Chapter 230: The Revival of the Supernatural Chef

“The God of Cookery Contest will begin in a month. What is going on?”

“Wasn’t it canceled?”

Chen Xiyi looked at the latest news and felt strange.

He thought without the Black Jade Pot and with the suppression from the Noble Families, the God of Cookery Contest definitely couldn’t be held. But he never expected it to restart.

“The God of Cookery Contest seems to be slipping out of control. Is someone trying to stir trouble?”

He didn’t believe it was really so easy for the God of Cookery Contest to be revived. The Noble Families had always been boycotting and suppressing it. If not for righteousness, perhaps they would have wiped out everything, people and venue included.

“Troubled times indeed. I should ask Ling Hu what’s happening.”

To be honest, if it was held quietly, Chen Xiyi probably wouldn’t have noticed. But the problem was the God of Cookery Contest directly hit the headlines and was widely promoted, as if it was a counterattack.

Ling Hu quickly gave Chen Xiyi a response. The situation was completely beyond Chen Xiyi’s expectations.

“They actually broke free from the Noble Families’ control and burned their bridges. Such great courage. It seems they really have confidence.”

According to Ling Hu’s reply, the Noble Families knew nothing about this matter. It was done entirely by the God of Cookery Contest Committee itself. When the Noble Families went to question them, the committee refuted them with an extremely tough attitude.

Before the Noble Families existed, the God of Cookery Contest Committee was roughly equivalent to the Elder Council of the Temporal Response Bureau in the previous world. However, the Elder Council lasted for ten thousand years without falling, while the God of Cookery Contest Committee gradually became a mascot-like existence because the chefs lost their supernatural abilities.

The previous dozen or so God of Cookery Contests were basically held under the control of the Noble Families. Even the committee itself was infiltrated by many Noble Family members.

The intention was obvious: they wanted to completely bring down the God of Cookery Contest Committee.

But now, the Noble Families suddenly lost control.

This led to the holding and promotion of the God of Cookery Contest.

Chen Xiyi pulled up the information on the contestants for this God of Cookery Contest and carefully read through it.

At first glance, it seemed ordinary. They were all just chefs, right?

Then, among a group of middle-aged men, he saw a boy. He wasn’t very old, probably only sixteen or seventeen.

In other words, he hadn’t even finished high school.

“He looks a bit familiar.” Chen Xiyi looked at the photo of the boy who was smiling very brightly.

Then he opened the boy’s resume. The resume was impressive.

Especially the title of “youngest Special Grade Chef in history” on the resume, and he was evaluated as the revival leader of the culinary world.

The reason was simple: the dishes he made had some supernatural abilities to a certain extent.

“Liu Ping? Could it be you?”

This boy named Liu Ping, the outline of his face was very similar to the First God of Cuisine who chopped Ao Lü to death with a kitchen knife.

Plus, the boy had various legendary stories along his journey, traveling all over Qian Country to compete in culinary skills without a single defeat.

Even the previous God of Cooking only tied with this Liu Ping.

“He debuted as the champion of the Youth Cuisine Competition, then passed the Special Grade Chef exam, and later faced the previous God of Cooking. The word ‘genius’ is undeniable.”

“It seems I can go make contact. Whether he is the reincarnation of the First God of Cuisine or not, he has some value. Especially since the food he makes actually has supernatural abilities.”

If the information was true and his personality was suitable, Chen Xiyi didn’t mind making friends.

He could even give the entire organization to the other party if needed. He wasn’t someone who clung to power.

Of course, the premise was that it had to be suitable. If it wasn’t, then Chen Xiyi could only take things one step at a time.

Even if the other party really became the God of Cooking, it actually wouldn’t affect Chen Xiyi. If the other’s ability was just an individual case without large-scale influence, it was insignificant.

He was just afraid the other party really was the reincarnation of the First God of Cuisine. If that was the case, then there would be quite a show.

“Assuming the worst-case scenario, if it’s true, then before the First God of Cuisine killed Ao Lü, he probably already guessed Ao Lü’s intention to revive, so he came back to intercept.”

Chen Xiyi didn’t believe that with the First God of Cuisine’s strength, he truly couldn’t reincarnate and be reborn.

After all, his culinary skills were truly Skill Approaching the Dao, and they were of the supernatural type.

Putting down his work, Chen Xiyi used satellite and big data channels and quickly pinpointed Liu Ping’s location.

“In the forest in the south of Xian State? Seems like he’s looking for some ingredient.”

“It’s a bit far. I don’t have an Underground Shelter over in Xian State. Should I make a trip?”

Chen Xiyi was quite hesitant about this. Taking a plane would be fast; he had a private jet and could get there in about three or four hours. But the problem was the forest he was in was remote and hard to traverse.

“Forget it, I’ll make a trip. Such an annoying variable.”

Chen Xiyi wasn’t a fool. Something that looked so problematic at first glance definitely required him to investigate personally.

As for sending his subordinates to intercept and kill or capture him alive, that was possible too. But if there was no problem and they really killed or captured him, that would be that. But what if there was a problem?

If it really was the reincarnation of the First God of Cuisine, a Protagonist-like legendary figure, and they did that, it would probably be like a villain delivering experience points. Then what would show up at Chen Xiyi’s door would be a max-level hero decked out in divine gear.

So, being cautious, it was better for Chen Xiyi to make the trip himself.

When the demon lord meets the hero who just left the beginner village, as long as there’s no sudden divine intervention or a superhuman dropping from the sky, it generally shouldn’t be a problem.

If he really had potential, Chen Xiyi wouldn’t mind switching sides and joining the opposing camp.

After all, he didn’t have to stubbornly stick to the opposite side.

Saying he would do it, he immediately notified Ling Hu to arrange the plane. Chen Xiyi flew directly to Xian State.

By the time he got off the plane, it was already noon. He then traveled by car, covered in dust, hurrying south.

When he reached the south, the sky was gradually getting dark.

Chen Xiyi walked alone in the forest, heading towards Liu Ping’s location according to the map.

[Liu Ping the Divine Chef]

Looking at this prefix, to be honest, he wouldn’t have been surprised if it was Peach Blossom Luck. But just thinking about it, chefs and Peach Blossom Luck Bloodline Bearers seemed naturally incompatible. He had seen many divine-level abilities and prefixes, but none were related to culinary skills or chefs.

“Mister up ahead, excuse me…” Chen Xiyi was about to speak when the crouching Liu Ping suddenly turned and gestured for Chen Xiyi to be quiet.

Then he turned back and suddenly lunged forward fiercely. Unfortunately, he missed by a little bit. A hazel grouse not far away kicked up its heels and ran wildly, escaping Liu Ping’s grasp and leaving in a cloud of dust.

Watching the escaping hazel grouse, Liu Ping looked utterly defeated, as if he was muttering something.

Chen Xiyi walked closer and patted Liu Ping on the shoulder. “Young man, it’s just a chicken that ran away. Cheer up.”

“Mister, I waited in this forest for three days just to find this one ‘flying dragon’. With your shout, my three days of waiting were wasted.” Liu Ping’s tone was full of complaint.

[Liu Ping the Divine Chef, Health Points: 93%, Status: Helpless, Disappointed]

[Ability 1: Super Taste]

[Ability 2: Taste Deduction]

[Ability 3: Supernatural Culinary Skill]

[Ability 4: Supernatural Knife Skill]

[Experience]

[October: Flying dragon escaped, wasted three days]

[October: Staked out waiting for flying dragon…]

[October: …]

Chen Xiyi found this somewhat strange. The other party didn’t seem to hate him and didn’t express any dissatisfaction.

Moreover, judging from his abilities, he really wasn’t a Peach Blossom Luck Bloodline Bearer. His current achievements came from talent and hard work.

Super Taste was his natural talent, while Taste Deduction, Supernatural Culinary Skill, and Supernatural Knife Skill were abilities he acquired through diligent practice.

“Flying dragon? You mean this hazel grouse? I found one on my way here. The silly thing was running wildly and ended up crashing into my foot and knocking itself out. If you want it, I’ll give it to you as compensation.” Chen Xiyi took out a hazel grouse and handed it to Liu Ping.

Seeing this, Liu Ping was overjoyed. “Then thank you, Mister. Otherwise, I would have been really troubled.”

[You gave prey: Hazel Grouse to Liu Ping the Chef God. Liu Ping the Chef God’s Favorability towards you +10. Current Favorability: 2 stars]

Liu Ping wasn’t pretentious at all. He immediately took the hazel grouse and examined it carefully. After confirming it was just unconscious, he put it into the bamboo basket on his waist.

Only then did he ask, “Mister, what did you want to ask me earlier?”

“Yes, I’m lost. So I wanted to ask if you know the way. What do you need this hazel grouse for?” Chen Xiyi asked, even though he already knew the answer.

He had already learned through his intelligence network that Liu Ping was catching the hazel grouse to make ‘flying dragon soup’ and compete against Fan Mu, known as the Fresh Human Chef.

It was a best-of-three match. They had already competed once before. First, they used donkey meat, and Liu Ping naturally won. So this round was naturally about flying dragon soup.

As the saying goes, ‘dragon meat in the sky, donkey meat on the ground’. The ‘flying dragon’ in ‘dragon meat’ refers to the hazel grouse among ground birds.

The only difference was that the contestants had to obtain the ingredients themselves. So Liu Ping had no choice but to come to the forest and try his luck.

Fan Mu, on the other hand, as a famous local Special Grade Chef, had his own channels for hazel grouse ‘flying dragon’, so he didn’t need to stake out here himself. That’s why Liu Ping was unlucky.

“No problem, Mister. I know the way. Just follow me.” After Chen Xiyi gave him the hazel grouse, all of Liu Ping’s previous negative emotions disappeared. He became like a little sun full of positivity, instantly full of energy.

“That’s great. Otherwise, for dinner, I’d have no choice but to roast your ‘flying dragon’.” Chen Xiyi joked.

But Liu Ping said seriously, “That won’t do. I still want to use my flying dragon to make soup and win against Fan Mu in the competition.”

“Fan Mu? That Fresh Human Chef? So you must be…” Chen Xiyi put on a surprised expression and praised him.

Hearing Chen Xiyi’s praise, Liu Ping couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed. “I’m not as good as you say, Mister.”

Watching the Game Log that popped up saying ‘Harmonious Atmosphere, Favorability +1’, even though it was still only 2 stars, Chen Xiyi felt that the other party was still quite pleased.

The two of them chatted as they walked, one in front and the other behind.

“By the way, Mister, why did you come into the mountains alone?” Liu Ping also asked casually.

“I came for a survey. Didn’t expect to get lost.” Chen Xiyi answered rather dismissively.

Liu Ping nodded somewhat naively. “So you’re a businessman, Mister.”

“Not really a businessman. I watch over a Graveyard for someone. Just had to make a trip for a small matter.” Chen Xiyi said meaningfully.

Liu Ping didn’t inquire further. He was a chef and didn’t know much about fields outside of cooking.

“I see. Oh, Mister, do you want to come watch my match? Cheer for me then!” Liu Ping still seemed to harbor a childlike heart, appearing guileless.

Of course, another way to put it was that he was obsessed with culinary arts and hadn’t experienced much else.

But if Liu Ping hadn’t dropped out, he would only be a high school student now. It was normal for him to be a bit naive.

“Of course, I’ll be there on time to watch.” Chen Xiyi would definitely go. Otherwise, why did he come?

“We’re finally out. Oh, my driver is nearby. It’s already dark. Where do you need to go? I can give you a ride.” After leaving the forest, Chen Xiyi made the offer.

Liu Ping looked at the sky and said hesitantly, “Won’t it be too much trouble for you, Mister?”

“Not at all. I should thank you for leading me out. If you really feel bad about it, you can show off your skills for me when we get back.” Chen Xiyi said nonchalantly.

“Alright, Mister! Thank you then!”