VIP Early Access
Eksklusif untuk member VIP
Password Protected
Chapter ini dikunci dengan kode khusus
“Master Chef Im did extraordinarily well, so how could he possibly lose?
Il-do asked the Old Master Chef.
As he spoke, he recalled an event from a few years ago.
At that time, his boredom and disillusionment with life in Heavenly Sword Castle had reached their absolute peak.
—Why do you not try living a different life? If you wish, I shall assist you.
Chief Clerk Yu Sa-hyeon had seen right through Ho Il-do when he was on the verge of exploding and offered him a secret plan.
W eb ňо̀ v e l̂ _Е̊ num̂а̌
Exhausted by one option or another, Ho Il-do accepted the proposal. He ceased to be Ho Il-do of the Six Disciples of the Heavenly Sword and became "Il-do," a simple young man from a foreign tribe who came to Heavenly Sword Castle harboring green-blue dreams.
The place where he worked back then was Great Prosperity Restaurant. At the time, Im Deung was a chef who had been cooking for only a few years, yet his skills were already well recognized. It remained vivid in Il-do’s memory.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
“I’m on my way there precisely because I’m curious about that.”
“For someone of your level, Old Master Chef, wouldn’t you know just by looking?”
“Hey now, even for me, that’s not how it works. You have to at least taste it to know who’s better.”
“Still, if it’s Im Deung, he must be incredible—”
W̄ е́ b̂ n ӧvе̄ ľ Е̇nũ m_å
The Old Master Chef smiled bitterly at Il-do’s trust.
Patting the shoulders of Il-do, who was as innocent now as he had been back then, he headed toward Jin Cheon’s inn.
Walking alone with a cane was slow, but with the sturdy Il-do supporting him, the Old Master Chef arrived much earlier.
“Old Master Chef, you’re here!”
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
Just as the sunset was fading and the stars were beginning to poke their heads out one by one, Hong-hwa, who was sitting on a long bench in front of the inn, called out with a bright smile.
At her voice, Heuk Do-chi and Gu Yeong emerged from inside to greet them warmly.
Е ǹ u m а̃
“I really didn’t think you would come.”
Gu Yeong stepped forward as the eldest present.
Behind him, Heuk Do-chi glanced repeatedly at Il-do.
He couldn’t tell if the man was an ordinary person or a martial artist, as no energy could be felt from him whatsoever, but he instinctively sensed that he was no ordinary man.
Il-do flashed a pure smile toward Heuk Do-chi, who was surreptitiously keeping his guard up. His posture was quite admirable. However, Il-do had completely contained his aura and was confident that no one below an absolute peak-level expert could detect it, so he acted utterly nonchalant.
“Of course I had to come, given the rampant rumors that the grand old master of Sea Pine comes here every day for dinner.”
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
Gu Yeong scratched his cheek. Being a doctor with nothing to his name, he felt deeply awkward that everyone treated him with such deference simply because he had lived there the longest.
“Haha, I eat here with my disciple, but since cooking at home is a hassle, that’s just how things turned out.”
“Why don’t you go anywhere else?”
“Other places are either too salty or too sweet. They’re fine as snacks for alcohol, but disappointing for a meal.
The food here, though, has just the right taste to eat every single day, so I end up coming often.”
“Oho.”
W̆е̄b̄ n̊ǒ v̇ e l_ Е̂ñu̇m̈ ä
The Old Master Chef was a decade older than Gu Yeong. Though they had little direct connection, as one of the few prominent figures in Sea Pine, they knew each other to some extent. It was fascinating to see Gu Yeong, who always maintained strict neutrality, endorse a single place to this degree.
Looking forward to Jin Cheon’s cooking even more, the Old Master Chef introduced Il-do beside him.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
“I didn’t mention him beforehand, but this is an old friend with whom I share a deep bond. He helped support me on the way today, and he hasn't had dinner yet.”
“Master Jin always prepares plenty of food, so please, come in together.”
Gu Yeong readily invited Il-do inside as well. He knew the man was physically well-built, but he hardly imagined he was a martial arts expert.
“Did you come from far away?”
Ě n̆ ù mа̄_
Hong-hwa, meanwhile, found Il-do fascinating because of his distinct appearance. Looking at him with curious, sparkling eyes, she seemed as though she would be wagging her tail furiously if she were a puppy.
“I came from the west.”
“Wow! The west! Then the Western Regions?!”
“Not that far. It’s still the Central Plains.”
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
“Your way of speaking is fascinating, too!”
“Many people in my hometown do business. That’s why the language of the Central Plains and the outer lands got mixed together.”
Ẁ ѐ b̄ n о.vѐ_l̂ Ë n̂ ũm̃а̀
Bright, shining eyes.
To Hong-hwa, who was always curious about the wide world, every word Il-do uttered was fascinating and fun. She nodded her head vigorously, and just as everyone was about to step into the inn together—
Screeech—
The door opened late.
Today, Jin Cheon had suddenly brought back an assistant for the kitchen and a helper for odd jobs around the inn from somewhere. He had been teaching them various things, which delayed his appearance.
“Master Jin!”
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
The Old Master Chef greeted Jin Cheon warmly. He tried to naturally strike up a conversation, saying he was looking forward to tonight’s meal, but—
“……?”
Seeing Jin Cheon’s eyes fixed on Il-do as if pinned in place, the Old Master Chef paused.
The same was true for Il-do.
An expert.
Jin Cheon swept his eyes over Il-do’s internal energy foundation. Looking at his feet, he noted how he stepped on the ground; looking at his legs, whether he relied mostly on slash attacks; from his thick shoulders, how large a weapon he could swing; and from his seemingly blocky waist, the hidden power stored within.
Ė nuṁа̇
Just like encountering an enemy in war, Jin Cheon swiftly and accurately realized that Il-do was an absolute peak-level expert.
A young man from a foreign tribe who is an absolute peak-level expert.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
The number one Heavenly Sword under heaven.
To match that glorious fame, all six disciples of the Heavenly Sword boasted formidable martial prowess.
Jin Cheon intuitively realized that Il-do was the last disciple, Ho Il-do—the very man rumored to be personally judging the upcoming cooking competition.
For someone his age to reach the realm of an absolute peak-level expert was a miracle that could only belong to a disciple of the Heavenly Sword.
Еn̊ u m̂ а̇
Of course, Jin Cheon was an exception—a monster of an entirely different class.
“…….”
On the other hand, Ho Il-do froze upon Jin Cheon’s appearance.
He already knew from reports that Jin Cheon had driven out the original Black Spirit Faction with overwhelming force and settled down here. Which meant he used martial arts—
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
“How?”
Ho Il-do spoke out loud without realizing it.
W̊ е̂b nо̀ v̈е̄l̂. Ёn ûm̈ а̂
Not a single trace was visible.
Even when dealing with his eldest senior brother, who had reached a lofty realm, if he watched quietly, he could tell the man was above him.
But Jin Cheon was different.
He was serene.
It was like looking at the surface of an ocean so calm that not a single breeze blew, flattened like a sheet of glass.
He looked every bit like a pale-faced scholar, and Ho Il-do’s martial senses dictated that Jin Cheon was merely an ordinary civilian, yet he was an expert?
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
“Do you two know each other?”
The Old Master Chef asked, noticing the unusual atmosphere between them.
Jin Cheon, who had been staring quietly, slowly shook his head.
“Not really. He just looked similar to an old acquaintance, so I took a brief look.”
“Well, Il-do’s appearance is certainly unusual, so that’s understandable. Still, he’s a young man I hold in quite high regard, so please treat him well.”
The Old Master Chef’s handling of the situation was smooth as flowing water. Discrimination and unprovoked malice were common in places where people gathered—especially in places where they paid money.
Е̊ n úm̄ а
Knowing what kind of treatment Il-do had faced during his time at Great Prosperity simply because he was from a foreign tribe, and having personally intervened several times back then, the Old Master Chef responded adeptly out of habit.
“May I come in?”
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Il-do asked.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Jin Cheon nodded.
“Of course.”
“Really?”
Е̇n u m̄.а̄ . і̊ d
He had enjoyed living as "Il-do," but was it over now?
Ho Il-do instinctively felt his true identity had been exposed. Yet, when Jin Cheon accepted him so readily, he found it baffling.
“You came to eat a meal, didn’t you?”
Jin Cheon shrugged his shoulders.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
“Then you should eat.”
“…….”
Ẁ è b̂ n̄ о̂ v èl Ӗn̄um а̇
“Do you have money?”
If Ho Il-do was the sixth disciple of the Heavenly Sword, Jin Cheon was the Baleful Star. To Jin Cheon, it was a matter of no great consequence.
Unaccustomed to such a plain, lighthearted response, Ho Il-do failed to react to Jin Cheon’s joke.
Tap—
Just then, the Old Master Chef stepped forward and patted the money pouch at his waist.
“I brought plenty of that, so don’t you worry, Master Jin.”
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
“Good. There have been a lot of people eating without paying lately, so I just thought I’d ask.”
“My, eating at an inn and not paying for the food?”
Ahem—
Cough—
At the Old Master Chef’s bewilderment, Heuk Do-chi and Gu Yeong stared off into the distance, coughing dryly.
C-cough, ahem!
Е́n ǔ ṁ â .і̊ ď
And even Hong-hwa clumsily imitated them.
Only then understanding the situation, the Old Master Chef let out a chuckle.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Jin Cheon smiled alongside him, patted Hong-hwa’s head, and turned to the side.
“Well, since there are already so many eating for free, adding two more won’t hurt.”
“Having run Great Prosperity, I know all too well how agonizing it is to have money stolen from you. I’ll make sure to pay properly for our Il-do as well!”
The Old Master Chef patted Il-do’s back.
Ẽ ñ u mа.і̆d
Only then did Ho Il-do smile gently as "Il-do" and nod.
At the same time, when no one was looking, his eyes narrowed as he scanned Jin Cheon’s back.
As expected, it felt like looking at a colossal cliff or a vast, boundless ocean—he couldn't sense a single thing.
It felt as though he were looking at his Master.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Inside the inn, Myeonghwa and Hwa-ryeong were already seated.
Watching the Old Master Chef and Il-do arrive, they brought over a small table to attach to theirs.
E n u mä
“By the way, today—”
While waiting for the food, Jin Cheon went into the kitchen, and the others began sharing stories of what had happened today, one by one.
Watching the natural scene unfold, the Old Master Chef looked on with a subtle gaze.
Il-do, feeling as though he understood his thoughts, whispered softly,
“It feels like Great Prosperity in the past, Old Master Chef.”
“Just like when Ha-jeon was still alive.”
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
“That’s right.”
A time to calmly share the stories of their respective lives.
And from the kitchen, the indifferent, rhythmic sound of chopping and the noise of lighting the fire sounded almost like music.
An ordinary time.
Ordinary people.
An ordinary place.
É nu m̈a
The ordinariness that Great Prosperity had lost as it rose to become the undisputed number one in Sea Pine was present here in Jin Cheon’s inn.
The conversation naturally drifted to the cooking competition taking place in a few days.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
“Is the person called the Sixth Disciple of the Heavenly Sword really that amazing?”
Hong-hwa had been hearing about the Sixth Disciple, who would judge the cooking competition, all day long.
Hearing everyone mention him again tonight, she grew curious.
“Calling him that refers to all six disciples of the Heavenly Sword Castle Master, so you should call him the 'Sixth Disciple' or by his nickname, 'Snow Mountain Great Tiger.'”
Ẁ ĕ b̊ n о̌ vе́ĺ Ӗń ú m̃а̄
It was Hwa-ryeong.
Her tone was characteristically aloof, but the content was thorough.
“Well, or you could just bluntly call him Ho Il-do.”
“Ah, but he’s such a great person. Is it really okay to call him by his name like that?”
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
“He’s not here, so what’s the problem?”
…He is here.
W̃еb̂ñо̃vе́l̇ E̊ n û.m а
Il-do rolled his eyes for no reason.
His Central Plains speech was a bit clumsy, but he was far from oblivious, so he merely kept a gentle smile.
“And honestly, even if he were here, he probably wouldn't care much, right?”
“Why?”
“Would a figure of that stature really do anything just because we gossiped a bit like this? He’d probably just think is that so and let it pass.”
“Aha.”
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
Hong-hwa nodded.
Il-do silently agreed as well.
Of course, none of them would realize it, but at least it eased his mind.
“I heard he’s from a foreign tribe. Where do you think he came from?”
“Who knows. I'm not sure about that.”
Hwa-ryeong turned to Gu Yeong.
W̃ e̊ bǹ о̄.vеl Е̇ ň ũ m̀ а̊
As someone who had been here even before Heavenly Sword Castle was built, she thought he might know something.
However, Gu Yeong shook his head as well.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
He knew about the chaotic time when Ho Il-do’s whereabouts were a big issue for the castle, but where the man originally came from had never been revealed.
“Still, since they say his appearance is dark-skinned, I wonder if he came from the south.”
“If it’s the south—oh.”
In an instant.
W̄ ѐb́nо̂v̈ ӗ l̄. Е́ n̄ um̄а
Everyone turned to look at Il-do.
Though people broadly grouped them together under the term foreign tribes, their appearances, accents, and personalities varied wildly depending on where they came from outside the Central Plains.
Yet, coincidentally, there was "Il-do" right here, who shared a similar name and happened to look remarkably like the Sixth Disciple, Ho Il-do.
Everyone couldn't help but look at him with suspicious eyes.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
“No, no. Just because they look similar doesn't mean they're from the same region.”
Gu Yeong smoothly wrapped up the topic.
Е n_ŭ m а̌ . îd̈
It was only because they had never met people from foreign tribes that they didn't know, but Gu Yeong knew well that each tribe possessed its own distinct culture and history, and shouldn't be lumped together just because they looked somewhat alike.
He felt a swell of pride in himself for settling the matter without any fuss.
And so, he smiled warmly at Il-do, silently telling him not to feel burdened.
“I have a feeling our friend here knows quite a lot about it.”
The kitchen was connected through a large opening designed for people to pass through and food to be served quickly.
“Master! That’s discrimination!”
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
Hong-hwa shouted.
However, Jin Cheon leaned his body forward, looked at Il-do, and continued.
“I happen to be making the food I plan to submit for the cooking competition. It’d be great if you could try it and give me your honest thoughts.”
“…Me eating it won't change anything.”
“I didn’t expect anything like that anyway.”
Il-do pondered for a moment, glancing over at the Old Master Chef.
Е̄ nŭṁа̇
The Old Master Chef looked back at him in wonder, wondering why he was hesitating so much over this.
At that, Il-do nodded once more and turned back to Jin Cheon.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
“Then, if I tell you, do I not have to pay for dinner?”
Jin Cheon chuckled in utter disbelief that a man who was likely the second richest person present was trying so desperately to dodge paying for a meal.
Shoo, shoo—
It wasn't a dinner he intended to charge for in the first place; as long as the guest enjoyed the food, that was enough.
Ẅ е̌ b̂nоv̄ e̊l̆ E n ů m̊а
Jin Cheon, the wealthiest person in the room, waved his hand dismissively.
“Get lost.”
“…….”
Whether he was a Sixth Disciple of the Heavenly Sword or whatever else, if he ate without paying, he wasn't a customer—he was just a pest.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Konten Bab Belum Tersedia
Bab ini belum memiliki konten teks atau sedang dalam proses penyuntingan.
