Mistaken for a Fairy
ch10

[Wi Hwa-ryeon of the Mount Mao Sect (3)]

In a deep mountain, in a secluded place covered by dense foliage, a girl dressed in a way that anyone would deem shabby sat quietly in the stillness.

It was not an outfit befitting a person living in a peaceful time like now, unless one considered the possibility of a famine. However, if the girl was a member of the forest-dwelling people, the story would be different.

They were those who had fled into the mountains, chased by the plundering of the world. When a year’s harvest failed, they would eat tree bark and quench their hunger with the blood of wild beasts.

Such people could be found anywhere in the world. The girl appeared to be one of them.

She looked to be no more than ten years old, her face smeared with soot. Leaves and twigs were tangled in her hair like decorations. Her eyes lacked any vitality, resembling a doll that had lost its soul.

“Ha, haha….”

The girl let out a hollow laugh. Her true identity was Wi Hwa-ryeon, who had transformed her appearance using the art of transformation.

Who would have guessed that a woman once called the Great Maiden of Bangpa would be in such a lowly state? Perhaps because of that, she was now half out of her mind.

-Good. Very good. At this point, there are only a handful of people in the whole world who could see through your true identity. That Mountain Lord might catch a whiff of it, but even he would likely tolerate this much.

The voice of Yuheon, the silver owl soaring through the sky, echoed in the air.

“I hope so….”

Wi Hwa-ryeon blinked her powerless eyes. Having been hungry for three days, even speaking was a struggle.

“Can I really deceive her like this?”

-Of course, you cannot deceive her.

Yuheon replied sharply. Wi Hwa-ryeon widened her eyes in disappointment, but Yuheon remained unfazed.

-Even if the whole world is deceived, her eyes cannot be fooled. But she will recognize your sincerity. That’s why we’re doing this.

“Then, I didn’t really need to pretend to be a child, did I?”

-Go! Only a cute and lovely girl or a child can serve a peerless master!

“…….”

Wi Hwa-ryeon’s white eyelids trembled again. She began to doubt whether she could truly trust this owl.

At this point, she wondered if it was merely Yuheon’s personal preference.

-Don’t misunderstand. I have no intentions other than being loyal to my master. I just think it would be even better if those who fill the master’s side are also elegant and beautiful.

In other words, it was a matter of personal taste.

Wi Hwa-ryeon felt a throbbing in her head but did not show it outwardly.

She had learned that the Grand Yin Yang Pill she received earlier was obtained by Yuheon from a Spirit Beast he personally hunted. From the moment she received it, Yuheon had become her benefactor, no matter what.

Above all, there was something oddly convincing about the idea that pretending to be a child would be advantageous for staying by the side of a peerless master.

For some reason, the latter scenario seemed more plausible than the former.

-In the eyes of that master, even the greatest masters in the world would appear as children. So you need not feel ashamed.

His words flowed like water.

-She will come soon. You should wait here. No, it would be better to fall once and get a scrape on your knees or elbows. That’s right! Hold back some tears. Oh, I see now that you have a talent for acting.

“…….”

As the Great Maiden of a faction, she had maintained a dignity that was not embarrassing. It was acceptable that she had cast everything aside to save her sect and relinquished her position.

However… why was she pretending to cry in the mountains, starving for three days, with leaves stuck in her hair and soot smeared on her face?

Especially when her wretched younger sister was doing nothing and thinking of being appointed as the successor…

Wi Hwa-ryeon truly wanted to cry.

Seo-yeon quietly took out her cooking supplies.

Baek-ho(White Tiger) had seemingly gone hunting, leaving no trace behind. Seo-yeon kindled a fire, boiled water, and prepared a simple porridge by adding some dried greens and vegetables.

It was a humble meal, but such a dish was appreciated during a hard journey.

Just then.

From the corner of Seo-yeon’s vision, a small shadow quietly emerged between the branches.

“P-please… some food…”

A voice cracked as if it had been dried out.

Looking up, a dirty little girl, covered in dirt and soot, was staggering towards her.

Anyone could tell she was the child of a forest-dweller wandering in the valley.

Upon closer inspection, she was a girl. Perhaps around ten years old. She was so thin that it was hard to gauge her exact age. In her faded eyes, one could sense an indescribable desperation.

“I-I’m hungry…”

Her stammering lips and shyly reddened cheeks showed that, despite her young age, she understood that begging was a shameful act.

How had this child ended up like this?

“…….”

“Um… I…”

Without saying a word, Seo-yeon opened her arms. She took out a few pieces of jerky and some Grain-Avoiding Pills soaked in honey and held them in her hands.

“Come here.”

The girl hesitated for a moment. However, soon, she cautiously moved her small feet closer. The child, glancing at Seo-yeon, timidly took a piece of jerky with trembling hands and put it in her mouth.

Black—

Tears welled up in her eyes immediately.

She could no longer hold back the emotions that surged forth. How long had she been starving to crumble like that over just a piece of meat?

Seo-yeon gently patted the girl’s head and spoke softly.

“You can eat as much as you want.”

“Thank… you…”

The girl bowed her head, sniffling, but even so, she was clearly gazing at Seo-yeon. She was a polite child. It made one wonder how her parents had raised her to grow up so well.

The girl swallowed every piece of jerky handed to her.

Seo-yeon watched the scene with a warm smile and cautiously asked.

“Do you have parents?”

At that moment, the girl’s shoulders flinched. Had she touched on an unpleasant memory? After taking a deep breath for a while, the girl slowly opened her mouth.

“My father passed away when I was born. My mother is very sick. But she will get better soon. She said if I lived far away for ten years… she would be fine when I come back.”

Each word contained a strange resignation and faith.

“…….”

Seo-yeon looked at the child in silence. It was a burden too heavy for a young child to bear.

‘What should I do?’

Perhaps interpreting the silence differently, the girl hurriedly opened her mouth.

“P-please take me with you! I’ll serve you well! I can do laundry! I cook well. I can chop wood. I-I can read too…!!”

As her words trailed off, the girl was already clutching the hem of Seo-yeon’s clothes.

Tiny hands.

Emotions intertwined in those carefully clinging hands.

In that moment, the girl before her strangely overlapped with the woman from the Mount Mao Sect she had parted with days ago.

Seo-yeon quietly closed her eyes.

It felt as if the heavens were asking if they would cast her aside again.

“Sit here.”

Seo-yeon lightly patted the seat beside her. The freshly boiled porridge in the pot was steaming.

Seo-yeon took out a bowl and carefully ladled some porridge, saying,

“I live alone deep in the mountains. Occasionally, I go to the city to buy only what I really need. It will be very boring. I won’t let you starve, but there won’t be many side dishes.”

“I-I’m fine. No, it’s okay.”

The effort to use honorifics at such a young age was admirable.

A gentle smile spread across Seo-yeon’s lips.

“My name is Seo-yeon. What’s your name?”

That one sentence made Wi Hwa-ryeon feel as if her efforts were finally being recognized.

She took a moment to catch her breath and cautiously replied.

“I-I’m Hwa-ryeon."

The pronunciation was slightly different, but coincidentally, it shared the same character for "lotus."

The moment she heard that, a long-buried memory surged up from somewhere deep within Seo-yeon’s heart like a wave.

In the days when she lived in Anhui Province, there was a small clear pond in front of her hut.

The lotus flowers blooming there were so beautiful that she had taken the time to build a lovely pavilion.

She had thought she would never see it again after leaving Anhui, but now it seemed that one lotus had followed her all the way into these mountains.

‘How foolish of me….’

Even knowing it was an absurd thought, Seo-yeon couldn’t help but smile gently.

Could this be what they call a fateful encounter arranged by the heavens? It was a refreshing feeling.

Hoo—

A shadow cutting through the sky landed on Seo-yeon’s shoulder, slicing through the wind.

The owl, no, Yuheon, proudly raised its head as it looked at Wi Hwa-ryeon. It had a face that seemed to say, “Didn’t I tell you?”

However, Wi Hwa-ryeon didn’t even look at Yuheon. She was too engrossed in eating the porridge with her head down.

Seo-yeon, Wi Hwa-ryeon, Baek-ho and Yuheon.

The journey of the two people and two Spiritual Creatures over the course of a week was truly peaceful.

The only memorable incident was when Wi Hwa-ryeon was startled by Baek-ho suddenly popping out, clutching her heart and rolling on the ground.

It was a truly comfortable journey. They encountered no bandits, and the path opened smoothly as Baek-ho led the way.

Finally, the group arrived at their destination, Taesil Mountain.

Taesil Mountain was a rocky mountain located at the eastern edge of Sung Mountain. Although its highest peak did not even reach five hundred jang, it was so rugged with its cliffs and strange rock formations that one could not take a careless step.

For reference, Shaolin Temple also belonged to Sung Mountain. However, Taesil Mountain and Shaolin were at opposite ends of the mountain range, and the distance between them was over one hundred and fifty li in a straight line.

Seo-yeon had chosen Taesil Mountain as their destination for that very reason.

Common folk had no reason to seek it out, and bandits and robbers dared not set foot there simply because Shaolin was on the opposite side.

It could be said to have a similar environment to Anhui.

‘Very good.’

Seo-yeon began to unpack her belongings.

First, she thought of building a hut to stay in. Although it was a rocky mountain, there were many earthen areas around the midsection.

If she built it at the summit, there was a risk of being swept away by the wind, and above all, it would be too conspicuous.

Finding a flat area, Seo-yeon slowly surveyed her surroundings. The ground was solid, and the area was densely packed with trees, making it hard to be discovered. The sunlight came in well, and it had a certain charm.

Good.

‘Since there are more people now, I should build it larger than before.’

It seemed better to make an extra room.

‘Shall I even make a living room while I’m at it?’

Just as she was picturing the structure in her mind.

“I-I’ll go look for a water source!”

Suddenly, Wi Hwa-ryeon jumped up and dashed ahead before Seo-yeon could even speak.

‘This isn’t right.’

There was a tremor in Wi Hwa-ryeon’s eyes.

She had come with a certain resolve, but until now, all Seo-yeon had asked her to do was to wash well and eat heartily.

By pretending to be a child, she was truly being treated like one.

If she were a real child, she might have accepted it happily without knowing any better, but Wi Hwa-ryeon was an adult who knew shame.

‘I need to do something.’

Wi Hwa-ryeon hurried her steps. She needed to find a water source, and just in case, she should also memorize the path to the nearby village.

A truly excellent attendant would move on their own without needing to be told by their master.

Wi Hwa-ryeon scanned her surroundings. In the shadows between the rocks, in a place where outside eyes could not reach.

Only then did she carefully take out a talisman she had hidden at her waist. Then she whispered a low incantation.

In an instant, the air shimmered, and spirits in the form of birds began to appear one by one from the mountain’s energy.

“I will give you one hour. Search the entire area thoroughly. Do not miss even the smallest thing and report back to me.”

Whoosh!

Soon, the spirits soared in all directions.