Chapter 211: The Nanny of the Wolf Fang Squad (1)
When So-mu arrived home, his wife and daughter were sitting on the wooden veranda, playing a duet.
The beautiful melody of the seven-string zither and the tung flute harmonized together, making him feel as though his mind were clearing.
Beside the mother and daughter, who were sitting gracefully, Sangun crouched with his eyes closed. His closed eyes and twitching nose made him look as though he were deeply immersed in the music.
“Is that a beast or a human?”
At the sound of So-mu’s presence, the duet stopped instantly.
So-so hopped onto the back of Sangun, who was licking his chops as if disappointed, and then leaped into So-mu’s arms.
“Father!”
“You little rascal, I just saw you at the palace this morning. When did you get back?”
“I came back just a little while ago. To eat!”
So-mu pulled the ear of his daughter, who was clinging to his chest.
“You never forget mealtime, do you?”
“Hehehe. I’m going to go up the mountain later with Mom and Darong.”
“Good. You must not neglect your training.”
They were probably going to Mount Yangzhou to practice. As a preliminary step to unlocking the secret of the True One-Heart Flute Melody—his wife’s lifelong wish—So-so’s training in the Lion’s Roar was ongoing.
Setting his daughter down on the edge of the veranda, So-mu sat opposite his wife.
Glancing at the position of the sun, Yeon Seo-hwa asked in confusion,
“What brings you home at this hour?”
“I came to see my dear Seo-hwa. Have you eaten?”
Seo-hwa eyed So-mu suspiciously, looking him up and down.
“How unusual of you. No, I haven’t eaten yet.”
Nodding, So-mu rolled up his sleeves and headed toward the kitchen.
“Then wait just a moment. Shall I show off my skills for the first time in a while?”
He meant he would cook for them. Seo-hwa stared at his retreating back with a bewildered expression.
“Daughter, your father is acting strange today.”
“I’ll go check on him, Mom.”
Tilting her head, So-so ran toward the kitchen.
She saw So-mu holding a kitchen knife in his right hand, preparing ingredients.
“Father, what are you making for us?”
“Soho Eight-Duck Delicacy. It’s a special dish I developed back at the Soho Tavern. Luckily, it seems we have all the ingredients.”
So-mu placed green onions, carrots, squash, eggplant, and other ingredients—eight in total—on the cutting board and began to prep them with practiced ease.
Dadadadak!
Fascinated by how he diced everything into dozens of pieces in a single breath, So-so clung to his waist from behind, blinking rapidly.
“It looks so good… Father, you’re the best.”
So-mu chuckled and drizzled oil onto the iron griddle.
He tossed in the pre-sliced duck meat and said as he stir-fried it,
“Cheong-hae loved this dish. I should invite him over sometime.”
“Uncle Cheong-hae?”
It was a dish that Cheong-hae, who had been a regular customer during So-mu’s days of running the Soho Tavern, ordered every single day.
“Yes. I can still vividly picture him crying while eating this.”
He wasn’t lying, though the reason Cheong-hae had cried was that he had been expelled from the Mount Hua Sect.
So-mu added the eight prepared ingredients to the griddle in a specific order. Moments later, a savory, mouthwatering aroma filled the kitchen.
“I want to eat it now…”
“It’s almost done, so set the table.”
So-so brought the low dining table, scooped generous helpings of rice into bowls, and laid out the side dishes and chopsticks.
In the meantime, the dish was finished.
“All right, let’s eat.”
“Yes, Father!”
Spreading her arms, So-so lifted the table and carried it outside.
Seeing her lift a table much larger than herself looked precarious, but since she had trained in martial arts, she didn’t wobble in the slightest.
Sitting on the veranda, Seo-hwa wore a subtle expression.
“The food smells wonderful.”
“Right? The flavor comes entirely from the ingredients, without any heavy spices. Hurry and try some.”
When So-mu picked up a mouthful of vegetables and duck meat, So-so’s mouth popped open automatically.
As she chewed on the mouthful he fed her, the little girl’s face lit up with a bright, innocent smile.
“Hehehe! It’s delicious!”
Seo-hwa also nodded, acknowledging the taste.
“It is good. So, what is it that you want to ask of me, acting so out of character?”
So-mu asked with an awkward smile,
“You caught on? Actually, I need your help with something.”
Seo-hwa’s expression seemed to say, ‘I knew it.’ Still, she didn’t want to ruin a pleasant family meal.
“Let’s eat first.”
So-mu smiled warmly and stroked his daughter’s hair.
“Eat up, my daughter.”
After finishing her meal, So-so rode Sangun up the mountain first.
Left alone, the couple sat face-to-face and spoke in serious tones.
So-mu explained the current situation to Seo-hwa. Listening quietly, Seo-hwa gripped her teacup and asked,
“With only three hundred men?”
“They say the force consists of the elites from each sect. What’s more, three elders in the Realm of Transformed Qi will lead them personally.”
Seo-hwa smirked and scoffed,
“Those foolish orthodox hypocrites. They still don’t understand what they are dealing with.”
“What do you mean?”
“The main force of the Spirit Cult is still biding its time. Very stealthily.”
The orthodox faction of the Demonic Cult was known to have been annihilated by a rival branch, the Spirit Cult. The force they now led was the Neo-Demonic Cult.
Yeon Seo-hwa was one of the few survivors of that clash with the Spirit Cult. As such, she knew more about their strength than anyone else.
“Yes, I suspected as much. It won’t be an easy situation, especially since the military of the State of Hui seems to be involved as well.”
“It’s not just a difficult situation; they will all die.”
So-mu laughed sheepishly.
“Haha, that’s why I’m asking for your help, my dear.”
Seo-hwa crossed her arms and pretended to ponder.
“I have absolutely no desire to help the bald monks of Shaolin. But… since my husband is asking, I suppose I can consider it.”
His face brightening, So-mu nudged gently,
“If things take a turn for the worse, is there a way to turn the tables? You’re the best when it comes to this sort of thing.”
“Is that an insult or a compliment? I doubt you’ll like my methods anyway.”
“It’s war. We cannot afford to be picky about our methods.”
Seo-hwa narrowed her eyes and nodded.
“You said the Tang Clan of Sichuan is also here, right?”
They were a martial family famous for their poisons and hidden weapons. Because their martial arts were far from the orthodox path, they were often excluded and rejected by the Murim Alliance.
The Tang Clan had dispatched a significant portion of their forces to improve their standing among the orthodox sects through this campaign.
So-mu asked, puzzled,
“Are you suggesting… we use poison?”
“Do you want to fight them fair and square in one-on-one duels instead?”
Poison was indeed the ultimate strategy for mass casualties.
It wouldn’t work on masters in the Peak Realm or above, but it would be highly effective against the waves of Hui soldiers. Given the overwhelming difference in numbers, nothing would be more efficient.
“True, the situation is urgent, so we can’t be choosy. I don’t object, but we don’t have enough time to manufacture it in large quantities.”
Seo-hwa asked indifferently, as if it weren’t a problem at all,
“What is there for the Great General to worry about? Don’t you have idle men under you?”
Come to think of it, as long as they had the Tang Clan’s poison masters, it wouldn’t be an issue. They could mobilize soldiers for labor and procure funds and ingredients at the state level.
“Mobilizing the soldiers would certainly work. Honestly, I hadn’t even thought of using poison.”
“If used correctly, nothing is more convenient. But will the Murim Alliance willingly agree to use it?”
Many orthodox martial artists considered using poison a disgrace. It would only be possible if they swallowed their pride.
“They will have no choice this time. The very survival of Shaolin is at stake.”
“Indeed. They are nothing but hypocritical old snakes.”
Seeing her expression, So-mu couldn’t help but chuckle.
Since the former leader of the Demonic Cult was helping the orthodox faction, she was bound to feel reluctant. For the sake of domestic peace, he had to soothe her mood.
So-mu drew a jade box he had prepared in advance from his robe and presented it to her.
Engraved with a magnificent vermilion bird, it looked highly valuable at a glance.
“Give me your hand for a moment.”
“…Why?”
So-mu took Seo-hwa’s hesitant left hand and opened the jade box.
Inside was a ring that glowed with a clear, translucent blue hue.
“A mere ring like this cannot compare to your beauty, my dear, but I bought it because you came to mind.”
So-mu had always felt guilty about not giving her a proper wedding gift. Having saved up some of his official salary, he had finally bought this belatedly.
So-mu slipped the ring onto her finger, stealing a glance at her face.
Her face flushed crimson like a ripe persimmon. Her lips parted slightly, resembling soft lotus petals.
“…”
It was the first time he had seen his wife look so flustered. So-mu smiled inwardly at his success, dusted off his clothes, and stood up.
“Ahem. I should head to the military camp. I need to select the squad members who will accompany us this time.”
Seo-hwa, who had been dazed, called out softly to his retreating back,
“Come home early today.”
***
Leaving the house, So-mu arrived at the private training ground of the Wolf Fang Squad.
The aura here was vastly different from other training grounds.
The sparring members of the squad were terrifyingly intense. The clashing of weapons echoed incessantly, sounding like a torrential downpour.
‘Admirable rascals. Let’s see how much they’ve improved.’
Holding his left hand behind his back, So-mu strode onto the training ground.
His first target was Song-hwa, the youngest member of the Wolf Fang Squad, who was closest to him.
Just as Song-hwa assumed his stance facing his sparring partner, a sudden chill ran down his flank. By the time he resolved to defend himself, So-mu’s palm was already striking his side.
Kwang!
“Ack!”
Lifted off the ground, Song-hwa flew ten feet and rolled across the dirt.
Having suddenly lost his sparring partner, Han-sang of the Wolf Fang Squad quickly retreated to assess the situation. But before he could react, So-mu had already closed the distance behind him and unleashed a strike.
Jjeong!
“Ugh.”
Pitching forward, he rolled twice before coming to a halt.
Song-hwa and Han-sang sat on the ground and looked around for their attacker, only to see a familiar figure.
“Captain, sneaking up on us like that is cheating!”
“That’s too much!”
To the squad members, So-mu was always the captain of the Wolf Fang Squad. So-mu also preferred this close, informal relationship with his direct subordinates.
“A true martial artist must never let their guard down, not even for a second. Quit whining and get up.”
Although they had been struck with loud thuds, they felt no pain. The impact had passed through their bodies and dissipated into the air.
By the time they stood up unscathed, So-mu was already moving to another spot. Similar scenes began to unfold all over the training ground.
Wherever So-mu passed, sharp impacts were followed by the groans of the squad members.
Kwang! Kwojik! Bbeogyeok!
“Argh!”
“Aaargh!”
“Who is it?!”
Just as So-mu was sweeping through the Wolf Fang Squad members one by one, his strike was blocked for the first time on the seventh person.
Kung!
It was Hyeon-jeong, who was originally from the Mount Hua Sect.
Having caught the palm strike with the flat of his blade, he was stumbling backward from the impact.
“Ugh.”
A satisfied smile appeared on So-mu’s face. To think he managed to block a surprise attack. Although So-mu had only used about thirty percent of his strength, he couldn’t help but be impressed.
“Good, you pass.”
“…Pass what?”
“You’re qualified to accompany me. Get ready to depart.”
While the baffled Hyeon-jeong stood in a daze, So-mu had already darted away.
Now that the squad members realized he was here, he could no longer afford to delay.
‘Twenty of the strongest rascals.’
Since this mission was highly dangerous, he intended to take only the members with the greatest survival skills.
So-mu’s evaluation of his subordinates continued for nearly half an hour.