Gensokyo Population Revitalization Plan

As for why the judges' seat was so far from the stove, Lily explained everything by simply saying the three words "Yuyuko".

If this gluttonous creature were allowed near the stove, she would probably swallow the whole pot of food before it could even be plated. Keeping a safe distance is only natural.

"Why is it the finals right from the start?"

"Because there weren't as many participants as I had imagined, and Yukari Yakumo said that going straight to the finals would be more likely to ignite everyone's fighting spirit."

Mu Huai pointed to himself and asked, "By the way, can I also be a judge?"

"Um..." Lily's eyes darted around, and after stammering for a while, she finally told him a shocking truth: "Lord Mu Huai, you are actually a contestant..."

"Huh!? I don't remember ever signing up for a competition."

"But...the sponsors of this competition are all on the condition that you participate. If you don't participate...the competition may be canceled directly."

Yukari Yakumo appeared right behind him and said teasingly, "Mu Huai, you don't want your girlfriends' anticipated event to be canceled, do you?"

"Zi Mei, I'll remember this grudge!" Mu Huai casually pushed away the face that was resting on her shoulder.

"Oh dear~ I'm so scared! Just thinking about Mu Huai getting the championship and then making all sorts of demands on me makes me feel so unsafe~~"

The ambiguous, teasing remark made Aya Shameimaru's eyes light up. She almost pulled out her camera and started snapping photos of Yukari Yakumo and Mu Huai. Unfortunately, she was there on official business to report a serious news story, and all the photos she took had to be reviewed by her strict boss. She couldn't just take pictures randomly.

Otherwise, based solely on the conversation between these two, she could have written more than ten different reports, such as "Shocking! Gensokyo harem member flirts with youkai shizhe in front of his girlfriend, and then plans to do this and that to her!" and "The tearful past of youkai shizhe abandoned by Mu Huai," and other eye-catching content.

With the competition already a done deal, Mu Huai quickly adjusted his emotions, preparing to win the championship and then severely punish Yakumo Yukari. He didn't necessarily want to win outright, but he wanted to at least make her look bad.

"Perhaps having her say 'I love you' to me in public would be a good option?"

With that in mind, Mu Huai went with Lily to meet the other contestants.

Hakugyokurou's designated punching bag - Soul Yooooooo Dream, the bodhisattva who recently developed a particular fondness for drinking other people's milk at night - Marisa, the one who feels uncomfortable without drinking - Ibuki Suika, the shameless Kouhaku who is clearly just filling in the numbers - Hakurei Reimu, and the recently opened Night Sparrow Diner's proprietress - Mystia.

And the person who surprised him the most, the eternal homebody and online keyboard warrior—Kaguya Houraisan.

"Am I still dreaming? You actually came to the 'Billionaire Wife Yiergesi 4' forum to participate in the Chef King Competition?" Mu Huai complained, then stepped forward, brushed a strand of hair from Kaguya's forehead, and pressed his forehead against it without hesitation: "She doesn't seem to have a fever..."

"Hmph~ Aaaaaah!!! I can't take it anymore! To hell with serious news reports! My camera is crying because it can't take any gossip photos!!"

"Wenwen, calm down!!"

“If Mr. Mu Huai complains again, you’ll lose your entire salary for this month. Without money, you won’t be able to fund the printing of ‘Wenwen News Express’ yourself!”

"Do not!!!"

Her companion's words were like a giant hammer, striking Aya Shameimaru's head one after another. She staggered and fell to the ground, tears streaming down her face like boiling water bursting from a dam, instantly soaking the sand beneath her.

On the other side, Kaguya glared, grabbed Mu Huai's chin, and angrily shouted, "What are you doing? Do you think I'm mentally unstable?"

"You can't even hold a kitchen knife, what else could you be doing participating in a cooking competition if not having something wrong with your brain?"

Volume 2, "Seeking a Ruthless Guild in the Dungeon is Surely the Right Thing": Chapter 67, The Fantasy Land Chef Championship (Part 1)

Kaguya was speechless after being choked, but she hadn't come to the competition unprepared. However, she was reluctant to reveal her secret weapon, so she could only angrily grab Mu Huai's earlobe and shake it from side to side: "Don't underestimate me, you'll be in big trouble when I win the championship!"

"Hahaha!" Hearing this whimsical idea, he laughed three times and looked at her with kind eyes: "It's good to have dreams, but it's wrong to daydream."

"Tsk! Get lost, get lost, don't interfere with my next move!"

"You look cute when you're all red-faced. Try not to run away after the match."

"If I win, don't you dare run away!"

"Okay!"

......

"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the first ever Gensokyo Chef Championship!"

Ayasha, who had somehow resurrected, stood next to the judges' panel with a microphone in hand, her words and eyes full of enthusiasm. She was currently serving as the host of the competition.

"I believe everyone is familiar with the contestants, so I won't go into too much detail. Let's take a look at our luxurious judging panel for this competition!"

As she spoke, she stretched her right hand toward the judges' panel: "The first one is the youkai sage Yakumo Yukari, who is also the organizer of this event. The second one is Remilia... Wait, Remilia, aren't you a vampire? Can you eat the food made by these contestants?"

Remilia gracefully twirled her parasol: "Of course! I've found a way to overcome vampires' weaknesses, otherwise I wouldn't be sponsoring this competition."

"Ahem... I see. Now let's introduce our third and final judge—Miss Saigyouji, Saigyouji Yuyuko!"

These three are mysterious beings who rarely appear before the monsters. Their appearance together has caused the monsters, who love excitement, to cheer, making the already lively atmosphere even more exciting.

"Judges, before the competition begins, could you please tell us which contestant you think is the best?"

"Of course I favor Youmu."

Yuyuko gave her answer in a soft, cute tone. Shameimaru Aya looked at the other two. Yakumo Yukari shook her head mysteriously, while Remilia raised her voice triumphantly and said, "If my Sakuya participated, she would definitely win the championship. Unfortunately, she didn't, so... I'm rooting for Muhuai."

"Thank you to the three judges for their answers. Although the other contestants were not named, don't be discouraged. This is a cooking competition, and the final result will depend on their strength."

Seeing that the atmosphere was quite heated, Aya Shameimaru immediately raised her left hand and announced loudly, "Then... the competition begins! There is a two-hour time limit. Contestants can use their own ingredients or ingredients provided by the organizers."

"But please note that you must not add any hallucinogenic or addictive seasonings to the dishes, especially the various mushrooms from the Enchanted Forest that have negative effects!"

Marisa, who had just taken out the mushrooms, froze in place, then protested angrily, "This is blatant targeting! Why can't we use mushrooms as ingredients!"

"Marisa, please note that I am referring to hallucinogenic and addictive mushrooms, not other normal mushrooms. Does your rebuttal imply that you intend to use illegal seasonings?"

"How...how could that be? I could never do something so despicable!" She guiltily put the magic mushroom back into her pocket, feeling the champion's throne slipping further and further away. She could only grit her teeth and carry the unfinished magic item to the stove.

This action clearly attracted the attention of the yokai, and Aya Shameimaru took the opportunity to walk over and interview her: "Marisa, what is this thing?"

"Hmph~" Marisa proudly straightened her back and patted the magical artifact, which was shaped like a round stove, twice: "This is my magical automatic cooking machine V3.4!"

"An automatic cooking machine...what exactly can it do?"

"Just like its name suggests, it can cook food automatically. All you need to do is like this..." Marisa embedded her miniature octagonal stove into the cooking machine's base, "and then pour in the chopped vegetables to complete the automatic cooking. Isn't that amazing?"

"Just hearing you say that sounds impressive, but can you really make any dish?"

She flashed her pearly white teeth and laughed, "Haha, it's still in the development stage, so of course not every dish can be made, but making a few home-style dishes to win the competition is no problem!"

"Then let's not disturb Marisa's cooking. Let's go interview the other contestants."

Shameimaru Aya felt a chill run down her spine, realizing that the risk of an explosion nearby had increased dramatically. She quickly made up an excuse to get away from Marisa and her automatic cooking machine.

Marisa didn't care. She quickly washed and chopped the carrots, potatoes, mushrooms, and tomatoes, then dumped them all into the automatic cooking machine. She then crossed her arms and observed her opponents like a victor.

Shameimaru Aya walked up to Ibuki Suika, looked at the small dish of cucumbers on the stove, and asked her in surprise, "Suika, have you finished cooking?"

“That’s right!” Ibuki Suika excitedly picked up the plate of fresh, bright green cucumbers and held it up to her. “This is a cucumber salad made with the divine wine that Brother Mu Huai gave me. It’s spicy, refreshing, and perfect as a snack with drinks!”

"Suck—"

"It does indeed have a very mellow aroma of wine, slurp—... Um, judges, may I, as the host, have a small sip?"

Seeing that none of the three had any objections, Aya Shameimaru took the chopsticks handed to her by Suika Ibuki, picked up a strip of cucumber, and put it in her mouth.

When you bite into the cucumber, the crisp cracking sound travels through your teeth to your brain. It's so crisp and tender that it doesn't feel like a cucumber that would be soft after being pickled. Then, the juice inside bursts out.

The tip of his tongue first tasted a hint of sweetness, followed by a spicy sensation, as if a raging fire suddenly ignited in his mouth and then sprayed out through his nasal cavity, causing beads of sweat to seep from the tip of Aya Shameimaru's nose.

The three distinct sensations of crispness, coolness, and spiciness battled on her tongue, making her mouth water and prompting her to take a second bite.

"Mmm...mmm, delicious!"

A whisper from the underworld sounded from behind: "Hiss~ Ha—I want to eat too."

"Ughhhhhh!!! Yuyuko, when did you get behind me!?" Aya Shameimaru was so scared that she almost peed herself, and instinctively handed Suika Ibuki's sake-scented cucumber salad to her.

"Then I won't be polite, ooh!"

Yuyuko ate the dish along with the plate, and with a tooth-grinding chewing sound, she showed a look of relish: "Not bad."

Fortunately, Yukari Yakumo was quick enough to take some of the food during the gap and put it on the plates in front of her and Remilia, otherwise they probably wouldn't have had a chance to taste it.

Shameimaru Aya wiped away a bead of cold sweat: "Please, please, the three judges, score Suika's dish!"

Volume 2, "Seeking a Ruthless Guild in the Dungeon is Surely the Right Thing": Chapter 68, Gensokyo Chef King Tournament (Part Two)

Yukari Yakumo put down her chopsticks, a gleam of admiration flashing in her purple eyes. She was surprised by the divine wine she had chosen for pickling the cucumbers: "The cucumbers are just ordinary cucumbers, but this wine is in the top five of all the wines I've ever tasted. It's a pity that the dish itself doesn't require much skill. If it's out of 10, I'd give it a 6."

"The first judge gave 6 points! The Idle Yokai is really strict. Judge Remilia, how many points would you give?"

"To be honest, I don't really like the spiciness of this kind of spirit. Red wine and grape wine are more suitable for my delicate palate. But considering its rich aroma... I'd give it a 6 out of 10."

"Six points again! Judge Yuyuko, how many points did you give Suika for her cucumber salad with wine flavor?"

"Hmm... The quantity is too small, but the wine is good. 9 points."

Aya Shameimaru suddenly raised her voice and shouted with an exaggerated expression, "Suika actually got a score of 9 points from Judge Yuyuko, for a total of 21 points! I wonder if the other contestants can get high scores from the strict judges. Let's wait and see!"

Shinjo Akane frowned in displeasure as she watched Kaguya pull out a recliner and leisurely play on her phone in front of the stove. "Did we choose the wrong person? I feel like Rikka would have been a better fit."

“But if I go up there, what if Wood thinks I’m deliberately messing with him and gets angry with me? I don’t want him to hate me. Letting Kaguya go is definitely the best way.”

"That's true..."

The other girls agreed with her. They didn't want to do anything that would lower Mu Huai's favorability. Since Kaguya was willing to take on this task that might offend him, it was the best thing that could happen.

Once she completes her mission, everyone will be able to reap the benefits, and no one will say anything even if Kaguya takes a little more advantage.

After sending Suika Ibuki out of the competition area, Aya Shameimaru returned to the stove and glanced at the contestants. She immediately excluded Marisa, who was idling with her hands free, and Kaguya, who was playing with her phone, from the interviewees.

I really don't know what these two are here for... They don't seem to be generating any buzz or discussion at all...

Silently grumbling to herself, she fixed her gaze on Youmu, who was quietly cooking while dripping tiny pearls. Her reporter instincts told her that if she went over there, she would definitely get some big news out of her.

"Um... Youmu, are you free for an interview right now?"

"P-Please wait a moment..." Youmu blinked hard, sniffed, and squeezed out the tears from her eyes before nodding to Aya Shameimaru with red eyes, "It's ready."

She shoved the microphone to her mouth: "Why are you crying?"

"Because...because...Lady Yuyuko forced me to come and participate in this competition. If I didn't come, she would go around eating and drinking to her heart's content, causing Hakugyokurou to incur a huge debt..."

"Oh, this..."

The microphone was like a key that opened Pandora's box, allowing the aggrieved spirit Youmu to pour out all her experiences from the past few days.

Three days ago, Yuyuko dragged her out of bed. Yuyuko rattled off a bunch of grand theories, then stole her half-spirit and insisted that she must participate in the Chef King Competition.

"Wait!" Aya Shameimaru interrupted her endless complaints, her gaze sweeping over her: "The one who's always by your side isn't Mochi, but a half-spirit?"

"It doesn't look like a mochi at all!" Youmu Konpaku almost couldn't resist stabbing the paparazzi. She stopped chopping vegetables and explained in a serious tone, "That's like half of me, or if you have to say, it's like a third hand."

"I see. So... if you win the championship, what kind of wish would you like to make to Judge Yakumo Yukari?"

"Of course, it's to have her provide endless delicious food for Lady Yuyuko, freeing me from my job as a chef and allowing me to return to being a chef at Hakugyokurou!"

As soon as she finished speaking, she felt something dripping from the top of her semi-spirit.

Strange... Yuyuko should carry it with her and use it as a body pillow, so why are there water droplets on it?

With a question in mind, Youmu looked towards the judges' table, only to find Yuyuko staring intently at her half-spirit, drooling. It seemed that Aya Shameimaru's unintentional mention of the word "mochi" had whetted her appetite.

"Wait, Lady Yuyuko, you can't eat that!!!"

"Awoo!"

"pain!!!"

Yuyuko discovered that no matter how she tried to tear the soft "mochi" with her teeth, she couldn't pull it off, and it didn't taste sweet in her mouth. It was more like chewing a lump of tasteless boiled chicken breast.

Helpless, she could only spit out the half-spirit in her mouth. The moment she let go, the trembling half-spirit floated back to the side of the unconscious Soul Dream, who was foaming at the mouth.

Shameimaru Aya smiled wryly and raised her hand to indicate: "Um... Youmu fainted due to an off-field attack by her young lady and has lost her qualification for the competition. Please ask Judge Yakumo Yukari to send her off the field to rest."

"Oops, I accidentally disturbed Youmu. Let's apologize after she wakes up. We can make it up to her by offering to become a Gardener again. What do you think, Yukari?"

"I think she'll be so happy she'll cry."

Remilia, who was listening in, rolled her eyes. These two mysterious old monsters were more cunning than the other. It was Yuyuko who forced Youmu to participate in the competition, but now, after just a few words, she was in a situation where Youmu should be grateful to tears.

"No wonder everyone says that bosses are heartless... Luckily, I'm a very conscientious young lady, otherwise Sakuya wouldn't be so devoted to me."

On stage, after sending away Youmu's spirit, Aya Shameimaru turned her gaze to the red and white shrine maiden, who was carrying a kettle and pouring water into a bowl, with a solemn expression, and walked over to her.

"Um... Reimu."

"Shh—don't make a sound, this is crucial!"

Reimu's furrowed brows really startled Aya Shameimaru. She held her breath and watched as Reimu poured amber tea up to about one centimeter above the rice.

"Phew—it's done! The Hakurei Shrine's signature shrine tea and rice bowl!"

"Wait a minute!" Aya Shameimaru stared at Reimu, who was wiping her sweat, with a bewildered look. Pointing at the dish named "God Tea Rice," she complained, "Isn't this just ochazuke? You think you can fool everyone by changing the name?"

"Tch! I didn't expect this paparazzi to know about ochazuke (rice with tea). Isn't that my secret survival technique when I'm so poor I can't afford groceries?"