[Episode 99: Youngest Leader Candidate (1)]
An old-fashioned kettle is boiling on a wooden stand neatly supported over a bonfire.
A fragrant scent rose from the kettle and tickled my nose.
-Chiii! Sigh! Sigh!
Seolbaek, with his silver hair flying, frantically stirs the iron kiln.
She was showing off her amazing cooking skills by sprinkling various spices from a bamboo tube.
Seeing her like that, I stuck out my tongue inwardly.
I tried to roast the pheasant I caught by roughly peeling its fur, but
after saying that,
[It’s not polite to eat food], I took out cooking utensils from my bag and started cooking.
The spicy scent made my mouth water.
Each time she repeatedly touched the handle of the iron pot, the pheasant meat became coated with a red sheen.
-……What on earth is taste?
-I’m curious too.
Even Sodamgeom and Namcheoncheolgeom showed interest, showing that his cooking skills were no different from any other great chef.
After finishing the dish, she placed the seasoned pheasant meat beautifully on the plate she had prepared in advance.
“…….Is it necessary to do this?”
“Food that looks good is good to eat. “Even if you eat just one, the taste will be different if you treat it with quality.”
I can’t help but agree.
Just looking at it makes my mouth water and makes me want to eat it quickly.
She gave me a silver spoon.
I don’t know what was so packed in my luggage.
“It was made using Sichuan style raw fish meat. “Doubanjang and various spices are added, so it may be spicy, so take small bites.”
Raw meat is a dish made by boiling pork and then frying it in an iron kiln.
However, it is raw fish meat replaced with pheasant meat.
I took the chopsticks, picked up the red-hot meat, and put it in my mouth.
‘!!!’
The moment you put the meat in, you could feel the spicy aroma and sweet taste, and it melted smoothly.
It had a pleasant spicy taste.
Seolbaek asked me with wide eyes.
“how is it?”
“……..it’s good.”
You can’t say it’s not delicious.
Seolbaek smiled brightly, as if my words made him feel better.
Then he started eating himself.
I asked while eating meat.
“I thought you were doing something troublesome, but you are good at it.”
“If you live long, you tend to lose interest in everything.”
“So your hobby is making food?”
“no. “As my taste buds became more and more picky, I started trying to find a taste that would satisfy me.”
It is a cooking skill that has been developed over 300 years to cater to increasingly demanding tastes.
Even the imperial palace magistrates would not have this level of skill.
Seolbaek asked me.
“As a descendant of Geomseon, you must have lived for over 300 years or even longer than me. I was worried about whether it would suit your taste, but I am glad.”
Um…
I’m sorry, but even before my return, I couldn’t live even a tenth of what she did.
There was no need to talk about this, so I kept my mouth shut.
After eating a few pieces of meat, I felt a spicy sensation.
So he opened the gourd and took a sip of water.
Then Seolbaek spoke.
“If you have this level of cooking skill, wouldn’t you be desirable as a wife?”
“Foot!”
I ended up squirting out the water I had been holding.
I sprayed it on her face, but it froze before it hit her and blew away like snow.
The chill protects her body the whole time.
-You don’t seem to be tired.
Sodamgeom stuck out his tongue.
This woman kept saying this all the way to Wuhan City.
So that you get used to it naturally.
-You will be brainwashed first before going to King Gyeong.
Phew.
I agree with Sodamgeom.
The approach she took was completely different from the women I had met so far.
Rather than revealing his feelings unconditionally, he was showing how good it would be to be around him.
It’s so natural that it’s scarier than you might think.
It wasn’t something I had as a retainer, but even though I repeatedly told her that this wasn’t necessary because I was going to serve her, she was naturally preparing everything.
‘Whoa.’
I sighed softly and ate the meat without answering.
It was so as not to be swayed by her.
Seeing me like that, Seolbaek chuckled and ate again.
He seems to be enjoying my reaction.
-Baek Hye-hyang seems like a scarier woman than that fire fox. be careful.
-I don’t think it’s particularly bad. The previous owner said that there is no better spouse than one who makes a man comfortable.
-Your previous owner was so knowledgeable that he knew nothing about women, so why did he live alone his whole life?
– Hmm.
Namcheoncheolgeom closed his mouth at Sodamgeom’s point.
It’s been a while since I shared the advice of a Namcheon swordsman, but I guess I was empty-handed.
Anyway, I need to come to my senses.
If this continues, I might fall for her trick.
After finishing the meal and getting closer to Wuhan, I attempted to change my face back to its original state using physical transformation.
-Knock knock knock! Knock knock knock!
When his face returned to its original state, Seolbaek looked at him curiously.
I said because I was staring at him.
“Stop looking.”
“Is that your real face?”
“okay.”
The corner of Seolbaek’s mouth went up at my answer.
“Why are you smiling?”
“I thought you might be hiding your true self because you are ugly.”
I snorted at her words.
Still, I’ve never heard anyone call me ugly.
At that time, Seolbaek smiled and said.
“My child will look pretty even if I give birth to a daughter, and he will look pretty even if I give birth to a son.”
“Cough.”
It really doesn’t make you let down your guard even once.
Her words made me cough.
It’s amazing that as soon as I see my original face, I think of my child’s face first.
He doesn’t hesitate to say things like this even though he’s being cold on purpose to avoid affection.
“Do it in moderation.”
“Nope.”
“You can seal your mouth.”
“It won’t be easy to seal the blood vessel.”
“what?”
“The first thing I learned after being possessed by you for the first time in my life was the art of changing the blood system.”
I guess I was on guard.
I shook my head.
And told her.
“Are you going to keep doing this even after entering Wuhan City?”
She chuckled at my words, then took out a small pill-like pill from her bosom and swallowed it.
Soon after, her silver hair, which had been as shiny as her eyes, began to gradually turn black.
What’s even stranger is that there is no way.
You won’t be able to move around with silver hair.
“Is there a bast face mask?”
“I just happened to order and receive a new bast face mask.”
She took out a small wooden box from her luggage.
When I opened the wooden box, a bast cotton ball came out.
“Geumsangje must be a face you don’t recognize, right?”
“Because it’s a new face.”
She picked up the human skin mask and placed it on her face in a familiar manner.
The original face was pretty, but the face made with human skin was also very pretty.
“I guess you like things that stand out.”
“no. “I chose the face that suits you.”
“……..”
I answer right away when I hear it, but I don’t know if the answer always comes out as if I’ve been thinking about it for a long time.
I shook my head and said to her.
“It will soon be infinite. “Keep your promise.”
“don’t worry. Because I will never take more than ten steps from your side. “You can skip more than one page if you want.”
She thought it was her chance and tried to get closer.
So I held out my hand and signaled him not to come closer.
I looked at Seolbaek and stuck out my tongue inwardly, feeling disappointed.
-Just go meet King Gyeong first.
In order to do so, the situation for the Murim Federation has become more urgent.
According to the open source of information sent by Cho Seong-won, the former martial arts leader Baek Hyang-muk, the Infinite First Sword, also arrived at the martial arts federation.
That meant that the competition to elect the leader of the Murim Federation would soon begin.
According to the information handed over by Seolbaek, I heard that the real purpose of not announcing the election of the leader of the Murim League was to trace me back through Gwak Hyeong-jik of the Northern Yeongdoseong.
-If it weren’t for opening, it would have been a big problem.
Making Cho Seong-won into an open ark was a godsend.
In any case, we can’t let things proceed as Geum Sang-je wants.
Until then, I have no choice but to keep Seolbaek by my side.
-Be alert.
It will happen even if you don’t say so.
“We’ll be leaving early in the morning, so get some sleep.”
“Don’t you need a night attendant?”
Seolbaek licked his lips with his tongue as if tempting me.
“…………”
This is why I can’t close my eyes at all.
* * *
Morning two days later.
The castle of Wulin City Wulin Federation.
It’s been a while since I’ve been here, so it’s crowded with people like before.
The reason there are so many more people than usual is for the election ceremony of the head of the Murim League that will be held tomorrow.
Officially, it seems that members of each faction were invited under the pretext of electing the head of the party.
As I entered the street outside the castle, I caught the attention of many people.
Because I came in my original form, many martial artists recognized me and were buzzing.
“I’m not the one who really stands out.”
I snorted at Seolbaek’s barbed words.
As she said, I had no idea my fame would be this much.
Perhaps because I disappeared for nearly seven months and then reappeared, the warriors passing by could not take their eyes off me.
There were even some who deliberately pretended to know.
“It’s been a while since I saw you, Sodaehyeop.”
“Do you remember me?”
“Are you here to elect the head of the party?”
He could have said he didn’t know, but he accepted each and every greeting with all his might.
Because here, I am the hero of the political faction.
-Having a high reputation is not always a good thing.
I agree.
In the religious sect, no one could talk to me without permission, but my reputation in the religious sect was tantamount to popularity.
That’s why people’s attention and interest are so intense that it becomes burdensome.
It was the moment when I was making my way through the crowds through the streets and heading towards the entrance to the Murim League castle.
I heard someone shouting.
“Brother!”
When I looked there, I saw someone running from the gate.
She was my sister’s brother, So Yeong-yeong.
I waved my hand in joy at seeing Youngyoung for the first time in many years.
But I don’t think it’s Yeongyoung.
As soon as I ran, I shouted without paying attention to the surroundings.
“How can you not contact me at least once! “You idiot, you idiot!”
‘Ah…’
Still, people are watching me like this, isn’t it too much?
You’re being such an idiot to your brother.
But when I saw his red eyes, I couldn’t bear to say anything.
He seemed really worried.
“You know how worried I was!”
Yeongyeong shouted like that and tried to punch me in the chest.
It wasn’t really hitting, it was just complaining.
Seolbaek blocked this.
“What is it? you?”
“That’s what I wanted to ask.”
Seolbaek’s eyes became strangely sharp.
I guess I didn’t think it was my sister’s younger brother because Youngyoung came running towards me, screaming and making a fuss.
“Get out of the way. My Nu….”
“So Daehyeop!”
As I was about to tell Seolbaek that he was my sister, I heard someone shouting.
The main character of the shout was Namgung Ga-hee, the head of Bonghwangdang.
There was also Eonyoungin from Jinju.
Namgoong Gahee approached me and said, looking happy.
“long time no see. Sodaegyeop. Even so, when we heard that So Dae-hyeop had appeared, our spirit medium ran so fast that we had a hard time trying to catch up.”
It was Namgoong Gahee, fanning her hands and joking.
“What are you talking about when my sister jumped as soon as she heard it? Ho ho ho.”
“Oh my gosh, what did I do?”
Namgoong Gahee couldn’t hide her embarrassment at Eon Youngin’s words.
They were still two good-natured women.
Then, Seolbaek turned his head to me and said.
“There are more women around than you think?”
The voice is quite cold.
I felt like I had misunderstood something because all of the people who appeared by chance were pretty.
“But what is the situation now?”
The quick-witted Namgoong Gahee asked as he looked at Seolbaek and Yeongyeong, who were strangely confronting each other.
It seemed like he was preparing to take Youngyoung’s side if the situation came to a halt.
To this, I explained.
“This is my sister’s brother.”
Seolbaek’s eyes widened at those words.
“My sister? “Soyoungyoung?”
She must have known some personal information about So Woon-hwi, as she immediately recognized him when she heard his name.
Youngyoung asked me, pointing at her with an eye.
“Brother, who on earth is this woman?”
I think I was very displeased at the thought of being disturbed by Hae-hu, who I hadn’t seen in a long time.
So, pointing to Seolbaek, I tried to tell him about the fake identity I had roughly come up with.
But that was before I could even say anything.
Seolbaek suddenly smiled brightly and said to Yeongyeong.
“I was wondering how there was such a pretty Sojeo, and it turned out to be our Unhwi brother’s younger sister. Nice to meet you. Oh, you’re pretty.”
Her tone of voice and expression had changed one hundred and eighty degrees.
It made me wonder if it was the woman with the icy face.
But the problem lay elsewhere.
“Are you our Unhwi brother?”
Youngyoung looked at me, asking a question in a crooked voice.
The look in his eyes seemed to be asking him to explain the situation.
Even Namgung Gahee and Eon Yeongin looked at Seolbaek and me alternately with expressions of disbelief.
‘…….ah.’
Suddenly my bones start to hurt.
ⓒ Hanzhongwolya
