When Moongyong extended his arm toward the pavilion fence, one of the stones in the yard flew straight into his hand. Moongyong tossed the stone into the tranquil lake. Compared to the vastness of the water, the pebble was far too small—it sank without causing even the slightest ripple. Not even a bubble surfaced…….
“Do you understand what I mean? When the wind blows, things sway. When a stone falls in, water splashes. That’s only natural. By excessively suppressing your emotions, you’re going against nature, Immortal.”
Going against nature.
It was an inherently contradictory statement. An immortal who neither aged nor died already defied nature simply by existing. Yet Iri understood that Moongyong was speaking out of concern, so he didn’t point out the contradiction. Instead, he nodded.
“You might be right. Maybe I am repressing my emotions too much. But I don’t really want to change. This works better for running the shop.”
Without another word, Moongyong withdrew the illusion of the lake. Iri absently fiddled with the black thread bracelet around his wrist.
“Shall we get to the main point now? I need to sleep at night, you know.”
“Did you know? This is the first time I’ve ever seen you look this troubled. Back when Woochi used to follow you around, you were always so composed.”
“Moongyong…….”
Iri frowned at Moongyong, who clearly had no intention of letting the matter slide. Even so, Moongyong opened his mouth as if there were things he absolutely had to say.
“As you know, a Jangsa is immensely powerful. The stone a Jangsa throws won’t be anything like the mere pebbles Woochi and I tossed into your lake, Immortal.”
“…….”
“I’m rather looking forward to the day a massive ripple finally appears on your lake. Immortal Iri, caught in a violent storm, not knowing what to do. Isn’t that a truly intoxicating line? When that day comes, we should throw a banquet with Woochi…….”
Moongyong’s beard trembled as he chuckled.
For a brief moment, Iri was reminded of something that had happened recently. When that curio had delivered the prophecy that Dojin would become lovers with him……. How violently his heart had surged then. Even right before falling asleep, his chest had refused to settle. He never wanted to experience that strange, unsettling flutter again.
Only after saying everything he wanted did Moongyong seem satisfied enough to once more pull his long-stemmed pipe out of thin air.
“I know why you came all this way.”
“So you’re finally getting to the point.”
The reason Iri had sought Moongyong out was to ask about the King’s ‘test’ that would take place during the Gido Ceremony. Anyone aspiring to become an Immortal’s disciple had to pass the King’s test without fail. Without the King’s recognition, one could not become a resident of the True Mortal Realm.
“I’ll tell you everything. For you, Immortal, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do.”
After teasing him to his heart’s content, Moongyong finally began explaining in a properly courteous manner.
***
The next day, when Iri found a brief lull in the morning, he sat Dojin down and relayed everything he’d heard the day before, exactly as it was.
“The King will prepare three scroll rods. Each one tests something different—Taoist arts, physical ability, and mental fortitude. Apparently, they all look identical on the outside. You’ll take the test for whichever topic I choose.”
“Taoist arts, physical ability, and mental fortitude…….”
“Choosing physical ability would probably be most advantageous. It might also be a good idea to use a curio to get the scroll rod you want.”
“Master.”
As Dojin refilled Iri’s teacup, he spoke in a serious, almost stern tone.
“No matter what you choose, it’ll be advantageous, so just pick without worrying.”
Iri gave an awkward smile, clearly unconvinced. After dripping a single drop into Kkiwoong’s miniature teacup as well, Dojin set the teapot back onto its stand.
“Don’t worry. I’m stronger in real combat anyway. And even if I don’t pass the test, I can always challenge it again later, right? Surely the King isn’t so narrow-minded that he wouldn’t allow a retake.”
“…….”
“…He won’t allow a retake?”
Only then did Dojin’s expression turn slightly serious. Iri tilted his head at an ambiguous angle—neither nodding nor shaking it.
“It’s unclear. As far as I know, from the beginning of time until now, there hasn’t been a single person who failed the test at a Gido Ceremony.”
“What? Then there’s even less reason to worry. Someone far more exceptional than the average person like me will obviously pass!”
“You’ll pass the physical ability and Taoist arts sections for sure, but I’m not certain about the mental fortitude test.”
Iri recalled what Moongyong had told him the day before about that portion of the trial.
“They say the one taking the test is forced to relive the most terrifying and horrific experience of their life. And not just that—they experience it in an even more extreme environment, and they have to escape on their own before a day passes.”
At Iri’s words, Dojin rubbed his chin.
“The most terrifying and horrific experience…….”
When it came to something horrific, he didn’t need to think long before one came to mind.
Failing to control his strength and injuring his mother, his father, and Dohui.
If the test were to add a suitably ‘more extreme’ element to that…….
Dojin looked at his master. Iri had been frowning deeply, his face full of worry, but when he noticed Dojin’s gaze, their eyes met.
Up until now, Dojin had never hurt Iri. If the King’s test truly presented an ‘extremely terrifying and horrific’ scenario, the only thing he could imagine was losing control of his strength and gravely injuring Iri.
Dojin’s hand tightened. He brought his fist down onto his thigh and spoke.
“I think I’d panic if that actually happened.”
“Can you be more specific about the situation? Let’s try to find a way to break out of it in advance.”
“But that situation will never happen.”
“Hm?”
If he were to injure Iri, he’d probably fall into a state of panic, feel like his entire world was collapsing…….
Iri getting hurt?
Immortal Iri, of all people?
This Heaven-and-Earth Divine Spirit who wore the purest, most untainted face in the world while tearing space apart and ripping off arms without hesitation?
If he were placed in an illusion where Iri lay collapsed, drenched in blood, the sheer dissonance from reality would be so overwhelming that he’d immediately snap out of it.
“What kind of situation do you find terrifying and horrific?”
“There’s absolutely no chance of that happening, so…… there’s no need for a countermeasure. Don’t worry about it, Master. Don’t you trust me?”
“It’s a situation involving me, isn’t it.”
When Dojin tried to change the subject, Iri caught on immediately. After a moment of quiet thought, Iri nodded.
“Yes. Me getting hurt by your hands is something that’s extremely unlikely to happen in reality.”
“Master, can you read minds too? Try guessing what I’m thinking right now. I bet you can. What should the prize be? How about a sweet kiss from your disciple, who’ll one day become your beloved?”
Dojin dragged his chair closer to Iri. Throughout their conversation, he’d been inching closer bit by bit, and now Iri was already perched at the very edge of the worktable. With nowhere left to retreat, Iri let out a sigh.
“Let’s organize what we need to do this afternoon.”
“This afternoon?”
Dojin’s eyes widened.
“Did you plan a date course too, Master?”
“What are you talking about now?”
Dojin’s eyes sparkled as he grabbed both of Iri’s hands.
“If there’s something to do this afternoon, that means we’re going out together! I naturally assumed you hadn’t planned anything, Master, so I stayed up all night yesterday planning a date course. But if you’ve already planned one, let’s just go with yours. We can do mine another time!”
“…….”
Iri stared at Dojin with eyes full of things he wanted to say. The sparkle in Dojin’s gaze dimmed slightly.
“Why are you looking at me like that…?”
“Why would we go out this afternoon? We need to work.”
Dojin bit his lip, then picked up the schedule sheet lying on the worktable.
Kkiwoong?
Stuffed full of tea and sprawled across the schedule, Kkiwoong got dragged along with it. Dojin casually brushed Kkiwoong aside and pointed at the calendar with his finger.
“Today is May 15—Teacher’s Day. And tomorrow is May 16, Coming-of-Age Day. You see that, right?”
“Yeah…….”
“And you also see that today’s consultations and work are only scheduled for the morning, right? After 1 p.m., it’s completely empty.”
“That’s because I was planning to make ‘Distant Butterfly’ paper in the afternoon.”
“What did you just say?!”
Dojin shouted at the top of his lungs. The yell was so loud that the birds dozing on the oak tree branches flapped away in a panic, and Kkiwoong dove straight into Iri’s shadow.
“That’s insane! I obviously thought that since today and tomorrow are anniversaries, we’d be going on dates in the afternoon!”
“What kind of anniversary is today, exactly…….”
“Think about it! Say there’s a couple. Normally, one partner is fucking busy and works overtime every single day. But on the one-year anniversary of their relationship, they only work a half day. What do you think the other person would assume?!”
The sentence didn’t end with a question mark, but with an exclamation point—an extremely aggressive one.
Iri was flustered by Dojin treating him like a neglectful lover, but before anything else, he asked the most pressing question.
“Why is today comparable to our one-year anniversary in the first place?”
“It’s Teacher’s Day and Coming-of-Age Day! We haven’t held the Gido Ceremony yet, sure, but I’ve already accumulated this much virtue, and it’s the first Teacher’s Day since we became true master and disciple! On top of that, tomorrow’s my Coming-of-Age Day! This isn’t just on par with a one-year anniversary—it’s way bigger! It’s basically like our first wedding anniversary!”
“No, we haven’t even done the Gido Ceremony yet, and you’ve already been an adult since January 1st this year, so what are you even—”
“Be grateful I’m letting it slide because it’s you. If you forget our first wedding anniversary after we actually get married, I won’t let you off so easily then.”
“What in the world are you talking about…….”
“Anyway, you understand what I’m saying, right? It’s our first Teacher’s Day as a real master and disciple, plus a once-in-a-lifetime Coming-of-Age Day, so please listen to me just for today. If you don’t, then you’re not even a proper master!”
Iri briefly thought that, if anything, on Teacher’s Day it should be the disciple who listened to the master—but Dojin didn’t give him a chance to say it.
