Chapter 14: Heavenly Martial Star
The Sword Immortal’s expression was more triumphant than ever.
To Jin Seong-un, it seemed the Sword Immortal subtly enjoyed boasting about himself.
Speaking in a solemn tone, the Sword Immortal continued.
“In all the long history of the Central Plains, there have been many who were called the Sword Immortal, but in the truest sense of the title, there is only me.”
“Oh…”
“There’s no need for you to know more than that. I am not trying to flaunt myself, but to let you know the weight of the sword you are learning. Seong-un, you just need to train diligently.”
As Jin Seong-un nodded, something blurry flashed past behind the Sword Immortal.
“You really are showing off.”
It was Divine Thief.
He often went for runs when he was bored.
The Sword Immortal widened his eyes and looked at Divine Thief. He was already a dot in the far distance.
As expected of the greatest thief of all ages, his movement arts were astonishing. The only problem was that he was using them to provoke the Sword Immortal.
“Divine Thief sure is fast.”
When Jin Seong-un said that, the Sword Immortal smirked.
“Can a man be faster than a sword?”
Then he drew the reddish sword hanging from his waist and threw it into the air.
Amazingly, the sword floated in midair.
The Sword Immortal leapt up and landed on it.
Suddenly, he shot off with the sword in the direction Divine Thief had disappeared. The speed was so great that the very air quivered in fine ripples.
Moments later, a scream could be heard from far, far away.
“Aaaagh!”
It seemed Divine Thief had been caught by the Sword Immortal.
Just as Jin Seong-un clicked his tongue while staring toward where the two had vanished, the Merchant King approached and patted his shoulder.
“Seong-un, congratulations. You have finally taken your first step as a merchant.”
The Merchant King knew better than anyone how thrilling a first trade could be.
“If you ever run into trouble, come see me anytime. Never forget who your teacher is.”
“Thank you.”
Jin Seong-un bowed his head deeply.
As reassuring as the Sword Immortal soaring on his sword was, so too was the Merchant King, the greatest merchant of all time.
This time, Noble Enchantress, who had finished tidying up the go stones, came over and added her words.
“Seong-un. Unlike the others, I do not have much left to teach you. But even if it is just a personal worry, if you ever feel like talking to someone, come to me anytime.”
Noble Enchantress had a voice that calmed the hearts of people.
Even the usually emotionless Jin Seong-un felt at ease whenever he spoke with her.
“You have already given me the greatest thing.”
He had realized through several battles just how incredible the Women’s Moon Heart Method he learned from Noble Enchantress was.
At present, Jin Seong-un’s qi center was small.
But he never lacked inner qi. To be precise, the moment he used it, it was replenished with his breathing.
Even in daily life, while sleeping, and even in battle, his inner qi continued to be replenished.
It was unlike the moving cultivation often spoken of in the murim. This was not simply storing qi through breathing exercises—his qi was restored even without intent.
When Jin Seong-un lowered his head, Noble Enchantress gave the most satisfied smile in the world.
“Oh my. You speak as prettily as you look. There are times when there are matters only women understand, which men do not. Come to me anytime.”
Jin Seong-un bowed his head again.
He did not know his mother’s face, but he thought vaguely that perhaps a mother was someone like this.
The Sword Immortal and Divine Thief had not yet returned, and he had finished greeting the Merchant King and Noble Enchantress.
A little ways away, as always, stood the Blood Demon, staring at the sky.
Jin Seong-un silently bowed his head. The man’s temperament was eccentric, but he had still given him something remarkable.
Morning came.
All the broken furniture had been perfectly repaired.
After cleaning up and waiting a while, a man lifted the bamboo curtain and stepped inside.
It was Seo Yu-gyeom.
When dressed in assassin’s garb, his impression was sharp and dangerous, but in plain clothes, he looked more like a well-bred young master.
“What’s that?”
Jin Seong-un pointed at the dagger in Seo Yu-gyeom’s hand. Surely he wasn’t thinking of using that for cooking.
“A cooking dagger.”
“…No matter how I look at it, that seems better suited for slicing people than food.”
“I’ve used this kind of blade my whole life, so it’s convenient for cooking too. Watch.”
Seo Yu-gyeom stared briefly at the radish he had brought along with the dagger, then tossed it into the air.
He took his stance.
A chilling energy formed beneath his feet…
Whish!
Whiik!
With incredible momentum, the dagger slashed repeatedly. In less than a breath, the radish had been diced dozens of times.
If it had been a person instead of a radish, they would have died without even reacting.
When Seo Yu-gyeom extended his palm upward, the finely chopped radish pieces fell down onto it in a soft cascade.
“Breakfast is radish soup.”
“…Sounds good.”
Jin Seong-un had been about to tell Seo Yu-gyeom to use a regular kitchen knife, but the thought of radish soup made with Seo Yu-gyeom’s cooking skills shut his mouth.
When he worked at other inns, the head cook would always prepare breakfast before business started each day.
Since opening the Seong-un Inn, this was the first breakfast he would have, so Jin Seong-un was rather expectant.
Seo Yu-gyeom, true to his assassin background, moved quickly.
In no time, he served the radish soup, and they ate together in satisfaction.
Soon after, Jin Seong-un stepped outside and, with a slightly tense expression, reached out and flipped the sign over.
‘Open for Business.’
The official start of the Seong-un Inn.
.
.
.
When Jin Seong-un went back inside, he kept his eyes fixed on the entrance.
An interval passed.
That interval soon became half an hour, and then an entire hour slipped by.
“Well, it’s not lunchtime yet.”
Consoling himself with that thought, Jin Seong-un once again fixed his gaze on the entrance. His focus was as unwavering as when he performed martial arts.
Another two hours passed like that.
It was now slightly past lunchtime.
Not a single customer had come.
“What’s going on?”
Jin Seong-un tilted his head.
Perhaps the sign saying they were open was too small?
At that moment, Seo Yu-gyeom approached and casually placed a hand on Jin Seong-un’s shoulder.
“What do you mean, what? No shop does well on its first day. You just have to wait for the occasional customer, give them the best impression possible, and let word of mouth spread. Business is patience.”
“Oh…”
It sounded plausible.
In truth, the inns Jin Seong-un had worked at were already well-established, so he had never thought about this part.
“Well, for me… there’s nothing better than getting paid to loaf around.”
“….”
Seo Yu-gyeom grinned as if he were enjoying himself, then returned to the kitchen.
That retreating back somehow felt irritating, but unfortunately, there was no way to refute him.
Then it happened.
The presence of someone approaching the inn.
A plump man soon appeared.
It was No Sang-won, the owner of the Sangwon Cloth Shop.
“…You’re here.”
“Hahaha, what kind of reaction is that! I’m a customer too.”
Jin Seong-un nodded begrudgingly and led him to what he considered the best seat in the inn.
“Congratulations. Looks like you finally got yourself a cook after wanting one so badly. What’s he like? Introduce me.”
“That’s not possible.”
“Hm?”
“The cook is a bit shy.”
After all, Seo Yu-gyeom was a fugitive pursued by Deathshroud.
It was better if he didn’t show his face much.
Jin Seong-un had even gone so far as to hang a cloth to block the kitchen from view.
“So it’s a ‘Mysterious Inn,’ huh? Well, that’s unique and nice in its own way.”
No Sang-won laughed heartily, seemingly amused.
After a short while, the food came out.
It was the stir-fried vegetables and noodles that Jin Seong-un had praised highly.
No Sang-won, who had bad memories of noodles, was cautious at first, but took a careful bite.
In that instant, lightning struck in No Sang-won’s mind.
In his decades of being a gourmet, the path to gaining all this weight had never been an easy one.
Having eaten countless dishes, No Sang-won was certain.
“This will do.”
“Pardon?”
“You’ve got nothing to worry about now. No, this won’t do. Wait here.”
Suddenly, No Sang-won jumped to his feet, went outside, and shouted.
“Have you eaten yet? You? Anyone who hasn’t eaten, gather up! Today I’m treating everyone to a big meal!”
Out of nowhere, he began gathering merchants.
News that the stingy No Sang-won was spending money brought merchants flocking to the inn.
The once-empty inn instantly filled with liveliness, and No Sang-won called out loud enough for everyone to hear.
“Make it braised pork belly and shredded pork with pancakes for everyone!”
“Hey, isn’t that a bit heavy for midday?”
“Oh ho! Look at our Seong-un here. He reminds me of my younger days, so I’m splurging on expensive food. Look closely—don’t we look alike? Back in the day, my jawline was sharp as a blade, you know.”
No Sang-won touched his chin.
It was more like a lump of dough than a blade.
“Time sure is cruel.”
When No Sang-won smiled bitterly, the merchants burst out laughing.
A short while later, as the braised pork belly and shredded pork with pancakes were served to each table, No Sang-won approached Jin Seong-un and lowered his voice.
“Exactly half an hour from now, bring me a bottle of Bamboo Leaf Green—but only for me.”
Jin Seong-un nodded.
For a customer like this, a bottle of Bamboo Leaf Green was nothing.
.
.
.
Everyone was enjoying their meal.
The cook’s skills were so exceptional that the compliments kept coming.
The atmosphere was warm and cheerful.
If there was one drawback, it was that both the braised pork belly and shredded pork with pancakes were sticky and greasy, so they were starting to feel heavy.
At that moment, Jin Seong-un brought out the bottle of Bamboo Leaf Green, just as No Sang-won had asked.
“My, my… I never thought I’d see the day I drink Bamboo Leaf Green in Yichang!”
No Sang-won deliberately raised his voice as he opened the bottle and gave it a swirl.
The uniquely sweet fragrance spread instantly, and when he poured it into a cup, he poured from a height so its clear color could be admired.
Sounds of gulping could be heard here and there.
“I said I’d treat everyone to food, not to drinks. If you want to drink, you’ll have to get it yourselves.”
Then No Sang-won took a big bite of braised pork belly.
With twenty years in the cloth shop business, No Sang-won’s specialties were telling silk apart and eating food deliciously.
Everyone’s eyes were drawn to him as if under a spell.
He chewed the pork belly slowly, then washed it down with a refreshing gulp of Bamboo Leaf Green.
“Khhhhh!”
At that moment, people could no longer resist and began ordering Bamboo Leaf Green left and right.
It was by no means a cheap liquor.
However, since they had been treated to a free meal, they were more generous than usual about the cost of alcohol.
“A bottle here too!”
“Here as well!”
Jin Seong-un moved busily, serving the Bamboo Leaf Green.
On the very first day, it was an outright jackpot.
In truth, an inn made real money not from food but from selling alcohol.
Especially with a relatively high-priced drink like Bamboo Leaf Green, the profit margin was substantial.
No Sang-won might look sloppy on the outside, but he was a man who had been in business for twenty years in one place.
Admiring No Sang-won’s skill, Jin Seong-un gave him a polite bow and even raised his thumb in approval.
No Sang-won wore a smile so pleased it looked like he might float away. After all, making the neighborhood uncles happy was the easiest thing in the world.
The first day of business ended in great success.
In the now-empty inn, Jin Seong-un and Seo Yu-gyeom sat facing each other.
Between them sat a simple plate of stir-fried pork and a bottle of Bamboo Leaf Green.
“Good work.”
“Turns out it’s as hard as being an assassin. But at least no one died, so that’s a relief, right?”
A bit of a joke.
But when Jin Seong-un didn’t catch on, Seo Yu-gyeom awkwardly changed the subject.
“How did you end up running an inn at such a young age?”
“I was born an orphan and lived as a waiter. That’s all. I’ve never wanted another path.”
When Jin Seong-un spoke calmly, Seo Yu-gyeom nodded.
“I knew we had something in common. I felt it from the first time I saw you. Truth is, I’m an orphan too.”
“As long as it doesn’t hinder living, it’s fine.”
“Right, exactly. Who would dare look down on you, the owner of a fine inn at your age… or me, an assassin of Deathshroud?”
Jin Seong-un stared at Seo Yu-gyeom.
He hadn’t even been drinking yet, but somehow he looked drunk.
“Did you drink while working?”
“A little?”
Jin Seong-un clicked his tongue.
Even so, Seo Yu-gyeom had done his work perfectly, so there was nothing to criticize.
Seo Yu-gyeom went on.
“Even among orphans, you’re better off than me.”
“How so?”
“It would have been fine if my parents had abandoned me. But I was born killing my parents.”
Seo Yu-gyeom stared straight at Jin Seong-un as he said this.
Ordinary people would be flustered when a dark story appeared out of nowhere.
But Jin Seong-un remained calm and dry from start to finish. That made him even more likable.
“Aren’t you curious?”
“Everyone has their own story. If you want to tell it, go ahead.”
Seo Yu-gyeom grinned.
He had never had a lifelong friend before, but he thought this feeling might be something like that.
“Have you ever heard of the Heavenly Martial Star? My life turned out this twisted all because of that damned star.”
Jin Seong-un almost spat out the Bamboo Leaf Green he was drinking.
The Martial Gods said that those born with the energy of the Heavenly Martial Star were called the Heavenly Martial Body, and that Jin Seong-un was one of them.
He had not expected this story to suddenly come out of Seo Yu-gyeom’s mouth, so he forced himself to ask,
“W-what is the Heavenly Martial Star?”
At the same time, Seo Yu-gyeom’s eyes narrowed.