Chapter 99: King Man-geum

"Is this not the Thousand Gold Temple, the home of the great King Man-geum? My disciple and I have journeyed here to dispel the curse cast by the reckless beings of the abyss. But what on earth has happened inside the Thousand Gold Temple?"

- Well, that... we don't know. We were only told to close the doors because a dangerous person might come.

- Yes. We intervened because we sensed a different kind of magical power than usual.

It seems we've come full circle.

At any rate, it appears there was no specific order to stop me.

"So something like that happened. I imagine that guarding the Thousand Gold Temple is a responsibility of great importance."

The Jangseungs were moved by the professor's words and they showed a hint of emotion, If only slightly.

"We apologize for our hasty and thoughtless actions. Could you perhaps send a message to King Man-geum on our behalf? At the very least, we would be grateful if you could arrange for us to meet with the master of the Thousand Gold Temple."

- Hmm... If it's about the master...

- Well, conveying a message should be fine...

"As you can see, we have neither the intention nor the ability to harm the Thousand Gold Temple. We only wish to lift the curse that the beings of the abyss have placed on us."

- Ah, understood. Just wait a moment.

- Yes, we will call the master for you.

Was the problem actually resolved? This gentleman had resorted to a trickster's solution in the end.

"No need for that, elders."

Suddenly a new voice joined in.

It came from atop the wall of the Thousand Gold Temple.

Among the spectators from the Thousand Gold Temple, one figure stood out.

Despite the absence of wind, there was a man in a fluttering black durumagi and a large-brimmed hat.

- Commander of the Thousand Gold Temple?

- Cheon-seul, were you watching?

"No, I just arrived because I heard there was a disturbance. But elders, how can you justify collapsing the road like this?"

- These ghosts won't listen to us!

- The collapse was the work of that poor mage.

The man known who was called Commander and Cheon-seul held his hat as he leaped from the wall.

Upon landing, it became clear that he was considerably taller than me.

While he wasn't as tall as Orb, he certainly seemed taller than Jang Hyeon-deok.

As he walked toward us, his durumagi (robe) that was improperly fastened billowed open, revealing the clothes underneath.

.... The clothes he was wearing underneath the robe were a t-shirt with a beautiful girl character from a famous anime drawn on it and flashy leopard print pants.

"Ah, if it isn't the brother who travels seated, long time no see."

"It's been four years, indeed a long time. Commander Thousand Gold, you still look healthy."

The Professor and Commander Thousand Gold exchanged warm greetings.

"Our elders seem to have started it, but it's time to put away that toy now, isn't it?"

"Since you wouldn't entertain a conversation... I apologize for being rude."

With that, the professor tucked away the flag of open hearts he was holding in his hand.

The other party was Commander Seo Cheon-seul, the second in command of the Thousand Gold Temple.

Compared to his illustrious title, his demeanor is not so much brisk as it is casually relaxed and loose. Ugh, Seo Cheon-seul turned his head towards me.

"Ah... it's understandable that the elders were sensitive."

The posture of Seo Cheon-seul looking at me... that is, he shoved his hands into the pockets of his leopard-print pants under his durumagi and exaggeratedly bent his waist.

This is exactly the typical stance of a back-alley punk looking to start trouble.

Am I being picked on here right now?

I said nothing and just looked straight back at Seo Cheon-seul's face.

The eyes under his large-brimmed hat flashed sharply for a moment... but not for long.

People had often tried to engage me in a staring contest before, but they usually struggled since they would grow unsure of which of the four eyes on my mask to focus on.

It seemed that Seo Cheon-seul too felt this disorientation and he slightly furrowed his brow before using his entire face to burst into laughter.

"Bahaha! You've truly brought a really interesting brother this time."

Seo Cheon-seul then took a few steps back and made a welcoming gesture with exaggerated and theatrical movements.

"I apologize on behalf of the Thousand Gold Temple, in the name of its protector, the Thousand Gold Master. Come in, brothers and company! Welcome to the Thousand Gold Temple!"

Led by Comander Thousand Gold Seo Cheon-seul, we walked through the courtyard of the Thousand Gold Temple.

The interior of the Thousand Gold Temple was not much different from its exterior.

It was a beautiful and bizarre space.

Everywhere I looked, flowers blooming in different seasons sprawled out in abundance.

Workers moving large clay jars were visible between the serene Hanok buildings and the vibrant flowers. They were all dressed in outdated attire similar to Seo Cheon-seul.

They must be of the same kind as Seo Cheon-seul.

As one might guess from Seo Cheon-seul's manner of speaking, they were goblins.

And the Thousand Gold Temple itself was a den for these goblins that was hidden between the real and the surreal.

The goblins who were either moving large jars or chatting in the shade looked at us with interested expressions.

From time to time, I could hear murmurs among them about "the mask", "the mage", and 'the elder Jangseungs" but they showed no more than a passing interest.

Was it just a light curiosity for the unfamiliar guests?

It was actually the professor who displayed greater curiosity and he spoke to Seo Cheon-seul.

"It seems the structure has changed since last time."

"Ah, it's different every time. The creatures living here are quite fickle. You didn't see that last time, did you? It's a recently developed technology."

"Wow... that's amazing!"

A Hanok building appeared to be walking towards us in the direction Seo Cheon-seul pointed.

Upon closer inspection, a goblin was literally pulling the entire building.

And as the building moved, the surrounding structures smoothly shifted to create space.

Though the professor said that the interior of the Ghost Path resembled a dream, this scene was something you'd expect to see only in dreams, in many ways.

The professor couldn't hide his amazement and used his entire face to express his delight.

Following behind them, I must admit, I was a bit moved.

I already knew what kind of place the Thousand Gold Temple was, who lived there, and what it contained.

Seeing a house move here was not new to me.

What I had seen was merely a cutscene from a game displayed on a monitor screen.

The scenes I had admired in my favorite game were now alive and moving right before my eyes.

"Hey, masked friend, if you get too distracted, you might lose your way."

Seo Cheon-seul said so with a laugh mixed into his voice.

Ah, what a foolish thing I was doing.

I almost got distracted and took a wrong turn.

I don't know what expression I was wearing right now, but luckily, the mask concealed it.

"Hmm... be careful."

Seo Cheon-seul's warning about losing the way was not without reason.

We had to navigate a path that was incredibly complex and intricate.

There were even places where we had to pass through the interiors of buildings, and some paths were simply impassable with the professor's wheelchair.

Each time Seo Cheon-seul would laugh heartily as he made new paths by pulling or pushing buildings to ensure that we would not face insurmountable problems. After all, it would be impossible for humans to find their way here on their own.

Finally, we reached our destination.

"Here we are, friends and company. I hope the long journey hasn't worn you out. We've finally arrived!"

Within the bustling Thousand Gold Temple, where goblins, flowers, clay jars, and even buildings mingled in disorder, there was a notably quiet and tidy space.

A vast courtyard unfolded before our eyes.

Trees were neatly lined up on either side of the courtyard and each tree was blooming with hundreds of different flowers at the same time. Remarkably, flowers that typically do not grow on trees, such as tulips and sunflowers, were also present.

Following the impressive array of flowering trees, a large Hanok awaited us. It was noticeably large even by the standards of the Thousand Gold Temple. It resembled the other Hanoks in shape, but it was about three times larger than any other building around.

This was not simply a matter of scale. The building itself was enlarged as if the diagonal corners of a typical Hanok had been stretched. It was like the house of a giant from a fairytale.

The thickness of its pillars was tripled, the size of the roof tiles was tripled, and even the size of the central sliding doors was three times larger.

Seo Cheon-seul gestured to us with a smile.

It was a signal for us to proceed on our own.

The professor and I slowly walked through the rows of flowering trees toward the front of the Hanok.

At the front of the Hanok, there was a wide stone platform laid out.

The platform had no patterns or decorations, yet somehow it did not seem ordinary; it felt like an altar prepared for a great deity.

We stopped in front of this platform that looked like an altar.

The professor who was seated in his wheelchair bowed his head and spoke.

"I have followed the light that illuminates the path and have set foot in the Thousand Gold Temple. Please do not cast us out."

As soon as the formal greeting ended, the air suddenly began to feel heavier.

An immense power could be felt from beyond the central sliding doors of the Hanok.

The owner of the Thousand Gold Temple, King Man-geum, had arrived.

The grand presence beyond the large sliding doors spoke with a voice that resonated not through the air but through the soul.

Speak Your Desire.

"Since things that should remain hidden have revealed themselves in this world, we seek once again what we have always desired."

Speak Your Desire.

The professor briefly lifted a teal bundle he had been carrying and whispered to me.

"Mage friend, I'm sorry, but could you place this on the platform? Leave it tied as it is."

"Yes."

I took the bundle and placed it on the platform. When I stepped back, the professor began to recite what seemed like a ritual incantation.

"May what belongs in dreams return to dreams, and what belongs in darkness return to darkness. We wish for that which we cannot forget, yet wish to forget, to return to the depths of oblivion."

Speak Your Desire.

"My close friend who was fighting against the enemies of the Thousand Gold Temple has fallen into a deep sleep. I seek an object that can awaken him."

Take this.

The professor once again asked me to bring him the bundle.

As soon as I picked up the bundle, I realized that the object inside had transformed. What seemed like it might have been as big as a rice cooker was now a very small and light object.

I handed the sagging bundle to the professor.

He untied the bundle with a smile and pulled out a small glass bottle, perhaps a medicine vial, and then gently patted my shoulder before saying,

"Now, it's your turn."

Ah, so it's my turn now.

I briefly looked down at the bag I was holding. Fortunately, the bag Tudor had entrusted to me hadn't caused any trouble. Now, with this and the cursed jewels I brought, my business at the Thousand Gold Temple would be concluded.

"I have followed the light that illuminates the path and have set foot in the Thousand Gold Temple. Please do not cast us out."

This was a kind of ritual.

It's not like there was a fixed rule like a magical spell, but because it has been customary to say this for a long time, it has become something that must be said.

Now, I should wait for King Man-geum to say ...

Come closer.