Chapter 41
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 41
Chapter Title: Dignified Fire Qigong Therapy
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Upon returning to the annex, Cho Ak-ryang informed the others about his meeting with Sa Mu-sim.
“If that man joins us, he’ll be a great help. At the very least, we won’t have to worry about money.”
“Like how my parents relied on Mr. Pung?”
“We’ve seen for ourselves how incredible Physician Pung is, but in terms of financial power, he can’t be compared to that Sa Mu-sim fellow.”
Cho Ak-ryang was not one to praise others easily, which only made Dan Ak-seon more curious.
“What kind of person is he?”
Beom Gye-wi answered.
“A tenacious money-grubbing ghost. Why else would his title be the Money-Grubbing Ghost Lord?”
Cho Ak-ryang added to the explanation.
“More than five trading companies have fallen because of him. And it’s hard to even count the number of gambling dens, courtesan houses, and pawn shops.”
“That’s incredible.”
“Still, he has his principles. He doesn’t touch individuals. And he never spent the money he earned on himself.”
“Then?”
“He supported orphans who lost their parents in the senseless fights of martial artists, until they came of age. More than a thousand children have been in his care.”
Dan Ak-seon was genuinely impressed.
“He sounds like a remarkable person.”
Beom Gye-wi shook his head.
“He is. Sometimes it’s hard to understand why he even became a villain.”
“How many people have died at his hands? He’s a bad guy, that’s for sure.”
After saying that, Cho Ak-ryang turned his head and asked Dan Ak-seon.
“At this point, I’d like to hear your thoughts, Physician Dan. If you’re against it, I have no intention of forcing him to come.”
Dan Ak-seon readily nodded.
“He’s far better than a hypocrite who is different on the inside and out.”
“But there’s one problem.”
“A problem?”
“He told me he’s suffering from Qi Deviation. In his condition, he won’t last more than three months.”
Dan Ak-seon smiled faintly.
“That shouldn’t be a major problem. If it’s a case of Qi Deviation where he can still move his body, I should be able to fix it.”
Dan Ak-seon also presented a solution for obtaining the wooden box.
“Once the treatment is done, I’ll ask for the wooden box he’s looking for.”
“As a treatment fee?”
“Yes.”
Cho Ak-ryang hesitated for a moment before answering.
An iron writ of death exemption, or perhaps an elixir or wealth.
A man as proud as Namgung Baek would surely grant any request without hesitation. However, he didn't want to trade such a golden opportunity for a mere wooden box.
It seemed this wasn't just Cho Ak-ryang's personal opinion, as Beom Gye-wi, who was beside him, also chimed in.
“We can just take the wooden box. You should demand something much bigger for the treatment fee.”
“Just take it?”
“There are many ways, Physician Dan. Leave that to us.”
Dan Ak-seon guessed what they were thinking.
“I just don’t want you two taking unnecessary risks. And please don’t feel it’s too much of a waste. We’re gaining a person, after all.”
“Still, is there really a need to go that far?”
“Let’s do as the Valley Lord says.”
Pung Jin-seong, who had been listening to the conversation from the side, spoke up with a quiet smile.
“I will receive a reasonable payment.”
As he said this, Pung Jin-seong gave a wink.
“Alright.”
Cho Ak-ryang smirked and nodded. He had already witnessed Pung Jin-seong extorting an elixir from the Martial Alliance.
“Then we should focus on the treatment. Once the patient is cured, everything will be resolved.”
And so, four days passed.
* * *
Namgung Baek shot up from his grand chair.
An old man had just stepped into the main hall. Namgung Baek approached Danri Ung-pung, the chief steward of the Namgung Family, his face etched with urgency.
“Did you get it?”
“Yes…”
The reply felt somewhat uncertain, but Namgung Baek was relieved nonetheless. The steward handed a small porcelain bottle, its lid sealed with wax, to Namgung Baek.
Accepting it carefully, Namgung Baek belatedly sensed something was wrong.
The steward’s expression was incredibly dark.
“What is it? Is there a problem with this Gongcheongseokyu?”
“No, sir. I have already confirmed it is of the highest quality.”
“Then why the long face?”
The steward looked at Namgung Baek for a moment, then let out a long sigh.
“My lack of ability has brought shame upon the family.”
“What do you mean?”
Namgung Baek couldn't hide his bewilderment.
He knew better than anyone that the old man before him had dedicated his entire life to the family with unwavering loyalty.
“As you know, Gongcheongseokyu is an extremely difficult item to acquire.”
“And?”
“As such, there is no market price. The price is whatever the owner demands. You told me to get it by any means necessary, so I brought it, but the resulting expenditure is truly immense.”
“It’s fine. No one will hold you responsible, Steward.”
It was routine for the steward to complain about money. But when the old steward sighed once more, Namgung Baek also started to feel uneasy.
“Exactly how much did you spend?”
“To get straight to the point, we have incurred a massive debt from purchasing the Gongcheongseokyu.”
“Debt? Did you just say debt?”
Facing Namgung Baek’s incredulous expression, Danri Ung-pung looked mournful.
“I didn’t have enough time to properly negotiate the price, and then I got into a competition with someone else who also wanted the Gongcheongseokyu. On top of that, the family’s finances were already strained from the elixirs we purchased earlier…”
Danri Ung-pung hesitated for a long while before adding more.
“This foolish old man even contributed his personal assets, but even that wasn't enough to cover it…”
Namgung Baek had a bitter taste in his mouth.
Seeing the old steward, who had devoted his life to the family, in such a state was all the more painful.
“Has our family ever been in debt before…”
At Namgung Baek’s mutter, Danri Ung-pung replied without thinking.
“This is the first time in five hundred years.”
“Hmm…”
Namgung Baek finally let out a groan.
* * *
“Hoo…”
Exhaling a long breath, Cho Ak-ryang slowly opened his closed eyes.
For a moment, a deep light emanated from his eyes. It was a gaze filled with a powerful energy he hadn't possessed before, one that could easily overwhelm his surroundings.
Han Seol-hwa and Beom Gye-wi, who had been holding Cho Ak-ryang’s pulse points, released their hands and stepped back.
Cho Ak-ryang conveyed his gratitude to them with a look.
“How do you feel?”
At Dan Ak-seon’s question, Cho Ak-ryang smiled quietly.
“Perfect.”
That one word was enough.
Dan Ak-seon smiled brightly and nodded.
“We’ve finally perfected it. With this, all preparations are complete.”
As Dan Ak-seon began to pack his acupuncture kit, Pung Jin-seong was slightly taken aback.
“Are you going to start right away?”
“There’s no reason to wait.”
Pung Jin-seong turned around and mouthed words without making a sound.
‘Gongcheongseokyu.’
Cho Ak-ryang immediately understood his meaning.
The other elixirs had arrived, but the Gongcheongseokyu had not. If the treatment was completed before they received it, they would lose their justification for asking for it.
“Yawn! Ah, I’m so tired. Did I overdo it?”
Beom Gye-wi, having received a telepathic message from Han Seol-hwa, suddenly let out a long yawn.
“Oh! I completely forgot about you two. Please get some sleep first. We’ll do the treatment after that.”
In truth, through repeated practice, Han Seol-hwa and Beom Gye-wi had perfectly mastered the method of circulating their true qi, so they no longer expended as much mental energy as they did at the beginning.
“You should also get some rest, Valley Lord. Before treating a patient, a physician must also bring their own mind and body to the best possible condition, shouldn't they?”
“I’m fine. I have other things to do while you two recover.”
Dan Ak-seon took out a brush, ink, and paper and began to document the treatment method.
About four hours passed like that.
—Brother Cho! How much longer do I have to sleep?
Suddenly receiving the telepathic message, Cho Ak-ryang turned his head and his eyes met with Beom Gye-wi, who had slightly opened his.
—Close your eyes! What if you get caught?
—Oh! Brother Cho. You can use telepathy now?
—I’ve recovered my internal energy.
It was then.
“Mr. Beom must have been very tired. It’s past time for him to wake up.”
At Dan Ak-seon’s voice, Beom Gye-wi quickly shut his eyes.
—I’m so bored I could die!
Cho Ak-ryang turned his head, ignoring Beom Gye-wi. Beom Gye-wi then sent a telepathic message to Han Seol-hwa.
—Witch! Do something!
—Stop whining, you look pathetic.
Just then, a voice came from outside the annex.
“The Alliance Leader asks if he may visit.”
It was a warrior from the Martial Alliance, responsible for relaying messages and running errands between the annex and the outside.
Beom Gye-wi’s eyes shot open.
“Tell him to come in at once!”
Only after speaking did Beom Gye-wi realize all eyes in the room were on him.
Glancing around, Beom Gye-wi awkwardly stretched.
“Ahh! I slept well.”
Seeing this, Cho Ak-ryang and Han Seol-hwa shook their heads.
A moment later.
Namgung Baek entered the annex and handed a small porcelain bottle to Dan Ak-seon.
“I did my best, but this was all I could obtain.”
Dan Ak-seon opened the porcelain bottle, checked its contents, and nodded with a smile.
“This is more than enough.”
“Is the treatment possible now?”
“Yes, we were just about to begin.”
His face stiff with tension, Namgung Baek spoke.
“May I know in advance how you plan to conduct the treatment?”
Dan Ak-seon began to speak as if it were no big deal.
“First, I plan to use a method based on Dignified Fire Qigong Therapy, in conjunction with acupuncture.”
A look of confusion appeared in Namgung Baek’s eyes. It was a strange treatment method he had never heard of.
“Dignified Fire Qigong Therapy?”
Pung Jin-seong stepped forward.
“It is the Valley Lord’s unique secret art, so please understand that we cannot disclose the details. However, I can assure you that it is the greatest internal energy treatment method in existence today.”
At Pung Jin-seong’s guarantee, Namgung Baek nodded. For now, he had no choice but to trust them.
“Would you like to see your daughter?”
At Dan Ak-seon’s words, Namgung Baek cautiously asked.
“May I?”
“She will wake up in a little while, so please do. However, once the treatment begins, no one is allowed to enter this room. No matter what happens.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
Dan Ak-seon and his group temporarily stepped aside so that Namgung Baek could speak with Namgung Hyang.
“Looking at him like that, he’s just an ordinary father…”
At Pung Jin-seong’s words, Cho Ak-ryang and Beom Gye-wi each added a comment.
“Everyone’s like that. The emperor, the demonic chief of Mount Qilian. Before their own blood, they are all hopelessly weak.”
“That’s right. That’s why physicians are the best. Everyone becomes nice in front of a physician.”
Just then, as if a thought occurred to him, Pung Jin-seong asked Dan Ak-seon.
“By the way, is there a reason you named it Dignified Fire Qigong Therapy?”
Dan Ak-seon smiled and looked at Beom Gye-wi and Han Seol-hwa.
“I took one character from each of your names. It’s a treatment method that can only be performed when you two are present.”
At those words, Beom Gye-wi’s shoulders swelled with pride.
Han Seol-hwa didn’t show it, but the slight smile that formed on her lips was a clear sign of her satisfaction.
A short while later, the annex door opened and Namgung Baek walked out.
His face, which had been rigid with tension, had softened considerably. Through the conversation with his daughter, his trust in Dan Ak-seon and his companions had grown even stronger.
“I will be awaiting good news. Please…”
As Namgung Baek trailed off with a bow, Dan Ak-seon nodded with a smile.
“I will do my best to deliver the news you’re waiting for.”