Fist Demon of Mount Hua - Chapter 42

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 42. The Wind Always Blows from Unexpected Places—Part 2
Bang Jin Bo sat atop a large boulder, gazing out over the horse ranch. Countless horses grazed peacefully in the sprawling pasture.
He had traveled back and forth across the Western Regions with the Eunryeon Merchant Group, yet he had never once witnessed so many horses gathered together in one place.
As he watched the horses at play in the vast expanse of the ranch, the knot that had lingered in his chest seemed to unwind.
His eyes grew hot, and his nose tingled with the threat of tears. Bang Jin Bo rubbed his nose with the back of his hand and rose to his feet.
For someone who had just recovered from days of illness, his body felt surprisingly strong. This puzzled him, and he furrowed his brow.
“Did you slip something special into my food?”
He asked Dam Ho, but received no answer.
Bang Jin Bo scratched his head for a moment, then looked around.
The workers were laboring busily. Some herded horses, while others prepared manure.
Not a single person at this place stood idle. Despite their grueling work, they smiled brightly.
Watching these people, Bang Jin Bo thought that he, too, ought to contribute something.
Fortunately, he possessed a skill that others lacked.
A smile spread across Bang Jin Bo’s face.
“Let me see what I can do.”
Bang Jin Bo surveyed the surroundings. He spotted several large cooking hearths near the workers’ quarters.
He approached the hearths. Near a well by the cooking area, three women were preparing various ingredients.
The women were responsible for feeding over thirty people in total—the master’s household at Geumma Farm and all the workers.
The women, who had been chatting as they worked on the ingredients, looked at Bang Jin Bo with expressions of puzzlement.
“You’re supposed to be ill—are you sure you can move around like that?”
“I’ve been lying down too long, and my body feels restless. Is there anything I can help with?”
“What, do you want to cook something?”
The eldest of the women made a joke, and the others burst into bright, tinkling laughter.
Bang Jin Bo’s face flushed, and he scratched his head in embarrassment.
“Yes, actually!”
“Really? Can you cook?”
“My father was a Royal Cook. Thanks to him, I know how to prepare food too.”
“My goodness! A Royal Cook has been here all along.”
“Not quite that skilled, but I do know my way around a kitchen.”
“Either way, if you’re willing to help, we’d be grateful.”
The women brightened considerably.
Though it was work they did every day, cooking for over thirty mouths was no easy task. They desperately needed an extra pair of hands, so Bang Jin Bo’s offer was more than welcome.
“What shall I start with?”
“Do you know how to dress a pig?”
“So today’s main dish is pork, then?”
“Yes! We butchered one just in time, but we haven’t had a moment to process it. Think you can manage?”
“Leave it to me.”
Bang Jin Bo grinned and hurried to his quarters. He rummaged through his belongings and pulled out a Ju Do and seasoning, among other things.
“Ah!”
The feel of the Ju Do in his hands for the first time in ages filled him with contentment.
Bang Jin Bo rushed back to the well. There lay a large pig that the women had set down.
“Think you can do it?”
One of the women watched him anxiously. Bang Jin Bo did not answer; his focus was entirely on the pig.
A smile spread across his lips.
“Excellent. One whole pig.”
“One whole pig? What do you mean by that?”
The woman asked, but Bang Jin Bo paid no mind. His full attention had already shifted to the work before him.
Bang Jin Bo drove the large Ju Do directly into the pig’s ribs.
Scritch!
The Ju Do pierced through the thick flesh in one smooth motion. Bang Jin Bo drew it downward, and the meat split cleanly along the ribs.
Without removing the blade, Bang Jin Bo changed direction. The tip of the Ju Do found the ribcage.
Swish!
The Ju Do traced a graceful arc along the bones, following their curve.
Bang Jin Bo flicked his wrist. With a sharp twang, the ribs still attached to the body snapped free.
“Good heavens!”
The women gasped at Bang Jin Bo’s display, like watching something miraculous. But their amazement was only just beginning.
Twang! Twang!
Rib after rib separated, and the pig was methodically broken down section by section. The women watched with gaping mouths as Bang Jin Bo moved with the fluid grace of water flowing downhill, his knife work impeccable.
“There!”
The butchered meat piled up on one side. A large pig had been completely dissected and neatly portioned in mere moments.
Bang Jin Bo set down the Ju Do and looked at the women.
“Would it be all right if I did the cooking?”
“Hmm?”
“Very well.”
The woman gave her answer almost without thinking, and Bang Jin Bo let out a cry of delight as he placed the seasoning in the cooking vessel.
After lighting the fire, he cut the dismantled chunks of meat into more manageable pieces.
Tap-tap-tap-tap!
The Ju Do struck the cutting board with a rhythmic cadence.
In moments, finely chopped meat accumulated in a neat pile on one side.
Hmm-hmm!
Bang Jin Bo hummed as he poured oil over the seasoning. Next came the vegetables the women had prepared, and finally the meat was added.
Sizzle!
Steam erupted in an instant. Most people would have recoiled in alarm, but Bang Jin Bo stepped closer instead and splashed wine across the flames. For a moment the fire flared brilliant and bright, then vanished.
“The gamey smell is gone now…….”
The dish that emerged from this work was the Huehgayuk, Bang Jin Bo’s signature.
After that, Bang Jin Bo continued to create dishes using various parts of the pig. A meal that used every part of the animal—aptly named a whole pig.
“Wow!”
“Not an aspiring Royal Cook—just a Royal Cook, a real Royal Cook.”
The women could only marvel as Bang Jin Bo deftly produced one intricate dish after another with ease.
Once the stir-fried pork dishes were sufficiently complete, Bang Jin Bo began preparing a broth.
He added a parboiled bone and simmered the stock, then threw in pork and various vegetables all at once. Wine was added to remove the gamey flavor, followed by an array of spices.
The large pot bubbled and boiled, its fragrant aroma drifting across the entire compound.
“What kind of dish is this today? The smell is incredible!”
“Wow! That aroma is absolutely amazing.”
The laborers, drawn by the smell, came rushing over. The women exchanged looks of bewilderment. Most of them had been cooking at this place for over ten years, but they had never seen anything like this.
The laborers spoke up as they looked at Bang Jin Bo.
“Did that little one make all this food?”
“No way!”
“Look at that ladle and the Ju Do.”
“Really?”
As the commotion grew, Bang Jin Bo flushed and scratched his head.
“Why all this fuss?”
Then someone walked through the crowd of laborers. It was Geum Gwan Cheon, the owner of Geumma Farm. At his appearance, the laborers quickly bowed their heads.
“Master Geum, you’ve come out?”
“What’s the matter?”
“Well! This child made all of these dishes, sir.”
“Jin Bo?”
Geum Gwan Cheon looked toward Bang Jin Bo.
“Is it true?”
“Yes!”
“Your body still isn’t fully recovered, yet you made all this food yourself? When did you even learn to cook?”
Geum Gwan Cheon fired questions at him in rapid succession. Bang Jin Bo’s expression grew flustered.
Then the women stepped in and gently chided Geum Gwan Cheon.
“The child is tired, Master Geum.”
“It’s not good to ask a boy who’s only just risen from a sickbed so many questions.”
At the women’s intervention, Geum Gwan Cheon’s expression grew somewhat taken aback. But the moment passed quickly.
“Questions can wait. Today I’ll eat here with you all.”
“This isn’t food fit for you, Grandfather.”
“Bah! What are you saying? The smell is wonderful.”
“Still…….”
“No more talk. Set a place for me.”
“Yes!”
Bang Jin Bo answered as though he had no choice, and the women began to move.
“The master is going to eat with us—let’s hurry and get everything ready.”
A wooden platform was laid near the cooking fire, and a table was set upon it. Meanwhile, Bang Jin Bo went to call for Dam Ho.
Dam Ho sat alone beneath a large tree at the edge of Geumma Farm.
“Come here!”
“What is it?”
“Come eat. I made the food.”
“You did?”
Dam Ho rose from his seat.
“Hehe! I’m sure you’ll love it too.”
Bang Jin Bo grabbed Dam Ho’s hand and pulled him toward the spread of food. Dam Ho found himself drawn along in its direction.
The moment Dam Ho appeared, the workers fell silent. Even they could sense the unusual atmosphere radiating from him.
It was Geum Gwan Cheon who greeted him warmly.
“Ha! Welcome, welcome. The aroma is wonderful. Let’s taste it together.”
Dam Ho nodded and sat down across from Geum Gwan Cheon.
Only then did Geum Gwan Cheon call out.
“Now, everyone enjoy your meal.”
“Enjoy, everyone.”
The workers answered with vigor and began eating.
“Wow! This is absolutely incredible.”
“How on earth did you cook this?”
“Look how tender the meat is. Amazing!”
The workers’ lively chatter echoed across the platform.
Geum Gwan Cheon, having tasted the food, nodded and let out a gasp of admiration.
“Remarkable. This rivals even the finest Royal Cooks of the Central Plains.”
“Really?”
Bang Jin Bo’s eyes shone with delight.
“Truly. In all my years of eating, nothing you’ve made has failed to surpass it.”
“Hooray!”
Bang Jin Bo let out a jubilant cry.
That was when it happened.
“Can I have some of the food you made too?”
A small voice called from beneath the platform. Geum So Hye had emerged, drawn by the delicious aroma.
“Of course! Come here, So Hye. Let’s eat together. Ha!”
Geum Gwan Cheon lifted Geum So Hye into his arms. As he offered her food, she began eating with relish.
“It’s delicious!”
Geum So Hye’s eyes sparkled.
“Is it really that good?”
“It’s delicious! I want to eat only what you make from now on.”
It was the highest praise the young Geum So Hye could offer.
“So Hye knows quality.”
“Eat plenty, So Hye.”
Each of the workers offered her a word of encouragement.
Laughter bloomed in the cheerful atmosphere. Watching the scene, Bang Jin Bo’s face broke into a happy smile.
‘Yes. This is it. Making people happy through food. This is the path I must walk.’
Tears threatened to spill unbidden.
Bang Jin Bo gazed at Dam Ho with reddened eyes.
Everyone else was chattering away, but Dam Ho ate in silence.
His expression remained inscrutable, giving nothing away. Yet Bang Jin Bo knew the truth—that Dam Ho was genuinely savoring every bite of what he had prepared.
‘Thank you, Dam Ho.’
Without him, Bang Jin Bo would still be drowning in the sorrow of losing his father.
He was grateful to Dam Ho for creating all these opportunities.
Suddenly, Bang Jin Bo tilted his head in puzzlement.
After preparing a meal of this scale, he should normally be exhausted, yet his body felt oddly refreshed. More than that, his sense of taste was sharper than it had ever been. So acute, in fact, that he could now detect delicate flavors he’d never been aware of before.
‘Did he give me something good to eat?’

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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