CHAPTER 655: CHAPTER 654: THE RESURFACING SOUL SUPPRESSING BUN (PART 1)

Li Han was terrified, just about to swing his fist powerfully when it froze mid-air.

Damn!

He closed his eyes and then opened them again.

In his view, there still existed an emerald bamboo boat.

At that moment, the number one cooking station in Li Han’s eyes was shrouded in mist, resembling an Immortal Realm.

The buns from several steamers, all unloaded by Zhu Qing and Xia Yu, were arranged one by one in the bamboo boat across the cooking station, allowing the freshly steamed buns to freely disperse their heat, layering the fog.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Unexplainably, his ears picked up the faint sound of water.

The wind was strong, and the waves were fierce.

A scholar in a silk bandana stood at the prow, holding a golden ritual script, with a table before him filled with equally steaming buns.

On the deck, flags crowded like a forest, and the officers and soldiers slightly bowed their heads, their expressions mournful, clearly mourning the souls of the fallen warriors.

"Soldiers, rest in peace..."

A solemn and lingering chant.

At the same time, standing next to the scholar was a chef dressed in linen, holding a dragon-embossed badge in his hand, raising his eyes to gaze over here.

Li Han’s body shuddered, feeling as if he was standing on a warship braving the stormy seas, his head even spinning slightly. He leaned back, his buttocks hitting the still-hot Chinese Iron Pot with a thump.

With the high temperature scorching his buttocks, Li Han sprang up as if jolted from the apparition.

"Ah!"

He slapped his buttocks, not sure if the shout was from shock or from being burned, but at this time, no one paid attention to the disheveled son of the Li Family.

Everyone was drawn to the number one cooking station.

"Hmm? Using a bamboo boat for buns?"

Tiqie Xianzuowen’s eyes widened.

"So that’s it!" Wise Man Karl nodded, "I wondered why craftsmen were brought in for the final, turns out it’s for crafting the presentation vessel on-site! Interesting, let’s go take a look!"

Among the three arriving Dragon Giants, Yan Qi had the most exaggerated expression, as if he’d witnessed something unbelievable.

"Bamboo boat and... buns?!"

On the mountain platform of Far Moon’s ’Red Leaves Hunting Festival’, Xingping Chuangzhen pointed at the dessert dimly visible through the mist on the television screen, shouting in disbelief.

Clattering...

In the guest seats, many chefs from the Chinese Realm stood up.

"This, this is!"

"White, black, blue, red—four colors of buns, why does it remind me of a terrifying legend!" a chef said, sweating from his forehead.

Not to mention the stunned guests, in a corner of the audience sector, the manager of Danfei Building, Qi Nan, and the head chef Shen He, began discussing.

"Chef Shen, are you sure?" Qi Nan gasped.

Shen He responded in awe, "Absolutely sure! This is again an ancient recipe from the pastry domain, and moreover, it’s of supreme level, far more complex than ’Golden Laughter’!"

After all, a century ago, many stories from the glorious generation of Chinese Cuisine World had been handed down to the present.

Chefs in the Chinese Realm, who had heard of ’Golden Laughter’, naturally also knew of the supreme recipe representing the secrets of the Bai Luo Family pastry.

"It’s ’Four Divine Seafood Eight Treasure Soul Suppressing Dumplings’!"

"It’s also called—Soul Suppressing Bun!"

Finally, a Lin Giant disclosed the mystery.

Dragon Town Restaurant’s team leader and Lin Giant, Yu Hong, murmured,

"Soul Suppressing Bun! No doubt about it!"

At the eight-sided pavilion seats, Yan Mo and the two Lin Giants in red robes were dumbstruck.

"I understand now!" Little Fairy Wu Yingying exclaimed suddenly, "No wonder he visited a few days ago specifically to inquire about the secrets of ’Yin Yang Five Elements’; he was planning to fully recreate the ancient recipe that represents the highest secret of the Bai Luo Family!"

In a nondescript restaurant in Shu, Mr. Xia, who was deeply engrossed in watching the live broadcast of the finals, also stood up in shock. His long wooden stool clattered to the ground, but he paid it no mind and kept his eyes glued to the television, reading the archaic Chinese characters branded on the front of the colorful buns:

"White Tiger!"

"Vermilion Bird!"

"Azure Dragon!"

"Xuanwu!"

Another voice resonated through the air, echoing Mr. Xia:

"The Four Spirits, the Divine Beasts, suppress the four directions—east, south, west, and north... achieving a mysterious balance!" In the grand White Jade Tower, led by the Dragon Giant, regardless of the level of culinary skill, or age and gender, everyone looked stupefied.

"Is this real? Did a chef actually recreate the legendary dish!" Even a female disciple covered her mouth, her eyes quickly filling with excited tears.

Anyone who had repeatedly heard this legendary recipe from childhood, until they had grown tired of it, would be immensely thrilled to see it become a tangible, real dish right before their eyes—

It transcended time and space!

Let’s not talk about the reactions of the audience outside.

On the competition stage.

"What is this flavor!"

"It has captivated me!"

As the buns were taken out of the steamer and placed on a bamboo tray, their delicious scent wafted through the air, causing the five mysterious judges to lose their souls instantly. They walked mechanically forward, as if a spell were cast to seize their spirits towards Table Number One.

Xia Yu and Zhu Qing, one to the left and the other to the right, stood beside the bamboo tray, greeting this special group of diners.

"Would you like to try one?" Xia Yu asked with a smile.

"Why!" Nuliang didn’t answer but suspiciously and almost defensively asked, "These buns... It seems like there’s a mysterious force drawing us towards them!"

"Yes! I can barely control my Kirin Arm!" chuckled a red-haired judge, his robe sleeves tight around his fists, veins popping like little worms, obviously trying very hard to restrain himself.

"Don’t give me that look!"

Xia Yu was startled by their expressions and behaviors because he knew their backgrounds which made him feel uneasy, and quickly said, "Is your appetite stirring? Then hurry up and try one, don’t dawdle!"

"Try one, and you’ll be able to calm down!" he added, with a sly tone.

"Really?"

"I hope you aren’t bluffing. I hate this feeling of losing control! It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this way!" The red-haired judge grimaced, his eyes fierce, grunted, and reached directly into the bamboo tray to grab a steaming hot bun.

This bun was a "Vermilion Bird Bun", with a red exterior. Upon biting into it, a sweet vegetable flavor burst forth.

Pfft!

Without pausing to observe further, he bit into it, and immediately juice squirted everywhere.

His hand froze in front of his mouth.

"Ah...!" A prolonged exclamation, filled with the ecstasy of discovering treasure, came from the red-haired judge, who was sweating profusely and chewing voraciously.

Ignoring the outer shell, just the seafood stuffing inside was enough to fill the mouth and satisfy.

The bun’s skin was incomparably soft.

The filling, stewed to tenderness, burst with flavor creating a massive melody that assaulted the brain.

Then started a ravenous devouring spree. The red-haired judge swallowed several large buns in just a minute, a speed that astonished the spectators.

Seeing the judge sample all four colored buns and showing no signs of stopping his binge, Xia Yu hurriedly intervened.

His hand was caught.

Hm?

The red-haired judge shook his head to wake up, and Xia Yu promptly let go. Contrary to the spectators’ expectations, the fiery-tempered judge didn’t get angry. Instead, his expression became exceedingly serene, his previously turbulent eyes now as calm and deep as ancient pools.

An aura of an enlightened monk!

He took a step back and bowed ninety degrees to Xia Yu, "My apologies!"

His manners were impeccable.

After speaking, he straightened up, standing upright like a pine tree, and then settled down into silence.

What was happening here?