Chapter 171

“Wow, this is really amazing.”

“Whoa, what’s this? What’s going on here?”

Lee Dong-ho, who had two older brothers and had been exposed to a variety of toys early on, was amazed by a toy he had never seen before. It was equally unfamiliar to Kim Ho-jin, the youngest child who monopolized his parents’ love. The world is vast, and there are so many toys—who knew something like this existed?

Kim Ho-jin and Lee Dong-ho, with their eyes glued to the toy viewfinder, kept pressing the shutter with expressions of pure wonder.

“Whoa, did you capture an eagle? In our neighborhood, the hawks fly so high you can barely see them.”

“I see a ship. The ocean is huge.”

A ship?

Son Yoo-jin, who had been digging in the ground with her snout like Jang Gun-i, perked up at the mention of a ship.

‘A ship?’

Didn’t she make a promise with her brother once?

It must have been when Son Yoo-jin was even younger, but she clearly remembered her brother making that promise. They were going to build a ship and ride it in the waterway.

But her brother is busy now, and it’s hard to even see his face.

“I want to ride a ship.”

There’s no ship at Son Yoo-jin’s house.

There’s a pear tree that bears sweet, crisp pears, and there’s also Uncle Min Yong-rak and the bear who came out of the pear, but there’s no ship to ride.

“Our house has a ship. Want to go?”

Ah, Kim Ho-jin’s dad said that every winter, he takes a small boat across the sea to gather something. It sells for a pretty high price, and thanks to his hard work, they even built a second floor on their house. I think it’s called “gamtae.” If you wrap rice in gamtae and dip it in soy sauce, it’s really delicious.

“If Son Yoo-jin goes, I’ll go too.”

“It’s dangerous to play without adults.”

Her brother is in Seoul, and her dad is at work. Even the SSS uncles, who always protected Son Yoo-jin, left for Seoul for work, leaving only the two of them behind.

“Ah, it’s fine as long as we don’t play dangerously. There are two guys here, what’s there to worry about?”

Is that so…?

Even though they’re not as tall or strong as her brother, their attempt to act like men seemed trivial but somehow convincing. Whether you’re a child or an adult, people tend to lean toward what they want to hear.

Adults always say it’s dangerous for kids to go to the beach alone, but isn’t today a good opportunity?

“Let’s go!”

It’s an adventure!

As the leader, Son Yoo-jin shouted, and the two friends, who had stuffed their kindergarten bags with toy cameras, quickly gulped down their tomato juice.

Woof!

Jang Gun-i, who had been bored because Son Wang-wang wasn’t playing with him, wagged his tail excitedly.

“Let’s take Jang Gun-i too!”

Woof! Hehehe.

As the leader dog stood up, the follower dogs quickly gathered around.

And so, three kindergarteners and four dogs headed toward the beach under the scorching sun.

The heat was headache-inducing, but the kids’ faces were lit up with excitement, and their steps toward the unknown world were full of energy.

*

“Whoa, there’s so much water!”

Kim Ho-jin let out an old-fashioned exclamation as he looked at the shimmering sea.

“Tomorrow is the new moon tide.”

“How does Son Yoo-jin know that?”

Even Kim Ho-jin, who lives by the sea, didn’t know that. She’s really smart.

“My dad wrote it on the calendar.”

Lee Dong-ho’s eyes and mouth turned into perfect circles.

“Can our friend read letters too?”

“I can read, but I can’t write.”

That’s still impressive.

Kim Ho-jin and Lee Dong-ho’s eyes shone with respect. She’s the leader, after all.

Lee Dong-ho had also begged his older brother to teach him how to read, but he was refused, saying he’d learn everything at school. His brother was probably just lazy, but he couldn’t push further because his mom said it’s better to play when you’re young.

“There’s too much water to get to the ship.”

“Maybe if we pull it, we can get it?”

With that, Kim Ho-jin tugged on the rope.

Lee Dong-ho helped, and Son Yoo-jin, unable to stand by, also lent her strength.

It was a small boat made of tin, without a motor. As the three kindergarteners pulled, it slowly approached the shore. The way it glided through the water, cutting through the waves, reminded them of a water strider.

“Ouch, my hands hurt, and it’s really hard.”

“It’s hot. Huff huff.”

“We’re done!”

When the boat finally reached a place where they could grab it, the kids let out a cheer. Even though all they did was pull a rope together, for the kindergarteners, it felt like a thrilling adventure, as if they had become victorious pirates in a naval battle.

“Hold it steady, and you guys get on first.”

As Kim Ho-jin held the side of the boat to keep it from shaking, Lee Dong-ho clumsily climbed aboard, and Son Yoo-jin jumped on.

Just as Kim Ho-jin grabbed Lee Dong-ho’s hand and got on the boat…

“Huh?”

The boat, now free from its restraint, began to slide toward the sea.

In times like these, you have to show courage!

Acting as the temporary captain, Kim Ho-jin took control.

“Sit down gently, sit down.”

The feeling of being the protagonist of an adventure didn’t last long.

At least the boat was tied with a rope, so it wouldn’t drift out to sea.

But the small boat rocked left and right with every movement the kids made, and with every ripple of the water. Without a keel, the flat bottom made the boat’s direction unpredictable. The kids’ hearts sank with every movement, and fear crept into their eyes.

“Whoa, it’s moving too much!”

“It’s fine. Let’s just play a little and then pull it back.”

Oh, is that so?

But it’s still a bit scary.

Woof woof!

From the distant shore, Jang Gun-i barked toward the boat, but Son Yoo-jin decided to trust Kim Ho-jin’s words. In an adventure, nothing is more reassuring than the words of someone with experience, and since they had already pulled it once, it didn’t seem too difficult.

“Boat rides aren’t fun. It’s bigger than the boat my brother made, but…”

The three brothers at Lee Dong-ho’s house had planned a boat ride to celebrate moving to the countryside. It was a plan that had been foiled by Son Jin-hyeok’s persuasion. If they had used that tub for a boat ride, it would have definitely capsized.

“That’s right. This isn’t the kind of boat I wanted.”

They came for a boat ride, but without a mast or oars, the boat just swayed aimlessly, which didn’t suit Son Yoo-jin’s independent and self-reliant taste.

How’s the seasickness? Her stomach churned as if she was about to throw up, and her legs felt weak. The water was murky, so she couldn’t see the bottom, and without any shade, it just got hotter and more exhausting.

“How deep is it here, friend? I can’t see the bottom, so I don’t know.”

“It’s deeper than your height. There’s so much water.”

“I’m scared. Let’s go back now.”

At the leader’s suggestion, Kim Ho-jin and Lee Dong-ho, who were already sufficiently frightened, gathered at the side of the boat.

Pulling it back while standing on the ground in a line was easy. It wasn’t too narrow.

But the rope was tied to the side of the boat, and there wasn’t enough space.

The kindergarteners, trying to pull the rope, got tangled up and their legs got twisted.

“Huh?”

Splash!

***

Everyone is born with a destiny.

At least, that’s what Cheon Gil-ryong’s studies say.

Yes, his older brother Cheon Gi-ryong argued that emotions must be stripped away and dealt with through scholarship to handle them rationally.

‘What’s the point of studying so hard if you have no heart for people, you old fool?’

Cheon Gil-ryong only half-agreed with his brother’s philosophy.

That’s why he’s been getting hit on the head with a tobacco pipe even past his seventies.

“Born as a beast with a heart, how can one exclude emotions?”

Everyone is born with a destiny, but Cheon Gil-ryong saw it as a vessel named fate. Some break that shell to create a larger vessel, while others close it off and enter a narrower world.

Those who meet luck and timing turn their path into the way of a gentleman, making everyone imitate and follow them. Even imitating a gentleman makes one a hero, so the world is filled with such gentlemen, and under their influence, the sun and moon may wobble but eventually find the right direction.

“Hahaha, like me.”

Sssss.

A wild wind blew through the bamboo forest.

Cheon Gil-ryong’s self-praise seemed trivial.

“These rotten creatures, I took them in, and all they do is show their ugly hearts. That’s why they’ll never ascend, stuck as bamboo ghosts.”

Hmph.

Is it because I can’t erase my emotions and keep fluctuating that I can’t exert the same divine power as my brother?

Ah, these ghosts who cling to me, not even bothering to humor me, how annoying. That guy Jin-hyeok, or Yoo-jin, knows how to handle things so well, always matching my mood.

“Whoosh, just once, make me feel good.”

Entering the bamboo forest, the heat became someone else’s problem, and the scorching sun was even a welcome presence. The sunlight created shadows, enhancing the charm of the bamboo forest, and the positive energy purified the wind.

Squeak squeak.

From somewhere, the sound of kids playing could be heard.

Hoho?

Cheon Gil-ryong’s right eyebrow twitched.

There’s only one child in the village who could be called a kid, but it sounded like a whole party was going on. Strange.

Watching the kids play from a distant hill, the wrinkles on Cheon Gil-ryong’s face curved kindly.

“Ohoho, one is that Yoo-jin kid, and the other is the young master from Seoul.”

Sssss.

The bamboo forest shook ominously.

‘What?’

It was Chasa Changrim, the most powerful spirit residing in the bamboo forest.

The spirit of the young master’s brother, who had fallen, was lingering around his younger brother.

“How absurd. Has my power waned? That can’t be.”

A ghost causing trouble on the night of the new moon?

Cheon Gil-ryong, who had sensed nothing within a ten-mile radius, was puzzled.

Why wouldn’t he be?

Just last night, he had saved a young man from the village by sensing a strange aura and going out to sea.

The young man had gone night fishing, planning to catch a conger eel before the new moon.

When Cheon Gil-ryong checked on him, the young man was pale and complained of weakness in his limbs. He had only pricked his finger to release the bad energy, but if he had stayed on the shore, he might have collapsed and disappeared under the breakwater.

“That spirit fell off long ago, how could it reattach? With skills like that, you can’t even do the job of a Chasa properly, lingering in this world.”

Sssss.

Changrim said that there are destinies that never change.

Deep wrinkles formed on Cheon Gil-ryong’s forehead.

As someone who doesn’t believe in the word “absolute,” he had to consider the possibility of variables.

‘Who knows? Maybe I should go check it out myself.’

He had passed on the duty of protection to Jin-hyeok, but with the guardian spirit absent, it was his duty as the former protector to step in.

“Ugh, whenever that Jin-hyeok guy leaves his post, the ghosts start causing trouble.”

Even the relatively calm ghosts lose their self-control and go wild when something happens. For example, if someone falls into the water, they pull them down strongly… That’s why there are so many testimonies of people feeling something pulling them underwater while fishing.

Just the other day, there was a commotion at Yook Seong-chan’s house. Of course, it was invisible to human eyes, but Cheon Gil-ryong’s eyes and ears caught the disturbance.

The kitchen god and the livestock god got into a scuffle, each claiming to be the right-hand man of the household god. Their chicken fight started in the yard and ended in the chicken coop when the kitchen god tripped over the feed bucket and fell.

When chickens suddenly start flapping and crowing in a quiet coop, it’s a sign that the household gods are throwing a tantrum, as the old saying goes.

In that amusing commotion, a serious hen laid a double-yolk egg. Trivial and petty ghosts.

As Cheon Gil-ryong chuckled at the memory and took a step…

“Jang Gun-aaaaah!”

Kyaaaaaa-!

Son Yoo-jin’s desperate cry shook the bamboo forest violently.

Though it was a delicate voice, it was no different from a sonic boom tearing through the air.

The mythical pressure made Cheon Gil-ryong quickly cover his ears.

The mournful wail was like a child’s tantrum, and the thunderous sound was like a mountain farting, but even a seasoned Taoist like him was startled. Living long, you see all sorts of things.

The energy was so intense that dozens of bamboo leaves, imbued with spiritual energy, fell to the ground like flower petals.

Even Chasa Changrim, who usually acted aloof, shrank back.

“What… is this?”

His eyes widened for a moment.

Cheon Gil-ryong dropped his walking stick and dashed down the hill like the wind.