Chapter 532: Maoxuewang Annihilation

The livestream audience was dying of cravings. Many of Fu Yuan’s fans, like turncoats, defected to Jiang Liu’s side. They were truly captivated by the food he was making!

“LOL, holy shit, he’s damn good. Even a guy at Old Fu’s level is sweating bullets, haha.”

“Not bad, he’s totally crushing Xiao Fu. Where’s this guy’s restaurant? Is it in South City??”

“Go follow Boss Jiang. His account has the shop’s address. Once you go, you’ll understand why Boss Jiang got over a million followers right after opening. They’re all die-hard fans!”

“I heard Jiang Liu’s restaurant also has juice, beer, and beef, is that right? What’s it like? Someone please tell me!”

“What’s the point of asking so much? Damn it, even big celebrities are lining up to eat there. You think you’ll be able to get a table?”

“Holy shit! For real? Fuck, now I’m really getting hyped!!” …

“Hooo…” After tasting his own spicy blood stew, Fu Yuan breathed a sigh of relief. He picked up the pot and poured the deep, glossy red stew into a porcelain basin.

Glancing at Jiang Liu’s spicy blood stew, Fu Yuan suddenly felt confident again.

‘It looks pretty average…’

As before, the two chefs affixed their labels. The judges excitedly entered and carried the two basins of spicy blood stew out.

‘We need more competitions like this!’

The moment of truth had arrived.

“They’re coming out. Make sure the equipment is ready; don’t miss a thing.”

The reporters diligently filmed the scene, gathering footage for future publicity.

“How’s it looking, Fu Yuan?” Morse could no longer remain calm. He finally understood that Jiang Liu was a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

‘Anyone who can defeat Fu Yuan in Sichuan cuisine is no simple character!’

Fu Yuan watched the judges’ varied expressions as they tasted the stews, his own cold mask growing a little stiff. “I went all out this time. It should be fine. We’ll let the next round decide the winner.”

“Hmph. I told you to take this seriously. You almost made us lose!” Morse fumed inwardly.

The corner of Fu Yuan’s mouth twitched. ‘How was I not taking it seriously?!’

‘All I can say is that this Jiang Liu guy is just too bizarre. To think he could make a simple hot and sour soup with that kind of texture.’

Jun Xinghe and the others watched Jiang Liu anxiously.

Jiang Liu gave his family a reassuring look.

‘Even if I don’t know what Fu Yuan’s stew tastes like, I know mine isn’t bad. The chances of losing are slim.’

‘After all, I used the best seasonings, plus the recipe from the Gourmet Album and the Ancient Sichuan Cuisine Recipe, not to mention my perfect cooking techniques.’

‘Unless I made a mistake, it would be very hard to lose.’

After what felt like a long time, more than ten minutes later, the judges had each finished their tasting.

The five of them exchanged looks of astonishment.

‘If we weren’t judges, we’d be fighting over this.’

Yu Guoguang, who had been immersed in the world of Sichuan cuisine for many years, was utterly shocked.

‘What an incredible spicy blood stew. Both of these dishes put mine to shame…’ he marveled inwardly.

Now he suddenly understood. It turned out Jiang Liu’s skill with Sichuan cuisine was this incredible!

‘I completely misjudged him.’

‘Terrifying!’

The atmosphere in the room was tense as everyone waited for the professional judges’ verdict.

At the entrance, the neighborhood elders and many other customers were chattering away.

“Isn’t it over yet? Why has the livestream gone silent?”

“Boss Jiang won the last round. What more is there to say? Some arrogant chef who can’t see who he’s up against wanted to challenge Boss Jiang. What a joke.”

“Yeah, but I heard that guy is Huaxia’s number one Sichuan cuisine master!”

“Whatever. I have complete confidence in Xiao Jiang,” Uncle Niu said with a huff.

‘How could Xiao Jiang possibly lose? Even when it comes to Sichuan cuisine, no one is his match!’

「In the main hall.」

Yu Guoguang swallowed his saliva, too embarrassed to sneak another bowl. After a moment’s thought, he was the first to speak. “Elder Mr. Zhu, perhaps you would like to go first?”

“No need.” Zhu Getting shook his head. “You go ahead.”

He already had his answer.

‘I gave it my all this time, and on a menu I proposed! Jiang Liu wasn’t prepared, so my chances of winning are at least eighty percent…’ Fu Yuan thought to himself, his expression impassive.

“Alright, then I’ll get us started.”

Fu Yuan’s focus sharpened, his breathing growing tense.

Yu Guoguang chose his words for a moment before speaking. “The soul of a spicy blood stew lies in the tenderness and crispness of its ingredients. The soul of its flavor lies in the balance of numbing, spicy, savory, and fragrant notes. Ahem, let’s cut to the chase. Between the two dishes before us, I believe the one on the right completely crushes the one on the left in terms of flavor.”

BOOM!

The moment the words were out, it was as if a firecracker had exploded inside Fu Yuan’s skull, leaving his mind ringing!

‘How is this possible!!’

‘How could Jiang Liu win again!’

He stood frozen, gritting his teeth in fury.

Shock and anger warred within him.

Then, the other four judges spoke one after another.

“I agree. In my opinion, the stew on the right—both in how it preserved the ingredients’ natural qualities and in its blend of numbing, spicy, savory, and fragrant flavors—is superior to the one on the left by a wide margin!”

“Full marks for the one on the right. I have never eaten such a delicious spicy blood stew!” The portly judge had been completely conquered by Jiang Liu’s dish.

“The one on the right…” …

One by one, the judges gave Jiang Liu’s spicy blood stew a perfect score.

Everyone’s gazes shifted between Jiang Liu’s and Fu Yuan’s faces.

Seeing Fu Yuan’s stunned, disbelieving expression, everyone in the room knew the outcome.

Jun Qingmeng, Jun Xinghe, and the others breathed a collective sigh of relief.

Jiang Tongtong nibbled her fingers; she just knew her daddy was going to win!

Zhu Getting was also delighted. He said, “To make a spicy blood stew of this caliber… your mastery of Sichuan cuisine is truly extraordinary. This old man is already craving more after just one taste! Jiang Liu.”

He had already guessed it was Jiang Liu’s dish. With his sensitive palate, he could recognize a chef’s handiwork, even if the ingredients were different.

“Thank you for the praise, Elder Zhu,” Jiang Liu replied, indirectly confirming it was his.

The judges were inwardly shaken, and their gazes toward Jiang Liu softened.

‘To be so young and yet cook Sichuan cuisine so authentically—even elevating it to a new level—he’s bound to be courted by the rich and powerful.’

‘After all, food is the staff of life.’

‘Befriending someone like Jiang Liu might bring unexpected benefits down the road.’

Morse was left completely dumbfounded.

‘We… lost again??? Damn it!’

“Yay! Daddy won!”

“He did!” Jun Qingmeng nodded happily.

Jiang Tongtong jumped up excitedly to high-five Jun Qingmeng, and then they hugged and snuggled together in celebration.

Jun Xinghe chuckled and said, “Morse, you’re not going to go back on your word, are you?”

Talk about rubbing salt in the wound.

Morse’s face darkened even further. “Of course not!”

Fu Yuan walked over and took a bite of Jiang Liu’s spicy blood stew. The duck blood was tender, succulent, and infused with flavor. It was rich with oil and slightly numbing as it entered his mouth. Then, as he bit down, fragrant, spicy oil gushed out from the delicate cube, flooding his palate.

A single piece of duck blood delivered the ultimate gastronomic experience to his taste buds.

“This…”

Fu Yuan’s eyes went wide. He looked up at Jiang Liu in disbelief.

“How… how is your spicy blood stew so delicious!?”

By now, no matter how stubbornly he had denied it, he understood that Jiang Liu was no pushover. He was a culinary god hiding in plain sight.

And Jiang Liu didn’t even specialize in Sichuan cuisine!

To lose so completely under these circumstances… it was terrifying!

Jiang Liu had also tasted Fu Yuan’s spicy blood stew and thought it was quite good.

It was just a bit too aggressive. While the numbing and spicy notes were on point, they overpowered the savory fragrance, failing to achieve a perfect, harmonious balance.

The cooking of the ingredients also fell short. Jiang Liu had his own unique understanding of how each and every ingredient should be cooked and handled.