Chapter 905: Chapter 904: Mark of Denial (Part 2)
"Let’s leave it at that."
Xia Yu put down the pen.
In the end, there were only three sparse words on the paper.
In his view, these three words were enough to encapsulate those precise food duel treaties of the past.
A grand gamble!
To stake one’s entire culinary career as the bet!
...
Outside.
The Feitian Pavilion, as large as a football stadium, only had whispers like the wind.
The audience was murmuring.
In the guest seats, the higher-ups of the Liu family and invited industry figures all looked absent-minded.
Old Grand Duke Liu was on stage, directing the staff to set up the food duel area.
Originally, there were seven cooking stations; five were removed, leaving only an opposing set of open kitchens. All the equipment and utensils were replaced, and Old Grand Duke Liu even instructed a manager, "Go to the estate warehouse and bring over two sets of the mansion’s prized kitchen equipment!"
Below the stage, the six remaining contestants of the selection process looked at each other, all puzzled.
How could a fine Lantern Festival suddenly erupt into a shocking food duel?
"It seems the Old Grand Duke knew about this all along."
A middle-aged female contestant suddenly said this. Several people followed her gaze and saw Old Grand Duke Liu in charge of everything, as if he was prepared, secretly taking a breath, thinking perhaps he had known about this duel for a long time. But who is the instigator, Demon King Xia or the Reserve Pastry King?
"Hmph."
Among them, a voice laughed, "I think it’s Demon King Xia who initiated this. No matter what, Chef Wei is a renowned senior in the Chinese Realm. I’ve heard recently that Chef Wei and Demon King Xia don’t get along. Ha, the culinary world has many such feuding rivals. If everyone were like Demon King Xia, resolving issues with food duels, wouldn’t the Chinese Realm be soaked in blood?"
"Youthful arrogance is not a good thing. I think Demon King Xia will likely be defeated by Chef Wei today!"
Though unpleasant, these words had some truth.
Several Liu family chefs, unaware of the details, nodded in agreement.
Only Liu Lan shook his head quietly, glancing at that caustic fellow family chef, thinking, "I can’t say whether Demon King Xia will face misfortune today, but to claim this young man is the instigator, I think not."
He had watched the variety show "Kitchen Three Kingdoms." Although it mostly contained entertainment, it still had substance, given the three mentor guests were all Lin Chefs. Sometimes, they inadvertently revealed truths that chefs like Liu Lan could latch onto and solve years-old problems.
Watching the latest season’s premiere, Liu Lan wasn’t foolish. He noticed Chef Wei definitely had intentions to cause trouble too.
One hand can’t clap alone. If Chef Wei considered himself a revered senior, why would he pick faults in a talented junior?
Just like the online reviews of the show — full of tension!
Chef Wei intended to cause trouble, and so did Demon King Xia.
When both parties want to stir things up, naturally, such a momentous food duel like a collision between Mars and Earth occurred.
"But, what will be the food duel topic and the treaty?"
Just as Liu Lan thought this.
"Boom..."
The previously quiet stadium had the sound of wheels drawing closer.
Tens of thousands of eyes looked over simultaneously, the cameras focused.
It was a vehicle within view.
Not a food delivery truck, nor carrying kitchen utensils, but hosting an enormous charcoal brazier!
Drawing attention was the brazier like a giant cauldron, surrounded by flames, with a metal rod already burned to a copper-red buried in the fiery pile!
The scorching heat waves spread in all directions!
Several burly workers were panting heavily, pushed the cart to center stage, and when it stopped, an obscured elderly man emerged with hands clasped behind his back, appearing before the cameras.
"Lan Fengxian!"
"The top old monster from Shu!"
Lan Fengxian wore a faint smile.
Unlike at the Lan Mansion, now the famed elder donned a dark silk robe and a crown cloth on his head. This was a formal attire, typically worn when presiding over New Year ancestral rituals.
In the livestream, Tang Yuqiong, incredulous, covered her mouth, her eyes showing realization, "I knew it, such a grand food duel wouldn’t just start without announcement!"
"Turns out, the host and chief judge is already in position!"
Seeing Lan Fengxian, many industry people who tuned in to watch the broadcast had similar thoughts.
They might have been puzzled by the duel; after all, it was a major duel among Lin Chefs. From solicitation to treaty drafting and topic discussion, it typically took at least half a month. But then, Demon King Xia requested the duel, Chef Wei accepted, both retreated backstage, and female host Qi Qingyan announced to the audience to take a short break, with the main event commencing in half an hour.
At this stage, the duel’s inviter was irrelevant.
The venerable, all-encompassing elder was in place!
No matter the doubts about the duel, seeing Lan Fengxian in formal attire on the screen dispelled all skepticism!
This food duel was really happening!
Industry insiders were excited.
Both online and offline, how many millions rushed to share the news of this sudden duel.
Several livestream platforms were nearly overwhelmed by the surge of viewers.
"How’s the backstage situation?" Old Grand Duke Liu asked Qi Qingyan, standing tense at the stage corner. This female host, after the cart with the giant cauldron was placed center stage, was constantly wiping sweat, her face flushed.
"Everything is fine!"
Qi Qingyan answered, feeling a dry mouth, asked her assistant for a bottle of water, and drank half of it in one go.
"Is that so?"
Old Grand Duke Liu supported himself with a cane, turning back to gaze steadily at the cart upfront.
"I am the chief judge for this duel, and simultaneously, some official matters and the duel documents are managed by me." Lan Fengxian took a microphone and said slowly, "It’s about time, isn’t it?"
He paused, looking up at the overhead timer.
All the audience followed suit.
Beep.
The time was precisely half-past nine in the evening.
"As for this duel, I don’t think the cause needs any explanation. Does everyone see the vehicle behind me?" Lan Fengxian gestured back.
The crowd held their breaths.
Lan Fengxian put on a pair of heat-resistant gloves, reached into the blazing flames, grabbed the metal rod, and gradually lifted it.
Crack.
Several pieces of red-hot coal fell, shattered, sparks flying. A swallowing sound filled the venue.
When the other end of the metal rod was exposed, people saw it was a thoroughly red-hot, round and flat piece, like a metal stamp.
Moreover, there were characters on the stamp!
As the camera gave a close-up, the broadcast screen lit with fire, and the venue echoed with exclamations:
"Difficult...to-eat?"
"It’s the difficult-to-eat stamp!"
"A hundred years ago, this was used by the Dark World as a cruel punishment for failures! It’s a torture worse than death, for dead is final, but carrying the difficult-to-eat stamp means living with humiliation and a chef’s crushed dignity, having to endure humbly. That’s the most terrifying!"
"The stamp that denies everything..." Ye Feizhou was in the guest seat’s first row, clutching the chair’s armrest, his gaze dramatically shifting.
One was his senior brother from the same sect.
The other, in his heart, was the Great Demon King in a revered position.
Regardless of the outcome, only one could continue shining in the world of Chinese cuisine.
"I can’t stop it!"
Ye Feizhou sighed inwardly.
Yes.
He, as a Heavenly King Disciple and considered a successor, had some understanding of the undercurrents beneath the peaceful appearance of the Chinese Realm.
The Xia Family was like a fierce tiger returning to the wild.
White Cloud Pavilion was like a crane spreading wings to soar into the sky.
No matter the result, a major upheaval in the Chinese Realm was inevitable.