“Authentic martial arts cuisine? At this inn, it’s just somyeon and dumplings!”
Of course, it’s not that there aren’t any somyeon and dumplings in this world.
Sometimes, I would chuckle at the ridiculous dishes served at inns and order somyeon and dumplings myself. But to have an inn that only serves somyeon and dumplings? GALL! This isn’t a martial arts dating sim!
Isn’t it strange enough to feel like I need to shout this somewhere? And the menu isn’t the only odd thing.
“They didn’t even hand me a menu, and they brought water to me one by one.”
They explained the menu in person. Even if there aren’t many customers, bringing water directly seems a bit much. Water should be self-service, after all. Moreover, upon closer inspection, this isn’t even plain water; it’s tea steeped with care.
It’s too suspicious.
It feels like I’m watching android robots or reptilian humans disguised as people. Once I took a suspicious look around the inn, it became clear that it was full of oddities.
When I looked up, I noticed a square mark on the wall.
Around it was a faded spot from sunlight, yet that square area was perfectly clean. Something that looked like a menu must have been hanging there initially.
If the sunlight’s fading is that pronounced, it means it was there for quite a while. Why did they take it down?
“There must be a reason they can’t serve the items on the menu.”
Maybe they’ve run out of cooking ingredients, or the chef has changed. Or perhaps all the staff has been forcefully retired and replaced by someone incapable of preparing food.
If they can’t provide the items on the menu, they might have taken the menu down to avoid suspicion.
“Jukyeopcheong is the liquor of the Mundimeon Mountain Province, and it’s strange that it can only be ordered in a remote village.”
In authentic martial arts tales, jukyeopcheong would be stored in the fridge of every inn. But in this world, it’s something you need to go through a lot of trouble to obtain.
When I asked the innkeeper if they had jukyeopcheong, he looked confused and awkward. It seems like the innkeeper had a strategy for the food menu but couldn’t respond properly to the unexpected question about the liquor.
Seeing the innkeeper’s awkward hospitality, the bizarre maintenance of the inn, and the usual things that I would typically overlook started to pile up in my mind.
If what I’m noticing isn’t just an overreaction, then what is it?
“The inn itself is a trap, a classic martial arts cliché.”
The reason I even came here was that two paths were blocked on my way. It felt strange that I didn’t encounter bandits. What if this inn is where they’ve been waiting?
It could be a setup to rob unsuspecting travelers. Or if we’re leaning towards the darker side of martial arts, there might be people who capture and enjoy dumplings made from human flesh here.
“It’s all just speculation. But it’s worth mentioning.”
If it’s just my overreaction, I’d laugh it off. But if it’s true, then it could be a matter of life and death.
—————
“So you think the inn is suspicious?”
Hwarin asked me without any doubt about the inn being a trap.
“Huh?”
In a crisis situation, her expression showed she understood without asking why. Hwarin, you’re touching my heart here.
“Then let’s check it out.”
Hwarin lifted the water cup that I had warned her against.
“Hey…!”
I warned her not to drink it because it could be poisoned. But Hwarin raised her hand, indicating it was fine, and gulped down the tea in the cup.
If Hwarin has a resistance to poison, maybe it’ll be okay.
She swirled the tea in her mouth like a judge in a cooking contest, tilted her head, then swallowed the water.
“It’s not poison?”
“Is it not?”
Was my suspicion unfounded?
Yeah, it could be that there really is an inn specializing in somyeon and dumplings in this world. I must have fallen from grace.
Just when I was feeling a pang of guilt, Hwarin continued.
“But it’s not just ordinary tea.”
“What do you mean?”
“It has a strong astringent taste. It’s not poisonous, but it feels like the tea leaves are dulling the sense of taste and smell.”
“A light poison used before poisoning food.”
The deputy medical official, who had been quietly listening to us, murmured.
“Yes. It’s hard to manipulate tea like this, but it’s a decent setup.”
Hwarin nodded at the deputy medical official and drank the remaining tea.
“Tsk, it felt suspicious that nothing was happening.”
The deputy medical official clicked his tongue and tapped the table with his fingers.
“Tu tu tu.”
When he tapped rhythmically, the other members, who had been relaxed, suddenly tensed their expressions. Is this a warning signal?
“Somyeon and dumplings have arrived. I have something to attend to, so I’ll leave the key to the guest room with you. Please take care of yourselves.”
The innkeeper laid out somyeon and dumplings in front of us and then disappeared somewhere.
The tea may not have necessarily been a setup for poisoning. Perhaps the tea leaves are just of such poor quality, or they were trying to disguise cheap ingredients or mask the lack of flavor.
Hwarin gazed at the food with a wary expression while everyone else hesitated, holding their chopsticks.
“Hwarin.”
I called her worriedly.
“It’s fine. Unlike the extreme poison that Geoh gave me, I can identify poisons added to food.”
Hwarin, I’m not asking if you can handle it. I’m worried about the danger of poison since you plan to eat it. Even if you’re immune, it’s still nerve-wracking when a friend says they’re going to eat something poisonous.
Hwarin ate the noodles and broth meticulously like a gourmet, aware or unaware of my worries.
“They made the somyeon quite stimulating. Is the ingredient a sleep-inducing poison? The purity is quite high. It adds lethargy to the exciting somyeon. It’s edible.”
So, for you, is poison a spice? Hwarin spoke as if she were identifying a secret ingredient in the somyeon.
“Is that so?”
If it’s a sleep-inducing poison, are they planning to ambush everyone once they fall asleep?
“What’s inside the dumplings… Why?”
“Do you really need to taste it?”
I stopped Hwarin’s hand as it reached for the dumpling, turning to look at the deputy medical official who had a needle ready. Hwarin, we don’t know what kind of meat could be inside the dumpling. Let’s avoid it.
“It’s a paralysis poison, isn’t it?”
The dumpling was also poisoned.
“Should we capture the innkeeper?”
The deputy medical official quietly asked about the deputy medical official’s inclinations. He shook his head and raised his hand slowly.
One of the members nodded after observing his hand signals, and they began to search the inn stealthily and swiftly.
“Those guys. They’re not many for the trouble they’re stirring.”
Seeing this, I quietly spoke. To use poison against the great Sichuan Tang Family? Only someone with nerves of steel could dare to do such a thing.
“I don’t sense anyone hiding in the inn, so I guess enemies are lurking in this village.”
The enemies were likely waiting for an opportunity while we were asleep. There wouldn’t be a need to hide inside the inn. The problem is, in this small village with only a few households, we have no idea how many could pop out.
A heavy silence covered our group.
“I don’t see any people, but I sense a strong smell of blood from somewhere far away.”
One of the members, finishing the search, quietly reported to the deputy medical official. This means there’s already been a victim.
“Phew. I can’t believe there are such heinous acts being committed. It doesn’t seem like the first time they’ve done this.”
The deputy medical official bit his lip, as if holding in his anger at the mention of blood.
“What are your thoughts?”
“We can either break the innkeeper’s neck right now and leave, or we can just get out of here.”
“It’s getting dark soon. If they try to chase us, it could get troublesome.”
While I don’t doubt the power of the Sichuan Tang Family, the situation is uncertain regarding how many enemies there are. Engaging in a chase under the dark night could be dangerous for me, even if the Tang Family members are fine.
“We could just pretend not to notice and leave. It might take a little trickery, but if you’re that worried, you can take charge.”
“Hmm.”
“Usually, I would want to hold accountable those who commit heinous acts. However, we are on a mission. Plus, we’re responsible for the safety of the two guests.”
The deputy medical official cast a sideways glance at me, as if it was all my fault.
Throwing the baton to me in this situation is quite a surprise.
Right. I have to safely escort these two: the poisoned experiment subject, Lady Tang, and the illegitimate child of the head of the family, Kang Yoon-ho. It’s only rational to prioritize the safety of our guests here.
All the deputy medical official members silently looked at me.
They seem to want to know my opinion.
What should I do? If there’s a scent of blood, it indicates we’re not the first ones. There could be another victim soon. But do we really need to take the risk and handle the situation?
If I turn away, it no longer becomes my problem. Just because I have the strength doesn’t mean I need to swing it.
In that moment, memories of wandering through the Central Plains as a black-haired barbarian with an empty stomach sprang to mind.
What do I think I’m doing? In this situation, there’s only one thing I can say.
“To have strength and turn away is an injustice. Remaining silent in the face of evil is no different than consenting to it.”
You guys are from the righteous sect, right? If you turn your back on this, you might as well tear off your righteous emblem. Why bother asking such questions?
I looked at the deputy medical official, expecting to be told that I was being foolish for my uninformed judgment.
What? But to my surprise, the deputy medical official wore a proud smile toward me.
Other members who had been focused on him also smiled and nodded quietly in agreement.
“That’s right. This is not something we can simply ignore as pillars of the righteous sect.”
The deputy medical official maintained his proud expression, making the declaration loud enough for the other members to hear. All the members nodded in agreement.
“Let’s wait for the night. Everyone, go into the guest room.”
We entered the guest room to exterminate those who would attack under the cover of night.
—————
“How did you catch on?”
Why am I sharing a room with the deputy medical official? He asked me, ignoring Hwarin and the other team members.
“A predator might think nothing of the shaking grass, but a deer always keeps its ears perked up. I sensed something was off. Paying attention revealed several oddities.”
Especially since they made somyeon and dumplings their primary menu. I couldn’t say that, so I tried to cover it up.
“Travelers in the martial world tend to be careless, thinking they’re predators. Compared to them, you have a good demeanor and sharp intuition.”
The deputy medical official spoke to me in a much more amiable tone than usual.
Why is he suddenly complimenting me? Seeing him acting so friendly gives me an odd feeling.
“Thanks for the compliment.”
Is he trying to get closer to me before we reach Sichuan Province?
“Of course, everyone would have noticed once the food came out.”
The deputy medical official snorted dismissively, as if it were a useless comment. The pure praise was surprising.
“If you did well, you should say so…”
“But still, your words remind me of someone from my younger days.”
The deputy medical official cut me off, his voice tinged with nostalgia. Is he referring to the head of the Tang Family?
“Living as a black-haired barbarian in the Central Plains means encountering countless injustices. Even if you have strength, you see many who turn their backs. I vowed I wouldn’t easily turn away if I found myself in the opposite position someday.”
“Righteousness, justice, and chivalry. Those are nice words. But to save one person, you earn the hatred of ten in the martial world.”
“That’s why we’re not a prestigious sect if we can’t handle that.”
The deputy medical official looked shocked at my words, his eyes widening slightly. He stared at me for a while, his expression indicating he was looking for someone in me.
Is this something he has heard from someone long ago?
“…You’re right. But one cannot act solely on their own sense of justice without observing their surroundings. If there are those who can’t do that, there should be someone around to say what needs to be said.”
The deputy medical official lowered his head with a bitter expression. Is this personal experience talking?
“For someone in your position, I’d say you have a decent reputation.”
“Ha ha ha. You’re quite cheeky. Although I may have voiced opinions that you dislike, I’ve always acted without shame as a member of the righteous sect.”
Is it because I complimented him? His remark carried a usual sense of hostility, but today it didn’t.
“Yoon-ho, it’s almost time. The sleep-inducing smoke is rising.”
Looks like the moment is getting close. Hwarin, who was keeping watch by the door, informed us that the smoke to knock people unconscious was beginning to rise.
I covered my mouth with a cloth and prepared to use the incantation that drives out poison, waiting quietly for the right moment.
————————-
It felt like an hour or two had passed midnight. The sound of the inn door opening echoed, followed by commotion from the first floor.
“Brother! The Sichuan Tang Family isn’t special at all!”
“The poison we’re using is something you can’t get even if you pay for it! Everyone is going to be sound asleep!”
“Let’s go check if the blood of the Sichuan Tang Family is purple or red!”
Their triumphant voices echoed momentarily.
“What… what?”
All the deputy medical officials opened the door and appeared.
“How dare you use poison in front of the great Sichuan Tang Family? That’s downright ridiculous.”
“Bro, I think we might be in trouble! Uagh!”
“There’s only one reason you’re awake in this deep night. Clean them up.”
The deputy medical official raised his hand, determining the grim future for the vicious thugs.
“Please spare us!”
“I… can’t breathe!”
“Itches, itches! Itches taste good!”
“Cough!”
This is one-sided. It’s almost like cleaning house.
As time passed, and the faint dawn shone through the darkness, screams ceased to come from outside.
So many corpses. As we stepped outside the inn, they appeared to be bodies of those who had died from overwork with no definite cause.
“Report.”
The deputy medical official received a report from the Tang Family within the dead.
“There are many minor injuries, but no serious injuries! We can use our memory and poisons more, but we’ll only need to restock when we reach the city!”
The deputy medical official nodded and seemed to be finishing things up as he grabbed the collar of the innkeeper he had seen earlier.
“Your evildoings stop here.”
Ooh, that’s quite cool. It sounds like a declaration to a loser in a fighting game. No way, is he going to show a fatality? I’m weak against gore, though.
Even in the midst of that, the innkeeper, showing signs of fear, unexpectedly shouted.
“Shit. What’s weak is the medical field! You can’t trust these righteous sect folks. You terrible bastards!”
“What do you mean by that?”
What’s going on? Are they saying that our appearance here wasn’t just coincidence but was deliberate? Why?
“What do you mean, shit? Would we be crazy to attack you guys? It’s just some petty family feud… Ugh!”
A dart suddenly flew from somewhere, piercing the man’s neck.
“Who!”
The deputy medical official and the team members all turned their attention toward where the dart had come from.
In a place not yet illuminated by dawn, figures clad in black approached, their faces obscured.
I’ve got a bad feeling about this—figures in black masks.
They stopped at a distance, and only one man, unmasked with purple hair, confidently approached.
“Long time no see, deputy medical official.”
“W-What are you doing here?”
Even in the deputy medical official’s startled voice, the man continued to approach us.
His gaze was locked on one woman, and as the dawn fell upon him, his face was revealed.
Though I had never seen this face before, I had definitely heard of it.
The very man that Hwarin had mentioned in anger.
A man resembling a tiger’s physique, yet sly like a viper.
“Why? I’ve come to retrieve something I’ve cherished.”
It was Tang Geoh.
