chapter 248

Warrior Meets the Divine Physician, and the World Rapidly Changes (2)

“Sigh!”

Yeo Joong Wol let out a deep sigh. His face was clouded with worry.

“Is it going to end up like this?”

Feeling frustrated, he opened the window and looked outside.

Even in the deep of night, the night of Jade Heaven Alliance was dazzlingly bright. Numerous lanterns shone brightly, creating a lively atmosphere.

Yeo Joong Wol had been protecting the Jade Heaven Alliance for many years. His blood, sweat, and youth were embedded in it. That’s why he had deep affection for the Jade Heaven Alliance.

“Sigh!”

Yeo Joong Wol sighed deeply once again.

His mind was complicated.

What was usually clear in his mind now felt murky, as if it was covered in fog. Ever since the leader of the Jade Heaven Alliance, Ja Hong-cheon, declared war on the Nine Sects, Yeo Jung-wol had been plagued by confusion.

Ja Hong-cheon had declared war on the Nine Sects.

As the leader of the Secret Court, Yeo Joong Wol should have been informed of such an important decision beforehand, especially if Ja Hong-cheon acknowledged his authority. But until Ja Hong-cheon made the announcement, Yeo Joong Wol had been completely in the dark.

His role as the military strategist of the alliance meant that he had to be aware of everything happening within the Jade Heaven Alliance. Yeo Joong Wol knew well what it meant for the military to be excluded from major issues of the Alliance.

“He’s telling me to step down.”

Stepping down from the military position was not difficult. However, if Yeo Joong Wol stepped down now, there would be no one to check on Jang Hong-cheon.

Joo Shin Yoon, the head of the inner court, was practically Jang Hong-cheon’s limb, and the Outer Court head, Geum Gu-ho, was severely injured so he could not exert any influence. Nam Il-geuk, the head of the main court, was also aggressive and actively supported Jang Hong-cheon.

With this lineup, Yeo Joong Wol was completely isolated within the upper ranks of the Alliance.

For a long time, Yeo Joong Wol had tried his best to curb Ja Hong-cheon’s unilateral decisions, but despite his efforts, the situation kept deteriorating, eventually leading to this crisis.

“Leader!”

Yeo Joong Wol did not misunderstand Jang Hong-cheon’s intentions.

The Nine Sects had repeatedly thwarted Ja Hong-cheon and the Jade Heaven Alliance’s ambitions. Numerous times, their grand plans had fallen apart at the last minute because of them. However, using military force to subdue the Nine Sects was tantamount to denying the very reason for the Jade Heaven Alliance’s existence.

The Jade Heaven Alliance was created to confront the Celestial Demon Troupe, not to seize control over the Jianghu.

As Yeo Joong Wol’s concerns deepened, a voice interrupted his thoughts.

“Master!”

A beautiful girl entered through the door.

It was Lim So-bo, Yeo Joong Wol’s disciple. Behind her, her brother, Lim Ji-mun, followed.

“Have you come?”

“You seem troubled.”

“Does it look like that?”

“Is it because of the Alliance Leader?”

“Yes!”

Yeo Joong Wol nodded agreeably.

She was his disciple who knew everything about him. There was no reason for him to hide his concerns from her.

“Sobo!”

“Yes, Master.”

“What’s the atmosphere like within the Alliance?”

“The lower-ranked martial artists, like those from the outer hall, are all agitated. But the masters of the inner and main court s seem to think it’s a good development.”

“Hmm!”

“It means there has been a lot built up.”

“If that’s the atmosphere, it seems impossible to change the Alliance Leader’s mind.”

“Probably.”

A deep shadow fell on Lim Sobo’s face as well.

All the efforts in contacting the Hao Clan and gathering information seemed in vain now. She could no longer grasp how to respond.

“Sobo!”

“Yes!”

“Leave the Jade Heaven Alliance.”

“Master?”

Lim Sobo lifted her head in surprise, then saw Yeo Joong Wol smiling.

“I don’t want you to be caught up in this fight.”

“Master!”

“This is not an honorable battle. There’s no righteousness or justice in it. It’s nothing more than a mud fight. If you get involved, you’ll only end up soiling yourself.”

“What about you?”

“I am bound to the Jade Heaven Alliance, whether I live or die. My situation is different from yours.”

“I’m also bound to the Jade Heaven Alliance.”

“But you don’t officially hold any position. Our positions are different.”

“How can you ask me to leave the Jade Heaven Alliance and leave you behind? Please don’t say such cruel things, Master.”

Tears welled up in Lim Sobo’s eyes.

Even though her words could have softened his heart, Yeo Joong Wol  remained firm.

“So-bo! There’s nothing you can do here. If you stay, you’ll only be used by the Alliance Leader.

I won’t be able to protect you completely, so it’s better for you to leave now.”

“Master! Do you really want me to leave?”

“Yes.”

“Ah!”

Eventually, Lim Sobo burst into tears.

Watching his one and only disciple cry broke Yeo Joong Wol’s heart. But he couldn’t show weakness now.

“So-bo! Find a place where you can fully utilize your talents. It’s enough that I am the only one tied to this place.”

“Sigh! I understand.”

Lim Sobo responded weakly.

Yeo Joong Wol’s gaze then turned to Lim Ji-mun.

“Ji-mun! You should also leave with your sister.”

“I understand.”

Unlike Lim Sobo, Lim Ji-mun answered without any fuss.

He was not comfortable with the idea of sending his sister into the Jianghu alone. It seemed better for them to be together.

Yeo Joong Wol hugged Lim Sobo and Lim Ji-mun tightly.

Parting with the siblings, who were like his own children, was also a heart-wrenching moment for Yeo Joong Wol. However, he had to send them away for their sake.

Yeo Joong Wol whispered in their ears.

“Go east. According to the heavens, your fate lies in that direction.”

＊＊＊

Dam Soo-rin spoke to Lee Gwak,

“To cure Cheong-ah’s illness, we need the Great Indra Elixir, a secret recipe of our family. To make the Great Indra Elixir, seventy-two kinds of medicinal herbs are needed. While most can be easily obtained, a few must be gathered directly.”

“Tell me what you need. I’ll do whatever it takes to find them.”

Lee Gwak’s eyes were determined.

He had come this far, clinging to a faint hope in the darkness that seemed impenetrable.

Now that the light of hope was clear, there was no reason to shrink back.

“The most important ones are the Three-leafed Celestial Herb, Nine Spirit Snow Ginseng, and a 500-year-old Fo-ti root. If we can find these three herbs, making the Great Indra Elixir would be more than halfway done.”

“Where can I find them?”

“Right here.”

“You mean Mount Yeosan?”

“Yes. That’s why I came to Mount Yeosan. I never imagined I would use them for Cheong-ah.”

Dam Soo-rin detailed the appearances of the three herbs to Lee Gwak, who listened intently, making sure he missed nothing.

“What if Cheong-ah’s condition worsens before we can make the Great Indra Elixir?”

“I can use my acupuncture to produce an effect similar to the Life Saving Pills.”

“Ah!”

“But we can’t be certain, so I’ll place him in a temporary state of induced coma to slow the progression of his illness. Therefore, focus all your efforts on finding the herbs and don’t worry about anything else.”

“I understand. And thank you.”

“It’s a physician’s duty to treat patients. No need to thank me for that.”

“It may be natural, but in today’s world, who would devote themselves to others like this? To me, you are an irreplaceable benefactor. Thank you.”

After expressing his gratitude to Dam Soo-rin once more, Lee Gwak stepped outside the hut.

Outside, Lee Soo-ah was talking with Muk Cheon-gang.

“Dad!”

When Lee Gwak stepped out of the hut, Lee Soo-ah ran towards him like the wind. Lee Gwak took her in his arms and asked,

“What were you doing?”

“Mister was teaching me martial arts!”

“Is that so?”

Lee Gwak’s eyes lit up.

Then, Muk Cheon-gang approached Lee Gwak and said,

“Soo-ah is extremely intelligent. She has a considerable understanding of martial arts.”

“Thank you.”

“So, I was wondering if I could teach Soo-ah for a while?”

“Excuse me?”

As Lee Gwak looked puzzled, Muk Cheon-gang elaborated.

“The truth is, my martial arts have been at a standstill for quite some time. It seems that training alone without a sparring partner for the past few years has led to this. However, when I started explaining the basics to Soo-ah, I felt quite a lot.”

“You mean you learn by teaching.”

“It seems that in order to teach someone else, I have to re-establish the principles for myself.”

Lee Gwak nodded in agreement.

Having felt similar when teaching Cheol Gwang-woo, he could empathize.

“May I have your permission to teach your daughter for a while?”

“I would rather ask you for a favor. Please take good care of my daughter.”

“Thank you for entrusting your daughter to me.”

Muk Cheon-gang smiled.

Despite his usually cold and unchanging face, the smile made him seem somewhat more pleasant.

Lee Gwak’s gaze shifted to Lee Soo-ah.

“This mister’s martial arts are rare in this world, so make sure you learn everything without missing a thing”.

“Yep!”

Lee Soo-ah nodded vigorously, her eyes shining brighter than ever before.

For a moment, Lee Gwak looked at Lee Soo-ah with a warm gaze.

Looking at her face naturally reminded him of Han So-cheon. Lee Soo-ah’s small face bore the same features as Han So-cheon.

After patting Lee Soo-ah on the head, Lee Gwak turned away.

From that day, Lee Gwak scoured Mount Yeosan.

He left no stone unturned – high peaks, deep valleys, and endless caves.

Finding the three herbs Dam Soo-rin mentioned was no easy task. However, Lee Gwak did not give up and persistently searched Mount Yeosan, finally managing to find all three herbs.

Dam Soo-rin had already prepared the rest of the herbs.

With the most important three herbs secured, Dam Soo-rin immediately began making the Great Indra Elixir.

Early in the morning, after cleansing herself in a waterfall and collecting the dew overnight, she began to brew the herbs.

Dam Soo-rin sat in front of the medicine pot for three days and nights, vigilantly watching over it.

The temperature could not be too high or too low; it had to be maintained constantly.

Her eyes, long bloodshot and stinging as though filled with sand, never once strayed from the pot.

Behind her, Lee Gwak and Muk Cheon-gwang stood like guards. They watched her without uttering a word.

The seventy-two varieties of herbs in the medicine pot had long since dissolved into a liquid.

Over time, the initially thin black liquid became increasingly viscous.

Finally, when the medicine had become so thick that even pressing it with her hands wouldn’t leave a mark, Dam Soo-rin extinguished the fire.

She then scooped out the medicine and began shaping it into pills with her hands. The molten medicine was still burning hot, but she didn’t flinch, carefully forming each pill with utmost precision.

A closer look revealed a faint light around her hands.

It was the technique known as Resurrection Hand.

Her grandmother, Jongli Yeon, who was known as the Divine Healer a hundred years ago, had developed this method.

It was a technique developed by Dam Soo-rin’s grandmother, Jong Ri-yeon, who had been revered as a Divine Physician a hundred years ago.

The Resurrection Hand technique could maximize the medicinal effects contained within the herbs. Pills crafted with this technique could possess up to three or four times more efficacy than those not.

Although it sounded simple, executing Resurrection Hand  was far from easy. Beads of sweat formed on Dam Soo-rin’s forehead and cheeks.

She bit her lip, focusing all her mental energy on crafting the pills.

It was much later when Dam Soo-rin finally stopped working on the pills.

The pills on the tray emitted a radiant golden glow. The Great Indra Elixir was finally complete.

“Uh!”

Dam Soo-rin staggered as tension left her body.

Mok Cheon-gang quickly supported her.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

“You seem to have expended a lot of energy. You should rest a bit.”

“There’s no time to rest. The Great Indra Elixir’s efficacy will be halved if two hours pass after completion. We must administer it to Cheong-ah immediately. Please take me to Cheong-ah.”

“Understood.”

Mok Cheon-gang supported Dam Soo-rin into the hut.

Lee Gwak followed them with the Great Indra Elixir.

Inside the hut, Lee Cheong was lying listlessly.

Dam Soo-rin instructed Lee Gwak.

“Hurry and have Cheong-ah take the Great Indra Elixir.”

“Understood.”

Lee Gwak administered the Great Indra Elixir to Lee Cheong. Then, Dam Soo-rin took out a silver needle case from her bosom.

It was filled with fine silver needles.

Dam Soo-rin inserted the needles into Lee Cheong’s body, stimulating the meridians to spread the medicine’s effects more quickly.

Only after finishing the acupuncture did Dam Soo-rin finally collapse from exhaustion. Mok Cheon-gang wiped the sweat from her forehead with his sleeve and said,

“Well done.”

Though her face was filled with fatigue, a smile was on her lips.

It was the content smile of someone who had achieved what they wanted.

Gradually, color returned to Lee Cheong’s pale face. The medicine was taking effect.

Soon, black impurities were expelled from Lee Cheong’s body through the needles.

The frail caterpillar had begun its transformation, breaking free of its cocoon and emerging as a butterfly.