The Finest Noodles in the Central Plains

Mae So-yeon.

She was a heroine of the martial world, and a strikingly refined one at that — wholesome, clear, almost ethereal in her beauty.

A moment later, a bowl of banquet noodles was set quietly before her, steam still curling from the surface. Scallions and garnishes floated on a clear broth, and a deep, subtle fragrance rose gently to meet her.

The young heroine gazed at the noodles for a long moment, her expression strangely reverent, as if she had been set before some rare and precious elixir.

Then, slowly, she picked up her chopsticks. With one hand she tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, swept it neatly back — and carefully lifted a bundle of noodles.

Slurp—

The slender strands slipped smoothly between her crimson lips.

In that instant, the room fell unnaturally still.

Baek Ri-seol and I held our breath, watching her eat.

Honestly? She was stunning.

Baek Ri-seol, sitting right beside me, was herself a peerless beauty the likes of which the world rarely produced — but this woman did not lose to her in the slightest. If Baek Ri-seol was the alluring, dangerous type, this one carried the air of a righteous sect's cherished daughter: clear, neat, and composed.

And more than anything, the sight of two beautiful women sitting across from each other over bowls of noodles was just excessively, ridiculously happy.

I suddenly realized that wandering the martial world running a little stall like this might actually be a pretty decent life.

She was devouring the thin noodles as if bewitched, utterly lost in them. Slurp— slurp— the strands vanished in an instant.

Then, all at once, she seemed to notice how strangely quiet it had become around her.

The young heroine slowly lifted her head — and her eyes met ours dead-on.

A brief silence hung in the air.

Baek Ri-seol and I whipped our heads away at the same time, as if nothing whatsoever had happened. Ahem. I even threw in a pointless little cough.

The young heroine looked back and forth between us, her face faintly flushed.

"...Why are you staring?"

I took a casual sip of broth, playing it perfectly cool.

"You were eating with such relish, miss."

"We just found ourselves watching."

The tips of her ears turned faintly pink. She averted her gaze for no particular reason and quietly picked up her noodles again.

Slurp—

"I..."

She mumbled it softly.

"...I rather like thin noodles."

"I've been to quite a few famous restaurants, but..."

Her chopsticks lifted another bundle without the slightest pause.

"...I think the somen here might be the finest in the Central Plains."

She said it shyly — but her chopsticks never stopped for even a second.

Baek Ri-seol finally couldn't hold back her laughter and covered her mouth.

A moment later, the young heroine took a bite of the fresh kimchi. Crunch—

And in that instant, her eyes flew wide.

"What is this...?"

"It's so good..."

She looked back and forth between the kimchi and the noodles, her face stunned. After a brief hesitation, she opened her mouth very carefully.

"...Um."

"Could I possibly have a little more of the pickled vegetables?"

I chuckled and scooped the remaining fresh kimchi into a small side dish. Then, as if the thought had just occurred to me, I added,

"It's good on its own, but try crumbling some of the lightly seasoned kimchi into the broth."

"They call it kimchi-rolled noodles."

Her eyes lit up.

"There's a way to eat it like that...?"

A moment later, she did exactly as I'd said, stirring the kimchi into the broth. The red seasoning bloomed across the surface of the clear soup.

And the instant she carefully took a sip—

"...!!"

Her shoulders gave ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a great shudder.

"This flavor..."

"...I've never tasted anything like it."

Looking almost dazed, she began inhaling the noodles all over again. Slurp— sluuurp—

"It's so refreshing..."

"And it has this sharp, spicy kick..."

In the end, she drank every last drop of the broth, not leaving a single one behind.

A moment later, as she exhaled with a look of deep satisfaction, her gaze happened to drift toward the price list beside her.

In that instant, her expression froze.

"...Huh?"

"...Oh no."

She frantically began rummaging through her robes. Rustle— rustle—

And a moment later, she set a few coins on her palm with a look of utter despair.

Clink—

"...I only have ten copper coins."

I bit my lip to keep from laughing. Then I folded my arms and put on a deliberately grave face.

"Dining and dashing is something I cannot condone."

The young heroine's face went white in an instant.

"I— I..."

"I'm not the kind of person who would dine and dash..."

I looked down at her, arms still folded, expression blank.

"No one in this world announces that they're a dine-and-dash thief and then proceeds to dine and dash."

"...!!"

Her pupils trembled violently.

Beside me, Baek Ri-seol's face had already gone bright red from holding in her laughter. Even with her lips pressed tightly together, her shoulders kept shaking.

The young heroine grew more and more agitated, rummaging through her robes again. She seemed to hope she might have some money stashed away — but ten copper coins really was all she had.

Eventually, a sheen of moisture began to gather at the corners of her eyes.

"I..."

"...I'm the daughter of the Mount Hua Sect Leader, you see..."

I nodded, unimpressed.

"Impersonation is an even greater crime."

"It's true!"

Nearly in tears, she fumbled out a token engraved with a plum blossom pattern and held it up.

"I'm Mae So-yeon..."

"I really am from the Mount Hua Sect..."

I glanced at the token, then looked back at her.

"...And?"

"C-could I pay after I return to the main mountain?"

She was practically begging.

"I'll pay you back, I promise..."

I said nothing, gazing off toward Mount Hua in the distance. A high, treacherous mountain path. Just walking up and down it would take a considerable amount of time.

Then I looked back at her.

"So you're asking me to wait until you've climbed that mountain and come all the way back down?"

Mae So-yeon's face crumpled into a complete pout.

"...Ugh..."

"W-what do I do..."

She looked genuinely, sincerely panicked.

Unable to take it anymore, Baek Ri-seol finally burst out laughing, her head ducked low.

"Pfft—"

"Kyahaha...!"

"Gaga, stop teasing her."

I finally cracked a smile and unfolded my arms.

"Forgive me, miss."

"I was only joking."

"I'd already closed up shop for the day, so the noodles were on the house."

"If you enjoyed them, that's all that matters."

Mae So-yeon stared at me blankly for a moment. Then her face flushed a brilliant red.

"Th-thank you..."

"Truly..."

She bowed over and over, then scrambled to her feet in a fluster. Even as she hurried toward the mountain as if fleeing, she kept turning back every few steps to bow again.

"Thank you!"

"It was delicious!"

I chuckled and called after her.

"Bring plenty of money tomorrow."

Mae So-yeon's steps halted. She carefully turned her head.

"...Will you be open tomorrow as well?"

I tapped the empty broth pot.

"We'll be here for a while yet."

"Though you'd do well to come early."

"The ingredients run out fast."

Her eyes sparkled.

"...Tomorrow."

"I'll be first in line."

And then, the corners of her mouth lifting ever so slightly, looking truly happy, she disappeared down the mountain path toward Mount Hua. The white hem of her martial robes grew smaller and smaller as she receded into the distance.

Baek Ri-seol watched her go for a long while, then finally let out a little laugh.

"Gaga."

"She's so cute."

I nodded slowly.

"At least the young lady has a sense of shame."

Baek Ri-seol shot me a meaningful look.

"...She's your type."

I drained the remaining broth with a perfectly straight face.

"What are you talking about."

"You looked like you were enjoying yourself immensely."

"...Come on, it was fun and you know it."

Baek Ri-seol burst out laughing again.

After laughing for a while, she suddenly stared straight at me. And slowly, the smile in her eyes narrowed to a thin, knowing curve.

"Gaga."

"Let's go inside. Quickly."

I blinked.

"Wh-why?"

Baek Ri-seol's lips curled up as she cast a meaningful glance below my waist.

"I'm a little worked up right now..."

In that instant, Jeoktoma twitched as if in response.

I shot to my feet.

"Dong-gwi!"

"Hurry it up, you!"

Hee-haw—!!

We hastily pulled the carriage around and headed back toward our private lodging. Baek Ri-seol couldn't stop laughing the entire way.

And the moment we stepped into the room — she threw herself at me, wrapping her arms around my neck.

Thump—

Her warm, soft body pressed against mine. Flushed cheeks. Slightly ragged breath. And eyes sparkling with excitement.

I chuckled and pulled her waist close.

Honestly? This kind of life wasn't half bad.

Mornings spent making easy money. Afternoons tumbling around, heart pounding, with a beautiful lover. Cooking something delicious whenever the mood struck, and heroines of the martial world dropping by for noodles.

Life at Mount Hua. It looked like it was going to be a lot more fun than I'd expected.

That night, Baek Ri-seol was far hotter than usual.

Mae So-yeon's existence, it seemed, had been a peculiar kind of stimulus.

"Gaga..."

"I'm not going easy on you tonight..."

Her hands were far more aggressive than usual, and her affection was relentless, almost obsessive.

In the end, after having my soul sucked out twice over, I passed out as if I'd been knocked unconscious.

That dawn, I was preparing a batch of fresh kimchi for the stall.

Crunch— thump— As I wilted the napa cabbage and mixed in the seasoning, a spicy fragrance spread through the predawn air.

Thanks to having passed out early in the evening, Baek Ri-seol had woken earlier than usual and was crouched beside me, helping with the work.

"Gaga."

She asked with a little laugh.

"You slept awfully well last night, didn't you?"

I let out a long yawn and shook the seasoning from my hands.

"Ah..."

"I genuinely felt like my energy had been completely drained."

I muttered it like a sigh.

"Jeoktoma's begging for his life at this point."

Baek Ri-seol let out a scoffing laugh.

"Please stop joking, O Blood God."

"I'm serious!"

I poked below with a look of genuine grievance.

"Look at this guy."

"This is supposed to be his most vigorous hour."

Jeoktoma hung limp, as if playing dead.

Baek Ri-seol clutched her stomach and started laughing.

"Pfft..."

"He really does look like he's sulking."

Once she'd finally gotten her laughter under control, she spoke with a somewhat more serious expression.

"The organization sent word about the sacred relics."

I stopped chopping cabbage.

"Already?"

Baek Ri-seol nodded.

"The Blood Demon Sword and the Blood Saber."

"Both blades are in the Mount Hua Sect's Weapon Repository."

"The Weapon Repository?"

"Mm."

"Apparently they've been sitting there neglected, mixed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠in with all the weapons seized from the Demonic Cult, the unorthodox sects, and so on during past campaigns."

I furrowed my brow.

"They just shoved something like that in a storage cave?"

Baek Ri-seol tapped her seasoning-stained finger against her chin.

"If the blood qi hasn't been awakened, they just look like rusty scrap metal."

"Nobody would have noticed."

I fell silent, thinking. The Mount Hua Sect's Weapon Repository. A core ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠area of a major righteous sect. Sneaking in wouldn't be easy.

"Hmm..."

I muttered under my breath.

"How do we get them out of there."

The corner of Baek Ri-seol's mouth curved up, just slightly.

"We'll have to find a way."

She poked at the cabbage with feigned nonchalance and added,

"...And while we're at it, we might as well cultivate a little connection with that Mae young lady."

I snorted.

"Sounds like you're the one who likes her more."

Baek Ri-seol's hands froze. A moment later, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠she mumbled in a small voice, the tips of her ears turning red.

"...Gaga."

"I think I might be turning into a bit of a pervert."

"Suddenly?"

Baek Ri-seol averted her eyes, just pressing down on the cabbage for no reason.

"It's just..."

"...When I see that young lady close to you."

"My heart starts pounding for no reason."

I was momentarily speechless.

Baek Ri-seol's face had gone fully red as she confessed in a tiny voice.

"...I want to watch."

"Watch what?"

She spoke in the smallest of voices.

"...You. With her."

"...And."

Her pupils wavered with something sultry.

"...I want to join in."

"G-get away from me..."

I recoiled, my face going pale.

In that instant, Jeoktoma — who had been hanging limp, playing dead — gave a sudden twitch.

Baek Ri-seol's eyes lit up.

"Oh."

"The Blood God just reacted!"

"Don't you dare, you bastard!!!"

In the end, I had to start the day's business with my lower body completely drained of strength.