Chapter 104
Chapter 104
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 104
Chapter Title: You Haven't Changed
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"Hey, what in the world do you think our Young Master is up to?"
"I don't know either. Surely he's not planning to take the Queen of Medicine as a concubine..."
The Divine Doctor of the Ages flinched at those words. And the One-Needle Eccentric flinched just the same.
The two looked at each other for a moment, then turned their heads to look toward Byeok Taesan and Cho Seoran.
But they soon tilted their heads in confusion.
Despite the implication, the atmosphere between them didn't seem very amicable.
Meanwhile, the others were having a wild time.
"What kind of doctors drink alcohol like water?"
The seven doctors who came with the Queen of Medicine, along with the two doctors working at the Golden Jade Trading Company—nine people in total—had taken over a table and were rapidly consuming alcohol and food.
They were completely drunk and chattering away, but about half of what they said was incomprehensible.
Yet, they seemed to understand each other perfectly, as their conversation flowed smoothly. Of course, if you listened closely from the side, you'd realize they weren't really communicating, just saying whatever they wanted to.
The Divine Doctor of the Ages and the One-Needle Eccentric sat at a distance from them, their eyes gleaming as they exercised maximum restraint.
They couldn't get drunk. They had to secure a promise from the others while they were intoxicated.
And then, they just had to make sure the promise wasn't forgotten.
"But if those bastards drink that much, will they even remember what happened today?"
The Divine Doctor of the Ages showed a slightly anxious expression.
The One-Needle Eccentric scoffed at him.
"Have you forgotten who I am? I'm the One-Needle Eccentric. With a single needle, I can engrave memories into their minds. It'll work even better since they're drunk."
"Isn't that dangerous? Messing with the head can cause serious problems, you know."
"I told you not to worry. You think this is my first time? It's a method I've often used in bets, so don't you worry."
The Divine Doctor of the Ages's eyes narrowed.
"What, you've been winning bets like that all this time?"
"What wouldn't one do to win a bet? I only make bets I can win."
As he said this, the One-Needle Eccentric glanced at Byeok Taesan.
The Divine Doctor of the Ages chuckled at the sight.
"What's wrong? Did you remember the bet you made with our Young Master? Still, things turned out pretty well, don't you think? If it weren't for the Young Master, I guarantee you'd have been stabbed in the back on some street."
The One-Needle Eccentric let out a small laugh.
"Well... I suppose so."
Their gazes returned to Byeok Taesan. He was the man who, one way or another, had become entangled in their lives and changed their destinies.
Wondering what would happen next was both troublesome and frightening, yet it made their hearts pound.
"Alright, let's get ready to work. They're all starting to lose it."
With sly expressions, the two doctors stealthily approached the nine doctors from the Heavenly Medicine Hall.
And while they were carrying on like that, Byeok Taesan and Cho Seoran were sitting opposite each other, just drinking.
The reason Byeok Taesan had bothered to grant the One-Needle Eccentric's request was nothing special. It was simply because he was in a good mood today.
For a Byeok Taesan in a good mood, merely going out for a drink together was nothing.
And since the alcohol today tasted quite good, his mood improved even more.
They were currently at the Hundred Flowers Pavilion.
However, it wasn't a courtesan house, but a tavern that shared the same name.
It was, of course, a tavern run by the Underworld Sect. The Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion's direct subordinate was also in charge here.
The moment they stepped inside, the Underworld Sect began to move on its own.
The eyes and ears of the Underworld Sect were everywhere in the Hundred Flowers Pavilion, absorbing every single conversation that took place here.
And after identifying them, they began to gather information related to the Heavenly Medicine Hall on their own initiative.
Information gathered from the Underworld Sect branches near the Martial Alliance and by members near the Heavenly Medicine Hall was rapidly being sent to Wuhan.
And they began to conduct a deeper investigation into the Heavenly Medicine Hall.
The information gathered this way would be delivered to Byeok Taesan within a few days. Such was the power of the Underworld Sect, now in possession of the perfect shadow network.
Cho Seoran and Byeok Taesan barely exchanged any meaningful conversation until the drinking party was nearly over.
It was mostly just Cho Seoran occasionally speaking to him, to which Byeok Taesan would give a simple reply.
As the drinking party came to a close, Byeok Taesan suddenly asked.
"What is it you want?"
"Pardon?"
"You keep looking at me with eyes that desire something. It made me curious."
"Ah...!"
Cho Seoran gave a bitter smile, realizing her inner thoughts had been exposed. Then she looked at Byeok Taesan with renewed eyes.
Honestly, she never thought her intentions would be seen through.
She was quite confident in her ability to hide her feelings.
"I see now why the Eccentric Elder serves you."
It must be because of this extraordinary side of him that people like the One-Needle Eccentric and the Divine Doctor of the Ages bowed their heads and entered his service.
Byeok Taesan stared at Cho Seoran, as if telling her to hurry up and say what she wanted.
"I... I would like to take your pulse, Young Master."
"I refuse."
"Pardon?"
Looking at Byeok Taesan with flustered eyes, as if to say he had been too blunt, Cho Seoran soon smiled shyly and spoke again.
"I'm a more skilled physician than you might think. Those two doctors over there are incredible, but my field is different from theirs. I'm certain a diagnosis from me would be helpful."
Byeok Taesan didn't even reply. His illness was already cured, so what was the point of a diagnosis?
Besides, even without a physician's diagnosis, Byeok Taesan had a firm grasp of his own body's condition.
That was how he'd immediately recognized his severed meridians and knew precisely which energy channels were broken.
He could even treat himself if something went wrong with his body.
It wasn't for nothing that Byeok Taesan had mastered the Ghostly Spirit Demonic Arts and the Imperial Pill Arts.
But there was no need or reason to receive a diagnosis from the Queen of Medicine, who was less skilled than the Divine Doctor of the Ages or the One-Needle Eccentric.
Cho Seoran tried to persuade him several more times, changing her words and approach, but Byeok Taesan didn't say another word after that, only tilting his cup.
In the end, Cho Seoran failed to get what she wanted by the time the party ended.
But she hadn't given up.
***
"Ah, you're truly amazing. How could you possibly come up with such an idea?"
Cho Seoran looked at the Divine Doctor of the Ages with an expression of admiration.
She was currently in a discussion with the Divine Doctor of the Ages and the One-Needle Eccentric about the Divine Elixir of the Ages.
He hadn't revealed the entire secret formula for making the Divine Elixir of the Ages, only a part of it, but Cho Seoran, befitting her title as the Queen of Medicine, immediately grasped its core principles.
Not only that, she even suggested improvements for the Divine Elixir of the Ages.
"I think we can greatly improve its effects by swapping a few of the herbs for others. What about something like this?"
Cho Seoran wrote down a few herbs on a piece of paper.
Seeing it, the Divine Doctor of the Ages and the One-Needle Eccentric nodded emphatically.
"Indeed... with that, we could increase the internal energy enhancement effect without affecting the other properties. But the herbs required would be too expensive. The core principle of my Divine Elixir of the Ages is to achieve effects comparable to a spiritual elixir using cheap herbs."
Of course, the downside is that, unlike a spiritual elixir, it takes some time to see the effects.
"In that case, we can just replace these two herbs with different ones. The price shouldn't be too different then, right?"
The Divine Doctor of the Ages looked at Cho Seoran with sparkling eyes.
"Have you any thought of becoming my colleague?"
Cho Seoran smiled shyly and replied.
"For that to happen, the Divine Doctor would have to join the Heavenly Medicine Hall, wouldn't he?"
It had already been three days since Cho Seoran arrived at the Golden Jade Trading Company.
During that time, she had grown quite close to the Divine Doctor of the Ages. She already knew the One-Needle Eccentric, but she had become more familiar with him as well.
Meanwhile, the seven doctors from the Heavenly Medicine Hall were being overworked, having taken over the tasks previously handled by the Divine Doctor and the Eccentric.
This all happened because Cho Seoran had nodded in agreement with the Divine Doctor's claim that it would help their medical training.
Of course, the fact that the Divine Doctor had half-forced a promise out of them at the drinking party accounted for about half the reason.
In the middle of their conversation about the Divine Elixir of the Ages, Cho Seoran subtly changed the subject.
"By the way... how is Young Master Byeok's health?"
To Cho Seoran's question, the Divine Doctor of the Ages answered nonchalantly.
"Well... he was originally dying from severed meridians, but he should be much better now."
"Pardon? He had severed meridians?"
Cho Seoran's eyes widened. The real reason she wanted to diagnose Byeok Taesan wasn't because of severed meridians, but because of the Half-Jiangshi.
The information she had on Byeok Taesan was that he possessed a peculiar constitution that allowed him to defeat Half-Jiangshi in an instant.
She had sent doctors to the Hubei Martial Alliance to investigate it, and when they contacted her, she used it as an excuse to come and examine Byeok Taesan herself.
But why was the topic of severed meridians suddenly coming up now?
"Then, is it because of the severed meridians that the Half-Jiangshi are helpless near Young Master Byeok?"
"Hmm. I'm not sure about that. Well, it's been quite a while since I last checked the Young Master's pulse."
Cho Seoran asked, as if she couldn't understand.
"The man you serve has severed meridians, and you haven't even properly diagnosed him?"
"I did at first. I'm telling you, I thought he was a real corpse back then."
The Divine Doctor of the Ages chuckled and continued.
"But his condition has improved to the point where there's no need for it anymore. I think... he's probably... almost completely healed?"
Cho Seoran's eyes sparkled as she looked back and forth between the Divine Doctor of the Ages and the One-Needle Eccentric.
"Still, it's better to be certain, so shouldn't you perform a diagnosis? I'll help too!"
The expressions of the Divine Doctor and the Eccentric immediately turned reluctant.
"Well... is there really a need for that?"
Cho Seoran felt so frustrated her heart could burst. It seemed like she was just one step away, but that one step was so hard to take.
"Of course there's a need. That's the only way our doctors from the Heavenly Medicine Hall will continue to help you elders, isn't it?"
Hearing that, the One-Needle Eccentric gave a bitter smile.
"You haven't changed a bit."
Cho Seoran smiled shyly.
"You mean I'm consistent? I'll take that as a compliment."
The One-Needle Eccentric shook his head. It seemed it wouldn't be easy to break her stubbornness.
'Still, this time will be different. The world has people who exist beyond your common sense and imagination.'
***
Byeok Taesan carefully read the documents that the Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion had respectfully presented.
The information the Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion brought today was about the Heavenly Medicine Hall.
Byeok Taesan hadn't specifically ordered an investigation, but she had gathered information on those who approached him.
Most of it was information that had been steadily collected over time, so it wasn't a burden.
After reviewing the documents for a while, Byeok Taesan tossed them into the air.
Fwoosh!
The scattered papers burst into flames in mid-air.
Byeok Taesan stared at the Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion. Seeing her take the initiative and work on her own was quite commendable.
"Well done."
The Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion's expression immediately brightened.
"Didn't you find it a bit strange that the Heavenly Medicine Hall's financial situation had worsened?"
"There were many signs of artificial interference."
"Artificial..."
Byeok Taesan recalled the contents of the report he had just read. There were certainly some unnatural aspects.
"That means someone has been scheming against the Heavenly Medicine Hall."
"We haven't secured any information on that yet, but it seems to be a reasonable assumption."
"Why do you think they would pull such a stunt? To devour the Heavenly Medicine Hall?"
The Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion wasn't sure about that part yet.
In fact, if that were the goal, someone should have made a move at some point. But no one did until the Heavenly Medicine Hall reached out to the Martial Alliance.
"I suspect the Martial Alliance."
"The Martial Alliance?"
Byeok Taesan looked at the Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion with intrigued eyes.
Of all places, the Martial Alliance scheming to devour the Heavenly Medicine Hall. How amusing.
"Your reasoning?"
"Even after joining hands with the Martial Alliance, the Heavenly Medicine Hall's financial situation has not improved significantly."
"That's rather unexpected."
"They've put out the most urgent fire, but the situation remains the same. At this rate, they will be perpetually indebted to the Martial Alliance."
Byeok Taesan recalled what he knew about the Martial Alliance.
The Alliance Leader, the Grand Marshal of the Martial Alliance, and a few elders came to mind.
Byeok Taesan shook his head.
"Strange. Honestly, I don't think the Martial Alliance would do something like that..."
He didn't know everything about them, but they weren't the type to resort to such despicable acts.
Byeok Taesan's eyes gleamed as he spoke to the Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion.
"Look into it in more detail. And..."
The Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion waited with tense eyes for Byeok Taesan's next command.
"Find a way for me to devour the Heavenly Medicine Hall."
The Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion's eyes widened.
But she soon smiled and answered in a resolute tone.
"As you command."