Back to the Academy

"Did it satisfy you?" Ju Suran, the owner of Gijwaru, greeted us with a bright smile as we prepared to leave the fifth floor.

"We ate well. It was worth every bit of those ten gold coins."

"If I may ask one more thing, how did the young lady find it...?"

"Ah, well... it was delicious..." Gongson Yeongji replied shyly.

Ju Suran smiled brightly again. "As expected, you have a very mature palate."

Even high-ranking officials would find it hard to receive such lavish treatment. Who on earth ordered them to treat us so well?

"Is 'that person's' identity a secret?"

"Beyond being a secret... even I do not know."

That was a shame. But if they could order a branch leader of Haomen around, they must hold an incredibly high position.

"Then who is above the branch leader?"

"..."

Ju Suran merely offered a mysterious smile. That meant she wouldn't answer.

"Three-Virtue Chef, if you ever have business near Henan again, please let me know. I, Ju Suran, will make sure to treat you properly once more."

"Will you charge me next time?"

"If it is you, Three-Virtue Chef..." Ju Suran trailed off, spreading five fair, delicate fingers.

Those fingers obviously meant fifty percent. A half-price discount. It was tempting, but I felt the sharp glare of Seonwoo Seol, who was slowly sobering up, so I gave a vague answer.

"Ahem, I'll consider it."

"It was an honor to serve you and your companions, Three-Virtue Chef. Please visit us again."

After exchanging polite pleasantries with Ju Suran, we went down to the first floor of Gijwaru, where the carriage driver was already waiting.

Once we got in, the driver asked, "Did you enjoy your meeting with the owner, sir?"

I almost blurted out, How did you know? but stopped myself. Ah, the driver was a member of Haomen from the very beginning. Even if I hadn't asked about a restaurant, he probably would have made up some excuse to steer us toward Gijwaru.

"Your acting is superb."

"I have no idea what you mean, sir."

Unlike his polite voice, his face wore a sly grin. Truly, the Central Plains was vast, and it was full of all kinds of people.

"Let's make haste."

"Yes, sir."

As the carriage carried us away from Zhengzhou, I suddenly heard the flapping of wings and looked out the window. A small note was tied to the bird's leg. A carrier pigeon. I wondered who it was for.

Gururuk, gururuk.

While the pigeon pecked at its feed, an old man untied and unrolled the note from its leg. Reading the densely packed characters written in a fine brush, the old man smiled warmly.

"As expected of Master Muyeol's disciple. Quite an interesting fellow."

The old man tied the note to the pigeon's leg and sent it flying again. Watching the carrier pigeon soar into the sky, he picked up his fine brush once more and slowly began to write.

"Aigoo, home sweet home."

Returning to my room in the Seocheong-jogwan after nearly a month, I rolled around on the floor with dramatic intensity. No matter how delicious the food is, eating it every single day for a month is bound to make anyone sick of it.

Man Hanseok, Gongson Yeongji, and even Seonwoo Seol were all wonderful people, but spending almost every waking moment together for a month meant we frequently bickered over trivial things that normally wouldn't even warrant an argument.

Realizing it was time for everyone to recharge their batteries in solitude, we had agreed to return to our respective rooms and take three days of personal time to recuperate.

Especially Seonwoo Seol and Gongson Yeongji—they were entirely different creatures compared to simple, easygoing men like me and Man Hanseok. It was only right to give them their own space.

But come to think of it, I hadn't had a single moment of true, uninterrupted solitude since escaping that cave. I decided to dedicate today entirely to myself.

"..."

Sitting cross-legged, I stared blankly into space.

But seriously, I have absolutely nothing to do. Am I really a man with zero hobbies outside of work?

As a cozy, sluggish drowsiness began to wash over me, my eyes started to drift shut...

If I fall asleep now, I probably won't wake up until evening...

"Whoa, wake up!"

Slap, slap!

I slapped my own cheeks to snap myself out of it. If I dozed off now, I'd waste my precious personal time. I needed to do something.

I pulled out some cookbooks I had bought in the past, thinking I'd browse through them, when my eyes caught the book hidden underneath—the one containing the formulas for the Baekyak-gwonkyeol (Hundred Medicine Fist Secrets).

And beneath those books lay the paper containing the final testament of my master, Yakseon.

I unfolded the letter, which had grown crumpled from being read so many times, and began to read it once more.

Along with that, Yakseon had written down his symptoms at the time.

Even a brief glance revealed: skin abnormalities, vomiting, fever, nausea, general weakness, hemorrhaging... These were not symptoms that could be caused by a single poison. It looked like the result of at least two or three different poisons mixed together.

At the time, Yakseon was at the absolute pinnacle of medicine, yet even he couldn't identify this poison. It was truly a terrifyingly formidable toxin.

"..."

Come to think of it, the poison discovered at the Murim Alliance and the Hyeondong Merchant Guild was also described as ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠an extreme poison. I hoped it would be one of the poisons recorded in Yakseon's medical texts, but seeing how the Alliance's Medical Hall had no idea what it was, it was clearly an extraordinary, lethal toxin.

The probability of an extreme poison discovered decades ago being the exact same as one used today was slim, but... it was highly suspicious.

Once this break ended, the students of the Sichuan Tang Clan would return. I could ask them then, or wait for Dang Go-hye, who was supposed to visit this area.

When I asked Man Hanseok, he said he had received a letter from Dang Go-hye through a Tang Clan student. Apparently, she had heard rumors of toxic creatures near Hebei and insisted on searching for them together.

I carefully folded the letter and put it away, then began studying the formulas for the Mad Dog Avoiding Steps (). Just then—

Knock, knock.

Someone knocked on the door. I went to open it and found a servant from the Seocheong-jogwan.

He was a servant I saw often, so I was about to greet him warmly, but his expression was incredibly grim.

"You look like you're bearing bad news."

"Ch-Chief Chef... the Sword Queen is looking for you."

"Ah."

No wonder he looked like he was attending a funeral. I had slipped into the academy as quietly as possible, so how did she already ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠know I was back?

Does someone of the Sword Queen's caliber possess clairvoyance, or did she hire a living CCTV like Dol MK1 to alert her the moment I stepped ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠foot inside?

If I pretended not to be here, she would undoubtedly hunt me down while radiating a terrifying aura. Left with no choice, I headed toward the Sword Queen's private room, feeling like a cow being dragged to the slaughterhouse.

I knocked and entered. Sitting at the table, the Sword Queen, On Ban-hui, was watching me intently with her fingers interlaced.

"You went to the Murim Alliance without saying a single word."

In short: Explain yourself.

Fortunately, she wasn't radiating any fighting spirit. Looking at her attitude, she wasn't furious, just slightly annoyed.

"I assumed you already knew."

I decided to play dumb first. As I brazenly feigned ignorance, On Ban-hui raised an eyebrow.

"How would I know when you didn't even tell me?"

"I figured someone of your stature, Sword Queen, would naturally be aware."

"You didn't sneak off just because you didn't want to cook for me, did you?"

What is this, a shuttle-shuttle service? I never even heard such lines back when I was a military cook, yet here I was hearing them in the Central Plains.

"How could that be? If I, the Head of the Inner and Outer Dining Halls of the Mutual Righteousness Academy, did such a thing, it would be a dereliction of duty. I didn't go there to play; I went because I received an official invitation from the Murim Alliance."

Once I explained myself, the frown on On Ban-hui's face finally smoothed out.

"I'm sure the other instructors and hall directors already knew?"

"I did hear it from Hall Director Oh. But my personality dictates that I must hear it from the person in question to feel satisfied."

On Ban-hui chuckled softly. She really had a bit of a mean streak.

"Actually, the representative of the Bota Sect tried to pass on a message to you, but they forgot because they were too busy eating that jehobyeong."

"What kind of message?"

"The Bota Sect also wishes to experience your culinary skills..."

"Aigoo, I'm not going. How could I travel all that way again?"

When I cut her off, On Ban-hui's eyes grew sharp.

"And why is that?"

"I came here to be the Chief Chef of the academy, but lately, I've spent more time cooking elsewhere than in our own kitchens. I need some rest now."

It wasn't like I was some catering chef. Going around shouting 'I am the Three-Virtue Chef!' and acting proud got old after a while. I wanted to focus on my actual job as the Chief Chef of the Mutual Righteousness Academy.

The problem was that people in the Central Plains mostly possessed a stubborn, old-fashioned mindset of, Why would you kick away an opportunity to make a name for yourself?

"Can't you just rest at the Bota Sect?"

See? She's telling me to rest at their place. How is that supposed to be a proper rest?

Time to use a cheat key.

"You want to let a man like me into the Bota Sect? When I'm still unmarried?"

The cheat key was leveraging my own gender.

At those words, On Ban-hui frowned.

"Are you painting yourself as a potential libertine just to express how much you don't want to go?"

"I'm just pointing out the reality. Of course, the female martial artists of the Bota Sect would never fall for someone like me, but shouldn't we avoid such situations as much as possible?"

"Then why not just make it a done deal?"

"Pardon?"

What done deal?

Leaning forward, On Ban-hui whispered in a low ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠voice, "Our Seoran may have a bit of a loud voice, but she is a truly kind and exceptionally beautiful girl..."

"Sword Queen, I'm sorry to say this, but I believe you are crossing a line."

I firmly rejected her attempt to matchmake me with Yang Seoran. While Yang Seoran was indeed beautiful, she was still practically a kid. Besides, just hearing her shout 'Chief Cheeeef!!' every time we met was bad enough for my heart. If I had to wake up in the morning to her shouting 'Hubbyyyy!!'... just the thought of it was terrifying.

"If you betroth yourself to our Seoran, the other disciples of the Bota Sect won't be able to approach you. Wouldn't that be a good thing?"

"With all due respect to Lady Yang, I think I would wither away and die before that."

"Where else would you find a refined lady like our Seoran... ahem, is she really that common?"

By the end, even On Ban-hui couldn't say it with a straight face and stumbled over her words. See? Lying is a sin.

Pushing the marriage talk aside, it was time to get to the point. I asked directly, "You didn't call me here just to recruit me to the Bota Sect using Lady Yang as an excuse, did you?"

"Ahem. Of course not."

On Ban-hui's expression shifted instantly into one of gravity. "Do you happen to know much about vegetarian cuisine?"

"As martial artists, we must eat meat to exert our strength."

"So you don't know."

"I do know, but can a person really live on grass alone? Even the Buddha ate yumi-juk after completing his fast."

Yumi-juk is a porridge made of rice and milk. The taste itself isn't anything extraordinary, but it's sweet, savory, and goes down incredibly smooth.

As I continued to spout nonsense, On Ban-hui's brow furrowed. If I kept this up, she looked ready to yank out all my molars so I couldn't chew meat ever again.

"Actually, the Sect Leader of the Emei Sect did ask me if I had any interest in learning vegetarian cooking."

"That is fortunate."

"May I ask why you are suddenly inquiring about vegetarian cuisine?"

"Because my master, the former Sword Queen, is looking for a certain dish."

"The former Sword Queen?"

Seeing her serious expression, I adjusted my attitude as well. The ruler, the teacher, and the father are one. In the Central Plains, a master was no different from a parent. If a master was searching for a dish, it was the disciple's duty to search heaven and earth to find it. The moment I said 'Why is she looking for something so troublesome?' I would become an unfilial wretch who didn't know the grace of a teacher.

Since On Ban-hui had played the master card, I quietly conceded.

"She mentioned that she suddenly recalled a dish she ate when she first entered the Bota Sect. She has brought it up once or twice in the past, but recently, she has been mentioning it much more frequently."

"What kind of dish was it?"

"That is the problem... She only said it was 'more delicious than meat,' so even I do not know."

"More delicious than meat?"

What could it be? Did she eat some fresh spring napa cabbage salad? Making a vegetarian dish taste better than meat is incredibly difficult.

"The current Pavilion Director of the Yosa Pavilion has tried serving various dishes after much deliberation, but none of them hit the mark."

Since the Bota Sect was a Buddhist temple, the place that managed daily life and meals was called the Yosa Pavilion. In academy terms, it was like combining the Seocheong-jogwan and the dining halls.

If even the Yosa Pavilion couldn't figure out what the former Sword Queen had eaten, this was going to be a tough nut to crack.

On Ban-hui rested her chin on her interlaced hands and sighed.

"Lately, Master has had no energy and has lost her appetite. She grows weaker by the day, and as her disciple, I naturally want to do whatever I can for her."

"As a disciple, that is indeed what you should do."

"Which is why... Master will likely be coming to Hebei in the near future. Would it be possible to get your help?"

"My help?"

"I believe the dishes you, Chef Yoon, have shown us so far would be impossible to make without an incredibly vast depth of culinary knowledge."

"I still have much to learn..."

"Can someone who has much to learn make dishes that astound the Alliance Leader and the Dragon Head Chief?"

Well, when she put it that way, I didn't have much of a rebuttal. But it wasn't like I could say, 'Yes, I actually know a ridiculous amount of things.'

"I will try my best, but it might not work out."

"Don't start looking for an escape route before you've even tried. You should focus on succeeding."

"Ah."

Wow, what a classic boomer statement. As expected of the Sword Queen.

"...You seem to be thinking some highly insolent thoughts about me."

"You must be mistaken."

"In any case, I need your help, Chef Yoon. If you succeed in finding it, Master will surely reward you handsomely."

"A master's love flows downward, so even a lifetime of devotion from a disciple is never enough to repay it. If it is to help your master, Sword Queen, then of course I must assist."

"A master's love flows downward... That is a nice way to put it."

The Sword Queen smiled.

But a vegetarian dish the former Sword Queen ate when she was young? What on earth could it be?