That's Exactly It
Before the dawn dew had even dried, the West Lake Number One Inn was already humming with life. On the seventh day since deliveries had begun, everything now ran with a flawless system.
Tadak. Tadak.
The sound of Kang Yeon preparing breakfast in the kitchen rang through the inn. His knife work still rode a steady rhythm, like raindrops falling on a quiet lake.
"Eastern district deliveries complete!"
Yeong-ho returned with a bright expression. Sweat beaded on his forehead, but his face was full of pride. His black martial uniform glinted in the morning sun, and his bearing was nothing like the murderous look of before.
"Grandmother Go thanked me again today and gave me something to eat. I tried to refuse, but she insisted I take it…"
Yeong-ho held out a small bundle. Inside were carefully wrapped yakgwa honey cookies.
Jo Seol beamed.
"Wow, Grandmother Go is so kind! That means you delivered with that much care, right, Yeong-ho?"
On one side, Jang Mu-eon was organizing the delivery log with a contented look. The meticulous way he lifted his brush and recorded everything left no trace of the former Black Wind Association leader's ferocity.
Jang Mu-eon shook his head in admiration.
"This week's delivery count has already surpassed eight hundred. Truly remarkable results. Especially that the reorder rate exceeds ninety percent…"
Cheol-san added while stacking delivery boxes.
"Yesterday a child waved and said, 'Mister, come again next time!'… In that moment, my chest went tight."
Jo Seol worked her abacus with joy.
"At this rate, aren't we really going to become the number one delivery inn in the Central Plains? It seems like the branch locations across the whole Central Plains that Oppa talked about might actually be possible?"
Kang Yeon smiled as he sipped his tea.
"We've still got a long way to go. But it's a good start."
Just then, Jin Mu-gyeong came down from the second floor with an unusual expression. He called Kang Yeon over as if he had gathered important information.
"Yeon-ah, let's talk for a moment."
On the paper Jin Mu-gyeong spread out was a map of all of West Lake, with red marks dotted here and there.
"Movement started being detected from yesterday. The Golden Wind Pavilion, Silver River Inn, Azure Cloud Pavilion… they say all of West Lake's major inns are preparing for delivery."
Nang Hyeon asked worriedly.
"Already? It's only been seven days since we started."
Jin Mu-gyeong nodded.
"Kim Dae-bu of the Golden Wind Pavilion is going to come out especially aggressive. There's already a rumor he's recruited fifty deliverymen. And solvers, at that."
Kang Yeon snorted a laugh.
"I expected this. Good methods spread quickly. I actually thought they were late."
Jo Hwan said worriedly.
"But considering the Golden Wind Pavilion's financial power… we're bound to be at a disadvantage in a price war."
Kang Yeon spoke while looking out the window.
"It's easy for them to copy us. But it's impossible for them to copy our real strength."
"Our real strength?"
Kang Yeon turned and looked at everyone.
"It's sincerity. We're not simply delivering food—we're delivering heart. That's also why the Black Wind Association martial artists changed. This is something they absolutely can't catch up to in a short time."
At lunchtime, the inn was crowded as usual. But Jo Seol's expression was dark.
"Oppa, today's delivery orders only came in at half the usual amount."
Just then, a racket rose from outside.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
"Golden Wind Pavilion delivery! Order now for half-price discount!"
Deliverymen marching while beating a huge drum came into view. In dazzling gold uniforms, they were as splendid as an imperial procession.
"Silver River Inn is giving you an extra dish if you order now!"
Deliverymen carrying silver flags were racing through the streets, scattering flyers.
"Azure Cloud Pavilion guarantees delivery within a quarter-hour of ordering!"
Azure Cloud Pavilion deliverymen showing off flashy lightfoot techniques as they ran across rooftops were also visible. Nang Hyeon frowned looking out the window.
"Making such a racket… They all look like solvers, but they seem just like marketplace peddlers."
Jang Mu-eon said worriedly.
"Young Master, shouldn't we lower our prices too? At this rate, we'll fall behind in the competition."
Kang Yeon shook his head.
"Price wars ultimately hurt everyone. We need to find another way."
Jo Seol said after fretting.
"But customers are dropping off right now…"
Kang Yeon said as he headed into the kitchen.
"Don't worry. I've already thought of a countermeasure."
That afternoon, Yeong-ho returned from a delivery looking rough. His clothes were torn and his face was wounded. Worst of all, the delivery box was ruined.
"What happened?"
Jang Mu-eon asked urgently. Yeong-ho spoke with a resentful look.
"Near the eastern market, the Golden Wind Pavilion deliverymen… blocked the road and said that if someone from the unorthodox path touches the food, it gets dirty…"
Yeong-ho's voice trembled. But that trembling was anger, not fear.
"So I politely said I needed to deliver the food to the customer and asked them to step aside…"
Cheol-san clenched his fists.
"And then?"
"They kept provoking me… saying what kind of delivery could trash like us do… In the end they snatched my delivery box and dumped the food on the ground."
Bang!
Cheol-san slammed the table.
"Those bastards! I'm going right now…"
"Hold it."
Kang Yeon's calm voice rang out. The expression of Kang Yeon emerging from the kitchen was serene, but his eyes were cold.
"If you respond with violence, you'll fall into their trap. They'll say, 'See, the unorthodox path is still the unorthodox path.'"
Yeong-ho bowed his head.
"I'm sorry. I just took it helplessly."
"No. You did well to endure it."
Kang Yeon placed a hand on Yeong-ho's shoulder. In that moment, warm energy flowed into Yeong-ho's body. His wounds began to heal rapidly.
"If you'd hit them, it would have become a much bigger problem. True strength is knowing how to endure."
Myeong-wol said with a resentful look.
"But we can't just keep taking this, can we?"
Kang Yeon smiled.
"Of course not. Now it's our turn to strike back. But not with fists—with another method."
The next morning, Kang Yeon gathered everyone and announced a new plan.
"We're going to change things up with a differentiated delivery method."
On the table sat an insulated box Dan U-ryeong had improved overnight. Intricate formations were carved into the box, and a gentle heat radiated from it.
"On top of the existing heat-retention effect, I've also engraved a formation that can maintain freshness."
Dan U-ryeong explained proudly.
"If you inject just a little internal energy, the formation activates and the effect kicks in. Any martial artist can use it easily."
Kang Yeon took out small packages.
"And with every delivery, we'll include a free dessert."
The desserts Jo Hwan had prepared were set on the table—carefully made yakgwa, omija tea, and seasonal fruits.
"For elders, easy-to-digest yakgwa; for children, sweet tanghulu. Matched to each customer's preferences."
Jo Seol's eyes sparkled.
"Wow! And look at this too!"
What Jo Seol held up was a finely made delivery card. It was written in beautiful calligraphy, with space to stamp a small seal.
"If you stamp here and collect ten, you can order one free dish. Limited to deliveries, that is."
Jo Hwan marveled.
"This is a really good idea. Customers will keep using our inn."
Nang Hyeon said after thinking.
"But… even if we do this, won't customers hesitate if our prices are high?"
Kang Yeon nodded.
"Right. So I prepared one more thing."
What Kang Yeon produced was a small booklet.
"It's the West Lake Number One Inn Story. It contains our inn's history, culinary philosophy, and the story of how the Black Wind Association martial artists changed."
When they opened the booklet, the story was written alongside beautiful illustrations. In particular, how the Black Wind Association martial artists had begun new lives was portrayed movingly.
"We'll put one of these in with every delivery. People will come to know our sincerity."
Jang Mu-eon's eyes reddened.
"Young Master… going this far…"
"We may not be able to win on price right away. But in quality and care, no one can catch us."
The first day of the new delivery method.
Yeong-ho went out on the first delivery. It was the same eastern market as yesterday.
"Huh? You're the one from yesterday…"
The Golden Wind Pavilion deliverymen tried to block the road again. Yeong-ho spoke firmly.
"I'm sorry, but a customer is waiting. Would you step aside?"
"What? You little…"
Then the surrounding merchants stepped in.
"Hey, what are you doing? That's food we ordered—why are you blocking it?"
"That's right! West Lake Number One Inn deliveries are always kind and accurate! Don't pick fights for no reason!"
The Golden Wind Pavilion deliverymen retreated in confusion. Yeong-ho arrived at his destination and knocked on the door.
"Hello! West Lake Number One Inn. I've brought a warm lunch!"
The door was opened by a grandmother with a bad leg.
"Oh my, it's really warm! How is it so…"
"It's our special insulated box. And these are yakgwa on the house. They'll be easy on your digestion."
A smile spread across the grandmother's face.
"Thank you so much. The Golden Wind Pavilion came by saying they do deliveries too, but the food was cold and they were unkind. After all, West Lake Number One Inn is the best for delivery."
On the third day, trouble finally erupted on the Golden Wind Pavilion side, which had expanded its delivery business too aggressively. Merchants who ate food delivered from the Golden Wind Pavilion all came down with food poisoning as a group.
Jin Mu-gyeong said quietly.
"Seems food management fell apart when they expanded too hastily."
Jo Hwan said worriedly.
"We have to be careful too. Delivery food needs to be managed even more thoroughly."
Kang Yeon nodded.
"Of course. But we have the delivery containers Dan U-ryeong made for us, so we're fine."
From that day, customers began returning.
"West Lake Number One Inn really is the best!"
"I almost got in big trouble ordering from just anywhere because it was cheap."
Azure Cloud Pavilion and Silver River Inn also ran into problems. Having promised overly fast delivery, food frequently arrived in a mess.
One customer said.
"Being fast isn't everything. The food has to arrive properly."
A few days later, an unexpected guest arrived. It was Kim Dae-bu, the owner of the Golden Wind Pavilion. His face was haggard, and instead of his usual splendid silk robes he wore plain clothes.
"Young Master Kang, I have something to say."
Kim Dae-bu let out a deep sigh and bowed his head.
"We were wrong. Our greed went too far. But if we keep competing like this… it seems like everyone will eventually go under."
Kang Yeon said as he poured tea.
"Please sit. Have a cup of tea."
Kim Dae-bu carefully continued.
"Truth is… starting in a rush, all kinds of problems cropped up. My greed, trying somehow to beat the West Lake Number One Inn, seems to have brought this disaster. Might you… be able to tell me a way to solve this?"
Kang Yeon's eyes lit up.
"I have a good idea. What about creating a West Lake Delivery Alliance?"
"A Delivery Alliance?"
The culture of delivery had already begun to take root in West Lake. There was no way the other inns would stop delivering now. In that case, it needed proper management. Kang Yeon believed that was the duty of the West Lake Number One Inn, which had first planted the culture of delivery.
Kang Yeon began to explain.
"Yes. We form an alliance, the Black Wind Association handles delivery training, and we set quality standards."
Kim Dae-bu's eyes widened.
"C-could that be possible? Considering what we've done until now…"
Jang Mu-eon stepped forward.
"The past is the past. What matters is what we do going forward. We'll share the experience we've built so far. Growing together is more important, after all."
Kang Yeon smiled with satisfaction.
"That's exactly it."