Dan Ak-seon kept his room lit late into the night.
"Doctor Dan, are you in?"
Dan Ak-seon, who had been grinding herbs in a mortar, was startled and stood up at the sudden visit from Cho Ak-ryang.
"Huh? What brings you here at this hour?"
"I should be asking you, Doctor Dan. What are you working so diligently on at this late hour?"
"I'm trying to make a special pill."
"To gather money for purchasing fleeceflower root?"
"The special pills fetch a higher price than ordinary herbs."
Even at a glance, Dan Ak-seon looked extremely tired. Yet, he smiled brightly without a trace of weariness.
Seeing this, Cho Ak-ryang made up his mind.
"Don't worry about the money. I'll take care of it from now on."
"Huh? How?"
"I have a way. So, you should get some rest."
After leaving the quarters, Cho Ak-ryang went straight to Beom Gye-wi.
"Go get me a log, a good quality one."
Beom Gye-wi frowned.
"Coming here suddenly in the middle of the night? What are you going to do with a log?"
"We need to make money. It’s not right for Doctor Dan to lose sleep like that."
"Even if you sell a log, it won't bring in much…"
"Then we’ll just make something expensive out of it."
"How… Ah!"
Beom Gye-wi, who had been questioning him, suddenly realized the reason and exclaimed.
"Cho hyung has extraordinary skills!"
A talent that made Cho Ak-ryang as famous as his martial arts skills.
It was his astounding sculpting skills, having reached an incredible level. It was also a hobby that greatly contributed to spreading Cho Ak-ryang's notorious reputation throughout the martial world.
Cho Ak-ryang would carve and collect the likenesses of the notable orthodox martial artists he had killed.
Naturally, the orthodox factions could not help but shudder at this.
Yet, regardless of such a reputation, no one ever questioned the skill of his craftsmanship.
After a short while.
Cho Ak-ryang and Beom Gye-wi arrived at Dan Ak-seon's pavilion.
"This should cover the living expenses."
Thud.
Cho Ak-ryang placed the item he had brought on the table.
It was a statue of Guan Yu*, about a foot high. (T/N: A famous general during China’s Three Kingdoms period.)
"Wow!"
Dan Ak-seon let out an exclamation without realizing it.
The lifelike expression, the dynamic pose, and even the vividness that made it seem as if the figure could leap into battle at any moment.
Everything was perfectly expressed in the wooden statue.
At Dan Ak-seon's reaction, Cho Ak-ryang shrugged his shoulders.
"If I recover my internal energy, I could carve even stone."
Once he could properly control his qi, the material itself would no longer be a limitation.
It would be possible with jade, marble, or even cast iron.
"Did you make this yourself? At this level, people would line up to buy it."
Cho Ak-ryang and Beom Gye-wi exchanged satisfied smiles.
"But aside from the Guan Yu statue, can you make other things?"
"Of course. But why?"
"If we think about it, there are memorial temples for Guan Yu everywhere, so it seems like statues of him wouldn’t sell well."
Cho Ak-ryang nodded.
Upon hearing this, it made sense. Why would people seek out small Guan Yu statues when there were already grand ones available?
"If you’re going to make something, please make it so that a lot of people would want to buy it."
"No problem."
Cho Ak-ryang confidently stepped outside.
Beom Gye-wi, also excited, followed him.
And then, after a short while.
Cho Ak-ryang returned to the hall and placed five wooden statues on the table.
This time, they were Buddha statues.
"Wow...! Huh?"
Dan Ak-seon, who had been admiring them, stared blankly at the statues.
For a brief moment.
"These are Buddha statues, right?"
At Dan Ak-seon's question, Cho Ak-ryang nodded.
"I chose the most popular ones and made them. From left to right, they are the Future Buddha, Medicine Buddha, Buddha of Compassion, Buddha of Wisdom, and Buddha of Universal Virtue."
"They’re not the Buddha statues I know, though."
The forms were perfect.
The problem was that none of them exuded a sense of great compassion or noble brightness.
Their expressions were uniformly fierce, as if they were warriors. It would make sense for a statue of Guan Yu, who spent his life on the battlefield, but these looked completely out of place with the Buddhist ideals of compassion and altruism.
"How could that be? I recreated it perfectly!"
"It's too scary. I wouldn't want to buy this statue."
Dan Ak-seon smiled at the now serious Cho Ak-ryang.
"Can you carve something cute, like a baby or a child statue?"
"Wait here for a moment."
Cho Ak-ryang stepped out of the room again, and returned exactly after one quarter of an hour. Dan Ak-seon, who gazed at the wooden statue Cho Ak-ryang had placed down, let out a sigh.
"How does this baby exude such a sinister aura?"
"Why? It's perfect, isn't it?"
"I think it's flawless too!"
Perhaps feeling uneasy about how the situation was unfolding, Beom Gye-wi also supported Cho Ak-ryang. However, Dan Ak-seon shook his head firmly.
"We can't sell this to people."
Just looking at it felt like his lifespan was being shaved away.
How could anyone bring such an ominous object into their home?
"It can't be helped."
Faced with the dissatisfied expressions of the two men, Dan Ak-seon reluctantly pushed the table away.
"Both of you, please sit down and close your eyes."
Dan Ak-seon smiled quietly at the puzzled expressions on their faces.
"It's a doctor's job to heal not only the ailments of the body but also the wounds of the heart."
At those words, Cho Ak-ryang and Beom Gye-wi sat down cross-legged in place.
"Now, focus on what I say."
With their eyes closed, the two men nodded.
"The place you're sitting in now is a peaceful meadow with a gentle breeze blowing."
The expressions of Cho Ak-ryang and Beom Gye-wi softened.
Just listening to Dan Ak-seon's voice had a calming effect on them.
“There are beautiful flowers everywhere in the vast grasslands.”
“...”
“...”
“A butterfly that came from somewhere just landed on your shoulder.”
Slap! Slap!
Cho Ak-ryang and Beom Gye-wi simultaneously slapped their shoulders.
“... Don’t kill the butterfly.”
“...”
“...”
“I’ll try again.”
This time, he decided to change the mood.
“It’s early morning. The refreshing air feels so pleasant. You can hear the sound of cool stream water from somewhere.”
The expressions on the two people's faces became much more relaxed.
“You two are slowly climbing the mountain as if you’re taking a leisurely walk. And look, there’s a quiet hermitage in the distance.”
“...”
“...”
“There’s no one inside the quiet hermitage. Only a monk with a gentle smile is sitting alone on the platform. Can you see him?”
“He, he’s smiling!”
“Yes! I can see him too!”
Dan Ak-seon smiled gently.
Fortunately, it seemed like it had succeeded this time.
But at that moment—
"That bastard is mocking us! Damn bald-headed monk! This is why I hate bald guys!"
"I'm going to pluck out his eyes and make them my third testicle..."
Dan Ak-seon let out a sigh.
"Stop it!"
The two people who had opened their eyes looked around in confusion.
"Where did that guy go?"
"Yeah, where? Did he run away?"
Dan Ak-seon shook his head.
"Just make a dragon or tiger statue. A Buddha statue just won't work."
"Are you giving up on our treatment?"
At Cho Ak-ryang's question, Dan Ak-seon smiled bitterly.
"I'm not giving up... Psychological treatment usually takes time."
Dan Ak-seon was silently firming his wavering resolve without the others noticing.
The next morning.
In the dense forest, above the towering treetops, a carriage was flying through the sky.
"Wow!"
Dan Ak-seon exclaimed in awe, and Beom Gye-wi burst out laughing.
"Do you like it that much?"
"Yes! It feels like I'm flying in the sky!"
Beom Gye-wi felt a sense of pride.
He used to think there was no use learning levitation techniques, but now he was glad he did.
There was no greater skill than this when it came to playing with children.
"This is how good I am!"
"Awesome! You're the best, Uncle!"
Dan Ak-seon gave a thumbs-up.
The cart was loaded with wooden statues carved by Cho Ak-ryang, in addition to Dan Ak-seon, but Beom Gye-wi easily lifted the cart with one hand. Beom Gye-wi swiftly descended the mountain and set the cart down at the village entrance.
"You're amazing, Uncle. If I had pulled the cart alone, it would have taken me half a day."
"For me, this only takes a moment."
Beom Gye-wi pulled out a bandana from the cart and wrapped it around his head.
"Wow! You look like a different person."
At the continued praise, Beom Gye-wi grinned widely.
"Shall we go, then?"
Beom Gye-wi smiled as he entered the village.
"But how are we going to sell these?"
"I have an idea."
Dan Ak-seon, who had been smiling, raised a hand and pointed somewhere.
"Please park the cart over there."
The place they arrived at was a woodworking shop that sold various furniture and decorative items.
"Wait here for a moment."
Dan Ak-seon picked up a wooden dragon statue from the cart and hid it in his arms.
Then he walked straight into the shop.
"Welcome......"
The shopkeeper, who had been welcoming, lost his enthusiasm upon seeing the young Dan Ak-seon.
"Hello, Mister."
“What’s the matter?”
In response to the owner's indifferent question, Dan Ak-seon smiled and answered.
“I want to buy a wooden carving.”
The owner looked Dan Ak-seon up and down, frowning. It was clear at a glance that his clothes were shabby.
Ignoring the owner's gaze, Dan Ak-seon walked further into the shop.
“These are expensive items, so don't touch them carelessly.”
Instead of answering, Dan Ak-seon pointed at a wooden figure.
“How much is this?”
“Five nyang of silver.”
Dan Ak-seon was startled.
“That expensive?”
The owner responded nonchalantly.
“Looking at you, I’ll let it go for four nyang.”
Even though Dan Ak-seon was inexperienced with such things, it was obvious he was being ripped off.
“Would you take three nyang?”
“If you're not going to buy it, just leave. Don't bother me for nothing.”
“What if I really buy it? Would you sell it for three nyang?”
“Fine, I’ll sell it for three nyang. Do you have the money?”
Instead of money, Dan Ak-seon pulled out a dragon carving.
“I’ll use the money I get from selling this to buy it. How much would you give me for this?”
The owner's eyes widened, and he shot to his feet. It was clear at a glance that this was no ordinary item.
“W-where did you get this?”
"Fifty pieces."
The eyes of the woodworking shop owner grew impossibly wide.
"There are fifty pieces loaded on the cart outside, and if you're willing to purchase them, I can keep making more for you."
"All of them!"
"How much?"
"......"
The owner was silent for a moment.
But even in that brief moment, Dan Ak-seon didn't miss the flash of greed that flickered in the owner's eyes before disappearing.
"One nyang of silver!"
"Only one nyang?"
"Only? That's a price you'd only get at a shop like ours. You wouldn't get this price anywhere else."
Dan Ak-seon smiled gently and bowed his head.
"Understood. Goodbye."
As Dan Ak-seon tucked the wooden figures back into his arms, a look of bewilderment spread across the owner's face.
"You're not going to sell them?"
"No. You've offered such an absurd price. I can't sell them for that; I'd feel bad for the person who made them."
"W-wait!"
While the owner was flustered, Dan Ak-seon left the store.
This time, he headed to a different woodworking shop. It was smaller than the first one but neat and well-organized.
The owner's expression also seemed pleasant.
"Welcome!"
Moreover, he even greeted the stranger, Dan Ak-seon, in a friendly manner.
Dan Ak-seon pointed at an item similar to what he had seen in the first shop.
"How much does something like this cost?"
"That one’s a bit expensive. You’d need to pay at least two nyang of silver."
It was the same item, but the price difference from the first shop was quite large.
"Can’t you give me a discount?"
The owner made a troubled expression.
"It’s not like I’m making a huge profit from selling this..."
He pointed at another wooden carving.
"How about something like that? It's a bit cheaper, but the quality isn't much lower."
Dan Ak-seon smiled softly and showed him a dragon wooden carving.
"How much would this one go for?"
"Hmm...!"
The owner, examining the carving, let out a quiet exclamation. Then, he started inspecting it more carefully.
"Even at the lowest, I think it would cost at least five nyang of silver."
"What if I were to sell it?"
"I need to make a profit too, so I could buy it for three nyang."
The terms were much better than those of the first shop.
Of course, if he kept looking around, he might find a place that would pay even more. However, he felt a sense of trust in this shop owner.
