Journey to the West: Starting by taking Sun Wukong as my disciple!-Chapter 75: Total Victory
Haotian’s odd behavior was noticed by the Jade Pool. Her heart skipped a beat, as Haotian was not someone who usually indulged in gastronomy.
How could this be?
Watching Haotian, who couldn’t stop eating with his hands, the Jade Pool was filled with doubt. Is it really that delicious?
Driven by curiosity, Jade Pool also tasted a mouthful, and that was quite a scene.
Jade Pool directly took the remaining Mapo Tofu from the handmaid’s hands, holding the plate in one hand and a spoon in the other, she began to eat.
Just as Haotian swallowed and was about to scoop another spoonful, he ended up scooping emptiness. Looking closely, he saw that the Mapo Tofu was already in Jade Pool’s hands.
"Jade Pool, leave some for Us!" Haotian’s face turned frantic as he couldn’t help but raise his voice.
All the immortals present were shocked, with their mouths agape, watching the Jade Emperor and Queen Mother, who were fiercely competing and gobbling down the food in an unbecoming manner, deeply stunned.
In all these tens of millions of years, when had they ever seen the Jade Emperor and Queen Mother lose their composure like this?
All because of the dish Sun Wukong made?
It looked pretty much the same as what that mortal named Zhou Kang made, didn’t it? How could this be?
Just what kind of magic did this fiery red tofu possess?
In the ensuing scramble, an entire dish of Mapo Tofu was quickly wiped clean.
After eating, now aware of their actions, Haotian and Jade Pool felt a little embarrassed, having lost face in front of all the immortals.
But indeed, that dish of Mapo Tofu was really delicious.
Haotian collected himself and regained his composure as if the gluttonous eater a moment ago wasn’t him at all.
With effortless grace, he wiped his face a few times with a napkin passed by the handmaid, then after exchanging a glance with Jade Pool, he declared, "The winner is Sun Wukong!"
The Immortal Clans had no objections, for it was quite apparent. The difference in attitude was not on the same level.
Both the Kitchen God and the God of Cookery, however, were astonished. Zhou Kang had lost, and on his signature dish no less!
Being professionals, the Food God and Stove God were all the more acutely aware of the significance!
Zhou Kang’s Mapo Tofu had been tasted by them many times, and they could assure that what he made should be the most delicious Mapo Tofu indeed, yet why would...
During the cooking, their attention was all on Zhou Kang’s performance, and they had not paid any attention to whatever the monkey had done.
There must be something fishy going on; otherwise, the same dish simply couldn’t have such a huge disparity!
Zhou Kang’s eyes were red with anger, his fists clenched. It wasn’t possible – his Mapo Tofu was so perfect, how on earth could he have lost!
He didn’t believe it. Just a wild monkey, how could it have such culinary skill!
There must be trickery at play!
Furious, Zhou Kang, in a fit of rage, stormed over to Sun Wukong’s cooking station and, seeing some leftovers inside, hastily scooped them up with a spoon.
After taking a bite and savoring it, he was shaken the next moment.
Delicious!
Without realizing it, he took another mouthful. ...What is this!
Zhou Kang finally noticed something was amiss, the anger on his face dissipating, replaced by a dumbfounded expression.
This monkey’s Mapo Tofu tasted so much better than his, but why, how!
The ingredients were the same, the steps were the same, the timing was the same, why then was his so much inferior!
Wait a minute!
Zhou Kang seemed to have figured something out. His body trembled as he hurriedly took another bite, his pupils dilating instantly!
The problem was here, with the minced meat!
Mapo Tofu harmonizes five flavors together: spicy, aromatic, colorful, hot, and numbing.
But this monkey’s Mapo Tofu was not a meld of five flavors, but rather an extraordinary six-flavored Mapo Tofu!
That additional flavor was found in the minced meat, it was crispness!
How could that be?
Zhou Kang frowned deeply in perplexity. Minced meat, no matter what meat it was or how forcefully ground, would always have sinewy textures, wouldn’t it? Why would it taste so smooth?
"How did you make the minced meat taste so phenomenal?" Zhou Kang shouted loudly at Sun Wukong.
Noticed it yet?
Sun Wukong shrugged his shoulders, looking at Zhou Kang in such a state, he didn’t feel like mocking him anymore as he originally planned.
"Do you want to know?"
"Yes!"
"Then I’ll tell you," Sun Wukong chuckled.
Zhou Kang was stunned. He had blurted it out in a moment of desperation, as such secrets were usually closely guarded. Could it be that Sun Wukong would actually reveal it to him?
"Just open the pot next to you, and you’ll know," Sun Wukong said.
While Zhou Kang was still doubting, Sun Wukong spoke again.
Upon hearing this, Zhou Kang subconsciously did as instructed.
To his surprise, the pot contained soybeans that had been steamed and boiled.
So it was soybeans!
A realization shocked Zhou Kang. Indeed, if the soybeans were boiled, mashed, and mixed into the sauce, they could mimic the texture of meat, but...
Zhou Kang’s brow furrowed once more.
Even if they tasted like meat, wouldn’t they still break apart when added to Mapo Tofu, making it impossible to resemble minced meat?
But Zhou Kang, proud cooking talent touted by the Food God and Stove God, understood everything once he saw the oil Sun Wukong used on stage.
One only needed to fry them in oil to lock in the flavor, right?
A bitter smile appeared on Zhou Kang’s lips.
"I lost."
The Food God and Stove God, as top culinary masters in the Three Realms, quickly came to terms with their astonishment.
How did this monkey’s brain work to come up with such a brilliant method of substituting soybeans for minced meat?
His culinary skills were impressive as well.
Zhou Kang struggled for a long while, and finally, a look of resolve appeared on his face.
Bowing to Sun Wukong, he said tremulously, "I’ll honor the bet and never step into a kitchen again..."
"Hey, Jade Emperor, I’m the head chef of the Imperial Kitchen now, right?" Sun Wukong, not waiting for Zhou Kang to finish speaking and cleaning his ear, looked at the Jade Emperor and interrupted.
Haotian nodded, "Of course."
"Then can I make a request?" Sun Wukong asked grandly.
Watching the impudent Sun Wukong, perhaps because they had ’eaten from his hand,’ neither Haotian nor the Queen Mother felt a trace of anger.
Haotian smiled and said, "Speak, what do you want?"
Looking at Zhou Kang, who had sunk into despair, Sun Wukong grinned: "Now that I’m also a chef, how can I not have a sous chef by my side?"
Pointing at Zhou Kang, Sun Wukong continued, "I think he’s quite decent, let him be my sous chef."
Zhou Kang snapped back to reality, surprised, pointing at himself, a sous chef for him?
But what about the bet...
Haotian and the Queen Mother were also somewhat taken aback.
The Queen Mother asked with slightly parted red lips, "Do you really want this?"
Otherwise, the bet would be meaningless.
"Of course," Sun Wukong chuckled. "My old Sun only wanted to prove that I possess the skills to be the head chef of the Imperial Kitchen through the competition, enjoying the process of the culinary challenge, not punishing others. If it weren’t for those two old fogeys trying to provoke me, I wouldn’t have accepted the bet."
The Food God and Stove God, who had been watching, were sweating coldly at these words, their faces burning with embarrassment.
On reflection, it was they who were haughty, arbitrarily making promises for others, and thus had inadvertently trapped Zhou Kang.
Haotian could not help but laugh softly, "Who would have thought this monkey had such a magnanimous heart."
Although the monkey was unruly, the integrity of his heart was incredibly pure.
Haotian was certain that if Sun Wukong had been brought up by Buddhism, things would have been absolutely different!
Those bald monks always preach about righteousness but behind the scenes, they engage in all sorts of filthy deeds.
