Episode 323

Jang Sam-tae’s face was flushed as he stood there, panting heavily. In front of him, Mae-hyang sat with an anxious expression, while Jang Sam-tae, unable to contain his anger, had risen from his seat.

“So… Customer, we have the finest dishes…”

“Is this rice? Rice cake? Is your mouth stupid?”

Jang Sam-tae was genuinely furious.

Although there were various dishes before him, they all seemed to only look pretty, without tasting particularly good. The rice was spread out like a cake, and the dishes were either extremely salty or sweet.

Some had no taste at all. It wasn’t simply a matter of personal preference; there were dishes with no flavor whatsoever.

Jang Sam-tae, who had devoted his passion to cooking for the Hunan Dan family, shouted with a flushed face, unable to accept it.

“Call the owner out!”

“W-wait, Young Master Jang! Please stop, stop. It’s embarrassing, let’s just go.”

“How can we just leave like this? I need to say something!”

Mae-hyang’s face turned bright red. Feeling the stares from all around, she seemed like she was about to go mad.

For the first time, Mae-hyang had been fantasizing about having a meal with a nice atmosphere, but now she looked down with a face that seemed ready to burst into tears.

People could be seen whispering to each other here and there.

Could there be anything more embarrassing than this?

“Customer, isn’t it a bit troublesome to raise your voice in a place like this?”

At that moment, sturdy young men rushed in.

Whether they were bullies who wielded some power in this inn, or the guards protecting the Tons of Gold Inn, it wasn’t clear, but just standing there, their presence was anything but ordinary.

Jang Sam-tae frowned and glared at them.

“What, is it a problem if I say it doesn’t taste good after I’ve eaten it?”

“Haha, maybe it just didn’t suit your taste? Please don’t make a fuss here and just move over there…”

“Huh?”

The men led Jang Sam-tae to a quiet place. They reached out, grabbed Jang Sam-tae’s collar, and moved, looking as if they were forcibly dragging someone away.

Mae-hyang watched and held her head in her hands.

Soon after, he went outside with the sturdy men, and in less than a moment, Jang Sam-tae dusted off his clothes and re-entered.

“What, those guys?”

There wasn’t a single scratch on his face. Just brushing off the dust from his clothes, he looked as if nothing had happened.

The staff were bewildered.

The ones who just left were ruffians who wielded considerable power in Yueyang. Just hearing their names would make ordinary people tremble, yet none of them returned.

It was then that they realized this person was beyond their control.

“What on earth is this commotion!”

Booming-

Eventually, a loud voice was heard.

People lifted their heads at the sound coming from the second floor of the Inn. There, the innkeeper, Ju Sang-baek, frowned as he looked down.

Beside him were warriors with swords, guarding him.

Jang Sam-tae looked up at him.

“Are you the owner?”

“Indeed, I am. And who might you be?”

“If I were to introduce myself, I am Jang Sam-tae, the servant and head chef of the Hunan Dan family!”

As soon as the name Hunan Dan family was mentioned, the owner’s eyes widened. Come to think of it, there was someone similar to the wanted poster brought by his subordinates.

But to openly declare himself a servant?

‘What a strange fellow.’

The owner unknowingly broke into a cold sweat.

Is being a servant such an esteemed position that he even beats his chest with pride?

Even the other people inside the inn stifled giggles.

“So, as the servant and chef of Hunan Dan family, what grievances do you have to cause such a commotion?”

“You scoundrels, do you even call this cooking? No matter how you look at it, it’s just decorated lavishly, but the ingredients are cheap and it tastes bad! Are you selling this at such an absurd price?”

At Jang Sam-tae’s words, people’s eyes widened in surprise.

Taste is inherently a matter of personal preference, so it’s something that can’t be helped. However, they were surprised at the mention of cheap ingredients.

Since the dishes at the Tons of Gold Inn are all expensive, they naturally assumed they used good ingredients.

But the owner smirked.

It’s just pointless talk without any evidence.

No matter what he says, it is of no use.

“I don’t quite understand what you’re saying. It’s troublesome to make baseless accusations. No matter how much our business affects the Golden Ring Inn’s trade.”

“Huh? Golden Ring Inn’s food is only good for noodles and liquor.”

At Jang Sam-tae’s retort, some people burst into laughter.

Everyone knows that the Golden Ring Inn belongs to the Hunan Dan family, so when he said it himself, it made them wonder if there was something wrong with Jang Sam-tae’s head.

“There are many customers there because the liquor is good and the price is cheap. Didn’t you know that? Puhahaha-”

“……”

Ju Sang-baek looked at Jang Sam-tae with a lost expression.

He let out a small sigh and spoke.

“Further conversation seems pointless. I won’t take your money, so could you please leave?”

At those words, Jang Sam-tae flinched and reacted.

He slowly raised his head and then smiled broadly. Soon, he rummaged through his pouch and plopped something onto the table.

An amount that might be barely worth ten coins.

“I’ll pay before I leave! I do have some conscience, you see. But the price of your food is just about this much!”

Saying that, Jang Sam-tae dragged Mae-hyang along.

Finally, he stopped abruptly in front of the door and slowly turned his head. The expression of Ju Sang-baek, whose face was flushed, came into view.

“Just watch! I’ll make sure you guys go down.”

Leaving those words, Jang Sam-tae hurriedly went outside.

Bang!

At the same time, the railing Ju Sang-baek was holding burst. His anger swelled and danced, causing the robe he was wearing to flap violently.

“A worm-like fool!”

Ju Sang-baek gritted his teeth and frowned.

“Well done.”

Returning home, Jang Sam-tae was once again lying face down with his head buried.

Next to him was Zhuge Yun, who, unlike the accustomed Jang Sam-tae, was continuously groaning as if he was having a hard time.

Standing idly between them was none other than Ma Jang-kang.

In one hand, he held a massive club, which had a severe crack down the middle from having been swung several times. He swung it towards Zhuge Yun’s backside.

Crack-!

“Aaagh!”

It broke with an enormous sound.

Zhuge Yun, who had been hit, rolled on the ground, tears welling up. Having never been hit by anyone since his childhood, the situation felt unbearably unfair and embarrassing to him.

Seeing even his daughter’s gaze devoid of sympathy made him feel unnecessarily miserable.

“You wasted time and money on useless things.”

“Heh heh, don’t be too harsh. Yun also tried to accomplish something in his own way.”

Namgung Chun chuckled softly as he wrapped his arm around Zhuge Yun. Even though stepping forward without orders was certainly a mistake, he couldn’t scold him, knowing it was all for the sake of the Hunan Dan family.

“Well, let’s say it’s understandable for Zhuge Yun… But what on earth have you been up to, Sam-tae? You boasted you would bring it down?”

“No, Manor Lord, don’t you find it infuriating? Those guys, they completely underestimated our cooking.”

Jang Sam-tae, genuinely angry, sprang to his feet. At that moment, Ma Jang-kang swung a broken stick, striking the back of Jang Sam-tae’s knees.

Thunk!

“Agh!”

At the strong force, Jang Sam-tae collapsed, crying out.

Tears nearly welled up, but this time, he seemed determined not to back down, enduring the pain as he glared at Dan Woo-hyun.

Was his spirit admirable?

Sa Dohak, along with Namgung Chun and Dan Woo-hyun, wore expressions of surprise. It was because Jang Sam-tae had never shown such a side before.

“Was it that overboard?”

“They masked cheap ingredients with strong spices. They even used rotten meat. Those bastards don’t even deserve to sell food!”

Jang Sam-tae shouted, clenching his fist.

There was a sense of determination to punish those who acted against the culinary spirit he held. The sight of Jang Sam-tae burning with fervor was almost comical.

“I see. So, what do you want to do then?”

“Pardon?”

Dan Woo-hyun asked about Jang Sam-tae’s thoughts.

Since he had boldly declared that he would ruin the Tons of Gold Inn, they thought he must have had some plan. But Jang Sam-tae kept his mouth tightly shut.

“What do you want to do?”

“…Huh?”

What do you mean, what do I want to do?

Jang Sam-tae tilted his head slightly.

“I want to ruin them…?”

“So how will you do it?”

Dan Woo-hyun’s expression remained unchanged, but his eyes flickered.

It seemed as if he didn’t like hearing nonsense.

Jang Sam-tae nodded and spoke energetically.

“I wish Manor Lord would go and beat them all up!”

He chuckled and rubbed his palms together.

It was Jang Sam-tae’s habit when he was troubled or wanted to say something half-jokingly, even if it was serious.

At that moment, Dan Woo-hyun smirked.

“I’ll give you a month.”

“Excuse me?”

“If you can’t ruin Tons of Gold Inn within a month… I’ll bury you with them.”

“…?!”

Hearing this, Jang Sam-tae was at a loss for words.

He pinched his cheek to confirm if what he heard was indeed real. As pain registered, he looked at Dan Woo-hyun once more. His smile was so intense it felt like it could pierce through bones.

It was reality.

He turned his head sharply. His gaze was one of seeking help.

However, not only Namgung Chun but Sa Dohak and Jeok Mu-seong too were avoiding his gaze, pretending to be distracted.

Realizing that no one could save him anymore, Jang Sam-tae swallowed dryly and clutched Zhuge Yun’s pants.

“This…isn’t it because of this person? Why am I the only one to die?”

“Then I’ll bury both of you together.”

“Eek?!”

“Gasp…!”

Zhuge Yun, who had his head buried, toppled over and swallowed a gasp at those words that were as good as sincere. Dan Woo-hyun’s gaze, as sharp as a knife, pierced his heart mercilessly.

Zhuge Yun broke out in a cold sweat.

“Why, why me…?”

“You’re the one who ordered it!”

“You fool! I just told you to have a meal!”

“That’s the same thing! Didn’t you know this would happen?”

Zhuge Yun had nothing to say, knowing full well what he sent him for, yet he felt somewhat indignant since he never instructed them to cause such a commotion.

However, even the quarrel between the two was meaningless to Dan Woo-hyun.

“One month. If you can’t do it in one month… I’ll bury not only the Tons of Gold Inn, but you guys as well.”

Hearing those words again, the two turned pale.