Chapter 95: Meeting the Sword Demon (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 95: Meeting the Sword Demon (2)
"We can catch up on your feelings later. For now, let's save your dying father."
Ma Ui addressed Ham Bi-hye with rough, casual language, but his tone carried a hidden warmth. It seemed they had known each other for a long time, as neither found the familiar way he spoke to her awkward.
"Uncle, how can you call me 'that girl' in front of others? I'm a grown lady now."
"Oh, listen to her. You've forgotten all about me changing your diapers, haven't you? Now that there's a man around, you're acting all modest. This is why they say raising girls is a thankless job. The moment they see their man, their eyes flip. Tsk, tsk, tsk."
Seeing Ma Ui tease Ham Bi-hye with such jokes, the Mad Demon Seop Jung chuckled.
The old man, who usually flew into a rage if anyone so much as breathed a wrong word to his granddaughter, was acting this way now. It was clear that Ma Ui shared an extraordinary bond with them.
"We don't have time for idle chatter. You, come here."
At Ma Ui's command, I approached the stone platform where Ham Jeok sat in a lotus position.
As I drew near, Ma Ui began his explanation.
"My part is done. Now, only your task remains. I've opened all the acupoints that were blocked when he suffered Qi Deviation, but the meridians are still stiff. We must use the poison from the Golden Qi-Poisoning Bracelet to loosen them."
I felt something was slightly off.
Ma Ui was speaking as if he expected me to already know the secrets of the Golden Qi-Poisoning Bracelet.
Deciding it was better to be honest, I said, "Physician Ma Ui, I apologize, but I don't yet know how to release the poison from the Golden Qi-Poisoning Bracelet."
"It doesn't matter. When the Chamber Leader places his hand on the bracelet, you just need to infuse your internal energy into it. The poison will seep through his hand. Don't worry and just let your energy flow."
So, I finally learned that the poison could be activated even if someone else touched the bracelet, provided I infused it with energy.
I had thought releasing the poison into the air was difficult, but to think there was such a simple method of direct contact. I really was a dull fellow.
"The poison will seep through his hand and stimulate his blood vessels. I don't know how many hours it will take. Even if we can't get the poison into all the thousand fine vessels, we must at least reach the Ren-Du Meridians."
I spoke in a hesitant voice.
"Will my internal energy be enough?"
"If your energy runs low, I am here, the Mad Demon elder is behind me, that girl is here, and the disciples are here too. You have nothing to worry about."
I was still filled with concern. My internal energy amounted to a mere half a jiazi. How could I possibly keep the poison flowing until it filled his Ren-Du Meridians?
To achieve that, one would likely need at least two jiazi worth of internal power.
"There's no need to worry. If your energy falls short, we will perform the Energy Transfer Technique for you."
Seeing my hesitation, Ma Ui emphasized his point again.
But was the Energy Transfer Technique really that simple? Ma Ui spoke of it as if he were calling over a stray dog.
Because he spoke so easily, I failed to perceive the danger inherent in the process. I had forgotten that just because something is easy for others doesn't mean it's easy for me.
"Begin now."
Left with no choice, I sat in a lotus position in front of Ham Jeok. Ma Ui then placed Ham Jeok's hand over my Golden Qi-Poisoning Bracelet.
I began my energy circulation practice and channeled my internal power into the bracelet.
"Do I just need to keep infusing my power while circulating energy?"
When I spoke while maintaining my energy circulation, Ma Ui looked startled.
"What are you doing?! Don't speak in the middle of energy guiding!"
"My mental cultivation method allows me to speak even during circulation."
Ma Ui looked at me with half-doubt and half-belief.
"Is that true? That might be worth researching later. Don't worry about anything else. Just guide your internal power to the Golden Qi-Poisoning Bracelet, and the poison will be absorbed into the Chamber Leader's body."
As he instructed, I continued to circulate my energy and guided it toward the pulse point on my right wrist.
A small vibration occurred at my wrist. Simultaneously, Ham Jeok's hand began to tremble.
I could feel the poison flowing out continuously.
On one hand, I worried the poison might leak and harm the others, but as Ma Ui said, it seemed every drop was entering Ham Jeok's body. No one else showed any reaction to the toxin.
I kept pouring my energy into the pulse point.
How much time had passed? Just as I felt a significant amount of time had slipped by, my internal power began to run dry.
Even so, my Circulating Dantian continued to rotate, and I managed to endure until now by scraping together the small bits of energy stored in my meridians.
But now, my mind was growing dizzy, and I felt as if my Circulating Dantian was cracking like a rice paddy in a drought.
"My energy is running low."
The moment I spoke, Ma Ui quickly pressed his palm against my Life Gate Point.
A searing heat surged through me, and a tingling sensation of internal energy began to enter my dantian through the Life Gate Point.
'Ah! I forgot!'
I realized too late that I had accepted the energy while forgetting that my upper dantian was a Circulating Dantian.
'You idiot. Not everyone has a Circulating Dantian, how could you not account for that?'
In a panic, I immediately pulled the energy flowing into my lower dantian up to my upper dantian.
This was because I couldn't store Ma Ui's energy in my lower dantian. If I tried to pack his power into my pea-sized lower dantian, even that tiny pea would be destroyed.
Regardless, I guided Ma Ui's energy to my upper dantian and continued to flow it into the Golden Qi-Poisoning Bracelet.
When I opened my eyes to look at Ham Jeok, I saw that his complexion was slowly returning to normal.
"Ah! Uncle! Just a little more! Father's color is coming back!"
Ham Bi-hye cried out in joy.
"Be quiet. You might cause your uncle to suffer Qi Deviation."
When I spoke calmly, Ham Bi-hye and Seop Jung stared at me in blank amazement, shocked that I could talk while receiving someone else's energy. Yuk Cheong-woo and the other disciples blinked at me like startled rabbits.
To them, this must have seemed like nothing short of a miracle.
"O-okay, I understand," Ham Bi-hye whispered, wiping away her tears.
I focused my mind again and guided Ma Ui's energy until I realized his supply was nearly exhausted. As a physician, it seemed his internal cultivation wasn't particularly deep.
"Elder Mad Demon, it seems Physician Ma Ui's energy is depleted. Please get ready."
As soon as I finished speaking, Ma Ui took a few deep breaths and pulled his hand away from my Life Gate Point.
"Whew, that required more energy than I expected," the exhausted Ma Ui said.
By then, the Mad Demon had already pressed his palm to my Life Gate Point and was pouring in his energy.
A massive wave of power suddenly surged in, making my head spin.
"Pour it in slowly. Are you trying to kill someone? If you're not careful, you'll harm the Chamber Leader."
At my scolding, the Mad Demon's expression turned solemn.
Watching me talk even in the midst of this, Ma Ui muttered, "That fellow is definitely worth researching. If he dies, bring his corpse to me."
"Uncle! How can you talk about corpses while he's right in front of you? Have you gone senile?"
When Ham Bi-hye spoke sharply, Ma Ui glared at her.
"You brat. He's not even your husband, so why are you getting so worked up? Is he your man or something?"
At Ma Ui's words, Ham Bi-hye's face turned beet red.
Not wanting to see that, I closed my eyes.
With my eyes shut, I could feel the Mad Demon Seop Jung's energy even more clearly.
The Golden Qi-Poisoning Bracelet vibrated incessantly from the sheer amount of energy being poured into it.
Eventually, even the Mad Demon stepped back, and Ham Bi-hye and the disciples offered up all their energy to the bracelet.
However, the real problem began now.
Ham Jeok, who had been smoothly absorbing the poison from the bracelet, suddenly began to vomit energy back into me.
"Soon, the Chamber Leader's internal power will start flowing into you. Tell me when that happens. When the poison strikes the Ren-Du Meridians, the energy in his dantian will expand, lose its way, and head toward you. Don't be alarmed; just send it back to him. You must keep the energy circulating like that to ensure his vessels don't burst."
You old geezer. Why are you telling me this only now?
It had already begun.
If I failed to properly accept a massive internal power like Ham Jeok's, my own meridians could burst in reverse.
Furthermore, my Ren-Du Meridians weren't even fully opened yet. If I tried to circulate that gargantuan power, I could end up dead.
But I couldn't even open my mouth to say that.
The massive energy, which left no room for speech, surged through my pulse point and began to flow imperiously through my meridians.
And that majestic flow was driving me toward the brink of death.
*
Jeok Yeong looked at Cho Maeryeong's radiant smile and debated whether or not he should accept her request.
"It's just a dinner. Why are you thinking so hard about it?"
Jeok Yeong had lost his memory, but he hadn't lost his ability to think rationally. He could already vaguely guess why Cho Maeryeong was making this dinner invitation.
'She's trying to use me to find out about my brother. How dare she.'
This was the first time such a beauty had approached him so suggestively. Even for a born warrior like Jeok Yeong, his heart, which lacked the callouses of experience, throbbed at Cho Maeryeong's smile.
Still, her intentions were highly suspicious, and he was about to refuse.
But then, Deputy Bu, who was watching the two of them, sent a Sound Transmission.
[Young Hero Jeok, accept that dinner invitation. Cho Maeryeong is trying to use a honey trap on you to get our information, but let's turn the tables and use a "handsome man trap" to get theirs instead. Right now, we can't afford to look elsewhere, so we have no idea what the other factions are doing. Pretend to be led along by her while you dig for information. When your sworn brother returns, the information we've gathered will be a great help.]
Jeok Yeong nodded inwardly after hearing Deputy Bu's message. As the man said, even to his eyes, the Chamber Leader's faction seemed far too weak compared to the others.
His brother couldn't hold out alone with such a small force.
He decided that if he could get information from Cho Maeryeong, it would lighten his brother's burden.
[Understood. I'll give it a try.]
Deputy Bu trusted Jeok Yeong. As Eo Ja-seo's sworn brother, Jeok Yeong was a master whose martial arts were said to rival Eo Ja-seo's.
The title "Yellow Dragon Secret Sword" wasn't just for show; it was a name he earned after dueling Mu Gyeol, the top talent among the rising stars of the Orthodox Murim.
Deputy Bu believed that would be more than enough to handle Cho Maeryeong.
Above all, the fact that he was Eo Ja-seo's sworn brother gave him peace of mind. If he was the brother of Eo Ja-seo—a man who appeared differently every single day—then his hidden skills were likely just as formidable.
"It seems you two have other plans, so I shall take my leave."
"Please do. Go right ahead."
Cho Maeryeong didn't even look at Deputy Bu as she pulled Jeok Yeong toward the Fourth Chamber.
Deputy Bu smirked as he watched her lead Jeok Yeong away.
Though Cho Maeryeong was sharp and cold by nature, she still had a pure side to her and wasn't truly wicked. If she had been a truly malicious person, the one Yu Hong would fear might have been her, not anyone else.
Jeok Yeong downed five consecutive cups of wine and steadied his breathing.
She had invited him for dinner, but there was no food—only a table full of alcohol.
The area around her quarters was crawling with guards. Interestingly, all the guards were women.
"Young Hero Eo, what is your sect?"
Cho Maeryeong asked the question, thinking Jeok Yeong was sufficiently drunk.
"I don't know."
"What? If the sworn brother doesn't know, then who does?"
As Cho Maeryeong spoke with a slightly disappointed expression, Jeok Yeong let out a short laugh.
Jeok Yeong had intended to interrogate her as Deputy Bu suggested, but he suddenly felt this wasn't how a man should act.
Jeok Yeong abruptly stood up.
"Wait? What's wrong?"
"I shouldn't have come this far. My apologies."
When Jeok Yeong spoke with a stern face, a cold light flickered in Cho Maeryeong's eyes.
"If you came all the way here, didn't you have at least some interest in me, or perhaps some ulterior motive? Are you trying to play the virtuous gentleman only now?"
Suddenly, Jeok Yeong realized that a woman with a wounded heart was more terrifying than a wounded beast.
He couldn't refute her words.
In truth, it wasn't as if Jeok Yeong was entirely without such feelings.
As if trying to hide his embarrassment, Jeok Yeong clenched his fists and walked straight out.
He stood outside for a moment, letting the cold wind clear his head, and then left the Third Chamber.
He had been walking for a while when a scream echoed from the Third Chamber.
Listening closely, he could hear the chaotic sounds of a struggle.
Jeok Yeong turned back around.
"Why should I go back?"
That was the dilemma. Strictly speaking, Cho Maeryeong belonged to the faction opposing his brother, Eo Ja-seo, so he had no reason to worry about her safety.
In fact, he should have been celebrating.
However, finding his two feet heading back toward the Third Chamber, he let out a bitter smile.
"I'm crazy. I've really gone mad."
Shaking his head, Jeok Yeong hurried back toward the Third Chamber.