“How about this room?”
“Hmm…”
“That’s the bathroom over there and that’s the practice room! It seems like it’s been set aside specifically for meditation and Qi circulation. It gets incredibly quiet inside!”
I took a quick peek at the room Hye-ryeong recommended. It was about the size of a modest two-room apartment.
It was somewhat large but had two additional rooms inside.
One seemed to be a bathroom, and the other looked like a small practice room. There might even be some soundproofing in place.
…But if the bathroom is inside the room, won’t it smell?
All the accommodations we’ve stayed in since leaving Hainan were set up outside the buildings, and there was no way around the inconvenience. Keeping bathrooms inside the building seemed like it would create strong odors.
But having a bathroom built inside the building likely means they’ve handled the smell issue. I entered the room and opened the bathroom door.
“…Oh.”
The inside was cleaner than I expected.
Compared to modern Western-style toilets, this one might be a bit rustic, but the sound of running water indicated that there was a flow beneath the jar, which functioned as a toilet.
Isn’t it common in this era to collect waste in jars for fertilizer?
…Thinking about it, this isn’t a military setting but a world where civilians throw bombs, so it’s probably not strange for there to be a contraption like this.
I closed the bathroom door and inspected the practice room next.
The room was around one and a half Pyeong in size. Tapping on the walls produced no sound, so perhaps it absorbs noise?
Indeed, this facility worthy of a righteous sect doesn’t mess around.
I was already quite satisfied, curious about how other sects’ accommodations compared.
“I’ll take this room.”
“Hehe, it’s across from mine!”
“…Are there no other rooms available?”
Being opposite each other isn’t great. If doors were to accidentally open, we’d be looking into each other’s rooms.
Even though I’m not a pervert and I’m not interested, there’s no reason to needlessly create awkward situations where we’d both blush.
“Why? This place is great.”
“Facing each other could be burdensome, don’t you think?”
“In that case, I’ll show you another room!”
Hye-ryeong grabbed my hand and led me toward another room, this time on the opposite side.
“…Hye-ryeong, what about this being the room next door?”
“It’s a good room too!”
Hye-ryeong confidently opened the door with a flapping motion, as if imitating a penguin.
“It’s good too, right?”
“…Isn’t the structure the same?”
The rooms overall seemed uniformly designed.
Even though they’re similar, the neighboring room feels more bothersome. It’s questionable whether the rooms, excluding the practice rooms, have proper soundproofing, so I wanted to maintain some distance to avoid awkwardness.
Hye-ryeong might not mind, but I do.
At the very least, it would be best to have enough distance so that the sound of neighboring rooms doesn’t reach.
“Isn’t it? So, what do you think about this one?”
Hye-ryeong looked at me eagerly with pleading eyes.
What could be so earnest about wanting to stick together?
I sighed and nodded.
When I nodded, Hye-ryeong visibly brightened and flapped her arms.
“Hehe, then let’s unpack now! I’ll help!”
“There’s no need.”
The luggage was nothing more than a sword, a dagger, a few clothes, and some cultivation manuals. It was cumbersome to carry anything more. I could simply buy additional supplies along the way with money.
I sighed as I organized my belongings and placed them into drawers. For now, carrying my weapons would suffice. There didn’t seem to be any rules prohibiting weapons inside the building.
After all, the martial artists from Qingcheng and Huashan sects I’d encountered on arrival were all carrying swords.
“Now that the room is chosen, let’s head to the dining hall for a meal.”
“Since this is the Martial Alliance, the food must be delicious, right?”
“It wouldn’t taste bad, would it?”
They wouldn’t serve army-grade grub here, would they?
Even though mass cooking can be challenging, this place has always been known for its large population since medieval times.
If they utilize enough experienced cooks, the flavor should be decent.
“Since there are fifteen days left until the Grand Gathering or the Martial Prohibition Tournament, let’s explore the city until then!”
“Exploration starts tomorrow.”
We pushed breakfast this morning in a rush to arrive early, so my stomach is grumbling. Feeding it must come first. A full stomach helps with everything, just like touring Jinguang Mountain after a meal, right?
I headed to the cafeteria with Hye-ryeong.
——————————–
The dining hall we entered was bustling with people.
Most of them appeared to belong to the nine major sects, but there were also others, which suggests this place isn’t bad.
We grabbed an open spot and ordered food.
“Do we pay separately?”
“Yes.”
Elder Baek took a money pouch from his sleeve and replied, adding afterward, “It’s much cheaper than eating outside.”
Much cheaper.
This must be a good place.
“Claims to serve meals as delicious as famous inns.”
“That sounds promising.”
If Hye-ryeong said this, the cooking skills must be exceptional. I glanced at other tables. The first one I noticed clearly housed Daoists, with mostly green-colored foods being served.
Do Daoists not indulge in meat, hence the lack of meat, or rather, it’s so scarce it might as well be called vegetarian. There were a few pieces of meat placed almost as an afterthought on top of piles of greens.
This might explain why the Daoists were glancing nervously at each other.
“Mister?”
“Ah, sorry. I was just curious about what’s being served…”
“This dining hall mainly serves modest dishes catered to the nine major sects.”
Modest dishes.
Naturally so.
Most of the nine major sects are primarily composed of Daoists and monks, so their meals are likely closer to vegan rather than rich, meat-centered options.
While they do eat meat, it’s mainly because they’re martial artists who need to maintain their physical strength. Monks, however, probably avoid meat altogether.
…Upon reflection, with Qi cultivation allowing for perfect nourishment, there’s no guarantee they need to focus on nutrients. Perhaps it doesn’t even matter.
If one’s Qi circulation is smooth, survival on the battlefield with minimal eating suggests that the connection between food and health for martial artists may not be as crucial.
“I can’t wait!”
“Ah, well, food is more or less the same everywhere… Oops!”
“Hajin. Refrain from reckless behavior.”
“Understood, Elder.”
If he keeps this up, he’ll likely get stabbed somewhere later.
Why does he enjoy making so much noise?
“Elder Baek. Did your meeting with the Martial Alliance Leader go well?”
“Meeting? We just shared a cup of tea. It’s too big of an issue to discuss in private.”
Elder Baek’s statement was sound. The Demon Sect problem isn’t something that can be resolved by the Hainan Sword Sect alone; it’s an issue for the entire Martial Realm. The nine major sects and five great families need to gather and deliberate on how to respond to the Demon Sect.
“It would be good if things went well.”
“The nine major sects haven’t forgotten the danger posed by the Demon Sect.”
“Having experienced war, our seniors still walk among Jianghu, and once they hear this news, they’ll spring into action. With their help, we can quickly unite the righteous factions.”
Considering Elder Baek’s seniors, they must be masterful. There’s a chance I may even get to see absolute experts.
Thinking of witnessing these incredibly high-level individuals creates great anticipation.
“If we can end this without too much harm, that would be ideal…”
“… The Demon Sect’s return suggests they see themselves as ready for a fight with Jianghu. It also implies that we must be prepared to bear great sacrifices.”
Sacrifice.
What a filthy word.
[Ah, live. Little brother.]
“Mister? Are you okay?”
“Great Hero Wi, are you alright?”
“It’s just some old memories. Don’t worry about it.”
Tsk.
Why do these memories keep resurfacing now, even though they’re meaningless?
I clicked my tongue and looked toward the chef bringing our food.
The chef set the dishes in front of us, glanced warmly at Elder Baek, and said, “Isn’t this Bai Xian, Elder? Have you been well?”
“I’ve been fine. And you’re still making excellent meals, I see.”
“Ha ha, what else should a chef do besides make food?”
“In that case, I shouldn’t have stopped you. Enjoy the food.”
“Eat well!”
Let’s start eating then. I picked up my chopsticks.
It was at the moment I was about to pick up a piece of meat that someone interrupted.
“Excuse me, are you from the Hainan Sword Sect?”
“Mister? Who’s that woman?”
Let me at least eat my meal in peace.
Seeing Seo-ryeon tilting her head curiously at me, I sighed.
