RPPL C34

It was the entrance of the rocky mountain. Since it was a place where a landslide had once occurred, it was rugged right from the foot of the mountain. Muyun pulled Bipa, who had absolutely no talent for physical exertion. Not even a few years had passed, yet their roles had switched.

Bipa, who was half-dragged up, adjusted his cotton shoes that were about to slip off and stepped on the hard ground with loping strides.

“If you stay here, I’ll take a look around and come back.”

Muyun said, lowering his bow. Before long, he handled the bow Haesol had brought him as if it were a part of his own body.

As Haesol had assured, the bow was good. By some mystery, Muyun had been hitting targets consistently not long after receiving instruction from Bipa, so he thought Bipa had used some magic. Bipa said it wasn’t magic, but his own skill.

However, the harvest wasn’t good this time. The mountain was gradually dying.

Living things were dwindling.

Was it time to leave? But neither Bipa nor Muyun brought up that topic first. We can stay a little longer, just a little more. Saying so, they turned a blind eye to the end.

Because this place was a small world just for the two of them, Bipa and Muyun.

Muyun and Bipa plucked some branches and wild spinach that had grown haphazardly and came back down. Restfully, holding onto each other, they reached the foot of the mountain.

When they arrived home, they noticed an unfamiliar presence. It wasn’t the Sky Three Brothers who visited often; it was definitely human. Someone had come and was acting as they pleased, like the owner of the house.

The intruder was sitting on the wooden floor, sucking on cornelian cherry fruits and spitting out the seeds repeatedly. He was acting as he pleased, as if he were the master of the house.

At the appearance of the stranger, Muyun became wary and shielded Bipa with his body. However, Bipa, who was behind Muyun, stepped aside, looked at him, and abruptly pointed a finger.

“You! Why are you here!”

The corrupt monk whom Bipa casually called “You”, Chajo, looked about twenty years older than Bipa. His head had patches of bluish stubble here and there, and his monk’s robe was shabby, but the pant legs glimpsed above his cotton shoes were made of high-quality silk.

In his younger days, he might have been a jade-like handsome man who made quite a name for himself. But now, he was merely an elderly monk.

However, he wasn’t just a monk. To be exact, he had never been a monk in the first place. He wore a robe, shaved his head, and pretended to be a monk. So, a corrupt monk was correct. Even the term “corrupt monk” might be too generous.

“Oho! Bipa!”

Spotting Bipa and Muyun standing outside the wall, Chajo jumped up and waved his hand wildly. Then he rushed over, grabbed Bipa’s hand, and shook it.

“Long time no see. It’s been a long time. Even though it couldn’t be, I wondered if perhaps you had died.”

Bipa subtly pulled his hand out of Chajo’s grasp. He found it quite unpleasant that Chajo was acting overly friendly when they weren’t that close.

Muyun stuck close to Bipa’s side and scanned Chajo. Chajo, who was slightly shorter than Bipa, was at a similar eye level, so Muyun could easily spot the red mole near Chajo’s eye. It was almost identical in shape to the mole he had seen when killing the centipede monster in the past.

“Why did you come here…. No, rather, how did you know?”

Bipa asked in a displeased voice. Chajo opened the crude bush-clover gate as if he were the owner. The ground was muddy, and green patches of moss or sprouts lingered here and there.

“There are ways to know everything. Since this field is originally fast with rumors and narrow.”

“True enough. Since even Haesol found his way here on his own….”

Bipa, frowning, muttered quietly. Seeing the reaction wasn’t very good, Chajo smiled awkwardly and said.

“Hmm, well. Anyway, have you been well?”

Bipa didn’t answer. It was because the words “nice to see you” just wouldn’t come out. His expression went beyond displeased to showing signs of discomfort.

“This person, really, if you welcome me like this, I don’t know what to do with myself!”

However, his skill in brazenly pretending not to notice, even though it wasn’t as if Bipa was trying to hide it, was impressive. Chajo turned his head to Muyun altogether and spoke in a friendly manner.

“And this is…?”

Bipa mumbled, trying to hide Muyun, who was trying to surpass him in build if not yet in height, behind his back.

“My disciple….”

“You took in a disciple too? My goodness, it really must be the end of the world!”

Chajo’s fussiness never ended easily. Eventually, Bipa hit Chajo’s forehead hard before he could say anything useless.

“Even if you’re a fake, if you’re going to imitate, do it properly. What is this head for a monk? Not even fully shaved.”

“It was cold. Because it was cold.”

Grinning, Chajo leaned in and whispered to Bipa.

“By the way, do you meet Dokkaebi often? If they appear anywhere, hook me up a bit.”

Of course, Bipa pretended not to hear.

Bipa and Muyun brushed past Chajo and went inside. As Chajo tried to follow and sit on the wooden floor, Bipa put his leg up and blocked the spot.

Having missed a place to rest his bottom by half a step, Chajo stood in the yard as if nothing happened. Then he spread his arms wide, flailing, and began an exaggerated explanation. His brazen attitude of saying what he had to say regardless was almost impressive.

“Anyway, I’m glad we met like this. I was very worried that you might have noticed first and left, making me go back empty-handed again.”

“Why did you come, busy person.”

“I know. I’m very busy these days. Why don’t you step up as a fortune teller too? Predicting children, love affairs, success… the earnings are very good.”

Muyun thought. He really is a corrupt monk among corrupt monks who only looks the part.

“Hmm, actually, I didn’t come to talk about things like this, but because I have a letter to deliver.”

“A letter?”

Who would send him a letter? Bipa somewhat reluctantly accepted what Chajo held out. The feeling wasn’t very good.

“I don’t know if you remember. It’s been a long time already. Ah, well, a high-ranking person named Songui sent it.”

“Songui…….”

Muttering, Bipa let out a small sigh, “Ah.” As he recalled who he was, related memories came rushing back all at once. Muyun was keenly observing Bipa’s expression, which became subtle for a split second.

“Well, his father suddenly fell ill, and the renowned doctors and fortune tellers in Gaeryeong don’t know the reason at all. They say you’re the only one left. It seems they think he was hit by a curse (sal). Since you, Bipa, know well about that….”

“Since you’re blabbing everything on your own like that, there’s no need to read the letter.”

Bipa, quietly looking at the letter, fell into thought for a moment. He seemed quite reluctant.

“I don’t really want to go to Gaeryeong. There are too many people and it’s complicated….”

“Oh my, don’t be like that. Isn’t it about saving a life?”

“Right. About saving a life, isn’t that not my job?”

“If the doctors have given up, whose job would it be? Imagine how desperate that high-nosed Songui must be to do this. But he didn’t want to entrust it to just anyone, so isn’t that why he looked for you like this? Have you really not contacted him once in the meantime?”

As if.

Besides, Bipa had been busy in the meantime. Taking care of Muyun.

Meanwhile, Muyun tried to figure out if Bipa’s discomfort was because of Gaeryeong or because of the person named Songui.

As he said, Gaeryeong is far. Until now, Bipa hadn’t gone to places more than a few days away at most. However, there was something a bit fishy to say it was simply because of the distance.

And he, too, absolutely hated the idea of Bipa being so far away. While he was thinking such thoughts, the conversation between Bipa and Chajo continued.

“If it’s an urgent matter, surely not me but any capable person nearby….”

“Capable people are extinct these days. Only swindlers are overflowing.”

“I bet.”

Bipa barely swallowed the words asking if he wasn’t one of them too.

While a brief silence ensued, Muyun cut in between the two.

“If it’s a path you don’t really want to take, you don’t have to go….”

At Muyun’s words, Bipa turned his gaze. Afraid that Bipa might be swayed by those words, Chajo jumped.

“No, no. I’m telling you he looked really desperate? I only know how to play tricks for madams conceiving children, what else would I know? Besides, Bipa, spring is coming, are you going to keep staying like this?”

“What’s wrong with staying?”

Bipa grumbled. But he also knew what Chajo was saying.

The mountain that was gradually dying. Spring, which was harder to survive than winter. Although this place was full of memories, they couldn’t live on memories.

“It looks like there’s another mouth to feed, shouldn’t you lend a hand and bring back good things to feed and clothe him? You know Songui isn’t stingy about those things, right? Why, you said you owed him a debt in the past too.”

“A debt… I did owe him.”

“Master, I’m fine.”

Muyun gazed anxiously at Bipa. Don’t go. He silently begged him not to leave his side. In his mind, the words whispered by the evil spirit earlier came to mind. That Bipa would leave again soon and go far away.

Muyun gazed anxiously at Bipa. Eventually, Bipa looked back at him. Then, he ended up spitting out the words he had been dreading.

“Muyun, I think I’ll have to go for a bit.”

At this moment, the doubt that had been floating like a dandelion seed on the whisper burrowed into his insides. And as soon as it found the right time, it took root and settled. It was like a strong premonition.