The Culinary Battle Bet

Upon hearing Nan Xu say those words, Jiang Yuqiao's tone immediately turned cold.

"Uncle Zhou, see the guest out."

"Hey, you didn't even listen to what stakes I wanted before kicking me out? Are you that insecure?" Nan Xu's tone carried a hint of provocation.

The butler, addressed as Uncle Zhou, bowed slightly: "Your Excellency, although the scripture you have presented is precious, it is not indispensable to the Jiang family."

"And if we lose in a culinary battle, our reputation will suffer. Whatever the stakes you want to bet, it's not a worthwhile deal for us."

He walked over, opened the door, and gestured for him to enter: "Even if the young master could easily defeat you, the head of the family would not agree to this cooking duel for risk management reasons."

"So, you should leave."

Upon hearing this, Nan Xu's lips curled into a smile: "I never said I was making a deal with the Jiang family."

He raised his head and looked directly at Jiang Yuqiao: "My trading partner is you."

Jiang Yuqiao's eyebrows furrowed slightly.

"Although this book isn't particularly valuable to the Jiang family, it's different for you," Nan Xu said calmly.

"If you help the Jiang family win a valuable sixth-grade internal skill through the cooking competition, then you can not only prove your strength, but also make a significant contribution to the family."

"That way, you might actually gain your father's approval... just like your sister did."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuqiao's expression suddenly changed.

Seeing this, Nan Xu's lips curled up even more.

Jiang Yuqiao's reaction was exactly as he had expected from beginning to end.

Using the information he obtained from his past life's memories, he perfectly grasped Jiang Yuqiao's psychology.

Jiang Yuqiao's older sister, Jiang Mingyue, was once a renowned genius chef in Daxuan.

When she became famous, Jiang Yuqiao was only five or six years old and had just begun to learn how to hold a kitchen knife.

Naturally, Jiang Yuqiao was often compared to his sister. However, due to his short time learning to cook, even with his exceptional talent, he was always outshone by Jiang Mingyue.

This resulted in him finding it difficult to gain his family's approval no matter what achievements he made.

Therefore, Jiang Yuqiao harbored a deep resentment, wanting to prove that she was no weaker than her sister.

Unfortunately, Jiang Mingyue left the Jiang family several years ago, depriving him of the opportunity to prove himself.

His family ignored his achievements day after day, taking his progress for granted, which gradually extinguished his passion for cooking.

This is why Jiang Yuqiao only has a ninth-grade chef qualification. After Jiang Mingyue left, he never participated in the chef qualification examination again.

But his culinary skills have undoubtedly far surpassed those of an eighth-grade chef.

Although Jiang Yuqiao did not appear in the previously released PV, that's because according to the normal storyline, he will not appear in version 1.0.

Nan Xu knew that Jiang Yuqiao's talent was in no way inferior to that of Kong Shuli, Chen Leran, and others.

For him now, this is a much more troublesome opponent than the previous seventh-rank chef.

That's why it wasn't too difficult for Jiang Yuqiao to participate in the cooking competition... because Jiang Yuqiao was already very confident in his abilities.

"What, are you scared?" he continued to provoke, "If your sister were here, she wouldn't hesitate..."

"How could that be?" Jiang Yuqiao scoffed. "I was just wondering, what exactly are you after, going to all this trouble to challenge me to a culinary duel, even investigating Jiang Mingyue's affairs?"

Nan Xu snapped his fingers: "It's very simple... The eighth-grade chef qualification assessment in three days will be the arena for our culinary competition."

"If you lose, you will have to identify the mole in Baiweilou who is connected to the Jiang family on the spot, and you will also have to make public what the Jiang family has instructed him to do."

"Ha, you really dare to say that... If I lose, the Jiang family's reputation will probably suffer a great blow," Jiang Yuqiao sneered.

"It's alright, I'll take this cooking challenge."

Uncle Zhou was horrified: "Young Master! You mustn't!"

"It's okay, Uncle Zhou, I won't lose," Jiang Yuqiao said confidently.

Defeating a seventh-rank official with the power of a ninth-rank official was a feat that even Jiang Mingyue had never accomplished.

If he defeats Nan Xu, a ninth-rank chef who has defeated a seventh-rank chef, then he can prove that he is stronger than Jiang Mingyue back then.

He said he would never let this opportunity slip by.

"That's great!" Nan Xu clapped his hands with a smile.

"Then let us make a vow to Heaven here."

"Of course it's possible. With the oath of Heaven, I can confirm that your bet is not a counterfeit." Jiang Yuqiao nodded.

"Young Master Jiang, don't forget your vow not to use underhanded tactics. I don't want to see something like that happen again," Nan Xu reminded him.

"Hmph, I don't need you to remind me... I would never use such underhanded methods." Jiang Yuqiao sneered.

Soon, the two made a solemn oath to the heavens. Jiang Yuqiao's oath was extremely strict, eliminating any possibility of the Jiang family interfering.

"Young Master Jiang is indeed upright and honorable." Nan Xu smiled slightly. "Then... let's see who's the real deal at the government office square in three days."

"Take care, don't bother seeing me off." Jiang Yuqiao said calmly.

Soon, Nan Xu's figure disappeared at the end of the corridor.

"Young Master, why did you do this..." Uncle Zhou sighed bitterly.

"Uncle Zhou, even you don't believe I can win?" Jiang Yuqiao turned his head.

"No, no... I just think you don't need to take this risk. After all, Nan Xu successfully defeated a seventh-grade chef..." Uncle Zhou carefully chose his words.

"I've tasted his food." Jiang Yuqiao stood up. "So I know very well that if it's just that level..."

He clenched his fist, his tone brimming with confidence: "...No, even if he improves further, in the end, the only one who can win is me!"

"This..." Uncle Zhou was stunned for a moment, then said nothing more.

"Let's go, Uncle Zhou, let's go to the kitchen." Jiang Yuqiao waved his hand. "These next three days... I need to prepare thoroughly for that culinary competition!"

……

Baiweilou, kitchen.

"Ah Xu, you're back?" Luo Qinzhu smiled brightly and waved to Nan Xu.

Nan Xu nodded: "Um... Sister Qinzhu, I need to take the eighth-grade chef qualification exam in three days. So, I need to ask you for three days off to focus on honing my culinary skills."

"Three days later? That's so soon!"

Luo Qinzhu was initially surprised, but upon reflection, she realized that this was not unusual given Nan Xu's rapid progress.

So she simply nodded: "No problem, is there anything I can help you with?"

"Then thank you very much, Sister Qinzhu." Nan Xu smiled; he had been waiting for Luo Qinzhu to say those words.

"Perfect timing! I have an idea for a new dish and need your help in tasting it and giving me your feedback..."