Chapter 107

The term often referred to as the prehistoric era does not simply mean ancient times. It meant the era before recorded history, specifically the time before humanity invented writing. It signifies the unknown period of humanity’s dawn, where no records remain.

However, surprisingly, there was one record left from before the prehistoric age. This record is estimated to date back over ten thousand years, making it a scholarly consensus that it was left by an advanced pre-human civilization.

This very record is the Hwandangogi, which chronicles the history of the first civilization that built an ideal state, the Hwan Empire.

Proof of Hwandangogi being true can be found in the watermelon polygon.

Of course, many people misunderstand and fail to understand the essence of this Hwan Empire.

They are a race that transcended the realms of the Three Thousand Worlds spoken of in Buddhism, surpassing the Nine Thousand of Daoism to reach the Heavenly Realm.

Those with a general intelligence quotient below fifteen hundred simply cannot fathom this. Only those with an IQ of fifteen hundred and above can understand that the Hwan Empire is omnipotent and the progenitor of all humanity across the six continents.

The only intellects capable of daring to challenge these geniuses are those from another faction that realized the truth of a flat world and embarked on enlightenment.

As a side note, perhaps it’s hard to distinguish between geniuses and fools since opposites ultimately connect.

According to Hwandangogi, Spicy Hotpot is a traditional dish of the Han people, having been loved ever since it first appeared beneath the divine tree, Shindan-su.

This Spicy Hotpot spread to the Central Plain, evolving into a primitive form known as Mochae.

(No.)

Mochae is a traditional dish of Sichuan.

They carried a hot broth and a basket filled with all kinds of ingredients separately, and when a guest ordered, they would combine it into a bowl right then and there. Even though the individual portions were small, the variety of rich ingredients made it the favorite food of guests who cherished abundance over quantity.

Then, from the evolution of Mochae, Spicy Hotpot emerged. This signifies the cyclical nature of the world where Spicy Hotpot became Mochae, and Mochae converted back into Spicy Hotpot.

And the ultimate Spicy Hotpot in today’s world was right there!

Master Chef Chang Ryong.

The world’s best cook, Jae Joong.

The signboard of the restaurant boasted not one, but two nameplates hanging off it, with a rare business name embellished further below.

“But what does ‘the world’s best cook’ even mean? Do you know who decides that? Is it just someone with a huge ego? Or do the chefs battle out a ranking?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never heard of such customs in the Central Plain.”

Choi Riyong was equally curious.

Just then, someone naturally answered that question.

“That’s what they call the last winner of the World’s Greatest Cooking Competition.”

“Oh. The World’s Greatest Cooking Competition.”

Qing awed and tilted her head.

“That’s odd. My heart races just hearing about it, yet why have I never heard of it?”

“Well, it’s a cooking contest to find the best chef in Sichuan, so it’s only natural that someone from outside wouldn’t know.”

“Ah. But why is it called the World’s Greatest? Shouldn’t it be the Sichuan’s Greatest Cooking Competition?”

“Well, Sichuan cuisine is the best in the world, so the best chef in Sichuan is naturally the best chef in the world.”

“That’s something we ought to confirm with other capital cities! But hey, who’s our clever friend here?”

Qing had no interest in describing men, in fact, she found it distasteful, so she didn’t care about the details. He was just a pale-faced, sickly young master emanating a delicate elegance.

“Me? I prefer Zhang Liu. My name is Jayu. And what’s your Young Lady’s name?”

Zhang Liu mentioned the long willow branch behind Qing, referring to it as a willow frond. He had no intention of hiding his pseudonym.

“So it’s Zhang Liu or Jayu? You have to pick one.”

“I’ll go with Jayu then. I’m not close to the Zhang family.”

“Cool. I’m Qing. Seomun Qing.”

At that, Jayu smiled broadly in response.

“Nice! Young Lady Seomun, huh? But why the casual talk?”

“You started it! What, you mad?”

Qing placed a hand on her hilt, hinting she was ready to settle it with a blade if needed.

Jayu grinned even wider upon seeing this.

“To be honest, yes. But your logic holds weight, so I won’t nitpick.”

“Right. Jayu. I have a habit of not making friends with shady people, you know? I appreciate your explanation, but let’s start going our separate ways now.”

“Don’t be so harsh. It looks like you’re also heading to Chang Ryong’s Spicy Hotpot. Since we’re both here, let’s share a table.”

“Me? Why?”

“I’ve got some Oryang Liquor here, but handling it alone seems a bit too much. You wouldn’t happen to be willing to help, would you?”

Oryang Liquor was a famous spirits from Sichuan, even mentioned in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. It was known that Meng Huo’s brother, Meng You, once surrendered to Zhuge Liang in a crafty tactic similar to a legendary wooden horse plan, only to down so much Oryang Liquor that they laughed and forgot the mission, leading to a massive fail.

Qing, a lover of fine drinks, knew of it well, even if she hadn’t read the Romance of the Three Kingdoms even once properly.

“Is it really Oryang?”

She brightened her eyes through the thin paper screen. She had to use the screen since old man Choi Riyong would nag her otherwise.

“Of course. You can’t serve some random liquor alongside a meal made by the world’s greatest chef, can you?”

If we spoke about Oryang Liquor, it was the finest among the finest. There were even proverbs from alcohol aficionados claiming it was worth risking one’s life for it.

Qing had previously tried, but due to the high-class nature of gold coins, she couldn’t get her hands on it.

She quickly nodded her head.

“Now that I think about it, true friendship doesn’t waver at the sight of some minor suspicion. Right, friend?”

“Friend, huh… that’s nice. Really nice.”

Jayu beamed with a bright smile.

Seeing his expression, Qing realized.

Ah, he doesn’t have friends.

Then I guess I can shake him down for some friend fees.

“By the way, who’s that old man over there?”

“Oh, Grandpa? He’s, um, my caretaker grandpa.”

The honest explanation about Choi Riyong was all she could share; she couldn’t just say he’s the former great warrior of the demonic sect, could she?

“I am Choi, old man.”

“Pleased to meet you, Mr. Choi. Can I just call you old man?”

“…You may do that.”

Choi Riyong responded as he examined Jayu.\

Wearing clothes made of exquisite fabric, with a pale face, he radiated an aura that showed he was undoubtedly from a powerful household.

Three checkpoints here.

Soft hands and a regular pulse, meaning he had no martial arts training. That’s another three points down.

Speaking casually to a lady shows he’s reckless, deducting five points.

Not being hung up on titles adds back a point.

Being friendless meant he wasn’t the social type, adding back another three points.

So he tallied in with a score of six at least, which made him worth keeping an eye on.

Now Choi Riyong’s minimal score needed was a hundred points.

Thus they were loitering around Chang Ryong as they were about to enter when a group of ruffians leaning at the entrance caught Qing’s eye.

Seeing them already made it clear their business wouldn’t be great news, and Qing couldn’t help but be curious.

“But what about those folks over there?”

“Are those the cancelled reservations?”

“Cancelled reservations?”

“Those are people who had their reservations canceled.”

Sometimes, guests would face issues preventing the restaurant from accepting them, leading to the unavoidable cancelation of reservations.

The trouble came afterward, though.

With about a month and a half wait, guests would start booking their place to enjoy the Spicy Hotpot, or they’d reserve on behalf of someone before visiting at the right time.

Now, having their reservations suddenly canceled, naturally, they felt bad and left with their deposits returned, thus worsening their mood further.

“Just refunding the deposit and calling it a day?”

“What else can we do? Do we reschedule them for a month and a half later, or would we push out a guest from the day before?”

“Fair point.”

Qing nodded her head.

In the first place, a restaurant does what a restaurant does well—make good food. Guests pay up just to have a taste, so the more successful the place, the more often they take days off and enjoy all holidays without fail.

“So, what are they doing over there?”

“Probably planning to protest or something.”

“Whoa, those are some jobless folks.”

Qing let out a snicker.

Of course, if reservations were canceled, one would surely feel bad, but there’s no need to gather and glare with angry eyes at the restaurant that’s not going to compensate them, right? Are they tossing away their moods and time like that?

Weren’t they simply jobless people?

…That’s what I thought a while ago.

“Sir, tonight we had to cancel reservations because a special guest reserved the place.”

“What?”

“We’ll refund you double.”

In a daze, Qing received their money back.

The deposit wasn’t a small amount by any means, but it wasn’t hefty either, so even double didn’t feel like a windfall.

“My… My ultimate Spicy Hotpot…”

While Qing was in a stupor, Jayu stepped forward.

“Hey, I’m under the name Shin Hwi. Has that been canceled too?”

“Did you not hear? A special guest reserved the entire place.”

“How special could this guest be?”

“The magnificent Heavenly Flower from the Tang Family herself came to grace us with her presence. Got it?”

Yu’s expression stiffened.

In the meantime, Qing’s insides were boiling.

Okay, cancellations happen, I get it.

It’s a special guest, after all.

Living through primitive, uncivilized Chinese cultures, I’ve been through reservation systems that require guests to pass based on rank countless times.

But the attitude was another story.

This tavern girl wouldn’t bow down to apologize, just sticking her head up straight and trying to shove them out the door instead. How could anyone stand to watch that with their two eyes?

Qing was about to explode.

“Hey.”

“Don’t be like that, friend. In Sichuan, and related to the Tang family, it’s no fun at all.”

“Tang family?”

“The Tang family of the Five Great Families of the Central Plain.”

“Ah, I’ve heard of them.”

She had heard a thing or two from Pang Dae-san and Namgoong Shin-jae. Pang Dae-san told her they were a clingy bunch, while the swordmaster said they were the wealthiest family in all of Sichuan.

Pang members wore their emotions on their sleeves, so recognizing a haughty look on the Tang family’s face might mean someone had a bad experience with them.

Well, Yu’s unhappy demeanor could nearly rival that of attending a funeral.

Thanks to this, Qing lost the opportunity to rant and reluctantly stormed out of the restaurant.

Then, as if it were natural, she walked right over to the protest area of the canceled reservations.

“Hey friend, where are you going?”

“I want to see what kind of precious face is powerful enough to cancel someone else’s reservation.”

“You know it’s the Heavenly Flower, right?”

“I know the name. Is she some flower from the talking world? What, is she a gorgeous woman? Then I should at least see her face.”

Jayu asked seriously, raising a brow.

“You mean you don’t know the Heavenly Flower, the one with a sword at her waist and a member of the Five Great Flowers of the Central Plain? Are you really a martial world individual?”

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