Chapter 13
Chapter 13
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: Bellflower
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"I'm pretty good at digging wells."
What the hell is this guy?
I'm seriously curious.
A little while ago.
I was staring in shock at the new well that had appeared in our front yard.
That's when the uncle from the neighbor's house spotted me from his own yard.
"Hey, Village Chief! You're back!"
He grinned brightly at me and waved.
Then he came straight over to our yard and boasted proudly.
That he was good at digging wells.
"Don't stare like that, Village Chief. You're embarrassing me. Haha!"
So, eight years ago.
The village's one and only well had dried up completely.
From the old village chief to all the able-bodied men and women, everyone had scoured the area desperately for a new water source.
But no matter where they dug, no water came out.
Our front yard was no exception.
"How did you find the underground stream?"
"I'm pretty good at finding them. Haha!"
Good at digging wells and finding streams?
Does that even make sense?
You expect me to believe that?
"Well, actually..."
"...?"
"I tried digging in my own yard just in case. And water came gushing out."
"Uncle... you dug a well at your house too?"
"Yeah! The ground under the village is full of water, just full of it."
"That can't be...?"
"Why not? It's been pouring rain these past few years. Must've all pooled underground."
"Even so..."
"Right! The village has been empty for nearly six years, hasn't it?"
"Yeah. Me dropping by occasionally was about it."
"Exactly!"
"What is?"
"Rain's been heavy for years. No one around the village to draw from the groundwater. So it just kept building up underground."
"Is it... really that simple?"
"What's so hard about it? It's all natural."
Hmm.
Thinking about it, he has a point.
A miracle, but one explained by nature's laws.
Undeniable fact.
This guy!
He won't spill a thing unless you catch him red-handed.
"No need for payment. We're neighbors sharing a well—what's the big deal? Haha!"
I never offered to pay him?
"If you're that grateful, help out with farming later. And when I go foraging, come along."
"Mm... sure. Of course. After you dug us a well, that's the least I can do."
"You've been away so long—come eat at my place. Bellflower's everywhere these days. Pickled, stir-fried, fried. I'll whip up a feast. Come on!"
"Ah, okay."
No matter how suspicious he seems, I can't turn down this uncle's cooking.
Let's eat first.
A well had appeared in our front yard.
This guy.
The neighbor uncle.
Setting aside all the suspicion.
His cooking is insanely good.
I polished off five bowls again.
"More?"
"No! I'm stuffed for real this time. Whoa! My stomach's about to burst."
"Good to see you enjoying it. Hang on. I'll brew some bellflower tea."
"You don't have to go that far..."
Bellflower season must really be in full swing.
The whole table was bellflower everything.
Now even tea's bellflower tea.
Still tastes great, so down it goes.
"Slurp. Ahh! I never knew bellflower tea could be this fragrant... fra... Uncle?"
"Huh? Oh. Did you call me?"
"Hmmm. What now? Want me to draw my sword again?"
While I savored the tea.
The uncle had been staring holes into my sword on the table beside him.
His face screamed curiosity, but after my freakout last time, he didn't dare touch it—just looked.
"Want a closer look?"
"Huh! Really? This one's sturdy, right?"
"It's a new one..."
"How could I not notice it's different? Did the last one shatter? Break? Or get chipped?"
"Nothing like that. How could the Dragon Sword fail?"
"..."
"I just fought in an epic battle. Sliced through thousands of enemies, then clashed with their leader. He pulled out some legendary weapon—a Crescent Blade of the Azure Dragon or whatever—and both our weapons shattered."
"Mm, sure. I believe you. Just show me the new sword. Let me see if it's sturdier than my sickle..."
Shing!
"Oho! This one's solid!"
"It's the Azure Stream Sword. What do you think? Sturdier than your sickle, right?"
"Sickle? This could cleave my axe in two. You got a real good one."
"Pfft! A farmer like you knows swords? Heh heh."
"Just looks that way. Haha."
A bit suspicious, sure.
A lot suspicious, even.
But not a bad guy.
A month passed.
I reached the second stage of the latter half of the 32 Rogue Arts.
My body was completely transformed—unbelievably different from before.
Like a cow stumbling back and stepping on a mouse, but thanks to the neighbor uncle's insights.
And the Innate Sword Manual.
That's my situation.
Fortuitous encounter or not, all this let me master the second stage of the latter half in just one month.
But now a problem arose.
A fatal one.
I'm short on internal energy.
The higher my martial arts level climbs, the more internal energy it demands.
My skills advance fast, but my energy barely budges.
Everyone knows, right?
How many times I nearly died from energy depletion last time.
The internal energy method tied to the latter half of the 32 Rogue Arts is massive.
Nothing like the early stage's— it builds energy at a ridiculous pace.
However.
My martial level's too high now.
To match it, even this method needs years of accumulation.
Argh!
Driving me mad.
Spend years doing nothing but building energy?
I tried pushing straight to the third stage of the latter half.
But days later, I'm still just meditating to gather qi.
No progress.
Truly stuck doing this for years.
This isn't just my problem.
Past, present, future.
Every martial artist in the world wrestles with it lifelong.
How do they overcome the internal energy wall?
I'm losing my mind.
Can't even focus during meditation... Huh?
"Village Chief, you home?"
Huh?
Neighbor uncle.
What now?
"What's up?"
"What's up? Here to dig bellflower."
"I'm in the middle of a life-or-death crisis... Sigh. Bellflower, huh?"
"Yeah. Harvesting and drying all at the mountain base. Planning to sell to herb shops in the capital. Might as well get extra while I'm at it."
"Then just dig more."
"I don't know the back mountain well. One day. Just guide me today. We'll pick bellflower too. Half of today's haul's yours."
Me, facing a lifelong energy crisis.
Bellflower?
This guy's taking advantage!
"Sure, let's do it. After the well, I owe you that much."
"Haha! Knew our Village Chief would help!"
New villager asks for a back-mountain guide.
Village chief duty, well or no.
"To the mountain."
"Let's go! Haha!"
Bellflower everywhere.
Occasional deodeok roots, omija berries.
Uncle's digging herbs like a pro for capital shops.
I'm pretending to help.
Mountain berries and mulberries litter the ground.
Kid days, tagging along with village uncles, stuffing my face.
Fresh memory: picking a handful for Mom, tripping, bawling.
Uncles consoled me, filled a basket with berries and mulberries.
Those were the days.
"Whoa! Uncle! I told you not to go there!"
"Oh, did I? Looks like good bellflower spot."
"We've got plenty already. Sun's setting soon—let's head down."
"Just check that one spot."
"No, you old fool! Steep drop—you'll tumble! I've said it a million times: no one goes there, too dangerous! Get out!"
"Psh! With a martial master Village Chief here, what's to worry? Be right back."
"I said no... He's gone already. Tsk. Never listens."
Before I could stop him, neighbor uncle vanished from sight.
Well, if screams come, rescue then.
Call it even for the well.
I plopped down.
Munched handfuls of fresh berries, lost in old memories.
Came here with Mom sometimes too.
Man, those times were... Huh?
"Gahhh!"
Hah!
Every damn thing.
Really fell off the cliff?
Damn! Gotta save him qui—Huh?
"Bellflower! King-sized bellflower! Hey, Village Chief! It's a monster bellflower! Come see!"
Is he nuts?
Yelling like that over bellflower?
Scaring people?
How big can it be?
Fine.
Grab him quick.
Before real danger.
Sun's dipping—time to descend.
So I headed toward the neighbor uncle... Crunch crunch munch!
"Crunch munch crunch!"
"See? Village Chief! King-sized bellflower! A real king!"
That thing...
Bigger than the uncle's arm by far.
Wild ginseng.
The kind that's thousands of years old.
Jackpot.