CHAPTER 609: CHAPTER 608: QING SHADOW (PART 2)

Under the tree, an elderly man with white hair dressed in a kimono was talking to the air, his mouth opening and closing, yet not a sound could be heard.

In front of the elder, a stone shrine weathered by wind and rain was almost indiscernible.

Of course, the shrine was still being worshipped, evidenced by the two porcelain bowls of fresh pastries offered to it.

"Yo—"

The alley was empty; seeing no one paying attention to this side, Xia Yuxing approached and greeted from a distance.

Suddenly, two pairs of barely visible eyes turned towards him, cold and indifferent.

Yet, the indifference dissipated as soon as they realized who it was, replaced by an obvious benevolence.

Should a drunkard open his eyes in the corner at this moment, seeing Xia Yu greet the air and the old tree, he would surely sober up in a cold sweat from the fright.

From Xia Yu’s perspective, the elder and the female figure flickering between the trees were very clear.

Coincidentally, Xia Yu recognized both of them.

"Is it you?"

"Chef Xia..."

For reasons unknown, having returned after several months, Xia Yu noticed that the female spirit of the stone shrine had become much more corporeal, particularly her facial features, which faintly outlined a very beautiful and gentle woman.

The elder, with his white hair cascading down and a cape over his kimono, stood there with arms crossed, exuding an aura similar to that of Sen no Rikyū, commanding enough respect just by his presence.

This elder, referred to by Yuchuan Meisha as Nuliang, had spent some time with Xia Yu in the Yuchuan Temple last summer. It was thanks to the elder’s provision of Five Elements ingredients that Xia Yu was able to defeat Yuchuan Ayaka.

Thus, the legendary dish "Peacock Dance" was born.

Do they know each other?

Xia Yu stopped and cast an inquiring look.

Seeming to sense his inner thoughts, Nuliang the elder laughed heartily, "You lad, it’s been a long time. Taohui was complaining to me the other day, saying you took her granddaughter away, and all the little ghosts and goblins at Yuchuan Temple are about to revolt."

Yuchuan Taohui, also known as the head of Yuchuan Temple, along with the Food Demon King, Chiyoda, and Master Yizhen, were known as the Four Pillars of Neon Food World.

"But even if you don’t want to see me, I’ll be coming to find you in a few days," the elder continued heartily.

"Is that so."

Xia Yu was just stopping by to say hello, exchanging pleasantries before leaving. He could tell that the elder was discussing something important with the goddess.

As Xia Yu set off for home with his childhood friend,

Nuliang the elder’s smile tightened, and suddenly said, "Makki, you saw it, didn’t you? Her mark."

"The moment I saw him in summer, I knew."

"Otherwise, how could a mere chef possess the power to see spirits, to see the hidden me?"

"Ha, Hahaha!"

The elder laughed again, "That’s why I said, I must meet him in a couple of days. We finally have a chance to take part in this grand event; I need to have a chat with her and settle on the other four individuals."

"Makki, are you sure you want to refuse?" the elder asked again.

"Mm, Nuliang, you are well aware of my condition. Although I am not at the point of destruction, I have been heavily damaged and am in a process of recovery, and besides, I need to watch over that child..."

"Alright!"

The elder did not press further, cheerfully saying, "Then I’ll have to look for the other guys!"

Turning away, the elder paused for a moment.

"In this era, beings like us are becoming ever rarer... Take care, Makki. I don’t want to see another old friend from the Heian Era disappear."

"It’s an era of prosperity, just not ours... Alas!" With a deep sigh, the female spirit withdrew into the stone shrine.

...

Xia Yu and Makki returned to the shopping street.

Makki went home, while Xia Yu went to his own shop.

Late at night.

Before entering, he glanced at the apartment building, and noticed the light was on in Zhu Qing’s suite. Xia Yu sat idly on a chair in the shop, scrolling through social media, checking private messages, and chatting with a few friends. In the blink of an eye, it was midnight, and the chime of a distant and empty clock echoed through Xia’s Restaurant.

"Tonight, we’ll continue pondering the ’Four Divine Seafood Eight Treasure Soul Suppressing Dumplings’..."

With the second stage of the competition approaching, Xia Yu always felt a sense of urgency. He had to master and deepen his understanding of the supreme recipe as quickly as possible, both for himself and to add a trump card to the team’s arsenal.

"The endless dough jar!"

Entering the kitchen, he reached into the void and with a crisp clinking sound, a black earthenware pot appeared on the countertop.

He plunged his hand right in and grabbed a handful of ’dough fertilizer’—the leavening agent, also known as starter dough, combined with warm water, turning a sticky lump of old dough into a semi-thick white liquid.

The liquid was then poured into a mixing bowl and combined with flour, kneaded together.

In reality, what is known as ’starter dough’ is kept by pastry chefs from each dough-making session, saving a small amount of the mixture to incorporate into past accumulations, and with the fermentation over time, the dough develops a fragrant aroma and a slightly sour taste.

The concept of the Bai Luo Family’s ’thousand-year-old dough’ operates on the same principle.

A ’thousand-year-old dough’ doesn’t mean a piece of dough that has been preserved for a millennium but that over a thousand years, dough has been used and new dough has been kneaded in continuously, establishing an equilibrium of usage.

The ’thousand-year-old dough’ also subtly testifies to the deep heritage of the Bai Luo Family.

Modern pastry chefs and bakers have actually phased out the use of ’starter dough,’ and the key reason lies in the yeast!

There are three common leavening agents used today: yeast, baking powder, and starter dough.

From a scientific standpoint, commercial yeast products are the most direct. The bacteria in commercially fermented yeast are much cleaner and purer than those in ’starter dough’. It’s well known that long-term natural fermentation of starter dough inevitably contains various bacteria, some of which could be harmful to humans.

Knowledge of the pastry field surfaced in his mind.

"What a pity!"

Xia Yu cradled the golden clay pot, knocking on it with a clank, "Science doesn’t apply in this world!"

Can science be eaten? Xia Yu believed only in what was before his eyes. The tool’s manual was clear: using this particular pot to ferment the dough would enhance the quality of the finished pastry product by a significant margin.

He now tossed the kneaded dough into a clean mixing bowl, covered it, and began the comparatively lengthy fermentation process. If possible, he might cover it with a damp cloth and keep the environment warm to provide optimal conditions for the yeast to thrive, speeding up the fermentation process.

Thump, thump!

Just as he was about to leave the kitchen, a knocking came from the shop front.

"Is there a customer?" Xia Yu raised an eyebrow.

The shopping street, Xia’s shop, had gained fame across Japan. However, since the shop had been closed recently, there would be no customers knocking late at night.

This was a bit strange.

As he thought this, he immediately looked towards the half-closed door, to find that no one was there.

The flickering light shone on the floor.

The knocking persisted, yet Xia Yu remained calm. There was no fear or panic within him, but rather, he called out loudly, "Stop knocking, come on in—"

Silence. No one replied.

Even the sound of knocking had vanished.

Xia Yu briskly pulled open the kitchen window facing the bar counter, sticking out half his body to look around, his pupils shrinking instantly.

In his line of sight, there was a green lantern vaguely visible at the doorway, hanging from a green silk cord, swaying gently. A graceful figure with her back to the door held the light aloft on a pole; from inside the room, Xia Yu could only see her fair left hand and the draping sleeve of her kimono.

A breeze scattered a few long strands of her green hair.

Xia Yu was surprisingly unafraid, his eyes revealing an excitement he himself could not understand.

"Hey!"

He called out again, but the doorstep was empty, as though what he had just witnessed was merely a figment of Xia Yu’s imagination.

"...In the dreamscape of Yuchuan Temple, I seem to have seen it before," Xia Yu grasped at the root of this familiar sensation.

But was that all?

He scratched his head, bewildered for a long time, unable to provide an explanation for himself.