Chapter 148
Chapter 148
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 148
Chapter Title: Dan Seol-yeong
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Dan Seol-yeong had grown familiar with Hwa Yeon Nun's face after moving together recently, and they'd shared quite a few conversations.
But judging coldly and objectively, the two weren't close enough to confide their deepest worries.
For one, their age gap exceeded a hundred years, and their life paths had never overlapped.
Dan Seol-yeong hesitated before replying.
"Worries? I don't really have any."
At that, Hwa Yeon Nun strode right up to her.
"No need to lie in front of me. Do you think I've only seen one or two girls carrying the same worries as you?"
Hwa Yeon Nun was barely as tall as Dan Seol-yeong's chin or nose tip, but her presence loomed like a mountain.
While Dan Seol-yeong was overwhelmed, Hwa Yeon Nun added another line.
"You're deeply troubled because there's been no progress between you and Dang Mujin, right?"
A spot-on observation.
But Dan Seol-yeong couldn't bring herself to ask for help outright. With anything else, maybe, but Hwa Yeon Nun clearly wouldn't be much use in this area.
Dan Seol-yeong had gone just over twenty years without a lover or man in her life, but Hwa Yeon Nun was a nun who'd surpassed a hundred years without ever even meeting one.
If she wanted to be a convincing advisor, her decades in the Emei Sect might be unavoidable, but she'd need some experience forming bonds with the opposite sex afterward.
Yet over fifty years since leaving Emei, Hwa Yeon Nun had stabbed swords into men's bodies but never held a man's hand.
In short, her love advice was utter nonsense. It might even be more realistic for Dan Seol-yeong to counsel Hwa Yeon Nun's worries.
Dan Seol-yeong waved her hands dismissively.
"I'm fine. Dang Mujin's just a bit dense, so things will progress soon enough."
Hwa Yeon Nun's eyes narrowed slyly.
"No. That's not it. You're misunderstanding the problem."
"The problem?"
"Yes. Dang Mujin isn't dense."
"Of course he is! If you knew what happened today, you'd definitely..."
Of course, Hwa Yeon Nun knew exactly what had gone down at Neungun Temple. She'd shadowed the two while hiding her presence.
Pretending ignorance, Hwa Yeon Nun continued.
"If Dang Mujin were truly dense, he wouldn't have noticed your feelings at all. But he knows your heart. He already knows, so he's not dense—and even if he were a little, knowing your heart means it wouldn't be a big issue. Right?"
Dan Seol-yeong froze as if struck by lightning. Hwa Yeon Nun's analysis was incredibly clear and precise.
She'd completely misidentified the problem, so her solutions were bound to be wrong.
Like massaging her knees hoping the pain in her shoulders would fade.
Mesmerized, Dan Seol-yeong asked.
"...Then what's the real issue?"
"He's scared. Dang Mujin is full of fear."
"You're mistaken. Mujin is brave. He's not the type to back down like a coward, and he fights well when he needs to."
Hwa Yeon Nun clicked her tongue.
"A man's courage before a woman is different from a warrior's courage. The world's greatest general can be a coward in romance, and a lazy idler can be bold there. A man who can slice an enemy's throat without hesitation might fret endlessly over leaving even a tiny scar on the heart of the woman he likes."
Dan Seol-yeong's eyes flashed wide. Just as Hwa Yeon Nun said, Dang Mujin was excessively cautious around her.
Things like holding hands or sneaking hugs away from prying eyes had been effortless so far, but advancing further was tough.
"Then, what should I do?"
"Express your feelings actively to give Dang Mujin the courage. Show him boldly that you won't get hurt or scared no matter what."
Sound advice, but Dan Seol-yeong couldn't picture trying it rashly.
Whispering blunt, embarrassing words to Dang Mujin was out of the question.
"...Any good ideas?"
"Sit there. I'll teach you some excellent methods passed down through the ages."
Hwa Yeon Nun spoke with utter confidence.
*
The next evening, Dang Mujin sat on the small veranda of the annex as usual, wrapping up his day.
He wanted to savor the spring breeze fully before the winds grew heavy with summer.
Then, Dan Seol-yeong approached with confident steps.
Dang Mujin stared at her blankly. Did she have something to say?
But Dan Seol-yeong did something utterly unexpected. She recited a poem out of nowhere.
Waiting for the moon, I step out to the west wing,
Leaving the door half-open to catch the breeze.
Flower shadows sway as if brushing the wall—
Could it be my love has come?
...Why this all of a sudden?
He recognized it as a poem laced with romance, but grasping its exact meaning was hard. Let alone why she'd recited it.
Still, the situation called for a response, so Dang Mujin nodded.
"Hmm. Fine poem."
After his reply, Dan Seol-yeong stared at him intently.
But Dang Mujin had no clue what she wanted.
Wearing a deeply disappointed look, she turned and left, leaving Dang Mujin baffled as he watched her back.
The next day, and the day after, Dan Seol-yeong recited a poem to him each time. But it meant nothing.
*
Deep into the night, Dan Seol-yeong faced Hwa Yeon Nun, her face full of disappointment.
"I told you it wouldn't work. What's the point of reciting poems?"
"It should have..."
Hwa Yeon Nun recalled the romance novels she'd read.
Typically, in those stories, the man-woman dance of push and pull, testing hearts, climaxed when one recited a poem baring their soul at the right moment.
The aftermath was glossed over tastefully, but reciting a poem when mutual affection existed never failed. By Hwa Yeon Nun's expectations, Dan Seol-yeong and Dang Mujin should be holed up alone in the annex by now, sharing a blanket.
As the deeply disappointed Dan Seol-yeong rose to leave, Hwa Yeon Nun grabbed her sleeve.
"I'll give you the next poem. From 'Tales of the Southern Governor'—this one will definitely work."
"It's not about the poem's content."
Resisting firmly, Dan Seol-yeong forced Hwa Yeon Nun to desperately rack her brain for another solution.
"Then, let's embroider mandarin ducks on silk with all your heart. We still have time—a week of effort should yield a splendid piece."
But Dan Seol-yeong's sharp gaze didn't soften.
Poems to embroidery. The problem was trusting Hwa Yeon Nun's ideas.
"Embroidery won't mean anything either. I'm sure."
"Tch! Do you know how many novels I've read or how many courtesans I know? Trust me."
Dan Seol-yeong finally realized the issue. Mimicking novel plots or courtesans' tales wouldn't advance things.
Courtesans' stories might edge out novels slightly, but they surely hadn't spilled intimate, blushing details straight to Hwa Yeon Nun.
Most likely, they'd couched it in poems and embroidery talk.
The diagnosis was spot-on, but the methods fell short.
As Dan Seol-yeong stood to brainstorm her own approach, a man's low voice came from beside them.
"I think I can provide the answer."
Startled, Dan Seol-yeong looked over. There sat Three-Eyed Buddha.
But her expression soured further.
Why were both would-be helpers former monks?
Dan Seol-yeong thought: Fine, tomorrow I'll head to the well and ask the village women for help.
Seeing her face, Three-Eyed Buddha burst into hearty laughter.
"You don't trust me, huh? But try it my way tomorrow anyway—consider it getting duped. You'll see massive progress for sure."
Unlike Hwa Yeon Nun's long-winded ramble, his voice was simple and brimming with confidence.
With a mindset of one last try, Dan Seol-yeong nodded.
*
The next late afternoon, as Dang Mujin trained with Three-Eyed Buddha per usual, Dan Seol-yeong approached.
Three-Eyed Buddha asked her.
"Young Lady Dan. What's up?"
"I was hoping you could teach me how to fight too."
"Fighting out of nowhere why?"
"Even just lightness skills have endless uses, but learning some basic self-defense arts would help a lot."
"If that's it, sure. Sit there and wait a bit. I'll finish Mujin's session first, then teach you."
Three-Eyed Buddha agreed readily and resumed sparring with Dang Mujin.
Today's instruction was far rougher than usual, leaving quite a few wounds on Dang Mujin's body.
Bruises here and there, scrapes from rolling on the ground, even light fist grazes that tore skin. A real battered mess.
Only as the sun dipped low did Three-Eyed Buddha end the spar and call Dan Seol-yeong.
"You've learned basic lightness skills, so let's start with footwork for evasion over sword or fist techniques. Any objections?"
"No. Sounds good."
Three-Eyed Buddha demonstrated simple footwork. It aligned somewhat with Dan Seol-yeong's lightness skills, so she mimicked it well.
"Excellent. Shall we try it for real?"
"Yes."
Three-Eyed Buddha threw a slow punch at her. No killing intent, not very dangerous—perfect for Dan Seol-yeong.
She dodged the first few punches easily. But as attacks continued, her movement narrowed, and her stance grew unstable.
A common phenomenon when experts guide for a day.
With anyone else, he'd signal to stop at a proper point, but Dan Seol-yeong wasn't used to such training.
She dodged to the end, finally tangling her legs and leaping back, tumbling to the ground.
Thud. Her back scraped the rough dirt, and red blood spots stained her white clothes.
"Oh no!"
Dang Jesun, watching from the veranda, jumped up and rushed over.
"Mujin! Why are you just standing there? Get the golden wound salve now!"
Golden wound salve was great for treating skin injuries.
Expensive enough that it wasn't for casual use, but Dang Jesun, who treasured Dan Seol-yeong like a pearl in a jar, wouldn't care about cost.
Dang Mujin bolted up and dashed to the medicine hall, returning quickly with the salve.
In the meantime, Three-Eyed Buddha and Dang Jesun were making her drink something.
"What's that?"
"Sword South Burning Spring."
Sword South Burning Spring was a famous Sichuan liquor.
Unlike ordinary booze, its potency was extreme, making it great for helping patients forget pain.
Dan Seol-yeong downed it without refusal, and Dang Jesun poured a bit more, handing it to Dang Mujin.
"You picked up a fair few injuries today too. Drink up."
Dang Mujin took the cup obediently.
It was pricey liquor he'd wanted to try, and refusing his father in front of Three-Eyed Buddha and Dan Seol-yeong would look bad.
Not much, but a light buzz warmed his fingertips and toes.
After Dang Mujin finished, Dang Jesun returned to his seat.
Three-Eyed Buddha clapped lightly.
"Training ends here for today. We'll continue tomorrow."
"Got it."
As Dang Mujin offered the salve to Dan Seol-yeong, he paused.
Training wounds usually clustered on shoulders, sides, arms—easy spots to apply medicine.
But hers was on the back. Hard to reach alone.
'Someone has to apply it for her...'
Among the clinic folk, the only women were Dan Seol-yeong and Mok Wan-a.
But Mok Wan-a had gone out after lunch and hadn't returned.
"Father. Do you know when Mok Wan-a will be back?"
"I sent her on an errand, so probably not till tomorrow."
"Hmm. Alright."
Couldn't wait for Mok Wan-a, nor entrust it to anyone else. The thought of another touching Dan Seol-yeong's skin irked him inwardly.
'I'll have to do it myself.'
Dang Mujin took her hand, led her into the annex, and shut the door tight.
"Lie face down."
Dan Seol-yeong obeyed readily.
Dang Mujin dabbed salve on his finger, then carefully slipped his hand under her top to apply it.
"Here?"
"A bit higher than there... No, left?"
"Here?"
"There...? Ouch! Gently!"
But applying blind under clothes was tricky. Not deep wounds, but wide scrapes made it worse.
After fumbling a while, Dan Seol-yeong frustratingly lifted her top hem slightly.
"Better view now?"
"...Yeah."
Nearly half her back was exposed.
Unlike her sun-tanned arms and face, her back was pale and untouched by sun. The white skin contrasting red wounds gave a strange allure.
Soon, Dang Mujin's face flushed as red as her injury.
He narrowed his eyes and applied the salve.
Meant to treat, yet his focus drifted to the soft skin brushing his other fingers or wrist more than the salved index.
He'd found her hand oddly soft before, but her back was beyond that. Softer than fine silk.
Pale, smooth back. Rising buzz, faint pleasant scent from somewhere.
Dang Mujin felt deep vertigo, hard to shake. His heart pounded.
"All done?"
"Uh... Almost."
A lie. The salve was done.
But his hand lingered. He was thinly spreading it over unscarred spots too.
Finally covering nearly her whole back, he painfully pulled his hand away. Regret filled his chest.
But as his fingers lifted, Dan Seol-yeong reached back, grabbing his hand.
She said that while turning her head to look at him. Clothes still disheveled, hair messy from the tumble, unkempt all over. Yet Dang Mujin thought her prettier than ever.
Dan Seol-yeong spoke.
"...You're hurt too. Want me to apply some this time?"
Dang Mujin couldn't shake off her slender fingers.
"...Yeah."
Dang Mujin nodded as if entranced.