Book 15 Chapter 7

The City Outing of the Forest King

There were not many customers at the Huayin Inn today. If you ask how few, I would say it was so empty that flies were flying around.

What was peculiar was that despite there being quite a few passersby, customers were strangely scarce. In fact, the only customers currently using the inn were the two people sharing the same table.

'Strange… really strange…'

Du Chil, the owner of the Huayin Inn, couldn't help but ponder this strange phenomenon.

'Is it because of those two people?'

Du Chil's gaze turned to the two burly men eating in a corner. They had bulging muscles and forearms like twisted steel bars. Their forearms were adorned with various scars, presumably made by different tools, etched in hideous, irregular patterns. Furthermore, they had large faces with beards so stiff they looked like they might prick you, and on top of that, hideous scars on their faces scattered here and there! Finally, and most decisively, hanging from their waists were terrifying broadswords that sent shivers down your spine just by looking at them.

They were figures who looked monstrous at first glance. The jobs they could do with such appearances were very limited, and they were clearly something very dangerous and fierce.

It was certain that the customers who had entered the inn with smiles earlier had changed their expressions and hurried away because of those two. Even so, he couldn't bring himself to tell them to leave. No matter how much his merchant's soul burned red with desire for higher sales and better profits, life was more important.

'Please eat quickly and get out of here!'

Just like every time an unwelcome guest arrived, Du Chil quietly wished in his heart.

"Wow, perhaps it's been a while since we've been in the city… it's nice! Indeed, for us Forest Hermits to increase our sales performance, we must conduct preliminary regional surveys to gather a lot of prior information. Now, Forest Hermits must also abandon outdated sales methods and reform their consciousness! That's right! Don't you think so, Mojing?"

A man with a larger build among the middle-aged men, who had been significantly impacting the inn's sales for a while, said with exaggerated gestures, draining his clinking wine glass heartily.

What is a Forest Hermit (綠林處士)?

A hermit (處士) refers to a scholar who has not yet passed the imperial examinations and remains at home. It means a scholar who "stays at home (處)." In a bad way, they are unemployed. Then, what about the unemployed who reside in the deep green forests? Strangely, they had a profession. They were bandits! Forest Hermit was slang used by bandits to refer to themselves with high regard.

And this burly, fierce-looking man was arguably the highest-ranking among the bandits widespread throughout the Central Plains. Hence, his grand alias was the Forest King (綠林王).

Lim Deok-seong, the Forest King, the leader of the Seventy-two Forest Strongholds and the master of the Malang Stronghold, was filled with the seriousness of a leader burning with the desire for business expansion. However, Mojing, the leader of the Thirty-six Violent Wolf Blades and his companion drinking with him, could not agree with his words. He was the escort for this erratic and sudden undercover inspection (?).

"Heh heh heh. If you just want to see your son, why don't you just say it honestly, brother!"

As the bear-like Mojing chuckled, the fierce wolf-head decorated broadsword hanging from his waist rattled. The way it swayed seemed to mock him, making Lim Deok-seong extremely displeased.

Yet, Mojing, perhaps not noticing the change, continued speaking.

"After all, it's the famous Huashan Alliance Chapter, isn't it? It's a big festival held once every ten years where the talented individuals of the martial world compete their skills! To be born the son of a mere bandit and participate in such a grand competition as a representative of the civilized world, that alone is an honor to the family! It's like a dragon from a barren land, no, a tiger appearing in the backyard!"

'Mere bandit?'

Why does that vulgar mouth of his always fail to distinguish between what should and should not be said.

'Should I just rip that mouth open and break those legs?'

He looks like a clumsy bear, but he's quicker-witted than a fox. It's a very useful skill when working, but absolutely not in this situation. Moreover, he has no discernment when it comes to using his tongue, so he doesn't choose his words carefully even in private settings like this.

Reducing the meal cost on this occasion—honestly, his sworn brother was a monster who could easily eat ten portions alone—would also help stabilize the stronghold's finances. However, the fact that he was his sworn brother, his brother-in-law, and the sworn uncle and uncle-in-law of Jin Seong-gon and Im Seong-jin, obstructed his decision.

Therefore, that certain impulse was only ever planned and never properly executed. First, stopping that mouth was paramount.

"Sh-shut up! Don't misunderstand! The reason I'm here is simply to observe the faces of the masters from various sects and factions coming to attend the Huashan Alliance Chapter and gather information. For the path we will take in the future. It's not to watch that guy's performance at all."

Lim Deok-seong spoke in a louder voice than before. His face was turning various shades of red, perhaps because he was angry, or perhaps because his point had been hit.

"Ah, is that so? Then, for now, we'll just leave it at that!"

Then he turned around and spoke as if to be heard…

"Heh heh heh! If you want to meet, just say you want to meet. If you want to see, just say you want to see. Even though there's still plenty of time before the Huashan Alliance Chapter begins… you prepared in haste because you were eager…"

*Crack!*

A blue vein throbbing on Lim Deok-seong's forehead pulsed wildly like a wild horse. That was clearly intentional. He was mumbling in such a clear voice that it couldn't be hidden even by slightly turning his head.

Lim Deok-seong, who felt the appeal of 'saving on food costs' firsthand, decided to reconsider the matter carefully once more. That feeling was overtly emanating from his entire body.

'Heh heh heh…'

Sensing the ever-growing desire for saving on food costs, Mojing quickly shut his mouth. If he continued to tease him, that mouth might not remain intact. However, it seemed a bit too late.

"Kuhuhuhuhu…"

Those bright, tiger-like eyes seemed unusual.

'Is, is he serious…'

It seemed his sworn brother had lost his reason with a probability of more than nine out of ten. Cold sweat trickled down his spine. Those eyes were very dangerous.

"Come, come… let's just finish eating, brother! These meat dumplings are quite a delicacy, yum yum!"

*Munch, munch!*

He grabbed the various foods left on the plate and forcefully stuffed them into his mouth, chewing them noisily. It was unlikely he could digest them properly in this state, but he continued to stuff them in, risking constipation.

However, Lim Deok-seong was still gathering himself like a tiger stalking its prey, radiating a palpable killing intent.

'My, my husband…'

Just as Mojing was picturing his wife's dignified (!) appearance in despair.

"Oh my, this place looks good! How about we rest here for a bit? And eat some delicious food!"

A loud voice was heard from outside the inn. Despite it being the voice of a quite elderly woman, it was as lively and cheerful as that of an eighteen-year-old girl.

"Ah, I really walked too much today. As I get older, I get tired easily on such long journeys. Ah, it wasn't like this before… Age really isn't something to eat, don't you think? It would be great if I could deceive my age…"

One of the party members entered the inn, pushing aside the curtain at the entrance, chattering incessantly to the point of making one question when she breathed.

"Hmm?"

Did the noisy clamor that echoed in his ears reach even Lim Deok-seong, who was trembling with rage? His gaze turned towards the group. At the same time, the killing intent directed at Mojing vanished as if it had never been.

'I, I'm saved!'

Mojing let out a sigh of relief and watched the noisy aunt, his savior. There were three people in the party: a woman who appeared to be middle-aged, and two elders with a considerable height difference. All three wore wide-brimmed bamboo hats with white gauze hanging down in a circle, making it difficult to accurately discern their faces, but a general estimation was possible with just a keen eye.

The middle-aged woman standing in the center was clearly the chatty aunt herself. Beside her, the tall, dignified elder with a magnificent beard reaching his chest wore dazzling white robes like crane feathers, while the short, slightly plump elder wore humble blue martial attire.

A sword-like object hung from the woman's waist, and a Dao-like object hung from the waist of the elder in the blue clothes. The only unfortunate thing was that both were wrapped in cloth scabbards, so it was impossible to determine how valuable they were. It was Mojing, perhaps due to his occupational hazard, who noticed those first. Finally, the white-robed elder had no notable weaponry. He merely held a twig playfully in one hand.

'Is that a cane?'

But it was too short to be a cane.

'Quite an unusual group! A middle-aged woman and two elders…'

At that moment, Du Chil, the owner, ran towards the rare customers and bowed deeply. The deep bend of his waist and the rubbing of his palms showed a strong will to absolutely not let these customers go.

The middle-aged woman scanned the interior of the inn and said,

"Oh my, it's a very quiet inn! I like how peaceful it is."

Then, the woman's eyes met the eyes of the two men directly. Although not clearly visible due to the veil, it was evident they made eye contact from the angle.

Mojing smiled at her with gratitude. It was a terrifying smile that would make a normal person flee without looking back.

Du Chil couldn't help but be horrified.

'D, don't tell me these customers too, like the others…'

However, the woman did not flee. Instead, she smiled slightly and nodded her head. It seemed like a greeting. With this unexpectedly elegant and graceful gesture, Mojing and Lim Deok-seong also involuntarily nodded slightly in response. Then they realized what shameful act they had committed and were startled. For a brief moment, they had forgotten their identity as bandits.

'Strange aunt…!'

Mojing and Lim Deok-seong, without hesitation, came to that conclusion. Otherwise, unless possessed by a ghost, they wouldn't have acted that way.

"Hmm, that seat over there looks good. Shall we go and sit there?"

That spot was about four tables away from Lim Deok-seong's party. The elders nodded without a word. Despite her words about being tired, the woman was full of energy.

'What a noisy aunt!'

He thought she was really acting her age poorly, but he didn't dare to say it out loud. Thanks to his attention being diverted to her, Mojing was able to keep his life.

Even after sitting down, the woman's chatter continued. The two elders primarily listened quietly, occasionally responding with brief words.

"Strange…"

Lim Deok-seong muttered, his eyes sparkling with interest.

"What is it?"

Mojing asked his 'leader' who tilted his head in confusion.

"That woman's words! Don't you find anything strange?"

"She's certainly chatty. More so than my wife!"

Lim Deok-seong barely restrained himself from slapping him.

"Certainly more than 'that child'… ah, no! That's not it! That woman, even though her face is covered by gauze, her voice and demeanor suggest she's only in her forties, but she's using formal language. Doesn't that feel strange?"

"Th-come to think of it, that's true!"

Only then did Mojing look at the group with slightly tense eyes. The two people excluding the woman were undeniably elders. Even with the wide brim of the bamboo hat and the white gauze hanging down, a beard reaching the chest could not be hidden. It was impossible to think it was fake.

"Are they perhaps experts in the martial world? It is said that among the supreme masters who have surpassed the human realm, many have reached the state of returning to youth."

"Well… she looks too weak to say that?"

Indeed. He himself prided himself on being quite skilled in martial arts. Otherwise, he couldn't have become the leader of a large forest organization like Malang Stronghold, nor would he have been called the Forest King.

Masters recognize masters. A practitioner trained to that extent could sense the energy from even the weakest practitioner.

And that sensed energy was an important measure for comparing and evaluating the opponent and oneself.

"…No matter how I look, I can't feel the unique energy of a martial artist."

There was absolutely no sign of the peculiar aura or spirit that any master would possess. If not for the two swords hanging at her waist, she would have been mistaken for a commoner.

However, Lim Deok-seong's doubts did not last long.

"Here's the order!"

The woman, who had sat in an empty seat, raised her hand and called the waiter. Her voice was still full of energy. All three of them had not yet removed their bamboo hats.

And the order began.

"Hmm… first, please give me Longjing tea. For food, Spicy and sweet pork dish Yuxiangrousi (魚香肉絲), Yuxiangfengpian (龍井鳳片) made by pouring Longjing tea over thinly sliced chicken, Yuxiangjiaohua (魚香茄花) a vegetable dish made with eggplant, Guoba Sanxian (鍋巴三鮮) made with crispy rice, Basijinzao (拔絲金棗), Baguatang (八卦湯)…"

The order was finished a considerable time after it began. Du Chil's face, which had been beaming with delight at first, gradually turned pale. The amount of food coming from the woman's mouth was enough for ten strong men. While he was delighted that the stagnant daily sales had dramatically improved, Du Chil couldn't help but ask.

"Um… guest, are you really planning to eat all of this?"

He had heard the rumors in the industry. He had heard stories that great rich people would order dishes and taste only one bite before discarding them! Of course, such rich people would never come to his humble inn, and he wasn't particularly expecting them.

"Of course. Who orders food they don't intend to eat?"

The middle-aged woman retorted, as if asking a strange question.

"Ah, well… um… it's not that there aren't any…"

Seeing Du Chil stammering, the elder in the blue clothes interjected.

"Look, whether we eat the ordered food or not is our concern, not yours! You just think about making the food quickly and deliciously. The lady here will take care of what happens to the ordered food, so don't worry! By the way, I'm hungry right now, can you bring it out quickly? My stomach is sticking to my back."

"Ah… Understood, Your Excellency! I will bring it immediately!"

Du Chil bowed deeply, showing extreme respect, and rushed to the kitchen, fearing that the order might be canceled.

"Brother!"

Mojing called out to Lim Deok-seong in a soft voice.

"Why?"

The man replied in a listless voice.

"Can we really eat it all?"

"Well… we'll see."

Soon, the food began to arrive.

The three people did not remove their bamboo hats even while eating. However, because the gauze covered their faces, it was inconvenient to eat like that. When they pulled the two blue strings attached to the sides of their faces, the gauze covering their faces parted to the left and right, creating a triangular space. A beautiful woman in her forties with a gentle expression peeked through the gap. It seemed to be the original structure.

Now that there was no inconvenience in eating, the woman quietly moved her chopsticks and began to eat. The two elders joined her.

Lim Deok-seong and Mojing, who were watching, became increasingly wide-eyed.

The woman's eating posture was very elegant.

Perfect sitting posture with a straight back, calm and quiet chopstick movements, and a calm expression with closed eyes, savoring the taste and aroma. Her proper table manners were impeccable in every way.

Except for one thing. That was the fact that the food that was constantly coming from the kitchen was being continuously consumed. The woman never once stopped using her chopsticks while the food kept coming. Yet, there was no change in her expression or posture. It was an astonishing appetite.

Even Lim Deok-seong and Mojing, who prided themselves on seeing everything and experiencing battles regularly and combat daily, could not help but pay homage to this otherworldly sight.

"Is that aunt's stomach the universe (宇宙)?"

Lim Deok-seong exclaimed involuntarily. There was no other way to describe the scene.

"What on earth is her identity?"

The two bandits felt that their understanding of human appetite and stomach capacity had greatly expanded today.

"Look here, little brother!"

Lim Deok-seong called his sworn brother.

"Yes, brother!"

Mojing quickly replied.

"If you had ordered so much food, could you eat it all?"

Lim Deok-seong asked Mojing, unable to contain his curiosity. It was a question that gave Mojing a moment to contemplate.

"Hmm, even for me, that might be a bit difficult. But I think it's worth trying. If you order it, I'll eat it all with my life, brother! …Will you order it for me?"

Looking at his brother-in-law with hopeful eyes, Mojing asked in a gentle tone, like a lover whispering sweet nothings.

Lim Deok-seong, once known as the Ghost Tiger of Malang Stronghold, looked at his brother-in-law with his fierce, ox-like eyes and said,

"Are you crazy!"

It was a resolute voice that seemed unshaken by any compromise, submission, or flattery.

"As expected…"

Lim Deok-seong, looking at Mojing, whose expression was dejected as his last bit of hope was dashed, advised him in a quiet voice as a superior.

"Wouldn't it be better to focus on the plate in front of you rather than such vain dreams?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Lim Deok-seong snatched the last piece of meat left on the plate. Before he could stop him, it instantly disappeared into his large mouth.

"Aaaargh!"

A tragic scream erupted from Mojing, the Violent Wolf Ghost, who was a figure of fear not only in the martial world but also within the Seventy-two Forest Strongholds.

"Brother! That's too much! I was saving that for last!"

His face looked as if he was about to burst into tears. However, Lim Deok-seong knew very well that one couldn't properly do bandit work by paying attention to such trivial matters.

"How can you say that? Don't you know that in the forest, if you don't take it, you'll lose it? The swift hand wins!"

"B-but…"

Mojing tried to protest, his fierce face contorting by the moment, but Lim Deok-seong deliberately ignored him.

Just as a life that has passed cannot be brought back, food that has been digested cannot return to its original form. Even if it were to return, it would only be a different substance, trampled and defiled by stomach acid.