Chapter 91
Chapter 91
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 91
Chapter Title: Dark Heaven Village
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About a year passed in days spent studying medicine and acupuncture. I had received high praise for my exceptional memorization skills, so I had already mastered the rote knowledge up to the intricacies of the Brain Meridian applications. However, medicine was a field where applying that knowledge required the physician's own cool-headed and intuitive judgment, and I felt like I was hitting a wall.
Hwa Seomyeong always clicked his tongue in regret.
"Hmm... You're smart, but that stupidity is your flaw."
What kind of evaluation was that?
I was too dumbfounded to get angry and just stared blankly, so Hwa Seomyeong spoke.
"Don't worry. Even so, you're learning much faster than ordinary physicians. It's just a shame—if your comprehension had been a bit better, you could have been a once-in-a-generation genius."
"That's a relief, then."
"Especially your progress in acupuncture is remarkable."
Hearing him praise the one area where I excelled made me feel good. As he said, among the many branches of medicine, acupuncture was the one where I could truly shine.
Acupuncture involved minute differences in manipulating acupoints and qi flow, and my highly developed qi sense allowed me to read the body's flows perfectly. My profound martial arts ensured my hands never shook or faltered, and my stamina far surpassed that of an average physician. While I wasn't as successful in other areas like pharmacology, herbal medicine, diagnostics, positioning, or surgery, I had confidence in acupuncture.
'I guess I have something I'm good at after all.'
Having lamented my lack of talent for so long, this brought me unexpected joy. Watching me, Hwa Seomyeong hesitated before speaking.
"...There's one thing I want to ask you."
"What is it?"
"Have you ever thought about becoming a physician? I'm saying, why not quit this bodyguard work and become a healer of people?"
"Hmm..."
I thought it over and replied.
"If I ever have the time later, I'd definitely like to."
I couldn't pursue medicine right now because of other priorities, but once I thwarted the Geumuiwi's schemes and could live my own life, it sounded appealing. It was a thought born from my enjoyment of learning acupuncture. Hwa Seomyeong pondered, then abruptly said.
"For a whole year, I haven't told you why the Hwa family—one of Hebei's premier medical clans—fell into decline."
I paused in sorting the herbs and glanced at him. Seated by the brazier, warming himself by the fire, Hwa Seomyeong continued slowly.
"It was entirely my fault. Because I accepted the White Lotus Cult's proposal."
"What do you mean?"
Crackle.
Hwa Seomyeong stared into the flames, then tossed in a poker. The fire flared brighter.
"About ten years ago, as the head of the Hwa family, one of the Five Great Physicians of the world, I was renowned."
Past tense.
"......"
"Even now, I believe no one in the world can match my skills except Eastern Immaculate and River Expert. My pride in my medicine was sky-high. So, it was perhaps inevitable that the White Lotus Cult's envoy came to me."
I set down the herbs and sat across from him. As I focused intently, Hwa Seomyeong went on.
"There was the Young Cult Leader of the White Lotus Cult. He had a grave illness. Their envoy asked me to cure him."
"What illness?"
"Sigh... They didn't tell me at first. But he offered a fortune in gold—two hundred nyang upfront—and promised the White Lotus Cult's full support for the Hwa family's future. And when they taunted that even I might not be able to cure it, I took the bait."
Hwa Seomyeong spat the words bitterly.
"Well, with their Dharma Protector coming to the main house in person, refusing wasn't an option."
"The Dharma Protector?"
"Yes. He wore a gray fox mask."
Gray fox mask.
As I murmured the words, Hwa Seomyeong said.
"I followed the Dharma Protector to the White Lotus Cult. I didn't meet the Cult Leader himself, but all the Five Great Physicians, including me, were already there. They had been summoned too."
"They called all the world's top physicians to cure the Young Cult Leader."
"Exactly. It shows how desperate the White Lotus Cult was."
I was stunned by this unexpected information. Ten years ago wasn't far, even considering my past life. To think the Five Great Physicians had gathered at the White Lotus Cult to treat the Young Cult Leader!
As I listened raptly, Hwa Seomyeong bowed his head and continued.
"But... that day, my pride was shattered. None of us Five Great Physicians could cure him. Eastern Immaculate diagnosed it, I improved his condition with acupuncture, River Expert stabilized him, and the other two helped... but it was impossible. Even with the White Lotus Cult's aid and access to the world's rarest herbs, we failed."
I was shocked.
"......!! Is there really such an illness in the world?"
"There was. We spent a full year at the White Lotus Cult and still couldn't cure it. We were despairing—thought we'd be executed, our families wiped out."
But he was alive here. As I stared at him, Hwa Seomyeong gave a wry smile.
"On the last day, I glimpsed the White Lotus Cult Leader from afar. He spoke from behind a screen, as if unwilling to show himself: 'It can't be helped.' Then he let us go. I don't know why, but it seemed he knew from the start we couldn't cure his son."
He knew it was incurable.
Yet he summoned us.
Why?
'It doesn't seem like simple desperation...'
As I pondered, Hwa Seomyeong said.
"Then the real trouble started. Word spread through the martial world that we Five Great Physicians had gone to treat the White Lotus Cult's Young Cult Leader. Martial artists condemned us for colluding with the Demonic Cult. Clients vanished from the Hwa family overnight. No matter how renowned the physician, without patients, there's nothing to be done...."
"The news got out? Did the White Lotus Cult leak it?"
"I don't know. But it leaked at such a convenient time—I'm guessing it was them. Probably their form of punishment."
The Cult Leader must have thought killing or executing us himself would look bad to the world. So he leaked it to the Central Plains martial world, branding us 'traitors.' The backlash would fall solely on us.
Confused, I said.
"Didn't you consider that risk from the start? Why go to the White Lotus Cult...?"
"I had no choice. The White Lotus Cult's Dharma Protector came in person. Refusing could have meant my family massacred on the spot. Heads or tails, I had to accept."
"Hmm..."
Gulp.
Hwa Seomyeong downed the water nearby. On closer look, it was bamboo leaf liquor poured into a cup. After a sip and a sigh, he continued.
"I knew I couldn't stay in the Central Plains anymore, so I sought a new home. I decided to move the family to Goryeo. Far from Central Plains martial world ties, I thought we'd live without scorn."
"So that's how you became a guest of the Jeong family."
"Yes. In exchange for serving as the Jeong family head's personal physician, he helped naturalize the Hwa family descendants in Goryeo. I'll never forget his grace, and I can't refuse his requests."
He glared at me unkindly as he said it. Understandably—busy as his physician duties were, suddenly taking me as a disciple must irk him. Medicine's master-disciple bonds are even more secretive than martial arts.
"But my blood kin from the Hwa family haven't all come to Goryeo yet. Half remain in the Central Plains, enduring scorn."
"Why?"
"Money. We lack the funds."
Muttering bitterly, Hwa Seomyeong downed another cup of bamboo leaf liquor.
"No matter how kind-hearted Jeong Cheol-wook is, he's not saintly enough to fund relocating an entire major Central Plains family to Kaegyong. All my earnings as his physician go toward it now. Still, it's far short—desperate times."
"What? You mean shipping people from Hebei through Shandong by sea costs that much?"
"Foolish talk. A medical family's lifeblood is its texts. The main house holds treasures: records, herbs, knowledge accumulated for centuries. Moving it all intact to Goryeo would cost as much as founding two or three escort agencies. You expect us to abandon centuries of legacy?"
"Hmm..."
Hwa Seomyeong eyed me slyly.
"Then you appeared and gave me that sacred lotus root. Over the year, I sold it wisely and brought twenty clansmen and our medical archives to Goryeo. Thanks to you, quite a help."
"But that root could skyrocket one's internal energy in one go..."
"Heh, watch my blood suffer eternal scorn in the Central Plains just to boost my own martial arts? I'm a physician, not a martial artist. Power matters less to me."
Gulp...
This time, Hwa Seomyeong drained the entire bottle of bamboo leaf liquor. It was the kind of story hard to tell sober. He said.
"Honestly, I never intended to teach you Hwa's One Hundred Eight Needles or Hua Tuo's Five Golden Acupunctures. What faith did I have to pass family secrets to you? Even basics take ordinary folk ten years—and most drop out sooner—so I planned to go easy. But after a year together, I changed my mind."
So he planned to skim and ditch after all.
I wasn't surprised—I'd anticipated it. Giving him the black-and-white sacred lotus was a calculated trade: the loss was worth learning from a master physician. Composed, I asked.
"How did your mind change?"
"You lack talent. Sure, your memorization, stamina, and precision exceed average, enough for solid competence. But comprehension lags—advanced medicine will be tougher."
"......"
"Yet you have sincerity and substance. That's what I like."
Clearing his throat, Hwa Seomyeong continued.
"If you wish, I'll take you as my formal disciple and teach you everything I know."
"Is this to help the Hwa family?"
"Lying if I said no. But you undervalue yourself. Amid countless eccentrics in the world, none wouldn't salivate over you. Talent aside, your profound internal energy marks you a once-in-millennia prodigy."
"Plenty would dislike me too."
I thought of Triple Excellence Lee Gwang. Hwa Seomyeong shook his head.
"Whatever master trained you had unrealistically high expectations. But true master-disciple bonds aren't like that. It's trust, guidance—and watching over their life's path. I just want you to become a competent physician."
Expectations.
I recalled Lee Gwang's gaze. When teaching seriously, he had a desperate, fierce intensity. In hindsight, he'd aimed me at lofty heights. Great hopes bred great disappointment. I thought.
'Right. Just don't set expectations from the start.'
Then I said to Hwa Seomyeong.
"Is there a way to conceal my qi?"
"Of course. As expected, you've been worrying about that."
Smiling, Hwa Seomyeong replied.
"I can't teach Returning Criticism to Truth realm yet, but applying Hwa's One Hundred Eight Needles for Heavenly Seal Blood Sealing can minimize your outward qi leakage. No more needless trouble."
I nodded without hesitation.
"I'll be your disciple."
"Then perform the nine prostrations."
"Yes."
I did the rite, formally binding master and disciple with Hwa Seomyeong.
No more wary mind games—we were now true teacher and student, secrets to flow freely.
Then eight years swiftly passed.
I handled Jeong family bodyguard duties, studying medicine with Hwa Seomyeong in spare time. Not daily missions left three days free weekly. Over eight years, I reached considerable proficiency; Hwa Seomyeong said I did "a man's work."
One autumn day, gazing at the sky while reading, I muttered.
"This is the longest I've lived so far."
My body fully matured—a young man in his mid-twenties. Far beyond past records. It hit how poorly I'd died before. Everyday peace made chaotic days nostalgic.
Martial arts stagnated, though. All energy went to Hwa's One Hundred Eight Needles and Hua Tuo's Five Golden Acupunctures; I just practiced basics daily to retain them. Regrettable, but unavoidable. Even if fox spirit killed me later, Hwa's medicine was genuine—learning it was a fortuitous encounter.
'Fuck it... If I die, I die.'
Such medicine isn't learned later.
Eight years ago, I'd given Hwa Seomyeong another sacred lotus root; he'd fully relocated the clan to Goryeo. No loose ends—I continued studying medicine ordinarily.
Then.
Hwa Seomyeong entered, saying.
"Baek Woong. Do you grasp the Hwa's One Hundred Eight Needles' vital points well?"
"It's a bit tricky."
"Mastering seventy percent is impressive. Keep at it."
"Yes."
I smiled wryly. I'd thought he'd bleed me dry and discard me, but his confession eight years back was sincere. He truly saw me as direct disciple; I honored him as master.
Then slyly, Hwa Seomyeong broached.
"No thoughts of marrying my granddaughter? I've mentioned it before..."
"Uh... She seems to dislike my face a lot."
"Grumble. Looks aren't everything for a man, that insolent girl."
Hwa Seomyeong snapped irritably. Indeed, my matured face wasn't great. Profound internal energy prevented true ruin, but innately ugly. When he introduced his fifteen-year-old granddaughter Hwa Yeong-yeong, she'd nearly fainted in horror.
Hwa Seomyeong said.
"I'd plastic surgery your face myself, but really okay not fixing it?"
"Yes. As you said, looks aren't everything."
"Sigh... Tell me if you change your mind. At your level, you could do it solo anyway."
Sighing, Hwa Seomyeong got to the point.
"Go out a moment. A guest here for you."
"A guest?"
Bewildered, I tilted my head. Beyond Jeong family duties, I'd befriended only family members, bodyguards, and Hwa clansmen. No one else to visit now.
But outside stood a man in a conical hat and black feathered robe—an academian's garb, achingly familiar. Unforgettable.
Moments later, he removed the hat, smiling.
"Long time no see, Baek Woong."
"Mang Ryang...!!"
Mang Ryang stood there. His aura far more refined than before, face brimming confidence. Behind him, four subordinates stood rigidly—impressive folk. Glancing at them, I said.
"You formed the Anti-Heaven Alliance?"
"Hahaha, that name you suggested stuck too well. Couldn't choose another."
Mang Ryang laughed heartily. Utterly transformed. Once lazy, dissolute free spirit; now, dignified leader of an organization. As I stared, he said.
"Got permission from Jeong Cheol-wook. Let's talk outside."
"Sure."
I followed Mang Ryang to a nearby inn, renting a room. At the door, he ordered his guards.
"Guard the perimeter."
"Yes, sir!"
Whoosh.
They vanished in flawless first-class lightness skill. Watching, I said.
"They're Anti-Heaven Alliance members too."
"Yes. Gathered for righteousness."
Inside, silence fell. I spoke first.
"What have you been up to? I've stayed in Goryeo hunting Haein's whereabouts."
"I know. I used the black-and-white lotus and dusk demon you gave me to grow stronger, formed the Anti-Heaven Alliance, and oppose the imperial court."
"Hasn't the Geumuiwi gathered the Seven Luminaries to grow powerful?"
Mang Ryang shook his head lightly.
"In the original history you described, yes—but no signs yet. They haven't mass-produced demons or summoners. Probably failed to get the Seven Luminaries."
"Really?"
"Yes."
Why?
Puzzled by Mang Ryang's words, I pondered. This life, I'd half-abandoned Central Plains chaos to chase Seven Luminaries sites, win or die. By now, Geumuiwi rampaging with them wouldn't surprise—yet Mang Ryang said no.
'Did something I did this life affect the Geumuiwi?'
Racking my brain yielded nothing.
As I mulled, Mang Ryang grinned.
"Actually, years ago, I asked my master. If Haein is a Luminary."
"......?!"
"He confirmed it is, but getting it is the hardest among them. Thought you needn't suffer more, so I came to tell you."
I was flabbergasted.
Such a simple way!
Mangryang the monk avoided me, but his cherished disciple Mang Ryang just asked. Sighing deeply, I said.
"Sigh... Feels like wasted effort. If you knew, why not tell me sooner?"
"Actually, I've heard of you via Anti-Heaven members in Goryeo. One's even in the Jeong family."
"What?!"
"I thought you died too fast too often, so gave time to build strength calmly. Rushing Central Plains affairs risks death."
Stunned by Mang Ryang's consideration, goosebumps rose realizing his Anti-Heaven Alliance's scale.
Vast network relaying from distant Goryeo—a foreign land a thousand li away. Bringing first-class experts as escorts, negotiating casually with Goryeo's top noble house, Jeong family. In under ten years, unimaginable growth.
I said to Mang Ryang.
"Then just summon me—instead of coming all this way...?"
He shook his head.
"That'd be rude. You gifted me immense fortune, came suffering to Goryeo for your goal—how send a pigeon ordering you to Central Plains? Friends visit personally."
"......"
Emotion welled; I looked away briefly.
'Meeting Mang Ryang was my life's greatest luck.'
Lazy on surface, but genius with burning passion, talent,侠心 inside. Mangryang the monk cherishing him as prime disciple wasn't hype—if turbulent times, he'd be Zhuge Liang or Xiao He reborn.
Unable to speak, Mang Ryang continued.
"That's one reason. Central Plains unrest also necessitated a Goryeo visit. Staying there now risks getting swept up."
"What happened?"
"Don't be shocked. Listen well."
Deep breath, then:
"The White Lotus Cult has declared its emergence in the Central Plains martial world."