I was so startled that I immediately spun around.
“…”
Escort Guard Yeo Eung-am was still standing there in the exact same posture, staring at Venerable Blood Staff Star Monk.
A violent storm of Qi was raging through his body.
Escort Guard Yeo Eung-am had reached a moment of enlightenment too.
No, seriously, what was it about Venerable Blood Staff Star Monk’s sacred body that it could pull not only the Shaolin monks but even Escort Guard Yeo Eung-am into a trance?
Just then, the Abbot walked up to me and pressed his palms together.
“Amitabha! I truly owe you my thanks. Thanks to you, our Shaolin has received an immense blessing.”
“What have I done to deserve words like that?”
“Too much modesty becomes discourtesy. I’ll have a room prepared for you, so go and rest. I don’t think now is the best time for a proper conversation anyway.”
At that, I glanced over at Escort Guard Yeo Eung-am and nodded.
“I think you’re right.”
After giving a few orders to the other monks, the Abbot climbed the stairs.
It looked like his quarters were somewhere farther up.
Then one monk approached me.
“I am Jong O from the Guest Hall. I’ll show you to your quarters so you may rest.”
“I’m fine. Please guide my attendant instead.”
I gave a slight shake of my head, then said to Palgap,
“Palgap, go with him. Get us shown to our quarters and unpack our things.”
“Understood.”
At my words, Monk Jong O asked,
“Aren’t you coming as well, Benefactor?”
“I’ll… probably be here for a while.”
As if he understood what I meant, he smiled gently.
“You really are a good master.”
“I’m… not all that great.”
I answered with a bitter smile, then turned to my guards.
“If any of you are tired, you can follow Palgap and go rest.”
But every one of them shook their heads.
“Escort Guard Yeo needs someone standing watch over him.”
“I’m not that tired yet.”
The truth was, the most dangerous moment was when someone fell into a trance like this. One wrong shock from the outside, and they could slip into Qi Deviation.
And if that happened, they’d either die or be crippled for life.
“But why aren’t you going to your quarters, my lord?”
At Escort Guard Seo Wu’s question, I moved to stand beside him and said,
“I just like the view from here.”
At that, the guards looked at one another and let out quiet chuckles.
“Why are you laughing?”
“The weather’s nice. Makes me want to smile.”
We all laughed together.
“At this rate, we’d better split into groups and take turns standing guard. This won’t be over quickly.”
At my words, the guards nodded.
“That sounds best. I once heard about someone who stayed in a trance for seven full days and nights.”
“All the more reason we should rotate, then.”
Of course, since this was inside the Shaolin Temple, the Shaolin monks would probably be more than willing to stand guard if I asked.
But when we had enough people already, there was no need to owe anyone a favor.
So we split into three groups.
Escort Guard Seo Wu with Escort Guard Lee Pil, Escort Guard Jin Yu with Escort Guard Myeong Jong, and Escort Guard Chang Un with me. Those were our three groups.
I needed to speak with the Abbot tomorrow, so I decided to take the watch tonight.
.
.
.
Even by the next morning, Escort Guard Yeo Eung-am still hadn’t come to his senses.
After switching with the other guards, I headed back to our quarters to get breakfast.
“You’re back?”
“Yeah.”
“Escort Guard Yeo is still out of it?”
“Yeah. Still.”
“When do you think he’ll settle down and wake up?”
“Who knows? Nobody can tell that. I’m starving. Feed me.”
“Yes, sir.”
Palgap brought me breakfast, and I ate it with real satisfaction, then leaned back and rested with a cup of tea.
Hoo…
Watching over someone meant keeping every nerve in your body on edge, and that left you exhausted.
Escort Guards really were something else.
“Young Master. You need to get up.”
Palgap woke me.
“Hm?”
When had I fallen asleep?
“The Abbot has sent for you.”
“The Abbot?”
I shot upright and asked,
“Now?”
“The novice monk said he’ll come back in half an hour.”
“Did you tell him I was asleep?”
“No. The novice monk said it first.”
So the Abbot must’ve known I’d dozed off for a bit and instructed him accordingly.
“I should make myself presentable before I go. Bring me some clean clothes, and get me a cup of tea too.”
“Understood.”
After drinking the tea Palgap brought me, my head started to clear.
Once I finished the cup, I changed clothes, straightened my appearance, and picked up the box I’d taken out from storage.
By then, half an hour must have passed, because the novice monk came to fetch me.
The novice monk was honestly adorable, and if he kept growing up like this, he was definitely going to become a very handsome monk.
Just because someone entered the Shaolin Temple didn’t mean they all stayed here for life as monks.
The ones allowed to remain were those with talent for studying the sutras or talent for martial arts.
I’d heard it wasn’t even half of those who entered.
And even among the ones who remained, not all of them became true mountain disciples.
Only the best of the best among them could become the kind of talent worthy of joining the Eighteen Arhats or the Four Vajra Guardians.
Still, this novice monk really did seem to have some talent.
Was that why he’d become the novice attending the Abbot?
Maybe it was because I’d reached the Profound realm, but lately, whenever I looked at someone, I could vaguely tell whether they had talent for martial arts.
Hmm, was this why masters wandering the martial world always used to spot some promising child and go, “You, want to become my disciple?”
Just then, Escort Guard Jin Yu, who was still waiting for the next shift, spoke up.
“I’ll escort you, my lord.”
“This is the Shaolin Temple. I think I’ll be fine moving around on my own.”
“But…”
“Isn’t it almost your turn to switch in? Watch over Escort Guard Yeo in my place this time. I’ll go with Palgap.”
And so I followed the novice monk with Palgap at my side.
The Abbot’s quarters were set fairly deep inside.
Had we walked for about fifteen minutes?
Just then, my senses picked up the presence of guards stationed nearby.
Don’t tell me this was the place?
“Venerable, I have brought Benefactor Eun Seo-ho.”
“Send him in.”
Ah, so this was where the Abbot lived.
Compared to the residence of a Clan Lord or a sect leader elsewhere, it was remarkably simple, barely more than a small detached building.
When I opened the door and stepped inside, the Abbot was seated there, looking at me.
I cupped my fist in salute and bowed politely.
“This junior, Eun Seo-ho, greets the Abbot.”
“Come in. Have you recovered from your fatigue a little?”
“Thanks to your consideration, I was able to rest well.”
At my answer, the Abbot smiled.
“First, let me thank you for helping my disciples bring Venerable Hye Jin’s sacred body back.”
“It was only possible because the threads of fate lined up.”
That wasn’t false modesty. If the Path-Revealing Map hadn’t shown me that route, I never would’ve met Monk Jeong Cheong’s group.
And if that had happened… then in this life too, Venerable Blood Staff Star Monk’s remains would’ve ended up suffering the same miserable fate again.
When I thought about it that way, shouldn’t Venerable Blood Staff Star Monk be overwhelmingly grateful to me?
He’d smiled at me twice already. He wasn’t seriously trying to settle the debt with just those smiles, was he?
The Abbot continued,
“I also heard from Monk Jeong Myeong that while you were on your way to Gansu, you helped people in trouble.”
“How could I walk away after seeing people suffering right in front of me? And about that donation, you really did return the full amount.”
“A donation?”
“Yes. But if I’d said outright that I was donating that much, I thought it might burden the monks, so I worded it that way.”
I held out the bank draft.
“That’s why I’ve brought it back.”
When he saw the bank draft, the Abbot’s expression turned troubled.
“Refusing this would mean rejecting your sincerity, so I can only accept it. But we have many other donations. We don’t lack for food or the means to live.”
“Isn’t that all thanks to the reputation and grace Shaolin has built over the years?”
“Thank you for saying that.”
The Abbot hesitated for a moment, then made me an unexpected offer.
“I’ll gratefully accept your donation. But in return, may I ask one thing of you?”
“Please, go ahead.”
“I’d like you to use what you donated for others who are struggling even more.”
“What?”
“Wouldn’t you come across far more people like that than we would? So I’m asking you.”
“Ah… all right.”
In the end, I had no choice but to take it back.
People with no greed at all were the hardest kind to deal with.
Maybe it was because I was a merchant to the bone, so I was used to dealing with people driven by desire.
“And I’m grateful for the advice you passed along through Monk Jeong Myeong as well. Through the disciple stationed at the Murim Alliance, I heard the rough details. To think we almost entered the Sword Tomb without realizing what it truly was!”
“In the end, no one could enter it anyway. The Sword Tomb collapsed. I imagine Venerable Blood Staff Star Monk didn’t want anyone else getting hurt and made it happen himself.”
“That may well be so.”
The Abbot went on,
“That is why I invited you here personally. I wanted to express my gratitude with my own words. If it were up to me, I would’ve gone to Beijing myself, but that would’ve put too much pressure on you. This old monk draws far too much attention for his own good.”
“I’m only grateful that you thought of me.”
Thank the Heavens.
I’d really rather avoid attracting too much attention from the martial side of things.
“So I troubled a busy man by calling him here. My apologies.”
“Not at all.”
I waved my hand.
“Please don’t think anything of it. As it happens, I had my own reason for wanting to visit the Shaolin Temple and see you.”
At that, the Abbot tilted his head.
“You had business with me?”
“I was entrusted with something that had to be delivered to the Shaolin Temple. Maybe this too is fate, but somehow that role ended up falling to me.”
“Could that item be the box you brought with you?”
“It is.”
I picked up the box set beside me and placed it in front of him.
“What is this?”
“It’s something Venerable Blood Staff Star Monk left behind for Shaolin.”
At my words, the Abbot’s eyes widened, and with trembling hands, he opened the box.
Inside were a book, a letter, and a gold ingot.
“May I ask where you found this?”
“Yes. I was at the Sword Tomb on Yanzhi Mountain in Gansu too.”
I briefly explained how I’d ended up going there and what happened afterward.
“…And while I was returning after everything was over, I found a spirit herb. I lifted a rock to dig it out, and I discovered this box underneath.”
Of course, that was a lie.
It wasn’t like I could tell him I’d found it while entering the Sword Tomb to collapse the place.
Surely Buddha would let me slide on this much.
“…”
The Abbot looked at me in silence for a moment, then nodded.
“Does it really matter where it was found? What matters is that you brought it here to Shaolin.”
Hmm… did he see through the lie?
“By the way, is there anyone else who knows about this?”
“No one besides me and the guard who found it with me. Well, now you know as well, Venerable.”
I continued,
“And since I didn’t know what it was, I did read the letter. But I felt the book should be delivered untouched, so I didn’t open it.”
“I see.”
The Abbot read the letter. Then he folded it, ran his hand over the book several times, and looked at me as he spoke.
“It seems you truly do have some deep connection with Shaolin. Otherwise…”
I smiled.
I think so too. But I could really do without any more troublesome ties.
Still, if I wanted some help from Shaolin in the future… maybe I’d have to put up with the nuisance.
The Abbot took the gold ingot from inside the box and held it out to me.
“This belongs to you. Since you carried out the request exactly as written, you’ve more than earned the right to keep it.”
This time, I didn’t refuse.
I could honestly say this one was mine.
“Thank you.”
Even as he handed me the gold ingot, there wasn’t the slightest trace of greed or regret in the Abbot’s eyes.
Was that even possible?
“And…”
He still had more to say?
“I’ve heard that it was largely thanks to you that Venerable Hye Jin’s sacred body was able to return safely this time. That you persuaded everyone.”
I scratched my cheek.
“In one way or another, our Shaolin has received a great many kindnesses from you. Shaolin will never forget this debt.”
“A debt? It’s really all right.”
“No, it isn’t. We had prepared a suitable reward at first, but after seeing this, it no longer seems nearly enough. So stay with us a little longer.”
“Understood. As it happens, one of my Escort Guards is still in a trance, so I was already about to ask if we could remain here for a few more days.”
I withdrew from the Abbot’s quarters. Then, with the novice monk guiding me again, I headed back to my own quarters.
Once I returned, I entered my room and pulled Geumryeong from my sleeve.
Geumryeong had been going kui at me for a while now, and it was staring up at me with gleaming eyes.
— Kui! Kui!
Since it had been thanks to Geumryeong that I’d found that will, it was demanding its cut.
“Didn’t I already give you one before?”
At my words, Geumryeong shook its head and insisted it clearly remembered that I had not.
What an incredible memory. Tch!
I really had hoped I could talk my way out of this.
Still, Geumryeong had done something worth praising, so I supposed I should reward it.
I held out one gold tael to Geumryeong, and it rolled around on the table licking the tael.
Watching that, I recalled what the Abbot had said to me through Voice Transmission earlier.
– I can feel the winter wind from you.
Don’t tell me… he noticed?
–TL Notes–
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