161. The Meaning of the Heavenly Secret (2)
The heavenly secret that the Great Earth Emperor had revealed to me in my dream, claiming it was his reward, pointed to the current location of the Black Crimson Divine Healer.
In this life, I'd already cured my illness caused by the Black Tortoise Physique, so I hadn't paid much attention to where the Black Crimson Divine Healer might be.
He was a man as fleeting as the wind, after all.
The Great Earth Emperor had boasted loudly that I'd thank him later and bow in gratitude.
Back then, I'd wondered what could it be? But no, it wasn't just anything.
It was the heavenly secret I needed most right now.
But why was this a heavenly secret and not just information?
And why had I forgotten it until just now?
If I'd remembered from the start, I would've gone to find the Black Crimson Divine Healer much earlier.
Just like how I only recalled it after seeing the place where the Blood Cultist was imprisoned, it felt like the heavenly secret itself had blocked my memory.
Honestly, my memory wasn't bad—maybe not as sharp as Heo Un's each time, but still pretty good.
So there had to be a reason for it.
But this wasn't the time to dwell on that.
I rushed straight to my father.
.
.
.
Father permitted my outing.
We prepared to leave immediately and departed within an hour.
Our destination was Akyang in Hunan.
We galloped at full speed for a good while before taking a short break. We martial artists were fine, but the horses weren't.
"Still, it's a relief."
One of the escort warriors said as he wiped his sweat.
"That the destination isn't far."
"Yeah, that's true."
Akyang sat on the border between Hubei Province and Hunan, close enough for a quick round trip.
If it had been farther, we'd have been in real trouble.
It seemed the heavenly secret had revealed his location because it was the nearest one.
We rested briefly and set off again.
This wasn't a casual business trip or leisure journey—it was urgent.
We pushed on without sleep, galloping day and night, until we finally reached Akyang.
And we arrived at the inn where the Black Crimson Divine Healer was staying.
Thanks to the Great Earth Emperor specifying which inn in Akyang he was at.
"Welcome!"
We entered the inn amid the errand boy's greeting.
There, on the first floor, a middle-aged man was having his meal.
I smiled at the sight of him.
He looked almost exactly as he had in my previous life, when I'd met him just after turning twenty-three.
Now at nineteen, this was about four years earlier than before.
I approached him, cupped my fists in salute, and greeted him.
"Something?"
"I've come seeking the Divine Healer's aid."
He stared at me intently.
"Urgent patients, I take it."
"Yes."
"You're lucky. I was planning to leave the village around lunchtime today."
That meant if we'd been even a little later, we'd have missed him and come all this way for nothing.
"Have you eaten breakfast?"
I scratched under my ear and replied.
"Not yet."
We'd rushed here eating just one hasty meal a day—steamed buns on horseback.
"Where from?"
"From Songyang County in Hubei Province."
"Not a short trip. Eat something before we go, then."
"We're fine."
"Tsk tsk. You already look exhausted. I need time to pack anyway—eat while you wait."
"Understood."
As I ordered quick noodles, the Black Crimson Divine Healer finished his meal and went upstairs to pack.
The food didn't go down easy, but as he said, I needed to restore my energy, so I forced it down.
That was when it happened.
"Huh?"
My senses picked something up, and moments later, three men entered, heading straight for us.
The repulsive aura was far stronger than before.
Black道 warriors.
The errand boy cautiously approached them.
"Wh-what can I do for you?"
"We heard a Black Society member is here?"
"……."
"No one?"
"Those bastards said they were here."
"Doesn't matter if they don't come out. We'll just kill everyone."
With that, the central black道 warrior drew his sword.
What kind of lunatic...?
I grumbled inwardly, drew my sword in a flash, and blocked him from slashing the boy.
Clang-!
At the same time, Seo-u Warrior and Jin Yu Warrior—who I'd warned ahead—drew on the others.
"Who the hell are you?"
"Just a traveler passing through."
I replied calmly, gauging their levels.
The one I'd blocked and his cohorts were first-rate. More precisely, peak first-rate, on the cusp of supreme.
High-level for mere thugs, but nothing my group couldn't handle.
I didn't have time for this, but we'd have to deal with it.
"Urgh!"
Furious that his sword was blocked, he struck mine away and swung at me again.
Clang-! Clang-clang-!
I countered with my own strikes, pressing the attack.
After a few clashes, I had his style figured out.
A heavy sword relying purely on brute force.
Illusion Sword, Snow Flower, is perfect for this.
"Wh-what...!"
Eye-like flowers bloomed from my blade, disorienting his vision, and my sword reached his throat.
"I-I surrender..."
As he said it, he pulled something from his bosom and threw it at me, shouting.
"It's a dud, you bastard!"
Never deviates from expectation.
I calmly deflected the hidden weapon with my scabbard, sending it right back into his shoulder.
Thud-!
"Huh?"
Realizing something was wrong, he trembled at the sharp pain in his shoulder.
"N-no! P-poison!"
The hidden weapon he'd thrown was coated in poison.
Not lethal, apparently—just paralyzing, from how he couldn't move.
Self-inflicted.
Glancing around, I saw our escorts had fully subdued the others.
Then the startled Black Crimson Divine Healer came down from upstairs, blinking in surprise.
.
.
.
We handed the thugs over to the constables and set off for the main branch with the Black Crimson Divine Healer.
In the process, I realized why the Great Earth Emperor had given his location as a heavenly secret.
If we hadn't been there, everyone in that inn would have died.
The Black Crimson Divine Healer wasn't a martial expert either—he'd have shared their fate.
In other words, because of me, not only he but countless others had been saved.
If I'd known his whereabouts in advance and brought him back early, those inn patrons would have perished.
And judging by the thugs' skill and intent, they'd have killed many more across other places.
But a new doubt arose.
In my previous life, I'd met the Black Crimson Divine Healer years later than now.
Which meant he wouldn't have died here.
But my thoughts were interrupted by Jin Yu Warrior.
"The horses are exhausted. We should rest."
We decided to take a break.
We needed to feed and water them anyway.
Gazing at a distant mountain, the Black Crimson Divine Healer remarked.
"Oh, doesn't that mountain resemble Mount Wudang?"
"Now that you mention it, yes."
At Yeo Eung-am Warrior's response, the healer showed curiosity.
"You've seen Mount Wudang?"
"Yes. I went there earlier this year."
"I see. I was at Mount Wudang not long ago before coming here."
That resolved my doubt.
In my previous life, the Blood Cult Lord imprisoned at the Wudang Sect had unleashed a blood calamity, killing and injuring many.
It had happened around this time back then too.
I'd taken the Bewitching Illusion Spirit Valley, the trigger, so I thought it wouldn't happen this time—yet the Murim Alliance nearly caused it anyway.
Anyway, would the Black Crimson Divine Healer have left them and come to Hunan?
No way.
My presence had changed the future, prompting him to leave Mount Wudang for Akyang.
I'd nearly gotten him killed.
Realizing that, cold sweat broke out unbidden.
Before his respect as a healer, he was Master Jin Yeong Daehyeop's father-in-law.
Even if I told Master, he'd say it was unavoidable and not to worry.
But that didn't ease my mind.
The Black Crimson Divine Healer had saved my life in my previous existence.
The heavenly secret wasn't just for my ailing nephews.
It was the key to righting a twisted future.
I really should go bow in thanks to the Great Earth Emperor.
.
.
.
We arrived at the main branch.
"Has the young master returned?"
"Yes. I've brought the Black Crimson Divine Healer. How are the children?"
The manager who'd come to greet me replied.
"They're holding on, but you should hurry."
We washed up quickly and headed to Brother Jeong Ho's annex.
"Ah, fetch a couple bottles of the strong stuff."
Palgap headed straight to the liquor storage at the healer's request.
"We've brought the Divine Healer."
All eyes in Brother Jeong Ho's annex turned to us.
I could see hope dawning on their faces.
Palgap brought the liquor, and the Black Crimson Divine Healer washed his hands with it before circulating his inner energy to dispel the alcohol.
Come to think of it, he could use martial arts.
Only second-rate level, but he'd learned it to treat patients.
The healer asked.
"The patients?"
"H-here!"
Brother Jeong Ho hurriedly led him to Geon-hyeok and Bo-yeon's room, and the healer entered.
He gazed quietly at the two children.
Thank goodness they'd held on.
I'd been so worried we'd be too late again.
"Hmm... Indeed, you had no choice but to summon me."
Nodding, he took out needles from his pouch and inserted them into the children.
He placed them in several spots, then removed them in reverse order.
The children promptly vomited up what they'd eaten.
"D-Divine Healer, is it okay that they're vomiting?"
Sister-in-law asked anxiously, and he replied calmly.
"It's fine. Just expelling the cause of the illness. Their qi and blood weren't circulating properly, so they couldn't digest the milk. How could it not hurt, feeding them more in that state?"
"What? Then?"
"Food stagnation from multiple causes. They probably didn't know the root and misdiagnosed the symptoms."
He continued.
"They'll be fine now. Have the wet nurse stand by."
"Y-yes."
"And prepare lukewarm water to clean them."
"Yes."
And so, Geon-hyeok and Bo-yeon were saved.
If they could speak, treatment might have been easier.
But as newborns, that wasn't possible.
Spotting the issue at a glance showed why he was the Black Crimson Divine Healer.
Come to think of it, he'd said upon seeing me, "Urgent patients, I take it."
People say "urgent patient," not "patients."
How did he know there was more than one?
No way?
.
.
.
A few days passed.
Geon-hyeok and Bo-yeon were fully recovered.
Father instructed me to deliver the reward money, so I took it and headed to where the Black Crimson Divine Healer was staying.
Out of respect, we'd given him a small annex.
I ran into him coming out.
"Where to?"
"My daughter's nearby, so I thought I'd visit briefly."
I knew where his daughter lived but couldn't say it outright, so I masked it.
"Tell me roughly, and I'll guide you."
"Appreciated. Somewhere with a bamboo grove, I think."
"This way."
I led him to Master's house.
But would Master be home?
He'd left on an escort mission shortly before I went to Akyang.
"B-but there's only one house here."
"How did you know?"
"I saved a child here once and learned about it."
"I see. Was that child a Kwak?"
"Yes, exactly."
He peered at me and nodded.
"So that's it. Thank you for saving my grandson."
"Pardon? You're Hyeong-jin's maternal grandfather?"
"Yes. My eldest grandson's name is Hyeong-jin."
We soon reached Master's house.
Instead of entering, the Black Crimson Divine Healer turned to me.
"By the way, young man."
"Yes?"
"What's your relation to my son-in-law?"