Between Memories and Terror (1)
A few days later, in the Inner Dining Hall Master's Office.
I gathered Seonwoo Seol, Man Hanseok, and Gongson Yeongji to ask them about the "vegetarian dish that tastes better than meat" that On Ban-hui had requested. Naturally, Seonwoo Seol was the first to speak up.
"Maybe mushrooms?"
Seonwoo Seol, her face fresh and completely free of makeup, rested her chin on her hands atop the table as she answered. Normally, she would have at least applied some basic cosmetics, but she had kept her disguise techniques active for too long recently, which had apparently caused her skin to break out. She claimed she needed to give her face some breathing room, which was why she showed up bare-faced. To my eyes, though, she just looked slightly paler than usual. I couldn't see any blemishes at all.
"When it comes to vegetarian food, mushrooms are the absolute best. I really like straw mushrooms. Or chewy enoki mushrooms are great too."
Just as Seonwoo Seol said, straw mushrooms were prized for their soft, savory flavor, while enoki mushrooms were perfect for their crunchy texture. But while Seonwoo Seol championed mushrooms, Gongson Yeongji brought up a completely different ingredient.
"I... like tofu."
"How do you like it prepared?"
"Fried. Like braised tofu..."
As Gongson Yeongji spoke with a shy, timid blush, Seonwoo Seol reached over and gently patted her head.
"Braised tofu is delicious. You coat the tofu in starch, fry it until it's nice and crisp, and then stir-fry it with thinly sliced vegetables... Oh, man, my mouth is watering just thinking about it."
At my enthusiastic response, Gongson Yeongji let out a soft, adorable giggle. Finally, it was Man Hanseok's turn. He scratched his chin, shrugged his broad shoulders, and gave his answer.
"Can a man really get full on grass? A man's gotta eat meat. We aren't rabbits."
"Yeah, I figured you'd say that."
I really appreciated how consistently predictable this guy was. Besides, his opinion aligned quite well with my own, so I couldn't help but sympathize.
"Ah, but I do agree with our junior about fried tofu. Though, of course, braised tofu absolutely must have pork in it."
"Mushrooms are great too, you know."
"Well, the texture of mushrooms is definitely no joke," Man Hanseok admitted, smacking his lips at Seonwoo Seol's defense.
Tofu was certainly an ingredient we couldn't ignore. For anyone practicing vegetarianism, mushrooms and tofu were the two absolute pillars of their diet. If you took those away, even the monks of the Shaolin Temple would lose their temper. Other vegetables made it incredibly difficult to mask their raw, grassy flavors, and no matter how much you altered their shape, it was hard to hide their original forms.
"But isn't the description a bit too vague? 'A vegetarian dish that tasted better than meat'?" Seonwoo Seol tapped her fingers on the table, falling into deep thought.
She was right. It was an incredibly vague description. Was it because it was a childhood memory? If she had at least specified that it used tofu, mushrooms, or some other specific vegetable, we could have found it in no time. We needed to find a clue about the dish before the former Sword Queen arrived near the academy. Maybe I should ask about her past behavior or habits.
"My lady, have you heard anything about the former Sword Queen?"
"Hmm... her real name is Chaehwa. Since Botamun is an orthodox sect, she walked a path completely opposite to our Sacred Cult, but I heard she was such an incredible heroine that even my grandfather, the Supreme Cult Leader, acknowledged her."
The Supreme Cult Leader referred to the previous leader of the cult—the master of Seonwoo Seol's father, the Heavenly Demon. The current Heavenly Demon, Seonwoo Dan, was powerful enough to be counted among the Sajon, so I couldn't even begin to fathom how monstrously strong his master must have been.
"I heard she has a physical condition that makes it impossible for her to digest meat. That's why even my grandfather wanted to treat her to a meal but found it incredibly difficult because there was so little she could actually eat."
"She can't eat meat at all? What about seafood?"
"Hmm, I heard she can eat seafood in small amounts."
Someone who couldn't even digest meat claimed that a childhood vegetarian dish tasted "better than meat"? The more I heard, the more complicated this puzzle became.
"Do you happen to know where the former Sword Queen is from?"
"I'm not entirely sure... but wouldn't the current Sword Queen know her hometown?"
"Probably. But she's a bit uncomfortable to deal with."
"You didn't do something wrong to the Sword Queen, did you?"
"No, she's just... awkward."
As I avoided her gaze and mumbled my reply, Man Hanseok scratched his chin and chimed in.
"By any chance, did you secretly enroll as a student when I wasn't looking?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Because you're sounding exactly like a first-year."
"Why, you little... It's only because you haven't met the Sword Queen, Hanseok. Her gaze is absolutely chilling."
It felt like she was trying to dissect my entire soul with her eyes, which made me incredibly uncomfortable. She was beautiful, yes, but she was the type of hyper-serious person I preferred to keep at a distance.
"Stop acting like a child and being stubborn. Seoran is still at the Sword Pavilion, so our only option is to find an instructor who might know the former Sword Queen, right?"
"Is there an instructor here with close ties to Botamun?"
While Seonwoo Seol and I were racking our brains, Gongson Yeongji, who had been nervously fidgeting with her fingers, timidly raised her hand.
"There is one..."
"Huh? Yeongji, how do you know?"
"Um, Sister Seonwoo probably knows her too. The one in the Northern Pavilion..."
"Ah. Her?"
They kept saying "her, her," and it was starting to drive me crazy with curiosity.
"Who on earth is 'her'?"
"She's the most spine-chilling instructor in the entire academy."
"Are you talking about *her*?"
Now even Man Hanseok was joining in on the mystery. Who was this person? Were they trying to frustrate me on purpose? Just as I was about to lose my patience and scowl, Seonwoo Seol let out a chuckle and answered.
"Instructor Wijiak. Haven't you heard of her?"
"Instructor Wijiak?"
Wait, could it be?
"The Instructor Wijiak from the Mocan Sect?"
"That's the one."
"......Maybe I should just go to the Sword Queen."
"Wouldn't it be more manly to head to the Northern Pavilion, Chef Yoon?" Seonwoo Seol, completely unfazed, curled her eyes into mischievous crescents and began to tease me. "Don't tell me... Chef Yoon is scared?"
And there it was—Seonwoo Seol's classic *'Are you chicken?'* provocation. I would rather march straight into the Northern Pavilion than be called a coward by her.
I never imagined the person who knew the former Sword Queen would be *that* instructor, of all people.
"......Let's go. To the Northern Pavilion."
Ugh, my stupid pride.
The Mocan Sect was one of the factions that belonged to the Jeongsajigan—the neutral zone between the Orthodox and Demonic paths. The reason was simple. Just as the Sichuan Tang Clan was considered neutral because they dealt with dangerous hidden weapons and poisons, the Mocan Sect dealt with Jiangshi—reanimated corpses, essentially the Central Plains' version of a zombie virus.
Transporting the bodies of fallen soldiers back to their homeland from a distant battlefield was an incredibly grueling task. However, the people of the Central Plains couldn't bear the thought of burying their kin in foreign soil. Thus, they developed the art of Jiangshi—a forbidden secret technique that allowed corpses to walk back to their hometowns on their own feet.
As Seonwoo Seol explained this, she led the way toward the Northern Pavilion, continuing her spooky lecture.
"First-years think the Northern Pavilion is scary just because the buildings are painted black, but the real reason is that Instructor Wijiak's research lab is located in the annex."
The Northern Pavilion had never been a popular place. Because it was dedicated to the study of mechanisms, formations, and dark arts bordering on sorcery, a heavy, gloomy atmosphere naturally hung over the entire area. Seonwoo Seol smiled brightly as she began to unravel the rumors surrounding the place.
"They say that the moment midnight passes, a woman's weeping can be heard from the annex, or a swarm of vampire bats suddenly flies out..."
Gongson Yeongji gulped. She was clutching my hand so tightly that her knuckles had turned white from the lack of blood. To me, a survivor of twenty-first-century Korea, these were incredibly cliché ghost stories, but to an eleven-year-old like Gongson Yeongji, they were the most terrifying tales she had ever heard.
"And there's a statue of a former emperor in front of the annex. They say that if the pages of the book he's holding flip all the way to the end, the statue sheds tears of blood... and a headless warrior wanders around the Northern Pavilion looking for his head."
"Uggggh..."
"Ha, why don't you tell us about the Seven Wonders of the Mutual Righteousness Academy while you're at it?"
"Well, the other students only know up to the sixth wonder, but apparently, there's a hidden seventh wonder that no one knows about."
"And what happens if you find out? Does someone drag you away?"
"Who knows? Maybe a Jiangshi dripping black blood?"
With a dramatic flourish, Seonwoo Seol let out a wicked laugh. Gongson Yeongji gasped, completely terrified, and threw her arms around my waist.
"Eek...!"
Seonwoo Seol's pale, makeup-free face, combined with the gloomy backdrop of the Northern Pavilion, really did give off the vibe of a classic horror movie. Realizing she had gone too far, Seonwoo Seol quickly softened her expression and approached with an apologetic smile.
"Um... I didn't mean to scare you, Yeongji. Come here."
She opened her arms, inviting the girl over, but there was no way a thoroughly terrified Gongson Yeongji was going to let go of me.
"......Am I being hated by Yeongji now?"
Looking at Seonwoo Seol's genuinely hurt expression, I scooped Gongson Yeongji up into my arms and replied, "That's what you get for scaring a kid."
Seonwoo Seol pouted. Meanwhile, Man Hanseok, who was completely unfazed by any of this, chimed in with a deadpan expression.
"Ah, actually, I know why the Northern Pavilion is so scary, regardless of Instructor Wijiak."
"Why?"
"It's just cold. Since Fragrant Mountain is right behind it, the mountain's shadow blocks the sunlight. That's why students feel a chill whenever they come here and mistake it for fear."
"You and Lady Seonwoo really have completely opposite personalities."
If boredom could take physical form, it would look exactly like Man Hanseok. It was like watching a friend bring up the horizon coordinate system right in the middle of a ghost story discussion.
However, Man Hanseok's logical explanation instantly shattered the spooky atmosphere Seonwoo Seol had worked so hard to build. Even Gongson Yeongji calmed down.
"Chef Yoon, you can put me down now..."
"Hanseok ruined the mood, so you're not scared anymore?"
"......Yes."
"Wow, even my junior is ignoring me now."
"You deserved it."
In any case, while the Northern Pavilion's geography certainly played a part, it was Instructor Wijiak's *Introduction to Jiangshi Studies* course that truly made the place a symbol of terror for the students. During meals at the Outer Dining Hall, I often heard students lamenting, *'I should have never taken that class...'* or *'Why on earth did you choose that course?'*
To be honest, even I found it a bit unsettling. Knowing that Jiangshi existed in this world was one thing, but actually seeing one in person was a completely different story.
"But there aren't actually any Jiangshi in her lab. Just lots of experimental specimens preserved in alcohol."
"Preserved specimens?"
"You know... things like this." Seonwoo Seol pointed to her own hands and feet.
Wait, did she mean specimens preserved in formaldehyde? What the hell? That was definitely terrifying.
As we finally reached the annex of the Northern Pavilion, the air grew noticeably colder. The deep shadow cast by the mountain darkened the interior of the building, and despite it being broad daylight, candles were lit along the corridors. It felt like the annex's creepy atmosphere wasn't entirely Wijiak's fault; whoever was in charge of maintaining this building deserved a good thrashing.
Passing through the dim, chilly hallway, we came across a large, dark wooden plaque.
A faint, fishy smell mixed with the sharp scent of alcohol wafted through the air, instantly making me want to turn back. It was undoubtedly the smell of those experimental specimens Seonwoo Seol had mentioned.
Knock, knock.
The moment I knocked, a high-pitched, giggling laugh echoed from inside the room.
Hihihihi...
My hand instinctively flinched. I, Yoon Gomyung, was a man who had watched *The Nun* without so much as blinking. Was I really going to let myself get scared by a little laugh?
Steeling my resolve, I knocked again and called out.
"I am Yoon Gomyung, Master of the Inner and Outer Dining Halls. May I come in?"
"Come in..."
Was this a room or a cave? The voice echoed strangely, sounding exactly like a faint whisper from a ghostly apparition.
I pushed the door open and stepped inside. In the middle of a cluttered, messy room, a woman sat in a chair with her back turned toward us. The dim lighting made it difficult to grasp the layout of the room, and the sheer amount of clutter made it impossible to tell what was what.
The woman, her hair disheveled and messy, sat completely motionless.
"Uh, Instructor Wijiak?"
"......."
When she didn't answer, I took the lead on behalf of the group and placed a hand on her shoulder.
Thud. Roll, roll...
"Gah!"
Her head fell off and rolled onto the floor.
"Kyaaaaaah!"
Gongson Yeongji, utterly terrified, let out a piercing scream and nearly fainted. Seonwoo Seol quickly caught her before she could fall backward. Man Hanseok stepped forward with a serious expression, shielding Seonwoo Seol and Gongson Yeongji, while I bent down to pick up the fallen head to examine it.
Wait a minute.
"This isn't a human head."
"What?" Seonwoo Seol asked, her voice trembling.
"It's the head of a bronze acupuncture dummy."
When learning acupuncture, one couldn't simply plunge needles into a living person, so students practiced on human-shaped bronze models marked with acupuncture points. Someone had placed a messy wig on top of this bronze dummy, creating a bizarre and grotesque silhouette. Just as I was staring at it in utter disbelief—
"Pffft! Hahaha!"
With a sudden burst of laughter, a person popped out from behind a wardrobe.
"Oh my gosh!"
"Eek!"
Seonwoo Seol, still holding Gongson Yeongji, instinctively raised a fist toward the figure, while Man Hanseok and I immediately took defensive stances to protect them. However, our tension evaporated in an instant.
"That 'Gah!' was absolutely priceless!"
Under the flickering candlelight, a young woman was laughing so hard she was wiping tears from her eyes. She was dressed in all-black light armor, with pale skin, hollow, droopy eyes, and messy, disheveled hair. Her appearance perfectly matched the description of Instructor Wijiak that Seonwoo Seol had given me earlier.
"...Instructor Wijiak?"
"That's right. I'm Wijiak."
Wijiak, the instructor from the Mocan Sect and the infamous "Ghost Girl" of the Northern Pavilion, tied back her loose hair as she answered. She looked to be in her late twenties at the very oldest. How on earth did someone like her know Chaehwa, the former Sword Queen?