"Amy-chan, aren't we going to a butler café? Why are we getting more and more off the beaten path..."
In Akihabara, Lan Kexin looked at the increasingly remote, narrow alleyway and finally seemed to realize something was wrong, asking a question.
As she spoke, she stopped, her gaze heavy as she looked at the plain-looking girl with flaxen hair leading the way.
Many strange thoughts surfaced in her mind.
"It's just a little further inside. Let me tell you, the quality of this butler café is absolutely amazing, just like in an anime. There are so many handsome guys inside. It's truly a case of 'good wine needs no bush.' A ton of customers come here just from its reputation!"
Hearing Lan Kexin's slightly doubtful words, Amy stopped, pushed up the heavy, thick-framed glasses on her face, and smiled as she approached her.
"How could a butler café possibly open in a place like this? It completely defies market logic. If you're going to lie, at least make it a little more believable!"
Lan Kexin said, taking a step back, the wariness in her eyes growing even stronger.
Upon hearing her words, Amy realized she had been found out. She dropped the pretense and quickly lunged forward, delivering a sharp whip kick toward her face.
"So the fox's tail is finally showing. And here I was, genuinely wanting to be friends with you. What a shame."
With a slight push from her legs, her entire body moved backward rapidly, landing steadily on top of the lower walls on either side of the alley.
Watching the girl whose thick-framed glasses had fallen off due to her large movements, revealing an exquisite face, Lan Kexin wore a regretful expression.
"You knew who I was all along, yet you still came out with me. What exactly are you planning?!"
By now, even if Amy were an idiot, she would understand that the other party had noticed something was off about her long ago. She just didn't know why Lan Kexin had kept it to herself and followed her all the way here. Could this be some kind of entrapment?
"Of course, it's because I was bored. It's a rare trip to Japan, and I get to go to the Akihabara of my dreams, but I don't even have a companion with me. Don't you think that's incredibly lonely?"
Looking at the puzzled Amy, Lan Kexin sighed softly and continued: "And that's precisely when you showed up. Thick-framed glasses, a plain and unfashionable hairstyle, and then that stunningly beautiful face revealed so casually after taking them off. The whole vibe was exactly like a veteran otaku girl from an anime. To be honest, I was smitten at first sight and wanted to be your friend."
"But why?"
"Why are you from the Dark Culinary World? Amy-chan, you should know that's not a good place, right? Joining the darkness is no different from sinking into a mire."
Lan Kexin's voice was filled with intense complaint.
"You haven't suffered my pain, so don't tell me to be good."
"Of course, I know it's not a good place, but the only place in this world that has room for me is here. The hypocritical Light Culinary World only likes to promote those with connections, while true geniuses are easily buried."
Hearing Lan Kexin's complaint, a hint of jealousy appeared in Amy's eyes as she looked at her.
The other girl had a perfect, harmonious family, a father who was a world-class top chef, and her own culinary talent was also outstanding. With a template like that, she could be called the 'Chosen One' no matter where she went. As long as she didn't screw up, she was destined to achieve great things in the culinary world.
But she was different. She came from a humble background and had average talent.
She finally found a master, but he held back his teachings, refusing to teach her his real skills no matter what, causing her to waste years of her life. If everyone had been treated the same, it would have been one thing. The key was that her senior apprentice brother, from the same school but with far less talent than her, could receive better treatment and learn the true, unadulterated version of their master's cooking.
She was indignant. She was furious.
She hated her master for not teaching her everything he knew, leaving her with an empty framework of skills, facing cold shoulders everywhere. And just when she thought this was all her life would amount to, people from the Dark Culinary World found her and sincerely invited her to join. She agreed without hesitation.
Her path in the Light Culinary World was completely blocked anyway. If she stayed, she would only become mediocre and suffer the scorn of those scumbags. Rather than that, she'd rather throw herself into the darkness. At least that way, she could still be considered somebody.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know what you've been through."
Hearing Amy recount her experiences, Lan Kexin's expression changed slightly, and she apologized in a low voice.
She truly hadn't considered these things. Everyone's experiences are different, so their final choices are different too. Perhaps for her, joining the darkness was the best choice.
"However, light and darkness have been irreconcilable since ancient times. Since you chose to join the darkness, we are destined to stand on opposite sides."
After she said this, a look of determination appeared in Lan Kexin's eyes.
No matter why the other girl joined the Dark Culinary World, from the moment she became a member, they were already enemies.
"Yes, irreconcilable since ancient times."
"In that case, I'll have no burden in doing this!"
Hearing Lan Kexin's words, a cold sneer appeared on Amy's face. She immediately shouted to her surroundings: "Get her!"
In an instant, countless masked figures emerged from behind the walls. Lan Kexin's face changed slightly at the sight. Without another word, she leaped high and fled toward the distant walls, not intending to engage them in a direct confrontation.
However, since the Dark Culinary World had lured her here for an ambush, they had naturally already set up an inescapable net.
A fist the size of a sandbag came flying at her. Lan Kexin's expression was one of shock. She extended her hands, using a soft technique to receive, redirect, and neutralize the blow, flitting past the muscular thug lying in ambush like a butterfly through flowers.
"What a nimble little loach."
A young man nearly two meters tall had appeared at Lan Kexin's side at some point. He watched her rapid retreat with a mocking expression.
He looked like a cat toying with a mouse, with a sense of calm that suggested everything was under control.
"Die!"
Seeing that her opponent was faster than her, Lan Kexin adjusted her strategy without hesitation. She stopped and swiftly launched a kick.
The opponent returned the favor, and their legs met in mid-air with a dull thud.
"You've got some power."
Legs kicked out and retracted continuously, and hand movements were just as constant. Feeling the tingling impact, the tall young man's voice took on a more serious tone.
"If this is all the strength you have, I suggest you all scram."
Holding her own in the exchange brought a confident look to Lan Kexin's face. Looking at the tall young man before her, her voice suddenly became childish.
"It seems I haven't introduced myself since we started. That's impolite."
"Let me introduce myself. My name is Qingfeng. The 'Qingfeng' from 'clear wind and bright moon.' And the clear wind has always been formless and swift."
The tall young man, or rather, Qingfeng, disappeared from his spot after saying this. The next moment, he kicked Lan Kexin in the back.
By the time she reacted, he had vanished again, this time kicking toward her left waist, but she managed to react in time to tightly guard it.
However, she could protect one side but not the other. Faced with kicks coming from all directions, Lan Kexin could only grit her teeth and be forced to defend passively, while warily watching Amy and the others who were closing in, to prevent them from ganging up on her.
The situation instantly became completely one-sided.
"I told you to practice more, practice more, but you always said 'good enough, good enough.' All those 'good enoughs' have now turned into 'not nearly good enough.' Getting beaten down by someone your own age without any way to fight back... how disgraceful."
On the rooftop, a middle-aged man couldn't help but light a cigarette. Watching the battered and bruised Lan Kexin, he spoke with a tone of disappointment, like someone chiding a child for not living up to their potential.
"When did you get here?!"
The sudden voice startled Qingfeng. He immediately abandoned his target and retreated, looking warily at the man on the roof.
"Carry on, don't mind me."
Watching Qingfeng's rapid retreat, Lan Tianqiu shrugged nonchalantly.
"You old geezer! How could you just stand there and watch your own daughter get beaten for so long without doing anything? Am I even your real daughter?!"
Seeing Lan Tianqiu's indifferent expression, Lan Kexin was overcome with anger. She jumped to his side and started hammering him furiously with her small fists.
"Your opponents are your peers, and no senior masters have shown up. If I stepped in, wouldn't that be bullying the weak?
"Besides, I'm always telling you to practice. And what do you do? Not only do you sneak off to play every few days, but you also stay cooped up at home watching that magical girl stuff. And watching it is one thing, but you even fantasize about being a magical girl yourself! You got a costume from who-knows-where and go on all day about your powers being sealed! Yelling about breaking the seal."
Hearing Lan Kexin's words, Lan Tianqiu also felt a surge of frustration. If this girl had been just a little more diligent in her training, she wouldn't be getting pushed around like this.
"Aah! Stop it! That was all just silly stuff I said when I was young and foolish in middle school!"
Seeing Lan Tianqiu expose her embarrassing past in front of everyone, Lan Kexin's face turned visibly red, and she became extremely flustered.
Especially when she felt the strange gazes from the Dark Culinary World crowd, this sense of shame reached its peak. In her anger, she anxiously reached out to clamp Lan Tianqiu's mouth shut, but she couldn't reach him at all.
"How can magical girl business be called foolish?" Lan Tianqiu nimbly dodged his daughter's hand, a mischievous glint in his eye.
"I seem to recall someone wearing stockings in the courtyard in the middle of the night, chanting spells to summon the power of moonlight, you know."
"Aaaah! Don't you dare mention that again!"
Lan Kexin stomped her foot in frustration, her little face frighteningly red, but she was powerless against Lan Tianqiu and could only raise her voice.
And while the father and daughter were bickering, Qingfeng's eyes narrowed, and he approached silently. His figure was like a phantom, his palm strike aiming straight for Lan Tianqiu's back.
He was about to succeed, but just before making contact, his wrist was gently stopped by two fingers.
"Young man," Lan Tianqiu said without turning his head, "sneak attacks are not a good habit."
Qingfeng's pupils contracted. He tried to pull his hand back but couldn't move. Those two fingers seemed to possess immense strength, holding him firmly in place.
"As expected of the chosen wielder of the Garuda Knife. Please forgive my disciple for his offense."
Zhu Shiyi's figure had appeared in front of Amy at some point, startling her. She then saw him call out in Lan Tianqiu's direction.
"You people from the Darkness are the same as ever, always resorting to petty tricks. Now you've even stooped to kidnapping someone's daughter, should I say I expected nothing less? It's a bit surprising, but I'm not shocked."
Looking at Zhu Shiyi's face, Lan Tianqiu showed a disdainful expression. This so-called Dark Culinary World, when they couldn't win openly, they loved to resort to underhanded tactics behind the scenes.
"Using the word 'kidnap' is so hurtful. We just wanted to invite your beloved daughter to be our guest for a while. We would never harm her."
Hearing Lan Tianqiu's words, Zhu Shiyi threw up his hands to show his innocence.
Their fundamental goal was still to conduct a Shokugeki; they had no intention of harming his daughter.
Otherwise, if that line was crossed, the Light and Dark worlds would most likely erupt into an all-out war ahead of schedule, something neither side wanted to see.
"Your goal is the Garuda Knife, isn't it? As it happens, I brought it with me to Japan. I heard your Dark Culinary World found the Legendary Cooking Utensil, the Demonic Bronze Sacred Vessel, last month. Why don't we have a Shokugeki with it as the wager, between the two of us? If I lose, I'll give you the Garuda Knife. If you lose, you give me the Demonic Bronze Sacred Vessel."
Looking at the feigned innocence of Zhu Shiyi, Lan Tianqiu's gaze was cold.
Of course, he knew what the Dark Culinary World wanted. They had seized the opportunity of his visit to Japan to catch them off guard.
And they had indeed succeeded. After all, the Dark Culinary World had been inactive for years, and the younger generation had almost forgotten their name and paid them no mind.
But only those who had truly fought against the Dark Culinary World knew what a terrifying organization it was, and that its members would grow stronger at an astonishing rate.
"A Shokugeki with Legendary Cooking Utensils as the wager? How did you know we obtained the Demonic Bronze Sacred Vessel recently? Could it be... a mole?"
Zhu Shiyi's brow furrowed slightly. This was something he hadn't considered. Now that Lan Tianqiu had proposed it, he couldn't help but ponder its feasibility.
"You've infiltrated us so thoroughly we're like a sieve. Is it so strange for us to plant a few moles among you?"
"But you guys... you talk a big game, each one more arrogant than the last. How come you all chicken out when it's actually time to compete?"
"One Legendary Cooking Utensil wagered against another. It's perfectly fair, isn't it?"
Watching the silent, frowning Zhu Shiyi, Lan Tianqiu let out a cold laugh.
Of course, he knew that mentioning the Demonic Bronze Sacred Vessel would reveal the existence of their mole in the Dark Culinary World, but in the current situation, it was clear things could not be resolved peacefully.
His own daughter had been targeted by the Dark Culinary World, and they had sent subordinates to kidnap her. This was something no father could accept.
He had to make them hurt, beat them to a pulp, to make them give up on this idea.
"You don't need to provoke me. The Demonic Bronze Sacred Vessel is a matter of great importance. It's not something I can decide on my own. Let me discuss it with the leader and the others."
"I'm not negotiating with you. Just as you wanted to capture my daughter and coerce me into a Shokugeki for the Garuda Knife, I too want to teach you a harsh lesson and make you pay a price you're unwilling to pay."
Watching Zhu Shiyi take out his phone to contact his leader, Lan Tianqiu's voice was cold. As he spoke, he ignored their reactions, and pulled a scroll of parchment from his coat.
"A Shokugeki Contract?"
Zhu Shiyi's pupils contracted slightly, his voice filled with shock. "You actually carry this with you?"
The ancient parchment exuded a strange aura; it was the contractual proof used by masters of the culinary world to establish formal Shokugeki duels.
Unlike the child's play overseen by some Shokugeki bureau, once this contract was signed, the wager would be bound by an ancient power. Violators would pay an unimaginable price, in severe cases, even their lives.
"As a proper chef, isn't it perfectly normal to carry a Shokugeki contract? You all should have one on you as well, right?"
With a flick of his wrist, Lan Tianqiu unfurled the parchment scroll. The blank space on it seemed to be waiting for words written in blood. In an instant, it flew before Zhu Shiyi.
"What's wrong, don't you dare accept? Or is it that your Dark Culinary World only knows how to hide in the gutter and kidnap people, without the courage for a proper duel?"
Qingfeng had now retreated to Zhu Shiyi's side and whispered, "Master, be careful. It could be a trap."
Behind him, Amy also watched Zhu Shiyi nervously.
The Demonic Bronze Sacred Vessel was a treasure the Dark Culinary World had obtained at great cost. What if...
Zhu Shiyi stared at the parchment, which radiated a brilliant light, his eyes flickering uncertainly.
How could he not see through Lan Tianqiu's taunt? But the wager his opponent proposed was incredibly tempting. A single victory would get them everything they wanted.
However, the price of failure was equally severe.
"Fine!"
Zhu Shiyi suddenly grinned, revealing a row of stark white teeth. "This wager, I accept!"
Thinking about it any further was pointless compared to a real showdown. As one of the Five Tiger Stars of the Dark Culinary World, he had emerged from the very depths of hell. Naturally, he wouldn't fear this kind of challenge.
If he had possessed some rationality before, it was all gone the moment his opponent produced a Shokugeki Contract and challenged him in front of so many people. If he backed down now, where would he, the 'Great Sage Equaling Heaven' Zhu Shiyi, put his face? Others wouldn't admire his prudence; they'd despise him for his cowardice.
Afterward, rumors would surely spread within the organization. This was a blatant scheme. And it would only work on someone from the Dark Culinary World!
"However, the location and theme of the match must be decided by us! And the rules need to be changed. A one-on-one match is too boring. Since we're competing, let's include the younger generation. After all, they are the future of our culinary world. How about a best-of-three to decide the winner!"
"Best-of-three?"
Hearing Zhu Shiyi's words, Lan Tianqiu's brow furrowed.
He had absolute confidence in his own skills, but he didn't trust others. To stake his ancestral treasure on someone else felt very unfair to him.
"It means your daughter will compete against my disciple. Then you will pick two more contestants for a showdown against two from the Dark Culinary World. The final match will be me, assuming you can win one of the first two rounds."
As he spoke, Zhu Shiyi bit his finger and pressed his bloody thumbprint onto the Shokugeki Contract. He then shot a provocative glance at Lan Tianqiu.
The tables had turned completely. The one who had been proactive was now passive. Lan Tianqiu was caught in a deep dilemma.
"What? A moment ago you said I had no guts, but I see you're not much better. Could it be that your Light Culinary World has no capable youths left?!"
Zhu Shiyi's voice was laced with sarcasm. As the side with all the preparations, it was clear they had the upper hand.
This was their original plan: he and his disciple would team up, each securing one victory in the match, thereby seizing the Legendary Cooking Utensil, the Garuda Knife.
The only change was that the wager had shifted from Lan Kexin to the Demonic Bronze Sacred Vessel, a much higher price to pay.
"Then we'll fight! However, the themes for the first two matches must be decided by us. I have no objection to you deciding the theme for the third match."
Hearing Zhu Shiyi's words, Lan Tianqiu's expression suddenly turned cold.
He had absolute confidence in his own culinary skills; all that was needed was for his daughter to win one more match.
Of course, he wasn't a fool. Since his opponent didn't dare face him one-on-one and chose a three-on-three instead, it meant that Zhu Shiyi was more confident in a three-on-three. In other words, there were skilled masters on their side.
In this situation, letting his daughter go head-to-head with them was clearly unwise. No matter what, he had to seize control of the decision for the match themes.
"Agreed."
Zhu Shiyi nodded, a slight smile playing on his lips.
"When and where will the match take place?"
Watching Zhu Shiyi's expression, Lan Tianqiu continued to ask.
Even though they were letting them decide the time and place, they couldn't just announce it the day before the match; they wouldn't have time to prepare.
"At a place where all eyes will be watching, of course. The stage the Nakiri family has built for us, isn't it perfectly suitable?"
A playful expression appeared on Zhu Shiyi's face. As he spoke, he tossed the second copy of the Shokugeki Contract, which had materialized out of thin air after being signed, toward Lan Tianqiu.
The parchment traced an arc through the air and was caught steadily by Lan Tianqiu.
"The Nakiri family, you say? I hope you won't run away at the last minute."
Without even looking at it, Lan Tianqiu tucked the Shokugeki Contract into his coat and said coldly.
"We should be the ones saying that to you."
Hearing Lan Tianqiu's words, Zhu Shiyi couldn't help but chuckle, which then turned into a loud laugh that echoed through the area.
He waved his hand, signaling his subordinates to withdraw.
Before leaving, Amy gave Lan Kexin one last, complicated look.
Without saying anything more, she quickly disappeared at the end of the alley.
After everyone from the Dark Culinary World had left, Lan Kexin finally breathed a sigh of relief, her tense nerves relaxing.
She then looked at Lan Tianqiu and said, "This all started because of me. I'll win the first match. The final one is up to you, old geezer."
"If you can't win, you can look forward to being grounded. I've been far too lenient with you all these years."
"But the key right now is to find two suitable contestants. Besides your singles match, the second round's doubles match is also crucial."
Lan Tianqiu gave Lan Kexin an exasperated look.
If it weren't for this girl being unable to stay at home, insisting on running around outside without the ability to solve her own problems, he wouldn't be so worried.
"The Nakiri family is holding a birthday banquet. There's a large demonstration stage in the middle, and young talents from all over the world will be gathered there. We can just pick people from the attendees then."
Lan Kexin suggested, cupping her chin.
Although she hadn't seen any masters these past few days, time was tight, and there were no available young experts from China who could come to support them. The Dark Culinary World probably had the same idea, which is why they chose to hold the match on the day of the banquet.
"I suppose that's our only option. But since their place has been chosen as the venue, we need to give them a heads-up so we don't catch them completely by surprise."
Thinking of the location Zhu Shiyi had just mentioned, Lan Tianqiu felt a headache coming on. Fortunately, they had a good relationship with the Nakiri family, so borrowing a venue wouldn't be a major issue.
The timing was just a bit delicate.
They would just have to impose on Old Man Nakiri.
____
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