Chapter 290

Seeing that Inuyasha and the others were no longer opposed to eating yōkai, Haruto turned back toward the giant centipede with renewed concentration.

He gripped the Melk Knife and slipped the blade into the gap between two sections of armor. With a smooth turn of his wrist, he cut cleanly along the joint, then repeated the process on the other side.

Before long, an entire section of the centipede’s body had been separated.

That single segment alone was more than a meter long and as thick as a millstone. It weighed several hundred pounds, and even after accounting for the shell, there were still two or three hundred pounds of meat inside—more than enough for everyone to eat their fill.

Haruto returned the rest of the centipede to the Gourmet Restaurant for later.

Now came the meat.

He ran the Melk Knife lightly along the seam between the inner flesh and the shell. The hard armor separated effortlessly from the tender meat beneath without damaging so much as a single fiber.

Haruto removed the entire piece intact and placed it on the cutting board.

He also severed the pair of legs attached to that body segment and set them aside.

By now, night had completely fallen.

Under the flickering firelight, the meat on the cutting board gleamed with a moist, almost translucent sheen. Even Inuyasha and the others could not help swallowing as they looked at it.

Haruto divided the meat into two large portions.

Two-thirds would become Spicy Poached Centipede Slices.

The remaining third would go into a pot of centipede meat congee.

He started with the meat for the spicy dish.

Haruto’s knife hand was perfectly steady.

The Melk Knife rose and fell so quickly that only silver afterimages remained.

In moments, the enormous piece of centipede flesh had been transformed into neat, even slices, every one almost exactly three millimeters thick.

Watching his knife work only increased everyone’s anticipation.

Even someone who knew nothing about cooking could tell at a glance that Haruto had an extraordinary amount of experience.

Inuyasha’s group did not merely stand around watching, either.

They enthusiastically offered to help, so Haruto gave them simple jobs such as boiling water and feeding firewood into the flames.

He placed the sliced meat into a large earthenware basin and added shredded scallion and ginger, concentrated sea salt, a touch of sugar to enhance the natural sweetness, and fruit wine to remove any lingering odor and deepen the aroma.

Then came a light dusting of Holy Snow Crystal powder and a small amount of starch.

Haruto mixed everything carefully by hand.

He used just enough force to coat every delicate slice evenly with the marinade without tearing or crushing the tender flesh.

Once each piece was thoroughly seasoned, he set the basin aside to marinate.

While the meat absorbed the flavors, Haruto tossed the pair of centipede legs into the fire and turned to the portion reserved for congee.

He diced the remaining meat into tiny, uniform cubes, each about the size of a pomegranate seed.

The meat went into cold water first, along with two slices of ginger and a small splash of rice wine. Haruto slowly brought the temperature up, skimming away the tiny amount of blood foam that appeared.

Then he removed the cubes and rinsed them thoroughly with warm water.

By then, Sango had already scrubbed the clay pot clean and brought fresh water to a boil.

Kagome had washed the rice as well and poured it into the pot.

Once the water reached a full boil, Haruto immediately lowered the heat, added the blanched meat cubes, covered the pot, and left everything to simmer slowly.

"Sango, could you keep an eye on the heat for me?"

Haruto glanced toward her.

"Keep it low and stir the bottom every so often so the congee doesn’t scorch."

"Leave it to me."

Sango nodded.

That much was easy enough.

While the congee simmered gently on one side, the sliced meat had finished marinating.

Inuyasha had already prepared a pot of boiling water.

Haruto added a little salt and cooking oil, then slid the meat slices into the water one at a time.

The instant each slice was just cooked through, changing from pure white to the faintest blush of pink, he immediately scooped it out with a wire skimmer and transferred it into cold water.

The sudden temperature change tightened the meat.

Once drained, the blanched slices were arranged neatly in a huge earthenware platter.

Layer upon layer of snowy-white meat rose like a miniature mountain.

Haruto covered the top with a generous layer of minced garlic, chopped scallions, dried red chili segments, red Sichuan peppercorns, green Sichuan peppercorns, and finally a handful of white sesame seeds.

Then came the most important step.

The hot oil.

Haruto heated an iron wok until scorching, poured in rapeseed oil, and watched the clear oil slowly rise in temperature.

When the first faint wisps of smoke appeared, it was ready.

He lifted the wok and poured the searing oil evenly over the meat and seasonings.

SSSSSS—!

The courtyard instantly filled with the explosive fragrance of garlic, scallions, chilies, and Sichuan pepper.

A rich wave of numbing spice, heat, and savoriness burst through the air, so intense that everyone’s mouth began watering immediately.

Red oil bubbled vigorously across the platter.

Chilies and peppercorns danced in the heat, while glimpses of snowy-white meat appeared beneath the brilliant red surface.

The aroma was almost impossible to resist.

Haruto set down the wok, wiped his hands with a clean cloth, and looked toward everyone.

"Spicy Poached Centipede Slices. Done."

"What do you think?"

Inuyasha had already moved right beside the table.

He was sniffing furiously, eyes locked on the platter, drool practically threatening to hit the ground.

If Kagome had not been gripping the back of his robe with both hands, he probably would have reached straight into the dish.

Kagome was restraining him while swallowing repeatedly herself.

"It smells so good... Just smelling it is making me feel like I’m starving..."

Shippō had forgotten all about being afraid.

He clung to the edge of the table on tiptoe, staring desperately into the platter with drool already dripping onto the wood.

"It smells amazing! How can yōkai meat smell this good?!"

Even Sango stopped stirring the congee for a moment and glanced toward the platter, quietly swallowing.

"Just a little longer. Then we can eat."

Haruto walked over to Sango and checked the congee.

The rice had completely broken down, releasing enough starch to turn the broth thick, smooth, and creamy.

Soft white cubes of centipede meat appeared between the grains, looking tender enough to melt at a touch.

It was ready.

Its aroma was completely different from the aggressive, spicy fragrance of the meat slices.

The congee smelled mild and comforting, carrying the gentle sweetness of rice and the clean richness of the centipede meat.

By then, the villagers had finished preparing their own food as well.

Haruto gave them portions of both the Spicy Poached Centipede Slices and the centipede congee, then had Miroku purify the residual yōki with sutras to ensure it would not have any adverse effect on ordinary villagers.

At last, the feast began.

Haruto smiled at everyone.

"All right. Stop staring and dig in."

Before the words had fully left his mouth, Haruto picked up his chopsticks and took several slices coated in brilliant red oil.

They gleamed invitingly beneath the torchlight.

The moment they entered his mouth, the first thing to arrive was the layered numbing heat carried by the hot chili oil.

The red and green Sichuan peppercorns tingled lightly across his tongue like countless tiny sparks, spreading from the tip toward the back without becoming harsh.

Then came the fragrant heat of the dried chilies, deepened by the richness of the rapeseed oil.

Thanks to the Holy Snow Crystal, however, the spiciness remained unusually clean and refreshing—intense without becoming painfully aggressive.

The mellow fragrance of garlic followed, then the freshness of scallion, each flavor unfolding naturally into the next.

Haruto bit down.

The thin slice released a burst of juice.

Rich meat juices mingled with the fragrant red oil and flooded his mouth.

The flesh was extraordinarily tender and smooth, without the slightest trace of toughness. It was delicate without falling apart and silky without becoming greasy.

The centipede meat’s own clean sweetness became even more vivid beneath the numbing heat.

Numbing.

Spicy.

Fresh.

Fragrant.

Tender.

Silky.

Every quality intertwined across his tongue, and each chew released another wave of aroma.

Haruto slowly savored the bite as the meat seemed to melt in his mouth.

Even his Gourmet Cells began stirring eagerly.

The tiny amount of yōki contained within the meat slid down into his stomach and was immediately devoured by the Gourmet Cells without leaving a trace.

While Haruto tasted the dish, Inuyasha finally attacked his own portion.

The moment the first slice entered his mouth, his entire body froze.

Then his eyes widened.

By the time he recovered, his chopsticks were already moving fast enough to leave afterimages.

One bite after another disappeared into his mouth.

"Good! This is way too good—!"

Inuyasha mumbled through a mouthful of meat.

He had still been somewhat uncomfortable with the idea of eating yōkai meat.

One bite was enough to completely destroy that hesitation.

Yōkai or not, who cared when it tasted this good?

The combination of numbing spice, heat, intense savoriness, and outrageously tender meat overturned everything Inuyasha thought he knew about food.

He had never eaten anything remotely like it.

Seeing Inuyasha devour the dish with such enthusiasm, Kagome finally picked up her chopsticks as well.

She selected one slice, blew on it until it cooled slightly, then placed it into her mouth.

Her eyes immediately lit up.

She had been worried that it would be painfully spicy.

Instead, the heat was perfectly balanced, and the numbing sensation was gentle enough to remain pleasant.

But the texture of the meat was the real surprise.

It was soft almost like a cloud, yet retained just enough spring to make each bite satisfying.

Juices burst across her tongue, the natural sweetness of the meat blending seamlessly with the fragrant spice.

Sango, Miroku, Shippō, and the villagers quickly succumbed as well.

Once they started eating, none of them could stop.

Before long, the enormous platter of Spicy Poached Centipede Slices had been completely emptied.

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