Chapter 43
Chapter 43
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 43
Chapter Title: Big Brother Jang Isn't Scary At All
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Jang big brother isn't scary at all.
Na Ho-pyeong and So Mu-jin, who had rushed over diligently, greeted us.
"Has our Jang Physician arrived?"
"Thank you for accepting our invitation."
Na Ho-pyeong also greeted Dang Seol-yeong and Bae Seon-u.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Dang and Apprentice Bae."
Dang Seol-yeong exchanged ordinary greetings, but Bae Seon-u's eyes went wide.
"H-How do you know me, innkeeper of Ten Thousand Winds Inn?"
Ah, Bae Seon-u didn't know that Na Ho-pyeong was the Hao Gate branch chief.
But Na Ho-pyeong didn't falter at all. With a kind, affable smile, he replied,
"Of course. Word has spread far and wide about the polite and skilled new apprentice at Clear Seclusion Clinic. How could I not know?"
It was flawless acting, honed over long years of living a double life.
But the innocent Bae Seon-u fell for it completely. His eyes sparkled as he looked up at Na Ho-pyeong.
"I'm surprised the rumors about me have spread that much."
Na Ho-pyeong stuck out his belly and laughed.
"Stay at Clear Seclusion Clinic, and the rumors will only grow. Keep working hard from now on."
"Yes, sir!"
As expected of a manager—his people skills were exceptional.
So Mu-jin smiled and said to me,
"Thanks to you, Jang Physician, our Hong-ryeo got better. We would've been disappointed if you hadn't come."
Na Ho-pyeong nodded vigorously in agreement.
"Exactly. That's why Sang-a and Hong-ryeo's martial arts have improved by leaps and bounds, and we've even invited the Emei Sect here because of it."
"Are you planning to send Sang-a and Hong-ryeo as lay disciples to the Emei Sect?"
"That would be great. For Sang-a to become a disciple of a prestigious sect like Emei would be an honor."
Well, Na Sang-a wasn't part of Hao Gate anyway, nor did she practice Hao Gate martial arts. There wouldn't be any major issues with her joining as a lay disciple.
While Na Ho-pyeong nodded, So Mu-jin shook his head.
"Not for Hong-ryeo. We just invited Emei Sect people after hearing from my brothers. Hong-ryeo has made some progress in her martial arts lately, so it'll help her to hear advice from Emei experts."
"A great opportunity for both Sang-a and Hong-ryeo."
Na Ho-pyeong agreed.
"Yes, a fine opportunity. Oh, right—let me introduce you to the Emei Sect folks."
Well, it would be nice to meet them.
I glanced toward where the Emei Sect people were gathered. They seemed busy exchanging greetings and chatting with many others.
Na Ho-pyeong and So Mu-jin headed that way.
But as expected, too many people wanted to talk, and they couldn't spare time for us.
In the end, Na Ho-pyeong returned. He whispered to us in a low voice,
"They're busy chatting among famous figures. That's just how the jianghu is. I'm only here thanks to my ties with the Deokyang So family head."
I smiled faintly.
"It's fine. I understand."
A scene I'd seen countless times in wuxia novels—how could I not?
"Well, the banquet lasts three days, so we can meet them slowly. Oh, right—Sang-a and Hong-ryeo are playing in the rear garden. I'll go fetch them."
One reason for coming here was to see Na Sang-a and So Hong-ryeo.
They used to be such frail pair, but how healthy had they become now?
Feeling glad, I said to Na Ho-pyeong,
"They're probably having fun. Why drag them from such a tough spot? I'll go myself."
Na Ho-pyeong stared blankly at me before bursting into laughter.
"Haha. You're different from us, as expected. No wonder Sang-a and Hong-ryeo like you. Alright then."
I headed to the rear garden with Dang Seol-yeong and Bae Seon-u, where the two girls were playing.
It wasn't just the two girls.
As it was the Deokyang So family garden, it was a vast rear garden beautifully landscaped with rare flowers and trees.
Four people were there.
'Two are obviously Na Sang-a and So Hong-ryeo. The other two...'
They wore the same white robes as those I'd seen at the banquet hall earlier.
One was a young child about Na Sang-a and So Hong-ryeo's age, and the other was a girl who looked about Dang Seol-yeong's age.
As we appeared, the girl glanced our way. She lowered her eyes slightly and gave a slow, polite nod.
'Different from the righteous sects in modern wuxia novels.'
In recent wuxia stories, righteous sect folks often looked down on or ignored people.
Here, at least, she offered a courteous greeting.
'But is that an injury?'
The girl's right arm was splinted and wrapped in cloth. Looked like a fracture.
Then a message appeared before my eyes.
Treat the Emei Sect Disciple's Right Arm
📍 Reward: Two Insights
As I pondered it, the quest suddenly appeared.
'But I can't just ask to see her arm out of the blue.'
Then the Emei disciple spoke to the child.
"I'll go fetch some refreshments. Wait here nicely."
"Yes."
The Emei disciple left the garden.
'Well, if a message appeared, it means there's some connection.'
No need to rush and make her uncomfortable.
Then Na Sang-a and So Hong-ryeo spotted us and came running.
"Jang big brother!"
"Pretty big sister!"
Na Sang-a and So Hong-ryeo rushed over and spun around us happily.
Then So Hong-ryeo noticed Bae Seon-u.
"Oh? Big brother Bae is here too."
Bae Seon-u crouched down to meet So Hong-ryeo's eyes and smiled, just as I had done before.
"Yeah. Hong-ryeo, you're running around well now."
"Of course. Master Song and big brother Bae took care of me for so long."
"Th-That's great."
Bae Seon-u smiled and turned his head slightly. Probably tears welling up. He'd been caring for So Hong-ryeo far longer than I had.
'Best to pretend not to notice.'
I smiled at the two girls.
"No more aches or pains these days?"
"No. None."
"Wanna see us do martial arts instead?"
Suddenly, the two dashed to the center of the garden and began demonstrating their skills.
I was startled by their martial arts.
With lightness skill, they flitted around the garden; with fist and leg techniques, I even felt the wind.
'Even kids can do this much with martial arts.'
Then So Hong-ryeo suddenly stopped and called to the lone Emei child standing off to the side.
"Chae-hwa, wanna play with us?"
The Emei child standing alone was named Chae-hwa, apparently.
Chae-hwa glanced toward where the Emei girl had vanished. Seeing no one, she nodded vigorously and scampered over to join them.
She'd wanted to play with them all along.
I asked Dang Seol-yeong beside me. I couldn't judge martial arts.
"What do you think? Are the three kids strong for their age?"
"All three have talent. Chae-hwa stands out the most."
"I see."
"Yes. They probably brought her from Emei on purpose after hearing about Hong-ryeo and Sang-a."
Dang Seol-yeong didn't say more, but the meaning was clear. Na Sang-a wouldn't easily become an Emei lay disciple.
"My brother might be disappointed, but Sang-a would like it."
"Pardon?"
"Look how happily she's playing with Hong-ryeo. Deokyang has plenty of experts, so Sang-a can learn plenty here."
Dang Seol-yeong smiled.
"True. She loves fist techniques, so she could learn from Lady Choi Suk too."
Choi Suk referred to Choi Cheol-bo. They must have grown close through frequent encounters.
Then came a thud—something had toppled. Chae-hwa had tumbled to the ground and was getting up, sniffling back tears.
Na Sang-a and So Hong-ryeo rushed over.
"Chae-hwa, you okay?"
I approached too. Her left cheek was scraped raw from the ground.
'Oh no, it'll scar if left alone.'
Murim folk might wear a scar or two, but this was a girl not even ten yet. Too heartbreaking for her to bear one already.
All eyes turned to me.
I quickly pulled out my needle pouch and opened it.
"This is big brother Jang—he's a physician."
At Na Sang-a's words, Chae-hwa's teary eyes widened. In a frightened voice, she said,
"N-Needles are too scary..."
"Don't worry. Big brother Jang's needles don't hurt at all."
But Chae-hwa didn't believe it. She was still terrified.
'It's just a light scrape on the skin. No need for Fire Needle.'
I took out the Fine Needle, one of the Nine Needles.
The Fine Needle had a blunt tip, sharper than the similar Blunted Needle but not piercing the skin. It stimulated meridians by pressing.
Not used in modern times. Meridian stimulation could be done with machines or acupressure tools instead.
'Perfect for young children or those with weak constitutions.'
I showed the Fine Needle to Chae-hwa.
"See? Not pointy at all. Won't hurt a bit. Okay?"
Chae-hwa nodded, seemingly fine with the Fine Needle.
'I have five Insights now.'
'To promote blood flow on the cheek and skin regeneration...'
I pressed and stimulated the Ground Palace points beside both corners of her mouth with the Fine Needle.
Even at mastery, I did it slowly on purpose. No need to scare the child.
Next, I stimulated points like Yang White above the eyebrows, Sun at the temples, then the cheek wound itself.
The mastered Fine Needle's effects showed immediately.
Blood stopped on Chae-hwa's cheek, and the wound began healing.
'A shallow scrape, so I can see the skin regenerating in real time.'
Na Sang-a and So Hong-ryeo gasped in awe.
"Wow—!"
Unlike the kids, Dang Seol-yeong and Bae Seon-u gaped speechless. They knew how miraculous this was.
Moments later, only a faint mark remained on Chae-hwa's face.
"How's that? Doesn't hurt now, right?"
Chae-hwa touched her cheek wonderingly.
"Yeah. Not at all."
"It'll fully heal by tomorrow—no scar. And earlier, your legs seemed weak. External martial arts are as important as internal energy, so train steadily."
Her lightness skill outpaced her body's strength.
But as a child, even this simple advice seemed amazing to her.
"Big brother, are you a martial arts master?"
I smiled.
"No, just a physician."
Chae-hwa stared at me blankly and nodded.
"Shall we go eat now?"
Emei Sect's Yu Cheong-seon headed to the rear garden with a tray of refreshments.
'Beautifully landscaped, but too artificial—too much human touch.'
The pond with rare plants, the small pavilion beside it—all eye-catching. But all man-made.
Nothing compared to the majestic, serene forests, waterfalls, cliffs, and strange rocks of Mount Emei.
'I want to return to Mount Emei as soon as possible.'
She disliked crowds and bustle. For this Deokyang So family visit, she'd made the excuse of looking after Chae-hwa.
It let her avoid mingling.
Soon, Yu Cheong-seon arrived at the garden.
The earlier guests were gone; the three children played together.
"Here, eat these and play."
The kids scampered over, sat, and munched the treats Yu Cheong-seon brought.
She watched with a soft smile, then noticed Chae-hwa's cheek.
"Hwa-ya, something on your cheek."
"I fell earlier and scraped it."
That didn't make sense. It wasn't a scrape.
Yu Cheong-seon held Chae-hwa's face and peered closely. Her eyes widened.
The dark mark on Chae-hwa's cheek was slowly fading.
"This...?"
Na Sang-a, cheeks stuffed with snacks, mumbled,
"Actually, Chae-hwa fell earlier. So big brother Jang Wol treated her."
So Hong-ryeo chimed in.
"Big brother Jang is the physician at Clear Seclusion Clinic. So don't worry."
Yu Cheong-seon nodded gently.
"I see. But what kind of injury was it?"
The kids explained, touching their cheeks. Not deep, but bleeding and scraped.
Yu Cheong-seon took Chae-hwa's hand.
"Not scary at all, huh."
"Yeah. Big brother Jang isn't scary at all."
Yu Cheong-seon unconsciously glanced at her own right arm.
The supreme healer of Deokyang, the Immortal Spirit Miracle Hand.
Meeting him had been terrifying—stern and rigid.
But this Jang Wol seemed not scary at all. And he'd healed Chae-hwa's wound in an instant.
'Clear Seclusion Clinic, huh.'