Chapter 50: Yakumo Yukari's Special Commission! Yuyuko's Subtle Ingredient!
Space underwent obvious changes.
Luke watched as the purple rift slowly opened.
A blonde woman holding a parasol stepped out gracefully, her skirt hem brushing past the chair in front of the counter, finally landing softly.
"My, it's much livelier here than imagined."
The Youkai Sage, Yakumo Yukari, saying this, closed her parasol, using the fan tip in her other hand to poke the tengu beside her.
Shameimaru Aya, seeing this, quickly and obediently moved aside one seat.
"Opening a restaurant near the 'Human Village', not far from the Bamboo Forest of the Lost either. You probably encounter quite a bit of trouble brought by youkai on weekdays, right?"
"Thank you for Yakumo-san's concern, but this restaurant is quite safe. Haven't encountered any tricky problems so far."
Luke remained calm, answering the question in his usual tone.
However, the reactions of others were slightly different...
Kawashiro Nitori left, using 'having things to do at home' as an excuse;
Shameimaru Aya, on the other hand, had an expression of 'big news incoming', looking somewhat excited;
Kirisame Marisa was also very curious, looking at the youkai she occasionally bumped into at the Hakurei Shrine;
And Usami Sumireko didn't speak, just obediently playing the role of a spectator uninvolved in worldly affairs.
Yakumo Yukari, having just arrived, heard Luke's answer.
A smile appearing on her face, she lifted her fair left hand and reached into the opened gap rift.
The next moment, Yakumo Yukari took out an exquisitely crafted cyan jade box from inside.
"I previously heard about the owner's skills from Reimu's mouth. It's said your cooking techniques are superb, capturing the hearts of numerous youkai and humans."
"I just did what I should do, satisfying customers as much as possible."
"This resolve is precisely the reason for your excellence. So coming here this time, I have a commission~"
Saying this, Yakumo Yukari opened the cyan jade box she just took out.
"This is a gift from my friend... the Young Mistress of the Saigyouji family, the 'commissioned ingredient'. She said even the chefs at Hakugyokurou couldn't cook it perfectly, so she asked me to come here and inquire."
White mist surged from the opened box lid.
Five translucent gelatinous objects pulsed slowly amidst ice crystals, like chopped jellyfish remains.
Seeing this strange thing, Luke didn't know what the actual substance in the box was for a moment...
Shameimaru Aya and Usami Sumireko, observing the gelatinous substance from the side, also looked puzzled.
"Jelly?"
Kirisame Marisa spoke first.
Noticing everyone's subtle expressions, Yakumo Yukari thus explained,
"According to Yuyuko, the thousand-year cherry tree in Hakugyokurou's courtyard periodically secretes tree gum under the moonlight. At first, Yuyuko didn't pay attention, but the aroma emitted by this substance made her taste it. Seems the taste is good, but eating it directly isn't quite appropriate, so she had me bring it over..."
"Tree gum from a thousand-year cherry tree, can it really be eaten? No... the Young Mistress of the Saigyouji family already ate it? That's too ridiculous..."
Shameimaru Aya couldn't help but comment, Marisa beside her nodded repeatedly.
Usami Sumireko from the outside world looked at Luke.
With her extensive knowledge, she spoke,
"Under normal circumstances, cherry tree gum is a self-protection mechanism of the tree, for example, due to insect pests; moreover, this type of gum is prone to mold infection in humid environments after rain. Plus, pesticides might be sprayed during garden maintenance, all these could lead to contamination of the tree gum. However... the 'thousand-year cherry tree' mentioned by Yakumo-san's friend probably isn't an ordinary tree, right?"
"Indeed not ordinary. Although there's a gardener managing the cherry tree, those chemicals aren't used."
Answering the question, Yakumo Yukari turned her gaze to Luke.
"Then this 'ingredient', does it possess value?"
"How to put it..."
Luke added,
"Under normal circumstances, I don't recommend eating tree gum. However, this substance does have some nutritional components, such as protein, vitamins, etc. Consuming it in moderation can supplement the nutrients needed by the body and improve resistance. But if consumed excessively, it can irritate the gastrointestinal mucosa, leading to indigestion, nausea, and other symptoms, even causing abdominal bloating and pain."
However, these points Luke mentioned were mostly targeted at ordinary people.
The Young Mistress of the Saigyouji family residing in Hakugyokurou of the Netherworld, Saigyouji Yuyuko, probably didn't have concerns in this aspect.
And—
As a chef, nothing was more exciting than trying novel and precious ingredients.
One must know, the tree gum contained in the box before him came from the thousand-year cherry tree of the Netherworld!
That being said, facing this kind of raw material never seen before, Luke also felt somewhat challenged.
"Anyway, this 'ingredient' looks indeed very special. But if Yakumo-san insists I cook it, then... I am certainly willing to try."
Hearing this, Yakumo Yukari smiled faintly.
"As expected of the chef Reimu favors."
Before her voice faded, this suddenly visiting Youkai Sage added another sentence.
"Yuyuko said 'anyway, it won't kill people, feel free to unleash your creativity'."
A ghost saying that sounds somewhat like a dark joke.
Luke could only respond with a wry smile.
Subsequently, he put on a new apron and prepared the kitchen utensils that might be needed.
Shameimaru Aya, who hadn't left yet, took out her camera from her pocket.
"Um... Yakumo-sama, may I take photos?"
"If you don't use it for strange news, of course you can."
"I won't! I won't! I promise!"
Shameimaru Aya replied with a righteous face.
Marisa, however, showed a doubtful expression.
She was also very familiar with this tengu reporter's 'Spring and Autumn Annals' style (meaning distorting facts subtly).
"Luke-san, what exactly are you going to do?"
Usami Sumireko, curious about the cooking method, saw him turn on the stove.
Regarding this, Luke responded,
"Let's see the 'reaction' of this ingredient first."
Saying this, Luke began to prepare the 'Netherworld ingredient' before him.
...
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