Mistaken for a Fairy
ch15

[To Teach Properly (2)]

Hwa-ryeon was such a polite child that it was hard to believe she was not even ten years old.

Seo-yeon thought about what kids these days were like, following the stream of her consciousness.

Cutting off the tails of livestock with knives or scissors was commonplace, and burning down thatched-roof houses while playing with fire was frequent.

Even children from wealthy families were only slightly better, causing a major accident about once a month. Relatively quiet girls were not much different. In some ways, they caused bigger problems than boys.

But look at Hwa-ryeon.

"Master, have you been well?"

She wakes up at sunrise and offers her morning greetings. Then, she goes to the valley to fetch water without being told, and grooms Baek-ho's fur with a large comb from who-knows-where.

Those who do it unwillingly reveal their true feelings from their expressions. How much more so for a young child who is poor at managing their expressions?

But Hwa-ryeon was different. It might not be appropriate to say this to a child, but her eyes showed a tenacious spirit. It was impossible to know what hardships she had gone through when she lived as a fire-field farmer, but those habits seemed to still be ingrained in her.

Seo-yeon had been waking up before the mao hour lately. It was because of the unspoken pressure to wake up before her disciple. She had thought about forbidding the morning greetings, but after seeing her disciple looking up at her with determined eyes from dawn, she couldn't bring herself to do it.

Seo-yeon quietly gazed at the still-dark sky, thinking that even the leader of a prestigious orthodox sect wouldn't do this. She was better off because she only had one disciple, but they must have hundreds of disciples. To exaggerate, it seemed like the day would end just receiving greetings all day long.

Seo-yeon began to wash rice with the water that Hwa-ryeon had brought. She was preparing breakfast. Suddenly, she remembered a scene from an old martial arts novel where reclusive masters would take in a disciple and make them do all sorts of chores. She somehow understood their feelings, but Seo-yeon was not the kind of person to pass on her work to others.

Seo-yeon looked at the fluffy rice grains and deeply pondered how to teach her disciple.

First of all, making a book was the first thing to do.

From ancient times, it took a tremendous amount of effort to compile a book. It required grinding ink, preparing expensive paper, and the touch of a scholar who would pour his heart and soul into writing.

And that wasn't all. It wasn't an era with typewriters like in her previous life. Even one mistake with the brush could waste precious paper.

Although Hwa-ryeon was the only reader, she wanted to make the book easy and comfortable for the reader since she was making it anyway.

Hwa-ryeon, who had finished brushing, approached with hurried steps. Hwa-ryeon stood quietly beside Seo-yeon, fixing her gaze on the rice cooker and waiting without saying a word. Her small actions were admirable.

"Is there enough side dishes?"

"There's enough."

Hwa-ryeon picked up a vegetable side dish as if to show her.

It felt good to see her eating well.

That's why she wanted to teach her even better.

"I'll wash the dishes. Master, please rest."

"Okay."

Hwa-ryeon ran towards the valley with the empty dishes.

Seo-yeon smiled contentedly as she watched her go.

Soon, she decided that she had to find a scholar as soon as possible.

There was originally no proper path in the foothills of Mount Tae. Wild grass as tall as grown men grew endlessly, and steep slopes were frequent.

After Yuheon's Myriad Manifestations Severance Formation was established, even mere creatures hesitated to come and go. Naturally, the forest became more lush and dense than ever before.

But Seo-yeon didn't care and leisurely moved her steps. Wherever her feet touched, the dense thickets parted to the left and right, and the tangled vines unraveled, opening the way on their own.

It was as if the mountains, rivers, plants, and trees were bowing and making way for her.

'I don't even know what's going on anymore.'

Seo-yeon now accepted this situation with half resignation. Others might see it as strange, but she lived in a deep forest and would not be exposed, and in any case, it didn't seem to be harmful to her.

It was at that moment, after climbing up and down the foothills for about an hour. Suddenly, the bushes next to her feet trembled, and an old monk in red Monk's Robe suddenly appeared.

"Are you perhaps lost, benefactor?"

Seo-yeon looked at the old monk and was startled. The old monk's pupils were dyed a transparent color like glass.

The old monk was blind.

But his shoulders were square and his posture was upright. Moreover, he had a long white beard, and the atmosphere he exuded was extraordinary. He didn't seem like an ordinary monk.

'Did he take the wrong path while trying to go to the Shaolin Temple?'

She also thought that he might simply be on a pilgrimage.

But as soon as she saw him groping around, unable to see properly, those thoughts disappeared in an instant.

What pilgrimage? He was clearly lost. She even thought that he might be senile.

The old monk, who had been groping around for a while, opened his mouth.

"Are you perhaps practicing silent meditation, benefactor? I ask because I haven't heard any answers."

"No. I was lost in thought, so I was late in answering."

"You're not practicing silent meditation? Or you're not lost?"

"Neither."

The surroundings became quiet in an instant. The sound of the wind rustling through the leaves could be heard clearly. Seo-yeon said.

"If you are lost, I will guide you. But I have not been here long either, so I do not know the detailed geography. I hope you will be understanding."

The old monk's transparent eyes stared at Seo-yeon for a long time.

Just as she was wondering how he could stare so intently with eyes that couldn't see, the old monk slowly opened his mouth.

"This poor monk is called Cheong-heo."

As Cheong-heo said that, his pupils were trembling slightly. Seo-yeon felt something was wrong, but she assumed that he was just an old man and his body was uncomfortable, so she didn't pay much attention to it.

"I am Seo-yeon."

"I did not realize it until just now, but seeing you, I know that I am lost. Would you be willing to lead this poor monk?"

She couldn't leave an old man who couldn't see properly alone in the mountains.

It wasn't that difficult, so Seo-yeon silently guided the old monk.

The old monk said he was going to a valley nearby. It seemed to be the very valley where Hwa-ryeon fetched water every day. He seemed to come here on a pilgrimage from time to time.

"Be careful. The path is rough."

"Thank you for your consideration. But this is fine."

In fact, Seo-yeon had somewhat expected that the old monk was a martial artist. She could feel the unique spirit of a martial artist. But that didn't mean Seo-yeon would ignore a blind man.

At first, she had thought about carrying him on her back. The grass was dense, and tree roots were sticking out everywhere, making it easy to trip and fall. But the old monk stubbornly refused, so she had no choice but to compromise by letting him hold onto her sleeve.

Originally, she had tried to hold his hand or arm, but she thought it might be rude to a practicing monk, so she had him hold onto her sleeve.

"Won't your clothes get dirty? My hands are not clean from touching the whole world."

"It's okay, I can just wash them."

"That's right. Things of the mortal world can be washed."

Still unable to shake off her anxiety, Seo-yeon occasionally looked back at the old monk.

Each time, the old monk's gaze was slightly different from the first time. It had become a little softer. Of course, she didn't know why.

"How did you decide to live in such a deep mountain?"

"It's quiet, people don't come often, and above all, it's not far from Shaolin, so I thought it would be safe."

The old monk chuckled to himself, not knowing what was so funny.

"Did Shaolin allow it?"

"Does Mount Song belong to Shaolin?"

She asked because she really didn't know. But it seemed to have sounded completely different to the old monk.

"No. Shaolin is just allowed by the imperial family. Strictly speaking, even the imperial family must be allowed by the heavens, so it's ridiculous to say whose land it is. So it will be fine."

Seo-yeon's eyes could only see an ordinary forest, but in the eyes of extraordinary people, it was constantly twisted and turned upside down. But the Myriad Manifestations Severance Formation had no effect on Seo-yeon. The level of Yuheon, who had deployed the formation, was lower than Seo-yeon's.

The old monk held onto Seo-yeon's sleeve, sometimes admiring, sometimes sighing, and sometimes laughing to himself.

"I suddenly feel envious of those who have entered the Taoist sect."

It was an unexpected remark.

"Why did you suddenly think that?"

"I was wondering if this is what it would feel like to follow the immortals and step on the clouds."

The old monk no longer hid his smile. Seo-yeon thought that the old monk spoke very politely. It made the listener feel good.

Perhaps that's why, Seo-yeon also spoke politely.

"The Buddhist path is also a path in a way. If Great Master Cheong-heo perseveres, you will achieve what you desire."

Seo-yeon said that and was about to continue guiding the way. But she felt that the old monk was not moving from his spot, so she also stopped walking.

Seo-yeon looked at the old monk standing tall in his spot with a doubtful expression. His face looked peaceful, as if he had fallen into a deep sleep. She even wondered if he had narcolepsy.

But she soon realized that wasn't the case. His breathing was deep and heavy, so he was not sleeping but meditating.

After about an hour, the old monk slowly lifted his eyelids.

"Are you alright?"

"You are always worried, benefactor."

The old monk smiled gently.

"Everyone knows in their heads that all the principles of this world are connected, but few truly realize it in their hearts. This poor monk also has many things that he has not yet realized, so he has wandered through the world trying to grasp things that are like shadows."

Seo-yeon quietly listened to the old monk's words. Since ancient times, famous monks were said to gain enlightenment from a single word, so she wondered if this old monk had also reached such a principle.

The old monk moved his lips for a long time, as if savoring a small realization.

"Just as flowing water embraces everything, the Buddhist path should naturally do the same. Strangely, I have forgotten this simple fact for a long time. For a very long time."

The old monk smiled as if he felt relieved, and then opened his mouth very slowly.

"I know it's rude, but may I have a meal?"

As if he were addressing a master with respect. It was a much more polite and respectful attitude than before.

Hwa-ryeon had a lot to do. Seo-yeon had never ordered her to do it, but she was nominally a servant. Washing dishes, sweeping the yard, doing laundry, etc., the chores that she had to handle with her small body were mountainous.

Just because she was the Great Maiden didn't mean she had lived comfortably. Unless she was a descendant of a great faction like the Namgung Clan or the Zhuge Clan, those from factions that were somewhat distant from the secular world like the Mount Mao Sect had to do their own work.

'She just went out to the marketplace, so it will take at least two hours for her to come back.'

Wi Hwa-ryeon, who had just finished hanging up the laundry, sat on the porch. She held a small carving knife in her hand.

Hwa-ryeon picked up a wooden stick and tried to follow Seo-yeon's teachings. But it wasn't easy.

If she used too little force, it wouldn't carve, and if she used too much force, it would break.

But Hwa-ryeon was not the kind of person to despair. She didn't think that the swordplay of a peerless master could be learned so easily. She had expected from the beginning that she would have to repeat it until she vomited blood in order to gain even a glimpse of it.

Why carving in particular? Was it because of its beauty? Or was there a deep meaning in the act of carving something out itself?

Hwa-ryeon knew that when her head was complicated like this, it was better to empty her mind.

Swish, swish.

As she moved her hands like this, she suddenly remembered the old days. It was when she first learned talisman magic. When making a talisman, if even one pattern was wrong, the entire formation would be ruined. To prevent that, she had to have a big picture in her head from the beginning.

Carving was the same. She had to decide on a rough shape before starting.

'Hmm.'

What should she make? She should start with something simple since it was her first time. A duck? A pheasant? Or it wouldn't be bad to carve letters in an engraved form.

As she was wondering what to make for a long time, she heard someone coming and turned her head. Seo-yeon and an old monk appeared.

"Oh."

Hwa-ryeon unknowingly let out a shrill voice. Red Monk's Robe. Blind. Old high monk. Shaolin.

'Abbot.'

The moment her thoughts reached that point, Hwa-ryeon and the Shaolin Abbot made eye contact.

The Shaolin Abbot had awakened the Heavenly Eye Vision. What did that mean? It meant that he could see things that ordinary people could not see.

In other words, Hwa-ryeon's Shadow Concealment Heavenly Evasion Technique would not work.

Perhaps flustered by the sudden situation, Hwa-ryeon froze like a small, frozen animal.

Then Seo-yeon said.

"Hwa-ryeon."

"......"

"Hwa-ryeon?"

"Ah, ah. Yes. I'm sorry. I didn't know you were bringing a guest, so I was caught off guard."

"Can you bring out some side dishes? I'm going to treat him to a meal."

Only then did Hwa-ryeon come to her senses. Seo-yeon didn't seem to care. Whether the other person was the Abbot or something else, she just seemed to think of him as someone who should be treated properly.

A little later, Hwa-ryeon came out of the kitchen and brought three vegetable side dishes and placed them on the small dining table. Then, she filled a bowl with rice and said.

"Please eat."

Great Master Cheong-heo looked back and forth between the full bowl of rice and the nervous Hwa-ryeon and said.

"Have you eaten, young benefactor?"

"Ah, yes."

Great Master Cheong-heo smiled.

"You have grasped a rare opportunity in the world."

"......Yes."

"Persevere. So that the opportunity is not in vain."

Hwa-ryeon nodded obediently.

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