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Chapter 22. Isn't a Cook Better Than a Mountain Stroll?
When the door of a modest cabin opened, two young women stepped out. They were Han Chaeyeon and Ha Sobaek, who had recently joined the mountain. Han Chaeyeon, twenty years old, and Ha Sobaek, eighteen, were inseparable like sisters.
Upon seeing the Boss, Pung Yeoncho, and the Sub-Boss, Tak Gomyung, the two women ran towards them.
As the older sister, Han Chaeyeon spoke first.
"Boss, can we go to the village with Brother Yeon today?"
"To Haga Village?"
Pung Yeoncho looked at Han Chaeyeon with an indifferent expression.
He didn’t understand why she wanted to take Yeon Jeokha when she could go to the village by herself.
"Yes. Sobaek says there will be a ceremony in Haga today, with lots of food and things to see."
"Why can't you two go alone? Why do you need to take Yeon?"
"Do you really want two girls to go down the mountain alone? Please, let us take Brother Yeon. Okay?"
Pung Yeoncho looked at the two women meaningfully.
It seemed they wanted to attract Yeon Jeokha, but he doubted it would work. On the mountain, Yeon Jeokha was known for being indifferent to matters of love.
Tak Gomyung, who was beside him, laughed and commented:
"Hehe, are you trying to seduce him in the village?"
"Oh no, it's not that!"
Ha Sobaek, who had recently joined the mountain, blushed and waved her hands.
On the other hand, Han Chaeyeon put her hands on her hips and replied annoyed:
"We're doing this because Sobaek hasn’t been here long, and some guys might bother her!"
Ha Sobaek was originally from Haga Village and had grown up with her widowed mother. Last year, her mother died from an illness, leaving her alone. It wasn’t long before men started harassing her. It was Han Chaeyeon who rescued her from an attempted assault by a neighbor.
Pung Yeoncho, with a gesture of annoyance, waved his hand.
"Fine, do as you wish. Yeon will also enjoy getting out of the mountain for a while."
"Thank you, Brother."
"Thank you so much."
Han Chaeyeon and Ha Sobaek bowed in gratitude.
When the two women left happily, Tak Gomyung laughed and asked:
"Boss, do you think Yeon will end up with one of them?"
"Why do you ask that?"
"He’s a man, isn't he?"
"You're shameless! Stop dreaming and focus on getting along with the cook when she arrives."
"Boss, age is just a number."
"I can’t believe you’ve eaten monk’s food."
"What’s wrong with monk's food? There are many strong men in temples. Look at the Shaolin Temple."
"Are the monks of the Shaolin Temple as interested in women as you are?"
"Who said I’m interested? I was just thinking about the young girls on the mountain."
"Bah! Stop talking nonsense and supervise the construction of the houses. Make sure the workers aren’t snooping around the base. We don’t know when they might become guides for government soldiers."
"Impossible. Don’t you see how much they appreciate us in Haga Village lately?"
"Yes, but give them some money, and you’ll see how they start talking."
"Of course, those guys would sell their own mother. I'll keep a close eye on them to make sure they don’t do anything stupid."
"Yes, let’s handle this well. I want Five Peaks Mountain to last a long time."
"Me too, Boss."
Tak Gomyung also wanted life at the base of Five Peaks Mountain to continue. They were now more prosperous than ever. Having a cook at the base was something unimaginable before.
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With nothing special to do, Yeon Jeokha decided to go down the mountain at the insistence of the two women. Since he joined the mountain, it was the first time he went down to have fun in Haga.
As they left the base, Ha Sobaek looked at Yeon Jeokha curiously.
"Brother Yeon, have you been to Haga Village before?"
"Yes, I went a couple of times last winter with the others to buy rice and food."
Although Ha Sobaek was a year older, she spoke to Yeon Jeokha with respect. Yeon Jeokha had also adopted informal speech at the base.
"Ah, that’s why I didn’t see you. If you had come more often, I would have recognized you."
"You said you lived in Haga?"
"Yes."
"Your face doesn’t look like someone who would do something bad. Why did you come up the mountain?"
Yeon Jeokha didn’t understand why. Ha Sobaek was pretty in anyone’s eyes. Her clear and transparent eyes showed her innocence. She didn’t seem like the type of person who would do something bad, so why had she come up the mountain as if fleeing?
Although he had learned about morality from books, he knew how to distinguish between right and wrong. Most bandits were people who had committed crimes and were fleeing. While there were some who became bandits out of necessity, they were few.
"Oh, Brother Yeon! Do I look like I do bad things?"
Han Chaeyeon intervened with an indignant expression.
"I didn’t say that."
"Pf!"
Frowning, Han Chaeyeon summarized Ha Sobaek’s story.
"I see, so that’s what happened."
Yeon Jeokha nodded understandingly.
That was all. He didn’t ask what happened to the bad guys. The base was full of people who had done worse things, so there was no reason to be surprised.
At first, it was awkward, but as they went down the mountain, the three of them shared more about their lives.
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Sa Haeru Restaurant in Haga Village.
As soon as they sat by the window, Ha Sobaek spoke excitedly.
"They say the food here is the best. Jinmi Restaurant also has good noodles."
"Have you never eaten here?"
Asked Han Chaeyeon.
Ha Sobaek smiled and shook her head.
"I didn’t have money to eat in places like this. I only went to Jinmi Restaurant occasionally."
At that moment, the waiter approached.
"What would you like to order?"
The waiter couldn’t take his eyes off Han Chaeyeon and Ha Sobaek.
Their beauty was rare in Haga, so his gaze was natural.
Han Chaeyeon, who had experienced various meals at the inn, ordered on behalf of the group.
"Can you bring Hulatang (spicy soup), dumplings, roast chicken, stir-fried pork, and eight treasures fried rice?"
Han Chaeyeon looked at the waiter intently.
It was evident she trusted that these dishes, available in Bohyeon, would be here too.
"Yes, yes, please wait a moment."
The waiter, bowing repeatedly, walked away.
"Wow, Sister! That’s impressive."
Ha Sobaek looked at her with admiration, to which Han Chaeyeon responded with a shrug.
"Impressive? I learned it all at the inn."
"Oh, I see!"
The mention of the inn made a shadow of sadness cross Ha Sobaek’s face.
When the meals arrived, the three of them immersed themselves in the delicious food without talking much.
"Isn’t that Sobaek?"
A loud voice resounded as a man dressed in silk clothes approached the table.
Ha Sobaek, who turned her head to see who it was, showed a forced smile.
A man in his thirties, with a large mole under his eye, touched her shoulder friendly.
"Where have you been lately? I heard you went through something bad. I told you to look for me if you needed help. Why didn’t you?"
Han Chaeyeon, who was watching, asked Ha Sobaek.
"Do you know him?"
Surprisingly, Ha Sobaek shook her head.
She recognized him, but that was all. He was one of the men in Haga who had bothered her. She couldn’t consider him an acquaintance.
"What? You say you don’t know me? Impossible!"
Seeing the man still insisting, Han Chaeyeon spoke coldly.
"Hey, sir. My sister says she doesn’t know you. Do you even know who we are?"
Ha Ilji, who ran a large fabric store in Haga Village, asked disdainfully.
"Who are you?"
"We're from Five Peaks Mountain. If you know that, leave."
Ha Ilji, who had been arrogant until then, shrank immediately.
"Sorry, I didn’t know you were the heroes of Five Peaks..."
He retreated without raising his head. This clearly showed the respect that Five Peaks Mountain commanded in Haga Village.
Han Chaeyeon, clicking her tongue disdainfully, asked Yeon Jeokha.
"Doesn’t it make you angry to see people like that?"
"It bothers me."
"Then why did you stay quiet?"
"You already said something. That’s enough."
Actually, he had observed because he didn’t know the relationship between Ha Sobaek and that man. But he didn’t want to give a long explanation to Han Chaeyeon.
Although Han Chaeyeon wasn’t completely satisfied, she quickly changed the subject.
"Brother."
"Yes?"
"Could you teach Sobaek and me martial arts?"
"Martial arts?"
Han Chaeyeon nudged Ha Sobaek with her elbow.
As if they had prepared it, Ha Sobaek also spoke.
"Yes, Brother. Please teach us martial arts, Sister Chaeyeon and me."
Faced with the sudden request, Yeon Jeokha hesitated.
Teaching martial arts wasn’t difficult. He himself had learned from the Sub-Boss. But he had never taught anyone. Could he do it well?
Seeing Yeon Jeokha hesitate, Han Chaeyeon put on a pleading expression.
"Why? Can’t you?"
With an uncomfortable expression, Yeon Jeokha scratched his head.
"It’s not that I don’t want to, but I’m not sure I’ll do it well. I’ve only shown the Sub-Boss’s technique a few times when asked. I don’t know how to teach."
Han Chaeyeon's face lit up.
"Really? That’s enough. We just need you to be willing to teach us. If we have questions, we’ll ask them as we go."
"In that case, I can do it. But why do you want to learn martial arts all of a sudden?"
"Recently they’re looking for someone to cook and clean at the base. If we don’t know how to fight, they’ll make us do that. It’s certain."
"Exactly. If they find a cook, great. But if not, or if the cook suddenly leaves, uff!"
Ha Sobaek shivered just thinking about it.
Finally, Yeon Jeokha understood the girls’ motivation.
They wanted to learn martial arts to avoid being assigned domestic tasks.
"But isn’t it better to be a cook than to go out and fight?"
The two girls responded in unison.
"No way!"
"Why not?"
Why did they prefer the danger of fighting over the safety of the kitchen?
Han Chaeyeon, caressing her tea cup, replied.
"Do you remember what that man said a moment ago? He apologized when he found out we were from Five Peaks Mountain. A cook would never hear those words in their entire life."
"Exactly. We want to learn martial arts and become heroines of the Murim."
"Being a cook, no way."
Yeon Jeokha nodded understandingly.
After all, he too had desired the freedom to roam the world when he was trapped in the warehouse. I guess people’s desires aren’t that different.
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Henan Province.
Anju Town.
As night fell, two men opened the door of the Yanghwa Guesthouse and entered. They were the Great Daeju of the Mansu Chamber of Commerce, the Roaring Wind Swordsman Sang Mucheon, and his master, the Sage of Heaven and Earth of the Wudang Sect.
The guesthouse was filled with diners.
Sang Mucheon quickly booked a room and brought the Sage of Heaven and Earth to an empty table in the corner.