Just Call It a Whim (5)
"Is it still far off?"
"Hurry up and make it! Faster!"
"What about the Gungbo Gyejeong? I told you to make it ages ago—what happened to it? Where did the buksukso go?"
The cooks of the Sichuan Dang Family were locked in a desperate battle.
"Didn’t they say there were only five of them? This looks like enough for twenty servings. Why are they ordering so much more?"
"Don’t ask me. Apparently, one person is eating almost all of it!"
"All of this?"
"I’m telling you, yes."
"Good grief. Has a hungry ghost latched on to them or something?"
The cooks’ hands only moved faster.
Then, among those frantic cooks, one person slipped in with a perfectly natural stride.
As soon as the cooks saw what he was wearing, they loaded food bowls and bottles of liquor onto a tray.
"Hurry, hurry! Take it before it gets cold!"
"Yes, sir!"
The figure kept his face hidden, received the tray, and carried it away briskly.
Once he’d left the kitchen, he glanced around and slipped a hand into his robes.
He took out one large bottle and one small one, checked them, and his eyes flashed coldly.
So the bastard likes his drink.
He sprinkled the powder from the small bottle evenly over the Gungbo Gyejeong, then poured the liquid from the other bottle into the flask of liquor.
After that, as if nothing had happened, he lifted the tray and walked on with calm steps.
When he reached the Mount Hua disciples’ quarters, he gave a slight cough and went straight inside.
"Oh! You’re back!"
"…Again?"
"I can’t tell whether you’re amazing for eating all of that or the Dang Family is amazing for giving you all of it."
At the table in the center of the inner room, empty bowls lay scattered everywhere.
The man set the food he’d brought down in front of Chung Myung. Then he began collecting the empty dishes one by one.
"Krr. All right, then. Let’s start again."
Chung Myung whistled and picked up his chopsticks. Seeing that, Baek Cheon frowned deeply.
"You’re seriously eating again? Again?"
"Well, if they’re giving it to me, I have to eat it."
"Have you got a demon of gluttony living inside you? Hey, you little brat! You said you had a spar in the afternoon! How can you make yourself this heavy before that?"
"It’s fine, it’s fine."
"Mount Hua’s food is good too, isn’t it? Why do you look like you’ve been starving for days…."
"Sasuk."
"Hm?"
"That’s rice."
"Then this is?"
"This is a dish."
"…."
It was an odd distinction, but Baek Cheon understood Chung Myung perfectly. No matter how generously one piled on meat, no matter how fine the ingredients were, food from Mount Hua’s kitchen could not be compared to the dishes here.
These were made by the finest cooks in all of Sichuan, after all.
"Krr. First bite…."
Then Chung Myung tilted his head.
"Huh?"
His gaze snapped to one side.
"Krr! What is that? That smell could kill a man!"
Chung Myung’s eyes locked onto a newly placed bottle of liquor. The cork had been pulled, and a heavenly fragrance was wafting out of it.
Without hesitation, he reached out, grabbed it, and poured the liquor into his mouth.
"Khaaaaaaa!"
"…That sounded like somebody dying."
"Wouldn’t that be nice."
Chung Myung stared at the bottle with wide eyes.
"Wow. What is this thing? This is the real deal."
Baek Cheon quietly edged closer to him.
"Then let me have a sip too…."
"Hey! What do you think you’re doing, reaching for my Sajil’s liquor? No manners at all!"
"…Has this guy lost his mind?"
The whole sect was upside down.
Completely upside down.
"Krr. This Gungbo Gyejeong is practically art. Art! I want to drag every single cook here back to Mount Hua."
"To hire them for Mount Hua’s kitchen?"
"No. For my personal use."
"…."
Primordial Heavenly Lord.
Why did you send such a creature down to Mount Hua?
Watching Chung Myung drink and devour everything on the table, the man quietly picked up the empty trays and left the room.
Gulp, gulp, gulp.
Chung Myung wiped his mouth with his sleeve and stared at the bottle with a snicker.
Then, as if satisfied, he leaned back in his chair.
"Ah, I ate too much."
"See? I told you to eat in moderation."
"It’s fine, it’s fine. This much is nothing."
Jo Gul looked at the table and frowned a little.
"There’s still quite a bit left. That’s a waste. We should finish the rest…."
Clack!
Chung Myung’s chopsticks flashed like a beam of light and struck Jo Gul’s chopsticks.
"…."
"That’s mine. Saghye, eat something else."
"…Huh?"
Chung Myung grinned.
"This was prepared for me by the Dang Family."
Jo Gul tilted his head, unable to make sense of that.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
The news that Mount Hua Divine Dragon and Tang Hak would be holding a spar spread rapidly throughout the entire Dang Family.
"With that Mount Hua Divine Dragon?"
"Young Master Tang Hak is that skilled?"
"Nonsense! Why else would people say he isn’t the clan lord’s son? In terms of skill, he’s the best among the young martial artists of the Dang Family."
"True enough, but… still, it’s the Mount Hua Divine Dragon. Didn’t the clan lord himself reportedly come out the worse for wear in a spar against him before?"
"That was because the clan lord held back. Do you really think His Lordship would use killing moves on a young Taoist from Mount Hua?"
Opinions differed from person to person, but everyone wanted to see the spar with their own eyes. As a result, the central training ground of the Sichuan Dang Family was overflowing with clan members who had gathered from the crack of dawn.
Watching the crowd swell around him made Tang Hak’s heart pound faster.
"Hoo."
Taking a deep breath, Tang Hak steadied his trembling chest and clenched his fist inside his sleeve.
That was when it happened.
"There’s no need to be nervous."
Tang Hak snapped his head around.
His grandfather, Tang Oe, the head elder of the council, was walking toward him.
"I greet the Elder Council Head."
"Don’t strain yourself over useless things. Call me Grandfather."
"Yes! Grandfather."
Tang Oe smiled faintly.
"Are you confident?"
"I haven’t neglected my training, but… my opponent is Mount Hua Divine Dragon, the one called the greatest prodigy of the younger generation in the world. To be honest, I’m not certain I can win."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Useless boy. You’re scared of a child who’s at least ten years younger than you?"
"I’m not without confidence, but…."
"There’s no need to worry."
"Pardon?"
Tang Oe gave a sly smile.
"Do you think I’d send my one and only grandson to his death? Mount Hua Divine Dragon will be writhing like a chicken fed poison, so don’t drag this out—crush him quickly."
"How would I…."
"But!"
Tang Oe’s eyes gleamed sharply as he whispered,
"You must not let him live."
Understanding Tang Oe’s meaning, Tang Hak slowly nodded. A twisted smile spread across his lips.
"I understand what you mean. Don’t worry. I’ll make sure that bastard never opens his mouth again."
"Yes. A man must be ruthless when the time calls for it."
The two of them exchanged slimy smiles.
"If this goes well, you’ll take the position of young clan lord. Then the clan lord’s seat will naturally pass to you as well."
"I don’t know how I can ever repay Grandfather’s kindness."
"Your ascent to clan lord is repayment enough. Then my resentment will be settled too."
Tang Oe turned his head slightly and looked over the people gathered in the training ground.
"Do you see them?"
"Yes."
"All of them are members of the Dang Family. Blood brothers still end up quarreling with one another, so how could all these people possibly live as one family?"
"…."
"What a true clan lord must possess is not affection for his own people. He must be cold, clear-eyed, and able to see only the Dang Family’s profit. Remember what I’ve told you."
"Yes, Grandfather."
Tang Oe licked his lips.
That settles it.
He had already received word from one of his subordinates that Chung Myung had taken Cheonilchu.
No matter how monstrously talented he is, once he’s been poisoned by Cheonilchu, he won’t be able to handle Tang Hak.
Cheonilchu was one of the Dang Family’s special poisons.
Its peculiar trait was that it split into a yang poison and a yin poison. Unless the two were used together, it wouldn’t function as a poison at all. By itself, it was nothing more than powder and liquid.
But once the two met inside the stomach, they mixed and became poison.
Anyone poisoned by Cheonilchu became mentally foggy, as if drunk, and found it hard to draw out their power properly.
It’s the perfect drug for a spar like this.
Tang Oe smiled strangely and turned his head.
When he looked at the Dang Family lord seated across the way, his brows naturally furrowed.
That so-called clan lord!
However much he might need to support Chung Myung, was it really acceptable for the Dang Family lord to be sitting over there on Mount Hua’s side?
We can’t entrust the Dang Family’s future to a man like that.
Once today was over, the Dang Family would be reorganized under his and Tang Hak’s names.
Then, from far away, the Mount Hua disciples were seen slowly walking over.
"They’re here!"
"Mount Hua! It’s Mount Hua Divine Dragon!"
The Dang Family members gathered there held their breath as they watched.
They couldn’t jeer, and they couldn’t cheer either.
They couldn’t boo because Tang Gun-ak was standing there, and they couldn’t cheer because the one Mount Hua was facing was Tang Hak.
All that came out were awkward, disorganized shouts that kept rising and falling in a confused mess.
"Are you ready?"
"Yes, Grandfather!"
"Good. Don’t let them steal your momentum. Go on!"
"Yes!"
Tang Hak leaped onto the hastily built sparring platform and straightened his shoulders grandly as he looked at the Mount Hua disciples.
This is the moment I become young clan lord.
He had to show the most solemn, dignified image possible!
"Mount Hua Divine Dragon, step forward. Today I will face you and prove that the martial arts of the Dang Family stand above Mount Hua."
"Wooooooaaaaah!"
"That’s right!"
In the end, blood always runs inward.
At that proud declaration, the Dang Family members erupted in cheers. Some people snuck glances at Tang Gun-ak, but he gave no reaction at all.
And the Mount Hua disciples….
Huh?
What are they doing?
The eyes of the gathered crowd turned to Mount Hua’s disciples. Even though they had clearly heard Tang Hak’s challenge, they were standing in a circle, busily whispering among themselves about something.
"Really?"
"Is that okay?"
"…No, uh…."
"It’s fine, it’s fine."
"…If you say so."
After a long whispering session, one person stepped forward.
Watching that person climb the sparring platform without any hesitation, the crowd let out cries of admiration.
"That’s Mount Hua Divine Dragon! The greatest prodigy of the younger generation!"
"What overwhelming momentum… huh?"
"Mount Hua Divine Dragon was a woman?"
Everyone’s faces filled with bewilderment.
The one mounting the platform was a female disciple of Mount Hua. Though Chung Myung’s fame had not yet spread widely all the way to Sichuan, that didn’t mean anyone thought Mount Hua Divine Dragon was a woman.
"Didn’t they say Mount Hua Divine Dragon would be the one fighting?"
"Why is it a woman?"
"No! Is she saying she’ll take on Young Master Tang Hak? There are limits to how much you can insult the Dang Family!"
The crowd began to murmur noisily.
But no matter how angry they were, none of them were as angry as Tang Hak.
His face twisted with fury as he roared,
"What in the world is this supposed to mean?"
He glared at Yu I-seol on the platform and spat out the words.
"I clearly said I’d be facing Mount Hua Divine Dragon. Who are you to come up here?"
"Yu I-seol of Mount Hua."
"You don’t understand a word I’m saying! Where is Mount Hua Divine Dragon?"
Only then did one of the Mount Hua disciples who had been gathered together step forward at a leisurely pace.
"Me."
"…."
Chung Myung looked utterly annoyed, like he’d been dragged here against his will. Seeing that, Tang Hak failed to hide his confusion.
"You’re the one I’m supposed to face, are you not?"
"Ah, well, since it turned out this way, let’s just do it like this."
"What do you mean, 'like this'?"
"Tsk."
Chung Myung patted his bloated stomach.
"I overate, so now I’ve got indigestion."
"…Overate? You’re telling me a martial artist overate?"
"The Dang Family’s food is seriously delicious."
"…."
It was absurd. No, absurd didn’t even begin to cover it.
What made things even more absurd was Tang Gun-ak himself, standing beside that so-called Mount Hua Divine Dragon, murmuring and nodding as if to say,
That’s true.
"Has Mount Hua no sense of shame?"
"You’re the one saying strange things. Who exactly is it that has no shame here?"
"What did you say?"
Chung Myung snickered.
"You’re saying you’re the one who’ll face me?"
"…That is correct."
"And on what basis?"
"…."
Tang Hak’s eyes wavered.
"I’m still Mount Hua Divine Dragon, you know!"
Chung Myung stuck out his belly.
It was swollen. Really swollen. Just how much had he eaten— no, that wasn’t the point right now.
"Are you bragging about your fame with your own mouth? A martial artist obsessed with reputation…."
"What kind of garbage are you spouting? Then I suppose you’d be perfectly fine if the Dang Family got lumped in with some no-name sect stuck in the corner of a back alley with five people in it, is that it?"
"…."
No, that was different.
This was the Sichuan Dang Family.
"Do you know how I earned this fame? I earned it by hacking away with my sword until my hands went numb and running around until my feet were sweating. And now what? A spar? With some old-timer I’ve never even heard of?"
Chung Myung wore a strange expression.
It was a face full of mockery and ridicule at the same time.
"Don’t play games. Even challengers need to qualify first. If not, then go write this on the Dang Family signboard:
'Passerby. If you want to request a spar, we’ll take it. Clan Lord of the Sichuan Dang Family.'
"
When Tang Hak, unable to come up with a rebuttal, shut his mouth, Chung Myung muttered irritably,
"Do they think I picked up this title gambling in some back alley? Everybody and their dog is crawling all over me. Some nobody who hasn’t even made a proper name for himself trying to challenge me like this—what a joke."
Tang Hak’s face twisted miserably.
Chung Myung clicked his tongue and pointed at Yu I-seol with his chin.
"Don’t worry. I’m generous. If you beat our Sago, I’ll take you on. Actually, this is a pain in the ass anyway, so…."
Chung Myung grinned.
"If you beat our Sago, I’ll count it as your win."
Tang Hak’s face turned deathly pale.
"You want me to fight a woman?"
"…Huh."
Chung Myung’s eyes flew wide open. Then they began to tremble.
"If you want to die, all you have to do is stick your face in a bowl of water. No need to struggle just so you can get beaten to death…."
"What?"
That was when it happened.
"Are you done?"
Tang Hak’s head jerked around.
Shrrk.
Yu I-seol’s sword was slowly drawn from its scabbard.
"If you’re done, then let’s start now. The fight."
Unable to hold back his rage any longer, Tang Hak’s face trembled like a leaf in the wind.
"You… you shameless—!"
That was when it happened.
Faaaat!
"…."
Tang Hak slowly lowered his head.
Both of his sleeves had been sliced off and were fluttering to the ground.
"…."
"You talk too much."
At Yu I-seol’s quiet words, Tang Hak ground his teeth.
"You. Don’t even think about walking off this sparring platform alive."
The tension that had swollen in an instant wrapped itself around the training ground.
In that situation, only one person muttered something different.
"Samae, talking too much is not something we should be accusing others of…."
"Hm? What was that, Sasuk?"
"No… nothing."
Baek Cheon turned his head away slightly.