Chapter 897: Chapter 896: Incoming Typhoon (Part 2)
On the day of the Lantern Festival.
In a bustling district of Jingguan City, lanterns and streamers adorned the streets.
In the morning, Ye Feizhou accompanied Old Grand Duke Liu to inspect the venue, a large building with doors on all sides, three stories tall, resembling a grand palace.
Standing on a high platform, Ye Feizhou looked around, the bustling Liu Clan and staff downstairs and upstairs gave him the feeling of watching a crowd in a football stadium.
As expected, this year’s Liu Clan selection was still held at the ‘Feitian Pavilion’.
In fact, the ‘Feitian Pavilion’ was not exclusive to the Liu Clan. The Zhu Family from Shu had half the usage rights. Over the past century, the two clans of the same origin frequently clashed over the pavilion’s use.
Flying!
These two words were enough to indicate that the pavilion’s builder was the former ‘Flying Saint’ Zhu Qi, rather than Chef God Liu Maoxing.
The position Ye Feizhou stood had a copper statue several meters high, naturally commemorating Zhu Qi set up by later generations.
Looking up again at the sky, his view was filled with exquisite lanterns!
When night falls, the festive atmosphere these lanterns create will surely mesmerize those who come here.
“Decades ago, this Feitian Pavilion was one of the top illustrious buildings in the Chinese Realm, hosting many culinary competitions and significant Food Duels. Yet decades later, even the locals have forgotten its glory, their eyes only seeing the towering White Jade Tower in the Forbidden City!” Old Grand Duke Liu sighed.
Ye Feizhou just smiled, didn’t reply, but added in his heart:
Wuyi Lane, not a King.
Phoenix Platform, piled with weeds.
Though only in his early twenties, he has heard countless tales of rises and falls from several masters, witnessing the past decades of prosperity and decline of the Chinese Realm, feeling a sense of calm resilience.
However, looking at the copper statue in front, Ye Feizhou couldn’t help but softly recite: “The rolling Yangtze River flows eastwards, washing away heroes with its waves!”
Numerous heroes vanish in the long river of history.
Yet the brilliance they radiated before vanishing was enough to be remembered by later generations.
But how many truly memorable chefs and recipes are there through history?
Ye Feizhou longs to be remembered in history, which can be seen from the gleam in his eyes.
At this moment.
A Liu Clan steward hurriedly approached, handing a thick stack of cards to Old Grand Duke Liu, wiping his sweat, saying: “Grand Duke, some uninvited industry authorities have submitted cards to the mansion, saying they want to attend this year’s selection. How would you like to respond?”
The elder supporting himself with a cane furrowed his brows, noticing the steward holding a tall stack of cards, realizing the situation wasn’t simple.
“So many industry people submitting cards?”
This was a polite inquiry, given the Liu Clan was the host, and guests sitting in the venue without an invitation was not expected, though Liu wouldn’t chase them away, those industry elites wouldn’t let down their stature either.
Old Grand Duke Liu looked through the cards, seeing the names, “Huh? Eighty percent are from Jingxiang, with over twenty people, including two Lin Chefs?”
The furrows on his brow deepened!
“Feizhou!” Old Grand Duke Liu looked at Ye Feizhou, “What’s going on?”
Ye Feizhou smiled bitterly, “Grand Duke, I don’t know!”
“Didn’t your master send them to watch?”
The master referred to by the Liu Clan Patriarch was Huang He, Ye Feizhou could tell, and shook his head: “In these days, I haven’t been in touch with Master Huang.”
“That’s strange, nearly all the Jingxiang Chef Alliance authorities are here, including two elders who submitted cards, yes, and Wei Zhong, all three elders from the Jingxiang Chef Alliance are present… huh!”
The old man took a sharp breath.
“Let me tell you why.” Suddenly, a voice said behind him.
“Lan Fengxian?”
Old Grand Duke Liu turned around.
Lan Fengxian approached, placing his hands on the railing of the platform, gazing seriously at the copper statue of the Flying Saint, then looking around the pavilion’s football field-sized venue, “Tonight, this Feitian Pavilion may evoke many memories once again.”
A smile with profound meaning appeared on his lips.
Thud thud!
The cane clattered on the floor, its rapid rhythm indicating Old Grand Duke Liu’s unrest.
Unexpectedly, Lan Fengxian added:
“The Feitian Pavilion hasn’t hosted a heavyweight Food Duel in a long time, right?”
Upon hearing this, Old Grand Duke Liu was taken aback.
Food Duel?
Ye Feizhou’s face twitched slightly, “Is there a Food Duel today? Between whom? Elder Lan knows the inside story, and many seniors from Jingxiang have come…” All clues pointed to two people he knew well.
One was a fellow disciple whose title as ‘Reserve Pastry King’ had gradually gained public recognition in recent years.
The other was the Demon King who had once defeated him.
Certainly, recalling that crushing defeat, Ye Feizhou felt unwilling and somewhat disheartened, but more so, admiration and respect for the powerful peer.
Are these two going to clash?
Ye Feizhou hurriedly left Feitian Pavilion, not heading to Wei Zhong’s lodging, but directly to Xia Mansion.
…
Meanwhile.
In the suburbs, at a resort inn owned by White Cloud Pavilion.
“Brother Wei!”
“Brother Duan!”
“Brother Wang!”
Guests from the Jing Chu Alliance arrived grandly at the inn.
Leading them were two Lin Chefs, one named Duan Hong, the other Wang Qian, meeting Wei Zhong in a beautifully decorated room, and sitting down to drink and laugh, the atmosphere appeared relaxed.
These two were both masters of Chu cuisine.
Originating from the province rich in lakes and resources, Chu cuisine could be described with one characteristic: based on aquatic ingredients, fish dishes being primary.
Duan Hong was particularly skilled at a traditional dish called ‘Jingsha Fish Cake’, rumored to date back to the ages of Yao and Shun, with the recipe created by Nu Ying. Later, during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, this fish cake was considered the “top dish” at banquets in Chu King Palace, thus earning its fame as a palace dish, passed down till today.
The second elder of the alliance, Lin Chef Wang Qian, belonged to the “Northern Flavor Cuisine” within the Chu cuisine system, known for personally styled traditional modified dishes, like ‘Three Stuffed Plate’, ‘Wudang Monkey Head’.
“Brother Wei, let’s not say more, here’s to wishing you victory!” Wang Qian raised his cup.
“Cheers!”
Wei Zhong and Wang Qian downed a cup of rice wine.
Duan Hong was about to place his chopsticks into a dish of steamed Wuchang fish, but suddenly stopped, his gaze fixed on the delicious fish dish, a golden big fish appearing in his mind. He put down the chopsticks, unable to help laughing: “Though both at Lin level, culinary skills vary. Wang and I are both at mid-level, but Brother Wei is different. Perhaps only in the Chinese Realm would Lin Chefs standing at the peak like Brother Wei dare to send a Food Duel Challenge to Demon King Xia.”
Wang Qian also sighed: “Yes, that Demon King Xia, cannot be underestimated!”
Indeed, not to be underestimated.
Speaking of the Demon King, this Lin Chef’s eyes were filled with fear.
“Though possessed of great size, even for White Cloud Pavilion with extensive business, only Wei Zhong can restrain that Demon King!”
Duan Hong and Wang Qian exchanged a knowing glance, having discussed many things about this Food Duel during the flight here.
The Chinese Realm is vast, but when narrowed down to a province or area, there are only a few Lin Chefs.
For instance, in Jing Chu, the Lin Chefs are Wei Zhong, Duan Hong, Wang Qian, totaling 3!
They are elders of the Jing Chu Chef Alliance, hence a saying spread in the Chinese Realm; to know the abundance of Lin Chefs in a region or cuisine, look at the number of alliance elders locally.
Actually, the Jing Chu Alliance is considered decent, with Huang He as the chief elder, its influence not as great as the Imperial Alliance, Shanghai Alliance, or Guangzhou Alliance, yet overall it remains first class, neither surpassing nor lacking.
This Food Duel concerns the rise and fall, the honor and disgrace of a cuisine and a province alliance, thus Duan Hong and Wang Qian are naturally very concerned.
The two exchanged glances.
“What’s Brother Wei’s Food Duel recipe? Is it prepared?”
Upon hearing.
Wei Zhong’s lips curved into a composed smile, dipping his finger in some wine from his cup, writing a word on the table—
Steam!
“Steamed dish?”
“Not pastry?”
Duan Hong and Wang Qian were startled.
Wei Zhong shook his head, dipped his fingers in wine, and added the word “pastry” nearby.
Now steamed and pastry were side by side, surely indicating the core of the recipe!
“Steam” is a cooking technique.
Pastry outlines the scope of the recipe.
What could it be?