Chapter 323
Chapter 323
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 323
Chapter Title: Tu Hui's Final Request
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Tu Hui's Kang Ji-so came to find Dang Mujin only after two days had passed.
"I'm terribly sorry for making you wait so long."
"It's fine. Isn't it the physician's duty to examine the patient at the most opportune time?"
Any other physician would have grumbled about wasting time like this.
However, Dang Mujin's group had a bit of a guilty conscience, so they lodged no complaints against Kang Ji-so.
Even setting other things aside, the problem was Hong Geolgae's heartfelt flying kick demonstrated to Tu Hui.
Its power was no joke—if the opponent had been a martial artist of low attainment, that kick alone would have taken their life.
No doubt, Tu Hui's internal injuries had worsened considerably from that kick as well.
"Where is the patient?"
As Dang Mujin and the Yeom Physician rose from their seats, Kang Ji-so stopped the two.
"After making you wait for days, it would be rude to have you move again. Stay here, and I'll bring the elder to you."
Kang Ji-so rose from his seat and went outside.
And Dang Mujin fell into thought.
From entering to leaving, Kang Ji-so had not mentioned anything about the madness.
He had thought they were called in mistaking the madness for internal injuries, but that didn't seem to be the case.
'No doubt, she regains her senses only to lose them again repeatedly.'
As Dang Mujin finished his thoughts, Hong Geolgae spoke in an anxious voice.
"She doesn't remember what happened that night, does she?"
It seemed the powerful kick he had delivered to Tu Hui still weighed on his mind.
Namgung Myeong teased Hong Geolgae as if he had forgotten that he himself was the cause of the situation.
"Would you forget such a flashy kick? She'll retaliate the moment she sees you, so brace yourself."
Of course, it was a joke. Those afflicted with madness do not remember the acts they commit while out of their minds.
A short while later, the woman they had encountered in the cave appeared, just as expected. Kang Ji-so was nowhere to be seen, but it wasn't a big deal. Kang Ji-so had no relation to the treatment anyway.
Dang Mujin observed the woman's appearance.
Her age was perhaps in the mid-to-late fifties. She was nearly old enough to be Dang Mujin's parent, yet her features stood out with the distinct yet refined delicacy unique to a beauty. Unlike before, her bearing was full of elegance, and her attire was neat.
Moreover, the woman's presence was no ordinary thing. Though hard to gauge precisely, Dang Mujin was certain he could not defeat her even if he wielded a sword.
'As expected of someone worthy of being called Tu Hui.'
However, there was one part that deviated from the group's expectations. The moment Tu Hui entered the room, she did not sit down but instead scanned the faces of the group—as if searching for someone.
Tu Hui's gaze lingered especially long on Hyun Gong and Hong Geolgae's faces.
Coincidentally, they were the one who had drawn his sword to block Tu Hui, and the one who had kicked her.
"..."
It was clear she retained memories from during her madness.
As Hyun Gong and Hong Geolgae subtly tried to slip away, Tu Hui opened her mouth.
"It's fine. I harbor no grudges. You were in an unavoidable situation too. I don't know why you came all the way there late at night, but..."
Hyun Gong's expression relaxed to a degree that almost seemed brazen.
For Hyun Gong to show such a reaction meant Tu Hui's words were not empty courtesy but sincere.
However, Hong Geolgae lacked Hyun Gong's brazenness. He mumbled awkwardly.
"Uh... You remember everything about the situation?"
"I remember most of it. When the madness takes hold, my body rampages on its own, but my mind doesn't become all that disordered. I just watch my body's disgraceful antics from within and sigh deeply."
Tu Hui paused her words for a moment, then apologized to the group in a solemn voice.
"Anyway, I'm sorry about that incident."
Martial artists are proud. Even when they know they've done wrong, they usually let it pass without mention.
Moreover, few could apologize like that to juniors in the martial world.
Just as they were about to say it was fine, Tu Hui began coughing violently.
Tu Hui's cough was mixed with faint drops of blood. It was hematemesis, one of the common symptoms following internal injuries. It seemed she was suffering from both madness and internal injuries at once.
Dang Mujin sent everyone except the Yeom Physician out of the room.
Tu Hui merely coughed and did not stop Dang Mujin's actions this time.
It seemed her previous restraint on people leaving had been purely to apologize to them.
Finally, Tu Hui stopped coughing. She took a deep breath to steady herself, then took out a small piece of cloth and wiped the bloodstains from the floor.
Only after the bloodstains were completely gone did Dang Mujin speak.
"Let's begin."
"Please do."
Tu Hui steadied her breathing, and Dang Mujin and the Yeom Physician each took one of Tu Hui's wrists.
The energy Dang Mujin sent flowed into Tu Hui through her wrist. But the Yeom Physician's energy merely circled around Tu Hui's wrist before being repelled. The Yeom Physician had become somewhat accustomed to circulating his internal energy, but the amount he possessed was still far too small.
The Yeom Physician released Tu Hui's wrist with a regretful expression and stepped back.
As Dang Mujin examined Tu Hui's internal injuries, he thought to himself.
'It's not an old internal injury. I should be able to treat it adequately. The problem is the madness.'
Kang Ji-so had said nothing about Tu Hui's madness. But Dang Mujin directed his energy toward Tu Hui's head.
As Dang Mujin's internal energy headed toward her head, Tu Hui flinched slightly but soon calmed her breathing and allowed Dang Mujin to examine as he wished.
If Dang Mujin harbored even the slightest malice, Tu Hui would die on the spot. Yet Tu Hui appeared not just relaxed but remarkably at ease. Whether it was magnanimity or detachment, it was hard to tell.
Dang Mujin meticulously examined Tu Hui's head for a long time before withdrawing his energy. Tu Hui, on the other hand, seemed regretful.
Tu Hui asked.
"How was it?"
"The internal injuries can be fully treated. The problem is the madness... The turbid qi has deeply permeated her entire head. Moreover, it seems an incredibly long time has passed since it reached this state. It's beyond my abilities."
Even as the world's greatest physician, Dang Mujin could not cure every ailment.
And, as far as Dang Mujin knew, no one could treat madness of this severity.
Tu Hui made a bitter expression. Dang Mujin spoke to comfort her.
"Elder Tu Hui."
Tu Hui furrowed her brows.
"Did Kang Ji-so tell you that moniker?"
"Yes."
"I specifically asked him not to mention it outside... Anyway, don't call me that. The nickname Tu Hui doesn't suit being addressed as 'elder,' and I've discarded it for over twenty years."
"I see."
Tu Hui took a deep breath in and slowly exhaled.
Then, rather than the other way around, she comforted Dang Mujin.
"In any case, don't be too disappointed about the madness. Even the Divine Physician, the Eccentric Physician, and the eminent monks of Shaolin Temple couldn't cure it. It was like that even when the symptoms were mild back then, so it's even harder now. It's not because your skills are lacking."
A familiar moniker was mentioned. But it wasn't the atmosphere to discuss the Eccentric Physician.
Dang Mujin scratched his head.
"How did the internal injuries occur?"
"It's nothing much. An old friend visited, and I took a hit during a spar after a long time."
Dang Mujin nodded. It was largely as he had expected.
"Then, what about the turbid qi permeating your head?"
"That was arrogance."
"Arrogance?"
When Dang Mujin asked back, Tu Hui burst into laughter.
"It's embarrassing to talk about now, but when I was young, the whole world seemed like it was mine. No man met me without falling for me, and few of my peers could surpass me in martial prowess. In the righteous martial world, no one exceeded me except Jincheon."
Jincheon was undoubtedly Namgung Jincheon.
However, another statement caught Dang Mujin's ear.
"...The righteous martial world?"
"Ah, you didn't know? I was a righteous martial artist. From the Wi Ji Clan of Hebei."
She spoke as if Dang Mujin would naturally know the Wi Ji Clan, but the name was unfamiliar to him. Tu Hui couldn't hide her disappointment at his reaction.
"You don't know the Wi Ji Clan? When I was young, it was the foremost clan in Hebei."
"My knowledge is limited."
"No. It's natural you don't know, since I essentially destroyed the Wi Ji Clan."
Dang Mujin had decent intuition, so he didn't pry into what had happened.
The Yeom Physician was the same. He had been holding his breath quietly since earlier, just listening to the conversation between Tu Hui and Dang Mujin.
"Anyway, I brimmed with confidence in my youth. I lacked nothing. I thought I could aim for the world's greatest with just a bit more effort. Even if not that, becoming the foremost of the righteous factions was possible. Once the Eternal Treasure Immortal and the Divine Monk stepped aside, it would be Jincheon and me competing next."
He wondered what reaction she would have upon hearing that Hwa Yeon Immortal Nun was still alive and well. She would surely be greatly disappointed.
'No, maybe not. Hwa Yeon Immortal Nun isn't a righteous martial artist...'
Tu Hui continued her story.
"Nor was it just my own thinking. Everyone in my clan thought the same. So the people of the Wi Ji Clan emptied the family vaults, gathering all sorts of spiritual herbs and martial manuals to hand to me. Amid that, I discovered something tremendous."
"What was it?"
"A manual containing the technique called Dai Zong Ruhe."
Dang Mujin stroked his chin. It was a martial art name he had never heard before.
"It was a technique as tremendously powerful as it was difficult to learn. It was the first martial art beyond my capabilities, but I couldn't give up. Mastering Dai Zong Ruhe alone would make the world's greatest a certainty. No, I never even considered failure. Having never been frustrated before, I believed I would overcome the difficulties soon enough and master it."
Dang Mujin's eyebrows twitched.
Practicing demonic arts is dangerous, but so is practicing a martial art beyond one's level. It's even more so without a master to sense the danger first and stop you.
Tu Hui smiled faintly.
"I knew something was wrong too. But I couldn't back down. My pride was too strong, and I was arrogant. As a result, the madness came. Yes, my arrogance brought on the madness."
"So, what did you do?"
"How could Tu Hui, revered by all under heaven, show such disgrace before people? I fled the righteous martial world and wandered desolate places. And finally, I arrived here."
However, Tu Hui seemed to have stayed in this village for an incredibly long time. What circumstances had made her remain here?
Tu Hui asked Dang Mujin.
"You're a righteous martial artist, right?"
"Yes."
No one had ever directly told Dang Mujin, 'You are a righteous martial artist!'
But Dang Mujin had subconsciously considered himself one. Many of those close to him were righteous martial artists, and hadn't he fought on the righteous side during the last Righteous-Demonic War?
"I have a question."
"Please ask."
"Do people still remember the moniker Tu Hui?"
"Many know the moniker. But no one knew how you've been lately."
Tu Hui showed a satisfied expression for the first time.
"Good. It's turned out as I hoped."
"As you hoped?"
"In people's memories, Tu Hui Wi Ji Nanhyang remains as she was in her most beautiful days. Not as a lunatic holed up in a cave, but as the proud young woman who dominated the world. Isn't that right?"
It was true.
People didn't know Tu Hui's current situation, but whenever they spoke of her, they did so with admiration and longing.
"I've fallen to the bottom. But Tu Hui Wi Ji Nanhyang will remain forever as the most beautiful name. In a way, perhaps fleeing with the madness allowed this. Yes, immortality."
It was a peculiar obsession. Had she always been like this, or had the passing years changed her into this?
Dang Mujin gave an awkward smile before carefully setting down his pack and taking out the medicinal ingredients.
He planned to make powdered medicine to treat the internal injuries, monitor the progress, then finish with a suitable decoction.
However, Tu Hui Wi Ji Nanhyang turned her head to look at Dang Mujin.
"Hey. You're called the Divine Dragon, right?"
"Yes."
"I have a request."
"Don't worry. Though the madness is beyond me, the internal injuries will heal soon enough."
But Tu Hui Wi Ji Nanhyang shook her head.
"No, not that kind of request."
Dang Mujin's expression hardened slightly.
From his experience so far, whenever someone made an unexpected request, it was always something unwelcome.
Though the specifics varied by situation.
And sure enough, Wi Ji Nanhyang made a request Dang Mujin could not easily comprehend.
"Make sure people continue to remember the moniker Tu Hui as they do now."
Dang Mujin did not immediately understand her words.
Yet somehow, his chest felt tight. He sensed the meaning behind what Tu Hui had said.
Tu Hui spoke.
"End my life. But painlessly. Furthermore, I hope no corpse or grave of mine remains. Is there a way to do that?"
What Tu Hui Wi Ji Nanhyang had requested of Dang Mujin was not treatment.
What Tu Hui had requested of Dang Mujin was immortality.
She wished to remain forever in the deepest, bluest summer.