Chapter 12
Chapter 12
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: Intruder
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It was a woman.
She wore a black night outfit made of silk that clung perfectly to her body, her long pink hair cascading down and standing out even in the darkness. Under the faint moonlight, that vivid color felt almost unreal. A sharply sculpted nose, red lips, and a slender, elongated neckline. If you only looked at her appearance, you could believe she was a fairy descended from the moon.
But the aura emanating from her was anything but ordinary. Her lofty and sharp presence was like a well-honed dagger. Especially the way she looked down at me. Her eyes mixed arrogance that seemed to pierce through everything with a hint of amusement.
She parted her red lips. A clear, bell-like voice, as if jade beads were rolling, shattered the silence in the room.
"You can stop pretending to sleep now. Your acting isn't that great."
...I'd been caught.
Realizing there was no point in continuing the act, I slowly raised my body. Sitting on the edge of the bed, I faced the woman in the darkness. Without letting my guard down, I calmly opened my mouth.
"Who are you?"
"My name is Cheonha Young. I've come to see you, Physician Shadowless."
Cheonha Young. A name I'd never heard before. She knew my name. She'd come here with a purpose.
"How do you know me? I'm curious why you'd go so far as to rudely sneak into my quarters."
Cheonha Young let out a scoffing laugh. There was a subtle mockery in that smile.
"How could I not know the man who miraculously saved a patient with Silkworm Devouring Poison that even Elder Im Hyehyang of the Healer Immortal Sect—their pride—and all the other physicians had given up on? Physician Shadowless, you're the hottest topic in the Central Plains medical world right now. Of course, only those in the know are aware for the moment."
As expected, it was because of the Silkworm Devouring Poison. I hadn't thought the price of that miracle would come knocking so soon. Even though Im Hyehyang had issued a gag order, the information had leaked.
"So what do you want? Is sneaking into someone's bedroom in the middle of the night your way of doing things?"
"You're quite impatient. But time is short, so let's get to the point."
She took another step toward me. Even in the darkness, I could feel her piercing gaze.
"Come with me, Physician Shadowless. There's a place where your mysterious abilities are needed."
"And if I refuse?"
"I haven't given you that option."
Her voice was soft, but her intent was not.
I clicked my tongue inwardly. This woman was no ordinary foe. Just from her aura, I could tell she was a considerable expert. But in a one-on-one, there might be an opening to try hypnosis.
That was when it happened. As if reading my thoughts, Cheonha Young spoke lowly toward the deepest shadows in one corner of the room.
"Black Elder. Pay your respects to this gentleman for a moment."
The moment those words fell.
Thud!
An overwhelming pressure that made my heart sink crushed the entire room. My breath caught, and I felt like the blood in my whole body was surging backward. This was no mortal aura. It was the pure scent of blood and killing intent that only someone who had stepped over thousands or tens of thousands of corpses could emit.
The darkness rippled, and an old man silently revealed himself. Sun-baked black skin and an expressionless face. Just by standing there, the air in the room froze, and the space itself seemed to scream. What stood before me was no person. It was a walking calamity.
The leg-strengthening suggestion I'd placed on my legs crumbled like a sandcastle before this absurd presence. Escape? The word didn't even apply against this monster. My head would be gone before I could take a single step.
"This is my bodyguard, Black Elder. As you can see, he's a bit curt. He's the sort who could quietly wipe out the entire Healer Immortal Sect in a single night, so it's best not to provoke him."
Cheonha Young's voice remained gentle. But the content was a chilling threat. She wasn't bluffing. That old man, Black Elder, was a monster who could do exactly that.
I swallowed dryly. All my cards had gone to the opponent. Resistance was pointless. Negotiation was all that remained. My only leverage was the 'Silkworm Devouring Poison treatment ability' they wanted.
Pretending to be as calm as possible, I opened my mouth.
"What will you give me if I come along?"
"Everything you can imagine, Physician Shadowless. Wealth, fame, power. And strength that no one can rival. We know your value exactly. We promise the best treatment befitting it."
"Give me time to think."
"Unfortunately, there's no time for that."
Cheonha Young firmly cut off my proposal. She drew even closer to me. A faint orchid scent brushed my nose. She bent at the waist, meeting my eyes directly. Her face, seen up close, was unrealistically beautiful. But that beauty carried a poisonous mushroom-like danger.
"I don't know what the true nature of that power you're hiding is. Whether you obtained some fortuitous encounter or acquired an ancient secret art. But one thing is certain. You still don't know how to properly wield your own power. It's like a child holding a treasured sword but using it only to peel fruit."
Her voice echoed in my ear like a whisper.
"If you come with us, everything will change. We'll help you fully bloom that power. No one will dare treat you carelessly. All those who ignored you, all those who tried to use you—they'll kneel at your feet."
It was a sweet temptation. Her words pierced the deepest desires in my heart. But in her eyes, I saw an icy possessiveness. She didn't want me as a comrade. She wanted to possess me like a collector acquiring a rare tool.
I stayed silent. I didn't know what to say. Then, her lips came so close to my ear they nearly touched. Her hot breath tickled my earlobe.
Her voice burrowed into my mind like a devil's whisper.
"Choose, Physician Shadowless. Will you take our hand and become master of the world? Or... will you quietly vanish here along with that secret?"
An arrogant proposal backed by absolute power. There was no room for refusal. Any answer but acceptance meant death. Under the burning pressure in my brain, cold sweat trickled down my back. My lips were parched, and I needed to say something, but Black Elder's hellish killing intent choked my voice.
It was right then.
The ruler of the darkness, Black Elder, subtly turned his head. His gaze wasn't on me but toward somewhere far outside the room. For the first time, a faint change crossed his emotionless face.
"Miss, we need to withdraw."
His heavy, gravelly voice reverberated through the room's air. Cheonha Young turned to him with an irritated expression, like a child deprived of a favorite toy.
"What's going on, Black Elder?"
"A powerful aura is approaching. This energy... it seems to be Elder Im Hyehyang of the Healer Immortal Sect."
Im Hyehyang. Master?
At Black Elder's words, a slight furrow creased Cheonha Young's beautiful brow. She clicked her tongue regretfully, scanning me over. Her eyes held blatant possessiveness mixed with annoyance at the intruder.
"Deal with her."
Her curt command sent chills down my spine. But Black Elder quietly shook his head.
"Killing her wouldn't be difficult. However, she's the cherished disciple and granddaughter of the Healer Immortal. If we kill her, the Healer Immortal will move, and if he moves... the entire Martial Alliance will be in uproar. It's not yet time."
Black Elder's words were utterly rational. But the implication was shocking. He was saying that killing the Healer Immortal Sect's top expert, my master, was 'not difficult.' What arrogant, horrifying confidence.
Cheonha Young fell silent for a moment, as if weighing her options. Soon, she turned back to me with resolve. Then she gently caressed my cheek. Her touch was spine-chillingly soft.
"What a shame. I'll have to withdraw for today. But remember this, Physician Shadowless. You are mine."
She left one final whisper in my ear.
"I'll come back for you. My physician."
With those words, Cheonha Young leaped toward the window with Black Elder. Their figures melted into the darkness like a mirage, leaving no trace. As they vanished, the suffocating pressure and foul blood scent that had crushed the room disappeared like a lie.
Only then did I exhale the breath I'd been holding all at once.
"Hoo... haa..."
My entire body was drenched in sweat. My legs gave out, nearly collapsing me to the floor. I barely clung to the edge of the bed, gasping for breath.