Zhu Qing tugged his arm, pointing sowhere with a sly smile.
"Hehe, didn’t expect the top of the Five Talents to be on board too!"
Xia Yu looked over; the young man, noticing Zhu Qing pointing at him, turned his head to cast a glance.
Both sides wore black robes, but Xia Yu and Zhu Qing both had their hoods on, while Ye Feizhou had already removed his hood and was surrounded by several middle-aged socialites.
"Him?"
Xia Yu’s lips curved slightly, "The reigning king of the talent competition from past years, the uncrowned king of the younger generation in the Chinese Realm?"
Seemingly sensing a hint of mockery in Xia Yu’s eyes, Ye Feizhou’s face instantly darkened.
At the sa ti.
On the Loulin Ship heading towards the Yangtze River.
"Brother Xia, what’s gotten into you?"
Seeing his friend sitting still for a long ti, Yan Qi couldn’t help but take off his shoes and lift the bamboo curtain to enter the tea room.
Sunlight stread through the porthole, gathering on the table’s spice dust.
Xia Qing just crossed his arms, watching this spice, which he casually took from his grandson, with his gaze flickering.
"Look—"
He replied, pointing to the spice.
Yan Qi bent his legs to sit down, focused on his sense of sll, took a light whiff of the scent, and exclaid, "When did you co up with such a decent spice formula?"
Originally asking casually, Yan Qi beca intrigued.
Xia Qing shook his head and suddenly reached out to curl the snow-white paper containing the dust like a cigarette, then pulled out a lighter. With a flick, the fla quickly consud the paper, and soon, a wisp of smoke erged from the fla.
"Roar—"
But suddenly, Xia Qing and Yan Qi both showed surprised expressions.
Accompanied by a dull roar, it was as if so deep-sea giant beast erged, and faintly, they saw a massive whale spreading its wings over the sea, moving slowly.
After a while, only ashes remained on the table.
"I was initially worried he might get tripped up in the talent competition." Xia Qing was stunned for a while, but then he laughed heartily, "Looks like my grandson isn’t just so new Lin Chef after all."
Hearing his friend’s explanation that this was his grandson’s work, Yan Qi nodded, with amazent in his eyes, "When I was in Japan, I knew he had quite a skill in spices, but there was still a gap before reaching the Qilin Realm, and now..."
Tasting the lingering scent in the air, Yan Qi said, "He’s already mastered the ’imaging thod’ of spices, bringing the spice formula to life..."
"Indeed, the ’image’. In the Chinese Realm, there aren’t many spice masters who have reached this level!"
Xia Qing laughed for a long ti.
...
Back at Zhao’s Vineyard, Xia Yu probably didn’t expect that the bit of failed product he planned to dispose of would significantly elevate Xia Qing and Yan Qi’s evaluation of his culinary skills.
Just as he set foot in the courtyard at noon, Zhao Qi and Zhao Tong ca to find him.
Zhao Qi looked at him with a pout.
Zhao Tong complained to Zhu Qing, "Aqing, many people ca looking for you yesterday, and they didn’t leave until late at night. Each one was from a prestigious family, and I had to entertain them carefully."
"Hey, how do you know Xu Liuyue?" Zhao Qi approached with his hands in his pockets.
"Xu Liuyue? Who’s that?"
Xia Yu was bewildered.
Zhao Qi’s forehead twitched, glaring at him, "You don’t even know the famous beauty Xu? Did you just co back from Africa?"
"Forget it!"
Then, Zhao Qi looked at him with an expression that made Xia Yu’s spine tingle, "Is your na Xia Yu?"
"A gentleman never changes his na whether walking or sitting..."
"Is it a duplicate na, or is it really that Xia Yu?"
"Which one do you think I am?"
Xia Yu smiled.
"Got it!"
Zhao Qi seed to have received a confirmation, hamred his fist into his palm, and quickly turned to walk away.
Xia Yu shook his head, uninterested, and left Zhu Qing to chat with Zhao Tong while he went inside, pulled out his phone, and turned it on to light up the screen.
Sure enough, the buzzing of ssages was incessant.
"Well, now it seems everyone knows I’m back..."
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