Chapter 8
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: A New Business Venture
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Dan Ak-seon's room was lit late into the night.
"Physician Dan, are you there?"
Dan Ak-seon, who had been grinding herbs in a mortar, stood up in surprise at Cho Ak-ryang's sudden visit.
"Oh? What brings you here at this hour?"
"And what are you doing, Physician Dan, working so hard this late?"
"I was thinking of making some pills."
"To pay for the Fleeceflower root?"
"Pills fetch a better price than raw herbs, you see."
It was clear at a glance that Dan Ak-seon was exhausted. Yet, he smiled brightly, without a hint of shadow.
Seeing this, Cho Ak-ryang solidified his resolve.
"Don't worry about the money. I'll take care of it from now on."
"What? How?"
"I have a way. So, Physician Dan, you should get some rest."
Leaving the pavilion, Cho Ak-ryang went straight to find Beom Gye-wi.
"Get me a log. A good quality one."
Beom Gye-wi frowned.
"Coming to me in the middle of the night, just like that? What do you need a log for?"
"I need to earn some money. Physician Dan can't be losing sleep like this."
"Selling a log won't fetch much..."
"Then I'll just have to make something valuable out of it to sell."
"How... ah!"
Beom Gye-wi, who had been questioning him, finally understood and let out a cry of realization.
"Brother Cho, you have that extraordinary talent!"
A talent that had made Cho Ak-ryang as famous as his martial arts.
It was his sculpting skill, which had reached an astonishing level. It was also a hobby that had greatly contributed to his infamy in the current martial world.
Cho Ak-ryang used to carve the likenesses of the righteous sect masters he had killed.
Naturally, the righteous sects loathed him for it.
But regardless of that reputation, no one doubted his skill as an artist.
A short while later.
Cho Ak-ryang and Beom Gye-wi returned to Dan Ak-seon's pavilion.
"This should be enough to cover our living expenses."
Thud.
Cho Ak-ryang placed the object he had brought onto the table.
It was a statue of Guan Yu, about a foot tall.
"Wow!"
An exclamation escaped Dan Ak-seon's lips before he could stop it.
A lifelike expression and dynamic posture. On top of that, a vividness that made it seem ready to charge onto a battlefield at any moment.
It was a wooden statue where every detail was perfectly expressed.
At Dan Ak-seon's reaction, Cho Ak-ryang shrugged.
"Once my internal energy recovers, I can even carve stone."
If he could properly wield his true energy, the limitations of the material would vanish.
He could carve jade, marble, or even pig iron.
"Did you make this yourself? People would line up to buy something like this!"
Cho Ak-ryang and Beom Gye-wi looked at each other with satisfied smiles.
"But can you carve things other than Guan Yu?"
"Of course. Why?"
"Come to think of it, there are Guan Yu shrines everywhere, so a statue of him might not sell well."
Cho Ak-ryang nodded.
He had a point. Why would anyone seek out a small Guan Yu statue when there were magnificent ones in the shrines?
"If possible, please make something that lots of people would want to buy."
"No problem."
Cho Ak-ryang strode out confidently.
Beom Gye-wi followed excitedly behind him.
And fifteen minutes later.
Cho Ak-ryang returned to the pavilion and placed five wooden statues on the table.
This time, they were Buddha statues.
"Wow...! Huh?"
Dan Ak-seon, who had been exclaiming in awe, stared intently at the statues.
After a moment.
"These are Buddha statues, right?"
At Dan Ak-seon's question, Cho Ak-ryang nodded.
"I carved the most popular ones. From the left, they are Maitreya, the Medicine Buddha, Avalokiteshvara, Manjushri, and Samantabhadra."
"These aren't the Buddha statues I know."
The forms were perfect, at least.
The problem was that there was no feeling of great compassion or radiant righteousness to be found anywhere.
Every single one of them had an incredibly menacing expression.
It might have been fitting for a statue of Guan Yu, who spent his life on the battlefield, but it was completely at odds with the spirit of Buddhism, which pursues altruism based on compassion.
"That can't be. I recreated them perfectly."
"They're too scary. No one would want to buy these Buddha statues."
Seeing Cho Ak-ryang's serious expression, Dan Ak-seon offered a smile.
"Can you also carve cute things, like a baby or a child monk?"
"Just a moment."
Cho Ak-ryang left the pavilion once more and returned in exactly fifteen minutes. Dan Ak-seon gazed at the wooden statue he set down and let out a sigh.
"How can a baby statue exude such killing intent?"
"Why? It's perfect."
"It looks perfect to me too!"
Beom Gye-wi, perhaps anxious about how things were going, chimed in to support Cho Ak-ryang. But Dan Ak-seon shook his head firmly.
"We can't sell this to people."
Just looking at it felt like it was shaving years off your life.
How could anyone bring such an ominous object into their home?
"It can't be helped, then."
Faced with the two men's disgruntled gazes, Dan Ak-seon reluctantly cleared the table.
"You two, sit there and close your eyes."
As the two men looked on with quizzical expressions, Dan Ak-seon smiled softly.
"Because it's a physician's job to treat not only the ailments of the body, but also the ailments of the mind."
At his words, Cho Ak-ryang and Beom Gye-wi sat down cross-legged.
"From now on, focus on my words."
With their eyes closed, the two men nodded.
"The place where you are sitting is a meadow with a gentle breeze."
The expressions on Cho Ak-ryang and Beom Gye-wi's faces softened.
Just listening to Dan Ak-seon's voice had a calming effect on their minds.
"The vast grassland is filled with beautiful flowers."
"..."
"..."
"A butterfly has flown from somewhere and landed gently on your shoulder."
Smack! Smack!
Cho Ak-ryang and Beom Gye-wi simultaneously slapped their own shoulders.
"...Don't kill the butterfly."
"..."
"..."
"Let's try again."
This time, he tried to change the mood.
"It's early dawn. The crisp air feels wonderfully refreshing. You can hear the sound of a cool stream somewhere."
The two men's expressions became much more relaxed.
"You are slowly climbing a mountain, as if on a leisurely stroll. In the distance, you see a secluded hermitage."
"..."
"..."
"Inside the quiet hermitage, there is no one. Only a single, benevolently smiling monk sits alone on a dais. Can you both see him?"
"H-He's smiling!"
"That's right! I see him too!"
Dan Ak-seon smiled faintly.
Fortunately, it seemed he had succeeded this time.
But in that moment.
"That bastard is laughing at us! That damn baldy! This is why I hate guys with no hair!"
"I'll rip out his eyeballs and make them my third..."
Dan Ak-seon let out a sigh.
"Stop!"
The two men opened their eyes and looked around.
"Where did that bastard go?"
"Yeah? Did he run off?"
Dan Ak-seon shook his head from side to side.
"Just carve dragons or tigers instead. Buddha statues are a no-go."
"Are you giving up on our treatment now?"
At Cho Ak-ryang's question, Dan Ak-seon smiled bitterly.
"I'm not giving up... psychological treatment just takes time."
Unbeknownst to the two men, Dan Ak-seon was steeling his wavering resolve.
The next morning.
In the dense forest, a cart was flying over the tops of the towering trees.
"Whoa!"
At Dan Ak-seon's cry of awe, Beom Gye-wi burst into hearty laughter.
"You like it that much?"
"Yes! It feels like I'm flying!"
Beom Gye-wi savored the feeling of pride.
He'd always wondered what was the point of learning Grass-Treading Flight, but now he thought it was a good thing he had.
There was no better martial art for playing with a child.
"This is the extent of my skill!"
"Amazing! You're the best, mister!"
Dan Ak-seon gave him a thumbs-up.
Besides Dan Ak-seon, the cart was loaded with the wooden statues Cho Ak-ryang had carved, yet Beom Gye-wi held it effortlessly with one hand. Descending the mountain in an instant, Beom Gye-wi set the cart down at the village entrance.
"That was incredible, mister. If I had to pull this cart by myself, it would have taken half a day."
"This much is nothing. Fifteen minutes is all it takes."
Beom Gye-wi took out a hero's headband from the cart and tied it around his head.
"Wow! You look like a different person."
At the continuous praise, Beom Gye-wi grinned.
"Shall we go, then?"
Beom Gye-wi smiled and entered the village.
"So, how are we going to sell these?"
"I have an idea."
Smiling faintly, Dan Ak-seon raised his hand and pointed.
"Please stop in front of that shop."
The place they arrived at was a woodworking shop that sold various decorative items, including furniture.
"Please wait here for a moment."
Dan Ak-seon took a dragon statue from the cart and hid it in his clothes.
Then he walked straight into the shop.
"Welcome..."
The shopkeeper, who had been welcoming, lost his enthusiasm upon seeing the young Dan Ak-seon.
"Hello, mister."
"What is it?"
To the owner's indifferent reply, Dan Ak-seon answered with a smile.
"I'd like to buy a wood carving."
The owner looked Dan Ak-seon up and down, then frowned. It was obvious from his shabby clothes that he had no money.
Dan Ak-seon ignored his gaze and walked deeper into the store.
"These are expensive items, so don't touch them carelessly."
Instead of answering, Dan Ak-seon pointed to one of the carvings.
"How much is something like this?"
"Five silvers."
Dan Ak-seon was taken aback.
"It's that expensive?"
The shopkeeper replied nonchalantly.
"Looking at your state, I could probably do it for four."
Even for Dan Ak-seon, who was naive about the ways of the world, it was obvious the man was trying to rip him off.
"Could you do three silvers?"
"You're not going to buy it anyway, so just leave. Don't waste my time."
"What if I really am buying? Would you sell it for three silvers?"
"Fine, whatever. I'll give it to you for three. You got the money?"
Instead of money, Dan Ak-seon took out the dragon statue.
"I'll buy it with the money I get from selling this. How much will you give me for it?"
The owner's eyes widened, and he shot up from his seat. He could tell at a glance that it was no ordinary item.
"Wh-where in the world did you get this?"
"I have fifty."
The woodworking shop owner's eyes grew wider than ever.
"There are fifty of them in the cart outside, and if you're willing to buy, I can have more made for you."
"I'll buy them! All of them!"
"How much?"
"..."
The owner was silent for a moment.
But in that brief instant, Dan Ak-seon did not miss the glint of greed that flashed and disappeared in his eyes.
"One silver!"
"Only one silver?"
"Only? That's a price you'll only get at a shop like mine. You won't find a price like that anywhere else."
Dan Ak-seon smiled faintly and bowed his head.
"I understand. Goodbye."
As Dan Ak-seon put the statue back in his clothes, a look of bewilderment spread across the owner's face.
"You're not selling?"
"No. You offered a ridiculously low price. I couldn't sell it for that price, not out of respect for the person who made it."
"W-wait!"
While the owner was fumbling, Dan Ak-seon left the shop.
This time, he headed to another woodworking shop. It was smaller than the first one he had visited, but it was neat and well-organized.
The owner also seemed to have a kind face.
"Welcome, young man."
Moreover, he greeted Dan Ak-seon, a complete stranger, in a friendly manner.
Dan Ak-seon pointed to an item similar to the one he had seen in the first shop.
"How much is something like this?"
"That one's a bit pricey, I'm afraid. I'd have to ask for two silvers."
It was the same item, but the price was drastically different from the first shop.
"Can you give me a discount?"
The owner showed a hint of reluctance.
"I don't sell these with a large profit margin..."
He pointed to another carving.
"How about something like that? It's a little cheaper, but the quality isn't much different."
Smiling faintly, Dan Ak-seon showed him the dragon statue.
"How much would something like this be worth?"
"Hoh...!"
The owner, examining the statue, let out a soft exclamation. Then he began to inspect it meticulously.
"This should sell for at least five silvers..."
"What if I were to sell it to you?"
"I need to make a profit too, so I could buy it for three silvers."
It was a much better offer than the first shop.
Of course, he might find a shop that would pay more if he looked further. But he trusted this shop owner.