Chapter 24
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: Park Ha-seo and Twenty Questions
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***
- The White Hawk and the Little Prince arrived at the place where the dragon was sealed after a long journey.
- At the edge of a steep cliff where clouds brushed white, at the entrance to a dark cave, a woman sat demurely.
- Is that her? The master of the hero White Hawk?
- Yes, the taoist who represents Joseon. It's Jeon Woo-chi.
"Jeon Woo-chi?"
"Yes, the one who commands the winds, brings rain to parched skies, folds the earth to travel swiftly, wields a sharp sword like the wind to cleave the world asunder, and handles that sword like a flower... The one who helps pitiful people like the hero White Hawk."
"So, stronger than White Hawk?"
"Hmm... I don't know if stronger, but she knows much more and is wiser. In terms of strength, the warrior Gwak outside is stronger, but Lord Park Ha-seo here is similarly wise."
"Ah..."
Prince Imhae nodded as if understanding perfectly, gazing at Park Ha-seo.
And I promptly turned to the next page.
- Little Prince, go greet her.
- Okay. At White Hawk's words, the Little Prince dashed toward Jeon Woo-chi. Seeing this, Jeon Woo-chi asked,
- Child, what are you? Ah, White Hawk, it's been a while.
- It's been a long time. Jeon Woo-chi. This is the Little Prince, and we're adventuring together to save the hero. We even received Hong Gildong's approval.
- I see, you're on a tough journey. And Hong Gildong... Then you've learned manners, at least. Though his muddled head is a flaw.
- He's not muddled!
- Child, such training inevitably stiffens the mind. Manners aren't thought with the head but absorbed into the body.
Jeon Woo-chi stroked the fuming Little Prince's head affectionately, as if finding him adorable.
After savoring the soft child's touch for a good while, she looked straight into the hero's eyes and said,
- Child, you want to save the hero White Hawk, right?
- Yes, that's right.
- Yes, if you enter this cave I'm guarding, you might save White Hawk. But as you are now, it's not enough. You'd fail even if you went in.
- Why is that?
- Because you only know manners. Child, the world is full of people who merely have manners. Those without them are the beasts. You've learned the basics—now it's time to advance to the next step. Learning.
- Learning?
- Yes, shall we first check if you qualify?
"And Jeon Woo-chi said, 'I'll give you problems from now on—try to solve them. If you get them all right, I'll personally teach you the words of the Master.'"
"Problems?"
"Yes, I'll tell you Jeon Woo-chi's problems one by one, so please try, Your Highness. First: What beast walks on four legs in the morning, two at noon, and three in the evening?"
"Uh... huh?"
At my question, Prince Imhae fell deep into thought.
Does he know this one? No, it might be too hard for a three-year-old.
And the latter seemed correct—Prince Imhae's face turned a bit teary.
It's okay not to know. That's why there's a teacher. I said to Prince Imhae,
"Your Highness, it's natural not to know what you haven't learned. That's why you have a teacher to teach you. Isn't that right, my lord?"
"Haha, yes. Your Highness, may I answer instead?"
"Yes, please?!"
"Yes, the answer is human. Babies crawl on four, adults walk on two, and the elderly use a cane on three."
"Correct."
"Ah...! As expected of Teacher!"
I winked.
At the same time, Park Ha-seo gave me a pleased glance. He clearly knew it.
This part's purpose was clear: Studying is hard like this, so don't get delusions of medical skills or whatever—first, diligently learn under your teacher. Got it.
To give Park Ha-seo a bit more backing, I began unleashing the problems I'd prepared.
"Now, next problem. There's a wolf, a cow, and spinach separated by a river. The boat can only carry one at a time, and without a person, the wolf eats the cow, and the cow eats the spinach. How do you get them all across safely?"
"Teacher? What's this?"
"Well... uh... wait... So the wolf with the cow, the cow with spinach, the boat only once... Ah! I got it."
"First, take the cow across, leave it, and return alone. Then take the wolf across, bring the cow back, take the spinach across, return alone, and finally take the cow across."
"Correct!"
"Waaah!!"
"Phew..."
Watching Park Ha-seo sweat coldly, I tilted my head.
It's just the beginning—can't tire already.
"Next problem! There are 100 dumplings and 100 monks. Senior monks eat three each, and novice monks share one among three. How many of each?"
"What?"
"Now, next problem. A merchant at a silk shop buys silk worth 70 bolts of cotton cloth and pays with silver worth 100 bolts. The silk shop owner, short on cotton, goes to the neighboring hardware shop, exchanges the silver for 100 bolts of cotton cloth, and gives 30 bolts back to the merchant. The next day, the silver turns out to be worthless plated junk. The merchant already left with the silk and 30 bolts, so the silk owner pays the hardware owner 100 bolts. What's the silk owner's loss?"
"?"
"Next problem! Cheer up, Lord Park!! There's a murder in the market. One killer, five suspects caught at the scene. Their statements:
Fabric shop Kim: Mongdali Park is the killer.
Bookseller Hwang: I'm innocent.
Woodcutter Jeong: Herbalist Jo is not the killer.
Mongdali Park: Fabric shop Kim is lying.
Herbalist Jo: Bookseller Hwang is telling the truth.
Three are telling the truth—who's the killer?"
"... Wa... wait!!"
Time acknowledged.
Park Ha-seo, parched, downed his dry teacup and fidgeted his fingers, groping for the answer. Moments later, he replied uncertainly,
"Herbalist... Jo?"
"Correct!"
"Phew..."
"Now, next problem..."
"Wait, more problems?"
"Yes... I have a few left."
"How can this be!!"
Park Ha-seo was purely shocked.
Each problem's level was too high. The early ones demanded logic and thinking taught even at the Hall of Lectures, and the later ones required inference and intuition beyond even the National Academy.
Even he, with 40 years in education, wasn't fully confident.
How could that child solve these?
How could a mere five-year-old think like this?
Tsk, did I overdo it? Scratching my cheek under Park Ha-seo's suspicious gaze, I said,
"Well... shall we do the last one?"
"...Yes. Not enough time for all."
"Understood. This one's tough, so both concentrate."
"Gulp!"
"Uung!"
Seeing them focus intently, I posed the final problem.
"Far off, a carriage racing unstoppable down the road. On one fork, five merchant children playing kickball; on the other, a noble lady knitting in the sun. The driver tries to stop the horses, but they've gone mad and ignore him. He must choose one path—which is right?"
"What! What kind of?!"
"?"
What kind of problem is this?
By scholar-farmer-artisan-merchant hierarchy, sacrifice the five kids to save the noble lady.
But does that make sense? Nobles should protect the people from the vanguard—sacrificing them for a noble is upside down.
No, class doesn't matter here.
How can you weigh human lives and value them?
"..."
Even Park Ha-seo, who'd shouted answers before, now sweated profusely—this was tough. And that's right. It's a problem with no answer.
Such problems are easier from a child's eyes. I asked Prince Imhae, who was blankly alternating looks between me and Park Ha-seo,
"What do you think, Your Highness?"
"I don't know what it meeeans at all!! But can't you just save both!? Shout 'Get out of the way!!' and they'll dodge, right?"
"Haha, just like the Little Prince."
"Huh? What does that mean?"
To Park Ha-seo's question, I turned the page instead of answering.
- That problem has no answer. But isn't there a way to save all six?
- Fitting for the child White Hawk brought. Some prioritize a scholar's duty to save the five children; others follow the class laws to save the noble. But those aren't the only paths.
- Jeon Woo-chi fans her held fan once, and the racing carriage and forks appear as illusions. Fans again, and the people beside appear. They shout to clear the way; brave ones scoop up the children before the carriage arrives.
- Seeing around for the right path [Benevolence] is wisdom. Constantly learning and seeking knowledge for the people's better lives.
- That's the virtue scholars must have: benevolence and wisdom. I'll teach you from now—are you ready to learn?
- Yes! Lady Jeon Woo-chi!
- Haha, call me Teacher.
And the Little Prince, passing Jeon Woo-chi's test, studied the Master's words under her for years. One day, after the final lesson, Jeon Woo-chi said to him,
- You've worked hard. Now you have benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom—you qualify to save White Hawk.
- Go in. White Hawk calls you.
- She fanned her held fan, and the pitch-black cave entrance lit up brightly. The Little Prince stepped inside.