You Can Check That Later
Early that morning, Nang Hyeon packed a leather satchel with his notebook, brush, and ink, then reviewed his schedule for the day.
“I’d better start with the eastern district today.”
Ever since delivery service had begun, the inns around West Lake had poured their energy into inventing distinctive dishes. The number of people tasting those dishes through delivery had exploded, and now only those inns that truly highlighted their own character could hope to survive the competition.
Nang Hyeon had decided to record every last bit of it.
“Welcome, Master Nang!”
So Baek, the young head chef of Chwiseonru, greeted him warmly. Word of Nang Hyeon’s Taste Guide had spread so far that he was now a welcome guest at every inn he visited.
“Good morning. I’ve come today on behalf of the Taste Guide.”
“Oh! Perfect timing. We’ve just developed a new dish—Chwiseonroeo, meaning ‘the fish a drunken immortal would eat.’”
As if they had been waiting for him, a plate of grilled fish gleaming under a golden sauce already sat on a nearby table. Nang Hyeon lifted his chopsticks and took a bite.
“Mmm… you’ve used Shaoxing wine in the seasoning. The alcohol has cooked off, leaving only a deep fragrance.”
He opened his notebook and began sketching. A quick drawing of the dish, then the evaluation beside it.
Chwiseonroeo — The aroma of Shaoxing wine completely tames the fish’s gaminess. The crisp skin and tender flesh form a perfect harmony. Had the seasoning been a touch lighter, the pure flavor of the fish itself might have shone even more. Rating: Superior.
“Chef So, your skill has grown a great deal. You’ve clearly improved since I came last year.”
So Baek scratched the back of his head, looking pleased.
“It’s all thanks to you, Master Nang. Following your advice and cutting back on the spices made everything so much better. By the way… I’m dying to know what rating you gave it.”
Nang Hyeon grinned and slipped the notebook into his robe.
“You can check that later.”
He never revealed the result right in front of them.
His second stop was Mukranjeong, one of the oldest inns along West Lake. It was a small place where the sixty-something proprietress, Muk Ran, still cooked every dish herself.
“Ah, Martial Artist Nang. You’ve come.”
Muk Ran treated him like a beloved grandson. Nang Hyeon had been a regular here for years. He smiled gently.
“Yes, Grandmother Muk. What have you prepared today?”
“Nothing special. Just meat braised the old way, like always.”
A humble wooden bowl of braised meat. Yet the moment Nang Hyeon took a single bite, his eyes went wide.
“This… this is incredibly deep. You must have braised it for at least three days.”
“Hee-hee, that’s right. Everyone used to cook like this in the old days.”
With reverent care, Nang Hyeon wrote:
Mukranjeong Traditional Braised Meat — A masterpiece crafted by time itself. Soy sauce, beef, quail eggs, and chilies become one through three full days of braising. Each ingredient’s flavor seeps into the others, creating a new and perfect harmony. This is not a dish money can buy; it is the crystallization of pure devotion. Rating: Supreme.
“Grandmother, please pass this recipe down. It would be a tragedy if a taste like this disappeared.”
“Who would even want to learn it?”
Mukranjeong was small and never especially busy. Grandmother Muk’s cooking had simply been buried under the flashier attractions of West Lake.
“Just wait. Good news will come soon.”
As lunchtime approached, Nang Hyeon arrived at Biryonggwan, famous for its fiery dishes.
“Hahaha! Brother Nang, come in!”
The owner, Ma Cheol-ho, was a mountain of a man, a northerner with an unrivaled mastery of heat. He and Nang Hyeon had known each other from their solver days.
“Brother Ma, you’ve been well?”
“Of course. You’re here for the Taste Guide again, right?”
“That’s right.”
“I’ve got something special ready—Hellfire Chicken!”
Chicken submerged in crimson oil appeared. Just looking at it made sweat bead on the brow.
“This… is a real challenge. I’m sweating already.”
Nang Hyeon carefully took a bite. His face instantly flushed scarlet.
“Kugh! Spicy!”
He gulped water, then picked up his chopsticks again.
“It’s addictive. Not just pure heat—there are layers of spices. Sichuan pepper, mountain pepper… at least seven different kinds?”
Ma Cheol-ho’s eyes widened.
“Incredible! Exactly seven! That’s Brother Nang for you!”
Biryonggwan Hellfire Chicken — Complex spice harmonies hidden inside extreme heat. The first bite is pure suffering, yet gradually each spice’s personality emerges. Northern fire and West Lake’s subtle sweetness meet in a perfect marriage. Recommended only for those with a warrior’s spirit. Rating: Superior (Caution advised for ordinary diners).
As the sun began to set, Nang Hyeon returned to the West Lake Number One Inn carrying a notebook grown considerably thicker.
“Young Master, today’s harvest was abundant.”
Kang Yeon had just finished preparing the evening service.
“Good work. How was it?”
“The progress among West Lake’s inns is truly astonishing. Every place has developed a clear identity, and each has begun cooking with its own philosophy.”
He opened the notebook to show Kang Yeon. Detailed sketches of every dish, thorough evaluations, guesses at recipes, and suggestions for improvement filled every page.
“In particular, Mukranjeong’s braised meat… it was the taste of time itself. A value money simply cannot purchase.”
Jo Seol peered over with shining eyes.
“Wow! The drawings are amazing too! This edition of the Taste Guide is going to be even bigger!”
“But Young Master…”
Nang Hyeon’s expression grew serious.
“The other inns are excellent, yet I finally understand why the food here is different.”
“How so?”
“Everywhere else specializes in either pure flavor, technical mastery, or creativity. Your cooking, however… balances all of those while remaining centered, above all, on the guest.”
He turned to the final page. There, beside sketches of the West Lake Number One Inn’s dishes, was the evaluation.
West Lake Number One Inn Beef Soup Rice — It may not be technically perfect. It is not flashy. Yet every spoonful carries a quiet warmth, like a mother’s table, a taste that comforts someone’s entire day. Perhaps this is the true power of cooking. Rating: Immeasurable — a value that cannot be expressed in scores.
Kang Yeon laughed, a little embarrassed.
“Aren’t you playing favorites a bit hard?”
Nang Hyeon shook his head firmly.
“No. After walking the streets all day, I’m certain. The reason West Lake could become a city of fine cuisine is because the change began right here in this inn.”
Outside, the lively voices of Black Wind Association martial artists preparing for the evening deliveries rang out.
Nang Hyeon closed his notebook with a smile. Tomorrow would bring more delicious stories. His gourmet journey through West Lake was only just beginning.
The streets of West Lake looked livelier than ever. Delivery runners hurried everywhere, and every inn bustled with guests. Only a few months earlier, such a scene would have been unimaginable.
Inside the West Lake Number One Inn, Jang Mu-eon stood before Kang Yeon.
“Yesterday an innkeeper from Luoyang came looking for me. He wanted to know every detail about our delivery system.”
Jo Seol jumped in excitedly.
“It’s true! People are calling West Lake the city of gourmet food now! Yesterday folks even came all the way from Hangzhou!”
Just then the front door opened and a middle-aged man in splendid robes entered, followed by a respectful retinue of attendants.
“Pardon the intrusion. I wish to speak with the owner of the West Lake Number One Inn.”
Jo Hwan stepped forward.
“That would be me…”
“Ah, a pleasure. I am Jin Cheon-myeong, head of the Heavenly Treasure Merchant Guild.”
The Heavenly Treasure Merchant Guild—one of the largest trading houses in the Central Plains, with its roots firmly planted in West Lake. Every gaze in the inn snapped toward him.
Jin Cheon-myeong offered a polite martial salute.
“I shall be direct. In keeping with the current tide, our guild intends to make West Lake the culinary heart of the entire Central Plains.”
“What exactly do you mean…?”
“We plan to hold the Central Plains’ Greatest Culinary Contest here in West Lake. We have judged that the successful delivery culture of this place is already exerting a fine influence across the whole region.”
Kang Yeon emerged from the kitchen.
“A contest… what would it involve, precisely?”
Jin Cheon-myeong’s eyes lit up. The man who had transformed West Lake’s inns was standing right in front of him.
“Ah, Young Master Kang. It will be a gathering of chefs from every corner of the Central Plains to test their skill. The winner will receive the title of Greatest Culinary Inn Under Heaven, official certification from the West Lake Prefecture, and the opportunity to present dishes to the Imperial Court.”
Jo Seol’s mouth fell open.
“Present dishes to the Imperial Court?!”
“Indeed. Every inn in West Lake may enter as a regional representative. We have already finished discussions with the prefecture.”
Jin Cheon-myeong bowed politely and departed. For a moment the inn fell silent, then erupted into chatter.
“Amazing! The Central Plains’ Greatest Culinary Contest!”
Jo Seol bounced around in pure excitement. Ak Hu came down from the second floor.
“Oh-ho? This should be fun. Our inn had better enter this time. West Lake is about to become a full-blown battlefield of cuisine!”
“Looks like you’re finally getting back in the game.”
Several days later, West Lake began to change amid all the bustle. Famous chefs from every region of the Central Plains started arriving one after another.
“Look over there! That chef from the Luoyang inn used to be the exclusive cook for the previous emperor!”
“I heard a master of Jiangnan cuisine came from Hangzhou!”
“They say the seafood expert from Guangdong is coming too!”
Crowds thronged every street. Then a special guest arrived at the West Lake Number One Inn.
“Young Master Kang, greetings.”
It was Kim Dae-bu of Geumpungru. Behind him stood Yu Ha-yeong of Eunha Inn and Baek Un-seong of Cheongunru.
“What brings all of you here?”
Kim Dae-bu spoke with a serious face.
“We were thinking the inns of West Lake might form an alliance against these outside chefs. The pride of West Lake is at stake, after all.”
Yu Ha-yeong added her support.
“Exactly. Rather than fighting separately, we should at least share information…”
Kang Yeon answered calmly.
“An alliance is fine, but it must remain a fair contest of skill. Of course I have no objection to helping one another.”
Baek Un-seong nodded.
“Just as expected of Young Master Kang. Then how about creating a West Lake Culinary Alliance—like the delivery alliance?”
Everyone agreed, and a new alliance was born on the spot.
That very afternoon, a special carriage rolled into West Lake.
“Wait—is that carriage…?”
“Is it really him?”
Onlookers whispered. A white-haired old man stepped down—none other than the legendary Food God, Baek Mi-ong.
“So West Lake has changed this much.”
Baek Mi-ong looked around with quiet admiration. A young woman with a cold expression and sharp eyes followed him out of the carriage.
“Master, holding a contest in a backwater place like this… isn’t it a waste of time?”
“Seol-hyang, do not judge so hastily.”
Jin Seol-hyang—Baek Mi-ong’s only disciple, already called a genius chef.
After arriving, Baek Mi-ong headed straight for the West Lake Number One Inn. He had come for the contest, yet the famous cooking of this place had piqued his curiosity. When they reached the entrance, a crowd of guests already filled the doorway.
“Heh-heh… quite a few people.”
“Master, shall we just go somewhere else?”
“No. Let’s wait a little.”
After a long wait, Baek Mi-ong and Jin Seol-hyang finally stepped inside. Jo Seol greeted them brightly.
“Welcome! This is the West Lake Number One Inn.”
Jin Seol-hyang cast a contemptuous glance around the room.
“What’s so special about a country inn like this…?”
Baek Mi-ong gently rebuked his disciple.
“You’ll understand once you taste it for yourself.”