Chapter 21 : Is This Your Answer

Chapter 21: Is This Your Answer

Early morning.

The Wudang Sect elder, White Cloud Sword Hyeon-un, was seated across from his disciple, Oh Jeong-san.

The expressions on both of their faces were grave.

“Today, you will remain here.”

“Yes?”

“Before handling the matter of the Southern Black Lotus, I will meet the cook and the waiter of Seong-un Inn.”

Hyeon-un’s voice was filled with solemnity.

Oh Jeong-san quietly let out a sigh. It seemed his master found those two quite suspicious.

“But Master, leaving aside the cook Seo, Seong-un is by no means a villain.”

If Seo Yu-gyeom had been present, he would have leapt to his feet at those words.

Hyeon-un narrowed his eyes.

“How can you be so certain?”

He did not dismiss his disciple’s words lightly. His disciple Oh Jeong-san was a man with greater talent as a merchant than as a martial artist.

Merchants dealt in both money and people, so if he was speaking so definitively, there had to be a reason.

“The Chairman of the Prosperity Association gave Seong-un quite a hard time. No, he tormented the entire Yichang trade district mercilessly. With the backing of his father, the Southern Black Lotus leader, and even manipulating the magistrate as if he were his own lackey, what could he possibly have feared in this world?”

“It’s deplorable. We Wudang should have stepped in sooner.”

It was an empty remark.

The Wudang Sect was not so idle as to meddle in the affairs of a small town.

Oh Jeong-san knew this as well, but did not bother to comment.

“Ahem, in any case, even though Seong-un had the ability to kill the Chairman of the Prosperity Association immediately, he did not do so. Instead, he came to me and asked for help.”

“He must have feared the consequences. The Southern Black Lotus is not some small neighborhood shop.”

Oh Jeong-san shook his head.

From what he had seen, Jin Seong-un was a man who was oddly devoid of fear.

“No, Master. What he asked of me was to prevent chaos in the Yichang trade district after the Prosperity Association disappeared.”

A glint of interest appeared in Hyeon-un’s eyes.

Even if the Prosperity Association was a rotten group, if the dominant force in a region suddenly vanished, the local trade network would inevitably be shaken.

Worse still, even more vicious forces might take advantage of that vacancy to move in.

“It seems he’s deeper in thought than he appears.”

Hyeon-un nodded in acknowledgment of Jin Seong-un’s choice. He bore no malice toward Jin Seong-un — only suspicion.

Hyeon-un fell into thought.

A young waiter with extraordinary martial prowess.

Even though he could have easily slain those who tormented him, he had instead taken the trouble to persuade Oh Jeong-san to safeguard the other merchants.

In a rare show of emphasis before his master, Oh Jeong-san spoke with conviction.

“To bear inconvenience for the sake of others — how can such a man be called a villain? Master, you too know well that such a thing is not easy, even for martial artists.”

Hyeon-un nodded.

Among the so-called prestigious houses and noble sects, there were more than a few prodigies who acted like wastrels.

Drunk on their martial skills and lofty backgrounds, most of them looked down upon commoners.

Even within the Wudang Sect, there were youths who displayed such a sense of superiority.

Of course, most improved as they matured with age…

‘At an age brimming with youthful vigor, it is no easy thing to put others before oneself.’

In that sense, Hyeon-un could somewhat understand why Oh Jeong-san was defending Jin Seong-un.

Looking into the resolute eyes of his disciple, Hyeon-un gave a small nod.

“I will take your words into account. However, I still must confirm it for myself. All the more so if, as you say, he uses martial arts of the Taoist line.”

As an elder of the Wudang Sect, the representative of the Taoist martial world—

Hyeon-un felt a duty to learn more about Jin Seong-un.

Hyeon-un rose from his seat.

Oh Jeong-san started to dissuade him, but stopped.

His master was more stubborn than anyone else in the Wudang Sect.

“…Yes, please go safely.”

Oh Jeong-san stood as well and bowed deeply.

Hyeon-un left the office with an oddly solemn gaze.

Hyeon-un headed straight for Seong-un Inn.

After hearing his disciple’s words, he thought there was a chance that Jin Seong-un might indeed be a strong and good-hearted waiter.

However, to discern someone’s true nature, one needed a cold and objective mindset.

Hyeon-un deliberately fostered a slightly biased attitude — as if determined not to be swayed, no matter how the other tried to present himself.

Upon arriving at Seong-un Inn, he opened the door with a dignified yet curt demeanor.

Because of the previous day’s fight with the Black Division, the chairs and tables were still broken.

Therefore, he had thought business would be closed for a few days — yet there were customers inside.

Hyeon-un’s eyes narrowed.

Looking closer, all the customers were children, their appearances ragged and carrying a faint odor.

‘Beggars?’

Just as he was thinking that—

Jin Seong-un approached, holding a dishcloth.

“You’ve come.”

Jin Seong-un bowed politely as if greeting a familiar elder from the neighborhood. Considering Hyeon-un was Oh Jeong-san’s master, it was only natural.

Hyeon-un, recalling the slightly biased mindset he had resolved to maintain earlier, asked curtly.

“I heard you had closed business.”

“Yes, I need to replace the furniture.”

“And yet—”

Hyeon-un glanced at the children.

The children, who had been eating, began to watch him nervously. Feeling unexpectedly apologetic, Hyeon-un cleared his throat and looked away.

Just then, a thread of transmitted voice brushed past his ear.

— They’re children with nowhere to go. The result of the Prosperity Association Chairman’s atrocities while he was alive.

There were quite a number of beggars in Yichang.

Thanks to the Chairman’s misdeeds, many had lost their parents or seen their entire families ruined.

For some time now, Jin Seong-un had been offering food to such children. Since it was impossible during business hours, he would call them in briefly early in the morning to feed them.

The children, having experienced hardship at a young age, were quick-witted and would finish their meals quickly before leaving.

Hyeon-un’s eyes wavered slightly.

He hadn’t expected to hear the answer via transmitted voice, much less that this wasn’t just about serving customers but about such an act of kindness.

He felt his guard slacken for a moment and quickly pulled himself together.

— Why? Merchants are normally precise in their dealings and would never offer kindness without compensation. Are you perhaps using these parentless children for something…?

— No real reason. I simply lived that kind of life myself when I was young. Back then, there were adults who sometimes gave me a place to stay and food to eat.

It was simply repaying the kindness he had received as a child now that he was an adult.

Hearing the reason, Hyeon-un’s guard loosened considerably. Taoists naturally favored acts of goodwill.

“…I see.”

Perhaps he really was a good fellow.

Just as that thought crossed his mind, the cook peeked his head out from the kitchen.

Meeting the intense murderous intent in the man’s eyes snapped Hyeon-un back to alertness.

“Ahem! If it’s all right, may I also have a meal? Of course, I brought money today, so don’t worry.”

“Of course. Please take a comfortable seat.”

With polite manners, Jin Seong-un guided him. In truth, most of the tables were broken, so there were only a few places to sit.

A twinge of pity crossed Hyeon-un’s mind. He’d heard it had not been long since the inn had opened with a lifetime of savings…

‘Ah!’

For the third time, Hyeon-un pulled himself together.

Ever since stepping into the inn, he kept finding his heart softening.

He ordered a simple drink and side dish.

Jin Seong-un flinched at the order.

Seeing this, Hyeon-un spoke.

“You want to ask if a Taoist can drink, right? And the side dish is red-braised pork, no less.”

Setting aside the unusual choice of food for breakfast, Taoists generally abstained from alcohol and meat.

But Hyeon-un was not one of them.

The reason was simple.

“I can.”

There was no one left who could scold him.

Who in their right mind would dare scold White Cloud Sword Hyeon-un, one of the Seven Wudang?

Jin Seong-un nodded. The reason seemed odd, but there was no need to meddle in another sect’s affairs.

Jin Seong-un went into the kitchen to relay the order.

Seo Yu-gyeom then poked his head out again and looked at Hyeon-un.

‘Red-braised pork? What a worldly Taoist.’

His gaze clearly said so, prompting Hyeon-un to glare back. Sparks seemed to fly between their eyes.

Then Seo Yu-gyeom went back into the kitchen with a solemn face, determined to teach this overly suspicious Taoist the taste of the secular world.

Tak-tak. He selected pork with just the right balance of fat and lean, roughly cut it into square pieces, and put them in a round pot.

With yellow sugar, he stir-fried quickly.

When the surface seemed slightly charred, he swiftly added soy sauce along with minced garlic, ginger, and scallions, searing the flavor in with extremely high heat.

This was the key moment that determined the flavor of red-braised pork — how strong the fire and how fast the cooking.

What set Seo Yu-gyeom apart from ordinary cooks was that he was a martial artist.

He wasn’t yet at the level of igniting Threefold True Flame, but he could certainly use his inner force to fan the existing flames higher.

Whoosh—!

The kitchen of Seong-un Inn was engulfed in a hellish blaze.

The children eating outside let out a chorus of wows.

When all the ingredients were cooked—

He poured in huangjiu.

Sizzle— a dark reddish broth formed, simmering gently.

After letting it cook briefly, the red-braised pork was completed in no time.

Seo Yu-gyeom, brimming with confidence, handed the plate to Jin Seong-un.

Carrying the red-braised pork in one hand and Bamboo Leaf Green in the other, Jin Seong-un came out of the kitchen. Placing the bottle and plate on the table, he said,

“Let me treat you. How could I take money from my chairman’s master?”

“Heh…”

So there were still young men who understood courtesy these days.

His heart eased a little at the thought, and as he savored the incredible color and aroma of the red-braised pork, it softened so much it nearly melted.

The lingering taste of last night’s stir-fried vegetables was still on Hyeon-un’s tongue.

Swallowing his saliva, Hyeon-un picked up his chopsticks, seemingly forgetting for the moment why he had come to Seong-un Inn.

He picked up a large piece of red-braised pork.

As a peak-level master, Hyeon-un could tell instantly that the doneness was perfect.

The firmness he felt through the chopsticks was extraordinary.

Unlike braised pork belly, which fell apart with slight pressure, red-braised pork needed this degree of springiness.

Hyeon-un carefully placed it in his mouth.

His expression grew unusually serious.

So solemn was his demeanor that not only Jin Seong-un and Seo Yu-gyeom, but even the children at nearby tables watched with tense faces.

Chewing at an even pace, Hyeon-un took the perfect moment to wash it down with a sip of Bamboo Leaf Green.

Gulp.

A brief silence followed.

Hyeon-un set his chopsticks down on the table with a tap.

Then, with a precise movement, he extended his index finger and pointed at Seo Yu-gyeom.

“…You are indeed a cook.”

Hyeon-un nodded. Seo Yu-gyeom returned the nod with a satisfied expression.

Contrary to Oh Jeong-san’s expectations, it was Seo Yu-gyeom who received recognition first, not Jin Seong-un.

Only then did the tension in the inn dissolve.

Hyeon-un stared intently at the red-braised pork. He had eaten countless fine dishes before.

Hyeon-un was a man who enjoyed fine cuisine. As an elder of the Wudang Sect, he had even been invited to the imperial palace to taste the work of the royal kitchen’s head chef.

He could say without hesitation—

The food from this small inn could hold its own against that of the royal kitchen.

He did not know what kind of life Cook Seo had led in the past, but the murderous intent in the man’s eyes was genuine.

Even so, there was no longer any room to deny that he was, indeed, a “cook.”

Hyeon-un’s gaze shifted to Jin Seong-un.

From his perspective, unlike Seo Yu-gyeom, Jin Seong-un was a suspicious figure who had neither revealed nor proven anything.

‘True, he showed proper manners and etiquette…’

But if one wanted to put on a front, there was nothing one couldn’t fake.

Hyeon-un’s doubts toward Jin Seong-un had not yet been dispelled.

Meanwhile, Jin Seong-un was seeing off the children who had finished eating.

As always, the children bowed in thanks, and Jin Seong-un, with his usual calm expression, ruffled their hair.

Hyeon-un’s eyes narrowed.

He had killed the Southern Black Lotus leader’s son and his underlings. And yet, he could maintain such a calm and peaceful demeanor?

If nothing else, his boldness and courage seemed greater than that of any prodigy Hyeon-un had seen.

When the children had gone, Jin Seong-un approached.

“Did the meal suit your taste?”

“It was excellent.”

Hyeon-un was not the sort to preserve his pride with phrases like, “Not bad at all,” or, “Edible enough.”

Jin Seong-un nodded in relief.

Hyeon-un’s gaze sharpened as he looked at him. It was truly time to confirm matters.

“I have a few questions for you.”

He gestured to the seat across from him.

Somehow, the gesture carried a strong sense of pressure.

When seeking the truth, the orthodox method was to establish dominance from the start.

But Jin Seong-un did not sit. He simply stood there, looking down at Hyeon-un.

The sight made Hyeon-un’s thick brows twitch.

Their eyes clashed in the air.

“Sit.”

Hyeon-un repeated himself.

This time, his voice carried a faint undertone of anger.

Then Jin Seong-un spoke.

“There’s no need.”

“How do you know what I’m going to ask?”

“Because no matter what you ask, my answer will be the same.”

This was the advice of the Sword Immortal and the Merchant King.

The Sword Immortal had told him the method, the Merchant King the manner.

Recalling the counsel of the Martial Gods, Jin Seong-un reached out into the air.

Hwae-aek—!

From a corner of the inn, a black-bladed sword slid from its sheath and flew into his hand.

It was the Black High Sword.

A glint flickered in Hyeon-un’s eyes.

Such skillful use of psychokinesis meant he was at least above his disciple Oh Jeong-san’s level.

Considering his age, it was all the more astounding — and it strengthened Hyeon-un’s resolve to uncover his identity that day.

“So, no need for words.”

Hyeon-un gave a faint smile as he rose to his feet. At some point, the Taiji Sword, symbol of the Wudang Sect, had appeared in his hand.

Just then, Seo Yu-gyeom poked his head out from the kitchen and said,

“It won’t taste good once it gets cold.”

At that, Hyeon-un glanced at the red-braised pork.

It was true — it was best eaten hot.

But with swords drawn, there was no turning back. His identity was that of a swordsman, not a gourmet.

“Is this your answer?”

Hyeon-un asked, staring at Jin Seong-un’s Black High Sword. Jin Seong-un simply nodded without a word.

At that moment—

No Sang-won, having caught the enticing scent of red-braised pork, stepped into the inn.

“Hey, Seong-un! Cook Seo! What delicious dish have you— oh.”

The moment he saw the two of them facing each other with swords drawn, No Sang-won turned and walked back out in one smooth motion.

That was the beginning.

As if on cue, the instant No Sang-won vanished, Hyeon-un and Jin Seong-un charged toward each other.