Same Bed, Different Dreams
The meeting room of Maeunghojeon. Seonwoo Seol, Constable Leader Jang Chil, Investigation Team Leader Zhuge Bi, the Tiger Brigade Leader, and I—the five of us were gathered to wrap up the recent incident.
"Ahem... To summarize the case: Wang Wi, the Poeun Branch Leader of the Hyeondong Merchant Group, was colluding with the Double Axe Sect, an unorthodox faction from Liaodong. At the behest of the former Inner Dining Hall Master, Geum Ho, he attempted to assassinate the current Inner and Outer Hall Master, Yoon Gomyung. Do we all understand up to this point?"
As Constable Leader Jang Chil slowly read from a thick scroll and asked, Zhuge Bi nodded. "And what next?"
"To achieve this, Wang Wi delivered low-quality ingredients to the Mutual Righteousness Academy, intending to lure Yoon Gomyung outside when he came to protest, and then assassinate him. He relayed this plan to the members of the Double Axe Sect..."
Jang Chil and Zhuge Bi were reviewing the written document of their investigation so far, checking for any errors. The rest of the report essentially concluded with how I had intuitively figured out Geum Ho's scheme, investigated, discovered the existence of the Double Axe Sect, and somehow managed to resolve the whole mess.
Since I had been directly involved in the entire incident, I knew how it had unfolded, but there were still a few details I hadn't uncovered myself. So, I asked Jang Chil.
"So the fire at the Seongrok Tea House was also the Double Axe Sect's doing?"
"They believed that if they burned down the tea house where they held their meetings and eliminated all the waiters, they couldn't be traced. They probably figured they could just threaten the owner and chase him out of the region."
"Wow. They really treated human lives like absolute garbage."
"Indeed. To think such scoundrels were living high and mighty in the Northern Yuan." Jang Chil clicked his tongue at my response and rolled the scroll back up.
"But do you really think this was just an expansionist move by the Double Axe Sect?"
"In recent years, unorthodox factions have been gaining ground, and the crime rate has risen significantly. I suspect this is just a byproduct of that. What are your thoughts on the matter?"
Was the state of the martial world really that bad? Having spent all my time cooped up in a mountain valley in Shandong, I didn't really have a sense of it. In response to Jang Chil's question, Zhuge Bi tapped his folding fan against his palm and replied.
"According to the ledgers found by Chef Yoon and the Socheonma, it is suspected that the Double Axe Sect's funds have been flowing into the Hyeondong Merchant Group for several years now."
"For several years? Does that mean the Double Axe Sect has had their eyes on the Academy for a long time?"
"At the very least, it's certain they had it in mind." Jang Chil shook his head at Zhuge Bi's words.
The prestige of the Mutual Righteousness Academy was immense. It was a dream workplace and school for everyone. But by that same token, it faced constant threats. Because of its position as an 'academy' that educated the youth, it had frequently become a target for numerous criminal organizations.
For instance, there were sects from the Outer Realms that belonged to neither the orthodox, unorthodox, nor demonic factions. The Double Axe Sect itself was an unorthodox group operating in Liaodong, near the borders of the Northern Yuan and the Central Plains, making them a sect that hovered on the boundary between the Outer Realms and the Central Plains.
"Since the Hyeondong Merchant Group was the one supplying ingredients to the Inner Dining Hall, if they had poisoned the food, the Academy's instructors and tutors would have suffered devastating casualties. After all, it was also the Hyeondong Merchant Group that held leverage over that fool Geum Ho, wasn't it?"
"So the identity of the spy Lady Seonwoo kept insisting on has finally been revealed."
"Hey, seriously. Chef Yoon, are you going to keep doing this?" At my remark, Seonwoo Seol glared at me, her lips twitching. She was telling me to stop teasing.
"Well, he was a spy, wasn't he? We know he used the Inner Dining Hall's budget to buy overpriced ingredients from the Hyeondong Merchant Group in exchange for kickbacks. He even tried to make the same offer to me, though it didn't work on me at all."
"Ah, speaking of Geum Ho. Chef Yoon, what happened to his jaw?"
"Why do you ask?"
"I heard his jawbone was completely shattered. The physician in the infirmary said it would be difficult to treat. Rumor has it... he might have to live on nothing but porridge for the rest of his life?"
At Jang Chil's words, I rubbed the back of my neck sheepishly and replied, "Well, he tried to have me killed, so the least I could do was smash his face in."
"Even so, the law of the land is strict... Wouldn't it be better to leave the punishment to the authorities? Please exercise restraint next time."
I thought I was going to get chewed out big time, but that's it? Long live the Central Plains, the land of real men!
"We still have a bit more investigating to do, but the rest of the details will be coordinated between the martial world and the government. You two may leave now."
Showing appreciation for Jang Chil's consideration, Seonwoo Seol and I cupped our fists. "Thank you, Constable Leader Jang. And thank you as well, Leader Zhuge."
"Thank you both."
The moment we stepped out of Maeunghojeon, I stretched my arms out wide. All those dragging incidents were finally wrapped up, and there was nothing left to worry about. Now, couldn't I just peacefully cook at the Academy?
"Ah, what a relief!"
"Because you beat up Geum Ho? Or because that Planning Hall Master who was connected to him got sacked?"
"Aren't both great? I was looking forward to having that bastard Geum Ho serve as my direct underling. Can you believe that washed-up old Planning Hall Master snatched him away and sent him off on a dispatch?"
Geum Ho, with his shattered jaw, was being transferred to the government office on charges of treasonous collusion. Meanwhile, the Planning Hall Master, who had maintained guanxi with him, was currently detained in Maeunghojeon for further investigation. Embezzlement might have been swept under the rug through guanxi, but collusion with enemies was crossing the line.
"They say a gentleman's revenge is not too late even after ten years."
"That's for gentlemen. I'm a petty man, so I have to settle my scores within a month. Actually, even a month is too slow."
"You're truly relentless."
"Exactly. Why did that guy Geum Ho have to pick a fight with someone minding his own business? If he hadn't, he could have just quietly eaten well and lived comfortably in the Outer Dining Hall."
Having spent four years in a cave eating nothing but fried dumplings... wait, no, fasting pills, I had absolutely zero patience left. Besides, showing sympathy to someone who tried to mess with me was just a fast track to becoming the ultimate pushover.
"But why didn't you report that treasure map?"
"Do you really think I should have?"
"If it were me, of course I would have!"
"Ah, right. You have plenty of money at home, Lady Seonwoo. I'm just a humble commoner, so I can't bring myself to turn down money staring me right in the face."
"What are you talking about? Who says I don't like money?"
"Whoa. Shouldn't the Young Cult Leader of the Sacred Cult transcend material desires?"
"We revere strength itself. We don't meditate in front of statues like the Shaolin or Emei sects, you know? So when we find the treasure later, you'd better give me my cut."
"How much?"
"Just half."
What is she, some female Phantom Thief Kid? What kind of highway robbery split is this?
"Whoa, now. You're trying to get a free ride here, milady. Since I found it first, let's make it seventy-thirty."
"The one trying to get a free ride is you, Chef Yoon! Let's do fifty-fifty."
"Seventy-thirty."
"Half."
"Tsk, fine. I'll be generous. Sixty-forty."
"Fifty-fifty."
"Did the Sacred Cult have someone named Kim Du-han? Why are you so stubborn?"
"You're just as stubborn, Chef Yoon! If you don't agree to half, I'm going to tell the entire Academy that you have a treasure map."
"Ah, seriously. Fine, fine! Let's do fifty-fifty. You're already loaded, you could've let this one slide."
"Who in their right mind gives up a profit?"
Well, she wasn't wrong. The more money, the better.
"But do you have any idea what kind of treasure map it is?"
"I think we'll need the other half to figure it out. We can't deduce anything from a crudely drawn terrain that looks like squiggly earthworms."
"Tsk, what a shame. If this went well, I was planning to buy myself a horse."
"Should we hand it over to someone who knows about these things?"
"Let's look into it ourselves first. It's a bit awkward to tell others about it."
"...'We'?"
"If you don't like being grouped together, should I just look into it alone?"
"I can't even say anything." Seonwoo Seol pouted. She really pouts easily.
"...Are you cooking for that student again today?"
"Hanseok?"
"Yes. That well-built student."
"Yeah, I'm making something for him today too... but that's an interesting way to put it. Don't people usually just call him fat?"
"He has martial talent, doesn't he? If he just loses some weight, he'll look like a Guardian Deity."
A Guardian Deity referred to the fierce, muscular statues commonly seen guarding temple entrances. Then again, Man Hanseok was taller than me, so if he shed the fat, he really might look like one of those statues.
"I'm actually a bit jealous that a student gets to eat dishes daily that even I rarely get to have."
"If you gain a ton of weight, Lady Seonwoo, you can eat them every day too."
"Hmph, no thank you. I much prefer living the way I am now."
Currently, Seonwoo Seol looked so slender that one might wonder if she was underweight. I thought she would look nice if she filled out a bit and became slightly soft and rounded. Well, that was just my personal preference.
As I headed toward the Inner Dining Hall, Seonwoo Seol tagged along right behind me.
"Are you coming with me?"
"Am I not allowed to?"
"Do you really want to watch me cook that badly?"
"I might want to watch you cook. Is that so strange?"
"You're a fascinating person."
I didn't know why she was clinging to me so closely today, but hey, when a beautiful woman wants to hang around you, you don't complain. Since she said she wanted to come inside the kitchen, I handed her an extra apron.
"This is my first time wearing an apron."
"An apron? Lady Seonwoo, have you never cooked before?"
"...I've boiled an egg before. Though they all cracked open."
"Mmh."
So she can't even make instant ramen—no, wait, this is the Central Plains, so she can't even make egg fried rice. Then again, why would the Young Cult Leader ever need to cook? She could just order her maids or personal chefs to do it. While she might be able to help with very simple tasks, it seemed better to just have her watch quietly.
"Just sit on that chair over there and watch."
What I was going to make today was Wuntan-myeon—the very delicacy known as wonton noodles. Normally, I would have used dried noodles, but today, I was going to make the noodles from scratch.
The noodles used in wonton noodles are typically egg noodles made by kneading flour and eggs, but today, I planned to make them using only eggs and starch. I poured starch into well-beaten eggs, mixed them thoroughly, and then poured the mixture bit by bit into a greased wok to fry thin egg sheets. After stacking several layers of these sheets, I sliced them to the width of noodle strands, completing the egg noodles.
Next was the wontons. Once again, I wouldn't be using flour, opting for a healthier alternative instead. I thoroughly mixed plump shrimp meat, finely minced pork, a pinch of ginger to eliminate any gamey odor, minced bamboo shoots, and a dash of salt. Then, I wrapped the mixture in blanched pumpkin leaves and tied them securely with chives so the filling wouldn't spill out.
A delicious aroma wafted from the steam escaping the steamer. Gulp. Seonwoo Seol seemed hungry; she couldn't take her eyes off the steamer.
As I prepared to brew the broth while waiting for the pumpkin-leaf wontons to cook, Seonwoo Seol snapped out of her daze, crossed her legs, rested her chin on her hand, and asked.
"Chef Yoon, what would you do if I were to go far away?"
"Are you going somewhere?"
"It's just... a hypothetical."
Her expression was far too serious for a mere hypothetical. Anyone watching would think she was a soldier about to march off to war. Sensing that this wasn't the time for jokes, I rolled my brain around for a moment before answering.
"I would prepare a feast grand enough to break the table's legs to bid you a proper farewell."
"A very chef-like answer. But would you miss me?"
"I might keep thinking of you until I see someone more beautiful."
"Good grief, where did you learn to flatter like that?"
Though her voice sounded full of complaint, the corners of her mouth twitched upward, unable to hide her delight. It seemed my answer had hit the mark.
After lightly simmering a broth made from dried shrimp and chicken bones, I seasoned it with hosi. I ladled the broth into a bowl, added a few of the boiled pumpkin-leaf wontons, and then loosened the egg noodles into it. The flour-free wonton noodles were complete.
When I placed the bowl in front of Seonwoo Seol, she tilted her head in confusion.
"Wasn't this food for that chubby student?"
"For him, it's only complete once I add this. But this bowl is for you, Lady Seonwoo."
When I pointed to the herbal powder meant to boost yang energy, Seonwoo Seol's expression instantly shifted into a bright, beaming smile. I had seen her gulping down her saliva ever since I started making the pumpkin-leaf wontons. If I didn't give her a bowl and only fed Man Hanseok, I'd be absolute human trash.
"I'll enjoy the food."
I expected her to slurp the noodles, but she ate in silence instead. As I stared intently to see whether she liked it or not, Seonwoo Seol glanced up at me, her face slightly flushed.
"I know you want to see my reaction to your food, but staring so intently is a bit..."
"Ah, right. Sorry."
As I averted my gaze, Seonwoo Seol chuckled softly and gave her review.
"It's delicious. Using egg sheets as noodles is really clever, and the broth is so refreshing. You went out of your way to avoid using flour, didn't you?"
"Yes. Flour gets in the way of losing weight."
"Thanks to that, the flavor is incredibly clean. It's really delicious. Especially these wontons wrapped in pumpkin leaves—they're the best."
Hehehe. Watching Seonwoo Seol eat while letting out such soft giggles, she looked incredibly adorable.
"I couldn't say it properly today either...!"
Seonwoo Seol whined as she dove into the fluffy blankets on her bed. Normally, she maintained the mature and magnanimous demeanor of the 'Young Cult Leader,' but once she returned to her quarters, she would occasionally reveal her hidden, true self.
Seeing her like this, her maid Nan-gae scolded her gently.
"My lady, if you're going to lie in bed, you should change your clothes properly first."
"I just needed to ask one more time today, but I couldn't bring myself to say it..."
"You still haven't made the proposal?"
The proposal in question was to ask the chef if he had any intention of joining the Sacred Cult when the day came for Seonwoo Seol to return.
"I honestly don't understand why you're clinging to that chef so much, my lady."
"That's because you don't know, Nan-gae. Someone like him must be brought into the Sacred Cult."
We have to snatch him up before those self-righteous orthodox bastards—who have a few decent people but are mostly filled with self-centered, hypocritical snobs—take him for themselves... or so Seonwoo Seol thought.
"He's great at cooking, skilled in medicine, a Peak Master whose strength is hard to find among his peers, decent-looking, and has a fun personality... See? That's five major strengths right there!"
"Decent-looking... Is that your type, my lady?"
"Well, maybe there's a tiny bit of personal interest mixed in, but he's genuinely talented enough for our Sacred Cult to recruit..."
Seonwoo Seol grumbled, rolling around on the bed with a dissatisfied pout.
"If I leave the Academy, the Nine Sects and One Gang or the Murim Alliance will definitely snatch him up."
Yoon Gomyung was undeniably a rare talent, so they had to claim him before others grew greedy. That was Seonwoo Seol's logic.
"...So I need to look out for him."
As Seonwoo Seol furrowed her brow, Nan-gae gently massaged her forehead to smooth out the wrinkles.
"I doubt that chef even realizes he's receiving help from you, my lady. If anything, he's probably the one who has helped you more."
"What are you talking about? I've helped him so much!"
"Just look at what you did today. What did you do when you went to see Chef Yoon?"
"...I ate the wonton noodles he made."
"Did you at least help him cook?"
"He told me to just sit down because I can't cook."
"See, my lady? You're actually the one receiving his help."
"I wanted to help him when he was struggling so he would recognize the Sacred Cult's grace, feel moved, and join us... but why is he never struggling? I really don't get it."
The incident with the Drunken King was a prime example. She already knew he was hiding his martial arts, but she had no idea he could fight that well. Why did he have to be so good at fighting too? Seonwoo Seol simply couldn't comprehend it.
"Just give up, my lady."
"I can't. No, I won't."
Seonwoo Seol sat up.
How can I drag Chef Yoon into our Sacred Cult?
Due to her position as the daughter of the Heavenly Demon and the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult, she had rarely had the chance to make friends with peers of her own age. In fact, the most she had ever conversed with were instructors and tutors much older than her. Because of this, she believed the emotion she was currently feeling was merely a Young Cult Leader's desire to possess a newly discovered talent.
I don't want to beg him; that's too embarrassing. Isn't there some other way?
On the other hand, Nan-gae watched Seonwoo Seol, shaking her head in pity.
She could just pounce on him and make him hers.
As Seonwoo Seol's personal maid, she shouldn't be giving such advice, but she wished her lady would realize her own charm. After all, if there was something you wanted, shouldn't you throw your whole body into claiming it?
That was exactly how the wife of the Heavenly Demon, Seonwoo Dan, had won him as her husband, and how the previous Cult Leader had ended up holding his wedding.
Nan-gae fretted, unable to speak her mind freely, while Seonwoo Seol racked her brain trying to think of some groundbreaking method to lure Yoon Gomyung to the Sacred Cult.
They were truly sharing the same bed but dreaming completely different dreams.