Eternal life

Chapter 16

They walked with the group of tourists and guide in funny, red, floral hat was showing the architecture of the village throwing into the story many facts about living in those times. Aeri and Young Saeng took up the rear and were talking.

'You look much better now.' She said, while smiling at his relaxed and pleased face. His eyes were slightly closed, as he was absorbing the sun rays and inhaling the fresh, mountain air.

'I do? Guess the stress went away...'

'You were so pale, reminding me Yejun. He's scared of dentists and every time we went there, he look exactly like you in the morning. As we walked out – exactly like you right now.' She was giggling, imaging as her brother always fights when he has to go to the doctor's office.

'Hahaha! Maybe I'm your relative?'

'Sorry, the intelligence runs in our blood. You wouldn't be qualified.'

'I still wonder how a fragile women like you has such a sharp tongue.'

She stuck out her tongue and she moved her hand upon it as she it was knife grinding, 'I'm sharpening it daily.'

When she did so, Young Saeng was laughing so hard, that he couldn't see where he walked. He almost tripped on the rock, but regained the balance. He really thought that he met absolutely amazing person. She was making him laugh, she was comforting him and she took care of him. He could not think about anything else right now. The past... The past felt heavy. Not sleazy, but ominously. Finding the truth right now would pull him out of this pleasurable peace. Maybe it was for good, that they didn't get any information.

Aeri, on the other side, was relived seeing him like this. He was relaxed. It was clear to her, that Young Saeng worried a lot. He constantly was thinking not about present, but past, even though he could not do anything in that matter. He tried to be happy and cheerful on the outside, but the thoughts inside were strong enough to have an influence on his behaviour.

The group walked into a large hall and that drew Aeri's attention. The guide said that it was the best preserved building of the whole village and was the home of general, head of the whole town. It could be called a small palace, build in Korean style, including dancheong. It included few buildings and a yard. The room they were in was empty beside a portrait of a man displayed in the centre. As soon as Young Saeng noticed it, he got goosebumps.

The guide proceeded to tell the story, since it was still unrevealed. 'As you can see the main palace stayed almost intact. It was the courtyard of the founder of this village, general Shim Dae Song. As the chronicle says, he served a long time under King's orders, before 1600. As the prize for all his accomplishments, he got the land where he and his underlings could settle for retirement. He came here and nestled down in. Unfortunately, he didn't live to see the village to bloom and that might've caused it's desolation. That's for the confirmed information.

As for the legend, as there is usually at least one, the story is more complicated. The General had one son, since of his old age he couldn't have another one. Myth says that Shim Dae Song wasn't the kindest person in the world. More opposite, he was a cruel man. It states that the ghosts of those, which faced his brutality had cursed his son, which, as soon, as he got older, killed his father. The curse was so strong, that it forbid the parricidal son from getting older and scared everyone in the area causing it's desolation. Indeed, the grave of father can be found in the graveyard behind the village, but son's – not. With this I have a task for you. Maybe we didn't found it yet? Now we're going to head to the cemetery. Look around and as for the person, which finds his grave, a prize awaits. Now, follow me.