After dealing with possession, ghosts, spiritual beings, and all manner of bizarre and extraordinary events, Rowoon had certainly moved beyond being a complete newbie.
But there were still quite a few things he knew nothing about.
Which was why…
[Simply put, it is the crystallized essence of that fellow’s energy. It is exceedingly precious. Let me see. To explain it in terms you can understand… I suppose you could think of it as something similar to a sarira1.]
That explanation made Rowoon recoil in horror.
“Doesn’t that come from inside the body?”
[Something like that. After all, energy is something one harbors within the body.]
Suddenly, that beautiful, jewel-like bead looked very different to him.
‘So it’s like… an organ or something?’
“What?! What kind of explanation is that? Look at him, you freaked him out!”
[Am I wrong?! Do you grow your inner core outside your body?]
“You’re not wrong, but still! Ha, Lee Rowoon, listen and don’t get the wrong idea, okay? This is really good stuff. He just explained it strangely. A fox’s inner core is a renowned mystical treasure, a true spiritual treasure!”
Perhaps because the finest reward he had brought had suddenly been reduced to the equivalent of an organ, the veins in Iho’s neck stood out.
“When it comes to this fox bead…!”
‘What is with this atmosphere?’
This was supposed to be a moment when he was receiving repayment, yet somehow it felt as though he were being taken in by a traveling medicine salesman.
“…That’s the kind of effect it has! It’s the greatest of treasures, something you couldn’t buy no matter how much money you had! You couldn’t obtain something this precious even if you hauled over piles of gold and jewels!”
“So basically, this fox bead nourishes the body, and because it’s a crystallization of pure energy, it purifies the entire body, increases spiritual power, extends your lifespan, and might even make it possible to become an immortal someday. Something like that?”
That was more or less Iho’s lengthy sales pitch condensed into a single sentence.
“Other fox beads won’t do. Only the bead of someone like me, a Ten-Tailed Fox, has effects like that! You can’t compare it to fox beads contaminated with all sorts of miscellaneous energies. There’s no comparison!”
[Indeed, indeed. He has every right to boast that much. It is exceedingly precious. Treasures capable of raising one’s level of existence by an entire stage are exceptionally rare. I imagine those old geezers up above have their eyes popping out right about now.]
“Exactly. This isn’t something just anyone can possess. For one thing, even among foxes, there are very few Ten-Tailed Foxes with a bead of this caliber. And we don’t just give them to anyone in the first place. Like I said, this is my power condensed into a physical form. The more I remove, the weaker I become. So who would I ever give it to?”
A declaration overflowing with confidence.
Then Cheonghwa chimed in like a perfectly timed hype man.
Rowoon had no idea why it sounded exactly like one of those home-shopping commercials warning viewers to beware of imitations.
‘But now that I think about it… if all of that is true, I’m not the one who should receive it.’
Setting aside the fact that the request was still only at ninety-nine percent, which made accepting a reward weigh on his conscience…
‘They say every straw sandal has its pair. No, wait. Is that even the right saying for this? Whatever.’
They said every object had an owner meant for it.
The more he listened to Iho’s grand explanation, the more Rowoon felt that this mysterious treasure already had someone it truly belonged to.
“So anyway, you’re saying it’s incredibly good, right?”
“I told you it is! Have you spent your whole life being suspicious of people? Just take it already.”
“Then, Iho. This could save a sick person too, right? From what you’re saying, as long as they’re still alive, it sounds almost like a cure-all.”
“Huh? Theoretically, that would… be……?”
Rowoon casually added while looking at the suddenly dumbfounded Iho.
“Then shouldn’t Jeonghye use it?”
At that moment, Rowoon saw them.
Ears suddenly popping out, followed by a mass of luxuriant tails.
‘They looked so soft that I did want to touch them at least once. I just never thought I’d get to do it like this.’
Nine tails filled the room.
That alone showed just how shocked Iho was.
It meant his composure, which maintained his magic, had been shaken.
‘Come to think of it, why are there nine? I’m pretty sure he had ten when I first saw him.’
Rowoon was curious, but calming the startled fox took priority.
“Wait. What are you talking about? You want to give my fox bead to Jeonghye?”
“After hearing the explanation, no matter how I think about it, it seems like it’s exactly the sort of thing that should go to Jeonghye.”
Of course, there were problems with Rowoon’s idea.
First of all…
[W-What?! What nonsense are you spouting?!]
He had to convince Cheonghwa, whose fate was bound together with his.
Cheonghwa was aghast to see Rowoon scattering ashes over his own perfectly cooked meal.
[Do you have any idea how beneficial and precious that is?! It must contain at least a hundred years’ worth of accumulated power! That fellow may be an idiot, but his power is tremendous. The effects would be extraordinary!]
“But Cheonghwa, with you here, do I really need something like that?”
[…Hm?]
“Think about it. Purification is already one of your basic abilities. And I’ll always be with you anyway, so do I really need it?”
[Strangely enough… that does sound rather reasonable.]
“And spiritual power and longevity are things way off in the future. Right now I’m struggling just to stay alive. What use would any of that be if I died? Rather than wasting such a valuable item on me, wouldn’t it be better to give it to someone who truly needs it? Right?”
[Good grief! Why would you say something so inauspicious?!]
“It’s just a figure of speech. With you around, what could possibly happen to me?”
[Hmm. That is true.]
“Anyway, there’s someone who needs this item far more than I do right now. Wouldn’t using it where it’s most needed make the most sense?”
Fortunately, after calmly persuading her…
[Well… I suppose it would not be a bad thing. Your reasoning has merit. And I suppose it would not hurt for at least one human like Jeonghye to remain in this world.]
He managed to gain Cheonghwa’s agreement.
[Ugh. I cannot exactly object when you put it in terms of accumulating virtue.]
She clicked her tongue, saying she had suspected something like this would happen from the moment the fox bead was mentioned.
“You’re seriously… going to give this to Jeonghye…?”
Iho had been so startled at the suggestion that his ears and tails had popped out.
Only after listening to Rowoon’s discussion with Cheonghwa did he seem to collect himself enough to finally ask.
“I’m not just saying this because it’s mine. This really is incredibly precious…”
“I know. But there’s someone else who can put it to much better use than I can.”
“……”
Iho looked as though he had absolutely no idea what he was supposed to say.
Cheonghwa nodded as though she understood.
[It may surprise you, but humans like this do exist. This is precisely why even those finicky old geezers cannot help but acknowledge him. Ahem.]
Iho barely seemed to hear Cheonghwa warning him not to get any ideas about Rowoon.
His mouth opened and closed soundlessly before he staggered forward and grasped both of Rowoon’s hands with trembling fingers.
“I… I don’t know what to say. The most valuable things I have are my bead and Jeonghye…… I’m sorry, but I can’t give you Jeonghye, and… you’re saying you’ll give the bead to Jeonghye, so… hmm.”
Iho’s eyes, already red from sniffling, grew moist again.
“I don’t have anything left to give you… so would you take me instead?”
“…What?”
Did I hear that wrong?
“After Jeonghye crosses the Samdocheon2 someday, I could take you as my master……”
“No. No, no, no! Wait a second. What are you talking about?!”
Rowoon recoiled in horror.
The warm, touching atmosphere shattered in an instant.
[You fox! How dare you try to snatch away a human someone else already has their eye on?! I warned you not to covet him just moments ago!]
“Then how am I supposed to repay this debt?!”
[That is for you to figure out some other way!]
Rowoon put a hand to his forehead and broke up the two spiritual beings.
“For now… I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear what you just said, Iho. I have enough trouble taking care of myself as it is.”
“If that’s what you want… Then I’ll give you a large amount of the merit I’ve accumulated instead. That’s fine, right?”
“Yes. I’d be fine with that.”
At least they were not completely incapable of communicating.
Thank goodness.
[Do not celebrate too soon. This does not end merely because that fellow agreed to give it up. You cannot simply toss around a treasure as valuable as a fox bead whenever you please, can you?]
Why did the beings of heaven go out of their way to seek Rowoon in the first place?
Because those beings possessed tremendous power, and if they interfered recklessly, the order of the mortal world would undoubtedly be thrown into chaos.
That was why direct interference was strictly forbidden.
The same applied to Iho.
Iho, too, was a heavenly being registered on the immortal register.
Was that not why even something as minor as helping Lee Jeonghye had been done through Rowoon?
‘It would be a problem if he suddenly gave her his fox bead now.’
Not only was such interference strictly forbidden, it was serious enough that Iho could potentially be stripped from the immortal register.
[If you get punished, fox, that is your own affair. But what wrong has Jeonghye committed? What if your mistake causes consequences for her as well?]
“…You’re right. Jeonghye already suffered for so long because of me. I can’t let even her soul be put through hardship.”
The hope that had swelled up for one brief moment crumbled into ash.
The atmosphere plunged into gloom.
Then someone raised a hand.
“I have an idea. Would you like to hear it?”
It was Rowoon.
[Will that method really work?]
“Wouldn’t it be stranger if it didn’t? Once I receive it, it belongs to me, right?”
“Well… that is true……”
Mysterious currents of power circulated endlessly inside the fox bead.
When Rowoon held it, it was surprisingly warm, enough that he would not have needed a hand warmer.
“I received it, so it’s mine now. Right?”
“Y-Yeah… I gave it to you in repayment for what you did for me, so it belongs to you.”
“Then this bead is now mine.”
Rowoon loudly declared those words to no one in particular.
[Starlight 932 marvels at your cleverness!]
[Starlight 345 acknowledges your ownership!]
[Starlight 279 pops popcorn while watching this situation!]
It felt like something strange had slipped into that last one.
In any case, the observers watching the situation also agreed with Rowoon.
‘If they say it’s okay, then that settles it.’
“Then let’s go.”
“Huh…? Go where?”
“Where else? We’re going to the hospital where Jeonghye is.”
“R-Right now?”
Rowoon glanced at Iho, who was fidgeting anxiously beside him.
“Put those ears and tails away first.”
They arrived at Lee Jeonghye’s hospital several hours later.
“Yunseo has been making such a fuss since earlier. I suppose she heard that Lee Rowoon was coming. Anyway, Iho, it’s been a very long time since I’ve seen you looking like that.”
Lee Jeonghye, lying in her hospital bed, welcomed Rowoon and Iho.
“I’ve grown this old, while you’re still just as beautiful as ever…”
“Jeonghye, why would you say something like that? To me, you’re still more beautiful and lovely than anyone else.”
Should I… give them the room for a little while?
Rowoon considered it.
Fortunately, the two had not forgotten that he was there.
“I was actually going to contact you because I thought I ought to thank you properly.”
“No, really, it’s fine. I’ve already heard plenty of thanks from Iho.”
At Lee Jeonghye’s gentle smile, the Confucian boy slumbering within Rowoon awakened with the speed of a spinal reflex.
“That’s right. Jeonghye, don’t think about anything else. Just focus on getting healthy. Okay?”
“How can I do that when we have a guest, and such an honored benefactor at that?”
Iho stopped Lee Jeonghye when she tried to prepare something for them.
His doting tendencies were becoming painfully obvious.
“No, it’s fine. I only came by to see your face for a moment anyway. But Jeonghye, what I’m about to say may sound a little strange. Please just take it exactly as I say it.”
“Yes? What is it?”
“My pocket is rather shallow right now. If I stand up, whatever’s inside might fall out. I’d be terribly disappointed and upset if I lost it, but there’d be nothing I could do. It would be my own carelessness.”
Rowoon shrugged as though it could not be helped.
“I probably wouldn’t even bother looking for it again. I’m pretty absentminded, so I’d quickly forget what I lost anyway. I suppose I’d just hope whoever picked it up made good use of it. And it might just happen to be something Iho knows very well.”
Normally, Rowoon had thriftiness ingrained in him, both by choice and necessity. He treasured every possession and used things until they practically fell apart.
But for this moment alone, he decided to become the very embodiment of carelessness.
Sure enough…
Plop!
As Rowoon rose from the chair, something slipped out of his shallow pocket and dropped onto the floor.
Roll, roll…
The round bead rolled across the floor as though it recognized its owner, finally coming to a stop in front of Lee Jeonghye.
“Then I’ll be going. I hope the next time we meet, it’ll be somewhere other than a hospital.”
It seemed Lee Jeonghye was trying to call Rowoon from behind.
But Rowoon pretended not to hear, turned around, and left the hospital room.
Now Lee Jeonghye would simply happen to pick up the fox bead Rowoon had accidentally lost.
‘What can anyone say? I lost it by accident. Losing something isn’t against the laws of heaven.’
And at that moment…
Ding!
[The request has been successfully completed!]
At long last, the completion message Rowoon had been waiting for appeared.
Notes:
- In Korean Buddhism, sarira (사리) refers to sacred, crystal- or pearl-like bead remains found in the ashes after cremating revered monks or the historical Buddha. ↩︎
- Samdocheon (삼도천) is the Korean and East Asian Buddhist concept of the River of Three Crossings, a mythological boundary between the living world and the afterlife, similar to the River Styx in Greek mythology. ↩︎
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