Master. The Liars (4)
"Is there no way to determine whether this is due to some peculiar constitution or an illness?"
"I cannot say. This is the first time I have seen seasickness produce such symptoms. Still, she appears to be recovering. Of course, it is a miracle she has not stopped breathing yet..."
The physician answered Jegal Ji while inserting the acupuncture needles. I quickly approached the bed where Cho Yak lay and grasped her wrist. Her pulse was so slow and faint that it was difficult to detect. I turned to look at the physician, whose face was creased with wrinkles. I did not know much about medicine, but Jegal Ji would not have spared expense, so this man was likely the finest physician in Jeongju. The clinic itself was quite lavish. Thanks to the warm jade bed, Cho Yak's body, which had been as cold as a corpse, had been warmed to a human level. Even so, we could not discover why she had fallen into this state. In the end, treatment amounted to nothing more than laying her on the warm jade bed and using ginseng and deer antler to raise her body temperature—a symptomatic approach at best.
"Are you certain nothing unusual occurred besides boarding the ship?"
I retraced the events from boarding at Luoyang until our arrival here, but nothing came to mind. We had boarded a prepared passenger ship, and when I suggested breakfast, Cho Yak said she felt unwell and retired to the cabin to rest. When she did not emerge after half a day, I went to check on her and found her skin cold and her pulse undetectable. Even when roused, she could only mutter a few incoherent words and could not rise, so we hurried off the ship and rode to the nearest town, Jeongju.
"I have no guesses. What can you infer from the symptoms alone?"
"Her body is cold and her pulse is slow, so I would say her yang energy has been greatly depleted. Yet according to what you described, she has not gone long without food, nor has she been exposed to cold water or wind. I cannot fathom how her yang energy could have been damaged."
"Hmm..."
Thinking back, Cho Yak had always had a cold constitution. Her hands and feet were perpetually chilly, and her cheeks were pale enough that faint veins showed through. She never looked particularly healthy. Still, her body was solidly muscled, and during our nightly sparring sessions she could swing her sword for hours without showing fatigue, so I had never suspected any serious illness.
"I have other patients to attend to, so I shall take my leave."
"Very well. Thank you."
Once the physician closed the door and left, only Jegal Ji and I remained awake in the room. I spoke.
"I feel terrible that you spent so much money arranging the ship, Lady Jegal."
"It is nothing to concern yourself over. I shall arrange another passage."
I shook my head.
"That will not do. Cho Mae collapsed after boarding today—if we board another ship, are you suggesting we leave her behind?"
"Then you intend to wait?"
"Of course."
"Are you certain that is wise?"
I frowned slightly.
"Why would it not be?"
"She has fallen ill. We do not know how many days her recovery will take. You may need to remain here for months."
She was right. Even if Cho Yak managed to rise from bed, how could a patient who had just escaped death immediately embark on a long journey? Moreover, we still did not know the true cause of her collapse. If boarding a ship had triggered it, where in the world had anyone ever heard of seasickness chilling the body and drying the blood vessels? Even if she appeared recovered on the surface, without finding the root cause, she might suffer a greater calamity later.
"That is true. Still, that is a decision we should make after Cho Yak wakes. How can we arrange passage now when we do not even know how her condition will develop?"
"What if it takes several days for her to wake?"
"Then we wait those several days. What else can we do?"
"Are you truly all right with that?"
"Why would I not be?"
"You seem uneasy."
In the quiet, only the crackling of the oil lamp could be heard. The windowless room made breathing feel somewhat stifling. Jegal Ji continued.
"I do not know the full circumstances, but I presume there is an urgent reason you must meet your disciple."
"..."
"Should we not hurry?"
Just then, the oil ran out. The lamp flame flickered wildly before going out with a soft puff. Staring at the extinguished lamp made my eyes tired, so I closed them and rubbed my eyelids.
"...Lately, many people have been asking me similar questions."
No reply came.
"It is true that I cherish my disciple. It is also true that, because she is mine, I feel an unavoidable impatience. But I have my own principles, Lady Jegal."
Plop. A drop of cold sweat fell onto the wooden floor.
"Taking advantage of a fire to steal—using someone's impatience—is an excellent tactic, but employing schemes against people is already the way of expediency, is it not? I do not know exactly what you desire, Lady Jegal, but if you have studied the proper path, perhaps you should first seek the constant way."
"...I am endlessly grateful for your advice, which is like gold and jade to this junior."
"I am merely narrow-minded and foolish, so I spoke out of petty frustration. Do not take it too much to heart. You may leave first. I will stay and watch over this place."
"Yes. Thank you."
Once Jegal Ji also departed, only I remained in the room. I pulled a chair close to the bed and looked down at Cho Yak's face. I held my hand beneath her nose; her breathing was thin and slow, yet steady. I let out a sigh and leaned my back against the wall.
People like Master Ju or Jegal Ji possessed upright cores. They clearly believed in what was right and acted accordingly, so one could say they had the makings of heroes. I found such people uncomfortable. After all, my own mind had never progressed beyond that of a child with an oversized body who could not change even after dying and coming back to life. In my life, nothing had ever been completed. I had never been certain of anything and had only ever quit things because they felt vaguely wrong—a truly cowardly existence. Thus, whenever I saw people boldly declaring what was right, I could neither agree nor offer my own convincing alternative, so I would quietly slip away to where their words could not reach me.
I did not know what scheme Jegal Ji was plotting behind my back, but it was clear she was plotting something. It would have been easier if her scheme were obviously wicked and terrifying, with no shred of justification, but that was unlikely. The way her gaze never wavered even under a sword-like pressure told me she surely had her own sense of justice and righteousness. Yet that did not mean I was willing to offer up my own body, my sworn sister, or my disciple. I had a strong premonition that the outcome of this outing would ultimately be flight.
While I was wallowing in such gloomy thoughts, a low groan reached my ears.
"Mmm..."
"Cho Mae, are you awake?"
I quickly leaned in. Cho Yak's eyes were barely open as she twisted her body. I felt I should do something, but in my flustered state I did not know what a newly awakened person needed. Cho Yak spoke to me.
"...Sister?"
"Yes, it is me. How do you feel?"
"My... my throat is dry..."
I looked around and spotted a water bottle prepared in the corner of the room for when she woke. I brought it over, but then realized that drinking while lying down might cause it to go down the wrong pipe.
"Here, sit up. That's it."
With the bottle in my right hand, I used my left arm to lift Cho Yak's upper body. Our heads nearly bumped above her nape. Unable to give her water in that position, I tried to lean her against the wall when Cho Yak bit my neck.
* * *
"So I will not turn into a vampire or anything?"
"...No. You need not worry. There was a similar incident at the sect before. Simply being bitten does not turn one into someone like me."
Cho Yak answered in a shrinking voice. Honestly, even if I did become a vampire, would it be such a big problem? Watching Cho Yak, it seemed inconvenient in many ways, but red eyes carried a certain atmosphere, and greater strength was hardly a drawback. Overall, it did not seem like a loss. In any case, it was truly astonishing—my sworn sister's true identity was that of a vampire: nocturnal, weak to sunlight, stronger than she appeared, and, as she herself had only learned yesterday, unable to remain long over running water. Thinking about it, it was strange I had not noticed until now. I had imagined jiangshi existing in the Central Plains, but never vampires.
"So, why are you digging into the ground again?"
"Because I shamelessly attacked you, Sister..."
"Hmm... Well, it could not be helped. I understand. If anything, I am also at fault for making you board the ship and causing your collapse."
"I am sorry..."
Attacked, she said—how dramatic. I had been surprised since I never expected to be bitten, but it had not felt like a threat to my life. There was a slight dizziness from the blood loss, along with a strange comfort from being held, and the ticklish sensation on my bitten neck, plus a faint numbness as if her saliva had some anesthetic effect. It had not been unpleasant at all. Rather, if one wanted to enjoy it, perhaps one could.
"Truly, do not worry. I am not bothered in the slightest. In fact, if it is you, Cho Mae, I could let you do it several more times. If something similar happens again, just say the word."
"What?! No, that is..."
What truly bothered me was the name that had come up afterward, when Cho Yak explained how she became a vampire.
"More importantly, you said 'Ghost Immortal'?"
"Pardon? Ah, yes. That is what everyone called him. Do you know the name?"
"I do not know it, but it is not entirely unfamiliar either... Well, I will tell you once I am more certain."
"Understood."
It could be a coincidence, but whenever I heard "Ghost Immortal," I immediately thought of Master Ju and his group. Perhaps the one who had done this to Cho Yak was the same man who had joined fifteen years ago and recently left. He had once killed Cho Yak and made her his slave, only to flee after she stabbed him. They were mortal enemies who would draw swords the moment they met again. If the group had accepted him, Master Ju would bear some responsibility for misjudging his character. I decided to question him about it if we met again, and for now asked about the immediate matter.
"So what will you do now? Do you still need more time to recover?"
"No. Thanks to what you gave me, I have no problems at all."
"Then we will have to change to a land route."
"There is no need for that. I plan to pretend to be ill and remain here."
I had been thinking we should inform Jegal Ji upon her return, but Cho Yak objected. I asked,
"Is there a reason we should?"
"From what you told me, Lady Jegal's words and actions seem highly suspicious. I will contact the main sect to verify information and request support."
It sounded plausible. Since Jegal Ji herself was here, she could not suddenly double the surveillance personnel, so the watch on Cho Yak, who was supposedly recuperating in Jeongju, would naturally loosen. In the first place, if Cho Yak had made that judgment, it was not my place to interfere. Contacting the main hall to prepare countermeasures was already a matter of the Demon Cult. What right did I, who had only half-willingly, half-unwillingly impersonated a cultist, have to meddle?
"Do as you wish. When you think about it, I am only here to handle my own affairs anyway. The real Demon Cult member is you, Cho Mae. Just do not push yourself too hard."
"...I will join you via the land route as quickly as possible. If anything goes wrong in Wuhan, head northwest."
Cho Yak's expression as she said this was truly resolute. I was a little worried whether she had properly heard my warning not to overexert herself.