Chapter 76
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 76
Chapter Title: No. 1
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Palace Arrow Sect had sealed off the area for the operation and put everyone inside to sleep.
Of course, it wasn't a full blockade of the entire county—just covering one district with a barrier to keep outsiders from noticing.
With everyone near the bustling street where Wind and Cloud Inn was located knocked out by sleep incense, she'd have to go a bit farther to buy ingredients.
So So-hyang headed out far.
Faster than amid thousands or tens of thousands of arrows, channeling all her spirit energy to elevate her lightness skill.
"I'll go buy the ingredients first!"
"...Wait, what the hel—"
Seeing her suddenly bolt out of the inn with sparkling eyes, the others could only wonder what was going on.
Zhu Yeonhwa, Yi Chun, the Imperial Princess, and the assassin exchanged bewildered glances.
"Hello, could I get ten sacks of rice?"
"Uh, yes?"
Park, the rice merchant who was idling away as usual, gaped at the fairy in white who seemed to drop from the sky.
Beauty beyond anything he'd ever seen, a voice that lodged sweetly in his ears, hefty breasts swaying heavily.
...Drool trickled from his open mouth.
"Um, aren't you open for business?"
"-Y-Yes? Oh, yes! We are!"
Dazed by her looks, he hadn't caught her words properly and asked her to repeat, risking rudeness.
"Ten sacks of rice."
"...Pardon?"
This time he heard clearly but had to ask again.
Not ten pecks or even ten bushels, but ten stones?
"We're having a feast. Just give them to me."
"...Yes, alright."
He started to voice doubts, but her soft voice and the gold ingot thrust before him shut his mouth.
She smiled faintly at the sacks piled in the warehouse behind the shop.
"May I ask how you'll take them? Are servants coming...?"
"No, I'll carry them myself."
"...Pardon?"
Ten stones of rice...? Two hundred geun (about 120kg) per sack, and ten of them...?
With that, the white-robed fairy truly extended her slender jade hands and lifted a sack.
...A weight no one could possibly lift?
"...?"
She balanced one on her head, then stacked another on top, building a tower of rice sacks atop her head in an instant.
"???"
Park's mind reeled at the bizarre sight shattering all common sense, his brain refusing to process it.
"Thank you! Prosperous business to you!"
And with that, she dashed off.
At wind-like speed, the rice tower never wobbling even slightly.
"...Am I dreaming?"
Park stood dazed for a moment, then pinched his cheek hard.
It hurt. His face stung.
"Let's see, this should be plenty!"
So-hyang beamed, having swept up rice, beans, cabbage and other vegetables, meat, flour, sauces, seasonings, and all sorts of ingredients.
"...You planning to supply an army or something?"
Zhu Yeonhwa pointed out reasonably, looking utterly baffled.
Even accounting for feeding three hundred assassins, the amount So-hyang bought was excessive.
A small hill had formed in the inn's backyard—no exaggeration—and even as an Imperial Princess, she'd never seen such a sight.
"Better too much than too little, right? First, rice."
Zhu Yeonhwa had cleared the inn in advance expecting an attack, so no guests or staff inside.
Meaning they could borrow the kitchen tools without issue.
She poured washed rice into a cauldron bigger than a person, lit the fire.
Perfect control of amount and flame, infusing spirit energy into each grain to vitalize the ingredients.
"Next, soup and kimchi!"
She dissolved soybean paste in broth, sliced cabbage into it, and boiled soup.
Mixed cabbage with seasonings for fresh kimchi.
"Too bad, not enough time for proper fermented kimchi..."
The basics of Korean cuisine—rice, soup, kimchi—were done.
So-hyang's hands sped up.
Cabbage coated in flour batter and pan-fried.
Thinly sliced meat battered and fried.
Boiled pork slices.
Feast noodles in anchovy broth, assorted greens tossed with sesame oil on the spot...
As she made dish after dish, her movements grew too fast for eyes to follow.
"Wh-What the heck...!"
"...Hah, she was holding back to our level when facing us."
Even mere ingredient prep and cooking hid unfathomable martial principles.
Only the top experts, Moon Shadow and Yi Chun, could perceive it.
After insultingly short time for three hundred portions, So-hyang's hands stopped.
"...Whew!"
She wiped a bead of sweat from her brow.
Even for So-hyang, cooking such volume was a first, demanding full focus.
About the same effort as her bout with Elder Qingxu.
"Worth it, though!"
A feast table so lavish it could break legs—no exaggeration.
"Everyone, dig in!"
No. 1 of Palace Arrow Sect thought as she recalled countering Moon Shadow—who'd been hurled at her like a cannonball—with dung water and dirt kicks, only to be subdued.
What is that?
Most outstanding in bow arts infused with Baekdu's essence among her comrades, earning the title No. 1.
Yet her age wasn't much.
Not even twenty, a heaven-sent genius reaching peak mastery youngest in the sect.
That aside, she was a bit different from her Palace Arrow Sect comrades.
The great famine hitting their homeland, the Haedong Peninsula, was over twenty years ago.
No. 1 was barely out of her teens, young bordering on child for a warrior.
No matter homeland families starving or distant Central Plains soil, human bonds form between people.
She was born and raised on Central Plains soil where parents were dispatched, never stepping on homeland.
She knew no abundance, not even the word "fullness."
Others shunned food worrying for homeland kin, but she had no such reason.
She just followed the adults.
Always hungry, yet diligently trained per grandfather and uncles' words amid it.
Meant to be family's pampered youngest, but adults had no such leisure.
Warm care and tender touches need bodily and mental spare.
Adults weren't harsh, but not affectionate either.
She grew simply as Palace Arrow Sect's No. 1.
To her, food was always foul-smelling hardship rations like dry pellets—stale, cold, tasteless, insufficient.
But that... what is it?
Steam rose warmly. Good smells.
Bright, colorful.
Oddly, saliva pooled in her mouth.
She looked around.
Adults similarly hesitant.
All eyeing food warily, no desire to eat.
Always like that. Adults looked glum eating.
Forcing chews like chewing sand, guilty expressions.
So she mimicked.
Acting bored, disgusted chewing, gloomy face.
But actually not.
Even stale hardship rations had faint sweetness, chewed thoroughly on purpose.
Eventually even they gulped pellets half-chewed, so she scarfed too.
"...Hm? Eat comfortably, everyone?"
The white lady spoke, but adults didn't open mouths.
Then I shouldn't either.
Like adults, don't eat.
Couldn't hold back.
No. 1 blankly walked over, shoved meat pancake into mouth.
"Wait, No. 1, what are you—"
Grandfather yammered behind, unheard.
Unlike tough rations and jerky, teeth sank softly.
Oily umami filling mouth slickly.
Egg nuttiness, flour sweetness.
Meat's satisfying chew.
"...!"
Thunder boomed, lightning struck No. 1's mind.
What is this?
Food fit for humans?
What have I eaten till now?
No time for thoughts, crammed plate of meat pancakes into mouth.
"...!!"
Still shocking. Texture filling mouth wholly new.
Flour-coated greens nearby...? Curious, grabbed handful, swallowed.
"...!!!"
This mad too. Crisp chew, sweet veggie juices, roasted flour and oil.
No. 1's mind blurred.
"My, how gluttonous. What's your name, friend?"
Question from the white lady who cooked.
No. 1 gulped crammed food, chugged proffered water, answered.
"-I'm No. 1 of Palace Arrow Sect."
"Pardon?"
"...? Something wrong?"
So-hyang's face subtly frowned. Asked name, got code number...
Unsettled, but didn't show.
"No. Don't eat so fast, use chopsticks beside."
"Th-Those chopsticks? How do you use sticks?"
"-What?"
No. 1 gripped chopsticks awkwardly.
Two wooden sticks held reverse-grip like daggers.
Knew existence and use, but never tried or taught.
Natural. Only hand-eaten rations and jerky till now.
Never used utensils beyond hands.
So-hyang's face crumpled at girl's round-eyed confusion.
Sect shunning food from famine guilt.
Age barely twenty max.
Ignorance of food evident.
So-hyang understood the poor child's plight.
"...Damn, rip them apart."
No matter harsh circumstances, raising child like abuse?
Rare true rage welled; turned glare to assassins.
"Hey, you—"
About to yell angrily, words caught.
No need for her anger—their faces already crumbled.
"-Ah, th-this, no, we..."
Her beast-like cramming of food with both hands...
Why realize now?
Did they teach her chopsticks?
Even if cornered inescapably, coming afar to save homeland was their choice.
Shunning food from guilt for homeland kin, plus lighter bodies aided assassinations, so minimal intake.
Self-chosen under resolve and duty.
But that child?
What duty or resolve for a kid to endure such asceticism?
Why deny her choice?
Why treat her like themselves?
Result: this.
Not knowing chopsticks, stabbing food; rice specks on mouth, clothes, everywhere in gluttony.
"Ugh, ah, aaaaah...!"
Adults groaned dry as desert sand, harsh as scraping iron.
Regret piercing, gut-wrenching pain.
Thrashing to save nation, yet ruined the child to protect.
What have we done?
"...Wh-Why? External attack? Poison or curse—"
Sudden adults clutching faces in agony panicked No. 1 mid-inhaling food.
Instantly nocked arrow, battle-ready, scanning.
Innocent munching vanished; seasoned assassin in blink.
Adults burst into tears.
All they taught: No. 1 title and such skills.
Ignored true happiness teachings, relied on her genius.
"Sorry, so sorry. We... we...!"
Couldn't face child, bowed heads; heavy regret buckled knees.
Seeing adults kneel sobbing, No. 1 panicked, dropped bow, toddled over, plopped down too.
"Wh-Why? What's sorry, I'm fine! No problem!"
Adults wept, child wept too.
"Th-Those foods caused it? Sorry. Won't anymore, please don't cry..."
That tore assassins' hearts.
"Kuhuhuuuk...!"
To such good child, we...!
"...Mm."
Seeming to grasp without words, So-hyang quelled rising fury.
Yes, they have circumstances.
Cornered, overlooked vital things.
Everyone errs; intent to mend allows change anytime.
"...Everyone, eat."
At her sighed words, assassins lifted faces—soulless masks gone, filled with sorrow and regret.
"Too late, but teach from now: chopsticks, table manners, adult duties."
Parents should serve sides, wipe child's mouth.
Sharing meals, exchanging hearts—that's family, no?
Late, but from now.
Assassins sat with child, scooped rice.