Chapter 89
With the sudden preparations for the banquet, the Medical Pavilion buzzed with activity. No feast could go without meat, so Tian Ailang headed out to hunt himself. Secluded deep in the mountains, the pavilion was far from any village, leaving no time to buy necessities on the spot.
Tian Ailang quickly returned with nearby wild boars, deer, and rabbits.
Soon, Chun-seok—the master of tuina therapy—took charge of butchering the meat. After skinning the game, he suddenly began pounding it with his fists.
Thud! Thud!
Tian Ailang stared in bewilderment at the unexpected hammering, but Ha-chun, who was watching alongside, explained.
"Chun-seok says pounding the meat like that tenderizes it. Wild boar is especially tough, so he's putting extra care into it."
"Have you tried it like that?"
At Tian Ailang's question, Ha-chun swallowed hard.
"Yeah. It's so delicious, just thinking about it makes my mouth water. Haha!"
Tian Ailang watched Chun-seok with curious eyes. It looked like random punching, but there was profound skill to it. He could see the rigid postmortem muscles and tendons loosening under the precise strikes. The force was perfectly controlled.
"He says hitting too hard breaks the fibers, ruining the flavor when grilled. The texture dies, apparently."
Ha-chun continued explaining from the side. Tian Ailang was surprised by Chun-seok's unexpectedly expert knowledge of meat.
"At this level, maybe he chose the wrong profession?"
Anyone this serious about meat should be running a butcher shop. Ha-chun nodded in agreement.
"Right? But his medical skills are top-notch too, so teasing him to go into butchery feels like a waste. Not long ago, the whole Jeokseong village was in an uproar because of Chun-seok."
"Why?"
Ha-chun started to answer but burst out laughing.
"Well, word spread far and wide about a divine healer who could revive men's dead pride."
"Huh?"
As Tian Ailang shot him a baffled look, Ha-chun chuckled on, clearly enjoying the conversation.
"Do you remember Seol-dong, House Lord?"
Seol-dong was the physician Tian Ailang had met in Jeokseong, the one who had connected him to the Medical Pavilion.
"How could I forget? He forged a precious bond for me."
Ha-chun smiled warmly.
"Seol-dong had to leave his clinic empty while training in Jeokseong, so Chun-seok went down to cover for him once."
Tian Ailang nodded attentively.
"Chun-seok treated a few male patients with tuina therapy. And that very night, the village lost its mind."
Tian Ailang gave Ha-chun an incredulous look.
"Isn't that a bit too exaggerated?"
Ha-chun waved his hands earnestly.
"No way~ Have you seen it yourself, House Lord?"
Tian Ailang shook his head slightly, then frowned.
"Well, no... But doesn't that make you the same?"
"Ahem. Anyway, the next day, patients lined up at the clinic. The place that was dead quiet under Seol-dong."
Tian Ailang recalled the clinic's disorganized state back then—no one in their right mind would visit.
"The men who got Chun-seok's tuina went home, and the next day even more flooded in. It was so effective that the wives took the lead, and soon everyone in the village knew Chun-seok."
"Whoa...."
"But after Chun-seok left, Seol-dong suffered a ton."
Tian Ailang tilted his head. From Seol-dong's perspective, wanting more patient experience, more patients should've been a good thing.
"Why?"
"They all demanded—whether for themselves or their husbands—to be turned into nighttime beasts. But that was Chun-seok's talent, not Seol-dong's."
"Ah...."
Tian Ailang understood the situation. He could imagine Seol-dong's panic upon returning.
"Anyway, Seol-dong got branded an incompetent physician without doing anything wrong and went through hell."
Tian Ailang silently mourned Seol-dong while seeing Chun-seok in a new light. He'd expected skill, but not this level of acclaim.
Thud! Thud!
Chun-seok's pounding echoed again—this time on the deer.
'Hard to match the image of a revered divine healer with that.'
Tian Ailang felt good discovering this hidden side of his retainers. Back then, with Hwa-ran's successful treatment and his own ascension as house lord, he hadn't heard these details.
"Ha-chun, do you have any special skills?"
Tian Ailang wanted to learn more about his retainers.
Ha-chun gave an embarrassed smile at the direct question but seemed pleased.
"It's awkward saying it myself, but I'm good with acupuncture."
"Acupuncture?"
"Yes."
Ha-chun rattled the small acupuncture kit at his waist.
Tian Ailang observed him closely. His fingers were slender and long, unlike his average build.
"Mind if I check your wrist?"
Ha-chun extended it without hesitation. Tian Ailang chuckled softly, reminded of his first meeting with Seol-dong.
'That's how this bond with the Medical Pavilion formed.'
Tian Ailang took Ha-chun's wrist and sent a light flow of qi inward, slowly scanning his internals.
'He learned the qi cultivation method well from Hwa-ran—pure qi accumulated nicely. Meridians are well-activated too.'
After a brief check, Tian Ailang released the wrist.
"When you get the chance, go study at Dangga. I'll put in a word."
Ha-chun's eyes widened at the sudden suggestion.
"Pardon? Sichuan Dangga?"
"Yeah. Learn their hidden weapon arts there."
"Any reason?"
It was reasonable to question—from the wrist check to study abroad—but Ha-chun showed absolute trust and calm judgment.
Tian Ailang smiled.
"First, your finger structure and such make you suited for it. From what I've seen, their arts rely heavily on precise qi control with the fingers. Isn't sensation key for acupuncture too?"
"Exactly."
"Dangga's hidden arts are unparalleled, so it'll boost your acupuncture greatly. Plus, they're renowned in medicine."
Ha-chun's lips curved into a grin.
"If it advances my acupuncture and medical knowledge, I'm all for it. Thank you for caring."
Tian Ailang smiled contentedly at Ha-chun's burning enthusiasm. The Medical Pavilion folk were mad for medical progress—just what he liked. With that resolve, he'd overcome any Dangga trials.
Tian Ailang went to check on the others. He sent Ha-chun to help Chun-seok if idle.
Just then, he ran into Chu-yeon and Chu-dam, the siblings gathering firewood for the bonfire.
Tian Ailang helped split logs while asking them too.
"Special skills? Hmm. We handle herbs well."
"Right. Thanks to that, we make the best fires in the pavilion."
Tian Ailang nodded at their answer. He'd often seen them decocting herbal brews or managing ingredients.
'Herbs... No need to go far—they can learn here. And...'
"Once your cultivation reaches a certain realm, focus on sensing fire qi. It'll help in many ways. I'll guide you when time allows."
The siblings smiled at Tian Ailang's advice, grateful for his attention. They agreed mastering fire would aid their decoctions.
Tian Ailang glanced at the thanking pair and moved on.
Then, someone came panting from the Medical Pavilion entrance. It was Seol-dong, who'd heard of Tian Ailang while visiting routinely and sprinted through the formation.
"Seol-dong?"
"Aigoo~ Young lord! Ah, no—House Lord! Baekdu Divine Dragon House Lord!"
Tian Ailang's brow furrowed at the bombastic title. It never sat right.
Seol-dong reached him and exhaled the breath he'd held.
"Huuuuh——."
Bowing his head, he panted heavily before finally meeting Tian Ailang's eyes. He grabbed his hand at once.
"I knew it. Our bond isn't some flimsy thing. And my eye for talent was spot on. Though I didn't expect you'd become house lord? Uhahahaha!"
Tian Ailang chuckled. The flustered energy was as chaotic as ever.
"Long time no see."
"Aigoo~ It has been. Seeing your radiant aura puts my mind at ease."
Seol-dong's face, honed by countless patients, shifted expressively.
"I've heard all the news. You must've suffered. Call on me anytime if you need help."
"Thanks."
Tian Ailang smiled and patted his shoulder lightly.
"I never properly thanked you back then, but you've given me this great bond. I owe you big."
Seol-dong smiled at the sincerity.
"You're as likable as ever, House Lord."
"You... don't tell me?"
Tian Ailang pulled back his hand warily, and Seol-dong blinked blankly before frowning.
"Ah, no! What kind of talk is that to a bachelor like me?! I'm serious!"
Tian Ailang soothed the vehement denial with a smile.
"Kidding. Good to see you."
"Phew... Glad to hear it. A guy confessed to me in the village once."
Tian Ailang stared in shock, blurting his inner thought.
"Even with the world's vastness, that's a no-go."
Seol-dong nodded deeply in agreement.
"Absolutely right—spot on, twice over. No matter how pretty and youthful I look, that's unacceptable."
Tian Ailang shot him a side-eye. There was twisted self-love mid-sentence, but he ignored it. The preparations were done, and the setting sun urged them to the gathering spot.
"Let's go. We can catch up properly there."
"Yes!"
Seol-dong, thrilled by the reunion, followed grinning ear to ear.
They soon arrived at the spacious clearing where the banquet was set. A bonfire blazed in the center, surrounded by Medical Pavilion members. Another fire roasted Chun-seok's prepped meats perfectly.
The pavilion folk noticed Seol-dong beside Tian Ailang and greeted him warmly.
"Seol-dong's here!"
"It's Seol-dong!"
"Brother Seol-dong!"
"Oppa Seol-dong!"
Seol-dong circled them, returning greetings to his long-lost pavilion family.
Tian Ailang watched from a short distance, smiling softly.
Ma-chung approached.
"Your eyes are smiling."
Tian Ailang nodded readily.
"Family welcomes back their kin like that, huh."
"Exactly. That's family. Now our Qi Clan family."
Tian Ailang flinched slightly at Ma-chung's words. He'd already thought of them as family, but hearing it anew brought a fresh, ticklish fullness.
"Yeah. Family."
Tian Ailang beamed.