Book 15 Chapter 7

Urban Outing in the Forest King

There weren't many customers in the chord glass today. If you ask me how many, I'll tell you that Paris

I could have sworn I was flying.

What's peculiar is that despite the number of passersby, the restaurant is strangely quiet. In fact, the two people sharing the same table were the only customers in the restaurant.

'That's weird…, really weird…….'

Duchil, the master of the Chord Drinking Cup, couldn't help but ponder the phenomenon.

"Is it those two again?

Duchil's gaze fell on the two men eating in the corner. The man's forearms were gaunt, muscular, and twisted with rebar. His forearms were ugly and irregularly carved with various scars that must have been made with various tools. To top it all off, he had a beard that was as stiff as a steel needle, and he was worried about being stabbed! Last but not least, there was a terrifying girdle around his waist that sent shivers down my spine.

They were fearsome-looking men, even by pretense. There are only so many jobs you can do in that guise, and it's clear that it's a very dangerous and ferocious specialty.

It was obvious that the customers who had come in smiling and laughing earlier had changed their complexions and turned to walk away. Even so, I couldn't ask them to leave. No matter how much a merchant's soul burns for higher sales and better profits, what is more important than that is his life.

"I hope you're going to fuck me hard, and I hope you're going to fuck you hard!

Duchil silently prayed to himself, as he always did whenever he had an unwelcome guest.

"Wow, it's been a long time since I've been to the city… That's good! We foresters have to do a lot of preliminary scouting and gathering information in order to do a good job. It's time for the foresters to abandon their outdated sales methods and reform their consciousness! Don't you think so, Mokyung?"

The larger of the two middle-aged men, who had been influencing the sales of the bar for some time now, gulped down his clinking glass and spoke with more exaggerated gestures than usual.

What is a forester?

The term 處士 refers to a monk who has not yet been able to advance in the past and is still at home. It means that he is still 'at home [處]'. In other words, he is unemployed and homeless. But what about the unemployed who live in the greenery deep in the mountains? Strangely enough, they had an occupation. They were bandits, and banditry was the term bandits used to describe themselves.

And this well-built man was the highest of the bandits that were spread throughout the Middle Kingdom, so he was called the King of the Green Forest.

The words of King Lim Duk-sung, head of the Green Forest Seventy-seven and owner of the Marang House, were filled with the earnestness of a man in charge of an organization, intent on expanding its business. But Mo Jing, the leader of the Thirty-six Swords, who sat across from him and drank with him, could not agree more. He was the escort for this capricious and unexpected visit.

"C'mon. Why don't you just tell her you want to see her if she wants to see you, big brother!"

The giant, bear-like man giggled, and the wolf-headed girdle hanging from his back and waistband twitched. It looked as if it was trying to pick him out, and that made Lim feel terrible.

Nevertheless, Moses continued to speak as if he hadn't noticed the change.

"Of course it's the famous Volcano Covenant Tournament. Isn't it a great festival held once a decade where all the great martial artists compete against each other? Isn't it a family honor to be the son of a bandit and a ruffian, and to participate in such a great tournament as the representative of the Hundred Islands? Isn't it like having a dragon in a stream, or a tiger in a backyard?"

"Floundering?

Why can't his shallow mouth tell the difference between what to say and what not to say every time?

"I'm gonna grab him by the scruff of the neck and crush his legs.

It looks like a slimy bear is faster than a wily fox. It's a skill that comes in very handy in sales, but it's definitely not for this situation. Besides, he has no sense of discernment with his tongue, so he doesn't say much in a private setting like this.

Taking this opportunity to cut down on the food bill-honestly, his brother-in-law was a monster who could eat 10 meals by himself-would help Sanchae's financial stability. However, the fact that he was not only his own brother-in-law, but also his stepbrother-in-law and uncle to Jin Seong-gon's Im Sung-jin was interfering with his decision.

So those impulses were only planned, but never executed. Shutting him up was the most important thing.

"Shh, shut up! Don't get me wrong, I'm only here to observe and gather information from the masters from all walks of life who come to observe the Volcano Covenant Branch. For our future endeavors. Not to see him in action."

Lim Duk-sung spoke in a louder voice than he had ever used before. His face was turning various shades of red, whether because he was angry or because he'd been hit on the nail on the head.

"Oh, is that so, let's just say yes!"

Then, as if to say, turn around and listen…….

"Giggle giggle, if you want to meet, say you want to meet, if you want to see, say you want to see. There's still plenty of time for the Volcano Covenant to start… and you're all hot and bothered and ready to go………."

Tuduk!

The Paaran blood on Lin Ming's forehead pulsed ferociously like a wild horse. It was obviously intentional. There was no way he could have muttered in such a gruff voice and been hidden by the slightest turn of his head.

Sensing that 'reducing food costs' was indeed an unattractive agenda, Lim Duk-sung decided to give it a second thought, and his whole body exploded with energy.

'hhhh…….'

Sensing his insatiable appetite for food, Mo-Kyung quickly shut her mouth. Any more picking and choosing and she might actually have no snout left. But now it seemed a little late.

"khhhhhhhh……."

Maybe those glowing tiger eyes were a bit much.

'Zee, are you serious…….'

Apparently, his own form had lost his mind more times than he could count. He growled, and a cold sweat trickled down his spine. Those eyes were very dangerous.

"Come on, come on… let's finish what we're eating, brother, this meat dumpling is a delicacy, yum yum!"

Boom!

He picked up the various bits of food left on his plate and forced them into his mouth, chewing gruelingly. There was no way he could digest them properly, but he kept going, risking constipation.

But Lim Duk-sung was still gathering momentum, like a tiger stalking its prey, exuding a fleshiness that could be discerned with the naked eye.

'Hello, honey…….'

It was at this point that Moses, in his despair, painted a stately (!) picture of his wife.

"Gee, this place looks great, why don't we take a break here and get some food!"

A booming voice came from the doorway of the cabin, the voice of a woman of considerable age, yet as lively and cheerful as that of an eighteen-year-old girl.

"Ah, really, I think I've walked too much today, don't you think, I'm getting old, I get tired quickly on these long trips, alas, it really wasn't like that before……. I guess age really can't be eaten, don't you think? It would be nice if I could cheat on my age……."

A member of the group slipped through the doorway, his feet dangling, chattering so loudly you wondered when he was breathing.

"Hmm?"

He turned his gaze toward the group, wondering if the deafening noise had reached his ears, which were trembling with rage. At the same time, the flesh facing the scripture disappeared as if washed away.

"He's alive!

Mo Jing swept her hand across her chest and eyed her benefactor, the loud woman. There were three of them in all, a middle-aged woman and two older men of considerable height difference. All three wore wide-brimmed bamboo hats draped with white cotton thread, making it difficult to make out their facial features, but she could get a rough idea from their eyes.

The middle-aged woman standing in the center was unmistakably the chattering madam. Next to her, a tall, chest-high, bearded, well-featured old man wore a white robe as dazzling as a crane's feathers, and a shorter, slightly stocky man wore shabby blue robes.

Hanging from the woman's waist is what appears to be a sword, and from the blue-robed old man's waist is what appears to be a road. Unfortunately, the scabbards of both were wrapped in cloth, making it impossible to determine how valuable they were. Perhaps due to an occupational disease, that was the first thing I saw. Finally, the old man in the white coat had no military equipment on his waist, just a branch in one hand that he held playfully.

"Is that a wand or that?

But it was too short for a walking stick.

'Quite an eclectic group, one middle-aged woman and two old men…….'

It was then that I saw the owner, Duchil, rush over to the guest of the Ganman and bow low, his deeply curved waist and calloused palms exuding a strong sense of determination that he would not let this guest go.

The middle-aged woman glanced at the inside of the glass and said.

"Wow, that's a very secluded table, I love the quiet."

Then the woman's eyes met the two men's head-on; it was hard to see because of the cotton threads, but the angle made it clear.

Mo Jing smiled gratefully. It was the kind of smile that would have sent a normal person running away without looking back.

Duchil was stunned.

"I don't know, I don't think these customers are going to be like the others…….

But the woman didn't run away; instead, she smiled slightly and inclined her head slightly. It was a greeting. At this unexpected display of grace and dignity, Mo Kung and Ling Yi also bowed their heads slightly in response. Then they realized what an unscrupulous thing they had done, and were horrified: they had forgotten, if only for a moment, their identity as bandits.

'Weird Auntie……!

The two men did not hesitate to come to that conclusion. Otherwise, they could not have acted as they did unless they were possessed by a demon.

"Hmmm, that looks like a good spot, should I go over there and sit down?"

The seat was about four tables away from Lim Duk-sung's group. The old men nodded without saying a word. Despite her claims of exhaustion, the woman's entire body was energized.

"What a loud lady!

The thought occurred to him that he really wasn't worthy of a night's rest, but he didn't say it out loud; his distraction had saved her life.

Once seated, the woman's chatter continued. The two older men listened quietly, only occasionally responding with a short comment.

"That's weird……."

Lim Duk-sung muttered with a glint in his eye.

"What do you mean?"

Mokyung asked, looking at her 'beast' who was shaking his head.

"That woman's words, don't you see something strange about them?"

"He's certainly chatty, I think he's louder than my wife!"

I was about to slap him, but he barely restrained himself.

"Certainly more than 'her'… Oh, no, that's not it! That woman, even though she's got a cotton cloth covering her face, she doesn't look to be in her forties by the sound of her voice and the way she carries herself. Don't you find it strange?"

"Well, come to think of it, that's definitely true!"

Mo Jing looked at the group with some trepidation. Except for the woman, the other two were unapologetic old men. Even a wide-brimmed, white cotton robe could not conceal the chest-high beard. It was impossible to think it was a fake.

"Isn't it said that there are many super beings who have surpassed the human category and have attained the state of semi-return?"

"Well… you look too weak to say that."

Yes, he prided himself on being a fairly advanced martial artist, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to become the leader of a large green forest group like Marangchai, much less be called the Green Forest King.

A master knew how to recognize a master, and a martial artist of that caliber could read the chi of even the weakest martial artist.

And the chi you read is an important measure of how you compare and evaluate your opponent.

"…No matter how much I look at it, I can't sense the unique chi of Muji."

He didn't seem to have any of the momentum or swagger that a master would have. If it weren't for the two swords strapped to his waist, I would have thought he was just a regular guy.

But this questioning of virtue didn't last long.

"Here's your order!"

The woman in the empty seat raised her hand and called for Jumsoi. Her voice was still full of energy. All three had not yet removed their bamboo robes.

And the order started.

"Hmm… First, we'll have longjing tea, and then we'll have 魚香肉絲, a spicy and sweet pork dish, 魚香鳳片, which is thinly sliced chicken with longjing tea, 魚香茄花, a vegetable dish made with eggplant, guapasamsun, which is made with nurongzi, balsam goldfish, and palgwatang ……."

It was a long time after the spell had begun that it ended. Duchil's face, which had been white at first as he took the order, was turning blue. The amount of food coming out of the woman's mouth was enough to feed ten men. Although the woman was happy about the dramatic improvement in her business, Duchil couldn't help but ask.

"Uh… sir, are you sure you want to finish these?"

He had heard the industry rumors. Of course, he didn't expect any rich people to show up at his humble table, and he wasn't looking forward to it.

"Sure. Doesn't everyone in the world order food they're not going to eat?"

The middle-aged woman replied, as if she were asking all the wrong questions.

"Oh, well… I… I don't necessarily have……."

Seeing Duchil rambling like that, the old man of Qing shot him a look.

"Look, whether those orders are eaten or not is for us to worry about, not you! All you have to worry about is getting the food out quickly and tasty. The guild here will take care of the disposition of the orders, so stick to your worries! By the way, since you're at the market, can you please get that food out of here? My belly is starting to stick to my back."

"Ah… yes, sir, I'll get to it immediately!"

Bowing at the waist in a show of extreme respect, Duchil rushed to the burinake kitchen, wondering if the order would be canceled.

"Brother!"

In a faint voice, Mo Kyung called out to Lim Ducheng.

"Why?"

In a deep voice, the man replied.

"Are you sure you can eat it all?"

"Well, we'll see…we'll see."

Soon the food started to come out.

The three did not remove their bamboo lips while eating. However, the cotton threads around their faces made eating uncomfortable. Pulling on the two blue strings on either side of their faces, the cotton threads covering their faces parted to the left and right, creating a triangular space. The face of a very gentle-looking woman in her forties peeked through the gap. It seemed to be the way it was meant to be.

Now that the food was no longer uncomfortable to eat, the woman began to eat, quietly moving her chopsticks around. The two old men joined in.

As they watched, Lim Duk Sung and Mo Kyung's eyes began to widen.

The woman's eating was very graceful.

Perfect sitting posture with a straight back, calm and quiet chopstick movements, eyes slightly closed, and calmly savoring the flavors and aromas - the table manners were impeccable.

Except for one thing. Except for the fact that there was a steady stream of food coming from the kitchen. Not once did the woman stop using her chopsticks while the food was being served, and there was no change in her expression or posture. It was a phenomenal appetite.

I couldn't help but pay homage to this transcendent spectacle, which is a virtue and a motherland that prides itself on seeing everything, experiencing waterworks once in a while, and giving birth every day.

"That lady's stomach is the universe!"

Lim Duk-sung was stunned into silence. There was no other way to describe it.

"What the hell is this?"

As far as the limits of human appetite and stomach are concerned, the two bandits had expanded their horizons considerably today.

"Hey, brother!"

Im Deoksung called his stepbrother.

"Yes, brother!"

Mo Jing quickly replied.

"If you ordered that much food, would you be able to eat it all?"

He couldn't contain his curiosity and asked her a question. It was a question that gave her pause for thought.

"Well, that might be a bit much, even for me, but I think it's worth a try, and I'll risk my life to eat it all, if you'll let me, brother! …Will you?"

Looking at her sister-in-law with expectant eyes, Mo-Kyung asked in a tone like that of a lover whispering intimacy.

Lim Duk-sung, who was once called the Ghost Tiger of Marangchae, looked at his brother-in-law with his beaky eyes and said.

"Are you crazy!"

It was a firm voice that would not be swayed by any compromise, cajoling, or flattery.

"Of course you do……."

To Mo-Kyung, whose face was sullen because the grass had died after his hopes were dashed, Im Deok-Sung advised him in a quiet voice as a superior.

"Wouldn't it be better to worry about the plate of reality in front of you rather than such vain dreams?"

Speechless, Lim Duk-sung snatched up the last piece of meat on his plate. Without a moment's hesitation, it disappeared into his gaping maw.

"Ouch!"

A pitiful scream erupted from Mo Jing's mouth, not only from Kang Hao, but also from the wild beasts that were feared within the Green Forest Seventy-seven.

"Brother, that's not fair, I was saving it for last!"

He looked like he was about to burst into tears, but he knew very well that he couldn't do his job as a bandit if he paid attention to such trivialities.

"Don't you know it's a law of the forest that if you don't take it, it's taken away? He who is quickest wins!"

"Well, at least……."

Mo-Kyung protested, changing her gaunt face from time to time, but Lim Duk-Sung pretended not to see it.

Food, once digested, never returns to its original form again, just as life, once passed, never rises again. Even if it did return, it would be a separate body of water, trampled by teeth and defiled by stomach acid.