I'm a Druid at a farmhouse.

Chapter 29: Obtain the [Gourmet Druid] skill book

"The final step: live fish killed on the spot!"

The host's voice echoed clearly through the speakers in the noisy venue.

Staff pushed several huge glass tanks onto the stage, inside which swam several lively grass carp, each one full of energy, occasionally slapping the water's surface with its tail, splashing water everywhere.

This stage is all about speed.

From catching the fish to slaughtering, scaling and gutting, and finally slicing it.

According to the scoring criteria, the entire process must be fast and efficient, and the finished fish slices must be thin, uniform, and translucent.

The atmosphere on stage instantly became tense.

The first few chefs to take the stage were clearly a bit flustered.

The live fish was slippery and struggled desperately on the cutting board. Just as a chef held it down with a damp cloth, the fish flicked its tail and slapped his sweaty face, causing a burst of laughter from the audience.

Blood was spilled all over the cutting board, and the scene was quite messy.

Looking at this scene, Liu Kun, sitting on the judges' panel, regained some of his former arrogance.

He picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and seemed to have expected this outcome.

"It's my turn."

Song You put the snakeskin bag he was carrying on the ground, stretched his wrists, and walked towards the water tank.

He didn't use a net; he just put his hand into the water.

Strangely enough, the grass carp that were darting around in panic all quieted down the moment he put his hand in, and one of them even swam towards his palm.

With a casual scoop, Song You easily lifted the three- or four-pound grass carp out of his arms, where it lay quietly with barely any movement.

This move immediately changed the expressions of many knowledgeable people in the audience.

Because they don't understand what this thing is either.

Song You walked to the cutting board and put the fish down.

Unlike the others, he didn't use the back of the knife to tap the fish's head, nor did he press it with a wet cloth.

He simply extended his left hand and gently placed it on the constantly opening and closing fish head, then closed his eyes.

His lips moved slightly, and a series of low, rhythmic syllables slowly came out of his mouth.

"Thank you for nature's gifts..."

The crowd below the stage fell silent.

Liu Kun, who was on the judges' panel, stopped drinking the teacup he had just brought to his lips.

Wang Guoming was so excited that he stood up from his chair, gripped the judges' table with both hands, leaned forward, and stared wide-eyed.

Here it is! This is it!

Under everyone's gaze, the grass carp that had been struggling slightly on the cutting board miraculously fell completely silent.

It simply swayed its tail gently, then remained motionless, as if it had fallen into the most peaceful slumber.

[Divine Art] Activated!

A warm energy surged from Song You's body and was quickly consumed. He could feel that nearly half of the natural power within him was drawn away in that instant.

[Druid Log: You have shown mercy to the creatures of nature, and they will return to their cycle in peace. Progress is not increasing as you are not within the Farmhouse area.]

"As expected, it won't work. We can only upgrade if we stay at a farmhouse."

Song You opened his eyes.

Hand up, knife down.

The thin-bladed knife traced a precise arc, without struggle or splattering blood.

Clean and neat.

The fish ended its life in an almost eerie calm.

The entire room fell silent.

Everyone was stunned by this unbelievable scene.

Ignoring the shock of the crowd, Song You's knife became a blur in his hand.

Scald, gut, and remove internal organs.

The movements were fluid and fast, almost dazzling.

Finally, he picked up the slicing knife, flicked his wrist, and swiftly sliced ​​the fish along the blade.

Thin, translucent slices of fish, like snowflakes, fall neatly onto the plate.

"Ding!"

He put down the knife, but the bell that signaled the end of the match still hadn't rung.

"Clatter".

The celadon teacup slipped from Liu Kun's fingers, fell to the ground, and shattered into pieces.

He was completely oblivious, staring intently at the young man in the yellow delivery uniform in the center of the stage, his mouth slightly open, making a hoarse sound from his throat.

What kind of sword technique is that?

Wang Guoming was so excited that his face turned red. He slammed his fist on the table, making a loud bang, trying to say something, but he was too excited to utter a single word.

"Champion! The champion of the basic culinary skills competition at this year's Hunan Cuisine Culture Exchange Conference is—Song You!"

The host's voice finally broke the silence, and enthusiastic applause and cheers surged forth like a tide.

The staff presented Song You with an exquisite wooden box.

Song You opened it, and inside lay a simple, antique-style cleaver. The blade was long and narrow, gleaming with a cold, eerie light, and the handle was made of fine ebony, offering an excellent grip.

"A fine knife," Song You thought to himself.

He had just prepared to step down from the stage when Wang Guoming and Liu Kun rushed over from the judges' panel.

"Brother Song! No, Master Song!" Wang Guoming grabbed Song You's hand, so excited he was almost incoherent. "Your skills are simply amazing!"

Liu Kun stood to the side, his expression shifting. He looked at Song You, opened his mouth, but ultimately remained silent.

Wang Guoming ignored him, took out a small booklet wrapped in oil paper from his pocket, held it with both hands, and handed it to Song You.

"Master Song, these are some notes I've made about controlling the heat. I think they should be helpful to you."

Song You was taken aback. He realized that his cooking was indeed a bit rough, and Wang Guoming had been a great help.

He took the booklet; it felt warm to the touch, and the pages were fairly clean.

[Druid's Log: You have gained insights into the Gourmet Druid's mastery of the hearth. Upon complete mastery, the Gourmet Druid branch will gain a new skill: [Heat Control] (Beginner).]

[Stove Flame Control (Beginner): You can more keenly sense the temperature of the flame and fine-tune it to ensure food is heated perfectly.]

[The Druid can use a food-based progress bar to master skills]

Song You was overjoyed; this was truly a good thing.

As for mistaking Wang Guoming for a gourmet druid, Song You was already used to it.

If he can acquire skills this way, he really should participate in more exchange activities.

There are too many people now, we'll see how to manage it later.

"Then I won't stand on ceremony." He put the booklet away. "Brother Wang, if you have the chance in the future, you can come and visit my farmhouse. I'll treat you to fish."

"Definitely! Definitely!"

Wang Guoming clearly had something to say to the person next to him, so Song You didn't disturb him too much.

Just then, the host came over and reminded Song You that he had five minutes to speak as the champion.

Song You, holding the newly acquired knife, walked onto the main stage and stood under the spotlight.

Below the stage, countless mobile phone cameras were pointed at him.

"Hello everyone, my name is Song You."

His voice carried throughout the venue through the microphone.

"I'm not some kind of master, just someone who runs a farm stay in the countryside. My hometown has beautiful mountains and rivers, and the fish and vegetables are plentiful and delicious. I'm quite happy to have won this award today, and I'll also take this opportunity to play the game."

He paused, then gave a friendly smile.

"My farmhouse restaurant is a bit out of the way, located in the countryside of Xiangcheng, but it's definitely worth it. Anyone who wants to fish or eat fresh vegetables is welcome anytime. Show us a screenshot of today's video and you'll get a 5% discount on all your meals."

Simple, direct, and brutal.

The audience responded instantly.

"This boss is really honest!"

"I found this farmhouse restaurant on Douyin (TikTok)!"

Song You's speech was recorded in its entirety and spread online.

After he finished speaking, he stepped off the stage and immediately spotted Tian Wenwu at the edge of the crowd, who was standing there dumbfounded and frozen in place.

"You must have fallen into the toilet before you came back." Song You walked over, took off the yellow windbreaker, and handed it to him.

Tian Wenwu mechanically took the clothes, his eyes still fixed on the knife and trophy in Song You's hand.

"Yuzu, you..." he stammered, his mind completely blank.

How did Song You, who used to follow him around when he was a child and go fishing in the river with him, suddenly become a culinary master?

"Let's go, time to get down to business." Song You picked up the snakeskin bag from the ground and patted him on the shoulder.

Tian Wenwu seemed to wake from a dream, and followed behind him as the two squeezed out of the crowd.

"Brother You, how's your agritainment business?" Walking down the street, Tian Wenwu finally found his voice again.

Song You, carrying two snakeskin bags, sighed and looked worried.

"What's so good about it? It's barely enough to make ends meet."

He looked ahead, exuding a sense of pressure.

"When my dad passed away, he still owed the bank three million yuan in loans. I have to pay more than 30,000 yuan in interest every month. It's driving me crazy."