Chapter 804: Chapter 803: For the Dragons (Part 1)

Xia Qing snapped open the “lid” of the bamboo tube, revealing a corner of a rice ball, finally showing its true form like a bashful woman removing her veil.

This scene was meant to be simple and unremarkable.

In the viewfinder of the equipment, the picture appears normal, but the equipment is lifeless, unable to perceive the surge of scent at the moment the lid is lifted, and thus cannot be drawn into the exotic culinary realm by the aroma.

The thin bamboo slice, carrying a touch of residual warmth, was placed into Xia Qing’s palm.

Then, he grasped the bamboo tube and lightly shook it over a small ceramic bowl, allowing the grains mixed with other ingredients to tumble from the tube into the bowl.

Whoosh—

In the audience, everyone, including Xia Yu and Zhu Qing, was utterly entranced, without exception.

“The bamboo smells so good! What kind of bamboo is this?!”

Xia Yu bowed his head, his shoulders trembling uncontrollably, stirred by his father’s grand gesture, “I thought the bamboo tube was merely a special container…”

The bamboo scent was the guiding thread that beckoned noses to chase after the fragrance in the air, sinking deeper and becoming unable to extricate themselves.

Rustle, rustle.

The wind blows through the bamboo forest, causing the branches and leaves to sway.

It was just a scent, yet it transported Xia Yu to a deep and tranquil bamboo grove.

The judges couldn’t tear their gaze away either, their attention captured by a small bowl of rice pulling at their hearts.

Intense!

The old man from the Wei Family’s expression changed.

Without tasting it, purely from the leaked culinary ambiance, Huang He’s “Ten Thousand Cranes Leave the Nest” seemed to lack the relaxed majesty and tranquility compared to Xia Qing’s deep bamboo forest world…

However, the true strength can only be revealed after tasting.

With this thought, the Wei Family elder pressed his lips tightly together, the red rice he had picked up dropped back into the bowl. He didn’t continue with those chopsticks but instead set them aside, picking up another clean pair of bamboo chopsticks to send a small portion of bamboo tube rice into his mouth.

“Whoosh—”

In the bamboo forest world visible to the eyes, a fierce wind suddenly swept through, the slender and upright bamboo swaying in the breeze, bamboo leaves fluttered about, forming a wave of green rushing forward under the peculiar force of the wind.

In the bamboo grove, the Wei Family elder stared dumbfoundedly, listening to a faint, melodious tune breezing through.

Chime, chime, chime!

There is a beauty playing the zither deep in the bamboo grove.

Drawn by the zither’s melody, the Wei Family elder could not help but step forward, barefoot across the clear stream, startling a few wild beasts in the bamboo forest’s wild lands, mountain chickens flapping away, their colorful tail feathers strikingly visible amidst the green.

Thud.

Something soft bumped against his leg, and the Wei Family elder looked down to find a plump, gray-white wild rabbit staring up at him with wide eyes.

He wasn’t sure when his footsteps had stopped.

In reality, the Wei Family elder’s chopsticks were moving with increasing frequency, bite after bite.

“It’s wild game rice!”

Yan Qi said while chewing, his facial expression was remarkable, “I tasted rabbit meat, mountain chicken meat… Clearly, there’s grainy meat involved, not just vegetarian, yet why is the bamboo forest ambiance so pure?!”

“The mere bamboo scent permeating the rice isn’t enough to suppress the gamey flavor of this wild meat, right?” Yan Qi muttered.

“It’s bamboo shoots!”

The old man from the Lan Family praised, “And fresh bamboo shoots, tender and aromatic. Normally, bamboo shoots combined with a bit of wild game, stir-fried, is a delicious temptation, but now, bamboo shoots, glutinous rice, and Japonica rice roasted within the bamboo tube, truly form a fragrant and intriguing culinary masterpiece!”

“The mastery of the cooking technique competes with any seasoned Dragon Chef!”

The elder of the Li Family opened his eyes, a bit less clouded.

As Li Han’s great-grandfather, his Flame Cooking Skill had reached the pinnacle, and in this domain, no one present held more authority.

The four judges spoke in turn, with the dragon head of the Chinese Realm quietly savoring the dish.

Soon, the commotion in the audience settled down, and even the four judges ceased speaking.

Including Huang He, who wanted to serve his dish first, but was overtaken by Xia Qing, his face darkened.

As the four judges praised the dish, Huang He’s mood sank.

All eyes awaited the dragon head’s reaction.

After a while, the dragon head slowly finished the bowl of bamboo tube rice, leaving not a grain behind in the small bowl.

“Clang, clang…”

It wasn’t a bell, but the dragon head took an unopened bamboo tube and gently tapped it with the bamboo chopsticks.

“Eh?”

The room was filled with puzzled gazes.

Xia Yu also looked at the dragon head tapping the bamboo tube with closed eyes, utterly confused.

A brief moment.

The tapping ceased because one of the bamboo chopsticks broke.

The dragon head slowly opened his eyes, gazed at the broken chopstick in his hand, and sighed with both satisfaction and regret, “Good!”

After speaking, he glanced indifferently at the bowl of crane blood rice given to him earlier by Huang He, shook his head, discarded the broken chopsticks, and left with his hands behind his back.

Until the elder’s burly figure completely disappeared, the audience erupted into a commotion.

“The leader finished it all, not a grain left!”

“Is this Xia Qing truly the new Dragon Chef? Didn’t Huang Venerable say that ten years ago he barely reached the end of the Lin Path and only broke through overseas to become a Dragon…”

About two thousand people present, considered the highest tasting authority in the Chinese Realm, whispered in astonishment.

The main judge leaving his seat signified the end of the food duel.

No one dared to question the leader’s evaluation.

Moreover, the leader himself is the master of the White Jade Tower. Essentially, Huang He is his trusted lieutenant, and the leader had no reason to show favoritism either publicly or privately.

Huang He stood frozen.

The remaining four on the judging panel likely did not anticipate the leader’s sudden departure and were petrified.

…

The midnight duel on the Loulin Ship came to an abrupt end.

The leader did not formally announce the victor, so despite the audience’s shock and discussions, things could only be hastily concluded.

Half an hour later.

Knock, knock!

Xia Yu knocked on Yan Qi’s “Among the Clouds” room.

“Come in—”

Upon receiving permission, Xia Yu eagerly pushed the door open, “Wow!”

As expected.

Old Xia Qing sat at a tea table inside, drinking tea with Yan Qi.

“Brother Yan, you asked me to bring some bamboo rice, was it because…” Xia Qing’s inquiry was interrupted by the rushing young man.

The old and the young, wide-eyed stare down.

“You rascal!”

Xia Qing’s mood was visibly unstable as he bellowed, “How did you sneak onto the ship?”

“Sneak?”

Xia Yu chuckled, pointing towards Yan Qi to shift the blame, “Mr. Yan brought me on board fair and square. Old man, you’re using the word ‘sneak’ incorrectly!”

He casually sat by the tea table.

“Is this the bamboo rice you presented during the food duel, old man?”

As soon as he sat down, Xia Yu’s eyes were fixated on the bamboo tube on the table.

The Flame Cooking Skill’s heightened sensory perception gave him exact information: the food inside the bamboo tube was still very warm.

Xia Qing nodded and, seeing Yan Qi secretly giving him a look, paused in realization. He understood that Yan Qi had deliberately left this bamboo rice to let him personally teach his grandson.

Ha.

What a great opportunity.

After nearly a year without seeing his grandson, Xia Qing’s initial surprise was replaced by a doubled enthusiasm, coolly saying, “Taste it first, then tell me what you’ve experienced.”

“Alright—”

Xia Yu replied loudly, his eyes shining with excitement, as he eagerly opened the bamboo lid.

Having previously gotten accustomed to the scent, this time he wasn’t overwhelmed by the pouring aroma and transported into a culinary fantasy. Xia Yu simply used chopsticks to dig into the open bamboo tube without pouring out the rice.

He put it into his mouth and chewed.

“No wonder the leader knocked the bamboo like that in response!” Xia Yu’s initial excitement was replaced by intense astonishment.

Swoosh!

An expanse of white silk unfurled before his eyes.

Clear broth was sprinkled over the bamboo.

Rabbit meat and mountain chicken meat, on the white canvas base, transformed into adorable lively small creatures with charm.

In a secluded bamboo grove swayed by the wind, a lady sat at a grassy hut’s qin platform, quietly playing the zither.

As she played, seemingly reaching a sorrowful, heart-wrenching moment, Xia Yu saw a crystal tear fall from the lady’s exceptionally beautiful cheek, plopping onto the surface of the bamboo at the corner of the qin platform.

The tear formed a brown spot.

Was it Xiangfei Bamboo?

A sudden chilling sensation, like a teardrop reaching the deepest part of his heart, made Xia Yu shiver involuntarily. It had been a long time since a unique culinary piece moved him this way, “Oh my heavens!”

“A painting, an exquisite culinary painting!”

The shock was beyond words.