CHAPTER 732: CHAPTER 731: CHEN YANG’S TRANSFORMATION

The "deep affection" in his eyes made Xia Yu shudder.

A chill!

Being looked at like that by a big man, especially one who planned to deal with him through a Shokugeki, made a cold shiver run up his spine.

Seeing him put down his pen and stop thinking, it seemed like Chen Yang had been staring at him for a long time. His voice trembled slightly as he said, "I definitely recognize this spice!"

"So you recognize it."

Xia Yu just shrugged his shoulders.

’Merck’s Stars’ had made its appearance at a Sapporo event, where Ghost Father Tiqie Ji used this ingredient to construct his Golden Snake Kingdom. That dish of ’Golden Snake Meat’ was also recorded and published by numerous gourmet magazines.

Of course, the dishes from Ghost Father’s Shokugeki naturally became the backdrop for Xia Yu’s ’Gold and Jade.’

"No, that’s not it!"

A sudden loud shout.

Chen Yang’s voice was trembling, and his whole being seemed to be controlled by his intense emotions.

Yuchuan Meisha covered her ears, startled, her pretty face showing shock and displeasure as she glared at this young customer.

"No loud noise is allowed in the store!" Yuchuan Ayaka reminded him coldly.

"I’m, I’m sorry!"

His tongue was tied in knots, his stuttering speech indicating how truly excited Chen Yang was, unable to restrain himself.

Thump!

Thump, thump!

His heart was thumping like a drum in his chest, beating with incredible force!

His dormant blood was awakening.

It was winter, and Chen Yang was wearing a trench coat and denim pants. At first glance, he seemed unchanged, but if one looked closely at his ears amidst his black hair, one could see that his ears were becoming eerily pointed and elongated, much like those of the Elf Clan from movies and TV shows.

"Your, your baked goods... something inside me wants to come out!"

Bang!

Slamming his fists on the table, Chen Yang bowed his head with a flushed face, his shoulders shaking. This was a sign of excitement and exhilaration, as Chen Yang was indeed following in his father’s footsteps, a true Food Dominator Chef, with culinary cells hidden within his body, and at this moment, those cells were awakening!

A soft ’snap’ sound.

Huh?!

Yan Qi and Xia Yu simultaneously glanced at a terracotta teacup next to Chen Yang’s hand.

Cracks were spreading across the surface of the cup.

In just the blink of an eye, the once intact teacup turned into neat fragments.

Without a doubt, the teacup had been destroyed by a mysterious force!

Moreover, this force seemed to be spreading outward, causing the teapot to shake and even the reinforced glass between the bar and the open kitchen seemed to quake as if struck by an earthquake.

"You, get out—"

Xia Yu’s expression darkened as he commanded in a low tone.

Yan Qi was even more decisive, stepping forward, grabbing the collar of Chen Yang’s trench coat, dragging him like a feather, weightless, out of the store all the way to the backyard, without causing any damage to tables or chairs along the way.

The Yuchuan sisters also had strange expressions but did not seem overly panicked by such weirdness.

Speaking of which, neither Meisha nor Ayaka, having seen many strange things, were not at all frightened by a living person like Chen Yang.

"You two watch the store."

Hurriedly dropping a line, Xia Yu quickly followed after.

Yuchuan Meisha pursed her lips slightly and leaned in toward Ayaka, "Sister, that customer couldn’t be..."

A glint appeared in Yuchuan Ayaka’s beautiful eyes.

"Mhm."

She softly responded, "That reaction is probably what the host once mentioned to me, the ’Demonization’ of the Food Tyrant Chef."

"Demonization?" Meisha was curious.

"Right, the culinary cells within a Food Tyrant Chef are being awakened passively, and they usually can’t control it."

"Is that so..."

Yuchuan Meisha picked up a fragment of the teacup, noticing the smooth edge as if cut by a machine, without a single sharp edge, and murmured to herself, "Then what kind of force shattered the teacup?"

"At least it’s not visible to our eyes!" Yuchuan Ayaka’s pretty face was thoughtful.

The courtyard at night.

The sound of gasping continued for about a quarter hour.

Hua Mao stood at the end of the corridor, concealed in the shadows, casting a wary gaze at the youth who lay limp on the ground.

The corridor floor featured a puddle.

"Are you okay now?"

Seeing Chen Yang’s vein receding, Xia Yu spoke up.

His lips moved, Chen Yang seemed like he had just finished an intense aerobic workout, his lips chapped and his face drenched in sweat. He was surprised by Xia Yu’s calm demeanor, "You, you’re not surprised?"

Hearing this, Xia Yu gave a half-smile, "So, what kind of emoticon should I use to match your reaction?"

"Shocked?"

"Scared?"

"Or shocked + scared?"

Chen Yang’s face paused slightly.

Yan Qi’s brows twitched uncontrollably. He was quite concerned about his former disciple and asked, "Have you really got it under control?"

"No—"

His eyes, which had just calmed down, now stirred up with excitement again. Chen Yang leaned against the porch pillar, slowly stood up, turned around, and incredibly bowed ninety-degrees to Xia Yu, "Please, can I have another Italian herb bread?"

"Uh!"

This request was rather sudden.

Instantly, Xia Yu inexplicably understood why Chen Yang had looked at him with such "deep affection" in his eyes before.

Chen Yang’s transformation from hostility to a humble request was all because of one baked bread.

Yan Qi, the Dragon Giant, was also slightly agape.

"That’s not Italian herb bread; it should be called Xia’s Flowing Focaccia!" Xia Yu corrected.

"Focaccia" refers to all types of Italian herb bread.

Chen Yang immediately responded, having no confusion over the naming of the food, "Then, please give me another Xia’s Flowing Focaccia!"

"None left!"

Xia Yu spread his hands, "Don’t look at me with such a plaintive gaze, you saw it yourself, I only made six."

"One for each person; there are five of us, what about the last one?"

Chen Yang stepped forward excitedly.

"Oh, you’re eyeing the sixth bread—"

Drawing out the words, but not intending to tease Chen Yang, Xia Yu could understand where Chen Yang’s excitement came from.

He had witnessed so-called ’Demonization.’

During the Sapporo competition, Ghost Father Tiqie Ji had tasted one of his ’reserved dishes,’ and the swelling in his right arm was far more terrifying than Chen Yang’s transformation.

Ghost Father had once said that with every awakening of the demon, and each time it was satisfied, it meant one’s own strength increased.

Simply put, just now, Chen Yang had gained an enhancement.

As for how much he had improved, only he would know.

Usually, the strength of the culinary cells in one’s body also represents the culinary prowess of a Food Tyrant Chef!

Because they conquer Fantasy Ingredients with the help of ’Demons.’

"The sixth bread is over there—"

To dispel Chen Yang’s obsession, Xia Yu immediately pointed to the end of the corridor.

That area was dim.

But Yan Qi and Chen Yang had exceptional vision and could see the scene in the dark corner, their faces stiffening instantly.

A cat stood on all fours.

Next to the cat, a gleaming plate held a half-eaten golden bread.

"Meow—"

The cat wasn’t shy at all, it called out to Xia Yu, picked up and ran with the remaining half of the bread in its mouth, darting past the three men up the stairs to the second floor.

Seeing this, Chen Yang’s expression crumbled.

"Hey, hey, the cat?"

He asked angrily in reflex.

Xia Yu turned away, crossing the threshold, ready to head back into the shop, "That little thing is part of my family, what’s wrong with feeding it?"

Chen Yang followed him, "Do you realize how precious that kind of food is?"

Yan Qi looked on, baffled as the two entered the shop.

It seems.

The culinary face-off couldn’t start after all?

"What are you guys arguing about—"

A voice broke the commotion inside the shop; Zhu Qing came down from the second floor with a sleepy face, yawning, putting on shoes, but at least his clothes were in order.