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Chapter:04
The Weakest of the World’s Greatest Village.
“Welcome, sir!”
“Welcome!”
As Kang Yoo stepped into the inn, the server greeted him with great enthusiasm.
“Welcome to Nari Inn!”
Kang Yoo bowed politely in return.
“Hello.”
“Oh my, such good manners! Please, have a seat right here.”
Surprised but pleased by the greeting, the server led Kang Yoo to the best table on the first floor.
“So then, what can I get you?”
Kang Yoo glanced around nervously.
“Um… we can eat food here, right?”
“…Pardon?”
“Haha. I came because I was hungry, but I just wanted to make sure you actually serve food here.”
“….”
The odd question made the server study Kang Yoo more closely.
Simple clothes, a travel pack on his back, and a face that still looked boyish and innocent.
‘A first-time traveler, maybe.’
Still, even a first-timer should know you can buy food at an inn.
Unless… this was some new form of dine-and-dash scam?
But the boy’s first impression had been so good that the server decided to ask carefully.
“Um… you do have money, right?”
“Money? Ah—money! Yes, I do!”
Kang Yoo rummaged through his pack.
Not the heavy pouch the great masters had given him, but the lighter one filled with the small coins that the village elders had pressed into his hand “to buy something tasty.”
They were poor mountain folk who mostly lived off herbs and roots, so it wasn’t much—just some “pocket money.”
In fact, the pouch from the masters was hefty, but the one from the grannies and grandpas was feather-light.
When Kang Yoo opened it outside the village, he realized it didn’t even contain silver taels.
Just… pieces of paper.
He hesitated, then pulled the pouch open.
“U-um, would this be enough to buy a meal?”
“Let’s see—”
“Wh-what!”
The server’s jaw nearly hit the floor.
Inside the pouch was a thick bundle of high-value promissory notes.
Not one or two—an entire stack.
And this boy had just asked if he could buy a meal.
From a glance, it was enough money to buy the whole town.
‘What… is this?’
Was this not dine-and-dash, but some twisted new game the rich played?
One wrong move and he could lose his neck!
The server quickly bowed.
“M-my deepest apologies, young master! Please, this way—to the third floor!”
“Huh?”
“W-will any companions be joining you?”
“No, I’m alone.”
“R-right this way…”
Bowing repeatedly, the server led Kang Yoo up to the third floor—the best seat in Nari Inn, overlooking the whole market below.
“We’ll prepare the finest dishes at once!”
“Ah, thank you so much!”
“Th-then, please enjoy…”
As he turned to go, the server let out a deep sigh of relief.
Whatever strange “game” this was, at least it didn’t seem dangerous—for now.
Still, he’d have to warn the cook:
not a single mistake in the food for the third floor!
He sighed again and was halfway down to the second floor when—
“Hey.”
He froze.
A voice called from behind.
When he turned and saw who it was, he paled.
‘What cursed luck… today must be the day the demons themselves walk among us.’
Meanwhile…
Hwang Cheon, the trusted subordinate of Myeon Jeong-hoon, entered the private room on the second floor.
“It’s done, Master.”
Myeon Jeong-hoon sipped his wine silently.
“No problems?”
“The man knows how to follow orders. I threatened to cut off his head if he slipped up. There won’t be any mistakes.”
“…”
Myeon Jeong-hoon drained his cup again.
A short while later—
“H-Hwang Cheon sir! It’s me!”
The server’s voice came from outside.
Hwang Cheon opened the door.
“Well? How did it go?”
The server bowed deeply.
“I—I did exactly as ordered! Poured everything in that bottle over the food—”
“You poured it?”
The server glanced up nervously.
“Yes! The young master upstairs said it tasted great and ate it all up! Cleaned the dishes spotless!”
“…He what?”
“He said it must’ve been some special seasoning!”
“Seasoning?”
That bottle had contained Formless Poison—
a toxin so deadly that even an elephant would drop dead after a single drop.
And he was calling it seasoning?
The server, oblivious, smiled proudly.
“Anyway, that young master upstairs must be from some great noble family, huh? I mean, why else would you, sir, be so personally involved?”
“…”
The man’s smug look made Hwang Cheon’s hands twitch.
He wanted to strangle him for babbling nonsense—but just then, the door opened.
“What’s this about?”
The middle-aged man who stepped out made the server’s eyes go wide.
Even Hwang Cheon, the underworld boss of Gilleem City, bowed deeply to him.
That told the server everything—
this was the real master.
“It’s nothing, sir! As I was saying, I did exactly as told. The boy upstairs ate it all and said it was delicious! That’s all!”
Myeon Jeong-hoon frowned.
“You didn’t mistake the bottle?”
“Of course not, sir! Look, here!”
The server held up the small gourd bottle—it was the same one Jeong-hoon had given Hwang Cheon.
He turned it upside down.
“See? I shook it empty—every last drop!”
Indeed, nothing came out.
But Jeong-hoon wasn’t convinced.
“If not the bottle, then you must’ve mixed up the dishes.”
The server bowed again.
“N-no, sir! It couldn’t be that either! The kitchen only had one order going up to the third floor. There was nothing else to mix up!”
Jeong-hoon paused.
Now that he thought about it, the inn was oddly empty.
No customers on the first or second floors either.
‘Hmm…’
So it wasn’t the bottle, and not the food either.
That left only one possibility—
‘It’s gone bad?’
It was an old poison, one he hadn’t checked before leaving the family estate.
‘Damn it.’
But Myeon Jeong-hoon was nothing if not thorough.
He had brought backups—including one from Sichuan’s Tang family: Gentleman’s Powder (Gunjasan).
Not as deadly as Formless Poison, but far more terrifying.
Just brushing against it would paralyze the body in ten breaths.
Recently made, with no risk of spoilage.
‘Fine. Maybe this is better. He hurt my brother—he won’t get a clean death.’
He would watch that bastard freeze up, unable to move, and then tear him apart alive.
Jeong-hoon turned to the server.
“Prepare another dish. Bring it here first. How long will it take?”
“Ah—actually, the young master upstairs just ordered more food. It’s already being prepared! I just need to bring it up.”
Jeong-hoon nodded.
“Go, quickly.”
“Yes, sir!”
The server ran down the stairs, then soon returned with a plate of steaming stir-fried vegetables—Tiger-Leek Greens.
This time, Myeon Jeong-hoon personally sprinkled Gentleman’s Powder over it—carefully mixing it in.
“Take it up.”
“Yes, sir!”
He then gestured to Hwang Cheon.
“This time, we’re going too.”
“Understood.”
The three ascended to the third floor at short intervals.
The server, trembling, placed the dish in front of Kang Yoo.
“H-here’s your food, young master.”
“Wow, thank you!”
Mouth already full, Kang Yoo bowed again, smiling.
As the server cleared the empty dishes, Jeong-hoon and Hwang Cheon took seats near the window—close enough to watch.
Hwang Cheon sent a telepathic message.
“It seems you were right, Master. The Formless Poison must’ve been bad. No reaction at all.”
Jeong-hoon nodded.
“Yes. My mistake for not checking. But this time will be different.”
He had seen the effects of Gentleman’s Powder firsthand just days ago.
And now—
“He picked it up.”
The boy grabbed a chopstickful of the poisoned greens.
Both men watched in utter silence.
The chopsticks rose slowly to his mouth.
Crunch.
“…!”
The boy froze.
“Got him!”
Jeong-hoon and Hwang Cheon jumped to their feet.
But before they could strike—
Crunch.
“?”
The boy started chewing again.
“Wow, this tastes just like the one Grandma Tang used to make! That same tingling on the tongue! Maybe all food just ends up tasting the same, huh?”
He kept eating happily.
Chomp. Chomp.
“Mmm! So nostalgic!”
The two men stared blankly at each other.
“Tastes good”?
“Tastes the same”?
What the hell was he talking about?
He had just eaten a dish soaked in the most potent paralysis poison known to man.
And yet he was happily wolfing it down.
“Ahh, tastes like home.”
Instead of stiffening, the boy ate even faster.
Hwang Cheon sent another thought.
“Wh-what’s going on, Master?”
“I… I have no idea.”
“Could the poison have gone bad too?”
“Impossible. I used it just days ago.”
“Then how do you explain this? There’s no way that kid is some mythical poison-immune monster!”
“I don’t know. Let’s just watch for now.”
And as they were frantically debating—
“Excuse me?”
“Huh?!”
The boy suddenly called out.
Still chewing, he said something strange.
“Would you like to eat together?”
“…What?”
“I mean, you’ve been watching me this whole time without ordering anything. You must be hungry.”
Both men glanced down at their table.
Of course—it was empty.
“Ah, no, we’re just—”
“Come on, sit! Let’s eat together!”
The boy waved at the server.
“Excuse me! Could you bring more food? Enough for these two gentlemen as well! Don’t worry, I have lots of money!”
“Ah… y-yes, of course you do, young master.”
The server nodded, bewildered, and walked past the two stunned men.
“Hurry, sit down! Come on.”
“….”
Still frozen, they were pulled by the boy himself, who smiled brightly.
He even bowed politely.
“Nice to meet you!”
“….”
And thus began the strangest shared meal of their lives.
