Chapter 79

(79) The Divine Monk's Selection

After finishing lunch, the samis collected the bowls. A short while later, they brought out tea.

It was the famous lotus tea of Shaolin.

While savoring the rich tea aroma, Danyaesan waited for the monk Huigong's response. Beopyeon came to find them again, hesitating for a moment before speaking when greeted warmly by Danyaesan.

"There's something I want to ask of you."

Hanseolhua frowned.

"Isn't this monk being too shameless?"

Hanseolhua's rebuke made Beopyeon's eyes waver slightly, as he found the current situation extremely embarrassing and shameful.

Danyaesan, trying to calm Hanseolhua, asked,

"What is it you want to ask?"

Beopyeon, who had been sighing, met Danyaesan's gaze.

"Do you know anything about a disease where one falls into a deep sleep and cannot wake up?"

"Is it narcolepsy?"

A rare condition where one suddenly falls asleep uncontrollably.

However, Beopyeon shook his head.

"Not the kind that comes and goes suddenly, but a case where one falls asleep and remains unconscious."

"How many days has it been since he couldn't wake up?"

Beopyeon's answer shocked Danyaesan.

"Exactly five days from now will mark a year."

"A year?"

Danyaesan, who had been organizing his thoughts, wore a troubled expression.

"I'm not sure. This is the first time I've encountered such a case..."

"I see."

Despite trying to remain calm, Beopyeon couldn't hide the sigh that escaped him.

He had hoped that Danyaesan, who inherited the Divine Hall, might know something...

"I think I need to examine the patient directly."

A glimmer of hope appeared in Beopyeon's eyes, which had been deeply sunk in despair.

Danyaesan smiled at Beopyeon.

"It seems the patient is the cause of the heart fire that the abbot has."

Beopyeon was surprised again.

"How did you know that?"

"Your eyes were twitching."

"......?"

"It's one of the typical symptoms when heart fire begins to accumulate."

It wasn't difficult to guess that the heart fire was due to the patient mentioned just now.

Danyaesan stood up.

"Please lead the way."

Seeing this, Hanseolhua sighed softly.

"We can't let the abbot's illness, which we worked so hard to treat, recur."

Danyaesan gave a plausible reason.

If the patient causing the heart fire is treated, everything will be resolved.

A short while later.

Beopyeon led them to the farthest room in the corner of the Medicine King Hall.

Inside, a person lay on the bed.

He was tall and had a handsome face.

A monk with a strong and generous demeanor, as indicated by his robust eyebrows.

However, if it weren't for his thin breath and faint chest movements, he might have been mistaken for a corpse.

Danyaesan took his pulse for a moment and frowned.

"Mountain after mountain."

The current situation was exactly like that.

The monk in front of him was a wonder to still be breathing.

No, it would be more accurate to say that his life force was fading at this very moment.

"One day, Beopryeo decided to practice in seclusion. He said he was on the verge of a great enlightenment..."

Beopyeon explained the situation at the time.

"About a month after he entered seclusion, a sami who was filling the water in the practice room discovered Beopryeo in this state. He hasn't regained consciousness since."

"Enlightenment?"

Danyaesan's eyes sparkled.

Taking out a needle, Danyaesan inserted it into the Yintang point between Beopryeo's eyebrows.

Danyaesan's eyes lit up as he carefully observed the needle.

He confirmed that the needle was trembling slightly, though faintly.

"He's still conscious."

Beopyeon's eyes wavered greatly.

"Still conscious? Then why can't he open his eyes?"

"He's in a state of Wuwojing (無我之境)."

"......!"

"The consciousness of this person is currently wandering in Samadhi (三昧)."

Samadhi, also known as Similgyeongseong (心一境性), is a state of Zen meditation where the mind is focused and the body and mind are at peace.

In other words, it is the most ideal state of practice in Buddhism.

"Can a state of no thought and no form last for a year?"

"Actually, this person is probably unaware of the passage of time. He is in a completely free state, free from all constraints."

There was no other way to explain it.

They needed to act before the connection between his body and mind was completely severed.

"Is there a way?"

The old monk's eyes, which betrayed his long years of practice, were filled with earnestness. Danyaesan pondered deeply.

After a long, tense silence, Danyaesan finally spoke.

"There is one way."

"......!"

"Using strong stimuli to awaken the senses and nerves of the body. It's about forcibly re-establishing the weakened connection. That's the only method I know. But..."

Danyaesan, trailing off, looked at Beopyeon with concern.

"The abbot might be startled."

"Any method will do. Please save Beopryeo!"

Nodding, Danyaesan took out a box of needles from his robe.

"I will use these to prick the blood points and shock the body."

The moment Danyaesan revealed the black needles with demonic faces carved on them, Beopyeon was startled.

"Are those Ma-ling needles? Aren't they the sacred items of the Life and Death Demon?"

"Yes. They belong to my mother."

"......!"

Beopyeon, eyes wide, was speechless for a long time.

How long had it been?

"Two people who were like mortal enemies, getting married, and even having a child...?"

Moreover,

'That child is saving my life.'

And also the only hope to save Beopryeo.

After a while, Beopyeon looked at Danyaesan and nodded.

"I entrust it to you."

"Please leave. Any distraction could make it irreversible."

With that, Beopyeon left the room, leaving Danyaesan and Beopryeo alone.

Time passed, and it was now dusk.

The sun had set, and darkness was beginning to descend over the temple grounds.

Beopyeon, who had skipped dinner, was pacing anxiously in front of the Medicine King Hall when he heard a voice.

"What troubles you so, Beopryeo?"

"Ah! Master!"

Beopyeon, noticing the old monk approaching, bowed respectfully.

"Disciple Beopyeon greets Great Master Dajoo."

Huigong, the old monk with long eyebrows, also bowed.

"Shaolin disciple Huigong greets Abbot."

After exchanging greetings, Beopyeon spoke cautiously.

"I apologize for disturbing your deep meditation, Master."

"It's fine, Beopyeo."

Huigong turned his gaze to the Medicine King Hall.

"I thought it was strange that the spirit was already free but the body kept holding it back. It seems you came to meet the child inside."

He then smiled lightly.

"Even when leaving, one should settle old debts."

"I would like to inform him inside, but..."

Huigong shook his head, cutting Beopyeon off.

"Is there anything more important than saving a life? Since we're already late, let's wait a bit longer."

Huigong then turned to Hanseolhua.

"It's been a while, Seonja. It's good to see you haven't changed."

Despite Huigong's greeting, Hanseolhua only nodded once, keeping her gaze on the Medicine King Hall.

Beopyeon wore a perplexed expression at her arrogance.

Huigong laughed and said,

"It's fine. That person has never been good at being warm to others."

Beopyeon felt strange.

The master in front of him was well past his prime and approaching his twilight years. It felt incredibly awkward to hear Huigong, who looked so young, referred to as "that person."

'How old is she really?'

Putting aside his doubts, Beopyeon began to wait with Huigong for Danyaesan to come out.

Night dew began to settle on their shoulders.

* * *

Early morning.

Panggyewi, who had been pacing anxiously by a tree, suddenly asked Chaewakryang.

"Chaewakryang, doesn't something seem wrong?"

Chaewakryang's face contorted.

He was already thoroughly annoyed by Panggyewi's constant urging since a few hours ago.

"No, think about it. The only thing to do there is to meet one person. It shouldn't take this long."

"Calm down."

"No, I can't. Something must have gone wrong."

Panggyewi gathered his inner energy, ready to dash off at any moment.

"I'll go and check quickly."

"Hanseolhua went with him. Nothing will happen."

"Chaewakryang, I think you're misunderstanding something..."

"......?"

Chaewakryang's eyes wavered at Panggyewi's words.

"Do you trust a witch?"

Chaewakryang suddenly felt uneasy.

'Now that I think about it...'

Both Panggyewi and Hanseolhua.

They were of the same ilk. Fifty steps versus a hundred.

They were people who caused trouble without any plan.

'Should I check?'

Once the doubt started, his unease grew rapidly.

"Chaewakryang, look!"

Chaewakryang, who had been pondering, looked in the direction Panggyewi pointed.

Panggyewi's finger pointed to a group of incense burners heading to Shaolin Temple.

"We can blend in with them."

"Then... should I just check and come back?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Panggyewi dashed towards the incense burners, and Chaewakryang, putting aside his concerns, followed.