Chapter 28: Yide Beef
Whatever had moved his heart in this moment, the warrior decided to share something he'd been carefully hoarding.
Steering his camel close to Yu Gyeongseong, the warrior extended his hand to offer something.
"Hey, give this a try."
When Yu Gyeongseong looked at it, it appeared to be a black lump.
Is this... meat?
"What's this?"
The offer felt genuine, so he accepted it without refusing.
The warrior spoke with a hint of pride in his voice.
"It's Yide Beef. If you ever make it to Baxi in Sichuan, their pickled beef is famous. Every New Year, the locals make pickle beef and coat the surface with the soot found on the bottom of cauldrons to prevent it from spoiling.”
So that's why it looks like this.
The warrior held up his own black chunk as if to demonstrate, slicing into it with a small knife. The red flesh inside was revealed.
"The outside is dark, but the inside's red, just like General Zhang Fei! He looked rough and scary on the outside, but inside, he was full of loyalty and passion!”
Ah, so that's why he called it Yide Beef. It was named after the famous general’s courtesy name, Yide.
Yu Gyeongseong tore the jerky with both hands and took a bite. Maybe it was the story behind it, but the flavor hit different; it tasted pretty good.
The warrior continued as he chewed enthusiastically.
"When you taste it, it's got this perfect salty, savory flavor. Most jerky gets stuck between your teeth when you chew, but this Yide Beef starts breaking apart the moment it hits your mouth. You can savor it slowly and take your time with each bite. It's one of the few luxuries you can enjoy on a long journey like this!"
Another warrior nearby cut in with a jab.
"Didn't you make that yourself? Anyone listening would think you brought it straight from Sichuan!"
"I learned the secret recipe when I visited Baxi! So what else would I call it if not Yide Beef?!"
He turned his head with a huff, "You're not getting any."
"Whoa! Hold on! What I just meant... the stuff you make tastes way better!”
Watching their bickering, Yu Gyeongseong turned to Beopjin.
"Master, would you like to try some?"
The warriors all turned, their expressions screaming 'Huh?'
They'd assumed the monk wouldn't eat meat, which was why they hadn't offered any in the first place.
But Yu Gyeongseong had already learned something during their walk together.
[When one practices almsgiving, wandering around asking for food, you just accept whatever's given. The teaching is not about forbidding meat. As a seeker of the Way, one must guard against greed and avoid killing for one's own desires.]
Beopjin simply smiled, indicating he was fine with it, and spoke.
"Being a monk doesn't mean I can't eat meat. The Buddha never praised those who only ate vegetables, nor did he scold those who ate meat. He simply taught us to let go of our attachment to food. A monk should eat only to maintain his body, prolong his life, and sustain his practice."
The group's expressions shifted to something like 'Ah, is that so?' as he taught.
"There are regions where people can't survive without eating meat. How could we possibly forbid meat-eating in such places?"
The Guild Master chimed in from the side.
"Exactly. If you force what is impossible, disaster inevitably follows. Just look at Tibet's previous Tsenpo. He was a fervent Buddhist who forced the entire nation to convert to Buddhism and banned meat-eating. But Tibet's land is so barren that avoiding meat there is near impossible."
(TL Note: The equivalent for King in the Yarlung Dynasty)
Yu Gyeongseong, who'd been listening quietly, asked a question. There was clearly more information embedded in the merchant's words.
"So what happened?"
Hadn't he just said disaster followed? And he'd said "previous" Tsenpo, too.
The answer that came matched his expectations perfectly.
"He was assassinated. About five years ago, I'd say? ...He pushed it too far.”
The Guild Master seemed to be gauging Beopjin's reaction, his words trailing off. Beopjin nodded in understanding.
"Benefactor is correct. Too much is as bad as too little. If you force people to follow something unbearable, will they truly believe in Buddhism? Or will they instead resent it?”
The Guild Master's face brightened.
The Zen Master didn't seem like someone who was narrow-minded. He turned back to Yu Gyeongseong to continue his explanation.
"Actually, the past few decades were when Tibet was at its strongest. They were powerful enough to ravage even the Tang Dynasty, the so-called greatest nation. But that Tsenpo set up a system where seven families had to feed one monk. He made people revere monks more than their own ancestors. The burden on common folks was crushing, and the punishments were brutal. Just glaring at a monk would get your eyes gouged out, and pointing at one would get your finger cut off."
Even just hearing about it sounded excessive.
"So he ended up getting assassinated. He died young with no heir to continue his legacy.”
Yu Gyeongseong suddenly recalled someone.
It was that one-eyed bandit they'd encountered not long ago, the one who'd been radiating hostility toward Beopjin.
[Master, that one-eyed bastard is Tibetan. He got his eye gouged out just for looking at a monk the wrong way.]
Now, Yu Gyeongseong understood why the guy acted like that. If you lost an eye for something like that, how could you not harbor a deep grudge?
Beopjin spoke. “The crux of this matter lies not in the consumption of meat itself, but in the act of killing. That is to say, the focus is placed on life. The Buddha’s words are well recorded in the Dhammapada. ‘All living beings fear violence and death. Therefore, do not kill or injure life thoughtlessly.’ Therefore, if one harms a life in the name of prohibiting meat, that would be the same as contradicting that principle.”
He was pointing out that what the last Tsenpo did was wrong as a believer of Buddha.
Yu Gyeongseong gazed at him quietly.
In this moment, Beopjin's determination to embark on this difficult pilgrimage to properly transmit the true teachings resonated more deeply with him.
“One must examine the reasons behind every rule. One must ask why we are told to act in such a way. The World-Honored One emphasized the Middle Way. We must avoid leaning too far to one side."
Then Beopjin suddenly turned to look at Yu Gyeongseong. Their eyes met and a quiet voice flowed out.
“For it is through the practice of the Middle Way that one may attain enlightenment.”
***
When all you do all day is walk and rest, there's really nothing to share except conversation.
Either way, that situation worked in Yu Gyeongseong's favor.
"Hah... How the hell did you come in here with barely any preparation? Do you even know what this desert's called?"
Yu Gyeongseong shook his head.
"It's the Taklamakan. They say the name comes from the Uyghur people. It means 'the vast desert beneath the great mountains,' but also 'the place of no return.' Just the length from east to west is easily over roughly a thousand kilometers."
The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult members never really talked about the desert like this. That was probably because their attitude differed from that of these merchants. For the merchants, this was a place of trials, but from the Cult's perspective, it was territory under their dominion.
"Day and night are like two different worlds here, I swear. During the day, it feels like your whole body's on fire."
But as soon as the sun set, the temperature plummeted and cold came rushing in. Enduring drastic changes like that with just your bare body was almost impossible.
The night was filled with the long sounds of the camels finally stopping, and the merchants set up their tents with a big sand dune blocking the wind.
"It's not easy to start fires in the desert. Finding firewood is difficult."
They used flint to spark the tinder, then skillfully placed it among the fuel they'd piled up to build the flames.
But the fuel looked a little off.
It wasn't wood... it looked like flat, round pancakes.
“It’s dried camel dung. You know how they say you can use every part of a camel? They mean stuff like this. Even their shit's useful. It burns really well, actually. There's hardly any moisture when it comes out, and if you dry it just a bit more, it burns great.”
Yu Gyeongseong remembered seeing a few merchants at the back of the caravan diligently picking up camel dung as they walked. Since the camels were shitting while walking, there wasn't much choice but to collect it that way.
"If we run short, we can buy some in some settlements, but firewood's just as precious there. That means it’s expensive. So it’s better to save up while we can. That’s the good thing about having so many camels.”
Spoken like a true merchant.
Yu Gyeongseong wondered why they didn't just gather firewood from tree-filled areas before entering the desert, but then again, if they had room for that, they probably would've brought more goods to sell instead.
The merchants put rocks into the roaring fire.
“If you bury these hot rocks and sleep on top of them, you’ll feel way better in the morning. If you let the cold get into your bones, you’ll regret it when you get old.”
The weaker you are, the greater your wisdom for surviving the environment.
Maybe they liked that Yu Gyeongseong was paying attention and listening to them, the merchants started being nicer to him. Some even shared heated rocks with him.
As night deepened, the camels knelt close to the tents, making low groaning sounds. As Yu Gyeongseong looked at them, someone explained, "Whether resting or sleeping, they always sit like that. Their legs are just too long. Right now they're chewing their cud. Those guys eat anything. Usually grass or grain, but when there's nothing else, they’ll wolf down animal bones, meat, and even leather.”
“Alright, let’s get something to eat."
Once things were settled, the merchants and warriors gathered around the campfires for their meal.
Since they wanted to treat the Zen Master well, there was a lot of food.
"Here, this is camel milk. Nothing beats this for filling you up. It’s good for quenching thirst too. Give it a try."
"Thank you."
"Regular milk often gives people stomachaches, but camel milk doesn't do that. I've never seen anyone get sick from it."
Yu Gyeongseong tasted it.
It was savory and smooth, with a slightly salty flavor.
"It's good."
The merchant grinned, liking his reaction. “You can survive for a long time just drinking this.”
Then Yu Gyeongseong felt something.
Suddenly, he turned to look in one direction.
And Beopjin also turned his gaze.
"......"
In this moment, what entered Yu Gyeongseong's Qi perception—
—Is a massive amount of energy surging from the west, as if a primordial giant were rising from its slumber.