In What Way?
Rain poured down over the darkened streets of West Lake. The streets stood empty beneath the heavy downpour. Kang Yeon stood alone before the doors of the West Lake Number One Inn, his gaze fixed on the dim thoroughfare. Clouds had swallowed even the moonlight; only the sound of falling rain broke the silence of the night.
Thud. Thud-thud.
The rain struck him, yet not a single drop touched his clothes. A thin, transparent veil of wind clung to his body and flicked the water away. The barrier was soft yet absolute, as though his qi had simply become one with nature. Kang Yeon watched the distance with a calm expression, as if waiting for someone.
“He’s here.”
Kang Yeon murmured in a low voice.
At that moment Nang Hyeon’s figure emerged from the far end of the dark street. He walked slowly through the rain. His clothes were soaked through, yet his face looked light and clear. When he reached the inn and met Kang Yeon’s eyes, Kang Yeon studied his expression and asked evenly,
“You settled the grudge, I take it?”
Nang Hyeon looked at him and nodded.
“Yes, I’ve settled it. Only…”
“You don’t have to say it.”
Kang Yeon cut him off with a gentle smile. His superhuman senses had already caught, even through the thick scent of rain, that no blood clung to Nang Hyeon. Satisfaction softened Kang Yeon’s features.
“Well done. Blood only calls more blood.”
Nang Hyeon’s eyes widened. He had believed Kang Yeon taught him the Blue Flowing Cloud Heart Method and the Great Cloud Fist so he would crush the Blood Wolf Gang by force. Yet the stench of endless Murim feuds had sickened him, and he had resolved the conflict another way. It satisfied him—but he had feared it might not satisfy Kang Yeon. Now those words left him unable to hide his emotion.
“You… truly understand what I did?”
Nang Hyeon asked in a trembling voice. Kang Yeon smiled as he answered.
“Of course. If you’d come back covered in blood just because you gained power, I might have docked points.”
Nang Hyeon burst out laughing. The heavy weight in his chest seemed to vanish. He realized Kang Yeon’s martial arts valued harmony and balance as much as strength. Kang Yeon, for his part, felt that Nang Hyeon had truly grasped and lived the teaching.
“You never treated the Great Cloud Fist and the Blue Flowing Cloud Heart Method as mere techniques.”
Kang Yeon said quietly.
“That means you truly understood my intent.”
Warmth rose in Nang Hyeon’s chest. He fully understood now that Kang Yeon had not taught him merely to destroy the Blood Wolf Gang. Kang Yeon had hoped he would break the blood-soaked cycle of Murim and open a new path.
“Young master… I grew tired of Murim’s bloody fights. So I tried to settle the grudge without battling the Blood Wolf Gang. I’m still not certain it was the right choice, but…”
Kang Yeon had hoped exactly that—that Nang Hyeon would break the vicious cycle and walk a new road. Seeing the man understand and practice the teaching left him with a special feeling.
He lightly patted Nang Hyeon’s shoulder.
“It was the right choice. Murim is stained with blood, but people like you can change that with the choices you make. The West Lake Number One Inn should never be a battlefield. It should be a place where people laugh and enjoy themselves. Now that you understand that, you’re a true member of the inn.”
Nang Hyeon’s eyes reddened. He realized the inn was more than a lodging house; it was the place where he could live with new hope.
“Thank you. I’ll work hard as a member of the inn.”
Kang Yeon grinned.
“Let’s see… what job suits you? All right—we’ll call you the inn’s publicity officer.”
“Publicity?”
“Yeah. Your job is to make the West Lake Number One Inn famous across West Lake. Of course you’ll still help with the regular work.”
Nang Hyeon’s face brightened.
“That’s something I can do better than anyone.”
After settling the grudge with the Blood Wolf Gang, Nang Hyeon threw himself even more deeply into training. Every dawn and late at night he practiced the Blue Flowing Cloud Heart Method and the Great Cloud Fist in the rear courtyard. With each session his fists grew sharper and his dantian more stable. Through Kang Yeon’s teaching he learned not mere force, but the harmony of heart and qi.
Three days passed that way.
“Let’s try this.”
Nang Hyeon drew a deep breath and practiced the sixth form, Heavenly Cloud Descent. It was the pinnacle of the Great Cloud Fist—a technique that unleashed power both fierce and soft, like clouds descending from the sky. He spread the qi of his dantian through his entire body and thrust his fist. The moment it cut the empty air, the courtyard’s atmosphere compressed, then burst outward in a violent wind. Beneath the moonlight his shadow seemed to dance.
“Hah… truly amazing. This is the real power of the Great Cloud Fist.”
Nang Hyeon gasped in admiration. Finished, he regulated his breathing and unclenched his fists. Sweat soaked his body, yet his heart felt light. Through the affair with the Blood Wolf Gang he had gained enlightenment and reached the Peak Realm he had long aimed for.
Just then Jo Seol watched the form and exclaimed,
“Nang Hyeon oppa, your forms look so much softer than before!”
She smiled brightly. Ever since Nang Hyeon became part of the inn she had switched to a closer form of address. Flustered by the new title, Nang Hyeon smiled shyly.
“Once I emptied my heart, a new path in martial arts finally appeared.”
Jo Seol’s eyes sparkled.
“Really? So emptying your heart is important? I should try emptying mine too!”
Her innocent manner warmed Nang Hyeon’s heart. The inn that held Jo Seol and Kang Yeon already felt like a new home.
Then Dan U-ryeong appeared in the rear courtyard. He had clearly watched the entire training session; a satisfied smile curved his lips.
“Not bad, Nang Hyeon. Learning the Great Cloud Fist that fast—Kang Yeon chose his disciple well.”
Nang Hyeon bowed politely.
“Young Master Dan, you flatter me. I reached this far only because of Young Master Kang’s teaching.”
Dan U-ryeong looked at Kang Yeon and spoke in a teasing tone.
“Kang Yeon, you’ve taken a real disciple this time, haven’t you? He’s doing that well—you’re not just going to leave him as is.”
Kang Yeon snorted a laugh.
“Disciple? Please. I just taught a useful guy a few things for the inn’s sake. Don’t blow it out of proportion.”
Dan U-ryeong laughed and nodded.
“We’ll see whether that’s true.”
After the grudge with the Blood Wolf Gang was settled, peace returned to the West Lake Number One Inn. Early one morning Kang Yeon opened the front doors and stepped outside.
Rattle.
A line of customers already waited before the open doors—an everyday sight now. Most were solvers who had come for the West Lake Number One Inn’s breakfast, drawn by Nang Hyeon’s word of mouth.
“Good morning.”
Kang Yeon greeted them. Their eyes lit up.
“Are you opening a little early today?”
“We’re starving to death!”
Kang Yeon firmly shook his head.
“Sorry. Opening and closing on time is this inn’s iron rule.”
Disappointment filled their faces. Rumors had begun to spread that practicing qi circulation while eating at the West Lake Number One Inn increased internal energy; they simply wanted to start a little sooner. Knowing that, Kang Yeon still opened the doors at the exact hour.
Finally the business hours of the West Lake Number One Inn began. The doors opened and Jo Seol started receiving guests. The hall filled in an instant; several martial artists who could not squeeze inside sighed. From then on it was nothing but waiting.
“I’ll hand out number tags—please wait your turn.”
Jo Seol began distributing wooden tags carved with numbers. Guests who received them plopped down near the inn. Returning inside, she told Kang Yeon,
“Oppa, there are so many people waiting outside.”
“Really?”
In that case a waiting shelter would be nice.
If I have Dan U-ryeong build one, it’ll be simple.
Decision made, Kang Yeon began to cook.
Whoosh.
The most popular dish for morning business was Breakfast Special Number One. Perfectly kneaded and baked bread at the ideal temperature, a fried egg, and a cup of warm tea—an ideal start to the day.
“Breakfast Number One coming out!”
Jo Seol and Nang Hyeon carried the dishes to the tables.
“We’ll eat well.”
The martial artists savored every bite. Once their stomachs were full they left a little tea and quietly closed their eyes.
Hummm.
Qi circulation began all around the hall. Watching them, Nang Hyeon shook his head.
“I can’t tell if they come to eat or to train.”
Jo Seol hissed,
“Shh. They can hear you.”
“They’re circulating qi—they won’t hear a thing.”
The hall had grown quiet when Kang Yeon stepped out of the kitchen. He clicked his tongue at the sight.
“Tsk. This isn’t a library.”
Martial artists finishing their meals and circulating qi in silence made for a surreal spectacle—but it also meant the people waiting outside could never enter.
Turnover’s a disaster.
After a brief pause Kang Yeon gently raised his qi.
Hummm.
His energy spread softly and wrapped around the martial artists. One by one they finished their circulation.
“Huh?”
“What?”
They opened their eyes in confusion. Circulation had ended far sooner than usual, and the efficiency had been excellent—their dantians felt tightly packed with internal energy. Seeing it finish, Kang Yeon called to Jo Seol,
“Seol-ah, handle the bills carefully. From now on limit meal times for new customers! If anyone complains, make sure you tell me.”
“Ah! That’s a great idea. And don’t worry about me—I’ll take care of everything!”
Kang Yeon returned to the kitchen. Guests left one after another; Jo Seol seated new ones by number tag. She did not forget to limit meal times as Kang Yeon had said.
“Everyone! There are just too many people waiting, so from now on meal time is limited to one shichen!”
Protests erupted at once—clearly everyone had planned to eat and then circulate qi. The martial artists at the front of the line shouted loudest, yet the chorus of “I want to eat too!” rising behind them quickly silenced them.
“It’s so we can serve everyone, so please understand! Now hurry and take the empty seats! We’ll take orders in order!”
Hurried guests rushed to order. The kitchen grew busy again; customers bolted their meals and dropped into circulation.
Kang Yeon seriously considered scraping the Ten-Thousand-Year Warm Jade off the walls.
Yet the jade was also the reason so many customers came.
“Hmm.”
After a moment’s thought he hit on another idea.
“Then I’ll just make it so they finish circulating faster.”
It was a thought no ordinary inn cook would have. Thus the storm of morning business ended. Once the early martial artists swept through, ordinary customers dominated from lunch onward.
“Whew. Good work, everyone.”
After morning service they always gathered for a late meal—and of course Kang Yeon still cooked. Today’s dish was scrambled eggs with tomato. Eggs flash-fried over high heat and finished with residual warmth, tomatoes scented with green onion and soy sauce—the combination was perfect. Chopsticks never stopped. Yet while everyone else ate with gusto, Kang Yeon sat alone, deep in thought.
Thanks to Nang Hyeon’s word of mouth the flood of customers showed no sign of slowing. Now was the perfect time to organize the menu.
And I need more ways to promote the place.
Looking at the guests who currently came, most were solvers who trusted Nang Hyeon’s taste reviews. Considering West Lake’s vast customer base, more publicity was necessary.
Suddenly a method struck him. Kang Yeon turned to Nang Hyeon.
“Nang Hyeon.”
“Yes, young master.”
“Those taste reviews you’ve been doing—how about making them a bit more concrete?”
Nang Hyeon tilted his head.
“In what way?”
“We’ll make a book. A book that collects the taste reviews of every dish you’ve tried.”