SailorStar9: Well, I've uploaded Chapter 41, and here's Chapter 42. 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 42: The Brave Chef's Glory
"Your Majesty." Ron voiced, after the Emperor tasted Fei's dished. "What about Liu Mao Xing's dishes?"
"I'm too full to eat." the Emperor replied.
"I see." Ron grinned. "Well then. There's no need to taste the other 100 dishes! Clear the table!
"He won't even try a single dish." Raihou mocked. "Too bad, so sad."
"All that hard work for nothing."Youshi smirked. "The winner is decided."
"Please wait, your Majesty!" Mao voiced before the Emperor headed back. "At least try a spoonful of this dish! I made this rice porridge."
"You imbecile!" Ron snapped. "Rice porridge is such a cheap corner-cutting dish! It's rude to serve that to the Emperor!"
"I didn't cut any corners." Mao protested. "You'll know if you eat it!"
"Enough out of you, kid." Ron barked. "Take this kid away!"
"Ron," the Emperor cut him off. "I can try one spoonful. It's an ordinary rice porridge." he muttered, eating the spoonful and dropping the spoon.
"Expel Liu Mao Xing from here immediately!" Ron ordered. "The other dishes are eyesores too. Clear them away!"
"Wait!" the Emperor turned and spotted the buns in the steamer. "I want to try that dim sum too."
"The tasting is over!" Ron declared. "Any further tasting would be a waste of time. His Majesty tasted all of Fei's 100 dishes. But what about yours? How many dishes of yours do you think he didn't even try? With that said, the winner of the Chinese Hundred-Dish Cooking Contest is... Fei's team! Are you fine with this, your Majesty?" he turned to the Emperor.
"What a beautiful dish this is." the Emperor gushed at the glistering phoenix on the plate before him. "What's this dish called?"
"That dish is called the Crystal Phoenix." Mao reported.
"Idiots." Youshi muttered. "Look closer!"
"It's just stir-fried bean sprouts decked out in the shape of a phoenix." Raihou supplied.
"I can't believe this is just a bean sprout." the Emperor was astonished.
"We call it the Ruyi vegetable." Mao explained. "It looks like the Ruyi Rod used by Sun Wukong. It's a bean sprout with root and bean removed. It transforms into a beautiful jewel, and becomes a dish worthy of the name Crystal Phoenix."
"Ruyi vegetables." the Emperor noted and ate the bean spouts. "Interesting. It tastes so light and vivid."
"What are you doing?" Ron ordered. "The judging is over. Clear the dishes now!"
"That's not necessary!" the Emperor slapped the serving girl's hand away and started devouring the phoenix. "Next! Bring me the next dish immediately!" he ordered and continued consuming the other dishes with relish.
"Your Majesty!" Ron protested. "It's not healthy for you to eat so much! Your stomach will explode!"
"Let go, Ron!" the Emperor pushed the minister aside and leapt onto the serving table, before proceeding to gulp plate after plate. "I can't eat any more." the utterly satisfied king collapsed on the table.
"His Majesty's verdict has been decided!" Ron snapped. "The decision won't be reversed!"
"That's funny." Master Lou picked his ear. "I didn't hear a decision from his Majesty. Or am I getting too old to hear properly, everybody?" he looked at the audience.
"His Majesty is supposed to declare the verdict for this cooking contest." Chouyu stood up. "But this time it was Minister Ron who decided, and not his Majesty. Therefore, I object to the verdict!"
"Quiet!" Ron barked. "How rude you all are before his Majesty! Take these outrageous men away! Quickly, take them away!"
"Wait!" the Emperor ordered. "Liu Mao Xing. I want to ask you something." he stepped down from the table and walked towards the young chef. "What kind of magic did you use to cook those dishes?"
"We didn't use any magic." Mao replied. "But when I looked at your Majesty, I noticed something. My Mom was the head chef of Kikkaro in Szuchuan. I saw a customer just like your Majesty at the restaurant before. He was wealthy and ate luxurious food every day. But he was pale and constantly yawned as if he were tired. But after eating my Mom's rice porridge, he looked much better and was more energetic. The more luxurious Chinese food gets, the more oil is used. Therefore, it is not good for your health."
"Eating luxurious Chinese food exclusively may weaken your bowels." Leon added.
"Mao's mother Pai used Chinese herbs to cook a medicinal porridge." Shell explained.
"I remembered it, so I made a porridge that's not only tasty, but also good for your Majesty's body at the same time." Mao explained.
"For my sweet dumplings, fried dumplings, and siu mai, I included nutritious pumpkins and detoxifying red perilla leaves." Shell added.
"The sauce for my sashimi contains nutritional supplements, walnuts, and pine nuts." Leon remarked.
"My Crystal Phoenix has a secret sauce made from ginger and garlic, which clears toxins from your body." Mao continued.
"All of you cooked a meal taking into consideration not only taste, but also my health!" the Emperor realized. "The winner is Liu Mao Xing!" he declared. "So, Liu Mao Xing." he added, after he retook his seat. "I want to give you a reward. You can have anything you want."
"Your Majesty, please release Admiral Lee from prison." Mao requested.
"Is that all?" the Emperor asked.
"Yes." Mao nodded. "And please ask him about the Underworld Cooking Society."
"As per the rules, we'll strip you of your culinary certifications." Ron cast a looked at Fei's group. "Furthermore, you'll be expelled from Peking immediately."
"Minister Ron, damn you!" Raihou snapped.
"Do you intend to betray us?" Youshi demanded.
"W-what are you talking about?" Ron glared. "Take them away now!"
"In this case, I'm going to reveal the truth about you, Ron!" Youshi retorted.
"Fei!" Mao hurried over when he saw Fei pushed the guards off him and the older chef collapsed onto the ground in pain.
"He doesn't have a fever, but why is he in such pain?" Leon rested a hand on Fei's forehead.
"But we can't do anything without knowing the cause." Shell pointed out.
As Mao was pondering on how to save Fei, inspiration stuck him and he turned to the Legendary Cookware the group had gathered. As if in response to their owner's wishes, the three Cookware flew over to Mao and shone their light on Fei.
"This could be it." Mao realized. Grabbing the Forever-Spirit Knife, he readied his ingredients and tossed them into the Coiled Dragon Pot and Spiritual Deity Copperware. "The soup's complete!" he declared, pouring both liquids from the pots using a pair of ladles. "Here, Fei." he fed his fellow Super Chef the healing soup.
"Mao." the revived Fei, with his Underworld Cooking Society mark removed, looked at the younger chef.
"Fei, what happened to you?" Mao asked. "Why did you join the Underworld?"
"Mao, after the Super Chef examination, I recovered my lost memories." Fei replied. "It was the Underworld who kidnapped me and murdered my parents. So I infiltrated their headquarters seeking vengeance. It was as Ya Xue warned me; that was foolish."
"That pill was their secret medicine for mind control." Leon explained.
"The Underworld needed my official qualification as a Super Chef to infiltrate the Court." Fei explained. "Minister Ron is their inside man, and is secretly assisting them."
"Minister Ron, I knew you had to be working for the Underworld." Leon looked at the minister.
"You can't run anymore." Admiral Lee blocked Ron's path. "Prepare yourself, Minister Ron! Your Majesty, what should their reward and Fei's punishment be?" he asked the Emperor.
"I leave it to you." the Emperor replied. "I'm happy as long as I have Mao's cooking."
"Liu Mao Xing!" Admiral Lee turned. "I hereby appoint you as the new Head Chef of the Imperial Kitchen!"
"Let me say something." Mao voiced. "I appreciate it, but I must relinquish the position. I still have a very important task to accomplish."
"What is this important task?" Admiral Lee sighed.
"I have to find the remaining Legendary cookware." Mao replied.
"What does that mean, Admiral Lee?" the Emperor asked.
"Sir. As you just saw, the Legendary cookware have fearsome powers." Admiral Lee explained. "If the Underworld Cooking Society secures the remaining cookware, they will rule all of China."
"How can we prevent this?" the Emperor inquired.
"There is only one way." Admiral Lee replied. "I think it would be best to dispatch Liu Mao Xing and his team. If the Underworld Cooking Society secures the remaining cookware, they will rule all of China."
"I understand." the Emperor sighed. "It's disappointing, but I'll give up his dishes."
"I greatly appreciate your Majesty's care for all the people of China." Admiral Lee remarked and turned to Mao. "Liu Mao Xing! Leon! Shell! I order the three of you, on behalf of His Majesty, to go on a journey and find the remaining Legendary cookware! As for you, Lan Fei Hong. Although you were controlled by the Underworld, you did commit a crime. You must be severely punished. You will go with Mao, and swear on your life to find those Legendary cookware!The journey is fraught with peril, and your life may be at risk. The punishment may be harsh, it is deserved. May it help atone for your sins."
"Your Majesty," Admiral Lee presented himself in the court after Mao's extended group went on their journey. "While I know this is a matter for the Inner Affairs Department, I would like to beseech you to re-investigate the accusation on the late Huo Ting Feng."
"Be assured, Admiral Lee." the Emperor replied. "I had the Inner Affairs probe deeply into thier records, and complied with Ron's confession that he had indeed framed the former Head of the Crimson Iron Corps, I hereby give that late Commander Huo a post-mortem pardon and grant him the title of 'Captain'."
"I thank you on behalf of Captain Huo's daughter, Your Majesty." Admiral Lee bowed.
"I see..." the Emperor mused. "So it's that girl. I knew I recognized her eyes. It's quite a pity she's born female, otherwise she would be able to take her father's position."
SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.