Chapter 203
Chapter 203
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 203
Chapter Title: The World's Greatest Noodle King Tournament (3)
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There's a saying, "It ain't over 'til it's over." Living in the martial arts world has taught me one thing: that saying is utter bullshit. At least, in this world.
If you were born weak, you couldn't even farm properly, let alone learn martial arts, and would often starve.
Trying to succeed through scholarship was impossible unless your family could support you.
The only paths left were farming or merchantry, but without inherited land or wealth, you were doomed to a life of poverty, working for others.
However.
‘I will eliminate Wolhwaru, no matter what it takes!’
Right now, I intend to do everything in my power to get Yangnyeong's Wolhwaru disqualified.
I'm holding onto that bullshit saying, "It ain't over 'til it's over," in my heart.
Besides, it’s not like there’s zero chance.
Ramen, by its very nature, is a friend to the common folk, an honest dish not made exclusively with fine ingredients.
‘I'll show you the taste of instant.’
*Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang.*
First, using the furious chopping skills I learned from Yangnyeong, I sliced all the ingredients to a uniform size.
Of course, the ingredients were far from fresh.
The vegetables were old and half-wilted, the chicken was so scrawny it barely had any meat, and the flour had a musty smell, as if it had been sitting for years.
That's why I reached out to the ingredients.
*Sizzzzzle.*
Samadhi True Fire, one of the symbols of a transcendent master, along with internal energy.
The ultra-high heat generated by my internal energy began to sear the ingredients.
I was using heat to maximize their aroma.
Thanks to this, the old-refrigerator smell wafting from the ingredients vanished in an instant.
‘Hoo.’
Beads of sweat trickled down my face from the immense consumption of internal energy.
Just this was so draining. To think he could freely spew high-temperature flames.
Master Bukgung was definitely the reincarnation of a demon king.
After searing the ingredients, I put them in a large pot and set it over the fire to simmer the broth.
While the water was boiling, I added water to the flour and began to knead.
This was no ordinary dough.
*Fwoosh.*
‘Hand of the Sun!’
I heated my hands with internal energy, fermenting the dough as I kneaded it.
*Squeeze. Creak.*
I drew upon my War King Ki, applying immense pressure to generate gluten.
Think of it like Sanuki udon pressed by a machine.
Thanks to this, the dough was completed in an instant.
Now, all I had to do was stretch it out and deep-fry it, and the noodles would be done.
‘It seems old, but it's usable.’
The one silver lining was that oil doesn't spoil easily, so it wasn't in the worst condition.
*Sizzzzzle.*
I heated a wok and melted a lump of pork lard.
*Swish, swish, swish, swish.*
With movements embodying the principles of the Dragon-Slaying Thirteen Strikes, I pulled the noodles with lightning speed.
*Sizzzzzle.*
I wrapped the thin, long noodles around oiled chopsticks and placed them in the wok, where they began to fry instantly.
As soon as the noodles were done, I opened the pot to check the state of the broth.
‘The smell passes, at least.’
*Slurp.*
‘Just as I thought.’
The ingredients were poor, so the broth hadn't developed a deep flavor.
I had to do something.
The lifeblood of ramen was its rich, deep broth.
I'd like to take this opportunity to express my respect for the food industry professionals who developed powders that can create a deep flavor with just one spoonful.
‘Hup.’
*Crackle. Sizzle.*
I drew upon all my War King Ki, which spanned over two cycles.
This was the moment to give it my all.
‘Never again!’
Placing both hands on the hot pot, I unleashed the Samadhi True Fire once more while simultaneously creating vibrations.
*Ziiiiing.*
The pot glowed red-hot.
This was to extract every last drop of flavor from the ingredients within the limited time.
‘I don't care if I can never eat ramen again!’
I will create the ultimate ramen and defeat that wench Yangnyeong.
*Murmur, murmur.*
‘Huh?’
After finishing the broth, I heard a commotion.
Coming to my senses, I looked around and saw the audience and chefs all staring at me with astonished eyes.
Even Jeok Hwa-ran, who was quite a master in her own right, had her eyes wide open.
‘Oh, crap!’
That's right.
Blinded by my thirst for revenge, I had completely forgotten to hide my identity.
"Oh, my! Contestant number 87 is a master of the martial arts world!"
Ha Jin-hyeong, the host of today's tournament, shouted with his voice laced with internal energy.
*Waaaaaah-!*
An explosive roar erupted from the audience.
"To think such a master would participate in the tournament. How fascinating."
"Indeed. Money must be a powerful motivator. A master of his caliber wouldn't have trouble making a living just by swinging a sword."
"Nonsense, man. Do you think such a master came here for money?"
"Then?"
"He came to earn the honor of being named a special-grade chef."
Fortunately, the consensus seemed to be that I was just a ‘chef hiding his martial arts skills.’
‘This is actually better. Since it’s come to this, I'll go all out.’
I strained the broth into a small pot, seasoned it with salt, then added the fried noodles and brought it to a boil.
At the same time, I added oil to a wok and stir-fried various aromatic herbs and Sichuan peppercorns.
This was to create the aromatic oil, the finishing touch.
And then.
"It is complete!"
At last, my ramen of revenge was finished.
* * *
"You seem to be wearing a human-skin mask. Is there a reason you're hiding your identity?"
Bukgung Chang, the head judge of the competition, asked.
"I wished to be judged solely on my noodles, so I concealed my identity."
I replied in a disguised voice, and he nodded silently.
"I respect that."
"Thank you."
He looked around at the panel of judges.
"Take your time to taste it, write down your scores, and give them to me."
The judges hurried over.
It seemed my earlier performance had piqued their curiosity.
Oh, by the way, the judging panel consisted of Bukgung Chang and high-ranking members of the Merchant Guild.
Given their professions, they had likely tasted all sorts of renowned foods from across the land.
*Slurp. Slurp.*
This was a tense moment.
I can say with certainty that I was five times more nervous than when I faced the Killing Demon Mad Ghost, Hyeon San-wol.
"…"
After each taking a bite, none of the judges spoke.
"…"
I was confident that the taste was perfect.
It might have even been better than what they made at Wolhwaru. I was that confident in the broth.
‘Is it the noodles?’
The only thing that worried me was the texture of the noodles. The concept of deep-fried noodles was virtually nonexistent in the martial world, so it might deviate from popular taste.
However, my worries were unfounded.
"I-I can't believe it!"
"This is a flavor I've never tasted before!"
"It's like a chicken is flying around in my mouth!"
Having regained their senses, the judges began to inhale the ramen, showering it with praise.
"Gulp, what is the name of these noodles?!"
Bukgung Chang asked, his expression one of utter shock.
"It is called ramen."
"Ramen… A simple name."
He wore a rather serious expression as he continued.
"If it's not too much trouble, may I give these noodles a name?"
"By all means."
It seemed he had a good idea, so I nodded.
A product name is always important.
"It holds the deep aroma of chicken, the sweet scent of vegetables, and even the fragrance of pork. How about we call it Three-Aroma Ramen?"
"…Well, let's go with that."
I had a feeling this might be plagiarism, but what did it matter?
This was a medieval world, and that was the modern era.
"What does everyone think? I believe this is worthy of moving on to the final judging."
"I agree."
"As do I."
Only three would be chosen for the final round.
If I made it this far, I'd have a 33.3% chance of winning.
And I was confident.
‘No matter what kind of noodles come up, they won't be a match for ramen.’
Just as I thought I was on the fast track to victory.
"I object!"
An unexpected challenge was thrown my way.
‘What is that old man….’
It was Mo Geuk, the figurehead leader of the Hanzhong Merchant Guild.
He looked around at the assembly and presented his argument.
"The taste is excellent, but I believe it lacks something to defeat the other noodles."
"You seemed to be enjoying it. Do you have a complaint?"
At Bukgung Chang's question, he held up the bowl he had eaten from for all to see.
An empty bowl.
He scraped it clean, so I had no idea what his problem was.
"As you can see, these noodles have a fatal flaw."
"And what is that?"
"The garnish. Noodles are a dish where the broth, noodles, and garnish come together in harmony. Yet, these noodles have nothing but stir-fried aromatics for a garnish."
"Hmm…"
"N-Now that you mention it…"
"Come to think of it, it did seem a bit sparse."
At his assertion, a few of the judges nodded.
Most of them were guild masters under the Merchant Guild, so they couldn't refute the opinion of their leader, the head of the largest merchant guild.
"If it tastes good, does it need to be scrutinized so closely?"
Bukgung Chang countered, but Mo Geuk did not back down.
"Normally, these would be the finest noodles, but this is a tournament to crown the Noodle King. Naturally, everything must be taken into account, wouldn't you agree?"
It was a valid point.
Even I had to nod in agreement.
In fact, he wasn't wrong.
Ramen, at its best, is still just ramen, not a high-class culinary creation.
"Hmm… Then perhaps it would be best not to advance it to the final judging…"
But it ain't over 'til it's over.
"It seems none of you understand what noodles are."
I began my final argument.
With all eyes on me, I slowly opened my mouth.
"What are noodles, truly? Are they not a meal for the hungry commoner to fill their stomach?"
"W-Well, that depends on the situation…"
"Hah, so you're saying all the common folk of the world eat rice with meat soup every day?"
"I didn't go that far…"
"It's the same thing."
At the same time, I pointed my finger at the ingredients I had prepared.
"Look over there. Every single one of them is a cheap item on the verge of being thrown away."
The judging panel nodded.
As expected of merchants, they had a good eye for goods.
"…They certainly aren't of high quality."
"I made this ramen with these ingredients."
"Y-You made such a flavor with these things?"
"I believed that true noodles should be something anyone can make with inexpensive ingredients."
Anyone can make it, my ass.
It took unleashing Samadhi True Fire and pouring in over two cycles' worth of internal energy to barely complete it.
"However, this is a competition to select the Noodle King…"
"What in the world is a Noodle King!"
My shout, filled with internal energy, drew the attention of the entire audience.
"Is it not someone who makes noodles of the people, by the people, and for the people!"
*Hear, hear-!*
*Clap, clap, clap, clap.*
Everyone in the audience burst into applause.
The situation had somehow turned into a speech.
I delivered the final blow.
"This ramen was born from the idea of creating a food that the common people can eat lightly and comfortably. Just like the Dongpo pork created by Master Su Dongpo."
"S-Such a deep meaning…"
Mo Geuk bowed his head. Considering his social standing, this was a rather unusual occurrence.
"My apologies. I failed to grasp such a profound intention. Regardless of today's outcome, I, Mo Geuk, will consider you a great chef."
"Not at all. I should have explained from the beginning… I, too, was at fault."
Amidst the heartwarming atmosphere, Bukgung Chang stepped forward.
"Alright, then I'll take it that everyone agrees to advance contestant number 87's noodles to the final judging."
And so, convinced of my victory, I untied my headband.
"It was nothing!"
* * *
A short while later.
I stood on the awards podium.
"…"
The problem was that I was in third place, with no prize money and no title.
And who took first place?
*Clap, clap, clap, clap.*
"Thank you, everyone. Hohohoho."
Who else but Master Myo of home-style cooking?
Thinking back, the problem was that the judging panel was composed of guild masters from the Merchant Guild from the very beginning.
With the real power of the guild competing, they naturally had no choice but to give her a perfect score.
What a truly corrupt world.
"…The same goes for you."
*Clap, clap, clap, clap.*
"…"
Yangnyeong, who took second place and didn't even get her name called, received her prize money with a sour expression.
Oh, by the way, she had made her noodles by throwing in all sorts of high-end ingredients.
No matter how delicious ramen is, how could it beat stir-fried noodles doused in ten-nyang Honghwa wine?
‘This isn't about skill.’
That damn wench.
"…And the same for you."
*Clap, clap, clap, clap.*
The award presenter, Yuk Hak, handed me a stiff piece of paper.
This was the award certificate I had written myself yesterday.
‘To think I'd be receiving a certificate I wrote myself.’
The crimson setting sun seemed to perfectly represent my feelings.
However, giving up on a goal after a single setback is the mark of a lesser man.
I grit my teeth and looked forward to the next time.
‘Next time, I will definitely win.’
In that moment, the hosting of the Second World's Greatest Noodle King Tournament was confirmed.