The Terminally Ill Young Master of the Baek Clan

The Immortal Divine Dragon Baek Yi-gang, was responsible for five successors from the orthodox faction.

What about the unorthodox faction?

“It’s the Wandering Crescent Blade Byeok Gi.”

Wandering Crescent Blade Byeok Gi.

Yi-gang had also heard of this Supreme Peak martial artist.

“He’s a master of great renown, originating as a wanderer, who wields a crescent blade. Rising to become a leader within the Unorthodox Union is no small feat.”

A crescent blade was a weapon resembling a spear with a blade attached to its end.

For example, the legendary Azure Dragon Crescent Blade wielded by Guan Yu was one such crescent blade.

Yi-gang’s expression turned peculiar.

Even so, it’s remarkable for someone to reach the Supreme Peak at such a young age.

However, it was clear that being over 30 years old applied in this situation.

The rule set during the Mount Tai gathering mandated that supervisors be chosen from young martial masters under 30.

“He’s a wanderer. He claims he merely looks older due to his weathered appearance, but in reality, he insists he’s in his twenties. Well, it’s not uncommon for wanderers to be uncertain of their exact age…”

“What a convenient excuse.”

It was a common occurrence in this era.

“Do you wish to make contact with him?”

“There’s no harm in doing so.”

Noh Shik quickly grasped Yi-gang’s intentions, as he was well-informed.

Yi-gang was relieved that Noh Shik was among the five selected. Even though Noh Shik’s martial arts skills were slightly inferior to the others, he had other strengths. ɌАNȎʙĘS

“If I meet him in the Inner Court, I’ll have a chat with him.”

The inner courtyard was the area connecting the left wing and the right wing of Tranquil Manor.

It was a place where encounters with members of the unorthodox faction often occurred.

Yi-gang headed toward the inner courtyard with Noh Shik.

“We might not meet him right away, though.”

“It doesn’t matter. I have other business in the Inner Court.”

Noh Shik followed Yi-gang with a puzzled expression.

The place Yi-gang went to immediately upon arriving at the inner courtyard was none other than the kitchen.

He naturally opened the door and entered the kitchen.

“Ah, you’re here.”

A maid greeted him politely.

The maids in the kitchen were busy preparing meals.

In Tranquil Manor, only the minimum number of staff worked to provide convenience for the residents.

Among them were the kitchen staff.

A servant in charge of the kitchen rose from a chair.

“I’ve been waiting for you. I’ve prepared as you requested, but…”

The servant gestured toward the central cooking table in the kitchen.

Various ingredients were laid out on it.

Cleanly prepared chicken, lean beef, and fresh green vegetables.

Yi-gang inspected the ingredients himself.

“Hmm, thank you.”

“You’re personally managing the menu…” the servant stammered as he spoke.

A few days ago, Yi-gang had unexpectedly visited the kitchen.

He had demanded changes to the menu from the head cook and the servants.

“You’ve gathered everything I requested.”

“Yes, they weren’t particularly difficult to obtain.”

The head cook seemed flustered.

Although Yi-gang was responsible for teaching and supervising the five successors, no one expected him to manage their meals as well.

The head cook hired by Shaolin Temple was quite renowned in his field.

As a cook with a sense of pride, it was an affront when an uninformed martial artist suddenly barged into the kitchen.

The head cook crossed his arms and watched Yi-gang.

“If you leave it to me, I’ll undoubtedly prepare the best meals.”

“Where did you say you worked before?”

“…At the largest tavern in Sichuan.”

“I see.”

Yi-gang briefly raised his head and sniffed the air lingering in the kitchen.

“You seem to be preparing lunch.”

“Yes, as per your instructions.”

The head cook twisted his lips into a wry smile.

Yi-gang wasn’t merely interfering with the preparation of ingredients.

He went as far as to dictate what dishes should be made with the requested ingredients.

As an employee, the cook had no choice but to comply, but he couldn’t help but feel bitter.

He followed Yi-gang’s orders while trying to preserve his pride as much as possible.

“Can you show me?”

“Here, it’s stir-fried bok choy with chicken breast, served with rice.”

The head cook could prepare a wide variety of dishes.

Clear Soup with Bird’s Nest made using cliffside swallow nests, steamed dishes using bear paws, and other such grand meals.

Compared to that, stir-fried chicken breast and vegetables were exceedingly plain.

‘Let’s see if he dares to eat it.’

The head cook glared at Yi-gang with blazing eyes as he picked up his chopsticks.

However, Yi-gang didn’t even touch the food.

Clack.

After setting the chopsticks down, he stared coldly at the head cook.

“Why didn’t you follow my instructions?”

“Pardon? Wh-what do you mean…?”

The icy tone made the cook feel as if his heart had frozen.

“It was a simple instruction. And yet, what is this?”

The plate Yi-gang pushed forward held a dish that looked incredibly appetizing.

“I don’t understand what you mean…”

“This is tavern-style cooking.”

The cook exclaimed in protest with an aggrieved tone, “Chicken breast is a bland and mild meat. That’s why I flavored it with pork fat and sprinkled black pepper for aroma! I also used potato starch, mixed it with dark soy sauce and sweet honey, and poured it over the dish!”

“…That’s the problem.”

Yi-gang’s face contorted with frustration.

It was rare for a martial arts instructor to interfere with the menu.

In this era, nutritional knowledge was limited to the idea that eating plenty of rice and meat was good.

Yi-gang sought to apply as much modern knowledge as possible to it.

“Excuse me? A problem, you say?”

“I only asked for plain rice, but why did you fry it! And so perfectly, too!”

The rice had been fried with oil and eggs, making it savory.

On the side, sweet honey bread had been prepared as a dessert.

Such things held no significance as part of the intended diet.

Yi-gang walked past the bewildered head cook.

Then, standing in front of the stove, he grabbed the wok himself.

“This is all I requested.”

The wok already had a small amount of oil in it.

With lightning-fast knife skills, Yi-gang chopped the chicken breast into pieces.

He also cut mushrooms he had picked from the mountains and roughly removed the core from the bok choy.

These were tossed into the wok, followed by a light sprinkle of salt.

“The training will be grueling, so the calorie intake needs to be high. That’s why I specified smaller meals four times a day instead of three.”

He stir-fried everything quickly over high heat.

No elaborate techniques or rare ingredients were required.

However, Yi-gang’s actions made it clear that he was truly skilled in cooking.

“You really know how to cook,” Noh Shik murmured to himself in amazement.

“Roughly done… Now, try it.”

Yi-gang scooped some plain white rice and handed it over alongside the stir-fry.

It looked decent enough.

The head cook and Noh Shik quickly picked up some rice and stir-fried chicken and vegetables with their chopsticks.

They chewed thoroughly and swallowed.

Then, they looked at each other and mumbled at the same time.

“…It’s bland.”

“…It’s tasteless.”

It tasted exactly as they imagined during the cooking process.

It wasn’t inedible, but the flavor was simple, slightly dry, and, above all, extremely bland.

“From now on, prepare meals like this. Since you’re a renowned cook, I’m sure you understand.”

“Y-yes, I understand.”

The head cook finally bowed his head.

What Yi-gang wanted wasn’t delicious food.

“No way… Are we really eating only this for an entire month?”

However, Noh Shik muttered in despair.

“Good food usually tastes bad for the body.”

“…I meant to say I’m overjoyed.”

“Right, that’s the spirit.”

Noh Shik lowered his head deeply, trying to hide his grimacing face.

Yi-gang, after wiping his hands with a damp towel, also requested a diet prepared with other ingredients like brown rice and tomatoes.

Just when it seemed like he was about to leave, Yi-gang made additional requests for ingredients.

“May I take a few more ingredients?”

“Of course.”

“Two large chickens with thick skin, glutinous rice, and spices such as…”

Noh Shik’s ears perked up.

Those ingredients sounded oddly familiar to him.

‘Beggar’s Chicken?’

Wasn’t this the dish he had enjoyed thoroughly not too long ago at Mount Song?

Having gathered the requested ingredients, Yi-gang handed them to Noh Shik with instructions.

“Clean yourself thoroughly and trim your nails before coming out tonight.”

Although Noh Shik didn’t particularly enjoy washing up, he couldn’t refuse.

“…Understood.”

The inner courtyard at night.

In the middle of it, Noh Shik was preparing Beggar’s Chicken.

As before, he filled a pot with yellow clay, wrapped the chicken in lotus leaves, placed it inside, and lit a fire.

Some curious servants and maids peeked over a few times, but after Yi-gang told them not to worry, they stopped coming by.

Even though cooking Beggar’s Chicken in the middle of the inner courtyard seemed questionable, Noh Shik deliberately ignored the thought.

Time passed.

The yellow clay covering the chicken began to crack, releasing an irresistible aroma.

A chilly breeze blew on the cool night.

The rich smell was enough to whet anyone’s appetite.

It was late at night, the perfect time for a midnight snack.

Yi-gang sat quietly in front of the fire he had built.

“…It seems like it’s ready to eat now.”

“A little longer.”

Still, he remained seated.

For Noh Shik and the other successors, having someone their age act as an instructor felt somewhat awkward initially.

However, as days passed, Noh Shik began to feel that Yi-gang’s instructions were only natural.

Yi-gang exuded a sense of composure, like that of an elder.

“If it cooks too long, the juices will escape, and it’ll become dry.”

“It should be fine for now. Just a little longer.”

But even so, Beggar’s Chicken was still just Beggar’s Chicken.

Noh Shik felt an inexplicable sense of unease.

It was while he was silently staring at the pot.

Thud.

A noise echoed from somewhere.

Turning his gaze, he saw a dark silhouette drop from the eaves near the kitchen.

Noh Shik’s sense of danger flared.

‘…Who is that?’

There was no doubt someone had infiltrated the area.

Just as he was about to inform Yi-gang, Yi-gang stood up first.

“Prepare to eat.”

“…Pardon?”

“We have a guest.”

A guest?

Noh Shik soon realized the meaning of Yi-gang’s words.

Out of the darkness, someone walked straight toward them.

It was a man with a massive frame.

As he approached closer, his identity became clear.

“Gal Dong-tak…?”

He was one of the unorthodox faction’s successors.

But why was he showing up here in the middle of the night?

He muttered as he looked at Yi-gang, “The door was locked.”

“They say food has been disappearing every night. I advised them to put a lock on it.”

“…”

Gal Dong-tak looked like a calf that had lost its mother.

“I was just so hungry…”

“Don’t they feed you properly?”

“It’s not that…”

“It must not have been enough.”

Gal Dong-tak nodded.

His Adam’s apple moved as he swallowed nervously.

His gaze kept drifting toward the Beggar’s Chicken Noh Shik was preparing.

“It smells delicious.”

As usual, Gal Dong-tak had likely come to steal a midnight snack but turned back upon finding the door locked.

However, unable to resist the aroma of the Beggar’s Chicken Yi-gang and Noh Shik were cooking, he walked over.

“It’s tasty. Very.”

Yi-gang grabbed a chicken leg and took a bite.

Gal Dong-tak hesitated.

According to what his father had taught him, as a bandit of the Green Forest, he should have shouted, ‘Hand over the food, hahaha!’ and stolen the Beggar’s Chicken in his hand.

But he was afraid of Yi-gang.

Yes, Gal Dong-tak feared Yi-gang.

Never in his life had he been beaten so thoroughly.

Every punch felt like being struck by lightning, sending shocks through his entire body.

“Would you like to join us?”

“Um, gulp… If that’s okay.”

“There’s a price, though.”

“A price?”

“Tell me about the martial arts or personalities of the four other successors you’re living with,” Yi-gang said, shaking the chicken leg.

Gal Dong-tak’s eyes moved back and forth, tracking the chicken leg.

However, he soon spoke with a resolute expression, “No, I can’t do that. That would be betrayal.”

“Is that so? I see.” Yi-gang replied surprisingly nonchalantly.

Then, gesturing toward Gal Dong-tak, who was still fixated on the chicken leg, Yi-gang motioned with his hand.

“Come and eat. It’s a bit much for just the two of us.”

“R-really?!” Gal Dong-tak exclaimed with joy.

Without hesitation, he cheerfully sat next to Yi-gang.

“Noh Shik, give him one of the chickens.”

“Well, sure. Got it.”

Yi-gang generously handed over a large chicken to Gal Dong-tak.

Unbothered by the heat, Gal Dong-tak grabbed the chicken whole and began tearing into it.

“Hahaha, this is the best food I’ve ever had!”

“Is that so.”

“You guys are truly amazing people.”

“I’m glad you’re enjoying it. However, let me ask you something…” Yi-gang sat beside Gal Dong-tak and spoke casually, “The man with the burn scar on his face—he looks intimidating. Is he a blade wielder?”

“Ah, Brother Seomun Cheong? He looks scary, but he’s a good guy.”

“Have you sparred with him?”

“Hmm, yeah, I have. I tried to chop him with my axe, but he used some strange footwork to dodge. It was like his legs stretched out or something…”

“Your axe strikes are impressively fast.”

“Brother Seomun is a master of the quick-drawing technique…”

Encouraged by Yi-gang’s questions, Gal Dong-tak cheerfully shared more details.

Though he wasn’t taking notes, Yi-gang’s nodding suggested he was memorizing every word of the conversation.

Noh Shik silently thought to himself, ‘…Crafty.’

However, there was no malice in this observation.

In fact, it was the opposite—a sense of admiration for Yi-gang’s extraordinary information-gathering ability, something even Noh Shik, a Beggars’ Gang member, hadn’t considered.

‘Impressive.’

Noh Shik found himself starting to respect Yi-gang.

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