CHAPTER 947: CHAPTER 946: DIVINE BEAST CUISINE (PART 1)

First, there’s a very important question: can alpaca be eaten?

Xia Yu has never eaten meat from this kind of livestock.

Not only is it about the taste memory, but making alpaca into a delicacy requires processing it first, which, to put it bluntly, involves slaughtering.

Butcher’s technique, skillful and adept, is based on being immensely familiar with the ingredients.

Previously, Xia Yu had only heard of the Divine Beast, alpaca, and never had the opportunity to slaughter one. Such a Divine Beast is considered a pet domestically. What? Slaughter and dish up on a dining table? To bite into such an adorably cute Divine Beast?

So Xia Yu’s mind was a bit frozen.

Let’s not mention slaughtering for now—this step could be mimicked after the methods for cattle and sheep butchering.

Yet when it comes to the actual cooking stage, how to improvise recipes around alpaca meat? Xia Yu is left puzzled.

Without understanding the texture of the meat, controlling the heat becomes difficult.

Taking Liu Maoxing’s "Flame Roast Suckling Pig" recipe, slightly altering it to substitute alpaca meat for the original suckling pig? Xia Yu’s mind was running wild with ideas, but mostly imagining the embarrassing scenario of burning the Divine Beast’s meat to a char, receiving boos from the entire room.

This is an impromptu cooking competition.

Rather than a competition, it’s more of a private exchange and clash, and the stakes aren’t high—just a piece of information that’s difficult to value.

Being impromptu, there’s inevitably not much preparation time, it’s all about the chef’s on-the-spot expression and inspiration. Visually speaking, it’s like a writer visiting a famous site, suddenly having a burst of literary creativity, leaving behind a legacy of poetic work.

Those timeless works are naturally remembered by people, but most of the bad works are heavily criticized. Xia Yu doesn’t want to be fiercely scolded as soon as he shows off a bit in the Hunter’s circle.

"The competition will officially begin in 15 minutes—"

The Mongolian woman announced.

Named Maria, a Female Qilin Chef from South America, Peru, she obviously is most familiar with the livestock native to her hometown. Just glancing at Xia Yu with a thoughtful expression, she then turned to prepare the utensils and seasonings she needed.

Singh, smiling, noticed Tulip and Jintan Shun’s unpleasant expressions, feeling that an occasional private wager like this is quite interesting too.

His "interesting" assessment obviously comes from a victor’s standpoint.

The hunters watching, whether holding bottles or full large glasses of liquor, clinked glasses while discussing the "Divine Beast" in the cage.

Xia Yu’s ears were filled with noisy voices.

"Tsk, Singh’s move is quite ruthless. Only a hunter of his rank can be so generous, providing two rare ’Rock Alpacas’ in a private cooking competition!"

"Yeah, Rock Alpaca, this type of alpaca has been classified as inedible by the IGO organization. Why? Because its meat, as the name implies, is as hard as rock. We hunters would break our teeth eating it! Not good for teeth!"

"But since it’s an ingredient, there must be a way to cook it, right?"

"That’s right—"

Hearing this whispered discussion, Jintan Shun and Tulip exchanged a glance.

The two approached.

Jintan Shun patted the "worried" looking young man standing in front of the iron cage and whispered, "How’s it going, no problem, right?"

Xia Yu didn’t turn around, just his tone was a bit unusual, "Rock Alpaca? Is the meat really as hard as rock?"

"Their description isn’t exaggerated." Tulip said, "The IGO organization has classified ’Rock Alpaca’ as an inedible ingredient because nine out of ten chefs cannot use its meat to cook and prepare delicacies."

"But I’ve only heard of ’Cookie Alpaca’. What is this Rock Alpaca thing..."

"There are plenty of weird things you’ve never heard or seen!" Jintan Shun patted his shoulder, giving him a helplessly sorrowful gaze, "It’s alright, lose if you must. Such impromptu culinary challenges have topics set by the other side—we’re at a disadvantage."

"It’s not your fault if you lose, and as for the intelligence, don’t worry about it. Tulip and I can contact many old friends. Haha."

This blatant motivational tactic left Xia Yu speechless, wondering why he hasn’t taken proactive measures already.

Staring at the ’Divine Beast’ inside the cage.

"Extract ingredient information!"

"[Rock Alpaca] (Purple): The IGO Organization refers to it as a ’mutated cookie beast’. Initially crunchy and delicious, the meat has become hard."

"System-recommended cooking method—barbecue!"

"Note: Before cooking, try to eliminate the meat’s ’hard’ characteristic as much as possible. Methods include ’hammering’, ’soaking in saltwater’, ’marinating with acidic sauce’, ’using a pressure cooker’, etc..."

The basic information provided by the system is particularly vital when faced with completely unfamiliar ingredients.

Especially the thoughtful cooking guide.

Barbecue!

It fits perfectly with the system. Xia Yu’s lips curved slightly, "This cooking guide is crucial. Is the meat tough? Try combining pounding and marinating with wine and vinegar. Oh, and ’knife skills’ are also important. Make more cuts, try to sever the fine muscles in the meat."

"But that’s not enough!"

Xia Yu stared at the alpaca in the cage, his eyes flashed, and he attempted to open the cage.

This alpaca was not from the large alpaca variety; it reached Xia Yu’s chest when standing. If it were a large alpaca, the size would be like a camel, tremendously huge, weighing hundreds of kilograms, adding much difficulty to the slaughtering process.

With his hand placed on the alpaca’s body, Xia Yu tried to grab and squeeze, raising an eyebrow as he felt like he was massaging a rock. Does this mean his skilled hands are useless?

"Pfft pfft pfft—"

Spitting!

Alpacas have temper too. Its cute eyes were filled with anger, and suddenly it opened its mouth, launching a spitting attack on the human being who rudely infringed on it. Xia Yu dodged quickly, but a large area of his clothes still got wet. The foul smell of animal saliva made his face scrunch up.

"Hahahahahahahaha—"

Suddenly, laughter spread through Ulan Bator’s streets.

Singh bent over exaggeratedly, laughing loudly, "It seems this young hunter really doesn’t have any experience in slaughtering alpacas. Even kids can easily dodge the saliva attack, but he was completely unprepared!"

Female Qilin Chef Maria turned back, a trace of undisguised contempt in her eyes.

Ahem.

Xia Yu spread his hands, this was beyond explanation.

Even rabbits bite when angered, let alone alpacas. Although alpacas just have a ’spitting’ skill, the saliva is extremely stinky, with a dung-like yellow color, enough to make one nauseous. Xia Yu immediately took off his jacket and threw it on the ground, feeling it was too troublesome to wash it, thus declaring it ruined.

Jintan Shun held back his laughter as he approached, "Don’t dawdle, if you need anything, just say it, and I’ll find Urina—"

He gestured towards the Mongolian woman in charge of hosting.

"I plan to roast the whole lamb."

Upon hearing this, Jintan Shun and Tulip displayed an expression as if saying "Figures."

"Then what? What do you need?"

Xia Yu answered flatly, "Charcoal..."

"Charcoal?"

After listening to Xia Yu’s explanation about the ’charcoal’ material, Jintan Shun was surprised, "I’ll ask Urina." Turning away to consult the Mongolian woman, and she evidently surprised, said a few words quietly. Jintan Shun then waved to Xia Yu, striding away, "Give me 10 minutes, and I’ll get you a truckload back!"

When Jintan Shun returned, Female Qilin Chef Maria had already begun slaughtering the alpaca.

Szz.

Sound of current.

The ’alpaca,’ watching the female chef in anger, fainted and fell to the ground. The chef then expressionlessly chained its four limbs and suspended it upside down on a slaughtering steel frame, using a special bleeding stinger to pierce the large artery in the neck, plunging deeply into the alpaca, penetrating its heart.

Jintan Shun dropped off a bag of charcoal, patted Xia Yu’s shoulder, but the boy was focused and muttered, "The method is basically the same as slaughtering cattle and sheep; it’s all about piercing the heart and bleeding out..."

"I brought the charcoal back, several bags more." Jintan Shun remarked, making multiple trips; on the last return, carrying the eighth bag of charcoal, he found Xia Yu had already turned away, facing the alpaca in the iron cage, wiping a large machete with a rag.

Female Qilin Chef Maria was currently walking away from them, holding a basin, collecting the blood flowing endlessly from the alpaca’s neck.

"Knife?"

Jintan Shun came back, about to speak to Xia Yu when suddenly, with a sound of crunch, the youth kicked open the loosely fastened lock. The alpaca realized the impending danger, glaring at the approaching chef, ready to spit out another foul-smelling spit, suddenly, a cold gleam of blade slashed down, accompanied by a piercing metal sound.

Meanwhile, in the yard at a corner of Ulan Bator city, sparks shot out blindingly.

Floop!

The alpaca’s body stiffened and fell to the ground, blood spreading around.

"This..."

Everyone displayed a unified expression of shock.

Singh gasped sharply, his smug smile vanished, taking strides, crouching before the twitching body, fingers touching a deep knife cut visible to the bone at the alpaca’s throat, blood-stained fingers trembling, "Esophagus, trachea, and both venous blood vessels, all severed in one slash!"