Chapter 27
After finishing her conversation with Jegal Dam, Unyeong returned to Yeonhongwon and collapsed onto the floor.
She had tried to appear composed, but speaking with such a difficult opponent had drained her mentally.
Thankfully, Jegal Dam seemed to have understood her words, so there wasn’t much to worry about.
He wasn’t a fool—if anything, he was too smart, and that was the problem.
Unyeong had admittedly pushed the young boy quite hard, but she had done her best.
Sure, it would be a huge shock to him, but overcoming it was Jegal Dam’s task.
‘Well, he’s not weak. He’ll manage. And if he doesn’t… I’ll knock some sense into him later.’
“Young Miss, are you… alright?”
Sogyo carefully asked as she removed the ornament from Unyeong’s hair.
“I’m fine.”
With that answer, Unyeong began organizing the tasks she had to complete.
Time was of the essence, and her heart grew impatient.
“Hyanga, could you call Royal Cook Wang? Tell him to bring whatever has already been prepared. He’ll know what that means.”
“Yes, Young Miss.”
“And go to the steward. Tell him to purchase all the Hyang-yuk mushrooms available. It’s okay if the price goes up—just secure as much as possible. Tell him I’ll explain it to the elders.”
“Hyang-yuk mushrooms?”
“Yes. And let them know that Young Master Jegal will be staying here for a few days. Make sure he’s comfortable.”
“Yes, Young Miss. I’ll relay the message to the steward.”
Hyanga nodded and quickly left.
“Sogyo.”
“Yes, Young Miss?”
“I’m going to rest for a bit. Call me when Royal Cook Wang arrives.”
“Yes, Young Miss. Please rest well.”
Her young body tired easily and quickly. Though she had formed her energy center, her body had not been properly trained and remained fragile.
‘I really need to start absorbing all the poison energy already… Sigh, when will that happen…?’
Grumbling to herself, she sat cross-legged. Slowly, she inhaled and exhaled, beginning her cultivation using the guiding verses of the Samjae Mind Technique.
“Royal Cook Wang is here, Young Miss.”
“Let him in.”
Unyeong stood up as she answered. She soon heard the door open.
Royal Cook Wang entered, holding two large baskets.
“Wow, Cook Wang. You’ve already got everything ready?”
“Yes, Young Miss.”
Delighted by her question, Cook Wang beamed with a wide smile.
Unyeong had given him two tasks.
The first was to create gourmet dishes using Hyang-yuk mushrooms.
“Here, please try these dishes. This one is Hyang-yuk mushrooms deep-fried in batter.”
She needed to make not only Seolgajang but all of Hongan County a place that people would want to visit.
The goal was to develop signature local dishes so that travelers between Wuhan (the provincial capital of Hubei) and other regions would remember Hongan County.
She could no longer let Hongan remain an unknown, forgotten town. The name of Seolgajang and Hongan County had to spread far and wide, so that any incident—no matter how small—would be known.
A tragedy like the one in Seolgajang’s past must never repeat itself. But even small issues shouldn’t fade into silence.
“This one is steamed with seasonal vegetables and topped with a special yuzu-based sauce. By adjusting the seasoning or using different vegetables, we can create many variations.”
“Wow, it looks so good! Let’s give it a try.”
Unyeong picked up her chopsticks and began tasting the dishes Royal Cook Wang presented.
Though it had a meaty flavor, the texture was distinctly different, making it feel like she was trying a whole new kind of cuisine.
As she sampled each dish, she began humming. Everything was genuinely delicious.
“This is Hyang-yuk mushroom dumplings, and this is a porridge made with the mushrooms. And here’s rice cooked with them.”
Royal Cook Wang kept bringing out dish after dish made from the mushrooms, and Unyeong let out happy squeals.
“This is the special dish you requested, Young Miss.”
“Wow, it looks delicious just from the sight of it.”
Of course—it was stir-fried Hyang-yuk mushrooms with beef.
“Yes. Once you taste it, you’ll see you were right. Stir-frying the mushrooms with beef makes both the meat and the mushrooms taste richer.”
There was no need to hear more. Unyeong quickly grabbed a bite of the stir-fried beef and mushrooms.
It was heavenly.
Just as Cook Wang had said, the beef and mushrooms enhanced each other’s flavors, making for a deeper and richer taste.
“Sogyo, Hyanga, you two try this too.”
“Is that okay?”
“Of course! The more people taste it, the more accurate the feedback.”
“Thank you, Young Miss.”
Sogyo and Hyanga also picked up their chopsticks and started tasting. Soon, their faces mirrored Unyeong’s, full of admiration.
Cook Wang looked proud.
Unyeong turned to him with a satisfied smile.
“Every dish was amazing. Thank you, Cook Wang. How did you manage to prepare all of this in just one day?”
“Haha, it wasn’t much. I just made dishes I had been thinking about, since I like Hyang-yuk mushrooms.”
“Even so, that doesn’t make your effort any less. You worked really hard. Please prepare this for dinner tonight. The elders should taste it too.”
“Of course! I, Wangmo, will put my utmost care into it.”
“Great. I trust you. Now, let’s take a look at the other thing.”
“Yes, Young Miss.”
From the other basket, Cook Wang took out finely ground powders and placed them in front of her.
“This is Hyang-yuk mushrooms dried and finely ground into powder. Luckily, we had some dried ones, so it was easy to prepare. And as you said, even in powder form, the flavor is outstanding.”
Unyeong dipped a finger in and tasted the powder.
As expected, it was good. The umami taste, similar to meat, wasn’t lost in the powder form.
“Still, Young Miss, it seems a bit of a waste to use Hyang-yuk mushrooms for what you’re planning. It’s quite expensive too. I think it’s better used for cooking.”
“…You’re probably right. It tastes amazing, and we don’t have a lot of it.”
“Yes, it’s unavoidable.”
This was the second task Unyeong had given him.
She wanted to create simple seasonings by grinding various ingredients into powder to easily enhance flavor.
In her past life as the Demon Swordswoman, Seol Unyeong had spent more nights sleeping under the stars than under a roof. She often had to travel long distances and had even experienced homelessness at times.
The Central Plains were vast. Sometimes you could travel for days without coming across a village.
Before setting out, she’d prepare dry rations and fasting pills. But even surviving on those was grueling.
When traveling with fellow warriors like the Hyeonmu Corps, they’d bring grain, jerky, and a pot. When they found water, they’d cook everything together.
That was easier to eat than dry rations, but the taste was often terrible. Occasionally someone with cooking skills could season it well, but that was rare.
Most of the time, they just forced it down for warmth and hunger.
So Unyeong came up with the idea of simple powdered seasonings.
Her thoughts, shaped by a lifetime as a martial artist, naturally turned toward things that could improve the lives of people like her.
If properly developed, these would be useful not only for martial artists but for merchants and travelers too.
She had other ideas as well, but for now, she planned to start small.
“This one’s not urgent, so take your time researching. Thanks again, Cook Wang.”
“Oh no, it’s my pleasure. Seeing you healthy and working again makes me happier than anything. Leave it to me—I’ll do my best.”
“Thanks. I trust you.”
Just then, a commotion arose outside.
“Young Miss, the Master, the Young Master, and the Young Lord are returning.”
“Really? Then I must go greet them. Also, send word to Young Master Jegal.”
“Yes, Young Miss.”
Unyeong rose and began walking. It was her first time going out to welcome her returning family.
She couldn’t help but hum, her steps light.
As soon as she saw her family entering through the main gate, she ran toward them.
“Hey now, didn’t I tell you not to run?”
“Hehe. Alright, I won’t.”
Seol Wonpyeong said sternly, trying to look strict.
But Unyeong could tell his voice was full of joy, so she only smiled in reply.
“Was the banquet enjoyable?”
“Well, it was a banquet. By the way, how have you been, Yeong?”
As soon as Unyeong asked, Seol Wonpyeong and Seol Jadan began firing off questions.
“Um, Master, Young Master?”
A boy in his early teens stepped forward from behind them and addressed the adults.
“Oh dear, how rude of us. Yeong, this is Young Lord Namgung Hwi of the Namgung clan.”
Seol Wonpyeong introduced the boy to Unyeong. The boy gave a martial salute.
“I’m Hwi of the Namgung Clan. I accompanied the elders. The Master spoke of you with great pride, and you are just as beautiful as I heard.”
With his baby fat still round in his cheeks, Namgung Hwi smiled at her.
It was such an… innocent and pure smile.
