SailorStar9: Just wanted to try my hand at inserting an OC into a lesser known anime. So, read and review.

Summary: Ya Xue's father uses a life vow to bond her to Master Pai's family as a bond-servant-slash-vessel after Pai saved them from certain death. And a life vow tying Ya Xue to Master Pai's family means that she must dedicate her entire life and soul to protecting her master.

Pairings: Heavily hinted Mao/Mei Li, one-sided Sanche/Ya Xue

Disclaimers: Me no own, you no sue.

Chapter 1: Young Cooking Master


"I found it!" Mao beamed, reaching for a branch and seeing the group of mushrooms he was searching for, "The unique taste of this mushroom will make it the best ingredient." his joy was short-lived when the branch snapped, sending him pummeling down the mountain slope.

"Mao-sama," a feminine voice chided, grabbing onto Mao's shirt before he continued falling. "Are you alright?"

"Ya Xue." Mao smiled at his rescuer. "My mushrooms!" he exclaimed, gathering the fallen fungi.


"Whenever we're busy like crazy, he's never here." Karin sighed.

"Karin-chan, is Mao searching for ingredients at the mountain again?" one of the restaurant's more frequent diners asked.

"He's probably playing around and skipping from his work." Karin muttered, putting down the sauce pot. "There's no one else in our family. I wish he'd get more serious."

"You have so many problems." one of the diners teased. "It's hard for you to get married."

"It's been a month since the master chef, Pai-san, passed away." his companion pointed out as Karin cleared the table.

"Yeah, we all decided to work hard to maintain my mom's tastes." Karin replied.

"All of us customers came here so we don't forget about her dishes." the diner's partner agreed.

"Thank you very much for coming!" Karin sent the diners off. "Welcome..." she gaped when Shouan entered the restaurant with his two lackeys.

"I don't care what you serve me." Shouan remarked, taking a seat. "Just as long as it's good."


"Nee-chan!" Mao shouted as he ran back to the restaurant, just as Shouan's lackeys were making a mess inside Kikkaro Restaurant. "I've got so much stuff! Nee-chan, look at all these wild plants and mushrooms. I've got so much..."

"Karin-sama," Ya Xue was immediately beside Karin when the two took in the demolished restaurant. "What happened here?"

"Who are these guys?" Mao turned to see Shouan's thugs.

"They complained about our food." Karin replied.

"I just told you the truth." Shouan corrected. "If I can't judge the quality with a sip, then how can I be a Senior Chef?" he flashed his emblem.

"You still don't have the right to destroy this place." Mao snapped.

"Of course I do." Shouan smirked. "Look at this." he took out a sealed parchment. "It's from Admiral Lee, a leading figure in the central government cooking society. He sent me this order to be the new head chef of Kikkaro. In short, Kikkaro will be my restaurant from now on."

"I can't believe that Admiral Lee would give such orders to a complete stranger." Karin was shocked.

"A stranger?" Shouan echoed. "Have you forgotten about me?" he pulled off his glove and his eye-mask to reveal his burnt marks.

"That burn!" Ya Xue realized. "You must be..."

"Shouan!" Mao recognized the man.

"So you remember me now?" Shouan taunted. I worked here for ten long years. You're all so cold-hearted. I haven't forgotten about you even for a day. You can't imagine how miserably I was treated after that." he replaced his eye-patch. "However, I managed to put up with all the humiliation I trained desperately to qualify as a Senior Chef. All I wanted during those years was to destroy Kikkaro Restaurant."

"That's nonsense!" Karin snapped. "You have no reason to blame us."

"Mom worked so hard to improve you: her favorite disciple!" Mao defended. "She worried about you until the day she died."

"Pai, the Fairy of Szuchuan, is no longer alive." Shouan mocked. "So I am now the head chef of Kikkaro Restaurant. Move out!" he glared when Ya Xue shielded Pai's portrait with her body. "Get off me!" he kicked the vessel, who dodged the next kick and took off with the portrait. "I will never let him take over Kikkaro and disgrace Pai-sama's memory!"

"You stupid wretch!" Shouan sneered, coming out to pummel the retainer.

"Wait." Admiral Lee voiced.

"So, he's Admiral Lee?" Mao gaped.

"So, you're Admiral Lee?" Shouan was on his knees. "Sir, I've been waiting for you. I am Shouan, the one you appointed as the new head chef of Kikkaro."

"It's over now..." Karin muttered.

"Mom's restaurant..." Mao mumbled.

"Shouan." Admiral Lee stated. "I think you misunderstood something. I would never appoint a new head chef for a national restaurant without confirming how good the chef really is. Only when my seal is on the order will you be officially recognized as the new head chef. I will decide your appointment after I try one of your dishes."

"I understand." Shouan replied. "Please request anything that you like."

"I see." Admiral Lee noted. "All right, cook me some fried rice."


"Excellent work." Admiral Lee praised after a spoonful. "You really are the number one disciple of Pai, Shouan."

"I thank you very much, Admiral." Shouan smirked. "However, I'm sure that I have already surpassed her. Now please, give me your seal as you have promised."

"Wait!" Mao shouted. "Let me try the dish too!"

"Mao-sama!" Ya Xue exclaimed, too late to stop him.

"It tastes good." Mao was shocked. "He added coriander marinated in Kinka ham sauce. But no... this fried rice. It doesn't surpass my Mom's!"

"Even though he's Pai's son, he's still just a child." Shouan snorted. "What does a child know about cooking?"

"I grew up in the kitchen where my Mom worked." Mao argued. "I can remember all the tastes Mom created. That's why I know that Mom's fried rice tasted better!"

"Shut up!" Shouan snapped. "Admiral Lee, please ignore what he said. A child's memory can't prove anything. The reality is that Pai passed away. Her fried rice doesn't exist any longer. It's impossible to compare it with my fried rice. Of course, it would be another story if someone could reproduce Pai's fried rice."

"I can." Mao stated. "Admiral Lee, please let me cook my Mom's fried rice." he requested.

"What are you saying?" Karin was shocked. "You've only played around and never trained to properly cook."

"Let me remind you that the menu of a national restaurant affects the prestige of our country and our 4000-year-old cooking style." Admiral Lee stated. "Serving a poor dish is equal to a serious offense. Your youth won't exempt you from that. Are you still prepared to say that?"

"Yes, I promise I'll reproduce my Mom's fried rice." Mao swore.


"Golden fried rice..." Admiral Lee was stunned when Mao's dish was uncovered.

"Golden fried rice?" Karin echoed.

"Don't be fooled by the fancy name of that golden fried rice." Shouan scoffed. "The truth is, eggs are the only ingredient, other than rice. It's just egg-fried rice without any special inspiration. There's nothing to be excited about. I knew it." he smirked.

"This... really is... Pai's fried rice." Admiral Lee held back a tear as a taste.

"No way!" Shouan exclaimed. "That can't be true!"

"It's true that golden fried rice is just a mixture of rice and eggs," Admiral Lee admitted. "But only after each grain of rice is securely coated with eggs can it shine as perfectly as gold. Only Pai could cook this golden rice in Szuchuan province. Now, this mere 13-year-old boy has reproduced it. Even next to Shouan's luxurious fried rice, it's quite hard to compare the two."

"My cooking has received praise from many gourmets." Shouan burst out laughing. "I can't believe you equated my cooking with Mao's. Even if you were one the general managing officer of the imperial kitchen; if you really think that, Admiral, then I have my pride a as a Senior Chef. Please allow me to officially compete against Mao. I would like you to permit us to have a national restaurant cooking competition. One officially sanctioned by the Szuchuan Chef Alliance."

"You should know the rules of the cooking competition, Shouan." Admiral Lee reminded. "If you lose, not only would Mao become the new head chef, you would be stripped of your qualifications as a Senior Chef."

"It will never happen unless a miracle occurs." Shouan was confident. "What do I have to worry about going against such a child?"

"I ask you as well, Admiral." Mao requested. "Please let me compete with Shouan."

"Mao, if you lost, it would be considered an insult to a Senior Chef." Admiral Lee reminded. "Leaving Kikkaro with your employees won't be the only punishment."

"Fine." Mao replied. "I'm prepared for any kind of punishment."

"Now, let me announce the subject." Admiral Lee declared. "Shouan, Mao, I want you to cook Mapo Tofu. But not just any Mapo Tofu. It must be a mystery Mapo Tofu, consisting of six united factors. That will be the subject."


SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.