Chapter 904: Chapter 903: Seal of Negation (Part 1)
Food Duel!
As the heavy two words rolled off Xia Yu’s lips, the air seemed to freeze.
Wei Zhong’s face was an array of vivid expressions.
Shock, anger.
Wei Zhong, who had always considered himself a senior and carried himself as a great elder, had not anticipated this turn of events at all.
Being challenged openly, under the gaze of countless eyes, by someone young enough to be his son, it was impossible for him to maintain his usual composure.
“You, how dare you…” Wei Zhong’s hair stood on end.
Nobody likes to be counterattacked.
Especially when on the eve of what he believed to be a successful plan, the one he saw as helpless prey suddenly bites back ferociously…
Of course.
If Xia Yu knew what Wei Zhong was thinking, he’d surely laugh, “I can counterattack? I can impress him?”
Wake up, bro, time to get to work.
This is what happens when you’re overconfident.
“Why wouldn’t I dare?” Xia Yu chuckled, “You are a recognized Lin Chef, and so am I. Our culinary skills are at the same level; there’s no bullying across borders here. Oh, could it be that Chef Wei thinks my challenge to you is a case of the small devouring the big?”
The small devouring the big!
Everyone, including Wei Zhong, was taken aback.
In the live broadcast room, Tang Yuqiong listened to the youthful, firm words in her earpiece and was momentarily stunned. Her beautiful eyes widened enormously, then the entire room was filled with her joyful laughter, “Ha, hahaha, the Chinese Realm is vast, but among the younger generation, only this Demon King Xia dares to speak this way to the Reserve Pastry King! Such coarse language!”
“Coarse language!” The bullet screens echoed, spreading joy everywhere.
…
Backstage.
In the corridor, Xia Yu walked casually with his hands in his pockets.
Female host Qi Qingyan hastily followed, panting, “Chef Xia, Chef Xia, wait a minute!”
“Oh, Sister Qi!”
Xia Yu stopped and turned around, noticing the incredulous look on her face, her lips quivering, as if trying to speak words of caution but stuck in her throat. Yet Qi Qingyan ultimately understood that since Xia Yu had publicly issued such a challenge on stage, a food duel was now inevitable!
“Elder Lan sent me to ask you about the food duel agreement.” Qi Qingyan’s clear eyes looked at him steadily, clearly full of worry.
Xia Yu had a decent relationship with her.
This female host, a leading figure on CCTV’s food network, previously had a photo with Xia Yu that circulated widely online, inevitably sparking minor scandals.
“A food duel agreement?” Xia Yu said, “I’ve already drafted it in my mind. Go ahead and ask Wei Zhong first, Sister Qi.”
Having said this, he opened the door to the lounge and waved to Qi Qingyan.
In the room.
Liu Ying, Zhu Qing, and Lei Aoxue, were either standing or sitting.
“Who would’ve thought that the Reserve Pastry King would be so averse to Little Ying using Fantasy Ingredients!” Lei Aoxue gently combed Liu Ying’s sweat-dampened black hair, the comb falling softly time and again.
Zhu Qing noticed a hint of apology in Xia Yu’s gaze toward Liu Ying and clicked his tongue, “Seems like you both, upon returning to the country, are not quite familiar with Wei Zhong and his backing.”
“The Huang Faction, that is White Cloud Pavilion; to me, they belong to the extremist faction among the conservatives. Years ago, Huang He himself raged against the domestic emerging Food Tyrant Chefs, probably secretly crippling or killing quite a few.”
“My family, on the contrary, holds an open attitude toward this new stream of Food Tyrants, welcoming them. Otherwise, if he wanted to eradicate them completely, this group would have been wiped out domestically and become a taboo that nobody dared to mention!”
As she spoke, Zhu Qing saw Xia Yu and Lei Aoxue’s confused looks.
“Ha!”
She couldn’t help but laugh, “Of course you don’t believe it. Simply because the Sect Leader of this stream, Chen Dingbang, met a tragic end. But I’m telling you, can you not lay all the blame on my family’s elder?”
Zhu Qing put her hands on her hips and shook her head helplessly.
“Alright, why am I telling you guys so much?” Zhu Qing’s eyes twinkled, “If you don’t act recklessly, you won’t suffer the consequences.”
“A food duel is no child’s play.”
“What’s more, you’re facing someone on the path to becoming a Dragon Chef; Yu, don’t do something foolish!” After saying this, Zhu Qing swung the door open and left. Her silhouette seemed relaxed and carefree, but after closing the door behind her, she hurried to a corner and abruptly stopped.
Looking up at the lights in the corridor, Zhu Qing’s eyes seemed dazed.
The light shimmered, casting a mysterious glow; falling upon the red carpet on the ground, it suddenly blazed brightly, reminiscent of a corner of Avici Hell, causing Zhu Qing’s heart to skip a beat.
This was not a good omen.
“Will Xia Yu be alright?”
Zhu Qing’s heart tightened, cold sweat seeping down her back.
“Yes!” She bit her silver teeth, the doubt and hesitation on her pretty face utterly shattered by this resolute step. Zhu Qing took a step, with a newfound fierceness in her eyes, “He can lose, but as long as I’m here, no one can harm Xia Yu!”
She muttered softly; an inexplicable memory, deeply buried, surged forth like a tidal wave.
An elegant embroidery chamber.
The air filled with the scent of medicinal herbs, and in the embroidered bed’s quilt lay a woman with pale skin.
“Xiao Qing…” Zhu Qing felt a cold hand in hers. The woman was evidently nearing the end, but her face bore no resentment, only a gentle smile typical of her, “Please take good care of that child in the future.”
Outside the embroidery chamber, a large crowd from the Zhu Mansion gathered, faces heavy with sorrow, though most appeared relieved.
The eldest lady of the Zhu Mansion, after giving birth, had already left a trace of illness in her body and cooked less often. She had already bid farewell to being a chef, starting to become a competent mother. But a month ago, the dreadful news came; the weak eldest lady, overwhelmed by grief and fatigue, developed a high fever that refused to subside for ten days, impervious to medication.
In this world, chefs are esteemed. Still, before reaching a certain level, they are at best a bit stronger than regular people, far from the exaggerated point of evading all illnesses and extending life.
Once gravely ill, even martial arts masters can only face death with a smile.
At the farthest edge of the crowd, Zhu Ji held a steaming food container, listening to the cries emerging from the embroidery chamber. His face, full of the weariness of age, seemed to age another ten years in a flash, and even his previously straight back began to hunch slightly.
…
Bam!
Backstage, Wei Zhong slammed his fist on the table, erupting in anger, “How dare that brat!”
Duan Hong and Wang Qian, who followed him backstage, looked at each other uneasily.
The attack by that Demon King Xia equally shook these two Lin Chefs to their core.
Buzz.
The phone vibrated; Duan Hong glanced at Wei Zhong, trying to calm himself with his back to them, then answered the call and spoke in a low voice for a few sentences before handing the phone over, “Old Wei, Master Huang wants to speak with you.”
Wei Zhong inhaled deeply, exhaled, letting the rage flee from his face, replaced by a serene calmness.
“Alright, while things may have changed, deviating from the original plan, our initial objective with the food duel, whether initiated by us or not, has already been achieved!”
“… Yes, as you instructed, I believe he will agree to that food duel agreement!”
The call disconnected.
Coincidentally, there was a knock at the door, and Qi Qingyan’s voice came in, “Chef Wei, Elder Lan sent me to confirm the food duel agreement with you.”
“Come in.”
Qi Qingyan entered, casting a cautious glance at Wei Zhong, only to find him with a slight smile looking at her.
The expression, his demeanor, showed no anger at all.
This was genuine composure!
Qi Qingyan’s heart skipped a beat, silently worrying for that Demon King Xia, though her face remained calm. She said to Wei Zhong, “Please draw up a food duel agreement quickly, Chef Wei. I will pass it to Chef Xia; if he agrees, the document will be officially filed.”
“Please wait a moment.”
Wei Zhong took out a pre-printed document from his briefcase and began writing in the agreement section with a black pen.
Simultaneously.
Xia Yu also took a sheet of paper and a pen, writing three neat Chinese characters on it.
Beside him, Lei Aoxue’s eyes narrowed slightly, watching these words intently.
“This is the denial of everything… the ultimate punishment!”
“The loser not only loses their dignity as a chef but their entire culinary career will be utterly destroyed!”