The Tragedy of the Small Martial Arts Ground (2)
So that was the Tiger-Subduing Saber Technique I had only heard about. I thought I finally understood why a sect composed entirely of women existed. Was it because they possessed martial arts powerful enough to overcome the physical disadvantages of their gender? True to the name "Tiger-Subduing," Yi Cheongmin bent her knees deep.
Then, she lunged forward with blinding speed, aiming for Gongson Yeongji's shoulder. Aiming for the neck would be a lethal strike; aiming for the shoulder meant a minor injury. So she's at least keeping herself from crossing the line?
Clack!
Gongson Yeongji dodged the attack and simultaneously deflected Yi Cheongmin's wooden sword with her own heavy wooden blade.
Watching these two kids fight, I couldn't help but think that gathering all these talented martial artists in one place yielded pretty good results. Even though it had only been a few months, Yeongji was holding her own against her opponent—and this was after being trained by three different people and being fed a half-dose of the Great Clarity Elixir.
"Y-you! Since when did you...!"
Of course, Yi Cheongmin looked utterly bewildered. She must be wondering how on earth Yeongji had grown this much.
Clack, clack! Crack!
The sounds echoing through the air were hard to believe for a clash of wooden swords. It proved just how high-level their martial arts were. Of course, that was only by first-year standards. Against the upperclassmen, they wouldn't stand a chance. If she fought Man Hanseok, she probably wouldn't last ten moves.
By the time they passed the thirty-exchange mark, Yi Cheongmin was panting heavily, unlike Gongson Yeongji, who was still perfectly fine.
"How... how can this be?!"
Hey, kid. You could catch up too if you had two Peak Masters and one First-class martial artist training you twenty-four hours a day.
Seonwoo Seol firmly believed that the fundamental requirement of a master was basic physical stamina. Even when we traveled together, she always made sure to do bodyweight exercises like the horse stance every morning. And Gongson Yeongji always joined her. Both of them looked slender, but in reality, they were packed with dense, combat-ready muscle. Especially Yeongji, who was in her growing phase, meaning her stamina was increasing exponentially.
"...?"
Meanwhile, Gongson Yeongji stood before the panting Yi Cheongmin, looking thoroughly confused. Her expression practically screamed, Why are you out of breath already? To an outsider, it might look like she was mocking her opponent, but she was genuinely, utterly baffled. And to top it off...
"Is it... over already?"
Oh, Yeongji. You shouldn't have said that.
At Gongson Yeongji's words, which planted a massive flag of provocation, Yi Cheongmin's eyes flared with rage. She shrieked at the top of her lungs.
"Don't look down on me! Who do you think you are, you... you piece of trash, looking down on me?!"
"I wasn't looking down on you..."
"You just had to say it!"
It wasn't just planting a flag anymore; it was like driving it deep into the ground with a sledgehammer. Squeezing out every last drop of her strength, Yi Cheongmin launched her final assault, but of course, it stood no chance.
Whoosh!
The Tiger-Subduing Saber Technique executed by Yi Cheongmin's trembling arms had a visibly unstable trajectory. Gongson Yeongji, still wearing a look of incomprehension, swung her wooden sword downward.
Crack!
Yi Cheongmin's wooden sword cracked open, revealing the iron core embedded inside.
"Kyaaa!"
Knocked backward by the impact, Yi Cheongmin instinctively reached out to brace her fall. But because she didn't land properly, she scraped her palm and elbow. Ah, that's going to bleed. She fell so hard that red blood was already seeping through her training uniform.
However, Yi Cheongmin seemed to interpret the situation differently. Did she think Gongson Yeongji had intentionally wounded her? Deeming the situation utterly impossible, Yi Cheongmin furrowed her brow and screamed.
"...This is sorcery!"
"What...?"
"Sorcery! It makes no sense otherwise! There's no way you could display such martial prowess in such a short time! You must have gathered internal energy using something like the Heaven-Absorbing Great Art! Yes, that must be it!"
"Do you really think the reason you lost is because of a lack of internal energy...?"
"Of course! If only I had a bit more internal energy...!"
Gongson Yeongji, who had unintentionally grated on Yi Cheongmin's nerves earlier, now looked as if her own patience had run thin.
"...It's not sorcery."
"What did you say?"
"I said, it's not sorcery!!"
Who knew our quiet Yeongji could shout at such a volume? Gongson Yeongji roared.
"What do you... what do you even know about me?!"
"Well, you're the Gongson Clan's mute—"
"I'm not a mute!"
Crack! Clatter, roll...
Throwing her wooden sword to the ground, Gongson Yeongji clenched her fists and yelled at Yi Cheongmin, who stood before her.
"What did I ever do to you guys?! Why do you only do this to me?!"
"..."
"Is it my fault that my clan fell into ruin?! Or is it a crime for me to try my best?!"
"We were just... playing around..."
Never expecting her to confront her so fiercely, Yi Cheongmin took a step back and stammered out an excuse. Stalking forward, Gongson Yeongji shoved Yi Cheongmin to the ground, completely ignoring her absurd excuse.
Thud!
Yi Cheongmin fell flat on her backside. Gongson Yeongji looked down at her, whose face was a mixture of shock and humiliation, and whispered in a quiet voice.
"You haven't even put in any effort..."
"...!"
Attagirl, Gongson Yeongji. With those final words, Gongson Yeongji turned on her heel, sheathed her wooden sword at her waist, and left the Small Martial Arts Ground without looking back.
"Hey! Duel me again! Let's do it again!"
Yi Cheongmin's empty cries echoed. How could she say that after losing so pathetically?
I quietly followed Gongson Yeongji as she trudged back, intending to give her a little surprise, but then...
Sniffle, sniffle.
"Yeongji, are you crying?"
"Y-Chef Yoon?"
Startled, Gongson Yeongji looked up, her large, deer-like eyes brimming with tears.
"Since... since when were you there?"
"Since the moment our Yeongji declared she could easily beat that Yi Cheongmin girl."
"So you saw everything from the beginning..."
As Gongson Yeongji blushed in embarrassment, I showed her my support through actions rather than a thousand words. The secret technique of Yoon Gomyung: a gentle pat on the shoulder.
"You did well."
At those words, Gongson Yeongji's eyes widened in slight surprise.
"Pardon?"
"I said you did well. Especially that last part, 'You haven't even put in any effort...' That was absolutely brilliant. To someone like her, that single line was probably more humiliating than any insult in the world."
"R-really?"
In moments like this, praising them is the right thing to do. Telling them they shouldn't hit their friends is just old-fashioned, nagging nonsense. Besides, Yeongji hadn't done anything wrong; she had won through sheer grit and determination, which made it all the more commendable.
"Of course. Since our Yeongji did such a great job, I have to give you a reward. After dinner tonight, grab Lady Seonwoo's hand and come to the Inner Dining Hall Master's Office. I'll whip up something absolutely spectacular for you."
At that, Gongson Yeongji wiped her tears with the back of her right hand and nodded. Phew, I'm glad I saw that with my own eyes. It was incredibly satisfying. I left one more piece of advice for Gongson Yeongji, whose eyes were still slightly red.
"If anyone else acts like that next time..."
"...?"
"Just ram right into them like you did today."
Pfft.
Gongson Yeongji let out a small chuckle and said,
"You sound exactly like Senior Man."
"What did he say?"
"He said if it were Chef Yoon, you would have rammed right into them."
"That little rascal is teaching a kid some wild things."
"But still, if it happens again, I'm going to ram right into them."
My, look at you go. That's my Gongson Yeongji. Yes, a true martial artist of the Murim must know how to charge forward boldly. As Gongson Yeongji waved, saying she would see me later, I waved back.
After watching her safely enter the Eastern Pavilion, I headed straight to the kitchen to start practicing.
"Gye-yeong, go grind this."
"What is this?"
"Beans."
"I didn't know beans like this even existed."
"They're from the West. Grind them until they turn into a thick paste."
"Yes, sir!"
He threw two handfuls of cacao beans into a large stone mortar and began pounding them vigorously. We needed to grind them so finely that they would surpass the coarse texture of typical cacao nibs.
Meanwhile, I poured a massive amount of expensive sugar into the butter I had painstakingly made this morning.
"W-what are you doing?"
"What?"
As a small mountain of sugar formed in the large bowl, Gye-yeong asked in a panicked voice.
"You're using all that sugar? Do you know how many silver taels that costs?!"
"It'll be worth every copper, so stop making a fuss."
I casually brushed off Gye-yeong, who was practically hyperventilating. After all, any dessert people actually enjoyed had to be packed with sugar. Next, I gradually added eggs, mixing them in one by one. Once the mixture of butter, sugar, and eggs became as thick as cream, I looked into the stone mortar and called out to Gye-yeong.
"Gye-yeong."
"Yes, Head Chef."
"Take a lick of that."
"This? Me? Why?"
"You talk too much. Just taste it."
Staring at me with deep suspicion, Gye-yeong dipped his pinky finger into the stone mortar and tasted the contents.
"Ack! Blegh!"
"Looks like it turned out perfectly. Hand it over."
"Ugh, it's incredibly bitter and sour! Blegh..."
He writhed in disgust. His reaction was exactly what I had hoped for.
"A-are you trying to poison someone?!"
"Watch your mouth. Do you want to be beaten to death?"
Beaten to death—literally dying from a severe thrashing.
"How are you going to make a dessert out of something that tastes this awful?"
"I have my ways."
What Gye-yeong had ground was what we call cacao mass. If you squeeze this under a hydraulic press, it separates into cacao butter and cacao cake. Grinding the hardened cacao cake finely yields cocoa powder. I briefly considered using a noodle press to squeeze out the cacao butter, but since I couldn't get one immediately, I figured I'd borrow one from a kitchen I knew later.
I added the cacao mass to the mixture of butter, sugar, and eggs, stirring it well. Then, I sifted the flour through a fine mesh and folded it into the batter.
Squish, squish.
Every time I stirred with the spatula, a heavy, sticky sound echoed. Just looking at how thick and dense it was, I knew it would make an incredibly delicious dessert. Next, all I had to do was grease a square iron pan with butter, pour in the batter, and bake it in the oven.
"Is that really going to taste good?"
"Just don't beg for seconds."
Just as a rich, sweet aroma began to waft from the oven, I pulled out the iron pan. Once I carefully transferred it to a plate, a beautifully baked, mouthwatering chocolate brownie was complete.
"Wait, isn't it completely burnt?"
"Hey, now. Stop raining on my parade. Have I ever made anything that tasted bad?"
"You made that thing called cold cucumber soup, claiming it would open a new horizon of culinary arts. Po-won, the new servant, couldn't even stomach it and threw up."
"Hey, is cold cucumber soup really that bad? I think it's delicious."
They eat everything else just fine, so why do they make such a fuss over cold cucumber soup, which embodies Koreans' deep love for cucumbers? It's so refreshing and crisp!
Anyway, I let the chocolate brownie cool down slightly and slid a piece toward Gye-yeong.
"Try it, try it."
"Tr-what?"
"Just eat it. It's Western slang."
As Gye-yeong took a bite, I took one as well.
"Hmm... It's not bad, but..."
"Not sweet enough?"
"Yes. The bitter taste is far too strong."
I scratched my head. This is why baking is so difficult. I usually just eyeball things, but baking requires precise measurements.
"I'll need a few more trials and errors. I think I added too much cacao mass this time."
"Cacao... mass?"
"The stuff you tasted and writhed in pain over."
"Do you absolutely have to make it with that? There are plenty of other delicious things."
"I'm telling you, once we find the perfect ratio, it'll become a dessert that everyone will go absolutely crazy for."
If only Gye-yeong could taste real chocolate just once, he'd understand why I was so obsessed. Gye-yeong looked frustrated, unable to comprehend my stubbornness, and I felt equally frustrated looking at his face. Should I really go fetch a noodle press? Just as I was wearing a thoroughly displeased expression...
"Head Chef, a letter has arrived for you."
"Pardon?"
A servant handed me a small slip of paper. I didn't have anyone who would send me a letter. It certainly wasn't the illiterate folks from Gaeun Inn. I took the small scroll, which was clearly meant for a carrier pigeon, and unrolled it.
The peony blooms in two days.
No matter how much I turned it over, that single sentence was all that was written on the slip. Peonies were flowers that bloomed briefly in spring and withered away, so a peony in late summer made no sense. But this was actually a call sign.
"She will be here soon."
"Who?"
"An esteemed guest is coming."
I gently tossed the slip of paper into the still-burning oven, where it was instantly consumed by the flames.
"I'm not leaving work today until I finish making this dessert."
"Whaaat? But you're the one who always screams about wanting to go home!"
"That's because someone is coming specifically to eat this dessert."
I'm not going home tonight. At my words, Gye-yeong looked at me as if I had lost my mind, but he nodded nonetheless. The person I absolutely had to impress—Seonwoo Seol's mother, Cult Mother Jin Ranyeong—would arrive at the academy in two days.
Unlike Xinjiang, where the sun beat down like needles, Hebei was filled with a cool summer breeze.
There is no unfilial daughter quite like me.
Jin Ranyeong, originally a native of Hebei, felt a pang of self-reproach as she felt the summer breeze. How many years had it been? Ever since Seonwoo Seol was born, she hadn't been able to visit her family home in Hebei, so it had been nearly twenty years. Of course, she wasn't returning to her family home openly under her real identity, but the mere word "homecoming" stirred a complex mix of emotions in her heart.
Currently, Jin Ranyeong's mind was divided into three distinct parts. Fifty percent was filled with guilt for not being able to show filial piety to her parents. Forty percent was the bittersweet sentimentality of returning to her homeland. And the remaining ten percent was curiosity about the chef who stayed by Seonwoo Seol's side.
The Three-Virtue Chef, Yoon Gomyung...
The two members of the Demonic Cult who had attended the Beggar's Sect Chief Mong Bullak's Misu banquet—Third Elder Sam Yang and Deputy Leader Cheong Woo—had constantly brought him up.
'I never imagined there would be someone who cared for our Young Cult Leader so deeply. He has clearly only recently made his debut in the Murim, yet the way he suppressed the elder of the Kongtong Sect with nothing but his words was truly something to behold.'
'They call him the Three-Virtue Chef because he excels in three areas, but honestly, Chef Yoon should be called the Four-Virtue Chef for his incredibly sharp tongue. You should have seen how beautifully he wrapped that Kongtong Sect bastard around his finger, hehehe.'
Although the two of them had taken a liking to him, Jin Ranyeong, as Seonwoo Seol's mother, wasn't entirely pleased with Yoon Gomyung.
She could have formed connections with far better people.
It wasn't that Yoon Gomyung was a bad person, but his profession as a "chef" left much to be desired. Even Hannibal, the Food Demon King who currently resided in the Sacred Cult, had his legendary reputation somewhat overshadowed by his profession as a chef. Furthermore, it hit close to home for Jin Ranyeong. As the wife of the legendary Heavenly Demon and Demon Sovereign Seonwoo Dan—one of the Four Sovereigns—she couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed.
Still, I shouldn't judge him too hastily.
She knew all too well that it was foolish to judge a person solely by their current circumstances. At the very least, she should see his face, talk to him, and then make her decision. With that thought, Jin Ranyeong headed toward a certain tea house in Poeun County, where her daughter and the chef were waiting.
"Mother!"
Her daughter, Seonwoo Seol, had grown remarkably. Just like when she was a child, she looked exactly like Jin Ranyeong. And beside her stood two men and a small girl.
The tallest, jovial-looking man didn't even have a proper beard yet, so he couldn't be Yoon Gomyung. He was likely the academy student named Man Hanseok, who was said to travel with him. The little girl was probably Gongson Yeongji, the youngest daughter of the Gongson Clan, whom Seonwoo Seol had mentioned in her letters.
That left the tall man standing next to Seonwoo Seol, wearing a silly grin. After scrutinizing every detail of his appearance, Jin Ranyeong came to a conclusion.
Oh, Seol... you really...
She finally understood why Seonwoo Seol had chosen Yoon Gomyung. It was the exact same reason why she, the eldest daughter of the orthodox Jin Family Manor, had chosen Seonwoo Dan, who was known as the Little Heavenly Demon back then.
Your taste in men is exactly like mine.