Chapter 78
Nameless Inn.
The inn had a suspicious location and a suspicious name.
Even the name itself was strange, but that wasn’t the main concern. The suspicion had already been triggered long before I even stepped inside.
“I’ll have your best dish,” I said.
After placing the order with the seemingly suspicious shopkeeper, Jeomsoi, I looked around.
As expected, I was the only customer in this strange inn.
It wasn’t noisy and chaotic, which was actually nice. And instead of people, there was something else to observe.
“Lots of talismans.”
Indeed, the inn was plastered with talismans of various designs and sizes, almost excessively.
I asked Jeomsoi, who had just returned from the kitchen with a rag, wiping down a nearby table.
“Are these the owner’s hobby?”
Jeomsoi paused, glanced at me, and then, without answering, gave a displeased smile and resumed cleaning.
At this point, I couldn’t help but sigh.
“Looks like they’re not even trying to hide anything.”
Usually, I’d try to ignore it at least until the food arrived and I finished eating. But that seemed impossible this time.
“With this, I bet they’ll tamper with the food openly too.”
Sure enough, not long after ordering, the chef appeared.
He held a dish that looked inedible, black smoke rising from it.
“I was willing to eat it even if it had poison, since I was hungry…”
Before even tasting it, my stomach churned in disgust. My appetite completely vanished.
This, however, bought me some time.
“Not bad. With this, I can manage until I enter the kitchen and cook myself.”
Even though I found some merit in this awful dish and praised it, the chef immediately attacked.
I had already expected an ambush. Seeing the talismans on the walls, I also predicted the chef would use them instead of knives—and that Jeomsoi would assist.
But knowing doesn’t mean taking a hit.
Bam! Crack!
I struck the chef’s elbow with my fist as he tried to attach a talisman to me, breaking it instantly.
Interestingly, he didn’t drop the talisman.
What kind of talisman was that? I’d soon find out.
Snap!
With my other hand, I grabbed the broken arm and extended it toward Jeomsoi, who was rushing from behind.
I worried it wouldn’t stick, but the talisman attached to her effortlessly.
“Ah, no!”
Jeomsoi shouted as the talisman’s effect activated.
Zjezzz!
Her body stiffened—not just regular petrification, but full-on stone statue.
“So, you were going to affix this horrendous thing to me?”
And that terrible food. I couldn’t forgive the chef.
Swish!
I snatched the talisman off Jeomsoi and slapped it onto the chef, throwing a punch imitating Gongjin’s one-fist strike from the Central Palace.
Since he had just been turned into stone, fragments flew everywhere with a loud crash.
I wondered if the petrification would wear off mid-fight, but apparently, once it hits, it sticks. Jeomsoi remained a stone statue even after the talisman was removed.
“Maybe I should’ve left one alive.”
It seemed difficult to extract information this way—but that didn’t matter much.
“If the talisman’s master dies, the effect disappears, right?”
One was shattered, but since both remained stone, it meant another was still alive.
Just then, I heard a sound creeping from above.
Tap, tap, tap.
Someone was descending the stairs. I looked up and saw an old woman in red robes and ornate jewelry, her figure appearing at the perfect moment.
Her attire alone made it clear she was the talisman’s master.
“I am Ihwa…”
Without even waiting for her words, I flicked a pair of chopsticks from the table like a projectile.
Using talismans meant she was a sorcerer. Sorcerers often lack physical martial arts, as seen with Manghwa. This attack alone could pose a significant threat.
Swish!
She casually caught the chopsticks midair, forcing me to reconsider.
“You dare throw chopsticks at an elder? Clearly, you’ve had terrible upbringing, child.”
At her age, being called a child was frustrating. A mere hundred years or so in her eyes. I didn’t bother correcting her. I only said what mattered.
“I’m hungry.”
Time to finish this quickly.
Thud!
I lightly stomped my foot; the fragments of stone that were once the chef flew into the air.
Normally, I would have used martial arts to hurl them at the old woman, but doing so would only increase my hunger.
Instead, I decided to use divine power.
“Consider it an honor.”
The stone fragments, imbued with my divine energy, flew at her.
“Throwing stones, huh? You have some skill, but do you think these pebbles can harm me?”
Clearly, she underestimated the situation. These weren’t mere pebbles—they carried a fraction of my divine power.
‘Perhaps she spoke confidently because she truly believed in herself.’
If she could endure, then fine—she’d be right. But that wasn’t the case.
Bam, bam, bam!
The stones penetrated her defense easily, shredding her body instantly. She died without a chance. The talismans she controlled melted away.
“Ihwa Shrine, huh.”
That was likely what she intended to say. Not as renowned as Baehwa Sect, but a notable presence in martial history, now wiped out.
But I had little interest in that name.
“Need to find ingredients first.”
Hunger came before history. I was more concerned about what was in the kitchen.
“Not bad at all.”
Luckily, the inn’s kitchen wasn’t in terrible shape. Not overly stocked, but enough to cook a hunted rabbit into a satisfying meal.
After eating, I used my regained focus to assess the situation.
“I’d love to nap here at the inn, but…”
The rooms were decent, but I had no intention of staying. The night wasn’t over yet, and I only needed to endure until evening.
“Considering the enemies I’ve faced so far, I could take a chance here, but…”
Better not. Risking it wasn’t necessary.
As it turned out, this inn wasn’t just a trap by Ihwa Shrine.
Squeak.
The inn door opened on its own. By the time I turned, I was already surrounded.
I hadn’t even sensed them approaching before entering—a place like this hiding intruders was clever.
I picked up the chopsticks from the table again. This time, I targeted the melted talismans on the wall.
Bang!
The wall collapsed, revealing a hidden space, along with intact talismans inside. Clearly, more operatives had emerged from Ihwa Shrine.
And I wasn’t wrong.
“How dare you kill Samae!”
One of them shouted.
Talisman-wielders were tricky, so I had a clear priority.
Also…
“Why are there so many non-human things?”
Most of the intruders had masks covering their faces, but my enhanced sight could see otherwise. There were no signs of life or warmth—clearly, not human.
Curiosity piqued, I knew I had to find out for myself. They wouldn’t tell me.
“Guess I’ll find out myself.”
For the first time since yesterday’s flight, I assumed a serious stance. They weren’t ordinary opponents.
The ones I’d faced before seemed trivial in comparison. Real skill would only be revealed upon engagement.
‘First, the talisman-wielder.’
But just as I prepared to move, the crowd parted, and a figure stepped forward.
Clearly, not an ordinary person.
“Finally, the leader appears.”
This changed priorities—from talisman-wielder to leader.
A headless organization collapses easily, and lack of coordination makes it more destructive. A slight risk, but manageable.
Yet again, the opponent was faster than me, speaking first.
“Han Sijin.”
“Han Sijin?”
“Yes. Neither side moves, so let’s wait as is, friend.”
“Friend? If we’re friends, why not just let me go?”
“That would cause losses on both sides, impossible.”
Letting me go would hurt both sides? I didn’t understand. Yet, I pondered their words.
Why? Simple.
‘Because they’re serious.’
Their sincerity made it impossible for both sides to achieve a satisfying outcome.
Then I thought:
‘Not me.’
If their goal wasn’t what I expected, then there’s no reason for this gathering.
Hmmm. No clear answer.
Might as well assume they’re deceiving me perfectly—but that didn’t seem to be the case.
“Who decided we should wait for Han Sijin?”
Internal conflict was already brewing on their side.
