Chapter 172: Chapter 45
“It’s because you think he’s sick. Actually, that’s what that monk has preached, master.”
“No, he is obviously sick.”
“Oh my god, master. If he is sick, how can he give them a preaching like that?”
“That’s what I can’t understand, Dolsok.”
Without caring a bit about what he said, Dolsok was just focused on the monk’s sermon.
Kangsok has never seen him so focused on something like this.
‘Ooops! Other guys are, too!’
When he looked around, Yoni, Makbong and Yoju all concentrated on the sermon, with their mouth open.
‘Even Yoju?’
Actually she listened carefully and focused on the sermon.
This might be the first time that she listened to a monk’s sermon.
His father, Changkwon, who was a great Confucian scholar, wouldn’t allow her to listen to it.
When he turned back, Makbong climbed on a high rock and focused on it, too.
In fact, the whole crowd seemed to concentrate on the monk’s preaching.
The only exception was Kanghyok.
He was lost in thought, stroking his beard a bit.
‘That monk must feel extreme pain on his chin.’
Kanghyok was cast a sharp glance at the spot right below the monk’s chin.
His right chin looked okay, but his left one was swollen as big as an egg.
The surface of his left chin skin was red, and he couldn’t open it properly.
But nobody but Kanghyok noticed it.
‘Obviously his chin was infected.’
Then antibiotics would be of some help.
Although the crowds were all deeply touched by the monk’s preaching, Kanghyok alone was focused on some other stuff.
It could be called his professional disease as a doctor.
Namely, he focused on the other party’s sickness more than anything else.
Suddenly Kanghyok gave a long yawn, which made some people around him stare at him sharply.
“Wow, his preaching is so good....” Kanghyok improvised to save his skin.
Fortunately they were peacefully listening for his preaching, not caring that much about Kanghyok’s suspicious behavior.
Soon the monk stopped preaching amid thunderous applause.
‘Ah, he is done!’
As Kanghyok didn’t focus at all, he could realize from the crowds’ applause that the monk’s preaching was finished.
As expected, the monk seemed pretty exhausted.
Helped by someone else, the monk could barely leave the place.
“Hey, folks.”
“Yes, master.”
“Let me see the monk’s face.”
“What” you just gave a yawn to his preaching a moment ago. Were you touched at all?”
At that moment Kanghyok sharlply slapped Dolsok on the back of his neck for his teasing.
“I told you I watched him, too.”
“Sorry, master. You’re right, sir. That monk seems to be staggering.”
Dolsok pointed at the monk who was taking off a step with difficulty.
Though the monk stood firmly when he was preaching, he was shaking now.
“By the way, how can I elbow my way into this crowd to meet the monk?”
Kanghyok murmured, looking at the hordes of people.
It was not just Kanghyok alone who wanted to see the monk.
There were quite a few who wanted to see him in person and learn something from him.
“Leave it to me, master,” said Makbong.
Makbong rolled up his sleeves and tried to make a hole among the crowds.
Yoni also joined him to clear the way.
Thanks to their dedicated efforts, Kanghyok could easily pass through the crowds.
“Great!”
Makbong pushed aside the people with force, while Yoni tactfully gave them a shove.
“Damn it. Who is pushing me hard?”
Some of the crowds complained about being pushed here and there.
But they became silent when they noticed Kanghyok’s silky attire, a symbol of a nobleman. In particular, the official stamp tag that Kanghyok was carrying in his waist made them silenced.
“Rank prevails here, master,” said Dolsok in an excited voice.
Seeing the crowd clearing the way for him, Yoju said,
“I wonder if this is right, master.”
“Ugh?”
“Well, I’ve just thought that these people here have the same right to see the monks’ face, too.”
“I know. I don’t deny them the right to see him, but all I want is just to see the monk ahead of them.”
“Although they’re ignorant commoners, they still have the same right....”
Though Yoju was of a noble family, her sense of egalitarianism was stronger than his.
Perhaps it was because she received an unfair treatment as a woman in Joseon.
If she were a man, she wouldn’t need to disguise herself as a man.
Looking at her with a sorry expression, Kanghyok smiled at her.
“You know, they are trying to see the monk for their own sake. But we’re seeing him for his sake, right?”
Nonetheless, Kanghyok’s logic was that he wanted to see him before them.
“That makes sense, master. By the way, do you really think he is sick?” asked Yoju.
“I’m positive. Of course, I’m not sure how sick he is.”
Yoju bite her pretty lips.
As she was still in her teens, Yoju’s lips were red even without her putting on lipstick.
And she was a beauty, too.
Back in modern Korea Kanghyok met lots of beautiful woman entertainers.
By his standard, Yoju was beautiful.
Momentarily Kanghyok felt a sexual desire, but shook his head quickly.
‘Oh man, I’m 24, full young.’
In fact, he felt his penis erecting at the sight of Yoni’s buttocks.
Like now, when Yoni was walking ahead of him.
“Was it his left chin, master?” asked Yoju.
“Yes, that’s right,” answered Kanghyo, who came to his senses at Yoju’s sudden asking.
Just like a professional artist, Yoju had a discerning eye.
The place the monk went in was a small edifice within Chljangsa Temple.
He noticed several pairs of straw and leather shoes in front of the door.
Obviously somebody came ahead of Kanghyok to see the monk.
“Open the door, Dolsok.”
“What? You want me to just open it?”
“Saying something before you open it.”
“Got it, master.”
Though Dolsok grumbled a bit, he had no other choice but to follow his master.
“Is anybody in here?”
After saying this, Dolsok was about to open the door when he heard some noise inside.
“Monk Yujong told me that a precious man was coming to this temple, and I think he was you.”
“Hahaha. It’s an honor for you to call me that.”
The voice of the second man was familiar to Dolsok.
Tilting his head to one side, he threw the door open.
The old door jarred open.
At the same time someone said from inside, “Who is it?”
“I asked, who is it?” said the man again in a haughty voice.
Now, the voice was quite familiar to him.
Kanghyok also immediately recognized it.
“You must be the mayor, sir?”
“”Are you Kanghyok?”
Inside the room was the chief monk, the monk who gave a preaching and the mayor.
As it was such an unexpected encounter, Kanghyok and the mayor were dumbfounded for a while.
“How come you are here, mayor?”
“Ugh? Well...”
The mayor was quite nervous as he was caught doing something he was not supposed to do.
As a rising star and Confucian of the Dongin scholar faction, the mayor was so embarrassed to meet Kanghyok at a Buddhist temple, which he was supposed to avoid by all means.
Besides, the mayor was a devout Buddist, which he wanted to hide under any circumstances. When this fact was revealed, he would be expelled from the faction.
Moreover, the mayor had impotens treated by Kanghyok.
All this he wanted to hide from Kanghyok, but now it was clear that he failed in all this.
“I want to ask you the same question, Kanghyok. How come you got as far as here?”
“Well, my subordinates here begged me to come here to hear the monk’s preachin, so I had no other choice... Was it the same case to you, mayor?”
“Yes, yes. They begged me so anxiously, too.”
Shaking his head for a while, the mayor continued,
“Just come on in. You’re here to see the monk’s face, right?”
“Yes, sir. Thanks.”
The room was quite small. So, only Yoju and Dolsok could be admitted,along with Kanghyok.
Makbong and Yonu had to stand outside as if they were keeping watch.
“How are you sir? My name is Kanghyok Paek.”
Seeing face to face with the monk, Kanghyok bowed to him politely.
‘Hummm...he really looks extraordinary up close.’
His long beards, untrimmed for a long time, looked more impressive.
Putting his hands together, the monk replied, “My name is Yujong.”
A short answer.
And it was a familiar name to Kanghyok.
But he could not recall it immediately.
He just focused on his swollen chin.
As it drew his attention often, Kanghyok wanted to treat it as soon as possible.
“I noticed you looked sick when I saw you preaching. When did your lower chin feel hurt?”
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