Chapter 12
Chapter 12
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: Hidden Word
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A twinge of conscience pricked him when he thought about his ulterior motive of starting his own business someday...
Still, Han Ibi began learning Auntie's premium dishes in his spare time, squeezing it in bit by bit.
It was akin to that mindset of grabbing any certification you could while in the military.
Of course, the other errand boys looked at Han Ibi like he was crazy for wanting to learn cooking, which they found tedious just to watch.
Han Ibi had lived alone for quite a while.
But cooking? Forget it—ramen, convenience store lunches, and frozen foods were his daily staples.
After dragging himself home exhausted from grueling work, he had no desire to bother with such things; that reluctance was ingrained in him.
Yet, as he received cooking lessons, he discovered an unexpected talent: he was actually pretty good at it.
After some time passed, true to his initial declaration, he reached the level where he could whip up simple dishes like dumplings or thin noodles in Auntie's place when she was busy.
But he didn't stop there. He went on to master the basin-sized lamb dish 'Po Mo,' the veggie-and-sauce-tossed noodle sheets 'Liangpi,' and the wide noodles slathered in spicy sauce known as 'Bang Bang Mian.'
He wasn't quite at the stage where he could sell them openly yet, but he could mimic the taste and aroma decently well.
Eh... well...
Not that I'm complaining about freebies, but seriously, what the hell am I even doing right now...?
It had already been about two months since he'd inexplicably become an errand boy. Days were spent running errands, nights nursing Song Myeong-cheon.
But he never slacked on his martial arts training.
Skills don't improve on their own just because you get them...
In the jianghu, it's all about martial prowess.
Novels and films overflow with fortuitous encounters and geniuses, but in reality, it's the fruit of endless bone-grinding practice that you're witnessing.
In that time, Han Ibi had advanced beyond mere errand boy support to become the Clear Stream Inn's unofficial ace.
'As expected, Korean companies operate at the global top tier. Doing half of what I did back home has me thriving here! Ahh~ so this is what being an ace feels like.'
Meanwhile, Song Myeong-cheon's recovery was visibly accelerating.
His waking hours lengthened, and soon he could sit up on his own.
One evening, after a hectic day serving a large group from the Black Islanders faction, Han Ibi returned to find Song Myeong-cheon waiting in the dorm—standing tall on both legs.
Han Ibi said in a delighted voice,
"You've finally gotten up."
Song Myeong-cheon nodded once and replied,
"You've worked hard."
Ugh!
'Worked hard'? From this stone-faced old man...? That must be the highest praise he can muster. No doubt about it.
A swell of emotion tugged at him.
"How's your body feeling?"
"I'm recovered now."
"That's a huge relief!"
"How much time has passed?"
He was asking how long he'd been bedridden.
"Hmm, well over two months, I'd say. But Elder... I'm worried those guys might come back. Do you know who they are?"
Song Myeong-cheon gave no answer. He just stared blankly toward the ceiling.
An awkward silence...
Then came a sigh like the earth itself was crumbling. Song Myeong-cheon spoke.
"I've evaded them for so long, but they've tracked me here."
Han Ibi blurted out in bewilderment,
"Who... who do you mean?"
Song Myeong-cheon met his eyes and said,
"Tak Bu-yong. That bastard. He must be the one pulling the strings."
Gasp! Han Ibi jolted in shock.
"Tak... Tak Bu-yong?"
"You know the name?"
"Ah... yes. I do. Isn't Tak Bu-yong the Sect Leader of the Wudang Sect?"
That's right.
He remembered the name from Dream of the Ant Snake because it stood out.
In typical wuxia novels, the righteous factions' twin peaks are the Daoist Wudang and Buddhist Shaolin. Add the Beggar Clan elites as seasoning.
These three organizations pop up as protagonists, supporting characters, or comic relief, adding depth to the wuxia flavor.
Dream of the Ant Snake was no different.
Tak Bu-yong, Wudang Sect Leader, didn't appear directly much...
But he was frequently mentioned through others.
A colossal figure of the jianghu, a grandmaster. Backed by immense martial arts, he commanded universal respect.
In a word, the very symbol of the orthodox path.
But why him...?
'Come to think of it, in the original story, Song Myeong-cheon tried to kill Tak Bu-yong... Is this related?'
Suddenly, Han Ibi recalled Song Myeong-cheon's savage battle scene.
His eyes turning pitch black, a bizarre pattern emerging on his forehead...
Thump!
A profound realization struck his chest.
Yes. This old man was Song Myeong-cheon, the so-called Demonic Taoist.
Buried in daily life, he'd forgotten.
Didn't the clinic thug call him 'Demonic Taoist' while swinging his sword?
This man who tore people apart without hesitation—his true identity was...
'Have I stumbled into the subordinate of a hidden Great Demonic Head? One hunted by the pinnacle of the righteous sects, Tak Bu-yong...'
Then his own position would be that of the recluse great demon king's vanguard...?
Cold sweat drenched his back.
Song Myeong-cheon said,
"Indeed. You know well. He's the Wudang Sect Leader. And..."
Song Myeong-cheon paused, eyes closed, then snapped them open with a shout.
"...the world's biggest son of a bitch."
Ah, haha. D-dog... you mean dog, right?
"I... I see."
That was when it happened.
Song Myeong-cheon's infinitely deep, sorrowful eyes met Han Ibi's.
Han Ibi felt a sharp sting. A poignant ache, as if falling into bottomless voids.
But something was off.
'Am I hallucinating?'
Everything but Song Myeong-cheon's eyes faded out.
Only Song Myeong-cheon's gaze and his own existence remained.
Crisp and clear...
Thud-thud-thud.
A sound echoed. Utterly different from before.
What the hell was this?
The system's voice rang out.
You've triggered the main character's Hidden Word 'Tak Bu-yong,' generating a hidden quest.
Proceed with play according to instructions without revealing your identity to characters. Detection ends the quest immediately, trapping you eternally in this realm.
📍 Advice 1: Epic quest play reveals hidden lore info.
📍 Advice 2: Secret info usage may greatly impact overall play.
🎁 Reward 1: Skills acquired during epic quest remain usable upon return.
🎁 Reward 2: Internal Energy +30, Agility +20, Wisdom +20
🎁 Reward 3: Eagle's Eye Technique upgrades to Heart's Eye Vision
No! What is this? System, why do you always drop these out-of-nowhere—
But he couldn't finish. His consciousness sank endlessly.
Han Ibi felt his vision slowly brighten again. How to describe it...
'It's dreamlike. Like watching a grainy black-and-white film on an old projector, or the sensation of sleep paralysis... or maybe a lucid dream.'
Scenes flashed by like a montage, as if swimming through the air.
Then his gaze fixed on a rundown wooden building in a rural village, on the verge of collapse.
There sat a shabby middle-aged man and a neatly dressed young man.
And a boy of about ten, seated on a chair.
His firmly pressed lips reflected a resolute spirit.
But the boy's face felt oddly familiar.
What was it...? Definitely seen it somewhere... Ah!
A fleeting thought.
Of course. It was familiar for a reason.
That kid was unmistakably...
'Elder Song Myeong-cheon. His childhood self. No way! Am I dreaming within a dream? What kind of bizarre quest is this? I've devoured countless games, but I've never heard of anything this weird. System... System... how far are you gonna torment me before you're satisfied...'
Hmph. It's followed me here. Or was it already watching...? Anyway, system's observing, so I gotta be careful.
That was when it happened.
His vision exploded in a shake, then plunged straight into the young Song Myeong-cheon.
Han Ibi nearly screamed in shock.
At the same time, the black-and-white silent film world burst into full color.
And this sensation—the cold chair against his butt.
Yes. Absurd, but real.
In other words... Han Ibi had entered young Song Myeong-cheon's body.
'Haha. This is really... Is this even possible...? I'm losing my mind.'
Then the system's advice flashed: Don't get detected by other characters—the core mission.
The middle-aged man spoke.
"Myeong-cheon."
Yep, this kid's definitely Elder Song Myeong-cheon.
Time to respond.
"Yes."
"As you know... after your mother passed so tragically..."
Ah. The elder's mother died young.
"...this worthless father has poured everything into raising you and your five younger siblings."
So this guy's the elder's dad. Now that you mention it, they do look a bit alike.
The middle-aged man continued.
"But farming rented scraps of land barely feeds the whole family, doesn't it?"
Aha. Elder Song's family was this poor, with five siblings.
Tough life.
"Worse, this back injury from three months ago hasn't healed, leaving me no better than a beggar scrounging daily meals."
Han Ibi figured he should chime in supportively here.
To avoid detection.
"Don't say that, Father."
The middle-aged man shook his head.
"No. You've suffered so much. But... we can't keep living like this, can we? At least you... at least one of us needs to eat well and live well, right?"
Then he pointed to the young man beside him.
"This man's name is..."
"Hey there? You look sharp. I'm Mo Dae-hyeong."
The young man cut in.
"Our Mo Clan Manor has fished around Zhoushan near Zhejiang Province for generations."
Whoa. What kind of situation is this...? As Han Ibi looked puzzled, Mo Dae-hyeong added,
"Fishing—you know what that is? Haha, nothing special. We take boats, catch fish, sell 'em at market."
Realization dawning, Han Ibi said,
"You mean... heading to the islands to catch fish?"
Mo Dae-hyeong's eyes widened in surprise.
"Whoa, smarter than I thought. Yeah, fishing spots vary; we boat a lot, but islands are common."
Got it. Classic shrimp-catching scam from the old tales.
Fishing's so grueling, no one wants it; short on hands, so they lure naive inland poor boys like...
Aaah. The rest is too horrific to even speak of!
Song Myeong-cheon's father chuckled awkwardly.
"Yeah, not hard work. Just catching fish. Myeong-cheon, you love grabbing fish from the creek, right? Same thing. Heh heh. Sounds good?"
(To be continued in the next installment)