Reborn in Japan as a Chef God
Chapter 410 - 409: Where the Heart is Bright, There is Light

Chapter 410: Chapter 409: Where the Heart is Bright, There is Light

Hearing the noise, Xia Yu turned around, "...Who are you?"

He was not yet aware that the three people before him were the Hong Kong Chef Alliance Observation Team, who had flown to Japan specifically for him.

"The humble one’s surname is Guan."

Guan Xingchen said with a faint smile, "Chef Xia, I’ve long admired you!"

Xia Yu frowned slightly, "Our restaurant doesn’t officially open for business until the day after tomorrow, and I’m sorry, but we do not serve customers without a reservation."

Guan Xingchen merely shook his head.

"I have come for you." His gaze fixed upon Xia Yu, and at this moment, his smile faded, giving his eyes a dangerous air.

Looking for trouble?

Startled, Xia Yu sized up Guan Xingchen, noting his standard suit, and the man and woman behind him were also dressed neatly.

Moreover.

They were speaking Chinese to him.

Xia Yu chuckled, "Then the three of you, please come in and have a seat."

So, Guan Xingchen and his party took seats inside the restaurant.

Guan He and Guan Yi scrutinized Xia’s Main Store.

As soon as Guan Xingchen sat down, he was frank, "I had the fortune of witnessing Chef Xia’s astonishing performance in the culinary battle, but I also have some questions. May I request that Chef Xia answer them seriously?"

His tone was solemn.

A naturally heavy atmosphere enveloped the establishment.

Guan He’s eyes curiously stared at the young man sitting across the table, while Guan Yi crossed his arms, looking down with a scrutinizing expression.

A lump formed in Xia Yu’s throat.

He had a vague idea of what they were about to ask.

Daring to use the "Seven Stars Knife" as well as Dark World techniques in a highly-publicized culinary battle, he was prepared to be recognized and questioned.

"Chef Xia, you used three different knives in the culinary battle—the names of these knives are ’Wenqu,’ ’Breaking Army,’ and ’Beichen Sky Wolf Blade,’ am I right?"

Guan Xingchen stared intently as he asked.

Xia Yu pursed his lips and remained silent, still very calm.

"Then there’s your culinary skills, I saw the shadows of ’Fierce Bull Green Dragon Slash’ and ’Seven Stars Breaking Army Rapid Cutting.’ And I’m certain that you have a high level of skill with ’Arhat Crystal Slash...’"

In the restaurant, only Guan Xingchen spoke.

Ichise Hui, Morioka Makoto, and Kobayakawa Ryodan gathered around.

Yuchuan Ayaka also came downstairs.

Everyone could sense that the atmosphere was amiss.

"And then?"

After a long wait for a third sentence, Xia Yu met Guan Xingchen’s eyes and chuckled lightly.

"Do you know that’s from the Chinese Dark Cooking World?"

Guan Xingchen suddenly lowered his voice.

"Of course!"

Xia Yu nodded.

Beside him, Guan He and Guan Yi both sharply inhaled, surprised by Xia Yu’s forthright answer, without a hint of disguise.

"...How did you learn it?"

After a long silence, Guan Xingchen then asked, "And the cookware..."

"Mr. Guan, this touches on my personal privacy, I ask for your understanding as I cannot answer." Xia Yu said expressionlessly, blocking any further questions from him.

Publicly admitting that he had learned Dark World techniques and held Dark World cookware in his hand was already a significant concession.

No matter what the other party’s background was.

More things, he certainly couldn’t reveal even the slightest detail.

The more he said, the more loopholes there would be.

The restaurant went quiet for a time.

Guan Xingchen furrowed his brows in thought, Guan He looked at the people around, and Guan Yi’s gaze held a subtle hostility.

Ultimately, it was Xia Yu who spoke.

"Will you be dining? If not, please leave." He tactfully expressed his unwelcome attitude.

Guan Xingchen tapped his fingers lightly on the table, seemingly making a gesture.

Catching a subtle glance, Guan Yi raised his voice, "We haven’t had lunch yet, bring up anything delicious, and we won’t shortchange you on the bill!"

Meanwhile, Guan Yi looked towards the restaurant’s open kitchen.

Only a pane of glass separated the dining area from the kitchen.

If you sat at the bar, you could easily observe every detail of the head chef’s cooking process.

Xia Yu chuckled inwardly.

Unfortunately, he had lost the desire to personally cook lately.

"Ayaka, go make two dishes," Xia Yu instructed as Yuchuan Ayaka came downstairs, "The ingredients just arrived this morning and are still fresh. Use them as you see fit, but of course, it would be best if you could serve up some Chinese dishes."

Guan Yi, who had raised his voice to order, was suddenly stupefied.

He stretched his neck assertively and said, "We only want to eat dishes personally cooked by the restaurant’s head chef, name your price, and it must be Chinese cuisine, no other cuisine suits our taste—"

That remark was just short of pointing at Xia Yu and demanding him to cook.

Sen Tian Makki covered her mouth and snickered, turning away to stifle her laughter as everyone looked at her.

"She is the head chef of Xia’s Restaurant."

Xia Yu gestured toward Yuchuan Ayaka, saying with a half-smile, "If you’d watched that ’food war’ showdown, you’d know our head chef’s strength; there’s no need for me to elaborate further, is there?"

"Chinese dishes! Chinese cuisine!" Guan Yi could only toss aside his pride and insist loudly.

"I can make Chinese cuisine..."

Yuchuan Ayaka said suddenly.

"Uh."

Guan Yi scratched his head, becoming a little agitated.

Of course, he didn’t dare to question Yuchuan Ayaka’s skills, the woman who possessed ’killer’ recipes and clearly overpowered him in terms of ability.

"I can make Chinese cuisine too!"

Tiqie Eriina glared at Yuchuan Ayaka as if holding her breath to prove she was no less capable.

"Alright, then both of you get in the kitchen."

"Make sure you take good care of the customers!"

Xia Yu decisively pointed to the kitchen and then, with a wave of his hand, went upstairs.

Ichise Hui and Kobayakawa Ryodan stayed in the front of the house to help out.

Sen Tian Makki followed, seeing that Xia Yu went straight into his room and sat down at his desk, picking up a thick book with a bookmark in it that bore the title "Encyclopedia of Agricultural Arts" and began to leaf through it.

"Yu, who are they?" Makki entered the room and asked with concern.

"I don’t know."

Just as he replied, his phone in his pocket rang.

It was Dojima Yin calling.

After answering, Dojima Yin said, "The General has agreed to allocate that plot of land to you for use, and I’ve already arranged for the paperwork. Also, you should watch out for someone named Guan Xingchen, don’t let him provoke you, and certainly don’t agree to his food war challenge."

"Oh?"

"Guan Xingchen, Lin Chef, an old-timer of the Hong Kong Chef Alliance, known as the ’Cantonese Cuisine King’..."

After hanging up the call, Xia Yu was silent for a long time.

Without thinking too hard, the middle-aged man claiming to be a Mr. Guan downstairs was the Lin Chef.

Dojima Yin’s warning had come at just the right time.

It had been only half an hour to an hour since Guan Xingchen entered the store before Dojima had given him the heads-up.

Thinking about the timing, Xia Yu shook his head, a hint of amusement crossing his eyes.

Those from Far Moon harbored crafty intentions.

They probably hoped for a conflict to arise between him and Guan Xingchen, straining their relations.

Looking deeper, it was a struggle for culinary talent between the two countries’ culinary worlds.

Unfortunately for them, Guan Xingchen showed no obvious ill will, and Xia Yu himself was calm about Guan Xingchen pointing out his culinary tools and skills, showing no over-the-top, neurotic reaction.

After a while.

Hearing an argument erupt from the first floor, he went downstairs to find that the three guests had vanished without a trace.

On the table stood two freshly cooked Chinese dishes.

One was chicken wrapped in lotus leaves.

The other was a sausage that seemed to burn on the pristine white ceramic dish.

"Where did the customers go?"

Ignoring Yuchuan Ayaka and Tiqie Eriina, who were at loggerheads, Xia Yu was startled.

Ichise Hui handed over a note, "Not long after you went upstairs, Mr. Guan received a phone call and left. He left you this note."

The note read:

"As long as there is light in the heart, there will be light."

As expected!

A weight lifted in his heart.

What he could confirm now was that the story of "Chinese One" had indeed taken place in the mainland, and with a forerunner like ’Seven Stars Knife’ Rein, Xia Yu believed most chefs from the Light Realm wouldn’t trouble him casually.

But then, another question arose.

Where had his kitchenware come from?

Was there a legitimate successor to the ’Seven Stars Knife’ in Chinese Land?