Chapter 102 The Seventh of the Nine Broths

The judges' reaction, coupled with Zhang Wei's earlier boasts, created a stark contrast. Many burst into laughter on the spot, their contempt for the arrogant young man unconcealed. Zhang Wei was unsurprised. Shrugging, he said, "I'm truly sorry. I've racked my brain and can't find a touching story comparable to Lou Ming's, so I can't trick you into casually accepting the appetizer." Zhang Wei had hit the nail on the head regarding Lou Ming's technique. "You say this is an appetizer?" Zhang Wei nodded. "Exactly. To truly savor the deliciousness of the meatballs, this foul-tasting soup must be drunk." "Absurd!" A judge stood up, criticizing him mercilessly. "I've never heard such words before!" "Your knowledge is still somewhat lacking," Zhang Wei retorted just as sharply. This kind of direct confrontation with the judges could be extremely unwise. Taste is subjective, and if the judges were angered, how could they give high scores? As everyone questioned him, Lou Ming picked up his soup bowl and began to drink it, gulp after gulp. Unexpectedly, the first person to drink the soup on stage was Lou Ming, his opponent. "How does it feel?" "It's quite awful." Perhaps feeling it wasn't comprehensive enough, Lou Ming added, "It's weirdly awful, with every sip being stimulating, but each sip is different... I don't understand how you did it." Lou Ming found himself understanding Zhang Wei less and less. He couldn't decipher the ingredients, taste, or preparation methods of the soup at all. With Lou Ming's example, the judges, though skeptical, drank the soup. "Damn... it's so spicy! I can't handle spice!" "My sip was sour..." "That's not bad, mine tasted like fermented herring!" "It's just bizarrely disgusting!" Lou Ming asked quietly, "What is the purpose of this soup?" "Guess." Lou Ming pondered for a moment, then shook his head. "Appearing last, the judges are already nearing satiety... To stimulate their appetite, I would use a lot of acidic food. And I'd use clear tea or other items to clear the impact and lingering tastes of previous contestants." "But clearly, this is completely different from your soup! In fact, I don't understand this dish at all... Heh, satisfy the curiosity of this dying man." "Stand up first, and I'll tell you." "If you don't want to say, then forget it." Lou Ming's life hung by a thread; standing up was something for the next life. But Zhang Wei had no intention of letting Lou Ming go, extending a hand. Seeing the earnest look in Zhang Wei's eyes, Lou Ming placed his hand on it. An incredible sight unfolded! Lou Ming stood up with ease, his complexion even improving. "What is this..." Seeing Lou Ming's astonishment, Zhang Wei smiled. "I don't know what happened to your body, but you've replenished some vital energy, which should help." "It's that soup!" "Indeed!" "Was it some rare ingredient? I can't taste it." "No, strictly speaking, it's not food, but a bowl of medicine." "Medicine?" "Precisely, medicine!" The Seventh of the Nine Cauldrons Soup—Medicinal Soup! This soup was actually a failed product. This medicinal soup was undoubtedly the most difficult to conquer in the Nine Cauldrons Soup series! On one hand, Zhang Wei's knowledge of pharmacology was superficial, a mere fraction compared to professional traditional Chinese medicine practitioners. Moreover, the world was different, and many medicinal ingredients couldn't be found. The original recipe was useless. Fortunately, Zhang Wei had plenty of Baili, so he cleared out all the pharmacies and markets with one move. However, according to traditional Chinese medicine theory, food and medicine share the same origin, and ingredients are also medicinal. Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, fennel, cinnamon, hawthorn, yam... these familiar table items were originally found in medicine chests. Using the time flow of the treasured collection, Zhang Wei tirelessly experimented again and again! His persistence even moved himself. And then... the medicinal soup was still incomplete. But by chance, as Zhang Wei continued to experiment, his pharmacological knowledge grew, and his formulations became more reasonable. He inadvertently discovered a completely new drug formula... Lou Ming asked, "This soup can replenish vital energy, is that the effect you were pursuing?" "No, that's a side effect." Lou Ming: ... "Ahem... an ancillary effect." At this moment, the judges were clamoring, "Hey, kid, we've all drunk the soup, now tell us the next step! If you can't come up with something that impresses us, don't blame us for being rude!" "Yes, when have our tongues ever tasted something so awful? It reminds me of the bitter soup I drank as a child, a truly painful memory." Zhang Wei interrupted them. "Enough, stop complaining. I'll celebrate for you in advance, congratulations on arriving in a new world!" "A new... world?" "Hmph! Arrogant!" Zhang Wei placed the meatballs on the tasting table, a total of over ten types of different sizes and colors... Judging by the preparation method, they were all fried and crispy. "Everyone, let's taste this... flavor of the soul!" As the judges were about to say something, one of them pushed through the crowd, ignoring the appearance, aroma, and quality. He directly picked up a meatball and put it in his mouth.