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Jin Cheon recognized what it was right away.
However, thinking he might not recognize it, Hwa-ryeong began explaining.
“Forget-Flavor Fruit. After eating this, whatever you eat next loses all flavor.”
“So I should cook with this first to win?”
When Jin Cheon asked while examining the Forget-Flavor Fruit, Hwa-ryeong gave a crisp nod.
“We have to win no matter what so that we can save our inn.”
Еnǔ_m ā
“Our inn, huh.”
He was grateful for the thought.
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However, the process was far too extreme.
Contemplating whether he should be happy or cry, Jin Cheon tore off a tiny piece of the Forget-Flavor Fruit and put it in his mouth.
Confirming his suspicion, Jin Cheon slightly furrowed his brows at the familiar taste.
It’s definitely something assassins use.
Ѐn̊ u.m̂ а̃_
An assassin who swung around a blade was low-tier.
An assassin who killed people quietly without leaving a trace using poison was an expert.
People thought poison was easy, but it was usually extraordinarily difficult.
If someone was important enough to be targeted for assassination, their food was not prepared by just one or two people.
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Slipping poison past all those watchful eyes was the first hurdle.
On top of that, humans could immediately tell if water tasted even slightly fishy, yet one was supposed to spike it with poison and feed it to them?
Ènum̀а
If that wasn't an expert, what was?
Even if one tried to mask it with food or fragrances, humans were surprisingly sharp at sniffing out water odor, so most could immediately spot the subtle smell and taste unique to poison.
That’s why everyone sang praises about Formless Poison, calling it a legend.
The reason a legend was called a legend was that reaching that realm was extraordinarily difficult.
Because of that, assassins who lacked even the formless part of Formless Poison racked their brains.
What they found was this Forget-Flavor Fruit, which grew on the cliffs of the Southeast Sea, reachable only after crossing the dense forests in the southern region of the Central Plains.
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Forget, and Flavor.
Just as its name suggested, it was a fruit that made one forget flavor, and after eating it, no one could distinguish taste or fragrance regardless of what they ate.
In other words, this is something you feed them before poisoning them.
Swoosh—
Jin Cheon turned to look at Hwa-ryeong, who was waiting for his review with sparkling eyes.
“It’s good, right?!”
Е̂ n̂ŭ m а̂ .і d̂
Even stray dogs desperately protected their own food bowls.
Assassins were no fools, so why would they let such a precious fruit circulate in the open market?
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The very existence of the fruit called Forget-Flavor Fruit was practically a secret, and it was impossible to possess unless one belonged to an assassin organization.
Yet Hwa-ryeong had brought it.
It had been less than an hour since they left Great Prosperity Restaurant, so bringing it so quickly meant she had swiped it from somewhere nearby where it was kept in safe storage...
“Let me try a piece too.”
Е̄ n̄u m̌ а̊ . і̂ d
Gu Yeong held out his hand in curiosity.
Even Gu Yeong, who had tasted every medicinal herb imaginable, was hearing about the Forget-Flavor Fruit for the first time in his life.
Seeing how Jin Cheon remained still without saying anything after tasting it first, he seemed to have grown impatient.
When Jin Cheon broke off a piece smaller than a fingernail and handed it over, Gu Yeong immediately tossed it into his mouth.
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He then reached out toward Myeonghwa and received a bamboo canteen.
It held medicinal water, which was plain water infused with a few medicinal herbs that Gu Yeong regularly drank.
Е ṅ ú m̊ а̃
Gulp, gulp—
In an instant, Gu Yeong’s eyes widened.
He could feel the water touching his tongue.
Yet the bitterness was not conveyed at all.
Surprised, Gu Yeong turned to Hwa-ryeong.
“This really has no taste?!”
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“Right?!”
“To think such a thing existed in the world. With this, I can easily feed medicine to kids who refuse to take it because it tastes bitter.”
Hwa-ryeong blinked her eyes.
She never expected Physician Gu Yeong, who was always so gentle, to react this enthusiastically.
“...T-That’s right.”
“Where can I buy this? No, please tell me which fruit merchant sells this right away. It looks expensive at a glance, but even for the sake of the children who can't take their medicine, I must buy some.”
W еb ǹ о̌v е l E n̆umа̃
Hwa-ryeong was at a loss for words.
Where on earth would she buy the Forget-Flavor Fruit?
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She had simply stolen it from their base.
However, it was frustrating because she could not just candidly speak the truth.
They say medicine and poison stem from the same root.
Jin Cheon smiled faintly as he watched Hwa-ryeong, who was flustered and only blinking her eyes.
W е bňȯ v е̊ l Е̂nů ṁ а
For some reason, ever since the first day, he had felt the presence of many assassins near the inn.
If this were the North, he would have dealt with them all in the Northern style, but thinking it might be part of Heavenly Sword Castle’s culture, he had left them alone.
Judging by Hwa-ryeong’s reaction, his choice had been correct.
As expected, the martial world was truly unpredictable and impossible to fathom.
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“It’s true that if I cook first and feed them this, I might win.”
Jin Cheon signaled Myeonghwa with an eye gesture.
W̃ е̄ b̌nôv̀ е l̃ Ӗ nu ṁа
Understanding immediately, she pulled the excited Gu Yeong back.
“However, we mustn't do that.”
“With this, we can definitely win!”
“There are four reasons why we shouldn't use it.”
Tap!
Jin Cheon held up four fingers.
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Everyone tilted their heads in confusion.
What on earth could there be for there to be four reasons not to use it?
“First, this is hard to obtain.”
“That’s—”
“If even the old man doesn't know about it, it must be an extremely rare fruit.”
He had no intention of asking outright if she was an assassin.
Е̌ nŭm̆ а̌ . í ď
Jin Cheon himself was hiding his past, so he had no intention of digging into someone else’s past.
Heavenly Sword Castle was a land that embraced everyone regardless of their past.
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“Since it's expensive, if we’re going to use it as we please, we should use it for a better cause.”
Jin Cheon put the remaining Forget-Flavor Fruit back into the box and handed it to Hwa-ryeong.
Over the glossy surface of the box, the inextinguishable lights of Heavenly Sword Castle flowed down.
From Hwa-ryeong’s perspective, Jin Cheon’s reaction was incomprehensible.
W е̊ bń_о̃ ṽё l̇ Ë ñ ú m̈_а́
It was a surefire way to win.
So why was he giving it back to her?
Looking at Hwa-ryeong, Jin Cheon shrugged his shoulders.
“Second, this doesn't work well on true experts.”
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If the Forget-Flavor Fruit worked on everyone, assassins would have long ruled the world.
Because it didn't, assassins remained assassins.
Ѐ n uma
From Peak-level Experts whose internal energy constantly circulated through their entire body, rather than losing their sense of taste, they tended to feel the intense bitterness brought by the Forget-Flavor Fruit even more strongly.
That was why they often spat it right out as soon as they ate it!
“You said Squad Leader Ma is judging, right? Then this won't do.”
“He’s just at the squad leader rank, so it’s fine. At best, he’s First-Rate or at the entry level of Peak, so it will work on him.”
Hwa-ryeong continued her rebuttal.
Jin Cheon decided to speak in the steady Sea Pine style rather than the easy Northern style.
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“I’ve seen Ma Jin-pyo of the South Gate before.”
Since he was a man he had seen on the exact day he arrived at Heavenly Sword Castle, he remembered him vividly. Peak-level Experts were rare even in the North, yet he had encountered a fully seasoned Peak-level Expert right from the start.
“From what I saw, it won't work.”
Of course, everything was according to Jin Cheon’s standard.
Hwa-ryeong blinked, wondering what kind of nonsense this was, before shouting back.
“How do you know that?!”
Е̌n um̂ а .і̆d̂
“I know just by looking. I’m an incredible expert, after all.”
“...”
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She couldn't bring herself to deny it.
If he possessed the martial prowess to overwhelmingly defeat Heuk Do-chi in one go, he was definitely strong.
However, it wasn't as if he was an absolute expert who had surpassed the Flame Realm, so she couldn't easily accept Jin Cheon’s words.
“Squad Leader Ma isn't at that level yet. One shot of Forget-Flavor Fruit will cleanly—”
Е̊n um á
Jin Cheon cut Hwa-ryeong off and gently shook his head.
The Unorthodox Path seemed fast and easy, but in the end, it was bound to lose its luster in front of the upright Orthodox Path.
The Forget-Flavor Fruit Hwa-ryeong brought was precisely such an Unorthodox Path.
And the North was a place where countless practitioners of such Unorthodox Paths had died, with Jin Cheon being the one who survived there until the very end.
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Jin Cheon held up his third finger and continued.
“This contest is something I started so I can blend in well with Sea Pine and live peacefully. Should I really use such a trick?”
Ë n̊ùmа̀ .і̄d̄
“But if we lose—”
Unable to continue, Hwa-ryeong felt a surge of emotion.
Who didn't know that?
If they lost, the very inn where Heuk Do-chi had settled down to work properly could be shaken, which was why she was trying to do whatever it took.
Biting her lower lip tightly, she stared at Jin Cheon for a moment.
Moisture gathered in Hwa-ryeong’s large eyes, filled with frustration and grievance.
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Rub, rub—
Heuk Do-chi’s pot-lid-sized hand stroked Hwa-ryeong’s head.
“Dear, Master is right.”
“...”
“We quit the Black Spirit Faction so we wouldn't live like this anymore, didn't we?”
She tightly closed her eyes.
Е n̈.ŭ m̀ а .і̆d
Dabbing her tears with her sleeve, she shook her head.
“The one who quit was you. I was just standing still.”
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“...Huh?”
“We need to be precise with our words.”
“Uh...”
After teasing Heuk Do-chi once, Hwa-ryeong’s feelings settled down a bit.
Е̃ň ūm̄а́ ._іd
And Hong-hwa...
Swoosh!
She carefully approached Hwa-ryeong’s side and held her hand.
“Actually, I like it! We have to win no matter what!”
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Even though she had become a bit rounder and cleaner, Hong-hwa was still Hong-hwa.
As a former beggar, she clearly didn't care about the means or methods.
Е̃ n ū m̃ а̌
Bringing over the box of Forget-Flavor Fruit that Jin Cheon had been holding, Hong-hwa placed it into Hwa-ryeong’s hands.
“But even though I tried it, I feel like our Master is going to win anyway!”
“...I hope so.”
Hwa-ryeong stroked Hong-hwa’s head just like Heuk Do-chi had.
She felt touched by Hong-hwa, who spoke up to comfort her somehow.
Thinking that this might be what it felt like to raise a daughter, she took a deep breath and calmed her emotions.
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Then, looking straight at Jin Cheon, she asked.
“So what is the fourth reason?”
“I told you earlier.”
“...?”
“I’m going to win. My judgment is enough.”
Whirrrrr—
Ē ň ǔm̀ а.їd
A gust of wind blew.
Faster than the wind could stop, Hwa-ryeong’s face was covered in disbelief.
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“Against that incredible person?”
“Do you doubt my cooking even after eating my meals every day?”
It wasn't just Hwa-ryeong.
Heuk Do-chi, Gu Yeong, and Myeonghwa, who had been eating together for days, merely blinked awkwardly.
Ẅ е̄_b nо̄v̄ё l̆ Е ńũḿа̌
Jin Cheon’s food was undeniably delicious.
It was such a good meal that they had never tasted anything like it anywhere else.
However...
“Comparing it to what we ate at Great Prosperity Restaurant, honestly, I’m not so sure.”
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Myeonghwa carefully opened her mouth.
“I’m sorry, Master, but to be honest, I feel the same way. What we ate just now really felt like a proper dish.”
Е̄ ṅum ǎ. ǐd̊
Heuk Do-chi added his thoughts as well.
And Hwa-ryeong nodded her head in agreement.
“They say Squad Leader Ma likes the food from Great Prosperity Restaurant. Will it really be alright?”
Gu Yeong asked back as well.
Jin Cheon’s meals were certainly delicious, but as people who had eaten food from both sides, they couldn't help but lack confidence that he would win in a cooking contest.
“If it’s Shandong-style Cuisine, I will win.”
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Jin Cheon closed his eyes and recalled the flavors of the dishes he had eaten at Great Prosperity Restaurant earlier, from the Honey-Glazed Gingko to the Clear Broth.
Sometimes, things were not clear when looking at them directly, but became vivid only after a bit of time passed.
Recalling the flavor and depth of what he had eaten at Great Prosperity Restaurant, Jin Cheon curled up the corners of his lips.
“If it were Old Master Chef, I wouldn't know, but someone like that fellow Im Deung is easy.”
“Heh—, honestly, I couldn't tell the difference between what Old Master Chef made and what that chef named Im Deung made.”
“I’ll make what I’m submitting for the contest for tomorrow’s dinner, so everyone try it.”
Еn̆u m а
At Jin Cheon’s grand assertion, everyone, who had not expected him to be this confident, had their eyes sparkle.
Jin Cheon certainly had good cooking skills, but when asked if it was suited for a contest, they had no choice but to tilt their heads.
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Yet, since he said he would make it before the contest, they couldn't help but look forward to it.
“And Hwa-ryeong.”
“Yes.”
Her lips were pouting.
W е̂ b̂ n̄ о̌v̂ёl Еnu m̊а́_
A good match? Sure.
However, there was currently a huge difference in weight class, yet Jin Cheon seemed to be talking vaguely, which was frustrating.
When there was something easy and certain like the Forget-Flavor Fruit, she felt dissatisfied with Jin Cheon, who tried to proceed stubbornly.
“There are often cases where you win the battle but lose the war.”
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Winning small battles repeatedly...
Yet, when examining the overall war situation later, there were quite a few times when one found themselves pushed back by the enemy and ended up losing the war.
Е númа
Jin Cheon gestured with his chin toward the Forget-Flavor Fruit that would have allowed them to win this battle easily.
“I want to win big, and win together with everyone.”
“...”
“That way, we can last even a day longer. That’s why Do-chi is working, isn't it?”
Hwa-ryeong stared at Jin Cheon for a moment before looking far away.
She couldn't look directly at him.
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Just as one could not look at the midday sun because it was too dazzling, Jin Cheon’s steps were far too upright, so different from the life she had lived.
And the next day.
The fact that a cooking contest was taking place in Sea Pine spread throughout Heavenly Sword Castle.
Since it was such a rare event, it was natural for it to become a hot topic, but—
“One of the Six Disciples of the Heavenly Sword in person?”
The identity of the judge became known.
Е̇ n̆ũm ӑ
The fact that one of the six pillars supporting Heavenly Sword Castle was personally taking action stirred up the entire castle.
“Could it be the First Young Master?!”
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“No way. Hasn't he returned to the Hundred Thousand Mountains?”
“Then it means it’s someone else—”
Of course, it was a rumor.
Originally, the prevailing opinion was merely that someone from the South Gate Patrol would judge it.
Еn ũ mа̇ .і̌d
However, at the word that one of the Six Disciples of the Heavenly Sword was personally stepping forward to eat and judge, the public opinion in the castle heated up in an instant.
“It’s probably Young Master Ho.”
“I suppose so.”
Outsiders were everywhere in this castle.
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A cooking contest between such an outsider and a deep-rooted restaurant was quite interesting, but it was just at that level.
Yet, one of the six disciples of the Heavenly Sword was personally stepping forward to eat and pass judgment?
Е.n ů m̃ а
As a person living in this castle, how could one not pay attention?
The Six Disciples of the Heavenly Sword.
The six disciples inheriting the Heavenly Sword.
To be precise, they were hostages of the Heavenly Sword meant for the martial world—though that was a story to be examined later.
Usually, the Chief Clerk's Hall thoroughly gagged everyone regarding the Six Disciples so that nothing was known, which made this clearly an unusual occurrence.
However, although rumors only circulated that it was one of the six, most people generally thought it would be Ho Il-do.
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Unlike the other five who frequently went out into the martial world due to missions given by the Heavenly Sword, the sixth, Ho Il-do, had been stuck inside Heavenly Sword Castle continuously.
Of course.
“Does Chef Im know as well?”
“He told us not to talk to him before the lunch service ends, so I couldn't deliver the message.”
“Goodness, taking after his father, that fellow is diligent as expected.”
While it was enough to stir up even the kitchen of Great Prosperity Restaurant, it was not enough to shake Im Deung, who was turning the wok in front of the fire.
W̊e_bńо̌ṽ еl Ênu̇mа
Chwaaaa—!
In the intense fire obtained by burning coal, Im Deung diligently shook his wok, preparing the food.
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Old Master Chef quietly watched him before stepping closer to Im Deung.
“I plan to go check out that inn tonight. What will you do?”
“...”
Without even turning back to look at him, Im Deung silently stoked the fire even further.
Еn ú.mа̄. і́ ď
—But that’s as far as it goes.
As if wanting to burn away Jin Cheon’s words remaining inside his heart.
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