Chapter 88: Treatment (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 88: Treatment (1)
After spending two hours secluded in my room, I finally stepped out. I had been tired, and I’d needed time to sort through my thoughts.
Once my mind was settled, I emerged to find Wi Seol-Ah waiting outside. For some reason, she was sitting on the ground, so I took a seat beside her.
“What are you— What’s wrong?”
As I spoke, I noticed her expression was far from cheerful. Her eyes were puffy, as though she’d been crying, and her whole demeanor seemed heavy with sadness.
“Did something happen?”
“It’s nothing…”
“That might be more convincing if you said it with a straight face.”
“…”
Even with a neutral expression, her eyes tended to look a little sorrowful. But the grief written across her face now made it seem as if her whole world had collapsed.
Eventually, Wi Seol-Ah answered, her voice every bit as downcast as I expected.
“…I argued with Grandpa.”
“…With Elder Wi?”
Wi Seol-Ah had fought with the Sword Venerable? That was unexpected. He usually doted on her endlessly, rarely ever scolding her no matter what she did. For him to have reprimanded her so harshly that she cried… It was surprising.
I don’t think I’ve seen Wi Seol-Ah get scolded except for that one time she secretly followed me to Sichuan.
If the scolding had brought her to tears… I wondered what could have possibly happened.
I kept my voice as gentle as possible. “You okay?”
“…Yeah.”
You really don’t look it.
Wi Seol-Ah glanced at me, her eyes still red from crying. It looked like she wanted to say something, but in the end, she remained silent.
Instead, she quietly stood up, mentioning that she had some tasks Hongwa had assigned her.
“Young Master.”
“Hmm?”
“I’ll work super hard.”
“Huh? Oh… yeah. Do your best.”
I wasn’t sure what she meant, but I offered encouragement anyway. After that, Wi Seol-Ah hurried off.
I wondered what she intended by saying she would work hard. Since she was going to meet Hongwa, maybe it was about her duties? Well, whatever it was, I decided I’d buy her some yakgwa later to cheer her up.
* * *
I left the lodge. Though a dull ache still lingered, I could move well enough. Before long, I found myself wandering the familiar slopes of Mount Hua, searching for someone.
I checked the training grounds first but didn’t find who I was looking for. Then, after a while…
There he is.
While walking along the mountainside, I spotted him from a distance, scaling a cliff face.
“Master Yung Pung!”
Hearing me call, Yung Pung turned and then leaped from the cliff without hesitation, landing lightly before making his way over.
“Young Master Gu.”
He looks down, too.
Yung Pung, who usually seemed unfazed even after a full day of training, was drenched in sweat even though the sun was still high. That alone told me he was pushing himself far harder than usual. The sandbags strapped to his arms and legs were visibly heavier, confirming it.
“Did something happen?”
Yung Pung offered a bitter smile at my question. Ever since I woke up, I’d noticed all the Mount Hua martial artists wore similar grim expressions. Normally, I’d ignore it to avoid getting involved, but this time I pushed the thought aside and pressed him.
“I was going to ask the Celestial Plum Blossom, but he looked so grim I couldn’t bring myself to.”
“…”
“If it’s something you can’t tell an outsider, I won’t pry further.”
For the tournament to be delayed, the problem must be serious. And judging by the mood of everyone here, the situation was clearly bad.
Yung Pung thought for a moment before speaking carefully. “…Do you remember I told you some of our disciples had gone missing?”
“Yes, I remember.”
“…A few days ago, we found them.”
I knew it.
My guess had been right. I’d wondered if their search had borne fruit. Even with the full force of Mount Hua’s swordsmen joining the hunt, they hadn’t had any luck before. It seemed they finally had a breakthrough.
But while finding them was good, the reactions made it clear their condition was anything but. Yung Pung’s expression darkened further as he continued, cementing that thought.
“…When we found them, the seniors were already dead.”
“Were you there when they were discovered?”
“Yes. There aren’t many of us swordsmen left.”
To bring someone as young as Yung Pung along… They must have been desperate. But in the end, they’d only found corpses.
Maybe the perpetrators held a grudge against Mount Hua. Or, since they specifically targeted the sect’s disciples, they were trying to weaken its forces. Whatever the reason… I never heard of this happening.
“And another thing…” Yung Pung seemed hesitant, but after a deep breath, he forced himself to go on. “…When we found the bodies… all their blood had been drained. Not a single drop remained.”
“…!”
My eyes widened. The corpses were completely drained of blood? All of them? The image that conjured was brutal. Considering they’d found the disciples they’d searched for so frantically in such a horrific state, it was no wonder everyone was depressed.
But one thing nagged at me. Why would every single one of the bodies be drained of blood?
“Master Yung Pung…”
“Yes?”
I decided to ask, just in case. “Did you find the bodies in an area controlled by the Black Palace?”
Yung Pung gasped. “How did you know…?”
His reaction confirmed it. I’d asked because I’d been running into them a lot lately. “I only asked because the unorthodox faction member I fought before was from the Black Palace.”
“Oh.”
Yung Pung seemed aware of my clash with Ya Hyeoljeok. It looked like a lot of foul things were happening behind the scenes.
…What is the Black Palace planning?
I only knew of them as a group destined to be wiped out by the Murim Alliance a few years from now. But come to think of it, Ya Hyeoljeok, a former member, was fated to become a demonic human. And those Black Palace members already wielded Demonic Qi…
Is the Black Palace connected to the Demon Cult? If so, how?
Ya Hyeoljeok’s main target had been the hut where the Immortal Healer was staying. Now, the Black Palace had captured and killed Mount Hua’s disciples, draining their blood. Since they killed them and used the corpses, it didn’t seem they ever intended to take hostages.
What are they after?
Whatever it was, it was clearly complex and boded ill. Looking at everything, part of me wanted to ignore it since I knew the problem would be resolved eventually… But after reminding myself I couldn’t stay drunk on peace and run from my fears—
Don’t run away.
—I felt I had to do something.
“Is that why you’ve increased your training so much?” I asked, gesturing to his sandbags.
“…Oh.” Yung Pung understood my meaning and replied weakly. “…After seeing seniors I thought were so strong end up like that… I haven’t been sleeping well.”
Drenched in sweat and clearly exhausted, he nonetheless stretched with the clear intent to continue.
“I’ve lived my whole life thinking I was special because of all the praise I received. But this… opened my eyes.”
“…”
“I was too carefree. If I’d focused solely on becoming stronger, maybe this could have been prevented.”
As Yung Pung spoke calmly but earnestly, I simply watched him. Hearing him, I thought his reasoning was a bit absurd. In my previous life, even Wi Seol-Ah, who killed the Heavenly Demon and saved the world, couldn’t save everyone. Yung Pung was Mount Hua’s greatest prodigy, true, but when the Heavenly Demon emerged in a few years, he would inevitably lose more people than he could save.
But… I can’t tell him that.
I wasn’t worthy of saying those words to him. I’d never walked the path he was on.
I wonder what Elder Shin would say to Yung Pung if he were here… Would he scold him for such depressing thoughts? Or praise him for his resolve?
To me, it seemed he would have done neither. He probably would have said nothing at all. He… would have just let out a bitter sigh. That’s what I thought.
Yung Pung smiled awkwardly when he saw my face. Was I making a strange expression again?
“I’ve come to realize many things this year.” Having said that, Yung Pung schooled his emotions and said he was going back to train. I told him to take care and went on my way.
After our talk, I headed for the summit of Lotus Peak. I couldn’t believe I had to climb this absurdly tall mountain… Was there anything worse?
…Honestly, going to the hut outside the sect was better than this.
Grumbling inwardly, I pressed on. I was on my way to see the Plum Blossom Sword. The Celestial Plum Blossom had told me she was now being treated in her original quarters instead of the hut.
Why did they have to build it all the way up here…?
Since she needed treatment, the Immortal Healer had to trek up and down this peak. I wondered how the old man managed it, given he wasn’t a martial artist…
Maybe the Immortal Healer is secretly a martial artist?
It didn’t seem likely, but anything was possible.
After a struggle, I finally reached my destination. The building before me was larger than the previous hut. I approached the door carefully and knocked.
—Creak.
The door opened slowly to reveal Zhuge Hyuk, the Immortal Healer’s grandson. As soon as he saw me, he bowed his head in greeting. Unsure how to respond, I decided to get straight to the point.
“I came to see the Plum Blossom Sword… but where is the Immortal Healer?”
Zhuge Hyuk responded with a hand gesture, indicating the Immortal Healer wasn’t here. Then he gestured inward, inviting me inside.
When I entered, I saw the Plum Blossom Sword lying asleep. As I moved carefully into the room…
…Huh?
I saw something emanating from her body.
I definitely didn’t see this last time. How can I see it so clearly now?
My eyes widened as I recognized it.
Demonic Qi.
A wisp of Demonic Qi was writhing within the Plum Blossom Sword’s body. Not the murky, foul energy I’d sensed from the Black Palace members, but the pure, potent Demonic Qi of the Heavenly Demon.
* * *
At the same moment Gu Yangcheon saw the Plum Blossom Sword,
The Immortal Healer stood deep in thought before the great tree of Mount Hua. He hadn’t known such a towering tree existed here.
As he contemplated its presence, he stood with his hands clasped behind his back, waiting.
“Immortal Healer.”
He turned toward the voice and saw the one who had called for him.
“…I’ve been looking for you for a long time, Immortal Healer.”
“Indeed. Even though I’ve avoided you repeatedly. Why are you so persistent?”
The one seeking him was the Sword Venerable. Seeing him, the Immortal Healer’s expression tightened slightly.
“It’s been a while, Alliance Leader.”
The Sword Venerable shook his head. “I… am no longer the leader of the Murim Alliance.”
It had been years since the Sword Venerable had passed the title on and left the alliance. But the Immortal Healer replied with gravity, “To me, you are still the same person. And when I say that, I mean I haven’t forgotten what you did when you held that title.”
The Sword Venerable fell silent.
“I had prayed you would be the last person to come looking for me.”
The Sword Venerable parted his lips, searching for a response, but in the end, said nothing. He had no words to offer.
The Immortal Healer glanced at the Sword Venerable, who seemed to be avoiding his gaze, and sighed. He wasn’t even sure if the man before him was the same Sword Venerable he once knew. The mighty figure once called the sky of the Orthodox Faction now seemed spiritually adrift.
…Dohwa wasn’t wrong.
The Immortal Healer had cursed the Celestial Plum Blossom when he heard who he wanted him to see. But even faced with his harsh words, the Celestial Plum Blossom had stubbornly begged him to meet the Sword Venerable, insisting that even someone like him deserved a chance at atonement.
But the Immortal Healer felt too much time had passed for that. His hatred and grudges were already buried in the past. Forgiving him was too difficult. Yet holding a grudge was also hard, because he understood him, in a way. So, as he looked at this fading sky, he felt no joy—even though he had once wished with all his heart for its destruction.
The Immortal Healer looked at the Sword Venerable and spoke after a deep sigh. “Why have you come here?”
The Sword Venerable visibly started, as if surprised by the directness of the question. Frowning at his reaction, the Immortal Healer continued, “…Don’t read too much into it. I asked only out of curiosity.”
“…Thank you…” After expressing his gratitude, the Sword Venerable slowly began to unburden himself, voicing all he had held inside for so long.