Chapter 112
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 112
Chapter Title: Invitation
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Exactly twenty-four years after that shocking encounter with kimchi stew, Park Ji-hoon spent the following week trying to return to his normal routine.
However, once the long-suppressed nostalgia had broken free, the backlash was impossible to control easily.
Whether he was in the middle of research or sleeping, memories of kimchi stew, bulgogi, galbi ribs, bibimbap, and all sorts of other foods he craved kept flooding his mind without warning.
It wasn't until the dumplings and thin noodles he usually ate started tasting like he was chewing dirt that he finally squeezed his eyes shut and headed to So-hyang's residence.
"I-I'm really counting on you, Dean...!"
His fear remained unchanged, so he clung tightly to the Dean's hand—the one reliable anchor—and practically threw himself against her body as he spoke.
"H-Hem! Alright then...! Just trust me...!"
The warmth from their clasped hands, the natural difference in size between male and female bodies, the soft skin pressing against his rough calluses.
The unexpected skin contact made the Dean's face flush naturally, her nonexistent heart pounding as if it were real.
"Who am I? The Dean of the Academy, Chang Yeom-seong!"
Thrilled by the situation of her object of affection relying on her, she puffed up with excitement and thumped her chest to show her confidence.
"Even that White Lotus Sword guy is just a pushover to me... well, maybe not quite..."
She boasted with utmost bravado, but then recalled the sight from their previous spar: the mad laughter as he sliced through mountain ridges and tore rivers apart. She shrank back a little.
She was definitely in a higher realm, but separately from that, every single one of his movements was utterly eerie—he was someone she never wanted to fight.
The crazy woman who had crossed an uncrossable boundary just to sever one of her fingers.
The claim that she could aim for mutual destruction by bursting forth with all her power, premised on death, wasn't an exaggeration in the Dean's mind.
"A-Are you going to lose...?"
But seeing Park Ji-hoon trembling and clutching her hand desperately, she shook her head to dispel the stray thoughts.
There was no reason for a transcendent being at the pinnacle to fear or cower before a lower existence like this.
No matter how extraordinary the opponent, the gap between them was like that between human and insect.
Of course, that insect carried extremely lethal venom and possessed a needle-sharp stinger beyond comprehension...
In any case, the Dean murmured with a resolute expression.
"I'll win."
...Of course, separate from all that fussing, they were greeted inside the Imperial Princess's villa—So-hyang's residence—with warm hospitality.
"Oh my, you two came holding hands? You look so well-matched. I've prepared plenty of food, enough for seconds. Go wash your hands over there and sit here."
"Uh, yeah, got it...?"
"...Quality."
"Though my skills are humble, I lent a hand too! Please enjoy it all!"
"Goodness, our Number One, you speak so prettily."
It was originally just a kind invitation to treat a homesick young man from the same homeland to some hometown food, without any ulterior motives. So it was only natural.
"Think of this as your own home and make yourselves comfortable. If you need anything, just let me know..."
The two finished a thoroughly satisfying meal—no words needed—and stared blankly at their bloated bellies.
Park Ji-hoon and the Dean shared one thing in common: both were scholars by nature who found joy in research and study.
This commonality had influenced their similar eating habits as well.
The Dean didn't eat much to begin with, and Park Ji-hoon skimped on meals, filling up hastily on dumplings just to get nutrients, since eating felt like a waste of time.
The reason he'd wolfed down the kimchi stew So-hyang made before had more to do with soothing his nostalgia than actual hunger.
As if mocking such tendencies, the two devoured the lavishly spread table until their legs nearly buckled.
"M-My stomach feels like it's gonna burst..."
The Dean, whose body was a spirit made of starfire, could digest everything in an instant, but Park Ji-hoon couldn't.
His belly was already so full he was dry-heaving, yet he still craved one more bite of the braised short ribs. Now it even felt terrifying.
Could delicious food really do this to a person? Wasn't it some kind of drug or advanced illusion spell?
"Aww, I'm so happy you both ate so heartily. Just a little palate cleanser to finish, right?"
"...Y-Yes?"
Before he could refuse, deft hands cleared the table in a flash and set out various desserts.
Sikhye and fruit punch, all sorts of fruits, pudding and cake, dessert wine and ice cream...
"-Wow."
The Dean's eyes glazed over slightly at the soft, tangy sweet aromas stimulating her senses.
Watching her trance-like spooning and constant exclamations of delight from the side, Park Ji-hoon's eyes began to waver too.
The ice cream caught his eye immediately, sparkling alluringly, and its fresh scent suggested it would be light enough even on a full stomach.
"J-Just one bite...?"
And so Park Ji-hoon polished off the heaping pile of ice cream and collapsed heroically.
"Oh dear, even if your appetite's back, overeating like this isn't good for you."
So-hyang gently rubbed Park Ji-hoon's back as he nearly retched.
Unlike appearances, it was an example of the Internal Weighting Technique, refined to extreme precision, piercing skin and muscle to transmit force directly to the stomach.
"-Ughhhhh... Burp!"
Park Ji-hoon let out a massive belch without a thought for dignity or manners.
"There, doesn't that feel better now?"
No matter how much joy came from tasting and swallowing, if the only lasting memory was bloating and nausea, he couldn't cherish the moment.
"...Th-Thank you."
"Oh, no need to thank me."
After brewing one final cup of tea for each, So-hyang smiled softly and asked.
"So, about that... You know me, right?"
"Y-Yes!?"
Park Ji-hoon broke out in cold sweat, creakily turning his head to meet the Dean's eyes.
I told you it wouldn't get out...
So-hyang didn't press with more questions or interrogations, instead giving a gentle smile to avoid any sense of pressure.
Still, it was as if to say, we both know, so why keep up the pretense? She waited patiently for his answer with kindness.
Park Ji-hoon finally admitted his lie with a deathly pale face and bowed his head.
"-S-S-Sorry...!"
"Aw, no, it's fine. I was quite the scoundrel in my past life, so it's understandable you'd be scared."
So-hyang truly didn't mind, bursting into a hearty laugh and patting his shoulder reassuringly.
"By the way, is Ji-hoon's dream to recreate the scientific technology from his past life here in the Central Plains?"
"...Yes, primarily to recreate it, and then advance it even further."
"Mm, that's a great dream. Watching you work, it seems plenty feasible too."
"Th-Thank you."
So-hyang chatted with Park Ji-hoon, who had shaken off some of his fear.
"But you know? Pursuing verified technology development is good, but what if you could apply this world's sorcery system too? Wouldn't that yield even better results?"
"By apply, do you mean something specific like... material processing with alchemy or using spirit stones as power sources? I'm already working on those..."
"Nah, that's too basic for true system integration. The existence of qi means we can manifest mysteries, which implies partially ignoring the physical laws we know."
"Ah, ah? Ah...!!"
Park Ji-hoon recalled his past life's memories and the history of the white-haired woman before him.
A super-lawful being who trampled laws and morals alike, owner of unfathomable physical prowess.
In other words, physical ability included brain function, and she possessed genius-level academic prowess—her personal research on new sword steels had even been a Nobel candidate.
She'd enrolled in university under a fake identity and snagged seven PhDs in five years.
A person who would've excelled in academia, business, anything.
But she'd fallen for a blade about 120 centimeters long.
"-For example, curse spells activate instantly regardless of distance. If you minimize that range and use activation/stop states as communication signals for lag-free info transfer..."
"Aha...! Using precisely scaled-down spells or talismans instead of electrical signals...!"
Even Park Ji-hoon, debating equals with his advisor at the end of his PhD, felt like he was back at the start of grad school receiving guidance.
"Now that you get it, how about researching if this approach can shorten computation in electromagnetic circuits?"
"...N-No, yes?"
Suddenly handed an assignment, Park Ji-hoon faced a new kind of terror, different from before.
Behind So-hyang's beaming smile, he could almost see his advisor's apparition.
"...Hm."
Suddenly left out like a fifth wheel between So-hyang and Park Ji-hoon, who had bloomed into conversation, the Dean let out an uncomfortable grunt.
Park Ji-hoon had shown her a new path in science—the exploration of nature's laws—when she could no longer learn qi-based sorcery.
Grateful teacher who led her out of despair, mired in her starfire power with no way forward.
It started as novelty, deepened into learning, then frustration at dead ends, sparking challenge.
Even fumbling awkwardly, she craved deeper knowledge.
Her academic curiosity had spread to Park Ji-hoon himself...
Seeing him with other women irked her; beyond his teachings, she grew curious about him.
Even now, as her milk-white gaze curved fondly toward him, her chest felt tight.
Was it frustration from not understanding their talk, or something else—
"Oh, by the way, Dean, want to learn cooking from me sometime?"
"...Huh? What—"
A whisper in her ear: a giggling voice offering to teach her his assistant's favorite foods.
"What do you think?"
"...Teach me."
Before realizing her romantic feelings, So-hyang first captured the Dean's stomach with practical skills.
The Dean instinctively grasped their necessity and learned eagerly without complaint.
"Oh my, you have quite the talent? Must be from your alchemy and pill-refining expertise—great feel for ingredient ratios."
"...R-Really?"
Praise makes even whales dance; sincere from a transcendent's view, it hit even deeper.
"Y-You're... not bad..."
"Aw, thanks."
The budding jealousy was nipped in the bud.
It had been over a week since So-hyang arrived in Beijing.
The Third Imperial Princess, Zhu Yeonhwa, visited her own villa that she'd lent to So-hyang, her face weary with fatigue.
"My lady, the sparring match you wanted has been scheduled."
"Ah, finally."
So-hyang beamed brighter than ever.