Chapter 433: Winning Her Favor
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 433: Winning Her Favor
"Are you alright?"
The man, meeting her eyes, spoke in a worried tone.
His gaze was filled with genuine concern.
`Not bad.`
Kang Ha-yoon thought to herself as she heard his anxious question. Being the recipient of such sincere worry didn't feel bad at all.
"…Who are you?"
"I am Jang Sun-woo. I’ve been assigned to be your guide for this journey."
"…You’re very late."
She managed to squeeze the words out in a faint, weak voice.
"I apologize. There were… unavoidable circumstances."
Sun-woo spoke with an expression full of regret.
"…It’s fine. You caught me before I fell, so I’ll forgive you."
Kang Ha-yoon spoke as if she were granting a great mercy.
"Thank you."
"…For now, could you help me stand up?"
She spoke as if making a request. Currently, she was leaning entirely on Sun-woo to stay upright, as all the strength had drained from her body.
"Of course."
Sun-woo grasped her shoulders and slowly began to lift her. Before long, he had her standing perfectly upright and looked at her.
`Wow… she looks exactly like her illustration.`
He marveled inwardly. She looked no different from the art he had seen. No, if anything, the illustration had failed to capture the full extent of her charm.
A woman of peerless beauty with a stubborn set to her eyes. She was exactly as he had imagined Kang Ha-yoon to be.
Thump, thump.
Facing her directly made his heart start to race for no reason.
"…Is there something on my face?"
When Sun-woo continued to stare blankly at her, Kang Ha-yoon asked with a puzzled expression.
"No… it’s just that you’re so beautiful…"
Caught off guard by her sudden question, Sun-woo blurted out exactly what he was thinking.
`Agh, my big mouth!`
He immediately regretted it. He should be keeping as much distance from her as possible, so what on earth was he saying?
"…Ha… Hahahaha!"
Suddenly, Kang Ha-yoon burst into laughter. Her expression was incredibly bright.
"Hahahaha!"
Sun-woo waited patiently with a bewildered look until her laughter subsided.
"Thank you, Young Master Jang," Kang Ha-yoon said with a smile as she finally stopped laughing. "Even if it was just a joke, hearing that makes me feel a bit more energetic."
"Pardon? It wasn’t a joke—"
"It’s alright. You don’t need to push yourself."
She gave a clear, bright smile and slowly reached out her hand.
"It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Kang Ha-yoon. Though, as you can see, I am currently a prisoner."
"It’s a pleasure."
Sun-woo took her outstretched hand. Her warmth traveled directly to him.
"I look forward to your help, Young Master Jang," she said with another bright smile.
"I look forward to working with you as well," Sun-woo replied, his voice tinged with nervousness. Her radiant smile was making his heart pound.
*
"It is an honor to meet you, White Tiger Hall Master. I am Jang Sun-woo, your guide."
After joining the carriage, Sun-woo first sought out the White Tiger Hall Master. He needed to offer a formal greeting, even if it was just a formality.
"…Nice to meet you. I am Gal Ji-cheon."
"The fame of the Sword King is well-known even in Sichuan. It is an honor to meet you."
Sun-woo bowed politely.
"It’s a hollow name… all of it… just a hollow name…"
Gal Ji-cheon replied in a voice thick with regret.
"That cannot be true. Your feat of personally slaying the Three Monsters of Pungsan is still spoken of as a legend."
Sun-woo rattled off the information he had read in the profile Tang Seo-yoon had given him.
"Those bastards are probably better off than me… Didn’t they all die without pain? Meanwhile, I have to live on in agony."
Gal Ji-cheon lamented.
`We’re not on the same page at all,` Sun-woo thought.
Communication was a process of giving and taking. You couldn't just throw words out or just receive them; otherwise, the one on the receiving end would eventually wear out. Right now, Gal Ji-cheon was just throwing words out—only saying what he wanted to say, and very negatively at that.
"…May I examine your condition?"
Tired of hearing the man’s self-pity, Sun-woo cut him off.
"…Do you know medicine as well?"
Gal Ji-cheon asked back, seemingly intrigued by the offer.
"I’ve learned a bit over someone’s shoulder."
"Skills learned over a shoulder won’t find a solution for me… Even the most brilliant physicians representing the Cheonmu Alliance have given up on my body."
Gal Ji-cheon spoke with a look of disappointment.
"Even so, I would like to take a look."
"Do as you wish."
Gal Ji-cheon spoke as if he didn't care.
Grip.
Hummm.
Sun-woo grabbed Gal Ji-cheon’s wrist and slowly began to circulate his Yin-Yang Harmony Divine Art. The Yin-Yang Harmony Qi shimmered and seeped into Gal Ji-cheon’s body. The energy began to circulate through him, gently probing his injuries.
After some time had passed, Sun-woo slowly pulled his hand away.
"It’s a total wreck," Sun-woo said calmly.
He had realized just how severe the damage was. Almost every bone in the man's body was broken, and his ligaments were torn in countless places. It was as if he had been hit by a dump truck.
`How can someone be broken this badly?`
Sun-woo was baffled. The worst injury Sun-woo had sustained since entering this world was during his fight with Hwangbo Gang. He had suffered heavy injuries then, fighting a man who could kill a bear with his bare hands while Sun-woo had no internal energy.
But looking at Gal Ji-cheon’s injuries now, his own past wounds seemed like nothing. If Sun-woo had been hit by a compact car, Gal Ji-cheon had been flattened by a semi-truck. It was a miracle he was even alive.
"Didn’t I tell you? I am a cripple now… a cripple who can do nothing."
Gal Ji-cheon spoke in a gloomy voice.
"I regret it… Why did I ever follow the Law Enforcement Hall’s operation? No, I should never have joined the Cheonmu Alliance in the first place. I should have just stayed in the deep mountains practicing my martial arts… If I had… my brother… and I… wouldn't have ended up in such a miserable state."
Gal Ji-cheon’s voice began to tremble.
"Ugh… sob… hic…"
Eventually, he burst into tears. The thought of his dead brother brought a wave of overwhelming sorrow.
"I couldn't even… avenge… my brother… and now I’m a cripple… sob… I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…"
"…Excuse me."
Sun-woo watched the weeping Gal Ji-cheon and spoke up.
"…hic… What is it?"
"You won't be a cripple."
"Huh?"
"It will take some time, but you’ll be able to use martial arts again."
"What… what are you talking about!?"
Gal Ji-cheon asked, stunned. Being able to use martial arts again? What kind of nonsense was this?
"I can treat you," Sun-woo said calmly.
"Don’t… don’t lie to me… The physician clearly said… I would never be able to use martial arts again…"
"It’s not that bad. Your bones are shattered and most of your muscles are torn, but your tendons are intact, and your spinal injury is just a fracture. Most importantly, your Dantian is perfectly fine. If you complete proper rehabilitation, you can recover your original realm at any time."
Sun-woo gave his personal assessment. While the man’s condition was indeed horrific, Sun-woo saw it as a state that could be rehabilitated. The tendons were fine, and the spine was fractured, not severed. Above all, he had a functioning Dantian. If he focused on recovery while circulating his qi, a fast rehabilitation could be expected.
"Ugh… is that… is that really true?"
Gal Ji-cheon asked with a look of disbelief.
"It’s true. With the Tang Clan’s resources, you can definitely be cured."
Sun-woo spoke with conviction. The Tang Clan’s medical expertise was so high it was worthy of being called the best in the world. Gal Ji-cheon was a mess, but with their medicine, rehabilitation wouldn't be difficult.
"Uwaaaaaah! Thank you… thank you… thank you so much…"
Gal Ji-cheon shed hot tears, thanking Sun-woo over and over again. He had been drowning in a swamp of despair, a broken man unable to even avenge his brother. But Sun-woo had pulled him out of that swamp. How could he not be grateful?
"It’s nothing."
Sun-woo felt a bit awkward as the man continued to pour out his gratitude. He hadn't intended to be particularly kind; he had just stated what he saw, but it seemed he had unintentionally moved the man to his core.
`Well, I guess all’s well that ends well.`
Soon, the carriage was filled with the sounds of the White Tiger Hall Master’s sobbing. He was likely crying because he couldn't contain his overwhelming emotions.
*
Creak.
Sun-woo eventually finished comforting the White Tiger Hall Master and stepped outside. He felt that if he stayed any longer, the carriage would be flooded with Gal Ji-cheon’s tears.
"That took a long time."
A familiar voice called out from the side. Sun-woo turned his head slightly.
A charming woman with stubborn eyes came into view. The Hall Master of the Phoenix Hall, one of the representative martial groups of the Cheonmu Alliance. Lee Jae-won’s second wife. The heroine Sun-woo had been most attached to.
Kang Ha-yoon.
"Were you waiting for me?"
Sun-woo asked with a slightly awkward expression.
"Yes, I had something to say."
Kang Ha-yoon nodded.
"My apologies. If I had known you were waiting, I would have come out sooner."
"Oh my, then the White Tiger Hall Master would have been upset, wouldn't he?"
"Let him be upset. His limbs are smashed anyway, so it’s not like he can chase me down."
Sun-woo replied with a playful smirk.
"Pfft, is it okay to talk like that? About the great White Tiger Hall Master?"
"It’s fine. Right now, he’d probably let it slide even if I insulted his parents."
Sun-woo spoke matter-of-factly. Currently, the White Tiger Hall Master felt a massive debt of gratitude toward him. He really might let an insult or two slide.
"Hahahaha! You have a funny way of speaking."
Kang Ha-yoon let out a hearty laugh. Sun-woo’s words sounded very amusing to her.
"That aside… is it true?"
Stopping her laughter, Kang Ha-yoon spoke in a serious tone.
"Is what true?"
"That the White Tiger Hall Master can be cured."
"It is true."
"Really?"
"Really."
"For certain?"
"For certain."
Sun-woo spoke with a firm expression.
"Hmm… you don’t seem to be lying…"
Seeing his face, Kang Ha-yoon looked thoughtful.
"Do you find it hard to believe?"
"To be honest, even to my eyes, he looked beyond hope…"
Kang Ha-yoon spoke with an embarrassed expression. Though she had encouraged him and told him he could rehabilitate, deep down, she had doubted it was possible. Since she was the one who had turned him into a wreck, she knew his condition better than anyone.
"Well, looking only at the surface, anyone would think so. Even I thought he was a goner when I first saw him."
"…Is that so?"
"Yes. But his condition was better than expected. His spine was only fractured, and his tendons and major organs weren't severely damaged. It’s nothing that can’t be fixed with medicinal treatment. And most importantly, his Dantian was untouched."
Sun-woo continued calmly.
"He can fully recover as a martial artist. So, do not worry."
Sun-woo looked at Kang Ha-yoon with certain eyes.
`…Whew.`
Hearing Sun-woo’s words, Kang Ha-yoon let out a silent sigh of relief. She had been feeling immense guilt toward the White Tiger Hall Master, feeling that he was a victim of the power struggle between her and Paeng Ga-ryeon. Knowing he could be cured put her mind at ease. Her actions couldn't be forgiven, but at least she could give him back his life as a martial artist.
"…We’ve only just met, and yet I’m already so indebted to you."
Kang Ha-yoon gazed at Sun-woo with eyes that shone like starlight and expressed her gratitude. Thanks to his diagnosis, her guilt had been lightened.
"There is no debt. I only did what was natural."
Sun-woo truly believed that.
"Sometimes, people find great strength in those 'natural' things."
Kang Ha-yoon smiled softly.
"Look. The White Tiger Hall Master is still crying tears of joy, isn't he?"
She pointed toward the carriage where the sobbing could still be heard.
"Besides, I also gained great strength from your words, Young Master Jang."
"My words?"
"You said I was beautiful."
Kang Ha-yoon smiled broadly.
"It’s the first time in twenty years someone has said that to my face. And from the greatest of the rising stars, no less. I’m sure it was a joke, but it’s been a long time since I’ve laughed like that. Thank you."
Kang Ha-yoon gave a clear smile. Sun-woo stared blankly at her unadorned expression.
"…It wasn't a joke."
Sun-woo spoke slowly.
"Hahahaha! You shouldn't tease your elders."
Kang Ha-yoon slowly reached out her hand.
Pat, pat.
"If you keep doing that, even an old lady like me might start getting the wrong idea."
She spoke while stroking Sun-woo’s hair, a playful smile playing on her lips.
Sun-woo could only stare blankly at that mischievous smile.