In Search of the Divine Physician, Part 2 — "Hyeonsongcheonnyeo Is Injured...?"
No way. But Hyeonsongcheonnyeo is an elder of the Bongrae Sect. She's a martial artist so powerful I wouldn't even dare to face her.
Even as Juyeon pulled me by the hand and we rushed out of the Hoseon Pavilion, a profound sense of unreality washed over me.
'Is this a dream? Am I still dreaming?'
Then, another thought crossed my mind.
'Wait, could it be that dragging her into the Gate in the first place was a trap set by Jongin?!'
But how shallow that thought was became instantly clear the moment I witnessed the absolute pandemonium inside the sect's main gate.
There was a corpse covered with a stark white cloth over its face.
It was the middle-aged man who, just moments ago, had apologized to me while handing over the sect's entire fortune.
"What on earth happened?!"
An elderly man, seemingly an elder of the Dobong Sect, shrieked.
A Dobong Sect disciple, trembling like a leaf, stammered out a reply.
"A-A massive monster suddenly burst out, and the Sect Leader was felled in a single blow! H-Hyeonsongcheonnyeo fought desperately after that, but, she—she—she—aaaaargh!"
He promptly fainted.
"Where is Hyeonsongcheonnyeo?!" "Her condition is critical...!"
Hyeonsongcheonnyeo was lying some distance away from the corpse, while another Dobong disciple desperately smeared golden wound ointment over her injuries.
But even to a complete layman like me, it was glaringly obvious that her state was dire.
Her face was deathly pale, completely devoid of blood. Her breathing was shallow and ragged, and she was entirely unconscious.
The elder cried out in sheer panic.
"She cannot die! If something happens to her right after we took her in, one wrong move and the Bongrae Sect might wipe us off the face of the earth...! A physician! Hurry, find a physician nearby!!"
"Don't you know?! Every single physician around Hanyang has been conscripted by His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince!!"
"But we can't just let her die—"
"Move!"
I scooped Hyeonsongcheonnyeo into my arms. Her small, fragile body hung completely limp.
"Peach Blossom Fairy, where are you going?!"
"Gaeseong! I heard there's someone called the Divine Physician there!!"
If there was no doctor here, I had no choice but to bring her to one myself.
"The Divine Physician...!" "Do you know them?!"
"Of course I do! Her medical skills truly deserve the title of divine. I saw it with my own eyes—an old man paralyzed by a stroke, unable to do anything but blink, sat right up after a single acupuncture session from her. After a second session the next day, he regained his speech, and after just one more, he stood up and walked!!"
Her medical prowess seemed guaranteed. It made sense why Hyeonsongcheonnyeo had recommended her to fix my eyes.
"However..."
The elder's eyes wavered with deep anxiety.
"To get to Gaeseong from here... you have to cross Paju, which has become an absolute warzone..."
"We have no choice!!"
I couldn't just let Hyeonsongcheonnyeo die either.
She was the very first person to show me genuine kindness.
And not after I displayed monstrous talent in martial arts and gained this breathtaking beauty, but back when I was just a dying, wretched black-spot disease patient.
I couldn't let the person who bestowed grace upon me at my absolute lowest die like this.
'Besides, if Hyeonsongcheonnyeo dies like this, my strongest backer disappears! If I can just build connections with the Bongrae Sect through her...! Ugh, damn it! I really hate how my mind immediately jumps to these calculating thoughts!'
But I couldn't help it. Someone who had struggled to survive every single day for the past ten years couldn't suddenly transform into a self-sacrificing altruist overnight.
Fortunately, in this situation, acting in my own self-interest and returning Hyeonsongcheonnyeo's favor aligned perfectly.
Carry Hyeonsongcheonnyeo to the Divine Physician in Gaeseong to get her treated. On my own back.
"Fairy!"
Juyeon knelt before me, and suddenly I felt a weight around my waist. She was fastening two swords to my belt.
Immediately after, Juyeon opened a travel pack to show me its contents.
"Inside this is all of your personal belongings, and—"
My martial arts manuals, my mirror, the box containing 100 million won in cash, and the spiritual elixir I received from the Dobong Sect.
"—and everything you'll need for your journey—"
A map and a compass, two canteens of clean water, golden wound ointment, a blanket, and some rice cakes to eat when I get hungry.
"—I've packed it all. I will guide you down the mountain!"
So competent! My Juyeon is just too competent!
"I got it! Thank you!"
Juyeon grabbed my hand. It was soft. I ran along the path, following her lead.
Mount Dobong was painted in shades of brilliant orange as the sun began to set.
Before the Gate Outbreak, this had been a heavily trafficked paved road, but now it had completely reverted to dirt and wild overgrowth.
Most of the streetlights along the road had collapsed, and of the few still standing, not a single one flickered with electricity.
"What time is it?!"
"It's just past six in the evening. Reaching Gaeseong before the sun sets completely will be impossible...!"
Reaching the foot of the mountain, Juyeon squeezed my hand tightly before letting go.
"Fairy. Peach Blossom Fairy...! Please stay safe. I pray we meet again...!"
"Do you have a phone number?!"
"!"
Juyeon looked startled.
"I-I do. S-Should we exchange numbers?"
"Ah...! I don't have a phone!"
Back when money was tight, the savings I had painstakingly scraped together were only enough to choose between a secondhand smartphone and an ancient PC.
I had chosen the latter back then. Because I wanted to play PC games.
Only to regret it deeply later when I realized the Gate Outbreak had permanently fried the servers of almost every online game in existence.
"T-Then, let me write it down on a piece of paper...!"
"I'll memorize it, so just say it!"
"It's 010-XXXX-XXXX!"
"Okay, got it! I'll call you as soon as I get a phone!"
Since I had 100 million won now, spending a few million won to buy a used phone wouldn't hurt at all!
Parting ways with Juyeon, I headed northwest.
'Is it because of my inner qi? I've been running non-stop, but I'm not tired at all!'
While soaring through the air like a true Murim master was still out of the question, I felt like I could keep up this steady jog for hours on end.
The city of Yangju was familiar territory. I had frequented this area often to clear Gates.
The real problem began at the mountains that formed the natural border between Yangju and Paju.
'Should I wait until daybreak? It'll probably be the same either way... Maybe I should ask for advice?'
I'll set my author name as PeachBlossomFairy instead of Anon.
Because the next post will reveal a bit of my identity.
Whatever, whatever, I don't know anything. Thank you for the help, Sword Empress.
Comments:
- ??
- ??????
- ????
What? Why are there suddenly so many question marks?
Was my question really that absurd? Would a normal person not even ask something like that?
- What the? Why is she so pretty?
- So the moniker Peach Blossom Fairy was because of her hair color...
Ah, I made a mistake.
I thought I was only taking a picture of Hyeonsongcheonnyeo, but because I wasn't used to the controls, a corner of my own face slipped into the frame. But even so, it was barely a glimpse of my jawline and cheek?
- No, seriously, why is she so gorgeous?
The comments began to flood in like an avalanche.
'Argh!! These people, seriously!!'
'Finally, a helpful comment!'
But the content is absolutely despair-inducing—
Vrooooooooom! Vrooooooooom! Vrooooooooooooooom!
A roaring sound tore through the air.
"Kyaah?!"
I realized a second too late what that sound was. It was the exhaust of motorcycles, intentionally modified to be as loud as possible.
'We haven't even crossed the border yet?!'
It seemed they had spilled over to this side. Five motorcycles were roaring down the road in a tight V-formation.
Perhaps they had just plundered a nearby village, as the sidecars attached to their bikes were piled high with valuable supplies.
"Bwahaha! Boss, look over there!"
"It's a chick!"
"And a damn delicious-looking one at that!!"
Vrooooooooom! Vroooooooooooooooom!
In an instant, the five motorcycles surrounded me, circling like vultures.
The flags fluttering from the backs of their bikes bore Chinese characters: Poyang Mounted Bandits (浦陽機馬團).
The man who appeared to be the leader of the five threw his head back and laughed.
"Bwahaha! This one's top-tier merchandise!"
"The kid she's carrying is pretty cute too! We'll get a hefty price for both of them!"
"Damn, look at those tits!!"
"Ahahaha!"
Vrooooom! Vrooooooom!
The deafening roar of the exhaust. The disgusting words cutting through the noise. The pungent stench of exhaust fumes filling my nose.
"D-Don't come any closer!!"
I drew my sword. Anxiety gripped me, my heart hammering wildly against my ribs.
'Damn it, all I know is the Samjae Sword Technique!'
Instead of receiving help from Hyeonsongcheonnyeo, I was in a position where I had to protect and save her.
"A pretty thing like you shouldn't be playing with toys like that! Come to daddy!!"
The leader revved his bike toward me, raising one arm. A heavy black iron gauntlet encased his hand all the way up to his forearm.
"Get lost!!"
"Bwahaha! Swing that sword all you want! A mere slip of a girl's blade could never pierce the Poyang Mounted Bandits' Dark Iron Armored Palm (烏鐵甲掌)!!"
"Ahahaha! Just surrender quietly and spread your legs!!"
"Once the Boss is done with you, let us have a taste too!"
"Aaaargh!!!"
Goosebumps erupted all over my body!
'Horizontal Slash!'
The second form of the Samjae Sword Technique, the only sword style I knew.
I didn't expect much as I swung. The iron gauntlet wrapping the leader's arm looked incredibly sturdy.
My sword collided with his iron gauntlet.
Slice.
And the sword sliced right through the iron gauntlet.
For a split second, the leader's eyes went completely blank. He looked utterly dazed, as if thinking, Huh?
But it was already too late. Not because of my sword, but because of the sheer momentum of his own motorcycle.
My blade bit deep, starting from the leader's palm and slicing all the way up to his elbow.
Then, cleaving through the air, it made contact with his upper torso.
Spurt!!
And cut him clean in half. Right across where his heart and lungs were.
His severed upper body flew into the air, while his lower half was dragged along by the out-of-control motorcycle.
The riderless motorcycle rolled a bit further before hitting a pothole in the asphalt, losing its balance, and crashing violently.
Blood splattered onto the ground.
"...?"
I was stunned too. I couldn't believe it had sliced through him so effortlessly.
My eyes locked with the remaining four lackeys.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
You're next, you motherfuckers.