Page 1584

The second dish of Dong Tian was Lin Yuan’s renowned Stuffed Vegetarian Wings, while Drunken Immortal Tower presented Master Niu’s specialty, Crystal Clear Cabbage Rolls.

It was supposed to be a winning dish, yet unexpectedly, this time, it was defeated by Drunken Immortal Tower.

Lin Yuan looked in astonishment at the word "Drunken Immortal Tower" in the public judging area, which was clearly more numerous than "Dong Tian," and felt somewhat choked with frustration.

How could her own proudest dish have lost?

However, Jin Can provided her with the answer.

Jin Can also supported Drunken Immortal Tower in this round and said with a hint of regret, "Miss Lin, your Stuffed Vegetarian Wings are indeed delicious, but it seems you might have fried the wings too long. They became greasy, and the meat turned much firmer. Compared to that, Master Niu’s Cabbage Rolls from Drunken Immortal Tower are more delicate and tastier. "

After hearing Jin Can’s words, Lin Yuan finally snapped back to reality, slapping her forehead and muttering to herself, "It’s all my fault, I made it too early!"

It was indeed made too early. The chicken wings taste best when eaten fresh off the stove, but Lin Yuan had to manage her time during the competition, so after frying the wings, she set them aside and left them unattended.

It was now winter, chillingly cold, and so, the warmth quickly escaped from the wings and they cooled down. Even when she stir-fried them again, it didn’t have a good remedial effect.

Who would like to eat reheated, cold meals?

But for the steamed dish, Crystal Clear Cabbage Rolls, this wasn’t a concern. Even with ample time, as long as the rolls were left in the steamer and not taken out, they would neither cool down nor become overcooked.

Having lost the second round, Lin Yuan was thoroughly convinced by the outcome.

Now Dong Tian and Drunken Immortal Tower had each won one round, standing evenly matched.

Seeing Dong Qing hang the brush under the respective signs, the audience watching the competition below became unsettled, and even those in River View Tower who were watching the match started discussing fervently.

"Look, look! I said this competition would end in a draw, didn’t I? Now it’s already one-to-one, the third round will definitely see a fight from both sides!"

"I think so too. Count them, there are four known judges and twenty from the public judges. What does this mean? This is clearly set up for a draw in the competition!"

"Isn’t it obvious? If Dong Tian and Drunken Immortal Tower really wanted to battle it out for superiority, why would they deliberately choose twenty-four judges? Humph, I see, this competition is just a formality, all for show!"

"How could it be just for show? Haven’t you seen Dong Tian taking the opportunity to sell vegetables? And Drunken Immortal Tower, didn’t they also bring out that what, some kind of shellfish? They just intentionally use this occasion to sell their stuff!"

"Humph! Unscrupulous! Such merchants truly are sly!"

"No harm without trade, isn’t that what everyone knows? Anyway, a draw is fine by me; I bet at the gambling house and should win a good amount!"

"Win a good amount? Wishful thinking! Haven’t you heard? There are countless people betting on a draw at the gambling house; you’re lucky if you can get two-to-one odds!"

"Two-to-one odds are still okay, but I wonder if anyone bet on Dong Tian or Drunken Immortal Tower to win. I heard that betting on either side has reached odds of one-to-one hundred now!"

"Forget one hundred-to-one, even at one thousand-to-one no one is betting! It’s a done deal that the two establishments will end in a draw, who would be foolish enough to waste money on an impossible bet? Even Second Young Master Xia has bet on a draw!"

"You’ve got a point. Should I go and place a bet of two taels of silver? Even with two-to-one odds, that’s twenty taels of silver!"

"Dream on, the betting’s already closed! Ha-ha."

"Ha-ha, exactly!"

The discussion from the audience below, even those participating in the competition on stage like Lin Yuan, could hear it loud and clear.

Master Niu sneered arrogantly, his eyes filled with disdain when he looked at Lin Yuan after winning a round, "You just got lucky in the first round. The third round will be my win for sure! A draw? Nonsense!"

Sun Qian and Gao Xuan were visibly irritated by Master Niu’s boastful talk, their eyes wide as they were about to retort, but Lin Yuan quickly stopped them.

Lin Yuan remained serene and tranquil, barely giving Master Niu a glance, but she curved her lips into a light smile, "Master Niu is absolutely correct. I also think their talk of a draw is more than nonsense; it’s simply absurd!"

Cough, cough.

Sun Qian and Gao Xuan both choked on the word "absurd," and Master Niu’s eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at her. Such a refined and adorable young lady—how could she use the term "absurd"? Even he had refrained from being so blunt a moment ago!

Before anyone could recover from the shock of "absurd," they heard something even more jaw-dropping.

"A draw? I’ve never tied with anyone before! Either I win, or the opponent dies and I win!"

Her tone was calm, her expression graceful. If they hadn’t heard these words from Lin Yuan herself, no one would have imagined that such a graceful and dignified lady would utter words of winning at her opponent’s demise!

Master Niu took a sharp intake of breath. What is the most terrifying thing in the world? It is not someone threatening you with a knife, but someone who is chatting with you with a beaming smile and suddenly launches a lethal attack.

He shivered deeply, feeling that Lin Yuan was exactly that kind of person.

The atmosphere on the competition stage turned chilly in an instant. Not only Master Niu, but also Sun Qian and Gao Xuan couldn’t help but step back two steps due to the cold aura suddenly emanating from Lin Yuan.

However, just when everyone was murmuring concerns in their hearts, the aura around Lin Yuan suddenly changed, and her smile became even brighter, as if there were little suns shining in her eyes.

"Eh? What’s the matter with you? I was just joking, don’t take it to heart! Ha ha."

Waving her hands carefreely, Lin Yuan laughed as if she were just a girl next door, as if she wasn’t the person who had casually spoken of "death" moments before.

Master Niu and others were momentarily stunned; Lin Yuan’s change in expression was so swift that they almost believed that the sinister feeling just now was merely an illusion.

Despite their doubts, Master Niu was somewhat subdued by Lin Yuan’s presence. He composed himself and turned his head to continue watching the apprentices serve up the final dish.

However, as if possessed, he always found himself involuntarily wanting to look at Lin Yuan, fearing she might become displeased and come charging at him with the kitchen knife nearby.

Feeling Master Niu stealing glances at her, a sense of amusement stirred in Lin Yuan’s heart.

She didn’t blame herself for threatening Master Niu just now; it was really because the guy was too arrogant, believing that his cooking skills were unparalleled and looking down on others.

So giving him a small lesson wasn’t really out of line.

By this time, under the stage, the third dish had been distributed to the judges by the apprentices from both restaurants.

The third dish from Dong Tian was the Calabash Chicken, with a nest made of spun sugar underneath and the Calabash Chicken, processed through three stages, on top. It already had the look and smell, now all that was missing was the taste.

Lin Yuan was quite confident in the Calabash Chicken, even though the previous chicken wing dish had lost its flavor due to being served late, this was not the case with the Calabash Chicken.

The third dish from Drunken Immortal Tower was the Steamed Egg with White Clams, which is actually just steamed egg custard. However, due to the addition of scallops, the flavor became much more unique.

The appearance of the Steamed Egg with White Clams was very appealing, with the silky-smooth egg custard topped with mouth-open white clams. Seasoned with sesame oil and garnished with green onion, the dish was very enticing.

Still, no one knew yet how it tasted.

Zhuang Kangping and others observed the Calabash Chicken and the still steaming egg custard placed on the table, each raising their chopsticks to reach for different plates.

Lao Fan preferred dishes with stronger flavors and tended towards the crisply fried Calabash Chicken.

Jin Can, on the other hand, was curious about the unfamiliar White Clams and took the initiative to pick one up and taste it.

Although he had never tasted White Clams before, Jin Can was smart enough to scoop out the clam meat from the hard shell.

Once the clam meat entered his mouth, he was hit with a strong fishy flavor from the sea, and Jin Can’s eyebrows slightly knitted together. Just as he was about to spit it out, his eyes widened, captivated by the unique taste of the clam meat.

This flavor was truly special; it opened all his taste buds, spreading a tender and expansive flavor.

Is this what seafood tastes like?

So delicious!

Everyone has their own preferences, and when it comes to seafood delicacies, some people can get accustomed to them, while others might find it distasteful for their entire lives.

Jin Can belonged to those who enjoyed it, while Lu Chong felt the opposite. Even though Master Niu was his senior brother, the fishy smell of the seafood was enough to make him nauseous; he found Lin Yuan’s Calabash Chicken much more comforting.

And Zhuang Kangping, having eaten all sorts of things in his youth, was extremely fond of seafood. In addition to this, the Steamed Egg with White Clams was smooth and pleasant to eat, fitting his tastes perfectly, naturally leaving him extremely satisfied.

As such, the judges’ choices were settled.

Lao Fan and Lu Chong chose Dong Tian, whereas Zhuang Kangping and Jin Can chose Drunken Immortal Tower.

When the four judges’ decisions were revealed, it surprised many of the onlookers. Zhuang Kangping and Lu Chong both had intricate ties with Drunken Immortal Tower, while Lao Fan and Jin Can were invited by Lin Yuan, naturally having a deep connection with her.

It had been assumed that they would cast their votes in favor of their own people, yet the result turned out to be quite unexpected.

However, no matter who voted for whom, the final outcome was consistent with what everyone had anticipated.

Now, with the judges at a tied score of two-to-two, the key lay with the remaining twenty civilian judges.