EDFF 03

Chapter 3

Ksitigarbha Mall

Within a rectangular screen lay neatly arranged merchandise and price tags, row after row.
It was unmistakably an internet shopping mall.
Even the products and UI matched the sites she frequented.
‘What on earth is this. Ksitigarbha… Mall?’
Her bewilderment at the unfamiliar site name lasted only a moment.
Then a conversation with her mother, from some years past, flickered swiftly through So Yeon-hui’s mind.
“Yeon-hui, do you know where the saying ‘even small kindnesses return as great gifts’ comes from?”
“From Santa Claus?”
“That’s ‘don’t cry,’ but this saying comes from the teachings of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.”
Her mother had explained it to her.
Long ago, when Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva vowed to save all those suffering in hell, everyone shook their heads, saying it was impossible.
The fate of all beings, they said, is determined by the karma they themselves have created—how could every sin possibly be washed clean?
But the compassionate Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva swore that if even a speck of goodness remained in a person’s heart, he would never abandon them, and would gladly step forward to help.
Was it possible that ‘Ksitigarbha Mall’ was a systematization of that very help?
A kind of encouragement—never to abandon the path of goodness, no matter how hard things became.
‘Wait… could this be connected to that notification window from earlier?’
That notification that appeared right after she shared the rice porridge with her younger siblings.
‘It definitely said something about achieving a virtuous deed, didn’t it?’
So Yeon-hui’s heart began to race.
She glanced at her siblings for a moment, then subtly moved her fingers to scroll down the page.
At the bottom of the page, a banner displayed ‘Current Points: 6pt’ alongside a small usage guide.
[ Ksitigarbha Mall Usage Guide ]
All products sold in Ksitigarbha Mall can only be purchased using ‘Virtuous Deeds Points.’
Virtuous Deeds Points accumulate whenever you perform ‘altruistic acts,’ with the amount of points earned varying according to the magnitude of the good deed.
Prices for items in Ksitigarbha Mall are set based on modern standards, with 1pt equivalent to approximately 1,000 won in value.
However, when purchasing items that do not exist in this era, a processing fee may be charged depending on their impact.
ⓒ Ksitigarbha Corp. ∞ All Rights Reserved.
‘Wow. This is insane. You actually get points for doing good deeds?’
And she could freely purchase modern goods with those points.
‘Well, of course I should live a virtuous life! I’ll become an absolute angel sent down to earth!’
So Yeon-hui felt jubilation bloom within her.
Her mother’s words about how living virtuously costs you nothing seemed to finally ring true.
‘With this, raising the So Clan back to prominence isn’t impossible at all!’
Though she bore the status of a criminal now, there was actually a path to freedom for her father.
If the evidence of treason had been genuine, he would have received execution, not exile.
‘I need to accumulate merit here so that Father’s virtuous deeds are reported to the Imperial Court. Then even the Emperor himself couldn’t help but issue a pardon!’
How could an exiled criminal possibly accumulate merit?
Actually, there were several ways.
Like Dasan Jeong Yak-yong, who walked to the brink of death during the Sinyu Persecution but received a pardon after eighteen years—by leaving behind brilliant works that would echo through history.
Or like Fan Zhongyan of the Northern Song, who implemented a proto-welfare system and relieved tens of thousands of starving people from famine.
As a last resort, there was the example of General Yi Sun-sin, the Supreme Admiral of the Righteous Cause.
Of course, that method could only be realized if the nation faced existential crisis, so she preferred not to dwell on it.
‘Considering both practicality and efficiency, the Fan Zhongyan route is the most orthodox approach.’
Build a system to defend against famine, and ultimately relieve the people from starvation.
Win the people’s hearts, leave a name in history, and even get the feeling of playing a city-building game.
‘Three birds with one stone—I can’t possibly let this slip away!’
Of course, implementing such a plan would require an enormous amount of capital.
For a relief project, the So Clan—whose assets had been confiscated—would find it nearly impossible to raise such massive funds.
It was surely for this reason that even her wise father had never dared to attempt it.
‘But I have the Virtuous Deeds Points system and Ksitigarbha Mall.’
Through Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva’s compassion, virtue and wealth had become one.
How could she not practice generosity?
A soft smile tugged at So Yeon-hui’s lips.
‘Good. Then while I’m at it, let me see what products are available.’
Having sent her siblings away with complaints of exhaustion, So Yeon-hui locked her door firmly and opened Ksitigarbha Mall again.
Having gained this ability, she wanted to understand it thoroughly so she could use it properly.
‘If I can buy anything with the points, that’s even better.’
The rice container in the kitchen was nearly empty.
Beyond that, only some wilted vegetables and a few seasonings remained.
Considering her family’s nutrition, meat was desperately needed, but honestly, she didn’t hold much hope.
‘Meat prices these days are pretty expensive.’
As expected, a pack of beef on the fresh foods page was priced at 12pt—well beyond her budget.
Canned Ham was even more expensive. The processing fee seemed to have a major impact on pricing.
“Potatoes too—1kg for 20pt. Wow, that’s almost three times the market price.”
Of course, potatoes are the go-to cheat crop for historical novel protagonists.
Excellent satiety and absurd farming efficiency.
‘There’s nothing for it. I’ll have to wait for next year’s farming season.’
Given the crop’s nature, you could just tear off a piece and plant it in the ground and food would multiply—could it make sense to pay points and buy it every time?
Absolutely not.
Of course, there were definitely affordable materials available without processing fees.
Most notably, ‘radish’—already widely cultivated in this land.
A huge one for just 2 points each—truly an angelic crop.
“Oh, truly the common vegetable. The value for money is absolutely insane?”
Autumn radish is even sweet and nutritious. Being a root vegetable, it fills the belly pretty well too.
Having made up her mind, So Yeon-hui quickly purchased one radish.
Then a fairly large cardboard box suddenly materialized from thin air and landed at her feet with a thud.
“Wow, this is literally rocket delivery.”
The goods arrived the moment she ordered. Calling it rocket was even an understatement.
At this speed, it deserved to be called light-speed delivery.
So Yeon-hui grinned and opened the box.
Inside the large box lay a single fat radish, sitting bare without any padding.
“Yeah, that weirdly half-hearted overpackaging. Completely that company’s style.”
So Yeon-hui pulled out the radish and examined the box from all angles.
She had wondered if the box would disappear once she removed the radish, but fortunately it didn’t.
“Oh, what’s this. This could work pretty well as insulation?”
Daejinguk, apparently modeled after ancient China, had no ondol heating in its homes.
Naturally, at night the cold seeped up from the floor, and her back grew terribly sore.
‘They made beds out of cardboard at the Tokyo Olympics, didn’t they? If I collect these carefully, it’ll definitely help.’
At least it would be far warmer than laying a single straw mat on the floor with bedding piled on top.
So Yeon-hui carefully stored the box, organizing it in a corner of her room.
“So what do I do with this radish?”
The easiest thing would be to boil it into a soup.
But what good was boiling plain radish in water alone, without meat?
That would barely differ from simply cooking the vegetables already at home.
“No, I need to get meat myself.”
After all… meat is meat, however you look at it.
So Yeon-hui placed her hands at her hips and shrugged her shoulders once.
It was time to put her skills to real use.
* * *
Chingyang Prefecture—a border city surrounded by steep mountain ranges.
And within Chingyang Prefecture itself, a tiny remote village called Man-gok Village, formed along the most isolated mountain ravine.
How could those raised in the Capital City manage to build a livelihood in such a godforsaken place after being suddenly exiled?
‘It’s a miracle not to freeze or starve to death.’
Exile punishment wasn’t called a ‘mild form of execution’ in Daejinguk for nothing.
Those who couldn’t adapt to the new environment were quickly culled by the laws of this wilderness.
And in that respect, the So Clan was blessed indeed.
So Yeon-hui had become an expert in exactly such matters.
She briefly organized her plan, then quickly gathered her siblings.
“What? You’re going to catch fish with soybean paste?”
“Yes. Or more precisely, miso.”
Just moments ago she’d sent them away complaining of tiredness—what could she possibly want now?
Had the mushroom toxin still not fully worn off?
The So children scratched their heads, watching So Yeon-hui’s eyes, which had just changed within the span of one meal.