Chapter 38
Episode 38
The Generous Emei (2)
"Patriarch Tang. Three days ago, upon seeing the severity of this child's condition, I immediately sent word to my master and urgently requested a certain item."
"...!"
Tang Mu-yeol pricked up his ears at Abbess Geumhwa's unusual statement.
"Normally, we would never even consider trading it with outsiders. But my master must have been moved by the sincerity in my detailed account of this child's deeds."
There was only one item her description could be referring to.
A supreme elixir that made even the hundred-year snow ginseng roots they'd previously consumed in medicinal baths pale in comparison.
The legendary pill containing the entire history of the Emei Sect.
"The Golden Minor Pill."
"...!!"
Tang Mu-yeol's eyes trembled violently as if struck by an earthquake as he stared at the elixir in the wooden case.
As a native of Sichuan, he had heard tales of the Golden Minor Pill.
Legend said it was created by the Emei Sect's founder to save commoners severely injured by annual tiger attacks.
Its efficacy was so renowned that rumors claimed it could revive anyone except the already dead.
Though nowadays it was more commonly used to enhance martial artists' internal energy.
Especially after Divine Doctor Boyeon continuously refined the formula, its current potency was said to rival Shaolin's Great Restoration Pill.
Such a precious elixir could surely save his son.
Realizing this, Tang Mu-yeol didn't hesitate for even a moment.
Thud.
"P-Patriarch Tang?"
"My lord?"
He bowed deeply to Abbess Geumhwa with perfect etiquette.
Just as Abbess Geumhwa herself looked startled by this unexpected gesture,
Tang Mu-yeol spoke with desperate sincerity:
"Abbess, name your price. The Emei Sect shall have whatever donation you desire. Please, use that medicine for my child."
"-!"
The proud patriarch of a great clan had cast aside all dignity, bowing his head solely to save his son.
In the heavy silence, Tang Mu-yeol continued:
"This is no empty boast. After reorganizing Manhaepyoguk, we recovered all funds embezzled by Tang Ho-yeol. We can pay whatever price you name."
"......"
Tang Mu-yeol spoke truthfully.
After the battle with Dokma and returning to the clan, he had investigated Tang Ho-yeol's corruption and executed the family's traitors.
From Vice-Chief Jang Dal who stole financial documents to countless other betrayers - all had met their end.
Through this process, they recovered funds far exceeding the Sichuan Tang Family's annual budget.
And Tang Mu-yeol was declaring he would spend it all to use the Golden Minor Pill for Se-woon.
'Father...'
Se-woon felt his father's desperate love piercing through him. He struggled to suppress his rising emotions.
He wanted to confess his deception given the circumstances, but with Ha-young and Abbess Geumhwa constantly at Tang Mu-yeol's side, he couldn't find an opportunity.
Using sound transmission was too risky.
If they discovered his body was actually unharmed, his carefully built reputation would crumble instantly.
Then, the normally reticent Abbess Geumhwa spoke:
"Hmm, how vexing. Patriarch Tang."
"...!"
Had he made some mistake?
Tang Mu-yeol waited anxiously for her next words.
"Did you take me for some petty merchant expecting compensation from allies?"
"-!"
But her playful tone held no reproach.
Instead, Abbess Geumhwa broke into a radiant smile.
"Surely not?"
Belatedly realizing her meaning, Tang Mu-yeol couldn't hide his astonishment.
Abbess Geumhwa nodded in confirmation.
"Hehe, this is within my discretion. No—it's only right to provide it freely. You needn't worry about such matters, Patriarch."
"...Abbess."
Indeed. Abbess Geumhwa had decided to give Se-woon the Golden Minor Pill without demanding any payment.
Even Se-woon was stunned.
Given the exorbitant cost of ingredients, they produced fewer than two pills annually—yet she offered it freely.
This could only be called divine providence.
Truly, the Emei lived up to their generous reputation.
"Here, child. Be sure to swallow it properly."
Abbess Geumhwa carefully parted Se-woon's lips and placed the pill in his mouth.
But Se-woon didn't need to feign discomfort—the moment it entered his mouth, the Golden Minor Pill dissolved instantly.
Whooosh!
Hssss!
'Here it comes-!'
As resonant tones echoed in Se-woon's ears, the pill's energy began flowing through his meridians.
"Then let us begin."
"Abbess, we're in your debt."
Abbess Geumhwa sat Se-woon upright and placed both hands on his back.
Closing her eyes, she began channeling her Golden Peak Divine Energy to help him fully absorb the elixir's power.
Like with the Half-Step Blood Palm, Se-woon felt as if a ball of fire had entered his body.
But the difference was—this caused no pain whatsoever.
Instead, tranquility remained wherever the Golden Minor Pill's energy passed.
The pill's essence swam through his flesh, gently caressing and embracing every injury.
'So this is the Golden Minor Pill...!'
Se-woon was genuinely awed.
In his past life, he'd only consumed the Blood Cult's Demon Pills.
Those extreme substances with equally extreme side effects couldn't compare to this.
Now he understood why people ranked it alongside Shaolin's pills.
Then, the pill's energy finally reached his dantian after circulating through all meridians.
Hssss!
The Golden Minor Pill's essence passed through the single narrow meridian Se-woon had painstakingly opened.
And—
"-Kgh!"
Suddenly, Abbess Geumhwa gasped and groaned while channeling energy.
'W-what?'
She couldn't hide her bewilderment.
The anomaly began the moment the pill's energy entered his dantian.
Craaack!
Kwaaa!
The unknown energy already coiled within Se-woon's dantian began raging wildly.
Though she struggled to maintain composure, it proved impossible.
'Even my Golden Peak Divine Energy is being drained!'
Because Se-woon's Divine Poison Energy was voraciously devouring both the pill's essence and her Golden Peak energy.
For a moment she mistook it for demonic energy, but detected no evil aura.
Rather, it felt paradoxically pure—like pure ferocity given form.
'...This is his congenital condition!'
She belatedly recognized the unknown energy's nature.
Its savagery left her speechless.
It was like harboring a monster within one's body.
That Se-woon had cultivated martial arts to this level despite such a condition made him all the more admirable.
Crunch!
Grrind!
Abbess Geumhwa strained to pour more energy into Se-woon's dantian, but—
'No... no more.'
When the rampaging Divine Poison Energy began assailing her as well, she finally withdrew, unable to endure further.
Drenched in sweat, she removed her hands from Se-woon's body.
"Hoo, hoo."
"Wh-what happened?"
"...I've done all I can. The rest is up to the child."
"Ahh......"
Then only heaven's will remained.
As worry clouded Tang Mu-yeol's face during this helpless wait—
'Good, now begins the real work-!'
Se-woon was actually mustering his full strength.
While Abbess Geumhwa observed his internals, he couldn't freely manipulate his energy.
But now that she'd withdrawn, he could circulate it as he pleased.
Hssss!
Craack!
Se-woon began rebirthing both the pill's energy and Golden Peak energy into Divine Poison Energy within his dantian.
Absorbing Angsinru's roots had yielded one year's worth of energy.
Disappointing, considering the effort.
But unavoidable—Angsinru itself contained little energy despite its extreme toxicity.
'But the Golden Minor Pill is different...!'
As a true elixir by nature, its energy was incomparable.
Nearly all its components were pure energy.
And finally—
Whoooosh!
A full five years' worth of Divine Poison Energy—five times Angsinru's yield—entered Se-woon's embrace.
For the first time in his life, Se-woon felt the unfamiliar sensation of his lower dantian brimming with energy.
Truthfully, his absorption rate was quite low compared to others who took the Golden Minor Pill.
Ordinary martial artists would absorb at least ten to fifteen years' worth of energy.
But Se-woon didn't care.
He knew these five years of energy reborn as Divine Poison Energy were worth at least sixty years conventionally.
'Whew, got it all.'
Having achieved all objectives, Se-woon cheered internally.
Now came the performance.
"Uuugh."
"-!"
Se-woon groaned and twitched.
Instantly, all eyes turned to the bed.
Se-woon slowly opened his eyes, pretending to regain consciousness.
"...Fa...ther?"
"Se-woon!"
"Young master!"
And once again—
Everyone fell for Se-woon's act.
Shortly after, Se-woon recounted his encounter with Dokma to Abbess Geumhwa and Tang Mu-yeol.
"After parting with Taoist Yeo..."
Entering the cave, he found Dokma suffering side effects from practicing poison techniques.
The fiend never noticed his approach.
He attacked intending to kill, but ultimately failed.
Though lucky to sever one arm, Dokma escaped using a hidden concealment formation.
Left alone within the formation, he fortunately escaped thanks to its incomplete activation.
As Se-woon continued, gasps and sighs erupted from his audience.
But Se-woon carefully altered details, wary of Ha-young's spiritual perception.
He omitted what weapon (Shadowless Dagger) he used to ambush Dokma,
concealed how (Half-Step Phantom Strike) he severed the arm,
and didn't mention why fortune (Angsinru) smiled upon him.
"...Ultimately, I failed to eliminate Dokma. I can only apologize."
Se-woon hung his head in feigned remorse.
Abbess Geumhwa waved dismissively.
"Apologize? You inflicted a crippling injury by taking his arm."
"No. Had my skills been slightly greater, I could have ended him..."
"Rescuing hostages from his clutches alone makes your contribution severalfold. The Alliance will surely reward you handsomely."
"...I'm unworthy."
"Tsk, none of that."
As Se-woon pretended humility, Abbess Geumhwa spoke warmly.
Her gaze held boundless trust and pride—
Like a mother bird admiring her fledgling.
Shifting the somber mood, Abbess Geumhwa changed topics:
"Hmm, now that's settled. Let's discuss something else."
"Huh?"
Se-woon blinked in confusion.
"Ha-young. Lend me this briefly."
"Huh?"
Abbess Geumhwa plucked a hairpin from Ha-young's hair.
Swish!
Ha-young's raven locks cascaded like flowing ink.
The beauty hailed as Sichuan's finest—no, Jiangnan's finest—shone brilliantly.
'Ah.'
Se-woon caught himself staring and quickly regained composure.
Hsss.
Abbess Geumhwa calmly held the pin like a sword.
Then—
As she began tracing patterns in the air with energy-charged pin,
the breeze playing with Ha-young's hair instantly transformed.
Swisssh!
A familiar sword art.
Se-woon immediately recognized the technique.
'Scattered Petals Wind Sword!'
The same technique Ha-young and Cheong Yeon used against Tang Ho-yeol.
But as Abbess Geumhwa's movements continued, doubts arose.
'Completely different!'
Her execution differed entirely from her disciples'.
Most Jianghu members knew Emei's Scattered Petals Wind Sword emphasized speed and agility.
But Abbess Geumhwa's pin-sword revealed its true essence:
'A sword that shields others from life's turbulent winds (披风).'
Hssss!
The pin-sword deflected every raging gust.
And each deflected wind extinguished its oncoming counterpart.
This wasn't mere swift swordsmanship—
But standing defiant against storms for others' sake,
then subduing those very winds into one's own power.
'To subdue an opponent's force and reflect it back—unimaginable swordplay!'
The technique's core principle was 'counter-reflection.'
Discovering this martial principle—unknown even in his past life—filled Se-woon's chest with exhilaration.
Applying this 'counter' concept to his own techniques could yield countless variations.
After some time—
"Hoo."
"Master. Are you alright?"
"...Yes, fine."
Abbess Geumhwa finally lowered the pin.
Her pale complexion suggested she'd overexerted herself.
Thud!
Se-woon immediately bowed with fist-palm salute.
"Witnessing this sword alone will prove invaluable. My deepest gratitude, Abbess!"
"Hehe, good. May it serve you well someday."
Abbess Geumhwa smiled warmly at Se-woon.
"...Might I ask why you showed this precious technique to a non-Emei disciple?"
"Indeed—that's precisely why I demonstrated it."
"Huh?"
As Se-woon blinked in confusion,
Abbess Geumhwa continued:
"Would you accompany me to meet my master?"
"...Divine Doctor Boyeon?"
She clearly meant the former Emei leader who was with Sword Emperor Yoo Jin-hak.
But why take him to Boyeon?
Had she seen through his deception?
"For what purpose would Divine Doctor wish to—"
When Se-woon cautiously inquired,
"If you're willing, I intend to beg her to accept you as her disciple."
"-!"
Abbess Geumhwa dropped this bombshell with a gentle smile.