Chapter 202
Chapter 202
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 202
Chapter Title: The World's Greatest Noodle King Tournament (2)
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News of the Noodle King Tournament sent a wave of excitement not only through Hanzhong but all the way to Shanxi and Sichuan.
Chefs from every tavern and restaurant of any repute flocked to participate.
The travel expenses to Hanzhong were far from trivial, but they willingly bore the cost, parting with their hard-earned money.
That was how incredible the prize for winning was.
The winner would receive a prize of two hundred nyang, the glorious title of Master Chef, and the restaurant they hailed from would be bestowed with the honorable War King Three Stars—a War-chelin Three Star rating. How could they not covet such a reward?
‘Two hundred nyang is more than enough to build a ramen factory.’
The atmosphere in Hanzhong was now hot enough to be called a furnace.
It was so intense that not only Myo, the home-cooking master, but even Cheong So-so, who had spent her entire life having others cook for her, decided to enter.
“Hmph, I’ll use this opportunity to let them taste the Cheong family’s secret medicinal noodles.”
“…So, why did you call me here?”
“Why else? To have you taste it, of course. Here, hurry up.”
“Shut up! Just look at what you’ve made. Look how black it is. Is this something a person can even eat?”
“It’s good for you! Good for men, too.”
“That! Isn’t that a poisonous mushroom over there? You used that to make the broth, didn’t you?”
“Medicine and poison are one and the same! Don’t you know? Medicine and poison are originally two sides of the same coin.”
“…”
Her shameless reply made me shake my head instinctively.
*Thump.*
Losing the will to deal with Cheong So-so any longer, I swiftly used the Flying Heavenly Wind to escape.
Cheong So-so screamed for me to come back and have a bite, but I ignored her. The best way to deal with a madwoman is to avoid her.
‘She’s out of her mind…’
Leaving the War King’s Gate, I found the streets teeming with people.
Merchants, commoners, and travelers browsed the goods while street stalls lined the road to serve them. It felt just like looking at the entrance to a bustling city station.
‘Hmm.’
The vibrant scene made my chest swell with pride.
It felt like all my efforts were finally paying off.
Yes, isn’t this the satisfaction one gets from politics?
“How’s business?”
I channeled my inner local politician and greeted a stall owner selling candied fruit skewers.
However.
“Eek! I was wrong, sir! I’ll give you all the money I have, so please, just spare my life! If I die, my three-year-old son will starve.”
The middle-aged man, who appeared to be the owner, shrieked in terror and began to grovel.
“Even if I’ve done nothing wrong, I am wrong. No, my very existence is a mistake. Still, for the sake of my child, please let me live.”
“No.”
What’s with this reaction?
I’ve been doing such a great job governing.
* * *
A short while later.
“Are you really asking because you don’t know?”
“Would I ask if I knew?”
Today’s counselor, Yang-ryeong, sighed and shook her head.
“It’s because of your actions, Lord.”
“What about them? All I’ve done is help people eat well and live well.”
“That’s true, but… you also wielded your blade without mercy, didn’t you? You actually beheaded thirty warriors from the White Azure Society.”
“I was enforcing a just law.”
“The people know that, too. However, they’re afraid. They live in fear, never knowing when the ferocious Lord of the War King’s Gate might draw his sword.”
“…I see.”
“Indeed.”
I thought for a moment before asking Yang-ryeong again.
“Then would spreading some positive stories help? Like how I picked up trash or was diligent about recycling.”
“…I don’t know what you’re talking about, but is there really a need to change public opinion? Things seem perfect as they are.”
“What’s so perfect about it? They run away the moment they see me.”
*Snap.*
Yang-ryeong folded the fan in her hand.
I’d been wondering for a while now why she always carried a fan. It wasn’t even particularly hot.
“This is Hanzhong.”
“I know that.”
“It’s the very frontline, facing the Ten Demon Alliance.”
“And?”
“What do you think would happen if the Ten Demon Alliance invaded and the people refused to follow orders? Or what if they betrayed us? To prevent such a disaster, I believe fear of the ruler is necessary.”
“Hmm…”
She wasn’t wrong.
This place could become a battlefield at any moment, so even if we didn’t have a standing army, we needed the discipline of a civil defense force.
It seemed I had been too lenient in my assessment of the situation.
“I suppose we’ll have to wait and see. Thanks for the advice.”
“A wise decision. But did you come here just to ask about that?”
“Ah, not exactly. I came to find out what kind of food the people of Hanzhong enjoy.”
Hearing my answer, Yang-ryeong pressed a hand to her forehead.
“Who exactly do you think I am?”
“The owner of a successful restaurant.”
“…”
Well, I wasn’t wrong, was I?
* * *
To put it simply, seeking Yang-ryeong’s advice was an excellent choice.
“Are you perhaps thinking of participating in the upcoming tournament?”
“As expected of the Branch Chief of the Beggars’ Sect. Your intuition is second to none.”
She had instantly discerned my reason for visiting.
“How about learning properly? I can teach you everything you need to know.”
And she proposed an even better solution.
“From whom?”
“Who else? Me, of course.”
“You know how to cook?”
“I developed all the dishes served at the Moonflower Pavilion. The current head chef learned from me as well.”
She was also exceptionally skilled.
Truthfully, for the future of Mujeon Foods Inc., I did need to learn how to cook.
While I had experience making simple meals for myself in my past life, my skills were nowhere near what was needed to run a food factory.
Things like my pork sausage and spicy stew were just recipes I brought from the modern world.
Thus, I promised her a fair reward and appointed her as my private tutor for the day.
“Alright. I’m counting on you. If I win, I’ll give you a quarter of a quarter of a quarter of the prize money.”
“How petty…”
The problem was…
*Tap, tap, tap, tap.*
“Again! The thickness is completely uneven! You’re a master martial artist, yet you can’t even do this properly?! Have you never used a knife before?”
“I’m a fist fighter, so…”
“Quiet! Just get back to slicing!”
Her teaching was as harsh as Chef Ramsay’s verbal assaults.
“Why are you pouring so much oil!”
“Do you think just adding more ingredients makes food taste better? How many times do I have to tell you that true flavor comes from balance?!”
“Boiling it on high heat will make the broth cloudy. You were planning to enter the tournament without even knowing such a basic fact?”
“Let’s just take a short break…”
“A break from what! You’ve done nothing to deserve a break!”
After being relentlessly tormented in the kitchen for six hours…
I was finally able to complete my prototype ramen.
“…This is it.”
The visuals were so appetizing that my mouth began to water.
I had kneaded and aged the dough before cutting it with a knife, then fried the noodles once in lard to enhance their flavor.
The broth, extracted from chicken bones and various vegetables, was reminiscent of the rich umami of chicken stock.
Green onions, garlic, and Sichuan peppercorns were stir-fried in oil and added on top for a spicy aroma.
And to finish it off, the secret soy sauce of the Moonflower Pavilion.
This was the ultimate ramen, a fusion of my ramen recipe and Yang-ryeong’s secret techniques.
“Hmm, it smells decent enough.”
“It’ll taste great, too.”
“If it tastes bad, we’re starting over from scratch, so be prepared.”
“What?”
Wasn’t she being a bit too strict?
After her warning, Yang-ryeong picked up her chopsticks and took a bite of the noodles.
*Slurp.*
It was a tense moment.
And the result was…
“Ahem, it’s not bad. There are a few things to improve, but this is good enough to challenge for the championship. Do you have any other dishes in mind? If so, let’s try making them. And you can teach me the recipes, too.”
A resounding success.
* * *
Three days later.
*Hubbub.*
A massive crowd, either to participate in or watch the first-ever World’s Greatest Noodle King Tournament, descended upon Hanzhong.
“It’s a huge success!”
Seeing the scene, a delighted Yu So-pyeong went around thanking each member of the Military Affairs Department.
“This is all thanks to you.”
“Congratulations, brother.”
“Master So-pyeong, congratulations. Hehehe.”
“Kekeke, I knew you’d succeed, Master So-pyeong.”
“That’s right, that’s right. If he wasn’t Lord Jin’s man, I would’ve snatched him up for the Red Dragon Hall.”
“To celebrate your success, I’ll kill someone for you. Just say the word.”
A rather strange conversation followed, but I did my best to ignore it.
‘I wish they’d hurry up and get lost back to the Red Dragon Hall…’
Speaking of which, I wondered if those brothers even got permission to hold a second job.
Well, that wasn’t what was important right now.
‘Hoo, you can do this, Mujeon.’
I closed my eyes and focused my mind.
A mind like a placid lake.
I pictured a vast lake in my heart… or I would have, if not for this.
“By the way, I heard the young lady is also entering the tournament? Hehehe.”
“Kekeke, she’s been in closed-door training for half a month already. To think I’d live to see the day the young lady cooks. Life is full of surprises.”
“You’re all too soft. Why would someone like the young lady prepare for a mere cooking competition? She must be developing a new killing art.”
“…”
The news of Jeok Hwa-ran’s participation made it impossible to concentrate.
‘So that’s why I haven’t seen her lately.’
She used to visit almost every day, so I was worried she might be sick, but it turned out she was secretly practicing how to make noodles.
With this, everyone from the eldest, Myo Hyang, to Jeok Hwa-ran and Cheong So-so would be competing.
Well, no matter how hard Jeok Hwa-ran and Cheong So-so tried, they would be no match for Myo, the home-cooking master.
And…
‘My ramen is a ramen that will save the world…!’
No one in the Central Plains could defeat my ramen.
There were two hours left until the start of the tournament.
It was about time to get ready.
“Hmm, I’m a bit tired. I think I’m coming down with a cold, too. *Cough, cough.*”
“Oh dear, you should go inside and rest, sir. Chief Yuk is here, so you don’t need to worry about the tournament grounds.”
“Then I’ll leave it to you.”
“Yes. Please get some rest.”
After being seen off by Yu So-pyeong, I left the venue and immediately used the Flying Heavenly Wind to head for the Moonflower Pavilion.
As I entered through a fourth-floor window, Yang-ryeong was waiting with a bundle of ingredients already packed.
“I’ve picked out only the best. And please, use the front door next time.”
“Thanks. I won’t forget this favor.”
“Just don’t try to skimp on my share of the prize money like last time.”
“What do you take me for?”
Surely, it would be fine to deduct taxes and fees, right?
* * *
The tournament was held in an open lot outside Hanzhong.
We had originally planned to use the grand training hall inside the War King’s Gate, but with over three hundred participants, we had to move to a larger venue.
Thanks to that, everyone in the War King’s Gate had toiled away, building outdoor stoves and assembling temporary cooking stations.
Three hundred participants gathered at the tournament grounds, built with the blood, sweat, and tears of our members.
*Dong! Dong! Dong!*
Soon, the sound of drums signaling the start of the tournament echoed, and Yuk Hak began his opening address.
“…Even the bright weather blesses this tournament… The winner will be determined through fair judging… The title of Master Chef and two hundred silver nyang… And so, I now declare the first World’s Greatest Noodle King Tournament open!”
Oh, for the record, Yuk Hak is officially the second-in-command of the War King’s Gate. That’s why he was giving the opening address instead of me.
“Waaah—!”
As Yuk Hak, who had delivered a long-winded speech befitting a man over fifty, stepped down, the surrounding crowd erupted in cheers.
*Whoosh.*
A timely breeze brushed past the human skin mask I was wearing.
The problem was…
‘What is she doing here?’
Jeok Hwa-ran’s station was right next to mine.
But it wasn’t like I could change my spot now.
‘I’ll have to be as quiet as possible so she doesn’t notice me.’
I decided to shut my mouth and focus on cooking.
“Hoo.”
The time limit was two hours. The dishes would be judged in the order they were completed by influential figures of Hanzhong, who served as the judges.
It went without saying that the later you finished, the more disadvantageous it was.
The fuller the judges’ stomachs, the lower the scores would be.
Thus, I quickly moved my hands to open the bundle of ingredients.
“Wh-what is this!”
I was utterly appalled to see ingredients that weren’t even B-grade, let alone S-grade.
It was an unbelievable situation.
How could the ingredients provided by the Moonflower Pavilion, the best tavern in Hanzhong, be of such poor quality?
As I looked up to see what was going on, I couldn’t believe my eyes.
There, in the second row from the front, was Yang-ryeong, preparing noodles alongside the head chef of the Moonflower Pavilion.
*Wink.*
Like the branch chief of a spy network that she was, she noticed my gaze and sent a wink along with a telepathic message.
[Don’t be too upset. You once paid with a coin claiming it was gold, didn’t you?]
That was it.
Not only had Yang-ryeong stolen my ramen recipe under the guise of teaching me how to cook, but she had also swapped my ingredients to get me eliminated.
*Thump.*
My legs gave out from the sheer sense of betrayal.
‘Th-that… that damn bitch!’
To think that a man of my stature would fall for such a cheap trick.
The martial world was truly a place where one could never let down their guard.