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EP.65 The Divine Healer (2)

Kuwung-!

Kuwung-!

Inside the deep cave, a rough sound echoed as if metal was clashing.

The nauseating smell stung my nose, causing me to grimace involuntarily.

Bae Chong, trembling, took slow steps deeper into the cave.

As he walked along the torches affixed to the cave walls, he finally spotted a man sitting in a gigantic chair.

The massive sword carelessly hung beside the chair, as large as an average adult man.

As Bae Chong approached, he slowly knelt on one knee.

The owner of the sword looked at Bae Chong with a bored expression and finally spoke.

“Did you step on the tail?”

His voice was thick with annoyance.

Bae Chong swallowed nervously and replied, “Yes… It seems the Hwasan Sect has caught on.”

“Hmm… Was bringing Yu-rang-gyeom a bit too ambitious?”

Hwasan’s Plum Blossom Sword Technique, Yu-rang-gyeom, had been caught with ample efforts, only to be wasted by the quick senses of Hwasan.

“It’s impossible to draw him out now that they’ve caught wind of the unexpected.”

“I will report it to the Main Palace.”

“Make sure it’s timely. I’ve seen limbs ripped off for being slow to act, so you’d best do it right.”

“… Yes!”

The man, with a fried scorpion popping into his mouth, casually tossed a letter at Bae Chong.

“Bae Chong.”

“… Yes, Branch Leader.”

“They say something’s gone awry with Yeokcheon as well; do you know what it is?”

“… I’ve heard rumors about raccoons appearing.”

“Raccoons? How do they know?”

Raccoons is a derogatory term used for the Hao Gate. Are they truly perceptive enough to notice in such deep places? As exceptional as the Hao Gate is in gathering information, this situation seemed hard to believe.

“Hmm… Could there be a traitor among us?”

While he wasn’t sure, it was hard to believe the Martial Alliance was behind it.

His nibbling fingers paused momentarily.

He finished the fried scorpion.

Bae Chong, keenly aware, hastily spoke, “I’ll send someone to fetch more.”

“Good to see you’re quick-witted.”

The man grinned while getting to his feet.

The sheer size of his muscular body was overwhelmingly intimidating.

Seeing this, Bae Chong hurriedly added, “A command has come down from the Main Palace.”

“Speak, I’m listening.”

“A Divine Healer has appeared in Shanxi.”

At Bae Chong’s words, the man’s eyes gleamed.

“A Divine Healer?”

“Yes.”

“He was in Anhui last time, and now he’s in Shanxi? That old man still has strength.”

“The location is being determined as we speak.”

The man revealed his yellowed teeth.

The cave trembled beneath his thick, pulsating energy.

“Bae Chong.”

“Yes… Yes! Branch Leader…!”

“I don’t remember ordering you to send anyone.”

The pressure on Bae Chong’s heart tightened.

As the man reached out, Bae Chong quickly stammered, “T-the command came directly from the Gungju…!”

The presence of the approaching man stopped, and his overwhelming energy gradually dissipated.

“Really?”

“Yes… It’s a letter sent directly by the Gungju.”

With trembling hands, he presented the letter, which the man quickly snatched and opened.

The seal displaying the Gungju’s insignia assured Bae Chong that his claim was backed.

The man’s expression transformed into one of displeasure.

“To send a letter through a lower officer while neglecting the Branch Leader? The Gungju must be very busy; it’s a little disappointing.”

“… Indeed…! It seems she’s quite busy.”

You wouldn’t need to worry about the work if you weren’t such a bumbling piglet.

With immense effort, Bae Chong swallowed the words he couldn’t speak.

“So, what are we supposed to do? Just kill him?”

It was all written in the letter; asking for clarification seemed pretty foolish.

But Bae Chong was powerless to do anything about it.

“… The order is to restrain him and confine him in the branch’s basement.”

“… Hmm. So we’re just going to lock him up again.”

“Yes, even if something occurs, we were told not to touch eyes or hands.”

“How boring.”

He grimaced at the thought.

Bae Chong suppressed his rising frustration.

It was peculiar that someone so incompetent as him could still hold his position, but when faced with his sheer strength, all doubts vanished.

Grand Extermination Demon Ya Hyeoljeok.

At a glance, he should have been a martial artist under the Main Palace.

However, due to his vile demeanor and reckless fighting style, he had been cast out to this place.

In other words, while he was a fool in practice, his power was monstrous enough to be elevated to the branch leader despite being forced out from the Main Palace.

“Oh, but the ones blocking us can be torn apart, right?”

“… Yes, as long as we capture the Divine Healer.”

“Good, good. It’d be nice to find him quickly… and even better if the Hwasan folks come rushing in.”

Ya Hyeoljeok raised his colossal blade at those words.

It appeared massive, yet in his grasp, it looked relatively small.

Whooosh!

“…!”

A light swing of the blade grazed Bae Chong’s head.

Boom!

He then tensed as an explosive sound erupted from behind him.

Ya Hyeoljeok disregarded Bae Chong’s trembling state and gleamed his yellowish teeth as he laughed.

“Did you say Sword Dragon? I’ve heard there are some decent kids among them… I genuinely hope to meet them; I find it immensely satisfying to crush such kids.”

He snickered. Ya Hyeoljeok laughed.

Crack crack.

The sound of the massive sword scraping against the ground made Bae Chong tightly shut his eyes.

Slowly, after Ya Hyeoljeok slipped into the darkness of the cave, Bae Chong finally allowed a breath he’d been holding.

“Damn…”

I should get the hell out of here.

I don’t think I can last under that crazy pig.

After a simple breakfast just as Maehwa Seon suggested, I immediately set off towards the Hwasan Sect.

Since the mountain wasn’t excessively tall, I couldn’t bring all my attendants, just Muyeon and a few guards tagged along.

Nangong Bi-ah seemed determined to follow me to the Hwasan sect, so I let her do as she pleased.

I knew well that no matter how much I told her not to come, she wouldn’t listen.

I trudged up the seemingly endless Lianhua Peak.

If it were in the past, I wouldn’t have made it even a third of the way before collapsing.

Definitely, months of consistent training had somewhat conditioned me to endure this climb.

Of course, it became immensely hard halfway through, prompting me to consider a bet.

“Junior! We’re almost there!”

At Yeongpung’s words, I scowled.

“… You said that not long ago.”

“I really mean it this time! Just a little further. Hang in there!”

Why is he so energetic…?

Yeongpung was climbing these many steps without a single drop of sweat.

Even Nangong Bi-ah beside him looked indifferent.

It seemed a trickle of sweat ran down her cheek, but it was hardly strenuous.

… Am I perhaps weak?

[Me….]

‘If you’re going to start with “Back in my day,” just stay quiet.’

[…]

As Shin Noya attempted to say something, I swiftly interjected.

Seeing my tactical interruption seemed to put Shin Noya’s mouth on mute.

Climbing without rest for quite a while, the sect’s front gate became visible.

“We’ve arrived…!”

“… Wow.”

After enduring what felt like hellish steps, I turned around and gazed down to see the view of the mountain.

Looking from such a high peak certainly provided a breathtaking sight.

“Isn’t it beautiful?”

At Yeongpung’s question, I nodded.

It seemed I wasn’t the only one entranced by the scenery.

[… Still… still beautiful. I’m relieved….]

A softened voice of Shin Noya resonated in my ears.

It was physically different, lower and delicate than usual.

As I looked at the picturesque scenery from the heights of the Hwasan, the sound of a door opening behind me broke my reverie.

Creeeak.

“What are you doing over there?”

Startled, Yeongpung snapped to attention and positioned himself respectfully.

The one emerging from the door was none other than Maehwa Seon.

What kind of Sect Leader personally opens the door to greet us…?

“Good to see you, Yeongpung. You’ve worked hard.”

Maehwa Seon remarked, affectionately ruffling Yeongpung’s hair.

The guards from the Gu Clan behind me froze upon seeing Maehwa Seon, who stood out so distinctly.

Especially Nangong Bi-ah, usually devoid of expression, and even Muyeon, showed a glimmer in their eyes.

I promptly followed suit and bowed.

“I am Gu Yangcheong from the Gu Clan.”

“After your impressive gaze in the morning, are you introducing yourself again?”

Maehwa Seon chuckled.

“Come in, but please don’t be disappointed if it’s unimpressive.”

Following the calm steps of Maehwa Seon, we entered the Hwasan Sect.

Amidst the sect, cherry blossoms, usually blooming in early spring, were still in full bloom despite it being late summer.

With blossoms everywhere, it felt as if spring had come back, distracting us from the sweltering heat.

I had heard that all of this was linked to the Heart Method of Hwasan.

Hwasan’s technique was known as the Shinkong.

It must be called Shinkong because it can affect the very nature around it.

Walking along the thickly blooming paths of plum blossoms, several detached houses came into view.

Although they showed signs of age, they had been maintained so well that they didn’t appear rusty at all.

As we passed a relatively smaller detached house and climbed further up the slope, there stood a house at the end.

“Make yourself at home.”

It was none other than the residence of the Sect Leader.

“Oh, just this child should come in; the rest can wait outside.”

Maehwa Seon pointed at me.

Surprised, I could only pause momentarily.

Feeling somewhat flustered, I quickly reassured my guards that it was alright and followed Maehwa Seon into the residence.

Nangong Bi-ah seemed somewhat disappointed, but it was useless to argue against the Sect Leader’s words.

The interior of the residence, where the Gu Paibang’s Sect Leader lived, was excessively simple.

It felt just right in terms of essentials.

At the center, Maehwa Seon began brewing tea herself.

Ah, this feels unexpectedly burdensome…?

“This old man has nothing to offer besides Plum Tea….”

“I like Plum Tea too.”

“Oh… That’s a relief; I thought the younger folks didn’t like it that much anymore.”

In truth, I didn’t particularly like it, but I didn’t dislike it either.

The Plum Tea made by Maehwa Seon had a rich fragrance.

After a sip, it was pleasantly sweeter and more tart than expected.

I thought Wi Seol-Ah would appreciate it.

‘In this situation…’

Now, every time something sweet appears, Wi Seol-Ah’s face flashes through my mind.

I could vividly feel the gap between us narrowing.

“I’m glad it suits your taste.”

I awkwardly smiled at Maehwa Seon’s comment.

Did I seem to be too upfront about enjoying it?

“I’d like to offer some snacks too, but there’s nothing in this room.”

“It’s alright. Just the tea is enough.”

After a few more sips, I carefully took out the box I had brought.

It was the box containing the treasure.

Maehwa Seon opened the box and undid the wrapped cloth inside.

An alluring light and the fragrance of plum blossoms filled the room.

“… Huh.”

Seeing this, Maehwa Seon sighed in relief.

Then, wrapping the cloth back around the treasure, he suddenly tossed it!

He tossed it!?

Boom!

The box containing the treasure flew back and crashed somewhere in the room.

“… Uh?”

“Now that it’s been brought, the Elders won’t be nagging me, thankfully…. What a relief.”

… Wait, can he do that? That’s his sect’s treasure!

Is Shin Noya always like this…?

‘Shin Noya?’

I called out, but received no response even after repeated attempts.

‘What’s going on?’

Since when has Shin Noya been so quiet?

It didn’t seem like he was sulking.

“First.”

While I was pondering, Maehwa Seon’s voice snapped me back.

There was a pressing matter to address.

“Thank you for bringing the treasure.”

As the Sect Leader, Maehwa Seon’s voice carried weight.

I too cautiously adjusted my posture.

“I’ve received a separate message of gratitude for the Clan Leader, but do pass along that this old man is thankful.”

“Yes, I will not forget to relay this to the Clan Leader upon returning to the Gu Clan.”

I took out a letter and presented it to Maehwa Seon.

He pressed his official seal upon the letter depicting a plum blossom pattern.

Thus, the formal transfer of the treasure was complete.

As I kept the sealed letter close, Maehwa Seon spoke to me.

“Child.”

Once the arrangements between the Clan and Sect were wrapped up, his tone returned to a more familiar manner.

“Yes, Sect Leader.”

“Now that we’ve discussed the treasure, let’s talk about what’s inside you.”

“…”

Here we go.

As Maehwa Seon pointedly mentioned it, cold sweat dripped down my spine.

I hadn’t thought he would notice it… so soon.

As I nervously looked at him, he simply sipped his tea as if nothing was amiss.

Was he expecting an answer from me?

What should I do, should I deny it? Act oblivious with shameless courage?

While I was caught in thought, Maehwa Seon quietly initiated conversation.

“The energy within you is undoubtedly that of the main sect’s.”

… Damn, I can’t deny it now.

No matter how much Noya had suppressed it, concealing it from Maehwa Seon wasn’t feasible.

“I’m curious as to how it came to be within you.”

If only Shin Noya was here now, things might have been a tad easier…

Whether Maehwa Seon had done something or not, I couldn’t hear Noya’s voice.

I exhausted every possibility in my mind, but there seemed to be no adequate strategy.

As of now, I didn’t have the ability to deceive Maehwa Seon’s gaze.

Finally, taking a deep breath, I began sharing what had transpired on my way here with Maehwa Seon.

 

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