The annual talent competition of the Chinese Realm is nearing its end, and the entire nation is swept up in overwhelming pre-competition debates.
So support Ye Feizhou to keep his title as the champion.
Others hope for new talents to erge, to dethrone a few of the "Five Chinese Talents", initiating renewal.
Of course.
The discussion about whether the "Young Devil" can defeat the champion started spreading the day that na ca out and hasn’t stopped since, undeniably becoming the focal point that captures the entire Chinese Realm’s attention in the following days.
Ye Feizhou disappeared early on; according to a concerned informant from the White Jade Tower who wishes to remain anonymous, he went into seclusion.
Xia Yu also moved from Zhao’s Vineyard to Tang’s Mansion; a large number of dia personnel are blocked outside by Tang’s household staff, making it impossible to see Xia Yu in person to ask about his goals for the final battle and his views on the formidable opponent.
Anyway, after settling into Tang’s Mansion, cut off from the outside world, Xia Yu basically lives a life of sleeping and waking, waking and sleeping.
No.
To be precise, he gets tired of pondering, and then lies down, sleeping on a bed in the bedroom, or simply lying on a table in the courtyard basking in the warm winter sun, or perhaps running to the pavilion to nap on a chair, not even bothering to take off his shoes, his days are truly leisurely.
The second day before the competition.
"Aqiong, go call Chef Xia."
Granny Tang told her granddaughter.
Tang Yuqiong was called out of the kitchen by the servants, bewildered as she listened to Granny’s instruction, feeling even more puzzled, "Grandma, what do you want from that guy? He’s been pondering recipes these days so much that his hair’s turning white."
"You keep saying he’s conceptualizing recipes every day, and the decisive day of the competition is coming soon. Can’t this old lady ask him a few questions?" Granny Tang chuckled.
So, after a while, Tang Yuqiong brought Xia Yu along.
This is the second ti Xia Yu saw her after the day at Dragon Gate Hall with Old Lady Xia.
Granny Tang appeared quite spirited, sitting on a rocking chair in the courtyard, happily basking in the sun; upon seeing Xia Yu, she acted very kindly and pulled him over to sit on the small stool beside her, starting with: "Being young is good, but do take care of yourself."
Xia Yu could only nod in agreent.
What made him a bit embarrassed was that Granny Tang always held his hand, and while talking, her withered hand gently patting the back of his hand, "Actually, you need not worry. Ye Feizhou is indeed a strong opponent, and the two of you must face off to determine a winner. But who says the loser must fall into the abyss forever? This is a competition, not a life-or-death cooking battle. The loser can also endure and erge stronger!"
"Cough, cough..."
Violent coughing.
Xia Yu couldn’t help but chuckle internally.
What is this? Granny Tang completely misinterpreted the reason for his dark circles.
Facing Granny Tang’s benevolent eyes, he parted his lips but swallowed back his words of explanation.
After all, her intentions were good, so let her say what she wishes.
"Coughing? Seems like you’ve stayed up late too much, causing excess internal heat." Granny Tang asked Tang Yuqiong to brew so tea. Shortly after, a small low table appeared in the courtyard, with a tea tray on top, and steam wafting from a clay teapot.
"Here, this is my treasure—"
Granny Tang personally poured a cup of hot tea for Xia Yu and handed it over with a smile.
Xia Yu held the cup with both hands without opposing Granny Tang and lowered his head for a sip. His eyes suddenly glead.
"Oh!"
The tea was very light with a hint of bamboo leaf flavor.
As the tea went down his throat, it moistened his mouth, feeling like cool rain falling, all the fire and heat dissipated.
"Pitter-patter——"
Faintly hearing the sound of rain hitting banana leaves deep in the night, his heart, much like a traveler resting on an overnight bed, suddenly felt settled.
This tea clears the mind, making one’s emotions more tranquil.
"What kind of tea is this?" Xia Yu asked, astonished.
"My grandma’s homade bamboo leaf tea—" Tang Yuqiong laughed, "The bamboo leaves are picked from the bamboo grove at the back house, and the thods of preparation are quite simple, but I always think the taste is too light. I don’t like it!"
"Bamboo leaf tea?"
Upon hearing this, Xia Yu’s pupils constricted, instinctively muttering the na of a dicinal herb: "...Light Bamboo Leaves?"
In an instant, his mind was filled with information about ’Light Bamboo Leaves.’
Taste sweet, nature cold.
Clears heart fire, relieves heat.
After drinking the tea, he lightly expels a breath, his mouth full of the fresh fragrance of bamboo leaves, "Is this breath floating upwards?"
His eyes revealed a joyful expression.
"That’s right, I recall there’s a recipe that uses ingredients like fernted soybean, mint, bitter balloon flower, and light bamboo leaves, pharmacologically, these can be used together..."
His excitent got the better of him, and he couldn’t help dipping his fingers into the hot tea, using them like pen tips to draw a large circle on the tea table while muttering to himself:
"Adding light bamboo leaves and bitter balloon flower to the mix, the recipe includes 10 ingredients in total—fernted soybean, garlic, scallion, perilla, almond, mint, burdock seed, gardenia, along with light bamboo leaves and balloon flower."
"Fernted soybean, cold attribute."
"Burdock seed, cold."
"Gardenia, cold."
"Light bamboo leaves, cold."
Counting the attributes of the materials carefully, either cold or mild, devoid of any fire.
Seeing Xia Yu in his own world, Tang Yuqiong was about to speak when Granny Tang tily held her hand to stop her.
"Shh!"
Granny Tang focused on watching Xia Yu as he gradually sketched out the circular Tai Chi diagram on the tea table, portraying a yin and yang, resembling two entangled black-and-white carp.
Ding.
An unexpected system notification.
"Congratulations to the host for repairing Fan’s ancient recipe, the reward has been delivered to the backpack."
"A new task is available—’Shape of Fish.’
Xia Yu sat with his legs bent until the water marks on the tea table evaporated completely, the diagram vanished; only then did he check the backpack.
Golden light dazzled.
The "Shiny Silk-footed Fish" he had stored was stacked on the item slot, its number leaping from the initial "1" to "5", remarkably acquiring four more!
He looked again at the new task issued by the system.
"...Host must use Fan’s ancient recipe to cook ’Shiny Silk-footed Fish’, a completion level of 60% or above will be considered qualified, the reward depends on the level of completion, with a minimum reward of 10 Talent Points."
Talent Points!
Xia Yu’s eyes imdiately turned red.
Finally, the first task officially awarding Talent Points after returning ho has arrived!
Instantly, he felt an urge to cry out in joy.
"The golden fra progress of [Heart of Cooking] is at 94/100, this ti it should finally be maxed out!" Xia Yu was excited beyond words.
But here’s the problem.
How to use Fan’s ancient recipe to cook "Shiny Silk-footed Fish"?
Keep in mind that the quality of "Shiny Silk-footed Fish" doesn’t fall short compared to the precious gem at and five-headed bird egg Xia Yu had previously mastered before.
"Should I use Fan’s ancient recipe on stage later? Ti is tight, but using the old recipe for the challenge, sothing seems lacking in enjoynt. I’m not necessarily targeting Ye Feizhou personally...Hmm, for this ’Young Devil’s’ rightful battle, I must do sothing big!"
Thus, the thought of doing sothing big took root in Xia Yu’s mind.
Who knows if Wei An, Wei Qinglian, or even Ye Feizhou himself, at this mont, understood Xia Yu’s mindset as he faced the final battle—perhaps they would be crying out in frustration.
He never considered it as a definitive battle.
At least for Xia Yu, the stage of the talent competition is rely an exhibition hall for new recipes and dishes.
After all, culinary art cannot be without diners’ tasting and approval; being a shut-in chef creating things behind closed doors—who knows if they will be welcod at all.
In Xia Yu’s more focused attempts at culinary creation, the two days quietly slipped away.
The battle at Heavenly King Mountain has arrived.
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