Reviving the Dead Lion, Reviving the Dead Root (4)
Of course, since miracles are something entirely new that never existed before, there's a process of learning about them—and since no one has ever taught me, I have to figure it out myself.
I made a mistake.
I gained a tremendous realization. Thanks to this Soyangma named Son Geun, I came to understand that handling miracles is no trivial matter to be taken lightly.
"No need to look, my love."
I inserted a few more long needles, then covered Son Geun's lower half with the coffin lid.
"Such an eyesore."
"It is an eyesore, but..."
"But?"
"Well."
Moyong Seol glanced only toward Son Geun's lower region, holding both hands out horizontally.
"...Compared to yours, Physician, isn't it just a drop in the ocean?"
I trembled with rage.
Something was off. I'd clearly stabbed long needles to block his qi and blood flow, yet Son Geun's body suddenly began to twitch violently somewhere.
Pok. Pok pok.
After jabbing several more long needles into his meridians—until his head looked like a hedgehog bristling with quills—Son Geun's movements finally stopped. But even then, not a single hair on his head stood up; the only thing that had surged was something utterly useless even at its full size.
"Hm. A drop in the ocean, you say."
I lightly brushed over Son Geun's lower region, which had risen to its absolute limit.
"......Well, this must be his desperately desired 'standard of greatness.'"
If one desires it earnestly, my blood makes it come true. But desires vary from person to person—what one craves differs wildly.
I'd assumed Son Geun desperately wanted his hair restored. Yet even though he clearly recognized his baldness, he yearned for something else entirely, and that wish was granted.
However.
"If he'd wished to grow even larger, it might have, but this seems to be the limit of this man's vessel."
How to describe the scale of Son Geun's desired self-esteem? A bit above average, perhaps. Compared to me—well, best not to compare, for the sake of his honor. Sometimes, comparisons are meaningless anyway.
"Physician."
"What is it, my love?"
"If this man knew how impressive you are, wouldn't he have wished to match your size?"
"Can't say you're wrong there."
This current size is both his desired standard and the limit of his knowledge. That said, I have no reason to follow up by teaching him about 'true greatness' for his sake.
Son Geun is doomed to die anyway.
"My love, step back."
"You're going to check that, right?"
"Yes. When the seal activates, demonic flames will engulf him. I don't want your hair catching fire or anything..."
Hm.
"Let's check it later for now. With your help, there might be something we can verify."
One fitting hypothesis popped into my head.
"Could you tell me your wish first? If you speak it aloud, you can desire it earnestly in advance."
"Nothing much—just that I wish your hair were a bit longer, my love."
I stretched my hand toward Moyong Seol's hair, then trailed it down to her waist.
"Long hair is beautiful enough already, but I found myself wanting to see it just brushing your hips."
"...Are you really saying that out of genuine desire?"
"Of course."
"...Feels like you're slyly using me to indulge your own tastes. So, if someone with short hair wishes for long hair, does it just grow? Is that what you're experimenting on?"
"No need to cut it—if you wish for even longer hair than now, we can test the hypothesis, right?"
"No thanks."
Moyong Seol puffed out her cheeks in protest.
"I prefer facing you, locking eyes, over showing you my back."
"Then how about this."
I pointed once at Moyong Seol's hair and my neck, then mimed wrapping a scarf.
"Wrap my neck with your hair, so we're always together."
"...That one's tempting."
"So, will you check it later?"
"Hm, maybe. ...Not right now, I hope?"
"......"
Son Geun was fully paralyzed by the long needles anyway. Feeding him more Geukyang Jihwan or Geukyang Jiak would just make his lower root—not his hair—keep growing, so testing on Moyong Seol first wasn't a bad idea.
"My love."
I pulled Moyong Seol straight into my arms.
"Your hair grown even longer than now—I'd trim the excess and weave it into a keepsake to carry in my bosom, always thinking of you. What do you say?"
"......Even without taking the Geukyang Jiak, I find myself wanting it a little."
Moyong Seol licked her lips.
"Ah, but wait. Does it have to be hair?"
"Hm?"
"Couldn't we test if other things grow too?"
"......"
Come to think of it, that was a method too.
But.
"Impossible. Rejected."
"Huh?"
"Anything but hair growing elsewhere isn't my taste."
I sealed Moyong Seol's further words with my lips.
"Mmph..."
After a light kiss, Moyong Seol pulled back.
"Tell me. What were you thinking?"
She glanced teasingly at her own body, urging me on.
"I wonder where you imagined the hair growing~"
"Obviously."
I gently lifted Moyong Seol's bangs and kissed above her eyebrow.
"Your eyelashes, which grow even more vivid when wet with tears."
"Hehe, really? Doesn't feel like it~"
"Rather, I should ask you. Where did you imagine?"
"Obviously, a beard."
Moyong Seol cupped her chin with her hand.
"A woman with a thick beard like a man's—wouldn't that be rare?"
"They usually don't grow, and I doubt any woman would wish for it."
"Depends on the person, doesn't it? If you wished for me to have one, Physician, it'd probably sprout right away."
"In that case."
I lightly stroked Moyong Seol's hair.
"I like you as you are now, so please forgive me."
"Hehe, fine."
Lick.
Could her already long hair grow even longer?
"...Haa. Is this enough to cover my hips now?"
"Who knows. We'd have to unravel the keepsake and let it down to check."
The verification was complete.
Impossible.
Before the name of miracle, it was nothing.
We'd done some other checks in the meantime, but the one we were verifying was Son Geun.
And.
"Does this guy have zero intention of restoring his hair?"
Even shown his bald head in the mirror, Son Geun's 'desire' never touched his hair. Just in case, I fed him another Geukyang Jihwan, but that wish evolved in another direction.
Crack, creak.
Despite the long needles piercing him and his blood flow suppressed to immobility, Son Geun's body began to move. The motion was so grotesque, it was like a jiangshi crafted by the Mosan Sect rising from its coffin for the first time.
"Slow. Even forcibly rousing his body with a miracle."
But his movements were sluggish. Before Moyong Seol could swing her sword, I stabbed new long needles to freeze him completely.
"Wh-what...? Physician, what did you just do?"
"Pierced his muscles. Specifically, where they attach to bones and joints."
"Ah, um..."
"Like a wooden puppet—if you sever the strings connecting its parts with needles."
Before, I'd blocked inner energy flow; this time, the paralysis extended to the muscles themselves. For a body to move, muscles must relax and contract. No matter the signals from the brain, if the joints don't respond, Son Geun became nothing but a man fixated on his raging lower desire.
"Hm. Well, hair seems unverifiable anyway. Time to check something else."
"Something else?"
"Yes. The family head named two groups we Moyong Family should ally with: one is the Habuk Paeng Family with the Poison Emperor, and the other—"
"The capital. The imperial palace."
"Exactly. The imperial family."
If the Habuk Paeng Family was the closest ally among murim clans, the imperial family was a powerful backer to suppress any future troubles for the Moyong Family in the name of the court.
"So, granting miracles to the women of the imperial family? Like... the miracle of rejuvenation, or perhaps curing Jeolmok Jeong if it arises?"
"That too, but simultaneously, another place to bestow it."
"Another?"
"Yes. Right here."
I pointed at Son Geun's lower region.
"Eunuchs."
"Ah."
"Not born without them, but cut off to become eunuchs—their longing for manhood must be stronger than anyone's."
They'd already reached the pinnacle of wealth and power. If there's something their authority can't fix, it'd be what they lost irreversibly before entering the palace.
"Using Son Geun to verify a gift for the eunuchs. And while at it, probe him about the Magyo."
I forced Son Geun back into the coffin and released the needles at his mute acupoint, allowing speech.
"Son Geun."
"Y-you mad devil! You—"
"You'll tell everything you know, short of violating the seal. Otherwise..."
I extended a long needle downward, aiming at his manhood.
"You'll learn firsthand what this pierces."
"......!!"
"Now."
The moment the long needle touched his pants.
"I-I'll talk! Please, not that!!"
Son Geun surrendered instantly.
"Anywhere but there!!"
No matter how captured, a man senses changes down there. Desperation was inevitable. He couldn't lose the miracle once awakened.
Ah.
Of course.
After extracting the info, I'd revoke the miracle. Since it stemmed from me, I could take it back, and Son Geun would have no grounds to complain.