How Do You Feel?
As the evening sun sank slowly toward the horizon, the West Lake Number One Inn began to fill with guests once more. From breakfast through lunch and now into dinner, the already-swelling crowds never let up—newcomers drawn by the latest rumors kept arriving without end.
“Welcome! Welcome to the West Lake Number One Inn!”
Jo Seol greeted the guests in a bright, ringing voice. The dining hall was already nearly full, and even though closing time was drawing near, people still waited in line outside.
“Over here! Three portions of the evening special number two!”
“Add one hand-pulled jajangmyeon as well!”
“Is it possible to get a dish made by that famous chef himself?”
Orders poured in and the kitchen erupted into motion.
Whoosh!
Kang Yeon lit a fire under the massive wok and began to cook. The sizzle of heating oil filled the kitchen with a rich, savory aroma.
“Brother Un, you finished chopping the vegetables?”
“Yeah! All done.”
Jo Un wiped sweat from his brow as he answered. A full day of knife work had left his wrists aching, yet the martial training kept his stamina holding out. The vegetables he had cut were uniform in size and cleanly sliced.
“Yeon, here are the veggies.”
“Oh, your knife work’s improved a lot. Learning martial arts really does help.”
Kang Yeon looked over Jo Un’s vegetables with a satisfied expression. That morning the young man’s hands had been clumsy; now, as if by magic, every motion carried the precision forged by martial training. Encouraged by the praise, Jo Un moved even faster.
“Father, is the sauce ready?”
“Yes! Right here!”
Jo Hwan held out the secret sauce he had prepared with care—a special blend of fermented yellow bean paste simmered with assorted spices.
Kang Yeon slicked oil into the wok, then tossed in green onions and garlic.
Sizzle—!
The onions and garlic met the hot oil and bloomed with fragrance. Guests began sniffing the air. With a subtle stir of wind qi, Kang Yeon guided the aroma so it drifted evenly through the entire inn.
The reaction was immediate.
“Wow, just the smell is making my mouth water.”
“Looks like the rumors about the food being incredible are true.”
Kang Yeon added ingredients in careful sequence. First the meat, seared hard over high flame until the outside was done. The crackling sound of the cooking meat sharpened every appetite in the room.
“Hyung, check the noodles.”
“Got it.”
Jo Un inspected the hand-pulled noodles boiling in the large pot. Just as Kang Yeon had taught him, the strands were reaching the perfect doneness.
“Almost ready.”
“Good—pull them out.”
Jo Un lifted the noodles with a strainer and rinsed them in cold water. The finished strands were springy and glossy. Kang Yeon tossed the vegetables into the wok and stir-fried them.
Whoosh! Whirl!
The way he shook the wok was pure artistry. Vegetables tumbled and danced inside, looking as though they might fly free at any second—yet none ever did. Carrots, onions, and mushrooms kept their individual colors and scents while blending into perfect harmony.
Finally he added the noodles and tossed everything together.
Whoosh—! Whoosh—!
In moments the dish was complete. Kang Yeon plated the hand-pulled jajangmyeon.
“Hand-pulled jajangmyeon coming out!”
At the call that food was ready, Jo Seol hurried over and set the bowls swiftly and precisely before the waiting guests.
“Here’s your hand-pulled jajangmyeon. Enjoy.”
A guest slurped a mouthful of noodles, closed his eyes, and let out a gasp of pure delight. The taste flooding his mouth was something he had never experienced; astonishment showed plain on his face. His expression turned blissful.
“This is the taste! Absolutely fantastic!”
In the kitchen, dishes continued to stream out without pause. Kang Yeon’s hands moved like a dancer’s. He managed several woks and pots at once yet never seemed hurried.
“Seol-ah, scoop some rice for me.”
“Okay!”
Jo Seol portioned out freshly cooked rice and handed it over. Kang Yeon finished the next dishes in a flash.
“Two fried rice coming out!”
He set the finished fried rice on plates and sent them out.
“Whoa…”
The guest who received the plates could only marvel. Just looking at the food made the mouth water.
“Uncle, the broth?”
“Here! Beef-bone broth I’ve been simmering all day.”
Jo Hwan brought over a pot of broth still steaming heavily. The deep flavor of the rich stock was unmistakable. Kang Yeon filled a bowl with noodles and poured the scalding broth over them, then topped it with thinly sliced meat and green onions.
“Meat noodle soup coming out.”
Kang Yeon processed the flood of orders like a machine. Watching him, Jo Un could only feel awe.
Using martial arts for cooking makes it look that easy…
Kang Yeon’s skill had long since left the realm of mere technique and entered the domain of art. Through him Jo Un was beginning to grasp yet another power of martial arts.
“Un-ah, mind helping with the dishes?”
“Yes!”
Jo Un pitched in with the washing. The hot water turned his hands red, yet he never complained.
“Hyung, isn’t it hard?”
“No. It’s more fun than I expected.”
Jo Un answered honestly. He had worried at first, but working alongside his family wasn’t bad at all. As time passed, the orders only grew heavier.
“Five portions of evening special number one!”
“Three stir-fried noodles, two hand-pulled jajangmyeon!”
“Extra rice as well!”
“Understood!”
Kang Yeon answered and cooked even faster. Flames leapt from the wok; oil hissed and popped in a cheerful rhythm.
Sizzle! Splash! Pop-pop!
The sounds of the kitchen wove together into a single piece of music. At last the storm-like rush of customers began to ease. One by one the throngs thinned, and a little breathing room returned to the kitchen.
“I’ll finish the remaining orders.”
Jo Hwan stepped forward, telling Kang Yeon—who had carried the cooking all day—to rest a little.
“Brothers, great work!”
Jo Seol brought cool tea. The chilled drink was one of Kang Yeon’s favorites, a quiet departure from the era’s custom of drinking only hot tea.
“Thanks, Seol-ah.”
Jo Un gulped the tea down. A full day of cooking had left him parched.
“It really lives up to the rumors!”
“We’ll be back again!”
The guests’ praise filled the inn’s family with quiet pride. Finally the last customer left, and peace settled over the West Lake Number One Inn. Everyone was exhausted from the day’s endless stream of guests, but the earnings had been just as impressive.
Jo Hwan tallied the day’s sales with a contented look.
“Today’s revenue looks like three times the usual amount.”
Jo Seol spoke while clearing dishes.
“So many people came. And they cleaned every single dish—nothing left.”
Jo Un dropped heavily into a chair, face tired.
“Wow… I never knew kitchen work was this hard. Standing all day chopping and carrying plates… it might be tougher than martial training.”
Kang Yeon gave a soft snort of laughter.
“Is that so? I always thought cooking was the harder one.”
Jo Un looked at him with eyes full of expectation.
“But… since business is over now, you’re going to teach me martial arts, right?”
Even after that grueling day of work, Jo Un’s will to learn martial arts burned bright. Kang Yeon nodded.
“A promise is a promise. Jang Mu-eon, come out to the back courtyard with us.”
Once the shop was fully cleaned, Kang Yeon, Jo Un, and Jang Mu-eon gathered in the rear courtyard.
“We’ll start with Jang Mu-eon. You need to raise your strength as high as possible before returning to the Black Wind Association.”
Jang Mu-eon cupped his fist respectfully.
“Thank you.”
Kang Yeon rested a hand on Jang Mu-eon’s shoulder.
“Let’s see exactly where you stand right now.”
Hummm.
A soft radiance flowed from Kang Yeon’s palm and examined Jang Mu-eon’s interior. The flow of internal energy through the body, the condition of the meridians, even the size of the dantian—all of it registered clearly against Kang Yeon’s senses.
“Hmm… not bad. But because you cultivated demonic arts, your foundation is a little shaky.”
Jang Mu-eon’s internal energy sat at the Super-Peak Realm. For one so young it was already considerable power. Yet measured against the situation he now faced, it was nowhere near enough.
“With your current strength it will be hard to uncover the identity of the mastermind. You’ll need to grow a great deal stronger.”
Kang Yeon drew a small jade vial from his robes. Inside, a clear, transparent liquid gave off a gentle glow.
“What is this?”
“Origin-Forging Soul-Returning Water. A spiritual medicine that rapidly advances internal energy.”
Jo Un’s eyes went round.
“You’re just casually carrying around a spiritual medicine like that?!”
Kang Yeon glanced at him.
“Well… things just turned out that way.”
He wondered what expression Jo Un would wear if he ever learned of the countless spiritual medicines sleeping inside Kang Yeon’s private spatial storage. Kang Yeon held the vial out to Jang Mu-eon.
“Take this for now.”
Jang Mu-eon flinched.
A treasure beyond price, offered as casually as a cup of tea.
“Is it really all right for someone like me to accept something so precious…?”
“I’m giving it because you’re worth giving it to.”
When Kang Yeon extended his hand again, Jang Mu-eon carefully accepted the jade vial. The cool touch of the stone reached his palm, and with it came a strange, swelling emotion.
“Once you drink this, your internal energy will increase greatly. The process may be painful, though. This medicine converts energy cultivated through demonic arts into a stable, pure force.”
Jang Mu-eon nodded with a resolute face.
“I am prepared.”
Without hesitation he drank the Origin-Forging Soul-Returning Water.
Moments later a scorching power began to surge through his body.
“Kkuh…”
Just as Kang Yeon had warned, tremendous pain crashed over him. The demonic qi that had lain dormant in his dantian writhed and began to tangle with the medicine’s energy.
Jang Mu-eon clenched his teeth and endured.
Hummm— hummmm—
The searing force that started in his dantian circulated through his entire body, widening the meridians. Though agonizing, he could clearly feel the unstable energy left by demonic arts becoming pure and refined, and his internal power swelling at the same time.
“Focus. Don’t lose the flow of energy.”
Kang Yeon placed a hand on Jang Mu-eon’s back and stabilized the surging force. With that aid, Jang Mu-eon was able to absorb the effects of the Origin-Forging Soul-Returning Water safely.
After one shichen, steam rose in thick waves from Jang Mu-eon’s body.
“Huuu…”
He exhaled a long breath and opened his eyes. The light in them was completely different from before—deeper, more settled energy radiated from him.
“How do you feel?”
“My body… feels completely transformed. I feel far stronger than before.”
Kang Yeon wore a look of quiet satisfaction.
“Once you stabilize this internal energy and gain a new insight, you should be able to break through to the next realm.”
“Ahh…”
Jang Mu-eon let out a soft exclamation. Demonic arts could raise a cultivator’s realm swiftly up to a certain point, yet the side effects were severe. Only because Jang Mu-eon had been a disciple of the Seven Demon Heads and had learned a high-level demonic art had he been able to reach Super-Peak at all. Even that elevated demonic art, however, could never hope to touch the Transcendent Realm.
Now, thanks to the medicine Kang Yeon had given him, he possessed pure, orthodox internal energy.
“Good. Then I’ll teach you a sword art next.”
Kang Yeon reached into empty air and drew something forth—a slim booklet and a sword sheathed in a black scabbard. An uncommon aura flowed from the blade. He handed the booklet to Jang Mu-eon.
“This sword art is called the Heavenly Thunder Sword Art. It is a method that seals the lightning of the heavens within the blade.”
When Kang Yeon drew the sword, thunder-qi crackled along the edge exactly as if lightning had struck. Jang Mu-eon and Jo Un were both overwhelmed by the sight.
“To think… such a sword art truly exists.”
“I’ll demonstrate the basic forms now. Concentrate.”
Kang Yeon performed the foundational movements of the Heavenly Thunder Sword Art. Every swing of the sword made lightning flicker through empty space; where the sword qi passed, residual thunder-qi lingered.
“First form—Heavenly Thunder Flash.”
Kang Yeon’s sword moved with the speed of a thunderbolt. In an instant the tree before him split cleanly in two.
“Second form—Thunderbolt Eight Directions.”
This time eight bolts of lightning shot outward from the blade in every direction. Every fallen leaf in the courtyard was reduced to ash. Jang Mu-eon watched the demonstration, utterly entranced.
Shiiing. Shiiing.
After executing the final form as well, Kang Yeon sheathed the sword. A fierce aftertaste of thunder-qi still hung around him. Even a spectator could tell this was a supreme martial art. Jang Mu-eon’s face filled with disbelief.
“You… you would teach a sword art of this caliber to me?”
Only a short while ago he had dreamed of revenge against Kang Yeon.
“Of course. You have to stay alive if you’re going to uncover the truth.”
Kang Yeon held the sword out to him.
“Take the sword as well. It’s called the Heavenly Thunder Sword—perfectly matched to the art.”
When Jang Mu-eon accepted the blade, thunder-qi flowed into his hand. Yet it did not hurt. The sword had acknowledged him as its master.
“Thank you. I hardly know if I deserve to receive such a treasure.”
“Treasures exist to be used. Now—start with the basic forms.”
Under Kang Yeon’s guidance Jang Mu-eon began to practice the Heavenly Thunder Sword Art. Thanks to the internal energy boosted by the Origin-Forging Soul-Returning Water, his progress was swift.
Meanwhile Jo Un waited for his own turn, growing restless.
“Yeon-ah, when is it my turn?”
“You need a solid foundation first, hyung. There’s no need to force your strength up as urgently as Jang Mu-eon.”
Kang Yeon beckoned him over.
“Let’s check the basics you’ve learned so far.”
Jo Un took the fundamental stance he had been taught at the martial hall. Kang Yeon watched and nodded.
“Not bad. But there are a few things that need fixing.”
He corrected Jo Un’s posture.
“Widen the stance of your feet a little more, straighten your waist like this… yes. Much more stable.”
“Oh… it really does feel different.”
With the corrected stance, Jo Un’s balance became far more solid.
“Once we’ve finished checking the basics, I’ll teach you an internal cultivation method. It’s called the Taiji Profound Heaven Art.”
“Taiji Profound Heaven Art?”
Jo Un’s eyes went wide. Just the name of the art made him feel as though he had already become an absolute master.
“It’s one of the finest orthodox internal arts. Perfect for someone like you who already has a solid foundation.”
“I want to learn it right away.”
Jo Un was ready to begin that very instant.
“Not yet. When the time is right I’ll teach you. For now…”
Kang Yeon taught Jo Un the same breathing method he had once given Jo Seol. Because Jo Un already possessed martial training, he mastered the breathing technique easily.
“For the time being, use this breathing method to strengthen your dantian. Once you’re ready, I’ll let you cultivate the Taiji Profound Heaven Art right away.”
“Got it.”
Passion blazed in Jo Un’s eyes. While Jo Un immersed himself in training with the breathing method, Kang Yeon called for Dan U-ryeong. He then sat to one side and watched the two men practice. Before long Jo Seol and Nang Hyeon, having finished tidying the inn completely, joined them in the rear courtyard as well.
In no time the back courtyard of the inn had become a training ground that would not have shamed any great sect.
At that moment—
Vmmm.
A faint vibration traveled through the formation arrays installed throughout the inn. It was a signal that someone was probing the surroundings.
Who is it?
Kang Yeon spread his sensory field wide and searched the area. A short distance from the inn he caught a concealed presence.
Transcendent Realm… and a familiar aura at that?
He tried to identify the energy, yet the other party was hiding so carefully that the details remained unclear. A master of the Transcendent Realm could certainly keep their exact identity hidden from even Kang Yeon’s senses if they were cautious enough.
I can’t tell yet whether they’re friend or foe.
Just then Jo Hwan’s voice carried from the front of the inn.
“Oh? I’m afraid we’re closed for the night.”
Strange.
Dinner service had already ended; no guest should have been arriving at this hour.
I should check.
Kang Yeon hurried out to the front and found a middle-aged man standing there. The man wore ordinary merchant’s clothes. The moment Kang Yeon recognized him, his expression grew subtly complicated.
The middle-aged man saw Kang Yeon and broke into a broad grin.
“Forgive the late hour. Might I trouble you for a room for the night?”