Chapter 673: A Bowl of Vegetable Soup
Translator: CatatoPatch Editor: Vermillion
At Gluttony Square, an unceasing perfect melody from two-string instruments came out from high floating platforms. The aroma of food filled the entire Glutton G.o.d’s Building.
The Top 100 Chefs on the Tablet of Gluttony all looked earnest. They were sitting cross-legged on the high platforms to listen to a white-headed and white-browed old man named Chu Changsheng.
His voice wandered, filling the air.
So many experts sitting on the high platforms were interested in his words. Actually, they didn’t understand what Chu Changsheng was talking about, but it wasn’t an obstacle for them to respond to Chu Changsheng’s profound implication.
Chu Changsheng was actually a rare talent. The Saint Sons from other regions didn’t dare to disrespect him.
Munch munch munch!
At such a serious scene, munching sounds echoed continually.
Someone had a twitch on his mouth and instinctively turned to that direction.
It was where a little girl was holding a plate, digging in the food on her plate. Her table manner was… ultimately terrible, which made people feel funny.
She was just merely… gluttonous, though.
Some people were numb. Even before they had formally started, her mouth never ceased eating, chomping continuously. Until now, she had ordered enough food to feed twenty people.
Food enough for twenty people…
She had eaten food enough for twenty people… all by herself…
Did that kid want to go against heaven’s will?
Xiao Yue was also speechless. He s.h.i.+vered inwardly when he felt the eyes shoot toward the girl. Even an idiot knew that this little girl had some problems. How could a normal girl eat a lot of food like that?
The Heavenly Spring’s Saint Son shot his look, which was like a sharp sword to Xiao Yue continually, giving him some false twinge under his skin.
Liancheng stroked the jade talisman in his hand, grinning as he looked pensive.
The Grand Barren Sect’s Master clutched his belly. He looked at the little girl, with his mouth convulsing and his b.a.l.l.s aching…
Did that little girl have some secret? She had eaten so many dishes that were full of spirit energy. Even an expert with a two-step soul ladder would explode because of such a full belly.
Someone had already been eager to delve into the secrets of that little girl.
Xiao Yue had a headache. The others’ gaze made him feel as if he was sitting on pins and needles. If he could, he wanted to find it out, too. Anyway, Bu Fang had brought her there and asked him to take care of her. So, of course, he would take care of her.
A female chef was numb as the little girl was looking at her with sincere eyes. She understood that the girl wanted to order more… She was so sorry for the chef who was responsible for that table.
All of a sudden, their faces changed, and they all turned to look at one end of the square. At that area, the bronze doors of the Glutton G.o.d’s Building opened with a rumble.
The voice in the s.p.a.cious square died out. Chu Changsheng c.o.c.ked his head to look at the open gate. He rose one hand, caressing his mustache.
The chefs on the floating high platforms observed the gate with bright eyes. They knew that the chefs walking out of that gate would become their opponents. No one dared to be careless. During the Glutton G.o.d’s Banquet, it wasn’t rare that someone got knocked out of the Tablet of Gluttony.
They knew that the others had prepared very carefully to get here, and they didn’t know to what degree the others could perform. They looked as if they were a crowd of ten thousand, who were waiting eagerly.
Everybody gazed at that big door. Slowly, from the darkness behind the door, someone appeared.
…
The old man looked at Jun Qingxiao, who looked as if he had several cramps. Looking at the steaming hot Egg-Fried Rice in front of him, the old man’s mustache rose.
Jun Qingxiao was a little nervous, but his eyes still showed his confidence. He thrust his chest out, with his face blus.h.i.+ng.
The old man smiled and then used a porcelain spoon to scoop some Egg-Fried Rice.
The Egg-Fried Rice had a mouthwatering smell. As soon as he got the rice in his mouth, the grains scattered immediately, stimulating his taste buds. Since they weren’t allowed to use the true energy to cook, the contestants had to control the heat well. If the heat went slightly over, it would affect the taste of the food.
It was the biggest test for a chef’s foundation.
Anyway, those kiddos wanted to challenge the chefs of the Tablet of Gluttony. Without real skills, their challenge would be really mushy.
“Yeah, not bad…” While having a spoon of Egg-Fried Rice, the old man looked surprised, frowning slightly as he glanced at Jun Qingxiao. This Egg-Fried Rice was beyond his estimation. He hadn’t thought that this kid could reach such a level.
It seemed that Old Cui had spent a lot of effort on that fellow.
“You need to be more confident… Your food tastes really good. Keep it up.” The old man placed the spoon down and patted Jun Qingxiao’s shoulder.
Jun Qingxiao’s only flaw was that he wasn’t really confident. He always looked scared to the others. It displeased the old man. Being a chef, if one was not confident in their own food, how could it touch their diners?
Only when one was confident enough, his food would have sufficient energy, spirit, and soul.
Jun Qingxiao was overwhelmed by the remark from his superior. He nodded, and his face looked excited. His food gained acceptance from the old man. It was beyond his expectation.
A moment later, the old man came to Bu Fang.
Bu Fang was wiping the water on his hands. When he saw the old man, he looked up, with his face emotionless. In front of him was a bowl of soup.
The soup was covered in a halo with some radiance.
“Is this your dish?” the old man asked Bu Fang in surprise.
Bu Fang nodded naturally.
This bowl didn’t have a strong aroma and didn’t look beautiful, either… It was way out of Bu Fang’s previous performance.
Was it true that this kid’s cooking skills were just trash?
Only his knife skill was good enough?
Thinking about that, the old man couldn’t help but frown. He couldn’t afford to let this kid eat the Heaven and Earth Obsidian Flame for nothing… He planned to use the flame as an excuse to keep the kid in the Valley of Gluttony!
After two challenges, the old man thought that Bu Fang’s foundation was really good.
He wasn’t even weaker than some monsters on the Tablet of Gluttony, though. Such a talent, yet he wasn’t a normal chef from the outside of the valley. As a chef from the outside had such great competence, of course, the old man was surprised. If he could recruit Bu Fang, it would be really good!
However, seeing Bu Fang’s dish, he was a little disappointed.
Standing by Bu Fang, Jun Qingxiao also craned his neck to see Bu Fang’s dish. He had the same feeling as the old man. He was a little disappointed because Bu Fang’s food didn’t look stunning or surprising. It didn’t match his previous performance.
Anyway, Jun Qingxiao remembered that the ingredients Bu Fang got were only an egg and some leafy vegetables. What good food he could cook with these things?
Thus, Jun Qingxiao felt sorry for Bu Fang.
Bu Fang stopped wiping the water on his hands as he saw the disappointment on Jun Qingxiao’s and the old man’s faces. He was surprised, frowning. He threw them a glance.
“Try it out. You may have a surprise. My food has never failed people,” said Bu Fang.
His voice was so confident that it shocked Jun Qingxiao. Bu Fang’s voice had some kind of unconditional confidence in his food. This feeling sent Jun Qingxiao some vibe.
However, his dish was so ugly… How could he be so confident?
Hearing Bu Fang’s words, the old man’s eyes brightened. Being confident was good. He was just afraid that young men these days wouldn’t have courage.
“Okay, then I will taste your food. I hope you won’t let me down. If this dish isn’t good… Remember to spit the Heaven and Earth Obsidian Flame out for me!”
“If I have the ability to eat fire, I won’t puke it back,” Bu Fang’s mouth twitched and indifferently denied.
The old man wasn’t enraged because of that. He took a porcelain spoon and scooped some soup. At the moment his spoon touched the soup, the old man’s brows arched. Faint light radiated from his eyes.
“Hmm? Interesting.”
His hand exerted more force and the membrane on the surface of the soup was torn apart. Some radiance sparked from the soup, reaching the old man’s eyes and making him jolt back. A steam and nostril-attacking smell burst out from the tear. The smell of egg and food aroma overflowed.
Steaming heat rolled out, and the fragrance seemed to explode and permeate everywhere.
“It…” Jun Qingxiao was dumbstruck, s.h.i.+vering. Such a smell, so sparkling… Was it really just a simple dish?
No one had expected to see the miracle in such an ordinary soup. No wonder why Bu Fang was so confident.
“What is it called?”
The old man didn’t drink the soup yet. He just took some and poured into his bowl, asking.
“It’s called Unpolished Jade.”
Bu Fang put away his handkerchief and untied his hair, answering unconcernedly.
“Unpolished Jade? A good piece of unpolished jade…” the old man smiled as light bloomed in his eyes. He took in the thick fragrance of the soup. As the fragrance entered his nostrils, the pores in his entire body opened up. The aroma of the egg was like silk ribbons, gently brus.h.i.+ng against his skin.
Gulp.
He drank a spoon.
The hot soup entered his mouth, and the old man’s eyes squinted. The aroma of the soup and the distinctive smell of the egg blended thickly, creating a special fragrance, which was really good. The egg fluid strode smoothly like silk in his mouth, leaving him something he fondly memorized.
This soup… was really different from the others.
Finis.h.i.+ng the bowl of soup that was totally worth it, and afterward, the old man placed his bowl down, nodding with satisfaction. He studied Bu Fang for a while, grinning.
This little chef must stay in the Valley of Gluttony. His talent was really amazing!
“Alright, I’ve tasted all of your food. Unfortunately, there will be only ten pa.s.sing this challenge. Thus, some will be disqualified. However, even you fail, don’t lose your spirit. You guys can still join the contest and challenge the chefs on the Tablet of Gluttony. As long as you have competence, glory will be yours, eventually.
“To the ones who pa.s.sed the challenge, please go through the big gate of the Glutton G.o.d’s Building to face the experts whose names are written on the Tablet of Gluttony.
“I’m afraid they can’t wait to see you!”
The old man clasped his hands, looking at the group of chefs who had pa.s.sed the challenge. This group of ten looked excited, with their fighting will rocketing.
The stiff-faced man nodded, walking forward. As he was walking, his aura increased continually. After a while, he placed one hand on the bronze door. The muscles on his arm bulged like rocks.
Roar!
His energy shot out and the great bronze doors slowly squeaked open.