Chapter 34

Chapter 34: When Alive, Even a Thorny Path Is Walked (3)

Hami was a city that served as the final gateway from the Western Regions into the Central Plains. Three more days' travel beyond Hami would bring one to the Jiayu Pass, the entrance to the Central Plains.

Hami was one of the largest cities in the borderlands. It had once flourished to such an extent that a dynasty of foreign tribes had been established there.

Upon entering Hami, the very air seemed to change. Where before it had felt thick and oppressive, the air here felt lighter and more refreshing. The Central Plains must be drawing near.

Dam Ho and Bang Jin-bo entered Hami, feeling this change in the air upon their bodies. Dust lay thick upon their heads and shoulders.

A journey that should have taken five days had taken a full ten. But the time spent had improved Bang Jin-bo's complexion considerably, and he had regained much of his former cheer.

Though he occasionally fell into gloom, that was a matter time would resolve. Dam Ho thought this much was sufficient.

Bang Jin-bo was obsessed with cooking. Whenever he spotted wild herbs or fruits that might serve as ingredients, he insisted on tasting them, and he insisted on cooking every meal himself. As a result, the ingredients purchased from the nameless villages had long since been depleted.

Dam Ho did not scold him. He knew this was Bang Jin-bo's way of healing his wounds.

"Wow! Brother, look at that!"

Bang Jin-bo cried out in delight at the ingredients spread across the market stalls. As a city where many people converged, Hami's streets overflowed with every imaginable ingredient.

Bang Jin-bo gazed at the ingredients laid out like a fish that had found water, unable to tear his eyes away.

"That's bamboo shoot, and this is pine pollen. Wow!"

As the son of a skilled cook, Bang Jin-bo was knowledgeable about a wide variety of ingredients.

He purchased whatever caught his eye without hesitation. With ample funds from Dam Ho, there was nothing to restrain him.

Only after Bang Jin-bo had finished buying ingredients did they head to an inn.

It was called the Qingjiang Inn. Among the establishments in Hami, the Qingjiang Inn was quite large, and it was always bustling with people.

An inn was not merely a place to eat and sleep. With so many people gathering, a great deal of information exchanged hands. The longer the journey, the more merchants preferred larger inns.

Dam Ho did not know this, but he was aware that larger inns tended to have better facilities. That was why he had chosen the Qingjiang Inn.

"Welcome!"

A waiter rushed over briskly.

Bang Jin-bo asked on Dam Ho's behalf.

"Do you have a room, brother?"

"We do. How many guests?"

When Bang Jin-bo showed his affable nature, a smile naturally appeared on the waiter's face. Being addressed as "brother" was reason enough for good cheer.

"A two-person room, if you have one."

"As it happens, we have one left. How fortunate. Go up to the second floor, follow the corridor to the left, and you'll find the room at the end. That's yours."

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it!"

The waiter scratched his head.

Dam Ho nodded, observing Bang Jin-bo's friendly manner.

Bang Jin-bo had not always been this way. Traveling with the taciturn Dam Ho, he had developed a sense of duty to make up for it.

"Brother, shall we eat?"

"If you're hungry, sit anywhere you like. I'll have the food brought out quickly."

Bang Jin-bo looked at Dam Ho. It was a clear signal of hunger.

"Let's sit over there."

"Yes!"

The two walked toward an empty table.

It was tucked away in a corner, inconspicuous to most. Dam Ho sat with his back to the wall and spoke.

"Order whatever you like."

"Yes!"

A smile bloomed on Bang Jin-bo's face.

This was the moment he had most anticipated. He called the waiter over again.

"Brother, what dish does this inn do best?"

"Let me think. We're proud of everything, but if I had to recommend one, I'd say the Steamed Lamb. It's lamb cooked in our inn's secret recipe, and the taste is extraordinary. A plate of Steamed Lamb and a cup of wine will melt all your fatigue away."

"That sounds wonderful. I'll have that."

"An excellent choice. Just wait a moment. I'll bring it out right away."

"Yes!"

The waiter hurried to the kitchen.

Bang Jin-bo gazed around the interior of the inn with keen curiosity.

The inn was remarkably spacious. There were over twenty tables, and most seats were occupied.

Some appeared to be merchants, while others carried weapons and were clearly martial artists. Their expressions did not look particularly cheerful.

"I hear the bandits have been especially rampant lately?"

"Don't mention it. One wrong move and you lose not just your goods, but your life as well."

"Heavens! What curse has befallen us?"

The merchants' whispered conversations drifted through the inn.

Bang Jin-bo's expression darkened momentarily. The mention of bandits reminded him of his father. But this lasted only a moment before he forced a smile.

"They still don't know, do they? That the bandits were wiped out by you, brother."

Dam Ho nodded silently.

"Why have the bandits become so bold…"

"If they had simply taken the goods, that would have been one thing, but why did they have to take people prisoner?"

"Indeed. Sigh! Well, let's just pray for a safe journey tomorrow."

"Have a drink."

The merchants' sighing voices echoed through the inn, lending a heavier atmosphere to the room.

At that moment, the waiter arrived carrying a tray.

"Hehe! While you wait for the Steamed Lamb, I've brought some stir-fried tofu and wine to tide you over."

"Thank you, brother. Hehe!"

"Don't mention it! Well then…"

The waiter bowed his head toward Dam Ho and hurried back to the kitchen.

"Brother, let me pour for you."

Bang Jin-bo filled Dam Ho's cup to the brim with wine. Dam Ho accepted it without a word.

He had watched his Master drink many times, but Dam Ho himself had never once tasted wine.

Whenever he asked what it tasted like, his Master would say that all the emotions in the world were contained within.

Dam Ho brought the cup to his lips.

The first taste was exceedingly bitter. He did not understand what his Master found so appealing about this.

But the second sip was rather pleasant.

By the third cup, it had improved further. Yet he still could not understand why his Master had been so fond of wine.

Dam Ho set down the cup. He decided it was not for him.

At that moment, someone pushed open the inn door and stepped inside. Naturally, all eyes turned toward the entrance.

"Oh!"

"Ahh!"

Exclamations erupted from various quarters. The person who had entered was striking enough to command the attention of everyone present.

The newcomers were one man and one woman.

To be precise, an elderly man and a young woman. All eyes were fixed upon the woman.

She was in her early twenties, brimming with a fresh vitality, as though she were a wild horse galloping freely across the grasslands. Her skin was tawny, and her eyes were unusually large. Most peculiarly, a faint blue light shimmered within them.

Her exotic beauty made it difficult for onlookers to look away. She was both unique and refreshingly beautiful.

When the young woman surveyed the inn, the waiter hurried over.

"Welcome, honored guests."

"Do you have a room?"

The one who asked was the old man at the woman's side. His face was so deeply wrinkled that his age was impossible to guess, and his back was severely hunched. Yet the sharp glint in his eyes, visible between the creases, was far too fierce for an old man.

The waiter's posture became even more deferential.

"We have only a single room and a special suite available."

"We'll take the special suite."

"For how long?"

"We'll decide as we stay."

"Very well. I'll prepare the special suite at once."

"We've traveled a long way and are quite famished. Bring us several of your finest dishes. Money is no object."

The old man produced a small silver ingot from his robes. The waiter, sensing a windfall, bowed so deeply his waist threatened to break.

"Please, take a seat and wait just a moment."

The waiter dashed to the kitchen.

The old man surveyed the inn with a piercing gaze. The merchants who met his eyes bowed their heads instinctively.

His gaze carried a wildness that was impossible to attribute to an ordinary old man. The merchants instinctively recognized that he was a martial artist.

These were merchants who had weathered every storm. A woman accompanied by such an old man could not be of ordinary station. There was nothing to be gained from entangling oneself with such a person.

"My lady, please sit here."

The old man led the young woman to an empty table. Coincidentally, it was the table directly beside Dam Ho and Bang Jin-bo.

"This place is quite bustling, Heuk-no."

"Hami has always been a gathering place. No matter where you go, it will be at least this busy."

"Is that so?"

"Among the options in Hami, this is the most comfortable place to stay."

"Very well. If you say so, Heuk-no."

The young woman smiled brightly and sat down. The old man called Heuk-no sat only after she had taken her seat.

This clearly indicated that the woman's status was far higher than the old man's.

The young woman looked around the inn with an expression of interest. Even this casual mannerism was captivating, exuding an aura of fresh vitality.

As she surveyed the inn, her gaze suddenly came to rest upon a table in the corner. It was precisely where Dam Ho and Bang Jin-bo sat.

Unlike Dam Ho, whose expression was as immobile as a statue, Bang Jin-bo stared at the young woman as though his soul had been captured.

The young woman smiled at Bang Jin-bo.

"Is there something on my face?"

"You're… you're too beautiful…"

Bang Jin-bo dropped his head, his face and neck flushed crimson from ears to neck. Seeing his innocent demeanor, the young woman burst out laughing.

"Thank you! What is your name?"

"Bang Jin-bo."

"Jin-bo? That's a fine name. My name is Sim Ok."

"Sim Ok!"

"Yes! It's pretty, isn't it?"

The woman who had introduced herself as Sim Ok tossed her head proudly. Yet the gesture did not appear haughty or awkward—it suited her remarkably well.

Bang Jin-bo answered with pure innocence.

"Yes! It is pretty."

"Ha ha! You're a funny one."

Sim Ok burst into laughter. Heuk-no furrowed his brow slightly.

"My lady, please maintain your dignity."

"I know, I know. But he's just so adorable."

Sim Ok shot Heuk-no a displeased glance. For an ordinary man, such a look would have sent his heart plummeting, but Heuk-no's expression did not change in the slightest.

Sim Ok's gaze turned to Dam Ho, who sat beside Bang Jin-bo. Unlike the innocent Bang Jin-bo who stared at her with wide eyes, Dam Ho moved his chopsticks without any expression at all.

Interest flickered across Sim Ok's face.

No matter how one looked at it, Dam Ho appeared to be a man without emotion. Her bodyguard Heuk-no was also cold of expression, but he did not appear as perfectly devoid of feeling as Dam Ho.

The pairing of Dam Ho and Bang Jin-bo seemed utterly incongruous. Yet seeing them together, there was also something strangely fitting about them.

This incongruity piqued her interest.

Sim Ok made to rise from her seat. Heuk-no spoke.

"Please remain seated, my lady."

"Why? What do you think I'm going to do?"

"It would be rude to disturb people who are eating."

"Tch!"

In the end, Sim Ok could not have her way and sat back down. She glared at Heuk-no once more.

"If the Lord sees that expression, he will not be pleased."

"It's fine! Father isn't here."

"My lady!"

"I know, I know."

Weary of Heuk-no's nagging, Sim Ok raised both hands in surrender.

Heuk-no was her bane. Perhaps that was why her father had assigned him as her bodyguard.

The playfulness drained from Sim Ok's face.

Her voice dropped lower.

"Is that place correct?"

"I am certain."

"Is that so?"

Sim Ok's eyes glinted coldly. The mischievous, childish demeanor of moments ago had vanished without a trace.