Handsome Monk

The Handsome Monk is a character introduced in Hoyoung's storyline in Cheong-woon Valley, whose face and identity are stolen by the Monster Rat.

History
An old folktale says not to be careless when disposing of one's fingernails and toenails, or else a rat will eat them, stealing that person's face. The Handsome Monk was told of this folktale by his former master, but never took it seriously, and was therefore did not dispose of his nail clippings properly.



A rat ate his nail clippings, stealing the Handsome Monk's face. The Handsome Monk hid in shame, but recalled advice given to him by his former master: making the rat spit out the nails would return his face back to normal.



When the Handsome Monk went to confront his doppelganger (the Monster Rat), he was overwhelmed by how powerful it had become.

Shortly before the Handsome Monk confronted the Monster Rat, Hoyoung sealed Taotie inside himself, which accidentally released all the fiends and monsters that Taotie once sealed away, allowing them to freely cause mayhem throughout Grandis and Maple World. One monster known as the Flea Monster, known for empowering its host, took control of the Monster Rat shortly after it stole the Handsome Monk's powers, increasing its power exponentially and preventing the real Handsome Monk from reclaiming his identity. With no other options, he became a beggar and started wandering Cheong-woon Valley aimlessly.





Trivia

 * Some of Hoyoung's stories are based off Korean folk tales. The story of a rat eating fingernails and turning into a human is titled Rat Transformed Into a Man.