Who... Exactly Are You?
As they made their way toward the training grounds, word of the spar had already spread. Disciples began gathering one by one. A bout held within the martial hall was always fine entertainment for the students—and the fact that the opponent was a cook only sharpened their curiosity.
"Is that guy really a cook?"
"I heard he's Jo Un's little brother. And he knows martial arts?"
"Come on. No way. He's just bluffing."
Through the rising murmur of the disciples, Kang Yeon walked calmly into the center of the training grounds. The instructor met him with a look of pure confidence. Watching Kang Yeon step up onto the grounds, Jo Un didn't know what to do with himself. He was curious about Kang Yeon's strength, but he had never wanted things to go this far. In his mind, the instructors' skill was simply beyond anything Kang Yeon could handle.
"Ah… this is bad. I don't want Yeon getting hurt."
Ever since Jo Un had entered the Black Wind Association's martial hall, the instructors' prowess had left a lasting impression. From the perspective of someone who still hadn't even reached Third-Class, those First-Class martial instructors were terrifyingly strong. Jo Un edged closer to the training grounds and spoke to Kang Yeon.
"Yeon, don't push yourself. Why don't you just stop and step down right now? I don't want you getting hurt."
Standing unperturbed on the grounds, Kang Yeon looked at him.
"Me getting hurt??? Not the other guy?"
The direction Kang Yeon pointed, the martial instructor was noisily loosening up, a smug, self-satisfied smile plastered across his face as he eyed Kang Yeon. Clearly he intended to thrash the cook in front of a crowd of trainees and reassert the dignity of his position.
Kang Yeon spoke toward Jo Un.
"I'll go easy, so don't worry. You've got your own position here to think about."
While Jo Un stood there blank-faced, the instructor settled into a stance and called out.
"I don't know where you learned your martial arts, but looking at you, you seem younger than me. As your senior, I'll yield the first move."
He was putting on a full performance of magnanimous senior generosity. Kang Yeon answered him.
"No need to yield anything. I wasn't planning on moving from this spot to begin with…"
Kang Yeon gave a little beckoning flick of his fingers toward the instructor.
"So you come at me first."
The instructor's brow furrowed at the words.
"Is this brat mocking me right now?"
He exploded forward with his movement technique, charging Kang Yeon. The flourish of his footwork drew gasps from the trainees packed around the grounds.
"Ooooh!"
"That's Instructor Gwak for you!"
Instructor Gwak's lips curled as he shot his hand out in a long, thrusting strike. It was a palm technique he used often, faithful to the foundational arts taught by the Black Wind Association—fast and precise. To Kang Yeon's eyes, though, it was painfully slow.
Swoosh.
Kang Yeon shifted his body a fraction to the side, and the instructor's hand cut through empty air.
"Huh?"
The instructor's face twisted in shock. It had looked like a clean hit, yet Kang Yeon had slipped aside as if he had known the strike was coming all along.
"Is that all?"
Kang Yeon's voice was leisurely. Gritting his teeth, the instructor unleashed palm techniques without pause.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
But Kang Yeon avoided every attack with the barest minimum of movement. His motions were so natural they looked almost like a dance.
"What is this…?"
The watching disciples' eyes went wide. The instructor's palm arts were clearly fast and accurate, yet Kang Yeon never once looked in danger. More than that—he was barely shifting from the spot where he stood, and still slipping every single strike. From a distance, it almost looked as if the instructor were flailing at nothing like a fool.
After a long barrage of palm techniques, the instructor finally backed away, breathing hard.
"Hah… hah…"
Forcing the techniques so relentlessly had left cold sweat pouring down his entire body. He glanced at Kang Yeon—not a single hair out of place. A chill ran down his spine.
A… a master.
In that instant he realized he had picked the wrong fight. The instructor's mind raced, and he forced an awkward cough.
"Ahem… if I could just have a moment…"
But Kang Yeon had no intention of hearing him out. He needed this finished so he could get back to the inn.
"Shall we wrap this up, then?"
The moment the words left his mouth, Kang Yeon gave a single finger a light flick.
Thrum.
A faint thread of energy brushed the instructor's hand. A tingling shock ran through it, and both arms went numb. They dropped limply to his sides.
"W-what is this?"
The instructor stared at his unresponsive arms in disbelief. Kang Yeon hadn't seemed to do anything at all, and yet this had happened.
"Looks like the match is decided. Care to continue?"
Kang Yeon spoke with quiet calm. Silence swallowed the training grounds in an instant. The disciples stood with their mouths hanging open; the instructor's face had gone bone-white.
That was when a voice cut through.
"Interesting."
Hall Master Jo appeared at the edge of the grounds, his expression utterly serious.
"Instructor Gwak. Stand down."
At the hall master's command, the instructor staggered aside. Hall Master Jo fixed his gaze on Kang Yeon and walked slowly into the center of the grounds.
"For a cook… that was considerable skill."
His eyes sharpened. The oppressive pressure of a Peak Realm martial artist flooded the training grounds.
"Hall Master!"
Jo Un rushed forward. A clash with the hall master was another matter entirely. Kang Yeon's skill had been surprising, yes—but a Peak Realm expert was a force of a completely different order. He had to stop this from escalating.
"Please stop! Yeon really is just a cook!"
Hall Master Jo paid him no mind.
"Jo Un. Step back. This man is no ordinary cook."
Jo Un turned a pleading look on Kang Yeon.
"Yeon, stop and go home. If this gets any messier, we're in real trouble."
Kang Yeon remained unruffled.
"It's fine, hyung. What's there to get into trouble over?"
"No… it's just…"
Kang Yeon spoke to him.
"In exchange—if I win, you're coming back to the inn."
Jo Un blinked.
"Yeon… that's…"
"Think about it. If I beat the hall master, there's no reason left for you to learn martial arts here, right? You can just learn from me. So promise me, hyung."
Meeting Kang Yeon's serious eyes, Jo Un slowly nodded.
"A-all right. But be careful. The hall master's really strong."
"I told you not to worry."
Once Jo Un had stepped back, Kang Yeon faced Hall Master Jo. The hall master drew the sword from his waist. A fierce energy poured from the blade—on a completely different level from the instructor's.
"As one who has reached the Peak Realm, I ask you. What is your true identity?"
Kang Yeon shrugged.
"Kang Yeon, cook of the West Lake Number One Inn."
Hall Master Jo swept his sword through the air. Keen sword qi shattered the ground and left a scar across the floor. Having displayed his power as a threat, he asked again.
"Stop trying to deceive me. No one with skill like yours could possibly be a cook. What are you? Why come to our martial hall and make trouble?"
Kang Yeon let out a sigh.
"I really am a cook… and no one believes me. And when did I ever make trouble? The one who eavesdropped on a private conversation and picked a fight first was that side over there."
He glanced toward Instructor Gwak, who was glaring at him with limp arms. The moment Kang Yeon's gaze touched him, Gwak flinched and whipped his head away.
"Further words are unnecessary."
Hall Master Jo settled into a stance. Peak Realm internal energy boiled up around his body. The air over the training grounds grew heavy and dense.
Hall Master Jo unleashed his secret sword art. Sword qi from a Peak Realm master surged toward Kang Yeon.
The martial hall's trainees cried out in awe.
"Incredible."
"So that's the Peak Realm."
Kang Yeon remained as calm as ever.
Swoosh.
He took a single step to the side and let the sword qi pass. For a moment the trainees thought, Sword qi can be dodged that easily? Kang Yeon's movement had looked that natural, that effortless.
"Hm."
Hall Master Jo sensed something wrong. Could a form unleashed by a Peak Realm swordsman really be avoided so casually? He tightened his grip and sent another wave of sword qi at Kang Yeon.
Shiiing. Shiiing.
He swung in rapid succession, yet Kang Yeon slipped every attack with the least possible motion. It began to look as if the hall master were simply performing a solitary sword dance. Watching him, some of the trainees even found themselves thinking he looked faintly ridiculous.
"This can't be…"
Confusion flickered across Hall Master Jo's face. No matter how furiously he poured out the sword he had tempered his entire life, he could not cut so much as a thread of Kang Yeon's clothing.
"Oh? You're better than I expected."
Kang Yeon meant it sincerely. Hall Master Jo's sword was nothing to dismiss lightly. Years of grueling practice left their mark. The problem was simply that the person he was proving himself against happened to be Kang Yeon. The praise was genuine—but Hall Master Jo clearly took it as mockery.
"Insolent bastard!!!!"
With a roar of fury, Hall Master Jo drew up every scrap of his internal energy. His martial robes billowed as a savage aura erupted around him. Kang Yeon looked at him and shrugged.
"Time to finish this, I suppose…"
He gave a light push of his palm forward.
Woooom.
A gentle current of energy flowed toward Hall Master Jo. The hall master raised his sword to block it—
Crack-shatter—!
The blade snapped clean in two, and Hall Master Jo's body was hurled backward. He tumbled hard across the training ground floor.
"Kh…"
Coughing blood, Hall Master Jo dropped to his knees. His eyes were filled with pure disbelief.
"……"
"……"
A profound silence settled over the grounds.
Hall Master Jo—who had reached the Peak Realm—taken down in a single blow?
The disciples murmured in a daze.
"Good heavens…"
"What did I just see??"
Kang Yeon made a faintly regretful face. He had thought he was holding back as much as possible, but the man's internal energy had been strong enough that the rebound produced this result. The damage was already done, though, so he paid it no further mind.
Swoosh.
Still looking perfectly unconcerned, Kang Yeon turned to Jo Un.
"A promise is a promise, hyung."
Jo Un nodded blankly.
"Yeah… okay…"
Kang Yeon approached Hall Master Jo and quietly released a thread of energy. The fallen man's body was lifted upright. Soft qi flowed into him, mending the internal injuries. Suddenly upright and healed, Hall Master Jo's face filled with shock.
"My apologies. I'll be taking Jo Un hyung with me."
In a trembling voice, Hall Master Jo asked,
"You… who exactly are you?"
Kang Yeon offered the kindest smile he could manage.
"I'm the cook of the West Lake Number One Inn. Guests are always welcome—come by anytime for a delicious meal."
With that, Kang Yeon and Jo Un left the martial hall. Those left behind stood rooted to the spot, still unable to believe what they had seen.