Chương 47: Our Goddess Is Second to None
Chu Fan had finally gained his composure and went about getting ready for the day that was set in stone. He was fully prepared to compete against Wang Zhinu's alchemy with his Gourmet Elixirs. The sect itself became somewhat restless as news spread throughout the sect. Those who had not heard of Chu Fan's Gourmet Elixirs, were now very intrigued. Even some of the elders who seldom came out of their rooms were intrigued by this; they finally had a chance to see the rumored Chu Fan prove his abilities.
They scheduled it all for mid-day on a weekend, where no people had a chance to miss out on this spectacle. Many people had came to camp out the night before; they wanted the best seats available. The only seats that were reserved were for the elders and the most senior of disciples.
Chu Fan woke up as usual and performed his morning cultivation routine before getting breakfast ready. After feeding his last fellow disciple, he ate his meal and left the building. He exited the cafeteria where he was greeted by a crowd of fellow disciples. These were his fans and supporters who had planned to walk alongside Chu Fan to the dueling grounds. His closest friends lead the group.
They all paraded with banners and signs as they made their way to the dueling grounds. The dueling grounds had its own parading group for Wang Zhinu. She had a group of her own supporters who had their own set of fan merchandise ranging from headbands to life-sized posters; they even had magic treasure torches that were crafted with Wang Zhinu's alchemist insignia.
On the dueling platform, two different sets of equipment were set up. On one side was a wok and prep area. The other side had a medicine preparation area as well as a pill furnace. In the center of the platform were a large array of ingredients to choose from. Vault Master Wang spared no expense when it came to matters and competitions involving his prized granddaughter.
"We've been waiting for you Chu Fan. I was beginning to think you had backed out." said Wang Zhinu as she approached Chu Fan. She turned around, flinging her hair into the air as she got on the dueling platform and stood on her side.
"Whoo! Go Wang Zhinu! Our Goddess is second to none!"
"Boo! Chu Fan! Just give up while you can."
Chu Fan shook his head and also made his way over to his designated side of the dueling platform silently. After spending a brief moment inspecting his equipment, he went over and stood in front of his chopping board.
*Rumble* *Rumble* The stage began to shake as five figures appeared in the sky headed towards the dueling grounds.
*Boom* They arrived, knocking over many disciples to the floor as they scrambled to greet the five elders who stood above the stage like deities. The elders were all making their grand spectacle of their entrance. Three of the elders took their seat, only nodding at the disciples that greeted them.
The two elders who remained above the stage were none other than Su Chow and Vault Keeper Wang. The two approached Chu Fan and Wang Zhinu.
"Fatty, you are quite the confident one to challenge my granddaughter here. I look forward to what you have to show us. A'nu, don't hold back at all. Show this child everything you've got." said Vault Keeper Wang to the two competitors.
"Yes, grandfather. I will not embarrass you." said Wang Zhinu as she bowed.
"I shall not disappoint Elder Wang." said Chu Fan as he bowed.
As Vault Keeper Wang walked over and sat himself, Su Chow began to speak.
"I thank you all for making an appearance today. I, the former sect chief, shall be your host today as I am personally interested in the topic of this competition today. I hope the two competitors today shall not disappoint everyone present and give us a display in skill that will give us all a bit of enlightenment."
"Yes, sir!" they simultaneously said as they bowed in respect.
Su Chow motioned his hands and some of the various ingredients danced about in midair.
"Today, we shall be testing which one of these two students can best bring out the medicinal effects of these main ingredients: Morning Crystal Flower, Eclipse Berry, and Blood-Veined Bark . They shall be graded on three things: taste, medicinal efficacy, and the number of impurities present in their finished products."
He looked at the two of them.
"The only rules are no heckling or meddling with the competitors equipment. Other than that, you can make anything you want as long as you make it within . Now, are you two of you ready?"
They both nodded at Su Chow and he raised his right hand over his head.
"Alright! Commence!" he shouted, bringing forth a gust of wind.
Immediately, Wang Zhinu and Chu Fan made their way to get their ingredients. After some inspection, they chose the ingredients that they deemed the best quality to use. After picking their ingredients, they turned around to start preparing. Wang Zhinu began heating her furnace while she processed her ingredients.
Chu Fan went straight to cooking as he soaked the Blood-Veined Bark in water, chopped up his Morning Crystal Flower and set his Eclipse Berries to the side after having extracted the juice from a couple berries.
Three hours passed and the competition was coming to an end. Wang Zhinu had produced eight Vein Cleansing pills. On the other side, Chu Fan was just about done with cooking his four dishes. His four dishes consisted of a soup, a noodle dish, a meat dish, and a dessert. Wang Zhinu chose to wait for Chu Fan to finish before presenting her set of pills; she wanted to be judged fairly and at the same time.
When he was done, he plated everything and made his way to present his food. The smell of it all drove the crowd of spectators restless as they could not wait to sample those dishes.
The five elders present, served as judges. Su Chow looked at Chu Fan and Wang Zhinu.
"So? Which one of you is first?"
Chu Fan motioned his hands.
"Ladies first."
Wang Zhinu nodded and presented her pills to the five elders. They all placed a pill in their mouth and closed their eyes as they felt the medicine dissolve and their bodies absorb it.
"Very good. A well crafted pill with only 20% of the impurities. A genius indeed."
"Wonderful! It cleanses the pathways while replenishing blood."
"Truly, she is a prodigy. She has high prospects in alchemy."
They all scribbled their scores onto paper as they moved on to Chu Fan's food. The scent of Chu Fan's food drifted across their noses, titillating their senses. They all looked in wonder and excitement as they could smell the medicinal aroma; yet their stomachs rumbled as they had not in many centuries.
"Chu Fan, what have you prepared for us today?" asked Su Chow.
"I have four courses today for everyone. I also have a tea to accompany my dishes. The tea is made from the dried leaves of the Morning Crystal Flower and mixed with other spices. I also used the Morning Crystal Flower to make tea noodles with Razor Tusk Boar meat. The soup itself is made from the meat and bone of a Silk Skin Rooster stewed with Morning Crystal Flower and Eclipse Berries alongside various herbs. The meat dish is a stuffed Forest God Venison that's been smoked using the Blood-Veined Bark. And last but not least is dessert, Eclipse Berry Sorbet. Dig in!"
The elders all began with their cup of tea, which Chu Fan poured unceremoniously. They all smelled it and closed their eyes.
"Mm. Ah. What a refreshing fragrance?" they all said as they breathed in their tea.
They quickly took a sip of their tea and savored the aroma that opened up their passageways.
"By the heavens! If this simple cup of tea is this good. Then, what can the rest do?" asked an elder.
Chu Fan began serving his soup next. He handed them their bowls which they received with salivating expressions. They picked up their soup spoons and drank a spoonful.
"Wah!? So refreshing. It's even better than the tea." said an elder.
"Try the meat also?" said Chu Fan.
It dawned on the others that they had completely forgotten about the meat. They licked their lips as they scooped up the meat. Their eyes glittered as the meat fell apart the moment their spoons touched the flesh. They placed their spoons inside their mouth; and their bodies writhed in ecstasy.
"The meat is so tender."
"The medicinal herbs have enveloped the meat entirely."
"This cooking is even better than a mother's painstakingly handmade food."
One elder began to sob as it made him remember his ignorant mortal life as a child. Chu Fan smiled and scratched his head awkwardly.
"There is still three more dishes. Shall we continue?"
The elders regained their composure and nodded. Chu Fan began serving his noodle dish with an equal ratio of meat, broth, and noodles. The elders all looked at like with curious glances as it resembled street-side stall noodles, yet it smelled enticing. Su Chow and Vault Keeper Wang both looked at each other and picked up their chopsticks. The others followed suit and began to eat. Soon, all that could be seen were the bottom of their bowls and slurping could be heard.
"Mm! Sluurp! Ah. That hit the spot."
"Next dish please!" said Su Chow.
Chu Fan served tea in brief intermission before serving his next dish. He brought out the smoked meat and began slicing it. As he cut into the meat, its juices began to flow. The elders could no longer wait and grabbed slices of meat as Chu Fan sliced the meat.
They all fell into a trance as they ate and savored the flavors. Chu Fan did not wait anymore and simply began serving his dessert dish, Eclipse Berry Sorbet. He placed the bowls and spoons before the elders as they were stuck in their illusions.
"Uh. Huh!? What? Oh, yes! Dessert." said Su Chow.
"Huh? Right, let's dig in then." said Vault Keeper Wang as he grabbed his spoon.
They all scooped a spoonful of dessert as they snapped out of their illusions and placed it in their mouths. They dropped their spoons as they felt a cool rush run throughout their bodies.
Chu Fan coughed and asked, "So, elders. What would you rate my 'Gourmet Elixirs'?"
They all looked at each other and began discussing amongst themselves.
"Give us a minute. We need to think about it."
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