Masters In Captivity (3)

Yu Seol, preparing the food, kept humming a tune.

She seemed excited to be inventing a new dish after so long.

She began tossing various ingredients into a small old iron pot bubbling away.

Spices she carried in her pack and nameless herbs, along with various ingredients fetched from nearby, were poured in without restraint.

“The tastiest dish in the world~ in goes this~ in goes that~ put it all in~”

Perhaps thanks to her innate Heavenly body constitution, her skill at singing to the rhythm was exceptional.

Watching her, Yu Jinsan smiled contentedly and asked.

“What has you so excited?”

“I just have a good feeling today. Take a bite, grandpa.”

Sniffing it, Yu Jinsan recoiled in alarm and turned away.

He couldn’t bear the intense aroma seeping into his nostrils.

‘What on earth did she make?’

It was a dark, thick porridge, like boiled red beans.

He was shaking his head when it happened.

Wang Sa-pyeong, who had collapsed looking pale, spoke in a dying voice.

“…Is it not ready yet? My consumptive fits are acting up; I must eat at once.”

Consumptive illness is a disease that occurs in overweight people who eat a lot of greasy food.

It causes loss of control over eating and urination, and if nutrition is not taken in time, side effects like edema and shortness of breath occur.

“You should’ve eaten moderately all along.”

Wang Sa-pyeong wiped the cold sweat from his brow and snapped.

“If I die here, it’ll be on you! Do you know what happens if you kill a government official?”

“Hmm. I haven’t thought about that.”

“By the law, they’ll execute up to your eighth-degree kin. You might run away, but they’ll find your families and execute them all.”

“Then there’s not much for me to worry about.”

Wang Sa-pyeong looked stunned.

“Truly a merciless leader. Are you saying you don’t care if all your relatives die because of you?”

Yu Jinsan sighed and squatted down in front of him.

“Listen, within eight degrees of kin the only living family left are the two of us. Didn’t I tell you? Your relatives were all wiped out by the group you secretly freed.”

“…Is that really true?”

As Yu Jinsan was about to answer, his granddaughter approached from behind carrying the old iron pot.

“It’s ready, grandpa.”

“Alright. It’s a pity to waste this on him, but first we should keep the man alive. Hand it over.”

Wang Sa-pyeong, already starving to the point of fainting, grabbed the pot.

Snatching the pot, he scooped up a generous spoonful.

But his hand froze midair, unable to bring it to his mouth.

“W-what is this? Why does it smell like that?”

As if expecting this, Yu Seol’s eyes flashed as she called out.

“Nutrient-packed Herb Porridge!”

Seeing herbs in it, it looked somewhat plausible.

Usually, the healthier the food, the bitterer it tastes.

But he didn’t ease his suspicious gaze.

“Herb porridge? Has there ever been a dish by that name? And why are there earthworms in the porridge?”

For someone being given food, he sure had a lot to say.

Yu Jinsan added a plausible explanation.

“Earthworms are nutrient-rich, often used as medicine, and help digestion.”

“That makes sense. You might not know, but in Kaifeng it wasn’t known as a gourmet.”

He wasn’t in a position to be picky — he was so hungry he’d eat anything to fill his stomach.

Holding his breath, he began shoveling spoonfuls in frantically.

It was after about ten scoops.

Suddenly he grabbed his throat and began rolling on the ground.

“Gwaaah!”

What kind of reaction was that in the middle of eating?

Yu Jinsan signaled to his granddaughter, asking what on earth was happening.

But Yu Seol just shrugged as if she didn’t know either.

Then Wang Sa-pyeong, clutching his throat with both hands, began to tumble about.

“Guaa… T-these bastards are poisoning me…”

A frown suddenly gathered between Yu Seol’s brows.

After making the food with such care, poison him?

No one had ever reacted like this. Weren’t all the White Snake Clan disciples eating it up before?

What sort of taste could provoke such a reaction? It was intolerable.

As he was about to vomit, Yu Seol’s index finger swiftly pressed his solar plexus.

She pressed a pressure point to prevent the food from refluxing.

Then she pressed several more points to paralyze him, making him unable to move.

“Eat it all, leave none!”

Yu Seol snatched the spoon and began feeding him the nutrient porridge.

Tears streamed from Wang Sa-pyeong’s eyes.

His body was immobilized, so he could do nothing but swallow.

“Guh… guu…”

He seemed to want to say something, but couldn’t even close his mouth.

Watching this, Yu Jinsan shook his head and looked away.

‘Well, at least he won’t die from the consumptive fits.’

Ten days had passed since they camped on the riverbank.

They planned to linger here for a while.

Scouting had shown that government troops had tightened their guard around Kaifeng Fortress, limiting their freedom of movement.

No matter that he had the greatest granddaughter in the world, unexpected variables could always arise.

Not knowing what preparations they might have made, waiting for things to quiet down was the best plan.

Wang Sa-pyeong, who seemed ready to spill everything, still hadn’t confessed about Jeong Changwon.

But torturing him directly wasn’t Yu Jinsan’s way.

It was taking longer than expected, but it probably wouldn’t take too long.

“…Huff, huff!”

Wang Sa-pyeong leaned against a tree, gasping.

After ten days he seemed like a different person.

Was it because he hadn’t eaten greasy food?

His bulky flesh had visibly slimmed, and his complexion had improved markedly.

But his eyes were half-blank as if his spirit had been drained.

At that moment Yu Jinsan clicked his tongue and said.

“I won’t beat you, so run off again if you like. It’s good exercise, isn’t it?”

The pair didn’t bind him, letting him roam free, except during meal times.

There was no real need to tie him up.

He had attempted to escape dozens of times but was always caught each time.

How far could that fleshy giant get running? His deep footprints made tracking easy.

Above all, they let Wang Sa-pyeong roam to relieve their boredom by hunting him like game when they recaptured him.

“…Phew.”

“Why the sigh when there’s nothing to complain about? Napping in cool shade, special meals at mealtime — isn’t this a heavenly life?”

“Special meal? That counts as a special meal? That’s inedible!”

In the corner Wang Sa-pyeong pointed to an unidentifiable mass of vomit.

It might be prized food for insects or bugs.

But even ants avoided it with disinterest.

“Tsk. A gourmet, huh? Just hot air.”

“Then don’t expect to eat tonight!”

“Do you really think so? It’s already been made.”

Refusing the food his granddaughter made wasn’t an option.

Even if he had to pinch pressure points, they’d force-feed him.

With a face half hopeful and half worried, he asked cautiously.

“…W-what did you make?”

“Hmm. From what I saw earlier, she boiled a mole and stewed it in seasoning.”

As an exceptional gourmet, he knew better than anyone.

Mole meat in particular is especially fishy and unpleasant; even beggars avoided it.

Wang Sa-pyeong clutched his head with both hands and screamed.

“Aaaah!!”

Suppressing a laugh, Yu Jinsan turned his back to look for his granddaughter.

To the left lay a calm river; to the right, a dense bamboo grove.

She should be training her martial arts in the forest by now.

As he moved slowly forward, he tilted his head.

“Little one, what are you doing?”

Yu Seol was hanging upside down from a bamboo staff carved from bamboo.

From that position she was bouncing on the tip of the staff as if performing a stunt.

“Grandpa’s here? I’m making a basic form technique right now.”

“Where does such a basic form even exist?”

“Well, it doesn’t, so I’m making it.”

Yu Jinsan sat cross-legged in the corner and watched what his granddaughter was doing.

Even after a long time, Yu Seol didn’t come down from the bamboo staff.

Looking closely, it seemed she was moving according to a pattern.

“Watching it, it actually looks somewhat plausible. As expected, our granddaughter is amazing.”

“Hehe. Grandpa, when we have a home later, should we keep livestock in the yard?”

“Livestock out of the blue?”

“Let’s raise just one piglet. I’ll feed and take good care of it.”

Had she perhaps taken to feeding Wang Sa-pyeong for fun?

Whether any piglet she raised would survive was doubtful.

But what could he refuse his one and only granddaughter?

“Alright. Whether you want a flower garden or pigs, do whatever you wish, Seol.”

Hanging upside down, Yu Seol grinned and winked at her grandfather.

“Yes. Grandpa, come a little closer here.”

“There? Why?”

“Now I need to test the basic form.”

Yu Jinsan wasn’t someone who’d be fooled once or twice.

Instead of approaching, he asked with a wary look.

“Why test it on your old man?”

“I just want to show you. Aren’t you curious?”

How could the supreme warrior of the Evil factions not be curious about creating a basic form?

He didn’t think it would be dangerous; at worst, just a test.

Besides, he thought it might be useful to him as well.

“Hmm. Wait a moment.”

Yu Jinsan snapped off a nearby bamboo stalk with the edge of his hand.

He split it in half and quickly fashioned a bamboo staff.

Approaching his granddaughter awkwardly, he asked cautiously.

“Is this about right?”

“Yes. Are you ready to block?”

What preparation was there? It was only a test of the basic form.

Gripping the staff with both hands, Yu Jinsan lowered his stance to brace for the attack.

“Alright. Come on then!”

Yu Seol drew a breath and shouted loudly.

“Invincible Seol’s Spear Technique — this form: Tentacles One Hundred and Eight Strikes.”

Such a thunderous presence.

At that moment a streak of unease passed through Yu Jinsan’s mind.

It brought back the memory of when he’d been felled by the basic form Seol Seol Beatdown.

He hurried to say something, but had no time.

His granddaughter’s figure shot into the air and vanished before his eyes.

Looking up at the same time, Yu Jinsan’s mouth hung open.

“…Gasp!?”

He couldn’t believe his eyes.

From the sky, a hundred and eight bamboo staffs split apart and extended like tentacles.

It was as if the sky had been covered in bamboo staffs.

He had never in his life heard of such a bizarre spear technique.

At that distance and speed, evasion was out of the question.

All he could do was defend.

Yu Jinsan clenched his teeth in dismay.

‘Not this again.’