Prologue. The Human Sword Joins the Alliance.
Coincidence has always had such a nature, but the coincidences that aligned today were especially peculiar.
Of these, one was that one of the two personnel officers had vacated their post for a long period, leaving the other to handle the work alone; another was that the cook sent from the Cheongsong Inn had their travel funds robbed by bandits on the way to the Alliance and had no choice but to turn back.
The Zhongyuan Martial Arts Righteous Guardian Alliance.
Wang Il, who served both as an internal general affairs office personnel officer and deputy section chief of this place commonly called the Martial Alliance, was a man recognized for his meticulous and diligent work ethic. With nearly three hundred blacksmiths, carpenters, cooks, and other support staff at Martial Alliance Headquarters to manage between just two people, it was a task impossible to bear without skill and dedication.
Though Wang Il always handled his duties with composure, today he appeared unusually anxious as he paced in front of the Martial Alliance’s north gate for over two hours.
“Deputy Section Chief Wang. Why don’t you just wait inside? We’ll send word the moment the person arrives.”
Unable to stand watching Wang Il circle the gate like a puppy needing to relieve itself, a gate guard spoke.
“That’s fine. I have no other duties today… I just need to process the intake of the cook who is arriving shortly and assign him to the kitchen, so I’ll wait here. Even if you lot deliver word quickly, it would still take two full ke at the very least. I must finish my work quickly and leave today, so time is of the essence.”
“Do you have some pleasant business outside? Perhaps being entertained at a high-class establishment?”
The gate guard, bored from merely watching the gate since morning, playfully pressed on.
“Hey now, watch your tongue! I’ll let it pass since I know you’re jesting, but don’t speak like that even in jest next time! Our Personnel Department is a place that raises its hackles at the mere mention of solicitations or entertainment.”
“Oops, my mistake. But everyone knows of Deputy Chief Wang’s integrity. Haha.”
Clicking his tongue at the laughing gate guard, Wang Il turned his gaze attentively beyond the north gate. From afar, a young man was slowly walking toward the north gate.
Anxious, Wang Il wanted to shout for the man to hurry over, but since it had not yet been confirmed whether this was the person he was waiting for, he could only watch the leisurely pace with an impatient heart.
That must be the one scheduled to arrive today.
What felt like two hours to Wang Il passed in less than a quarter of that time in reality, and the man who arrived before the north gate approached the gate guards with a smile.
“Thank you for your hard work. This is the north gate of the Martial Alliance, is it not? It is my first time at the Martial Alliance… I heard that unless one belongs to the Nine Sects One Faction or the Five Great Families, one should enter through the north gate…”
Before the gate guard could respond to the man who was asking bashfully while reeking of a country bumpkin experiencing a great city like Luoyang for the first time, the impatient Wang Il abruptly approached him.
“Young man. You’ve come to join the Alliance, haven’t you?”
“Yes, I came hoping to do so, if possible.”
“You came from Cheongsong?”
“Ah… yes… that is correct, but how did you know?”
Clicking his tongue at the surprised man, Wang Il gestured for him to follow and spoke as they walked into the Alliance.
“Do you think so little of the Alliance’s administration? Naturally, I know. Our internal general affairs office does not handle matters sloppily. At any rate, I have no time, so listen well as we walk.”
“Yes, I understand. By the way, my name is Jang Ingeom. Might I ask who you are, Great Hero?”
“Ah, my introduction is late. I am Wang Il, in charge of personnel at the internal general affairs office. ‘Great Hero,’ you say—just call me Deputy Chief Wang. I shall assign you your workplace and quarters.”
“So you are Deputy Chief Wang Il. I… actually, I have brought a recommendation letter. I was hoping to deliver it to the Alliance Lord…”
“Hey now. Do you think you are the chief disciple of Shaolin Temple or something, wanting to deliver a recommendation letter to the Alliance Lord? I will collect it later and keep it at the Personnel Department, so hold onto it for now.”
In truth, many brought recommendation letters when entering the Martial Alliance, and while these letters were formally marked as “personally addressed to the Alliance Lord,” it was extremely rare for them to actually be delivered to him. Even recommendation letters from renowned sects were delivered to Jegal Inseon, the Chief of Staff and head of the internal general affairs office; a verbal report to the Alliance Lord sufficed. The rest ended up in the Personnel Department’s document cabinets, never to see the light of day again. For a recommendation letter to be delivered directly to the Martial Alliance Lord, it had to be written by someone of immense stature—like the head of one of the Nine Sects or one of the Ten Great Experts Under Heaven.
“To become an official member of the Martial Alliance, you must know how to read and write, even if you are a technical specialist. You likely already know this, but I will confirm out of old habit. Can you read?”
“Yes, thanks to my masters’ teachings, I have learned to read.”
Smirking at the word “masters,” Wang Il pulled a rather thick booklet from his bosom and handed it over.
“This contains material that all Martial Alliance members must memorize. Some of it is extremely important, so read it in your spare time and memorize it within ten days. If you commit an offense later, claiming ignorance of the Alliance’s regulations will be of no use, so read it thoroughly. If there are characters you do not know or passages you do not understand, I will come find you in ten days—ask me then.”
“It is an important booklet. I shall study it with utmost sincerity.”
Feeling a certain fondness for Jang Ingeom, who answered earnestly and diligently kept pace, Wang Il explained a little more.
“It is customary for me to first explain the important contents briefly, but today I have other urgent business, so it cannot be helped. You look clever, so I shall trust you with it.”
“Ah, even though you have important business, you took time for me…”
“I am absolutely not going to accept solicitations or entertainment, so do not misunderstand.”
Perhaps still bothered by the gate guard’s jest, Wang Il found himself saying something unnecessary. To Jang Ingeom, who stared blankly not understanding what he meant, Wang Il added:
“Today my family is moving to a place near the Alliance. I hired several laborers to help, but I still need to go quickly. I worked diligently at the Alliance for ten years to save money. Even so, the shortfall was covered by a loan from the Tianxia Money House.”
Exchanging talk that hardly needed to be shared, Wang Il led Jang Ingeom to a building located on the outskirts of the Martial Alliance.
“This is it. This is where the Phoenix Squad reserve members take their meals. Inside is the kitchen where you will prepare food. And that room attached behind the kitchen is your quarters. Clothing and necessities have been placed in the room, so take good care of them.”
The kitchen… Jang Ingeom could only be bewildered. There must be some mistake.
“Deputy Chief Wang. Am I to work as a cook in this mess hall? If so, there seems to be some mistake…”
“Why? Do you lack confidence in your cooking?”
“No. I know how to make food. Though I am not sure if it qualifies as cuisine…”
“Then it is settled. You may not know, but the Phoenix Squad is composed entirely of female members, so naturally the reserves are women as well. The reserves number less than twenty. Once you grow accustomed to it, you will manage well enough alone. In any case, no one is expecting inn-level cooking, so just prepare healthy food on time.”
Having done his part, Wang Il clapped Jang Ingeom on the shoulder and said:
“I truly do not have time today to guide you in detail. Still, I am not too worried. I have worked in the Personnel Department for ten years and met many people. I have developed an eye for them. I believe you will do well. I mean it.”
Perhaps remembering something he had forgotten, Wang Il turned his head as he was about to leave.
“Looking at your face, you do not seem like one to cause trouble, but let me offer a word of warning. The Phoenix Squad members are young heroines. Do not attempt clumsy advances or steal glances. Though beautiful in appearance, their hands are fierce, so be careful—very careful.”
Leaving word that he would check in after a few days, Wang Il departed with hurried steps.
Jang Ingeom considered following the departing Wang Il to explain that there seemed to be a mistake, but instead he merely let out a bitter smile. He did not wish to delay Wang Il, who was excited and rushing to move into his newly bought home, and he thought that cooking in the kitchen for a few days would not be so bad. When he met Wang Il again, he could simply explain that he was not a cook.
He had lived in the mountains with his masters for over twenty years. That his first task after entering the world was to serve food to many people… it was truly not bad.
Left alone, Jang Ingeom raised his head to look at the sky. He had finally entered the world of people, yet the dazzlingly blue sky was no different from when he had lived on Mount Changbai.
Chapter 1. The Human Sword Strikes a Bargain.
After Wang Il left, Jang Ingeom carefully examined the mess hall, kitchen, and the room he would be using. Having been in use until recently, it was moderately clean and moderately messy. The stored ingredients, seasonings, and cooking tools were serviceable; in the small backyard there was a well and a stack of firewood.
‘Not bad.’
His luggage was sparse. After roughly unpacking and changing into the clothes provided by the Martial Alliance, he rolled up his sleeves and began cleaning. He wanted to read the booklet Wang Il had given him quickly, but it seemed better to finish cleaning before sunset.
The order and method of cleaning unfolded in his mind. Thereafter, the cleaning began as fluidly as flowing water. Had anyone seen, they would have thought him a craftsman who had dedicated his entire life to cleaning.
And indeed, there was someone watching him with exactly that thought.
“Wow, you clean so well.”
A female martial artist—perhaps fifteen or sixteen, too old to be called a girl yet awkward to call a young lady—exclaimed as she entered the mess hall where cleaning was in full swing.
“You’ve finally arrived. It was so hard eating at the main Phoenix Squad mess hall for the past few days. We can eat here starting tomorrow, right?”
“Are you a heroine of the Phoenix Squad? Yes, I shall be preparing the meals starting tomorrow.”
“Hahaha, wonderful. I am Jin Soheon of the Phoenix Squad. Or rather, I am waiting to join the main force.”
“I am Jang Ingeom.”
Jang Ingeom welcomed the unexpected visitor with a smile. From tomorrow onward, they would see each other several times daily anyway.
“Chef Jang, I look forward to your service.”
Grinning from ear to ear, Jin Soheon looked Jang Ingeom up and down, clearly in high spirits. After the previous cook in charge of meal preparation had been transferred to the Sichuan branch, they had no choice but to eat at the main Phoenix Squad mess hall. Because relations between the main force and the reserves were quite poor, she had endured sneers and literally eaten meals served with scornful looks.
“Ahem, well, your looks pass at least. What dishes do you specialize in? For your reference, I love hongshaorou and yuxiangrousi.”
Though it was absurd to have his appearance evaluated and dishes recited without preamble, she reminded him of a cute younger sister, so he answered with a smile.
“I can prepare several meat and vegetable dishes. Fish and seafood were scarce in my hometown, so I did not often handle them. Fortunately, I do know how to make hongshaorou and yuxiangrousi. I cannot say whether they will suit your taste, Heroine Jin.”
“Good. I’ll tell you what the other sisters like later too. If you make tasty dishes from time to time, Chef Jang, your life here will be much easier.”
“Thank you. I am fortunate to have met you on my first day, Heroine Jin.”
Jin Soheon beat her chest with a dainty hand in a manly fashion and said:
“Chef Jang, you need only trust this Jin Soheon. Then life here in the Phoenix Squad will go smoothly. In that spirit, I have a proposal that will help you as well…”
“What sort of proposal? This humble one shall listen attentively.”
Perhaps amused by his solemn expression and polite pugilistic salute, Jin Soheon suppressed a laugh and returned the salute as she spoke.
“It may be improper to ask so soon after meeting, but you seem like a reasonable person. Actually, the previous Chef Hwang used to prepare late-night snacks and treats for me every night. After he left, I’ve been so hungry every night that I nearly faint, so I’ve been eagerly waiting for the new cook to arrive.”
Having received a request for late-night snacks right upon their first meeting, Jang Ingeom stifled a laugh and spoke with a serious face.
“If a heroine of your caliber faints from hunger, it would be a great loss to the Martial Alliance. I must find a way somehow.”
“It’s nothing grand. Chef Hwang used to fry scorched rice in oil or make fried rice when there were leftover ingredients.”
“That should not be too difficult. Scorched rice is always produced when cooking rice. As for what other late-night snacks I can make, let us see over time.”
Though requesting late-night snacks immediately upon meeting could be seen as rude, Jin Soheon grew excited when the good-natured Jang Ingeom readily agreed. She was at an age where she could eat heavily, and since she trained in martial arts all day long, three meals a day were truly insufficient to endure her hunger.
“Hehe, thank you, Chef Jang. It’s as if a Beggars’ Sect expert is hidden in my stomach; I’m dying of hunger every night.”
“By the way, you mentioned this would also help me. Why is that?”
Having forgotten to explain, Jin Soheon clapped her hands and hurriedly spoke.
“Oops, I got so caught up in the snacks that I forgot. Actually, in exchange for the late-night snacks from the previous Chef Hwang, I taught him self-defense techniques from time to time. Since Chef Hwang strengthened me with snacks, I passed on some techniques to strengthen him in return.”
“I see. But I am fine. I do not provide snacks in exchange for payment anyway. Besides, I can only make them when there are leftover ingredients…”
Jang Ingeom’s words, laughing and saying he did not need self-defense techniques taught, appeared to Jin Soheon as modesty.
“No, Chef Jang. If you say that, I will feel too guilty to eat the snacks. There must be something given for me to receive with a clear heart. They are not great techniques, but they are useful to learn, so I shall teach you well.”
At Jin Soheon’s words, which brooked no refusal, Jang Ingeom could not help but smile. Him, learning self-defense techniques. How amused his masters would be if they knew.
This time, Jang Ingeom asked what he truly needed to know.
“Heroine Jin. It would help if you could tell me how many portions I must prepare and at what times. I arrived a short while ago and have no information yet.”
“You weren’t properly briefed on the handover. Good thing I came. There are ten people in the reserves right now, including me. But usually only eight eat breakfast. Some sisters choose sleep over breakfast. Dinner is eaten by nine. One skips dinner to avoid gaining weight. Meals are at jin hour, wu hour, and yu hour. And you can call me Member Jin. For the other sisters, you can call them Member as well.”
Though reserves normally spent their days training, skipping meals due to sleeping in or figure concerns seemed problematic. But it was not an issue for Jang Ingeom to address immediately.
“Thank you for the important information, Member Jin. I shall prepare the meals with utmost sincerity. Ah, and the late-night snacks as well.”
“As expected of Chef Jang.”
Winking one eye and giving a thumbs-up, Jin Soheon left the mess hall.
‘What an amusing young lady.’
Once Jin Soheon rapidly faded from sight and disappeared, Jang Ingeom confirmed no one was around and flicked his sleeve gently. In that instant, a soft breeze stirred quietly inside the mess hall, forming a small whirlwind that carried the dust Jang Ingeom had swept into a pile, then vanished outside.
***
“Sisters, the new cook is finally here. I saw him myself!”
Jin Soheon shouted as she ran into the Phoenix Squad reserve quarters. While combat squads of the Martial Alliance like the Phoenix Squad were assigned quarters with two people per room, the reserve members stayed four to a room.
“What’s with all the fuss over a single new cook?”
Wang Suryeon, eldest among the four roommates and thus the reluctant leader, rolled her eyes and spoke.
“When has the youngest ever not made a fuss? Just let her be. Still, it is good news. We won’t have to eat at others’ mess halls, watching their moods anymore.”
Namgung Inhye, who had been meditating, slowly opened her eyes and spoke to Wang Suryeon.
“Why do you call it others’ mess hall? We are the ones who should be in the main Phoenix Squad. It sickens me to see those worthless things push us into the reserves and act so smug. Why doesn’t the Righteous-Demonic Great War start already? They need to get properly thrashed so we can see them crawl back.”
“Whoa, big sister, calm down. They say the new Chef Jang is no ordinary cook.”
“Oh my, has our Soheon already hit it off with the new cook to even know his name? So if he’s no ordinary cook, what kind of cook is he?”
“Hee hee, he’s a handsome cook.”
Wang Suryeon frowned and said:
“Soheon, this is exactly why the main squad looks down on us. Even if the cook is handsome, why do you care?”
“Tch, read the Martial Alliance regulations. Cooks are official members just like us; promotions are just limited. And Chef Jang has a different air about him. Like the scent of a man, perhaps.”
“Quit fooling around. Instead of pointless thoughts, meditate like Inhye or sleep like Cheongcheong.”
Receiving a scolding, Jin Soheon slapped the rear of Ju Cheongcheong, who was sleeping beside her, and shouted:
“Cheongcheong, don’t sleep in tomorrow either; come eat breakfast with us. It’s his first meal, so we should welcome him.”
Namgung Inhye smiled and resumed her qi cultivation.
***
Having risen before the mao hour (5–7 AM), Jang Ingeom washed quickly and began meal preparations. He had walked a long distance yesterday, cleaned the mess hall and surroundings, and read the booklet Wang Il gave him before sleeping late, yet he was not tired.
First he brought firewood and lit the kitchen stove. Though there were no live coals or fire-starting tools in the brazier, a single piece of wood ignited instantly with a light rub.
He had considered porridge for breakfast, but since it was the first day, he decided to cook rice. Rice was washed, water was added to the pot. Trimming vegetables and cutting meat continued without rest. By the jin hour, white rice, one stir-fried meat dish, one stir-fried vegetable dish, and a soup boiled with egg and vegetables were ready.
A short while later, the Phoenix Squad reserve members entered the mess hall. As expected, Jin Soheon arrived first. Perhaps she had come deliberately ahead of others to ease Jang Ingeom’s nerves.
“Chef Jang, good morning.”
Jin Soheon was always bright. Wang Suryeon, Namgung Inhye, and Ju Cheongcheong with a sleepy face followed after.
“This is Sister Wang Suryeon, whose exceptional beauty and skill keep the young heroes of the Martial Alliance awake at night; next to her is Sister Namgung Inhye, a reclusive expert whose depths are hard to fathom; finally, Sister Ju Cheongcheong, who normally skips breakfast but made the special effort to come today to welcome Chef Jang.”
At Jin Soheon’s introduction, Wang Suryeon and the others averted their eyes in embarrassment; Jang Ingeom greeted them respectfully with a pugilistic salute.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, heroines. I am Jang Ingeom.”
Wang Suryeon and the others observed him greeting them with a calm smile, their eyes showing curiosity. They felt they could understand why Jin Soheon had made such a fuss about the new cook’s arrival.
In Jang Ingeom, they could find none of the curiosity and fear that ordinary men without martial arts training usually displayed upon meeting martial women like them. Nor could they detect the gaze of desire commonly shown when men looked upon beautiful young women. Such composure and confidence were unbefitting a new cook, yet they suited Jang Ingeom so naturally. Feeling a strange sense of both incongruity and comfort, Wang Suryeon greeted him on behalf of the group.
“Welcome, Chef Jang. We look forward to working with you.”
“I am the one who should ask for your patience. I have prepared breakfast, so please try it and let me know if anything is lacking. I shall improve.”
After the brief greetings, once Jin Soheon’s party began eating, the remaining reserve members entered the mess hall one after another. Whether due to her natural meddlesomeness or her position as the youngest, Jin Soheon always took the lead in introductions, earning scolds from Wang Suryeon for fussing over people in the middle of a meal.
“Pfft, it’s the first day and first meeting. Someone has to do the introductions.”
Wang Suryeon’s eyes widened at the youngest talking back without yielding, and their bickering lightened the atmosphere of the mess hall.
The response to Jang Ingeom’s food was not bad. Everyone ate deliciously, and none forgot to offer a word or two of praise as they left. In particular, Jin Soheon looked as proud and pleased as if she herself were receiving the praise.
“Chef Jang, it was truly delicious. Though simple dishes, they suited my palate perfectly. Did the internal general affairs office increase the ingredient budget? The ingredients seem fresher and better than before. I look forward to lunch as well.”
And so, Jang Ingeom’s first mission at the Martial Alliance concluded without incident.