Chapter 890: Chapter 889: The Counterfeit Comeback (Part 3)
A deathly silence filled the air.
The pure white piece of rice cake fell straight to the ground, bouncing like a marshmallow before finally coming to rest.
The whiteness formed a stark contrast against the shiny black floor.
It was as if snowflakes had fallen into a black pool, becoming tainted. Everyone present frowned in unison.
The cameraman quickly caught on and immediately gave a close-up of Wei Zhong’s hands.
Trembling!
In the frame, the hand that had just held the rice cake was visibly shaking.
Even two fingers were stretched so tight, twitching like they had been shocked.
The atmosphere turned delicate.
"This..." The female director, Lu Qinghong, said with amusement, "Chef Wei, it’s just a piece of rice cake, isn’t it? Why are you acting like you touched a deadly poison? Is the rice cake monster really that terrifying?"
"No!"
Taking a deep breath, Wei Zhong didn’t look at the fallen rice cake; instead, he stared directly at Demon King Xia’s face, locking eyes with intense focus.
The scene seemed frozen in time.
Wei Zhong’s eyes held suspicion, an iciness even more terrifying than when the young man had just annoyed him.
Ye Feizhou knew he couldn’t remain silent any longer.
As the third person present who possessed the "Divine Hand" culinary skill, he naturally understood why Wei Zhong had such a big reaction upon touching Demon King Xia’s rice cake. Strictly speaking, it was the "Divine Hand" mutually detesting and repelling each other!
As for why Xia Yu had mastered the "Divine Hand" and had honed this skill to such an astonishing level in such a short time, Ye Feizhou was deeply shocked as well.
That day backstage, he had shared the basics of the "Divine Hand," while Xia Yu had merely taught him the framework for the Fish-Shaped Tai Chi.
So how did such a small snippet expand so widely and keep extending outward indefinitely?
Ye Feizhou’s eyes concealed unsteady ripples.
"Actually, Chef Wei..." He opened his mouth, but he was too late.
"You!"
Wei Zhong glared at Xia Yu and spoke slowly, "Did you steal my sect’s inheritance?!"
His voice, low and filled with murderous intent, spilled over from his eyes.
There was no doubt the "Divine Hand" was the most central secret of Huang He’s lineage. Even if things were exchanged outwardly, like the shallow theoretical basics swapped between Ye Feizhou and Xia Yu, they were hard to put into practice in cooking or to forcefully improve the quality of dishes.
Unlike Lei Aoxue and the Seven Stars Knife.
After all, the ’Seven Stars Knife’ wasn’t forged by the Lei Family, and this lineage merely possessed it. In the past, didn’t Yizhangqing Xiang En also take a set of knives re-forged by Master Roger to show off and nearly defeat the original Lei Ren?
The "Divine Hand" culinary skill allowed Wei Zhong to glean much information that eyes and noses couldn’t detect, just through skin contact.
Simply put, the moment he touched Xia Yu’s rice cake, a chill ran through Wei Zhong’s entire body!
It was the "Divine Hand"!
He was sure of it.
Moreover...
The opponent’s culinary skill, in Wei Zhong’s mind, formed a bizarre image—
A budding poppy flower!
A haunting purple swirled faintly, captivating the heart!
"Steal?" Xia Yu shrugged. "Sorry, but maybe my culinary skill is more authentic than what you learned!"
A mocking smirk played at the corner of his mouth.
Isn’t it obvious?
In truth, his Divine Hand was thoroughly learned from the system, with genuine effort put into rigorous practice, tirelessly earning Fame Points to upgrade it.
And yet, you say I stole it? Haha, is there a misunderstanding here?
"Impossible!"
In Wei Zhong’s eyes was a beast-like thirst for blood. "In the Chinese Realm, only my line inherits the ’Divine Hand’!"
"Okay, fine, I admit your lineage is impressive!"
Xia Yu yawned apologetically, pointed at the judges’ table, and then gestured to the surrounding stage environment, "We’re in the middle of filming a show. Reserve Pastry King, can you reign in your fangs and reduce your aggressiveness just a bit?"
Wei Zhong’s face turned dark as a pot lid, his fists clenched with audible crackling.
"Everyone—"
Xia Yu paid no further attention to the angry beast, turning instead to the judging panel, where the five judges, including female director Lu Qinghong, all looked at him with complex expressions.
A couple of judges appeared to be on the verge of speaking up.
They wanted to question the reason for the conflict and Wei Zhong’s fury, yet it seemed inappropriate to do so.
Lu Qinghong’s smile was like that of a crafty fox. When Xia Yu met her long phoenix eyes, he detected a hint of something meaningful in them.
To run a show like "Kitchen Three Kingdoms" with such success, regularly bringing in different top-tier chefs each season, one needed not only the ability to navigate social situations but also considerable backing and support.
"Let’s score!" Xia Yu shifted his gaze, smiling slightly as he spoke.
Hearing this, the judges exchanged glances.
Swipe swipe.
Soon after, five scorecards and the numbers on them were clearly captured by the show’s cameras.
The female host, her voice trembling, announced, "19 points, 19 points, 20 points, 20 points, 19 points!"
"Three scores of 19, two perfect scores!"
"The total score is—97!"
A very subtle score.
The expressions of the audience below the stage all read "subtle" in capital letters!
Just one small point higher than the Wei Group’s 96.
By an extremely narrow margin, it topped the rice cake round showdown!
"Hmm—"
The camera panned again, capturing Wei Zhong’s back as he left the stage.
His back remained straight, but no matter how one looked, there was a trace of embarrassment in it.
Did the mentor leave halfway?
Female director Lu Qinghong’s smile froze on her face.
Xia Yu was taken aback as well, "Is he leaving already? I was planning to explain that Dahe Rice and that spring water are the secret weapons for our group—they’re a perfect combo! Sigh, I haven’t even finished my lines yet. Come back—"
Listening to his mumbling, Ye Feizhou, standing to the side, twitched his face.
He opened his mouth to Xia Yu but could not voice his questions, eventually sighing and chasing after the departing Wei Zhong.
Recording of the show abruptly ended.
"Cut!"
Lu Qinghong stood up, checked her watch, and announced to those on and off the stage, "Lunch break!"
The silent venue finally began to bustle slightly.
Xia Yu shrugged, crouched down, and picked up the rice cake that had just fallen to the ground. As his gaze swept nearby, his pupils suddenly contracted.
He made a discovery!
A hint of shiny gold flashed in his field of vision.
Nervously, he glanced around, maintaining a crouch. He shuffled a few steps to cover the shiny object with his shoe, then after a minute or two, pretended to tie his shoelace while stealthily picking up the object... Wait, why does this feel so familiar? The thought sprouted, but Xia Yu merely paused before emptying his mind and gripping the item tightly in his hand. As expected, the information on the item appeared on his retinas:
"[Divine Hand·Experience Card] (Purple)..."
Thump thump!
His heart threatened to leap out of his chest.
"No way!" Xia Yu exclaimed dramatically, in utter disbelief, "Is this a drop?!
Just as he was about to consult the system.
"What are you doing?"
A sudden voice came from behind.
Still squatting, Xia Yu turned stiffly, facing Zhu Qing standing behind him. "You saw everything?"
Zhu Qing had her hands on her hips, her black gemstone-like eyes filled with amusement, staring at him. "Have you been cooped up inside too long? You’re acting all mysterious, crouched there on stage by yourself..." She realized she was standing too close to Xia Yu, and with Demon King Xia there in a deep squat, Zhu Qing was wearing a woolen pleated skirt today—short enough that its hem was above the knee, flaunting her bare legs without any stockings.
The disparity in height, the curiosity about what secrets lay beneath a girl’s skirt... Zhu Qing instinctively clutched her skirt and backed up to what she deemed a safe distance, then sighed with relief.
Even though he wasn’t purposely ogling, in his field of vision, there was a shadow similar in color to her skirt’s fabric flickering in an absolute territory position. Xia Yu mumbled, "Truly anti-human safety shorts!"
"Huh?!"
A slightly cold voice came from behind.
Zhu Qing, amused and annoyed, leaned closer, "Did you see everything?"