Who gave this heretical practitioner permission to cook?

Chapter 104 Blood Gate Nine Blades, very good, I will remember you (First update in 4K)
"you!"

Hearing Xia Ming's words, Deng Fangqing felt her heart skip a beat.

It wasn't a slow reaction to being moved, it was a heart attack.
She never expected that her methods to avoid external factors would be used against her by the guy in front of her.

What's even more infuriating is that, not only did he use it, but he also pretended to sincerely thank himself.
You're trying to kill someone by destroying their spirit, aren't you?
How can there be such a despicable person?
Xia Ming looked at Deng Fangqing in front of him, still smiling.

He didn't see anything wrong with this behavior. You asked me to decipher it, and I did. That's all.
Deng Xiaowen, who was standing to the side, sensed the awkward atmosphere between the two, but he stroked his beard and smiled.

"That's how the exam questions are; now that it's over, don't think about it anymore."

"Xia Ming, now that you've passed the test and I've finished eating the fish, let's talk about the knife first."

"After we finish talking, you can decide if you'd like to take a look around my place~"

Deng Fangqing, who was standing to the side, frowned. She could tell that her grandfather especially liked this Xia Ming.

The so-called visit was nothing more than an invisible attempt to get him to stay longer.

"I wonder what kind of hallucinogenic drug this guy gave Grandpa. He's being treated completely differently from the previous two. But I don't like guys with such deep minds."

Because she had been tricked, Deng Fangqing was still resentful, which proved Deng Xiaowen's words: she was quite meticulous, but lacked composure.

Xia Ming didn't care what Deng Fangqing thought; whether she was magnanimous or not was irrelevant to him.

I could at least glance at the fierce-looking one. Well, okay, Deng Fangqing isn't quite up to the task in that respect.

Then, Xia Ming took out a folded sheet of Xuan paper from his pocket, slowly unfolded it, and laid it in front of Deng Xiaowen.

Deng Xiaowen looked up and saw the words "Blood Blade · Nine" written on it.

Looking at the vigorous and powerful characters, he couldn't help but nod.

"Excellent calligraphy! The strokes are sharp and powerful, seemingly able to penetrate the paper. I never knew you had this skill, Xia Ming."

The writing reflects the person. Deng Xiaowen has spent his life making knives, so he naturally understands seal carving and has also studied calligraphy for a period of time.

In today's urban world where everyone uses computers and mobile phones to type, it is truly rare for a young person to have such good handwriting.

"Well-mannered and well-educated, excellent, excellent."

The more Deng Xiaowen looked at Xia Ming, the more outstanding he felt. He continued to look down the Xuan paper and found that it was divided into nine sections, each containing a three-view drawing of a knife.

From left to right, and from top to bottom, they are as follows.

【Bloodthirsty Cleaver (Large Slicer Knife)】

【Blood Glutton (Bone Cleaving Blade)】

【Blood Dragon (Boning Knife)】

【Blood Taotie (Bone Knife)】

【Blood Curse (Tendon Removal Knife)】

[Blood Mixed (Thin Mulberry Knife)]

[Blood End (Scissors)]

【Blood Candle (Carving Knife)】

【Blood Opener (Universal Blade)】

Looking at the name Giddens Ko, Deng Xiaowen was taken aback and a question arose in his mind.

"Are you serious about naming this? It sounds a bit like something out of a martial arts novel."

"Some...yes, in the words of these kids nowadays, it would be called 'chuunibyou' (a Japanese term for someone with delusions of grandeur), but it seems like young people like that now."

As she spoke, Deng Xiaowen glanced at the "new-style Hanfu" her granddaughter was wearing. Hmm, it looks about the same.

Fortunately, Deng Fangqing was unaware of Deng Xiaowen's thoughts; otherwise, if she knew that her grandfather had associated "chuunibyou" (a Japanese term for someone with delusions of grandeur) with "modern Hanfu" (traditional Han clothing), she would probably be speechless.

Returning to the drawings, after carefully reviewing the requirements, Deng Xiaowen discovered some issues.

"Xia Ming, I can understand a knife, a boning knife, and a tendon-removing knife, but isn't there something wrong with the size of this cleaver?"

Deng Xiaowen stared silently at the "34cm" marking on the blade.

The blade of an ordinary cleaver is only 15 to 20 cm long. Xia Ming's thing is more like a "mountain-splitting knife" than a "cleaver".

Aside from the Guan family in Dajin District and the Tian family in Dongsan District, he had rarely seen chefs in China use such long knives.
Xia Ming nodded upon seeing this.

"That's right, it's 34cm."

After hearing this, Deng Xiaowen fell silent.

He strongly suspected that Xia Ming had thoroughly reviewed the rules of the "New Chef Competition" before coming over, because the section on knives clearly stated that...

[Competitors are not allowed to carry blades longer than 45cm (single knife) or 35cm (sheath knife). Violation of this rule will result in the temporary confiscation of the knife.]

This rule is actually to prevent situations where someone accidentally injures another person in the competition due to an excessively long knife.

But in reality, most chefs don't need such a long knife at all.
Deng Xiaowen glanced at Xia Ming again, and made up her mind.

"Perhaps, like the 'Dough Heavy Knife' of the Guan family in Dajin District, it allows for the use of some special techniques under certain circumstances."

Thinking of this, he first put the bone-chopping knife called "Blood Gluttony" aside and turned his gaze to the bone knife called "Blood Forged".

Unlike the excessively long cleavers of the past, this so-called "bone knife" is actually sickle-shaped.

It's not a scimitar, but the kind of scythe that Death wields in the movies, a smaller version, of course.

Deng Xiaowen could understand the long sword mentioned earlier, since there was precedent for it.

But he had never seen anyone use a sickle to cook before. He wondered how they could do it and if they weren't afraid of cutting themselves.

However, because of the situation described earlier, he didn't rush to ask and instead looked behind him.

The thin mulberry knife named "Blood Mix" looks like a mulberry knife, but it is actually a soft knife.

Xia Ming clearly noted on it that this knife needs to be like the soft sword in "wuxia movies," which can be bent at will while being sharpened on one side. If it cannot do that, then it is not acceptable.

Deng Xiaowen wasn't very skilled at using a soft knife. Although he had read about the theory in ancient books, he had only ever used a Western-style soft knife to make one for a chef overseas named "Aina Kaiser" over the years.

But that woman's requirements weren't as high as Xia Ming's, so Deng Xiaowen hesitated when she saw this.

After a moment's thought, he skipped this item and moved on to the next one.

The "Blood Cloth" scissors and the "Blood Candle" carving knife are not a big problem; apart from their slightly different appearances, they are generally easy to handle.

But Deng Xiaowen couldn't quite understand the label (奇刃·万用刀) on the bottom of this "Blood Opening" sword.

Actually, if Chef Ye from Xiaola Cilantro Restaurant were to come, he might remember him better.

This knife is very similar to the bamboo skewer Xia Ming used when making soup-filled yellow croaker, only it is more exquisite in the details!
Deng Fangqing, standing to the side, was stunned as she stared at the entire sheet of paper.

She thought Xia Ming had come to ask for a knife, but she never expected that he would just raise his hand and give her nine!

"What does this guy take Grandpa for? Many people beg Grandpa for a knife and still can't get one, yet he wants a sheath? How dare he!"

At this moment, Deng Xiaowen was not too concerned about the number of knives; he was inexplicably feeling a sense of challenge.

Just like a chef who has cooked his whole life discovering a new ingredient, Deng Xiaowen, who has spent his whole life making knives (not just kitchen knives), also rarely sees such an interesting knife.

"Especially this scythe and this strange blade, interesting. Very interesting."

Although he was old, his mind was still quite clear. From what he remembered, none of the chefs he had ever met used this kind of knife.

"Could it be that Xia Ming invented these two types of knives himself?"

Little did he know that the so-called "Blood Blade 9" was actually the standard knife used in the kitchen of the Blood Blade Sect on the Nine Provinces Continent.

There are nine weapons in total, each with a different main attack direction.

Of course, not everyone can use these nine knives. The Blood Blade Sect's kitchen has a complete grading system. Entry-level kitchen staff can only use the "large cleaver," while those who leave the kitchen can use the "strange blade."

You will only receive the "bone-chopping knife" after the dishes you have prepared are ready to be served.

Don't underestimate these three weapons; within the Blood Blade Sect, the Bone Cleaving Blade is actually the first watershed moment in the kitchen.

Because the core of the "Blood Blade Sect" is "the unity of demon and blade," people and blades are equally important. Ordinary disciples cultivate the "Blood Fusion Demon Art" to obtain various blood demon skills, and they must also have a blood blade that has been tempered by countless drops of blood.

This is why Blood Blade Sect disciples are always able to bring back so much blood food.

Half of him cultivates demonic arts, and the other half forges swords.

It can be said that half of the Blood Blade Sect disciples' combat power lies in their swordsmanship, and even the kitchen staff are no exception.

If the stir-fried dishes are not served on time, the disciple will be forced to use a large cleaver to process all kinds of ingredients.

While it's not unusable, it will lead to longer daily use of the Blood Soul Repair Blade, increasing energy consumption and creating a vicious cycle in the long run.

It's essentially an entry-level assessment for kitchen staff.

It's relatively easy to become a handyman, but it's very difficult to become a cook.

Before the Blood Blade Sect was destroyed, Xia Ming could only use 7 blades. However, his master gave him special training, so he was proficient in using all 9 blades. He could only use 7 blades in public.

He understood very well that if the goal was to pass on the master craftsman's skills, then naturally the knives should also be replicated.

Deng Xiaowen glanced at Xia Ming, pondered for a moment, then stroked his beard and nodded.

"Xia Ming, it's not that I'm making excuses, but your Nine Knives are indeed very interesting."

"But there are only two months until the competition, and other people also need knives. If you want to get all nine knives in one go, I'm afraid there won't be enough time."

"Okay, you point out the most important matches first, and I'll arrange them for you. As for the rest, just play one well during the competition, and I'll..."

At this point, Deng Xiaowen glanced at Deng Fangqing beside her.

"I'll have someone send you a bunch, until they're all delivered. How does that sound?"

Xia Ming actually wanted to say that it wasn't necessary to go to such trouble, but he saw through Deng Xiaowen's thoughts, smiled slightly to himself, and readily agreed.

Deng Fangqing, who was standing to the side, immediately sensed that something was wrong.

"Grandpa, there are still several knives ahead. Other people will come after the competition starts. Nine knives are too many."

Deng Xiaowen stroked his beard.

"Not much, not much. I was just wondering what use these strange knives are. Oh, don't worry about it, I know what I'm doing."

"Just wait until the time comes to deliver the knife!"

Deng Fangqing looked incredulous.

What do you mean by "waiting for the knife to be delivered later"? Am I a deliveryman? This is such blatant favoritism!
It was just a big yellow croaker and a short chat, how did it turn into a live matchmaking event!
Deng Fangqing felt suffocated, her heart filled with resistance.

"No way, I'd rather die than go. As soon as the knife is finished, I'm running back to the Guangzhou-Shenzhen area!"

Xia Ming didn't care who delivered the knives. He chatted with Deng Xiaowen and chose three knives from the nine knives.

They are "Blood Ferocious (Great Slicer Knife)", "Blood Open (Odd Blade - Multi-Purpose Knife)" and "Blood Glutton (Bone Cutter)".

This corresponds exactly to the promotion order in the Blood Blade Sect's kitchen, and the subsequent battles were also arranged according to this logic.

Afterwards, Deng Xiaowen carefully measured Xia Ming's hand length and had him test the handle and weight. After recording the data, she took him and Deng Fangqing for a walk around the workshop.

Finally, it was 8 o'clock when Xia Ming walked out of the courtyard.

He was planning to find a place to stay for the night and go back the next day, but he was surrounded by several burly men as soon as he took a few steps.

Xia Ming raised an eyebrow as he looked at the bodyguards in front of him.

"What do you mean? You want to fight?"

Just as the two sides were about to clash, Qian Youdao's voice suddenly came from behind.

"Get out of the way, get out of the way. Who told you to surround us so closely? Didn't I already tell you to come over politely? You're really clumsy in handling things."

As he spoke, Qian Youdao stepped out from the crowd and stood in front of Xia Ming.

"Sorry, my bodyguards were a bit clueless. I hope they weren't frightened."

"By the way, let me introduce myself. I'm Qian Youdao from the Qian family in Tai District."

Xia Ming looked at Qian Youdao's smiling expression, lowered his eyes slightly, roughly estimated his intentions, and then smiled as well.

"My name is Xia Ming. Alright, stop beating around the bush and just say what you want to say."

Qian Youdao chuckled.

"Brother Xia is a straightforward person, so I won't beat around the bush either."

As he spoke, he had his men bring over a plate, which, when opened, contained three neatly stacked bundles of banknotes.

"How about I spend 30,000 yuan to buy Brother Xia's experience points from someone who has already completed the game?"

Xia Ming looked at Qian Youdao and saw his eyes lowered slightly before he spoke tentatively.

"You still want to buy a technique that's no longer usable?"

Unexpectedly, Qian Youdao perked up upon hearing this.

"Of course, I'm buying experience that's already been cleared! Don't worry, I just withdrew the money, and they're all consecutive numbers. You can pay first and we can talk later."

Xia Ming looked at the 30,000, his pupils contracted, and then he smiled and spoke.

"I do have a way to actually beat the game, fixed price: 15."

Qian Youdao blinked, then laughed.

"No, Brother Xia, you've misunderstood. I said I want the method you've already approved, not a ready-made answer from you!"

“15 is not expensive for me at all, but this matter cannot be calculated like that.”

"The experience you've gained is what I use to avoid making mistakes; that's called paying for information."

"But as a member of the Qian family, if it works, it works; if it doesn't, it doesn't. What kind of skill is it to get through customs by using other people?"

Hearing Qian Youdao say that, Xia Ming raised an eyebrow.

He really hadn't realized that this guy was far superior to Luo Luo in his constant whining.

"Whether it's her cooking skills or her attitude, she can be considered upright. It seems that the situation where Luo Luo was whining before was actually a minority."

Thinking about the group of such opponents in the upcoming "New Chef Competition," Xia Ming's lips curled up slightly.

"This is getting more and more interesting. It seems that so-called families aren't all useless after all."

Of course, fleeting appreciation is meaningless; real benefits need to be fought for.

After some haggling, Xia Ming and Qian Youdao finally sold the method for making the big yellow croaker for 6 yuan.

Then, Xia Ming took the money and went to the nearest ATM.

Watching Xia Ming's departing figure, Qian Yourong stepped out from the shadows.

Qian Youdao blinked when he saw his sister arrive.

"This Xia Ming is quite interesting. You might think he's clever, but he brazenly talks business with us under the surveillance of Old Master Deng's courtyard, without even worrying about upsetting Old Master Deng."

"You say he's not smart, but he didn't let any of what he was entitled to go."

Qian Yourong watched Xia Ming's figure disappear into the darkness, her eyes flickering.

"No, you don't understand. The reason he does this is because he doesn't care."

"not give a damn about?"

"Yes, he doesn't care if you know the method, nor does he care if the old man sees it. He acts according to his own will and is not bound by public opinion."

At this point, she glanced back at the gate of Deng Xiaowen's courtyard and silently calculated the time it would take Xia Ming to go in.

Finally, he smiled wryly.

"Xia Ming is very good. I'll remember you."

(End of this chapter)