A Special Reward for Working So Hard
The next morning.
While Kang Yeon was preparing breakfast in the kitchen, Nang Hyeon carefully approached him.
“Young Master, about those people locked in the warehouse… how should we handle them?”
Kang Yeon set down his knife and fell into thought. Ever since the Blood Shadow Tower incident, Mak Ri-u and the Blood Shadow Ten had been confined in the inn’s warehouse.
“Bring them here. Ah, and tell Ak Hu to come along as well.”
A short while later, in the inn’s rear courtyard.
Mak Ri-u and the Blood Shadow Ten were dragged out, still bound. Mak Ri-u’s face was deathly pale from the aftereffects of the Blood Demon Pill, and his inner energy had completely collapsed. Only Kang Yeon’s treatment had kept him alive; without it, he would long since have been a corpse.
“Absolute Martial God…”
Mak Ri-u glared at Kang Yeon with eyes full of resentment. Yet the murderous intent of before was nowhere to be found. Kang Yeon spoke calmly.
“This is a medicine I specially prepared. Drink it.”
Mak Ri-u eyed the bottle Kang Yeon held out with open suspicion.
“Poison?”
“If I’d wanted you dead, I would have killed you already. It will suppress the aftereffects of the Blood Demon Pill. However…”
Kang Yeon paused for a moment.
“Your body will never be able to learn martial arts again.”
Mak Ri-u gave a bitter smile.
“My inner energy is already ruined. What does it matter? What use is martial arts to a man who can do nothing against his enemy standing right in front of him?”
“Fine. Live like that if you must. I don’t feel like cleaning up corpses around the inn.”
Mak Ri-u accepted the medicine and drank it.
Soon his complexion began to improve little by little.
At that moment the Guardian Corps dispatched by the Murim Alliance arrived. The Guardian Corps was a combat unit under the Alliance’s executive branch, responsible for tracking and capturing wanted criminals of the martial world. The Blood Shadow Tower had murdered countless promising talents of Murim over the years and had long been listed among the Alliance’s most wanted.
“Absolute… no, Young Master Kang. We have come to take custody of the Blood Shadow Tower assassins.”
The captain of the Guardian Corps capture team bowed respectfully.
“Take Mak Ri-u, but please convey this message to the Alliance Lord: if he still feels he owes me anything from the Heavenly Demon War, then I ask that he grant this man one final measure of mercy.”
“Understood. The Alliance Lord will surely do so.”
Before he was led away, Mak Ri-u looked back at Kang Yeon.
“Why… why are you sparing me?”
“Revenge only begets more revenge. No matter how guilty the other side may be, if you push too hard the karmic retribution will eventually circle back to you. This is merely my own compromise drawn at a reasonable line. I’m not particularly trying to save you. The karma you yourself have piled up will return to you in due time.”
Mak Ri-u’s eyes reddened at the rims.
What emotion that was, no one could say.
“…”
Thus Mak Ri-u and the Blood Shadow Ten were taken away by the Guardian Corps. The man who had whipped up a bloody storm across Murim, and the Ten who followed him, would receive life imprisonment—but at least their lives would be spared.
And the Blood Shadow Tower, having lost its tower lord and core experts, would never again wield any real power.
One week after the Blood Shadow Tower incident, in the early dawn hours.
The kitchen of the West Lake Number One Inn was already fragrant with the rich aroma of simmering stock, just as on any other day. Kang Yeon leisurely stirred the ladle, checking the broth’s condition.
Tap-tap-tap.
The steady rhythm of a knife against a cutting board cut through the quiet dawn air. Jo Un stood beside Kang Yeon. Ever since witnessing the clash with the Blood Shadow Tower, Jo Un had worn a thoughtful look.
“Yeon.”
Kang Yeon kept chopping as he answered.
“Yeah?”
“Being a martial artist… it’s not as glamorous a life as I thought.”
Kang Yeon stopped cutting and looked at him. A complicated expression clouded Jo Un’s face.
“Why? Did you think becoming a Murim expert meant living some dazzling life?”
“Well, yeah. Get famous and everyone’s glad to see you, you make a ton of money, gain honor, marry a beautiful wife…”
The last part seemed to embarrass him; Jo Un’s face turned sheepish.
“Well, you’re not entirely wrong. Fame means some people will welcome you—but others will try to take your life. You can earn a fortune, yet you’ll always live with the fear of it being stolen. You gain honor, but envy and jealousy grow right along with it. Everything you just listed comes from being stronger than other people. Knowing someone stronger than you exists can just as easily make you feel insecure.”
“Ha… Hearing you put it that way really does kill any desire to become a martial artist.”
Jo Un gave a dry chuckle.
“Still, trying it out isn’t a bad thing. No need to give up on your dream, hyung.”
“But is running an inn as a cook really your true dream? Or did you just get so tired of Murim life that you chose this?”
“I’d say both, but the weight is heavier on the first. Living a happy life cooking like this… that suits me just fine.”
Jo Un nodded with that same complicated look.
“I see.”
Just then Jo Seol came into the kitchen, yawning. Her hair was still messy, but her expression was bright as ever.
“Oppa, already started?”
“You’re up early.”
“Yeah. I was so tense for a while that I couldn’t sleep properly.”
Jo Seol smiled and tied on her apron. Kang Yeon smiled back.
“Means your heart’s finally at ease, then. Sorry about all that, every time.”
“What are you talking about? Why would you be sorry?”
Right then Nang Hyeon entered the inn. Lately he had been touring inns all around West Lake, sampling dishes to include in the Taste Guide.
“Young Master, I’ve returned.”
“Good work. How was the inn you visited?”
“Quite decent. But you’re making breakfast, aren’t you? Allow me to help.”
Kang Yeon, Jo Un, and Nang Hyeon quickly put together a hearty breakfast for the household. A generous spread was laid out, and the three of them took their seats.
“Morning.”
Perhaps drawn by the smell of breakfast, Jin Mu-gyeong glided down from the second floor. Ak Hu trailed behind him.
“Everyone’s industrious this morning.”
Kang Yeon spoke to Ak Hu.
“Why are you still hanging around here instead of going back to your own inn?”
“Ah. The injuries from the last fight haven’t fully healed yet. Somehow I feel like I’ll recover faster if I stay here, you know?”
Considering the Ten-Thousand-Year Warm Jade and the other materials used in the inn, it wasn’t entirely wrong.
Kang Yeon shook his head as if giving up.
“You and that smooth tongue… Just come eat breakfast.”
Kang Yeon and the inn family gathered around and ate. Then the morning business hours arrived.
Creak.
When Jo Seol opened the front door, a massive crowd waited outside. She stared blankly for a second, then hurried back inside. The inn was already buzzing with energy. The former Black Wind Association members were preparing deliveries for their respective districts.
Jo Seol shouted into the inn.
“Huge news!”
Every gaze snapped toward her. Face flushed with excitement, Jo Seol spoke.
“There’s a crowd outside like a cloud!”
Kang Yeon cracked open the kitchen window that looked out front. Sure enough, an enormous throng had gathered, just as Jo Seol said.
Surely they haven’t come in droves because of rumors about the Absolute Martial God…?
Kang Yeon’s brow furrowed slightly.
“I thought any talk about me was being suppressed…”
He shook his head.
“No, it can’t be.”
The Murim Alliance, the Sado Alliance, and the Demonic Cult had personally handled the matter. To doubt them would be an insult. After all, the three great powers of the Central Plains Murim had joined forces.
Kang Yeon called to Jo Seol.
“Seol-ah, the customers are waiting. Let’s open up.”
Jo Seol collected herself and beamed.
“Okay! Got it.”
And so the morning service of the West Lake Number One Inn began. The moment Jo Seol opened the doors, customers poured in like a flood.
“Welcome!”
Jo Seol greeted them brightly, and in an instant the inn was packed wall to wall—three times the usual crowd.
“Um, excuse me! Is this the inn where the Delivery Heroes work?”
A middle-aged woman asked in an excited voice.
“Delivery Heroes?”
Jo Seol looked bewildered.
“Yes! The heroes who protected our West Lake from those Blood Shadow Tower thugs last week!”
An old man beside her chimed in.
“That’s right, that’s right. My grandson told me—scary people in black clothes were causing havoc in the market, and then the delivery boys from this place showed up and beat them all!”
“My daughter saw it in the eastern alley! A young man with a delivery box on his back took on ten villains all by himself!”
Listening from the kitchen, Kang Yeon let out a quiet snort of laughter. Taking on ten alone was pure exaggeration. But the customers’ words made the reason for the crowd crystal clear.
Ah, so that’s why so many people came.
Because of the Blood Shadow Tower affair, it wasn’t the Absolute Martial God who had become the hero—it was the delivery men. With the three great powers of Murim controlling the information, the battle against the Blood Shadow Tower had been rewritten as a story of delivery boys defeating villains.
“My goodness, really? Our delivery staff did that?”
Jo Seol played along with perfect innocence.
Just then Yeong-ho appeared, finished with his delivery preparations. He still wore a red apron, yet his upright posture and sharp eyes remained the same.
“It’s Mr. Yeong-ho!”
A child cried out.
“The hero uncle who delivers food to my grandma every day!”
Yeong-ho looked flustered.
“M… me?”
“And so humble too! A true hero!”
Cheers erupted from the customers. When Cheol-san, Myeong-wol, and the other former Black Wind members appeared, the applause only grew louder.
“Wow! It’s the Delivery Heroes!”
“My kid says he wants to be a delivery man!”
Jang Mu-eon shot Kang Yeon a helpless look. Kang Yeon was calmly cooking in the kitchen, watching the scene unfold.
“Young Master, what on earth is this? Delivery Heroes? What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Just enjoy it. It’s not a bad thing, is it?”
At Kang Yeon’s words, Jang Mu-eon gave a wry smile. The Black Wind Association that once terrorized West Lake was now being treated like heroes.
“All right, all right! Everyone please take a seat!”
Jo Seol raised her voice.
“Today we’re even selling a special Hero’s Set Meal! The exact same dishes our Delivery Heroes eat!”
“Ooooh!”
The customers roared with delight. In truth the “Hero’s Set Meal” was a name Jo Seol had invented on the spot. It was nothing more than the ordinary dishes the inn family always ate, just with a fancy label—but the customers went wild.
“One Hero’s Set Meal!”
“I’ll take two!”
“Hero’s Set Meals for the whole family!”
Orders began flooding in. Jo Seol took them in a frenzy while Nang Hyeon and Jo Un came out to help.
Whoosh. Whoosh.
In the kitchen Kang Yeon cooked as if possessed. The orders were several times the usual volume, yet his hands remained leisurely.
The knife rang out in a steady rhythm, and savory aromas rose from the wok.
“Yeon-ah, I’ll help!”
Jo Hwan entered the kitchen. The two of them fell into perfect cooking rhythm.
“I’ll handle boiling the noodles.”
“Yes, Uncle.”
Meanwhile outside the kitchen the delivery men were chatting with the customers.
“Did you really face ten men alone?”
A young man asked Yeong-ho.
“Ah, well… actually my colleagues helped me.”
Yeong-ho glanced briefly toward the second floor, thinking of Ak Hu resting upstairs after breakfast.
“So humble! I want to become a delivery man too—how do I do it?”
Yeong-ho turned back with a serious expression.
“To be a delivery man… more than anything you need a heart that thinks of the customer. The responsibility to deliver warm food on time—that’s the most important thing.”
“Wow… so cool…”
The young man’s eyes sparkled. Elsewhere children had clustered around Cheol-san.
“Mister! Did you really fly around on the rooftops?”
“Haha, not flying—I just ran fast.”
“Still amazing! I want to run that fast too!”
Cheol-san ruffled the child’s hair.
“If you train hard in martial arts, you can do it too.”
Women had gathered around Myeong-wol.
“What’s the secret so the food doesn’t get cold during delivery?”
“That’s thanks to our special insulated boxes.”
The women showed keen interest.
“Oh my! Such a thing exists? I wish we had one at home.”
Watching the spectacle from the second floor, Jin Mu-gyeong marveled.
“A truly elegant solution. Hide the Absolute Martial God and turn the delivery men into heroes.”
Ak Hu chuckled softly.
“Looks like they put their heads together. This way the Blood Shadow Tower incident gets buried naturally, and the West Lake Number One Inn becomes even more famous.”
Jin Mu-gyeong nodded.
“Killing two birds with one stone.”
Even as time passed the customers showed no sign of thinning. If anything, more people flocked in after hearing the rumors. By lunchtime the situation had become explosive.
“The Hero’s Set Meal is sold out!”
Jo Seol called out, yet the customers were undeterred.
“Then give us something else.”
“Anything made by the Delivery Heroes is fine!”
Kang Yeon kept cooking without pause. Sweat traced down his forehead, but a smile never left his lips.
“Oppa! We’re running out of ingredients!”
Jo Seol shouted urgently.
“There are reserves in the warehouse. Bring them!”
“Got it!”
It was a hectic day, yet every face was filled with happy smiles. Only when evening arrived did the customers begin to dwindle little by little.
“Whew… I feel like I didn’t get a single second to breathe today…”
Jo Seol dropped heavily into a chair.
“My feet are killing me…”
Yeong-ho, who had spent the entire day delivering and then helping around the inn, spoke with a tired but content expression.
“Still feels good, though. People calling us heroes.”
Cheol-san added,
“Yeah. We used to be objects of fear… hard to believe this is real.”
Jang Mu-eon finished with a deeply moved look.
“All of this is thanks to Young Master Kang.”
At that moment Kang Yeon stepped out of the kitchen and looked them over. The tidal wave of customers had left everyone thoroughly exhausted.
Kang Yeon grinned.
“Everyone worked hard today. Since you’ve all worked so hard, I should give you a special reward, don’t you think?”
At Kang Yeon’s declaration, cheers erupted from everyone.
“Ooooh!”