Gourmet of Another World

Ouyang Xiaoyi and Yang Chen were blindly following after Bu Fang as they looked toward the entrance of the alleyway that was buzzing with activity. The large crowd blocking the entrance was making Ouyang Xiaoyi excited.

This Immortal Phoenix Restaurant’s owner was indeed different. He actually brought so many people to spectate this match. Was he planning to let the entire imperial city know?

Qian Bao was beaming as he stood at the entrance of the alleyway and watched the spectators in the surroundings. He was ecstatic that so many people were there. Once the news that a chef from the Immortal Phoenix Restaurant had defeated the owner of the black-hearted store was spread, the Immortal Phoenix Restaurant shall become even more renowned within the imperial city. When that time came, there would be more and more customers dining at the Immortal Phoenix Restaurant.

”Oh my, Owner Bu, you finally came. Look, so many people are paying close attention to this match. Try not to go easy on us.” Qian Bao’s face was full of smiles as he spoke to Bu Fang.

Bu Fang gave him a meaningful glance. He understood Qian Bao’s intentions very well. Qian Bao wanted to make use of him as a stepping stone to make the Immortal Phoenix Restaurant even more famous.

There was actually nothing wrong with this idea because Bu Fang’s store had recently become extremely well-known within the imperial city. If the Immortal Phoenix Restaurant managed to obtain victory during the match, its reputation would reach a whole new level.

However, this decision was made by Qian Bao under the assumption that Master Zhao’s cutting techniques would definitely defeat Bu Fang’s.

Bu Fang nodded and walked up to one of the tables. On the table, there were many fresh ingredients. Large snowflakes unsteadily descended from the skies and landed on these ingredients.

When Master Zhao saw Bu Fang, he drew out a broad-headed kitchen knife in an attempt to intimidate him. That shiny kitchen knife started whirling in his hand, giving off light from the body of the blade.

The sudden whistling sound caused by the whirling of the kitchen knife was extremely noticeable. The crowd that was rather noisy a moment ago quieted down as they held their breaths in anticipation of the impending match.

”Owner Bu, I’ve diligently practiced my cutting techniques for over a dozen years. Today, I’ll definitely not go easy in the slightest. I’ll use everything I have to compete with you,” Master Zhao said. Then, he suddenly banged the table and sent a round potato, that was lying on the table, flying into the air.

Master Zhao’s gaze became sharp and the kitchen knife he was holding instantly came slicing out. The kitchen knife continuously whirled in the air, producing the sound of something being sliced up.

With a loud tearing noise, Master Zhao’s kitchen knife made a final horizontal cut and firmly stopped in front of him. Thin strips of the evenly cut potato were piled on the back of the kitchen knife.

This performance was very gorgeous. At least, the surrounding spectators were all clapping their hands in astonishment.

Master Zhao placed the potato strips onto a plate. A trace of a confident smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he provocatively looked at Bu Fang.

Bu Fang remained expressionless. He was not surprised by Master Zhao’s performance of cutting a potato in the air in the slightest.

Ouyang Xiaoyi, who was standing next to Bu Fang, disdainfully snorted at Master Zhao’s provocative gaze.

”Tell me, how are we going to compete? I want to go back and sleep after we’re done here.” Bu Fang indifferently said. His voice was calm as water.

However, Bu Fang’s indifference sounded like he was lacking in confidence in the ears of others. Suddenly, many of the spectators were looking at Bu Fang with eyes filled with ridicule and amusement. There was even booing coming from the crowd.

Qian Bao was overjoyed to witness such a scene. The more brutal he stepped on Owner Bu, the more the Immortal Phoenix Restaurant’s renown would increase.

”In this match, we’re competing in three categories: speed, accuracy, and ruthlessness. The so-called speed refers to how fast you can finish cutting the ingredients. Owner Bu should know this clearly. Accuracy refers to the accurateness when cutting the ingredients as well as the precision. Ruthlessness refers to the dissection of meat ingredients. We’re competing in these three categories today,” Master Zhao solemnly said as he stuck the kitchen knife on the cutting board.

Bu Fang nodded. He was not surprised in the slightest. Those were the standard when competing in cutting techniques.

”Let’s begin,” Bu Fang said.

”Very well! We’ll start with the first category then. We have two hundred radishes over here. How about determining the winner by comparing the time we take to slice a hundred radishes?” Master Zhao said.

”Radishes... again?” Bu Fang thought. The corners of his mouth widened into a smile as he looked at the radishes stacked on the table. He softly replied, ”Alright.”

”Owner Bu, take a good look! I am going to start!” When Master Zhao heard Bu Fang’s reply, fighting spirit instantly surged from his body, causing the chef uniform he was wearing to flap wildly.

Master Zhao’s hand reached out and drew out another kitchen knife. He was going to use two kitchen knives at the same time to cut the radishes.

First, he used his kitchen knives to pick up a radish and move it onto his cutting board. Then, he started chopping down rapidly with his kitchen knives with a clear rhythm. Don, don, don… Within a single breath, a single radish was evenly sliced into pieces. After finishing the first radish, Master Zhao was already preparing the second radish.

As expected of a chef who spent over a dozen years practicing his cutting techniques, Master Zhao’s understanding and mastery of cutting techniques had already reached an unattainable level for many chefs. The fact that he was using two kitchen knives at the same time while maintaining such precision when cutting the radish was already extremely difficult for most people. Not to mention, his speed was so fast that onlookers were almost unable to keep up.

A hundred radishes were all precisely sliced into pieces by Master Zhao within ten minutes.

As Master Zhao finished slicing the last radish, he slammed both of his kitchen knives into the cutting board before taking a step back and letting out a deep breath. His forehead was covered with fine beads of sweat.

A series of exclamations and cheers instantly erupted from the spectators, greatly satisfying Master Zhao’s self-esteem. He firmly believed that Bu Fang would definitely not be able to surpass him.

”Owner Bu, it’s your turn!” Master Zhao overbearingly said.

Bu Fang gave him a glance and indiscernibly shook his head while letting out a soft sigh.

”Since you’re seeking death, I’ll help you fulfill your wish. The system wanted me to teach you to be a better person. If I don’t show you a trick or two… even I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself,” Bu Fang muttered to himself. Thereafter, he did not use the Golden Dragon Bone Kitchen Knife and took out an ordinary kitchen knife instead.

After performing an unremarkable trick with the kitchen knife, Bu Fang lightly flicked the blade with his finger and then nodded.

”The timer starts now!” Qian Bao said with a chuckle. His face was filled with confidence. On that day, Master Zhao was exhibiting better than usual. His performance was very assuring.

”Alright, let’s begin,” Bu Fang indifferently said. After that, he extended out his hand while gathering true energy in his palm and suddenly banged the table. He controlled the true energy so that the table was not destroyed, but instead sent the radishes flying into the air.

Buzz...

Within an instant, Bu Fang’s eyes became sharp as an eagle’s gaze. In that moment, the aura exuding from him underwent a dramatic change.

A hundred radishes were floating in the air, and then the kitchen knife held within Bu Fang’s hand started to rotate by itself. The rotational speed was so fast that it struck fear in the hearts of the onlookers. That kitchen knife seemed to have turned into a ray of light as it instantly made a vertical cut.

Plop! Plop!

Everyone present was dumbfounded. Their faces were all filled with incredulity as they stared at the scene before them. Within their field of vision, everything—except for that one hundred floating radishes and a stream of light that erupted from the darkness—had disappeared. That stream of light was like a rain of meteors streaking across the night sky as it went past those radishes.

Once the darkness subsided and everyone’s vision was restored, they discovered the hundred radishes floating in the air had all exploded into pieces. Each piece was sliced into tiny cubes and they were even more exquisite and smaller than Master Zhao’s handiwork...

Plop plop plop!

It was as if the sky was raining radish cubes. Bu Fang held up a basket with a single hand and the falling radish cubes all landed inside the basket. Once the final radish cube landed at the top and rolled for a while before quieting down, Bu Fang finished his turn of the first category.

The time he took… was only four breaths. This was including the time it took for the radish cubes to fall into the basket.

Within an instant, the entire alleyway became so quiet that even a pin drop could be heard. Everyone was absentmindedly staring at Bu Fang. The confident smile on Master Zhao’s face had already stiffened. He appeared comical and ridiculous like a clown.

While looking at Bu Fang’s face filled with indifference, Master Zhao felt as if ten thousand suckling pigs were dashing through his heart… ”God damn! Are you calling this a cutting technique? How is this any different from cheating?!”