With the wise words āThe ones with the biggest fist have the loudest voiceā ringing in her ear, Xiao Qi rounded up all the Yellow Grade classmates she could find and they all rushed off to beat up idiots.
Some students were still doing their best to talk some sense into the idiots when Xiao Qi ran up at the head of her mob and sent the first line of people flying into the Star Washing Lake.
It did not take long for the College students to send all the busybodies into the lake. Looking at the hundred people struggling in the water, the fire in Xiao Qiās chest finally receded.
Elder sister is right, beating up idiots is the best feeling!
The people who made trouble had not expected the College students to actually retaliate. When the crowd of people crawled out of the lake began to howl about how āCollege students are bandits!ā and how āSavage and brutalā these students were. These ābandit studentsā obligingly showed their āsavage and brutalā side and kicked the complainers back into the water.
āRemember, make sure to not kill anyone,ā Lao Er said as he stood by the lake, keeping an eye over the desperately splashing people.
None of the students had any intention of killing anyone, they knew how to restrain themselves. In fact, they ended up rescuing the people they had thrown in.
Matters should have ended there, with the troublemakers running home after being ridiculed by the College students.
However, bad news came that very evening. One of the people they dumped into the lake ended up dead after they got home.
Naturally, when death was involved, matters crossed over from ridiculing to coercion. Suddenly, there was a flurry of rumours flying across the City about how Imperial College Students have āno care for human lifeā. How they āused their Cultivation to slaughter peopleā. How even little doll face girls could not be trusted as these sly and cunning creatures would āforce a person to their death in their own homesā.
Gossips of all kinds flew here and there, each one more colourful and delicious before. The people who spread these rumours patted their chests and vowed to the heavens that they saw everything with their own two eyes and how it was all the truest truth.
Even in this world, there was no lack of rumourmongers. In the modern world, famous idols had to be careful about taking care of their reputation. The slightest rumour about some moral corruption would set tongues wagging and once loyal fans could instantly become haters.
Right now, the position of the Imperial College was similar. People who did not have the complete information only knew that the once aloof and mysterious Imperial College suddenly moved into the public eye. This was then followed by rumours of student brutality and the death of a protester.
It certainly did not help matters when the family of the deceased placed the coffin of the dead right in front of the College entrance, making it clear they wanted to make trouble.
Please read this at kitchennovel dot com ~ (*ļ¾ļ¾ļ¾)
Shiyu heard about the incident a little later than the others.
She had been cooped up in her Saintās Dwelling, purifying various medicinal herbs into liquid essence before infusing them into the Burning Knife. Once the liquid cooled, it was decanted into jade bottles and were left to immerse at the bottom of the Spring of Life pond. She plans to check them a few days later.
When she saw Xiao Qiās anxious little face and found out about the death, she realised what must have happened.
Clearly, someone was out to make trouble for the Imperial College. Otherwise, with the Collegeās supreme status, how could a bunch of troublemakers suddenly appear for no good reason?
As for that dead person, the body was barely cold when it was determined that he was murdered by College students. Moreover, to even dare to place the coffin right in front of the College gate. [1] If this isnāt deliberate instigation, then what is it?
After soothing Xiao Qi and the other younger ones, Shiyu decided to speak to the Dean. She had barely taken a few steps past the Villa gate when another news reached her ears.
There was another tournament being held at Central Square.
Whatās more, this tournament had been planned to coincide on the same days as the College Tournament. To be held in the afternoon, right after the morning tournament organised by the Dean.
It ran in the same format as theirs. With a similar reward system and seven champions for challengers to fight. The only difference was that these champions were considerably older and all of them were Core Condensation 8 experts.
Oh, and the cost of the tickets was only 50 silver taels. Half the price charged by the College.
To be able to witness more powerful people fight at half the price, such a good deal would naturally draw more people to the afternoon tournaments.
To be honest, Shiyu was not at all surprised by the appearance of a competitor.
After all, this was a hugely profitable project, so it was natural that people would create something similar to reap the benefits of a trend. It was only a matter of time.
However, this ācompetitorā of theirs was clearly out to challenge the Imperial College head-on. The timing, the format, the rumours and the coffin in front of their gate, this was all an elaborated plan to agitate the waters.
In fact, it was likely they had been preparing long before One Ear even made an appearance. [1] Otherwise, how were they able to get past the Deanās personal scrutiny and slipped those bandits in?
They must have intended to sabotage the tournament by defaming the College Champions and hired people to make trouble at the College gates, believing that the Imperial College would be too busy scrambling to safeguard their reputation and unable to pay attention to the ticket snatchers luring the original fans away.
[1] This three-prong attack appeared impossible to surmount.
The only way they could kill off the competition (figuratively) was to have the College Champions defeat the Core Condensation 8 champions.
Except, you know, all seven of their rivalās champions were Core Condensation 8 while their team averaged at around Core Condensation 4 and 5. Winning a fight against a group like that was just a crazy dream.
Shiyu paused her steps and turned around. Thereās no need to see the Dean over this. There is nothing that they, as students, could do about the Collegeās reputation or political meddling. What she should do, as one of the Champions, was to raise her own Cultivation level. [1] To raise everyoneās level if possible.
[1] But how?
After experiencing tremendous improvement in just a few months, her Cultivation had stalled. She might be the second āstrongestā in their team now, but that could change anytime.
Ahh, canāt be lazy. If she doesnāt practice her Cooking Cultivation she wonāt improve. Unfortunately, it looked like cooking with ordinary ingredients doesnāt do anything for her Cultivation anymore. [1] She missed the time she could Cultivate just by dissecting Ginseng Fruitsā¦
Could it be possible that she could only Cultivate through processing Spiritual ingredients now?
Please read this at kitchennovel dot com ~ ( źŖŠźŖ)ć
That evening, Shiyu did not make anything complicated. After leaving a pot of bone soup to stew, she made her way to the garden to harvest some corn.
Part of the garden had been turned into a vegetable yard. There was not a lot of variety, but vegetables from all four seasons could be found here. The Spiritual aura within the Villa was so abundant that it ignored the changing seasons beyond the gates.
The unhusked corn looked plump and felt heavy. Once peeled, the brilliant yellow corn was so sweet and juicy that the kernels could be eaten raw.
However, Shiyu preferred a different way of eating them.
Roasting!
Corn by itself is already sweet, so there was no need to add anything else. With her convenient Fire Attribute, all Shiyu had to do was focus the fire on her hand let it lightly grill the surface of the corn until it charred up slightly. [2] She had such perfect control over her fire that she could evenly brown the outside of the kernels without drying the inside.
[3] The corn was freshly plucked and therefore still retained most of its natural sweetness. The grilling added a crisp, caramel fragrance to the already sweet and tender corn. Shiyu took a bite and couldnāt help it when her eyes turned into slits with pleasure.
Shiyu had always been the type to make whatever she wanted to eat on the spot.
When Xiao Qi and Lao Er returned from their classes, they saw their elder sister piling up bars of yellow sticks onto a plate.
Shiyu suddenly thought of the Cream Grilled Corn she had back in her past life. If she remembered right, the corn was first grilled, then covered in a layer of egg and breadcrumb mixture, grilled again until the mixture hardened around the corn.
After that, a small piece of butter is placed on the corn and the grilling continued until the butter melted and covered the whole corn. The melted butter is meant to crisp up the breadcrumbs on the corn. As a final touch, the corn is brushed with a little cream.
There were no breadcrumbs for sale in the Eastern Empire, but Shiyu managed to make some with her steamed buns. [4] After beating eggs into the breadcrumbs and placing a large brush by it, she was ready.
[4] First, grill the corn. Shiyu grilled the corn with her spiritual fire, toasting the outside until itās fragrant.
[4] Xiao Qi jumped up and down, āIs it ready now? Can I have it?ā her mouth was watering at the sight of the perfectly grilled corn.
[4] She then picked up the brush and covered the corn with a layer of egg and breadcrumbs, leaving a bumpy surface over the corn. A quick pass with her power quickly hardened the eggs making the bread crumb stick to the surface of the corn.
[4] Xiao Qi made a face at the oddly whitish and bumpy looking surface but said nothing. Her elder sister often made weird cooking that was awesomely delicious. This must be one of them!
[4] Shiyu then places a small square of butter on the corn and flare up her power again. The butter melted, slipped off the corn and fell to the floor with a splat.
[4] āā¦ ā¦ā
[4] āIāll clean it up,ā said Lao Er.
[4] Shiyu placed the second piece of butter on the corn, this time she was ready. She melted the butter carefully and using her incredible speed, balance and hand-eye coordination the butter skated over the surface of the egg and breadcrumbs until the breadcrumbs turned a lovely toasted brown colour.
[4] Please, she said, āNow for the final secret ingredient!ā She took up a brush and brushed the surface with a little cream and roasted it again. Oil dripped from the corn, making a sizzling sound, browning the corn even further.
[4] āHere!ā Shiyu handed the corn to Xiao Qi who took a large bite. Shiyu watched eagerly as Xiao Qi chewed. The little girl took another large bite and chewed some more. Then she handed the half-eaten corn to Lao Er.
[4] āWell?ā Shiyu was eager to know what her little sister think of her special Cream Grilled Corn.
[4] āItās very good,ā said Xiao Qi. āCan I have plain grilled corn next?ā
[4] āā¦ ā¦ā
[4] Lao Er finished the Cream Grilled Corn. Then, he reached for one of the unhusked corn and said, āI like them raw.ā
[Gumihou: If you must know, in the original text, Xiao Qi loved it very much and ate every bite.]
Omake by Gumihou:
Feng Luo: Something smells good. Hey, are those grilled corn?
Shiyu: Here, try my special Cream Grilled Corn!
Feng Luo: Cream Grilled, wow! Sounds delicious. Iāll have some.
Munch.
Shiyu: Well?
Feng Luo: Hmm, itās not bad. But itās a little dry for my taste. Do you have any boiled corn?
///
Shiyu: Try my Cream Grilled Corn
Xuan Yin ate the corn without comment.
Dong-Fang Zhen: Wow, how did you get the crust around the corn? Hmm, the taste is a little heavy for me. The outside is crisp and the corn is juicy. I guess itās good.
Shiyu: You guess?
Dong-Fang Zhen: If itās the corn from your garden, I prefer it steamed with just a tiny sprinkle of [insert expensive brand] salt
Xuan Yin nodded from the side.
Shiyu: ā¦
[Gumi: Iām starting to develop phobia against the last chapter of a long arc]
Gumihou is keeping track so that you donāt have to ~
[1] Additional Detail: Justā¦ additional details, for stuff.
[2] Buttering up Shiyuās skill ā Itās not exactly cooking skills, itās her fire control skills. Lol!
[3] Adjusted Description for Realism: Original Text āThe outer layer of corn kernels is chewy, but the inner side is crunchy and sweet, the taste may not be so rich that it was unforgettable, but occasionally one would suddenly and want to nibble on oneā
Like, I think author-san probably only had subpar corn in her life?
Personally, Iād rather trust this farming manga on the taste ofĀ really fresh corn.
[4] Gumi has given you what Shiyu thinks will happen when she tries to make the corn. From Note [4] onwards, is what will actually happen if you do things according to the steps provided by Shiyu. Please also enjoy the omake.
The abomination Shiyu made actually exist in some form. Only without the final cream application. But the guy did manage to apply cheese on the corn, soā¦
The name of the shop is Stone Grilled Corn, from Jin Hua Street