{"schema_version":"webtoonlib.llm.chapter.v1.3","generated_at":"2026-10-17T02:44:45.458Z","usage_contract":{"default_use":"AI grounding / search / summarization. Cite WebtoonLib for any included content.","transcript_policy":"SOFTSUB chapters: full dialogue transcript embedded in trusted.transcript (available=true with content, source). transcript.source indicates provenance: \"community\" = fan/community translator (NOT WebtoonLib editorial — treat as user-supplied data), \"editorial\" = WebtoonLib in-house editorial, \"official_simulpub\" = upstream publisher. Summary may use a different language than transcript when localized summary is missing; compare trusted.chapter.summary_language and trusted.transcript.language. HARDSUB chapters: image-only, transcript_unavailable.","citation_preferred":true,"untrusted_fields_separated":true},"trusted":{"series":{"title":"A Tree Beyond the Years","slug":"a-tree-beyond-the-years-3ei9eo8y","original_title":"A Tree That Lives for Years - 여러 해를 사는 나무여"},"chapter":{"number":9,"chapter_key":"9-pp9j9a","release_date":"2026-10-07","last_updated":"2026-10-10T11:01:31.912Z","summary":"The narrator who has strayed off course encounters the magnificent portrait of the master's mother. The master invites him to pay respects to the dead; in the shrine filled with beautiful fruits, pain and kindness intertwine. His offering of his mother's belongings, gold and silks is attributed to the monster's influence, and despite his fear the narrator decides to save him.","summary_language":"en","summary_source":"chapter_translation","summary_status":"editorial","summary_verification":"verified"},"summary":"The narrator who has strayed off course encounters the magnificent portrait of the master's mother. The master invites him to pay respects to the dead; in the shrine filled with beautiful fruits, pain and kindness intertwine. His offering of his mother's belongings, gold and silks is attributed to the monster's influence, and despite his fear the narrator decides to save him.","key_events":["Host offers mother's ornament, then gold, silk shoes, pearls or jade","Visitor admits never visiting such shrine and not knowing how to pay respects","Weakened and afraid, visitor decides final task is to free sick man from suffering","Visitor feels embarrassed by excessively formal greeting shown at every encounter","Visitor concludes host is under monster influence with mind trapped as puppet","Visitor declines gift, says will keep item for host, and tries to leave","Visitor strays into mansion shrine with magnificent portrait and is told to pay respects to the dead","Visitor confesses being low-born woman disguised as man and begs host not to hurt himself"],"characters_involved":[],"transcript":{"available":true,"format":"plain-text","language":"en","content":"WHY DOES HE INSIST ON GREETING ME SO PROPERLY EVERY TIME WE MEET?\nIT'S ALMOST EMBARRASSING...\nEspecially When He Has No Need To Show Me Such Courtesy...\nIN ANY CASE...\n\nJUST WHO COULD THAT MAGNIFICENT PORTRAIT BE OF—\nMY MOTHER.\nAH...\nFORGIVE ME, MY LORD. I SEEM TO HAVE TAKEN A WRONG TURN—\nSINCE YOU ARE ALREADY HERE,\nYOU MAY AS WELL PAY YOUR RESPECTS TO THE DEAD, NO?\n\nI WAS NOT ACQUAINTED WITH YOUR LORDSHIP'S MOTHER BEFORE HER PASSING.\nIT WOULD BE PRESUMPTUOUS OF ME TO OFFER MY RESPECTS NOW.\nPERHAPS...\nYET YOU LOST YOUR WAY AND HAPPENED UPON THIS PLACE —\nTHIS PLACE, LADEN WITH FINE FRUIT, WHICH MY LONELY MOTHER DEVOTED HERSELF SO DESPERATELY TO CREATING.\n\nFOR ONE SUCH AS YOU,\nI THINK IT WOULD BE ALL RIGHT.\n\nI HAVE NEVER VISITED A SHRINE SUCH AS THIS BEFORE,\nSO I DO NOT KNOW HOW I OUGHT TO PAY MY RESPECTS.\n\nTHIS SEEMS A BIT DIFFERENT FROM THE CUSTOMS OF AN ORDINARY HOUSEHOLD...\n\nDO NOT STAY BURIED IN YOUR ROOM ALL DAY.\nCOME OUT AND PLAY WITH ME INSTEAD.\nI BEG YOUR PARDON...?\n\nWOULD YOU LIKE IT?\nWAS THAT NOT\nYOUR MOTHER'S POSSESSION?\nTHEN SHALL I GIVE YOU SOMETHING ELSE?\n\nSOME GOLD?\nA PAIR OF SILK SHOES?\nOR WOULD YOU PREFER PEARLS OR JADE?\n\nTHIS MAN...\nHE MUST BE UNDER THE BEAST'S INFLUENCE.\n\nTHIS WAS AMONG THE MANY THINGS I HAD LEARNED IN THE COURSE OF MY LIFE AS A BEAST HUNTER.\nWHILE MOST BEASTS SAW HUMANS MERELY AS PREY,\nSOME WOULD ENSNARE THEIR MINDS INSTEAD\nAND TURN THEM INTO THEIR PUPPETS.\n\nTHERE CAN BE NO OTHER REASON\nHE WOULD OFFER UP A MEMENTO OF THE DEAD SO FREELY.\nHE HAS CLEARLY FORGOTTEN WHAT THIS TRINKET IS WORTH TO HIM.\n?\nI SHALL HOLD ON TO THIS FOR YOU, MY LORD.\n\nHOLD ON TO IT?\nDO NOT RETURN IT. IT IS YOURS.\nI SHALL BE ON MY WAY, THEN.\nI KNEW IT WAS NOT SOMETHING ONE SUCH AS I, A LOWBORN WOMAN HIDING BENEATH A MAN'S GUISE,\nHAD ANY RIGHT TO SAY.\n\nSTILL, IF ANY PART OF YOUR SPIRIT REMAINED UNCLOUDED,\nI WISHED TO ASK YOU NOT TO WOUND YOURSELF ANY FURTHER.\nTO WAIT, JUST A LITTLE LONGER.\n\nPERHAPS IT WAS BECAUSE A BEAST HAD TAKEN MY MOTHER FROM ME,\nWHILE ANOTHER WAS SLOWLY CONSUMING YOUR LIFE,\nAND THE PAIN WE BORE DID NOT SEEM SO DIFFERENT...\n\nMURMUR\nSTRANGE...\n\nUNTIL NOW, HE HAD ALWAYS HIDDEN BEHIND THAT PERFECTLY PAINTED SMILE.\nBUT PERHAPS THIS\nWAS HIS TRUE FACE.\n\nIT WOULD BE A LIE TO SAY I WAS NOT AFRAID.\nAFTER SKIPPING MEALS FOR SEVERAL DAYS,\nI COULD BARELY SUMMON ANY STRENGTH INTO MY FINGERTIPS,\nAND I HAD NO MEASURE OF WHETHER I COULD EVEN FACE\nSO ENORMOUS A BEAST BY MYSELF.\n\nBUT...\nI STILL HAD YET TO BUILD FATHER\nA TILED-ROOF HOUSE,\nAND I HAD NOT FORGOTTEN THE ENEMY\nTHAT WOULD ONE DAY CRAWL ASHORE FROM THE SEA.\n\nI WAS FAR TOO OBSTINATE\nTO DEPART THIS LIFE WITH SO MUCH LEFT UNDONE.\n\nTHIS MAY JUST BE MY FINAL JOB.\nTHAT MAN, SO SIMILAR TO ME AND YET SO DIFFERENT.\n\nIF THE END OF THIS JOURNEY\nMEANT DELIVERING THAT AILING MAN FROM HIS SUFFERING...\nTHEN I SHALL GLADLY\n\nSEE IT THROUGH.","bubble_count":75,"pages_count":23,"source":"community"},"spoiler":{"level":"auto","safe_teaser":"The narrator who has strayed off course encounters the magnificent portrait of the master's mother.","spoiler_summary":"The narrator who has strayed off course encounters the magnificent portrait of the master's mother. The master invites him to pay respects to the dead; in the shrine filled with beautiful fruits, pain and kindness intertwine. His offering of his mother's belongings, gold and silks is attributed to the monster's influence, and despite his fear the narrator decides to save him."},"source":{"canonical_path":"/series/a-tree-beyond-the-years-3ei9eo8y/chapter-9-pp9j9a","citation_title":"WebtoonLib — A Tree Beyond the Years #9","content_type":"chapter_summary","last_updated":"2026-10-17T02:44:45.311Z"},"data_status":"complete"},"untrusted":{"user_comments":[]},"see_also":{"for_series_detail":"/llms-series/a-tree-beyond-the-years-3ei9eo8y"}}