CHAPTER 659: CHAPTER 658: THE SIGNIFICANCE OF BEING RECOGNIZED BY THE "JADE DRAGON POT

"Dragon pattern?!"

Stuttered out loud.

Zhu Qing, who kept urging Xia Yu to touch the pot, was caught off guard by the sudden change in the ancient cookware and simply stared dumbfounded.

The change happened in just a few seconds.

Before long, the dragon pattern began to clearly reveal itself on the surface of the pot.

"Dragon pattern!"

Not just Zhu Qing, but Eriina, Dojima Yin, and others were left breathless and speechless.

The legendary story of the cookware had spread throughout the culinary world of East Asia. Even Eriina, who had been educated and trained in Western cuisine from a young age, knew very well why the pot had reacted and what the mysterious emerging pattern represented.

"The legend is actually true!"

Eriina was inexplicably shocked, "The cookware actually responds to the chef!"

Then, her beautiful eyes stared intently at the young man whose hands rested on the ears of the pot, brilliance shining in her gaze.

"This dragon pattern, it’s not complete!"

Dojima Yin’s face was almost pressed against the pot as he stared wide-eyed, meticulously observing the pattern that appeared on the surface. These weren’t engraved; they seemed inherent to the metal, probably requiring certain conditions to be triggered scientifically.

But legendary cookware was inherently unscientific, closely tied to tales of immortality and even involving deeper stories only known among the giants of the industry.

"Hmm, indeed not complete, is it obscured by rust?" Saito Chiyokuro also stroked his chin as he scrutinized.

"Why isn’t it complete!"

Zhu Qing twisted her body this way and that. Compared to her calm junior, her status as an elder aunt seemed quite irresponsible. She was visibly agitated, "Just a bit more! A complete dragon pattern is what gains recognition!"

"Calm down—"

Xia Yu pulled his hands away and shrugged, looking down at the pot as the dragon pattern quickly faded.

He had anticipated this.

It was nothing special, just a peculiar mental connection. This was probably what empathy felt like. If it had been the intact "Jade Dragon Pot," it might have stiffened slightly in a show of respect upon recognition, but what use was the recognition of a tainted piece of cookware?

Cough, cough!

A cough broke the silence in the room.

Everyone turned around in unison.

"Wise Man Karl!"

"Lord Yan Qi!"

Dojima Yin, Saito Chiyokuro, and Tiqie Eriina immediately stood up and bowed at ninety degrees, displaying full etiquette.

Xia Yu and Zhu Qing also stood up.

"About just now..." Yan Qi entered and immediately fixed his gaze on Xia Yu.

"Oh, the three of you saw it too," Xia Yu replied, pretending to be silly, "I don’t know what happened; I just touched it and it reacted."

Yan Qi’s mouth twitched slightly, "Do you really not understand what this reaction means?"

"I do know!"

With a helpless spread of his hands, Xia Yu said, "It’s a pity it’s been tainted."

The three Dragon Giants looked at the young man’s composed face, feeling an inexplicable mix of irritation and amusement.

"Even though the ’Jade Dragon Pot’ is tainted, your gaining its recognition is still a supreme honor!" Tiqie Xianzuowen said sternly, reprimanding on behalf of Mr. Xia, "It is the dream of every chef in Eastern cuisines!"

"I know!"

Xia Yu nodded slightly more seriously.

He understood even better what being recognized by the legendary cookware meant.

To put it plainly, it was like Tang Yuqiong, who had taken charge of the "Dragon Pot" not long after she was born, becoming the brightest jewel of the Tang Family, indisputably the princess of the Shanghai culinary world, and easily entering the "Five Chinese Talents" as a hot new star chef.

"Suppose, just suppose, you were at the championship scene just now, holding up the ’Jade Dragon Pot’..." Even Wise Man Karl, coming from a Western cuisine background, spoke incredulously, "When the dragon pattern emerged, it might have sparked another great debate worldwide!"

Hearing this, Yan Qi and Xianzuowen had a flash of sharp light in their eyes.

A terrifying thought occurred.

This young man, could he have anticipated this and thus deliberately kept a low profile, concealing his sharpness?

It’s no wonder that the two dragon giants were overthinking; Xia Yu’s composure was too unsettling.

The room was silent for a long ten minutes.

Zhu Qing frowned, her gaze fixed on Xia Yu without moving.

Yan Qi, Karl, and Tiqie Xianzuowen probably also had complex thoughts going on in their minds.

Ding dong!

Finally, the phone rang.

"Hello!" Xia Yu answered, listened for a few moments, then switched on the speaker. So, a laughing, hoarse voice came through, "Ah, it’s been a long time since we’ve seen each other!"

"Xia Qing!"

Yan Qi’s eyebrows twitched.

Wise Man Karl smiled and said, "Mr. Xia, as expected, you called!"

"There are some matters that need my intervention," Xia Qing spoke, "About the ’Jade Dragon Pot,’ let’s discuss its aftermath together."

The three giants and a cell phone moved to a private conference room.

Half an hour later.

Yan Qi had a displeased look, frustration evident between his brows, and left without greeting anyone.

"General, we at IGO are willing to offer any help you may need in security and defense without any charges. Please let us know your requirements, and we will respond as soon as possible!" Leaving these words behind, Wise Man Karl also left. However, before exiting, he cast a meaningful glance at the ancient kitchenware and Xia Yu, his intentions unclear.

Xia Yu took back his own cell phone, "Hello, old man, how will the ’Jade Dragon Pot’ be handled? Will it be escorted back to the country?"

"Strange!"

Instead, a busy tone resounded, and the call was abruptly ended.

He looked up at Tiqie Xianzuowen, and the Far Moon Commander said gravely, "His arrangement is... for the ’Jade Dragon Pot’ to temporarily stay in Japan!"

"Oh!"

Zhu Qing exclaimed.

Xia Yu knitted his brows tightly, thinking to himself, "Does the old man know that I intend to try purifying the ’Jade Dragon Pot’?"

...

The competition ended.

However, the fate of the ’Jade Dragon Pot’ was shrouded in dark undercurrents.

Yan Qi went to the resting room set up by the venue and contacted the Dragon Giant far away in the Imperial Palace.

"This old guy Xia Qing, he won’t allow Aqing to bring the ’Jade Dragon Pot’ back to the country? What is he worried about? With you, Yan Qi, escorting it, and with Yan Mo, Red Clothes, and Lan Chuhai there, unless they deploy a massive armed force..."

Facing the Dragon Giant’s inquiries, Yan Qi honestly recounted his observations of the ’Jade Dragon Pot’ reacting, narrating the details.

"What did you say!"

There was a gasp from the other end, clearly also shocked.

"The kid got the acknowledgment of the ’Jade Dragon Pot’?" Inside a study hall, an old man with white hair broke the pen in his hands. The impromptu calligraphy scattered with ink was now ruined.

"Holding the ’Jade Dragon Pot’ allows one to possess all eight kinds of kitchenware!"

He murmured this line.

"Bring him back!" The Dragon Giant commanded firmly.

"Him?"

Yan Qi asked, "The kitchenware..."

"No, the contaminated ’Jade Dragon Pot’ is now secondary; bring that kid back to the country!"

The tone left no room for doubt.

Hearing this, Yan Qi’s pupils suddenly constricted, instantly understanding something.

Among the legendary eight great kitchenware, the ’Jade Dragon Pot’ was the most unique. It seemed to offer little help to chefs, but peculiarly, there were two ’Jade Dragon Pots.’

Now, one of the ’Jade Dragon Pots’ that had been lost was found.

And the other one was forever sealed within the Imperial Palace, held by the White Jade Tower and this Dragon Giant, wasn’t it?

"Could it be that the Dragon Giant intends to..."

Yan Qi’s heart clenched, a chill creeping up his spine.