The Matriarch and the Divine Thief
"Let's have a spar."
Cheong rubbed her head, thinking, Hmm, maybe this time I really did deserve it. Sticking her tongue out in front of her master might have crossed a line—or maybe it hadn't—but either way, for some strange reason, whenever she stood before Master, her mouth would run loose and she'd end up saying everything that should and shouldn't be said.
“At this rate, your disciple’s head is going to go completely flat…… Will I turn into a flathead?”
“Your disciple’s skull is already at a level that would make ten-thousand-year cold iron run away crying, so there’s no need to worry, hmm. That aside, I heard the Divine Thief is aiming for your master’s position?”
“Yeah. He’s not actually that bad of a person. He even taught me some training methods. I turned him down flat, of course.”
Cheong defended Cheon Yuhak. After all, hadn’t she been the one doing nothing but taking without giving anything in return?
“Hmm. Trying to tempt a disciple who already has a master to take a second one. That fellow certainly has a thick face. Very well. I suppose I should see his face for myself.”
“I can talk to him and set it up……”
“Who said anything about that? I simply said I’d like to see his face.”
“Ah, aah.”
Cheong fidgeted, completely at a loss. Of course, while Cheon Yuhak had made a reckless attempt, it had ultimately failed and would likely stay that way, so she was starting to regret having mentioned it at all.
It was then.
“Cheong! What’s taking so—…… Oh, hello. Daemo-nim, you’re here?”
“It’s Nan-a. Since I haven’t arrived yet, could you pretend you didn’t see me?”
“I’ll let them know Cheong is eating separately because of an important guest. This young lady will take her leave.”
Dang Nan-a suddenly appeared and just as quickly vanished. Among those around Cheong’s age, only Cheong herself could treat Seomun Su-rin so casually.
Cheong had seen the door open and confirmed it was Dang Nan-a’s face, immediately judging that she wouldn’t be of any help.
“Right. Lead the way.”
“Yes……”
Now that it had come to this, all she could do was hope the book-selling uncle suspected of being the Divine Thief had the sense to run away.
However, no matter how skilled the Divine Thief was, there was no way he could know that a martial artist of Seomun Su-rin’s caliber had deliberately come looking for him in secret.
The Divine Thief, who had been lounging on a mat, fell into brief thought at the sound of approaching footsteps. The heavy, thumping gait that planted weight with the entire foot was unmistakably Cheong’s.
Mixed with it was the light, graceful footsteps of a heavenly maiden—so soft that even Cheon Yuhak had nearly missed them.
Did this girl forget something? They hadn’t explicitly agreed on it, but he had thought this place had silently become their ‘meeting spot.’ Was she thoughtlessly dragging her friend along?
Cheon Yuhak pondered for a moment, then decided there was nothing to be ashamed of and no wrongdoing on his part, so he would greet them with confidence. He stood up and straightened his clothes.
When Cheong arrived, the book-selling uncle who had been lying on the mat scratching his belly earlier was nowhere to be seen. In his place stood Cheon Yuhak, wearing a serious expression and maintaining perfect dignity.
“So, you’ve finally—… ahem.”
Cheon Yuhak began with a solemn tone but cleared his throat the moment he confirmed Seomun Su-rin’s identity.
“This one is Cheon Yuhak, a lecturer at the Hanlim Academy. I formed a brief connection with this child and have become friends with her. If this humble one may be so bold, could the esteemed lady perhaps grace this unworthy one with her honorable name?”
It was an unbearably sleazy voice.
Ew. The corners of Cheong’s mouth turned down.
Seomun Su-rin smiled faintly. The way Cheon Yuhak’s expression brightened was suspicious. The deep, lingering look in his eyes as he gazed at Seomun Su-rin was even more so.
Maintaining her smile, Seomun Su-rin spoke.
“A lecturer at the Hanlim Academy, you say. Do you happen to know a Taoist named Osanja? He has the appearance of a sage with wind-blown immortal bones, yet he’s a very funny fellow missing one front tooth on top and one on the bottom.”
At that, Cheon Yuhak’s expression froze.
“That, that esteemed person……?”
“Didn’t your master tell you? How he ended up losing his front teeth?”
“Are you referring to the upper one, or the lower one?”
“Did he tell them separately? Yes, what did he say?”
“For the upper one, he said that when he exchanged martial arts with Shaolin’s Abbot Muhak, it was such an intense spar that he couldn’t afford to show any mercy with his moves.”
Seomun Su-rin’s smile grew even deeper.
“And the lower one?”
“I heard that while absorbed in light footwork and leaping over a wall, he entered a state of no-self and collided with a flying egret……”
“What a strange story. I clearly remember smashing them myself right here.”
Seomun Su-rin tapped the prominently protruding knuckle on her middle finger for emphasis.
“He’s still a wretched fellow. There’s no shame in having one’s front teeth broken by Muhak, but to be ashamed of having it done by a woman and lie to one’s disciple—tsk tsk.”
At that, Cheon Yuhak’s expression grew grave.
“Moreover, what’s this about reaching a state of no-self through light footwork and colliding with a white heron? That’s not something even a white heron would find amusing.”
“May this one ask the lady’s name……”
“I am Seomun Su-rin. I hear you’ve taken quite a liking to my disciple.”
At that, Cheon Yuhak shot Cheong a look of utter shock. It was a gaze overflowing with betrayal—the same kind of look the emperor’s most trusted confidant might have given when stabbed in the back by the one he trusted most.
Cheong awkwardly averted her eyes.
With a smiling face, Seomun Su-rin opened her mouth.
“Now. Will you offer an excuse?”
“That is— aigoo, this one has committed a mortal sin!”
Cheon Yuhak suddenly prostrated himself flat on the floor. Of course, his apology lacked the sincerity of Dang Nan-a’s, but considering the difference in dignity between a young girl and a grown man, it was still quite impressive.
“However, had this one not seen the great one’s disciple, it would be one thing. But having laid eyes upon her and recognized that she is the greatest genius under heaven, how could anyone who wishes to become a master simply pass her by?”
“You liked her that much?”
“At such a young age, she has already reached a high level in light footwork, possesses outstanding senses, and learns at a speed like a flash of enlightenment. Could there be two such talents in the world? This one’s nature has always been hasty and extreme, so even though it was improper, I simply could not hold back.”
“Hmm.”
“However, since the disciple of the late one has already refused all manner of divine arts out of loyalty to her master and clearly expressed her rejection, this one has also given up. Finding her intention admirable and praiseworthy, I merely wished to offer a bit of help. I had long since abandoned any thoughts of coveting the disciple, so please do not be too angry……”
“Very well.”
Seomun Su-rin cut off Cheon Yuhak’s words.
Cheon Yuhak cautiously lifted his head to read her expression.
“……When you say ‘very well,’ do you mean forgiveness, or, um, the disciple……”
“Was there ever a woman among the Divine Thieves? Then it would be fine to appear once in a while. Though you are indeed detestable, since you are a lecturer at the Hanlim Academy, it seems you are quite an enlightened fellow.”
It was an unexpectedly refreshing acceptance.
Cheon Yuhak, who had not anticipated this at all, could only blink at the unexpected praise.
“Thank you! This one will become a great master who brings no shame to the late one’s disciple.”
“Yes. That’s how it should be. Disciple, what are you doing? Why aren’t you paying respects to your little master?”
“Uh, Master.”
“Why? Don’t you like it? I know the general idea of the Divine Thief’s martial arts, but among them, there isn’t a single one that isn’t a divine art, each incredibly profound. When divine arts are rolling into your lap on their own, what’s the big deal about taking one more master that I should stop you?”
“I’m fine. I only need you as my master. And I’m not that greedy for divine arts or anything……”
At that, Cheon Yuhak made a disappointed face while Seomun Su-rin gently stroked Cheong’s head.
“To hear you say that is truly a thankful thing. In this world, there are more than a few who commit sins that anger both heaven and man out of greed for martial arts, yet my disciple is this lovely, so I’ve received a great blessing in my later years.”
“Hehe……”
“However, since I was originally going to judge based on the person’s character before allowing it, a lecturer at the Hanlim Academy would be more than qualified as a master with that scholarship alone.”
At that, Cheon Yuhak’s expression became smug again.
Cheong eventually performed a deep bow.
Originally, the bow to a master consisted of three prostrations: one to the sect and founder, one to the master’s masters, and one to the master herself. But the Divine Thief had no particular sect, and the previous Divine Thief would retire after passing on the teachings to return to his original work, so they weren’t particularly honored. Therefore, it was simply one deep bow to the master.
Cheon Yuhak was all smiles.
Then, suddenly glancing around cautiously, he asked—
“By the way, elder, about how my master Osanja lost his front teeth……”
“Why? Do you want to know?”
“Yes. Shouldn’t a disciple know about his master’s affairs?”
Seomun Su-rin burst into a snort of laughter. It was obvious she planned to tease him mercilessly when they met.
“It’s nothing special. There was a shameless man who dared to intrude into the Goddess Sect—a forbidden sanctuary for men—and stole underwear, so I simply disciplined him. After getting beaten for quite a while, he ran away.”
The reason Seomun Su-rin had beaten him with her fists was simple: her usual principle that all lechers must be beaten to death.
The Divine Thief, sensing he would actually die if he took any more hits, fled with all his might. With the Divine Thief’s light footwork being the best under heaven and possessing all sorts of evasion techniques like disguise and bone shrinking, even Seomun Su-rin found it difficult to catch him.
However, there was no way she could forgive the perverted lecher who had the audacity to break into the Goddess Sect, steal her disciple’s underwear, and flee.
Thus, after a persistent chase and escape, the previous Divine Thief, unable to endure it any longer, finally hid in Shaolin Temple.
However, he had underestimated the deep bond between the Buddhist and Taoist sects. In the end, the Divine Thief—who had been beaten by Muhak and lost yet another front tooth—was tied up and presented before Seomun Su-rin.
“You’re saying my master stole a woman’s underwear?”
Cheon Yuhak’s eyes flashed. It was an utterly disrespectful expression, as if he had caught his master’s weakness.
Seomun Su-rin smiled and finished the story.
“Upon investigation, it turned out the stolen disciple’s underwear was a treasure map that would cause a bloody storm in the martial world. Since it wasn’t a good item even with the connection of fate, I took that into consideration and forgave him.”
Today, since she wanted to spend some quality time with her disciple after a long while, the little master should begin proper teachings starting tomorrow.
With those words, Seomun Su-rin enjoyed a cozy dinner with Cheong.
Cheong, reading the room, spoke up.
“Master, you really didn’t have to accept another master for me.”
Seomun Su-rin smiled brightly.
“It’s fine. After all, no one in the world will know, so what’s the big deal?”
Seomun Su-rin was not one to be taken lightly. After weighing the pros and cons, she had simply judged that it would be acceptable.
First of all, the identity of the Divine Thief was a secret. That meant the current Divine Thief, the previous one, and the future one—all their identities must never be revealed to the world.
Therefore, there weren’t many masters and disciples across the generations. At most, it would be limited to four: the founder, master, disciple, and the disciple’s disciple.
Thus, there was no chance Cheong would reveal she had two masters, nor could Cheon Yuhak go around claiming Seomun Su-rin’s disciple as his own.
Of course, even if the identity were exposed, wouldn’t it be fine? The fact that the Divine Thief was a woman could become a great source of pride for the women of the Central Plains, and given Cheong’s position in the hierarchy, who could object?
However, inheriting the name of the Divine Thief would come with corresponding duties. Something about protecting the murim from the shadows so that dangerous items did not fall into dangerous hands.
In Seomun Su-rin’s opinion, it was a sufficiently righteous task, and not one that required too much work.
And above all, there was no reason for her disciple—who would become the greatest under heaven in the future—to stoop to thievery in an undignified manner. Couldn’t she simply go beat them up and take what she wanted?
Moreover, having experienced the Divine Thief’s techniques firsthand, they were quite good for her disciple to learn.
Considering it from various angles, there were only benefits.
Therefore, there was no reason for Seomun Su-rin to oppose it.