I'll Take Care of Everything, So Don't Worry
Kang Yeon and Dan U-ryeong returned to the inn. As evening settled in, the place filled once more with guests. Nang Hyeon sat at a front table, eating with focused enthusiasm before starting his shift, while Jo Seol hurried about greeting customers.
"Oh? Kang Yeon oppa, you're back! Did you meet Young Master Ak Hu all right?"
"Young Master? Since when did you get so friendly with that guy?"
"Huh? We ran into each other a few times while I was out shopping, so a little? He even haggled prices for me and helped carry bags—well, had someone else do it, of course. Anyway, he was super kind!"
The heir of the Sado Alliance being called kind was the sort of claim that would make other Unorthodox martial artists foam at the mouth and faint on the spot. Kang Yeon let out a short laugh.
"Is that so. Well, he's not a bad person to know."
"By the way, why did you go to Ilyeong Inn?"
Jo Seol asked, eyes bright with curiosity.
"Yeah, just had something to talk about."
"What kind of talk? Is something going wrong with the inn again?"
Kang Yeon casually turned his head and changed the subject.
"Nang Hyeon seems to be enjoying his dinner?"
Nang Hyeon, cheeks stuffed full of food, nodded vigorously.
"It's the best again today! As expected, our inn's cooking is number one on West Lake!"
Laughter rippled through the dining room at his reply. The guests had no choice but to agree—the dishes of West Lake Number One Inn truly were unmatched.
"Well then, I should get back to work too."
The atmosphere inside the inn was warm and lively, yet Kang Yeon's heart remained tangled. He had ended every grudge and returned to the inn for an ordinary life, only for people burning with vengeance to threaten his hard-won peace. He had wanted nothing more than to leave the endless fights of Murim behind and quietly run his inn, but the shadows of the past refused to fade.
"Haa."
A sigh escaped him of its own accord.
Whoosh.
Kang Yeon lit the stove and began to cook. Thanks in part to Nang Hyeon's efforts as a newly hired full-time waiter, the evening crowd had grown considerably.
"One more of the evening special number one over here!"
Most of the guests were martial artists, so their appetites were formidable. Ordering just one dish per person was rare; two or more was the norm. Kang Yeon cooked without pause.
"Thank you. Please come again tomorrow."
With Jo Seol's final farewell to the last customer, the day's business came to a close. Kang Yeon spoke from the kitchen toward Jo Hwan.
"Uncle, you worked hard. I'll clean up the kitchen, so go rest first."
"All right. You worked hard too."
Once Jo Hwan left, Kang Yeon began the cleanup. He lifted a hand and drew up his energy; the kitchen, left messy by the dinner rush, sorted itself into perfect order in moments. Finishing the work in a blink, Kang Yeon let out a long breath.
"Power… it's nice at times like this, at least."
Stepping out of the kitchen, he found Jo Seol still tidying the dining room.
"Not finished yet?"
Jo Seol looked up from her work.
"Yeah, almost done."
"Where's Nang Hyeon?"
"He was helping clean, but I told him to go practice his martial arts first."
"Looks like it'll be done soon, so I'll help a little."
Kang Yeon moved to Jo Seol's side and began wiping a table. He appeared to use an ordinary cloth, yet a subtle energy flowed from his hand, erasing every stain in an instant. Jo Seol watched in admiration.
"Wow, that's so convenient! Do you think I could do that someday?"
Kang Yeon smiled.
"Want to try? Here's how."
He taught her how to use energy to wipe away the stains. Jo Seol had already grown reasonably familiar with the breathing method he had given her, so it was worth attempting. Following his instructions, she channeled energy into the cloth.
Hum.
A faint resonance answered, and energy settled into the fabric. Jo Seol wiped at a remaining stain. It did not come clean as thoroughly as when Kang Yeon did it.
"I can't do it well."
Kang Yeon looked genuinely surprised.
"No. For a first try, that's actually impressive."
"Really? Then I need to practice the breathing method even harder!"
Jo Seol's unexpected talent gave Kang Yeon much to think about. Once the inn was spotless, the two of them stepped out into the rear courtyard. There, Nang Hyeon was practicing the Great Cloud Fist. Beneath the moonlight his fists cut through the air in smooth arcs. His movements were growing more fluid, more natural by the day.
"You've gotten pretty familiar with it."
Kang Yeon said quietly. Nang Hyeon halted at the sound of his voice and bowed.
"I still have a long way to go, Young Master."
"Humility is important, but so is confidence. Your rate of growth is astonishing. Take pride in it."
Jo Seol stepped up beside Nang Hyeon and mirrored his stance.
"Can I try too?"
Kang Yeon shook his head with a smile.
"No. You should still focus on the basic breathing method."
He watched the two of them train. While they practiced in the courtyard, the stars overhead seemed to shine a little brighter. Looking at Jo Seol and Nang Hyeon, Kang Yeon felt a warmth spread through his chest. This was exactly why he had turned his back on the battles of Murim and come home.
Then Nang Hyeon called out in a suddenly serious voice.
"Young Master."
"Yes?"
"Is something… going on with the inn?"
Kang Yeon asked evenly.
"What do you mean?"
"There's been a presence circling the inn for a while now. It feels like someone's watching the place."
Kang Yeon already knew. The eyes of the Black Wind Society were on the inn. He simply had not expected Nang Hyeon to sense it as well.
"Your senses have gotten quite sharp."
Kang Yeon said in a low voice.
"Don't worry. I already know."
Jo Seol asked, face clouded with unease.
"Oppa, what's going on? Is there going to be another fight?"
Kang Yeon hesitated for a moment.
Should he tell them the whole truth? He did not want to burden them with unnecessary worry.
"No, nothing like that. Our inn's just gotten famous, so various factions are taking an interest. I'll take care of everything, so don't you worry."
Nang Hyeon knew the words were not entirely true, yet he chose not to press further. Jo Seol also regarded Kang Yeon with a doubtful look.
"All right, let's go inside and rest. Tomorrow's going to be another busy day."
Nang Hyeon and Jo Seol returned to their rooms.
Swish.
Kang Yeon's gaze shifted to one side. He felt the weight of eyes watching him from the dark. A figure in black martial robes was hidden there.
"Whoever you are, I'd prefer you stop peeping."
Kang Yeon's energy flowed in that direction and coiled around the concealed man. The man's stealth technique shattered, and his form was instantly revealed.
"Hhk—!"
Caught out of hiding, the man gasped in shock. Kang Yeon walked toward the now-visible figure.
"Black Wind Society?"
The man's expression hardened.
"…"
When the man remained silent, Kang Yeon let out a heavy sigh.
"No point hiding it. I already know everything. I'll ask again. Are you with the Black Wind Society?"
Sensing there was no way out, the man finally spoke.
"Yes. I am a member of the Black Wind Society."
"Hmm. Why did you offer to buy our inn through the Hongryeon Sect?"
Kang Yeon already knew from Ak Hu, but he wanted confirmation. The man's face twisted with hostility.
"To take revenge on the Absolute Martial God. Word is this inn is where his family lives."
Kang Yeon's expression grew cold.
Absolute Martial God.
That was the name Murim used for him. The mythical figure who had ended the war between the Orthodox factions and the Demonic Cult. It had been a very long time since he had heard that title from a stranger's lips. Yet the reason his face hardened was something else entirely. Only a tiny handful of people knew where the Absolute Martial God had come from—or what his name truly was.
So where had the information about West Lake Number One Inn leaked from?
Did someone deliberately leak it?
A few suspicious faces rose in his mind.
The Murim Alliance Lord. The Heavenly Demon. The Lord of the Sado Alliance.
And several other masters who, though unaffiliated with any great power, stood on equal footing with them. But he soon shook his head. None of them would be reckless enough to casually leak information about the Absolute Martial God. They, more than anyone, had tasted the terror of his power down to their bones.
"The Black Wind Society's leader is Pung Sa-wi, isn't he?"
The man started in open shock. Learning that Kang Yeon even knew the leader's name clearly rattled him. Kang Yeon spoke again.
"No need to look so surprised just because I know a name. Go back and tell your leader this: he'd better give up on revenge."
Kang Yeon released the energy binding the man. The man immediately launched himself into the air and fled the inn. Watching the figure disappear into the distance, Kang Yeon sighed.
"I hope he listens when he's told…"
Of course, most of his experience so far had taught him otherwise.
"Huff… huff… Just who the hell was that?"
The man who had escaped Kang Yeon gasped for breath. The moment his entire body had been bound by that power had been pure terror and shock. Glancing back and confirming no one was pursuing him, he took to the air again. Before long he reached the Black Wind Society's headquarters.
He went straight to the leader, Pung Sa-wi.
"I told you to watch the inn. Why have you returned?"
At Pung Sa-wi's question, the man explained everything that had happened with Kang Yeon. As he listened, Pung Sa-wi's expression grew steadily darker.
"I see. You may leave."
Once the terrified man withdrew, Pung Sa-wi walked to the window and gazed toward the distant direction of West Lake Number One Inn.
"Hmm…"
For some time now, word had been circulating that a cook of extraordinary martial skill was working at West Lake Number One Inn. He had originally intended to sit back and let the Five Flower Sect or the Blood Wolf Gang wreck the place, but both had failed. In the end he had decided to act himself—only for an unforeseen variable to appear.
"A master strong enough to completely immobilize someone at the Peak Realm…"
Pung Sa-wi muttered, staring toward West Lake. His hand clenched into a fist without his noticing. The death of his master, Jang Mun-cheon, and all the days his life had plummeted into the abyss afterward flashed before his eyes like a lantern show.
"Master, please wait a little longer. I will avenge you without fail."
Killing intent gathered in Pung Sa-wi's eyes. Yet deep in a corner of his heart, fear had also taken root. The name Absolute Martial God was legend itself in Murim.
"I should meet this cook myself first."
Pung Sa-wi made up his mind. He could not simply sit still with the family of the man who had killed his master right in front of him. At the same time he knew that acting rashly could cost him his life. He would have to approach with caution.
Suddenly a thought flickered through his mind.
"Wait…"
Young age, formidable martial prowess, and a cook. The description overlapped a little with someone his master had once spoken of. But he quickly shook his head.
"Impossible."
There was no way the Absolute Martial God, standing at the very pinnacle of Murim, would be living as a mere cook in an ordinary inn.
"Someone connected to him, though—that could be."
If so, all the better. Destroying everything related to the Absolute Martial God was Pung Sa-wi's goal.
"I'll return everything I suffered, measure for measure."