Chapter 20
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: White Sis! You're Our Village Hero!!
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"As White Sis moved her hands like this, a blazing fireball shot toward the tiger."
"Whoaaa!!"
Splat! Splat!
I unleashed the finger techniques I'd practiced endlessly in my past life, and Prince Imhae's eyes went wide as saucers. He was totally losing it. As expected, nothing beats being easy, strong, and cool when it comes to winning over kids.
I thrust both hands forward like I was firing off palm winds and continued the story.
"But the fearsome tiger was no pushover. It smacked the blazing fireball away with its front paw and, even angrier now, leaped straight at White Sis. Seeing that, White Sis recalled Young Master's teachings once more."
"Benevolence Art: Lightning Flash"
"Wooow!!"
It felt just like playing with my nephew who came over for Lunar New Year.
Might as well go all out. I jumped to my feet in a flash and wiggled my fingers and stomped my feet every which way, recreating White Sis's moves.
"White Sis dodged with lightning-quick footwork and shouted like this: 'Take Young Master's teachings, you wicked tiger! Benevolence Art: Water Dragon Blast!'"
"A water blast like that with no water around!!"
"Even the villagers watching the fight between the tiger and White Sis from afar were amazed. That's how deeply White Sis had comprehended benevolence."
"Ooh, so coool!!"
You're really getting into it, huh.
I couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of tiny Prince Imhae furiously mimicking me with his little fingers.
Teacher Oh Eun-young from my past life had said there are no bad dogs in the world.
Did she?
Either way, the kid in front of me right now wasn't Joseon's infamous rebel prince. He was just a three-year-old boy craving his father's attention and his mother's embrace.
Thinking of it that way put my mind at ease. I took a sip from the crystal glass in front of me and dove into the story proper.
"But! The tiger didn't just sit there. It crunched the Water Dragon whole with its massive fangs and went all-out against White Sis."
White Sis blocked the tiger using countless benevolence arts from Young Master's teachings, and the tiger countered every single one without backing down. The battle raged on for a good while. But in the end!
"White Sis's stamina started to flag, and she began getting pushed back bit by bit. As Your Highness knows, a tiger's endurance is beyond what any human can match."
"Ooh... really...? Bu... but... no way she's losing, right?"
"A girl from the village watching the fight from afar asked the exact same thing Your Highness just did: 'No way she's losing, right?'"
"And White Sis turned to her with a bright smile and replied..."
"I'll win."
"Wooaahhh!!"
Watching Prince Imhae clench his fists and cheer for White Sis, I thought to myself.
Time to wrap this up soon... what was I trying to say again?
Right, respect for elders.
"Then White Sis spread out a scroll from her waist on the ground. It was packed with Young Master's teachings. She placed her palm on it and shouted."
"Benevolence Art Secret Technique: Respect for Elders."
"Jah-yoo-yoo-seo?"
Yeah, he doesn't know it.
Well, it's too advanced for a three-year-old anyway.
I gently stroked the puzzled prince's head and explained.
"Your Highness wondered why I speak so politely to the eunuch elders, right?"
"Uh... yeah."
"Young Master said children must respect adults, and adults must cherish children. Adults have spent years studying their own benevolence, so children learn benevolence by observing them, and adults share their benevolence with children."
"Wha... what's that mean?"
"Let me explain simply. See that warrior elder over there?"
"Warrior Kwak?"
Warrior Kwak, guarding Fragrant Far Pavilion, whipped his head around at the sound of his name.
Solid build, sharp features. Perfect teaching aid.
"Yes, Warrior Kwak has honed his body for years, awakening to Young Master's teachings. He's no White Sis, but he'd easily take down a wolf with benevolence arts, I'd bet."
"For real? Warrior Kwak?"
"For real. Warrior Kwak, care to demonstrate?"
"Uh... well..."
Caught off guard, Warrior Kwak froze, but I shot him a piercing glare.
Come on, do it quick. We're carrying this log together. This is all to win them over for you guys.
He got the message instantly. Blushing beet red, Warrior Kwak drew the sword at his waist and bellowed.
"... Benevolence Art: Wolf Slash!"
"Whoaaa!"
"It's not just Warrior Kwak. This eunuch elder here has comprehended Young Master's teachings through his loyalty to Your Highness. Normally powerless, but if anything threatens you, he could unleash ten times his strength. Isn't that right?"
"Hoho, ten times? For Your Highness, a hundred—no, a thousand times is possible."
Bam!
Prince Imhae gaped in shock.
"Re... really? Everyone knows benevolence arts like White Sis?"
"They do. Your Highness wants to learn them too, doesn't he?"
"Uh... yeah."
"That's why I speak politely to the elders—to learn it from them. The more you respect your elders per Young Master's teachings, the faster you learn. Just like hero White Sis."
"Oh... so that's why..."
Got it.
Prince Imhae imagined it.
Himself learning Wolf Slash from Warrior Kwak and hundredfold strength from the eunuch.
Slicing a massive wolf threatening the people in one stroke and earning Father's praise.
Just like hero White Sis.
"That's... Jah-yoo-yoo-seo. Learning from elders."
A bit simplistic, but good enough.
He grasped the core. That's plenty.
And now, time to end the tale.
"And!! When White Sis used her secret technique Respect for Elders, the words on the scroll floated up and swirled around her. The power of all the elders she'd respected gathered within her."
"Ooh!"
"The eyes of a lifelong mountain hunter! The knife skills of a lowly butcher who'd sliced meat his whole life! The might of a great general who'd repelled vile pirates! Free from class distinctions, White Sis drew power from all the elders she'd steadily honored and said to the tiger:"
"You can never catch me now... My benevolence arts have all evolved a step through the elders' teachings..."
"Benevolence Art: Qi Battle Guard."
"Huuuh?!"
All the elders' benevolence from the scroll exploded within White Sis, igniting her qi.
The way to fight[鬪] by harnessing[禦] qi[氣].
To mimic White Sis now several times faster, I dashed around until my feet were slick with sweat.
Ugh, this is exhausting. Playing with kids is no joke.
Then I chopped down with my hand like slashing the tiger.
"Raaargh!! The tiger let out an agonized scream from White Sis's strike."
"Wow!! Did she win...?"
"Not yet. Hit by White Sis's powerful attack, the tiger cowardly charged not at her, but at the girl watching from afar. Trying to take a hostage."
"That's cheating!!!"
"Seeing that, White Sis sadly turned away and said: 'Wicked tiger, sin no more. You're already dead.'"
"!!"
"The tiger racing to grab the hostage only realized it was dead when it reached the girl—and collapsed. And the people freed from the evil tiger all shouted in unison: 'White Sis! White Sis!! You're our village's hero!!'"
"Waaah!! White Sis! White Sis!!"
Yeah, yeah, bro's beat now.
Let's end it.
"Time passed, and White Sis moved to another village, but in that town, children still respected adults, and adults cherished children. Your Highness, why do you think that was?"
"... Because hero White Sis would have..."
Good boy.
Worth all that running.
Feeling proud, I stroked his head again and said.
"Your Highness, if you hate studying, you don't have to."
"Yeah...? For real...?"
"Of course. I'll be six the day after tomorrow, but until last year, I hadn't learned a single character from the Thousand Character Classic. Father doesn't nag me to study either. But today, Your Highness praised me."
"How come?"
"Because I live like hero White Sis."
Go to bed early, rise early.
Be kind to those around you.
Help those in need.
Don't put off today's work till tomorrow.
I listed a few simple but not-too-easy rules.
"Follow these, and someday Your Highness can become a hero like White Sis."
"Wow... me, White Sis..."
Then, fidgeting his fingers as he recalled my lessons, Prince Imhae looked up shyly and said.
"Th... thank you, Crystal Girl!"
"Hoho, I am deeply honored, Your Highness."
We laughed together.
And so, the day at the palace came to an end.
Bam! Bam! Bam!!
"Coming!!"
What the heck in the middle of the night.
A few days after returning from the palace, one night.
Something pounded on our front gate.
"Dori, what's going on?"
"No idea. I just woke up."
The banging was so loud it woke everyone. We all rushed to the courtyard, where a dignified scholar with a long beard was speaking with Father.
"Lord Park? What brings you here this late?"
"Lord Heo Yeop! I have urgent business with your son."
"Which son...?"
"You know... the little one who wrote Culinary Duel: Jang Geum!! Ah! There he is!"
Me?
The scholar spotted me and barreled over with heavy footsteps. What? What's his deal?
He grabbed my shoulders with both hands, shaking me as he said.
"Hero White Sis!! You have to write the next part!! I'm a tutor at the Prince's Study Hall, and lately, His Highness won't shut up about hero White Sis."
"No way."
"Teach me one thing, and he goes: 'What would hero White Sis do? Teacher, do you know benevolence arts? I wanna learn lightning benevolence arts—what did Young Master say? Can't you teach me an easy one I can use right now?' Because of that, all the officials at the Prince's Study Hall are on the verge of death. If he wasn't so diligent, it'd be one thing, but from morning to night, he's nagging us to teach Young Master's benevolence—and what do we know!!!"
"..."
Oof, did I unleash a monster?