Hanseong, The Kingdom of Joseon, Twenty years ago, in 1754

The morning of Chopail was crowded with people getting ready for the festival. Jinpyo was on a walk with one of his students. They were talking with the shop owners, sharing laughs and delicious treats.

The student looked at Jinpyo curiously and asked, “Master? Why didn’t Master Jien join us?” he swallowed the large piece of candy he was holding. “He seemed different today—”

“What do you mean?!” Jinpyo harshly grasped the student’s arm, who coughed from Jinpyo’s reaction.

“— I don’t know; he was quiet and distanced,” the student said and wiggled his arm away.

Jinpyo looked away. He noticed Jien seemed odd the last couple of days without a reason. He tried to talk to him several times, but Jien wanted to be left alone rather than sitting with anyone else. Jinpyo took a deep breath and his memories with Jien flew back to his mind, especially the first time they met.

One year earlier.

Jinpyo was testing young students. He was walking around them while they were sitting on the ground, answering their test. They were sitting in front of the temple’s main gate. The gate opened and a man wearing black went inside and caught Jinpyo’s attention.

The man dressed as a monk but clearly looked different from the monks in the kingdom. Jinpyo called another monk to look after the young students and went to talk to the mystery man. “Can I help you?” the man didn’t answer. He kept looking at Jinpyo with a smile. Jinpyo smiled back. “Are you a monk?”

“Yes,” Jien answered in Korean with a noticeable Japanese accent.

“I guess you’re not from here… welcome my friend, I’m Jinpyo.” he reached his hand to touch Jien’s shoulder, but he took a few steps back to avoid it and instead he bowed. Jinpyo bowed back and invited him to come inside to serve him a cup of tea.

The students and the monks looked at the two men as they walked their way inside the temple building, whispering about the foreign man.

The building was massive and filled with monks and visitors from all over the kingdom. Jinpyo was leading the way, followed by Jien, who was bowing and smiling at everyone. They reach a semi-empty room with only two large square pillows and a small table with teacups on it.

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Jinpyo told Jien to have a seat while he served him a cup of warm tea mixed with herbs. After a few minutes, Jinpyo served him a cup and poured another one for himself. “What is your name and what brought you here?”

“Jien” — he took a sip and looked directly into Jinpyo’s eyes — “I’m a traveler monk.”

“Traveler monk?” Jinpyo said, not understanding what he meant.

“I travel searching for the truth… my truth.”

“Your truth?” Jinpyo said, raising his eyebrows.

Jien smiled and said, “Can I stay here for a while?”

Jinpyo stayed quiet for a few seconds but smiled and said, “Of course, you are welcome to stay as much as you want.” Jinpyo felt something weird about Jien, yet he couldn’t refuse. The temple welcomes anyone, especially if they are monks.

Jinpyo tried to touch Jien’s hand, but he leaped away, avoiding him without breaking his relaxed smile.

“MASTER!” the student shouted and shook Jinpyo’s shoulder. Jinpyo startled. “Are you okay, master? You didn’t answer me.”

“Yes… what did you say?” Jinpyo said and smiled. The student smiled back and continued talking. They stopped to get some herbs; the student was buying them while Jinpyo kept thinking about Jien.

From the day they met, Jinpyo knew nothing about him or his past. He was a mystery he wanted to solve. Over the past year, they developed a unique friendship, and they taught each other new ways in Zen.

Jien gained popularity fast among monks and students; known for his calm personality and his wisdom, which sounded decades older than his actual youthful age. Jinpyo and his student went back to the temple after getting everything they needed from the market.

Jinpyo immediately went to look for Jien. He didn’t find him anywhere in the temple. Another monk finished a class and called Jinpyo’s name after he saw him walking through the temple, looking confused. “Jinpyo, are you looking for Jien? He left.”

“Left? where?”

“I don’t know. He seemed anxious today. He went straight to the gate, and it looks like he’s not coming back,” the monk said — shrugging his shoulders, he looked confused as well.

Jinpyo didn’t reply, and the confused look on his face was getting stronger. “He left you these papers. He told me to give it to you in person,” the monk said and handed Jinpyo a group of papers covered by a leather cover.

Jinpyo contemplated, then looked again at the monk. “Did he tell you where he’s heading?”

“No, he didn’t even look at me… he just gave me the papers and left,” the monk said and turned around to walk away while Jinpyo didn’t move his eyes from the monk’s walking body.

Jinpyo was left alone, standing in the middle of the temple with a blank face. A group of young students were running through the temple halls, crowding it. Jinpyo looked around, then walked to a quieter corner to read the papers.

Jinpyo my friend, I know you’re asking yourself why I’m such a mystery. Why can’t you read my soul? I knew your ability, and I didn’t want you to see what I saw. For the moment, I saw you; I knew what you were. One small touch can reveal my soul. I couldn’t let you know my secrets. But you, my friend, need to know the truth. To help others who have a similar destiny. I wrote about everything that happened until the day I came here. Don’t hate me for leaving and not saying goodbye. I’m on a mission, my friend. I couldn’t stay…

Jinpyo’s eyes were wide open in shock. “How did he know my secret?!” he whispered to himself, shockingly.