Translator: CatatoPatch Editor: Vermillion
The moment the jar was opened, the stench erupted and assaulted the judge’s face. The smell drilled into his nostrils and caused the judge’s face, which was filled with curiosity, to stiffen.
The color of his face changed, turning from yellow to purple in an instant. It eventually turned black and he felt as though he was about to throw up.
What the hell was this odor? The mouth of that judge, whose face was filled with despair, swelled up. His eyes widened and he retreated back by several steps before falling down on his butt.
Bu Fang curled up the corners of his mouth as he looked at that judge. He casually retrieved several pieces of Stinky Tofu from inside the jar.
An intense stench was released from the Stinky Tofu as the pitch black marinade dripped out from them. The stench started to diffuse in the air and went further and further.
The judge finally understood why Bu Fang asked him such a question… Why didn’t he distance himself from Bu Fang? How was I supposed to know that the earthen jar was filled with such a damnable object?
What the hell was the object in the jar? Excrement?
There were several people outside the arena whose eyes widened at this moment. It happened when they noticed the earthen jar which was in Bu Fang’s hand.
It was precisely that jar… That was the jar which was filled with the strong stench and it caused them to fail the selections. Everything was this guy’s fault!
They would never have expected that Bu Fang would dare to take out such a stinky object in the arena. Wasn’t he afraid of causing public indignation? Was he not afraid to face everyone’s rage?
Bu Fang waved his hand and covered those Stinky Tofu with his true energy before processing them.
Since Bu Fang wanted to attract the crowd’s attention, he had to use the Stinky Tofu. After all, the stench of the Stinky Tofu had an extremely great power of attraction.
People were curious by nature. The moment the stench assaulted them, all of them would want to know where the smell came from. The moment he had their attention, wouldn’t he have a good opportunity to promote his Cloud Mist Restaurant?
Bu Fang decided to use the Stinky Tofu due to all these reasons.
He believed in his own skill and he would make a name for himself with the Stinky Tofu’s stench.
A piece of Stinky Tofu would be enough for him to pass this round of competition. It was also capable of attracting the crowd’s attention. Not to mention the fact that he could make the Cloud Mist Restaurant’s name more famous while doing so… Why wouldn’t he use it?
The stench gradually started to spread around the arena and all of his competitors caught a whiff of the smell. The odor caused the hair on their entire bodies to stand on end.
“What kind of smell is this? Why is it so stinky?”
The expression of everyone on the arena sharply changed in an instant. All of the alchemists’ complexion became filled with fright and panic.
While refining elixirs, they needed to connect with their alchemic flame with their mental force. They were not able to lose focus for even a moment. The appearance of that stench affected their mind and caused their mental force to become unstable.
However, they were alchemists and they were many times more powerful than the doctors who participated in the selection along with Bu Fang.
As such, even though they were affected by the smell, their furnaces didn’t explode. However, they were all extremely angered by the smell as it had disrupted their concentration. All of them felt as though the sudden appearance of the stinky odor was unbearable. Especially when they were concentrating on refining an elixir.
They all turned their heads around angrily to look at the source of the stench.
At such a time, Bu Fang had a relaxed expression on his face as he continued to cook his Stinky Tofu. He intended to use the Sweet Spicy Stinky Tofu once again.
“This madman is actually boiling excrement in the arena!”
Everyone who was around Bu Fang widened their eyes and all of them had an angry expression on their face.
What angered them even more was that Bu Fang was actually using a Heaven and Earth Obsidian Flame to boil excrement… How could such a wasteful person exist in this world? That Heaven and Earth Obsidian Flame was truly wasted in his hands.
They were so angered that their complexion and expression became somewhat distorted.
Bang! Bang!
The sound of medicine furnaces exploding filled the arena. Several doctors were not able to endure it anymore and their hands trembled. Their minds shook and their medicine furnaces exploded. Their medicinal paste splattered all around.
The alchemists were faring much better than the doctors and although their alchemic flames were flickering chaotically in their pill furnaces, they were able to keep it under control.
That judge, whose complexion was black, crawled up from the ground.
He was the one who was closest to Bu Fang when he opened the jar. He was obviously the one who smelled the worst part of the odor. The smell was truly… unbearable.
“What are you doing?” The judge was so angry that his lips were shivering.
He felt as though Bu Fang definitely took part in this competition in order to create trouble. How could such a stinky object have the same effect as an elixir??
Bu Fang looked at that judge calmly without uttering a word. He turned back to his wok and continued to cook his Stinky Tofu. After it was completely fried in the Black Turtle Constellation Wok, the black Stinky Tofu had a light yellow luster around it.
Taking it out of the wok, Bu Fang placed it on a porcelain tray and sprinkled some bright juice on it. He also added some sweet and sour seasonings. After he was done, a tray of Sweet Spicy Stinky Tofu which had quite a beautiful appearance was completed.
“I have prepared my product.”
Bu Fang took a towel and wiped his hand before looking at the judge. He was calm when he spoke to the judge.
That judge, who was still enraged, was taken aback by Bu Fang’s words.
You’re done? Wasn’t it too quick? Not even half an hour passed…
That judge restrained his anger and looked at the Sweet Spicy Stinky Tofu which Bu Fang prepared. Was this lad depending on this dish when he joined the Magical Hand Conference?
That judge took a deep breath. The moment he took a piece of the Stinky Tofu, the stench drilled into his nostrils once again. He couldn’t help but cough several times… “It’s really too stinky!”
“Fine… Since you are done making it, I will properly appraise and examine your product.”
There was a slight trace of malice in the judge’s eyes when he spoke about appraising Bu Fang’s dish.
He took out a jade talisman from his bosom. The jade talisman was thoroughly yellow and there were many patterns inscribed on it. The moment the judge poured true energy into the talisman, it started glowing.
An array, the size of a basin, appeared above that talisman and started revolving above his hand.
“This is an array used to detect the quantity of spiritual energy contained within a product. The higher the quantity of spiritual energy in the product, the better and stronger the effects of the product on the human body. Moreover, this array can also determine a product’s effects and its amplification of a human body’s abilities. No one has been able to cheat when facing this array.”
The judge said those words while clenching his teeth. His gaze was fixed on Bu Fang’s face as he wanted to see through his thoughts.
However, he failed. Bu Fang’s face was completely emotionless and there were no changes in his expression.
“Examine it.” Bu Fang was quite calm. However, he was somewhat astonished by the existence of such a peculiar array.
That judge coldly snorted and pinched his nose as he approached the Sweet Spicy Stinky Tofu. The stinky odor which assaulted him still had a light sweet fragrance. The mixture of the two weird smells would stupefy anyone.
The forehead of the alchemists in the surrounding was filled with sweat and none of them dared to look at Bu Fang. They simply focused all of their attention on refining their elixir in their pill furnace.
Buzz…
The judge controlled the array and made it envelop the dish. Rays and dot of lights, which seemed like the stars in the sky, unceasingly rotated around in the array. It seemed as though it was scanning the dish.
As the array spun, the radiance which was emitted by it became brighter.
“How’s this possible?”
That judge’s eyes became wide and his face was filled with disbelief. How could the radiance of the array be so intense? It was unreasonable and illogical.
Was that tray of that excrement-like object truly akin to a ninth grade elixir?
There was no way the judge believed the result. However, he knew that it was impossible for the array to make a mistake.
At this moment, he stopped caring about the stench coming from the Stinky Tofu. He leaned his head closer and looked at the rays of light which was flowing around in the array and his expression changed multiple times.
“It’s impossible… This is definitely fake.”
“You can try it and you will know whether or not the result is fake,” Bu Fang said expressionlessly.
“How can I try such an excrement-like object?” The judge was angered by Bu Fang’s suggestion and he glared at the latter with indignation.
Bu Fang was still calm and unperturbed while facing his gaze. He calmly stared at the judge.
“Then… Can I be considered to have passed the test?” Bu Fang asked.
That judge found himself at a loss for words. If he judged Bu Fang based on the response of the array, then he would have passed the preliminary round without a doubt…
However, the judge didn’t believe that such a stinky object was comparable to a ninth grade elixir.
“Judge, how can you let such a person pass the test? For the sake of fairness, you have to eat the dish and expose him.”
“Judge, you should eat it. He must have made such a stinky dish because he was sure that you would not dare to try it.”
“You’ll only be able to expose him if you eat it. His stinky dish caused us to be eliminated… You can’t let him off just like this. If you allow him to pass, we will file a complaint to the masters responsible for the Magical Hand Conference.”
…
The face of all of the competitors who were eliminated because of that stench was filled with anger and indignation.
The complexion of that judge became even darker when he heard their words. What the hell… It’s easy for all of you to talk since you would not be the ones to eat his dish…
The commotion at the eighth arena already attracted the attention of many people. Many spectators, whose gaze were wandering between the arenas, curiously looked toward the eighth arena. They managed to catch an extremely interesting and funny scene.
Those spectators watched the eighth arena eagerly despite the overwhelming stench which was coming from it.
There was a competitor who boiled excrement in the arena and all the other competitors who were affected by him were unconvinced with his result. They were forcing the judge to try his dish… “What the f*ck, this is truly exciting and interesting.”
“Eat it! As a judge, you should be fair and just. Eat it!”
“Quickly eat it, don’t let such opportunist prevail and get away with it.”
“Judge, we are cheering for you… Eat it!”
…
The spectators were hoping that this matter would get blown bigger and started shouting from the stand. Their shouts caused the judge’s face to turn blacker and blacker.
“It’s easy for all of you to say… If you were in my place… would you eat it? All of you are horrible people who only know how to seek pleasure in others’ misfortune…” The judge really wanted to cry after hearing the cheers for him to eat the dish.
The judge’s heart suddenly skipped a beat as he felt as though a gaze was directed toward him. That was a gaze from some of the major characters overseeing the Magical Hand Conference. They were located at a distant place… However, they were looking at him.
He straightened his neck in an instant. Even though his expression was gloomy, he said, “Don’t cause a scene. I’ll eat it for the sake of fairness.”
