Chapter 47
Chapter 47
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 47
Chapter Title: Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Spirit Grass (3)
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"Should I bring more?"
Cheol Woo asked, shaking an empty liquor bottle.
"No. That's enough."
After Hwang Jeong left, Sima Geon had been downing strong liquor nonstop, using heavy sighs as his side dish until dawn broke. Now he set down his cup.
Despite drinking all night, he wasn't drunk in the slightest. If anything, his mind had grown sharper.
"What are you gonna do, boss?"
Cheol Woo tossed aside the last bottle and asked.
His face was a bit flushed, but like Sima Geon, he didn't look intoxicated at all.
"About what?"
"Don't play dumb. You've gotta cure the little one's condition, right?"
"I'm planning to wait for now. The old man said he'd mobilize the Ha Hu Clan's power to find some herb that can treat it."
After confirming that Sima Jin's Heavenly Yin Divine Meridian had relapsed due to the Ha Hu Clan's mistake of confusing the Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Spirit Grass for Thousand-Year Flower Spirit Grass, Ha Hu Gok had formally apologized to Sima Geon and his brothers. He'd also promised to use every resource of the Ha Hu Clan to find a herb surpassing the Thousand-Year Flower Spirit Grass.
"But the physician was really worried. He said sealing the dam again now that it's burst once would require even greater power than before. Even the Thousand-Year Flower Spirit Grass might not cut it—hell, maybe not even Celestial Pure Jade Milk."
"Still, all we can do is wait. The physician said he'd reach out to the Living Immortal Medical House too."
Sima Geon reached for another drink out of habit but set the cup down weakly.
Cheol Woo rose silently from his seat and fetched another bottle as he asked,
"And if none of that works? What then?"
Sima Geon gave no answer, just stared holes into the cup in his hand.
"I'm talking about if neither the Ha Hu Clan nor the Living Immortal Medical House can find a way, boss."
Sima Geon lifted his cup slowly to his lips and said,
"Then we go. To the Shaolin Temple."
Sima Jin, who had been unconscious for three days due to the relapse of her Heavenly Yin Divine Meridian condition, was in better shape than expected.
Her complexion was a bit pale, but otherwise no different from usual.
If anything, as she began seriously learning medicine under Hwang Jeong—who was teaching her—she displayed such sharp wits that she left his jaw on the floor every single day.
In the meantime, the Ha Hu Clan, under Ha Hu Gok's strict orders, started sending all sorts of herbs.
True to their fame in the martial world, the herbs they delivered to the Clear Heart Clinic included rare and priceless ones that were hard to even obtain.
Especially when two roots of Thousand-Year Flower Spirit Grass arrived—it felt like they could treat her condition right then and there.
But as Hwang Jeong had feared, the revived Heavenly Yin Divine Meridian empowered by the Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Spirit Grass was different from before.
Even the extreme yang energy of the Thousand-Year Flower Spirit Grass couldn't treat it, let alone halt its worsening.
About a month later, Sima Jin's health began visibly deteriorating.
That's when an exceptional physician called the Heavenly Hand Divine Healer arrived from the Living Immortal Medical House.
The Heavenly Hand Divine Healer was Senior Uncle to Hwang Yeong, who had treated Sima Jin before, and even among the divided factions of the Living Immortal Medical House, he was a master who had forged his own path with acupuncture alone.
His Piercing Heaven Soul Revival technique was a cut above Hwang Yeong's.
Despite Hwang Jeong's insistent requests and Hwang Yeong's earnest pleas, the fact that such a master—bringing the treasure Golden Spirit Flower said to surpass Thousand-Year Flower Spirit Grass—had come to the Clear Heart Clinic proved how highly the Living Immortal Medical House valued Sima Jin's talent in medicine.
No one expected failure when the Heavenly Hand Divine Healer administered both the fresh Thousand-Year Flower Spirit Grass from the Ha Hu Clan and the Golden Spirit Flower, then unleashed his Piercing Heaven Soul Revival with dazzling skill.
They believed that even if a full cure wasn't possible, she could at least return to her previous state.
But when the sweat-drenched Heavenly Hand Divine Healer emerged from the sickroom with an utterly dejected face, hope turned to despair.
It wasn't a total failure—he'd succeeded in slowing the condition's progression as much as possible—but Sima Geon couldn't accept it.
That night, Sima Geon and Cheol Woo sat facing each other again.
After downing liquor in silence for a long while, Sima Geon gazed at the unusually bright moon and said offhandedly,
"We have to go."
Cheol Woo, who had been chugging roughly, froze quietly.
No one else might get it, but Cheol Woo understood the meaning instantly.
"When?"
"As soon as possible. He's slowed the progression, but no one knows when it'll worsen again."
"Good call, boss. Heh heh heh! I was gonna drag you there by force if you tried taking it easy like last time."
Cheol Woo burst into a bright grin, grabbed his bottle, and gulped it down.
"Ahh! Hits the spot."
He wiped the liquor dripping from his mouth with his sleeve and asked,
"But if we both go, what about the butcher shop? Can't just hand it to anyone. The meat quality'd drop right away."
Sima Geon said nothing, just stared at Cheol Woo. Grasping the unspoken intent, Cheol Woo chuckled and shook his head.
"Like I said before, no way I'm letting you go alone, boss. This ain't just anywhere—it's Shaolin. Never fought 'em myself, but their rep's drilled into my ears. Plus, the Great Reversion Pill's their treasure. No way they'd hand it over easy. Absolutely not."
Sima Geon let out a sigh and nodded at Cheol Woo's firm stance.
"Who'd try to stop you? Fine."
"Smart thinking. So now we gotta figure out what to do while we're both gone. Just close up shop?"
"Can't do that."
"Got no other choice."
"Nah. It's tough, but I think there's a way."
"Who? Don't tell me Ho? Hell no. He quit halfway through training. We'd lose every customer."
Cheol Woo shook his head like it was absurd.
"Of course not. There's only one person we can trust with it."
"Who?"
Cheol Woo tilted his head curiously.
"Someone you know well too."
Sima Geon lifted his cup slowly and murmured,
"The problem's convincing him."
"What did you just say?"
Ha Hu Gok asked, his face a picture of disbelief.
"I asked you to take charge of the butcher shop."
"......"
His words were closer to a command than a request, leaving Ha Hu Gok speechless with his mouth agape.
Ha Hu Yeon, listening beside him, and even Cheol Woo stared at Sima Geon like he'd lost his mind.
"I need to be away for a bit because of the little one's issue. Was gonna leave it to Cheol Woo, but..."
"Out of the question."
Cheol Woo cut in quickly.
"As you can see, looks like he has to come with me. So we're asking you, sir, to handle the butcher shop. Specifically, the slaughtering. Second Bro'll run the ops."
"I'll do it instead."
Ha Hu Yeon stepped forward, unable to stand it.
"The punk's all talk and no skill. Where do you get off trying to sub for the boss? You'd tank the business."
Cheol Woo snapped at him without hesitation.
Ha Hu Yeon's face soured at "punk," but he couldn't strongly retort. It was unthinkable for someone as prideful as him, but it made perfect sense.
Under Ha Hu Gok's coercion, Ha Hu Yeon had been helping at the farm and secretly sparred with Cheol Woo now and then to avoid prying eyes.
Nominally spars, but they were one-sided beatdowns.
Ha Hu Yeon, confident he wouldn't lose to anyone his age short of a genius like Namgung Hak, was overwhelmed by Cheol Woo—who wasn't much older—without landing a single blow, realizing just how deficient his skills were.
And then the earth-shaking spar with Sima Geon, arranged at Ha Hu Gok's persistent request.
Learning that the Black Wolf, winner of the Ha Hu Clan's tournament, was Sima Geon had given him some inkling of his power. But he never imagined his great-grandfather—revered as the Sword Ghost—would be defeated.
It wasn't even close. It looked fierce on the surface, but Ha Hu Yeon instinctively knew Sima Geon hadn't gone all out.
Truly, a heaven beyond heaven.
Watching Cheol Woo and Sima Geon, Ha Hu Yeon painfully realized what a frog in a well he was and how lacking his skills truly were. It also dawned on him why his great-grandfather had dragged him all the way to Soheung.
"You think this old man should do it?"
"You have to. Didn't you cause this whole situation that forces me to leave?"
Ha Hu Gok's face twisted menacingly.
He hadn't intended it, but the result was undeniable—no room for argument.
"I've never done anything like it."
"I'll teach you. For someone like you, sir, a day or two should suffice."
"Why not just close up? I'll compensate you for every coin you lose while gone. Generously."
Sima Geon didn't blink.
"It's not about the money. It'd break the trust with our regular customers."
"You insolent brat!"
Just as Ha Hu Gok was about to explode,
"In exchange, I'll do whatever you want, sir."
Ha Hu Gok flinched mid-roar, waiting for what came next.
"Whatever you desire, I'll grant it."
"Really?"
Ha Hu Gok's eyes sparkled.
"I promise."
"Hm."
Ha Hu Gok, who had seemed ready to charge, now pondered gravely.
There had only ever been one thing Ha Hu Gok wanted from Sima Geon.
Even at eighty, his thirst for improvement burned bright.
The brief enlightenment he'd gained before only made him hungrier, and the only one who could satisfy it was Sima Geon, with his bottomless strength.
Weighing face against gain, Ha Hu Gok finally spread all five fingers wide, as if resolved.
"What does that mean?"
"Once every five days."
"Make it ten."
"Then seven..."
"Ten."
Reading Sima Geon's face, Ha Hu Gok realized there was no more room for compromise and nodded.
"Fine. Ten days. Don't break your word."
"As long as you properly mind the shop, sir, there won't be any issue."
"Got it. But how long will you be gone?"
"Not sure exactly. At least a couple months, I figure."
"A couple months... that's far away. You said you're going for medicine to treat Jin'er, but may I ask what exactly?"
"......"
"Can you obtain it?"
"I'll get it, no matter what it takes."
The resolve in his calm tone silenced Ha Hu Gok's further questions.
"When do you plan to leave?"
"As soon as you're comfortable with the slaughtering, sir."
Before the answer even finished, Ha Hu Gok shot to his feet.
"Then we'd better hurry. Let's go."
As Sima Geon followed Ha Hu Gok, Cheol Woo—left behind—chuckled dryly and said,
"Kid, what the hell did I just witness?"
"Beats me. Hard to put into words. No one in the world would believe it."
Ha Hu Yeon, unable to process the scene, replied blankly.
Cheol Woo slung an arm over Ha Hu Yeon's shoulder and said,
"Everyone's gone nuts. The boss teaching the old man slaughtering, and the old man actually learning it."