Who gave this heretical practitioner permission to cook?

Chapter 7 features the most abstract combination: drawing the most abstract ingredient, "Kyoto-style fermented mung bean juice" cooking showdown!
Seeing Xia Ming step down from the "general" position and sit in the "pawn" chair, the live chat became lively.

[Okay, at least he has some self-awareness, knows he's not up to the task, and has found a way to back down gracefully.]

I really thought he had the guts to sit in a general's seat, but it turns out he's just a coward!

[That's normal. I've eaten at his restaurant before; it's just so-so. A pretty boy and a cowardly guy make a pretty good match!]

Can you please stop being so hostile towards him? Does his good looks hinder your development?

[Oh wow, there are female fans here too! Why don't you go back to your own fandom for voting? This fandom isn't for you!]

Seemingly surprised by Xia Ming's choice, the guests and contestants were stunned for a moment, and even the assistant director who had been present couldn't figure out what Xia Ming was thinking.

"Is this guy deliberately trying to show off? He's really good at creating a spectacle!"

Although he said that, he didn't reject such behavior at all. After all, variety shows need to have a good effect to create excitement. Whether it's advancing by the last minute or building up excitement before downplaying it, it's better than being bland and uneventful.

At that moment, he even felt that the director had made the right choice by keeping him on the team.
After a moment of surprise, the players below also came to their senses. Although they were somewhat surprised that Xia Ming had chosen the "pawn" position, some of them actually breathed a sigh of relief.

The bald cook standing nearby couldn't help but feel that if the competition was going on like this, they would have to wait until tomorrow to choose a spot!

"Nobody's going, huh? Fine, I'll go!"

As he spoke, the "bald cook" suddenly rushed up the platform, walked to the top in a few steps, and then sat down without thinking!

This move surprised everyone present, even the chefs, who didn't expect the "bald cook" to have such courage.

Xia Ming glanced back at the "bald cook" and their eyes met. Looking at the proud "bald cook," Xia Ming gave him a thumbs up.

"You have to be young and reckless. It's a good thing this is a city. If this were in the Nine Provinces Continent, he would probably have to fight his way back after he stepped down."

Everyone has youthful spirit, but the Demonic Sect also contains all sorts of people, so anyone who can jump like that and still survive must be a genius among geniuses.

Unfortunately, Xia Ming didn't have such good treatment in his previous life, but it doesn't matter. Even a "pawn" can defeat a "general," so there's no need to fight for temporary superiority.

When everyone saw that the "bald cook" had taken the seat, they lost their will to compete.

After all, where you sit isn't that important; what matters is getting more screen time in front of the audience. Who would have thought that Xia Ming would use a strategy of feigning weakness before emphasizing strength, followed by a sudden charge from the "bald cook"?

Since the top and bottom are already occupied, the middle section becomes much easier to negotiate.

And so, based on their understanding of the chefs and the compatibility of their cuisines, the contestants gradually finalized their seating arrangements.

Once both sides were seated, the production team announced the rules of the competition.

Just as everyone predicted, it was a checkmate!
Then, as a dazzling light effect flowed through the venue, Shuai Xiaojian, who was in the "King" position, and "Bald Cook," who was in the "General" position, walked off the stage together and stood on the chessboard.

Once the 1V1 opponents are selected, the two will randomly select one of the 16 different special ingredients from the 16 areas in the center of the arena as the theme of the match.

To ensure fairness, each person has a button in front of them. Once the lights start flashing, either the chef or the contestant can press the button.

The location where the beam of light stops after the button is pressed is their current theme.

The theme will not be drawn repeatedly. There are 16 zones, corresponding to 16 groups of contestants. In other words, the success of the later contestants depends on the luck of the earlier contestants.

The rules caused an uproar as soon as they were announced.

The 53-year-old female contestant, sitting in the elephant position, immediately covered her mouth when she said, "I am not the queen."

"Is it a random draw? What if you get something you don't want? That would be terrible!"

At that moment, the rider "Fish Fairy" in the horse position also gasped.

Judging from his name, you can tell he's good at cooking fish. If he draws something strange, wouldn't he be completely ruined on the spot?

Other players also felt the pressure brought by randomness to varying degrees. At the same time, deciding who presses the button was also a trap. The opponents were all top chefs. If you didn't give them face and rushed to press the button, you would easily get scolded. But if you let the top chefs press the button, you always felt a sense of powerlessness that your fate was not in your own hands.

Of course, some players don't care, and one player, "Xiaohua," even thinks that giving the choice to the other side is an easy thing.

Xia Ming had no objection to this competition format, because based on position, he didn't even need to worry. He just needed to wait for the other players to finish drawing their lots and then pick up what was left.

At this moment, he even closed his eyes to rest in front of the camera, secretly feeling the operation of the "Blood Fusion Demon Cultivation Method" in his body.

"The city has no spiritual energy or demonic energy. It's been so long since my competition, and my blood soul hasn't increased at all. If I have to rely on my own cultivation, I'm afraid I won't achieve anything even after I'm buried."

He remembered the Blood Blade Sect's cultivation methods very well, and even had the good fortune to see some of the secret techniques when delivering meals, but without the Blood Soul, it was all for naught.

"It seems we can only follow the old path of the Blood Blade Sect, which uses blood fusion as a means of cultivation. Although the city is not like the Nine Provinces Continent where strange beasts roam freely, it has the advantage of sheer numbers. The animal husbandry industry here completely crushes those guys from the Beast Taming Sect!"

Just as he was making his decision, Shuai Xiaojian and "Bald Cook" reached an agreement and pressed the button together.

As the light flashed, they chose the "expensive" tile!
The moment they selected their theme, the "贵" (guì, meaning precious or valuable) character on the pillar unfolded like a lotus flower, revealing the ingredients inside.

Bald Cook vs. Handsome Little Swordsman

[Competition Theme: Litsea cubeba from Guizhou]

As the stems and fruits of Litsea cubeba were placed evenly on the scales, the live stream chat exploded with excitement.

Litsea cubeba, this stuff has a really strong smell!

The key is that this stuff has a very strong flavor. Locally, it's mostly used as a seasoning for sour soup hot pot. Are there any other ways to prepare it?

【I don't know, I feel like I've never seen this before. I've learned something new.】

[How about sour soup hot pot? Or how about making drinks? Didn't "Cha Bai Dao" release "Litsea cubeba lemon tea" before?]

Yes, I've tried it too!

As the online discussion intensified, the two who had received their ingredients walked through a side passage into the rest room that the production team had prepared in advance.

Here, chefs can get the ingredients and have two hours to review information to plan how they will use them. Of course, they can also take this opportunity to ask the production team to prepare some needed but uncommon ingredients.

Two hours later, the 16 groups of contestants will take the stage in a sorted order, starting with number 1, with each group taking the stage every half hour. The contestants will have a fixed two-hour time limit to prepare their meals.

Upon hearing this rule, Xia Ming on the stage smiled slightly and opened his eyes.

It's said to be 2 hours, but the actual thinking time varies for each group depending on the order. If we consider the optimal scenario, the last group should have 9.5 hours to think.

Assuming the order of appearance is calculated according to the order of drawing, it means that Xia Ming, as a "pawn", is very likely to be the last group to go on stage, which would give him the most time to think.

"I never expected such a good thing to happen. I must take advantage of the show's promotions!"

Just as he was figuring out how to squeeze out more money, the pairing of contestants and chefs was progressing rapidly.

At the same time, various ingredients with regional characteristics were also introduced.

Anhui black pigs, Qianjiang crayfish, Wenchang chicken, and milk skin are just some of the many delicacies found throughout China.

Finally, when Xia Ming and "Mikes" stood on the stage, only a single stake marked with the character "京" remained in the arena, standing there all alone.

Without saying much, the two pressed the button at the same time. As the wooden stakes marked with the character "京" (Jing) dispersed, the guests on the side widened their eyes in surprise.

"I'm not seeing things, am I? That...that's 'Beijing-style fermented mung bean juice,' right?"

(End of this chapter)