Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
“Can dark cuisine… really break the taboo?”
Xiao Ai was somewhat dumbfounded as she looked at the incredibly confident Bu Fang. She had never heard of those strange names, but they did not sound like delicacies to her.
Looking at the confused look on the girl’s face, Bu Fang touched his chin. He did not explain anything to her. “You will know later…”
The customers who clustered in the pill-making workshop had gathered around the empty space in front of the restaurant.
“I can’t believe he actually mentioned Chaotic Energy to attract diners!”
“This is interesting… I think this restaurant is jumping the gun now.”
“Let’s see what challenge this little restaurant has come up with…”
Many nobles were smiling and whispering to each other. To them, what they needed to do was watch calmly as the chef made a fool of himself. They did not think the reward of Chaotic Energy was real, and they did not put it to heart.
However, they did know that if someone completed the challenge later and the restaurant could not produce any Chaotic Energy, they would have a reason for the dukes to close the restaurant. They thought this had given them an opportunity to destroy the restaurant, but they had no idea of the horror that awaited them.
Bu Fang did not explain anything to Xiao Ai. No words were better than actions.
The noblewoman had returned with Nethery. In fact, she returned with Nethery every three or four days. The main reason was that she had become a loyal customer of the restaurant.
For her, tasting some dishes occasionally was a way to spice up her life. It was like how she had asked those chefs to cook her something to eat every time she went to bring back a Cursed Goddess. But Bu Fang had rejected her when she went to pick up Nethery.
She paused slightly when she returned with Nethery and saw the large crowd in front of the restaurant. “What are you doing?” she asked, looking at Bu Fang with wide eyes.
“I’m blazing a new trail through brambles for the future of the restaurant…” Bu Fang glanced at the noblewoman.
“Can’t you speak like a human?” The noblewoman could not help but roll her eyes.
Nethery, on the other hand, gave Bu Fang a curious look. She wondered if he was trying to create a scene?
“I’m attracting customers for the restaurant. This is the only way. These people are so prejudiced against food… They need to be woken up by dark cuisine.”
The noblewoman twitched the corner of her mouth. She had no idea what dark cuisine was, but it sounded terrifying. She did not say anything, though. But she was curious. She had endless life, and it got quite boring sometimes. Since there was something fun now, she thought she could stand aside and enjoy it.
She glanced at the plaque. When she saw the reward, she was speechless. ‘No wonder so many people are attracted. Chaotic Energy is so rare and precious, yet this fellow will give it as the reward…’
Bu Fang ignored the noblewoman. He walked up and stood in front of the White Tiger Heaven Stove, facing the crowd. “Anybody wants to sign up for the challenge? I’ll only accept ten challengers in the first round,” he said.
His words drew a clamor from the crowd. The nobles whispered to each other. Many people did not trust Bu Fang. They felt that he might not be able to deliver on his promise. For others, they were afraid of making a fool of themselves if they took up the challenge, for they did not know what it was.
“You don’t have to worry about the promise. The promise made by Cooking God Little Kitchen will certainly be fulfilled. Marquis Lang Gu can vouch for that with his moral integrity,” Bu Fang said seriously.
Marquis Lang Gu was stupefied. As for the nobles, they guffawed. They did not know the paralyze-faced chef could joke. Since when did Marquis Lang Gu have moral integrity?
In any case, Bu Fang’s words had moved some people. Before long, ten people walked out of the crowd and signed up for the challenge.
They were ten nobles. The crowd was surprised when they saw these people.
“That’s Master Zhen Yong from the pill-making workshop. He also wants to join?”
“Master Zhen Yong has been stuck at the Saint of the Great Path level for a long time. He needs a wisp of Chaotic Energy to make the breakthrough…”
“Oh? Isn’t that Viscount Dao Lun? He’s in too!”
Many nobles were surprised to see these participants.
Bu Fang glanced at the ten participants. The Chaotic Energy reward proved to be useful. At least, it had attracted some people to try their luck. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly, his face expressionless.
“I think you can tell us the rules of the challenge now, can’t you?” Master Zhen Yong said, fixing his eyes on Bu Fang. As an alchemist, he despised chefs, so his tone was not polite.
The other nobles also stared at Bu Fang. Most of them had been stuck in the Saint of the Great Path level for a long time, so they needed Chaotic Energy. That was why they took up the challenge.
“Be patient,” Bu Fang said.
He made the ten people sit at the long, narrow dining table, facing each other. There were chopsticks and spoons on the table, as well as forks, knives, and white napkins.
“Your challenge is to taste dark cuisine… A kind of special food.”
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“Is it a delicacy? We don’t eat delicacies. We need to uphold our faith in the Queen! If it is a delicacy… I’ll withdraw myself from this,” said a noble. She was a woman with curly blond hair.
“Hmm… It’s not a delicacy. Dark cuisine is the opposite of a delicacy…” Bu Fang said after thinking for a moment. In fact, there was nothing wrong with what he said.
The nobles exchanged glances and said nothing again. If truth be told, they would not mind if it was a delicacy. After all, the reward was enough for them to take the risk. Profits moved people.
Bu Fang clasped his hands behind him. Foxy was sitting on his shoulder. “So, are you guys ready?” he asked seriously, sweeping his gaze down the participants.
The tone in his voice worried the nobles, but they nodded all the same. The noblewoman looked on with interest. She sat not far from the table, crossing her legs. She wanted to see what Bu Fang would cook.
“Very well. We will begin the challenge of the first dark cuisine. I wish you all… good luck.”
After that, Bu Fang turned and walked up to the stove. He had decided what would be the first dark cuisine. The dish was even more… brutal than stinky tofu! The powerful taste… only those who had tasted it before could understand!
With a thought in his mind, he exchanged a can of sour herrings from the System, as well as a few fresh herrings. At the thought of the dish he was about to cook, he could not help but feel excited.
He examined the can. It was perfectly sealed, so none of its despairing smell was leaking. He had no intention to let the smell out so soon.
With a shake of his hand, he took out the spirit flour produced in the farmland, then used it to make dough. It looked as though he was making some pastry. The nobles were not impressed, and some even furrowed their brows.
“This chef is not trying to take advantage of this opportunity to coax us to eat some delicacy, right?” The same doubt arose in some of the participants’ minds.
“I don’t think so… We’ve persisted for so long, and he knows that we will not be deceived by such tactics! Let’s keep watching. I’m sure he has some other tricks after this…”
Bu Fang set the dough aside and let the yeast work its magic. Then, he took out the silver herrings. The next moment, the Dragon Bone Kitchen Knife emerged, spinning in his hand. He grabbed its handle and began to process the fish.
He removed their guts, cut them in half, and seasoned the upper part of the fish. He even made their eyes brighter. After that, he stuffed them one by one into the dough, leaving the heads exposed. Soon, the dough was filled with fish heads who appeared to be gazing skyward.
Picking up the can of herrings, Bu Fang squinted around him. Then, he unleashed his mental force and wrapped the can to prevent the smell from leaking. He opened the can. A surge of smell immediately rushed up and blew into his face.
The corner of his mouth twitched, and he rolled his eyes. Even his face puckered up. ‘It… f*cking stinks! Stinky tofu is nowhere near as foul as this…’ Bu Fang could not imagine the feeling when this thing was shoved into one’s mouth. Perhaps only a true warrior would dare to eat it.
No one else could smell this because he had trapped it with his mental force. The crowd only saw his expression change dramatically the moment he opened the can. His facial features seemed to squeeze together, and for a moment, they thought they saw a despairing look on his face.
Xiao Ai was stunned. She did not know that the paralyze-faced Owner Bu could have so many different expressions. But… What did those expressions mean?
The ten participants at the table narrowed their eyes. They seemed to have caught a whiff of something unusual. This challenge seemed a little… frightening.
Bu Fang wrapped up the can of herrings with his mental force, removed the thick liquid, dug a hole in the center of the dough, and poured all the herrings into the hole. After that, the moment his face turned red, he put the dough into the Black Turtle Constellation Wok and began to bake it.
He took a deep breath and felt that he was reborn. The smell almost knocked him out. He wiped his hands with a clean napkin and waited.
“Owner Bu… Has the challenge begun?” one of the challengers asked, somewhat uneasy. He seemed to be affected by the bizarre atmosphere.
“Be patient… A watched pot never boils,” Bu Fang said as he glanced at the man.
Master Zhen Yong was calm. As an alchemist, he had seen everything. This kind of challenge was nothing to him.
Time passed. The nobles watching from the surroundings were very curious. With every second passed, the challenge drew nearer. They were all very curious about the challenge!
Ding!
A crisp ding rang out of the Black Turtle Constellation Wok. Bu Fang’s eyes lit up. Then, he scanned the ten challengers. The look in his eyes made their hearts beat a little bit faster.
The noblewoman bit her lip and widened her beautiful eyes, watching. Looking at Bu Fang, Nethery had a feeling that he was going to create a scene. Foxy, on the other hand, was squeaking. For her, the only way to relieve her worries was to eat.
Bu Fang exhaled and rubbed his hands. Slowly, he lifted the wok’s lid.
Foxy leaned over the wok and widened her eyes. Her mouth was watering. She was eager to know what delicacy had Bu Fang cooked this time.
The next moment, Bu Fang reached his hand into the wok and slowly pulled out a plate, in which was a baked pie. The dough was baked into golden brown and had puffed up, with a milky white sheen at its center.
A few fish heads were protruding through the crust at the edge, their eyes shining brightly and appearing to be gazing skyward. These herrings were cooked, too, and a strange smell was wafting out of them.
But none of these mattered. What mattered was the smell coming from the pie.
Foxy froze the moment the pie appeared. The next moment, she covered her nose with her little paws, and tears began pouring out of her little eyes. She retreated several steps, her tails drooped listlessly, and white forms spewed out of her mouth.
The stench that erupted from the herring pie nearly made her heart stop beating!
Bu Fang puckered his nose and turned to the ten challengers. “The first dark cuisine is a herring pie called Stargazy Pie. The first person to eat the pie is considered to have passed the challenge,” he said. The stench made his eyes water.
“Accept the challenge, warriors!”