Chapter 121
Chapter 121
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 121
Chapter Title: Don't Tremble
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< Don't Tremble >
The Divine Doctor of the Ages meticulously examined a corpse before taking a rest some distance away.
“Ah, it’s been a while. I’m not as good as I used to be.”
In the past, he could dissect dozens of bodies a day, but now, perhaps due to age, he was drained after just one.
The One-Needle Eccentric watched him with a look of wonder.
“You’re really something else when it comes to this.”
The Divine Doctor of the Ages smirked at the compliment.
“How many bodies do you think I’ve dissected over the years? You’re the impressive one, brother, being able to do that much with so little experience.”
“My methods are just a bit different from other physicians.”
The One-Needle Eccentric said, then glanced at Cho Seoran, who was sitting nearby with a pale face.
No matter how brilliant a physician Cho Seoran was, or how much experience she had, how often would she have had to examine a corpse like this?
After inspecting just one body, Cho Seoran was mentally and physically exhausted. A little more of this, and she felt she would truly fall apart.
Moreover, she realized her skills were still far too lacking when it came to handling corpses.
She could research and create medicine all day long with great confidence, but this was a completely different world.
“I suppose I have no talent in this area.”
As Cho Seoran spoke in a dejected voice, the Divine Doctor of the Ages stared at her quietly.
Feeling his gaze, Cho Seoran wore an uneasy expression.
“Why are you looking at me like that? Are you going to make me do something else…?”
“No, it’s just that you mentioning ‘talent’ reminded me of something.”
Cho Seoran gave a slight nod. For some reason, the Divine Doctor’s gaze made her uncomfortable, and she didn’t want to discuss it further.
But then, the One-Needle Eccentric suddenly brought up a similar topic.
“Well, it’s not like there’s no way to gain talent.”
As the One-Needle Eccentric said this and nodded emphatically, the Divine Doctor’s eyes lit up.
“You noticed too, brother?”
“How could I not? It’s happened several times. And honestly, you could say we’ve experienced it ourselves. Haven’t we?”
The Divine Doctor of the Ages chuckled.
“That’s right. We have. So, did you see any results, brother?”
“I did. To be honest, I recently had an epiphany and broke through a wall, didn’t I? It probably would’ve been impossible without that help. My medical skills also broke through a recent plateau.”
“Same here. Honestly, I don’t care much for martial arts, but it was a huge help to my medical skills.”
“It looks that way to me, too. You’ve gotten much better than before. I think it’s about time I admitted it.”
“Admit what? That I’m better than you?”
The One-Needle Eccentric nodded, and Cho Seoran, who was watching, felt her eyes go wide.
She looked back and forth between the Divine Doctor and the One-Needle Eccentric in astonishment.
“Come on, let’s be honest. I was better than you at medicine from the moment we first met. You knew how to poke people with a few needles, but you were terrible at actual medicine.”
The One-Needle Eccentric scowled.
“Things were going so well, what’s this all of a sudden? I praise you a little and you’re already trying to climb all over me?”
The Divine Doctor of the Ages held up a hand, cutting him off.
“This isn’t the time for that, so quiet down.”
“What? This bastard, really!”
The Divine Doctor of the Ages whipped his head around to look at Cho Seoran.
“So, what do you think?”
“Pardon? W-What do I think about what?”
Cho Seoran stammered in confusion. A hint of anticipation flickered in her eyes.
The One-Needle Eccentric, calming his excitement, smoothly interjected.
“What do you think he means? He’s asking if you want to change.”
Cho Seoran asked cautiously.
“Is it… possible for me, too?”
The Divine Doctor of the Ages grinned. For some reason, Cho Seoran found that smile incredibly dangerous.
“Of course, it’s possible. You just have to trust us completely and entrust your body to us.”
“Pardon? M-My body?”
Startled, Cho Seoran covered her chest with both hands and stumbled backward.
The Divine Doctor of the Ages scowled.
“Aish, seriously. It’s not like I’m going to do anything to you! Brother! What are you doing?”
The One-Needle Eccentric replied with a straight face.
“I don’t know anything. You’re the one after her body, you handle it.”
Cho Seoran’s expression hardened even more as she continued to back away.
“Ah, brother! Really!”
The One-Needle Eccentric just cackled.
* * *
Byeok Taesan was listening to Hwaok’s report.
Through the members of the Underworld Sect, Hwaok had interrogated Jam Geukcheon, wringing out every last one of his memories.
However, there weren’t many memories left in his mind to begin with.
“It was as if only a few key pieces of information had been forcibly crammed into his head.”
At Hwaok’s words, Byeok Taesan stroked his chin with a peculiar expression.
Perhaps what she said was true.
“Then what about the treasure map?”
“That seems to have been his last memory, so it was a bit stronger. It was jumbled, but he was certain in his answers.”
Still, she had managed to trim and piece together the jumbled mess into something useful.
For the Underworld Sect or Hwaok, who dealt with information, that was a trivial task.
“Jam Geukcheon obtained an elixir through the treasure map.”
“An elixir?”
“He called it ‘Gongcheongseokyu,’ but it didn't seem to be that. It looks like someone orchestrated it to make him take the medicine artificially.”
Byeok Taesan nodded. That was certainly a possibility.
And given that it was his last memory, the medicine he took then must have had some special effect.
Either that, or the place where the medicine was located had a special effect.
Observing the organization called Nameless, their knowledge of formations was exceptional.
Could they have used a formation to do something back then as well?
“Your thoughts?”
“If Jam Geukcheon’s memory is true, then the medicine seems to be the reason why the deceased Jam Geukcheon was resurrected in another body.”
“Still, to eat a medicine obtained from a treasure map without any suspicion… he must have been out of his mind.”
“It seemed he ate it as soon as he found it.”
If that was the case, it was certain. There was something at the very place where he obtained the medicine.
“If there are any rumors or information about treasure maps, gather them.”
“I have already given the order to the Underworld Sect. You should be able to see the results soon.”
Byeok Taesan nodded.
Having Hwaok around was certainly convenient. She handled things on her own without him needing to say anything.
He had only mentioned the treasure map, and she had already acted. In truth, she was likely handling countless other tasks separately.
“Is there anything else to report?”
At Byeok Taesan’s question, Hwaok gave a brief report on the current progress.
She methodically reported on the progress of the formation analysis, how much of the Secret Heaven Group’s location had been identified using information from Seung Doheung, how they were being monitored, and the details of seizing control of Go Jungwang and Seo Dogun’s subordinate organizations.
“Finally, we have identified and are monitoring the Nameless organizations connected to Go Jungwang and Seo Dogun. As soon as you give your permission, Young Master, we will begin the cleanup operation.”
Byeok Taesan nodded.
“Clean them up.”
Hwaok bowed respectfully and carefully withdrew.
As she opened the door to leave Byeok Taesan’s room, she saw the Divine Doctor of the Ages and the One-Needle Eccentric waiting outside. Behind them, Cho Seoran stood with her head bowed low.
Hwaok was momentarily surprised but quickly composed herself, gave them a slight bow, and swiftly departed.
She left the door open.
“Hehe. Young Master. Are you still awake?”
The Divine Doctor’s words made Byeok Taesan frown.
“What are you plotting now?”
“Goodness, plotting? Young Master, you wound me with such words. Am I not a man who lives by his loyalty to you alone? Every word I speak and every action I take stems from my heartfelt devotion to you.”
Byeok Taesan let the Divine Doctor’s words flow past him, his gaze shifting to briefly scan the One-Needle Eccentric and Cho Seoran.
“If you have something to say, come in and say it.”
“Oh, what could I possibly have to say? I was just wondering when you might be going to sleep, Young Master… that’s all.”
The Divine Doctor of the Ages said as he slid inside. The One-Needle Eccentric and Cho Seoran quickly followed.
And they closed the door.
Byeok Taesan watched them quietly. It was obvious that all three were more tense than usual.
“What trouble have you caused now?”
At Byeok Taesan’s cold words, they all flinched and waved their hands frantically.
“Goodness, trouble? It’s not like that. Truly. Ah, I’m serious! Please, believe me.”
“Then?”
Byeok Taesan once again swept his gaze over the three of them.
After a moment of hesitation, the Divine Doctor of the Ages spoke cautiously.
“Um… Young Master. About our maids… you were the one who did that, weren’t you? And what you did to us, was it the same thing?”
“I don’t know what ‘that thing’ is, but I know what you’re talking about.”
Byeok Taesan’s gaze fell on Cho Seoran.
Cho Seoran, who had been looking at him, startled when their eyes met and quickly lowered her head.
Byeok Taesan turned and headed toward the bedroom connected to his office.
“Follow me.”
“Pardon?”
Confused, Cho Seoran looked back and forth between Byeok Taesan, the Divine Doctor, and the One-Needle Eccentric.
The Divine Doctor of the Ages gestured frantically with his eyes, as if to say, *what are you doing?*
“What are you waiting for? Hurry up and follow him.”
“What? By myself? But that’s the Young Master’s bedroom.”
The Divine Doctor and the One-Needle Eccentric gently pushed Cho Seoran’s back.
*Tap, tap, tap.*
Caught by the unexpected push, Cho Seoran found herself walking forward quickly.
By the time she came to her senses, Byeok Taesan’s back was right in front of her.
“Ah…!”
Suddenly, her mind was a jumble. She couldn’t think straight.
She had followed the Divine Doctor and the One-Needle Eccentric on their promise to awaken her talent.
She had come this far because they said Byeok Taesan could do it.
‘This isn’t right…’
By the time she had that thought, it was already too late. When she regained her wits, she was already inside Byeok Taesan’s bedroom, sitting on his bed.
And Byeok Taesan was standing right in front of her.
Her heart pounded like crazy.
Cho Seoran swallowed hard and lifted her head. She saw Byeok Taesan’s face.
He was looking down at her with an utterly calm expression.
“Don’t tremble. It’s nothing.”
At his words, Cho Seoran screamed internally.
‘What do you mean it’s nothing?!’
Then what on earth would be something?
Through her tense eyes, Cho Seoran saw Byeok Taesan raise his hand.
And that hand came to rest on her head.
Just as the thought, *is he going to pat my head?* crossed her mind, her consciousness vanished.
* * *
Cho Seoran slowly opened her eyes. After a few blinks, the ceiling came into view.
Startled, she sat up and looked around.
She couldn’t remember clearly, but it seemed she had slept on the bed.
‘My clothes… are still on?’
A strange feeling washed over her. It was a complex mix of relief and disappointment.
Cho Seoran tried to recall what had happened.
It felt incredibly arduous. Like the endurance required when decocting medicine or creating pills. And yet, it was blissful.
She felt like she had spent the entire night experiencing a feeling akin to a sense of achievement.
‘Ah… so something did happen?’
Cho Seoran’s face turned beet red.
She carefully got off the bed and went outside.
Opening the door led directly into the space Byeok Taesan used as an office.
No one was there.
That strange feeling of both relief and disappointment returned.
She cautiously made her way out of the room. She was about to go find the Divine Doctor and the One-Needle Eccentric, but she paused.
‘I think… it’s better not to see them right now.’
Cho Seoran carefully left the area and went to find a place where she could be alone.
* * *
Byeok Taesan stood in the middle of the estate’s only training ground.
He had come here to refine the spiritual energy he had obtained from burning Cho Seoran’s soul the previous night.
“Astonishing.”
It was truly astonishing.
In fact, after encountering the Half-Jiangshi, he had all but stopped the practice of extracting and burning human souls.
The efficiency and quantity were far too low compared to the Half-Jiangshi.
But that thought had changed yesterday.
Honestly, he hadn’t intended to extract Cho Seoran’s soul. But seeing the Divine Doctor and the One-Needle Eccentric try so hard had swayed him slightly.
Besides, he would be maintaining a good relationship with the Heavenly Medicine Hall, and he would continue to make use of Cho Seoran. Creating a foundation for her to develop by burning her soul seemed like a good long-term investment.
The result was astonishing.
The spiritual energy extracted from burning Cho Seoran’s soul was close to an elixir.
Was it because she was a person who made medicine?
“The Heavenly Medicine Hall…”
As Byeok Taesan murmured to himself, the corners of his lips curled up slightly.
< Don't Tremble > End