Chapter 456
The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Trading Company Chapter 456
Chapter 456. The Time of Reward (3)
In response to my question, the old servant said.
“It was over ten years ago. It was given to the former owner by Chairman Song at the funeral of the former owner's sister, but the former owner threw it away on his way home. At the time, I was accompanying the former owner on his way home, so I secretly picked it up and kept it.”
Wow...
I was once again shocked by Hae-chul's unscrupulousness.
How can a person be so evil?
On the other hand, I felt great respect for the servant in front of me. It meant that he had kept this for ten years.
“Thank you. The abbot will be very happy.”
.
.
.
I returned to Shaolin Temple and asked to see the abbot.
It would be best to see the Abbot, but he was not someone I could see whenever I wanted.
So, as an alternative, I decided to meet with the Abbot of the Janggyeonggak, who was affiliated with the monk Jisang.
Palgak told me that he was a man of considerable reputation.
A short time later, Monk Jong-o informed me that the Grand Master of Janggyeonggak had granted my request.
I followed him to Janggyeonggak.
An elderly monk was standing in front of the building, and Monk Jong-o hurriedly bowed to him.
“I have come to see the Grand Master of Janggyeonggak.”
Ah, it is the Grand Master of Janggyeonggak!
I didn't expect you to be waiting outside the building instead of in the reception room.
This is a little embarrassing.
“I am Eun Seo-ho, the captain of the Eunhae Trading Company.”
“Amitabha! I am Moo-yeon, the head monk of Janggyeonggak.”
He is of the same rank as the Abbot.
Then he must be a very senior monk.
“Please don't be so formal. I am your junior in the martial arts world.”
“Then let's not be so formal.”
He nodded graciously and continued.
“I've been wanting to meet you. Would you like some tea?”
“I'd love to.”
I followed him inside Janggyeonggak.
He led me to a gazebo by a pond next to the Janggyeonggak.
Most of the items stored in the Janggyeonggak are books.
Therefore, it is not good to have water nearby, but water must be available in case of fire.
The pond seemed to be man-made, but it was larger than I had expected.
Considering the size of the Janggyeonggak, it was only natural.
The head monk of Janggyeonggak poured tea for me as I sat across from him.
“Please have some.”
“Thank you.”
I picked up the teacup and took a sip.
He knows how to make tea.
“Thank you.”
“Excuse me?”
“It's nothing.”
Ah...
“Jisang is my disciple's disciple. He was also a child I was particularly fond of.”
As far as I knew, in order to become a monk at Shaolin Temple, one had to become an official disciple of a monk whose name was listed in the Hall of Arhats within seven years of entering the temple.
After that, one had to undergo three years of training and be recognized before becoming an official monk.
Then is Grand Master Janggyeongjuju Senior Sister of Jisang?
“My disciple was very hurt because of Jisang. He would be very happy to know about this.”
“Where is he?”
“He is away on business.”
“I see.”
“So why did you want to see me?”
“It's because of this.”
I took the letter out of my pocket.
It was sealed, but I had opened it slightly and restored it.
I had to confirm that this letter was really left by the monk Jang-sang.
I also had to confirm that it would not harm the monk Jang-sang.
After checking, I confirmed that this letter must be delivered to the monk.
“Please deliver this letter to the monk.”
“This letter looks quite old and worn.”
“Actually, there is a story behind this.”
I told the ambassador the story behind the letter.
After hearing the story, the ambassador nodded.
“This letter is the only thing left behind by the monk's mother.”
“Yes, that's right.”
I nodded.
“Even though he entered the Buddhist order and severed his ties with the secular world, why should he be bound by the bonds of kinship? I believe this letter will be an opportunity for the monk to resolve his last remaining attachment.”
“If you say so, then so be it. Moreover, the fact that this letter has been kept here for ten years must be the will of heaven that it should be delivered to Jang-ji. I understand. I will be sure to deliver this to Jang-ji.”
“Thank you.”
After leaving the library, I immediately told Pal-gap to pack my belongings.
It was time to leave Shaolin Temple.
After saying goodbye to everyone except for the monks who were still in the penitence hall, I headed with my party to the manor house in Daeri-hyung.
When we arrived, everything had been cleaned up and restored to its original state.
Now we had to finish the last details.
I called Jin-yu and Yeo-eung-am.
“You called me?”
“You must make a quick trip to Kaifeng. Find out how Chairman Hae is doing.”
“Yes, sir.”
I sent Yeo Eung-am with them as well, as he had reached his peak and needed to adapt quickly.
He would be able to adapt faster if he used his movement arts at full speed.
The two warriors obeyed my orders immediately.
The reason I didn't ask the Beggars Sect for help was because of the Martial Alliance.
The moment I asked them for information about Hae Jang-gu, they would become suspicious.
One of my ironclad rules is to always cover my tracks so that no one suspects me.
The two warriors returned in two days.
“Thank you for your hard work. Is Hae Jang-gu living well?”
However, the answer from the warrior was unexpected.
“He is dead.”
“What? Dead?”
“Yes. His body was found burned in a nearby forest. There were multiple stab wounds, but the perpetrator has not been found.”
Judging from the cruel method, it was undoubtedly a murder motivated by a grudge.
A grudge...
Come to think of it, he said he had beaten to death several servants and maids.
So it's no wonder he had many enemies.
Tsk, tsk. You should have been more careful walking at night.
The sky is more angry than I thought.
I didn't feel any pity for his death. He got what he deserved.
Now no one will come looking for the monk Jijin.
He has a wife and son, but by the time they come looking for Jijin, he will be someone they won't even dare to look at.
* * *
The penitence hall inside Shaolin Temple.
Jijin was meditating there.
He was very sad and distressed to learn of his mother's death.
But not now.
He was grateful that he could pray for his mother's rebirth in paradise. If it weren't for Eun Seo-ho, he would not have been able to do even this.
Not only that, but he promised to help him.
He didn't know why those words sounded so trustworthy.
But one thing was certain.
He was a strong lifeline that had been given to him.
“Jang-soo, are you there?”
He heard someone calling his name.
It was the senior monk Ilshim, who was staying in the penitence hall to watch over his own heart and actions after entering the chapter.
When Jang-soo entered the penitence hall, Ilshim took an interest in him and visited him to talk.
Ilshim Daesa liked him and often visited him after that, teaching him many things.
He quickly got up and left the cave.
“Did you call me?”
He was a little puzzled because it was still early in the morning, before dawn.
“Let's go inside.”
When Master Ilsim entered the cave where Jisang was staying, he quickly followed him.
Master Ilsim said to him,
“Sit cross-legged.”
“Yes.”
Jisang obediently followed his instructions, which were different from usual.
“Open your mouth.”
“What?”
“Hurry!”
Jae-Sang opened his mouth, and at that moment, Ilshim put something in his mouth.
“Ugh!”
“Chew it well. It's expensive.”
Not knowing what it was, Jae-Sang chewed it hard.
However, before he could chew it a few times, it melted and slid down his throat.
At that moment, he began to feel a hot energy rising from his stomach.
“From now on, I will help you with your inner arts! Stay focused! Don't open your mouth! Even if it hurts, endure it!”
In his dazed state, Jisang began to practice qigong with the help of Ilshim Daesa.
The energy was too great for him to control on his own.
However, with the help of Ilshim Daesa, he was able to channel the energy and begin breathing exercises.
With great difficulty, he succeeded in completing one cycle.
It felt like it took several times longer than usual.
Exhausted, he heard Ilshim Daesa's voice.
“Now try breathing on your own.”
Jisang began breathing and was astonished.
His inner arts had increased tremendously.
He tried hard to remain calm as he finished his qigong and opened his eyes.
“Well, did you achieve anything?”
“What is going on? My inner arts have clearly increased.”
“How much do you think they have increased?”
“One cycle... No, I think it's a little more than that. What on earth is going on?”
“What you just ate is a magical herb called Guyeopja. Don't get me wrong. It wasn't me who gave it to you, but your mother.”
“What?”
Jisang had no idea what was going on.
Ilshim Daesa curtly answered his question.
“I don't know the details. All I know is that a cheeky guy named Eun Seo-ho told me to give it to you. He also asked me to deliver it to the Abbot. Since you are in the penitential hall, the Abbot asked me to do it.”
“....”
“He also asked me to tell you that your mother's sacrifice has been realized in the form of this elixir.”
However, Jisang's questions remained unanswered.
He wondered what was happening outside, but there was no way to find out.
He had set a deadline of one month, so he couldn't leave before then.
In any case, Jisang had reached the peak of his training.
This meant that he was now qualified to have his name inscribed in the Hall of Arhats.
However, the one-month deadline had not yet passed, so he continued his training and meditation in silence.
Then, someone came to see him.
“Senior Sister!”
It was his senior sister, Janggyeonggakju Moo-yeon.
“I heard the news. You reached the peak? I am proud of your achievement! Your Master will be very happy to hear this.”
“I achieved this thanks to the help of many people.”
“I knew you would say that.”
With a gentle smile, Master Moo-yeon handed him an old letter.
“Take this. It is a letter from your mother.”
“What?”
“Captain Eunseo-ho asked me to give this to you.”
He then explained how Eunseo-ho had obtained the letter.
“It took more than ten years for this letter to reach you, so your mother must have been very anxious for you.”
Moo-yeon said with a smile.
“The Abbot has given you special permission to keep this letter. What are you waiting for? Take it!”
“Yes.”
Jisang received the letter with trembling hands.
“Then I'll be going now. I look forward to the day you leave this place. Hehehe.”
With that, Moo-yeon left the penitential hall, and Jisang was left alone, looking at the envelope.
It was old and dirty.
And written clearly on it were the words, “To my son, Baek A-sung.”
Baek A-sung.
That was his name in the secular world.
He bit his lip and stared at the words for a long time, then opened the envelope and took out the letter.
“Is our son doing well?”
The first sentence brought tears to his eyes.
“I heard that you entered Shaolin Temple. I know it must be very difficult, but I didn't want to worry you, so I tried to hold back my feelings. However, I couldn't hold back any longer, so I am writing this letter.”
“How tall is my son now? How big are his hands? I bet he's taller than me now. Actually, your father was also very tall.”
“Yes, Mother. I am very tall.”
[My son, I hope you will not resent Chairman Song. He treated me better than I deserved. Moreover, he provided a comfortable life for my brother, so I am very grateful to him.
'I do not resent Chairman Song.
[My son, now that you have decided to become a monk at Shaolin Temple, work hard to achieve your goal.
“I have become a monk.”
[And become strong. Become a man who is strong in body but even stronger in spirit.]
“Yes, Mother. I will become strong.”
[I don't know when I will be able to send you another letter. But I will always pray for your safety.]
He felt that it was thanks to his mother's prayers that he was able to become a monk safely.
[Please stay healthy.]
Tuck.
Tears fell onto the letter.
Although the contents were short, the feelings that his mother on earth had put into the letter reached him across ten years of time.
Jisang made up his mind.
Someday, he would repay Eunseoho for his kindness.
* * *
Clack, clack.
I was on my way to Beijing.
I had finished everything at Shaolin Temple and settled matters at my new estate, and now I was returning to Beijing.
I recalled the contents of the letter from Jisang's mother, which I had glanced at.
There was not a single sentence in the letter about her brother.
She knew too. She knew what her brother had done. That was why she didn't write that she forgave him.
Hmm, we'll be in Beijing soon.
First, I'll get some rest, then take care of business.
That's what I was thinking.
Huh? This feeling is familiar...
The moment I saw them approaching me, I made up my mind.
I had to run away.