A long night passed. Mu Ssang, who opened his eyes because he felt uneasy, lost sleep because of a messy dream. He was trembling from the sensation of fluid release. His sensitive body sensed a change.

  “Damn it!”


  He removed his wet underwear and chucked it aside. He was in a throes of passion with Hae Young on an open beach under the burning sun. No, he thought it was Hae Young, but he couldn’t tell whether the person was white or black. A wet dream in his 20s? He feared rumors would spread.

  F***, am I a middle schooler or what? Is this the after-effect of not seeing blood for too long?

  It had been half a year since his senses, which used to be as sharp as a needle, loosened up like the testicles of a bull in summer. That was a time when his mind was usually full of lustful thoughts.

  It was 4:30 in the morning when Mu Ssang suddenly got up after checking the time. He barely managed to sleep for two hours. It would soon be time to perform morning prayers. He sprinted down toward the stream and jumped in.

  Splash—


  The stream’s marsh suffered pain all over.

  A loud sound came from the front yard.

  “Wakil, I prepared a lot of wood.”


  A loud voice shook the morning air. It was Samedi who had just returned from collecting and axing firewood.

  “Gosh, that brat would be perfect as a woodsman. Of course, you should work for what you eat.”


  After shaking off the feeling of uneasiness, a slow smile appeared on Mu Ssang’s face while he was preparing the morning meals. He made the right decision to drag Samedi all the way to Chun Saeng Mountain instead of killing him in Ounianga. His teacher was also right when he said that all living things had a reason to live. Mu Ssang was free from all kinds of chores thanks to Samedi.

  “I also picked a lot of mushrooms that you like, wakil.”


  Samedi placed a large canvas bag among the food.

  “Wow, dude, you’re really working hard!”


  Mu Ssang’s mouth dropped open when he confirmed its contents. It was filled with oyster mushrooms, pine mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, rare phellinus linteus mushrooms, neungi mushrooms, and reishi mushrooms. If he sold it at the market, he could earn two weeks’ worth of average wage.

  Dogs were used to sniff out underground truffles (truffe), one of the finest ingredients in France. When it came to a sense of smell, Samedi’s was the best. Mu Ssang made him memorize all kinds of mushrooms around Chun Saeng Mountain and their scents. Samedi, who unfortunately met an evil master, became a mushroom gatherer.

  There were times when even the most experienced herb gatherer failed to notice the wild ginseng right next to them. That was because humans relied too much on visual perception. Samedi’s sense of smell covered a radius of 300 to 400 meters. Chung Saeng Mountain’s herbs and mushrooms were attacked by the zombie herb gatherer.

  Samedi, who had excellent mobility and power alongside keen senses, soon headed for Geum O Mountain and Yu Hak Mountain. It was the appearance of the infallible herb gatherer, no, the barracuda of herb gatherers. Mu Ssang was clearly grinning from ear to ear.

  It had been a while since the family members of Chun Sung Temple gathered to eat their morning meal together. Sitting before a palm-sized small table was an old man whose presence could barely be felt, and sitting around him was a young man who looked like he could become a fashion model and a large black man who looked like one of the Four Heavenly Kings.

  Their bowls were as different as their characters. In monk Dae Woo’s bowl was barely a handful of porridge. Mu Ssang was given a 20-centimeter diameter large bowl. Before Samedi was a cow’s feeding bucket with rice piled like a tower. Mu Ssang was right to worry about their eating expenses.

  “Samedi was chanting sutras at dawn. Amazingly, you taught him traditional Korean characters in half a year. Did his language center and memory functions return?”


  “Brat, I am amazing, to begin with. I did turn him into somewhat of a human, but he’s like a basket of salt harvested from a river. There’s nothing more I can do since his sensory neurons and hippocampus are necrotic. I’ll just fill the basket with more salt.”


  “Still, considering how fast he absorbs information, he must have had exceptional intellectual abilities in the past.”


  “What are you saying? That’s because I taught him well. Is there any other brat like you who can’t memorize the Thousand Hands Sutra even after several years?”


  “Ugh, teacher, you’re making me lose face in front of my subordinate…” Mu Ssang said in a panic-stricken manner.

  “Hahaha, I’ve passed on the five combined movements to him, so he won’t get beaten up anywhere. In terms of pure strength, even you won’t be able to measure up.”


  “Huh, he’s that good?”


  Mu Ssang was very surprised. Among the most talented people he had met, Ocelot and Chui Do Shik were in a league of their own. Power and defense were Ocelot’s fortes, and technique and offense were Chui Do Shik’s fortes.

  Hehe, I should set him up for a title match against Ocelot.

  An evil smile crept across Mu Ssang’s face. If Samedi and Ocelot went against each other in close combat, it’d be the remake of Zhu Rong and Gonggong’s fight, which destroyed Buzhou Mountain. It’d be an entertaining fight to watch—the rocks would be shattered, and the ground would be upturned.

  Wait, where is that b*stard hiding anyway?

  Ocelot was an evil guy who considered humans as nothing but ants. If he was alive, he would have had plenty of time to recover from his injuries and more. The failed Epidiums that the Concretus exiled were considered psychopaths in this day and age. If that guy’s animalistic side exploded, there would be no other calamity. Even the human-animal chimera he killed in Ounianga was a problem.

  “Mu Ah, how long do you plan to stay at the temple?” monk Dae Woo, who had finished his morning meal, asked as he steeped tea.

  “Ya?”


  Mu Ssang, who’d lost himself in his thoughts about Ocelot and the hominid creature in Ounianga, raised his head.

  “Why are you so surprised? How long were you planning to stay with a stinky old man?”


  “Teacher, I’m planning to stay until you pass-”


  “Tsk, don’t even begin to say such soulless things, you brat. I don’t want to see you and that brat go around eating live animals behind my back, and I don’t want to see you grabbing your d*ck and moaning at night.”


  Hic!

  Mu Ssang’s heart dropped. His teacher was like a ghost, no, he was someone who’d make ghosts cry. He even knew about his wet dream that morning. Mu Ssang sat there, embarrassed and at a loss for words.

  “Brat, this country doesn’t even have a drop of oil. Are you collecting stale water that’s meant to be thrown out and wasting oil that’s meant to be collected?”


  “Aigo, teacher, don’t say such coarse words.”


  Mu Ssang, who was surprised by his teacher’s blatant teasing, glanced at Samedi. He was sitting there and staring into space.

  Well, what would a zombie know?

  Well, a zombie would know something that only a zombie knew.

  He never once thought about leaving the temple. The closest family member he had was his teacher alone, so where else could he go apart from staying by his side?

  It was 67 kilometers from Chun Sung Temple to his school. That was about an hour’s ride on his bike. He had money piled up like a mountain, so oil wasn’t a big deal. No matter how hard he thought about it, there was no reason to leave the temple.

  Mu Ssang realized the virtue of moderation early on and was free from material satisfaction. Although he had money piled up like a mountain, he didn’t consider it his money. While he could buy Jejudo if he wanted to, he still lived in a tile-roofed house and ate rice.

  Life at the temple was simple and slow. The simple and slow lifestyle was fulfillment and happiness in itself. It was fun eating live animals with Samedi and finding wild ginsengs.

  The law of marginal utility also applied to happiness. Who’s more satisfied: the rich person who bought a large TV on impulse or the poor person who bought a small TV after saving up for a year?

  The happiness felt from getting what one wanted right away was temporary. The process of achieving something while exhibiting patience and determination was happiness in itself. After much yearning, the fruits of one labor brought great satisfaction and lasted a long time.

  The richer one got, the more choices they had. Would someone be happier with more choices? They wouldn’t feel any satisfaction beyond a certain level. Rather, one would feel helpless and experience an identity crisis. That’s why big lottery winners and second and third generations of rich families strayed away from expectations.

  “Brat, if you want to fulfill your filial duties to your mother, you need a house. Were you planning to bring her to a small-sized temple?”


  “Yes, mother! Geeze!” Mu Ssang shouted.

  “Aigoo, my ears. You evil brat, you’re doing all kinds of things behind my back, aren’t you? It seems like the karma of your past life is covered up by the generosity you display in this life. You said you want to build a house and eat your mother’s cooking, didn’t you? You should bring Jin Soon over and have children too.”


  “T… Then what?”


  “The time’s near.”


  “Teacher, thank you! Huuuuh!”


  Mu Ssang rushed forward, hugged monk Dae Woo, and cried. He had been suppressing his desire to find his mother for three years. It seemed like it was finally time.

  “Brat, you’re being gross. Go away before you break this old man’s bones.”


  “Hehehe! Teacher, your bones aren’t any ordinary bones.”


  Mu Ssang hugged his little teacher even tighter.

  “The village in front of the ancient tombs in Bullo-dong seems good. It’s a place where the ki of Palgongsan gathers, but the village is crumbling because of the evil ki flowing down from Apsan.”


  “Evil ki flowing down from Apsan? What is that?”


  Mu Ssang suddenly recalled Yamanashi’s collection. Although Apsan and Palgongsan were several kilometers apart, the flow of ki couldn’t be calculated in numbers.

  “Brat, you think I know everything that happens in this world? That’s the Left Martial Hall’s profession. You took care of a shaman, didn’t you?”


  “Ugh, how did you know?”


  “It’s obvious. A small ghost met a big ghost, so the small ghost must have cried and clung to the big ghost, and considering your personality, would you have kicked the small ghost away? You must have given the ghost something to work on.”


  “Hehehe, she wasn’t such a bad person once I met her in person. She had her own purpose too.”


  “Hm, you’re pretending to be quite the Bodhisattva, forgiving the shaman who messed around with your father’s remains. In our culture, shamanism is a mixture of god-possessed shamans and spell casting rites incorporated from the western culture. From a shaman’s point of view, Christianity is no different from spirit possession, ecstasy, and trance.”


  “How does Buddhism view Shamanism?”


  “Buddhism is a religion of acceptance. What’s the point of explaining this to you when there’s a Chilsung room and Sanshin room in a corner of Daeungjeon hall? You won’t lose anything if you consider it a traditional culture.”


  “You’re saying that it’s a religion for people and not for gods?”


  “Right. No matter how you wrap it up, the purpose is the ups and downs of this world, isn’t it? In that case, Shamanism is quite straightforward. Hahaha!”


  Monk Dae Woo laughed. His words came on strong for someone who had attained the level of divinity.

  “Should I go visit Bullo-dong now that you’ve mentioned it?”


  “No, a guest is coming. It seems like you need to work for your food. I’ve turned that brat into somewhat of a human, so take him with you. Aie, this disciple keeps bossing his old teacher around.”


  “Sorry, teacher,” Mu Ssang said, scratching the back of his head.

  His teacher had a hard time trying to turn Samedi back into a human.

  “Earn more if you don’t want to make your wife and kid suffer. Hahaha.”


  When monk Dae Woo left for the prayer room, Samedi whispered to him in an extremely low voice.

  “Wakil, I like wakil. Big master’s really scary. If I miss prayers, I get hit with a big rock.”


  Then, he tiptoed after monk Dae Woo.

  “Woah! That brat, he’s a total fox!” Mu Ssang exclaimed.

  The foxy zombie made a plea to him in case he was left behind.

  “Is this Africa?! Why isn’t there a phone? Is it a requirement for a French government official to come all the way here?”


  First Lieutenant Masha Bout of the French Embassy complained for the 32nd time. He was urgently called in amid his sweet nap in the office and had to rush down the Gyeongbu Expressway.

  There was no phone in Chun Sung Temple. Monk Dae Woo and Mu Ssang spent more time outside than inside the temple. Nothing more could be said about monk Dae Woo who went around doing good deeds. Mu Ssang, on the other hand, felt that it was simply unnecessary. They believed that whoever wanted to visit should visit. One was currently heading over.

  The morning sun peeped out from between the peaks of Chun Saeng Mountain. The humid fog crawled up the mountainside.

  Vroom—


  A car was rattling on its way up the mountain path.

  “Putain, why is this person called the Military Advisor up in the mountains? I heard that the monks in Korea only eat plants. Is he a vegetarian?”


  Bout complained for the 35th time. Although the Military Advisor was rumored to be scary, he could still chew the person out alone. After exiting the Gumi tollgate, Bout wandered around for over two hours. He couldn’t ask anyone for directions since it was nighttime.

  “Ola! Korean temple.”


  It was the end of his torment. Bout cheered.

  “What is that?”


  Bout’s eyes widened. A huge log was spinning like a windmill, relentlessly aiming at a large black man. First Lieutenant Masha Bout quickly pulled over his car.

  Crack—


  Craaack—


  Just listening to those sounds made his limbs tremble. The black man, who received a blow that would knock out a grizzly bear, flew in the air and got back up as though nothing had happened.

  First Lieutenant Masha Bout pressed his nose against the window and looked on at the unrealistic sight. Although the person swinging the log was impressive, the black man on the receiving end was even more so.

  Crack—


  Finally, the log, which was as thick as his thigh, split. The split log suddenly grew bigger before his eyes.

  “Eeek!”


  Surprised, Bout ducked his head under the steering wheel.

  Bang—


  Fortunately, the split log landed right next to the rearview mirror. Bout’s mind snapped back to reality.

  Knock knock—


  A dark face drew closer to his car window. Bout lowered the window.

  “What brings you here?”


  “I have business to discuss with the Special Military Advisor.”


  “Rude. Get off and talk.”


  Samedi pushed the car slightly. The car tilted to one side before it landed on the ground loudly.

  “Ugh!”


  Scared, Bout quickly opened the door and got off.

  “What kind of-”


  Bout swallowed the rest of his words. The black man’s naked upper body filled his sight. The man was huge to the point that a bodybuilder couldn’t compare. The discouraged Bout followed Samedi.

  “Act! I’m First Lieutenant Masha Bout from the embassy.”


  Bout gave a perfect salute, which was as angled as the folds on his uniform.

  “Rest! What is it?”


  “The ambassador is looking for you, Military Advisor.”


  “I’m busy,” Mu Ssang answered bluntly.

  Now wasn’t the time for him to fly to France. His teacher finally granted him permission to look for his mother, and he had to build a house. He also had to wrap up the grudge he held against Jang. Even if he gave her 100 chances, he couldn’t just forgive her after she made a mess of his father’s grave. He was just getting used to his school life too when that job request came.