The King of Mushrooms

"Haah!"

A heavy wooden sword, reinforced with an iron core, aimed straight for my upper body.

Thud!

I lightly deflected it with the back of my hand, slid forward, and tapped her flank, which was still wide open.

"Hic!"

Gongson Yeongji gasped in surprise, but she didn't let go of her heavy sword. Instead, she spun around, using the momentum to swing it back at me.

Whether it was the effect of the half-dose of the Great Clarity Elixir or the confidence she had gained from traveling with us, her skills were undeniably top-tier for her age. Of course, to someone like me who went all out even against elementary schoolers, she still had a long way to go.

Thud!

When I struck the side of her wooden sword with my fist, the trajectory of her blade warped, dragging Gongson Yeongji's body along with it. She had anticipated me striking the flat of her blade, but she clearly hadn't expected her entire body to be thrown off balance. A look of panic crossed her face.

"Yeongji. What did I say happens when a heavy impact is delivered to your sword?"

"Ah, um... You can get dragged along with it, so you have to relax your grip at the right moment or pull the sword back in the same direction."

"Right. Good to see you're reviewing your lessons. Don't forget it, and keep practicing."

"Yeees..."

Since I had some rare free time, I had decided to hold a light sparring session with Gongson Yeongji. Next time, I should have a proper match with Seonwoo Seol. As I was about to start another round with Gongson Yeongji...

"Chief Chef!"

Gye-yeong, making a rare appearance, waved his hand and called out to me.

"What's the matter?"

"I know, right? It feels like it's been ages since we last saw each other..."

"No, I mean why did you call me?"

"Ah, right! Guests from the Bota Sect have arrived. The Sword Queen said you'd understand if I told you that."

"They're already here?"

There was no need to panic just because they had arrived earlier than expected. My body was already warmed up from sparring, so their timing was actually perfect. I sent Gongson Yeongji back to her room, telling ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠her we'd finish later. After bathing and changing into clean clothes, I headed toward the Four Seas Hall.

Whenever we hosted prestigious guests at the academy, it was always the Four Seas Hall.

As I approached the Four Seas Hall, I saw a group of women. Most of the people gathered in front of the hall were female martial artists who looked to be around my age or slightly younger. Dressed in pale jade-colored martial robes, they were looking around the academy grounds with curious eyes.

However, the ones who demanded the most attention were the Sword Queen, On Ban-hui, and an elderly woman standing at the center of the group. Even at a glance, the elderly woman standing before On Ban-hui was extraordinary. Though we were still far apart, her aura—which should have felt faint at this distance—was as sharp and upright as a finely honed sword.

If I were to stand before her holding the finest sword in the Central Plains, could I guarantee victory? I could confidently say absolutely not.

As I drew closer, a group of female martial artists stepped forward with tense expressions, blocking the path to On Ban-hui and the elderly woman.

"Young hero, you may go no further."

"I have no intention of disrupting their meeting. I am Yoon Gomyung, the Master of the Inner and Outer Dining Halls of the Mutual Righteousness Academy."

Whisper, whisper.

"You're the Three-Virtue Chef!"

The moment my name left my mouth, murmurs of "Is that really him?!" broke out. The crowd of female martial artists parted down the middle, clearing a path for me. For some reason, I felt like I should be carrying stone tablets with ten commandments on them.

"Ah, you've arrived?"

"Yes, Sword Queen. Is this lady perhaps...?"

"She is the Supreme Elder of Botamun, and my master."

As On Ban-hui looked at her with eyes full of filial devotion, the elderly woman smiled warmly and spoke.

"You may call me Chaehwa."

"It is an honor to meet you, Supreme Elder. I am Yoon Gomyung, a humble junior of the martial world."

I bowed respectfully, clasping my hands in a formal martial greeting. It is a golden rule of the Jianghu never to underestimate women, the elderly, or children—and this lady checked two of those boxes. Naturally, I kept my eyes lowered.

"It is hot today, so let us speak inside. Master, this way."

Once inside the Four Seas Hall, we exchanged brief pleasantries before getting down to business.

"I heard you wish to recreate a dish I ate in my childhood... I worry my disciple has burdened you with an impossibly difficult task."

"I was a bit taken aback at first, but how could I ignore her deep devotion to her master? It is only natural that I do my absolute best to assist."

"How admirable..."

There was nothing to gain from offending a peak master, but making a good impression certainly wouldn't hurt. Fortunately, she seemed to approve of me. The problem was that while I had decided on the main ingredient, I hadn't finalized the cooking method yet. I had heard a general overview of Botamun's cuisine from Wijiak, but ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠their current style might differ from how things were done back then. I needed to clarify a few things first.

"Before I begin cooking, would it be alright if I asked a few questions?"

"Of course, go ahead."

"What kind of dish was it exactly, the one you ate back then?"

"I do not remember the details clearly, but I recall something brownish being served over rice. It looked exactly like meat, so I asked my master—who had accompanied me to Botamun at the time. But she told me that Botamun was a sect that did not consume meat."

A faint, nostalgic smile played on Chaehwa's lips as she continued.

"It feels a bit unfilial to say this, but it tasted far better than the meat rice bowls my mother used to make for me on rare occasions. That savory, brownish topping was truly extraordinary."

A rice bowl. A savory, brownish topping served over rice...

"Was it perhaps similar to Fujian's famous lorubhan?"

"Lorubhan... Yes, now that I think about it, it was very similar to lorubhan."

"And to your childhood self, it tasted far better than the meat rice bowl your mother made?"

"Yes, indeed."

"Understood. I shall prepare the dish shortly."

I bowed and clasped my hands to excuse myself, but On Ban-hui caught me by the arm.

"Don't tell me you've already figured it all out from just those few questions?"

"I already knew what the ingredient was. I only needed to confirm the recipe."

"I have served her dishes similar to lorubhan before, but my master insisted they were not the same."

"What ingredient did you use back then?"

"If I recall correctly, it was fried tofu."

The original ingredient was almost certainly mushroom, not tofu, so the texture would have been completely different. No wonder she said it wasn't the same.

"Then the ingredient I have in mind is definitely the right one."

"I truly hope you are right. It would break my heart as her disciple to see her disappointed again."

With those words, On Ban-hui let go of my arm. I, too, hoped I wasn't wrong. With that thought, I headed to the kitchen of the Inner Dining Hall.

"Chief Chef, the Lion's Mane mushrooms have arrived."

Where the servant pointed, a box was piled high with fluffy, white, furry-looking things. Looking like a cross between a hamster and a glutinous rice cake, these peculiar objects were none other than mushrooms. Indeed, this was the Lion's Mane mushroom.

Instead of cutting them with a knife, I tore them by hand into bite-sized pieces to preserve their texture, then let them dry slightly to give them a meatier chew. If you use them fresh, how should I put it? To be generous, they're soft; to be blunt, they're mushy. Of course, drying them under the sun would take too long, so I infused a touch of Fire Qi from the Five Elements to quickly evaporate the excess moisture.

Next, I mixed flour, starch, glutinous rice flour, and fine salt to create a homemade batter mix, then added water to make a wet batter. After coating the semi-dried mushrooms in the batter, I dropped them into hot oil. The result? A batch of golden-brown Lion's Mane mushroom fritters that looked exactly like boneless fried chicken or nuggets. Moreover, because they had been slightly dried beforehand, their texture was incredibly meat-like.

Honestly, eating them just like this would make a perfect nutritious snack for dads or a great drinking snack, but since this wasn't for me, I began preparing the lorubhan.

"Bring me dark soy sauce, honey, and onions."

"Yes, Chef!"

While the servant fetched the ingredients, I double-fried the mushrooms to make them extra crispy. Then, I drizzled a bit of oil into an empty iron wok and began stir-frying the onions. Next, I tossed in the fried mushrooms, a drizzle of honey, a splash of water, and dark soy sauce, followed by a generous pinch of five-spice powder made from star anise, fennel, cloves, Sichuan peppercorns, and cinnamon. I let the mixture simmer.

To ensure the rich flavors penetrated deep into the mushrooms, I infused the iron wok with my Qi—a little chef's bonus.

Once the fried mushrooms were perfectly braised and coated in the glaze, I spooned them over a bowl of steaming white rice, then garnished it with sour-and-salty pickled cucumbers and stir-fried bok choy.

"..."

Before bringing the completed lorubhan to the Four Seas Hall, I took one last look at the dish. Deep, brownish braised mushrooms piled high on a bed of steaming white rice. The greatest culinary memory of a young girl who had spent her entire life in the mountains.

"I hope this is the one."

Muttering to myself, I covered the bowl with a lid and headed back to the Four Seas Hall.

Upon arriving at the Four Seas Hall, Yoon Gomyung placed a large bowl and a spoon on a tray before Chaehwa. He carefully lifted the lid of the bowl and bowed his head.

"Please see if this is the dish from your memories."

On Ban-hui opened her mouth to say something, but stopped herself. The atmosphere surrounding Yoon Gomyung was entirely different from his usual easygoing, playful self.

"The appearance... is indeed similar to back then. Yes, it had these wrinkled pickled cucumbers on top."

Picking up her chopsticks with trembling hands, Chaehwa felt her past memories overlap with the present. She recalled her childhood, when she had often gone hungry, and the very first braised meat dish her mother had ever made for her. It had been so incredibly salty that she could barely swallow a bite unless she took a massive mouthful of mixed-grain rice with it. Yet, the young Chaehwa had been perfectly happy with just that. After all, it was the most delicious side dish she had ever tasted, and she knew how deeply her mother and father cherished her. It was a time of great scarcity, but also of immense happiness.

But those days did not last long. Her father's herb basket grew emptier by the day, and then, a passing master of Botamun happened to discover Chaehwa. Declaring that Chaehwa possessed the talent to achieve greatness in the martial arts, the master requested to take her to Botamun. Faced with worsening poverty and unwilling to let their daughter spend her entire life struggling in the mountains, Chaehwa's parents made a difficult decision.

"The final braised meat my mother made for me... was incredibly salty to the very end."

The bright, pear-blossom-like smile of her senior sister returned from the far reaches of her memory. Recalling that smile, which she would never see again, Chaehwa placed a spoonful of the food into her mouth.

"..."

Yoon Gomyung watched Chaehwa with tense, expectant eyes.

A chewy yet tender texture that melted in the mouth. The deep, savory umami of the dark soy sauce, followed by a subtle sweetness that coated the tongue. The memory of her mother's overly salty braised meat flashed through her mind, and it felt as if the mysterious rice bowl her senior sister had made was right before her eyes.

"Yes... this was it."

The mysterious brownish dish her senior sister had made was exactly this. The exact same texture, the exact same flavor. In truth, Yoon Gomyung's rendition was far more delicious, but she knew with absolute certainty that it was the same dish her senior sister had crafted decades ago.

Chaehwa nodded slowly, taking one spoonful after another, gradually emptying the bowl. As a hungry child, she had devoured the dish frantically back then, but now, she chewed slowly, savoring every bite.

My, you'll get indigestion if you eat so fast. Slow down.

She could almost feel her senior sister from her memories stroking her hair and patting her back as she spoke those words. The memory of her senior sister and master smiling warmly at her came rushing back. It was perhaps the very first of the countless precious memories she had made at Botamun.

With a gentle smile, Chaehwa spoke softly.

"Everyone except Chef Yoon and Ban-hui, please leave us for a moment."

It was a sudden command, but no one questioned it and they all quietly filed out. Once only On Ban-hui and Yoon Gomyung ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠remained by her side, Chaehwa turned to On Ban-hui.

"Do you remember the incident at Noksa?"

"...If you mean the incident where Prince Yang, the younger brother of Emperor Hongli, was assassinated in an unexpected attack at Noksa, yes, I am aware of it."

At On Ban-hui's response, Chaehwa continued calmly.

"My father was one of the Brocade Guards tasked with protecting Prince Yang."

"...!"

"But because they failed to protect Prince Yang, our entire family was ruined. That was why my father, who was still young, and my mother, who was a great beauty, had to flee and live in hiding in an unnamed mountain in Zhejiang."

The child of a criminal, a fugitive. That was the hidden shackle that had bound Chaehwa, the former Sword Queen, all her life.

"Yet, my parents raised me while keeping that truth hidden to the very end. Only now do I truly understand why my father was such a clumsy herb gatherer, and why my mother, despite being an herb gatherer's wife, struggled so much with cooking wild mountain greens until her final days."

Even as she spoke, the taste of her mother's incredibly salty braised meat seemed to linger on Chaehwa's tongue.

"Three-Virtue Chef, how did you guess the exact ingredient for this dish?"

"I once worked as a woodcutter in the mountains myself. Back then, an older man I worked with showed me the Lion's Mane mushroom, calling it an 'incredibly precious mushroom.'"

Lion's Mane mushrooms aren't as ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠expensive as pine mushrooms. However, the moment an herb gatherer or woodcutter finds one, they neither sell it nor give it away. It is simply too delicious to part with. Yoon Gomyung added that explanation as he continued.

"Knowing of its existence, and given that your parents likely struggled to obtain meat in hiding, I figured they would have occasionally prepared it for their young daughter."

Tofu, which requires a tremendous amount of labor and soybeans, was naturally ruled out. There are few foods as labor-intensive as tofu. While vegetarian meat made from soy had been eaten in the Central Plains since ancient times, Yoon Gomyung reasoned that Chaehwa's mother wouldn't have known how to make it. It was a dish primarily prepared in Buddhist temples. In the end, only vegetables and mushrooms remained. And among them, the only ingredient that could easily be mistaken for meat was a mushroom.

"Furthermore, I thought that Botamun might have served a rare and delicious mushroom to welcome a newly arrived disciple."

"...So that was it."

"The description of it being 'better than meat' pointed to it as well. Perhaps, subconsciously, you realized that the dish your mother made and the first meal you had at Botamun shared the exact same ingredient."

It felt as though her scattered childhood memories had been pieced back together, reborn as a single, perfect dish.

"Three-Virtue... No, Chef Yoon."

"Yes, Supreme Elder."

Taking Yoon Gomyung's clasped hands into her own, Chaehwa spoke with a warm smile.

"Thank you for helping me find the memories of that day."

"It was an honor to be of service."

Departing from his usual playful grin, Yoon Gomyung responded with a smile that radiated both sincerity and quiet confidence.