[TS] Became a Peach Saint – Chapter 283

A body so skinny you can see the bones. It’s not just because Shaolin Temple is poor and they’re starving.

It’s the result of extreme physical training bordering on abuse, and a diet so lacking that they couldn’t even eat broth that had briefly touched meat.

It’s obvious without even looking.

Since this is a temple focused on study, they probably banned rich foods, leading to nutritional imbalances in the children.

Even in the real world, vegetarianism is tough without supplements. How can kids forced into vegetarianism by people who don’t even know what protein is possibly get essential minerals and vitamins like zinc, calcium, phosphorus, and omega-3? The answer is: they can’t.

In this world, it might be normal for kids to grind and polish martial arts from a young age like genius training, but to me, it just looks like child abuse.

As proof, even the monk collapsed behind me had an abnormally developed physique.

Only the necessary parts had muscle, while the rest was so bony you could see the skeleton.

“Alright, diagnosis done.”

“Han So-jeo?”

“What’s wrong, monk?”

“Could you examine the novice monks a bit more thoroughly?”

Seems like he doesn’t trust my quick diagnosis.

“Hmm.”

Pasabul being here probably won’t help much.

As I’m figuring out where to hit to take him down in one shot, Jeon Ho urgently steps between us.

“The physician known as Shin Yi in the world is this Han So-jeo. So, please trust her and leave it to her, Pasabul.”

“I heard you went through great trouble to bring her, but are you saying Han So-jeo is Shin Yi?”

Pasabul, sounding shocked, asks Jeon Ho.

“That’s correct. So, Han So-jeo, please stop sizing up Pasabul.”

“Huh? No, I was just thinking of taking him out in one hit since he’d just be in the way.”

“Gasp…!”

Pasabul takes a big step back upon hearing Jeon Ho’s words.

“That’s why I stopped you.”

“Our Jeon Ho, getting sharper by the day. That’s why I don’t like people who are too quick on the uptake.”

“Ahem!”

Jeon Ho, seemingly done, quietly steps aside.

“Monk, if you don’t want to be sent straight to Buddha’s warm embrace, stay quiet. If you interfere, I’ll add a dot to the seal on your forehead and turn you into the Shaolin Room Master. The Room Master has nine seals, right?”

“Ah, Amitabha Buddha.”

“Answer.”

“Yes, Han So-jeo…”

Finally, it seems the situation is settled.

Now, it’s time to treat the novice monks.

“Phew—”

*Thud.*

After shaking off the pipe I was holding, I reach into the storage space and pull out a heavy object.

“Han So-jeo, what’s that?”

“A barbecue grill and tools to start a fire.”

The ingredients are prepped pork ribs, already drained and seasoned.

Since there are quite a few kids, I’ll need a big pot. Add water and some extra ingredients to remove the gamey smell.

The method to remove the gamey taste and enhance the flavor is pretty much the same as when making pork stew.

There’s no fixed recipe.

*Thud!*

Cut an onion in half and toss it in, along with garlic, pepper, green onions, bay leaves, and apples. Boil it all with the meat, and you’re done.

Finally, pour in the Heavenly Peach Wine, and a fragrant fruity aroma spreads everywhere.

“Ooh!”

“Already looks delicious, right?”

“Yes.”

“Han So-jeo.”

Just grill the boiled ribs after applying the sauce, and it’s done.

The preparation is simple, but there are a lot of ingredients, so it’s a bit of a hassle.

“The sauce can be replaced with a ready-made one.”

Applying the sauce to the scored ribs lets it soak in nicely.

Letting it marinate in the fridge for a day would make it even tastier, but hey, it’s meat—it’s delicious either way.

Sizzle─

The meat on the grill makes a delicious sound.

Gulp.

At the same time, the sound of swallowing saliva can be heard among the novice monks.

Ordinary kids would probably come over out of curiosity, but the novice monks just stay in their places.

“Jeon Ho, come over and fan the flames a bit.”

“Yep! Just fanning, right?”

“Yeah. Over there.”

Jeon Ho’s neck follows my hand, moving toward where the novice monks are gathered.

“That’s the medicine for the sick monks.”

“Understood.”

Maybe because he’s been worn down by my strange behavior over the past few days, he starts fanning without a word.

The biggest problem here isn’t anything else—it’s the novice monks.

These kids have lived under the strict rules of Shaolin Temple, so getting them to move on their own is the most important thing.

Sizzle─

Meanwhile, the meat keeps cooking.

The sauce on the meat and the smoke from the wood chips mix together, creating a fantastic aroma.

Gulp.

This time, it’s heard right next to me.

I thought it was Jeon Ho, but it’s Pasabul, who has somehow taken a few steps closer and is staring intently at the grill.

“Monk, it looks delicious, doesn’t it?”

“Yes… Yes, yes? Wh-what are you talking about…?”

“Your body is full of oil… I mean, demons, but let’s pretend we don’t know, okay?”

“Ahem! This humble monk has never tasted it, so I wouldn’t know.”

Even a monk can’t lie well.

His voice trembles like a truck rattling down a dirt road.

But he’s right. If you’ve never eaten meat, how would you know if it’s tasty?

“This looks done, right?”

I lift up one side of the ribs that’s been exposed to a lot of heat, and it’s perfectly browned.

“Phew- Phew- Jeon Ho, ah, got it.”

Jeon Ho, who had been fanning diligently toward the novice monks, looks at me blankly.

“Don’t want to eat?”

“No! Not at all. I want to eat.”

“Don’t chew the bones.”

As Jeon Ho puts the meat in his mouth and bites down with his front teeth, the meat, softened by the Heavenly Peach Wine, slides right off the bone.

“Mmm! Ugh!”

“Tasty?”

“Yes! It’s the most delicious meat I’ve ever had.”

“Glad to hear it.”

As the cook, there’s no better compliment than that.

Bam!

At that moment, someone bursts through the door with a loud noise.

He looks to be around fifty.

“Y-Yulsa, why are you here…?”

“Who is that person?”

“He’s the head of the disciplinary committee at Shaolin Temple. He’s in charge of punishing those who violate the rules.”

Jeon Ho answers instead of Pasabul.

The monk called Yulsa has a bald head that’s so red it looks like it might explode, as if to emphasize his anger.

“Get out!!”

“Ouch, my ears. Do all the monks here have anger management issues?”

“Grilling meat in a sacred temple! Eating meat that involves killing is nothing but cruel violence!”

“It’s actually ‘grilled meat,’ though?”

The veins on Yulsa’s bald head pop out.

“Y-you, understand…”

“Unbelievable! Did you think Buddha would show mercy after pulling such a stunt?!”

“Amitabha. We resolved it peacefully through prayer. Buddha says it’s fine.”

Victory is certain.

**〈A Sudden Gust of Wind〉**

*Crash! Bam! Crash!*

As the wind path opened and shot forward, I found myself face-to-face with the startled monk.

“Gasp!”

Just as I was about to drive my fist into his abdomen, the monk clapped his hands together in prayer, and a golden light began to envelop his body.

This makes two people who have directly reacted to my punches. The first was Daeju Uncle from the Cheonhyeol faction, and the second is this monk in front of me.

*Ding!*

**〈Super Heavy Hit!〉**

*Boom—!!*

The monk, struck by my punch, was sent flying endlessly backward.

Even in this situation, the fact that his feet didn’t leave the ground makes me think he’s quite the extraordinary person.

“Ugh!”

*Thud!*

Finally, the monk, who had been pushed back as far as possible, vomited blood, face-planted into the ground, and passed out.

“What? The Diamond Immoveable Technique was broken? How could a monk who reached such a pinnacle level fall so easily…”

—Tsk, tsk.

“Phew— Healing is such a pain. Jeon Ho, bring that old man over and toss him in the back.”

“But…”

“Jeon Ho, do you want to reach the pinnacle and join Buddha’s side?”

“Gasp!”

Only then did Jeon Ho drag the monk over and carefully lay him down by the wall.

“Hey.”

“…Yes, Han So-jeo.”

When I called him, he quickly approached, bowing his head deeply.

“Kid, you’re not done with your chores yet. Want to die?”

“N-no, sir…”

“Get your act together.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Being sorry doesn’t fix everything, does it?”

“N-no, sir…”

Jeon Ho’s head kept sinking lower, like a ripe rice stalk.

“Hey.”

“Yes.”

“Hey.”

“Yes!”

“Hey.”

“Yessir!!”

*Whoosh!*

At Jeon Ho’s booming voice, birds flew away.

“Want to switch places with the guy tied up behind the iron cart? He’d probably do a better job. If you’re tied up and delirious, you won’t even have to drive the cart. Sounds comfy, huh?”

“Gasp! I’ll do much better!!”

“Let’s do better?”

“Yes!!”

*Whoosh!*

“Are you messing with me?”

“Ugh… N-no, sir…”

“Hey, you crying?”

“N-no, sir.”

Jeon Ho’s nose was bright red.

“Let’s do better? It hurts my heart to see you like this. You understand, right?”

“Yep!”

“Good. Back to your position.”

“Back to position!”

With his mental fortitude restored, Jeon Ho quickly returned to the grill.

As expected, anything gets better with a little cleaning, tightening, and oiling.

“Can you portion out some meat onto the plates?”

“Yep!”

Jeon Ho started arranging the ribs neatly on the table, one by one.

“Monks, come eat.”

When I waved toward the novice monks, they began exchanging glances.

Regardless of the reason, kids need to consume plenty of nutrients.

Even carnivores eat organs to get their vitamins, so they should at least eat better than that.

“If you don’t come, Jeon Ho here will eat it all.”

Despite my continued gestures, they were too busy eyeing each other.

“Hmm.”

Following their gaze, I spotted one monk standing awkwardly in place.

Looks like I’ll have to deal with that.

It’s impossible to get the same nutrients from just vegetables as you would from meat, and even if it were possible, you’d have to eat so much that it’s definitely not an amount a child could handle.

“Monk, sorry, but I’m gonna pluck your eyeballs out.”

“Huh…?”

“They say it’s not an assassination if there are no witnesses. Since the novice monks seem to be wary because of the witnesses, wouldn’t it be fine if I just pluck out Pasabul’s eyeballs?”

“Ah, no, just because of that, you’re gonna pluck out eyeballs…?”

As I step closer to Pasabul, he startles and stumbles backward.

“Don’t worry too much. Outside, I’m known as Shin Yi.”

“Pa… patron, please…”

Pasabul keeps backing away until he finally hits the wall.

“I’ll take them out painlessly and put them back properly later.”

“You crazy…!”

“Oh ho. You figured out my true identity? Not bad.”

It’s the first time I’ve ever received such high praise from a monk.

***

“Little monks, no one’s watching now. Come and eat!”

Only then do the novice monks swarm in.

They’re probably around the age of just starting elementary school in our country.

“Patron, are we really going to eat meat?”

“Of course! I sent the nosy ones for a private chat with Buddha, so don’t worry and dig in.”

“But…”

“If your conscience pricks you, just chant ‘Amitabha Buddha’ once before eating. This is medicine.”

The swarming novice monks look at each other, then bow their heads to me with their hands clasped.

“Amitabha Buddha.”

“……”

I’m a villain, not a Buddha.

But maybe it looks different to kids who still have their innocence.

I can’t understand it because I don’t have even a drop of that innocence left.

***

“Eat it before it gets cold.”

“Thank you for the meal!”

“Sure.”

***

Bang! Crunch!

The expensive wooden table newly acquired by the leader is shattered by a single slap from the leader’s palm.

“I followed the advice of the Naegakju and sent the message as is! So why hasn’t Shin Yi come yet?!”

“Shin Yi departed from Gaebong and arrived in Jeongju…”

“Right! He must have arrived late!”

“He was about to come but headed straight to Sung Mountain instead.”

“Ugh!”

The leader grabs the back of his neck.

It’s because his severe high blood pressure has spiked.