Chapter 15
Chapter 15
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: Something More Important Than Money (5)
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The dreams were a jumbled mess.
Sometimes, memories surfaced of playing with her father when he was pale and sickly. Other times, she recalled eating the meals her mother had prepared.
She saw little Bi-ah, who had been so mature despite her young age, and Suhyang from their early childhood, always bursting into tears and throwing tantrums at the drop of a hat.
The dreams showed her so much, but they didn't invent anything that hadn't happened.
They were all things she had truly experienced. Countless past memories, now faded even from recollection, flooded in like a torrent only to scatter like the wind, over and over.
Murong Sujing blankly watched the dreams shift in an instant.
'So many.'
Twenty-one years.
She had thought it wasn't a long time, but there had been far too many hardships since childhood. Was that why? The fragmented dreams felt excessively long and complicated.
That was when it happened.
'Bi-ah?'
She saw her little brother coming to her room.
It was the last time he looked at her with a face full of vitality, smiling brightly.
'No! Don't go beyond that!'
The dream respected her wish.
Then, her conversation with her brother rang out crystal clear.
"Go to the Bright Truth Temple. Get yourself treated there."
"The Bright Truth Entry Token? W-where did you get this?"
"I got it from some Taoist master. Got lucky."
"......Is it real?"
"I checked with Chief Steward Seok just in case. He said it's genuine."
"......!"
"You've been through so much. Looks like heaven hasn't abandoned us yet. Once you're healthy again, our house can rise once more."
"Bi-ah."
"You have to get treated. No matter what."
Murong Sujing shed tears.
After losing her father and mother in her childhood, taking care of her siblings had made every day a struggle.
But what had truly sustained her were her siblings. Especially Murong Bi—he never caused any trouble and even supported and helped her.
Such a kind and dependable little brother.
Then time flowed onward again.
On the day he returned after three years, she saw her brother, broken beyond what the word "warped" could describe.
And Suhyang, who had always adored her big brother like a father, now glaring at him with eyes full of disgust.
'It's my fault.'
Murong Sujing despaired.
'He shouldn't have left.'
She wept and wept. The dream showed her countless scenes, but nothing else registered.
Before such profound regret, even the mystery of the life-flashing-before-her-eyes faded into insignificance.
How much time passed like that?
"Get some good rest. I'll see you again in the morning."
Her little brother's voice, laced with warmth, roused her weary soul.
She wiped her tears and looked at him.
There he was, looking a bit awkward but gazing at her with warm eyes.
His gaze was just like their father's—a memory she could scarcely recall anymore.
'If you can forgive me, I want to sit under the midday sun and talk with you again.'
Murong Sujing closed her eyes.
Even with her eyes shut, the world brimmed with light.
And then.
"P-Patriarch!"
Seok Ung's voice, thick with tears, guided Murong Sujing back to reality.
She slowly opened her eyes and spoke in a weary voice.
"......I'm just the Acting Patriarch."
"Kuh-huhk!"
Seok Ung, clutching her hand, burst into floods of tears. Old Man Gwak wiped his eyes from the side.
"Big sister."
"Suhyang-ah."
Murong Suhyang forced a smile.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine."
Though she'd only just come to, her body overflowed with energy in a way that surprised her. She felt a bit languid, but her chest, raw from constant coughing, now felt refreshingly clear.
"Did Physician Yang come?"
"Yeah, he's waiting outside right now."
"I've received another great debt of gratitude."
Murong Suhyang's lips twitched before she smiled again.
"He said that if you take the medicine he gave you and rest for a while, you'll be fine."
"I feel like I don't even need the medicine."
It was said half in jest, but there was truth to it.
As her mind cleared, she was astonished.
'My meridians?'
Most of the meridians in her upper body had been shrunken or depleted by cold energy. Yet now, they had nearly all returned to normal.
They might worsen again over time, but how long had it been since she'd felt this refreshed?
Especially around her heart and lungs, she sensed a powerful yang energy. It was pure and dense in a way she couldn't have detected even with the inner power she'd built through the One Yang Heart Method.
'Such pure yang energy.'
Rather than relief, Murong Sujing felt burdened.
"Physician Yang must have used some precious spiritual medicine. All because of me, needlessly......"
"That's not it."
Seok Ung, wiping his tears, said with a smile.
"The one who healed the Acting Patriarch is the young master."
"What?!"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Hoo."
After circulating his energy once to gather his inner power, Murong Bi openly frowned.
'Not a scrap of energy left, damn it.'
Recovering depleted inner power wasn't easy.
Normally, when inner power hit rock bottom, vital energy slowed. Then, as it gradually refilled, momentum built, and accumulation sped up.
Even accounting for that, though, his vital energy was replenishing far too slowly.
'It's because I converted vital energy to true energy.'
Having transformed his vital energy—innate essence—into Mixed Origin True Energy, the density of his qi was extraordinarily high.
To recover inner power of that density at his current level, he'd need at least three straight days of meditation. Even borrowing the power of the Brain Gate Heart Technique, it'd take over two days.
'This really sucks.'
Since his inner power was built on life force, depleting it caused physical stamina to plummet sharply. It was like reverting to the state before he'd learned the Mixed Origin Heart Method.
'I need to recover my vital energy somehow.'
Vital energy was life force, and depleted life force could be restored with good food and rest.
The problem was it was impossible to fully replenish what was lost. Even with help from the world's best physicians, could he recover half?
If you could make inner power from vital energy and then regain life force, everyone from dogs to pigs would expand their dantians that way.
That's why most martial arts using vital energy were classified as demonic arts. They granted immediate strength, but over time, life force bottomed out, leading to sudden death or madness that culminated in qi deviation.
'Well, lifespan's not a big deal anyway.'
He'd already lived fiercely once and died cleanly.
Being alive again was nice, but parasitizing his young nephew's body soured the mood.
'As long as I stay healthy until the house is revived.'
He had no great attachment to life.
A person dying once and returning with past-life memories didn't mean "live long and happy"—it meant "finish what you couldn't last time."
At least, that's how Murong Bi saw it. And the family happened to be in this state.
'Once I do my part properly, the rest doesn't matter.'
Sujing might grieve, but that couldn't be helped.
"Should be fine for a while, at least."
He'd nearly exhausted his Mixed Origin True Energy and even implanted some inner power into her meridians via Force Transmission.
She'd be free from the Nine Yin Absolute Meridian's cold syndrome for at least a year, maybe two at most.
"But Force Transmission can't cure the root cause. Since it's come to this, I need to teach her the Mixed Origin One Qi Technique as fast as possible."
Fortunately, Murong Sujing had considerable inner power and seemed highly talented.
With his help, she could escape the meridian blockage far quicker than his older brother had.
"Anyway, we've cleared one hurdle."
Murong Bi shot to his feet.
Unlike before, the sudden movement didn't make stars explode in his vision. Though his vital energy was damaged, his inner power kept his body's responses normalizing.
'About thirty percent.'
He'd recovered around thirty percent of his nearly depleted inner power.
'Good enough.'
With her personal physician there, plus Seok Ung and Suhyang nursing her, Sujing would be safe. The Flower Sword Squad had the patriarch's quarters locked down tight, too.
'Handle it quick and get back.'
Busy, so busy.
Murong Bi left his quarters and headed straight for the main gate.
Then Old Man Gwak's voice called out.
"Young master!"
"Hm?"
"Wh-where are you going?"
Old Man Gwak limped over, his face beaming with joy.
"Just stepping out for a bit. Sister's okay, right?"
"More than okay! She looks healthier than she has in the past two years. Even Physician Yang was shocked at the improvement."
Murong Bi grinned.
It was only temporary; the meridian blockage would return in time. Still, she looked healthy now—that was a relief.
"Take good care of her."
"Why not come to the patriarch's quarters with me? The Acting Patriarch and Physician Yang both want to see you."
"Nah, I'm good."
"Pardon?"
"Gonna take a little stroll, so look after Sister till I get back."
Anxiety flickered across Old Man Gwak's face.
"Where to, this early in the morning?"
He'd healed her mysteriously, but apparently not enough to change impressions entirely. He seemed worried this troublemaker young master might go out and cause another incident.
"Don't worry. I won't get into any trouble."
Though I will hunt.
As he spoke with a smile, Murong Bi's eyes suddenly sharpened.
"By the way, Old Man Gwak."
"Yes, young master."
Before learning the Mixed Origin Heart Method—back when he'd checked the Murong house's secret manuals—something had piqued his curiosity.
It was Old Man Gwak himself.
"You......"
"Yes."
Murong Bi started to continue, then closed his mouth.
'Weird.'
Old Man Gwak was an exceptional master.
Not quite on his older brother's level, but skilled enough to earn acclaim anywhere, especially as a bodyguard—he could be called one of the Ten Great Masters without exaggeration.
He wondered how he'd gotten injured, lost his martial arts, and ended up with that leg. But setting that aside.
'Why didn't you teach your martial arts?'
Though not the Murong house's secret arts, the techniques Old Man Gwak had created were all first-rate.
If the house lacked martial manuals, he could have passed them on.
Sure, even bodyguards were warriors, and begging for arts was shameless.
But Old Man Gwak's loyalty was genuine. He'd dive into hellfire for the Murong house—not just any bodyguard.
'In such dire straits, a man like you would've not only taught martial arts but personally trained them.'
That was the biggest question.
And it wasn't like he had ulterior motives—Old Man Gwak's eyes were clear and deep.
No one else might see it, but his own eyes couldn't be fooled. This wasn't some stranger; he'd spent plenty of time with the man, close as family.
'He looks softer than before, but otherwise unchanged.'
There must be circumstances.
What circumstances could keep a man who'd pledged his life from stepping up as the house fell? Still, Murong Bi trusted Old Man Gwak.
"Never mind. I'll be back before dinner anyway, so don't worry too much."
"If you insist...... Understood."
"And Old Man Gwak."
"Yes, young master."
Murong Bi smiled and patted his shoulder.
"Thank you for devoting your life to our house from Grandfather's time until now."
Old Man Gwak's eyes went wide.
"Y-Young master."
"Sorry for neglecting you all this time. Let's talk more from now on."
No matter what, he owed Seok Ung and Old Man Gwak too much to stint on them.
"Alright then."
Murong Bi rolled his shoulders and opened the main gate. His eyes turned sharp as a hunter's.
"Shall I go see the face of Captain Meow?"