Winds Blowing from the West (2)
Yeon Hojeong smiled as he spoke.
“It’s been a while, Lady Ki. You’ve grown even more beautiful since I last saw you. Have you finally found a man who caught your eye?”
Ki Woo-hee gave a bitter smile.
“I’m too busy to even think about meeting anyone.”
“I figured as much. Still, I’m relieved. I was worried you might have lost weight from overworking yourself.”
“If I want to handle such a hectic schedule, I need to eat well.”
“Good answer.”
“By the way…”
Ki Woo-hee looked around the interior of the Black Dragon Department with an overwhelmed expression.
“This place is truly enormous.”
Anyone stepping into the Black Dragon Department for the first time would be stunned by the sheer scale of the cavern.
It was astonishing that such a massive underground tunnel could be maintained with such refinement. This level of management would have been impossible without extraordinary financial resources.
“You can admire it later. For now, let’s go see the patient.”
“Is that really alright?”
“Why wouldn’t it be?”
“Still, I’m an outsider. Shouldn’t I at least greet the person in charge here…?”
Yeon Hojeong snorted.
“The Vice-Leader said we should check on the patient’s condition first. He’ll understand.”
“You’ve arrived.”
Mak Won had grown noticeably thinner over the past few days.
But that was only because he had lost weight. In reality, he had been relentlessly circulating his energy, ensuring that true qi flowed healthily throughout his body.
Yeon Hojeong smiled and asked, “How are you feeling?”
“Not bad. Surprisingly so.”
“That’s a relief.”
“Just as you suggested, I spent the entire day refining my internal energy through circulation. The poison seems to be gradually losing its momentum.”
“Most so-called extreme poisons tend to carry yin properties. Not that they’re cold, but that they stagnate.”
“Anything that stagnates becomes dangerous.”
“Exactly. For someone with the ability to completely control the poison, the key is to continuously circulate energy to strip away the power of the stagnant poison.”
“Not just anyone could do that.”
“You saw right through it. As I mentioned before, even I would have found it impossible. It was only possible because it was you, Senior.”
“There’s no need to flatter me. By the way…”
Mak Won turned his gaze toward Ki Woo-hee.
“Is this the renowned head of the Medical Pavilion from the Martial Alliance?”
Ki Woo-hee bowed respectfully.
“It is an honor to meet a great master of the Jianghu. My name is Ki Woo-hee, and I currently serve as the head of the Medical Pavilion within the Martial Alliance.”
“Haha, it seems the two of you have conspired to shower my face with gold today.”
Mak Won let out a hearty laugh before giving a short nod.
“It’s a pleasure. I am Mak Won.”
“I have long heard of the great renown of the Hundred Weapons Divine Lord.”
“That’s an overestimation. I’m nothing more than a fool named Mak Won who didn’t even realize how the world was turning and kept doing foolish things.”
Though his words carried a playful tone, a subtle bitterness lingered beneath them.
Yeon Hojeong cut in, “Enough with the embarrassing self-introductions. Let’s start with the pulse diagnosis.”
“This guy…”
Mak Won looked at Ki Woo-hee and said, “You must have suffered quite a bit because of him.”
Ki Woo-hee smiled.
“At first, I was so scared I could barely speak to him properly.”
Even so, having taken on the role of Medical Pavilion head had greatly boosted her self-confidence. Her smile now carried a sense of composure.
“Still, what he says is correct. The truth is, I want to extract this poison embedded in my body as quickly as possible. I would be grateful if you could begin the diagnosis right away.”
“Then please excuse me.”
Ki Woo-hee placed her fingers on Mak Won’s wrist.
She closed her eyes and focused her senses to their utmost limit. Moreover, having trained in internal energy cultivation herself, she could instantly assess anyone’s condition regardless of who they were.
A moment later.
“Incredible.”
Pure admiration bloomed across Ki Woo-hee’s face.
“You’ve completely compressed and tightly sealed such an extreme poison.”
“This much is nothing if you know the trick. So, do you recognize the identity of this poison?”
The admiration on Ki Woo-hee’s face instantly turned serious.
“Yes. I know this poison very well.”
A strange light flashed in Mak Won’s eyes.
She knew it well? That was a rather peculiar statement. ‘Hmm.’ Suddenly, Mak Won realized that Ki Woo-hee was from the Western Regions.
And that the majority of the Shinhwa Sect members who had poisoned him were also from the Western Regions.
“……”
“Perhaps.”
At that moment, Yeon Hojeong spoke.
“You’re correct.”
“What?!”
“It’s exactly what you’re thinking, Senior.”
Mak Won’s eyes trembled.
Yeon Hojeong shook his head.
“There were circumstances. For now, you can consider her fully one of us.”
“Hmm.”
“Let’s focus for now.”
“Ah, understood.”
The person before him had once belonged to the organization that attacked him. That alone was more than enough reason to distrust her.
However, Mak Won was no ordinary man. His expression showed neither anxiety nor hesitation.
Ki Woo-hee said, “The name of this poison is Fire Demon Divine Poison.”
“Fire Demon Divine Poison.”
“Yes. Among poisons, it is an exceedingly rare yang-based toxin. It is so deadly that even a peak master, or even a supreme peak master, would lose their life after just two or three drops.”
“Hmm.”
“Its nature is like fire itself. Unlike neurotoxins or hemotoxins, this monstrous substance absorbs the qi of living beings and grows in size.”
Mak Won nodded.
“Correct. It may not be doing so now, but until just a few days ago, this poison was steadily absorbing my internal energy and increasing its own mass.”
“Qi cannot be seen with the eyes. That’s why treatment is so difficult. Cases where someone survives long enough to be treated after being poisoned are rare to begin with. Most die the moment they are poisoned.”
“Then is there no way?”
Ki Woo-hee shook her head.
“Not at all. Treatment is entirely possible.”
Relief washed over Mak Won’s face.
“That is truly fortunate.”
“However, a complete cure will take quite some time. The medicine must be administered in the exact dosage, at the exact time, with the exact ingredients.”
“So medicinal treatment is necessary?”
“Yes. In most cases, one might stimulate the body with acupuncture to draw it out along with the blood, but considering the nature of this poison, that method would actually be dangerous.”
“Is it impossible to extract it using internal energy?”
“If it were possible, you would have already done so by yourself long ago.”
Mak Won nodded. She was not wrong.
Ki Woo-hee continued, “The silver lining is that, thanks to Lord Dang, we can achieve a faster and more efficient detoxification than originally expected.”
Yeon Hojeong asked, “Did Lord Dang’s opinion prove helpful?”
“Yes. While his knowledge of poison and medicine was similar to mine, his methods of application and detoxification were on an entirely different level. I learned an incredible amount in such a short time.”
“Well, he is the head of a family that has handled poisons for generations.”
Ki Woo-hee turned to Mak Won.
“We will need a large quantity of medicinal ingredients. Treatment will begin tomorrow, so for today, please focus solely on controlling the poison and consume plenty of nutritious food.”
“Understood. And thank you.”
“Not at all. A physician’s job is to heal the sick.”
Ki Woo-hee glanced at Yeon Hojeong.
“You should direct your thanks to Commander Yeon.”
Mak Won chuckled.
“If I thank him, he’s the type to get embarrassed and curse at me instead.”
Yeon Hojeong grinned.
“You’ve figured out my personality quickly.”
“Still, thank you.”
“If I want to make good use of you, I need to restore you to a usable state first. There’s no need to thank me.”
“Haha, I knew you’d say that. By the way, how long do you expect the treatment to take?”
Ki Woo-hee answered with a serious expression.
“It depends on the patient’s willpower, but… I estimate it will take roughly one to two months.”
Surprise appeared on Mak Won’s face.
“The treatment period is longer than I expected.”
“Yes. That’s how potent this poison is.”
“Hmm.”
Yeon Hojeong rose from his seat.
“In any case, focus on your recovery. I may return around the time your detoxification is complete, Senior.”
“Hm? Where are you going?”
“Yes.”
Yeon Hojeong looked toward the northwest.
The cloud-filled sky, invisible from inside the cave, filled his eyes with a hazy white.
“I’m heading to a rather troublesome place.”
BOOM!
The final strike he unleashed cleanly split the incoming wind.
“Hoo…”
Pae Yul exhaled deeply and lowered his spear.
“How was it?”
Yeon Hojeong spoke with a surprised expression.
“It’s improved significantly.”
“Really?”
“Yes. While the pure penetrating power has decreased compared to before, it feels like every aspect has developed in a much more balanced way. Especially impressive was how you manipulated the rhythm with your footwork.”
“That’s a relief.”
Kang Liang, who had been watching from beside Yeon Hojeong, clicked his tongue.
“Just who are you trying to skewer that you created such a martial art?”
“Shut your mouth, you rude junior.”
“……”
“I compliment you and you still scold me.”
Pae Yul completely ignored Kang Liang.
“So, when?”
“You already knew?”
“A guy who doesn’t show his face at all normally wouldn’t come looking for me in the middle of the night without a reason.”
“As expected, Senior’s senses are no joke.”
Yeon Hojeong’s face grew serious.
“We’ll depart first thing tomorrow morning.”
“Looks like your ass is on fire.”
“Yes. The situation has become rather urgent.”
“Why? Is someone else being chased like Senior Mak Won?”
“There’s a high chance of trouble breaking out at the Tang Family.”
For a moment, Pae Yul’s face became as serious as Yeon Hojeong’s.
“The Tang Family?”
Yeon Hojeong briefly explained the situation that had unfolded.
Having been so focused on training, Pae Yul hadn’t even known what had happened inside the Black Dragon Department. The department itself was also incredibly vast.
“So that’s what happened in the meantime?”
“Yes.”
“Hah, those Three Sects bastards are running completely wild. Now they’ve even released demonic arts?”
“They do far worse things than that. This is nothing. The real problem is who they’re targeting.”
Pae Yul nodded.
“I’ll head to your quarters at dawn tomorrow.”
“I’ll be counting on you again this time.”
Pae Yul immediately frowned.
“Since when do you talk in such a ticklish, roundabout way? Cut it out.”
“This time it’s genuinely dangerous. The Tang Family, the Music Empress… Honestly, if it were up to me, I’d rather leave everyone behind.”
“How many times have you faced a crisis where you nearly died? Stop talking nonsense and get going.”
“You really are cold-hearted.”
Yeon Hojeong and Kang Liang stood up and left Pae Yul’s residence.
At that moment, Pae Yul called out.
“Wait.”
Yeon Hojeong grumbled.
“You told us to leave and now you’re stopping us. What is it?”
Pae Yul tilted his head.
“Besides us, who else is coming?”
“Other than the Iron Cavalry Unit Leader, I haven’t decided yet.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Why do you ask?”
“It’s just…”
Pae Yul spoke with a slightly awkward expression.
“Now that I think about it, I’m wondering if this is really okay.”
“So even you’re human after all, Senior. Are you feeling a bit nervous this time?”
“……”
“Don’t you sometimes have a really filthy way of speaking?”
“I’m aware.”
“No one wants to die, but I’m used to running wild in deadly situations, so that doesn’t bother me. The problem isn’t fear of death. It’s the fear of failure.”
“……”
“With this number of people, can we not only resolve the Tang Family’s issue but also bring the Music Empress Ha Eun-gyo over to our side?”
Yeon Hojeong’s eyes deepened.
“There is one person I’ve been considering for that reason.”
“Who? It can’t be the Vice-Leader or the Second Young Lady, so… Baek Seo?”
“Not one of our people.”
Yeon Hojeong pointed his thumb northward.
“Someone from the Martial Alliance.”