Food Wars, my food not only glows!

　Seeing Kurokiba clench his fists in anger at her words, Alice Nakiri stood with her hands on her hips and started arguing back, her voice full of smugness.

　"But I remember that three of those losses were this year, and all within three months. Kurokiba's strength has visibly increased."

　If this continues, Alice, you might very well be surpassed.

　"What? There's no way I could be surpassed by a mere Kurokiba! I'm my master's prized disciple! I inherited his skills."

　"This level doesn't count as inheriting my skills. So, when I was stuck in a rut, I also broke through by opening a shop and dealing with all sorts of demanding and uniquely tasted customers. Do you want to follow in my footsteps?"

　By the way, practice is the sole criterion for testing truth; only a dish loved by the general public can be considered a good dish!

　Bai Yuan shook his head with a wry smile. With Nakiri Alice's current strength, he would feel ashamed if she went out and said that she was his disciple.

　Unless Alice Nakiri can consistently produce glowing dishes, he will not allow her to refer to herself as his apprentice in public!

　"In that case, I'm willing! I want to follow in my master's footsteps!"

　"Mom, can you help me find a suitable restaurant in this area? I'd like to buy it and we can officially open for business tomorrow!"

　Upon hearing that Bai Yuan had once opened a shop to improve his culinary skills, Nakiri Alice's eyes lit up. She was very interested in following in her master's footsteps, and then ran up to Nakiri Leonora, threw herself into her arms, and said coquettishly.

　“No need to look for a shop separately, I’ve already found one in advance. Remember that arrogant guy we dealt with this morning? This shop is not far away from his shop.”

　"You mean that guy who tried to steal our fish? That's outrageous! Just because he's a top-tier chef, he thinks he can break the rules of first come, first served!"

　"That's right, by the way, that shop is also where we first met."

　At this point, Bai Yuan's voice was muffled, revealing no emotion.

　"That shop? Master, are you finally going to take action against them?! They kept stopping me before, I thought you had taken pity on them and forgiven them. They should have been shut down a long time ago, and they even dared to try to kill you that day!"

　Thinking back to their first encounter six years ago, Alice Nakiri couldn't help but pout. If she hadn't happened to be out shopping at the time, her master would have been in danger!

　Although the master is unlikely to die under local laws, he will certainly be beaten severely, and his injuries may even worsen.

　It's really abominable!

　Chapter Thirty-Seven: A Late-Night Visit, Nakiri Leonora

　In truth, if Bai Yuan hadn't been seriously injured at the time, he wouldn't have been unable to deal with a few small Karamis. It was like a dragon lying in shallow waters attracting shrimp.

　As for how he was injured, no matter how she asked, Bai Yuan refused to say.

　However, the person who could push such a powerful master to this point, and who was unwilling to tell them so they would worry, must be a very strong enemy!

　Having understood this, Alice Nakiri stopped asking questions and instead focused on improving her culinary skills in the days to come, hoping to become an asset to Shirai.

　At least, when he faces an unknown enemy again, he can fight alongside him!

　"This is actually the final test I prepared for you. Only by defeating that guy can you be considered to have truly graduated."

　After a few seconds of silence, Bai Yuan revealed his initial plan: to have Alice Nakiri defeat Jessie, a master chef, using molecular gastronomy.

　They had originally planned to wait a while, but since Alice Nakiri wanted to become stronger, and Jesse had already noticed them...

　In this situation, it's best to act swiftly and resolve the issue as quickly as possible!

　While not common, food battles involving raiding shops are not entirely absent; in fact, they are quite popular in Japan.

　"Graduated? Master, don't you want me anymore?!"

　Upon hearing the words "graduated from the master's school," Alice Nakiri was taken aback at first, then, as if she had thought of something, she looked at Bai Yuan with a pitiful expression.

　It was as if she would burst into tears if he said the words "I don't want it anymore".

　"It's a little different from what you understand. By 'graduating from the master,' I mean that after you've completed your apprenticeship, you'll be able to stand on your own, and I won't have to clean up your messes anymore."

　This doesn't mean that when you see me again, we'll be complete strangers; the master-disciple relationship will still exist.

　Looking at Alice Nakiri with an expression that seemed to say, "It's like a puppy being abandoned by its owner," Bai Yuan was speechless.

　Does this guy think that after she graduates from her apprenticeship, he will no longer be her master, and the two of them will become strangers?

　There's no such thing as a free lunch! If a disciple you've painstakingly trained becomes an outsider as soon as they graduate, who in the world would dare to take on a disciple then?

　"I see... I thought you didn't want me anymore. If that's the case, then it's good. You've completely changed from Master to Brother Bai Yuan."

　Hearing Bai Yuan's words, Alice Nakiri finally felt relieved, but she still muttered a few words to herself and a smile appeared on her face.

　"You really are very perceptive."

　Reaching out, Bai Yuan pinched the tip of Nakiri Alice's nose and further commented, "This girl really wears her emotions on her sleeve."

　On the other side, Leonora Nakiri wasn't as happy as Alice Nakiri; instead, she seemed somewhat conflicted, muttering as if she wanted to say something.

　After everyone had left, she went to Bai Yuan's room alone.

　Have you made up your mind?

　Seeing Bai Yuan sitting on the recliner, engrossed in reading a cookbook to pass the time, Nakiri Leonora silently closed the door behind her and took two steps forward to tentatively ask.

　"Yes, I've been stuck here long enough. It's time to go somewhere else and explore the world."

　Challenge different strong opponents, experience the cuisine of different regions, and feel the local culture.

　This is an essential culinary journey to improve my cooking skills; staying here will only cause my skills to slowly decline!

　Closing the book in his hand, Bai Yuan looked at Nakiri Leonora and said seriously, word by word, that he had told her about this two years ago.

　Over the years, his injuries have long since healed.

　Currently, he can handle hundreds of strong men with just his muscles. If he adds his surging internal energy, he won't fall down until his internal energy is exhausted.

　The only problem is that firearms exist in this world, but with his internal energy perception, he can easily dodge bullets as long as they aren't within three steps of him. Even if they are within three steps, he will be fine unless they hit a vital spot.

　Years of training have hardened his muscles to the point of being as hard as iron. Combined with the unique dietary and body-strengthening methods of the dark cuisine world, he can even kill a bear with a single punch!

　This is not an exaggeration, but he really has such strength. Although the Dark Cuisine World is delusional about using cuisine to control China, without real strength, relying solely on cuisine will only make him a lowly member of the imperial power in the end!

　The Dark Cuisine World boasts a history of over 800 years, headquartered in Liangshan Marsh. They forcibly train infants abducted from the foot of the mountain to become chefs.

　When Bai Yuan left, Liangshan Marsh already had more than 5,000 chefs, including more than 1,000 elite "Lin Chefs".

　The five strongest chefs are known as the "Five Tiger Stars," including Kaiyou, the leader of the Dark Cuisine World, and his four top masters: Leopard Head Yakan, Prodigal Yan Xian, Blue-Eyed Tiger Mila, and Flying Great Sage Zhu Qi.

　Bai Yuan is the fastest improving chef in the dark cuisine world. He became a Lin Chef at the age of 12 and defeated the Five Tiger Stars at the age of 13.

　He felt he had reached a technical bottleneck and was planning to hone his skills on the mainland, hoping to pick up some pretty girls along the way. However, before he could even set off, he was transported to another world.

　As for why he wants to date pretty girls...

　Just kidding, after working so hard for so many years, can't you enjoy yourself a little?

　"So how do you plan to tell Alice? Although you can choose not to tell her, she'll probably be very sad, thinking that her master has abandoned her and run away."

　"I will talk to her properly during this time. Besides, this is only a temporary separation, and it doesn't mean we will never see each other again. She will understand."

　Leonora Nakiri's voice rang out, pulling Bai Yuan back from his thoughts.

　Hearing her words, Bai Yuan fell silent. After so many years of getting along, he had long since come to regard Nakiri Alice as a younger sister and naturally did not want to hurt her.

　"That's good. As long as you two are doing well, that's all that matters. I just received a letter from Father recently. He wants Alice to go to Totsuki Academy for further studies this year. Well, it makes sense. It's time for her to meet her peers there."

　"Indeed, although Totsuki Academy is not very high-level, its students come from all over the world and know a wide variety of dishes. They can learn from each other and improve their own cooking skills."

　Bai Yuan nodded. Since it was a fixed part of the plot, he wasn't surprised by what Nakiri Leonora said, and he also agreed with Alice going to Totsuki.

　Interacting with peers is one aspect, but another is that Totsuki Culinary Academy is a great place to hone a chef's skills. Various ideas collide and eventually blend together, further improving everyone's culinary techniques.

　This approach is somewhat similar to what he did at Liangshan Marsh, the only difference being that the quality of students at Totsuki Academy is too poor, limiting its potential.

　At the age of 13, Bai Yuan was already going head-to-head with the Five Tigers of the Dark Cuisine World, while the students of Totsuki Academy were still practicing the basics step by step.

　The so-called elimination system of education is not as intense as the threat of death. In Liangshan Marsh, those who cannot cook well have no value whatsoever!

　"Brother Bai Yuan, Brother Bai Yuan."

　His memories drifted far away for a moment, and when he came back to his senses, Leonora Nakiri had called him several times. When he didn't respond, she brought her face closer, accompanied by a pleasant fragrance.

　"Oh? Sorry, I was thinking about something."

　Upon catching a glimpse of the full lips before him, Bai Yuan felt a surge of excitement, but on the surface he remained calm, looking at Leonora Nakiri's face with a detached expression.

　"Thinking about something? You're really engrossed in it. I've been calling you for ages."

　Leonora Nakiri said with her cheeks puffed out slightly, and punched Bai Yuan on the shoulder as she spoke. Rather than being angry, she looked more like she was being coquettish.

　"Feel sorry."

　"Alright, alright, I'm not blaming you. Since you're leaving soon, you can cook all the dinners at home for a while. I want to eat more of your cooking, because I probably won't be able to eat it again."

　"But you've really put on a great workout! How did you train like that? Your muscles are like they're made of iron, and you exude pure masculine charm. Alice is so lucky!"

　As she said this, Leonora Nakiri blushed slightly, her fingers gently caressing Bai Yuan's body, but she quickly withdrew them.

　"Alright, I'm going back to my room to rest now. You should rest early too, Brother Bai Yuan."

　As Nakiri Leonora spoke, she couldn't help but bite her lower lip, then turned away without looking back.

　She left his room, leaving behind a beautiful and voluptuous silhouette.

　Chapter Thirty-Eight Teachings

　"Ugh..."

　Watching Leonora Nakiri leave, Bai Yuan sighed, put down the cookbook in his hand, got up and went to the balcony, looking up at the moon in the sky.

　Actually, this kind of life is not bad. At least he has been very happy these past few years and has gradually made up for the damage he suffered in the dark world.

　Although he had a smooth journey in the world of dark cuisine and passed all kinds of tests, the extreme pressure still caused him to have some psychological problems.

　To adapt to life in the world of dark cuisine, he challenged the strongest day and night, just to become the strongest and gain a sense of security. Therefore, every day when he opened his eyes, he was cooking!

　During this time, with Alice and Leonora by his side, he completely relaxed and enjoyed a peaceful period.

　However, after living like this for a long time, he began to reminisce about the time when he fought against strong opponents. The tension and excitement were truly exhilarating!

　Therefore, he wants to accomplish what he couldn't do back in the world of "Cooking Master Boy": travel all over the country to challenge rising stars and veterans from various countries, in order to perfect his signature dish!

　Just like Liu Maoxing has the trump card of "the taste of mom", he also needs to find his own killer dish.

　However, before that, the matter of Alice Nakiri needs to be dealt with in advance. The current plan is for her to leave after she defeats Jesse and completes her training.

　Unfortunately, the little girl likes him very much, but he is too young now, and he treats her more like a younger sister. It would be too uncivilized for him to make a move on her.

　Besides, Qingmei can't beat Tianxia. There are so many beautiful girls in this world, and his cooking skills are undeniable, so why should he hang himself on one tree?

　Of course, this world is also more tolerant than his original world, allowing for polygamy and polyandry.

　This explains why he saw wealthy people on the street with women on both sides, yet the people around them seemed completely unfazed, and it didn't even attract any attention.

　Later, when I got home, I looked up the relevant laws and found that the government had relaxed marriage restrictions because of the serious problem of low birth rate.

　Bai Yuan didn't want to delve into the specific reasons, but with this law as his backing, coupled with his handsome looks and superb cooking skills, he was sure to be living the life of a winner in the future.

　"Haha, just wait for me, my dazzling and fulfilling life is about to begin!"

　As if recalling a certain scene, Bai Yuan put his hands on his hips, laughed loudly at the moon, and did not notice that Nakiri Alice had already come up behind him.

　"I poke."

　"I'm leaving, what's wrong?"

　Although he didn't notice, Bai Yuan still dodged the moment the other person reached out to poke him, because he sensed a slight malice.

　"Can't I come to see you if there's nothing wrong? What were you shouting at outside just now? Were you speaking Chinese? I almost forgot you're Chinese."

　Alice Nakiri pouted, walked to Bai Yuan's bedside, lay down without any hesitation, and casually hugged his pillow to her chest.

　The pillow carried a faint scent of Bai Yuan, a pleasant and comforting fragrance that gave her a sense of peace.

　It reminded him of when she was a child. When she was nervous, she would hug Bai Yuan and smell his scent, and then she would feel less nervous.

　It's amazing.

　"Of course, it would be nice to sit down and chat, but since we're together every day, it seems like we don't have much to talk about."

　Bai Yuan shrugged and sat down next to Nakiri Alice. Because the two had spent a long time together, they didn't have much to talk about.

　"Brother Bai Yuan, you'll never find a girlfriend if you keep going like this!"

　Upon hearing Bai Yuan's extremely straight-man-like remarks, Nakiri Alice's expression froze. She didn't know how to continue her prepared remarks, and in the end, she could only hug her pillow tightly and, after a long while, grit her teeth and complain.

　"..."

　Silence is Cambridge tonight.

　"I'm just kidding. Actually, I wanted to talk to you about opening the shop tomorrow."