Chapter v15c21

### The Green Forest King’s City Excursion

The Harmony Inn was unusually quiet today. So quiet, in fact, that you could hear a pin drop. Or a fly buzz.

It was strange, because there were plenty of people passing by on the street. But for some reason, no one was coming in. The only customers were two men, sharing a table in a corner.

‘This is strange… very strange…’

Du-chil, the innkeeper, couldn’t help but ponder the phenomenon.

‘Is it because of them?’

His gaze drifted towards the two men. They were both burly, with thick, muscular arms covered in scars. Their faces were equally intimidating, with bushy beards and more scars. And they both had massive sabers strapped to their waists.

They looked like trouble. Their appearance suggested a dangerous profession.

It was no wonder that the other customers had quickly changed their minds and left. But Du-chil couldn’t bring himself to ask them to leave. He might be a businessman, but his life was more important than his profits.

‘Please eat quickly and leave!’

He prayed silently, as he always did when he had undesirable customers.

“Ah, it’s good to be in the city! We Green Forest hermits need to do some market research, gather some intel, if we want to expand our business. We can’t keep using the same old methods! We need to innovate! Don’t you agree, Mo-gyeong?”

The larger of the two men said, raising his cup of wine in a boisterous toast.

What was a “Green Forest hermit”?

A “hermit” was a scholar who had yet to pass the civil service exams and was living at home. In other words, an unemployed scholar. But these “hermits” who lived in the Green Forest weren’t unemployed. They had a very specific profession: banditry! “Green Forest hermit” was a euphemism for bandit.

And this burly man was the leader of the largest bandit organization in the Central Plains. He was known as the Green Forest King.

Im Deok-seong, the leader of the Seventy-Two Strongholds of the Green Forest and the chief of the Ma-rang Stronghold, was a man with ambitious plans for expansion. But Mo-gyeong, the leader of the Thirty-Six Blades of the Raging Wolf, who was sitting across from him, didn’t agree. He was in charge of security for this impromptu “inspection tour.”

“Kekeke. Just say you want to see your son, Brother!”

Mo-gyeong chuckled, his massive saber, adorned with a wolf’s head, rattling against his back. Im Deok-seong glared at him.

But Mo-gyeong, oblivious to his brother-in-law’s displeasure, continued.

“It’s the famous Mount Hua Sword Conference! A grand gathering of martial artists, held once every ten years! And your son, born a bandit’s son, is representing the White Path! It’s an honor for the family! A dragon from a ditch! Or rather, a tiger from the backyard!”

‘Bandit’s son?’

Why did his brother-in-law always say the wrong thing?

‘Should I rip his tongue out and break his legs?’

He looked like a dimwitted bear, but he was as cunning as a fox. It was a useful trait in business, but not in this situation. And he had no tact whatsoever.

It would be good for the stronghold’s finances to reduce his food expenses. (His brother-in-law could easily eat ten men’s worth of food.) But he was also his brother-in-law, his wife’s brother, and his son’s uncle.

So he had never acted on his impulses. He had to silence him first.

“Shut up! Don’t misunderstand me! I’m here to observe the martial artists, to gather information. For the future of our organization. Not to see my son!”

Im Deok-seong said, his voice booming. His face was red with anger, or perhaps embarrassment.

“Oh, is that so? Well, let’s just say that’s the case!”

Mo-gyeong turned away and muttered, loud enough for Im Deok-seong to hear,

“Kekeke! Just say you miss him! You rushed here as soon as you heard about the Sword Conference…”

Thump!

A vein throbbed on Im Deok-seong’s forehead. It was deliberate. He couldn’t have missed it.

Im Deok-seong, realizing that reducing his brother-in-law’s food expenses was a very tempting proposition, decided to reconsider it.

‘Hehehe…’

Mo-gyeong, sensing the growing danger, quickly shut his mouth. He didn’t want to lose his tongue. But it was too late.

“Khehehe…”

Im Deok-seong’s eyes gleamed with murderous intent.

‘Is he… serious…?’

His brother-in-law had clearly lost his mind. A bead of sweat trickled down Mo-gyeong’s back. Those eyes were dangerous.

“L-Let’s just finish our meal, Brother! These meatballs are delicious, yum yum!”

He shovelled food into his mouth, desperate to appease his brother-in-law. He couldn’t possibly digest it all, but he kept eating, risking indigestion.

But Im Deok-seong was still glaring at him, like a tiger stalking its prey.

‘Honey…’

Mo-gyeong thought of his wife, hoping she would come to his rescue. And then,

“Oh, this looks like a good place! Let’s rest here for a while. And have some food!”

A loud voice came from the entrance. It was a woman’s voice, but it was surprisingly youthful and energetic for someone her age.

“Oh my, I’ve walked so much today. I get tired so easily these days. I wasn’t like this before… Age is a terrible thing, don’t you think? I wish I could turn back time…”

A group of three entered the inn, chattering non-stop.

“Hmm?”

Im Deok-seong’s attention was drawn to the commotion. His murderous aura dissipated.

‘We’re saved!’

Mo-gyeong sighed with relief, his gaze fixed on the noisy woman who had saved his life. There were three of them: a middle-aged woman and two elderly men. They were all wearing wide-brimmed bamboo hats with white gauze curtains, obscuring their faces. But he could make out their general features.

The woman in the middle was clearly the talkative one. The tall, well-built man beside her, with a long, flowing beard, was wearing a white robe as white as a crane’s feathers. The short, plump man was wearing a simple blue robe.

The woman had a sword strapped to her waist, and the man in blue had a saber. Unfortunately, both weapons were sheathed in cloth, so he couldn’t tell how valuable they were. He couldn’t help but notice such things. The man in white didn’t seem to be carrying any weapons. He was just holding a branch in his hand.

‘Is that a walking stick?’

It was too short for a walking stick.

‘What an odd group… A middle-aged woman and two old men…’

Du-chil, the innkeeper, rushed over to greet them, bowing deeply. His eagerness was palpable.

The woman glanced around the inn.

“My, what a quiet inn! I like it.”

Her eyes met theirs. He couldn’t see her face clearly through the gauze curtain, but he could tell she was looking at them.

Mo-gyeong smiled at her gratefully. It was a terrifying smile, one that would have sent most people running for their lives.

Du-chil was horrified.

‘Are they going to leave too…?’

But the woman didn’t leave. She smiled back and nodded slightly. It was a greeting. Mo-gyeong and Im Deok-seong were so surprised by her unexpected grace that they nodded back instinctively. And then they realized what they had done. They had momentarily forgotten their bandit identities.

‘What a strange woman…!’

They both came to the same conclusion. They must have been bewitched.

“Hmm, that table looks good. Let’s sit there.”

She pointed at a table four tables away from them. The old men nodded silently. She was surprisingly energetic, despite her earlier complaints about being tired.

‘What a noisy woman!’

He thought she was acting her age, but he kept his thoughts to himself. He was just grateful that she had distracted his brother-in-law.

The woman continued to chatter after they sat down. The old men listened patiently, occasionally offering brief responses.

“That’s strange…”

Im Deok-seong muttered.

“What is it, Brother?”

Mo-gyeong asked, tilting his head.

“Her voice… Don’t you find it strange?”

“She’s certainly talkative. Even more than my wife!”

Im Deok-seong almost smacked him.

“She’s definitely louder than… I mean, that’s not the point! She looks to be in her forties, even with the gauze curtain, but she talks like an old woman. Don’t you find it odd?”

“N-Now that you mention it…”

Mo-gyeong looked at the group, his eyes narrowed. There was no doubt that the two men were elderly. They couldn’t hide their long, white beards, even under their wide-brimmed hats.

“Could they be martial arts masters? They say some masters achieve a state of rejuvenation, making them look younger than they are.”

“Hmm… they don’t seem that strong.”

He considered himself a skilled martial artist. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be the leader of the Ma-rang Stronghold, one of the largest bandit organizations in the Green Forest.

A master could recognize another master. He could sense their Qi, their internal energy.

“…I don’t sense any Qi from them.”

They didn’t have the aura of a martial artist. If it weren’t for their swords, he would have mistaken them for ordinary people.

But his curiosity was soon satisfied.

“Waiter! We’d like to order!”

The woman called out, her voice still full of energy. They were still wearing their bamboo hats.

And then the ordering began.

“Hmm… let’s see… We’ll have some Dragon Well tea, and for food… Fish-Fragrant Pork Slices, Dragon Well Phoenix Slices, Fish-Fragrant Eggplant, Three Delicacies with Crispy Rice, Candied Dates, Eight Trigrams Soup…”

The order went on and on. Du-chil, who had been beaming at first, was now starting to look pale. The amount of food she was ordering was enough to feed ten grown men. He was happy about the unexpected boost to his business, but he couldn’t help but ask,

“Excuse me, ma’am, but are you sure you can eat all of this?”

He had heard rumors about wealthy people ordering a lot of food and only taking a bite or two of each dish before discarding it. But he didn’t expect to encounter such extravagance in his humble inn.

“Of course. Why would we order food we don’t intend to eat?”

The woman replied, as if he had asked a ridiculous question.

“W-Well… I… I just…”

The man in blue interrupted him.

“Look here, young man, it’s our concern whether we eat the food or not, not yours! Just bring us the food, quickly and deliciously! The lady here will take care of the rest. And hurry up! We’re starving!”

“Y-Yes, sir! Right away!”

Du-chil bowed deeply and scurried off to the kitchen.

“Brother!”

Mo-gyeong whispered to Im Deok-seong.

“What?”

He replied, his voice disinterested.

“Do you think they can really eat all of that?”

Im Deok-seong considered it for a moment.

“Hmm… I don’t know. We’ll see.”

The food arrived.

The three of them didn’t remove their bamboo hats while they ate. But the gauze curtains made it difficult to eat. They pulled on the blue strings on either side of their hats, and the curtains parted, revealing a triangular opening. The woman’s face was revealed. She was beautiful, with a gentle, kind expression. She looked to be in her forties. The hats were designed that way.

Now that she could eat comfortably, she picked up her chopsticks and began to eat. The old men followed suit.

Im Deok-seong and Mo-gyeong watched in amazement.

The woman ate with impeccable grace.

Her posture was perfect, her movements elegant, her chopsticks wielded with precision. She savored each bite, her eyes closed, her expression serene. Her table manners were flawless.

Except for one thing. She was eating non-stop. Dish after dish arrived, and she devoured them all, her chopsticks never pausing. Her expression and posture remained unchanged. Her appetite was phenomenal.

Im Deok-seong and Mo-gyeong, who had seen their share of the world, were awestruck.

“Is her stomach a universe?!”

Im Deok-seong exclaimed involuntarily. He couldn’t think of any other explanation.

“Who is she?”

The two bandits had expanded their understanding of the human stomach’s capacity.

“Hey, Brother!”

Im Deok-seong called out to Mo-gyeong.

“Yes, Brother!”

He replied.

“Could you eat that much food?”

He asked, his curiosity piqued.

“Hmm… even I might have trouble with that. But it would be a worthy challenge. If you give me the chance, I’ll eat it all, Brother! …Will you give me the chance?”

Mo-gyeong asked, his eyes pleading.

Im Deok-seong, who had once been known as the Demon Tiger of the Ma-rang Stronghold, glared at his brother-in-law.

“Are you crazy?!”

He said, his voice firm.

“I guess not…”

Mo-gyeong’s face fell. Im Deok-seong, feeling a twinge of sympathy, offered some advice.

“Focus on the food in front of you, instead of dreaming about impossible feats.”

He snatched the last piece of meat from Mo-gyeong’s plate.

“Argh!”

Mo-gyeong, the fearsome Raging Wolf Blade, cried out in anguish.

“Brother! That’s not fair! I was saving that for last!”

He looked like he was about to burst into tears. But Im Deok-seong knew that a bandit couldn’t afford to be sentimental.

“There’s no such thing as fair in the Green Forest! The quick and the ruthless survive!”

“B-But…”

Mo-gyeong protested, his face contorted in a menacing scowl. But Im Deok-seong ignored him.

Once food was eaten, it was gone. It couldn’t be returned to its original state.