Ties of Fate (2)
The next day.
Early that morning, the long-awaited guest finally arrived in front of the inn. It was Dan U-ryeong, who had agreed to take charge of the repairs.
“Whoa~ This is it?? It’s really small??”
Dan U-ryeong let out a snort of laughter as he eyed the building.
“What’s wrong with small? Don’t you know small peppers pack the most heat?”
“What kind of nonsense is that?”
“There’s a saying for it.”
Dan U-ryeong looked over the inn again and said,
“Working on a place this tiny… other than when I was a kid, it’s been ages. Should I just tear it down?”
“Hey… How can you say something that vicious so casually? You really haven’t changed a bit.”
“No, seriously—my pride just won’t allow me to touch a building this small.”
Kang Yeon casually rested a hand on Dan U-ryeong’s shoulder.
“Pride isn’t what matters here. We need to get the inn open as soon as possible. This is about one family’s livelihood.”
Faced with Kang Yeon’s deadly serious expression, Dan U-ryeong narrowed his eyes.
“You don’t have any money?”
“Nope.”
“Where’d it all go?”
“What did I ever have?”
Dan U-ryeong’s words stuck in his throat; he stood there like a mute who’d swallowed honey. Thinking back, Kang Yeon had appeared out of nowhere with nothing, had never owned a thing, and had vanished without possessing anything right up to the very end.
“Even you can’t argue with that, right? So this job’s free.”
“Hah… It’s my own fault for trying to fleece you.”
“You were going to do it for free from the start. Don’t say such cold things—to your one and only close friend.”
Dan U-ryeong shook his head vigorously from side to side.
“If I’d met you as an enemy, those words alone would have driven me into qi deviation.”
“My Mouth-Sealing Divine Art is pretty powerful.”
“Hah… Seriously. First, let’s take a look inside the inn.”
Kang Yeon and Dan U-ryeong stepped into the inn. Jo Hwan, who was already inside, brightened the moment he saw Dan U-ryeong.
“Oh-ho? Hello there! You must be Young Master Dan U-ryeong?”
Dan U-ryeong clasped his fists respectfully toward Jo Hwan.
“A pleasure to meet you. I am Dan U-ryeong, last descendant of the Divine Device Sect.”
Jo Hwan looked momentarily flustered and settled into an awkward stance.
“I’m Jo Hwan of the West Lake Number One Inn. I heard you’ll be handling the repairs. Thank you so much.”
“Not at all. If it’s Yeon’s request, of course I have to grant it.”
“By the way… we don’t have much in the way of funds…”
When Jo Hwan spoke sheepishly, Dan U-ryeong waved a hand.
“Don’t worry about that. For an inn of this size, I can achieve maximum efficiency with minimal cost.”
“Oh-ho? Really? That’s a relief. Then here…”
Jo Hwan handed over a leather pouch. Feeling its weight, Dan U-ryeong’s expression turned faintly awkward.
“Haha! This is really light. Then…”
He peeked inside the pouch and looked even more startled. The sum was far smaller than he had expected.
Jo Hwan’s face filled with embarrassment.
“As I thought… it’s not enough to buy materials, is it?”
When Dan U-ryeong remained silent, Kang Yeon beside him gave his arm a light nudge. Dan U-ryeong let out a small sigh and spoke.
“I, Dan U-ryeong, one-hundred-and-twentieth generation master of the Divine Device Sect. Something of this level is no problem. I will extract the absolute maximum efficiency from this amount.”
Kang Yeon looked thoroughly satisfied.
“Good. That’s what I like to hear.”
To prepare for the repairs, Dan U-ryeong began meticulously inspecting every corner of the place. Jo Hwan and Jo Seol stood beside Kang Yeon, watching him work.
“But Yeon… are you sure we don’t need more money? No matter how I think about it… I feel a bit bad.”
“Don’t worry. He’s a capable friend—he’ll handle it. And if the money falls a little short, he’ll figure something out then.”
“Really? Does Young Master Dan have some funds of his own?”
Kang Yeon shook his head as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
“He used to. Probably doesn’t now.”
“Th-that so? Then how is he going to figure it out?”
“Because he’s capable. Don’t worry. I’m not the type to make unreasonable demands.”
Jo Seol kept glancing back and forth between Kang Yeon and Dan U-ryeong, curiosity written all over her face. She was dying to know what Kang Yeon—who had vanished and then suddenly reappeared—had been doing all this time, and what exactly his relationship with Dan U-ryeong was. But since Kang Yeon had declared he would answer only one question a day, she had no choice but to hold it in.
“And Seol.”
Jo Seol, who had been lost in thought, looked up at him.
“Hmm?”
Kang Yeon grinned.
“Now it’s time to fulfill our deal.”
“Wh-what are you going to make me do? If it’s something weird, I really will get mad.”
“What weird thing would I make you do? Quit complaining and follow me.”
Kang Yeon headed toward the kitchen. On the far side was a small door; opening it revealed a tiny open lot. It was the space where they stacked the inn’s odds and ends, and it held a great many childhood memories for both Kang Yeon and Jo Seol. Once the day’s work was finished, they had always gathered there to play one game after another.
“Wow~ It’s still the same here. Nothing’s changed.”
“What would change about an open lot?”
“Still, I thought maybe the inn had grown enough to expand into it. At least until I came back.”
Jo Seol let out a deep sigh.
“It’s not easy. Hangzhou.”
“It’s not easy. But now that I’m back, it’ll get easier.”
At Kang Yeon’s quiet confidence, a smile slowly bloomed across Jo Seol’s lips. Even when they were very small, Kang Yeon had been this self-assured—and that confidence of his had always become reality. In truth, it was entirely thanks to Kang Yeon’s talent that the once-failing West Lake Number One Inn had become a place where people lined up.
When Jo Seol simply stared, Kang Yeon grinned.
“Geez… No matter how handsome I am, staring so openly is embarrassing.”
“Wh-what are you even saying?!”
When Jo Seol snapped at him, Kang Yeon flinched.
“Whoa… That voice of yours is something else.”
“Anyway, what did you bring me out here to make me do?”
Kang Yeon’s expression turned quite serious.
“Listen carefully. Once the inn gets busy, you’re going to have a lot more customers to handle.”
“What does that have to do with the open lot?”
“That’s why. I’m going to teach you a way to get healthier and build up your stamina.”
Jo Seol’s pretty brow furrowed slightly.
“What is it?”
“Nothing special. Just a way of breathing.”
“Huh? A way of breathing?”
“Yeah. A breathing method. If you breathe the way I teach you, you won’t catch every little cold, and you’ll grow sturdy.”
Jo Seol’s eyes sparkled.
“Then am I learning martial arts too?”
“Hmm… You could say that.”
“Wow? Big brother’s pretty good, huh? You learned martial arts well enough to teach someone else?”
Kang Yeon shrugged.
“Well… I’ve learned enough to teach others.”
“Yeah, well done. After being away from home that long, you should come back having learned something.”
Kang Yeon gave a short laugh.
“Alright. From now on, breathe exactly as I show you.”
“Okay. Wow~ I’m a little excited. Martial arts…”
Kang Yeon began teaching her the breathing method. It was not particularly difficult, so Jo Seol absorbed everything quickly.
“Now try it.”
Jo Seol followed the method exactly. After inhaling and exhaling several times, she felt a warmth gather beneath her navel. Her eyes flew wide open at the unfamiliar energy.
Kang Yeon spoke quietly.
“Focus.”
Jo Seol concentrated again and kept breathing. The heat that had begun in her lower abdomen started spreading through her entire body. With that warm energy came a sensation of strength rising in every limb.
“Wow? Do I have pretty good talent?”
Kang Yeon stroked his chin, satisfied with the change in her.
“Pretty good. But rather than talent, it’s that the breathing method I taught you is amazing.”
“Tch… Would it kill you to just say I have some talent?”
“Oh? You do have pretty good talent?”
Jo Seol looked utterly dumbfounded.
“You’re shamelessly fishing for praise.”
“Anyway, you have to practice the breathing method I taught you once a day, every single day. Just once—from the moment you start until it naturally ends.”
“Okay, got it. But I’m really curious… can you take just one more question?”
Kang Yeon grinned.
“Nope.”
The next day.
From early morning the inn grew bustling. Dan U-ryeong had arrived with several workers in tow. He had also brought every material needed for the repairs, and the quantity was considerable—several cartloads’ worth.
Jo Hwan’s mouth fell open at the sight of the party.
“Whoa? Wait— is this possible with the money I gave you?”
No matter how he calculated it, Jo Hwan could not believe the sum he had handed over could have prepared all this. Kang Yeon, standing beside him, spoke.
“I told you. He’s a pretty capable friend.”
“Haha… Amazing.”
Dan U-ryeong walked up to Jo Hwan and Kang Yeon.
“The repairs won’t take that long. In the meantime, you’ll have to vacate the inn for a bit.”
Jo Hwan nodded.
“Yes, of course. Please take good care of it.”
Dan U-ryeong led the workers straight into the work. Kang Yeon turned to Jo Hwan.
“Then from now on, we have something to do.”
“What?”
“We need to do some market research. Let’s go around the nearby inns and taverns together.”
Jo Hwan’s face lit up with excitement.
“Really? This is getting me so excited. Thinking about wandering around with you like old times after so long…”
Kang Yeon and Jo Hwan had often used market research as an excuse to go out and eat delicious food together. Kang Yeon would taste every dish Hangzhou had to offer and then invent new recipes of his own.
“I’m happy too, thinking about hanging out with you again after so long, Uncle. Brings back a lot of old memories.”
“So where should we start?”
“Let’s begin with Ilyeong Inn. It’s the most popular place these days.”
“Sounds good.”
“By the way, where’s Seol?”
Jo Hwan shrugged.
“Ah. Seol went out for a bit to meet her brother.”
“Un-hyung?”
“Yeah. She said she has something to say to him…”
Kang Yeon scratched his head.
“By the way, Un-hyung really never comes home, does he?”
“Well… he says it’s more comfortable staying at the military barracks.”
A shadow of worry crossed Jo Hwan’s face. Seeing it, Kang Yeon spoke.
“Hmm… Should I go take a look at the place myself?”
Jo Hwan hurriedly waved both hands.
“No. It’s fine. Once he hears you’ve returned, he’ll come at least once.”