Absolute Dominion

Chapter- 20

Mak Hwi respectfully bowed his head, indicating that the esteemed guest he had mentioned earlier was this elderly man.

He had a white beard reaching down to his chest, giving him the appearance of a sage, but contrary to his looks, the sharp glint in his eyes revealed that he was a master who had reached an extraordinary level.

“Oh! Do you know him?”

“Yes, I have met him before. Master Jong was once the Head Chef of the Imperial Palace, and can be considered one of the greatest chefs in the Central Plains.”

The old man reminisced about the past.

“Long ago, I had the opportunity to taste his cooking. His name is one I haven’t heard in a very long time.”

“But who are you, old man?”

Mak Hwi, sensing disrespect, was about to intervene but the old man stopped him.

“I am Yang In-Myung.”

At his introduction, the people watching gasped in shock.

“The Venerable Lord of Myriad Forms!”

“The Lord of the Southern Peak Alliance!”

Mak Hwi nodded in a serious manner.

“Indeed, it is him.”

Everyone respectfully clasped their fists and took a step back. Had they been in a different setting, some might have even bowed. The air was filled with respect.

Yang In-Myung, the Venerable Lord of Myriad Forms.

The Lord of the Southern Peak Alliance and the greatest master of Hunan.

He had come to Wuhan for the Young Dragon and Phoenix Tournament and the Heavenly Dragon Tournament.

Such a renowned figure was showing interest in Jeok Lee-Gun.

“And who might you be?”

As Cha-Ryun added the thinly sliced mushrooms and medicinal herbs to the simmering pot, Jeok Lee-Gun answered.

“I am Jeok Lee-Gun.”

“That’s a good name. What sect are you from?”

“I’m the eldest son of the Floating Clouds and Flowing Water Family.”

Yang In-Myung, along with everyone else around, tilted their heads in confusion.

Jeok Lee-Gun elaborated.

“It’s renowned as the best fruit merchant in the frontier.”

Yang In-Myung burst into laughter.

“Hahaha! That’s impressive, very impressive indeed.”

He assumed Jeok Lee-Gun was deliberately concealing his true identity. Nonetheless, as Yang In-Myung laughed, the rest of the crowd followed suit.

Yang In-Myung’s gaze towards Jeok Lee-Gun deepened. He clearly felt a strong interest in him, and it only grew as their conversation continued.

“But old man, you must have made quite a fortune, considering how expensive this place is.”

It was a rare occurrence for a young man to speak in such a manner to the Lord of the Southern Peak Alliance.

Yang In-Myung responded with a smile.

“I’ve made enough. How about you?”

“I still have a long way to go.”

Jeok Lee-Gun stared at Yang In-Myung with a provocative gaze. Yang In-Myung responded with a meaningful smile.

Jeok Lee-Gun grinned again.

“If I set my mind to it, all the money in the world could be mine.”

“Hahaha! That’s the spirit. Yes, that’s what youth is all about.”

Steam began to rise from the pot that had started to boil.

“Just wait a little longer.”

Everyone watched with curious eyes.

This time, Yang In-Myung turned to Cha-Ryun.

“What is your relationship with Young Master Jeok?”

Cha-Ryun hesitated to answer.

“I….”

It was hard to define their relationship.

Jeok Lee-Gun quickly answered for her.

“We’ve only met twice, both times at an inn. I guess you could say she’s my dear drinking buddy?”

“No, that’s not true.”

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“Oh! And we also had a secret meeting by the pond the other night.”

“What!? A secret meeting!”

Jeong Lee-Chu seemed to be more shocked than Cha-Ryun at this news.

Cha-Ryun shouted with wide eyes.

“No! It’s a misunderstanding! Hey! You really…!”

It was too late for excuses. The gazes of those watching seemed to say, ‘Ah, so that’s how it is,’ and were filled with disappointment. They thought, ‘How could she end up with someone like him?’

Cha-Ryun let out a groan, looking as if she was on the verge of tears.

‘Please just make the bear gallbladder wine. Don’t create a history that doesn’t exist.’

Only Yang In-Myung looked back and forth between Jeok Lee-Gun and Cha-Ryun with an amused glint in his eyes.

Meanwhile, Jeok Lee-Gun cooled the pot by adding cold water.

Yang In-Myung sniffed curiously as he peered into the pot.

“You used quite a few strong-smelling herbs.”

He then inspected the alcohol Jeok Lee-Gun brought.

“Is that the base liquor? It seems ordinary.”

Both the ingredients and the liquor seemed unremarkable.

Jeok Lee-Gun poured the ingredients into the liquor.

Watching him, Lee Hwa smiled meaningfully. She was confident that it was impossible to replicate the same taste.

Jeok stirred the mixture and added a few more ingredients.

Cha-Ryun moved diligently as Jeok Lee-Gun instructed.

At last, the wine was completed.

“Here, try it.”

Jeok Lee-Gun offered it to Cha-Ryun first. She took a small sip.

“It’s the same, right?”

‘This fool.’

“…Completely different.”

Cha-Ryun’s face turned serious. Though she wasn’t much of a drinker, it was clear the taste was nothing like the bear gallbladder wine she had tasted earlier. For one, the bitterness was completely absent.

Lee Hwa sneered coldly, knowing it couldn’t be the same. Turning to the martial artists of the Spring Breeze Inn, she commanded.

“Prepare to remove Young Master Jeok’s gallbladder.”

Cha-Ryun, alarmed, shook Jeok Lee-Gun.

“Think carefully! What’s missing?”

Jeok Lee-Gun glanced down at her pale fingers gripping his arm and grinned.

“Are you worried about me?”

‘This guy! Is he joking right now?’

“This is a matter of life and death!”

‘And my father’s honor. Please take this seriously.’

Only then did the playful look disappear from Jeok Lee-Gun’s face.

“Of course, it’s different. The most important thing hasn’t been added yet.”

Jeok Lee-Gun raised his hand, pointing toward a seemingly ordinary section of the wall.

Everyone turned their gaze toward it. It was an ordinary wall with a cabinet neatly stacked with dishes.

Jeok Lee-Gun slowly approached it.

Lee Hwa flinched. Her eyes flickered with unease, as if she knew what was about to happen.

‘No way.’

“There’s something strange about this kitchen.”

Jeok Lee-Gun pushed the cabinet aside.

With a soft sound, the cabinet slid aside, more easily than anyone could have expected.

Jeok Lee-Gun kicked a metal bowl that had been placed in the corner.

As the bowl spun—

—Grrrrrnnng

The wall began to open.

“Ohhh!”

Everyone watching gasped in surprise.

As soon as the door to the secret chamber opened, a foul stench rushed out, causing everyone to step back—grimacing.

Lee Hwa’s face turned completely pale.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

The head chef rushed over to block the entrance.

“This place holds the secrets of my cooking. Outsiders must not see it.”

His voice trembled uncontrollably.

Jeok Lee-Gun shrugged at the crowd.

“Unfortunately, one of those secrets is the key to today’s matter, so what can I do?”

The looks people gave the man were anything but kind. The terrified man broke into a cold sweat.

Yang In-Myung smiled, offering reassurance.

“Don’t worry. I’ll personally guarantee that the secret will remain safe.”

At this, Mak Hwi unsheathed his steel blade, which gleamed with a shade of blue.

He scanned the faces of everyone present, one by one, as if to say that if even one person let the secret slip, they would all die.

With Yang In-Myung stepping forward, the Head Chef covered his head with his hands and backed away.

Inside the secret chamber, something strange was being cultivated.

Jeok Lee-Gun took out a small box from between the metal structures.

When he opened the lid, a nauseating smell wafted out.

The box was filled with unidentifiable, pitch-black objects.

Pinching his nose, Yang In-Myung questioned.

“What is this?”

“It’s the excrement of the Painted Backworm.”

Unable to endure the overwhelming stench, everyone grimaced in disgust.

Jeok Lee-Gun brought out another box.

“This is the Painted Backworm. It’s called that because it looks like there’s a painting drawn on its back.”

The box was teeming with wriggling insects, and the vibrant patterns on their backs only made them seem more grotesque.

“Why are you showing us this?”

“The excrement of the Painted Backworm is as bitter as bear gallbladder, and it tastes nearly the same.”

“What the fuck!”

Everyone’s faces contorted.

Especially Lee Hwa and the other chefs, who were visibly terrified. Just by looking at their expressions, one could guess what had happened.

Jeok Lee-Gun stirred the excrement into the alcohol and poured it into a cup, offering it forward.

“Who wants to drink?”

No one dared to move.

Jeok Lee-Gun looked at Cha-Ryun playfully.

‘Why are you looking at me?’

Cha-Ryun recoiled in horror, backing away.

‘So what I drank earlier… was this!? Ughh! I think I’m going to faint!’

Mak Hwi was the only one who bravely stepped forward.

“I took it upon myself to be the witness, so I should be the one to confirm it.”

He downed the cup in one go.

The taste was slightly different, but it was undoubtedly the same drink.

His eyes filled with murderous intent as he glared at Lee Hwa.

“You fucking bitch! I’ll rip you apart!”

Lee Hwa endured with an unwavering expression, but the servants could not. They all prostrated themselves, begging for mercy.

Lee Hwa bit her lip and glared venomously at Jeok Lee-Gun.

Jeok Lee-Gun smirked.

“They say the one who makes a mess gets angry… No, in this case, it’s the bitch who put the shit in the drink that’s angry.”

Several people gagged just thinking about it.

Yang In-Myung, who had been observing the entire exchange, burst out laughing as he stepped forward.

“How did you know?”

“I’ve had it before.”

“I heard that the Painted Backworm only lives deep in the Southern Barbarian Lands.”

“I have traveled a lot since I was young because of my mother’s creed.”

“What is that creed?”

“‘A man must travel a lot to grow.’”

“Haha! That’s a wise saying. I’d like to meet her someday.”

Jeok Lee-Gun gave a meaningful look.

“You might regret saying that.”

“And why is that?”

“She’s not the kind of person you’d want to meet. If she doesn’t like you, she’ll tell you right to your face.”

“Hahaha.”

Yang In-Myung laughed awkwardly, but he didn’t seem angry at all. Instead, his eyes gleamed with even more curiosity.

“But how did you know there was a secret chamber hidden there?”

“Because of that mechanism.”

Jeok Lee-Gun looked at an old iron bowl placed in a corner.

“It looks quite natural, but the person who taught me cooking said that a chef should treasure their cooking tools like their life. No matter how much of a scam a place is, the food was pretty decent. A chef who could make food this good wouldn’t leave their tools lying in the corner like that. Also, there was dust everywhere except for the handle of that bowl, which looked polished. It was like saying, ‘Catch me if you can.’ Leaving such a clue was practically begging me to notice.”

Everyone, including Yang In-Myung, was impressed.

The happiest person was, of course, Cha-Ryun. She felt like running over and hugging him right away.

Jeok Lee-Gun extended his palm toward Cha-Ryun.

“Good job, assistant chef.”

The more she looked at him, the stranger he seemed. Was it appropriate to call this strangeness? Or was it something more?

Smack—

Cha-Ryun gave him a high-five.

Jeok Lee-Gun spoke, with a triumphant expression.

“Well then, today’s earnings are all mine.”

“Of course, a promise is a promise.”

While Mak Hwi had the chef bring over the money, Lee Hwa was still acting defiantly.

“Do you know who’s behind me? If you touch me, you’ll all die!”

Smack!

Mak Hwi slapped her across the face without hesitation.

“Yes, that’s exactly what I want to ask! Who the fuck is behind this? Tell me now before I rip you apart!”

Mak Hwi ruthlessly kicked the woman lying on the ground.

Thud! Thud!

“How dare you pull this kind of stunt against us!”

Mak Hwi showed no mercy, even though she was a woman.

Mak Hwi was enraged by the fact that Yang In-Myung had consumed such alcohol. The unconscious woman slumped over.

It would have been good if it ended there, but Mak Hwi hadn’t even started yet.

Grabbing her by the hair, Mak Hwi turned to Jeok Lee-Gun.

“How about working under me?”

Mak Hwi made the offer knowing that Yang In-Myung had shown interest in Jeok Lee-Gun.

Jeok Lee-Gun grinned.

“I’m a bit too busy for that.”

At that moment, the chef came out with the money.

Jeok Lee-Gun snatched the pouch filled with promissory notes and coins. A quick glance showed it was worth at least three thousand nyang.

“Ahaha! To think all this money is from selling shit.”

Once again, a few bystanders with weak stomachs gagged.

“Well then, we’ll leave the rest to the seniors and elders and take our leave.”

Having finished his business, Jeok Lee-Gun grabbed Cha-Ryun’s hand and left.

Jeong Lee-Chu politely bowed to Yang In-Myung and followed after them.

Once they had left, Mak Hwi quietly spoke to Yang In-Myung.

“He’s an interesting kid.”

“More than just that.”

Yang In-Myung’s eyes deepened.

“The moment I first saw that boy, I was overwhelmed by a feeling I thought I’d never experience again.”

“What kind of feeling?”

“The feeling I had the day I took control of the Southern Peak Alliance. The thrill, the excitement, the emptiness, and at the same time, the ambition that surged within me to take the entire Central Plains into my grasp. That feeling was revived.”

“Is that boy really that special?”

“I don’t know. I don’t even know why I felt that way.”

Mak Hwi finally acknowledged that Jeok Lee-Gun was indeed special. The fact that Yang In-Myung admitted he didn’t know why, was extraordinary in and of itself. Mak Hwi knew Yang In-Myung as someone with the insight to see through every person he met.

“Interesting, really interesting. Hahaha!”

As Yang In-Myung’s laughter grew louder, his gaze grew deeper as well.