Reborn in Japan as a Chef God
Chapter 385 - 384: "Deadly" Puzzle

Chapter 385: Chapter 384: "Deadly" Puzzle

That day, in the afternoon.

Xia Yu rarely rested in the Zen House.

The Zen House was airy from all sides, with all windows and doors wide open. Beneath him was the tatami that released a faint scent of straw. The cool breeze blew gently from the courtyard’s small pond and the treetops. He didn’t turn on the electric fan and simply half-squinted his eyes, savoring the rare leisure of the afternoon.

Hua Mao lay at the doorway, with large amber eyes, just watching Xia Yu who was lying flat.

The wind whooshed down the corridor—no need to question the animal’s nature to seek cool refuge. They always found the coolest spot around the house, yet never too far away from their master.

Doo-doo.

Doo.

On the tea table, the phone vibrated.

He could only answer the call amid the noisy cicada’s chorus.

A woman’s voice spoke from the other end,

"I’ve organized Yuchuan Ayaka’s material and sent it to your email; take a good look."

"That woman’s profile?" Xia Yu raised an eyebrow, sitting cross-legged.

There was a slight sigh from the other side.

"In fact, Yuchuan Ayaka has only competed in 3 public Food Duels, winning cleanly against her opponents each time. The last record of her cooking was during the Special Grade assessment..."

"You should really thank Ujou; some of the information was pried out of Aoki’s mouth by her. After all, Yuchuan Ayaka is Aoki’s junior, so he wouldn’t reveal too much."

The caller was naturally Liangzi Lina.

Xia Yu expressed his understanding.

After hanging up, he opened his email on the phone and downloaded an attachment.

Skimming over the surname, age, preferences, and such, Xia Yu focused only on the opponent’s culinary skills.

But under the culinary skills section, there were only two sentences.

The first: "Proficient in Japanese cuisine, Western desserts, and Japanese sweets, with other unknown areas of expertise."

The second: "Her ’finishing move’ Special Grade Recipe—60% likelihood of being Japanese cuisine, 80% likelihood of being sweets."

Upon reading this, Xia Yu was slightly taken aback.

This was IGO’s internal information, needless to say about its rigor.

80% likelihood of desserts?

Does this mean that Yuchuan Ayaka’s ’finishing move’ recipe is almost certainly in the realm of sweets?

He felt a subtly complex emotion.

Female chefs seemed to have a knack in the realm of pastries.

Like Sen Tian Makoto and Tiqie Helinai, whom he was on good terms with—if the conversation shifted towards them, it would likely revolve around pastries.

Half an hour later, the second call came.

Xia Yu answered, unsurprisingly, it was Liangzi Lina again.

"How about it; do you feel confident enough? Actually, you could just stay outside of Tokyo, and by next year nobody will care about this stillborn Food Duel," Main General Liangzi offered the advice to avoid the limelight once again.

"Next year?"

Xia Yu chuckled.

Not to mention the system mission.

He had made a golden signboard for himself; it made no sense to hide it now.

After the Special Grade assessment, his Fame Points had risen sharply. Xia Yu was counting on gaining even more from this Food Duel, so he could start cultivating the ’Rainbow Tree’ with ample confidence. Speaking of which, those two golden recipes had been gathering dust for quite a while—he had never even practiced them once, the more he thought about it, the more unsettled he felt.

"Don’t worry, I left Tokyo just to prepare for the Food Duel!"

Xia Yu said and then couldn’t help but internally grumble.

Hey, hey.

The ones participating in the Food Duel are the ones giving confidence to friends and family; had something gone wrong?

"How are the preparations going?" the other side asked.

"Just two more ingredients needed."

Xia Yu said leisurely, "One is a fish that can be used for sashimi or sushi, whether fresh or saltwater. As long as it’s cold in nature and suitable, it meets my requirements."

Fish? Main General Liangzi fell silent, obviously surprised by the recipe Xia Yu was preparing for the Food Duel.

"And the second ingredient?"

"I don’t know either..."

Unexpectedly, Xia Yu leaned back with his left hand and looked out into the courtyard, finally showing a trace of uncertainty towards the unknown.

"Do you need my help?"

"I need inspiration; do you think the sauce is important for a plate of sashimi?" Xia Yu countered.

"Important!" was the immediate response.

"So you see..."

Xia Yu shrugged, "I’m just missing the puzzle piece for the sauce. If I can fit that last piece in, the ’must-kill’ recipe I’ve been concocting in my mind will be nearly complete!"

He had barely finished when Xia Yu seemed to sense something and abruptly looked up.

Outside the courtyard, an elder in kimono and feather weave stood under an old tree, cradling a container that resembled a large sake jar in his arms.

He beckoned to Xia Yu.

"Reiko, I have an emergency. Gotta hang up now!"

Without waiting for a reply, Xia Yu hung up the phone, casually stuffed his mobile into his pocket, and slipped on his shoes in the hallway.

"Kid, satisfy me, and this will be yours."

A familiar line.

Without further ado, the elder thrust the clay jar at Xia Yu.

It was ice-cold to the touch.

Considering the temperature outside was over 30 degrees Celsius, the surface of the jar felt just over 20 degrees. Xia Yu gently shook it, heard the sound of liquid, peered inside, and at the sight of a pair of sea creatures, the distinctive briny scent of seawater hit him.

"Cuttlefish! They’re alive!" Xia Yu thought excitedly.

"Kid, this pair of male and female cuttlefish took me a great effort to find. They’re different from ordinary cuttlefish; they are cold-natured and aquatic, and their growth conditions are very stringent..."

What?

Xia Yu’s eyes widened in surprise, feeling the thrill of someone hit by a winning lottery ticket.

Cuttlefish!

Marine ingredients!

They matched the profile perfectly, and cuttlefish are ideal for sashimi!

Amid his excitement, Xia Yu looked up again at the diner who had been pestering him every day for the last ten days and suddenly found him much more appealing.

"Let’s go—"

Xia Yu gestured grandly, cradling the clay jar as he quickly led the way to the kitchen.

Cuttlefish were not easy to keep alive, so it was essential to change their environment as soon as possible. If they died, the quality would drop significantly, which would be such a waste.

The elder followed close behind, chuckling with his arms crossed.

...

Time always flies; seven days later, at the gate of Yuchuan Temple.

An IGO food delivery truck carried several fish tanks with live seafood into the vehicle.

The small truck left quickly, but another car remained parked.

Liangzi Lina opened the door, stepped out of the car, tossed Xia Yu’s luggage that had been placed at the rear of the car into the trunk, and then quietly stood waiting without rushing the young man chatting with Yuchuan Meisha.

"Sister Meisha, come to Tokyo when you have time!"

Xia Yu smiled and issued an invitation, "I’ll cover your food and lodging. Stay as long as you want, eat whatever you want; just say the word!"

"Tokyo?"

A trace of sadness flickered in Yuchuan Meisha’s eyes.

Her blood was of the Yuchuan Family, and she should have been living in the bustling Tokyo, but that family did not even acknowledge her existence. Her father, Yuchuan Xin, would occasionally visit, but only in secret, staying briefly before leaving.

Noticing her forlorn expression, Xia Yu suddenly asked, "Do you want to return to the Yuchuan Family?"

"I don’t know."

Yuchuan Meisha looked lost.

"I can tell you, your father doesn’t dare to take you home; your sister is the biggest obstacle," Xia Yu asserted.

From his encounters, he recognized Yuchuan Meisha’s exceptional culinary talent.

After all, "Super Hearing" was not a common prodigious talent, and the likelihood of the Yuchuan family’s direct descendants being born with "Super Hearing" was also tied to esoteric theories.

But forced to choose between a legitimate and an illegitimate daughter, the decision of Yuchuan Xin, the House Chief, was fundamentally not wrong.

"Don’t worry. Once I defeat your sister and control her, I’ll have her bring you back to the Yuchuan Main House with full honors, and officially write your name into the family register..."

With those words, Xia Yu waved goodbye with his back turned to her and climbed into the car.

Yuchuan Meisha was stunned.

"Haha, Meisha, start preparing to return to the main house!"

She was roused by a joking voice.

Turning her head, she saw the elder in kimono and feather weave, and Yuchuan Meisha lowered her head and said, "But, but Yu is still missing the last puzzle piece to complete his ’must-kill’ recipe!"

The Yuchuan Abbot appeared expressionless at the temple gate.

"Even if he completes his ’must-kill’ recipe... A ’must-kill’ against a ’must-kill,’ he still might not defeat Ayaka," the Yuchuan Abbot snorted.

"Grandma!"

Yuchuan Meisha pouted discontentedly.

"Meisha, do you want your sister to win, or do you want that kid to win?" the Yuchuan Abbot’s lips curled into a faint smile, but the sulking Yuchuan Meisha did not notice.

"Of course, it’s..."