Chapter 8
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Chapter 8: Gluttony
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Despite Jeong-ah’s attempts to dissuade him, Yeon So-hyeon insisted on helping with the meal preparations, eventually even finishing the task alongside her.
However, she felt no particular impression from his eccentric behavior.
Right now, Jeong-ah was gripped by a sticky, inescapable sense of unease.
‘How on earth does he slip past my vision?’
Though this Young Master was clearly standing right in front of her, the information her "eyes" could glean was limited to exactly that.
What he was thinking, what emotional state he was in, what his next move would be—her "eyes" could read nothing at all.
"Come now. Don't just stand there; you should sit here and eat with me."
"How could a lowly servant share a table with the Young Master?"
She had tried to stop him from the moment he began setting the table, but it was clear that this Young Master had absolutely no intention of listening to her.
"Ahem. Did I not tell you to sit down at once?"
In the end, she had no option to refuse her master’s command.
Sighing inwardly, Jeong-ah gritted her teeth and sat across from the Young Master.
If word got out that she had shared a meal alone with the Young Master of the Luoyang Sword Clan, who would ever believe it?
"Hmm. This seasoned vegetable is quite good. It has a home-cooked touch. It’s simple, yet the flavors have soaked in well."
"……It is a trivial skill, nothing more."
She didn't know if the food was entering her mouth or her nose, but for some reason, the rice went down remarkably well.
Come to think of it, she had only finished a single bowl of rice porridge at dawn.
Or perhaps it was because the ingredients on this table were grown directly within the Won-gak Pavilion.
It was said that due to the effects of the formation, the temperature inside the Won-gak Pavilion remained like early spring, even in the dead of winter.
"Hmm. Now that I think of it, you aren't feeling dizzy from the formation anymore, are you?"
Jeong-ah covered her mouth and answered demurely.
"Yes. It seems to be thanks to your care and concern."
At that, Yeon So-hyeon nodded, as if he understood something.
"I see. That is fortunate. Sometimes there are those with constitutions sensitive to energy. Even without Internal Energy."
"I-is that so?"
"And eyes that are nearly Golden-Eyed…… Hmmm."
"……."
Jeong-ah’s composure wavered once again.
Regarding her "eyes," Jeong-ah only knew what she had experienced firsthand.
A mix of anxiety—that the Young Master might notice something about her eyes—and a flicker of expectation—that he might know the true nature of these eyes, which were no different from a Divine Retribution—swirled within her.
Just then, Yeon So-hyeon, who had been thinking with his eyes closed, snapped them open.
"Hmm……!"
"……!"
Jeong-ah suppressed her impatience.
"As I thought, it would be best to have another bowl. Bring me a heaping serving this time as well."
"……Yes, Young Master."
In the end, the Young Master ate five more bowls of rice after that, and he didn't say a single word about her constitution during the entire time.
He merely rattled on about trivial matters.
"……Hmm. I still feel a bit lacking."
The Young Master smacked his lips.
"……I apologize. Shall I cook more rice?"
The generous amount of rice they had prepared was all gone, and the Young Master had even finished off the scorched rice from the bottom of the pot.
"No. A moderate sense of lack is probably for the best."
She had no idea what he considered "moderately lacking," but Jeong-ah nodded anyway.
"In that case, I shall prepare plenty of refreshments to accompany the tea after the meal."
"Hmm. Tea is fine, but right now, wine would be better."
"……Yes. I will prepare a rich spread of side dishes to go with it."
"Haha. You are quick-witted."
Jeong-ah hid her bitter expression and headed back to the kitchen.
Preparing meals for a master with such a massive appetite would be more grueling, but it was still far better than serving someone who was extremely picky or difficult about their food, wasn't it?
After she retreated, Yeon So-hyeon stroked his stomach and tilted his head.
"……This is strange."
He was clearly a man who ate sparingly.
Half a bowl of rice.
A few pickled or seasoned side dishes.
And a bowl of hot soup—he had clear memories of being more than satisfied with just that.
Yet, strangely, he was still feeling hunger.
It wasn't a matter of eating much or little.
Five bowls of rice, a whole pot’s worth of scorched rice, all sorts of dishes, and soup……
With this much, he should have felt at least some sense of satisfaction, but what he felt now was merely the peckishness one feels right before a late-night snack.
If there was one reason he could guess……
‘The Jeam Jincheon Classic.’
An ancient Demonic Scripture.
A treasure among treasures, woven by three immortals who sacrificed everything they had.
Perhaps this hunger originated from that Demonic Scripture.
A moment later, Yeon So-hyeon let out a dry laugh.
‘The price for obtaining a Demonic Scripture that defies time and twists fate is that I never feel full?’
Besides, even if that were the case, what of it?
He was the direct descendant of this obscenely wealthy clan.
Even when countless commoners were withering away and dying from famine outside, he would be able to eat until he was full.
Even if he devoured a whole cow every day, it would be no problem at all.
At that moment, he did not hear it.
The small, ominous sound of giggling coming from his lower abdomen, his Dantian.
And he proceeded to devour all the side dishes, enough to feed five or six grown men.
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"This is……."
It was already the middle of the night, but Yeon So-hyeon could not fall asleep.
It was because the hunger had returned.
"……."
He thought about calling for Jeong-ah again, but stopped himself.
Even if he was currently teasing her in various ways, he refused to be seen as a glutton, or worse, a hungry ghost.
And fundamentally, there was surely some reason for this hunger.
He had a few hypotheses, but regardless, satisfying the hunger was the priority for now.
He rose from his seat and fumbled to put on his clothes.
In the past, whenever he couldn't sleep because his chest felt tight, he would wander the night streets of Luoyang.
The tavern districts of Luoyang, one of the largest cities in the Central Plains, were a city that never slept, so there would be no issue in sating his hunger.
If he slipped out of the main family estate quietly like this, a few guards would likely follow him, albeit while showing their clear displeasure.
There was no way the version of himself who lacked even a shred of Internal Energy could have dared to deceive the clan’s eyes.
However……
For some reason, today, he felt no need to leave in such a way.
It was as if someone, or perhaps something, was calling him.
Just like how one reflexively turns around when someone suddenly calls their name from behind.
He took a step, as if turning around in that very manner.
"……?!"
And he found himself standing at the very top of a giant conifer tree.
It was the tallest and oldest tree among those that formed the formation of the Won-gak Pavilion.
"What is this……?"
Just then, the branch he was standing on swayed slightly.
It was a fragile, thin branch that would have snapped even if a small child hung from it, but for some reason, it merely swayed slightly as if it were just blowing in the wind.
Furthermore, he should have felt dizzy looking down from such a height, but for some reason, his heart was at absolute peace.
In his mind, thoughts of how he had managed to climb this tall tree or what skill he was using to stand on such a delicate branch vanished.
He simply felt a strange confidence that he "could do it."
He didn't even know what he could do.
It felt as if it wasn't his own thought or feeling, but rather that someone, or something, had whispered it.
[……Vessel, you can do it.]
"……Yes. I can do it."
With that, Yeon So-hyeon took a step beyond the branch.
And the next moment, he was stepping onto the roof tiles of one of the Sword Clan’s towering pavilions.
A voice suddenly escaped his lips.
"So this is how it is."
Yeon So-hyeon felt it.
He grasped it intuitively.
This was moving from darkness to darkness.
Was it folding space, like the legendary "shrinking the earth"?
Or had he passed through some sort of tunnel?
From his body, Demonic Qi that did not belong to him was flowing out thick and heavy.
It was a technique of a twisted immortal realm, permitted only to those who lived and breathed within Demonic Qi.
The one and only movement technique—if it could even be called that—for the vessel of the Jeam Jincheon Classic.
[Dark Flow Transformation] At the same time, his body dissolved into the void.
On the roof tiles, illuminated only by the faint moonlight, not a single trace remained.
Only a faint, swirling wisp of Demonic Qi, which soon scattered with the wind, served as the only evidence that he had ever been there.
* * *
An inn in Luoyang.
It was a place where rumors of delicious food had spread by word of mouth, attracting not only a loyal base of regulars but also many gourmets who came seeking the reputation of its kitchen.
The waiter, who had grown seasoned working there, was currently experiencing something so bizarre it defied description.
Though he was only twelve years old, he had always prided himself on having seen enough of the world’s hardships that nothing could surprise him anymore.
But what on earth was happening before his eyes right now?
Sensing that the situation had spiraled far beyond his control, he scrambled away to find his senior.
"What did you say?!"
Upon hearing the young waiter’s report, the senior decided he had to see it for himself to believe it.
And as he looked in the direction of the trembling finger pointing from the staircase, he was struck with sheer terror.
As an inn famous for its food, it was common for guests to arrive even late at night for a meal rather than just drinks.
He had always considered himself immune to shock, having seen many gourmets who lived for the joy of gluttony.
But what was he looking at now?
After watching the scene for a moment, the waiter felt that something was amiss.
'Why are there so few guests on this floor?'
The remaining patrons were huddled as far away from "that table" as possible.
And even those few were beginning to rise from their seats, preparing to leave.
Usually, a gourmet indulging in a massive feast would naturally draw attention.
Some would cheer as each new bowl was added, others would offer encouragement, and some would click their tongues in disbelief, but he had never seen anything like this in his life.
'What kind of sorcery is this?'
He stared at the scene for a while longer.
Feeling his legs give way, he collapsed right where he stood.
"Haa...!"
Looking to his side, he saw the young waiter also slumped on the floor, his face deathly pale.
Without a second thought, he scrambled down the stairs as if rolling.
No, he actually did roll down to the first floor.
"Hey! What’s going on?!"
The innkeeper, a man of imposing stature who could hold his own against anyone, strode toward the waiter.
"Master...! Master...!"
The waiter grabbed the hem of his trousers, whispering urgently.
As if terrified that someone might overhear him.
"It’s a hungry ghost...! A hungry ghost from hell has appeared...!"
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