CHAPTER 587: CHAPTER 586: RETURN TO TOKYO

Li Quan ultimately paid the price for his "stubbornness."

Saito Chiyokuro’s pan-fried dumplings, imbued with the spirit of "Shura," tore through the judges’ defenses and awakened their appetites once again.

At that moment, the ability to touch people’s hearts was the greatest victory.

Ingredients and cooking skills, all mixed together, were meant to strike at the diners’ souls.

"Saito Chiyokuro... is victorious!"

The female host’s voice trembled slightly as she announced the winner of the third round.

Now, Far Moon held a three-point advantage in the score.

If the White Jade Tower Team could suppress their opponents and cut down two points in the remaining two matches, they could still tie with Far Moon at 3-3 and push the finals into a tiebreaker, but unfortunately, the remaining two rounds of competition were sleep-inducing, except for the fifth match where Tiqie Zongwei took center stage with his molecular gastronomy, enchanting the audience, while the commentary section remained uneventful.

In the end, the chief judge, Kogawa Shinyiro, announced the grand champion of the Sapporo contest’s "Special Chef Battle" phase—

"Congratulations to the Far Moon Team for winning this stage!"

Boom!

The big screen above the venue immediately popped up with the team score chart.

Far Moon triumphed with five points at the top of the chart.

Following them was the runner-up, White Jade Tower Team, with three points.

According to the competition format, the 3rd place, earning one point, would be decided between the "Gourmet Research Institute Team" and the "Eight Sides Team," but since the research faction’s main chef, Tiqie Ji, was absent, the Lin Giant, Lei Zhe, briskly declared his forfeit right there, generously handing over one point to the Eight Sides Team.

Thus, the final rankings were as follows: Far Moon (5 points), White Jade Tower (3 points), and Eight Sides (1 point).

Aside from the top three, the remaining teams scored zero and were unranked.

As Kogawa Shinyiro summoned Far Moon Team back on stage, the crowd was still recovering from the downward spiraling excitement since the first round of the finals.

Down below,

the White Jade Tower Team prepared to leave.

Lin Giant, Lan Chuhai, Ye Feizhou, and the uncle-nephew duo, Li Quan and Li Han, all directed complex gazes toward the young main chef bathed in the spotlight.

"I really don’t know whether to be happy or angry," Lan Chuhai shook her head with a wry smile.

She, with her esteemed status, had already known the actual situation of the Far Moon Team from elsewhere.

What’s more, Lan Chuhai and Zhu Qing were long-known rivals, fiercely competing for many years; naturally, Lan Chuhai had made sure to understand Zhu Qing’s role as the main chef for Far Moon Team.

Ye Feizhou also laughed, "Exactly. The most dazzling thing about the finals was a Chinese chef, a rising star of tomorrow, which should make the Chinese Realm happy. But in my opinion, we shouldn’t have lost this battle."

Both directed their dissatisfied looks toward the uncle-nephew duo.

"Ha, hahaha—"

Li Han and Li Quan reacted oddly in sync, scratching their heads and looking elsewhere, their faces burning with embarrassment.

"But, the second stage is the decisive moment!"

Ye Feizhou’s smile vanished.

"Yes, the second phase, the ’Lin Chef Battle.’ The victor will score ten points. If our team wins this phase, we can still comfortably lead the scoreboard and reclaim the Divine Artifact for the head of Lin Chef and the Chinese Cuisine World!" Lan Chuhai declared emphatically, her voice clear and ringing.

Hearing this, Li Han and Li Quan secretly nodded in agreement.

Yes.

The Special Chef Battle was just an appetizer.

Far Moon’s victory was only temporary. If they were eliminated early in the second stage, they would still be far from the legendary kitchenware.

As they left the arena, their steps hesitated, and Lan Chuhai glanced toward the VIP seats.

The expressions of the high officials from Japan were all sour.

The Governor of Hokkaido, Ishino Harumi, was discussing something quietly with a political dignitary, and Lan Chuhai’s ears twitched, seemingly catching some of the conversation’s content, and her expression slightly shifted.

"There might be changes in the Lin Chef stage—" she murmured softly.

The departure of the White Jade Tower Team didn’t stop the Far Moon Team from receiving cheers of victory.

The team that takes the crown in this phase will be granted the honor of coming into close contact with the legendary culinary artifact, "Jade Dragon Pot."

Crack!

The staff member opened the glass display case, and suddenly, an ancient aura, long-sealed, rushed towards them. Everyone from Far Moon was captivated by the mysterious and vast aura, fixedly staring at the pot.

Coming closer, Leonora couldn’t help but ask, "Can this pot really be used for cooking?"

By all appearances, the "Jade Dragon Pot" was a bronze ritual vessel.

"The magic of legendary kitchenware should not be wildly speculated!" Tiqie Zongwei said.

"Madam, how do you think the ’Dragon Pot’ manages to concoct a thick sauce that would otherwise take chefs several months to prepare, all in an instant?" Zhu Qing rebuffed all doubts with a single question.

"May I touch it?"

Suddenly, a bold inquiry.

Everyone was shocked because it was Xia Yu who had asked, and his eager eyes made Zhu Qing and Dojima Yin feel like they were seeing a stranger.

Kogawa Shinyiro paused, then looked towards the two Lin Giants who had already approached.

Qin Zhengda and Guan Xingchen were indeed the custodians of the kitchenware.

"Go ahead—" Guan Xingchen kindly said, "As a descendant of the Yan and Huang, you have the right to touch it. Of course, Miss Zhu, Mr. Dojima, and Mr. Saito, you too can come into close contact with it."

Xia Yu took a deep breath and was the first to reach out and touch it.

Upon touching, the texture was that of an ancient, heavy bronze vessel, rough on the surface.

It was no illusion.

Especially when he touched the ears of the pot, Xia Yu saw a mysterious dragon pattern flash before his eyes momentarily. Startled, he focused his gaze back on the pot, but it was just a lump of metal, showing no reaction.

"I must have you!"

Xia Yu stepped back, expertly concealing the eagerness in his eyes, glanced at the system task in his mission bar to seize and purify the Jade Dragon Pot, and pondered to himself how he could help his aunt Zhu Qing prevail in the final stage.

On the day the finals ended, Xia Yu did not stay long in Sapporo and boarded a plane back to Tokyo with a group of relatives and friends.

The following ten days were the off-season.

The flight between Sapporo and Tokyo was only 2 hours, allowing for multiple trips back and forth in a single day.

As they emerged from Tokyo Airport, they were immediately besieged by the media and even tourists at the airport, causing a momentary loss of control in the terminal.

In the evening.

A bus slowly entered the shopping street.

Stepping off the bus, Xia Yu had already disguised himself with a mask and a cap, and as night deepened, he mingled unnoticed among the crowded flow of pedestrians—tourists who were excitedly exploring the shopping street, completely oblivious to the fact that this ordinary-looking man was the star chef they often mentioned in conversation.

Touching down, he looked from afar towards the location of Xia Family’s store, his fellow travelers looking at each other helplessly.

Tourists had taken the closed doors of the Chinese Restaurant as a tourist attraction, posing and taking pictures in the twilight, excited as baboons after mating.

The group stayed at Xia’s apartment building next door.

Except for Sen Tian Makoto who lived nearby, Tanaka Hikari, the Yuchuan Sisters, and even Aunt Zhu Qing were staying in the apartment.

After settling them in, Xia Yu picked up his luggage and made his way back to Xia’s Main Store on his own.

Of course, he entered by climbing over the wall.

As soon as one foot was on the corridor, a small shadow shot out in the darkness, securely landing on his shoulder.

His face felt the warmth of being licked by a tongue. Xia Yu smiled lightly, flicked the small cat’s cheek with his finger, "Are you a dog or a cat, eh? Show some pride! Stop licking!"

Before Makki and the Yuchuan Sisters left for Sapporo, they specially asked Mr. Sen Tian and his wife to look after this little creature. Seeing it still plump and well, Xia Yu felt relieved.

He didn’t go upstairs, simply pushed open the sliding door, threw his baggage on the ground, and sat cross-legged in the backyard’s simple tea pavilion, supporting his body slightly with his arms, looking up at the increasingly star-studded night sky, finally feeling a sense of tranquility in his heart.

Leaving the tumultuous and world-famous Sapporo behind, the tension finally eased.

But could this tranquility last?

Xia Yu doubted it in his heart.

"Enjoy it while you can..."

Rubbing his brow without overthinking, for this one night, he wanted to do nothing but sit.