Chapter 202
202
Namgung Hwi, meeting Im Seol-yak's eyes, asked back,
"Pardon?"
"If you've come to see the Poison King, come back in two hours. That old geezer is busy right now."
"You said the same yesterday, but you closed the Gate of Life, Divine Doctor."
At the polite reply, Im Seol-yak shrugged.
"It wasn't me. That old Poison King is just being cantankerous. Seeing you consistently break through the Mystic Gate Formation that old geezer set up, your head must be somewhat useful?"
"You flatter me."
"I said useful, not clever. You have a talent for gilding your own lily."
Even at the sarcastic tone, Namgung Hwi only smiled faintly.
He knew Im Seol-yak's tone was just like that from seeing her face often.
The tempers of old masters were all uniquely foul, so Im Seol-yak was nothing special.
Im Seol-yak, looking strangely at Namgung Hwi standing there calmly, shrugged.
"You're different from what I heard. I heard you were arrogant."
"It's an honor that my story reached even the ears of the Divine Doctor."
"It wasn't a compliment. It was that a brash brat was constantly following my sister around, which was annoying. Even the Poison King doesn't seem to like it. What did you do to get on the Tang Clan's bad side?"
"Oh dear, I want to strangle my younger self."
As Namgung Hwi jokingly mimed strangling himself, Im Seol-yak snorted and gestured.
"Don't talk about your younger days when you were just born. Come on in. Shouldn't we settle things with that old geezer today?"
"Thank you, Divine Doctor."
As the long-awaited permission fell, joy appeared on Namgung Hwi's face.
He bowed deeply towards Im Seol-yak and crossed the threshold of the Im Ga residence.
Im Seol-yak quietly scanned Namgung Hwi as he approached.
Seventeen, was it? A mere stripling who hadn't even reached adulthood was giving away everything he had and still seemed to regret it.
His life as a Martial Artist was almost cut short as well, but she could only wonder what he was thinking to be so calm.
Well, what could he be thinking? His head must be so full of one thing that he had no time to think of anything else.
'Only those crazy in love make that kind of face.'
Im Seol-yak clicked her tongue and crossed her arms.
He had quite the nerve to come so often to a place where no one welcomed him.
He didn't shrink back even when facing people like her or the Poison King, and he even tried to charm them, so his courage was also extraordinary.
As a Martial Artist, he was a promising vessel for the future, but that was the problem.
When the love that made him throw away his life was not reciprocated, how would this child react?
It would be fortunate if he dismissed it as a youthful folly, but if not...
'I see why he's called a white elephant.'
Even if she were Dang Jung, she wouldn't like the existence of a child who might or might not benefit her disciple.
It would be better to pay a suitable price and send him back so that he wouldn't harbor resentment in the future.
Im Seol-yak, having roughly come to a conclusion, opened her mouth.
"Why don't you squeeze a Ten Thousand Poisons Pill out of the Poison King?"
"It's alright. I didn't do it for a reward."
"Well, that old geezer will probably want to settle it with a Ten Thousand Poisons Pill. This is the Jianghu, where you never know what form unreturned Grace will take."
Im Seol-yak, muttering, lightly gestured with her chin.
"Hand."
"Yes?"
"Give me your hand. I need to see it."
At Im Seol-yak's suggestion, Namgung Hwi's eyes widened.
The best doctor in the Central Plains, whose face was hard to see even with a thousand gold, would not give a diagnosis without any compensation.
It was difficult to gauge what Im Seol-yak's ulterior motive was in bringing it up.
When Namgung Hwi couldn't answer readily, Im Seol-yak snorted and waved her hand.
"Stop racking your brain and just give me your hand. I'm just checking your condition instead of the Poison King."
Only then did Namgung Hwi nod and roll up his sleeve, extending his hand.
Im Seol-yak, taking his pulse as if indifferent, was inwardly impressed by his much better condition than she had expected.
Even though he had gone through that ordeal and lost most of his Inner Energy, his Energy Channels had not narrowed.
This meant that he was circulating Energy with a small amount of Inner Energy with similar efficiency as before.
The child before her clearly had a natural talent for using Inner Energy.
"Hmm..."
Intrigued, she began to massage Namgung Hwi's arms and legs.
"Um, Divine Doctor?"
"Stay still."
Im Seol-yak, suppressing the squirming Namgung Hwi's nape like subduing an animal, had a strange light in her eyes.
He had excellent bone structure that would stimulate a doctor's curiosity.
Even among all the Martial Artists Im Seol-yak had seen in her life, she could count on one hand those with such a perfect body.
'He harmoniously controls all Qi... How covetable. Is he a Heavenly Martial Body?'
Im Seol-yak, so engrossed that she forgot her original purpose and was fondling his skin, raised her head at the approaching presence.
"Im Ga. What are you doing now?"
"You come and see too. This child, his bone structure..."
Im Seol-yak, who had answered almost with delight, soon shut her mouth.
Dang Jung's dark blue eyes were frozen coldly.
Im Seol-yak narrowed her eyes at the look containing criticism for why she had let Namgung Hwi into the Im Ga residence.
"Old man, you're being temperamental. Isn't that enough sulking? How long has this child been waiting? You have to settle the score properly."
"This is not something for you to interfere with, Im Ga."
"Huh? When I was begging and pleading for help, and now you're saying it's not something to interfere with. Do you have a plum disease?"
"Im Ga, that's not what I meant..."
"Cut it out. I'll watch over your disciple, so go and settle your debt to the child. I'm tired of sending this child back in your place now."
Im Seol-yak, snapping coldly, turned her back with a muttered curse.
"She's sulking again. What a troublesome old geezer."
Dang Jung, muttering, rubbed his forehead with a troubled face. Namgung Hwi, who had been watching, quickly bowed.
"Namgung Hwi, the Last Crane of the Martial Forest..."
"No need for formalities."
Dang Jung, waving his hand to cut him off, asked sharply.
"I should have contacted you separately, so why do you keep coming?"
Even at the guarded attitude, Namgung Hwi smiled without shrinking back.
"I was just curious about So-hye's well-being, Elder."
At that answer, Dang Jung's eyes became even more fierce.
"You. I don't think you were close enough to call our child by her name so casually? Did you get permission to use her name?"
"...Ah."
At the reaction of the old master, who was clearly showing his displeasure, Namgung Hwi hurriedly corrected himself.
"I apologize. Is Dang Sojeo recovering?"
"She's much better."
Dang Jung, replying curtly, sighed as he looked at Namgung Hwi. Namgung Hwi's complexion, looking at him, was not good either.
"How are you?"
"I'm fine, Elder."
"You poured out your True energy so recklessly, there's no way you're fine. If I had been just a little later, you would have been wandering the afterlife as well."
Dang Jung, twitching his lips as if saying something absurd, soon made a face and wagged his finger.
"This...! What kind of crazy person in the world pours a whole cycle of Inner Energy into a Martial Artist from another clan? Reckless fool! If you had become crippled, Namgung would have drawn their swords against the Tang Clan. Are you trying to make me fight a bloody battle with Namgung at this age?"
"We both survived, so what's the problem?"
At the calm answer, Dang Jung's face turned red and blue.
"What? What an irresponsible fellow! Seeing what you're doing, your father must be worried sick! The mind of the Young Patriarch of a clan...!"
Raising his voice, he soon covered his face with his palm.
Recalling Dang Young-ho, he was speechless because it was like a pot calling the kettle black.
Dang Jung glared at Namgung Hwi with a mixture of annoyance and envy.
His attitude was arrogant, but he couldn't understand why he was so confident.
He had excellent bone structure that even the Ghost Hand Divine Doctor was interested in, his head seemed to work well, and his five senses were extraordinary.
He must have achieved everything he wanted without ever failing in his short life.
So he must have believed in his own abilities and rushed in.
"Ugh..."
Dang Jung, recognizing the clear difference between the two heirs who would lead the clan, groaned.
The child from another family had something to rely on, but the child from his own family had nothing to rely on.
He sighed with a troubled face. His head throbbed.
He had scolded him sharply for doing something crazy, but if Namgung Hwi hadn't risked his life and poured out his True energy, what Dang Jung would have held in his arms would have been a cold corpse.
Having been indebted with his life, it was right to treat him as a benefactor of life.
As Im Seol-yak had pointed out, he would have to settle the score properly.
...But was this a debt that could be repaid with material things?
How could he bear the magnitude of a heart that risked even the life of a Martial Artist?
Dang Jung, pressing his eyes silently, took out a small wooden box from his sleeve and threw it.
Namgung Hwi, who had reflexively snatched the wooden box, looked at him, and Dang Jung nodded as if telling him to open it.
A look of bewilderment crossed Namgung Hwi's eyes as he slowly checked the contents.
It contained the Ten Thousand Poisons Pill, an Elixir of the ages comparable to the Grand Revival Pill of Shaolin.
"This is the price for our child's life."
"Elder, I didn't do it to be rewarded. I just..."
"Don't talk back rudely when an elder is speaking."
Dang Jung, scolding, soon softened his voice and continued.
"How can I face Sang if you're in that state? Take care of your body instead of coming here."
At the reproach full of concern, Namgung Hwi bowed politely.
"Yes, Elder. I will gratefully accept it without refusing."
"Then leave now. This old man is tired."
Even at the firm dismissal, Namgung Hwi did not leave his seat. He stood still and looked at Dang Jung.
"Um, Elder... Could you let me see So-hye, no, Dang Sojeo, just once?"
