Chapter 135
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 135
Chapter Title: A Father's Promise
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Abbess Jeongyeon also spoke with a smile.
“This will be a story our sect will proudly tell for years to come. Among the Nine Great Sects and One Union, we will surely be the only ones to have hosted you two as guests.”
At her words, Beom Gye-wi let out a smirk.
After all, though it was unofficial, the two of them had already visited the Shaolin Temple.
“Actually… ugh!”
As he started to speak, Beom Gye-wi clutched his side and glared at Cho Ak-ryang.
Cho Ak-ryang, having disciplined the clueless Beom Gye-wi with an elbow, spoke with a placid smile.
“I thank the Sect Leader for her kindness.”
He figured that since things had come to this, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to travel with Dan Ak-seon.
Only when Cho Ak-ryang accepted her proposal could Abbess Jeongyeon finally feel relieved.
She, too, was well aware of the infamous reputations of the Blood Hand Honored One and Mang Mountain's Thistle.
That was why she had been secretly worried they might just leave the mountain.
The killing intent flowing in their eyes.
She was not foolish enough to miss it.
What if the Tang Family Branch Head and the elites assisting him were murdered within the Emei Sect’s territory?
The mere thought was horrifying.
And that made Dan Ak-seon seem all the more remarkable.
‘To sway the hearts of those great demons with just a few words…’
It was a sight she would have found hard to believe had she not seen it herself.
Their eyes met, and Dan Ak-seon politely bowed his head.
“My greetings are late. My name is Dan Ak-seon. I’ve heard much about you from my father.”
At Dan Ak-seon's courteous greeting, Abbess Jeongyeon smiled warmly, then lowered herself to meet his eyes.
“Welcome.”
Dan Ak-seon felt a strange sensation from Abbess Jeongyeon’s gaze.
Though it was their first time meeting, she somehow didn’t feel like a stranger.
Her eyes held a warmth and gladness that words could not fully express.
It was then.
Dan Ak-seon suddenly felt an odd sensation.
He could feel gazes landing on his back.
Turning his head, Dan Ak-seon was startled.
Dozens of pairs of eyes were staring intently at him.
The owners of those gazes were the nuns of the Emei Sect.
Yet, every one of them held a look of profound affection.
Some even wore bright smiles, as if greeting an old acquaintance who had returned after a long time.
“Is that child his…?”
“They say blood doesn’t lie…”
Among the nuns murmuring in awe, a few even waved at Dan Ak-seon.
Dan Ak-seon was bewildered.
He had visited many sects before, but he had never received such an unreserved welcome.
The same went for Cho Ak-ryang and Beom Gye-wi.
The warm and friendly atmosphere emanating from their attitudes made them doubt if this was truly one of the Nine Great Sects.
Beom Gye-wi took a large step forward, blocking Dan Ak-seon from view.
“Don’t you go eyeing our Physician Dan. He’s only thirteen.”
As Beom Gye-wi’s tower-like frame hid Dan Ak-seon, the nuns cast disapproving glances his way.
Beom Gye-wi tilted his head.
“Brother Cho.”
“…?”
“They’re cursing at me right now, aren’t they?”
Cho Ak-ryang, who had been wondering what he was talking about, couldn't help but chuckle at Beom Gye-wi’s next words.
“Is that the legendary Wisdom Light Heart Language I’ve only heard about?”
It was a lost art of Buddhism.
The Wisdom Light Heart Language was a form of mental martial art, a kind of telepathy that went beyond simple communication like sending messages, allowing one to transmit concrete images to another.
“No way.”
“Then how are they cursing with their eyes?”
At his words, Abbess Jeongyeon smiled warmly and chanted a Buddhist prayer.
“Amitabha. This humble nun apologizes on their behalf.”
Beom Gye-wi was momentarily speechless, not expecting the leader of one of the Nine Great Sects to apologize so readily.
Then, he started to feel annoyed.
‘Wait a minute. If she’s apologizing, that means they really were cursing at me, right?’
Dan Ak-seon, on the other hand, felt a warmth spread through his chest.
He suddenly remembered something his father had told him long ago.
—The Emei Sect will not turn you away at their gates.
The bright smile on his father's face as he said those words was still vivid in his mind.
It was true that the gazes still pouring on him were a bit burdensome. But his joy was greater. Through their goodwill, he could once again feel the traces of his father.
“Oh, right! I brought a gift.”
Dan Ak-seon pointed to the oil for the paper lanterns he had bought at the market.
“Oh, you shouldn’t have…”
Abbess Jeongyeon, who was smiling as if he were a praiseworthy child, suddenly looked puzzled.
Dan Ak-seon had taken a neatly folded piece of paper from his robes and held it out.
“And this is a gift from my father.”
Abbess Jeongyeon took the paper, unfolded it, and her eyes widened in surprise as she read its contents.
“This is?”
What Dan Ak-seon had given her was a prescription detailing how to make a medicinal pill.
Dan Ak-seon smiled and replied.
“It’s the recipe for the Yang-Supplementing Pill.”
From his sleeve, Dan Ak-seon took out a small pill wrapped in wax and handed it to Abbess Jeongyeon.
“And this is the finished Yang-Supplementing Pill.”
“Oh! To give us something so precious…”
Abbess Jeongyeon exclaimed, her eyes filled with emotion.
Having taken it a few times in the past, she knew its effects better than anyone.
The Emei was a sect solely of nuns.
As such, they tended to be more reclusive than other sects.
This situation often led to unavoidable circumstances due to their thorough isolation from the outside world.
One of these was Yang Deficiency, Yin Agitation.
It couldn't exactly be called a disease, but because there was no known cure, it was a very difficult and tricky symptom.
It was a kind of chronic ailment that appeared when the balance of yin and yang was broken.
It was particularly severe around the last day of the twelfth lunar month when yin energy was strongest. Though it varied from person to person, it was usually accompanied by a low-grade fever, depression, a sense of loss, and severe physical fatigue.
On top of that, there were inexplicable chills and a debilitating lethargy.
It was an extremely distressing condition, as it involved a suffering that those who had not experienced it could not understand.
However, long ago, thanks to one person who visited the Emei Sect, they were able to overcome it.
That person was the Divine Physician of Sacred Hands.
And the medicine he used back then was the Yang-Supplementing Pill.
“It has the effect of supplementing yang energy, so take it immediately if the balance of yin and yang is disturbed. It’s not very difficult to make, so you should be able to prepare it easily once you have the ingredients.”
“We’ve only just met, yet our sect is already deeply indebted to you.”
Dan Ak-seon smiled warmly and shook his head.
“I was only running an errand.”
“…?”
“It was my father who left the Yang-Supplementing Pill and its recipe. He made it with the intention of giving it to the Emei Sect from the start.”
As Abbess Jeongyeon quietly chanted a prayer, an unconcealable look of regret filled her face.
There was no way for her to express her gratitude to the Divine Physician, who had already passed away.
For many years, she had prayed for him every time she held a Buddhist service.
Yet, even in death, he was still bestowing his grace upon Emei.
That debt of gratitude naturally shifted toward Dan Ak-seon.
“The weather is cold. Let us go up together.”
Abbess Jeongyeon gently took Dan Ak-seon’s hand and led him toward the stairs.
Her demeanor was so gentle and kind that anyone who knew her usual self would have been astonished.
It was then that Beom Gye-wi suddenly spoke up.
“But why are you only giving it to them now?”
At Beom Gye-wi’s question, Dan Ak-seon was momentarily flustered. Then, with a troubled expression, he deferred his answer.
“I’ll tell you about that later.”
Seeing Dan Ak-seon’s discomfort, Beom Gye-wi managed to suppress his curiosity.
After walking for a while, Dan Ak-seon and his party finally entered the Golden Summit Temple.
“Wow!”
At the highest point of the Golden Summit Temple.
Dan Ak-seon gasped in awe as his eyes fell upon the golden seated Buddha resting on four elephants.
The Samantabhadra Bodhisattva was far more brilliant and beautiful than he had imagined from the wooden statue.
He was overwhelmed by its magnificent presence.
A short while later, guided by Abbess Jeongyeon, Dan Ak-seon’s group arrived at the Hall of Manifested Scenery.
As they sat around a large tea table, the nuns of the Emei Sect soon brought cups of tea and placed one before each of them.
The teacups themselves were unadorned, simple, and modest, but the tea within was incredibly fragrant and warm.
“The taste of this tea is very unique.”
As Dan Ak-seon expressed his admiration, Abbess Jeongyeon smiled warmly.
“It is Emei Mountain tea, a specialty of this place.”
Dan Ak-seon quietly gazed into his teacup.
The sight of the tea leaves, half sunk and half floating, was truly beautiful.
It was not a fermented tea but one that had been pan-fired to remove moisture, so the color of the tea was nearly clear.
Dan Ak-seon savored the taste again.
The aroma lingered long, leaving a sweet aftertaste.
Made exclusively from whole buds, young shoots that had not yet fully grown into leaves, it maintained the clean and refreshing original taste of green tea.
“This might require some caution.”
Dan Ak-seon raised his eyes to look at Abbess Jeongyeon.
“The tea itself is excellent, but because it’s not fermented, its yin energy is particularly prominent.”
As Abbess Jeongyeon looked on with a questioning gaze, Dan Ak-seon continued his explanation.
“For those who enjoy meat and alcohol or have a lot of heat in their bodies, it can be an excellent medicine. But for women who follow a vegetarian and frugal lifestyle, it could potentially be a poison.”
“Oh, my!”
Abbess Jeongyeon’s eyes wavered.
To reassure her, Dan Ak-seon offered a smile.
“However, with the Yang-Supplementing Pill I just gave you, it shouldn’t be a major problem.”
Abbess Jeongyeon’s tense expression finally relaxed in relief.
Then, belatedly recalling something, she let out a short cry of surprise.
“Would you mind waiting here for a moment? I have something to show you.”
When Dan Ak-seon nodded, Abbess Jeongyeon immediately left her seat.
Once she was gone and only the group remained, Beom Gye-wi voiced the curiosity he had been suppressing.
“Physician Dan, what was that about earlier? That medicine, the Yang-Supplementing Pill or whatever. Is there a reason you’re only giving it to them now?”
Dan Ak-seon smiled bitterly.
An old memory had surfaced.
“My parents had a fight because of that medicine.”
“A fight?”
Dan Ak-seon let out a soft sigh and nodded.
—You scoundrel! You’re making medicine to give to another woman?
—She’s a nun!
—Aren’t nuns women?
—It’s for treatment!
—You just try giving it to her! I’ll go sprinkle virility potions all over the Shaolin Temple!
Cho Ak-ryang chuckled.
“It seems the Demonic Physician won in the end.”
“Huh? How did you know?”
“If she hadn’t, why would the Yang-Supplementing Pill, made so long ago, only be delivered to the Emei Sect now?”
Dan Ak-seon nodded at Cho Ak-ryang’s deduction.
“That’s right. In the end, it was my mother’s victory.”
“Well, she was famous for keeping her word, no matter what.”
At those words, Dan Ak-seon gave a sad smile.
The day she left the Divine Demon Valley with his father.
—When I return, I’ll hold you tight just like this again.
His mother’s embrace, so tight it was almost suffocating.
Dan Ak-seon still remembered that final warmth.
But in the end, his mother couldn't keep that promise.
As Dan Ak-seon’s expression suddenly darkened, Cho Ak-ryang became flustered.
No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t pinpoint the reason.
With Han Seol-hwa’s pointed glare added to the mix, Cho Ak-ryang was truly on pins and needles.
Cho Ak-ryang sent a pleading look toward Beom Gye-wi.
But Beom Gye-wi was lost in deep thought with a serious expression.
After a moment.
Beom Gye-wi asked Dan Ak-seon.
“Physician Dan, have you confirmed the effects of that medicine?”
“The Yang-Supplementing Pill? Of course.”
Beom Gye-wi shook his head.
“No, no. Not that one.”
“…?”
“The virility potion the Demonic Physician made.”
“Ah! You mean the Bald Rooster Powder?”
For a moment, Beom Gye-wi was startled.
“Why does the medicine’s name have the unlucky word ‘bald’ in it? Does it make your hair fall out or something?”
“Haha. Of course not.”
Dan Ak-seon burst out laughing.
Seeing Beom Gye-wi’s horrified reaction had dispelled his gloomy mood as if by magic.
“They say a rooster that happened to eat that medicine chased after hens for days and nights without rest.”
Unable to control its excitement due to the medicine's effects, the rooster would peck at the hen’s comb every time it mated, and as a result, the hen eventually lost all the feathers on its head.
That’s how it got the name Bald Rooster Powder.
Beom Gye-wi’s eyes sparkled.
“By any chance, do you know how to make that medicine too?”