Chapter 18
Chapter 18
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: Yellow Dragon Divine Pill
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The next morning.
Unable to sleep from overwhelming anticipation, I wolfed down my breakfast and rushed straight to the Heavenly Wind Martial Hall.
Opening the front gate and stepping inside, the assassin big sis who had been sitting on the roof until yesterday was nowhere to be seen.
"What? Where'd she go?"
"If you're talking about Jin-myeong, he's already left. A guy who's the head of a merchant company can't stay here forever."
Answering my mutter was my master, who appeared after opening the door.
I greeted him.
"Good morning, Master. Did you sleep well last night?"
"...Tch. Heartless brat. You already know everything, and 'Master' just rolls off your tongue that easily?"
"Well, that doesn't make the martial arts I learned from you any less real, does it?"
"Quick-witted, too."
"If you're going to compliment me, might as well say I have a big heart."
Grinning as I shot back, he said nothing more and led me inside.
Following him in, Hwa-ryeon was seated, waiting for me, and in front of her were two extraordinary-looking boxes.
"...No way?"
Seriously? She's seriously giving me spirit elixirs?
I had been hoping, but I'd braced myself in case it wasn't true, so I wouldn't be disappointed...!
Hwa-ryeon saw my face twitching uncontrollably and let out a small laugh.
"Looks like your expectations were spot on."
"I feel like strapping one on my back, howling like a beast, and running a lap around the village."
"...I'd absolutely hate that."
"Got it, ma'am."
I playfully replied to her icy glare and promptly sat down across from her.
But two boxes?
No way she's giving both to me... right? That can't be.
So, is this related to the proposal she mentioned yesterday?
"As expected, these two boxes both contain spirit elixirs."
"You're not giving me both, obviously, so shall we hear about this proposal you mentioned yesterday?"
"Sharp as ever. But first, let me explain the elixirs."
Nodding, Hwa-ryeon opened the box on the right first.
As soon as she did, a refreshing fragrance seeped into my nose.
Whoa, it's cliché, but I can't describe it any other way. A truly invigorating scent wafted around.
I gaped at it, and Hwa-ryeon explained the elixir.
"This is a Small Return Pill. Made by Shaolin Temple."
"Small Return Pill...!"
This was that famous Small Return Pill?
The one made from the remnants left over from making Great Return Pills?
The word "remnants" or "scraps" doesn't sound great, but even this was an incredible elixir that granted massive inner power.
"Taking this Small Return Pill and circulating your qi would increase your inner power by at least ten years' worth."
"Ten years...!"
The inner power I had right now was equivalent to ten years.
After first forming my dantian at age twelve, I cultivated nonstop for three years to build three years' worth, then practiced my modified Three Disasters Qi Technique for five years to accumulate seven years' worth.
Adding ten more years to that ten years meant doubling my inner power.
That alone was tremendous. Really tremendous, but...
"...And this one?"
My gaze naturally shifted to the box on the left.
This one was even more ornate than the right, as if proclaiming the enormity of what lay inside.
So what could be in this one?
"This one is something even more special."
At my question, Hwa-ryeon reached for the left box.
Her slender fingers undid the lock and slowly opened it.
-Whoosh
As it opened, an intoxicating fragrance hit me, and I widened my eyes.
A dense aroma incomparable to the Small Return Pill.
And what emerged was a pill glowing with a subtle golden hue.
Even more astonishing was the auspicious qi swirling around it.
What? Were my eyes playing tricks?
Auspicious qi around a spirit elixir...? Is that even the right description?
It almost made me wonder if I'd accidentally smoked some opium.
I just blinked dazedly, and as expected, Hwa-ryeon explained the elixir.
"This is called the Yellow Dragon Divine Pill."
"Yellow Dragon Divine Pill...!"
...What the heck is that? Never heard of it.
*
The master of Heavenly Wind Martial Hall, Thunderflash Sword Yeo Dae-un, recalled yesterday's events as he watched Hwa-ryeon open the left box and show the Yellow Dragon Divine Pill to Ja-seong.
Last night.
When Hwa-ryeon returned to the hall and suddenly declared she would give the Yellow Dragon Divine Pill to Ja-seong, Dae-un was greatly shocked.
-The Yellow Dragon Divine Pill...! Do you know what that is? It was personally bestowed upon the fortress lord by His Majesty the Emperor, left for you, young miss.
-I know better than anyone.
Hwa-ryeon's calm words.
Hearing them, Dae-un realized the young mistress had already made up her mind.
-...Have you already decided?
-Yes.
Hwa-ryeon's eyes shone clearly.
A stubborn, resolute gaze that wouldn't yield an inch on matters she had decided.
Hwa-ryeon, who had grown to resemble her beautiful late mother so closely.
'But those eyes... she takes after the lord in that regard.'
Caught in a strange sentiment, Dae-un fell silent for a moment before nodding.
-...Understood. If that's the young miss's will, I shall obey.
-Thank you, Uncle.
Hwa-ryeon bowed deeply.
But Dae-un's words weren't over.
-One thing, though. If you want to boost that kid Ja-seong's inner power, don't we still have a few Small Return Pills left? The inner power gained from one would be about the same, so why the Yellow Dragon Divine Pill?
-Because Small Return Pills are better used for another purpose.
As Hwa-ryeon said, the Small Return Pills from Shaolin Temple were excellent elixirs granting ten years of inner power, but they were even more famous for another use.
-Nothing beats a Small Return Pill as an injury-healing tonic. The spiritual qi in the elixir protects and restores the meridians.
-So, you foresee a time ahead when we'll need to use Small Return Pills as injury tonics?
-...Yes.
A response laced with strong conviction.
Hearing it, Dae-un nodded in agreement.
It was a pretty persuasive argument to him.
-One last question, if I may?
-Go ahead.
-You gave 'that sword' to Ja-seong.
At Dae-un's words, Hwa-ryeon flinched visibly.
Her cheeks flushed noticeably.
-W-Well...?
-Is giving him the Yellow Dragon Divine Pill related to that, by any chance?
A question implying she might have lost her reason due to 'feelings' for Ja-seong.
Hwa-ryeon quickly composed herself and shook her head.
-No. This is a cold, rational decision. To us right now, Young Master Goon is an absolutely indispensable asset. We're giving the serpent demon this yeouiju to secure that asset for sure.
-To the serpent demon... a yeouiju...
Dae-un eventually burst into hearty laughter.
-Haha. Hearing it put that way, I am curious what'll happen when that kid takes the Yellow Dragon Divine Pill.
Yellow Dragon Divine Pill.
The "yellow dragon" in its name symbolized the emperor.
As one could guess from the divine beast's name—another form of the emperor—this elixir was made for the emperor to consume.
It was crafted by the imperial alchemists over long years of research and refining, using inner cores from all manner of spirit beasts gathered from every corner of the continent and presented to the emperor, along with elixirs like lesser ginseng.
Its effects were truly immense: even a non-martial artist who took it would be free from illness for life and impervious to a thousand poisons.
For a martial artist, on top of those effects, it granted a full jiazi's worth of inner power enhancement—the undisputed greatest elixir.
One jiazi.
An enormous amount of pure qi that would take sixty years of cultivation to amass.
The mere fact that it could be gained simply by consumption made the Yellow Dragon Divine Pill's value incalculable.
When Tyrant Heaven Fortress established itself as the martial world's greatest faction and gained some control over it, His Majesty the Emperor, pleased, bestowed this treasure upon the fortress lord in commendation.
'That kid has no idea the thing right in front of him is such an immense treasure.'
Watching Ja-seong's puzzled expression, as if wondering what it was, Dae-un gave a wry smile.
"So, what's this proposal?"
Turning to look at Ja-seong, he had already torn his eyes from the Yellow Dragon Divine Pill and was facing Hwa-ryeon.
'...An ordinary martial artist couldn't tear their eyes away so easily.'
Any martial artist—who housed nature's qi in their body and refined it into inner power—couldn't stay so calm with the Yellow Dragon Divine Pill right there.
Especially someone like Ja-seong, who craved more inner power.
That composure, if anything, proved Hwa-ryeon's judgment to give it to him was correct.
As Dae-un chuckled softly, Hwa-ryeon began her explanation.
"First off, let me say this upfront. Even if you reject my proposal, I'll still give you this Small Return Pill, Young Master. As atonement for the past and thanks for saving my life."
"And if I accept the proposal, I get the Yellow Dragon Divine Pill instead?"
Hwa-ryeon nodded.
Ja-seong grinned.
"So, care to tell me what the proposal is now? I'm dying of curiosity here."
"...During that last ambush, you said we were all idiots."
"...Oh."
At Hwa-ryeon's words, Ja-seong's face stiffened awkwardly.
Hearing it, Dae-un also recalled that moment.
-It's not just you. That 'ability' guy over there, the assassin big sis, even the master. To me, you're all idiots. You've piled up all that inner power but have no idea how to use it properly.
Such absurd, arrogant words.
At that instant, everyone thought Ja-seong had lost his mind.
But,
-You're right... I, we all were idiots... What the hell have we been doing all these long years...?
Ja-seong proved his words true with action.
By felling the supreme expert Cheonchu Sin Je-gon in a single exchange.
For the same reason Je-gon had despaired at the end, Dae-un couldn't bring himself to get angry at Ja-seong.
Because those words—that everyone was an idiot—had been proven true.
As he thought that, he felt a strange gaze.
Glancing over, Ja-seong was peeking at him, gauging his reaction.
Wondering what was up, a rather urgent excuse came tumbling from Ja-seong's mouth.
"Okay, so back then, I was kinda desperate, lost my reason? You know how people blurt out all sorts of nonsense when they snap. In simple terms, blood rushed to my head..."
"Hold on, Young Master. What are you even saying?"
Hwa-ryeon cut off Ja-seong as he started rambling incoherently.
Ja-seong shut his mouth and cautiously replied.
"So... sorry. I went too far with my words."
Her apology sounded almost timid, leaving Hwa-ryeon and Dae-un staring blankly at Ja-seong for a moment before they both chuckled.
The image of the cold supreme expert who had slain the high master Sin Je-gon in one breath vanished, replaced by the kind youngest son of Goon Family Manor, beloved by all in Goon Gang-hyeon.