Chapter 13: Divine Healer of Ten Thousand Ailments (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 13: Divine Healer of Ten Thousand Ailments (2)
Silence hung over the main hall courtyard of Six Blood Valley.
Though their expressions varied, everyone was staring at me with wide, startled eyes.
It was only natural that all eyes were on me; Bizarre Hae Ak-cheon, who had refused to take a successor even after the Great Orthodox-Evil War, had finally taken a disciple.
Unit Leader Gu Sang-ung of the Raging Blood Unit, in particular, looked at me with eyes full of doubt.
He likely found it hard to believe that Hae Ak-cheon would take someone like me—whose Dantian was damaged—as a disciple.
Well, nothing I can do about that.
—Clap!
I assumed a proper stance, wrapping my right fist in my left palm, and bowed deeply.
“Blood Tax! Blood Tax! Blood-Blood Tax! I am So Woon-hwi. I am but a lowly training disciple, but the Venerable One saw fit to take me under his wing, looking kindly upon my meager potential.”
I greeted them with confidence yet maintained proper etiquette.
Though he didn't show it openly, the corners of Hae Ak-cheon’s mouth twitched upward. It seemed my effort to flatter the old man had paid off.
“Is it actually true?”
“The Venerable One really took a disciple...”
Thanks to my re-emphasizing my status as his disciple, murmurs began to break out from all sides.
The one who broke the chatter was the Blood Hand Witch, Han Baek-ha.
“I offer my congratulations to the Venerable One on taking a disciple. This is a great blessing for our Cult.”
She offered a fist-and-palm salute in congratulation.
Following her lead, the Blood Cult members from Six Blood Valley, the veiled women who seemed to have accompanied the Blood Hand Witch, and all the subordinate cultists offered their congratulations according to the Cult’s etiquette.
“Congratulations!”
“Elder, we celebrate this joyous occasion.”
Now, there was no turning back.
Since I had become the disciple of one of the Four Venerables, the news would spread like wildfire.
I had never received this kind of attention in my past life, so I felt a bit restless. Is this why people say having a powerful background is so important?
—That’s just how the world works. You have to pick the right line to stand in if you want to succeed.
This dagger talks like an old man who’s lived several lives.
But it wasn't wrong. I was receiving attention I had never experienced in my previous life.
However, this kind of attention would only be temporary.
I need to gain power of my own.
—Right, right.
I felt that truth even more poignantly now.
Wait, I’m not imagining this, am I?
The Blood Hand Witch, who was still politely holding her salute, was staring directly into my eyes.
—Shudder!
A chill ran down my spine.
As expected of one of the eleven high-ranking officials leading the Blood Cult, her aura and her very presence were on a different level from the others. I felt a heavy pressure emanating from her gaze.
—Is she telling you to lower your eyes or something?
I don't know.
It didn't seem to be that.
Strangely, I felt as if I were being sucked into her pupils. Just as a wave of dizziness began to wash over me, the Innate True Qi within my chest surged hotly. The dizziness vanished instantly, and my mind snapped back to clarity.
A look of surprise flickered in Han Baek-ha’s eyes as she watched me.
Ah...
What was that just now?
At that moment, Hae Ak-cheon’s massive frame moved to block her view of me.
A voice reached my ears via Sound Transmission.
[Don’t look that woman straight in the eye. An inexperienced brat like you is liable to be bewitched.]
So that dizziness was her attempt at bewitchment.
But I was fine. I didn't know why my Innate True Qi had activated on its own, but it had cleared the fog from my mind.
Unaware of this, Hae Ak-cheon shouted irritably.
“Stop your useless tricks, Blood Hand Witch.”
“I would never. How could I do such a thing in the presence of the Venerable One?”
She denied it with a slight bow of her head.
What a terrifying woman. She had tested me openly right in front of him and didn't even bat an eye while lying about it. She hadn't claimed a spot among the Seven Blood Stars as a woman through mere luck. It was likely due to her exceptional martial arts and her sheer audacity.
“Hmph! You’d best not test my temper. You know that when I get cranky, I don’t give a damn if you’re a Blood Star or not, right?”
Of course, Hae Ak-cheon was a man who didn't care for such audacity. His title, "Bizarre," wasn't just for show.
Still, it didn't feel bad to have him looking out for me as his disciple. Or maybe he was just protecting his own pride.
“How could I not know?”
She replied without losing her composure.
Hae Ak-cheon snorted, clearly displeased by her attitude.
“Hmph!”
Perhaps because she was also a top official of the Cult, he didn't resort to physical violence to vent his frustration.
“Enough. I need to see the Divine Healer immediately.”
“Elder...”
Unit Leader Gu Sang-ung tried to say something with a troubled expression, but Han Baek-ha raised a hand to stop him.
She answered in his stead.
“That is difficult right now, Venerable One.”
“From what I can see, your business is finished. What’s so difficult about it?”
“Do you not know the Divine Healer’s temperament, Venerable One?”
“Temperament, my foot. You mean his pickiness.”
Ah...
At that volume, the person inside must have heard him.
How does a man who came to ask for a healer’s help think he’ll get anywhere by provoking him? Was he planning to use force if things didn't go his way?
I was grateful for the help, but this was becoming a burden.
“It is not possible right now.”
However, she stood her ground firmly. I thought she would back down if the crazy old man threw a tantrum, but she was surprisingly stubborn. Did she have the confidence that she wouldn't lose to him in martial arts?
“Ho. Is that so?”
Hae Ak-cheon’s expression shifted. Seeing the thick muscles in his forearms twitch, it looked like trouble was brewing.
It was then.
“Let them in.”
A soft, low-pitched voice drifted out from inside the main hall.
Unit Leader Gu Sang-ung frowned and turned his head. The door was slightly ajar, and he seemed to be looking at the face of the Divine Healer of Ten Thousand Ailments through the gap.
“It is fine.”
The voice was quiet.
Gu Sang-ung looked at Han Baek-ha. She let out a shallow sigh and stepped aside.
“Please, go in.”
“Heh heh, you should have done that from the start.”
Hae Ak-cheon unclenched his fists. The suffocating tension that had gripped the area dissipated instantly.
“Heh heh, let’s go.”
I felt embarrassed for him. Regardless of power, Hae Ak-cheon’s bulldozer-like approach was only possible because of his incredibly thick skin. At any rate, I was glad a fight didn't break out.
—Creak!
As we opened the door and entered, a spacious room was revealed.
I was inwardly excited. This was the moment I would meet the greatest physician in the Central Plains, a man said to be able to save anyone as long as they weren't already dead.
Ah!
Sitting behind an elegant table was a middle-aged man with salt-and-pepper hair.
He was an incredibly handsome man. He looked like the type who would have broken many hearts in his youth—no, he was handsome enough to do it even now. He was the complete opposite of the image I had of a physician.
The Lesser Conversation Sword snickered.
—You weren't expecting white hair, white eyebrows, and a white beard, were you?
Isn't that the standard?
He was, after all, the greatest physician of the age. I had expected someone who looked like they possessed years of wisdom, but instead, his face was so striking I couldn't look away.
However, the Divine Healer wasn't the only one in the room.
Who is that?
Beyond a screen made of thinly sliced bamboo, I could see a silhouette. Judging by the slender frame, it seemed to be a woman. And in front of the bamboo screen stood four women with their faces covered by white veils, appearing to be guards or attendants.
—Pfft, why are those two so fat? They’ve got double chins.
Hmm...
As the sword noted, two of the women were quite large. They were so heavy that their chins folded; they were massive in a different way than Hae Ak-cheon.
Don't judge people by their looks.
—...Oh really? Let’s see if you say that when it’s time for you to get married.
......
I couldn't really argue with that.
“Why are you lot coming in?”
Hae Ak-cheon spoke irritably to Gu Sang-ung and Han Baek-ha as they followed us in.
She replied with her characteristic expressionless face.
“He was still in the middle of a diagnosis. You arrived in the middle of it, Venerable One.”
“Hmph.”
Ignoring her words, Hae Ak-cheon sat down in front of the handsome Divine Healer. Only the Unit Leader was fidgeting at his bold behavior.
“Divine Healer. It’s been a long time.”
“Your frame is as grand as ever, Venerable One.”
The Divine Healer’s voice was a deep, resonant bass that seemed to echo. He had all the qualities that would make women swoon. Middle-aged charm, indeed...
“Would you like a cup of tea?”
The Divine Healer gestured toward the teapot on the table. Perhaps because he had reached the pinnacle of his field, every movement he made was full of grace.
“No thanks. You keep that refined stuff for yourself.”
—Look at that class.
The Lesser Conversation Sword clicked its tongue. Yeah, our crazy old man had traded his class for candy a long time ago. It was like watching two people with completely opposite personalities meet.
Hae Ak-cheon grinned and said, “I’ll get straight to the point. Heal my disciple.”
“Heal him?”
At those words, the Divine Healer looked at me standing behind Hae Ak-cheon.
“Greetings, Divine Healer. I am So Woon-hwi, the disciple of the Venerable One.”
I hurriedly offered a salute and bowed my head. The Divine Healer scanned me from head to toe with a strange look in his eyes.
Then, he spoke.
“Your disciple doesn't look particularly ill.”
That was obvious. My Dantian was the problem, but on the outside, I looked perfectly healthy.
Hae Ak-cheon pointed a thick finger toward my Dantian.
“The problem is here.”
“...It’s his Dantian.”
He realized it immediately. Since there was no point in hiding it, Hae Ak-cheon nodded.
“If you heal my disciple, I’ll give you my Sect Token. It’ll come in handy.”
—Thud!
Hae Ak-cheon pulled a wooden Sect Token from his robes and placed it on the table as if he were doing a great favor. A Sect Token was no different from an identity token for a martial artist. Giving someone your Sect Token meant that if the recipient ever fell into danger or asked for help, you would assist them regardless of the reason.
—Wow. The old man is really putting in some effort.
I agreed. I didn't expect him to go as far as offering his Sect Token. He must have known how stingy the Divine Healer was with his treatments, but it really seemed like he considered me his disciple.
He must be considering it.
It was the Sect Token of the Bizarre Hae Ak-cheon. Even for the Divine Healer, it was something worth considering. He might even heal my Dantian without needing that specific herb.
However...
“I refuse.”
The Divine Healer rejected him coldly. He pushed the Sect Token back toward Hae Ak-cheon as if he had no use for it.
“What?”
Hae Ak-cheon’s face twisted terrifyingly. I could understand his feelings. He probably hadn't expected the man to reject him without even a moment's thought.
“Divine Healer!”
At that moment, the Divine Healer pulled something out from a bundle under the table and placed it on top.
—Rattle!
The moment they saw it, everyone’s jaws dropped. Even Hae Ak-cheon’s.
—Whoa... just how many are there?
On the table was a bundle of Sect Tokens strung together by a thin cord. At a glance, there looked to be about fifty of them. Some of the names on those tokens were shocking.
Taoist Master Zhongxian, the Sect Leader of the Wudang Sect... Ardent King Hegemon Jin-gyun...
—Are they famous?
Famous? Both of them are among the Eight Great Masters Under Heaven!
I was truly speechless.
...Ha!
That was impressive enough, but then one incredible name caught my eye.
[Jue Xin]
A name consisting of only two characters. Was there anyone in the Central Plains who didn't know that name?
I knew the Divine Healer had treated many martial arts masters regardless of whether they were Orthodox or Evil, but I hadn't expected him to have received a token from that person.
—Who’s that?
...One of the Four Great Villains.
Killing Fiend Jue Xin.
He was a great villain feared by everyone in the Central Plains. So many men, women, and children had died by his hands that he was called the worst monster, a name that could make a crying child stop instantly.
—...He’s the ultimate king of networking.
That was exactly what I wanted to say. When he already had Sect Tokens from the Eight Great Masters and the Four Great Villains—those who had reached the realm of superhumans—there was no way Hae Ak-cheon’s token would look like anything special.
Unfortunately, they were in different leagues.
Hae Ak-cheon’s fingertips, resting near his own token, were trembling slightly.
—It’ll look pathetic if he just tucks it back in.
Not necessarily pathetic. Let’s just call it a strategic retreat.