Chasing the Deer, Seeking the Divine Doctor
The Divine Doctor, also known as the Sacred Hand. Hailing from the House of Benevolent Brightness in Shaanxi, she was the master of the sect and a physician without equal—so peerless in her craft that she was revered as a living deity of medicine. Yet, catching a glimpse of her face at the House of Benevolent Brightness was as difficult as plucking stars from the sky.
Her sole joy and purpose in life lay in practicing medicine for the common folk and saving lives, leading her to wander the Nine Provinces like a fleeting breeze. Thus, the people sang her praises, calling her the Divine Doctor. Whenever the Murim spoke of chivalry and righteousness, her name was never left out.
Yet, there were those who dared to target this revered physician, a woman respected by both the Orthodox and Unorthodox factions alike. Making enemies of both sides was nothing short of suicide. Even for Yoo Jeong, who was largely ignorant of Murim politics, such an act made absolutely no sense.
"Was the destruction of the branch office also their doing?"
"Most likely. The Beggar Sect's branch was raided as well, making it incredibly difficult to even get in touch with their disciples."
Namgung Sua rested her chin on her hand, her face etched with exhaustion.
"I didn't know the location of the safehouse, nor did I know if they had left any secret codes. I had to run around endlessly just to track it down."
"Is that why you wore the mask?"
"Yes. It's a bit embarrassing to say it myself, but my name is somewhat known. With the Wulin Alliance Headquarters having been attacked, it wouldn't be wise for someone associated with them to wander around openly."
Even as she spoke, Namgung Sua repeatedly stroked her face, clearly uncomfortable with showing her bare features.
It was only natural. She had never taken that mask off, even wearing it to sleep. Being without it now was bound to feel foreign.
If someone were to separate me from Master, would I feel the same way? Yoo Jeong wondered. He quickly brushed the thought aside; it was too painful to even imagine.
As he lost himself in thought, Namgung Sua noticed his dazed stare, and the corners of her lips curled upward.
"Are you stunned because I'm too beautiful?"
"Excuse me?"
Yoo Jeong was utterly bewildered. What is she suddenly talking about? Was she always this kind of person? Or had he done something to give her the wrong idea? Before he could retrace his steps, she spoke again.
"Am I wrong?"
"Pretty!"
"Thank you, Aunt-master. You are very beautiful too."
"Really?"
"Of course."
Watching them exchange compliments and play along with each other, Yoo Jeong let out a hollow laugh, completely dumbfounded.
Granted, objectively speaking, both of them were stunning. Sitting side by side, they looked like a heavenly maiden and a divine child stepped right out of a painting. Still, it was incredibly embarrassing to hear them say it out loud.
Yoo Jeong couldn't help but feel suspicious. Is she teasing me on purpose?
Knowing Namgung Sua's personality, she wasn't the type to say such things lightly, no matter how confident she was in her looks. She was usually expressionless and deeply contemplative—at least, that was the impression she had given him over the past few days.
But could one truly understand a person in just a few days? Looking at her now, Yoo Jeong began to doubt his initial judgment.
Though her face remained as still as ice, her round eyes softened her cold aura. The gentle smile in her eyes whenever she looked at his master only amplified that warmth.
Once, while they were camping, she had looked at his sleeping master and confessed that she had a massive weakness for cute things. At the time, perhaps because of the cat mask she wore, Yoo Jeong had thought it didn't suit her. But now, he felt differently.
I really can't read her.
"Is there no information on the Divine Doctor's whereabouts or the faction pursuing her?"
Yoo Jeong quickly changed the subject. The Divine Doctor's whereabouts were of utmost importance. The sole reason they had braved the dangers of traveling all the way from Mount Kuaiji to Hangzhou was to get his master diagnosed. But if a mysterious faction was hunting the Divine Doctor and she had gone missing, it seemed wiser to withdraw rather than get entangled in unnecessary danger.
"They wore black cloaks, and their martial arts were definitely not orthodox. That was all the information we could squeeze out of them. The Divine Doctor's current location remains completely unknown."
"Is there any sect in this area capable of attacking the Wulin Alliance?"
"No. The Hangzhou region is fractured, with various minor sects constantly bickering over local interests, so there's no central power. The only faction bold enough to pull off something like this would be the Four Black Lotus Coalition of Guangdong, but..."
"Guangdong? Isn't that far too distant?"
"Yes. However, the reports say the attackers were all at least First-class experts. The Four Black Lotus Coalition is the closest faction capable of mobilizing that level of martial force."
The Four Black Lotus Coalition. Yoo Jeong had heard that name before. During his past encounter with the Green Pine Sword, who had passionately ranted about the future of the Orthodox Murim, it had been mentioned as one of the major factions threatening the Wulin Alliance.
"If it's the Four Black Lotus Coalition, shouldn't the Wulin Alliance have been keeping a close eye on them?"
"Yes. That's why it makes no sense. If a force of that scale had moved, we would have received reports immediately."
"Is it possible their surveillance was bypassed?"
"Wherever people gather, beggars are always present. Besides... the members of the Four Black Lotus Coalition stand out quite a bit, both in their appearance and their martial arts."
"Meaning they couldn't have gone unnoticed."
"Precisely."
"Doesn't that make this even more dangerous?"
"To be honest... yes, it does. But... I still believe we must find the Divine Doctor."
Yoo Jeong tilted his head slightly at her uncharacteristic hesitation.
"Why?"
"First and foremost, of course, is our original goal: getting Aunt-master diagnosed."
"That may be true, but I refuse to put my master in danger by getting tangled up with those people while searching for the Divine Doctor. I would rather turn back."
"The Divine Doctor is a noble soul. If I didn't know, that would be one thing, but I cannot simply turn a blind eye when she might be in grave danger."
"It has nothing to do with us."
Yoo Jeong drew a firm line, his expression resolute. Righteousness and chivalry meant nothing to him if they compromised his master's safety. But Namgung Sua was not one to back down easily either.
"What if it does have something to do with you?"
She directed her gaze toward Yoo Jeong's master. Having been excluded from the serious conversation, the Sword Empress had been nodding off like a well-fed baby bird. Feeling the sudden weight of their attention, she jolted awake.
"Mmh... Jeong-ah. I wasn't sleeping."
A thin trail of drool glistened at the corner of her mouth, but Yoo Jeong chose to ignore it to preserve his master's dignity.
"I know, Master. A good master always brushes her teeth before going to bed."
"Th-that's right. I'm a good girl."
"Shall we go brush your teeth if you're tired?"
"But..."
She looked longingly at the remaining food on the table. Yoo Jeong gently coaxed her. "We can eat more delicious food tomorrow."
"Really?"
"Of course. Shall we visit the market square tomorrow?"
"Yes!"
"Then you need to wash up and go to sleep early. Deal?"
"Okay, Jeong-ah. I'll brush my teeth and go night-night."
Yoo Jeong watched her nod eagerly with a warm smile. But as he began to stand up, Namgung Sua gently stopped him.
"Let me do it, Young Master Yoo."
"..."
"Wouldn't it be more comfortable for another woman to handle this?"
She quickly added the excuse under his highly suspicious glare. Yoo Jeong glared at her as if she were trying to steal his master away, but since her reasoning was sound, he eventually relented.
"Then I will leave her in your care."
"What about you, Young Master Yoo?"
"I..."
Yoo Jeong glanced at the adjacent table. "I have some things to ponder."
"I see."
Yoo Jeong's earlobes flushed slightly at the mischievous Sound Transmission echoing in his ear. He debated making an excuse, but quickly gave up. The playful glint in her eyes and the curve of her lips made it clear she was fully prepared to tease him, and no excuse would convince her otherwise.
Was I that obvious? He had only glanced at it a few times. To have noticed such a brief look—her observational skills were truly remarkable.
— Wait for me. I'll come back down once I make sure Aunt-master is asleep. We can talk then.
— Is there any need for that?
— You still aren't convinced about the Divine Doctor, are you?
— Can't you just tell me now?
— Convincing you isn't something I can do in just a brief moment, Young Master Yoo.
Having said her piece, Namgung Sua stretched her arms out toward his master. Rubbing her sleepy eyes, the Sword Empress snuggled deeply into her embrace, murmuring softly, "But why are you two talking so quietly?"
Both of them froze. They had momentarily forgotten a crucial fact: though Yoo Jeong's master, the Sword Empress, suffered from memory loss, she was still fully capable of intercepting telepathic transmissions. Fortunately, they hadn't discussed anything sensitive, and she seemed too drowsy to pay much attention.
They say you must watch your words around children, Yoo Jeong thought. He resolved to be much more careful with telepathy in the future. He gave Namgung Sua a subtle nod, and she returned it before carrying his master upstairs.
"Please prepare some water for washing," Namgung Sua requested.
"Right away, ma'am! The wash area is in the courtyard," the waiter replied.
"Thank you."
The courtyard. Thinking he might stretch his limbs a bit, Yoo Jeong was about to stand up when the waiter rushed over and stopped him. "Excuse me, guest!"
"Yes? What is it?"
"Well... you need to settle the bill."
"Pardon?"
Yoo Jeong's brow furrowed deeply. Seeing a swordsman scowl, the waiter flinched in fear but bravely pressed on. After a brief explanation, a hollow laugh escaped Yoo Jeong's lips.
"Are you saying he didn't pay?"
"Y-yes. Since we usually settle the bill at the end, and he walked out so naturally... we assumed you had already agreed on it, so we didn't stop him."
"Ha."
A man who looked like a scholar from the Hanlin Academy, dining and dashing. Reeling from this unexpected betrayal, Yoo Jeong once again recalled the warnings of the Jianghu as he pulled out some silver and handed it over.
"Um, you need to give me one more, sir."
"...Here."
"Thank you so much, guest!"
"Wait a moment."
"Yes?"
Yoo Jeong felt a sudden, burning urge to swing his sword. With that thought in mind, he asked about the courtyard. The waiter, now in high spirits, eagerly shared details he hadn't even asked for.
"Oh, absolutely! You are free to use it. And... hehe. Seeing how warmly you and the lady were talking, you two must be lovers. Once you enter the courtyard, the wash area is right on the left. If you climb up the wall behind it, there's a small gap..."
"No, thank you. That won't be necessary."
The waiter possessed a bizarre sense of intuition coupled with an incredibly nosy nature. Yoo Jeong couldn't help but think that with such a big mouth, the man would surely get himself beaten half to death one day.
But did we really look that close? Lost in these thoughts, Yoo Jeong made his way toward the courtyard, only to be stopped once again.
A flash of pure annoyance crossed Yoo Jeong's deep, dark eyes. However, the drunken fools blocking his path were completely oblivious to his irritation and pressed closer.
"Hey, kid. What's your relationship with that woman from earlier?"
"Hehehe. Now that I look closely, you two look a bit alike. Is she your older sister?"
"...Who are you?"
"Hic. Us? You're asking who we are? Junior brother, what do you think?"
"She must have traveled from afar for a boat ride, Senior Brother. To think she doesn't even recognize the Seven Blades Sect."
"Ah, right. Belch. A boat ride. Well, then it's understandable she wouldn't know. Normally, hic, it would be a grave offense. But we can forgive her. Indeed."
"As expected of the Overlord Blade of West Lake! You truly are a great hero, Brother. Hehehe."
The Seven Blades Sect, the Overlord Blade of West Lake... Yoo Jeong found the childish farce unfolding before him too pathetic to watch. He tried to ignore them and walk past, but then the rat-whiskered lackey standing beside the leader reached out.
"Where do you think you're going, you little b—AARRGGHH!"
Before the hand could touch his shoulder, Yoo Jeong spun around and snatched it. Grabbing only the index and middle fingers, he applied pressure, snapping the joints in directions they were never meant to bend—three distinct cracks echoing in rapid succession.
It happened in the blink of an eye. An indescribable wave of agony washed over the man, and his bloodcurdling shriek echoed through the tavern. The scream was so loud and horrific that the entire room instantly fell dead silent. But the silence didn't last long.
Normally, any sensible thug would have recognized the vast gulf in their abilities from that single move, backed away, and begged for their lives.
"You bastard! How dare you lay a hand on a brother of the Seven Blades Sect?!"
A single leaf blocks the view of Mount Tai. The alcohol had completely blinded them, preventing them from seeing the true nature of the opponent before them.
Clang! Clang!
Blades were drawn in an instant. At the sound, only the waiter and the tavern owner in the back let out heavy sighs.
"You wench! Kneel and beg right now, and we might just spare your life!"
The man snarled, pointing the tip of his blade at Yoo Jeong. Yet, due to the alcohol, the sword tip wobbled unsteadily. Yoo Jeong didn't bother to reply. He simply took a calm, deliberate step forward.
Startled by the sudden approach of someone completely unfazed by a drawn blade, the man let out a startled yelp. "Wh-what?!" He tried to thrust his weapon forward to halt Yoo Jeong's advance. However, a broadsword was a weapon designed for slashing. Attempting to thrust with such a heavy, unwieldy blade with one hand—and a drunken one at that—left him completely wide open.
Yoo Jeong effortlessly caught the man's wrist with one hand and placed his other hand on the elbow. With a swift, upward tap, the man's bone snapped as easily as a dry twig.
Before a scream could even escape the man's throat, Yoo Jeong spun his body, pivoting low. With a display of strength and technique that seemed impossible for his slender frame, he swept the broadsword-wielding thug off his feet and hurled him through the air.
Crash!
The man slammed hard against the stone wall, miraculously avoiding any of the tables or chairs. It was a deliberate calculation on Yoo Jeong's part, a small courtesy to the anxious tavern owner watching from behind.
They're far from worthy opponents, but they'll do to vent some frustration.
Having made up his mind, Yoo Jeong spoke, his gaze chillingly cold.
"Next."