Don't Pull Cheap Tricks (1)
Through my treatment sessions with Moyong Seol, I came to a clear realization about the potential hidden in my body. Miracles made real. If someone desperately wishes for it, my bodily fluids make it happen.
The Sword Saint had jumped to conclusions before I could even fully grasp the phenomenon. Thanks to him, though, I was able to pinpoint exactly what was happening in my body. The ability to grant whatever the other person truly, desperately desires.
First: Moyong Seol, sneaking into my bedroom in the middle of the night. She wanted a cure for Blocked Meridian Syndrome.
Second: Moyong Seol again, after her Blocked Meridian Syndrome was treated. She feared I'd leave once it was fully cured, so she secretly wished it wouldn't heal completely.
Third: Yugiyeon. She wished not only for a complete cure to Blocked Meridian Syndrome but also for her body—tormented by the disease for four years—to revert to her twenty-year-old self.
Fourth: Sword Matriarch Geomhu Geum Jeom-rye. She desired youth and became the young swordswoman Geomhui Geum Se-rin.
And here, the woman who helped prove that hypothesis by using her own body as a test subject.
"It seems like it only works if you truly wish for it desperately, Physician."
Fifth: Moyong Seol once more. Promising that if her Blocked Meridian Syndrome was fully cured, she'd grant my every wish, we proceeded with the treatment—and the woman emerged completely healed.
"Stuff like suddenly wanting to fly through the sky or become the world's greatest female martial artist? That doesn't happen right away."
"Indeed."
A body that could now rightfully be called a miracle body. At least I'd learned that even these miracles had limits. First and foremost: the miracle only occurs if the person truly wishes for it from the heart.
"Like suddenly wishing a million gold nyang would pour down in front of you, or to become the world's greatest master like Sword Saint Moyong Cheon."
"If it's not on the level of praying for an incurable disease to be healed, even taking the Extreme Yang Pill has no effect."
A desperate wish. I couldn't arbitrarily set a standard for how desperate someone needed to be, but it was clear they needed a certain level of resolve.
In Moyong Seol's case, she came to me at the medical hall's third-floor building at night, determined to experience what she wanted as a woman before death claimed her.
For Geomhu, she staked her life, unleashing a burst of sword energy at the Moyong family estate's main gate.
Yugiyeon was so desperate for a cure that she tested Moyong Seol's initial treatment method—"sleep and it heals"—on her own body.
And on top of that—
"...if they're already healed but still greedy enough to wish for more."
Right now, beneath this medical hall, the leader of Jageommun and his daughter were digging a trap, scheming something sinister.
"Is it true, Geomhui?"
"Of course. This girl heard it clearly with these two ears."
Geomhui Geum Se-rin pointed to her ear and then the floor below.
"Jageommun's leader Yugoein is trying to take Physician Seok to Jageommun. For his daughter's sake."
"Does Yugiyeon still think she's being unilaterally oppressed by Lady Moyong and needs to rescue Physician Seok like some hero?"
"She's dreaming of being the heroic Yugiyeon, forcibly treated under the mighty oppression of the Five Great Families and saving Physician Seok from the wicked Moyong Seol."
"That crazy bitch... ahem."
Moyong Seol nearly spat out a curse but caught herself. Still, not a word was wrong.
"Even after I told her to her face that she's got something loose in her head, and she still acts like this. If we send her back to Jageommun like this, she'll completely lose her mind."
I could say it with certainty. Yugiyeon was insane. The problem was how desperately insane she was.
"This is in the realm of possibility, but it's likely certain. If Yugiyeon thinks, 'I need to grow stronger to save Physician Seok Mu Wol from the Moyong family,' a far more powerful female martial artist will be born."
"...Along with rejuvenation, her martial arts skyrocketing, right?"
Geomhui lightly stomped the floor.
"Right now, at minimum, she's at the Peak realm. I can say it with certainty."
"At least it's a relief she hasn't reached Super Peak."
"Why stop at Super Peak, Physician? If she's going to get stronger anyway, she might as well wish, 'Make me able to defeat even the Sword Saint.'"
Moyong Seol was right.
"It might actually be possible, so you'd best watch your words from now on."
"Wise thinking. Even Lord Yugoein might wish, 'If I were stronger than the Sword Saint, I could fulfill my daughter's desire...'"
Moyong Seol bit her lower lip at Geomhui's words.
"If Lord Yugoein... sucked on you, Physician..."
"We're just hypothesizing here, but please spare me such horrific scenarios, my lady."
"I meant blood. What were you thinking?"
Moyong Seol glared at me sternly in response to my question.
"Only I can touch there, Physician."
"Ah, that's what you meant?"
"Obviously. You weren't thinking of permitting others, were you?"
"Never. My heart is already yours—how could I commit the contradiction of offering my body to others alone? What leaves my body is already gone from me, but I'll do my utmost to keep them from ravaging it carelessly."
"Physician..."
Moyong Seol's eyes glazed over as she buried her face in my chest. For a moment, the venom from our treatment days surged, but it quickly subsided in her.
"I... I need to get stronger. So strong that no one in the world who targets you can touch you."
Correction. That venom was redirecting elsewhere.
"If I get as strong as Father, no one would dare try to take you. Except me, Physician?"
Moyong Seol grabbed my face.
"Let's test it right now."
"My lady, not right—"
Smooch.
"...Ahem."
With Geomhui watching from the side, my face was forcibly pulled in, but I turned to her and wrote in the air with my hand: Check inner energy.
I wished I could transmit my will via telepathy like those supreme masters, but since I couldn't, writing in the air would have to do.
"Sigh..."
Geomhui let out a deep sigh and stood behind Moyong Seol.
"I'll verify if it really works. Sister, don't be startled if my hands touch you."
Smooch.
Instead of answering, Moyong Seol straddled me as I sat in the chair and reached around to the back of my neck. Geomhui pulled up a chair behind her, sat down, and placed both hands on her back.
"Hm..."
Geomhui seriously checked Moyong Seol's pulse. Unlike me, a physician checking meridians, she was assessing her inner energy.
"My lady, how strong do you want to become?"
"Pwah. Hm, as strong as the Sword Matriarch...?"
As Moyong Seol stated her desired benchmark and lunged at me again, Geomhui behind her furrowed her brow slightly but continued checking without complaint.
"...Phew. I don't think it can go any further."
Moyong Seol buried her face in my shoulder, and over it, I met eyes with Geomhui.
"How is it?"
"...Astounding."
Geomhui swallowed bitterly, her face sour.
"The positive part is that there's a significant, tangible increase in inner energy."
"R-Really?!"
"Yes, Sister. But..."
Geomhui reached toward the rejoicing Moyong Seol's back.
"Blocked Meridian Syndrome opened your Middle Dantian as it healed, right? You've reached the Peak realm."
"Hee hee... Thanks to Physician Seok, I've reached Peak...?"
"The negative part is that the Yang energy you received from Physician Seok is accumulating in your Middle Dantian and quickly integrating into your inner energy—but it's not enough to surpass the Sword Matriarch."
"Eh, really?"
Moyong Seol looked flustered.
"That's weird. I wished so desperately..."
"There might be limits when it comes to inner energy. Or maybe you thought you wished for it, but something was lacking, or it was something else."
"...This is just my thought, but."
Geomhui pointed at me.
"It seems it can elevate realms in one go only up to the Peak stage—the Middle Dantian realm."
"Middle Dantian... up to Peak?"
"Yes. We've seen it twice already, haven't we?"
Moyong Seol and Yugiyeon.
"The daughter of the world's greatest master and the daughter of Jageommun's leader—who's ordinary in the martial world—both reached Peak. It might even elevate a common woman with no ties to the martial world to Peak."
"If she wishes to become a powerful martial artist."
"Yes. In other words..."
Geomhui replied gravely.
"To put it bluntly, with just Physician Seok, you could turn every member of Haedong Geomgak into Peak-realm female swordswomen."
"......."
"And one more thing."
Geomhui gripped Moyong Seol's shoulder.
"After that, growth speed depends on how much Yang energy they receive from Physician Seok."
"Pardon?"
"I shouldn't say this carelessly, but..."
Geomhui's eyes trembled as she spoke.
"...Do you know of gathering Yang to supplement Yin?"
* * *
Late at night. Having barely sent the Alliance Leader on his way, Moyong San returned to his room only to receive a new guest.
"Is that not Great Hero Yugoein, leader of Jageommun? What brings you here at this hour?"
"Deputy Family Head."
Yugoein clasped his hands and bowed to Moyong San.
"I am truly grateful for my daughter's treatment, but shamelessly, I have one request."
"A request."
Moyong San slowly took his seat.
"The Moyong family's ears are always open, wherever you might be. So what is this request you come to me, the deputy head, for in secret?"
Sensing the familiar, sharp presence outside, he felt relief instead and faced Yugoein leisurely.
"Jageommun formally requests protection from the Moyong family."
"Formally...?"
"Yes. We could become retainers or servants."
"...Why?"
Moyong San clutched his throbbing head.
"Why?"
"...It's embarrassing for the Moyong family to hear this, but the moment my daughter leaves Moyong territory, she'll be targeted by the Central Plains' various lechers."
"Lechers?"
"Yes. ...Likely, the instant we return to Jageommun, someone will try to kidnap or abduct her."
Yugoein gulped.
"Her Blocked Meridian Syndrome is cured, but the method was the Extreme Yang Pill. It wasn't cured by prescribing pills to balance excessive Yin energy with Yang against it, was it?"
"That's true."
Moyong San knew some truth but nodded thinking only of the public version.
"In other words, the Yin energy dwelling in my daughter's body hasn't fully vanished. So..."
"...No way."
Something flashed in Moyong San's mind.
"They're planning to gather Yin to supplement Yang on Lady Yugiyeon...?"
"Exactly. So, I wish to entrust my daughter here. And..."
Yugoein sighed deeply and bowed his head.
"I'll select a few women to care for her and have them assist the family's affairs. It's the least this Yugoein can do."
Tears streamed from Yugoein's eyes.
* * *
"All lies, of course. Crocodile tears to beg and stir pity—classic cheap trick."
Geomhui declared.
"His sect's women or maids. He'll place them around Yugiyeon to elevate them to Peak. All to secure the Extreme Yang Pill by any means. Even seduction."
"...So."
Moyong Seol smirked on one side.
"Infiltrate the Moyong family with beauties to seduce our Physician, snag the Extreme Yang Pill, and reach Peak?"
Gathering Yang to supplement Yin. Cure Blocked Meridian Syndrome women with the Extreme Yang Pill's Yang energy, or convert that Yang into Yin to boost inner energy—a scheme.
"And this is just a hypothesis, but women boosted by gathering Yang to supplement Yin would strip for someone. For someone's gathering Yin to supplement Yang."
"Ha...!"
"Pathetic."
It was so absurd it clogged my nose.
"I don't know whose empty head dreamed this up, but what a moronic plan."
"......."
"Why are you staring like that—no, staring at me so, Geomhui?"
I nearly slipped into polite speech with the seventeen-year-old Geomhui from sheer disbelief.
"No, well."
Geomhui looked at me bitterly.
"...From what this girl knows to some extent, I can't help but worry about Physician Seok's 'background'."
"......!!"
Moyong Seol startled and hugged me tight.
"O-Our Physician has no ties to those morons!"
"My lady. Calm down a moment."
I patted Moyong Seol and met Geomhui's gaze.
"So Jageommun has them as backers?"
"Yes. Specifically—"
[I'll explain.]
A humming vibration sounded, and a blue sword floated into the room.
[Planning to stay stuck together before I explain?]
"......Uh, well."
[...Hah, fine.]
The Sword Saint sighed. I didn't question how he spoke through the sword—he was the world's greatest, and Geomhui's reaction suggested it was his unique skill.
[I'll make it simple for you to understand. Just the conclusion.]
The Sword Saint's sword tapped downward.
[Yugiyeon has a fiancé, and he stepped up to 'cure' her. Remember?]
"Yes, I know."
[That man is a subordinate sent by the Cheonma. Not a poison addict.]
"......."
A scheme by Magyo?
"Ah, Father. Um."
Moyong Seol panicked.
"Magyo isn't a bunch of idiots—would they use such a crude trick?"
[Exactly.]
The Sword Saint asserted.
[They're idiots who think crap like this will work, and that's why they failed.]
"......."
[A group led by a retarded idiot who comes up with such ploys is why Magyo is crumbling.]
Blunt condemnation, but.
"I agree."
Having been captured as an orphan and seen Magyo's reality for years, I couldn't help but concur with the Sword Saint.
"So, what should we do?"
[There's a way.]
"...By any chance, kill them all?"
[No need to spill blood killing everyone.]
The sword—the Sword Saint—looked at me. Probably worried I'd waver if someone was dying, or that Moyong Seol might.
[Seol-ah.]
"Yes, Father."
[Solve it the Moyong way.]
At the Sword Saint's words, Moyong Seol grinned fiercely.
"I get strong and crush those bitches so they never even glance at my man again?"
[Yes. ...Exactly.]
The Sword Saint hesitated briefly, then continued.
[Like your mother did, and like I did.]
...A voice first embarrassed, then proud.
[Geomhu. I ask you.]
"......."
[Geomhu?]
"......."
[Hah.]
A deeper sigh than when speaking of Magyo.
[I entrust it to you, Geomhui Geum Se-rin.]
"Leave it to me, Family Head."
...Perhaps dealing with Magyo was easier than the Central Plains' righteous sects and their forces.