The Medicine Immortal's Choice
Two days had passed.
I sat alone in the room, meditating to calm the turbulent resonance within my mind.
I had claimed I wasn't anxious, that I was keeping my composure, but...
Hoo. What if he simply doesn't come?
In the end, everything hinged on Yakseon's choice.
If he refused to the very end, I would have no choice but to let it go cleanly.
Yakseon could be used for far more than simply capturing Sa-an Gwi-gun.
Of course, the regret was unavoidable.
"Let's settle this."
I promptly ordered Dan-hee to pack our belongings.
In the end, Yakseon never appeared.
I briefly considered waiting longer, but if he had no intention of coming, lingering here would be nothing but a waste of time.
It would be far more profitable to spend those hours devising countermeasures against Sa-an Gwi-gun.
Besides, if he changed his mind later, I had already revealed my identity. He could find his own way to the Ju Family.
With that, we gathered all our luggage and left the inn.
The carriage was already prepared. We climbed aboard, bringing our brief excursion to a close.
"Let's head home."
Just as the carriage began to move, a voice called out.
"Wait a moment, if you would."
Along with that familiar voice, the carriage door opened and a large bundle was thrust inside.
"Sigh, you couldn't even wait a little longer before deciding to leave?"
"Senior Yakseon."
A smile rose unbidden to my lips.
The one stepping into the carriage was none other than Yakseon.
Unlike before, his expression had grown considerably lighter.
"What is all this?"
"Well, it seems I'll be staying quite a while, so I needed to bring some luggage, didn't I?"
Even for that, the amount was substantial.
"You carried all this while roaming the mountains every day? Your stamina is impressive."
"Hoo, it's hot."
Yakseon sat across from me and wiped the sweat beading on his forehead.
Then his gaze settled on Dan-hee and Dan-ah beside me.
"These are my maids. The older sister is Dan-hee, the younger is Dan-ah."
"It's nice to meet you. My name is Dan-hee."
"I'm Dan-ah, Grandfather."
Looking at the two girls, Yakseon's eyes subtly reddened at the edges.
"If Uigyeong had grown up properly, she would have smiled beautifully like you."
"Did you not bring your granddaughter along?"
At my question, Yakseon shook his head.
"I left her at the medical clinic for now. It's a place I visit often, so..."
"Why not bring her with us? At our Insujeon..."
"No need. As I told you, I have no intention of being bound to any sect."
Yakseon was more resolute than I had anticipated.
It seemed he feared that, if not me, the Ju Family might use his granddaughter as leverage to coerce him into staying.
"I see. More importantly, have you made your decision?"
"Of course I have. That's why I came. Before I die of old age, I must at least resolve my granddaughter's grudge."
He ground his teeth with a fierce crunch.
I'm sorry, but even at the time of my death, Senior Yakseon remained this vigorous and strong.
I didn't know when he would eventually pass.
After all, I had died first.
His body, tempered through years of medicinal refinement, was as sturdy as any martial artist's. That was why he could live deep in the mountains for decades without succumbing to even a single illness.
"Let's depart."
And so the carriage carrying Yakseon set off toward Jiangxi Province.
Meanwhile, at the Ju Family estate in Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, Namgung I-hwa was in the midst of receiving a guest.
A man sat within her private quarters, elegantly raising a teacup with refined poise.
He was an impossibly handsome young scholar.
Namgung I-hwa kept stealing glances at him before clearing her throat several times and finally speaking.
"Merchant Head?"
"Ah, yes. The tea's aroma was so exquisite that I became lost in savoring it for a moment. How rude of me."
The smile that accompanied his words was so captivating that even the cold and haughty Namgung I-hwa was momentarily thrown off balance.
"Not at all. Regarding what you mentioned in your letter previously..."
"You're every bit as direct as the rumors suggested."
She wasn't entirely sure what he found so direct.
The man referred to as the Merchant Head immediately retrieved one of several wooden boxes at his feet and placed it before her.
"Please, open it."
Namgung I-hwa opened the box without hesitation.
Inside lay a single small pill that appeared to be a spiritual elixir.
The moment the lid was lifted, a rich, fragrant herbal scent flooded the room.
Merely inhaling it brought a refreshing clarity to the mind.
"My word, so this is the spiritual medicine you spoke of?"
"Indeed it is."
The Merchant Head smiled warmly.
His smile was so enchanting that even Namgung I-hwa, with her iron will, felt her heart soften.
"Ahem. The efficacy is reliable, I trust?"
"Of course. Our group possesses more than enough capacity to produce and supply it on a regular basis."
"Then why have I never heard of this Formless Merchant Group before?"
"Let's simply say that, like our name implies, we prefer not to reveal our existence."
When Namgung I-hwa still appeared doubtful, the Merchant Head retrieved another wooden box from beneath his feet.
"If it's difficult to believe, I can demonstrate by consuming one myself."
"Please do."
Namgung I-hwa nodded, looking pleased.
The Merchant Head promptly picked up a pill and swallowed it.
Yet even after some time passed, there was no visible reaction.
"What is this?"
"Haha, that's because I do not practice martial arts. Unlike martial artists, there are no dramatic changes. The effects are more subtle—smoother skin, reduced body fat, and freedom from minor ailments. That sort of thing."
Even that was an extraordinarily potent elixir.
"Very well. So the Formless Merchant Group intends to provide unsparing support to our young master?"
"Precisely."
"Then what must we offer in return?"
She had learned of the Formless Merchant Group some time ago.
It had been nothing more than a passing remark, but after Ju Sang-jin suffered utter humiliation at the martial competition, the name suddenly resurfaced in her mind.
That was why she had hastily arranged this meeting.
"There is one thing I desire."
"Speak."
Namgung I-hwa's lips curved upward as she finally displayed a relaxed demeanor.
The Ju Family stood among the greatest powers under heaven.
She assumed the Merchant Head's request would amount to nothing more than wealth or land.
But the Merchant Head demanded something entirely unexpected.
"Create a position for me within the Ju Family."
"A position...?"
"I hear the chief steward of the Ju Family is quite capable. Something like an assistant chief steward would suffice. Or any vacant role, really."
It was an incomprehensible proposal.
This spiritual medicine was so valuable it defied pricing.
While it did not possess the overwhelming efficacy of the Great Recovery Pill, Plum Blossom Divine Pill, or Taiji Divine Pill, its effects were still remarkably effective for a mass-produced product.
To possess both the technique and resources to manufacture such medicine, yet ask for nothing more than a single position within the Ju Family?
The offer was far too suspicious.
"That won't be possible. Only the family head can make such appointments. Otherwise, it would require a recommendation from the elders. It is not within my authority to decide."
"Ah, is that so? In that case... what about a low-ranking warrior position?"
Namgung I-hwa considered this for a moment before nodding.
"That much should be manageable. But are you truly satisfied with so little?"
"Haha, that will be more than enough. Once Young Master Sang-jin becomes the minor family head, he will naturally see to my proper appointment."
"Very well. We have a deal."
Under normal circumstances, she should have harbored endless suspicion.
But Namgung I-hwa no longer possessed the composure to think rationally.
Ju Sang-jin had been utterly defeated at the martial competition, and the leader of the White Dragon Unit had been captured.
On top of that, the family head had summoned the Sword Dragon separately and departed for an archipelago harboring the sect's most critical secrets.
She was beyond anxious—she was on the verge of madness.
Thus, without properly weighing the situation, she approved the transaction.
He must be a man without greed. Perhaps it comes with being the head of such a wealthy merchant group.
The Merchant Head wore a smile whose meaning was impossible to decipher.
He set down two wooden boxes.
"One is for you, Madam. Consider it a small bonus."
"My, how generous. Let's continue to work well together."
"As you wish, Madam."
The Merchant Head offered a graceful bow before leaving Namgung I-hwa's quarters.
Once alone, she opened the box and examined the pills inside.
The soft white glow of the pills was enough to calm the heart simply by looking at them.
"With these..."
A look of firm resolve settled in her eyes.
She was prepared to do anything for her son.
"The position of family head of the Ju Family... will never be taken from us."
She steeled her heart and left the room, walking briskly toward Ju Sang-jin's quarters.
Meanwhile, the moment the Merchant Head of the Formless Merchant Group stepped out of the room, his expression changed completely.
The face that had been filled with sweet smiles moments earlier turned ice-cold and utterly desolate.
"What a greedy woman."
Moreover, his voice was no longer the charming tone he had used before.
It was a chilling voice that would send shivers down one's spine.
In that instant, his eyes narrowed slyly like a serpent's.
"It won't be long now, Ju Family. Your fate is approaching as well."
Muttering those incomprehensible words, he vanished from the spot like an illusion.
"Grandfather."
The way the small mouth mumbled those words was unbearably adorable. As if she might burst if squeezed, or fly away if touched. Yakseon had raised his granddaughter more preciously than his own children. Perhaps sensing her grandfather's deep love, Uigyeong had grown up sweetly without ever throwing a single tantrum. A child who smiled often. A child with a deep heart. She must have wondered about her parents' deaths, yet she never asked once, afraid it might sadden her grandfather. That was what made her so pitiable.
I will protect you, at least. No matter what.
Even when heading into the mountains, he would always carry her in a woven basket on his back. Digging for medicinal herbs together, listening to his granddaughter's constant chatter as she asked about everything under the sun—those moments were another source of happiness for Yakseon. Whether others mocked him as the basket grandfather or not, this daily life was his comfort and peace.
Then one day, Uigyeong suddenly collapsed and could not rise again. The raging fever and labored, gasping breaths were so severe they left even Yakseon stomping his feet in panic. He exhausted every ounce of his knowledge and tried every medicine he could think of, but nothing worked. He sold the medical clinic. He sold every scrap of land he owned. With that money he bought more ingredients and scoured every medical text from the western regions. Yet there was no improvement. He could not even identify the disease.
Then one day, purely by chance, he brought a silver latent herb to the lips of his granddaughter who lay as still as death. The silver latent herb was a demonic flower that reacted only to demonic energy and showed no response to any other force. The instant it touched Uigyeong's mouth, the herb turned pitch black.
'Demonic energy!'
Yakseon collapsed where he stood. It was the same reaction his son and daughter-in-law had shown.
'In the end... in the end...'
Was he doomed to fail in protecting any of his children? In the depths of endless despair, his granddaughter barely regained consciousness.
"Gr-Grandfather..."
Her voice was hoarse and utterly drained of strength. Yet even at that young age, Uigyeong forced a mature smile, perhaps fearing it would sadden her grandfather.
"I'm... hungry for rice..."
"Rice? Yes, let's eat rice. Of course we must eat. My granddaughter, my beautiful granddaughter."
He clutched his face and wept. It was too heartbreaking to watch his granddaughter struggle to see this worthless grandfather's face with eyes that could no longer focus. This powerlessness of being unable to do anything for her! He wished it was all a dream. If only he could wake up and see her open the door with that lovely smile as always.
"Grandfather."
If only she would greet him that way. If only she would take his hand and say, "Hurry and get up."
Yakseon lifted his powerless hand and took the one Uigyeong had reached out to him.
And at that moment...
"Grandfather?"
The vivid sensation snapped Yakseon back to reality.
When he regained his senses, the carriage had already come to a stop.
"We're here now. We need to get off."
"..."
It was not Uigyeong.
Of course not. Her name was Dan-ah, wasn't it? The name of the lovely girl who was the same age his granddaughter had been.
"Yes... we've arrived."
With a faint smile, Yakseon stepped down from the carriage.
One of the Twin Immortals of the world.
Yakseon—Wumun-hak—had finally set foot inside the Ju Family estate.