Has History Ever Seen Such a Thing?

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With the first crow of the dawn rooster, the plazas of West Lake stirred to life as one. Across every square prepared for the tournament, the staff of the Heavenly Treasure Trading Company raised their voices in unified shouts. Hundreds of chefs, each assigned their stations, lifted their knives in perfect unison.

Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.

The sound of hundreds of blades striking cutting boards merged into one colossal roar. The sheer spectacle drew thunderous cheers from the onlookers.

"Whoa! So this is the Central Plains Culinary Grand Tournament!"

"What a magnificent sight!"

From the central platform, Jin Cheon-myeong called out to the gathering crowd.

"Ladies and gentlemen! The Central Plains Culinary Grand Tournament—the largest in history, with one thousand six hundred seventy-three participants—has officially begun!"

Applause crashed like thunder. Jin Cheon-myeong pressed on.

"The champion of this tournament will receive one thousand taels of gold prepared by the Heavenly Treasure Trading Company, along with the special honor of being named the greatest chef in all the Central Plains!"

A murmur rippled through the contestants. For all its grand name, the Central Plains Culinary Grand Tournament was still just a large-scale event held at West Lake. How much weight could a title like "greatest chef in the Central Plains" truly carry when awarded at a regional festival?

Then, beside the central platform, a magnificent palanquin appeared.

Boom. Boom. Boom.

The drums of the Imperial Honor Guard began to roll. Banners of crimson silk snapped in the wind, and guards in gold-plated armor marched in flawless formation.

The palanquin, draped in golden silk, settled gently to the ground. When its curtains were drawn aside, a dignified middle-aged man stepped into view. Embroidered upon his collar was the precise five-clawed dragon of the Imperial House.

The spectators held their breath.

"That's the imperial crest!"

"A five-clawed dragon… so they really did come from the palace!"

"Could His Majesty have sent someone in person?"

The man descended from the palanquin. Every step radiated authority. Golden ornaments on his black official's cap caught the sunlight and flashed; his purple robes swayed with elegant grace in the breeze.

Jin Cheon-myeong hurriedly dropped to one knee and offered a deep, formal bow.

"His Excellency Yoon Tae-ho, Imperial Culinary Appraiser, has graced us with his presence!"

In an instant, every person in the plaza dropped to their knees. The sound of thousands moving as one rolled outward like a wave.

"I am Yoon Tae-ho, Imperial Culinary Appraiser."

His voice was not loud, yet internal energy carried it clearly to every corner of the plaza. It held a natural authority without being oppressive.

"All of you, rise. Today is a festival day for the culinary world of the Central Plains. We shall set formality aside for now."

People carefully stood. Yoon Tae-ho mounted the platform and slowly swept his gaze across the assembly. Wherever his eyes landed, the chefs' spines straightened.

"I have come by His Majesty's command. His Majesty has always taken deep interest in the food of his people. Through this very tournament, he wishes to find the greatest chef in the Central Plains."

Yoon Tae-ho drew a golden scroll from his robes. The imperial seal was stamped upon it in vivid clarity.

"To that end, His Majesty has specially issued an edict."

Everyone knelt once more. Yoon Tae-ho unrolled the scroll and began to read in a clear, ringing voice.

The plaza erupted in shocked whispers. Third Grade! It was rare enough for a chef to receive any official post at all—Third Grade placed them above most local magistrates.

"Third Grade?"

"Head Chef of the Imperial Kitchen… that's the honor of a lifetime!"

"This is no ordinary cooking contest anymore!"

The chefs' eyes burned hotter. The younger ones in particular could ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠no longer hide their excitement.

"Insane."

"I'd better get serious about this."

Yoon Tae-ho folded the scroll and continued.

"But mark this well. Becoming an imperial chef means far more than simply preparing delicious food. It is the solemn duty of safeguarding the health of His Majesty and the imperial family, and at times of receiving state guests to elevate the prestige of the nation itself."

His gaze sharpened.

"Therefore the judging will be extremely rigorous. We will examine not only taste, but the selection of ingredients, the hygiene of the cooking process, nutritional balance, and above all the sincerity and philosophy contained within the dish."

At his gesture, attendants brought forth large chests. When the lids opened, golden appraisal instruments gleamed into view.

"These are the palate-measuring tools used within the palace. They can gauge temperature, aroma, the harmony of flavors—even the very energy of the food. No trickery will avail you."

Tension rippled through the chefs. Imperial measuring instruments—things they had only ever heard of in rumor. Then Yoon Tae-ho suddenly smiled, and the severe atmosphere softened in an instant.

"But do not grow too tense. I myself am merely a man who loves good cooking. Fine food is born of a joyful heart. I look forward to your very best."

He descended from the platform, adding one last remark.

"And one more thing. Special guests will be observing this tournament. Not only other officials of the court, but prominent figures from every region have been invited. It will be an excellent chance for you to make your skills widely known."

Jin Cheon-myeong stepped forward again and raised his voice.

"Now then—let the first preliminary round of the Central Plains Culinary Grand Tournament begin! The theme is 'A Bowl That Opens the Morning'!"

Yoon Tae-ho took his seat and murmured softly, low enough that only the attendant beside him could hear.

"I wonder just how remarkable the chefs who have gathered here truly are… His Majesty is taking a special interest, after all."

Otherwise he would never have brought such treasured measuring instruments to a tournament like this. As he surveyed the surroundings, Yoon Tae-ho's eyes gleamed.

Meanwhile, at the West Lake Number One Inn, bowls of ramen were selling like wildfire.

The kitchen, thick with rising steam, resembled a battlefield. Water boiled furiously over every stove at once, and the sound of noodles being cooked never ceased.

Jo Hwan worked in a frenzy while calling to Jo Un.

"Boil more water! Hey—don't let those noodles get soggy! What about the chopped vegetables?"

"Yes, yes! I'm working as hard as I can!"

Jo Un answered with a face that looked ready to cry. Jo Seol, who had been serving dishes without pause, wiped her brow and rushed back into the kitchen. Her apron was already mottled with broth, and her face was flushed crimson from the heat.

"Oppa! Do we have enough ramen ingredients? Orders are flooding in!"

Jo Un answered with a look of pure panic.

"We're running low!"

Kang Yeon skillfully lifted a batch of noodles and poked his head out of the kitchen. Beads of sweat dotted his forehead, yet a smile still hung at the corners of his mouth.

"Already? It's still morning."

At that moment a commotion erupted at the inn's entrance. Nang Hyeon burst inside, gasping for breath. His usual composure had vanished; his eyes ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠were wide as saucers.

"Young Master! It's complete chaos outside! The line of people waiting for ramen stretches all the way into the plaza in front of the inn!"

"You're kidding. That many?"

Kang Yeon glanced out the window and saw a truly enormous throng. Chefs and spectators who had come from every region packed the space. Some were already craning their ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠necks to peer inside the inn; others had sat down to hold their places.

"What is this? It wasn't this bad even yesterday."

The end of the line was nowhere in sight. People stretched past the plaza and into the neighboring alleys. Jo Un staggered into the kitchen carrying a massive lump of dough, sweat pouring off him as he groaned. Fresh calluses from kneading already covered his fingers.

"I'm going crazy. I've been prepping ramen ingredients since dawn and I feel like I'm about to collapse."

"Stop whining."

At Kang Yeon's words Jo Un looked sheepish—yet he truly did look exhausted. Even a body trained in martial arts was wearing down under the unrelenting labor.

Hummm.

Kang Yeon gave a casual flick of his hand, and a cool, refreshing energy wrapped around Jo Un. The younger man's body instantly felt lighter.

"Oh? Thanks."

"All right. Back to work."

Just then Ak Hu pushed his way through the customers into the inn. His splendid robes drew murmurs from the guests.

"Yes, yes, I'm not a customer. Ah! I absolutely did not come here for ramen."

Ignoring the glares, Ak Hu hurried toward the kitchen, looking far more urgent than his usual leisurely self.

"Hyung! Golden Wind Pavilion, Silver River Inn, and Azure Cloud Tower have all started selling ramen—but the line in front of our inn is still the longest!"

"Our inn? You mean Ilyeong?"

"Ah… right. Our inn is Ilyeong Inn… Anyway, there are insane numbers of customers outside."

Ak Hu pointed toward the window. Lines had indeed formed in front of the other inns, but none matched the West Lake Number One Inn.

"Why? They're all selling ramen too, aren't they?"

"They say the taste is different! 'The original is still the original,' they're saying."

No sooner had Ak Hu finished speaking than a customer mid-bowl shouted loudly.

"Even with the same ingredients, the hand-taste is completely different! Kang Chef's ramen is the real deal!"

"Exactly! I tried the one at Golden Wind Pavilion yesterday—something was missing!"

Kang Yeon gave a short laugh at the customers' words. The power of the original truly could not be ignored. No matter how carefully the recipe was shared, the subtle control of heat, the exact doneness of the noodles, and the precise ratios of ingredients were nearly impossible to copy perfectly.

"Anyway, today's going to be crazy busy again. Everyone, get ready!"

The kitchen grew even more frantic. Jo Hwan stirred a massive pot of broth as he spoke.

"Yeon-ah, at this rate the ingredients won't last until lunch."

"Don't worry. I already put in an additional order."

Jo Seol wove between the customers taking orders. Her voice was already growing hoarse.

"Three large ramen, five medium!"

"Two special ramen extra over here!"

"Make the kids' ones less spicy, please!"

Orders poured down like a waterfall. Nang Hyeon, who had just returned from ordering more supplies, hurriedly tied on an apron and joined Jo Seol.

"Seol-ah, I'll take this side."

"Thank you, Nang Hyeon orabeoni."

Jang Mu-eon and the former Black Wind Association members could not stand idle either. Yeong-ho rolled up his sleeves and stepped forward.

"We'll help too!"

Cheol-san began carrying finished bowls of ramen at astonishing speed. He did not use lightness skill indoors, yet his movements remained as swift and precise as any martial artist.

"Ramen coming through! Careful—it's hot!"

Myeong-wol checked every order with exacting care so that no mistakes slipped through.

"Table three: two large, one small—correct?"

The inn had become utter pandemonium. Yet every face glowed with energy. One chef who had sought out the West Lake Number One Inn after hearing the rumors ate his ramen with open admiration.

"It looks like such a simple dish, yet it's completely different… The chew of the noodles, the depth of the broth… No matter how hard we try, we can't recreate this taste."

Inside the kitchen the war continued without pause.

Noodles went into the rolling boil, were timed to the second, lifted, tossed with the special seasoning, and finished with garnishes—an endless, unbroken cycle.

"Check the noodles!"

At Kang Yeon's call, Jo Un answered instantly.

"Springy and perfect!"

"Good—pull them!"

Miss the timing by a heartbeat and the noodles would go soft. Under Kang Yeon's command, everyone moved as a single, seamless unit. From the second floor, Jin Mu-gyeong looked down on the scene and clicked his tongue.

"Impressive. More organized than a Murim Alliance council meeting."

Ak Hu chuckled beside him.

"Look at Yeon-hyung's face. I've never seen him look happier."

In the middle of the frantic work, a fresh uproar suddenly broke out outside the inn.

"Make way! Emergency ingredient delivery for Golden Wind Pavilion!"

"Emergency resupply for Silver River Inn as well!"

The other inns were racing about, desperately hunting for more ingredients. All of West Lake was seething because of ramen. One of the customers waiting in line in front of the inn spoke up.

"This is a full-blown ramen craze! Has West Lake ever seen anything like this in its history?"