Cooking Swordmaster [EN]: Chapter 310

23. Recapturing the Imperial Palace

Before eating the Mapo Tofu, Cheongun paused, savoring its aroma.

He immediately detected the sharp, spicy scent of Sichuan peppercorns, so intense it made his nose tingle.

This indicated a generous amount of Sichuan peppercorns had been added early on, infusing the oil with their essence.

Furthermore, what appeared to be green onions sprinkled on top were actually garlic leaves, which, along with other herbs, further enriched the Mapo Tofu’s fragrance.

“…Usually, people use readily available Sansho pepper powder and minced garlic, but this is authentic Sichuan-style Mapo Tofu. Moreover, it’s been quickly cooked over high heat, almost to the point of scorching the seasoning, capturing both the flavor and aroma. It seems you learned to cook from a skilled chef.”

Sansho and Sichuan peppercorns look similar, making it difficult to distinguish them by sight alone.

However, the taste of Sichuan peppercorns is more numbing than spicy, creating a unique sensation.

It’s a spice frequently used in Sichuan cuisine, beyond just Mapo Tofu.

Keinzel smiled, recalling the face of Jeokun, who had taught him the art of noodle making.

“Yes, I was taught by someone whose noodle-making skills are second to none in the Central Plains.”

“I thought so. Chili oil and Doubanjiang [fermented broad bean paste] are unfamiliar seasonings to those from the Western Continent. To handle them so skillfully… And this savory smell…”

Cheongun, who had been explaining the dish, couldn’t resist any longer and picked up his spoon.

He scooped up a generous portion of Mapo Tofu, adorned with plenty of garlic leaves, the contrast of green and red standing out, and brought it to his mouth.

“…!”

Cheongun was rendered speechless, completely absorbed in devouring the Mapo Tofu.

Despite the generous amounts of chili oil and Sichuan peppercorns causing sweat to pour down his face, he looked incredibly happy.

Only when the can was completely empty could he finally stop eating.

Dokgocheon, who had been watching from the side, widened his eyes and asked.

“Hey, old geezer. Is it that good? Say something.”

“Hoo… This is… What should I say…? The potato stew I had a while ago was certainly delicious, but it felt very much like a foreign dish. Some people were put off by it.”

“But this Mapo Tofu is different?”

“Indeed. Originally, Mapo Tofu, along with Qingjiao Rousi [stir-fried shredded pork with green peppers], is one of the most familiar dishes to the people of the Central Plains. Anyone from children to the elderly can enjoy this.”

It was a dish made by someone from the Western Continent, yet it tasted so delicious and suited the palate of the Central Plains people.

“But, doesn’t this contain a lot of meat? Monks who don’t eat meat wouldn’t be able to eat this at all.”

Keinzel shrugged and shook his head.

“I’m sorry, but I think you’re mistaken. That’s not meat.”

“What, what did you say!?”

“In the Central Continent, there’s a race called Elves who look very similar to humans but can’t eat meat or even eggs.”

“…Heo, Elves are those beautiful men and women with long ears, like they jumped out of a painting. But they can’t eat meat?”

“Yes. Not just for religious reasons, but their bodies reject it from the start. So, when cooking for them, I used to use soy meat like this.”

Based on that experience, the ‘Soy Meat Mapo Tofu’ was born.

Cheongun looked suspiciously at the meat buried in the sauce and cut it in half.

Then, unlike minced meat, rich juice began to flow out.

“…I’ve heard that a skilled chef can make soy taste similar to meat. But such rich juice and umami can’t be made with soy alone, can it?”

“That’s because I solved it by stir-frying cooked onions with mushrooms and nuts and mixing them into the soy meat. How is it? Does it taste more like real meat than meat itself?”

Cheongun’s eyes widened.

The Mapo Tofu contained the desire to serve delicious food even to Elves.

That’s why it tasted so moving.

“Hehe… Monks could eat this with a smile. It seems the old man was nitpicking unnecessarily.”

Moreover, except for the soy meat, it’s a dish made with ingredients that are very easy to obtain in the Central Plains.

Mass production is entirely possible.

“However, while cooking is one thing, making cans requires the help of skilled blacksmiths. They need to be able to make hundreds of these steel cans a day.”

“Don’t worry about that. We can ask Steel Immortal Taebaek.”

The ultimate goal of the Wudang Sect, a Taoist sect, was to become immortals.

They believed that even ordinary people could become gods if they cultivated and attained enlightenment.

Pursuing the ultimate in martial arts was also part of that.

And among the families belonging to the Wudang Sect, there were those who believed that divinity could be acquired by refining iron to make farming tools.

They were the Iron Family, the largest blacksmith group in the Central Plains.

Keinzel’s eyes lit up.

If it was Steel Immortal Taebaek of the Iron Family, he would surely know who made Fragarach.

‘Maybe it’s him himself.’

Keinzel recalled the Thunder Axe in his dimensional pocket.

He had to melt it down to make several weapons. Wasn’t that why he crossed the sea to come here?

However, making weapons was forbidden in the Central Plains.

It could lead to civil unrest, and if rebel bandits were armed, it would become a seed of rebellion.

Therefore, most artisans who could make precious swords were affiliated with large sects.

Naturally, they didn’t take requests from others.

But if they succeeded in recapturing the Imperial Palace, wouldn’t they grant this much of a favor?

When he mentioned that, Cheongun’s eyes curved like a bow.

“A weapon-making request… I’ll personally ask No-do. After all, if it weren’t for you, Great Hero, it wouldn’t have been possible to even talk like this.”

Thus, thanks to Cheongun’s efforts, artisans from the Iron Family joined the Anti-Heavenly Alliance.

* * *

Steel Immortal Taebaek was a man with sharp eyes that resembled well-honed blades.

But he looked strangely young for someone who had been the head of the Iron Family for almost a hundred years.

No, not just young, but childlike. He looked no older than twelve or thirteen.

Moreover, his hands, which were briefly visible, were smooth without any calluses. He didn’t look like an artisan at all.

Taebaek looked at Keinzel and raised his chin with an arrogant expression.

“Don’t you know that? Of course. No-do has already succeeded in ascending to immortality! I’ve lived ten times longer than that old Cheongun who’s obviously showing his age. Heehee! So, you better serve me well.”

Maya, who had been watching the situation with drowsy eyes, scratched her head.

“What, are you bragging about your age in front of a true dragon? Acquiring divinity in a human body is somewhat impressive, but you’re only half-baked, right?”

“Ahem… Living long is only based on human standards.”

Taebaek’s attitude, which had been arrogant, became strangely polite.

Apparently, as an immortal who had ascended to immortality, he recognized Maya’s true identity at a glance.

Taebaek tried to avoid looking at Maya as much as possible and continued.

“Anyway, you’re the guy Tae-eul Seonsa [a Taoist immortal] mentioned. How dare you order Taebaek around! If the fate of the Central Plains wasn’t at stake, I would have scolded you.”

Keinzel took out a few small steel cans from his dimensional pocket and handed them to Taebaek.

“I’m sorry, but time is very short. Could you make about a thousand of these? I’d appreciate it if you could do it as soon as possible.”

“Well, I’ll grant Cheongun’s request. Besides, that’s very easy. Three days… No, two days will be enough. More than that, can you show me the sword you’re wearing on your waist for a moment?”

“Ah, you mean Fragarach. Here it is.”

Keinzel handed over Fragarach as if he had been waiting for it.

“Hmm…”

Taebaek, who received the scabbard, drew the sword and checked its blade. Then, he widened his eyes as if surprised.

“Hoo, this sword is…”

Then, one corner of Keinzel’s mouth went up.

He had been wearing the sword in a conspicuous place, aiming for this.

“It’s called the Divine Sword Fragarach. Do you happen to know it?”

“Of course, I know it. This is the Star Cloud Sword made by my master. I heard it was lost during the great war hundreds of years ago, but I never thought it would have gone to another continent.”

Taebaek smacked his lips and stroked Fragarach. Then, as if resonating, the blade began to hum.

“But I never thought I’d meet the owner of the Star Cloud Sword in a place like this. This is also a karmic connection that I couldn’t shake off even after becoming an immortal.”

And Taebaek began to speak with a strangely nostalgic expression.

“The former head of the Iron Family, that is, No-do’s master, knew that the Central Plains would be contaminated with turbidity from a thousand years ago. So, he used fragments of meteorites and comets that fell from the sky to make weapons. That’s what this Star Cloud Sword is.”

However, he could only make one sword in his lifetime.

Taebaek took out a few metal fragments from the pouch he was wearing on his waist and held them out.

“And my master left me with the words to take care of the rest and ascended to the heavens. He told me to make as many Star Cloud Weapons as possible before all continents are stained with evil.”

“Then this is…”

“Yes. These are the fragments of stars that No-do has collected for nearly a thousand years. It’s less than you think, right? Of course, meteorites still fall once every few decades. But most of them lose their divine power and turn into ordinary stones. So, I could only collect this much. Hoo… I can’t even make a small dagger with this much. How much more do I have to collect in the future…?”

Keinzel’s eyes widened.

Could it be that the reason Taebaek didn’t go to the heavens even after becoming an immortal was because of this?

“…Taebaek-nim [a respectful title]. Could you take a look at this for a moment?”

“What are you talking about?”

Keinzel took out an incredibly large axe from his dimensional pocket.

“It’s an axe made by melting down the divine power that killed the Giant King. It seems to be made of the star fragments you mentioned earlier.”

“Oh, oh! Th, that’s right! Su, surely! I never thought I’d see so many raw stones in my life…!”

For the first time, intense desire formed in the eyes of the immortal Taebaek, who had half-resigned himself to human affairs.

“I’m looking for an artisan who can melt that down and make it into a weapon. Do you happen to know anyone?”

“Of course, I know someone. Isn’t he right here! Heehee! I can make at least six weapons with this much! Well, if you’re okay with it, why don’t you leave it to No-do? I’ll make it shine brightly.”

Keinzel smiled with satisfaction. But the most important problem still remained.

“But…”

“Why, do you have any complaints? There’s no blacksmith in the Central Plains… No, in all continents, who can make Star Cloud Weapons better than No-do. I can swear on my master’s name.”

“It’s not that, but I didn’t prepare a commission fee because I came in such a hurry. You’re making a weapon that’s called divine, so I should give you at least a hundred gold gwan [a unit of currency], right?”

Then, Taebaek’s lips twitched.

“Wh, what are you saying now! I don’t need money! So just let me make Star Cloud Weapons… I’ll use No-do’s other supplementary materials, so just provide the star fragments!”

“I understand. Then, I’ll leave it to you.”

“Heehee! You’ve met an incredible opportunity, but why do you have that constipated look on your face? Be happier!”

Sweat dripped down the cheeks of Cheongun, the First Sword of Wudang, who had been watching from the side.

He never thought that Taebaek, with his eccentric personality, would cling to him like this, begging.

“Hehe, I knew that you couldn’t ascend because you had unfinished wishes, but I never thought it would be fulfilled in this way…”

Taebaek smiled bitterly.

“It takes two days to make the cans. And it takes about fifteen days to make six Star Cloud Weapons. After that, goodbye, Cheongun. It was a really tiring relationship.”

Cheongun’s eyes turned red. It looked like thick teardrops would fall right away.

From the time he first entered Wudang, Taebaek had the appearance of a child.

Somehow, they became friends and played together. Then, how surprised he was when he found out that Taebaek was an old man who had ascended to immortality.

But for the past 60 years, the fact that the two were friends hadn’t changed.

That long, long relationship was finally coming to an end.

“…How about a game of Go before you leave?”

“Go. That’s not bad either.”

Saying that, Taebaek reached out to the artisans of the Iron Family.

“Now, light the fire. And watch the birth of Taebaek-nim’s last, best masterpiece!”

And two days later, a thousand cans of Mapo Tofu were completed.

Now, they had to recapture the Imperial Palace while the six Star Cloud Weapons were being completed.