Chapter 860: Chapter 859: The Prelude to a Shuffle
Lan Chuhai and Lan Fengxian left, Zhu Qing was nowhere to be seen, and the lively kitchen fell silent.
The old man Xia Qing is probably at the Skywell again, shirt off, taking a cold shower.
Back in the kitchen, the old man was dripping wet from his upper body.
Just at that moment, Xia Yu was coming out of the manic state between clarity and distraction while holding the knife.
"Phew—"
"This culinary skill ’Divine Hand’ is no wonder it’s named after a deity; it’s explosively useful!"
Indeed it is.
On one hand, it greatly enhances bodily control, in other words, it boosts the details of fine manipulation.
Skill strength in knife techniques is self-explanatory in terms of importance.
On the other hand, it has a direct projection effect!
This is even simpler; it’s called massaging the ingredients, or more colloquially, giving the ingredients a VIP deluxe care set to make them as happy as possible before cooking.
Here, it’s not just Xia Yu; in the past, Rein who stuck Spirit Talismans on ingredients, Yuchuan Meisha who communicated with ingredients through super hearing, and today the old man who showcased the ’Kind Knife Technique,’ all treat ingredients as if they have a soul.
To ensure that the ingredients reach their best state before cooking, the perspective and pattern at that moment determine the technique.
"I guess my knife skills have improved, right..."
Xia Yu put the knife back on the rack, looked at his hands, and beamed with happiness.
Without a task, there naturally isn’t any reward.
It seems like there’s absolutely no gain on the data level, but culinary skill and a living spirit world can’t be fully covered by data. If before today, Xia Yu couldn’t clearly see the knife skills above special grade, Lin, or Dragon Chef, and his view was filled with fog, then this small twist on New Year’s morning has led to a...
Sudden enlightenment!
The most frightening thing is not being able to see the road clearly, not knowing where the path is, or how it should be walked.
But now, the fog has cleared, and Xia Yu sees a straight road leading to the mountaintop, with indistinct scenery that could be Lin or Dragon; who can say where the end will be?
Of course.
The biggest gain is still the "Divine Hand"!
"No wonder Huang He could sit on one of the three Pavilion Master chairs of the White Jade Tower with this culinary skill, and he’s been there for decades, with a seniority that surpassed Wei An and Kong Chun!"
Xia Yu could barely contain his laughter.
Probably when Ye Feizhou taught him a bit of the culinary skill, he never thought he could turn this bit of knowledge from green to blue stage, making it truly practical and subtly enhancing his culinary strength.
If Ye Feizhou knew that after the new year, "Demon King Xia" took a step forward in his culinary skill, would he regret this exchange of culinary skills and formulas?
"Cough!"
A light cough came from behind.
Xia Yu had long sensed that the old man was standing behind, silently observing him for a while.
He turned around and, unsurprisingly, the old man raised the anticipated question: "Where did you learn ’Divine Hand’?"
A face full of seriousness.
"Ye Feizhou taught me." Xia Yu replied with a smile.
"Him?"
The old man, unaware of the various twists backstage at the stadium that day, frowned heavily, "How could he leak, oh, impart such an important culinary skill to you?"
Xia Yu spread his hands, "Old man, don’t take people for fools, alright? I’m your grandson who used an ancient recipe’s fish-shaped Tai Chi framework to equally exchange with him. Plus, he only taught me some basics, very superficial..."
Upon hearing this.
The old man had a face full of disbelief, instead looking at his grandson as if he were a fool and laughing sharply, "See, some basics, superficial? Seems like you’re also treating me like a fool, fooling!"
"Tch!"
With an expression of disdain.
"Truth always hurts, believe it or not!"
Xia Yu didn’t explain further, taking advantage of the feeling in his hands, turned around and took a knife down from the kitchen rack, enthusiastically gesturing in the air, like a curious baby with a new toy, never tiring.
The old man opened his mouth to ask more, but thought his grandson had too many mysteries, and if he pursued each issue to the end, wouldn’t it be exhausting?
Like the saying, a few fleas are no bother, that’s how it is.
Gave his grandson a deep look, Xia Qing strode out of the kitchen.
Bumped into Zhu Qing who had just come out of her boudoir.
"How is it, is Xia Yu still inside?" Zhu Qing, now in a clean dress, clearly having cleaned the sweat and grease off her face and skin, giving off a fresh scent of shower gel.
"Don’t disturb him!"
Xia Qing instructed solemnly, "He’s getting used to it!"
As for what he’s getting used to, the old man didn’t say, but Zhu Qing nodded knowingly, with a touch of unnoticeable shyness in her beautiful eyes, but indignantly said, "Yes, he needs to get used to it!"
The old man left lightly, and Zhu Qing stood outside the kitchen door for a while.
Her delicate fist clenched and loosened.
"This brat is getting worse, daring to be so bold with me, if it were other girls, wouldn’t he be more outrageous?" Zhu Qing thought angrily, "No way!"
"This evil trend must be suppressed!"
"I want my pure and cute Xia Yu back!"
Xia Yu in the kitchen was oblivious to Zhu Qing’s earnest belief that he had intentionally drugged her to bully her.
The angel floating above Xia Yu’s head almost knelt down outside the door.
Aunt Qing, this is truly wrong!
The angel wept bitterly.
No no, since when was I pure and cute?
"You waste!"
The demon with horns holding a pitchfork kicked aside the angel baby with a gold halo.
"Hehehe..."
The little demon with demonic patterns and a devilishly charming aura chuckled mischievously, "Come, chant with me, our motto is—an endless pursuit of drugging!"
To do or not to do.
...
On this New Year’s Day, Xia Family grandfather and grandson along with Zhu Qing chose to stay home, but due to the culinary battles and competitions earlier, the world of Chinese Cuisine outside the Xia Mansion was far from peaceful.
White Jade Tower.
In the morning, a group of high-level officials gathered to pay New Year’s greetings to the dragon head.
When it was Ye Feizhou’s turn, the disciple who is supposed to inherit the dragon head’s position in the future, knelt before the Taishi Chair.
Heaven, Earth, Emperor, Parent, Teacher.
The dragon head accepted Ye Feizhou’s kneeling and salutation.
"Master, I wish you eternal prosperity like the continuous flow of the East Sea, longevity like the evergreen pines of South Mountain, a life full of happiness and longevity!" Ye Feizhou sang loudly.
"Rise!" The dragon head cheerfully supported his beloved disciple.
The New Year greetings concluded, yet the group of high-level officials had no intention to leave immediately, with Wei An and Kong Chun stepping forward, saying, "With Master Huang He retiring, no longer meddling in White Jade Tower or the Chinese Realm’s affairs, one Pavilion Master’s chair at White Jade Tower is vacant. We ask that the dragon head promptly appoint a new Pavilion Master!"
The atmosphere in the tower suddenly grew tense, many high-level officials’ eyes flickered, clearly having a strong desire to fight for the empty Pavilion Master chair.
The dragon head frowned, pondered for a while, but waved his hand, "No suitable candidate for now!"
As he got up to leave, he scanned the crowd inside the pavilion, saying with hidden meaning:
"Anyone can sit in this chair, but who will finally sit, I hope to hear the voice of the entire Chinese Realm..."
The pavilion suddenly exploded.
"Does the dragon head mean that famous chefs outside can also join White Jade Tower and sit as a Pavilion Master?"
"Hiss!"
"Isn’t this an open recruitment?"
The high-level officials looked at each other in shock.
Wei An and Kong Chun were stunned for a long time, clearly showing how astonishing the dragon head’s words were.
As an almost sacred culinary place, the central culinary institution of the Chinese Realm, beneath the supreme dragon head position, were the three Pavilion Masters.
Wei An managed daily affairs.
Kong Chun wrote books, compiled recipe records, filling the treasure library within Forbidden City, with recent news saying Kong Chun and IGO’s Wise Man Karl achieved a common food database cooperation.
While Huang He originally took charge of culinary teaching, in other words, he was the Chief Instructor of a group of imperial chefs, everyone below the Pavilion Master had to call him teacher.
Undoubtedly, whoever can replace Huang He and sit on this chair becomes the Chief Instructor of White Jade Tower, even in the Imperial City.
This position, this authority, could cause an earthquake in the Chinese Realm.
"What does the dragon head want to do?!"
Wei An murmured anxiously.
Kong Chun frowned deeply, "Is this a new reshuffle of the Chinese Realm?"