Judging by what had just happened and what was being said now, it suddenly made sense why there had been four warriors standing guard in front of the restaurant—they were clearly the Alliance Leader’s personal guard.

They knew I was acquainted with the Alliance Leader and assumed I’d come to see him.

That much was a hundred percent clear.

I had mistakenly thought the guards at the restaurant recognized my nickname and my identity because it was a city full of martial artists.

And if they really did know my nickname, shouldn’t they have asked if I was “Spicy Fabre of All Venomous Creatures,” not just “Young Master So of the Tang Clan”?

I was so pleased that they recognized me, I totally overlooked that detail.

Not only that—shouldn’t the presence of four warriors at the entrance have set off some alarms? But no, I saw the guards and just thought the place looked high-end.

Sometimes fancier brothels or taverns have warriors standing outside, so I’d mistaken it for one of those places. That was my blunder.

Hwa-eun must’ve made the same mistake.

‘Well, if Hwa-eun misread it too... Still, I’m screwed.’

The moment I locked eyes with the Alliance Leader through the slits of his bamboo hat, I froze. I realized exactly how this situation had unfolded.

A deep voice rang out.

“If you’ve arrived, then come and sit. You clearly came here to see me—why are you making that shocked face?”

“Ah, haha. It’s just been... been a while since we last met.”

Snapping out of it at the sound of his voice, I scratched my head awkwardly and followed the warrior who brought me in over to the table.

There was no way I could just bow and back out.

I’d gone around telling the Dragon Fangs not to say a word about my arrival, only to walk straight into the Alliance Leader’s lap myself.

The short walk to his table felt like my legs weighed a thousand pounds each and my heart was ten thousand times heavier.

But this was already beyond avoidance.

So I had to go for the next best thing.

And what was that?

‘Alright. Since it’s come to this... if he brings up martial arts, I’ll just steer the conversation away.’

That was the plan: if the topic of martial arts came up, I’d deflect.

As much as I could.

Would it work? Who knew.

No—it had to work.

‘You can’t falter now, So-ryong. You’ve got this!’

Steeling myself, I reached the Alliance Leader.

“It’s... it’s been a long time.”

“Yes, it’s been a while, Alliance Leader.”

“I... I’m honored to meet you.”

As Hwa-eun and Unmirang offered respectful bows, the Alliance Leader gestured toward the chairs.

“Sit. It’s been quiet, so this is a good surprise. Could you bring up some dishes these young ones would enjoy? Don’t forget the crab leg noodles.”

“Yes, sir!”

The Alliance Leader gave the order to the guard who had brought me in, just like a server would take orders.

The guard dashed downstairs.

As the Alliance Leader reached for the teapot to pour us some tea, Unmirang bowed and spoke softly.

“Master, I am merely a handmaiden. I’ll excuse myself and wait over there.”

She had followed us because of the Alliance Leader’s status but now felt she shouldn’t sit at the same table, due to her role as a servant.

In the Central Plains, there are no slaves or serfs.

Only paid workers—so a handmaiden like her is more of an employee than someone of “low status.”

So normally, sharing a table wouldn’t be a problem.

But since it was the Alliance Leader, she probably thought it would be disrespectful.

Then that deep voice again:

“It’s fine. Sit.”

“Uh... I...”

Flustered, Unmirang hesitated. Hwa-eun gave her a slight nod.

“T-thank you, sir.”

She bowed and took her seat. A cup of tea was passed her way.

The Alliance Leader took off his bamboo hat, smiled, and said,

“I’ve heard you’ve been gathering spirit beasts while also taking action against the Blood Cult and the Five Venoms Sect.”

“I—have you, sir?”

“Yes. And it seems like you've had some interesting encounters. You’re even traveling with a girl who appears to have served in the palace.”

At that, Unmirang’s eyes widened.

Hwa-eun and I both stiffened at his words.

Unmirang’s background had been kept hidden—even the Embroidered Guards and the Eastern Bureau had made sure of that.

And yet, it sounded like the Alliance Leader had guessed her identity.

Not that he knew every detail—it was more like he had picked up on clues.

I asked, still surprised,

“How did you know?”

“She carries herself like someone trained in palace etiquette. There’s a distinctive posture and bearing that only those raised in the palace possess.”

“Ah...”

Wow. To be able to guess something like that from mere behavior.

I guess someone of his caliber—one of the “Three Sovereigns of the Martial World”—can sense subtle differences in a person’s demeanor.

It made me realize we had to be more careful when letting outsiders see Unmirang.

Just then, the Alliance Leader asked,

“So, would you mind telling me what you’ve been up to? I’ve heard bits and pieces, but hearing it directly from you would surely be more entertaining.”

He clearly wanted to hear about my adventures.

One could see that as a personal question, but to me—it was an opportunity.

Why?

Because if I started telling him about all the wild things I’d been through, we might never even get to the topic of martial arts.

Honestly, you could listen to my stories for three days and nights and still not hear them all.

So I figured if I kept talking long enough, time would pass, and I could say, “Ah, it’s getting late, I’ll visit again another time.”

At first, I was going to deflect when he brought up martial arts—but this had an even better chance of success.

‘Nice. This could work.’

My adventures were like a thousand and one nights—if anyone could rival Princess Scheherazade, it was me.

So I got excited and dove in.

“How much have you heard, sir?”

“Start from after Ji-ryong’s incident.”

“You mean the poisoning?”

“Yes.”

That poisoning incident—now that really was a long time ago.

I had so much to catch up on.

I swore I’d tell it all—even if it took all night.

“After treating Ji-ryong, I helped Master Swift Walker... but that’s hard to talk about, so I’ll start with what came next.”

“Ah, you mean Swift Walker’s request. I don’t need to hear about that. Yes, start from when you went to help the princess. I heard bits and pieces... You’re the one who dealt with that bug—cough, that thing, right?”

“Yes, then I’ll begin with how I helped the princess. So, it started like this...”

***

“...And then it happened just as we [N O V E L I G H T] were passing through the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River.”

“Alliance Leader, the food is here.”

Just as I was getting to the part about Hwayang, after starting the story before the food arrived, the dishes began to appear.

The warriors themselves brought them up from downstairs in a hurry.

Probably because they were responsible for the Alliance Leader’s protection, they didn’t use the servers and instead carried the dishes themselves. As one dish after another was placed before us, the Alliance Leader smiled and said:

“Let’s eat while we talk.”

“Understood, Alliance Leader.”

“You all eat downstairs too. Don’t just stand by the entrance until we leave.”

“Yes, Alliance Leader.”

“Now then, go ahead and eat. This place serves only dishes from my hometown in Jiangxi Province. Everything on the table is traditional cuisine from there. Go ahead, enjoy.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“Thank you very much, Alliance Leader.”

So, this place specialized in cuisine from the Alliance Leader’s hometown in Jiangxi.

Curious about the flavors, I picked up my chopsticks. Then the Alliance Leader spoke again.

“They really went all out with the food for our guests.”

I turned toward him, and in front of the Alliance Leader was a single, modest bowl of noodles.

Pointing to the same dish in front of me, he said,

“That’s crab leg rice noodles. I always come here to eat it when I miss home.”

“Ah...”

So that was the dish he had specifically asked for earlier. A nostalgic taste of home.

Apparently, this was the reason he had come here in the first place.

“A signature dish of Nanchang, Jiangxi.”

Crab leg rice noodles.

A famous spicy noodle soup from Nanchang, the capital of Jiangxi Province.

With spicy broth made from crab legs, it was a warm, hearty dish. Unmirang teared up and sniffled as she ate, but for Hwa-eun and me, it was just a deliciously spicy noodle soup.

Kind of like eating noodles in a rich crab stew.

“Ugh, it’s... too spicy...”

“Not used to it, huh? You’ve lived in the palace, so it probably doesn’t suit your palate. Jiangxi spice isn’t easy for outsiders. Maybe people from Sichuan can handle it.”

Jiangxi and Sichuan are famous for their spice pride in the Central Plains. Hwa-eun, being from Sichuan, was used to it, and I had already adjusted from my previous life as a spicy food lover and from living in Sichuan, so I could enjoy it.

Unmirang, however, had to switch to fried rice from Yangzhou—another signature dish of the region.

***

“...And that’s how we managed to repel the Blood Cult’s ambush.”

“Impressive.”

“Do you really think so?”

“Of course. To take down that many from the Blood Cult in one go—how could that not be impressive?”

“Well, it’s the creatures who were impressive, really. Ah, pardon me while I wet my throat.”

“Go ahead.”

—Gulp, gulp.

I lifted my cup and drank the tea to soothe my burning throat after finishing the part about the Blood Cult reaching all the way to the Tang Clan.

How many cups had I had already?

When I started talking again after dinner, I never imagined the story would stretch out this long.

I’d thought I’d eat, chat a bit, then quietly slip away—but I couldn’t escape the Alliance Leader.

“My goodness, it’s already so dark. I must be keeping you—”

“I’m fine, so if you’re fine, please keep going.”

[Young Master, please continue. It’s been so long since we’ve seen the Alliance Leader enjoy himself like this.]

Earlier, after the meal, I had planned to slowly back out of the conversation.

But when I tried, the Alliance Leader said he was enjoying himself and didn’t mind.

Even the warriors who had returned when the restaurant closed up joined the conversation.

When they too asked me to stay, I had no way to leave.

“Ah, w-well, then...”

As I set down my teacup, I noticed Unmirang dozing off.

The hour of the Ox had passed long ago—it must’ve been somewhere between 2 and 3 AM.

It made sense for an ordinary person like Unmirang to be tired.

Then came the sound of bells.

—DONG. DONG. DONG.

The bell from a nearby temple, signaling the Hour of the Tiger.

Unmirang flinched awake at the sound.

She quickly wiped away the drool trailing from her mouth.

—Sluuurp.

She glanced out the window toward the sound of the bell, then wiped her mouth in embarrassment.

Seeing this, the Alliance Leader looked apologetic.

“Looks like I’ve been too wrapped up in my own thoughts.”

“S-sorry!”

“No need.”

‘Nice one, Unmirang.’

She looked incredibly sorry, but for me, this was the perfect opening.

I’d have to thank her later.

The Alliance Leader then spoke again.

“Your story’s so entertaining... I got carried away. My apologies.”

“Not at all. I’ve enjoyed it too.”

“When are you leaving?”

“I plan to leave at first light.”

I had planned to stay for about three days, but I told him I’d be leaving at dawn. He nodded and said:

“Then let me take a quick look before you go.”

“Pardon? Take a look at what?”

That’s when he dropped a thunderbolt.

“Your martial arts, of course. I figured you’d show up around now. If you’d been training hard since then, you’d likely be hitting a bottleneck about now. Isn’t that why you came?

Even though I didn’t take you as my disciple, you still inherited my martial art. Naturally, I should help if you’re stuck.”

‘GAHHHHHHH!’

I screamed internally as the warriors around us nodded in satisfaction.

Even Hwa-eun, who knew my situation, looked visibly shaken.

If I’d known this would happen, I should’ve asked about martial arts first and gotten it over with. Now he’d drained me with all this storytelling—and only now brings up martial arts?

I had no way to dodge this.

So I closed my eyes and chose brutal honesty.

Any more evasion, and I’d only dig the hole deeper.

“The truth is... I, uh, haven’t exactly trained in it very diligently...”

The Alliance Leader paused, and the warriors’ expressions stiffened.

He asked again.

“You haven’t trained properly?”

“Yes... Alliance Leader...”

Fidgeting with my fingers, I gave my answer. The Alliance Leader nodded slowly.

“Come here and show me what you’ve got. Seems like you’re behind, but I’ll point you toward a better path.”

Thankfully, he didn’t seem disappointed or angry.

Feeling guilty, I stepped closer and activated Iron Shell Technique—the unique martial art I had inherited from him.

Just as I summoned my energy and covered my body with the Iron Shell...

“Hmm!?”

“T-that’s—!?”

“So-ryong?”

Voices of shock echoed around me.

Worried they were reacting to how weak it looked, I braced myself.

But the Alliance Leader looked impressed.

“Were you just being modest? You’ve already reached the stage of manifesting your hardest surface externally? That’s remarkable—worthy of my successor.”

I had no idea what he was talking about.

Looking down at my body, I realized the surface of my forearms was strangely smooth.

I was stunned.

No wonder—my exposed forearms now bore a muscular texture almost identical to Cheongwol’s armored shell.

‘What the hell is this...?’