Chapter 18
Chapter 18
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: Half Success (2)
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“That’s...”
Pressed by Sima Geon’s intimidating presence, Hwang Yeong faltered, unable to continue. Hwang Jeong stepped in for her.
“To be honest, the inner core of the Snow Mountain Flower Fox is even harder to obtain than Celestial Pure Jade Milk. If my memory serves me right, in our clan’s history, there’s only been one instance of using it for treatment.”
Hwang Jeong glanced at Hwang Yeong to confirm if his recollection was accurate.
As she nodded, Cheol Woo, who had been frowning deeply in thought, spoke up.
“What about the Bone Changing Great Method?”
“Pardon?”
“I’ve heard of an expert with dual yin-yang energies using the Bone Changing Great Method to treat a patient with a similar condition.”
Cheol Woo said, shooting a quick glance at Sima Geon.
Hwang Yeong dashed the hopeful look on Sima Geon’s face with a firm expression.
“It’s impossible.”
She continued in a tone more resolute than ever before.
“I don’t know what similar condition you’re referring to, but the Nine Yin Severed Meridians or Heavenly Yin Divine Meridian are heavenly punishments bestowed by the heavens themselves. No ordinary Bone Changing Great Method can cure them. You’d need an extreme yang energy to counter the entrenched yin qi within the body, the ability to perfectly control the clash of those two forces, and even Heavenly Eyes to pierce through not just the Eight Extraordinary Meridians but every single acupoint in the human body. Do you really think such a person exists?”
“So, does the physician possess such abilities that she attempted the treatment?”
Cheol Woo asked in a mocking tone, clearly irritated by the constant negativity.
Even Hwang Jeong, who had painstakingly brought Hwang Yeong here, could no longer hold back and raised his voice.
“The power to counter the yin qi was provided by Celestial Pure Jade Milk, and the clash of energies was controlled with the Golden Needle Technique. Our clan’s secret art, Piercing Heaven Soul Revival, can save someone as long as less than half an incense stick’s time has passed since their last breath. However, it’s a Golden Needle Technique that doesn’t just drain mental strength but requires pouring every ounce of one’s internal energy into the needles, carrying immense risk. Even so, controlling the yin qi entrenched in the patient’s body was no easy feat. Despite the additional internal energy from me and Guardian Gok, it was incredibly taxing to rein in the rampaging energies. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
As Hwang Jeong’s voice grew increasingly agitated, Hwang Yeong grabbed his sleeve and shook her head. Her face carried a faint bitterness. Seeing this, Hwang Jeong sighed and suppressed his rising anger with effort.
Cheol Woo, who had stoked their ire, was already flattened under Sima Geon’s glare.
An awkward silence settled over the room once more. No one knew what to say next. Then, Sima Ho, who had been rolling his eyes without daring to interject, cautiously spoke up.
“Anyway, it sounds like the treatment was more or less successful, right?”
“Y-yes, that’s correct.”
Hwang Jeong nodded hesitantly.
“Then, even if it’s not some legendary elixir like that Snow Mountain Flower Fox thing, wouldn’t feeding her a strong yang tonic do the trick?”
Thinking it a brilliant question, Sima Ho looked around with flushed cheeks.
Hwang Yeong gave a faint smile and shook her head.
“It’s yin qi that couldn’t be eradicated even with Celestial Pure Jade Milk and our clan’s Golden Needle Technique. Nothing short of an extreme yang treasure like the Snow Mountain Flower Fox’s inner core will work. Creating a medicine with that level of potency is impossible...”
“There is such a medicine.”
Sima Ho cut her off with a confident expression.
“What are you talking about?”
Sima Geon asked in surprise.
“Our eldest brother once got some medicine from a Beggar Clan elder. He chased him day and night for ten straight days, begging relentlessly. It’s called the Yellow Dog Pill, a secret Beggar Clan remedy...”
Sima Ho glanced at Hwang Yeong before continuing.
“They collect the... uh, essence of yellow dogs at the right... time, mix it with all sorts of herbs, and stew it for three days. I heard from my brother who obtained it that the elder swore there’s no better medicine for boosting yang energy. He even claimed it surpasses the Shaolin Great Reversion Pill... Ow!”
Sima Ho, chattering excitedly, let out a sharp yelp and was dragged away.
“Hey, what’s that for?”
Sima Ho swatted at Cheol Woo’s arm twisting his ear and shouted.
“You damn monk! Spouting tales of getting scammed!”
“It’s real! After eating the Yellow Dog Pill, big brother was...”
“Shut it before I turn you into dog chow.”
Cheol Woo turned away, his face beet red.
Thick-skinned as he was—second to none in the world—Cheol Woo couldn’t even lift his head at Sima Ho’s words from sheer embarrassment.
“My apologies. He’s all brawn and no brains; my little brother hasn’t grown up yet.”
Sima Geon bowed blankly to Hwang Yeong and Hwang Jeong.
“It’s fine. Yellow Dog Pill—what an interesting name.”
Hwang Yeong covered her mouth as she laughed, then suddenly stopped.
“Ah! That’s it. An extreme yang elixir that surpasses even the Snow Mountain Flower Fox.”
“Pardon? What do you...”
Sima Geon snapped his head up.
“But it’s even harder to obtain than the Snow Mountain Flower Fox.”
“What is it?”
Sima Geon unconsciously grabbed Hwang Yeong’s arms and asked.
Gazing into Sima Geon’s eyes sparkling with desperation, Hwang Yeong murmured.
“The Shaolin Great Reversion Pill.”
In the sweltering afternoon sun, Sima Geon took a brief break from work and quietly watched Sima Jin bustling around the butcher shop, diligently cleaning.
Her movements as she went back and forth between the shop and slaughterhouse, handling all sorts of chores, were far more lively than before.
There was no trace of her former self, who would gasp for breath after the slightest exertion.
Hwang Yeong’s words that it wasn’t fully cured seemed unfounded; she had regained her health completely.
‘Well, she did say there’d be no issues with daily life. As long as it doesn’t relapse.’
Sima Geon recalled Hwang Yeong’s words, and a sigh escaped his lips unbidden.
“The ground’s gonna cave in with all that sighing, boss.”
Cheol Woo, having finished hanging the freshly slaughtered pig on a post to drain the blood, plopped down beside Sima Geon.
Sima Geon pointed at Sima Jin, who was humming a tune while taking the liquor bottle Cheol Woo offered.
“Because of the little one?”
“Little one again? Didn’t we agree last night not to call her that anymore?”
At Sima Geon’s words, Cheol Woo made an oh crap face and craned his neck to check if Sima Jin had overheard.
“Whew! No idea why such a tiny thing’s so feisty. She seemed so meek at first.”
Having suffered all night for slipping up with “little one,” Cheol Woo snatched the bottle from Sima Geon’s hand and shuddered.
“That’s why I said don’t call her little one. She’s not the same maknae from a few days ago.”
Though the treatment hadn’t fully eradicated the condition, the process of addressing the Heavenly Yin Divine Meridian had transformed Sima Jin on a profound level, akin to shedding her mortal shell.
Her frame hadn’t grown larger overnight, but the gauntness from her illness was gone, and her stunning beauty—once veiled by sickness—had fully blossomed.
Rumors spread in mere days that the Goddess of Poetry had reincarnated, reaching not just Soheung but neighboring regions.
It wasn’t just her looks that stood out.
Even if not fully uprooted, leaving a risk of relapse, with the condition partially treated, Sima Jin’s innate genius—the flip side of bearing such a heavenly curse as the Heavenly Yin Divine Meridian—was gradually emerging.
Calling her “little one” nonstop as she changed by the day had naturally invited her wrath.
“Heh heh! Hard not to slip when it rolls off the tongue so easy.”
Cheol Woo snickered while eyeing Sima Jin warily, then drained the last drop from the bottle. Smacking his lips in regret, he asked casually.
“Gonna go snatch one?”
“Snatch what?”
“What else? Shaolin Temple.”
“...”
As Sima Geon didn’t respond, Cheol Woo smirked as if to say yeah right and pressed.
“Not going?”
“I’ll think it over and take my time.”
Cheol Woo chuckled at the reply.
“You’ll head out soon enough.”
“No.”
“For real?”
Knowing Sima Geon’s personality, Cheol Woo asked again.
“Yeah. Miss Hwang’s confident there won’t be major issues for a while, so no rush. I haven’t been home long anyway. I want to spend time with my siblings and enjoy some everyday peace. Plus, it’s a long trip—gotta prepare properly. Need to stabilize the butcher shop too.”
“Ah, the shop. Right. If we both go to Shaolin, no one to run it.”
Cheol Woo nodded in understanding, but Sima Geon looked surprised this time.
“You planning to go too?”
Cheol Woo’s eyes widened round.
“What kinda question is that? You weren’t gonna leave me behind, were you?”
Sima Geon couldn’t answer, and Cheol Woo shook his head vigorously.
“Whoa! Unbelievable. Feels like total betrayal.”
“No, it’s not that. We need to keep the shop running and someone to watch the kids...”
“Forget it.”
Sima Geon tried to explain, but it didn’t soothe Cheol Woo.
No matter how much he coaxed and persuaded, Cheol Woo’s sulky expression lingered. Finally, Sima Geon raised his hands in surrender.
“Fine. We’ll go together. Happy now?”
“Obviously. I was really hurt, boss.”
Cheol Woo grinned as if he’d never been mad.
“Anyway, to keep the shop running after we leave, we gotta train them proper.”
“Train who?”
“Hyeon and Ho. Those two. Ho’s already halfway in, and weren’t you gonna pull Hyeon from the teahouse too?”
“Yeah. That’s the plan.”
“Heh heh! Hammer it into ’em for half a year, and they’ll be decent enough.”
Sima Geon shot a mocking look at the swaggering Cheol Woo.
“Anyone’d think you’ve been a butcher your whole life. You barely learned a few days yourself.”
“Heh! Comparing me to those kids is unfair. I was ready without even learning—Old Man said so himself.”
Cheol Woo shadowboxed dramatically in the air.
“Anyway, Shaolin trip waits till those two can handle the shop solo.”
“Agreed.”
“Hyeon’s diligent, no issue there. But Ho... Speak of the devil!”
Spotting Sima Ho running from afar, Cheol Woo made a fuss.
“Sun’s still up— what’s he doing back now?”
Sima Jin, pausing her cleaning, leaned the broom against the shop wall and walked over.
“Tsk tsk, good job. What an embarrassment to the neighborhood!”
Sima Jin scowled as Sima Ho tripped over a rock and faceplanted.
“Hmm, always sayin’ it, but training him proper’s gonna be a chore.”
Cheol Woo rubbed his forehead, already playing teacher.
Sima Jin and Cheol Woo tsked at Sima Ho’s recklessness, but Sima Geon’s face hardened as he watched him scramble up, not even bothering to retie his fallen shoe.
“B-big brother!”
Sima Ho, shoeless and pale as a ghost, called out to Sima Geon.
Only then did Sima Jin and Cheol Woo exchange worried glances, sensing something off.
“Calm down. What happened?”
Sima Geon, already at his side, gripped his shoulders firmly.
“L-little brother...”
Sima Ho trembled violently, unable to continue.
That was enough.
Sima Geon’s expression turned rigid as his hands fell limply.