Chapter 165
165
When I slowly gathered my Qi and opened my eyes, it was early evening.
The sunset was pouring in through the paper sliding door.
The incredibly heightened senses felt foreign, so I wiggled my fingers and toes. I heard Yeon-ryang chuckle softly.
When I slowly turned my head, I saw Yeon-ryang propping up his chin and looking at me.
I scratched my cheek, puzzled.
"The sun hasn't set yet? I thought at least half a day had passed."
"It's been much longer than half a day. It's been four days, Young Miss."
"What? Four days have passed?"
My mouth dropped open at the unbelievable words. I had felt like I was occasionally breaking free from the constraints of space and time, but I didn't realize that four days had passed.
Now that I heard it, Yeon-ryang's eyes were dark. He must have been watching me without sleeping a wink.
"Ugh, sorry, Brother! Were you awake the whole time? You must be tired. Get some sleep quickly."
"Tired? It was fun."
A look of satisfaction flickered in Yeon-ryang's eyes as he answered. It was a look I had seen often.
"Brother, you looked just like our Grandfather just now."
"Huh? In what way?"
"Grandfather had that exact look in his eyes the day I created my Dantian. He looked at me just like you did."
"Haha, he must have been proud."
That's the problem. That's it. Why are you giving me the look of a grandfather watching his granddaughter's kindergarten talent show?
I swallowed a hollow laugh and slowly got up, then gasped at the waste products dripping onto the floor.
"Ew! What is this!"
"A natural phenomenon proving our sister's achievement."
"I, I'm going to go wash up. Brother! Please ventilate the room!"
I covered my nose in a hurry and screamed as I ran out of the room.
\ \ \
For the next few days, I focused on melting the Spiritual energy remaining in my meridians.
My body had definitely changed.
I should say my Qi had stabilized. My arms and legs had become stronger, and I could move each small muscle much more freely.
Yeon-ryang was amazed at how different I looked every time we sparred.
Of course, I was still far from catching up to Yeon-ryang.
"Shall we stop here for today?"
I rolled around on the floor after being hit enthusiastically by his sword, groaning, and reached out my arm to Yeon-ryang.
"Brother, don't you want to eat meat? Not dried meat, but fresh meat that doesn't smell."
"Are you saying we should go hunting?"
"Yeah. Even though it's winter, we should be able to catch at least one rabbit, right?"
"Okay. Let's go out. I'll prepare it for you."
Yeon-ryang answered readily and prepared to go out.
As we left the hut and wandered around the mountainside, we saw houses far away.
"Looks like there's a village."
"Yeah. It doesn't look very big."
"We shouldn't come this way. We'll run into people unnecessarily."
As I was talking to Yeon-ryang and about to turn around, I saw the backs of children crouching on the ground.
Two young children, about six or seven years old, were eating something.
I wondered if they were sharing a snack, but I frowned in disbelief.
They were holding dirt in their small hands. The children were melting and eating the frozen white clay as if it were a snack.
Yeon-ryang said with a pitiful look.
"It's Guanyin clay."
"Why are they eating dirt?"
"They've run out of food to survive the winter, and even the weeds along the road have withered, so they're hungry. They have to eat dirt to relieve their hunger. It fills their stomachs quite a bit."
"Brother, you're talking like you've eaten it before."
Then Yeon-ryang smiled awkwardly and looked away. I was momentarily speechless at the sight of him fidgeting with his earlobe.
Could it be...
"D, did you eat it? Really?"
"Haha, that's all in the past."
I jumped and covered my mouth, looking at Yeon-ryang.
I knew that he had been so hungry that he had a hard time controlling his appetite even after he became an adult, but I didn't know that he had to fill his stomach with dirt.
...There's still so much I don't know about Yeon-ryang.
I fidgeted with my hands and watched Yeon-ryang's mood. He didn't seem to be in a good mood, as he couldn't take his eyes off the children eating dirt.
"Let's bring rice, Brother."
"Huh?"
"You're not going to feel good if we leave them alone. If they keep eating that, they'll get an intestinal obstruction. Their bodies will swell up and they'll die."
Yeon-ryang waved his hand in embarrassment at my suggestion.
"No. We don't have to do that."
"What do you mean we don't have to? It's not like we're doing charity. Instead of thinking about the old days when you see starving kids, you should feed them well and forget about it. Do I not know you, Brother? You won't be able to sleep if we just pass by. Are you going to have nightmares again?"
"......"
"We brought plenty of food, and we have Grain-avoidance pills, so it'll be okay to share some. Let's boil some thin rice porridge and feed them."
Yeon-ryang's eyes softened as he hesitated and moved his lips.
"I can't fool our sister's eyes. You're like a ghost."
"Of course. Who are you trying to fool? Let's bring the pot."
"Okay. Let's do that."
Yeon-ryang nodded and looked at the children. His expression was heavy.
\ \ \
The children, who had been wary of the strange adults, began to approach cautiously as we conspicuously lit a fire and boiled rice.
They were clutching their stomachs and swallowing hard, as if they couldn't resist the aroma spreading in all directions.
I beckoned to the child who was holding his younger sibling's hand tightly.
"Hey. How old are you?"
"Nine years old."
"How old is your sibling?"
"My sibling is six years old."
"I see. Is your house far from here?"
"About an hour's walk... It's faster if you run! It doesn't take long if you run!"
"Then will you go home and bring a bowl and spoon to put the porridge in? It'll be perfectly cooked when you get back."
"R, really? Yes!"
The child nodded his head in a hurry and seemed to say something to his sibling, then ran off excitedly.
"You can go slowly. You'll fall?"
"Yes!"
The child answered cheerfully and ran down the mountainside like a rabbit.
The younger sibling, left alone, looked up at me with wide eyes.
The clothes, which seemed to have been passed down from the older sibling, were loose and made the child look even thinner.
I smiled and approached the child.
"What's your name?"
"Mal-saeng."
"Are you the youngest?"
"Yes."
"Shall we wait with this auntie until your sister comes back?"
As I asked kindly and sat down next to him, the child seemed to relax and began to mumble about his story and the village.
I was a little embarrassed as I listened to Mal-saeng's story and waited for his sister to return.
The child returning from afar was not alone. It was as if he had brought all the children in the neighborhood with him. About seven or eight children were climbing the mountain with him, carrying bowls.
"...Um. I didn't expect this."
"Haha, I'm glad we brought plenty of rice. I'll have to boil it one more time."
Yeon-ryang shrugged his shoulders and stirred the porridge boiling in the pot.
\ \ *
When the pot of porridge was empty, the children's faces looked disappointed.
The children exchanged glances for a while, and then the child I had met first grabbed his empty bowl and opened his mouth hesitantly.
"Um... Can we come again tomorrow?"
I glanced at Yeon-ryang, and he avoided my gaze and closed his mouth tightly. I hesitated for a moment at his attitude, which I couldn't tell if it was good or bad, and then nodded.
"Okay. Will you come again tomorrow? Around Jin-si. When the sun rises... and the shadow falls this way, come. Got it?"
"Really?"
"Yeah. But you have to bring your bowl and spoon."
"Yes! Thank you!"
The child bowed his head and smiled brightly as he ran to his sibling.
The child's face, as he chattered and took Mal-saeng's hand and went down the mountain, was brighter than ever before.
"Brother, let's clean up..."
I was about to say, but I swallowed my words at Yeon-ryang's lonely expression.
Yeon-ryang, looking at the place where the children had left, was making an expression I had never seen before.
Did I do something unnecessary? It seems like I just made him think about the old days.
I watched Yeon-ryang anxiously.
Yeon-ryang, who had been standing silently for a long time, slowly looked down at his hand.
He muttered.
"If I have enough money... should I set up an inn in a quiet place?"
"An inn?"
"Yeah. I was thinking of calling the kids in the neighborhood and feeding them. This is quite... not bad. It's not bad."
Fortunately, Yeon-ryang didn't seem to dislike what had happened today. Only then did I feel relieved and replied as usual.
"That's not an inn, that's an orphanage, Brother."
"If you give them food and a place to sleep, it's an inn, what else would it be?"
Yeon-ryang answered nonchalantly, and a smile appeared on his face. He looked a little refreshed.
"It's good to feed the kids, but I'm against the inn, Brother. Where else would Martial Arts World people gather as much as at an inn? There's definitely going to be a fight every day? There won't be any furniture left."
"Maybe. Then I'll have to rely on our sister's name.
"Are you going to sell me off?"
"If I spread the rumor that the Tang Clan's daughter owns five coins of this inn, no one will mess with it, right?"
"Ahaha. What is that?"
His eyes curved into crescents as he smiled at me. I deliberately acted spoiled and clung to Yeon-ryang's back.
"Brother, give me a piggyback ride."
"Huh? Now?"
"My legs hurt from climbing the mountain. Give me a piggyback ride."
Yeon-ryang chuckled at my whining and bent down. He gave me a scolding as he carried me lightly on his back.
"How can a grown woman be carried around on someone's back at any time? You won't be able to get married."
"Whether I can't go or not. What does it matter? I can just live with Brother forever."
"You're good at talking. I know you'll abandon your brother as soon as a handsome man shows up."
"Who would do that? No. I only need Brother."
"I don't know. In a year or two, you won't want to be with your brother anymore. ...I'll be sad then. You don't know when someone is there, but you can tell when someone is gone. I'll be sad when our sister gets married."
"I told you I'm not going, so stop saying that. What's the point of getting married? I don't need a husband who will only cause trouble."
"Okay, okay. Let's live with Brother for ten thousand years."
Yeon-ryang chuckled and moved slowly. I bickered with Yeon-ryang and hugged his neck, burying my face in his broad back.
I hope today's events will be a comfort to him in his childhood.
Hoping that he will no longer have nightmares of the past.
