Reborn in Japan as a Chef God
Chapter 178: Xia Yu’s Training

Chapter 178: Chapter 178: Xia Yu’s Training

Back home, a red sports car was parked at the door.

I knocked on the window.

"Miss Liangzi, is something the matter?" As the car window slid down, Xia Yu glanced curiously at the woman in the driver’s seat.

She had changed her style again, having been a tight-clad investigator a few days ago, but today she was wearing a formal immortal crane patterned red kimono, her hair done up, exuding the full essence of Dahe Fuzi.

"It’s almost four in the afternoon now, we can still make it to Hakone and settle in before six," Liangzi Lina said, looking at the car’s clock, speaking in a tongue that Xia Yu could not understand.

"What are we going to Hakone for!"

Xia Yu exclaimed, "Miss Liangzi, it seems like we don’t have any appointment!"

Liangzi Lina simply glanced over lightly, "This term’s Far Moon residential training is located in the Far Moon Resort around Hakone. The resort offers views of Lake Ashi and Mount Fuji, accounting for its fame in the Hakone area."

So that was it!

Xia Yu finally understood but then frowned, "Miss Liangzi, I’m going to participate in the Far Moon residential training, but you..."

"Far Moon freshmen have their own training exercises, and so do you. There are things you’re now qualified to encounter," Liangzi Lina said. "The reason... it’s because you’ve created a Special Grade Cuisine."

"Is that so..." After mulling it over, Xia Yu nodded, "Then wait a moment, I’ll go upstairs to pack."

Half an hour later, Xia Yu closed the shop and came out, tossing the full suitcase into the trunk.

Getting in the car, whoosh, a shadow flashed by, and a Hua Mao appeared on Xia Yu’s thigh. He was slightly taken aback, then closed the car door, "We can go now, Miss Liangzi."

Through the rearview mirror inside the car, Liangzi observed the Hua Mao for a moment, then stepped on the gas and drove away from the old commercial street.

The drive from Tokyo to neighboring Kanagawa Prefecture’s Hakone takes about two hours.

Today was only Friday, and the Far Moon freshman residential training didn’t start until Monday, meaning Xia Yu was going to Hakone two days early. He was extremely curious about the "exercises" Liangzi Lina mentioned.

The sports car sped along the highway, leaving behind a red streak.

Xia Yu realized that Liangzi Lina was actually a wild speedster; the moment they hit the highway, she immediately increased the speed.

Feeling as if the car was about to take off from under him, Xia Yu clutched the Hua Mao in his arms, his heart in his throat.

With such speeding, the two-hour journey was nearly halved.

Hakone is located in the southwestern part of Kanagawa Prefecture, known for its hot springs and health resorts. Originally an area of volcanic activity, geological changes had sculpted exquisite features like mountains, springs, and lakes.

Around five o’clock in the afternoon, the sports car slowly entered a town that seemed like Taoyuan Town.

The car stopped in front of a convenience store in town, and Liangzi Lina looked back at Xia Yu, whose face was a bit pale, a subtle curve at the corner of her mouth, "Get out of the car and rest a while, we’ll continue to our lodging place afterward."

She said this and got out of the car first.

By the time Xia Yu got out with the cat, Liangzi Lina returned from the vending machine and handed him a bottle of purified water.

Hakone was a tourist attraction, and tourists could be seen all over the street; Western visitors with blond hair and blue eyes were also in abundance. As they passed by, they couldn’t help but cast admiring glances at Liangzi Lina. Dressed in a kimono, her demeanor was indeed flawless, noble, and dignified.

Touching solid ground as he stepped out of the car, the sick feeling in Xia Yu’s chest gradually faded, and his stomach finally began to feel a bit better.

He had never experienced motion sickness but now, his first precious bout was bestowed upon him by Liangzi Lina.

After resting for about ten minutes, they continued driving.

Bypassing Taoyuan Town, the sports car drove into the mountains, sparsely trodden by humans. Xia Yu gazed out the window at the snow-covered Mount Fuji, that famous mountain of Neon, growing increasingly distant.

"Here we are!"

Outside, the night was a vague twilight, yet the sports car suddenly came to a stop.

"Here we are?" Xia Yu looked to the right with surprise in his eyes, seeing a secluded stone stairway covered in green moss, winding upward amidst the lush greenery of the forest. Alongside the steps, scattered stone lanterns emitted a dim yellow glow.

It was only upon closer inspection that Xia Yu noticed the almost hidden "Bird House."

The "Bird House" is actually a torii gate, much like an archway, constructed from wood painted in red.

It is considered a portal of sorts, marking the boundary between the Divine Realm and the mundane world inhabited by humans.

"Meow~"

The Hua Mao cat in his arms, which had been quiet up to now, suddenly tensed and vocalized.

As it turned out, there was a woman holding a lantern coming up the stairs, pausing just beneath the Bird House. Due to the darkness and the dancing shadows of the trees, Xia Yu couldn’t quite make out her face clearly, but judging by her priestess attire and her figure, she appeared to be a young woman.

"Get out of the car—"

Pulling out the key, Liangzi Lina opened her door and stepped out, and Xia Yu found his heart beating unusually fast, unsure of what was ailing him.

Calming the now-claw-baring Hua Mao cat, Xia Yu took a deep breath and got out of the car too.

Following behind Liangzi Lina and into the Bird House, Xia Yu finally got a clear view of the priestess’s face and felt a tension release within him.

Although she had a cold demeanor, basically a poker face, she was at least a pretty girl.

The lantern-bearing priestess simply nodded at Liangzi Lina, then turned and walked slowly along a path through the forest, Xia Yu and Liangzi Lina following without speaking.

In his arms, Hua Mao looked around with amber eyes, glowing with a human-like curiosity.

Passing through the sloping woods, they soon came upon the shrine buildings.

The place was brightly lit, and despite being deep in the mountains, there was not an ounce of eerie or sinister vibes, only an atmosphere of tranquility and peace.

"Well, well, who do we have here, Reiko?"

A slightly frivolous male voice broke the silence.

The voice carried through the night, and from several houses deep within the shrine, people emerged, men and women, young and old. The young ones were about nineteen or twenty years old, while the eldest had white hair, certainly in their sixties.

"These are chefs doing apprenticeships at the shrine," Liangzi Lina explained to Xia Yu, tilting her head. "And... they are all ’provisional’ Special Grade chefs!"

Xia Yu glanced at these people, who were also sizing him up.

"Too young."

An old man stroked his beard and mumbled to himself.

"So, this greenhorn youngster has already touched the realm of Special Grade Cuisine? I don’t believe it!" The youth with the frivolous voice, a tuft of red hair dyed at the top of his cockerel-head haircut, curled his lip in disdain.

"Main General Liangzi, the trainee that IGO has sent this time is too young!" A middle-aged man in a sharp suit with an imposing presence stared intently at Xia Yu, "He’s probably only of high school age, isn’t he?"

"A student from Far Moon?"

"What of Far Moon students? The leader of this year’s Ten Outstanding Chief, named Si Yingshi, right? I’ve tasted his cooking, and it was barely passable, a long way off from Special Grade."

The crowd murmured among themselves.

Liangzi Lina paid them no mind, instead leading Xia Yu to the main sanctuary of the shrine.

Before long, the master of the shrine arrived.