Chapter 61: Another's Feast Is Not Always Joyful (2)

The air in the kitchen was suffocatingly hot, heated by the blazing fires of the great stoves.

"How is the abalone porridge coming along? It's not ready yet."

"I'm in the middle of making it now. Pass me the dried abalone."

"Evening is not far off. We need to hurry."

"Damn it! This is killing me. Hah!"

Groans escaped involuntarily from the mouths of the skilled cooks toiling before the roaring flames. Without a moment's respite, they worked tirelessly before the searing fire. All of them were seasoned chefs, and the speed at which they produced dishes was lightning fast.

The problem was that the number of guests who had flooded into Hongam Mountain Villa far surpassed their expectations.

Head Chef Song Hwan encouraged the cooks.

"Adding in the arrivals from today, we need to prepare fifteen hundred servings. Everyone, hurry!"

"Yes, sir!"

The cooks answered with vigor and set their ladles and woks in motion. With each movement of their hands, several servings of food materialized in an instant. And yet, the amount of food still required was vast.

"Still, it's a relief that fatso is here."

"Isn't it just? Who would have thought that fellow could cook so skillfully?"

The cooks' gazes turned toward Bang Jin-bo, who was working diligently on one side.

Even before the heat that could sear flesh, Bang Jin-bo's smile did not fade.

*Sizzle!*

Beef was placed into the blazing wok. When the meat was nearly cooked, prepped vegetables followed. Bang Jin-bo handled the wok with practiced ease, every sense attuned to the fire.

*"Cooking is the art of fire, my boy. A true cook must first understand the fire."*

That was what his father always said. Only by understanding fire and wielding it with skill could one truly set foot in the world of cooking.

Bang Jin-bo tried to understand and feel the fire rising from the stove. When the flames surged, he pulled the wok away; when they diminished, he drew it close. The heat inside the wok remained constant, and the meat and vegetables cooked to perfection. At just the right moment, Bang Jin-bo threw in various spices.

The dish he created was金钱牛肉—Golden Coin Beef—a recipe his father Bang Woo-gwang had loved to prepare.

The assistants gasped in admiration at Bang Jin-bo's skill as he produced the Golden Coin Beef in the blink of an eye.

"Wow! That's truly amazing. The way he handles the fire with such mastery."

"I know, right? When will I ever be able to do that?"

The eyes that had once watched Bang Jin-bo with envy now shone with admiration. But So Jin-seo was different.

*'If I were given the chance, I could do that much easily.'*

*Clack-clack-clack!*

He burned with rivalry toward Bang Jin-bo, yet never once ceased his knife work. So Jin-seo's knife skills were remarkably fast and precise. In matters of the blade alone, everyone in the kitchen acknowledged his superiority.

While So Jin-bo gritted his teeth, the cooks diligently continued their work, and at last, all fifteen hundred servings were completed.

"Phew!"

"It's done."

When the final dish was served, the cooks collapsed in place as though their legs had given way. As if all their energy had been consumed by the stove's flames, their faces had turned deathly pale.

Bang Jin-bo too sank to the floor. Already a stout boy, his entire body now streamed with sweat without pause. It felt as though he had lost at least a full pound. His cheeks even seemed slightly thinner for it. But the man himself was far too exhausted to notice.

"Are you all right?"

At Song Hwan's question, Bang Jin-bo barely managed to lift his head.

"Yes!"

"You've worked hard. Thanks to you, we were able to finish the food on time."

"It was nothing."

"The head chef is right. You saved us from a great deal of trouble. Thank you."

Woo Bok-gyeom, the second chef, joined in the praise. He draped an arm over Bang Jin-bo's shoulder and tousled his sweat-matted hair.

"You've worked hard, lad. You have no more duties today, so go on inside and rest."

"But there's still the cleanup. The kitchen needs to be tidied—"

"Leave that to the assistant cooks and servants."

Bang Jin-bo looked at the assistant cooks. They too were worn out from the day's battle-like workload. He couldn't bring himself to go rest comfortably while they still labored.

But Song Hwan and Woo Bok-gyeom saw things differently from Bang Jin-bo.

"There is a clear distinction between a cook and an assistant. If you wish to walk the path of a cook, you must remember this well."

"The head chef is right. Skill with the knife alone does not make one a cook. Only one who can feel the fire can truly be called a cook. They still have far to go before they can feel the fire. They need more training. Until then, the menial work falls to them as well. That too is part of their training."

"Yes sir!"

In the end, Bang Jin-bo could only acquiesce. Doing menial work was indeed part of the training—he had learned the same from his father Bang Woo-gwang. But he still felt uneasy about it.

"Go on, get some rest. You'll need to cook again tomorrow as well. The real battle begins tomorrow."

"But will we still be cooking with the same numbers tomorrow?"

"We have no choice."

"Wouldn't that be rather difficult?"

"There's nothing to be done about it. We'll just have to do the best we can."

"But why did the previous cooks quit? Was the work too hard?"

"How should I know? They just vanished suddenly and never returned."

"What?"

Bang Jin-bo's eyes widened in surprise.

Song Hwan gave a bitter smile.

"As Bok-gyeom said, they all simply disappeared without a word. They weren't the type to do such a thing."

"Damn them all! If they were going to quit, they should have done it after the feast was over."

Woo Bok-gyeom wore a look of regret. These were cooks he had invested great care in training. They weren't the sort to quit simply because the work was hard, and yet this was what had come to pass—it made the loss all the more painful.

"Enough chatter. Go on back and rest now."

"Yes sir! Then I'll head in first."

Bang Jin-bo was practically pushed out of the kitchen by Song Hwan.

"All remaining non-cooks, clean up this kitchen at once!"

Woo Bok-gyeom's booming voice echoed from behind him.

He looked up at the sky and saw the glittering stars. It was already late. How could a single day pass so quickly?

He felt a twinge of reluctance to simply go inside.

"I should make a snack for Hyung."

Bang Jin-bo recalled that he possessed some fine dried sea cucumber. He turned and headed back toward the kitchen. The fires had been extinguished and the others had already departed.

Bang Jin-bo opened the kitchen door and stepped inside. In that instant, a faint look of surprise crossed his face.

In a dark corner of the kitchen, where the lanterns had been put out, flames were rising.

*Sizzle!*

The fire surged from the stove, and a heated wok danced in the flames.

"Oh!"

The master of the flames was So Jin-seo, one of the assistant cooks. He was so absorbed in cooking that he hadn't even noticed Bang Jin-bo's entrance.

"Damn it! Understand the fire, he says? How am I supposed to understand the fire?"

The dish was taking shape inside the wok. But neither the aroma nor the appearance satisfied him.

Despite using identical ingredients and identical methods, the food he produced was inferior to what the other cooks made.

"Son of a bitch!"

In the end, So Jin-seo hurled the wok and ladle to the ground. The wok clattered noisily across the floor and came to rest at Bang Jin-bo's feet.

Their eyes met in midair.

"You?"

"Hyung!"

"What are you doing here at this hour? You fat bastard. Because of you, I—"

So Jin-seo stalked toward Bang Jin-bo, seething with anger. He looked as though he might throw a punch at any moment.

Bang Jin-bo flinched but did not dodge.

"If only you hadn't come, I could have been cooking."

The corners of So Jin-seo's eyes glistened with moisture.

"Hyung, I'm sorry. Because of me—"

"It's been seven years. Seven years I've trained in this place. And yet why can you do it but I cannot? What am I missing?"

So Jin-seo's anguish erupted in a cry. At the sound of his tear-laced voice, Bang Jin-bo closed his eyes.

He himself was merely a passerby here. Perhaps after many years had passed, he might find his way back—but not to work here. For So Jin-seo, by contrast, this place was his livelihood. His goal was to become a cook here and eventually open his own restaurant in Lanzhou under his own name.

To So Jin-seo, Bang Jin-bo was an insurmountable obstacle—an existence he could not help but resent.

Bang Jin-bo picked up the wok from the floor. The residual heat still stung, but he endured it. The thick calluses on his palms made it bearable—they were the marks of rigorous training in pursuit of becoming a cook. So Jin-seo's hands bore calluses as well, proof of how hard he too had worked.

Bang Jin-bo placed the wok back into So Jin-seo's hands.

"Hyung, I'll be leaving soon. If you keep training hard, you'll become a cook before long."

"What good does it do if you leave? If I can't understand that damned fire, I'll never become a cook."

"Before understanding the fire, feeling it is what matters."

"What?"

"My father told me that. Feel the fire first. Understanding comes after."

"How am I supposed to feel the fire? Does that even make sense?"

"Come here, Hyung."

Bang Jin-bo took So Jin-seo by the hand. Standing before the stove, they felt the intense heat. Their faces flushed red in an instant. So Jin-seo flinched and tried to pull away, but Bang Jin-bo did not release his hand.

"No matter how hot it gets, you mustn't avoid the fire. You must love the fire. For as much as I love the fire, so too does the fire love me."

"…"

"Open your heart and feel the fire. Try to listen to the story the fire tells. It won't come easily. But if you open your ears, the fire will whisper to you."

"What?"

"Just try it."

So Jin-seo wanted to rage at the absurdity of those words. But when he looked into Bang Jin-bo's guileless eyes, he could not bring himself to do so. In the end, he feigned reluctance and followed Bang Jin-bo's instruction.

The intense heat felt as though it would cook his face. Sweat streamed ceaselessly from his forehead and cheeks, and even breathing was difficult. So Jin-seo's cheeks twitched involuntarily. Just as he was about to step back unconsciously, Bang Jin-bo's broad palm blocked his back.

"You must endure."

"But—"

"Cooking is the art of fire. You must feel how the fire breathes and follow its intent."

"Mm!"

So Jin-seo found himself drawn into Bang Jin-bo's words without realizing it. Before he knew it, he had closed his eyes and was feeling the fire's energy.

Watching him, Bang Jin-bo smiled. Memories stirred within him. When cooking, Bang Woo-gwang had been especially harsh toward Bang Jin-bo. At the time, he had resented his father greatly, but looking back, it had become a cherished memory.

Now there was nothing more for Bang Jin-bo to do. What mattered was how So Jin-seo perceived it. Leaving So Jin-bo to himself, Bang Jin-bo moved to an empty stove.

He lit the fire and began preparing the ingredients.

The main ingredient was dried sea cucumber purchased at the Lanzhou market. He soaked it in water, then sliced it thin. Various vegetables were cut to the proper size, and mushrooms were blanched in boiling water.

When the ingredients were prepared, he coated the wok with oil, threw in green onions, garlic, and ginger, and stir-fried them until fragrant. Once the seasoning was right, he poured in broth and brought it to a boil. In another wok, he stir-fried the mushrooms and the rehydrated sea cucumber.

The entire process was completed in the blink of an eye. The dish he produced was a variation on abalone porridge. The abalone itself was missing, and the contents were sparse because it had been made in haste, yet it looked quite presentable.

The image of Dam Ho and Cho Yeon-woon, who would be waiting for his cooking, surfaced in his mind.

"I should hurry and bring this."

"You really do look like you're enjoying yourself."

"Huh? Hyung?"

So Jin-seo had been watching him. His face was flushed red from the intense heat. He appeared somewhat weary, but his eyes shone more clearly than ever before.

It was true that Bang Jin-bo's words about feeling the fire still felt vague and distant. But he felt he could perhaps grasp a faint sense of it.

What moved So Jin-seo's heart even more, however, was the smile on Bang Jin-bo's face as he cooked. Throughout the entire process, Bang Jin-bo had worn an expression of irrepressible joy.

Come to think of it, So Jin-seo had never once seen him smile like that during all their time learning to cook together. He had always been desperate to impress Head Chef Song Hwan with his culinary skill, never once thinking that cooking could bring happiness to others.

But Bang Jin-bo was different. He envisioned the people who would taste his food and find happiness. That feeling was transmitted directly to So Jin-seo as well.

*'Total defeat.'*

So Jin-seo shook his head. A fellow who cooked with such a joyful expression on his face—there was simply no way to beat someone like that.

"Either way, thank you. I'll repay this kindness someday."

Without waiting for Bang Jin-bo's reply, So Jin-seo turned away, feeling a strange shyness.

Bang Jin-bo watched So Jin-seo's retreating figure for a moment, then picked up the plate of abalone porridge and ran toward the guest quarters.

"I'm back! Hehe!"

In the room was Dam Ho.

His already dark face revealed white teeth as he looked up, sending a shiver down the spines of the two warriors.

“What, what… what’s this!”

The young warrior from Iron Umbrella Sect spoke in a tone that suggested he didn’t understand why they were reacting this way.

“I thought there might be some interesting conversation, so I wanted to listen in.”

Feeling unnecessarily startled, the slit-eyed warrior shouted.

“There’s no such thing! Why did you sneak up behind us without a sound and scare us like that!”

The bald warrior also yelled.

“And why are you limping!”

The young warrior from Iron Umbrella Sect replied in a tone of grievance.

“Don’t be too harsh on me. I don’t limp because I want to. It’s a badge of honor from when I took down some medicinal sect scum in the past.”

“Hey, are you the only one who took down medicinal sect trash? Between this friend and me, we’ve killed so many of those medicinal sect vermin that we can’t count them on ten fingers.”

The bald warrior added his piece.

“The bodies we disposed of alone would fill at least two carts.”

“Ah, yes, yes. I see. Well, if there’s no interesting talk, I’ll just be on my way.”

The young warrior from Iron Umbrella Sect grumbled as he went on his way.

The slit-eyed warrior and the bald warrior huffed in irritation.

“Tch, all sorts of things startle people these days.”

“Made me jump for no reason.”

But then, as if struck by the same thought, both fell silent at the same time. The bald warrior, with an awkward expression, asked the slit-eyed warrior.

“Hey, I might have seen wrong, so I’m just asking, but… did that guy look about twenty years old?”

“No. He looked even younger.”

“The medicinal sect business was eight years ago…”

Could it be that he was killing medicinal sect members at the age of ten? Had he been slaying them since he was ten years old?

Something about the timeline and age didn’t add up.

The bald warrior and the slit-eyed warrior turned to look behind them. They saw the back of the young warrior from Iron Umbrella Sect limping away.

The slit-eyed warrior’s face hardened.

“That guy isn’t carrying an iron umbrella.”

“I noticed that too.”

At that moment, the young warrior from Iron Umbrella Sect glanced back and, limping, hurriedly turned into an alley.

The two exchanged a look.

Something was suspicious!

Clang.

They each drew a dagger and a hook, immediately chasing after the young warrior.

It made no sense for a warrior of Iron Umbrella Sect not to carry an iron umbrella. It was as absurd as a swordsman from Sword Sect not carrying a sword.

“That guy must be connected to the Stone Forest Gang incident!”

“I knew something was off!”

They sprinted with all their might and turned the corner.

But the moment they entered the alley, a yellow powder was flung at them.

Poof!

Caught completely off guard, the two warriors flailed their arms.

“Argh!”

“My, my eyes!”

Unable to open their eyes, the two warriors slashed wildly in all directions. They only ended up scratching each other, causing injuries.

“Ugh! Stop!”

“It’s me, it’s me!”

As the two warriors stumbled and stopped attacking each other, Jin Ja-gang sprinkled more poison powder.

It was poison powder he had taken from the Stone Forest Gang. Though less lethal than the poison Jin Ja-gang typically used, it was still made to kill people, so its potency wasn’t low.

It was a powder made from finely ground cinnabar mixed with other poisons, primarily affecting mucous membranes. For instance, areas like the eyes, mouth, and nose.

“Cough, cough.”

“Urk.”

The two warriors clutched their faces and staggered. Tears mixed with the poison powder, sticking to their eyes, and a similar sticky mess clogged their noses and mouths, obstructing their breathing.

Gasping for air, the two warriors looked around with eyes that couldn’t see.

Jin Ja-gang stood in front of them and spoke.

“You said the number of medicinal sect members you killed exceeds ten fingers?”

It was a flat voice, unclear whether it was a question or a statement. Hearing Jin Ja-gang’s voice, the two warriors snapped to attention.

Kneeling, the two warriors pleaded.

“G-great hero! Spare us!”

“Th-that was all a lie! We’re not like that!”

Their pronunciation was slurred due to the poison powder sticking to their mouths and noses. Even so, they did their utmost to make excuses.

“I have children at home. P-please, show mercy!”

Jin Ja-gang looked at them silently for a moment before asking.

“Eight years ago, how much were you involved in the attack on the medicinal sects?”

The bald warrior, his face a mess of tears and snot, shouted.

“We’re just foot soldiers who followed orders!”

“You killed because you were ordered to. Is that it?”

“N-no, that’s not…!”

The slit-eyed warrior also protested vehemently.

“Our Poison Valley was in charge of overall management, so we hardly did any actual killing…!”

As the two warriors opened their mouths to argue.

Whoosh!

Jin Ja-gang sprinkled more poison powder. This time, even more powder entered the open mouths of the two warriors as they spoke.

“Uwaaagh!”

“Urk, urk! This is too much! Urk!”

The two warriors screamed in disbelief. Wasn’t it too much to make someone talk and then throw poison at them?

However, Jin Ja-gang didn’t care in the slightest. He had no intention of seeking repentance or atonement from them. Even if he made them feel remorse in their final moments, it wouldn’t stop him from killing them.

He had already obtained the necessary information from other Poison Valley warriors who were now corpses.

As the two warriors rolled on the ground, venting their grievances, Jin Ja-gang looked down at them and spoke coldly.

“If you feel wronged, die feeling wronged. Those of us who died at your hands felt the same.”

“Urghhh…”

The two warriors clawed at their throats until they bled. Unable to breathe, blue veins bulged on their necks and faces from the excruciating pain, and they slowly died.

Jin Ja-gang dragged the bodies of the two warriors deeper into the alley and dumped them in a corner. He didn’t feel the need to hide them.

The number of people he had already killed exceeded ten. By now, they should be starting to catch on.

Jin Ja-gang stepped out of the alley.

His eyes met those of the middle-aged man who had been harassed by the Poison Valley warriors moments ago. The man trembled in fear.

Jin Ja-gang raised a finger to his lips, signaling silence, before leaving the scene.

Originally, Jin Ja-gang had intended to leave after annihilating the Stone Forest Gang.

However, as he prepared to depart, he realized he knew nothing about his enemies.

He didn’t even know where their bases were located.

Thus, after some thought, Jin Ja-gang decided to stay.

Unlike the Extreme Poison Sect, hidden deep in the mountains, the Stone Forest Gang was openly situated at the edge of the village. News of the Stone Forest Gang being burned and massacred would quickly reach the Yunnan poison sects.

He believed that, in some form or another, the poison sects would come to investigate, and when they did, he could extract information from them.

Sure enough, as Jin Ja-gang had predicted, all three remaining poison sects came to this place!

And Jin Ja-gang was able to obtain most of the necessary information by capturing and interrogating warriors from those three sects.

‘The Three Great Poison Sects! You, too, will pay the price.’

However, before leaving for his next act of vengeance, there was something he had to do.

That was to deal with the remaining members of the three poison sects who had come here.

***

Read only at nineheavens.org

Translated by Nine Heavens!

https://discord.gg/XC9DTsTQ9Z

***

As evening fell, Mang Ryo and the three experts from the poison sects, who had been investigating the Stone Forest Gang’s manor, agreed to meet again the next day and left the site.

Except for Mang Ryo, the other three poison sects had taken up residence in nearby civilian homes.

Of course, they had forcibly evicted the original occupants to stay there themselves.

Do Nam-gi, the elder from Iron Umbrella Sect, also returned to the civilian home he had seized as his lodging.

However, in front of the house, a warrior from Shadow Bureau was waiting. Upon seeing Do Nam-gi, the warrior approached and bowed his head, handing over a wooden plaque.

Do Nam-gi didn’t take the plaque immediately, instead touching his nose as he asked.

“What is it? Sniff.”

The Shadow Bureau warrior bowed his head and replied.

“I was told to show this to you.”

Do Nam-gi took the plaque and examined it.

It was a wooden nameplate bearing the name of Jo Yang, the former leader of the Stone Forest Gang.

Even after looking it over from various angles, it seemed no different from any other nameplate except for bearing Jo Yang’s name.

“What am I supposed to do with this?”

“I was only told to show it to you. That’s all.”

The Shadow Bureau warrior bowed and left.

Do Nam-gi fiddled with the plaque, pressing it here and there, but found nothing unusual about it.

“Gu Sang-wol was with me just a moment ago, and now he’s pulling strange stunts. Sniff.”

Assuming it was something Gu Sang-wol from Shadow Bureau had ordered since it was delivered by one of his warriors, Do Nam-gi let out a scoff and entered the house.

However, the atmosphere inside felt chaotic.

“What’s going on?”

A warrior from Iron Umbrella Sect replied with a bewildered expression.

“The comrades who went out to gather information haven’t returned yet.”

It was already past sunset. They should have returned to report long ago, but there was no sign of them.

Do Nam-gi counted the numbers and saw only four warriors present. He had brought ten with him, meaning six were missing.

Two had accompanied him to the Stone Forest Gang’s manor as escorts, and two were guarding this house, so all the warriors who had gone out hadn’t returned.

“What are they doing, taking so long?”

They waited a little longer, but there was still no news.

Do Nam-gi felt an odd sensation.

“This won’t do.”

Just as he was about to go look for them himself.

“Urghhh!”

A warrior from Iron Umbrella Sect, his face swollen and disfigured, covered in blood from head to toe, stumbled into the house holding an iron umbrella.

The other Iron Umbrella Sect warriors gathered in shock.

The blood-soaked warrior let out a scream-like utterance before collapsing forward.

“Enemy… ambush!”

“What?!”

Do Nam-gi and the Iron Umbrella Sect warriors tensed up and looked outside.

At that moment, the blood-soaked warrior, flailing as he collapsed, suddenly pulled out a pouch hidden inside the iron umbrella and threw it at Do Nam-gi.

Whoosh!

A yellow powder burst into the air.

Though it was a sudden attack, Do Nam-gi reacted swiftly. He immediately held his breath, summoned his internal energy, and unfolded the iron umbrella he was holding in front of him.

Snap!

The iron umbrella opened, blocking the yellow powder from reaching him.

Do Nam-gi proved himself a skilled expert. Calmly, he swung the iron umbrella, dispersing the yellow powder in all directions.

Jin Ja-gang, seeing his surprise attack fail, pulled out two more poison pouches from his waist.

Then, he slammed the pouches onto the ground with force.

Even for a skilled expert like Do Nam-gi, it would be difficult to act recklessly with poison scattered everywhere.

The powder from the pouches rose like smoke, obscuring Jin Ja-gang’s body and spreading in all directions.

“Well, well?”

Do Nam-gi looked at Jin Ja-gang with an intrigued expression.

But the other warriors weren’t as composed. The gathered warriors hesitated to approach, coughing as they did.

“Stay back, all of you!”

Do Nam-gi commanded the warriors and pulled a mechanism on the handle of his iron umbrella.

Ping!

A poison needle shot out from the tip of the iron umbrella and embedded itself in Jin Ja-gang’s shoulder.

There was no way to dodge it. In an instant, his shoulder grew stiff, and sensation vanished.

Jin Ja-gang gritted his teeth and pulled his body back. Due to the poison powder he had scattered everywhere, even Do Nam-gi couldn’t charge in recklessly. Moving would inevitably stir up the poison powder.

For a brief moment, a stalemate ensued with the poison powder between them.

Do Nam-gi infused his voice with internal energy and shouted.

“Who are you, you b*st*rd!”

Do Nam-gi’s use of internal energy in his voice wasn’t meant to ensure Jin Ja-gang heard him clearly.

Jin Ja-gang, clutching his stiff shoulder, stared at Do Nam-gi.

He couldn’t see any clear weaknesses in Do Nam-gi standing before him. Though he had considered the possibility, he hadn’t expected his surprise attack to fail.

Indeed, compared to the experts of the Stone Forest Gang, this man was on a different level. In comparison, the Stone Forest Gang had truly been far too weak.

Still, it wasn’t entirely unexpected, so Jin Ja-gang straightened his back and stood tall.

Do Nam-gi’s eyebrows twitched.

“Hoo, look at this guy?”