Chapter 70
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 70
Chapter Title: A Welcome Reunion
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"Physician Dan."
"Yes."
"Have fun with it."
"Pardon?"
"That's what my master used to say. That martial arts, in the end, is something you learn to live a joyful life."
Beom Gye-wi snatched the staff from Dan Ak-seon's hand.
Dan Ak-seon, who had the staff taken in the blink of an eye, wore a bewildered expression.
Beom Gye-wi said to Dan Ak-seon.
"For now, eat the roasted duck. After that, I'll train with you and we'll have some fun."
"But..."
"Why are you training in martial arts, Physician Dan? Isn't it to be happy?"
Dan Ak-seon nodded.
The details were a bit different, but ultimately, he wasn't wrong.
"Yes, that's right."
"Then you can't miss out on the happiness of the present."
Beom Gye-wi continued with a smile.
"How can someone who doesn't know how to enjoy the immediate happiness given to them ever enjoy happiness later on?"
"Oh?"
Surprise filled Dan Ak-seon's eyes.
"You're right, sir."
"Here! Eat up!"
Dan Ak-seon smiled brightly at Beom Gye-wi, who was offering him the roasted duck.
"I think it'll be even happier if we all eat together."
"Alright. I'll make a special exception, just for today."
Beom Gye-wi nodded readily.
It was while they were all sitting together, eating.
Cho Ak-ryang looked at Beom Gye-wi with a newfound sense of wonder.
He too had tried to persuade Dan Ak-seon several times, but had been defeated by his incredible stubbornness every time.
"To think you had such a way with words..."
Mumbling around a mouthful of food, Beom Gye-wi replied nonchalantly.
"It's what my master used to say. Though back then, it was chicken, not roasted duck."
For a moment, Beom Gye-wi's expression turned glum.
"Ah, now I suddenly miss my master."
A palpable, unconcealable longing filled Beom Gye-wi's voice as he muttered with a bitter look. At that moment, something suddenly appeared before his eyes.
Dan Ak-seon was holding out a large, torn-off duck leg to Beom Gye-wi.
"Thank you."
"Hm? For what?"
"For the food, and for the advice. All of it. Thanks to you, my anxious heart has calmed down."
As Beom Gye-wi brought the duck leg to his mouth, his face brightened again.
"Is that so? Then that's all that matters. Hahaha."
Beom Gye-wi's booming laughter echoed through the Divine Demon Valley.
* * *
A late afternoon on the last day of the twelfth month.
Just as the fiercely biting wind seemed to die down a little, the heavy gray clouds that had been hanging low finally began to shed snowflakes.
The people welcomed the snow that marked the end of the year.
But as time passed, the amount of falling snow increased, eventually turning into a blizzard of unprecedented proportions that blanketed the city of Wuwei.
People who had gone to the market to prepare for the Spring Festival hurried back home.
The merchants, who were anticipating a busy season, did the same.
The fierce blizzard soon cleared the streets of Wuwei. That was why So Jeok-san was startled when a person entered, piercing through the thick snowstorm.
A man wrapped in a thick, fur-lined cloak, with only his eyes visible, smiled quietly.
"Have you been well?"
"...!"
Recognizing the man's voice, So Jeok-san shot up from his chair.
"Chief Steward!"
It was a reunion after a full six months.
So Jeok-san handed a cup of warm tea to Sa Mu-sim, who was brushing the snow from his hair and shoulders.
"Thank you. I'll enjoy this."
Only after Sa Mu-sim had finished the tea and his frozen body had thawed a little did So Jeok-san carefully begin to speak.
"You've returned sooner than I expected. Didn't you say it would take over a year?"
"I traveled with others on the way there, but I was alone on the return, so I hurried. I felt I'd been away from this place for too long."
At those words, So Jeok-san asked with a worried expression.
"Will that be alright?"
He was worried about the trading company party returning without Sa Mu-sim.
"Don't worry. The company is traveling with merchants from the Western Regions, so they should be fine."
So Jeok-san finally nodded in relief.
Sa Mu-sim asked.
"Has anything happened while I was away?"
"Nothing major has... ah! That's right."
So Jeok-san gave a detailed report about the time the Jangrak Faction infiltrated Wuwei.
"So, what happened to them?"
"Well... they just disappeared."
Sa Mu-sim smiled faintly.
He said he had informed the Divine Demon Valley, so the seniors must have taken care of it. It didn't seem like something to be overly concerned about.
"Anything else?"
"Until recently, there were many outsiders investigating the area, claiming to be looking for the Divine Physician's son."
Sa Mu-sim had expected as much. What intrigued him, however, was So Jeok-san's tone, which suggested the matter was resolved.
"You mean it's been resolved?"
"Yes. The beggars from the Beggar's Sect settled in and drove the outsiders away."
"The Beggar's Sect?"
"Yes. Their motives aren't clear, but they aren't conducting any investigations themselves. They're just wary of outsiders. It's almost as if they're protecting Wuwei."
"Hmm. Are they protecting the Physician?"
The Beggar's Sect's goodwill was appreciated, but it also brought its own set of complications.
"More importantly, what about the matter I asked you about before?"
So Jeok-san smiled brightly at Sa Mu-sim's question.
"If you're referring to the trading company staff, I've recruited them as you instructed."
"Good work. I'll be gathering them for training soon, so tell them to eat well, rest, and build up their stamina before then."
"I've already done so."
Sa Mu-sim was inwardly pleased with how So Jeok-san handled things.
"Ah! I almost forgot."
Belatedly remembering something, Sa Mu-sim took an object from his robes and offered it to So Jeok-san.
So Jeok-san, taking it in a daze, asked with a puzzled look.
"What is this?"
"I'm told it's a famous liquor from the Western Regions."
"What? This is too much..."
Sa Mu-sim gave a kind smile to So Jeok-san, who was too moved to speak.
"Once we start making money, I'll get you more."
Sa Mu-sim lightly patted So Jeok-san's shoulder in a gesture of praise and encouragement, then put his cloak back on.
And before leaving, he left a word of caution.
"Contact me immediately if anything happens. Those people are martial artists, so don't try to investigate them recklessly."
"I'll keep that in mind."
"Well then, I'll see you again."
As Sa Mu-sim stepped back out into the falling snow, So Jeok-san carefully made a suggestion.
"Night will be here soon. Why not wait for the snow to stop before you leave?"
"Thank you for the thought, but I must decline."
Sa Mu-sim smiled warmly.
"I'd still like to welcome the new year at home."
* * *
"The heavens are on my side."
Sa Mu-sim's pace quickened as he headed toward the Divine Demon Valley.
As he left the village and entered the foothills, the snowfall began to subside as if by magic. As he hurried on, the entrance to the Divine Demon Valley came into view in the distance.
The familiar mountain terrain and scenery, seen after so long, felt exceptionally welcoming.
It was a feeling he hadn't experienced in a very long time.
The feeling of returning home.
But that feeling was short-lived. As he neared the entrance to the valley, a strange sound began to reach his ears.
Sa Mu-sim quickened his pace even more. For some reason, all sorts of wild animals, including ferocious beasts like tigers, bears, and boars, were gathered at the valley's entrance.
Opposite them, Neung So-mil was fighting a bloody battle against the beasts all by himself.
Closing the distance in an instant, Sa Mu-sim swung his hand like a thunderbolt at the tiger before him.
"No, brother! Don't kill them!"
Neung So-mil shouted in surprise.
"...?"
Bewildered, Sa Mu-sim hastily withdrew his hand.
Neung So-mil, who had pushed the beasts back in one go, greeted him with a pleased look.
"Welcome back, brother."
"What... is this situation?"
"This?"
Neung So-mil laughed awkwardly.
"These guys are a bit agitated right now, but they'll calm down if we wait a little. I'm using them for training in the meantime."
"But why are the wild animals...?"
Instead of answering, Neung So-mil pointed toward the inside of the valley.
Only then did Sa Mu-sim turn his head to look inside the Divine Demon Valley.
'This is?'
A strange energy that drew one in.
At its center was Dan Ak-seon.
Behind Dan Ak-seon, who was sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed, Beom Gye-wi and Han Seol-hwa sat side by side, their palms pressed against his back.
And Cho Ak-ryang was standing guard over them.
An auspicious aura rippled around them.
"So these creatures were drawn by that energy."
Neung So-mil nodded.
"Yes. It should be over soon."
"Ah, right. My greetings are late. It's good to see you again."
"Yes, it's good to see you too... *pant, pant*, just a moment. Let me take care of these guys first..."
As he opened his mouth to speak, his internal energy seemed to falter, and he panted heavily. Just then, a nearby bear swung its paw and smacked him in the face.
"Ugh!"
"Are you alright?"
"Yes! It's nothing. A hit like this barely tickles."
Sa Mu-sim raised his hand and pointed at Neung So-mil's face.
"Your nose is bleeding."
"...?"
Neung So-mil wiped his nose with the back of his hand and grimaced.
"My apologies. It's because you were talking to me..."
"Not at all, brother. This sort of thing is a daily occurrence."
Contrary to his words, the force of the club he swung at the beasts became incomparably fiercer than before.
"You! Get over here!"
Neung So-mil ignored his defense and grabbed the startled bear.
"I told you! To take it easy!"
Sa Mu-sim, letting out a chuckle in disbelief, turned his head to observe the scene inside the valley.
The mystical energy that had created this whole phenomenon was being absorbed into Dan Ak-seon as if being sucked in.
Standing before Cho Ak-ryang, Sa Mu-sim bowed his head with the utmost respect.
"I have returned, senior."
"Yes, you've worked hard. Did anything happen?"
"There were some minor difficulties, but I resolved them safely."
Cho Ak-ryang didn't ask for details and simply nodded.
"If you say so, then so it is. You must be tired from your long journey. Get some rest."
"After I pay my respects."
Dan Ak-seon opened his eyes after about a quarter of an hour had passed.
'In just half a year?'
Dan Ak-seon's gaze was as deep and steady as clear tea.
Sa Mu-sim was shocked to the point of astonishment. He could clearly feel that Dan Ak-seon's internal energy had gone beyond simply manifesting externally and was now beginning to be fully contained and controlled.
It was a truly astonishing rate of progress, hard to believe even seeing it with his own eyes.
This was true even considering his innate talent combined with the teachings of three individuals comparable to grandmasters.
Spotting Sa Mu-sim, Dan Ak-seon ran over with a bright smile.
"Welcome back! Chief Steward. Are you alright?"
As Dan Ak-seon greeted him, taking his hand, Sa Mu-sim felt a deep warmth welling up from his chest.
'He's still the same.'
The only thing that had changed was his body; Dan Ak-seon was still Dan Ak-seon.
"Thanks to you, I have returned safely."
His height, which had been around Sa Mu-sim's solar plexus before he left, now reached just below his collarbone.
"You've grown quite a bit while I was away."
Sa Mu-sim offered an item he took from his robes to the awkwardly smiling Dan Ak-seon.
"What's this?"
"Please, open it."
Dan Ak-seon took the wooden box Sa Mu-sim offered, and as he opened it, his face lit up.
"This is!"
Sa Mu-sim smiled and nodded.
"It's the ambergris and saffron you wanted so much."
He had set aside the highest-grade medicinal ingredients from the goods brought in by the trading company to give to Dan Ak-seon as a gift.
"Wow! This alone must be incredibly expensive."
The enchanting color of the finely dried red petals immediately captivated Dan Ak-seon's eyes.
"They say it takes over two thousand flowers to gather just one tael's worth of that."
"Thank you, Chief Steward."
"Don't mention it. I'm the one who should be thanking you."
"Pardon?"
"Seeing the Valley Lord so happy makes my long journey feel worthwhile."