Chapter 2: The Garden of Spring

The northeastern garden, spread across a vast meadow, was a place where divine beasts and spiritual creatures ran freely.

The divine beasts born with the power of spring were notorious for their fierce tempers, and many flower children and immortals were reluctant to go near them.

All the servants of spring wondered how divine beasts born with the power of the God of Spring could have such foul tempers when their master himself was so gentle.

As a result, Myeong had taken on all the work of caring for the divine beasts. There were only two of them, so it was not as though there was an overwhelming amount of work.

Originally, divine beasts born with the nature of a particular season were supposed to remain in the Human Realm and maintain the balance of power.

However, now that the power of spring had withered, the Heavenly Horse and Vermilion Bird, who possessed the strongest energy, remained in the northeastern garden to help the eastern land recover.

Of course, only a few immortals who stayed by Spring’s side knew these circumstances in detail, so flower children like Myeong had no way of knowing.

Although it was not his responsibility and he had merely taken on the work everyone else disliked, Myeong actually liked the job quite a lot. There were frightening rumors that the divine beasts had killed several immortals and flower children, but Myeong had never actually been harmed by them.

Just before entering the First Garden, where the Vermilion Bird stayed, Myeong straightened his clothes. No matter how much it resembled an ordinary beast incapable of speech, it was still a divine beast carrying the energy of spring.

Perhaps it was even more precious than Myeong himself. After dusting himself off and roughly smoothing down his tangled hair, Myeong slowly walked into the garden.

He could hear the sound of a river flowing in the distance. The servants of spring, frightened by the divine beasts’ vicious tempers, were reluctant to set foot in the northeast, so the area was always quiet and peaceful.

According to the latest rumor, the Vermilion Bird had supposedly skinned a small flower child alive… However, Myeong knew that the beast never harmed anyone who behaved properly, so he assumed it was a lie and refused to believe it.

And besides, surely it couldn’t really have happened, could it?

Even so, he was naturally frightened, and the legs that normally carried him along at a brisk pace trembled today, slowing his steps again and again. After dawdling his way there, he finally arrived at a hill where a large willow tree had grown.

Beneath the enormous willow, the Vermilion Bird had folded its wings and was busy preening its feathers.

“Greetings. I’m Myeong.”

Myeong politely bowed to the Vermilion Bird, who was leaning against the tree while preening its feathers. Since it was a divine beast carrying the energy of spring, Myeong always behaved respectfully around it.

Although the Vermilion Bird had already sensed Myeong’s arrival from his footsteps and scent, it waited until Myeong had finished greeting it. Only after Myeong had bent fully at the waist did the Vermilion Bird stop preening and flap its wings.

A warm breeze ruffled Myeong’s coarse hair.

‘Thankfully, it seems to be in a good mood today.’

Myeong mixed the chunks of meat and medicinal herbs he had brought and held them out in front of the Vermilion Bird. The Vermilion Bird silently watched Myeong move before tapping his small head with its beak.

“I’m sorry. Am I late?”

Tap, tap.

Myeong apologized at the beak tapping him as though reprimanding him for the late meal.

Tap, tap, tap!

Instead of eating, however, the Vermilion Bird began pecking at Myeong’s head repeatedly.

Thinking it wanted him to leave, Myeong timidly began backing away to put some distance between them, but the beak suddenly caught hold of his clothes and sent him tumbling to the ground.

“Do you not like the food? I’m not tasty!”

Could the rumor really have been true? Terrified, Myeong trembled as he spoke to the Vermilion Bird. The bird stared at him with an incredulous expression before opening its wings and tucking Myeong between its neatly arranged feathers.

Nestled snugly inside the warm, fiery feathers of its wings, Myeong finally relaxed and let out a deep breath. Sometimes, the Vermilion Bird liked to trap Myeong inside its wings and play with him. Of all days, it had to be today, when his work was already piled up…

Being surrounded by warm, soft, fiery feathers was so cozy and comfortable that Myeong often found himself waiting for the Vermilion Bird to open its wings. Even now, he felt so good that sleep was beginning to creep over him, but Myeong clicked his teeth together anxiously.

He had to go to the Heavenly Horse next. He was already late, and if he were even later, the hot-tempered Heavenly Horse might finally kick Myeong away with its hind legs.

“Vermilion Bird, Vermilion Bird.”

Myeong called out anxiously, but the Vermilion Bird pretended not to hear him and instead flapped its wings, rolling Myeong around inside them.

“Whoa!”

Myeong’s small body began spinning round and round with every beat of the Vermilion Bird’s wings. When Myeong let out a low groan, the Vermilion Bird gave a delighted trill, clearly pleased.

“Please let me out now. You need to eat your meal.”

After being rolled around for quite some time like a round ball, Myeong pleaded with it. He really could not afford to be any later. The more his work piled up, the more miserable Myeong became. He had already been scolded twice for slacking off, too… Tonight, his pillowcase might very well be soaked through with his tears.

When his worries had piled up until they were bigger than the tower in the west, Myeong gently stroked the inner feathers of the Vermilion Bird’s wing as if asking it to take pity on him.

The wings, which had gradually begun to open, soon spread wide enough for Myeong to crawl out.

“I’ll come again tomorrow. Please enjoy your meal.”

Myeong quickly crawled out from beneath the wing and bowed to the Vermilion Bird once more. The Vermilion Bird’s fiery feathers had caught between the folds of his clothes, keeping him warm.

Ignoring Myeong’s farewell, the Vermilion Bird casually nudged the meat he had brought with its foot. Leaving the bird to begin its meal, Myeong plucked the fiery feathers from his clothes and carefully gathered them.

They were valuable enough to sell for a high price. Among all the servants of spring who were too frightened to approach the Vermilion Bird, only Myeong could obtain its feathers.

That was why they deliberately assigned Myeong to care for the Vermilion Bird so often, so they could collect the feathers.

Naturally, Myeong received none of them. He did not feel wronged. Myeong had never intended to sell the feathers in the first place, and he was not a greedy person.

After gathering the feathers and placing them in the communal basket, Myeong quickly headed toward the Second Garden next door. He had not visited the Heavenly Horse the day before yesterday, so it might be angry with him.

The Heavenly Horse was said to fly through the sky faster than a thousand-ri horse could run a thousand li in a day. It had once carried the God of Spring throughout the Human Realm.

But now that the God of Spring was ill and unable to leave his palace, the Heavenly Horse had begun an indefinite wait in the garden.

It was somewhat understandable that the divine beast, who was supposed to be a messenger of spring, had grown increasingly ill-tempered after being unable to fulfill its purpose and being confined to such a small garden.

“Lord Heavenly Horse, Myeong is here.”

Just as he had politely greeted the Vermilion Bird, Myeong respectfully bowed again.

The Heavenly Horse, which had been resting beside the lake, turned its head and looked at Myeong.

With a snort, the Heavenly Horse exhaled through its nostrils. Myeong gripped the brush tightly in one hand and cautiously approached.

A whole heap of immortals had already been kicked by those sturdy hind legs, so Myeong had no choice but to remain tense around it.

“May I brush you?”

There was no chance it would answer, but Myeong always asked for the Heavenly Horse’s permission. Its magnificent silver mane was already perfectly neat, without a single tangle.

There was absolutely no need to brush it, but Myeong knew that the Heavenly Horse secretly enjoyed being brushed, so he often brought out the brush.

“Oh my, your coat is really magnificent!”

As always, the Heavenly Horse quietly gazed at Myeong with golden eyes as he admired and praised it at the same time, saying that its coat was worthy of a horse ridden by the God of Spring.

Because Myeong’s words were sincere rather than empty flattery, the Heavenly Horse happily accepted the praise. When it shifted and pushed its back closer to him, Myeong obediently continued brushing its mane until his arms began to ache.

‘I’m not going to get out of here easily either…’

Why was his work piling up so much today?

Myeong gently massaged the back of the Heavenly Horse’s neck as he removed the hairs caught in the brush. Those, too, were valuable, so he would have to collect them separately and place them in the basket.

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