A Clash of Flavors
The culinary duel between Yoon Gomyung and Geum Ho had begun. It was a clash between two incredibly proud chefs. Because of their intense, serious demeanors, even the instructors, assistant instructors, and students hesitated to step forward.
"Which one should I try first?"
"The Jeongabok looks amazing, but that Uyuk Sogoban looks incredibly delicious too."
"Ah, I can't decide..."
It was a dilemma that plagued not only the assistant instructors and students, but even the veteran instructors. Watching them hesitate, Seonwoo Seol was the first to rise from her seat.
Jeongabok? I used to eat that all the time back at the Sacred Cult.
With that thought, Seonwoo Seol headed toward Yoon Gomyung's table. No matter which chef prepared it, Jeongabok was a dish that rarely deviated from a certain standard. That was because the quality of the ingredients dictated the final taste more than anything else. Of course, Geum Ho's Jeongabok was bound to be spectacular. It glistened beautifully, and the subtle aroma of pine mushrooms drifted through the air like a lady's perfume sachet. Taking a mouthful of that warm dish would surely evoke a wave of pure happiness. The chewy, savory seafood would burst with the flavor of the ocean, closely followed by the refreshing, piney scent of the mushrooms. It was a dish so familiar to Seonwoo Seol that she could vividly picture the taste and aroma without even putting a spoonful to her lips.
But the dish Yoon Gomyung had prepared—the Uyuk Sogoban—deeply intrigued Seonwoo Seol, who possessed the refined palate of a true gourmet.
His twice-cooked pork was absolutely incredible, too.
The Hoegwa-yuk Gomyung had made previously was easily the best she had ever tasted in her life. It was on par with the creations of the Food Demon King, a man utterly obsessed with gastronomy. And now, this same chef had made a beef rice bowl? It certainly wouldn't be like the tough, chewy beef rice bowls sold in the common marketplaces. She had watched him slice through that dark, charred slab of meat with absolutely zero resistance. And though the meat was clearly thoroughly cooked, a gentle press had caused rich juices to bead on its surface. I absolutely have to try this.
Having made up her mind, Seonwoo Seol stepped forward and held out her hands.
"One bowl of Uyuk Sogoban, please."
"An excellent choice, Socheonma."
"Please enjoy," Yoon Gomyung added with a polite, shallow bow. Seonwoo Seol pouted at his unusually formal demeanor.
"Is something the matter?"
"You're speaking so politely today."
"Well, everyone is watching."
"Which means you'll go back to treating me poorly when they aren't looking."
"Since you seem to know me so well, go ahead and eat before it gets cold."
Yoon Gomyung grinned and pointed toward the table where Seonwoo Seol had been sitting. He would be such a wonderful person if only he didn't have that cheeky mouth. After giving the beaming Gomyung a brief glare, Seonwoo Seol sat down. She took a sip of water to cleanse her palate, then picked up her chopsticks.
A beef rice bowl unlike anything she had ever heard of: the Uyuk Sogoban. What would it taste like?
The pinkish-red beef was piled so high that the rice underneath was completely hidden. Atop the meat lay finely chopped mushrooms and vegetables, glistening in a rich, brown glaze. The deep, smoky aroma of the beef blended beautifully with the sweet, savory scent of soy sauce and mushrooms from the glaze. When she pressed her chopsticks against the meat, it parted effortlessly. She hadn't even applied much pressure, and the slices weren't particularly thin either. Deciding to taste the meat on its own first, Seonwoo Seol placed a piece in her mouth and chewed.
"...Ah!"
An exclamation escaped her lips before she could stop it. It was incredibly tender and moist. It felt less like beef and more like soft tofu melting on her tongue. Furthermore, the blend of Central Plains spices coating the exterior harmonized perfectly with a refreshing, fruity smokiness.
This is definitely that spice blend he let me taste before. And the wood he used for smoking must be applewood.
If the meat alone was this spectacular, what would it taste like when combined with the rice and glaze? She couldn't wait any longer. She immediately scooped up a piece of the glaze-soaked beef along with a generous portion of white rice and stuffed it into her mouth.
"..."
This was perfection. She closed her eyes tightly, tempted to erect a barrier of qi to block out all surrounding noise so she could focus entirely on the food. The sweet and savory mushroom-vegetable glaze, the succulent beef, and the fluffy grains of white rice danced together in perfect harmony.
Within the Demonic Cult, Seonwoo Seol—reverently addressed as the Socheonma or the Young Cult Leader—was an idolized figure, renowned for her breathtaking beauty and noble, aloof demeanor. Dozens of titles praised her as the future leader of the cult and the foremost genius among the younger generation, and she was more than worthy of every single one. Yet, this very same legendary figure... was currently shoveling the Uyuk Sogoban into her mouth with absolute abandon, completely throwing all decorum to the wind. The academy students and staff watched, their eyes wide with sheer disbelief.
My, look at her go. She's practically inhaling it. I can feel her profound respect for the chef radiating with every bite. The only reason I'm describing it this way is because our dear Socheonma was eating that rice bowl as if she hadn't touched food in three days. Yet, somehow, she didn't look ungraceful or messy. It simply felt like she was approaching the food with absolute sincerity. Not a single speck of sauce stained her lips, nor did she spill a single grain of rice on the table or floor.
I really should have started a YouTube mukbang channel for her. If I did, a million subscribers would be child's play—she'd easily hit ten million. Watch out, PewDiePie! Seonwoo Seol, the Heavenly Demon of the mukbang world, is coming for your crown!
Of course, no one actually tore their hair out, slapped their foreheads, or screamed, "My Socheonma can't be this cute!" as they watched her empty the bowl at lightning speed. Still, everyone looked utterly bewildered. They kept glancing back and forth between my Uyuk Sogoban and Seonwoo Seol, clearly wondering what on earth that dish was to make her lose her mind like that.
"I've never seen Lady Seonwoo so engrossed in anything before."
"Indeed. Hmm, perhaps I should try a bowl myself?"
Since my dish had once again secured Seonwoo Seol's top pick, several intrigued instructors stepped up to grab a bowl of Uyuk Sogoban. Meanwhile, some of the other instructors shared a different perspective.
"While Jeongabok is undoubtedly a delicious dish... we can eat it elsewhere, can't we? Especially at famous restaurants near the coast, where the seafood would be even fresher."
"That's true. Besides, we eat food from the Inner Dining Hall all the time. Since I've never tried anything from the Outer Dining Hall, maybe I'll give this a shot."
No matter how premium a dish Jeongabok was, there was no way the people attending the Mutual Righteousness Academy—the finest academy in the Central Plains—had never tasted it before. This was an institution filled with the children of emperors, high-ranking officials, and prestigious martial artists from the Great Sects and Five Noble Clans. These wealthy martial artists certainly didn't lack money. Of course, many would still choose the familiar dish over a beef rice bowl they had never seen before. However, the fact that Jeongabok was something they could easily eat elsewhere was undoubtedly a disadvantage for Geum Ho.
Perhaps that was why Geum Ho scowled deeply upon overhearing their conversation. He had clearly never anticipated this kind of reaction.
In contrast, I had Seonwoo Seol on my side. Our dear lady was practically a walking billboard for the Outer Dining Hall. Just watching her eat with such gusto served as the perfect advertisement, making the academy crowd approach the unfamiliar Uyuk Sogoban without any hesitation.
While I was busy contemplating whether to officially appoint Seonwoo Seol as the honorary ambassador of the Outer Dining Hall, Dan Buyong, the Western Hall Master, and Oh Waja, the Northern Hall Master, approached my table from where the Principal was seated. However, Dan Buyong's expression was rather grim. It looked like she was coming over to scold me.
"A culinary duel... I cannot comprehend why you are causing such a scene when you have barely settled in." Under Dan Buyong's characteristically strict gaze, I instinctively leaned closer to my table.
"I am the victim here, Hall Master. I'm still trying to adjust to my new job, but someone just had to thrust this trial upon me." When I whined while glancing pointedly toward Geum Ho, the man glared back at me with eyes full of irritation. Yeah, keep glaring. What else can you do anyway?
"Don't tell me the Head of the Inner Dining Hall proposed this first?"
"Uh, well, not exactly..." As I hesitated, Dan Buyong's eyes narrowed, practically saying, 'So you were the one who caused trouble after all.' I mean, yes, technically I did, but I still had a perfectly valid excuse!
"It's true that I made the proposal. But he kept picking fights with me, so I figured it would be better to settle things cleanly once and for all. If a fight is inevitable, isn't it better to get it over with quickly?" At my words, Dan Buyong shook her head. It seemed she understood my reasoning but couldn't bring herself to agree. On the other hand, Oh Waja nodded in agreement. Ah, men really do understand each other.
"If that is the case, there is little to be done, but in the future, please prioritize the nutrition and health of our students above all else."
"As long as that guy doesn't pick any more fights, I'll gladly do so."
"Do not give me such childish answers. Furthermore, the Principal has high expectations for you, Chef Yoon."
The Principal does? When I glanced over at him, the Principal met my gaze and nodded with a warm, proud smile. For some reason, just looking at him made me want to trust and follow him blindly. He really would have made an excellent cult leader or religious figure.
"Therefore, devote yourself to your duties as the Head Chef. Instead of wasting your talents on things like this, you should invest your skills into enhancing the students' inner qi and academic performance."
"Now, now, stop scolding the lad. It's not good to get angry right before a meal," Oh Waja interceded, causing Dan Buyong to frown at him.
"I was not scolding him, I was merely offering appropriate advice..."
"It's only advice if he accepts it. Otherwise, it's just nagging."
"...I shall be mindful of that."
It seemed Oh Waja acted as Dan Buyong's brake pedal. Usually, you'd expect an elder of the Beggars' Sect to fly off the handle while a physician calmed them down, but here it was completely reversed.
"Chef Yoon, give me two bowls. No, make it three. I need to bring one to the Principal as well."
"Oh, it's an honor."
Dan Buyong and Oh Waja took three bowls of Uyuk Sogoban before heading over to Geum Ho to collect three plates of Jeongabok. Since this was officially a duel, they seemed determined to judge as fairly as possible.
I wanted to watch the reactions of Dan Buyong, Oh Waja, and Principal Jo, but I didn't have the luxury. Following the visits of Seonwoo Seol and the two Hall Masters, a massive wave of people began flooding in. My hands moved so fast they were a blur as I scooped rice and meat into bowls, leaving me completely overwhelmed. But it was fine. The faster my hands and feet moved, the closer victory drew. Naturally, despite the frantic pace, I worked with a grin on my face.
"Give me double the meat and rice!"
"If it's still not enough, feel free to ask for more."
As I handed the overflowing bowl of Uyuk Sogoban to a rather portly assistant instructor, a visibly anxious Geum Ho pointed at me and shouted.
"Isn't that cheating?!"
"The one who serves the most food wins. Since when were there any other rules?"
"So even if a single person eats ten bowls, all ten count?!"
"Of course they do. Why on earth would that be cheating?"
Where did he get off trying to throw a wrench into a sacred culinary duel? Did he really think I'd let him?
Grind! Even though there was a considerable distance between Geum Ho and me, the sound of him grinding his teeth reached my ears. Ah, how sweet. If he had even a shred of popularity, he could have begged some friendly instructors or assistant instructors to eat three bowls each for him, but it seemed he didn't have a single ally.
In that regard, Seonwoo Seol, who had already polished off her first bowl and was staring at me with anxious eyes, was truly adorable. Judging by her expression, she desperately wanted seconds, but her pride as the Socheonma was holding her back from approaching the table again. When I had a servant deliver a fresh bowl of Uyuk Sogoban to her, her face instantly lit up with pure joy.
Time flew by, and my supply of meat slowly began to run dry. Geum Ho, who was serving the last of his Jeongabok, also seemed to breathe a sigh of relief as he began calculating how many plates he had sent out. After handing the final bowl of Uyuk Sogoban to the last customer, I leaned against the wall and observed the crowd's reactions. Watching the people happily eating Geum Ho's Jeongabok, I couldn't help but think that if that bastard had a heart even half as decent as his cooking skills, he wouldn't be in this mess.
"Are you afraid?"
"What?"
"I asked if you're afraid of losing."
He had approached me out of nowhere, and for a second, I thought he might say something sensible. Instead, he was just barking nonsense again. Master Yakseon, is there truly no miracle medicine that can translate dog barks into human speech?
"I'm the idiot for expecting anything from you. Whatever shred of a decent impression you had left, your mouth just completely ruined it."
As I stared at him with pity, Geum Ho began to tremble with rage.
"You dare...!"
Just as Geum Ho was about to lunge at me, Oh Waja stood up from his seat.
"Did everyone enjoy their meal?"
"Yes!"
The academy crowd responded with a resounding shout. Only empty plates and bowls remained before them. The duel was finally reaching its climax. Even I felt a slight pang of nervousness. Surprisingly, quite a few people had chosen the Jeongabok, and the numbers seemed neck-and-neck.
"Excellent. In that case, we shall begin counting the bowls!"
With Oh Waja's announcement, the academy servants waiting outside the Four Seas Hall gathered the empty dishes from the tables and began stacking them on one side. It was as clear and intuitive as a bar graph. Geum Ho and I watched the black and white towers grow taller and taller.
Clack, clatter, clack! The towers rose at a similar pace, neck-and-neck. But that didn't last long.
"What about the black bowls?"
"There are no more left, sir."
The stack of black bowls ground to a halt. In contrast, the white bowls kept piling up, seemingly without end. Watching this, Geum Ho's face drained of color before he spat out a curse.
"Damn it...!"
The black bowls belonged to the Inner Dining Hall. The white bowls, naturally, belonged to the Outer Dining Hall.
Squeeze! As I clenched my fist in triumph, Oh Waja began counting the remaining bowls.
"...By a margin of twenty-five bowls, the Outer Dining Hall is victorious!"
"Whoaaaa!"
A thunderous round of applause erupted, bringing the duel to a close. Well, then, this match... is a victory for me, the one who shared the most food ♧?