I Want to Meet Him
Gwak Sa stumbled into the Blood Wolf Hall’s main chamber, gasping for air. His heart still hammered like a mad thing. The image of Kang Yeon hovered before his eyes like a living nightmare. The overwhelming presence that had seized his wolf-fang blade with only two fingers still clung to every inch of his body.
“Haa… haa…”
Thick terror twisted across Gwak Sa’s face. He had wandered the martial world for years, fought countless opponents, and scraped past death more times than he could count—yet never once had he tasted so clear and absolute a killing intent as he had today.
That bastard… just who the hell is he?
No matter how hard he searched his memory, nothing made sense. A young man pretending to be a cook at some ordinary inn by West Lake—West Lake Number One Inn—was actually a master of the Super-Peak Realm?
No. Even Super-Peak was not enough.
Kang Yeon’s presence had been the kind only those extreme absolute masters said to dwell in the Absolute Realm could possess—something ordinary men could never hope to touch.
Trembling.
Gwak Sa’s hands shook. No amount of effort could stop them. He dropped to his knees and checked his dantian.
It was empty.
The moment Kang Yeon’s hand had touched him, every scrap of internal energy Gwak Sa had spent a lifetime accumulating had scattered like dust. His dantian itself was not shattered; given time he could recover. That fact only made it more terrifying. Breaking a dantian was easy. Leaving it intact while completely dispersing the energy inside was a far more refined and precise art.
Word that Gwak Sa had returned reached his blood brother and vice-leader, Gwak Pung, who hurried into the chamber. One look at his brother made Gwak Pung freeze. This was not the imposing leader of the Blood Wolf Hall. This was a hunted animal, worn down and exhausted.
“Leader, what happened?”
“…West Lake Number One Inn.”
Gwak Sa forced the words out. Gwak Pung tilted his head. His brother had gone out to deal with Nang Hyeon, yet the first thing out of his mouth was the name of some inn he had never heard of.
“Where?”
“The cook at West Lake Number One Inn… that bastard… is no ordinary man.”
“What do you mean?”
“He’s not just some inn cook. He’s a monster. In all my life I’ve never seen power like that.”
Gwak Pung’s face filled with disbelief. The brother who had never known fear, who had always been the strongest among them, was this terrified? It was unthinkable.
“Leader, what exactly did that cook do…?”
“He scattered every last bit of my internal energy. With a single finger. Like he was dealing with a child.”
Gwak Pung’s face went white. He understood perfectly how difficult that technique was.
“Just who is he…?”
Gwak Sa gave a bitter smile.
“I don’t know. There’s no way to know. But one thing is certain—he is someone we cannot touch.”
He recalled the moment again: the faint, rising aura, the crushing power coiled inside it, and those eyes that had issued a silent warning. Kang Yeon’s bored gaze had looked at him as if he were an insect.
“Damn it…”
A curse of pure helplessness slipped out. He had thought himself a big name on the West Lake streets, but the martial world was vast beyond measure.
Gwak Sa bit his lip and looked at his vice-leader.
“Issue an order to every member of the Blood Wolf Hall. No one is to go anywhere near West Lake Number One Inn.”
“What? That was the territory you were planning to take—”
When the Five Flowers Sect had vanished without a trace one day, the Blood Wolf Hall had been eyeing the vacant district.
“Take it? We’ll be lucky to survive just walking past the place. Do not approach it. No—tell them not to even look in that direction!”
Gwak Pung nodded, still looking as if he could not believe his ears.
“…Understood. I’ll make sure of it.”
Gwak Sa’s head dropped. He had never imagined a day would come when he looked this pathetic. His blood ran cold; the taste of defeat sank deep into his chest. Yet over that humiliation rose the memory of Kang Yeon’s smile at the inn—easy, relaxed, and carrying a warning that could not be mistaken.
“Absolute prohibition on approach.”
Gwak Sa shuddered.
“West Lake Number One Inn is untouchable. Absolutely…”
Left alone in the chamber, Gwak Sa sank once more into deep terror. Outside, Gwak Pung frowned hard as he left the room.
“What the hell is so frightening…”
The Blood Wolf Hall had survived far worse in the ruthless martial world. Bending so low to a single martial artist made no sense. If one man’s skill was not enough, the entire hall could move. But the leader’s order stood, so there was nothing more to be done. The vacant territory of the Five Flowers Sect was a pity, that was all.
Thus Gwak Sa’s command went out to every member:
Absolute prohibition on approaching the vicinity of West Lake Number One Inn.
The order sent ripples through the Blood Wolf Hall. Rumors of Gwak Sa’s defeat had already spread among the members, and the leader’s authority was beginning to crack. Watching his brother’s haggard face, Gwak Pung fell into deep thought. Unlike Gwak Sa he was cold and calculating. For the future of the hall, he decided, the existence of West Lake Number One Inn could not simply be ignored.
He went to his brother one last time.
“Brother, must we truly avoid West Lake Number One Inn? If we give up the Five Flowers territory, expanding our power will become much harder.”
Gwak Sa clenched his teeth.
“If we touch that man, the entire Blood Wolf Hall will disappear. That much is certain.”
Gwak Pung had already verified the events of that day through various channels. His brother’s words were no lie. He nodded, but his mind was already turning elsewhere. If Kang Yeon was truly that powerful, would it not be better to draw him in as an ally rather than make an enemy of him?
Yet the sheer terror on Gwak Sa’s face told him the timing for such a proposal was wrong.
“Then give me authority to handle things myself. The mood inside the hall is unstable.”
Gwak Sa waved a weary hand as if everything was too much trouble.
“Do whatever you want. Just never anger that cook.”
“Yes, Leader.”
That night a secret gathering of the Blood Wolf Hall took place. With Gwak Sa absent, several members gathered around Gwak Pung. Discontent with the leader’s command ran high among them.
“The leader has grown too weak. Frightened by some cook named Kang Yeon at West Lake Number One Inn and giving up the Five Flowers territory—does that make any sense? Who even is this Kang Yeon? Has anyone ever heard of a martial artist by that name?”
No one answered.
“The honor of the Blood Wolf Hall has hit the ground. At this rate other factions will start looking down on us.”
Gwak Pung listened quietly to their grievances and weighed the situation. He had no intention of betraying his brother, but he knew they needed a new plan if the hall’s power was to be preserved.
“Then… what if we meet this Kang Yeon ourselves?”
Gwak Pung made the careful suggestion. The members’ eyes went wide.
“What? You mean to disobey the leader’s order?”
“There’s no need to be afraid. If Kang Yeon truly is that strong, wouldn’t it be better to become friends than enemies? If we extend a hand first, he may respond favorably.”
The members were half-convinced, but in the end they agreed to his plan. After the secret meeting, Gwak Pung resolved to test Kang Yeon’s intentions. Yet if the man’s martial arts could scatter Gwak Sa’s internal energy so easily, the Blood Wolf Hall alone could never handle him. Gwak Pung decided to borrow the strength of a greater power.
The Silent Sword Guest, Jang Cheonroe.
Famous throughout West Lake as a problem-solver, Jang Cheonroe was known not only for his martial skill but for his ruthless judgment. Gwak Pung had spent a long time carefully building a friendship with him.
“He’s the type who gets curious whenever he hears about a strong man. He’ll definitely take interest in my proposal.”
Gwak Pung made secret contact with Jang Cheonroe, shared what he knew of Kang Yeon, and requested that the man verify the cook’s true strength.
“A man named Kang Yeon at West Lake Number One Inn easily subdued the leader of our Blood Wolf Hall. I ask that the Silent Sword Guest discover what kind of person he really is.”
Jang Cheonroe listened and found himself intrigued. If Kang Yeon was truly as strong as the rumors claimed, he wanted to face him once.
“Very well, Vice-Leader Gwak. I will visit West Lake Number One Inn myself and confirm the man. But remember—I never forget payment for my work. Have a satisfactory price ready.”
Nang Hyeon spent some time recovering at the inn, renting a room and simply staying. His body had healed to a fair degree, yet for some strange reason he showed no desire to leave.
Swish. Swish.
In the early dawn Nang Hyeon was sweeping the front courtyard of the inn. A pleasant smile sat on his face as he worked. Looking out over the still-dark, quiet street, he murmured to himself.
“West Lake’s mornings are so peaceful.”
He set the broom down and checked his dantian. The dantian Kang Yeon had rebuilt for him was clear and pure in a way it had never been before. His internal energy was still weak, but endless possibility lay within it. Nang Hyeon clenched his teeth and made a vow.
“I must repay Young Master Kang Yeon’s grace.”
He swore once more that he would turn West Lake Number One Inn into the greatest gathering place in the martial world. Few people came yet, but Nang Hyeon was certain this place would become a sanctuary and meeting ground for martial artists.
“Nang Hyeon, up early and hard at work as usual.”
Kang Yeon’s voice drifted over. Nang Hyeon turned and saw him standing at the inn’s doorway with a teacup in hand, his expression as calm as ever.
“Young Master Kang Yeon! You’re awake!”
Nang Hyeon bowed at the waist.
“I appreciate you sweeping the yard every morning, but is this really how we should treat a guest?”
Nang Hyeon waved both hands hurriedly.
“Ah, what are you saying! Once the inn gets busy we’ll be short-handed. I want to help even a little.”
Kang Yeon gave a short laugh.
“If that’s the case, why not just work here properly?”
“You’ll hire me?”
The instant reply made Kang Yeon chuckle again.
“If I hire you as staff, our only long-term guest disappears, so that might be a problem.”
“Then the inn needs to become famous quickly so we can secure more long-term guests.”
“Works for me. Anyway, don’t overdo it. Your body still hasn’t fully recovered.”
“I’m almost completely better. Thanks to the miraculous opportunity you gave me, my body feels lighter than ever.”
At those words Kang Yeon raised the teacup and took a sip.
“Miraculous opportunity, huh… Well, thinking of it that way isn’t bad. Shall we start the morning business, then?”
Nang Hyeon’s eyes sparkled.
“Yes! I’ll finish sweeping the yard right away and clean inside as well.”
Kang Yeon smiled at the man’s passion and nodded.
“I’ll leave it to you. But you’re still a guest, so help only within reason.”
“Yes! Understood!”
Nang Hyeon answered stoutly. A pleasant sense of belonging he could not quite name tugged a smile onto his lips. And so the morning business began. From early on, West Lake Number One Inn bustled with a fair number of customers.
“Welcome!!”
The growing crowd put Jo Seol in high spirits; her face was bright.
“Two number-one breakfast sets here!”
“Coming right up!”
Nang Hyeon had fully settled in as part of the inn’s workforce. Together with Jo Seol he greeted guests, lifted the atmosphere, and poured his passion into promoting Kang Yeon’s cooking. In the middle of the busy service a new customer arrived—a middle-aged man in a black long robe. His eyes were sharp, and a martial artist’s presence rode his every step. Nang Hyeon sensed at once that this was no ordinary guest.
“Welcome! Welcome to West Lake Number One Inn!”
Nang Hyeon greeted him brightly.
The middle-aged man nodded and swept his gaze around the interior. His eyes settled on the kitchen where Kang Yeon was preparing dishes.
“I heard there is a cook named Kang Yeon here. I want to meet him.”