Chapter 25
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 25
Chapter Title: The First Journey
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“Try circulating your energy.”
At Dan Ak-seon’s words, Han Seol-hwa drew upon her true energy. Dan Ak-seon, who had been concentrating on the flow of her energy with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them.
“I think this is it. For a moment, the true energy moving along your meridians scattered and then gathered again.”
Dan Ak-seon nodded as if certain.
“There’s definitely a moment when the energy deviates from the formula and moves on its own. In reality, it's a location where no heart meridian exists, but your consciousness forces the energy there, creating a subtle discrepancy.”
Next, it was Beom Gye-wi’s turn.
Using the same method, Dan Ak-seon identified Beom Gye-wi’s problem as well.
“Hmm…”
After deep contemplation, Dan Ak-seon finally nodded.
“Now that I know the cause, a fundamental treatment should be possible. But there’s a problem.”
“What kind of problem?”
At Beom Gye-wi’s question, Dan Ak-seon let out a sigh.
“We’ll need a large amount of elixirs.”
Dan Ak-seon continued his explanation.
“We need to guide the true energy through the correct meridians, but those actual meridians have been blocked from long disuse. On top of that, your bodies have already adapted to your existing cultivation techniques.”
He then gave an example.
“The original path is one that goes around the hill. But the current situation is like having forced a path straight across the hill. As a result, the original path has become overgrown with plants and is no longer used. Going straight across the hill shortens the distance, but it consumes much more stamina. If you’re carrying a heavy load, the burden is even greater.”
“So we need to clear the original path that goes around the hill? And we need elixirs to get rid of the overgrown plants?”
Dan Ak-seon nodded.
“If we can solve the issue of the elixirs, it’s definitely worth a try.”
At that moment, Pung Jin-seong, who had been listening silently from the side, cautiously interjected.
“Do you recall when you mentioned the Azure Stone Oil, Valley Lord, I said there might be a way?”
Pung Jin-seong smiled faintly.
“The Martial Alliance has a great many elixirs.”
“…!”
Excluding the Imperial Family, the Martial Alliance possessed the largest collection of elixirs in the Central Plains. The amount they were pouring into treating the Alliance Leader’s youngest daughter alone was staggering.
“If you were to treat the Alliance Leader’s youngest daughter, Valley Lord, you could easily obtain almost any elixir.”
Pung Jin-seong did not miss the glint in Dan Ak-seon’s eyes.
“Besides, at this rate, the child will die. The life-extending treatments using elixirs have reached their limit.”
At that moment, Beom Gye-wi erupted.
“Treat the Martial Alliance Leader’s daughter? After all the trouble we went through because of those Evil-Shattering Corps bastards, have you already forgotten?”
Dan Ak-seon looked at Beom Gye-wi with a puzzled expression.
“How did you know about that?”
Beom Gye-wi suddenly felt a prickling sensation on the back of his neck.
He turned his head and met the gaze of Cho Ak-ryang, who was scowling in displeasure.
“Uh… well…”
As a flustered Beom Gye-wi stammered, a telepathic message reached him.
Beom Gye-wi hastily spoke.
“I met a hunter from the village while I was out for a walk. He told me. Said it was complete chaos, right?”
“It was.”
Dan Ak-seon let out a soft sigh. Meanwhile, Beom Gye-wi breathed a sigh of relief.
Beom Gye-wi turned his head to look at Han Seol-hwa.
The person who had helped him in his moment of crisis was, unexpectedly, her. If she hadn't sent the telepathic message, he would have revealed the fact that they had crushed the Evil-Shattering Corps.
At that moment, another telepathic message reached him from Han Seol-hwa.
—Idiot.
“What?”
As Beom Gye-wi bristled, Cho Ak-ryang stepped forward.
“Does that mean Physician Dan would have to go to the patient?”
Cho Ak-ryang revealed his discomfort.
The thought of sending Dan Ak-seon to the Martial Alliance alone did not sit well with him. But bringing the patient here was also not an option.
What father would send his cherished daughter to a remote place alone? She would undoubtedly be accompanied by a long train of attendants, physicians, and escort warriors.
That would not only expose this location but could also reveal their own existence.
“But the uncle and auntie can’t postpone their treatment either.”
“Wouldn’t that problem be solved if they accompanied him?”
“Hmm. That’s true, but…”
Even if there was a way, the biggest problem remained.
“I don’t think I can restrain myself if I see the Martial Alliance Leader.”
“If I see him, I’ll smash his head in on the spot.”
Cho Ak-ryang and Beom Gye-wi immediately let their killing intent show. Their grudge against the Martial Alliance ran deeper than anyone’s.
Just then, Pung Jin-seong spoke to Dan Ak-seon.
“May I have a word with these two for a moment?”
“Pardon?”
“I’d like to try and persuade them.”
Having received Dan Ak-seon’s permission, Pung Jin-seong led the three of them to a spot where Dan Ak-seon couldn’t overhear.
“For the Valley Lord’s sake, I hope you will accept this plan.”
“What’s your real motive?”
Cho Ak-ryang asked, suppressing his boiling anger.
“Because the only person who can grant a Right of Pardon is the Martial Alliance Leader.”
A Right of Pardon.
It literally meant the right to be spared from death, no matter how grave the crime.
“In the event of an emergency, that is the only thing that can ensure the Valley Lord's safety.”
“An emergency, you say.”
He was talking about a situation where their identities were exposed.
If their relationship with Dan Ak-seon became known, his life would also be in danger. This was the reason Pung Jin-seong had proposed treating the Martial Alliance Leader’s daughter.
It was a minimum safety measure to protect Dan Ak-seon.
“I suppose that would give Physician Dan a way out, even if we’re exposed.”
Surprisingly, Beom Gye-wi was the first to concede.
“Then we have to do it.”
Receiving Beom Gye-wi’s glance, Cho Ak-ryang also nodded.
Their desire to beat the Martial Alliance Leader to death was great, but their feelings for Dan Ak-seon were greater.
“I don’t mind.”
Han Seol-hwa had no reason to refuse in the first place.
“Thank you. Then I will prepare for you to accompany the Valley Lord.”
“Wait.”
Cho Ak-ryang stopped Pung Jin-seong as he was about to turn away.
“If we’re going, we might as well have fun.”
He then approached Dan Ak-seon and said.
“Physician Dan, shall we go on a trip?”
“A trip?”
At those words, Dan Ak-seon’s face lit up.
Until now, Dan Ak-seon had never once been on a trip.
He had spent most of his life in the Divine Demon Valley, and the farthest he had ever gone was to the nearby village. This was why he loved hearing stories of the martial world.
A trip, something he had only dreamed of.
Watching Dan Ak-seon’s cheeks flush with excitement, Cho Ak-ryang nodded.
“If Physician Dan wants to go, then we must go.”
Han Seol-hwa also nodded.
“If the physician is going, the patients have no choice but to follow.”
From that day on, Cho Ak-ryang and Beom Gye-wi became incredibly busy.
It was to raise funds for the trip. Beom Gye-wi relentlessly hauled lumber, and Cho Ak-ryang spent his days carving wooden statues. Han Seol-hwa helped with the cleanup.
For the time being, it was the only way they could secure travel expenses.
Pung Jin-seong offered to cover all the costs, but they stepped in and refused.
“It’s Physician Dan’s first trip. We have to buy him delicious food.”
Cho Ak-ryang and Han Seol-hwa agreed with Beom Gye-wi’s sentiment.
If they were going to treat him, they had to do it with their own money.
* * *
Mr. Im, the owner of the woodcraft shop, was spending another day so busy he couldn't even catch his breath. It was because of the merchants from neighboring villages who came to establish trade deals almost daily.
The popularity of the wooden statues he had recently acquired had soared, and he couldn't keep up with the flood of orders.
The problem was the limited supply.
Consequently, the prices of the statues were skyrocketing.
Just like right now.
“I’ll give you one more silver tael. Just sell them to us.”
“I’ll add two more taels!”
“What? Then I’ll add fifty percent to that!”
“You bastard! Have you no business ethics?”
“Look who’s talking! I was the one who started talks first!”
The excessive competition among the merchants, who were outbidding each other, eventually led to them grabbing each other by the collar. Mediating these disputes had long become part of Mr. Im’s daily routine.
“Both of you, please stop. The items here have already been contracted, so I cannot sell them to anyone else.”
Seeing the crestfallen faces of the merchants, Mr. Im let out a sigh.
“How about this, then?”
Mr. Im made a tempting offer.
“The contract to supply another company ends in one month. We’ll have to renew it then, and I will give others an opportunity to bid as well.”
“Bid? You mean you’re going to hold an auction?”
“There are many who wish to purchase, but the supply is limited, so I see no other way.”
It was the best alternative he could offer.
The merchants had no choice but to leave, filled with regret.
But each of them was already busy calculating their bid.
If they could win the contract and monopolize the wooden statues, they stood to make a massive profit.
After the merchants from other villages had left, Mr. Im began to tidy up the shop.
Just as he was finishing his daily tasks and about to close the shop, a person entered.
“Hello.”
“Oh! Welcome.”
Mr. Im greeted Dan Ak-seon with a bright smile.
His shop was once on the verge of bankruptcy, to the point he had considered closing down.
But since he started doing business with Dan Ak-seon, he had experienced an unprecedented boom.
As such, he was an incredibly precious customer.
“I have quite a few statues today.”
“The more you bring, the better for me. As it is, I’m in a frenzy because of the short supply.”
When faced with a cart full of statues, Mr. Im was astonished. It was several times the usual amount.
“The quantity has increased a lot, hasn’t it?”
“Yes. I don’t think I’ll be able to come for a while.”
Mr. Im’s cheerful face hardened.
“Has something happened?”
“I’ve decided to go on a trip.”
“A trip? Where to?”
“To Wuhan.”
“Wuhan in Hubei Province?”
“Yes.”
Mr. Im asked with a troubled expression.
“When do you think you’ll be back?”
“Well…”
Dan Ak-seon, who had been trying to estimate a date, soon shook his head.
“It’s hard to say for sure. It’s my first trip, so I don’t know how long it will take.”
“Phew, I see. If that’s the case, it can’t be helped.”
Putting aside his own disappointment, Mr. Im was already starting to worry.
If the already scarce supply was temporarily discontinued, the bidding war would become that much more fierce. But it wasn't as if he could just hold Dan Ak-seon back.
“Be sure to let me know when you return.”
“I will. Please stay healthy until then.”
Mr. Im paid for the statues on the spot and then saw Dan Ak-seon all the way to the door.
Beom Gye-wi, who was waiting outside, helped Dan Ak-seon onto the empty cart.
“You’re that happy?”
At Beom Gye-wi’s question, Dan Ak-seon smiled brightly.
“Yes. When I told him I was going on a trip, he gave me a higher price. We’re rich now.”
“If you’re happy, I’m happy.”
Seeing Dan Ak-seon so joyful made hauling lumber all night feel worthwhile. As Dan Ak-seon, riding in the cart pulled by Beom Gye-wi, was about to leave the village, someone suddenly darted out from the end of an alley.
“Excuse me…”
The man, who had been glancing nervously at Beom Gye-wi with a fearful expression, cautiously approached the cart.
“Huh?”
Dan Ak-seon recognized the man’s face.
It was the owner of the woodcraft shop he had first visited to sell the statues.
“What do you want?”
As Beom Gye-wi scowled, the man flinched and froze in place.
But he soon plastered a servile smile on his face and bowed obsequiously.
“I have some business with the young hero over there.”
“Business with me?”
Before Dan Ak-seon could finish his sentence, the man nodded and got straight to the point.
“Could you supply our shop with wooden statues as well?”
“I’m afraid that’s not possible.”
“I’ll pay you double what you’re getting from your current client.”
Dan Ak-seon smiled bitterly.
The price Mr. Im had just paid was five taels per statue, which meant this man was offering ten.
It was ten times the one tael he had initially offered. But no matter how good the conditions, Dan Ak-seon had no intention of doing business with him.
It was because of the man’s initial attitude, looking down on him and treating him poorly.
“I’m sorry. I have no intention of changing my business partner.”
“In that case, three times the price…”
Dan Ak-seon shook his head firmly.
“No matter how much money you offer, my mind won’t change. So please leave.”
As the man still couldn't bring himself to turn away, Beom Gye-wi glared at him.
“Hey. Are your ears blocked?”
At the killing intent in Beom Gye-wi’s voice, the man yelped in surprise and fled.
Watching him go, Beom Gye-wi smacked his lips in disappointment.
“Tsk. I specialize in clearing blocked ear canals.”
“How?”
At Dan Ak-seon’s question, Beom Gye-wi mimed swinging his staff.
“You just shove this in one ear until it comes out the other.”
Dan Ak-seon was startled.
“Does that actually cure them?”
“But there’s a serious side effect.”
“What side effect?”
“They go mute. Just lie there with their eyes closed, not saying a word to anyone.”
“Isn’t that because they’re dead?”
Beom Gye-wi grinned.
“That’s why I’m not planning on becoming a physician.”