Volume 3 Chapter 3 – House of Benevolence and Love

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Translated by Rain

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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Yeon So-hyeon slowly walked through the winding alleys of the slum, following the old woman who guided him.

His steps were slow, and the steps of the rest of the group slowed down accordingly.

No one expressed dissatisfaction with that.

Those lined up along both sides of the alley held Yeon So-hyeon’s hands and kissed them.

Those who could not afford to do so prostrated themselves and kissed his feet, or kissed the hem of his clothes.

The poor were dirty and untidy from not washing properly, and without exception, they suffered from skin diseases of all sizes, making their appearances unsightly, and they emitted a disgusting smell of mixed filth and pus.

Even so, Yeon So-hyeon showed no sign of dislike.

His expression was peaceful, without a single trace of disturbance.

He walked silently, accepting the courtesy shown to him by everyone as much as possible.

‘Ahem, compose yourselves. Everyone, act composed.’

The triplet maids following behind him were in a daze.

‘Everyone, follow the head maid’s example!’

Jeong-ah was listening to the complaints of the poor, which they did not dare to say directly to Yeon So-hyeon.

“Fairy! Please bestow a blessing upon my child!”

“Please make sure my husband, who left for the front line, is safe!”

“Please let my mother rest in peace in heaven!”

Jeong-ah did not have the power to respond to each of their prayers.

Instead, she did what she could.

She hugged those who deserved to be hugged, stroked those who deserved to be stroked, and kissed the foreheads of those who wept bitterly.

At that sight, the triplets also approached the poor more actively.

“…Are they believers of the Fairy Cult?”

One of the Fourth Young Master’s young advisors following from a distance could not hide his bewildered expression as he looked at them.

“I heard their influence was strong among the poor, but to think it was to this extent…”

“I knew the Grand Madame’s name was still highly revered throughout the Central Plains, but I did not know they would pay such respect to her son as well.”

“Is it a kind of fanaticism?”

The Fourth Young Master sighed at the words of the young scholars who were exchanging opinions while following behind him.

“Can you not see even after looking at their actions and expressions?”

“What do you mean by that…?”

He looked at the back of his eldest brother from a distance.

“…They are paying respect to Eldest Brother, not my aunt.”

“…Is that so?”

In contrast, how was the reaction of the poor toward their own group?

Even though the Fourth Young Master’s group was passing right next to them, most of them paid no attention.

“Master.”

Asked the plump maid walking beside him.

“If they are this poor, would they not just leave the neighborhood on their own if we handed them a few coins?”

The Fourth Young Master smiled at her cute question.

“It is not that simple.”

“Is that so?”

He held the plump maid’s hand and explained.

“If they leave this place, where must they go?”

The plump maid, whose hand was held by him, blushed but answered sincerely.

“Uh… another slum?”

“Right. But there is no slum anywhere spacious enough to accommodate all of them. They would have to scatter and enter various slums, and the few coins they received would disappear in an instant.”

“Disappear?”

At the maid whose eyes widened round, the Fourth Young Master smiled.

“Although they seem to live randomly huddled together, whether it is a shack or a dugout hut, everything is ultimately money. Moreover, there will be many who target the money they have.”

He put it nicely, but the reality would be much more terrible and cruel.

“Ah…”

The Fourth Young Master shrugged.

“For them to leave with peace of mind, they would ultimately need a massive relocation fund to the extent that they could escape poverty.”

“I see…”

Although she answered, the plump maid from a wealthy family wore a somewhat puzzled expression.

“Are they all beggars? If they work hard, can they not escape this kind of neighborhood?”

At her question, the Fourth Young Master eventually burst out laughing.

“Most of them have jobs.”

“Pardon?”

“And they are people who work very diligently and sincerely.”

* * *

Yeon So-hyeon looked at the one-armed young man who held his hand and kissed it.

On his remaining arm was a tattoo showing that he had once belonged to the military register.

However, on his exposed body, there were more scars that occurred after that than the scars obtained from battle.

Yeon So-hyeon looked down at the old woman and the children kissing his feet.

The wounds and scars revealed on the bodies of the old woman and the children were not caused by abuse.

Numerous hands brushed past Yeon So-hyeon’s hands and sleeves.

Broken fingernails, fingernails missing without a trace, frozen fingers, severed fingers, and small wounds filling their hands.

Those were the marks of terribly harsh labor.

* * *

“They do any work regardless of children, adults, time, or place as long as there is a job. It is just…”

A bitter smile hung on the Fourth Young Master’s lips.

“No matter how hard they try, they simply cannot escape this place with the wages they receive.”

Under harsh working conditions, they are rapidly consumed.

If they get injured or fall ill, or if they are too young or too old, their already small wages are further reduced.

If they did not make an effort, they could not survive even in this place.

“There is only one place they can go when they leave this place.”

The Yellow River.

Becoming a handful of ashes and flowing down the river.

It felt as if the smell of burning corpses brushed past the noses of those who listened.

* * *

“Master. It seems the front has reached the destination.”

Hearing the report, the Fourth Young Master turned back to look at his subordinates.

“Everyone, watch carefully from now on. Why Eldest Brother is like an object of faith to them.”

His gaze turned forward.

“And you will know why I invited Eldest Brother to our project, even at the cost of giving him a share.”

Everyone’s gaze turned forward.

What entered their view first was a building with a tiled roof.

Because the surrounding shacks were so flimsy and dirty, that building caught their eyes, even though it was old and not that huge.

Stepping a bit closer, they could see that a crowd of people was lining up at the entrance, forming a bustling scene.

A warrior who had learned martial arts enhanced his vision to read the signboard of the building.

“House of Benevolence and Love?”

They entered the inner courtyard through the central gate, which had been cleared in advance.

The inside was a scene of great bustle.

“Meals are this way! The meal line is this way!”

Regardless of age or gender, each holding a bowl, the crowd waiting in a long line was waiting for the porridge boiling in a huge pot.

“Those who are sick, this way! Stand this way!”

Under the ceiling made of roughly woven old tents, numerous patients lay on the floor on just a single layer of straw.

Boys and girls, who could not even be distinguished as errand runners or what, ran around frantically.

The voices of the physicians who classified the severity of patients in advance for those in line, and the voices of the physicians trying to save those in poor condition, were mixed together.

And those who appeared to be apprentice physicians or medical maids helping them were wrapped in cloth all over their bodies.

“…Leprosy patients?”

When a maid covered her mouth in fright, the head maid scolded her.

“Leprosy has low contagiousness. Do not show an excessive reaction for no reason.”

At that moment, a physician approached them.

“Ah, you do not have to worry. They are all fully cured people. They are just covering themselves because severe scars remain, they are not patients.”

The Fourth Young Master nodded.

“Conquering leprosy. One of the achievements left by Aunt.”

“Yes. To repay that grace, they trained in medicine and are helping us.”

The physician smiled.

“Seeing that you call her Aunt, you must be the Fourth Young Master of the Luoyang Sword Family.”

He began to guide them inside.

The plump maid asked on behalf of everyone’s curiosity.

“Does selling food and practicing medicine in a slum make for a business?”

The physician who was leading the way opened his eyes wide, and soon burst out laughing.

“Ah, this is not a place for business.”

The Fourth Young Master took over the words.

“This is a place that provides food and medical care to the poor free of charge. Eldest Brother is paying all the expenses to run it.”

At those words, everyone could not hide their surprised expressions.

The Fourth Young Master’s head maid added to his words.

“In the large slums that exist in Luoyang, there is always this ‘House of Benevolence and Love’.”

The physician wore a good-natured smile.

“And every House of Benevolence and Love is also a shrine dedicated to our teacher, the Medicine Fairy.”

* * *

The Fourth Young Master held the incense in his hand politely with both hands and shook it twice in the air.

Inserting the incense into a large incense burner, the Fourth Young Master stepped back and clasped his hands in prayer in a polite manner along with his subordinates.

Having paid his respects with sufficient time, he raised his head and looked at the altar painting beyond the incense burner.

In a world mixed with drought and flood, the people were groaning in pain.

Those who were starving, naked, and groaning in disease rolled around, wailed, and suffered.

And there was one who saved them.

The woman standing barefoot on the burning earth was beautiful, and her lips bore a Buddha’s smile overflowing with benevolence.

She held a bodhi branch in one hand, and a bottomless medicine pouch in the other hand.

As the sentient beings gathered at her feet filled their bellies, learned wisdom, and were enlightened and saved.

She was none other than the Medicine Fairy, Yak So-yu, who was said to be the manifestation of the Medicine Buddha.

“Please look after us…”

The Fourth Young Master, who briefly chanted a prayer, turned around and went outside.

His subordinates followed him in a solemn manner.

As they came out, another crowd of poor people went inside to offer prayers.

And even so, countless people still formed a long line outside.

Watching that sight for a moment, the Fourth Young Master turned back to look at his scholars.

“Do they still look like fanatics drunk on false faith to you?”

Dare any answer out of shame.

“Now do you understand why they welcomed Eldest Brother with such a sincere attitude?”

Everyone nodded as they answered.

The Fourth Young Master clicked his tongue at them.

“You always pretend to know everything about the affairs of the world with your mouths, but in the end, your eyes cannot cross the high walls of the Main Family.”

Who had two mouths to argue.

“It is a common thing for those who conduct large businesses, compete for power, and boast of being advisors or strategists to be ignorant of those who are poor and needy.”

He looked at the scholars who bowed their heads.

“For they cannot purchase any goods we handle. For they are just people who are used for pennies, and replaced once they are broken and ruined.”

The Fourth Young Master clapped his hands.

Everyone raised their heads to look at him.

“Even so, you must know. In the end, the will of heaven starts from the will of the people, and the mind of the people is the will of heaven that starts from the lowest place.”

The small and young boy put the will of heaven in his tender mouth.

“If you are to find sharp strategies, establish solid plans, and become advisors and strategists in the future, you must engrave that truth deep in your hearts.”

The young scholars gathered their hands and answered loudly all at once.

The Fourth Young Master nodded at that sight and said,

“So, do you know how great and grand my eldest brother is?”

The scholars hesitated just as they were about to answer all at once.

What relation did that have to this?

“You fools!”

Unable to watch further, the head maid grabbed her master, who was jumping up and down.

“Now, now, the Eldest Young Master is waiting for you, Master.”

“Ah!”

At that story, the Fourth Young Master ran.

“Eldest Brother! This incompetent younger brother is late!”