Chapter 11
Chapter 11
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: A Check-Up and the Eldest Brother's Arrival
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The Medicine Hall Lord half-closed his eyes as he took Namgung Hyeok's pulse. His face and touch were both careful.
"Hmm!"
Namgung Hyeok watched the Medicine Hall Lord taking his pulse, then let out deep sighs.
'Damn it, I was finally feeling good after so long.'
He'd barged in right when he was getting heated up from his workout and cut it short.
Smacking his lips, Namgung Hyeok shot the Medicine Hall Lord a sullen look.
'Acting all serious for no reason.'
Dragging it out like that would make anyone worry even if there was nothing wrong.
Tsk tsk. Clicking his tongue inwardly, Namgung Hyeok turned his attention away from the Medicine Hall Lord.
There was no way his condition could worsen right now anyway.
But unlike Namgung Hyeok, Namgung Jangcheon couldn't stay calm.
"How is it? What's wrong?"
"Hmm!"
The Medicine Hall Lord switched hands to continue taking the pulse and groaned again.
"Is it serious?"
Namgung Jangcheon asked, his voice laced with anxiety.
Only then did the Medicine Hall Lord tilt his head while still holding Namgung Hyeok's wrist.
"Well now, who would've thought this could happen. The meridians are broader and sturdier than before. The pulse is beating more vigorously too..."
"Really?"
A smile spread across Namgung Jangcheon's worried face.
With the concern gone, relief and joy flooded in.
The tension melted away like snow in the sun.
'My boy is finally showing signs of improvement!'
Namgung Jangcheon's face lit up with a blooming smile, but the Medicine Hall Lord sighed again.
"Well, but Young Master Hyeok's condition is so unique that I can't say it's improved."
"It's not improved?"
Thud!
Despair flashed across Namgung Jangcheon's face.
He'd thought the better complexion meant the illness was getting better, but maybe not?
'Hmm! At least it's not getting worse!'
Still, the disappointment was unavoidable.
Namgung Jangcheon clenched his fists, his body trembling.
The Medicine Hall Lord closed his eyes gently and continued taking the pulse.
"To begin with, for a man to have the Nine Yin Severed Meridians—which only appear in women—no one knows what might happen. A sudden improvement like this isn't all that strange either..."
"Really?"
"On the flip side, it could suddenly take a turn for the worse..."
"Oh no!"
"But it's fine for now, so no need to worry too much..."
"Really?!"
Namgung Hyeok quietly watched the two go back and forth.
'What a load of bullshit.'
To show such extreme ups and downs.
Finally losing patience, Namgung Hyeok sat up and spoke.
"I'm fine, like they said."
Casually rolling down his sleeve, Namgung Hyeok hummed lightly.
It was only natural he'd firmly refused the Medicine Hall Lord's touch.
'Get out already. So I can finish my quota.'
With his movements somewhat freer now, he felt cheerful.
He wouldn't snap like a twig if poked anymore.
'But when are these guys leaving?'
The Medicine Hall Lord kept muttering and sighing, while Namgung Jangcheon reacted to every word.
Namgung Hyeok clicked his tongue at Namgung Jangcheon, who was still going through the emotional rollercoaster.
A moment later, the conversation finally wound down.
"...So, it'll be stable for a while, and it might keep improving like this."
"Really?"
"Yes, Family Head. The extra decoction from last time might be working, so I'll increase its proportion."
"Ugh! You've worked hard. Good work, Hyeok!"
Huh? Didn't you guys do all the work? With all that fussing...
Namgung Hyeok let out a hollow chuckle, but Namgung Jangcheon grabbed his shoulders.
"Hyeok! They say your health is improving!"
Hey, don't just grab an adult's shoulders like that, you brat.
And don't shake so hard. These shoulders are fragile like porcelain, remember?
Handle with care.
"Let go of that..."
"Hahaha! That's right, that's my son! Illnesses like this are nothing, nothing at all!"
Namgung Jangcheon's laughter grew louder, and the grip on his shoulders tightened.
And then, disaster struck.
Crack.
Namgung Hyeok's expression crumpled, and Namgung Jangcheon froze.
"...Huh?"
What was that sound?
As Namgung Jangcheon cautiously lifted his hands from the shoulders.
Clunk, thud.
Namgung Hyeok's shoulder dropped straight down, the joint dislocating.
Secondary dislocation.
Silence fell once more.
Namgung Jangcheon's pupils twitched erratically, losing their focus.
His gaze turned to the Medicine Hall Lord.
"You said he was healthy!"
The Medicine Hall Lord, who had been staring open-mouthed at the dislocated shoulder, hurriedly spoke.
"Family Head! The Nine Yin Severed Meridians are improving, not his porcelain body!"
"Ah...!"
"Be careful, and then be even more careful..."
Right—the Nine Yin Severed Meridians and the porcelain body were separate issues.
Namgung Jangcheon fell silent, as if gaining deep enlightenment.
He looked at Namgung Hyeok with pity.
Namgung Hyeok sighed deeply.
He tried to pop his shoulder back in but grimaced.
"Damn it, both sides."
Both arms hung limply, dangling.
Catching Namgung Hyeok's glare, Namgung Jangcheon coughed awkwardly and averted his eyes.
"Ahem! Chief Geum! Didn't you say something about paperwork earlier?"
"Y-Yes... yes, there's plenty of paperwork."
"Let's go. Hyeok, your father has urgent business, so take good care of yourself. Your health comes first. Warriors of the Namgung family must learn to care for their own bodies. Ahem!"
Namgung Jangcheon coughed awkwardly and hurried out.
Namgung Hyeok frowned at the door his father had fled through.
'Ruining my workout and dislocating my shoulders just to run away? Ugh, whatever.'
Namgung Hyeok shook his head.
Then he looked at the Medicine Hall Lord.
"Fix my arms."
* * *
Huff! Huff!
Namgung Hyeok regulated his breathing as he ran laps around the courtyard.
As befitting the Namgung family, the courtyard was quite spacious.
Bigger than most training grounds, it made for a solid workout just running.
"Gotta build, huff, huff! basic stamina!"
After three laps, his throat burned and his lungs felt like they were shrinking.
Namgung Hyeok resisted the urge to collapse right there.
He needed basic stamina before he could refine his body with the Heart Muscle Internal Art.
With no minimal strength for proper martial arts training, he had to build muscle first.
Even without martial arts, more strength would make daily life easier.
Clunk! Clunk!
His shoulders twitched, and his knees creaked.
"Damn, this is thrilling."
Compared to when he first awoke in this body, it was a huge leap.
A body that gasped just from walking was now running.
Sure, his limbs creaked and joints threatened to pop out.
But Namgung Hyeok kept running, sweat pouring down, until heat radiated from his body.
"Huff! Heave! Whoosh!"
Shortly after he started, the servants from his residence began peeking out.
They gawked at Namgung Hyeok running in the courtyard.
"Y-Young Master Hyeok?"
"He was doing strength training earlier, and now he's running too?"
"But if he gets hurt again..."
"What do we do?"
The servants fidgeted anxiously, stamping their feet.
Namgung Hyeok, who broke his legs tripping over pebbles while walking, was running—and they were too lowly to stop him.
Their eyes naturally turned to Chief Geum, lounging on the platform munching on candied fruit.
"Sh-shouldn't you stop Young Master Hyeok?"
Chief Geum shook out a towel, his head tracking Namgung Hyeok's path as he spoke.
"The Family Head couldn't stop him—how could I? I'd just get yelled at."
"If he gets seriously hurt..."
"The Medicine Hall Lord said he's fine, so quit worrying and get back to work."
Dumbfounded by Chief Geum's nonchalance, the servants were speechless.
Ignoring them, Chief Geum shouted at the approaching Namgung Hyeok.
"Ten laps left! Water?"
"Whoosh! Whoosh! No need!"
Namgung Hyeok ran on, sweat dripping in beads.
The servants stared blankly.
"Wow, he's running better than I thought."
"Who knew the day would come when Young Master Hyeok runs like this... Feels like watching our kid take their first steps."
"How many laps is that?"
"Is he really getting better?"
"That's why he's running, right? Look at him go!"
The servants exclaimed in awe, watching Namgung Hyeok lap the courtyard.
But the admiration was short-lived.
Clunk!
Crack!
Chilling bone sounds echoed across the courtyard.
The servants' cheers turned to shrieks, their pupils wandering in shock.
"......!"
"......?"
Namgung Hyeok, who had been running hard, flinched, his pace slowing drastically.
Thud thud thud.
He staggered like a cart with broken wheels.
The servants' eyes followed him in horror.
"Y-Young Master!"
"Your feet!"
"Eeeeek!"
Namgung Hyeok's ankles dangled loosely, dislocated.
The servants panicked wildly.
But Namgung Hyeok calmly popped them back in.
"Thought it was holding up well."
Crack!
And off he ran again.
"Wh-what..."
"...What the hell."
They couldn't process his casual attitude, like he'd just lost a shoe.
Ankle popped out and he's that nonchalant?
As the dazed crowd lost their minds, Chief Geum's booming voice rang out.
"Three laps left! Water?"
* * *
Namgung Hyeok circulated the Bright Heaven Sovereign Art.
In just a few days, breathing with it had become familiar.
A grain-of-rice-sized energy stirred in his dantian.
The Bright Heaven Sovereign Art's energy quickly circulated once through his body.
Some people never sense internal energy in a lifetime, but Namgung Hyeok had already formed a tiny bit in his dantian after a few meditation sessions.
Considering he'd learned this new internal art less than a month ago, it was insane progress.
'Still too slow.'
Of course, it was glacially slow compared to his past life.
Back when he was called the Poison Hegemon, one breath circulated energy twelve times—uncomparable in quantity or speed.
But Namgung Hyeok thought it wasn't bad.
He was putting down deep roots, selectively absorbing quality nutrients.
It wouldn't happen overnight, so slow and steady was fine.
Trees with deep, firm roots could endure for a thousand years.
'No rush.'
Pushing too hard could lead to collapse.
'Isn't this pushing?'
It was just what he used to do.
His heart just felt squeezed because of the rechargeable lifespan with only four months left.
'If I can just get one of the energies hidden behind those sealed meridians.'
Behind the eight blocked meridians lay unimaginable power.
Grasping even one would skip several stages.
The problem was piercing a single meridian required massive internal energy.
Naturally, spirit medicines were the easiest and safest path right now.
'Most stuff won't cut it. Better mention it in advance.'
No fool turns down good fertilizer to hoe and water manually.
Use what's available. Beg if not.
This time, no rushing like last time—take it slow with plenty of time.
Namgung Hyeok checked his body's state while meditating.
'Heh, good, good.'
Grinning inwardly, Namgung Hyeok opened his eyes.
He'd started meditating in broad daylight, but dusk had fallen, darkening the room.
"Whew, good job. Just a bit more."
Yeah, suffer while young... well, he'd suffered plenty already, but for this new life, this much was nothing.
Namgung Hyeok smiled contentedly as he rose from the bed.
He figured he'd do some push-ups before dinner.
As he got down on the floor in position, Chief Geum's voice rang out.
"Young Master!"
"Hm? Dinner already?"
"The Eldest Young Master is here."
"Eldest Young Master? Oh, right. Whatever."
"Your big brother is here."
"Oh, yeah."
He had a brother?
Remembering he was the second son, Namgung Hyeok stood up.
His gaze slowly shifted to the tall, upright man beside Chief Geum.
A handsome youth with a stern expression and a slim but angular face.
Broad shoulders, long limbs.
Namgung Hyeok stared at Eldest Young Master Namgung Ryong, then glanced at his own reflection in the mirror.
His eyes drifted downward.
Why the hell is there such a height difference?
That guy just had a halo around his head.
"Wow, shit."
If they were gonna reincarnate him, why not into that body?
'Does that guy not have the illness?'
As Namgung Hyeok thought that, Chief Geum spoke.
"The Eldest Young Master wishes to dine with you."