Chapter 136
Translator: uly
Chapter: 136
Chapter Title: Noodle Tour (1)
The Heavenly Demon was facing his first major dilemma since arriving in this place. But why...
-Kyuwoo. (Ah, so warm.)
Nameless's words cut off. The thoroughly drunk Sparrow had curled up around Nameless's body and fallen asleep.
[Hey. Sparrow. What do you think you're doing? Can't you see I'm talking?]
But Sparrow's springy, soft body, like living rubber, had sealed off Nameless's voice output, so hardly any sound leaked out.
'It was my mistake to start talking.'
In this world, no one could understand the Heavenly Demon's solitude or worries.
Not even the ever-loyal Nameless. In the end, the Heavenly Demon had to comprehend and accept it all himself.
Slurp. Clink.
Having realized that, the Heavenly Demon downed another shot of the potent Three Blessings Brew.
One hour later.
"H-Heavenly Demon. Sorry. Let's drink properly next time."
Staggering drunk, Kim Chanwon climbed into a taxi.
"Heavenly Demon. See you tomorrow."
Behind him, Jang Chaewon, her cheeks flushed like ripe peaches, waved both hands with Sparrow draped around her neck.
"Muscle Man! Drinking capacity is top-notch for Muscle Man!"
Leaving behind that nonsense, Go Eunjin hopped into the taxi waiting behind and vanished.
Vroom.
Watching the three taxis depart one after another, the Heavenly Demon's shoulders slumped a bit.
His mind was already complicated, and he'd endured an hour of nonstop drunken rambling from those two.
On top of that, the usually serene Nobyeong tavern, which always played gentle music, had been blasting the latest craze—a frenzied dance track called "Dance the Hula All Night Long."
[I'm sorry, Heavenly Demon.]
In the end, Nameless apologized on their behalf.
The Heavenly Demon looked down at Nameless fumbling at his feet.
Perhaps because Sparrow had spilled Three Blessings Brew near the sensors, Nameless's eye sensors looked blurry, as if he were drunk too.
"You don't need to apologize. It was I who brought up pointless talk first."
As the Heavenly Demon turned to leave, his steps wobbled ever so slightly.
Jang Chaewon and Kim Chanwon had pushed the drinks so relentlessly that he'd downed over thirty shots of that fierce Three Blessings Brew.
"Um, Heavenly Demon."
Just then, the door to Nobyeong opened, and a young woman in an apron stepped out. It was Cho Hong.
"Our boss says... he'd like to treat you to one more on the house."
"I'll pass."
"It's the kind of drink that changes your mind."
The Heavenly Demon tilted his head at Cho Hong's awkward attempt at conversation.
"A drink that changes your mind?"
Did such a thing exist in the world? An intense curiosity stirred in the Heavenly Demon, one he'd never felt before.
Scooping up Nameless, he pushed open the tavern door again.
"I hope I'm not imposing when you're tired."
As the Heavenly Demon sat at the bar table, Jang Geumseon slid over a glass filled with clear liquid.
"This is the mind-changing drink."
The Heavenly Demon picked up the glass wordlessly and tossed the liquid into his mouth.
Gulp.
Savoring the taste with utmost seriousness, he raised an eyebrow.
"You're joking."
"Joking? How so."
"This is Three Blessings Brew."
The clear liquid in the glass was the famed liquor he'd drunk countless times: Three Blessings Brew.
Jang Geumseon nodded with a gentle smile.
"Correct. It's the same Three Blessings Brew you've been downing all night."
"Why call it mind-changing?"
"Savor it carefully. The taste is a bit different from before."
At that, the Heavenly Demon lingered over the Three Blessings Brew filling his mouth with aroma.
Indeed, it felt much stronger than earlier. And the atmosphere was quiet now too.
The shop, which had echoed with noisy music, now flowed with its usual soft tunes.
"Have another."
Jang Geumseon filled another glass of Three Blessings Brew for the Heavenly Demon.
Slurp.
Emptying the glass, the Heavenly Demon definitely felt it. The brew hit much harder than before.
And there was a bitter aftertaste somewhere.
"Strange. Did you make it stronger?"
"No such thing."
Shaking his head, Jang Geumseon said something unexpected.
"Your companions have become regulars here, dropping by often. Ever since you brought them once."
"Is that so."
"Today, those two came and asked us to serve drinks and snacks quickly, and if possible, play some rowdy music."
"I don't follow."
Jang Geumseon sighed, gazing into the Heavenly Demon's red eyes.
"Run a tavern long enough, and sometimes you end up passing on messages for customers."
Clink.
Offering one more shot of Three Blessings Brew, Jang Geumseon spoke lowly.
"This is the last complimentary drink. I hope it suits your taste."
The Heavenly Demon stared silently at the Three Blessings Brew in the clear glass.
He saw Jang Geumseon's face beaming with a generous smile, and Cho Hong's face peeking from the kitchen.
Gulp.
"A mind-changing drink, huh."
Draining the glass in one go, the Heavenly Demon wiped his mouth and nodded.
"Good stuff."
"Glad to hear it."
Leaving Jang Geumseon with his faint smile, the Heavenly Demon turned away.
"Hoo."
Stepping out of Nobyeong, he gazed at the darkening night sky.
Drinking what Jang Geumseon offered had truly changed his thoughts a great deal.
Jang Chaewon, Kim Chanwon, Go Eunjin... They'd done their utmost to comfort him before leaving.
-No matter what we say, it won't help.
-How about we drink and have fun instead? Forget your worries for a bit!
Ear-splittingly loud music. A raucous atmosphere.
The group had deliberately kept pouring drinks nonstop, surely wanting to convey just that.
They were just too shy to say it outright.
"That old man is quick on the uptake."
Jang Geumseon had intentionally served more Three Blessings Brew in this quiet setting to help him realize his companions' consideration.
The Three Blessings Brew he'd gulped down amid their boisterous chatter and concern.
Versus the brew sipped in this calm, subdued atmosphere.
The tastes were worlds apart.
"But it's pointless meddling."
The Heavenly Demon snorted.
Whether he'd chosen this path himself, or if some transcendent being surpassed him, he couldn't tell right now.
But he'd find out soon enough. And no matter the obstacles, he'd smash them.
"I am the Heavenly Demon, after all."
Yes. The Heavenly Demon was the Heavenly Demon. The supreme martial artist of past and present, who had reached heights unmatched by any prodigy.
Even now, in this other world.
The next day.
Jang Chaewon kept stealing glances at the Heavenly Demon sitting at the reception table.
Whether it was the booze from last night, he had come to work with his usual expression, the lonely aura that had clung to him completely gone.
'Good.'
Smiling inwardly, she glanced at the wall clock. It was lunchtime already.
"Heavenly Demon, hungry?"
Go Eunjin hadn't come in due to no work, and Kim Chanwon was swamped with construction jobs.
That left only one food to order.
"How about jjajangmyeon?"
"No need to ask."
The Heavenly Demon loved jjajangmyeon.
It was simple and quick to prepare, and satisfying even without side dishes.
Slurp.
The Heavenly Demon was eating jjajangmyeon delivered lightning-fast from Jungwharu.
Watching him, Jang Chaewon chuckled softly.
"Not sick of it?"
"Sick of what."
"Even the best dish gets old after three days straight."
"I'm not so petty."
"What does that mean."
Setting down his chopsticks, the Heavenly Demon spoke with jjajang bits speckled on his face.
"Jjajangmyeon was the first food I ate at a murim inn here, and the first in this place."
"So?"
"Now that my fortunes have slightly improved, how could I abandon jjajangmyeon for other foods?"
Pondering his words, Jang Chaewon made a face like a fly had landed on her head.
"Hey, is jjajangmyeon your first wife or something?"
"Regardless, it's the food that shared my hardships with me. I can't betray it."
Alien.
Sometimes the Heavenly Demon seemed like an alien to Jang Chaewon. Something that must exist, yet she'd never actually seen one.
But if a real alien appeared, it'd probably look pretty bizarre. Just like the Heavenly Demon now.
"Fine. You came from another world, so you're basically an alien."
"What are you talking about."
"Nothing. Eat up."
Nodding, the Heavenly Demon resumed slurping the noodles.
Watching him, Jang Chaewon suddenly had a new curiosity.
"Wait, so you only like jjajangmyeon and hate other noodle dishes?"
"What do you mean."
"You said you eat jjajangmyeon out of loyalty, right? What about other noodles?"
"Other noodle dishes..."
The Heavenly Demon narrowed his eyes.
Come to think of it, because he favored jjajangmyeon, the chefs at the Ten Thousand Demons Palace rarely served other noodles.
-The Heavenly Demon only likes jjajangmyeon noodles!
...The rumor had spread, but he hadn't cared.
He had no time to fuss over noodle dishes when every meal overflowed with delicacies.
Later, he even left so much food that he ordered, "Don't bring more than three dishes per meal."
"What? So you've never tried other noodle dishes?"
Shaking his head from deep thought at Jang Chaewon's words, the Heavenly Demon replied.
"How could that be. But... back at the Ten Thousand Demons Palace, I paid little attention to food. Every meal was so overflowing it was burdensome."
"What? Liar? Food's a big deal here, you know."
"That's..."
The Heavenly Demon clamped his mouth shut.
Was it because he'd lost his inner energy? Or from doing interior construction every day, something he'd never imagined?
Unlike his days secluded in the palace depths, quietly reading books, now the Heavenly Demon felt a ravenous appetite at every meal, enough to devour a cow.
"I work on-site every day. If I just sat reading books, I could eat lightly too."
Jang Chaewon waved off his excuse with a laugh.
"Who said anything? Just curious. Wondered if you liked all noodle dishes."
"Hmm."
Crossing his arms, the Heavenly Demon recalled the noodle dishes he'd eaten so far.
Truth be told, after his inner energy reached Harmony Realm, he'd barely touched grains while roaming the murim world. He had no memory of even common inn fare like egg noodles or beef noodles.
"Thinking about it, I haven't eaten many noodle dishes in the murim world or here."
Having polished off the jjajangmyeon bowl clean, the Heavenly Demon wore an odd expression.
Suddenly, he had one thing to do on his leisurely weekend.
* * *
Sunday morning.
As soon as the sun rose, the Heavenly Demon ambled downstairs with a bucket and mop in hand.
Splash.
Wringing the mop thoroughly, he began meticulously cleaning the dusty Lamas.
"Heavenly Demon. Washing the car?"
Far off, Yoo Eunho, lounging in a camping chair on the terrace in front of the villa, waved at him.
"Heading out somewhere today?"
Yoo Eunho kept calling out loudly, but the Heavenly Demon didn't spare him a glance.
As always, Yoo Eunho gazed fondly at the Heavenly Demon ignoring him.
Vroom.
After finishing the wash, the Heavenly Demon started the Lamas, and Nameless, perched on his shoulder, spoke.
[Then, we shall begin the 'Noodle Taste Tour for the Heavenly Demon.']
Nameless's voice sounded oddly excited.
[The first stop is a naengmyeon specialty house.]
Last night, the Heavenly Demon had told Nameless to find places with good noodle dishes.
But Nameless had searched all night and devised a full-day noodle taste tour plan.
The Heavenly Demon had naturally refused, but unable to resist Nameless's pleas with the itinerary in tow all night, he'd reluctantly agreed.
[I briefed you yesterday, but to recap: today, you'll visit three noodle hotspots...]
"I know. Just guide me."
[Yes.]
Perched on his shoulder, Nameless shouted excitedly.
[Then, off to the first taste spot!]
Geumokjeong.
The parking lot in front of the hanok building already had quite a few cars that morning.
One great thing about the Lamas was its narrow width, making it easy to park anywhere.
Click.
Parking skillfully in a tight spot between cars, the Heavenly Demon got out.
But looking at the building entrance, his eyes narrowed.
"Same here, huh."
His gaze fixed on Geumokjeong's doorway. Sensing something off, Nameless asked.
[What do you mean?]
"Nothing."
The Heavenly Demon shook his head with a bitter expression.
Nameless wagged his round head side to side, then led the way like an inn errand boy.
[This way.]
Following Nameless inside Geumokjeong, rooms with floor seating came into view.
With a reservation already made, as soon as the Heavenly Demon and Nameless entered a room, servers began placing dishes on the table one by one.
[Pyongyang naengmyeon double portion, braised beef brisket, mung bean pancakes, and dumplings. The dumplings got mixed reviews, so only half a plate.]
The Heavenly Demon stared down at the table.
Buckwheat naengmyeon in clear broth, tender boiled brisket, mung bean pancakes, and steaming dumplings.
[This Geumokjeong is a famed Pyongyang naengmyeon spot in the city. The rich beef broth simmered purely from brisket is supposed to be exceptional...]
"Enough explanation."
He'd ordered more than usual, but the Heavenly Demon ate without comment.
He could guess it was Nameless's heartfelt effort to let him try various foods.
The Heavenly Demon ate steadily.
Though portions weren't large, he finished every plate without leaving a scrap.
[Suits your taste?]
At Nameless's cautious question, the Heavenly Demon nodded.
"Good. Considerable effort in every dish. Far from ordinary noodles."
There were cold noodle dishes in the murim world too, like Hanam naengmyeon or Guangdong egg noodles.
The Heavenly Demon, who'd only enjoyed jjajangmyeon among noodles.
Impressed by the deep flavor of Pyongyang naengmyeon, he inwardly resolved to try other noodle dishes upon returning to murim.
[Glad to hear it.]
Nameless rejoiced as if it were food from his own home.
[The next spot serves Hamheung naengmyeon topped with raw flounder.]
The Heavenly Demon frowned.
"It's not even been a fraction of an hour since eating. More food already?"
[Don't worry. It'll be well past lunchtime by arrival.]
Nameless seemed to have planned meticulously.
As the Lamas started up, Nameless guided not toward the city but outer roads bypassing downtown.
As they drove on and on along sparsely populated highways, the Heavenly Demon, gripping the wheel, looked baffled.
"To eat noodles, we go this far?"