Sosuke shrugged, walked over, looked at the mature and charming Nakiri Mana, and continued, "You've been standing for a while, let's sit down and talk."
Nakiri Mana obediently sat down, stroking the strands of hair from her forehead.
Mature women always exude a unique charm.
Although the recent Midnight Chefs incident had left her exhausted and looking unwell, her inherent noble and confident demeanor still made her uniquely captivating.
"E… Erina, how has she been lately?"
Finally, she looked up and asked softly.
"She's returned to Totsuki."
"I heard the Autumn Elections have been put on the agenda, and as an Elite Ten, she has an obligation to be responsible for this matter."
Hearing her mention Nakiri Erina, Sosuke naturally recounted every detail of her time at the Izakaya.
"It seems she relies on you a lot."
"Perhaps having a foolish and stubborn mother is the most heartbreaking helplessness for children?"
"I now have no way of understanding her thoughts, her interests, her friends, etc., and I can't be someone she can rely on like you!"
Nakiri Mana sighed lightly.
"Heh!"
"Don't be so discouraged."
"At least, she doesn't resent you."
"Some things don't have to be a certain way; they can only be slowly softened by time."
Sosuke heard this and comforted her.
However, at this moment, he could better understand Mana's pain as a mother. Perhaps her recent initiation of the Midnight Chefs incident was for her daughter, Erina?
Nakiri Mana's eyes were watery, and then she silently shook her head.
"Sosuke, let's start with a plate of Live Ice Sea Bream Mountain."
Immediately after, she composed her complex emotions, not forgetting the purpose of her visit to the Izakaya!
"OK!"
"Please wait a moment."
… …
A fresh, large sea bream was brought to the cutting board.
What first caught the eye was its vibrant flesh and perfect texture, like a natural work of art, waiting to be carved into a perfect masterpiece.
Extending his hand, he gently stroked the sea bream's body near its gills, and feeling its texture and elasticity, Sosuke began a meticulous observation.
At this moment, his gaze was like a torch.
As if he could see through the fish meat and perceive the fish bones.
Then, in his mind, he quickly sketched a pattern for cutting the sea bream.
Immediately after, he took out a "Never-Breaking Beichen Tianlang Blade." The ice blade continuously emitted a bone-chilling cold, causing everyone, including Nakiri Mana, to feel an eerie atmosphere!
"Oh?"
"This ice blade seems different from the last time…"
The sharp-eyed Mana seemed to notice that this kitchen knife was even more unusual than before!
Sosuke took a deep breath, then gently lifted the ice blade in his hand, preparing to begin this "dance" with the sea bream.
Swish swish swish!
Swish swish swish!
The moment the knife fell, the whole world fell silent.
All that could be heard was the "swish swish swish" sound of cutting meat; each cut was as smooth as silk.
Sosuke's fingers gripped the knife handle tightly, his wrist rotating flexibly. This perfect combination of strength and skill made him like a dancer, lightly leaping and spinning on the stage of the sea bream meat.
Seeing this, Nakiri Mana's eyes nearly popped out.
Even Annie behind her quickly covered her mouth, her expression filled with disbelief.
"Oh my god!"
"What… what kind of knife skill is this?"
The scene of Sosuke handling the sea bream with an ice blade last time was still vivid in their minds.
It was from that moment on that Annie and Nakiri Mana firmly believed that Sosuke's knife skills were exceptionally exquisite, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they represented the world's top standard!
It's no exaggeration to say that this kind of knife skill, which can cut sea bream as thin as transparent paper, is very difficult for others to surpass.
However, who would have thought?
The person who successfully surpassed Sosuke was actually himself!
… …
In just a few seconds.
A large sea bream was completely cut by Sosuke.
And during this brief process, his gaze never left the Beichen Tianlang Blade in his hand.
From beginning to end, he used his heart to feel the sea bream, and to interpret its value and life through his knife skills.
After finishing, he stepped back and carefully examined the Live Ice Sea Bream Mountain.
That plate of sea bream Sashimi attached to the small ice mountain was truly a masterpiece, a famous painting. Every cut he made transformed into the beauty before them, making the entire work flow smoothly with harmonious colors and lines!
Beautiful!
Too beautiful!
"Why?"
"On him, I can feel an unprecedented knife aura?"
"Could it be that Sosuke has reached the highest realm of man and knife as one?"
Mana's head was buzzing at this moment.
It is well known that an experienced chef, in the process of cooking dishes, is able to skillfully utilize the characteristics of food to bring out the essence of taste and texture.
In short, good cooking should have "wok hei" (wok breath/energy).
Similarly, meticulous knife skills.
Often, it can make ingredients present a unique and extreme beauty, achieving a balance and unity of deliciousness and appearance.
And if a chef, while cutting vegetables and meat, can achieve yin and yang coordination, a blend of rigidity and softness, mastering the rhythm and pace, ultimately reaching the so-called "man and knife as one."
Then, there will be no ingredient in the world that cannot be handled well.
… …
During the pre-Qin period.
There was a chef named "Ding" who butchered an ox for King Hui of Liang.
His speed of processing was very fast; wherever his hands touched, a sound of skin and bone separating could be heard, and the entire ox was cut up in the blink of an eye!
Later, he explained that after three years of hard practice, he could now use his spirit to touch the ox's body, without needing to observe with his eyes, as if his sensory organs had stopped functioning and he was operating entirely by spiritual will.
Then, following the natural structure of the ox's muscles, he would cleave through the large gaps between tendons and bones, and guide his knife along the empty spaces between the joints.
In short, he always followed the ox's natural structure and never touched places where meridians were connected.
Hmm!
To some extent.
Butcher Ding's skill is what Nakiri Mana referred to as "man and knife as one."
But to achieve such miraculous skill is harder than ascending to heaven; countless excellent chefs have practiced their entire lives and never reached it!
And the result?
He, Sosuke, seemed to have…
… …
"I don't know if I ever told you, but the Live Ice Sea Bream Mountain dishes I made before were all defective."
"And to achieve perfect quality, there are three prerequisites: first, you must use fresh sea bream caught before dusk; second, this Beichen Tianlang Blade; and third…"
"It's a knife skill you are seeing now."
"Luo Han Crystal Cut!"
Putting away the bone-chilling Beichen Tianlang Blade, Sosuke looked up at the shocked Nakiri Mana and others, explaining with a smile.
"There's such a knife skill?" Annie was stunned, then said foolishly.
"Yes, using this knife skill, you can make sea bream Sashimi incredibly smooth, even like a mirror reflecting one's face."
Sosuke continued.
"I underestimated you."
"All along, I always thought your cooking represented the highest standard, but it really proves that old saying: there's no best dish, only a better chef!"
With that, Nakiri Mana quickly picked up a piece of Sashimi with her chopsticks and gently placed it into her mouth.
That delicious flavor immediately spread throughout her oral cavity.
"This… this is…"
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