I can’t believe I’ve been lying in bed for an entire month.
It was much longer than I had anticipated, leaving me dumbfounded.
In support of Baek Yujin’s words, Dokgorin, nestled in my arms, sniffled and said, “That person is right. Chilbongi, you’ve been lying in bed for a whole month.”
“Considering that, I feel perfectly fine,” I replied.
“That’s because I’ve been taking care of you the whole time.”
Rin looked up at me with caring eyes as she spoke.
“……”
Dokgorin and I had grown fond of each other in our dreams.
But was Rin looking at the version of me from the first round, or the current me?
That thought fleetingly crossed my mind, but I soon smiled and gently patted her head.
‘Regardless of which version it is, she likes me the same, so there’s really no need to be jealous now.’
“Thanks for taking care of me.”
“…Hehe.”
As I praised her, Dokgorin shyly smiled.
Watching us, Baek Yujin shrugged and told me I should come outside if I was able to move.
“Outside?”
“I have something to show you.”
Feeling a bit bewildered, I complied with her request and stepped over the threshold.
“Wow—”
As soon as I saw the scenery outside, I couldn’t help but gasp in admiration.
After all, what lay before my eyes was something akin to the mythical paradise people often spoke of.
Rows of peach trees, a clear blue sky, white clouds drifting elegantly atop the mountains, and a river that flowed endlessly.
It was a view one wouldn’t typically encounter.
“Where exactly is this place?”
I’d never heard of such a location near the capital.
No, if a spot this beautiful existed, it surely would have become widely known.
The answer to my question was beyond my imagination.
“Myeoseondong.”
“Excuse me?”
“It’s the dwelling of the rabbit immortal.”
Baek Yujin pointed at the girl from earlier, who was now in the field digging up carrots.
“Oh, so you’re saying… that rabbit girl is an immortal?”
*
Immortal.
In Korea, when you think of ‘immortal,’ images of mountain deities come to mind, but in China, the term seems to evoke more of a transcendent being.
And that image translates into martial arts as well, where immortals are typically portrayed as immensely powerful beings.
Usually, the pinnacle of all martial arts is ascension to such a state.
I had heard there was an entire genre called ‘Xianxia’ in China that utilizes this transcendent imagery, but to be honest, I didn’t know much about that realm.
It was outside my interests.
“Wolhyang!”
At that moment, Baek Yujin called out to the girl in the field, and the rabbit girl turned around.
“Yes?”
It seemed that the girl’s name was Wolhyang.
“Could you prepare a meal? I think the patient needs something to eat.”
“Oh! If that’s the case, please wait a moment!”
Wolhyang cheerfully replied, grabbing a basket full of freshly harvested vegetables and heading towards the kitchen.
Seeing her, I couldn’t help but ask anxiously, “Is it okay to treat an immortal like that?”
Baek Yujin shrugged.
“She enjoys doing it herself.”
It’s just her nature to love serving others.
“She likes to serve?”
“To put it simply, she’s a Yuetu (月兔). Originally, her fate was to never leave the moon until she died, but I happened to find her when she fell to earth and took care of her.”
“……”
So, she’s like a life-saver or something?
Anyway, since their relationship was like that, it didn’t seem to concern me, so I decided to remain quiet.
“By the way, Rin, could you let go of this?”
I had been asking Dokgorin, who was still clinging to my right arm, but she shook her head, refusing.
It seemed she was worried because I had been bedridden for so long.
Realizing I couldn’t change her mind, I let out a faint sigh and sat on the open porch outside.
The scenery was so beautiful that simply looking at it felt naturally healing.
“But where exactly is this? I’ve never heard of such a great place near the capital.”
“I told you earlier. It’s Myeoseondong.”
“So, what’s the location of Myeoseondong?”
“Oh, was that what you were asking?”
Understanding at last, Baek Yujin nodded and spoke nonchalantly.
“This place is a world within a painting.”
“Excuse me? A world within a painting?”
I started to wonder if this person had lost her mind.
To suddenly say we’re in a world inside a painting!
However, seeing Baek Yujin with a serious expression, I thought it might not be a lie.
So I asked half-heartedly, “How can a person enter a painting?”
Baek Yujin took out a scroll from her belongings and said, “It’s because this space was created by the immortal’s power.”
It’s a completely independent space, separate from the outside world.
“I got a pass that allows me to freely enter this place through Wolhyang.”
Baek Yujin said as she handed me the scroll she was holding.
“Open it.”
Following her instructions, I unfolded the scroll in my hands.
Inside the long scroll was an illustration of green mountains, peach trees, and a small cabin, all of which looked familiar.
After all, it was the exact scenery I had just been looking at.
“This…”
“Now do you understand why I said it’s a world within a painting?”
Indeed, seeing it in real life made it undeniable.
*
“Time for your meal.”
Wolhyang, who had gone into the kitchen by herself, came out with a small food tray.
“Thank you.”
Feeling quite hungry, I expressed my gratitude and reached for my chopsticks, only to freeze.
“Why are you like that?”
Wolhyang tilted her head, looking at me with curiosity.
“Oh, I was surprised to find meat on the tray, thinking it would only be greens.”
With a giggle, Wolhyang responded, “Patients need to eat meat to recover quickly, you know.”
In any case, feeling hungry, I hastily began to eat.
The three of them watched me intently as I ate.
Even while eating, I felt something was amiss and asked, “Am I the only one eating?”
Each of them replied.
“We ate earlier.”
“Just watching Chilbongi eat fills me up.”
“Immortals don’t need to eat.”
“I see…”
I got the feeling I was going to choke on something while eating.
I thought this while stuffing a seasoned eggplant into my mouth.
*
After the meal, Wolhyang brought out some herbal tea.
Made from herbs she had picked herself, the tea was surprisingly fragrant and quite pleasant.
While we all sipped the tea together, I mustered the courage to ask the one question I was most curious about.
“What happened after I collapsed?”
Dokgorin, who had been closely by my side, calmly explained.
“Grandfather was extremely angry. He was furious that someone would dare to harm his people. The enemy was someone affiliated with the imperial family, so Grandfather couldn’t easily intervene, but he must have been very riled up because he sent out a notice to the masters of the Murim. He’s demanding that Yangbang and Wangjik be petitioned to the Emperor for violating the principle of not attacking those under protection.”
“What?”
The scale of the incident had grown much larger than I had anticipated.
“What if a conflict breaks out between their sides?”
“Grandfather is likely fully prepared for the consequences. This isn’t a new issue; there has been resentment lingering because a spy from the imperial family is at the top of the Murim Association.”
So, it seems this was a problem that had to be addressed eventually, whether sooner or later.
Baek Yujin, who had been quietly listening to Dokgorin and me, crossed her arms and said, “They say the protests will happen at the beginning of next month. By then, many martial artists will gather in front of the Imperial Palace to raise their voices together.”
So, from our perspective, this could be an opportunity.
“Wait? What does that mean?”
“There’s a real chance of conflict breaking out. And during chaotic times, it’s not unusual for lives to be lost.”
In other words, it was the perfect time for them to execute their revenge.
“…But we’re not prepared yet. Even with help from the Dark Cult, assassinating a top royal isn’t easy, especially before I reach the level of Huajing…”
Dokgorin’s words were interrupted by Baek Yujin.
“No, it is possible.”
“Excuse me?”
“What you lack now is time to grow stronger, right? I can provide that time. Using this world.”
Baek Yujin pointed at the beautiful landscape surrounding the cabin as she said this.
“This place is a completely independent space, separated from the outside world. In other words, we can control the flow of time as we wish. For example, a day spent here could only be a fleeting moment in the outside world.”
“…Is that really possible?”
“Isn’t that exactly why I’m telling you?”
Baek Yujin said, glancing at Wolhyang sitting next to her.
Wolhyang perked up her rabbit ears and replied, “It’s entirely possible. There are many tales where a fisherman saved a poor turtle, went to the Dragon Palace for a banquet, and then returned to find hundreds of years had passed outside, right?”
That’s true.
Convinced by the example, I locked eyes with Dokgorin beside me.
She seemed resolute, nodding seriously.
In that case, there was no reason for me to hesitate.
I corrected my posture and, bowing to Wolhyang, said, “Then I sincerely ask for your help!”
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