It Really Became a Wonderful Place
Before dawn broke, one person was already hard at work in the courtyard of the West Lake Number One Inn.
"Hmm… this should be about right."
Dan U-ryeong was drawing complex patterns across the ground. At a glance they looked like ordinary scribbles, but a closer look revealed the precise rules and perfect balance of a formation array.
Even in the cold dawn air, beads of sweat formed on Dan U-ryeong's forehead. Installing a formation demanded intense concentration.
"Starting already?"
Dan U-ryeong turned at the voice from behind. Kang Yeon had come out at dawn as well.
"You're up early."
"I always wake up at this hour. You're the one who overslept."
"Ah… is that so?"
Kang Yeon chuckled.
"Need any help?"
Dan U-ryeong shook his head.
"No. I'm just finishing up. Now for the final stroke…"
As Dan U-ryeong swept the brush in a grand arc, the air vibrated faintly. The patterns on the ground glowed dimly before vanishing.
Woooom— woooom—
"Done. Now even if construction starts, the first floor won't be affected at all."
"Good work."
Sensing the formation activate, Nang Hyeon came outside.
"Is something the matter?"
Dan U-ryeong turned to him.
"No, I just activated the formation for the construction."
"Ah… I see. What does this formation do?"
Dan U-ryeong looked around, picked up a small pebble, and hurled it hard toward a second-floor window.
Clang!
The pebble struck the window frame with a loud noise, yet miraculously, no sound reached the first floor.
"Well? Can't hear a thing, right?"
"Wow… you're right."
Nang Hyeon looked up and down in amazement.
"With this, we won't have to worry about construction noise."
"Once the carpenters arrive, we can start right away."
Kang Yeon grinned.
"Thanks. Now we can renovate without disrupting business."
Well after morning service had begun, several carts arrived in front of the inn, loaded high with timber and every kind of building material.
"Is this the West Lake Number One Inn?"
An old man with pure white hair asked politely. His face was deeply lined, yet his eyes were as sharp as any young man's.
"Yes, that's right. You must be the master carpenter?"
Dan U-ryeong greeted him warmly. The old carpenter was the most renowned master in the West Lake region, the man who had built government offices and the mansions of the wealthy for decades.
"Heh heh, I've heard the rumors. They say this is the inn of the Midland Gourmet Contest champion?"
"Yes, that's correct. Have you looked over the blueprints?"
"I have. Five stories… an ambitious plan."
The old carpenter drew the blueprints from his robes and unrolled them. They were the intricate designs Dan U-ryeong had spent several sleepless nights drawing.
"Whoever drew these… their understanding of architecture is remarkable."
"I drew them."
The old carpenter's eyes widened.
"Someone so young… impressive. This load-distribution structure in particular is truly ingenious."
"You're too kind. Can you begin right away?"
"Of course. All right, you lot! Unload everything and get ready!"
At the old carpenter's command, his disciples moved in perfect order. Roughly ten carpenters took out their tools.
"But the first floor is open for business. Will that be all right?"
The old carpenter asked with concern.
"Don't worry. We've taken special measures."
Dan U-ryeong answered with confidence. Inside the inn, morning service was already in full swing. Jo Seol and Nang Hyeon moved busily taking orders—an ordinary morning scene.
"Huh? Looks like carpenters have arrived outside."
One customer glanced out the window.
"Ah, we're starting the expansion today. But it won't affect service at all, so please don't worry."
Jo Seol answered with a bright smile.
Thud! Thud!
Hammering rang out loudly from the second floor. Yet miraculously, not a sound reached the first floor.
"That's strange. I'm sure they're working upstairs…"
The customer tilted his head.
"Our inn has special soundproofing."
On the second floor the carpenters were already sweating as they worked with focused intensity.
"Wow, the timber in this inn is excellent. I've never seen a building this solid."
"Right? Not a single rotten spot in the pillars."
The old carpenter nodded in satisfaction.
"The better the building, the easier it is to expand. Come on, hurry! We need to get the third-floor frame up as fast as possible!"
As noon approached, Kang Yeon began special preparations in the kitchen.
"Muk Hyang-ru, let's make lunch a special meal today."
"A special meal?"
"For the carpenters. Working people need something hearty to keep their strength up."
Kang Yeon filled a large pot with meat—boiled pork slices, the perfect food to restore a laborer's stamina.
"I'll handle the side dishes."
Muk Hyang-ru rolled up his sleeves. The two of them cooked with flawless teamwork.
Sizzle—
Eggs browned nicely in the iron pan while a big pot of soybean-paste stew bubbled away.
"This should be enough, right?"
Boiled pork, rolled omelet, soybean-paste stew, assorted namul side dishes, and steaming fresh rice. A generous spread was complete.
"Carpenters! Lunch is ready!"
Jo Seol carried the meal up to the second floor. The carpenters paused their work and accepted the food.
"Oh, what's all this? You're even feeding us…"
The old carpenter looked moved.
"You're working so hard. Of course we should take care of you."
The moment the carpenters took their first bites, their eyes went wide.
"Good heavens. This is incredible!"
"In all my years as a carpenter I've never been treated like this—and I've never tasted food this good!"
One young carpenter even teared up with emotion.
"Eat slowly. If you need more, just say the word."
Jo Seol smiled radiantly and went back downstairs.
"The rumors were true. This really is a fine inn."
The old carpenter marveled as he put a piece of pork in his mouth.
"For a place like this, we have to build with even greater care. Don't you all agree?"
"Yes!"
The carpenters answered as one. The delicious lunch had sent their morale soaring.
Meanwhile on the first floor, Nang Hyeon was helping carry heavy timber.
"This must be heavy for one person…"
"I've trained in martial arts, so it's nothing."
Nang Hyeon lifted the timber with ease. It was a weight two ordinary men would struggle with, yet to a martial artist it felt light.
"Wow! Your martial arts must be quite advanced."
One carpenter said in surprise. The old carpenter watched Nang Hyeon with a pleased smile.
"It's good to have a young man helping like this. Truly grateful."
In the afternoon Jang Mu-eon and the former Black Wind Association members joined in. The work progressed smoothly. Thanks to the carpenters' skilled hands, the third-floor frame rose quickly.
"At this rate we'll finish ahead of schedule."
Dan U-ryeong marveled at the old carpenter and his crew.
"Heh heh, working at full strength after so long—my body just moves on its own."
The old carpenter laughed contentedly. Jo Un bustled about serving tea to the carpenters.
"You've all worked so hard. Please have some tea."
"Everyone in this house is so kind… Working here gives me strength."
Several days passed like that.
With the carpenters' swift progress, most of the fourth-floor work was finished as well.
"They've already reached the fourth floor?"
Muk Hyang-ru looked up at the inn in astonishment.
"Ordinary construction would have taken a full month…"
"The carpenters have been working incredibly hard."
Dan U-ryeong looked proud. A few more days passed, and the five-story building was complete.
"It's finished!"
The old carpenter declared with satisfaction.
"Shall we take a look at each floor?"
Kang Yeon led everyone through the building. From the second to the fourth floor the spaces had been turned into spacious dining areas. They could now seat three times as many guests as before.
"Now no matter how many customers come, we won't have to worry about seats!"
Jo Seol said, thoroughly excited. She had always felt sorry for the guests who waited late into the night because there were no tables—and for those who left empty-handed when service ended.
The fifth floor had been prepared as special guest lodgings.
The view was magnificent; the whole of West Lake lay spread out below.
"Wow… the scenery from up here is truly beautiful."
Nang Hyeon marveled. The house in the rear courtyard had also been expanded. Now there was comfortable space for every member of the inn's household.
"Jang Mu-eon, Yeong-ho, Cheol-san, and Myeong-wol can all live here now."
Jang Mu-eon looked deeply moved.
"That you would even think of us… Thank you. Truly… thank you."
The kitchen had doubled in size. One side even held a special research space for Kang Yeon to develop new dishes.
"Now I can experiment with new recipes to my heart's content."
Kang Yeon surveyed it with satisfaction. That evening a great feast was laid out in the rear courtyard.
"This banquet is for the carpenters who worked so hard!"
One after another the special dishes prepared by Kang Yeon and Muk Hyang-ru appeared: whole roast pig, seafood stew, assorted pancakes and namul, and excellent wine.
"You've even prepared a feast this lavish?"
The old carpenter could barely speak.
"In thirty years as a carpenter, I've never had a job this enjoyable. It made me happy to work with such good people."
"We're the ones who should thank you. Thanks to you we have a magnificent building."
Kang Yeon raised his cup.
"To everyone's hard work. Cheers!"
"Cheers!"
Everyone clinked cups. Carpenters and inn family mixed together and spent a joyful evening. As the night deepened, Kang Yeon climbed onto the roof of the fifth floor. Unlike other buildings in the Central Plains, the roof above the fifth story had been designed like a modern rooftop terrace.
The night view of West Lake unfolded before him.
"It really became a wonderful place."
Dan U-ryeong also came up onto the roof, a wine bottle in one hand.
"Now it finally has the scale worthy of the West Lake Number One Inn. You worked hard, U-ryeong."
"It's not just the building that got bigger. Our family grew too."
Dan U-ryeong pointed downward. The entire inn household was gathered in the rear courtyard, laughing and talking.
"Yeah. You're right."
Kang Yeon smiled. Under the star-filled night sky, a cool breeze swept across the rooftop of the five-story West Lake Number One Inn that now stood tall.
The next day.
The old carpenter and his disciples spent one night in the fifth-floor lodgings and left early the following morning.
"It was a truly fine experience. Please keep making delicious food."
"Of course. Come anytime."
After the carpenters left, the inn returned to its usual routine—only now it was the new five-story West Lake Number One Inn.
"All right! Expanded service starts today!"
Jo Seol shouted excitedly. The first customers began to arrive.
"My goodness, the building has gotten so tall!"
Admiration poured from the guests.
"Yes, we expanded so we could welcome more of you."
Nang Hyeon guided them kindly. That day the West Lake Number One Inn earned several times its usual revenue. In an ordinary inn, climbing the floors would have taken time, but because the staff had trained in martial arts, even guests seated high up received their food almost as quickly as before, and the turnover became even faster.
"Having more space really makes a difference."
Jo Un marveled.
"Delivery orders will probably drop a little now."
Yeong-ho added. Kang Yeon gazed out the window, lost in thought.
Now we can finally run this place with real stability.
He had always intended to grow the inn until it truly lived up to the name West Lake Number One, yet he had never imagined that the quiet life he began after retirement would develop this far.
Jo Hwan came up beside him.
"Yeon-ah, what are you thinking about so seriously?"
Kang Yeon smiled.
"Nothing… just that I'm happy."