101
101
Late morning.
"...Hah?!"
Dokgo Yeon hurriedly sat up. Beyond the papered window the world was already bright, and sunlight drifted lightly over the lake.
"I overslept...."
Dokgo Yeon, who had always led a rigorously regular life, woke to a morning that was not dawn for the first time in living memory. The raw, aching dawn that always roused her with coughing blood was gone; warm sunlight stirred her hazy mind.
"Last night...."
Aaaaaaang!!
Schlick—schlick—schlick—schlick—schlick—schlick—schlick—schlick—schlick.
Splurt— sploosh— splat.
Drip.
"......."
Realizing what had happened through the night, she checked her own condition. In that final moment she had been drenched in the cloudy white fluid Physician Mubung had sprayed, and without even thinking of wiping it off she had sunk into anguish—
"Huh...?"
She had definitely lost consciousness in a soiled state, yet her whole body was spotlessly orderly.
Had she washed her face and gone to bed during the night? Her clothes were too neatly arranged for that to be the case.
'Did I clean myself up right before falling asleep?'
Suspecting she might have tidied herself just before dozing off, Dokgo Yeon swallowed dryly and rose to her feet. The faint scent of flesh prickling her nose was certainly no illusion.
A man's traces had soaked into her clothes. The hair at her forehead was stiff, as if oil had smeared on and dried.
She almost convinced herself she had had an indecent dream, but the sticky clump of fluid still clinging to one corner of her garment told her otherwise.
"Ugh...."
She tried telling herself it was a misunderstanding to protect her mind, but reality was not so merciful.
"Good heavens."
Physician Mubung had simultaneously taken the Wudang Sect's Taiji Flower and the Demonic Cult's Little Princess!
If the world found out, it would surely be thrown into chaos. Dokgo Yeon had no idea what to do with the martial world secret she had come to know.
She had temporarily forgotten that the cure for the Eighteen Yin Torment Severed Meridian—her illness—was dual cultivation. The shocking pageant of bare flesh had left her utterly unable to compose herself.
And yet the three of them had mingled their naked bodies as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
There had been the shame of a woman acting coy toward a man, but not the slightest embarrassment before Dokgo Yeon, who was a virtual stranger.
"Is the outside world... like that as a matter of course?"
Even if she asked Confucius or Mencius, no answer would come. The words of the ancient sages she knew and modern Murim's notion of chastity were as far apart as the upper and lower reaches of the Yangtze River.
'Maybe what those two are doing is actually the norm?'
Once again Dokgo Yeon sank into thought. Her chronic weakness was that once she fell into wondering, she could barely pull herself out, though ordinarily the agony of coughing blood conveniently cut her musings short.
Grumble.
But this time was different. When her stomach rumbled, Dokgo Yeon felt hunger, not pain.
"...I'm hungry."
Realizing her own face must have flushed bright red, Dokgo Yeon patted her cheeks with her hands—then flinched in shock. She scrubbed away all the man's traces still clinging to her body.
"Water, water...!"
A wooden pail of distilled water had been left in the room in case of any contingency. Dokgo Yeon soaked a silk cloth and hurriedly tidied herself, then, looking passably proper, grasped the door handle and stepped out of the room.
"The g-guests must be served a meal...!"
No matter what had happened the night before, every household task in the Dokgo Clan was Dokgo Yeon's. Receiving guests had always fallen to her.
Therefore, whatever guest arrived, Dokgo Yeon had to prepare the food and serve it. Provisions from outside would invariably go completely cold while crossing the bridge, which stretched well over several dozen jang.
'I'm surely misunderstanding dual cultivation.'
That had to be the case. Otherwise, they could never have displayed their nakedness so brazenly. The three of them had shared intimacy while casually talking about 'medicine' and 'examination' as if it were perfectly natural.
"...Could the outside world's medicine have changed without my knowing?"
She halted. The one person she could consult—Dokgo Ja-yeong—was not here.
'This is the first time my father hasn't come inside on a day when guests arrived.'
Ordinarily, if guests were present Dokgo Ja-yeong would either stay the night in the house or keep close to Dokgo Yeon, but right now he was too preoccupied guarding the estate entrance rather than the inner estate.
House servants he had trusted, exploiting that trust, had given her poisoned fruit, and for nearly ten years she had endured agonizing days of suffering. Visits to the clan were so strictly limited that Dokgo Yeon had to shoulder every domestic chore herself.
And yet the sole reason Dokgo Ja-yeong permitted the Taiji Flower, the Demonic Cult's Little Princess, and Physician Mubung inside was this:
'He only sent people he absolutely trusted inside.'
Dokgo Ja-yeong had trusted his own eye. He was certain those three would never harm Dokgo Yeon. Even should something happen, Dokgo Yeon possessed the martial prowess to subdue two—no, all three—with ease.
The Beggar Sect Leader, the Strategist, and numerous other people Dokgo Ja-yeong had seen with his own eyes and deemed trustworthy had visited the Dokgo Clan. All of them cared for Dokgo Yeon; none of them were the sort to do her harm.
In other words, Dokgo Ja-yeong sent only those he could trust inside.
Two young women of similar age with somewhat lower martial realms, plus a physician who could treat her illness—they were individuals with sufficiently reliable backgrounds.
But who on earth would have imagined the three of them would stage such a raucous orgy?
'Did Father know and send them anyway?'
Perhaps he did.
It must be that he ushered Physician Mubung inside so the Taiji Flower and the Little Princess could freely share affection with the man they both admired. And if that were true, then what had been said about curing her through dual cultivation—
Pop.
"Owww...."
The more her thoughts chased their own tails, the more tangled Dokgo Yeon's head became. To clear her dizzy mind, she hurried toward the kitchen.
Whatever the truth, the fact remained that as mistress of the house she had to serve them a meal.
Dual cultivation is a medical treatment.
If that was the truth, then Dokgo Yeon would understand the situation and accept it, however reluctantly. But if these three had concealed the truth from Dokgo Ja-yeong and were mocking both Dokgo Yeon and the Dokgo Clan—
Sizzle.
At the sound of something simmering, Dokgo Yeon stopped walking. Someone was already in the kitchen; she collected herself and called out the name of the one likelier to be there.
"Um, Taiji Flower...?"
"Hmm? You're up?"
"Eep?!"
At the voice that answered from within the kitchen, every hair on Dokgo Yeon's body stood on end. The physician, changed into everyday clothes, had taken over the kitchen and was tasting the broth.
"Perfect timing. Those two just got up and went to wash. Would you come taste this and tell me what you think?"
"T-taste it...?"
"I know it's a little late, but we still need breakfast."
Mubung dipped a spoon into the clear soup in the ladle and offered it. Dokgo Yeon accepted the spoon, hesitated for a long moment, then carefully tipped the broth into her mouth before the liquid pooling beneath it could spill.
"Wow...."
It was delicious. At the same time, a thrilling shiver ran down her back. She nearly dropped the spoon without realizing it.
"Hm? What's the matter?"
"Oh, it's nothing at all."
She had tasted it as if mesmerized, but no matter how thoroughly food was vetted before entering the estate, forgetting that Mubung might tamper with it was a serious lapse.
'Why am I acting like this?'
Why had her vigilance toward her surroundings dropped? Dokgo Yeon needed to prepare for any possible event. What if those three had poisoned the food? What if....
"Young Lady Yeon, please set the table. Once I transfer everything into the bowls, it's all done."
"Ah, yes. Yes."
Dokgo Yeon caught herself wondering: why was she following the physician's instructions so naturally—carrying the table, wiping it, scooping rice into bowls, moving dishes?
Once she had followed his directions, a proper four-person table had been perfectly laid out, with light, unburdensome morning dishes arranged neatly and prettily.
"Did you... prepare all this yourself, Physician?"
"When you live alone, your miscellaneous skills tend to pile up. It's nothing special."
The man whose skills far surpassed her own spoke with modest self-deprecation.
"Young Lady Yeon. Anyway, have you given it any thought?"
"Wha—what are you referring to?!"
Dokgo Yeon's voice rose uncontrollably. She suffered from thinking too much, and all sorts of possibilities of what Mubung might say swirled in her head. The first thing that came to mind was—
"Dual cultivation. With me."
"Eep!"
"If it should happen to be your first time, I apologize. But I can ensure it won't be painful."
"......."
Dokgo Yeon fell silent. It was already mind-boggling that he was talking about sexual acts to a virgin, but he said he could make it not painful?
'Am I truly mistaken about all this?'
He was so utterly unabashed that where could she possibly begin asking questions? Dokgo Yeon silently bowed her head. Whatever her inner turmoil, she was hungry, and the food looked delicious.
"Let's eat together once the others arrive. Well... even if we don't do dual cultivation, you won't feel pain for a while as long as I'm here. The treatment has already begun, after all."
"Sorry? What do you mean...?"
Mubung pointed to his own solar plexus.
"You're not coughing up blood right now, are you."
"......!!"
Goosebumps erupted all over Dokgo Yeon's body.
* * *
"Thank you, Physician!!"
Dokgo Ja-yeong clasped both my hands, beaming as if he might bow from the waist. Holding hands with a middle-aged man wasn't exactly what I was after, but I told myself I was shaking hands with my prospective father-in-law and bowed my head.
"I'm relieved the medicine I had in mind worked so well."
Dokgo Yeon, sitting beside me, merely watched us for cues and said nothing, only answering the excited Dokgo Ja-yeong's questions.
"Yeon, you truly haven't coughed up any blood?"
"No."
"And you didn't suddenly collapse from anemia?"
"No."
"Not even symptoms where your breathing grows ragged as if you'll choke, your strength leaves your legs, and your body trembles?"
"None at all, Father."
"......Sniff!"
Dokgo Ja-yeong's eyes reddened and he wiped them with his sleeve. Seeing the tears of a man who could raise his head proudly even before the emperor, I felt an unwelcome tightness in my own chest.
'I need to cure Dokgo Yeon completely, and soon.'
He was already this overjoyed at a slight improvement; it was obvious how the Alliance Leader would regard me once she was fully healed.
—The living savior who cured my daughter's incurable disease! You may have my daughter! Welcome, son-in-law!
That was the future I saw unfolding. To make it a reality, I cleared my throat to draw the Alliance Leader's attention.
"Ahem. But Alliance Leader, she is not yet cured. To bring Young Lady Dokgo Yeon's twisted blood meridians under control, I believe I will need to remain at her side and monitor her for at least a fortnight."
"A—a fortnight...."
"I dare to beseech the Alliance Leader."
I rose from my seat and cupped my hands in a martial salute.
"The Divine Doctor bade me spread medical arts widely to the many. However, I cannot leave behind a patient before my very eyes without completing the cure. If the Alliance Leader will permit it, I wish to continue staying here."
"That would mean...?!"
"I originally came to tend to the injured who come through the Two Phoenixes Decisive Battle, but I intend to focus my treatment on Young Lady Dokgo Yeon."
"Sniff...!!"
The Alliance Leader's eyes brimmed with tears again. Behind him, the old hawk-nosed Beggar Sect leader, Jegal Gil—Jegal Geondam's father and the Murim Alliance's strategist—and numerous other dignitaries all either reddened around the eyes or nodded in approval.
"At last, our Yeoni sees the light... Yeon, I pray for your swift recovery!"
"Congratulations, Alliance Leader. At last we can cure the incurable disease that has taken hold of our Yeoni!"
"The White Path's future is bright! Sniff—Indeed, Physician Mubung, you are the Divine Doctor!"
Every figure of sect leader rank offered congratulations on Dokgo Yeon's recovery.
"We pray for your swift recovery, Young Lady Dokgo!"
"Ah, well...."
Dokgo Yeon looked as though she had something to say, but under the glaring eyes of the Black-and-White First Flowers now standing behind her, she hunched her shoulders.
"Daughter, has the treatment gone well? Nothing out of the ordinary happened?"
Go ahead, try telling the truth. All three of us smiled at Dokgo Yeon simultaneously.
—Just one day ago, those two women were lewdly shaking their hips while Mubung worked his fingers inside them; the Little Princess lost consciousness and wet herself, and Mubung mounted her from behind, laying the Taiji Flower beneath her and thrusting alternately into both holes before spraying his semen all over me!!
"......Physician Mubung gave me excellent spirit medicine."
Unable to bring herself to speak the truth aloud, Dokgo Yeon hedged. Dokgo Ja-yeong pulled Dokgo Yeon into his arms and patted her on the back. He held her close and wept silently.
"Alliance Leader. Let us be on our way now. It's time we drew up the brackets for the Two Phoenixes Decisive Battle."
"Ah, yes. Sniff. Yeon, I'm sorry I cannot stay with you longer."
"It's all right, Father."
Dokgo Yeon smiled at Dokgo Ja-yeong, who still held her hand. Her always-pale face had regained its color, radiant as a flower that finally bursts into bloom and unfurls its petals late.
"I didn't realize Father would be so happy to see me well."
"Yes, how could I not be happy! If I could cure you by offering a fortune of a thousand gold pieces, I would do so!"
"Alliance Leader."
I boldly made a proposal.
"Will Young Lady Dokgo Yeon participate in the Two Phoenixes Decisive Battle?"
"...No, Physician. Recently her coughing of blood had grown so severe that she intended to withdraw."
"Do not worry over that. It's merely temporary, but if her condition continues to improve by the day of the first match, she should be able to spar in full form. And the two Martial Flowers have pledged to assist her. As for Young Lady Dokgo Yeon...."
I bowed my head toward Dokgo Yeon, and then toward the entire Murim Alliance, and declared with confidence:
"Before the final match of the Two Phoenixes Decisive Battle begins, I will cure her illness completely."
On the day before the finals.
She would come into full bloom as a woman.