As Prophet - Chapter 96



Only Krnovel

Episode 96. A few coincidences

Do-saeng took back the sword that Dal-cheon had offered, stepped back, and bowed.

“Thank you. You are someone I can’t possibly overlook.”

“No. Thanks to you, I was able to learn a good sword.”

When I went back up to the table, they brought out a drink made from medicinal herbs grown on the mountain.

“I have nothing to give you, so just give it to me.”

Despite Dalcheon’s protests, he brought out liquor in a rough earthenware vessel. He scooped it up in a small ladle and handed it to me, and the smell was fragrant. Dalcheon’s eyes sparkled.

“You put a lot of effort into the podium.”

“There were various circumstances. To put it simply, since nothing else worked, I studied herbs to see if I could use medicine.”

“Wow! I heard it’s a very difficult study. I can only tell the difference between herbs and poisonous plants. Judging from the aroma coming from this wine, it must have contained some very precious herbs.”

“Have a drink. I couldn’t do it, so I soaked it in alcohol.”

They call good alcohol “Miju” (beautiful wine). Dalcheon, moistening his lips, let out an exclamation of wonder.

“Wow! This is really good. I feel like I’ll turn into a fairy after eating this.”

“Thank you for your compliments. But I have a question. I am now forty years old. I am definitely not the type of person to show off in the mountains. So how did you, Wuheo Jinyin, reach the realm at such a young age? Was there a special secret?”

Maybe it is everyone’s earnest wish. The feeling I get from seeing Dalcheon reach the extreme at a young age is similar. I am curious. I want to know how he was able to do that, and if I work hard, I can do it too.

“There were several coincidences.”

The student clapped his hands together and made a clicking sound.

“Yes! I guess so.”

“The first chance encounter was when I met my master on Mt. Taebaek. He had not accepted any disciples because he had not much time left before he ascended the mountain, but he welcomed me as soon as he saw me. I was young and don’t remember that time, but I think he felt sorry for me, a young boy who couldn’t even speak properly.”

Do-saeng slowly lowered his head. How great would it be for a teacher to have a student who called meeting him a coincidence? He was momentarily speechless at the answer that made him reflect on himself.

Meanwhile, Dalcheon, who had paused for a moment, looked up at the dark sky, thinking of the grace of his teacher who was no longer there. My heart aches. He has moved on to another existence. It is not expressed as death, but as transformation and ascension, but not being together anymore is no different from death.

“He gave me the name Wuheo. He gave me a sword and told me to seek the Tao, but as a child, I only swung my sword. One day, when I was ten years old, my teacher called together the true men of each mountain. He made an octagonal curtain with white cloth high on the ridge, and placed stones carved in the shape of the Bagua on each corner. At dawn, a fragrant fragrance spread and a singing voice could be heard from afar. It was like a heavenly voice. When I went to see, only my teacher’s clothes and shoes remained. After that, I studied hard.”

“Ah, so that was the end of the true man.”

“You said that was the beginning. I was so surprised to see you on the way up that I studied hard day and night. It is thanks to you that I am where I am today. I miss you.”

“Hahaha.”

I asked if he had encountered some unexpected coincidence, and he said he gave the credit to his teacher. Isn’t he a really good student? When you look at people who are good at something, even these small details are different.

“You said it was a few coincidences… … .”

“I had a rare experience. When I was very young, I almost got caught by a tiger. It seems that the back of the main mountain was its territory. I was a little kid, I don’t know how old I was, and I was walking alone when I came across the tiger.

I don’t remember the specific incident, but I was so scared when I came face to face with a tiger as big as a house that I couldn’t move and was trembling.

A white boy came out and blocked my path. His smooth shoulders were as soft as white jade, and his slender hands were like those of a heavenly boy.

The boy who stopped the tiger entered me. I lost consciousness, and the master came back and carried me. I was lying there for three days. They say that the elixir that the world speaks of has been reincarnated into a human being. I can’t believe it.

And since then, I have never been bitten by a tiger, and I have never been tired no matter what I do. My teacher said that I was dreaming because I was afraid of being scared when I was young, but I still can’t forget the fear I felt in front of the tiger. I think the rare herb came to me because I took it. If it’s fate, then that’s fate.”

“Elixir!”

Do-saeng shouted loudly. Shouting out a single word seemed to be his way of defining justice.

“I ate a lot of elixirs. There are medicinal herbs all over the mountains. I didn’t learn them properly, but if I searched the mountains for half a day, I could fill a basket and come down.

When there were no side dishes in the school building, we would go up the mountain behind and bring a basket of food, and a dozen people could easily eat one or two meals. We ate better than people living in the summer. In that sense.”

“There is no distinction between medicinal herbs and wild vegetables in Sosangdo. I go to the mountains to get medicinal herbs for about an hour a day. I tried to increase my internal energy by doing that, but it didn’t work very well. Is it because the mountains are different?”

“I don’t know. Anyway, despite its appearance, it is sturdy. It has never suffered from any minor illness.”

“Again. What other coincidences happened?”

“Well, the third time was when I was going on a mission trip. I was so shocked when a young kid came to me to do mission trips, but I was impressed and taught him a lot, and I learned a lot from that time.

When you study, don’t you get stuck after a while? Then, you think that’s the only way and spend your time digging in. But other people get over that hurdle very easily.

How funny it must have been for a young boy to go from mountain to mountain with only a sword. Many people were considerate and kind, and thanks to them, I was able to overcome the crisis very easily. I remember the words, ‘Just keep going and don’t look back.’ I went from the far end of the land to the far end of the Liaodong and Liaoxi grasslands. The many connections I made at that time became invaluable experiences for me.”

“What do you think about the rumor that you are the best swordsman in the Three Kingdoms?”

“No. There is no such thing. The Samhan Jeilgeom said that I am better than you and acknowledged that you are now the Samhan Jeilgeom. That is why rumors have spread, but it is not true. There is no such thing. There is nothing that can compare to him.”

“You are humble. You defeated all the warriors of each mountain at a young age. You deserve such praise. Please tell me honestly. How good is your martial arts?”

“Whew! To be honest, my heart is heavy. I am torn between the teachings of humility and honesty.”

“Yes.”

“There are probably very few unmanned vehicles that could put me in danger. I think so.”

It is a euphemism. Do-saeng had to put his hands on the floor to keep his balance due to a slight dizziness. It is amazing what a young boy of fifteen or sixteen has achieved. Dal-cheon changed the subject.

“Now I would like to ask a question.”

“Yes. I was the only one who asked. Just tell me and I’ll tell you anything.”

“Why didn’t any Sanin come down when the Japanese invasions broke out? Thousands of Japanese pirates occupied the southern coast and wreaked havoc. Wasn’t it the creed of our ancestors that when the country was in danger, they would come down and fight in white?”

The monk turned his head away as if to ignore him.

“I have two things to say. First, many people question whether we have any reason to devote ourselves to this country. Joseon rejected both Buddhism and Taoism with its narrow-minded ideology. I truly question whether we should fight for such a country.

In fact, there were many discussions here and there, but because the Imjin War ended early, we missed the opportunity to participate in the war.”

“There were people who wanted to join the war.”

“Yes. Second, the nature of the Imjin War. It was not a large army from the mainland that came, but only a few thousand residents and troops brought by the son of the Tsushima lord. No matter how weak Joseon was, I thought it could defend that much. I thought it was a local war, a small disturbance.”

“I see. That’s what I expected. So, if there’s a big fight, can I assume that you’ll come down and fight in white?”

“The question still remains. I don’t know if they will. They have rejected and discriminated against us. Will they shamelessly expect our help? Some may think they are stealing our credit. Most of them probably won’t go to war. Joseon is their narrow-minded, narrow-minded country. They probably won’t go to war.”

Dalcheon looked up at the sky with a bitter expression. That is the kind of country it is. The country was divided by such narrow-minded prejudice. Buddhists discriminate against Buddhists in their own way, and Seon-ga discriminates against Seon-ga in their own way.

“Is there any news? The Taoist has appeared?”

Do-saeng smiled happily and pointed to Dal-cheon with his palm open.

“The most famous Taoist in Joseon’s mountains and rivers is you, Wuheo Jinyin. The youngest and the highest, with an endless depth and a pure and clear humanity. Every single piece of news is directed to you.”

“Even though I was in the summer for two or three years?”

“I heard some news from time to time. Hahaha. Why? Are you going to go and see if there’s any more news?”

“I wanted to clear up any remaining questions.”

“Now think differently. All the mountaineers from all over the mountains will come to you to ask you. You should feel responsible because you were absent. Many people who wanted to go could not go because you were absent.”

“Whew, this island… … has a lot on its mind.”

Dalcheon was surprised to find himself using the expression “the way I saw it” as he was afraid of climbing a mountain.

“If you wander around the summer, that’s how it is. It’s better to forget it quickly. There’s nothing to learn. No wonder Buddhism calls it the world of desire.”

“Did the Taoist follow the trend too?”

“Of course. I did it when I was in my early twenties. It was a busy time. It lasted for two or three years.”

“Does it take that long?”

“Isn’t that the case with human emotions? The marks left by memories are deeper than you might think.”

“Is that so?”

“So, I heard there are quite a few people who come down again.”

“Whew… … I shouldn’t have done that.”

“You have left a lot of things behind.”

“It’s fate. People’s consideration and kindness, sincere efforts and… …. No, I’m trying to say something, but it’s off topic. You said it well in the summer.”

“It’s the limitation of language. The moment it comes out of your mouth, it becomes distorted.”

“However, just as we determine the direction of the sword, we live our discussions, work, and daily lives by setting our direction based on it.”

“Even that is vain. Ah! There is a rumor that a Buddhist hermit has appeared in Jirisan Mountain in the south. It is a recent event. It is said that for several days, he was radiant and the mountainside glowed white.”

“Hehehe. I thought I would eat everything up, but there are people in the Buddha. Ahem, the Buddha… … .”

“Of course. The power that comes from that history cannot be ignored. They destroy temples to build houses for the nobility. They treat temples as Goryeo’s Hyangsobugok and make things like food and paper. They ask Confucian scholars to carry palanquins when they go to see the flowers. If you catch them once, you’ll want to beat them up. However, even in such persecution, they are with the people. They comfort the joys and sorrows of the people and pray for them. That’s why people can fly. Come and see for yourself. Their Buddhist name is Yeosan.”

“You are Monk Yeosan.”

“Yes. Do you have any other questions?”

“Do you know anything about the great master of Mt. Wol-ak?”

“He passed away. It was two years ago.”

“ah.”

Dalcheon sighed as he recalled the old relationship. As time passes, people also come and go.

“Have you boarded the ship?”

“It doesn’t seem like it, it seems like he was suffering from an illness.”

“this.”

“They say he studied very hard in a cave despite his old age. He got sick. They say he studied so hard that he thought he would die, until the day before he passed away.

The disciples brought him down, and it is said that he passed away the next day. Many mountain people came to pay their respects. Regardless of whether we succeed or fail, we should learn his spirit. He is respectful. We are all in the process of learning. How can we not diligently pursue our studies?”

“Phew.”

Dalcheon seemed uneasy and wavering, so Do-saeng changed the subject.