The Blood Demon and the Culinary God
“Are you finished yet, Young Master Jin-woo?”
The sultry voice of Seol-hwa, the star courtesan of Sehwahu, drifted into the kitchen.
“Yeah. Just wait a moment,” I replied, giving the wok a light shake. “It just needs a little more time over the residual heat.”
Sizzle—
The beef and vegetables erupted with a savory aroma as they hit the scorching iron wok. The scent of oil and meat juices filled the kitchen.
“The customers’ patience has reached its limit, you know.”
“It’s all done.”
I plated the perfectly stir-fried beef and handed it to the kitchen maid. The dish, topped with red chili peppers, glistening meat, scallions, and sesame seeds, looked quite appetizing.
“Thank you. You’ve worked hard, Young Master Jin-woo.”
Seol-hwa’s voice echoed again.
“That’s it for today.”
I took off my apron and tossed it into the laundry basket. “If any customers ask for me, tell them I’ve already clocked out.”
“Yes. You’ve worked hard, Chef Jin-woo.” The kitchen maid bowed and replied.
…
My name is Kim Jin-woo. Or rather, here, I’m just Jin-woo.
As you can see, this is a world inside a Wuxia novel. To be precise, it was a world similar to medieval China. I was originally an ordinary student attending a culinary school in Korea. I had decent skills, and my looks weren’t bad either. I was even in a "more-than-friends" situation with the girl I had a crush on.
And then, the day before Christmas Eve, I woke up and found myself dropped right in the middle of this medieval China. Just one day before my promised first experience…
When I first arrived, I could somehow understand all the speech and writing. If I hadn’t, I would’ve been sold off to a black mine long ago, swinging a pickaxe with the Kunlun laborers. After being in a mental breakdown for a few days, I adapted to reality faster than expected.
The place I landed was Luoyang. It was one of the most prominent major cities in the Central Plains. And with nothing but my cooking skills, I sought out Sehwahu, the largest courtesan house in Luoyang, and declared myself a chef. The result was exactly this.
Everyone who tasted my cooking was shocked. It made sense; the very concept of "umami" didn’t exist in this era. Comparing bland medieval cuisine to modern cuisine was impossible.
I set a condition that I wouldn’t cook more than three dishes a day. Sehwahu was so serious about my food that they accepted it. Thanks to that, I even earned the title of Culinary God (Siksin) within the courtesan house, and I was able to build a foundation for a fairly comfortable life in this strange Wuxia world.
Today, on my way home, I took a bamboo basket and did a lap around the nearby market. Kelp. Shiitake mushrooms. Even dried fish similar to anchovies. Ingredients that were the core of umami were all treated as strange in this Murim world. Thanks to that, I was paying the regular merchants extra to specially order these ingredients for me.
I put some vegetables and a few pieces of meat to cook at home into my basket, and bought a piece of candy from a street stall to pop into my mouth. A sweet taste spread through my mouth. Once I got used to it, life here was actually quite comfortable.
Back home, I started by lighting the fire in the furnace. It was still inconvenient not having a lighter, but fortunately, there was an alternative item here called a Hwaseobja. It was much more convenient than a flint.
Click—
The dry firewood caught fire, and a warm heat spread out. I decided on soybean paste stew for dinner tonight. I used Korean-style soybean paste made by fermenting beans myself, along with anchovy powder and brisket I bought at the market. I added tofu and zucchini and let it simmer.
Bubble, bubble—
A savory smell filled the small house. I also put on a new pot of rice. I even took out the kimchi I’d made with chili powder I’d struggled to find and placed it on the table. A home-cooked meal after work. This was the small driving force that allowed me to endure each day in this strange Murim world.
The table setting was finished. Inside a stone pot that I’d made to look as much like an earthenware pot as possible, the soybean paste stew was bubbling. The savory smell of soybean paste, the scent of brisket oil, and the unique umami of the anchovy broth filled the room. Glistening white rice. And kimchi, ripened to perfection. It was perfect.
I scooped a spoonful of rice with my custom-made brass spoon and shoved it into my mouth. The moment I was about to chew:
“Ho…”
A strange woman’s voice drifted from outside the door. “So it’s here. This smell…”
My spine went cold for a second. …It’s a woman. And a voice I’d never heard before.
“May I come in for a moment?”
It was a clear yet strangely dignified voice. At the point where she’d followed the smell all the way here, there was effectively no way to hide it.
“I don’t know who you are, but come on in.”
Creak—
The door opened, and a woman appeared. A beauty with a somewhat small frame, looking to be in her early twenties. Red hair. Red eyes. Snow-white skin. At a glance, she wasn’t a normal Murim practitioner.
“Then, I shall excuse myself.”
She bowed her small body slightly and crossed the threshold. A scent like a subtle blood aroma spread into the room. And her gaze immediately turned to the table. A well-set dinner table was sitting there alone. Her eyes, having caught the scent of the soybean paste stew, shook noticeably. Embarrassment and anticipation flashed through her red eyes simultaneously.
I asked with a wry smile, “If you haven’t eaten, would you like to join me?”
“C-could I really?” The dignity from a moment ago was gone; her voice trembled slightly.
“It’s not like it’s hard to set one more bowl and spoon.”
“Then… I shall accept your offer.”
She sat down in front of the table cautiously. However, her gaze remained fixed on the soybean paste stew. I carefully scooped a bowl of rice into a jade bowl for guests. Only after placing a jade spoon for guests did I push the table toward her.
Sitting across from her, I scratched my head and said, “It’s just a simple dinner, so this soup is all I have. Please, just eat without complaining.”
“Don’t say such ridiculous things…” She muttered, unable to take her eyes off the stew. “I am the one who was drawn here by the smell.”
She glanced at me, then scooped up plenty of tofu and broth and shoved it into her small mouth.
“Huat… Hot…!”
Her shoulders shuddered. It seemed the heat hadn’t dissipated easily because it was boiled in a stone pot. Her snow-white face turned red in an instant. Tears even welled up in her red eyes.
“It’s hot…” She exhaled softly and picked up her spoon again. “But it’s delicious. It’s a taste I’ve never had in my life…”
After letting out a voice mixed with admiration, she scooped a large spoonful of rice and began eating it with the stew. And a moment later, her hand stopped. Her red eyes slowly looked at me.
“Why is the rice… so sweet?” she asked. “What did you do?”
What else? I made it with Dashida broth. She cautiously picked up the red kimchi with her chopsticks. A bit of red kimchi juice stained the tips of her snow-white fingers.
“What do you call this vegetable pickle that is as red as blood?”
“It’s called kimchi,” I replied, scooping up a spoonful of rice. “It’s a side dish made by drying and grinding something called chili peppers, which hasn’t spread widely in the Central Plains yet, and fermenting it with fish sauce.”
“Fermenting… so it’s rotted?” Her red eyes narrowed slightly. “Is it like a Blood Jiangshi?”
“N-no, it’s not.” I hurriedly waved my hands. “It’s just ripened to be delicious. Using something called lactic acid bacteria…”
“It is hard for me to understand.”
“Just try it.”
Crunch—
She chewed the kimchi cautiously, with red kimchi juice slightly staining her lips. And then, her eyes slowly widened.
“Hua… It’s, it’s spicy.”
Her shoulders shuddered. A hot breath leaked out from between her red lips. I smiled and poured a cup of corn silk tea and handed it to her.
“Try drinking this.”
She accepted the teacup without hesitation. Gulp. Gulp, gulp. After downing the tea in one go, she breathed heavily and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. Then she looked at the kimchi again. This time, she picked up a slightly smaller piece and put it into her mouth cautiously.
Crunch—
She followed it by scooping a large spoonful of rice. Her eyes slowly curved as she chewed.
“It’s spicy, but…” she muttered as if surprised. “It’s a truly delicious kind of spicy. It goes so well with this rice…”
After that, she became engrossed in the meal. Eating kimchi. Eating rice. Scooping up the soybean paste stew again. Picking up more kimchi. She repeated the same actions like someone possessed.
Slurp.
The stew in the pot gradually decreased, and the side dishes on the table disappeared quickly. Before long, her rice bowl, which I had filled generously, was completely empty. She sat frozen, staring down at the empty bowl.
“…”
Then, she very slowly raised her head.
“Would you like some more?”
“C-could I really?”
It was a little funny to see her ask with a flushed face. The dignity from earlier had completely vanished. But she couldn’t refuse in the end. Eventually, that day, she finished all four bowls of rice.
…
After the meal, she slowly drank the warm corn silk tea I’d reheated. Hoo… After setting down the steaming teacup, she finally opened her mouth.
“I am the tenth Sect Leader of the Blood God Sect, which has now vanished.” Her red eyes looked at me quietly. “I am called the Blood Demon, Baek Ri-seol.”
…
It was shocking from the start.
“The Blood God Sect Leader?”
“Did I not say the Blood God Sect?”
“Yes, well… I’ll just take your word for it.” I looked at her with an incredulous expression. “Why is there a Sect Leader for a Blood God Sect that has already vanished?”
“Hmm…” Baek Ri-seol opened her mouth low while holding the warm teacup. “Our sect was destroyed hundreds of years ago. The remaining collateral bloodlines also survived while hiding their identities. Now, we are mixed into the Central Plains under the name of the Baek Ri Clan.”
She drank a sip of tea and continued calmly. “However, the sect’s bloodline and martial arts were not completely severed. I am the final successor.”
Unlike the word "final," an unusual amount of confidence was embedded in her red eyes.
“But why did the Blood God Sect Leader come to a place like this?”
In an instant, a seductive smile spread across the Blood Demon’s lips. Her red eyes slowly scanned me. “I was looking for a partner to continue the Blood God Sect.”
She slowly rubbed the teacup on the table with her fingertips. “Drawn by the delicious smell… mixed with the sweet scent of the Blood Yang Constitution.”
Swoosh—
Her red tongue slowly licked her lips. “That is you.”
Her red eyes met mine directly. “The Culinary God of Sehwahu. In search of Jin-woo…”
She suddenly began to untie her clothes. Swoosh— The red silk slowly slid down along her shoulder line.
