SailorStar9: Well, I've uploaded Chapter 28, and here's Chapter 29. So, read and review. Come on guys and girls, is it so hard for you to leave a review other than put this on your favorited list and story alerts?

Disclaimers: Me no own, you no sue.

Chapter 29: The Metal Palm's Demonic Power

"Please come this way." the boatman led the group into the vessel.

"This place must be packed by the enemy." Mao remarked.

"Without a doubt."Shell agreed. "There may be hundreds, no... thousands of them! Guess we'll be lucky to get out of here alive."

"Oh man!" Shilou shivered. "Let's go back, Mao-nii!"

"This is the chance of a lifetime." Leon stated. "The Underworld seeks ways to make ordinary chefs submit to them. They are motivated by pride and a demented sense of justice. And now, we're about to see the Underworld's stage. We can't get luckier than this."

"Maybe so, but..." Mei Li muttered. "Why do I feel like I'm descending into hell?"

"So you're scared huh?" Shilou taunted. "As expected from a girl, I guess."

"Oh really!" Mei Li snapped. "Who was the one who wanted to go back just now?"

"Don't worry, Mei Li." Mao assured. "Shell and Leon are with us."

"That's right!" Shilou boasted. "Not to mention me, Shilou-sama, who's of Japanese descent. Underworld or Overworld, they'd better not mess with me! Help me, Brother Mao!" he shrieked, hiding behind Mao when he bumped into a stone dragon.

"And... he eats his words less than a second later." Ya Xue snarked.

"You perplex me at times." Sanche looked at Mao. "You actually chose him as your student?"

"Hey, just how far are we supposed to go?" Shell demanded. "We're not here for a sightseeing tour, you know!"

"It's right ahead." the boatman raised his lamp.

"I commend you for not running away." Shan voiced. "Come in! This is our battlefield!" that said, the door before them creaked open.

"Well, I can't say I'm surprised by this." Ya Xue muttered, seeing the cooking arena presented before them.

"I'm sure you know what we want." Shan voiced. "The Legendary Cookware. But, we can't just take it from the Shanghai Cooking Guild. So, we've decided to challenge you for it with cooking, fair and square."

"You took hostages, and you have the gall to speak of fairness?!" Sanche snapped. "Release my father at once!"

"Hostage?" Shan echoed. "You wound me greatly. The Elders are staying in a different room from here. Once the contest is settled, you may return with them. Your father gladly provided this to us." she produced the map. "A map which shows where Shanghai's Legendary cookware is sealed. But this piece alone is gibberish. Did you bring the corresponding maps said to be the key to decoding this?"

"I have them right here." Ya Xue unrolled the map that dangled from her sheathed saber.

Shell reacted, spitting out the toothpick from his mouth and sending ti flying towards Shan's hand and forcing her to drop the map. Ya Xue tossed her part of the map into the air, Leon securing both maps into the roof with a small knife.

"The code and the map!" Mao declared. "The winner of our duel takes both! Fight us, Underworld Cooking Society!"

"Very well!" Shan smirked. "The Floating Qilin Palace's Banquet Cooking Tournament will now commence! Four chefs from each side will each compete individually in one round. We will duel in four categories: soup, dim sum, and two main dishes. Whoever wins the most rounds is the champion. The first contest is a soup battle."

"Looks like it's my turn." Rouko stepped forward and threw off his cloak. "I am Rouko, the Multicolored Tiger of the Underworld. Who do I face?"

That arm... Ya Xue's eyes widened slightly when she saw Rouko's mechanical limb. I'm sure it was those blades that caused the injuries on father's body... chichue... I've finally found him... I've finally found the one who murdered you in cold blood.

"Interesting. Multicolored, shmulticolored, or whatever he calls himself..." Shell smirked. "As the greatest Super Dim Sum Chef in the Continent, I won't let..."

"Shell. Let me take him on." Sanche requested. "The Legendary cookware legitimizes the ruler of Shanghai's cooking world. A contest with the Legendary cookware at stake means that the Shanghai Cooking Guild is at stake! Please let me lead the charge!"

"Well then. Let me introduce our judges before we begin." Shan presented the judge panel.

"No way!" Sanche was stunned. "All of you... that's the boss of the marketplace, Master Zhang. He's the chief of the sailors, Master Hu. The leader of the Merchant's Union, Master He. The other two are also leaders of Shanghai's various guilds. Shanghai is a modernizing city, and there aren't many social systems in place. So people from different professions organized themselves into unions to protect the city themselves. The Cooking Guild, a great alliance, is but of many here. But... why? Why are you allied with the Underworld now? You've always worked with our guild in the past!So why do this now?!"

"Listen, Sanche." Master Zhang puffed his pipe. "We don't care who runs the Shanghai cooking world. Be it the Underworld or the Cooking Guild!"

"That's right." Master Hu agreed. "So long as the strongest one runs things and keeps the peace in Shanghai."

"I hear that Underworld Cooking Society has chefs that surpass even Super Chefs." Master He added. "And they're willing to use their skills for the betterment of Shanghai."

"So today, we've come to see for ourselves what they can really do." Master Hu remarked.

"Be warned, Sanche." Master Zhang warned. "We'll only vote for the better-tasting dish. Don't think that we'll favor you just because we know each other."

"Here in Shanghai, might makes right." Sanche understood what the judges implied.

"So the Underworld plans to control Shanghai and the cookware." Leon realized.

"All right! Both contestants, take your positions!" Shan declared. "The first round is a soup contest. Use whatever ingredient is available. Let the battle begin!"

"Arhat Tiger Claw!" Rouko activated his mechanical arm and started de-feathering the chickens. He then changed his arm's settings and deboned the featherless chickens, before cutting a hole in each chicken. He then sliced up carrots, bamboo shoots and mushrooms, allowing the diced-up vegetables to fall into the holes. "I'll show you the deepest mysteries of soup, with ingredients cut by this razor-sharp claw!" he chuckled, swapping out his metal utensils and tossed all five chickens into his pre-prepared broth. "What's wrong, Ryuchin boy?" he mocked his opponent. "I don't see you doing anything. Are you despairing because of my Arhat Tiger Claw? That's okay. Now's your chance to surrender."

"What's with that face, Mao?" Sanche chided. "In Shanghai, people visit our restaurant daily to eat my dishes. Every day, I cook my best so I can see them smile. You showed me that cooking can be a good thing. For that, I thank you, Mao. For the first time, I could cook with a smile on my face. Smiles create dishes, and dishes in turn create smiles."

"But there's precious little that can compete against Rouko's fancy soup." Shell mused as they watched Sanche find his ingredient.

"What primary ingredient does he intend to use?" Leon wondered.

I won't let the Underworld defeat me. Sanche swore. I'll protect everyone's smiles and the Shanghai Cooking Guild with my own hands! He stopped before the stone pool and reached a hand into the water. "I'll take you on with this!" he removed the snapping turtle. I challenge you, Underworld Cooking Society! He placed the turtle on the chopping block and went to work; opening up the turtle and tossed the flesh into the wok.

"It looks like both contenders are finished." Shan noted. "We will now proceed with the tasting. You first, Rouko."

"Did you see that, Ryuchin boy?" Rouko bragged, seeing how the judges had hungrily devoured his soup. "Now's your last chance to give up!"

"Bark after the match is done." Sanche fired back. "You don't understand anything that's important about soup. I'll prove it to you now. This is my soup!" he brought out a shiny melon.

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