[Yanfei sure knows how to spice things up!]
[Gouba, blast her!]
[Gouba: Ah, mumbles incoherently!]
[Gouba's crying again—Yanfei's an Adeptus, yet she doesn't recognize it.]
"Both contestants, please follow me in taking the oath: As finalists of this year's Masterful Chefs Competition, I pledge to give my all and complete the competition fairly."
Xiangling and Yanxiao took the oath in turn.
Unlike Xiangling's calm and composed demeanor, Yanxiao was still visibly nervous, his words slightly stumbling despite having eased up a little.
Once the two finished their oaths, Ningguang announced the theme for this year's finals.
Standing up from her seat, Ningguang declared, "Thank you all for coming to witness the finals of the Masterful Chefs Competition. I am Ningguang, the Tianquan of the Liyue Qixing."
"On behalf of the organizers, the culinary theme for this year's finals is: 'Ritual of Land and Water.'"
Lumine pondered, "The theme for the Moonchase Festival was 'Cuisine and Scenery,' and now the competition's theme is 'Ritual of Land and Water.' As expected of Ningguang—she really knows how to set the tone."
Paimon nodded. "Mhm! It's got both land and water—sounds super profound!"
Ningguang continued, "The rules are simple: the winner takes all. Contestants may cater to the judges' tastes or rely on their skills to win over everyone present."
"Now then, I look forward to your performances."
With Ningguang's speech concluded, the one-hour timer began—the Liyue Masterful Chefs Competition officially commenced!
——————
"Even though I know this is just a game and Xiangling, as a major character, is bound to win, it still feels a bit too abrupt."
Guinaifen analyzed the entire event.
From the rules, the votes of the judges held the same weight as those of ten randomly selected audience members.
Everyone had one vote each.
In other words, merely pleasing the three judges wasn't enough—the dishes had to satisfy the general public's tastes as well.
Xiangling had spent the event gathering opinions from many people.
She could fully account for the audience's preferences.
Yanxiao had his own strengths too.
Working at Wangshu Inn, a hub for travelers from all over, he was accustomed to serving diners of diverse origins.
He could also consider the audience's tastes.
However, judging by his on-stage performance, Yanxiao was far too nervous.
Whether he'd mess up later remained to be seen.
[Little Gui's analysis is Schrödinger's-tier—sometimes spot-on, sometimes not.]
[We've helped Xiangling so much—if she doesn't win now, it'd be ridiculous.]
[Something tells me the plot won't be this straightforward. Given Yanxiao's state, if nothing goes wrong, something definitely will.]
After quickly finishing her analysis, Guinaifen dove into the gameplay.
This event wasn't just about the story—players had to take action too.
——————
When Lumine asked Mu Yang for his thoughts, he gave a brief analysis.
His points were largely the same as Guinaifen's.
Yanxiao's skills weren't the issue—his nerves were.
This mindset might affect his performance.
Sure enough, Yanxiao stood frozen, lost in thought.
Meanwhile, Xiangling had already begun selecting ingredients from the organizers' prepared stock.
Xiangling recalled the advice she'd received.
"Xiao mentioned side dishes should be lightly seasoned to contrast with the main course, which aligns with Xinyan's point about balancing flavors..."
She picked up a small jar of sugar. "But if it's too bland, it'll lack a satisfying finish... Maybe adding a bit of sugar to the Crystal Shrimp will enhance the taste."
After finalizing the Crystal Shrimp, the next dish was 'Braised Triple Delicacies.'
Since the dish was inherently light, the accompanying flavors needed to be stronger to avoid overlapping with the main course.
Xiangling walked to a large pot, scooped up some broth, and took a small sip.
"The broth prepared by the organizers is fragrant, but it's lacking salt..."
"Following Beidou's advice, I'll add just the right amount."
Finally, there was the 'Fragrant Spicy Pepper Chicken'—Xiangling's specialty.
"No hesitation here. As everyone suggested, a dash of pepper will elevate the overall flavor."
With all three dishes planned, Xiangling glanced at Yanxiao and frowned.
"Huh? Yanxiao... doesn't seem to be in the right state..."
Suddenly, the situation on stage took an unexpected turn—even the host, Yanfei, was stunned.
"Huh?! Wait a minute—it seems something astonishing is happening on stage!"
"Xiangling's mysterious assistant appears to be helping her opponent! Judges, is this allowed?!"
[What the—?! That guy who predicted this earlier was spot-on!]
[Gouba's the star of this event! Mark my words—not even Morax can stop it!]
Mu Yang knew this was the instinct of the Stove God driving Gouba's actions.
Even though it had forgotten its identity, upon seeing a chef in distress, it still reached out to help...
Yanfei turned to the judges. "How should we rule on this situation?"
Ningguang replied, "I have no objections. Besides, that so-called assistant hasn't actually done anything."
Gouba simply stood nearby, swaying its head and cheering Yanxiao on with a smile—it didn't touch his ingredients or interfere with his cooking.
The gourmet Tianshu chuckled. "The energy of youth makes for a thrilling competition. This old man has no complaints."
Keqing stood up and declared the action non-violative.
Her reasoning was that Gouba wasn't just an assistant—it was Xiangling's partner and family.
In truth, everyone had seen that aside from lighting the stove, Xiangling had handled all the cooking herself.
Gouba had only been there to cheer her on.
And now, Gouba was doing the same for Yanxiao.
"This assistant shows no bias—it encourages both its own side and its opponent. It is a fair supporter."
Xiangling stepped forward. "Yeah, Gouba isn't my backup—Gouba just loves watching people cook!"
"I think it must've gone over to help Yanxiao calm his nerves."
Turning to the audience and judges, Xiangling assured them that Gouba would never interfere with the competition.
"In fact... if Yanxiao can't perform at his best, that'd be the real loss for this finals match."
Ever since their encounter at Wangshu Inn, Xiangling had wanted a fair showdown with Yanxiao.
The crowd had no objections to Xiangling's words.
Most of Liyue Harbor trusted Xiangling's character.
Besides, Gouba really hadn't done anything.
Most importantly, Yanxiao—with Gouba by his side—seemed to have genuinely relaxed.
The earlier nervousness that left him fumbling had faded.
Among the judges, Ningguang turned to Tianshu for his opinion.
Tianshu replied, "No objections. I'm impressed by their sportsmanship."
With no further objections, Yanfei announced the competition would resume.
Xiangling checked on Yanxiao.
Yanxiao forced a smile. "I-I don't know what's wrong with me. I was so nervous... Thank goodness for Gouba. I'm a little better now."
Despite his words, his hands still trembled as he chopped vegetables.
Xiangling advised him, "At times like this, try reciting tongue twisters in your head, or... think about your dad!"
"My dad? Why so specific...?"
"Because that's what I do!"
Gouba leaned in. "♪♪♪"
"Uh... Then I'll think about my mom. Oh, right—you should get back to your station. I'll be fine. Don't let me hold up your match."
Xiangling planted her hands on her hips. "No holding up—I'm already done."
The moment Yanxiao heard that, his eyes sharpened, and his hands steadied.
"What?! Then I can't afford to lose!"