Devil’s Music

With his mouth agape, Geon quickly had a camera thrust in his direction by the director, as Yeongseok beside him asked whether Haileke's recent statement had been captured clearly.

"What does it mean to say that he is the teacher of the Lamas? And... the Dalai Lama... is that the Dalai Lama I know? Are we talking about the divine figure in Tibetan Buddhism?"

Haileke raised his hand dramatically before clasping them together in respect.

"Yes, that's correct. It refers to the Dalai Lama, the incarnation of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, who is reborn."

Seeing Yeongseok's jaw drop, Geon snapped back to reality and said,

"You mean the Dalai Lama addressed me directly?"

"Yes, that's right. All Tibetan Buddhists will now show you the same respect they would a guru."

Haileke then turned to the lined-up Lamas and commanded,

"Show respect to the Guru!"

"May Buddha's blessings be upon the Guru recognized by Gacho."

Geon, in a daze, bowed deeply and chanted this mantra.

"I am not someone great, Lamas! Please don't do this."

Suddenly, the Lamas began to kneel on the spot. As Geon and Yeongseok looked on bewildered, Haileke, the last to kneel, flapped his red robe and exclaimed,

"Respect to the teacher of all the Lamas in the world!"

After shouting loudly, Haileke placed his palms up and pressed his forehead to the ground, followed by the thirty Lamas doing the same, shouting in unison.

"Respect to the teacher of all the Lamas in the world!"

Geon looked stunned, but from the moment the Lamas appeared, the myriad of international cameras turned towards him were frantically flashing. Yeongseok quickly checked his camera. Even as the director gaped, he monitored the shoot.

"Don't do this, Venerable Lama, please get up," Geon pleaded, reaching out to Haileke.

Haileke looked up at Geon and smiled.

"Indeed, the Dalai Lama was right. You are unquestionably a Bodhisattva sent to this world by Buddha."

Haileke was helped up by Geon, but the thirty Lamas remained motionless, foreheads to the ground. Geon, looking uncomfortable, pleaded with Haileke.

"Venerable Lama, please ask them to get up. I'm really not comfortable with this!"

Haileke nodded slightly and then shouted,

"The Guru says, 'Rise.'"

The Lamas got up immediately without a word and stood upright. As they did, Geon, wiping sweat from his brow, said to Haileke,

"Please, let's not do this anymore. I'll make some tea, so let's go to the base camp, even though everyone might have to sit on the grass..."

"Under Buddha's grace, what place wouldn't be peaceful? I would consider it an honor to be offered a cup of tea by you, Guru."

"Please, Venerable Lama, don't call me Guru."

"Ha ha, how could I not follow the instructions given by the Dalai Lama?" Haileke chuckled.

"Let's go, then. The other Lamas, please come along."

Geon led the Lamas to the base camp. The base camp, a sizable ten-person tent, couldn't accommodate more than thirty Lamas, so they sat around on the grass outside as Geon busily made tea for them. Yeongseok, filming this, instructed his AD,

"Hey, this is going to be a hit once it airs. Look up what 'Guru' means in advance and add subtitles. And synthesize a picture of the current Dalai Lama."

"Yes, CP. I already noted it down. Oh? But there's something else coming. Ah! What is that?"

"What? What else is there? Ah!"

Yeongseok and the AD saw a wave of people ascending from the entrance of the Gorkha village. At first glance, it seemed like thousands of Nepalis, carrying food like chicken and rice cakes and wrapped items, were heading towards the Gorkha village. After Geon had served tea to the Lamas and sat next to Haileke, Haileke pointed to the people coming from afar and said,

"Here comes Timo."

"Eh? The village chief Timo? Where.. Ah?"

At the forefront of the approaching crowd, with a walking stick in hand, was Timo. Although he brightened upon seeing Geon sitting in front of the base camp, his expression soured upon noticing Haileke seated beside him. Raising his hand, Timo halted the moving crowd and approached the base camp alone. After a moment of staring at Haileke sitting on the

ground with a scowl, Timo bowed to Geon,

"Devasi, Timo has arrived."

Geon quickly stood up and helped Timo to his feet,

"Why are you doing this, Chief? Please stand up."

After straightening up, Timo glared at Haileke and spoke in Nepali,

"What business does a mountain monk have here?"

Haileke laughed heartily and sipped his tea,

"I was just partaking in the tea offered by the Guru. And what brings you here? Your village isn't far from here, is it?"

Stamping his walking stick on the ground, Timo said,

"Your village or mine, it's all the same, you mountain monk. A Guru under the deity of Hinduism! Are you looking down on the Dalai Lama?"

"Ha ha, I merely acted upon the Dalai Lama's instructions. I made no judgments."

As Timo glared fiercely at Haileke, Geon, sensing the odd tension despite not understanding, stepped in,

"Village Chief Timo. Why be upset after coming all this way? Here, have a seat. I'll make you some tea."

Timo's expression softened like melting snow, and he smiled,

"Devasi! Thank you for saving Nepal. The children of Brahma are eternally grateful to you, Devasi."

Geon waved his hands and said,

"I'm not Devasi, please. Here, take a seat, Chief. I'll quickly make some tea."

After offering his seat to Timo, Geon went inside the tent to prepare the tea, while Timo, now cold again, said to Haileke,

"Do not let Devasi grasp Buddha's hand, messenger of Brahma."

Haileke, with a kind smile, responded,

"Ha ha, how could humans fathom the will of the gods? It's enough to live as Buddha has destined."

Timo, enraged, sat and swung his walking stick,

"These damned monks, how dare you eye our Devasi? Get out of here, now!"

Timo's anger subsided upon seeing Geon return with tea, hiding his walking stick and sitting respectfully. Haileke, seeing this, smiled, thinking the two had reconciled, and Geon, smiling, offered tea to Timo,

"It seems you've made up, Chief. That's good to see. Here's the tea."

"Thank you, Devasi."

"Remember, I'm not Devasi."

As Geon sat waiting for Timo to take a sip of his tea, he asked,

"It's a long journey from Dewureli here by car, taking a whole day. What brings you, Chief?"

Timo looked at the thousands of people standing in respectful silence despite their numbers, all of them looking down in a reverent posture,

"As soon as I heard that a disaster had struck and Devasi was helping the Nepalis with all his might, I set off immediately. Along the way, so many Nepalis joined me, hoping to see Devasi, the savior of Nepal. It was only upon arriving that we reached."

Geon's eyes widened as he asked,

"Eh? You walked all the way from there? From that far?"

"Ha ha, yes, that's right."

Geon turned to see thousands of people,

"Are... are all these people here to see me?"

Timo nodded and stood up, raising his walking stick and shouting,

"Pay your respects to Devasi!"

Following Timo's command, a woman carefully approached with a wrapped item. Kneeling before Geon, sitting between the Lama and Timo, she respectfully offered the wrapped item. As Geon, puzzled, accepted it, the kneeling woman said,

"O savior of Nepal, O rescuer of the Nepalis. We praise you."

Tears welled up in her eyes as she clasped her hands and spoke. Geon, taken aback, tried to help her up, but Timo intervened,

"Let her be, Devasi. She's expressing her gratitude for your help to Nepal."

As the woman cautiously stood up and walked away without showing her back, Geon, holding the pink cloth, asked,

"What's this?"

"A sign of gratitude, most likely. They're probably giving things from their homes, livestock, or food."

Geon gaped at the thousands still waiting with items in their hands,

"Surely... they're not all going to give me something like this?"

Timo nodded with a gentle smile. That day, Geon received the most gifts he had ever received in his life. The base camp was filled to the brim with gifts from the Nepalis, leaving no room for anyone else. One by one, people approached Geon, offering gifts and praying for his future blessings from the gods. Even after giving their gifts, they returned to their spots, watching until all gifts had been delivered.

After

more than three hours of sweating profusely while dealing with the Nepalis, Timo, seeing that almost all gifts had been given, stood up and turned to Geon. As Geon placed the last living chicken beside him and stood up, Timo raised his hands high and then prostrated himself, shouting,

"May Brahma's blessings fill the future of Nepal's savior, the celestial!"

As Timo shouted, thousands of Nepalis hurriedly prostrated themselves, echoing,

"May Brahma's blessings fill the future of Nepal's savior, the celestial!"

The director, capturing the scene of thousands bowing to Geon with a drone, muttered,

"What's this... do these people really think Mr. Geon is a god?"

His camera captured the awkwardly bowing Geon and the heartily laughing Haileke.

>

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