Episode 8. Escape
How much time has passed?
I looked for the monster outside the bronze mirror that was in love.
The monster sitting on top of the debris seemed to have grown larger in size over the years.
I made eye contact with the monster.
I could feel the curiosity in his eyes.
It makes sense, since he’s been doing nothing but making excuses for himself for all those years.
He waved his hand at the monster as if telling it to come closer.
The monster approached slowly, while remaining alert.
The eyes of the demon and the ogre met each other directly through the bronze mirror.
It is the moment when you see the monster’s black eyes like the abyss.
Suddenly, a deep sadness and terrible pain surged towards Yeonjeokha.
“… … .”
Who would have thought that such feelings would be in the heart of the monster that was scurrying around outside the mirror?
‘omg!’
Yeonjeokha’s eyes opened wide.
The monster I saw up close was neither a ghost nor an ancestral spirit.
‘T, this is no way… … .’
The monster outside the mirror also looks quite surprised and confused.
With trembling hands, he touched the face of the monster reflected in the bronze mirror.
Even the monster has a face that looks like it has seen a ghost.
Yeonjeokha, who had been watching in a daze for a while, muttered.
“You… … were me.”
The truth finally appeared in the eyes of Yeonjeokha, who had achieved the Gocheongi era.
The monster, or rather the boy, was the true form he had lost.
He was talking about the self he had lost amidst the abuse of his grandmother and the Yeon clan. His wish to live a naive life had manifested itself in the form of a boy.
But that dream became impossible when his mother died giving birth to him. His father abandoned him in the hands of his grandmother, and this is how he has been ever since.
Time that has already passed can never be brought back.
Tears flowed down from Yeonjeokha’s eyes.
The boy also shed tears.
“mom…….”
I lowered my head in despair and sobbed for a long time.
And when he raised his head again, he was outside the mirror.
I wiped my tears with the back of my hand. In the mirror, a skinny boy was standing there with bloodshot eyes.
“hi.”
I waved at myself in the mirror.
That’s the moment.
The boy disappeared and a fairy appeared in his place.
I opened my eyes wide and looked closely. It was the Nine Heavenly Women engraved on the back of the mirror. The background in the mirror had also changed from a warehouse to a beautiful landscape like a painting.
The fairy who had been smiling faintly soon rode a cloud and flew away into the distant sky.
Yeon-jeok just blinked, surprised by the unexpected news.
Then, all of a sudden, the bronze mirror began to be covered with the filth of time just like before. Before I could do anything about it, the bronze mirror had turned black.
“Huh? Huh?”
Yeonjeok carefully lifted the broken mirror and examined it.
I felt sorry and tried to wipe it hard with a rag, but the stains of time did not come off at all.
“ha!”
A sigh escaped me without me knowing.
The belated realization that all of this was the harmony of the Nine Heavenly Women flashed through my mind.
It seems that the Nine Heavenly Women in the celestial world took pity on him and helped him.
I couldn’t think of anything else.
He placed a rusty copy of the Nine Heavenly Kings Sutra against one wall and bowed deeply.
Dull.
As I thought the side door was opening, a basket of food came rushing in.
This time, all that was left were rock-hard fireballs, scorpions, and water jugs.
As I was picking up the basket, I heard the sound of a warrior muttering from a distance.
“Wow! Ten years? Even so, he’s a son of a noble family, so he’s still tenacious… … .”
It was only then that he realized that he had been locked in a warehouse for ten years.
So you’re sixteen now?
“ha ha ha…….”
It’s ridiculous.
The person who locked him up was his uncle, the governor, but it was probably his aunt who told him to do it.
Seeing how his life is at stake, it seems like he has no intention of letting him go.
Okay, what do we do now?
As Yeonjeok-ha was thinking, he saw a small window that had been made for ventilation.
I flew up lightly, grabbed the iron bars, and looked out. It was dusk.
I went back down to the ground and searched the warehouse thoroughly.
Still, I managed to get my hands on a bunch of martial arts related books.
These are books that the Yeon clan collected for reference and then threw away.
“Flying Swallow Step?”
Looking at the title, it seems to be a book about the law or the art of enlightenment that I have not yet learned.
The non-repeated report that was being read was set aside on one side.
I searched for a long time, but the only thing that was of any help was the Biyeonbo.
“Tch!”
He grumbled as he turned the page of the Biyeonbo book.
Various small talk followed along with the explanation that it was created by looking at the shape of a swallow’s flight.
“Stretch both hands behind you like the wings of a swallow?”
He stretched out both arms behind him and took a few steps forward, doing as he was told.
“Oh oh!”
Still, I think it’s better than just walking around without thinking about it.
After walking around the warehouse about ten times, the raincoat clung to my body.
It was such a low-level, crude new technique, but Yeon-jeok didn’t know about it.
His divine methods are not that great, but his spiritual methods are truly the best in the world.
He seemed like he could run all day using the treadmill.
“Oh! Is this really a good new method?”
He evaluated himself as being okay and threw the book behind his back. Since he had already learned the principles, there was no need to carry the book around.
He flew into the window again.
Maybe because I’ve gotten used to the non-chronic movements, my movements are much smoother than before.
It was already dark outside.
It seems like the sun has set while I’m reading and learning the secrets.
He kicked the door that allowed food and waste to enter the room, which was once again on the floor.
Rattling.
The door wouldn’t open because it was locked.
I pushed my strength into my feet according to the teachings of the Yeonjeok Biyeonbo.
And then he pushed the side door open with his toes.
Throw it in, throw it in.
The sliding door slammed shut with a rattling sound.
Still, it feels a little cramped for my body to get out.
He crouched down and pulled at the boards around the door with his hands.
The planks worn by time could not withstand the force of the blow and split easily.
As a child, I crawled through a hole in the warehouse to escape.
When I actually came out, I was suddenly scared.
It was clear that if the Waryongjang people discovered him, they would try to confine him to a more secure place.
The lover walked slowly and climbed over the wall.
And then he spread out the only book he knew and ran south without thinking.
He didn’t even rest, fearing that the Baekho-dae warriors might follow him.
Following the teachings of the Yeonjeokbiyeonbo, he stretched both arms straight behind him. If someone saw him, they would hold their stomach and laugh.
However, as time passed, the repentance became faster and allowed him to travel considerable distances.
Finally, as the day began to dawn, Yeonjeokha’s run came to an end.
“Gasp! Gasp!”
Maybe because I skipped dinner, my mouth tasted sour and I felt like I was going to collapse at any moment.
Yeonjeok walked slowly and controlled his breathing.
As I was wondering where I was, I happened to see a signpost erected next to the highway.
[Deungbong-hyeon 10 li.]
Yeonjeokha, who was about to head towards Deungbong-hyeon, stopped.
The thought crossed my mind, ‘It was just a one-night run.’
This place is so close to my grandmother’s house.
It seemed like if Grandma let someone go, they would be caught at any moment.
It’s a three-day journey from Unsa to Deungbong-hyeon, so it’s quite far, but Yeonjeok didn’t think that far.
“Haa! But I can’t go any further.”
I was so tired that my knees were shaking.
I decided to get something to eat while I was dating.
I walked steadily into a nearby village, but something annoying happened. Some kids followed me around, threw rocks at me, and cursed at me.
“Wow! It’s a beggar!”
“dirty!”
“go away!”
It wasn’t painful enough to kill me, thanks to the strength of the children, but it was unpleasant.
And you’re a beggar?
‘No. My mom and dad died early, but I still come from a rich family… … .’
Come to think of it, I’ve been locked up.
Besides, just as the children said, his current appearance was that of a beggar among beggars.
The clothes I was wearing a few years ago have become worn out and shorter.
Even so, it was torn and tattered after running all night.
The unwashed body was covered in mud and was so dirty that it made me vomit just looking at it.
Exactly.
A rock flew and hit me in the forehead.
I stroked it with a tingling sensation, and my fingertips felt smooth. When I checked, I saw that it was covered in red blood.
At that moment, I felt a surge of anger.
“These guys!”
When Yeonjeok-ha screamed and pretended to chase after them, the children ran away shouting, “Wow!”
An adult passing by yelled at the children, saying, “Stop bullying the poor guy.” Only then did the children run away to find something else to play with.
It was midsummer, so the blood dried quickly.
Someone called out to Yeonjeokha, who was walking unsteadily.
“Hey. Over there.”
When I looked back, I saw an old beggar waving his hand.
“Are you a disciple of Gae-bok?”
“no.”
“No? But why are you acting like such a beggar?”
“… … .”
The couple couldn’t say anything.
It was really sad that I looked like a beggar even though I wasn’t one.
An old beggar came and asked.
“You don’t have a home?”
“yes.”
“Do you have a rice bowl?”
“no.”
“Are you starving to death?”
“yes.”
The old beggar clicked his tongue and said, ‘Tsk tsk.’
“You fool. You’re just starving because you don’t have a bowl of rice to eat. You’re a guy who doesn’t have the basics. Take this.”
The old beggar held out the alms-basket that was hanging from his waist.
While I was talking nonchalantly, I caught the broken bowl with both hands.
“Pick your ears and listen carefully. Men don’t do good deeds, so look for women. If you see an old woman in the distance, run over to her quickly and say this.”
The old beggar, the elder of the open world, cleared his throat and spoke quickly.
“‘Oh my! Madam, who is as merciful as Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, please spare this poor life! Madam, I became an orphan early and have no one to depend on. Please take pity on me. The Buddha will not forget your virtues. Yes?’ He said, looking at her with a face that looked like it was about to cry. Got it?”
“……yes.”
“try.”
“yes?”
“You got it? Then try to do what I did. Let’s see how well you do.”
Mangu Gae looked at Yeonjeokha with expectant eyes.
If this poor boy was smart, he was going to take him in and make him his disciple.
However, I couldn’t quite understand what the old beggar, who had just come into the world, was saying. Still, I forced myself to remember as he kept telling me to repeat it.
“… … Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara… … Please save me. The orphan… … .”
When I try to say, ‘I became an orphan,’ tears well up in my eyes.
I kept my mouth shut tight.
The expression on Mangwoogae’s face, which had been greatly anticipated, became distorted.
He has recited so many things, but it seems that he only remembers the words ‘Guanyin Bodhisattva’ and ‘orphan.’ With this level of intelligence, there is no reason to take him as a disciple.
Still, I decided to teach him the basics of begging while I was at it.
Even if you are not a disciple of openness, don’t you have to eat to live?
“Hmm, hmm. Listen carefully. You have to talk to the young ladies differently. You should say this to the young ladies. ‘Oh my! You are beautiful, and your parents will be happy because you have a kind heart. I hope you meet a good man, have a son like a toad, and live happily ever after!’ Just sit close to them and repeat those words. Young ladies are shy, so you don’t have to hang on to them for too long. Do you understand?”
“……yes.”
Mangwoogae didn’t ask the boy to recite it again. He already knew that the boy was not very smart, so he just wanted him to become self-reliant as a beggar.
“It’s a gift from me, so use it well.”
“Yes? Yes.”
“Well then, if our paths lead us, let’s meet again later.”
Mangu Gae patted Yeonjeokha on the shoulder as if encouraging him and walked away with a stomp.
I stared blankly at the back of the old beggar.
This is the first time in my life that I have talked to someone for this long. The warriors who manage the warehouse just say what they want to say and leave.
Gulp.
I came to my senses at the sound of the boat.
Only then did he start wandering around with a bucket in his hand.
I was hungry, but I couldn’t bring myself to open my mouth.
However, since the neighborhood was so friendly, there were plenty of bowls to eat around lunchtime. Although it looked dirty, the taste was better than the dried and twisted rice cakes that were eaten in the warehouse.
They continued to move south without stopping, eating food from baskets filled with sweet potatoes.
As I walked along the road, I came across a mountain, then I crossed it, and when I came across a field, I crossed it.
Then, another official appeared.
After being locked in a small warehouse for ten years, everything felt new to me.
Wuxia,
