Chapter 23
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: Severed Meridians
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“Azure Lapis… you mean?”
At first, I thought it was a joke.
But it wasn't. Dan Ak-seon's eyes were as bright and innocent as ever. That only made it more bewildering.
Seeing this, Cho Ak-ryang let out a dry laugh.
“Looks like I'm about to see some Azure Lapis, something I never thought I'd lay eyes on in my life.”
“Is that something you can just get by asking for it?”
Han Seol-hwa answered Beom Gye-wi's retort.
“It's no different from asking for wild ginseng when all you brought was a bellflower root.”
Only then did Dan Ak-seon notice Pung Jin-seong's flustered expression.
“Ah! I'm sorry. Please pretend you didn't hear that.”
Pung Jin-seong belatedly came to his senses.
“Not at all. I will do my best.”
The words 'though I can't guarantee anything' lingered on the tip of his tongue, but Pung Jin-seong never said them.
But then, a glint appeared in Pung Jin-seong's eyes.
“Ah! There might be a way, after all.”
At his words, Dan Ak-seon shook his head.
“It's alright. Please don't worry about it. Speaking of which, it's already time for a meal.”
Pung Jin-seong stopped Dan Ak-seon as he stood to prepare breakfast.
“I will prepare it.”
“No, it's okay. I'll do it.”
Dan Ak-seon quickly ran toward the main hall.
Once Dan Ak-seon was completely out of sight, Pung Jin-seong bowed his head to the other three.
“I will be in your care for a while.”
“For a while?”
“Yes. I plan to rest here for a few days.”
Cho Ak-ryang, who had been quietly staring at Pung Jin-seong, smiled faintly.
“So you don't trust us?”
Pung Jin-seong did not deny it.
“I ask for your understanding.”
“I understand. I would have done the same.”
Cho Ak-ryang smiled and nodded. But his eyes flashed with a cold light.
“Then I'll ask for your understanding in advance as well.”
“For what?”
“Because we don't trust you either.”
At that moment, Beom Gye-wi, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up.
“Don't even think about taking advantage of him just because he's a naive kid who doesn't know the world. If you do, you'll die by my hand.”
“Would I ever do such a thing?”
“Right. You'd better not.”
Pung Jin-seong found himself seeing the villains before him in a slightly new light. He had heard they were the most wicked people in the world...
They were stubborn, yet somehow, they even seemed simple-hearted.
But they were undoubtedly villains who had killed tens, even hundreds of people. So he couldn't let his guard down.
A short while later, Dan Ak-seon returned with a breakfast made of medicinal herbs.
Pung Jin-seong, chewing the herbs and savoring the taste, nodded with a sound of admiration.
“Mm, not bad. The flavor of the Duseongcho is excellent.”
“This bastard is a damn good liar. How can this possibly taste good?”
All eyes turned to Beom Gye-wi.
Beom Gye-wi blinked in surprise.
“Did I say that out loud? I meant to just think it...”
Pung Jin-seong smiled warmly at Beom Gye-wi, who trailed off.
“It's bitter and astringent at first, but once you get used to it, you can feel the subtle flavors within. If you chew it for a long time, a sweetness emerges.”
As if to prove his point, Pung Jin-seong slowly and thoroughly chewed the herb before swallowing.
“You must have a special method. Compared to commonly harvested Duseongcho, the sweet aftertaste lingers for quite a while.”
Dan Ak-seon smiled and nodded.
“I knew it! I believed you would appreciate it, mister.”
Dan Ak-seon explained in detail what efforts he put in and what he focused on while cultivating the herbs.
“Huh, you went to such lengths?”
Beom Gye-wi, who had been watching Dan Ak-seon's passionate explanation, grabbed an herb from in front of him and popped it into his mouth.
At the same time, Beom Gye-wi's brow crumpled.
He had barely chewed a few times, but a bitter taste filled his mouth. Nevertheless, Beom Gye-wi forced a smile and looked at Dan Ak-seon.
“Mmm! Just as Physician Dan said..., chewing it for a long... time, the flavor is exquisite!”
“Mister Beom, you finally understand the taste... huh?”
Dan Ak-seon stared at Beom Gye-wi with surprised eyes.
His expression was clearly a smile, but his eyes were welling up with tears.
Then his gaze suddenly shifted to the herb Beom Gye-wi was holding.
“Mister, that's Goshimrak...”
The herb Beom Gye-wi was chewing was Goshimrak, the most intensely bitter of them all. The more you chewed, the more bitter it became.
“Yes, you're eating it with such relish.”
Cho Ak-ryang enthusiastically played along with his tearful effort.
“Here, take mine and eat it too.”
“This too.”
Han Seol-hwa also chimed in.
He felt like his face would cramp from forcing the smile, but there was no backing down.
Beom Gye-wi displayed superhuman endurance.
In the end, he had to chew and swallow all the Goshimrak the other two offered him. To top it off, he shot a derisive sneer at Cho Ak-ryang and Han Seol-hwa.
“Hmph, you ignoramuses. What's the point of knowing martial arts? You don't even know the first thing about fine dining.”
“Wipe your tears before you talk!”
“Tears? What tears?”
Only then did Beom Gye-wi realize tears had formed in his eyes.
“Physician Dan told you last time. You're not supposed to chew Goshimrak, you just chew once or twice and swallow it whole.”
“What? When?”
Han Seol-hwa cut into their conversation.
“Forget it. What's the point of explaining now?”
Then she gave Beom Gye-wi a slight smile.
“I'll be counting on you from now on. Con-nois-seur.”
“Me too.”
Finally realizing something, Beom Gye-wi roared.
“How dare you people trick me?”
“Well, we're just ignoramuses who don't know the first thing about fine dining.”
Watching the three of them bicker, Dan Ak-seon burst into laughter.
*'How strange. So strange.'*
Pung Jin-seong's eyes showed his interest.
*'These are the people known as grim reapers in the martial world.'*
But the way the three of them looked at Dan Ak-seon was filled with an affection they couldn't hide.
*'Are these people really the Ten Great Villains?'*
And so, a worry grew within him.
He couldn't know if this connection would be a blessing or a curse. But one thing was certain. This relationship must not be allowed to repeat the same misfortunes of the past.
He could not let Dan Ak-seon follow in his mentors' footsteps.
*'For now, should I just watch a little longer?'*
Rushing to a conclusion was forbidden.
After all, Dan Ak-seon's future was at stake.
* * *
After the meal, Dan Ak-seon began his daily routine of treating Beom Gye-wi.
While he was in the middle of placing needles, Pung Jin-seong came to see him.
“I'm not interrupting, am I?”
“Of course not. It's fine.”
Unlike Dan Ak-seon, who greeted him with a smile, Beom Gye-wi glared steadily at Pung Jin-seong.
“Well, I'm not fine.”
Dan Ak-seon looked at Beom Gye-wi with surprised eyes.
“What's wrong?”
“Huh? No, Physician Dan. That's not what I meant...”
For a moment, Beom Gye-wi was at a loss for words.
He had just noticed the needle in Dan Ak-seon's hand. It was a massive needle, over a foot long.
The sight of it made his anger vanish as if by magic.
“Just in case, you must tell me immediately if you feel anything unusual during the treatment.”
“And if I do?”
“We'll have to take action before it's too late.”
“By 'take action', you don't mean...?”
Beom Gye-wi glanced at the large needle resting innocently on the floor.
Dan Ak-seon nodded.
“Don't worry. It might hurt a little, but the effect is guaranteed.”
The thought of such a large needle digging into his body sent a chill down the spine of even the great Beom Gye-wi. He did his best to maintain his composure.
Continuing the treatment, Dan Ak-seon looked at Pung Jin-seong.
“So, what brings you here?”
“I came because I have something to ask you.”
With that, Pung Jin-seong began his question to Dan Ak-seon.
“Do you know of an illness where, just after turning fifteen, the blood runs cold and the entire body begins to stiffen?”
Dan Ak-seon nodded.
“You're referring to a case where overdeveloped Yin Meridians lead to Severed Meridians.”
“That's right.”
“What are the symptoms?”
“Anemia, dizziness, loss of stamina, and fever.”
“Based on that alone, it seems hasty to diagnose it as Severed Meridians.”
“Yes, so I lightly scratched the skin. Dark red spots appeared shortly after.”
The rupturing of microscopic blood vessels invisible to the eye.
The spots on the skin that form when the bleeding doesn't stop are one of the classic symptoms of Severed Meridians.
After organizing his thoughts for a moment, Dan Ak-seon spoke.
“Most who possess the Nine Yin Severed Meridians are stillborn, and even if they are lucky enough to be born, they don't survive a year. So, the patient probably has the Seven Yin or Five Yin Severed Meridians.”
It's an illness where the Yang energy cannot support the growing Yin energy, shattering the body's internal balance. This causes the entire body, including Qi and blood, to grow cold, eventually leading to death.
Severed Meridians is not just difficult to treat; it is incurable.
However, there was one unique exception.
“I understand that your mentors treated Severed Meridians in the past.”
“They did.”
“Are there any records from that time?”
“Yes.”
Pung Jin-seong's face brightened.
“Might I be able to see those medical texts?”
“I'm afraid that will be difficult.”
“What?”
A look of bewilderment appeared on Pung Jin-seong's face.
He had never expected Dan Ak-seon to refuse. Dan Ak-seon smiled and replied.
“It's because it wasn't recorded in writing. Both of them were so focused on the treatment at the time that they didn't have the presence of mind for it.”
“Then?”
Dan Ak-seon nodded.
“I remember it.”
“Ah!”
As Pung Jin-seong let out a gasp of admiration, Dan Ak-seon asked a question.
“Who is the person suffering from this illness?”
After a moment of hesitation, Pung Jin-seong looked at Dan Ak-seon as if he had made up his mind.
“She is the youngest daughter of the Martial Alliance Leader.”
“Ah! So that's how you're connected to the Martial Alliance.”
“Yes. I am in charge of treating the Martial Alliance Leader's youngest daughter.”
Pung Jin-seong nodded and continued.
“Thanks to that, I was able to resolve the matter with the Evil-Shattering Corps smoothly. But the problem is...”
Pung Jin-seong trailed off and sighed.
“A cure is nowhere in sight. We are pouring all sorts of elixirs into her just to keep her alive.”
“Is that so? Then your starting point is wrong...”
“What?”
Dan Ak-seon carefully began to speak to the puzzled Pung Jin-seong.
“Severed Meridians isn't the cause; it's the result. It's one of the symptoms manifested by the illness.”
“...!”
“That's why other physicians have been unable to treat Severed Meridians until now. They started from the wrong place. You have to pinpoint the cause and treat it, but they keep focusing on the symptoms, so of course, there's no cure.”
“Ah!”
Seeing Pung Jin-seong speechless with shock, Dan Ak-seon felt unnecessarily apologetic.
A moment later, Pung Jin-seong gave a bitter smile.
“I've relied on ancient medical texts for most of the rare diseases I haven't personally encountered. It seems I've fallen into a rut without even realizing it.”
“There's no need to blame yourself. My parents also came to that realization with great difficulty.”
A paradigm shift was just that difficult.
“It was a long time ago, but do you remember?”
Pung Jin-seong tilted his head at Dan Ak-seon's question.
“What incident are you referring to?”
“The patient my parents first gave up on, saying treatment was impossible.”
“Yes, I remember. That lama...”
Pung Jin-seong, who had spoken without thinking, hastily trailed off. Then he quickly continued.
“You mean the one who had a chronic illness compounded by poisoning, and ended up falling into Qi deviation while trying to fight the poison?”
“Yes, that's right. That was the first time my parents worked together to save someone. His symptoms were very similar to Severed Meridians. Treating him was what led my parents to find the cure for it.”
“Ah!”
As he let out a gasp, Pung Jin-seong was suddenly puzzled.
“But why didn't they teach me that treatment method?”
“They didn't teach me, either. I just learned it by staying by their side.”
“It's a shame I was away from the valley for a while then.”
“You couldn't help it. And Severed Meridians isn't a common illness.”
Dan Ak-seon looked at Pung Jin-seong with a serious expression.
“Besides, Severed Meridians isn't an illness a single physician can handle. Even my parents said they wouldn't dare try to treat it alone.”
“Hmm.”
Dan Ak-seon offered a smile to the groaning Pung Jin-seong.
“I think that's probably why they didn't tell you. They knew better than anyone that you would pour everything you have into a patient, without sparing yourself.”
“Does that mean...”
The color drained from Pung Jin-seong's face.
Severed Meridians was such a difficult illness that even the Divine Physician and the Demonic Physician had to combine their powers just to be able to treat it.
Furthermore, the only person who knew the cure now was Dan Ak-seon.
*'Is there another physician with skills comparable to the Valley Lord?'*
Pung Jin-seong smiled bitterly to himself.
He had interacted with the royal physicians of the imperial court, but he had yet to meet one with medical skills on par with Dan Ak-seon.
In the end, Pung Jin-seong sighed.
“Still, I'm glad I came to see you, Valley Lord. I feel like the fog before my eyes is lifting.”
Just then, a voice cut into their conversation.
“Hey...”
It was Beom Gye-wi.
“I've been here the whole time. Just thought you might have forgotten.”