chapter 22
He curled up there and sat down. None of it was warm.
Because it was cold, my body was shaking. Without realizing it, I was hitting the wall of the cave with my elbow.
thud. thud.
A ringing sound was heard. It was just a sound that couldn’t fly by hitting a stone. There seemed to be a space behind the wall.
I thought it might be a cozy place to escape the cold. He looked at the cracks in the wall and repeated the push with force.
sweaty I even thought that if I continued doing this, I would forget the cold. It started once, so I wanted to see the end.
I took a skewer out of the box containing the tools and pierced it through the cracks.
‘Is it an illusion?’
Tried several times, but no response. It was time to take a deep breath and look at the walls of the cave.
There was a strange pattern under the wall. It was in the shape of a small cross. It was obviously artificial.
I remember seeing similarly shaped tools in the box.
It was an iron rod that had rusted and could not be used at all.
I put it in the pattern.
‘Go in.’
Awkward was right. It went in like a magnet clinging to it.
The wall shook with a thump.
‘The wall moves.’
There was a small gap in the stone that had been embedded in the cave.
He pushed the wall vigorously with both hands.
The wall began to move slowly.
Hassan’s Law
The cave walls moved little by little.
The stone door opened easily when a gap was widened for one fist to enter.
I brought a beeswax candle and lit the inside.
‘I think there is a space like this.’
It was just pushing a stone away.
I thought that if I did well, there would be room to lay down one of my body.
Contrary to expectations, a huge space appeared.
It was similar to what I saw on a school trip when I was in school. Stalactites that run like icicles and even a dome-shaped roof.
If the place where the beehive was placed was an embarrassing place to be called a cave, this was the perfect cave. It was quite large and deep enough that the end could not be predicted.
I admired and went inside. The inside of the cave was warmer than expected. At least I didn’t have to worry about becoming Dongtae.
I walked down the road as if exploring. Yellow grains were visible on the floor.
I lit the floor with beeswax candles.
‘It’s a bee.’
There were bees at the bottom of the cave. It was a dead bee. There seemed to be a hole in the cave wall for the bees to go through. He held the bee in his hand and looked at it carefully.
For some reason, I felt like the ones who attacked me last night.
‘What the hell is in this?’
The corpses of the bees were connected into the cave as if they had laid a pedestal. It was like the thread of Ariadne in ancient mythology.
I followed the road and went deep inside the cave.
‘what!’
A foul smell stung his nostrils. All of a sudden, I had a headache and even went numb.
It felt like I was being trained in a hwasaengbang without any notice.
He took off the scarf he was wearing around his neck. It was a scarf given as a gift by Monk Myeonhwa before he left Jijangsa.
It completely covered the nose and mouth. I was able to calm myself down now. The disgusting energy was controlled to some extent.
It was the place where the carcass of the bees stopped. The floor was full of unknown plants and moss.
I lit a light and looked closely at the shape of the plant.
‘Isn’t this a mushroom?’
There were mushrooms in the moss.
Because the shape of the cap was unique, it was obviously a mushroom. These were exuding disgusting energy.
A word popped into my mind.
‘A hallucinogenic mushroom.’
Shamans from all over the world use hallucinogenic mushrooms during their own rituals. Unlike poisonous mushrooms, it is not fatally poisonous, but I knew it would cause hallucinations.
When I was studying natural substances, I had been paying close attention. It was something that should never be used.
Knowing that it was a divine spiritual experience was also a scam.
It’s just a hallucination to disturb the mind.
‘The secret is finally solved.’
At first I thought the cave had supernatural powers. It was believed that an unknown force was playing a game of the human mind.
The secret was in the hallucinogenic mushrooms.
to let u know that i been through a lot then i been going non stop with this practice for nothing
Mushrooms belonging to the madamus family caused hallucinations.
The bees came and went through the crevices of the small rocks.
The mycelium of the mushroom also climbed through the crevices of the rocks and escaped to the place where I was living.
I inhaled the maddening mycelium through my mouth and nose.
The fact that bees were clinging to his body was just an illusion.
‘Did the plum monk know?’
Plum Blossom has definitely urged me not to be afraid if the bees come out. She must have had a bizarre experience here too.
It was questionable whether he knew the identity of the mushroom.
‘Did the great monk know?’
A great monk who first discovered this place and raised bees.
The iron rod, which was the key to the secret passage, showed little sign of use. It must have been artificially made by someone a long time ago, but it was impossible to confirm whether it was a great monk.
‘Am I the only one who knows the identity of this place?’
Thoughts followed, tail to tail.
What is clear is that this mushroom caught people.
Several nuns, including plum, were tested here.
I don’t know if the old monk knew the mushroom’s identity, but he must have known that it puts humans to the test.
The great monk asked the nuns to stay here alone. I knew what was going to happen.
It was a clever intention of accepting only those who got rid of the past as disciples.
The only passerby was the plum monk.
Kim Kkot-nim, her foster mother, assured her that she did not know what happened in the past. If the grandmother’s words were true, she seemed to understand why she passed the exam.
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Not knowing the past, there was nothing to suffer.
I stared intently at the mushroom.
‘It is an evil plant.’
When I saw the mushroom, I couldn’t shake this thought.
The governor refused when I said that I would go here.
It was because of the people who were hurt while being tested here. They faced the past they did not want to turn back to and eventually gave up on the path of training.
It was difficult for even the nuns who performed it. Of course, even the master monk would not have known the identity of the mushroom.
I was just guessing that there was a strange aura floating around here.
‘I will completely uproot it.’
I remembered those who would have suffered here. I couldn’t leave it like this.
He returned to his original location and searched the toolbox. I brought a small shovel and a large bag.
‘I couldn’t even sleep, but it was just fine.’
I returned to the mushroom colony with my tools. I had no intention of removing the mushrooms blindly. I prepared more carefully than when I first faced the punishment.
He wore insect repellent clothing, a mask with a net, and rubber gloves. He even wore boots there. The size was a bit small, but I was forced to crumple it.
The plan was to get rid of the hallucinogenic mushrooms. During the removal process, there was a possibility that the mycelium of the mushroom, which was thinner than the thread, could be blown away.
I didn’t want to suffer from hallucinations again.
I started slaying the hallucinogenic mushrooms while fully armed. Even small spores were able to bloom again.
He was going to remove all the moss on the floor.
‘I’m going to stay up all night like this.’
It was still midnight outside the cave. I lit a wax candle in the middle of the cave and picked mushrooms. The moss was also carefully moved into the sack.
His body was drenched in sweat in his space suit. Rather, I focused. It had to be removed without leaving a trace.
‘I’m sorry, but never bloom again.’
It was near the end of the mushroom removal work. The sack was full of mushrooms and moss. It looked like a monster with a bloated stomach.
As soon as the sun rises tomorrow, I plan to bury it somewhere no one knows.
It was the moment to dig the last mushroom in the corner. While digging up moss, a hard object caught in my hand.
‘This is amber jewels.’
When resin hardened like a fossil, it was called amber. Resin hardens and takes at least 1,000 years to take on this shape.
It wasn’t a mineral, but it was more valuable than a gem.
The amber jewel that I saw in the photo came into my hands. Amber usually contains small insects.
I lit the pumpkin with a beeswax candle.
‘Wait… what is this?’
The pumpkin was about the size of a finger. Oddly enough, it was hollowed out like a seashell.
It was surprising that rosin could harden into this shape.
I peered inside with the light of a beeswax candle. Insects were embedded in it.
‘Bee.’
It was incomparably small compared to the bees in the hive. Although small in size, it was uniquely shaped.
The wings were large and beautiful compared to the body. The wings were golden, just like the ones in the hive. Maybe they didn’t even know they were the ancestors of native bees.
The bee in the amber was in it for a long time. It was a relationship that transcended time.
I grabbed the amber gem and went to the toolbox. There was a small hole in the pumpkin. I made a necklace by putting the string I found in the box into the hole.
A pumpkin necklace was made in a snap. I put it on my neck right now. It felt good.
Like a four-leaf clover, he seemed to have obtained a symbol of good fortune. Satisfied, I went into the cave and finished the rest of the work.
Finally, the mushroom colony was cleaned up. I came out the first passage with a sack of mushrooms and moss.
I pulled out the iron stick I had plugged in when I got out of there.
Strangely, the stone door closed by itself.
It was like a secret door out of a fairy tale.
I felt the morning energy. It looks like the mushrooms were removed overnight.
looked outside. The snow had stopped and the snow had melted.
I came out with a sack of mushrooms. Buried mushroom sacks where no animals would go.
I cleared the hallucinogenic mushrooms and entered the cave. Walked the sleeping bag from the beehive. He opened the lid and gave me the bee rice made by the plum monk.
I had a feeling the bees weren’t afraid of me. They seem to have become friends within a few days.
‘The schedule of 3 days 2 nights is over.’
I put on my sleeping bag and fell asleep. It was a long day.
* * *
When I opened my eyes, an amazing sight was unfolding. Kahi was in front of her.
“Kim Deok-myeong, do you know how worried I was?”
Kahi’s voice echoed through the cave. I jumped up and looked around.
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Not only her but also the Jijangji people filled the cave.
There was also a plum monk.
I purposely made eye contact with her.
was smiling It was a look of congratulations on passing.
I noticed something else. She didn’t pay attention to where the secret door was. He had no interest except me and the bee.
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On the one hand, I felt lucky.
“It took ten years.”
The governor said with a sigh of relief.
I was ready to leave right now.
The way back was quick.
Upon arriving at Jijangsa Temple, there was an interview with the head monk.
I wondered what Master Yeonhwa would say.
The sweet scent of tea permeated the room.
“I’m glad you’re still safe.”
I looked at the face of Master Yeonhwa. Unlike usual, the wrinkles on his face were deep. It was a face that couldn’t even breathe.
“I couldn’t reach you as promised. I didn’t expect a phone to drain so easily. We sincerely apologize for causing concern.”
“Did you have anything special there?”
“It didn’t matter much except to endure the cold.”
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On the way back, I heard about the past through Kahi.
He said there was a lot of talk inside the chieftain.
It was said that the governor had done something wrong.
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On the way back, I could read the dissatisfaction in people’s eyes.
It was a good opportunity to get out of the garrison.
“Master, I have something to tell you.”
“Tell me.”
“You seem to be in trouble with my problems.”
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No answer. I could read her mind.
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Now it was my turn to provide an answer.
“What if we could simply solve the problem?”
She pricked up her ears.
“I’m thinking of going downhill right now. Learning to bee can be done even downstairs.”
“Are you sure you want to?”
At that moment, the governor’s expression brightened.
“Of course, you must go with your master.”
It was a matter of descending with plum blossoms. If they pass the test, they promise to sell the bees and pass on their skills.
The place didn’t say. With the governor’s permission, I could bring them to any place I wanted.
“You do.”
Things worked out easily.
* * *
The morning was bright.
All preparations were made to leave the Jijangsa Temple.
“Thank you for that.”
“I hope you achieve what you want.”
I said goodbye to the governor and the people of the Jijangji. The nuns put their heads together and bowed their heads.
Kahi seemed to have been close with Monk Myeonhwa, so he couldn’t let go of her hand. There was dew in their eyes.
“Now is the time to go.”
Kahi moved with difficulty.
The plum also followed me.
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On my back was a beehive I got from a jizo.
Even the lucky gem from the cave.
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Now the real beekeeping has begun.
the secret of taste
We arrived at the parking lot with the beehive on our back.
to let u know that i been through a lot then i been going non stop with this practice for nothing
Minseok was nowhere to be seen. Before Hassan, I asked him for a car.
I looked around. No matter how much I looked around, I couldn’t see the car.
What stood out was the luxury SUV. It was a foreign car that I had only heard of. It seems that a wealthy hiker has visited Mt. Jirisan.
listened to the receiver
“Minseok. Haven’t you come yet?”
“I’ve been waiting for you ever since.”
Then the door of the SUV opened. Minseok came out of it. He greeted Kahi and Maehwa lightly.
“Is this car right?”
I asked him to hire a vibration-free vehicle.
The idea was to not stress the bees.
What was in front of me was different from what I had imagined.
“Is this a vibration-free car?”