Helping the Unfortunate Friend (3): The Village Chief's Misunderstanding
The poor friend! Let me help! Chief Ju Seo first thought it best to verify the rumor’s truth, so he decided he should meet the immortal from the rumor himself. If the rumor was true, then no matter who it was, the village had to treat them with utmost respect.
“Where is this immortal staying right now?”
“I heard they’re staying together at the residence of a girl named Yu Yeon, who’s living as a dependent of the Yu family…”
“What?”
The chief knew well about that girl who lived off the Yu family. She was the pitiful orphan who had lost both parents young and was taken in by relatives. Word had it that even among her kin, she wasn’t treated kindly… Everyone knew it vaguely, yet no one had stepped forward to help, leaving her neglected all this time. That was the girl’s situation.
But what worried the chief wasn’t her pitiful circumstances.
“If the immortal says so, does that mean they’re staying in that shabby place right now!”
“W-well, wouldn’t they be…? Probably…?”
“Nonsense! Let’s go there at once! We can’t let the immortal stay in a place like that!”
If they hosted such an esteemed person so poorly, who knew what wrath might fall upon them later. To ordinary folk like the chief, immortals were practically divine beings. Most cultivators, true to their path, didn’t lash out at commoners over petty grievances… but there were always the demonic ones, or those with eccentric temperaments, who did such things.
That was why the chief wanted to get the immortal out of there immediately.
“Huff… huff…! Hey! Is anyone here!”
“Huff… C-Chief? What brings you to this humble place…”
And when he rushed over in a panic, there indeed was the immortal, just as the rumors described—someone with an extraordinary appearance. None other than Lin, who had been staying at Yu Yeon’s house for the past few days, helping her with chores.
“Yu Yeon! Who is this person?”
“Ah, this is… the chief of our village. Chief, this person is… well…”
“I know! Are you not an immortal, sir?”
“Huh? Me?”
“Hahaha…! This humble one, Ju Seo, offers belated greetings to the cultivator of the Byeok-un Sect…!”
“Oh, hello! But what… what did you say? Byeok-un Sect?”
Lin looked slightly bewildered at the chief who had suddenly appeared and started spouting nonsense.
“Er… Are you perhaps the Byeok-un Sect cultivator who was supposed to arrive next week…?”
“Huh…? No? I’m hearing about the Byeok-un Sect for the first time today!”
“Ah… My apologies. This humble one must have been mistaken. Haha, then may I cautiously ask which sect you belong to…?”
“Hmm… A sect?”
I don’t have one yet! Well, there’s that awesome master called the Ultimate Fire Chicken on Daoyeongbang, but that’s just an online master on the forum! It’s not like I can claim to be someone’s disciple in real life.
Come to think of it, Lin still had no affiliation.
“Well… I don’t belong to any sect. I’m just a wandering cultivator!”
“Ah… A wandering cultivator, then? Haha, please excuse my rudeness. Haha…”
At the words “wandering cultivator,” the chief’s thoughts grew complicated again. Normally, he would have simply treated them well and sent them on their way, but next week, another group of cultivators was scheduled to visit.
This is troublesome… Judging by how they speak, they don’t seem like someone who would hold a grudge, but…
Still, one could never be sure. If this person happened to have bad blood with the Byeok-un Sect cultivators arriving next week, the village would bear the full brunt of any conflict.
Yet he couldn’t exactly drive away someone who had already arrived…
While the chief was internally agonizing over how to resolve this headache, Lin spoke up.
“By the way, there’s something I’m curious about!”
“Ah, yes! What is it? Please, speak freely…!”
“Earlier, it sounded like someone else is coming next week… Could you tell me more about that?”
“Of course!”
The chief then briefly explained about the Byeok-un Sect cultivators scheduled to arrive next week. It was rare for such cultivators to visit a remote village like this, but apparently something major had happened in the capital recently, so various sects had dispatched people across the nation to search for something. That was why even this remote place was receiving visits from esteemed cultivators.
“Something big happened…?”
“This humble one doesn’t know the exact details either. But from what I’ve heard, it seems related to the great volcanic eruption that occurred in the Yao tribe’s territory recently. The immortals appear to be searching for something…”
“Hmm… Is that so?”
That volcanic eruption… wasn’t that completely my fault??
A sudden volcanic eruption and people searching for someone… No matter how he looked at it, it had to be about him.
But why were they looking for me??
Huh! Don’t tell me… They got angry because I blew up the volcano without saying anything…??
Hmm… Yeah, they have every right to be angry. From their perspective, it’s like getting hit by a bomb out of nowhere while minding their own business.
B-but…! I didn’t do it on purpose, you know…?
I just touched what was supposedly an ancient ruin! Who could’ve known it would suddenly start spewing lava like that!
It wasn’t intentional at all, but what was done was done. Though Lin felt somewhat wronged, he decided to slightly modify his original plan.
Hngh… ‘If that’s the case… I absolutely cannot let them find out I’m connected to that volcanic eruption…’
If they learned he was involved in that disaster—and a key figure at that—what would the other cultivators do? They would surely punish him in some terrifying way he couldn’t even imagine.
So, he had to hide his identity. Yet to achieve his original goal of joining a human sect, he still needed to make contact with them somehow. He had to control his power enough not to be discovered, while also blending into their ranks…
The difficulty had suddenly spiked, but there was no helping it. This was how things were, and he still had to do what needed to be done.
Still, thanks to the Seven-Colored Glass Peacock Mirror he’d received from his master and the transformation art he’d taken from the tree spirit, infiltrating while hiding his identity wasn’t entirely impossible.
Whatever, it’ll work out somehow!
After roughly organizing his thoughts, Lin answered the chief again.
“Then, do you think I could meet those people when they arrive next week?”
“Oh my, of course. If they walk the same path as fellow immortals, there must be something they’ll have in common.”
The chief added more information.
“They mentioned they’re here to find those with talent for immortal cultivation, just like themselves. Even if you’re not from the same sect, someone as outstanding as you would surely be welcomed.”
“Really? That’s great then!”
Perfect! Then I can just go with them and get examined too!
After all, even if he wasn’t officially one yet, he could already sense spiritual energy and was halfway to becoming a cultivator, so catching their eye shouldn’t be a problem.
The only issue now was how to bring Yu Yeon along…
‘Ugh… I don’t know! I’ll just do my best with what I can! If it’s fate, luck will follow somehow!’
He could only hope this girl also possessed some kind of talent, just like him. With that thought, Lin decided to clear his mind.
***
He had already told the chief that he would continue staying at Yu Yeon’s house for the duration of his time in the village. The chief had been horrified at first and offered to move him somewhere better, but when Lin stubbornly insisted on staying, he eventually resigned himself to it.
Instead, the chief sent all sorts of daily necessities, rare foods, and furniture to Yu Yeon’s house, doing everything he could to make Lin’s lodging more comfortable. Since Lin refused to move, this was his way of showing respect through sheer effort.
And all of it went straight to Yu Yeon.
“Here! I don’t need any of this, so you take it!”
“I-Immortal… I’ve already received so much from you, I couldn’t possibly accept more…”
“I’m leaving anyway! You don’t know what’ll happen to you in the future… but if you stay here, you’ll be able to use these things, right? Just keep them! They’ll all go to waste if you don’t use them anyway.”
“B-but…”
In truth, Lin had stubbornly insisted on staying at Yu Yeon’s house precisely because he had foreseen this outcome. Lin would leave eventually, but Yu Yeon would have to keep living here even after he was gone. He judged this would be more helpful to her in the long run.
Yu Yeon fidgeted anxiously, but when Lin kept insisting, she reluctantly accepted. Though she tried not to show it, the joy was evident on her face as she touched the soft, warm fabric for the first time.
‘Hehe, when you see something like this, she’s just a girl her age after all!’
Who was saying this about whom was unclear… but either way, wasn’t it heartwarming?
In the end, as long as they were happy, that was all that mattered.
“Well then, since we’ve got nothing to do until next week anyway, let’s go explore the village together!”
“Y-yes…!”
And so, Yu Yeon spent the first truly happy week of her life.
***
That night, Yu Yeon had a dream for the first time. It was the clearest dream she had ever experienced. Perhaps because her life had always been harsh and difficult, she had never dreamed before—let alone a happy one.
In the dream, she stood in a vast forest before an enormous, beautiful tree. Dressed like a celestial maiden, she was communing with various animals.