A Tree Beyond the Years — Chapter 4

FOUR DAYS AGO—

SUHARA?

THEY'RE LOOKING FOR SOMEONE THERE?

YES.

THE GREAT LANDOWNER'S BROTHER THERE

IS SUFFERING FROM AN UNKNOWN ILLNESS,

AND HE DOESN'T CARE IF IT'S A SHAMAN OR AN EXORCIST, AS LONG AS THEY CURE HIM.

THEY SAY HE'LL GRANT THEM WEALTH BEYOND IMAGINATION.

BUT FROM WHAT I HEAR, WHATEVER YOKAI IS RUNNING RAMPANT THERE

IS SO VICIOUS THAT NO ONE MAKES IT OUT ALIVE...

...NOT THAT IT MATTERS.

MASTER WOULD NEVER GRANT US PERMISSION TO LEAVE.

UNLIKE A CERTAIN SOMEONE WHO BEAT OUT COUNTLESS PUPILS AND FORMAL DISCIPLES

TO BRAZENLY SEIZE THE TITLE OF TOP DISCIPLE IN JUST A FEW SHORT YEARS.

MUST BE NICE.

CLINGING TO MASTER'S SIDE,

FAWNING OVER HIM AT EVERY TURN... WE SHOULD'VE KNOWN FROM THE START,

JUST BECAUSE SHE'S A GIRL—

SHH...

DID YOU FORGET THAT MASTER TOLD US NEVER TO SPEAK OF THAT?

R-Right... LET'S GET GOING, SENIOR BROTHER.

SERIOUSLY, THOUGH—

TALK ABOUT ROTTEN LUCK FIRST THING IN THE MORNING...

IT'S NOT EVEN FUNNY ANYMORE.

BEFORE THEY FOUND OUT I WAS A GIRL,

THEY PRACTICALLY WORSHIPPED ME, ASKING WHERE SUCH A BLESSING HAD ROLLED IN FROM.

STILL... SUHARA...

I THINK IT'S RIGHT ON THE WAY DOWN TO MY HOMETOWN...

THE GREAT LANDOWNER'S BROTHER AND AN UNKNOWN ILLNESS, HUH...

YOU CANNOT.

MASTER?

DON'T GO.

I HAVEN’T EVEN SAID I’M GOING YET.

BUT YOU INTEND TO.

NO, I DON’T KNOW THAT AT ALL!

YOU WILL GO IN THE END.

ARE YOU TESTING ME RIGHT NOW?

MY SPIRIT BOX TELLS ME SO.

THAT...

YOU ARE ABOUT TO LEAVE FOR SOMEWHERE FAR AWAY.

I’M JUST...

HEADING BACK HOME BECAUSE IT’S BEEN SO LONG SINCE I LAST SAW MY FATHER.

LAST WINTER, FATHER TOLD ME

HE WANTED TO PICK AND EAT APRICOTS TOGETHER WITH ME...

UGH, FINE!

I ADMIT HEARING ABOUT IT PIQUED MY INTEREST A LITTLE!

HAVEN'T MY SKILLS IMPROVED BY LEAPS AND BOUNDS LATELY?

IT'S ALREADY BEEN THREE YEARS SINCE I BEGAN TAKING COMMISSIONS AS A FULL-FLEDGED EXORCIST,

AND EVEN YOKAI OVER EIGHT FEET TALL WITH THOUSANDS OF TEETH

COULDN'T LAY A SINGLE FINGER ON ME!

BESIDES, IT'S RIGHT ON THE WAY BACK HOME,

SO I COULD JUST MAKE A QUICK STOP.

I'LL SLAY THE YOKAI AND PUT THOSE ARROGANT FORMAL DISCIPLES WHO LOOK DOWN ON ME RIGHT IN THEIR PLACE-

PART OF ME WANTED TO KNOCK THEM DOWN A PEG-

JAKYEONG.

...VERY WELL.

IT HAS ALREADY BEEN

SEVEN YEARS SINCE YOU BEGAN FOLLOWING ME...

IF THIS IS WHERE DESTINY LEADS,

PERHAPS IT IS BEST FOR YOU TO EXPERIENCE IT YOURSELF.

HOWEVER, ONCE YOU ARRIVE,

DO NOT GROW ARROGANT.

IN THIS WORLD,

THERE EXIST YOKAI FAR MORE COLOSSAL THAN YOU CAN EVER FATHOM.

SO IF YOU SENSE EVEN THE SLIGHTEST THING AMISS,

DO NOT TRY TO FIGHT IT. YOU MUST TURN ON YOUR HEELS AND RUN.

I NEVER EXPECTED TO HEAR WORDS LIKE THAT

FOUR DAYS LATER.

PRESENT DAY—

DON'T TELL ME...

HE FORESAW THIS?

FOLLOW ME.

I WILL TAKE YOU TO THE LANDOWNER.

CHIEF STEWARD HWANG IN

YES, SIR.

RUMORS IN THE MARKET SAID EVEN THE SERVANTS SCRUBBING FLOORS IN THIS ESTATE WERE COLD,

Did a flock of Demon-Faced Birds break in on something...?

WITH THEIR NOSES STUCK HIGH IN THE AIR...

PLEASE, ENTER.

THIS LOOKS LIKE A BACKYARD...

OVER THERE, ON THE RIGHT!

TO THE LEFT, YOU IDIÓT!!

AAAARGH!

!!

CATCH IT RIGHT NOW!!

AFTER IT!!

WH-WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON?

WHY, IT IS A GAME FOR THE LANDOWNER.

A GAME...?

LANDOWNER.

I HAVE BROUGHT THE GUEST.

AH.

WELCOME BACK, WANG-YEON.

WHAT ON EARTH...

A MAN I'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE

IS PROSTRATED LIKE A DOG, WHICH IS ABSURD ENOUGH ON ITS OWN,

AND WHILE WORKING AS AN EXORCIST ACROSS THE COUNTRY

I'VE MET ALL KINDS OF MEN, BUT...

TO BE THIS...

TO LOOK SO DELICATELY HANDSOME...

AH! IT IS AN HONOR TO MEET YOU.

I AM-

NO NEED TO BE SO STIFF.

LOOK OVER THERE.

YOU SEE IT CLEARLY, RIGHT?

PARDON...?

CATCH THAT ROE DEER ALONE, AND YOU GET A THOUSAND NYANG.

GET IT!!

TAKE IT DOWN TOGETHER, AND ITS FIVE HUNDRED NYANG.

OVER THERE!

WHAT DO YOU SAY?

Hm?

DOES A THOUSAND NYANG NOT TEMPT YOU?

THEN TWO THOUSAND NYANG.

THANKS TO YOU,

I'VE COME RIGHT TO MY SENSES.

LANDOWNER.

DID YOU NOT GATHER PEOPLE FROM ALL ACROSS THE REALM

OUT OF CONCERN FOR YOUR BROTHER'S WELL-BEING?

I AM AN EXORCIST, NOT A HUNTER,

AND I HAVE NO REASON TO FOOLISHLY CHASE AFTER A DEER.

WANG-YEON.

RELEASE THE HUNTING HOUNDS.