Chapter 78

Shinma's Line (78)

Beolgyeon laughed heartily and said to Han Seol-hwa.

"Would you please put on the veil?"

When Han Seol-hwa gave him a puzzled look, Beolgyeon continued with a smile.

"The beauty of a lady makes even an old man like me feel my heart race, how much more so for the young monks?"

Feeling uncomfortable with the veil, Han Seol-hwa had taken it off for a moment but now silently put it back on. Upon arriving at the abbot's room, Beolgyeon instructed his disciples to bring tea.

While waiting for the tea, Beolgyeon asked.

"May I ask why you wish to meet the Great Ancestor of our temple?"

Great Ancestor.

That is, the successor of the lineage, the one who inherits the robe and bowl.

Han Seol-hwa turned her head towards Danakseon instead of answering.

Naturally, Beolgyeon's gaze also turned to Danakseon.

"I want to tell him in person."

For a moment, a troubled expression appeared on Beolgyeon's face, then disappeared.

"I am the abbot, but if he refuses, I cannot force him to meet you."

Danakseon nodded calmly.

"It would be good to meet him, but if he refuses, I will just leave."

Beolgyeon seemed satisfied and smiled.

At that moment, a novice monk opened the door and carefully brought in the tea.

"Huh?"

Danakseon looked surprised upon recognizing the novice monk.

It was the same novice who had greeted them at the temple gate.

The novice monk, who had accidentally met Danakseon's gaze, was also startled. He had thought it unlikely that they would meet again in the abbot's room.

"That boy said the abbot does not receive guests."

In response to Han Seol-hwa's question, Beolgyeon smiled at Danakseon.

"Guests are guests, each in their own way."

"……?"

"How can I speak of the name of the righteous lightly?"

This time, Beolgyeon smiled meaningfully at Han Seol-hwa.

"If I had said I would not meet you, would you have left obediently?"

Han Seol-hwa gave a cold snort, and Beolgyeon nodded as if he had expected it.

"The reason I do not receive guests is to avoid disturbing his purity."

"What does that mean?"

"Venerable Hye-gong, who is my uncle, is preparing to pass on the robe and bowl."

The robe and bowl, passed down through generations in the Zen lineage, carry deep religious significance.

They are evidence of a master's recognition of a disciple's enlightenment, entrusting them with the role of guiding the Buddhist community.

"To achieve this, he has entered seclusion. He is about to enter Nirvana, having cast off all remaining attachments. Therefore, he has refused external guests until he designates the disciple to whom he will pass the robe and bowl."

Beolgyeon took out writing materials and wrote a short letter. He then gestured for the novice monk to come closer and handed him the letter.

"Go and deliver this to the head of the Arhat Hall and tell him to take it to the Second Ancestor Hermitage."

"That would be Ryogong Seonim, right? Understood."

The novice monk glanced at Danakseon and Han Seol-hwa before leaving.

At that moment, Han Seol-hwa asked a question.

"Wasn't the head of the Arhat Hall supposed to be dead? His dharma name was Ryohwan, right?"

"……!"

Beolgyeon's eyes widened in surprise, but Han Seol-hwa did not miss it.

"He was said to have joined forces to capture Blood Water Venerable, with the participation of the Thousand Hands Hall Master from the Tang family and an elder from the Namgung family."

Beolgyeon was in a difficult position. The question had hit a very sensitive spot. However, Han Seol-hwa's expression remained calm.

After taking a sip of tea to clear his throat, Beolgyeon let out a deep sigh.

"All of this is due to my negligence."

With that, he closed his eyes and firmly shut his mouth, indicating that he would not discuss it further.

At that moment, Danakseon spoke up.

"Venerable, could you stick out your tongue?"

Beolgyeon, taken aback by the sudden request, opened his eyes and looked slightly flustered.

Danakseon had already moved closer and was staring intently at his face with a serious expression.

"I've noticed something odd since I first met you, and I'm now certain."

"Certain of what?"

"Your illness."

"……!"

Danakseon sought permission with her eyes and then reached out to take Beolgyeon's pulse. Closing her eyes, she fell into a long silence before sighing.

"The fire in your heart has become too strong, causing significant damage to your heart vessels. It seems to have been at least a year."

Beolgyeon smiled bitterly.

"Don't worry about it. I know my condition better than anyone."

"Are you aware that you don't have much time left?"

Beolgyeon's eyebrows twitched.

"How did you know that?"

Danakseon, seeing his reaction, continued.

"Sticking out your tongue will help me make a more accurate diagnosis."

"Even if I try, it's a karmic retribution I must bear alone."

Despite Beolgyeon's reluctance, Danakseon was insistent.

"You must have endured a lot of pain. How did you manage to bear it all this time?"

"Think of it as a cudgel that makes me reflect on my past mistakes."

Danakseon cut him off.

"A cudgel might hurt, but it won't kill you. This illness, however, can be fatal and extremely painful."

Danakseon looked at Beolgyeon with a serious expression.

"Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva threw himself into hell to save sentient beings, didn't he?"

"……?"

"That was his calling."

Beolgyeon laughed heartily.

"My calling is to save people. If I ignore someone dying in front of me, I will suffer from guilt for the rest of my life. And I've heard that a Buddhist practitioner should practice compassion."

"If I refuse treatment, it would mean committing a grave sin as a Buddhist practitioner."

Beolgyeon nodded.

With his permission, Danakseon checked the color of Beolgyeon's eyes and tongue, and began to listen to his back and chest, tapping various parts of his body.

"Indeed……"

Danakseon's expression turned serious.

"If we had been any later, it might have been too late."

"Tell me, what is my illness?"

"It's called 'Heart Fire Ascending.'"

"Is it a fever……?"

"That's the cause, but it has worsened to a much more serious state."

Danakseon shook her head and continued.

"There is a major and crucial blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body. It is the vessel that receives the highest pressure because it is connected to the heart. Therefore, it needs to be the most flexible and resilient."

"But……?"

"A part of this vessel has hardened and cannot withstand the high pressure, causing microscopic tears. Eventually, it will tear open."

Danakseon asked.

"Have you felt intense pain between your shoulder blades?"

Beolgyeon nodded, and she continued.

"The pain must have felt like being struck by an axe or a hammer. It was probably the most severe pain you've ever experienced in your life."

Beolgyeon's eyes widened.

It was astonishing how accurately she had diagnosed his condition.

"If left untreated, the vessel will tear, and blood will flow to the wrong places. This could lead to nerve damage and paralysis in the lower body."

"Is treatment possible?"

"Fortunately, it's not too late, so treatment is possible. By placing acupuncture needles at Tanzhong, Neiguan, and Shenmen to lower your blood pressure, and using medicine to heal the damaged vessel, we can treat it. However……"

"……?"

"The risk of recurrence is high. It seems to be due to psychological factors."

Beolgyeon let out a helpless laugh.

"Hehe, I thought the son of the righteous had come, but it's the righteous himself."

"Then I'll start the treatment."

Danakseon took out a wooden box containing acupuncture needles from her robe.

The moment she held the blue needles with intricate ivory carvings, Beolgyeon gasped.

"Those are the Sunyang needles!"

Seeing the symbol of the righteous, Beolgyeon felt a sense of relief.

"It will be quite painful."

Danakseon looked worried, but Beolgyeon closed his eyes and nodded, indicating he was fine.

Danakseon inserted the Sunyang needles into the acupuncture points she had identified.

She continued the treatment without pause, and after a while, she sighed and stepped back.

Beolgyeon opened his eyes and was inwardly impressed.

His symptoms had clearly improved compared to before.

"Amitabha."

Beolgyeon softly recited the Buddha's name, and Danakseon spoke to him.

"The medicine will take some time. It takes time to gather the herbs and prepare the medicine."

"Is the method of making the medicine a secret of the righteous?"

In response to Beolgyeon's question, Danakseon shook her head.

"No, it's not. The method is not complicated, so any ordinary physician can prepare it with my prescription."

"That's a relief. Then please write the prescription."

"Ah! The Medicine King Hall!"

Danakseon suddenly remembered something and exclaimed.

Shaolin had a separate hall dedicated to treating patients.

It was a top-tier medical facility, unmatched in facilities, scale, and medical expertise.

Danakseon borrowed writing materials and wrote the prescription.

Beolgyeon, holding the prescription, sighed.

Seeing this, Danakseon smiled and said.

"Don't worry. If you take the medicine on time, your condition will improve quickly."

"No, what I'm worried about is……"

Beolgyeon looked at Danakseon with a complex expression.

"How can I repay this debt?"

At that moment, a voice called out from outside the abbot's room.

"Abbot, this is Ryogong."

"Come in."

The door to the abbot's room opened, and a person entered.

A monk with a calm gaze, the Arhat who had greeted them at the temple gate.

It turned out that he was the head of the Arhat Hall, leading the Arhats of the temple.

"So, did you deliver the letter?"

In response to Beolgyeon's question, Ryogong answered with utmost respect.

"I did not see him. So I left the letter and returned."

"Was there anything unusual?"

Ryogong hesitated for a moment.

Beolgyeon, noticing his gaze lingering on Danakseon and Han Seol-hwa, smiled faintly.

"It's fine to speak."

Only then did Ryogong cautiously speak.

"He seems to have been fasting for several days. It seems……"

Ryogong trailed off, and Beolgyeon's expression darkened, guessing what he was about to say.

After a moment of contemplation, Beolgyeon spoke to Danakseon and Han Seol-hwa.

"Venerable Hye-gong will contact you separately. Could you please wait a little longer?"

Beolgyeon smiled at Han Seol-hwa, who showed signs of dissatisfaction.

"It's almost time for the meal. Since you've come this far, we should offer you our temple's food."

Beolgyeon instructed Ryogong.

"Please guide our guests to a place to stay and ensure the novices attending to them are well-equipped."

"Yes, Abbot."

Ryogong bowed respectfully to Danakseon and Han Seol-hwa.

"I will guide you."

As the two followed Ryogong out of the abbot's room, Beolgyeon finally let out a long sigh. He stood there, deep in thought, and then got up and headed towards the Medicine King Hall.

Without entering, he stood there for a while. The senior monk in charge of the Medicine King Hall approached and bowed.

"Is there any improvement?"

The same question as yesterday.

The answer was no different from usual.

"There has been no significant progress."

Beolgyeon sighed deeply, and the senior monk bowed apologetically.

Beolgyeon looked up at the sky.

'Is there truly no other way?'

With a sense of sorrow, he only recited the Buddha's name.