SailorStar9: Well, I've uploaded Chapter 10, and here's Chapter 11. So, read and review. Come on boys and girls, is it so hard for you to leave a review other than putting this on your favorited lists and alerts?

Disclaimers: Me no own, you no sue.

Chapter 11: The Last Battle! Taste Battle Stadium

"Wang Hu of Xiaolin Kuan," the chief examiner passed his judgment. "You have failed."

"What?" Wang Hu gasped. "I failed? Are you guys kidding me? What's wrong with my noodles, huh?"

"The noodles with Dongpo Pork was good." the chief examiner admitted. "But you do not understand the personality of Su Dongpo. Dongpo's Pork was invented by Su Dongpo, a great man who lived a noble life. He never bragged nor showed off. But you took Dongpo's Pork and dressed it with all sort s of delicacies. This proved that you have absolutely no knowledge of Su Dongpo. Therefore, your dish is unworthy of the title 'Incomparable'. Leave this place quietly. You are next." the panel of examiners stood before Mao's table after Wang Hu was tossed out. "There's no soup or topping." he looked at the bowl of steaming noodles. "This looks just like a bowl of just ordinary noodles. Liu Mao Xing, are you asking us to eat this?" the chief examiner asked.

"Yes, that's right." Mao nodded.

"Impossible!" the chief examiner was stunned after he took a bite. "The noodles snapped at my teeth. I've never tasted noodles as firm as these. Liu Mao Xing." he stated. "How did you make these noodles?"

"Bu using this." Ya Xue replied, presenting a bowl of lye water.

"I just mixed a few drops of this in the dough." Mao explained. "I didn't need any water to knead the noodles. It's lye water."

"Lye water?" the chief examiner was stunned. "The legendary lye water?"

"Please let me explain," Ya Xue stated. "The city of Lanchow, located in the Kansu Province, has a secret liquid called 'lye water'. Adding a few drops of this to noodle dough will make the noodles contract and become very firm. Lye water is made by boiling crushed bits of Lanchow rocks, and using only the top of the mixture. The rocks themselves come from the Gobi desert, where weeds are cocked in hole to become charcoal. The charcoal is then frozen to harden it. You could say it's a man-made rock."

"This is the rock?" the chief examiner peered at the remnant of the leftover Lanchow rock. "This is the first time I've ever seen a real lye water rock. How did you obtain such a rare item?"

"This was used by my Mother, at Kikkaro in Szuchuan." Mao replied. "Whenever she made noodles, she always boiled this rock. I used the same technique as my Mother in order to make my noodles. The lye water is very important."

"But the taste of the noodles isn't solely determined by the firmness." one of the examiners noted.

"Yes, the scent of flour isn't every strong." the chief examiner agreed. "Since no water is used, you can actually taste the eggs."

"I seasoned it with spices soaked in lard." Mao added. "I added green onions,, ginger and hot peppers, and then cooked it for an hour."

"I see." the chief examiner nodded. "That's why the lard in the noodles absorbed the sweet taste of the spices. By using so little, you brought out the inherent sweetness of the noodles to great effect. So let me ask you. Liu Mao Xing, how are these noodles incomparable?"

"I think that the most important thing in cooking is taste." Mao presented his explanation. "General Han Hshin from the Han Dynasty was regarded as incomparable. His strength was measured by his body, not by his weapons. That's why I didn't use any toppings or soup, and placed everything into the noodles. It is the best noodle in China: it's incomparable."

"Liu Mao Xing of Yousen Shuka has passed." the chief examiner declared. "The preliminary round of the Super Chef Examination is over." he took his place on the stone steps. "The main exam will now commence. Finalists, assemble in front of the main gate. The real exam begins now." he told the contestants as the gates opened. "Come inside."

"The main Super Chef Examination will now begin." Reika declared from her position on top of the Cooking Arena wall.

"It couldn't..." Ya Xue recognized the woman. "Reika-sama... so Reika-sama is going to be the judge of this round..."

"We will now commence." Reika announced. "You are going to use..." she started as a huge scroll was rolled down the wall. "Once again, noodles. And the new subject is..." she added, a second scroll was rolled down the wall. "Mock noodles. The time limit is when the moon sits over that flag. That is all. Begin!"

"Mao-sama?" Ya Xue blinked when Mao ran over to the well.

"There she is." Mao beamed, spotting the fish he wanted.

"What are you going to catch?" Mei Li asked as Mao climbed onto the well's wall and picked up the fishing net.

"Mao-sama!" Ya Xue exclaimed when Mao fell into the water.

Taking a few gulps of air, Mao ducked into the water again before he surfaced with a catfish in his arms. "I got one!" he declared. "My answer for noodles that are not noodles... is this!"

"A catfish?" Ya Xue echoed in confusion.

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