What did the Young Scholar believe?
He hadn't even seen it!
"I didn't see the Black Monster either."
The woodcutter stated this fact again.
He felt like his younger brother always forgot about it.
"Then how am I supposed to believe you?"
The Young Scholar was stumped.
After a long pause, the Young Scholar could only repeat what he had said so many times before. "...I saw it..."
"I really saw it..."
Clear as day.
How was he supposed to believe...
That what he'd seen was fake?
The woodcutter sighed.
"Little brother."
"You really..."
"Are too deeply caught up in this."
"Maybe..."
A flash of inspiration came to the woodcutter. "I should take you to a temple to pray."
"Ask the master there to take a look at you."
"No..."
The Young Scholar instinctively refused.
"I don't want to..."
"Just think of it as an ordinary visit to burn incense and worship Buddha..."
The woodcutter was a little surprised by the Young Scholar's refusal.
"No one will gossip about you over that."
The Young Scholar shook his head.
The woodcutter frowned.
"You..."
"Just think of it as getting rid of some bad luck."
"And praying for blessings before your next exam."
"Wouldn't that be good?"
The Young Scholar still shook his head.
"Brother."
The Young Scholar cut off the woodcutter, who was about to speak again.
"Didn't you say you'd give me three months?"
"Those three months aren't up yet, are they?"
After a brief pause, the woodcutter nodded.
"That's right."
"They aren't."
The woodcutter understood what his younger brother meant.
But he had to make one thing clear first...
"When I gave you three months, I didn't expect you to run off to these woods alone in the middle