Reborn in Japan as a Chef God
Chapter 179: Gourmet Hunter

Chapter 179: Chapter 179: Gourmet Hunter

The expressionless witch in front supported an old woman as they approached slowly.

The old woman was dressed in the same witch attire, her silvery white hair neatly combed. Though she needed the aid of a cane and support to walk, her steps imparted an odd sense of stability.

An individual who was at least eighty or ninety years old. Xia Yu felt solemn.

She could barely make out figures, but after staring intently for about fifteen seconds, she recognized Liangzi Lina, then turned her gaze to Xia Yu.

"Liangzi, is this the new trainee?" the old witch’s voice was very soft.

"Yes, Granny Chiyoda," Liangzi Lina replied respectfully, "Minister Shinohara asked me to bring him here for a six-day and five-night internship."

The old woman slowly knelt on the tatami, a lacquered wooden desk before her.

"You know the rules of the Chiyoda Shrine internship, Liangzi," the old woman said, her cloudy eyes intently observing Xia Yu for several seconds, "Young man, make a dish that satisfies me, and then you will officially be a trainee of the shrine."

"Come with me."

Liangzi Lina said quietly as she pulled Xia Yu out of the main hall.

Outside the door, the group in front crowded around. The rooster-combed youth laughed loudly, slapped Xia Yu on the shoulder, and said, "Young man, show us your best skill. If you cannot satisfy Granny Chiyoda, you are not qualified to train at Chiyoda Shrine and must leave immediately."

His words were full of schadenfreude.

"Out of the way—"

Liangzi Lina said coldly as the group watched her lead Xia Yu away.

The shrine’s complex sprawled across the mountaintop, and following the stone stairway upward, Liangzi Lina pushed open the door to a certain room. Whoosh—a brand new, modern, professional kitchen unfolded before Xia Yu’s eyes.

"Just make ’Flame Dragon Roll Fish Fin Sausage’!" Liangzi Lina urged him, "Tell me what ingredients you need and give me the list!"

"Wait a minute!"

Xia Yu was very confused, full of doubt since his arrival at the shrine.

"Miss Liangzi, before I start cooking, you have to explain to me," Xia Yu said, not understanding, "what’s the benefit of this six-day and five-night internship for me?"

Isn’t it just a deep forest and an old shrine environment?

Cooks are not cultivators; it’s not as if one can improve their culinary skills just through quiet meditation; continuous practice is essential.

Liangzi Lina searched for the right words, and after a while, she said slowly:

"Every special-grade chef from Neon is from Chiyoda Shrine, without exception."

"I once trained here, as did Aoki and the minister. This place can be considered the starting platform for special-grade chefs. Only those who pass the internship here are qualified to attend the special-grade exam at Neon’s headquarters."

Xia Yu was taken aback and listened attentively.

"You’ve always been curious about where those special-grade Fantasy Ingredients come from, right?" Liangzi Lina asked, hitting a nerve with Xia Yu.

"Actually, special-grade chefs have another title that is not known to the public—"

Liangzi Lina locked eyes with Xia Yu, enunciating each word: "Gourmet, Hunter!"

"Chiyoda Shrine is a place of advancement for prospective hunters. Without understanding the methods of hunting, there is no way to acquire special-grade ingredients. Therefore, they cannot be considered true special-grade chefs."

Xia Yu’s mouth hung open.

Gourmet Hunters?

Hey, hey!

His head became muddled, and after a long pause, Xia Yu muttered, "Miss Liangzi, please don’t tell me that these Fantasy Ingredients are hunted by chefs in another world."

"Who told you that? The minister? Aoki?" Liangzi Lina raised an eyebrow, her aura turning fierce, irritated, "Misleading the youth!"

"The world is the world, just as you see it!" Liangzi Lina said solemnly, "Aoki told me that you have encountered dirty things, but do not think that under the bright world, there is another world where monsters and demons run rampant!"

"That’s wrong!"

"Humanity, at any time, is the master of the world!" Liangzi Lina continued, "In this era of information, those things that should not exist have become incredibly rare, even for special grade chefs, it’s difficult to come across them more than a few times in a lifetime."

Xia Yu opened his mouth and said, "Where do these special-grade fantasy ingredients come from, then?"

"It’s hunting!"

"For example, the ’Land Shark Back Fin’ that Lancelot used is indeed cut from the body of a land shark, which means the land shark truly exists. It was first discovered in the icy lands by gourmet hunters..."

Xia Yu’s brows twitched furiously as he listened.

Indeed, could the flora and fauna of this world not be explained by common sense?

"However, the clues to fantasy ingredients must be sought out and captured by the chefs themselves," Liangzi Lina explained, "Searching the whole world is too inefficient. The quickest shortcut to hunting ingredients—is to communicate with indescribable entities."

"Food is the medium of communication."

"..." Xia Yu was somewhat speechless; it seemed the matter had come full circle. To hunt for special-grade ingredients, he would ultimately have to connect with something supernatural.

"It was through the Chiyoda Shrine that I too was able to hunt my first special-grade ingredient. Cherish this internship, once you pass, you will never get any more information through the shrine."

After finishing her explanation, Liangzi Lina handed over a pen and paper.

Xia Yu wrote down all the ingredients used in ’Flame Dragon Roll Fish Fin Sausage,’ then stood in the Shrine Kitchen, lost in thought.

Creating his own recipe to make a luminous dish again posed no challenge for him.

Would his cooking satisfy that old woman?

If he had been indifferent before, then after hearing Liangzi Lina’s explanation, Xia Yu suddenly took the qualification of ’Cultivator’ very seriously.

He was quite interested in the world of gourmet hunters, but it seemed that one had to be a special grade chef to have that title; therefore, using his cooking to squeeze into the circle of ’Cultivators’ for communication with other potential special grade chefs was quite nice.

Before long, Liangzi Lina returned, and Xia Yu started cooking.

...

Nearly two hours later, at eight o’clock at night.

Xia Yu and Liangzi Lina descended from the mountain path. About a dozen Cultivators were gathered in the small courtyard in front of the temple, apparently engaging in some sort of exchange meeting.

A whistle blew.

The young man with the cock’s comb hair waved his hand, "Hey, kid, your dish? Show us!"

Xia Yu nodded to Liangzi Lina, who then approached the Cultivators with a food container, while Xia Yu himself carried the sealed food container and stepped into the shrine’s main hall.

"Liangzi, just who is that boy to be guided by you like this?" the cock’s comb-haired young man clamored.

This group of Cultivators were all potential special grade chefs, either having high social status or being some sort of genius.

Just shaking her head, Liangzi Lina placed the food container on the stone table and glanced over the group, "You’ll understand once you taste his cooking."

"What is it!"

Dissatisfied with Liangzi Lina’s deliberate mystique, the cock’s comb-haired young man leaped down from the stone railing and reached out to lift the lid of the food container.

Whoosh—

Dazzling flashes of light instantly illuminated the shrine courtyard.

At the same time, a similar luminance emanated from within the main hall of the shrine, lingering for a long time.

The cock’s comb-haired young man was left agape and astounded.