Chapter 24
Chapter 24
As I carefully patted his back, Dang Jung flinched and stiffened. He couldn't bring himself to hug me back, nor could he push me away; his fingers only twitched.
He seemed at a loss, unsure of how to handle this awkward situation.
After a long silence, Dang Jung sighed deeply.
"You weakling, you should be angry! What do you mean it's alright?"
"You were honest with me, so it's alright."
"Ha!"
Dang Jung snorted as if he found it absurd. But he didn't seem to dislike my answer.
He released his tight grip and took a step back.
I could see that Dang Jung's expression had softened. I smiled shyly as I met his eyes, and he chuckled, caressing my cheek.
"You look like you don't know anything, but you're unnecessarily deep. I worry about how you'll live in this world with such a gentle nature. I know you must have been upset even if you said otherwise. This old man just… wanted you to be free and soar. It sounds like an excuse, but…"
Dang Jung, who had been speaking calmly, trailed off. It seemed like it sounded like an excuse even to his own ears.
I could understand. He must have complex feelings.
Time doesn't heal all wounds. Pretending not to see a festering wound, pretending it doesn't exist, doesn't make it heal.
If teaching me could ease Dang Jung's mind, if it could alleviate the guilt he had carried for a lifetime, that wouldn't be so bad.
Just as I silently nodded, a gruff voice came from outside the window.
"Free? What freedom are you talking about? You're being sentimental. Kid, you don't need to put up with that old man's greed. Just listen with one ear and let it out the other."
Dang Jung frowned at the rude words and threw a teacup out the window. As the tea spilled on the ground, Paeng Rak grumbled.
"Tch, such a temper. Did I say something wrong?"
"Annoying bastard. I should sew that mouth shut."
"Try sewing it. You'll need Heavenly Silk Thread to sew my skin. Kkahahaha!"
Paeng Rak laughed heartily and stuck his large head through the window.
His yellow eyes gleamed, and I jumped back, clutching my heart.
Oh my. I thought he was a goblin.
His snow-white hair and beard were covered in grass. It looked like he had been hiding in the bushes, eavesdropping.
"Tsk. Just because people call you Fierce Tiger, Fierce Tiger, don't think you've really become a tiger. Look at the state of you."
"Have you said everything you wanted to say?"
"Yeah, you brat."
Paeng Rak, his fierce eyes shining, looked at me. I flinched and met his gaze. His narrow, beast-like pupils softened.
"Kid. Right, So-hye, was it? So-hye. Don't feel indebted to your grandfather's words. You just need to live your life well."
"You…!"
"Am I wrong? What does a child like you know? Just grow up well without going astray."
"…"
Dang Jung smiled bitterly at his blunt reply and affirmed his words.
"…Alright, Paeng Rak is right. Child. Pretend you didn't hear what this old man said."
Paeng Rak casually brushed off the grass from his body and stepped through the window into the tea room. Dust billowed around him as he landed.
I wanted to scream.
Ah, Elder! Your shoes, your shoes!
"Look at all that dust. You're not a tiger, you're a bear, a bear."
"Tch. Then are you a snake, Brother? You're picking on me for everything."
It is a big deal! I have to clean it up!
I clutched my head, watching the two men bickering like children.
I wished Dang Jung would take off Paeng Rak's shoes. Or at least make him shake off the dirt on his shoes before coming in.
But Dang Jung didn't stop Paeng Rak. Instead, he joined in the commotion with Paeng Rak.
"Alright. Now that it's come to this, let's skin this toothless tiger."
"Who's calling me a toothless tiger? If I'm a toothless tiger, then you're just a snake with only skin left… Ah! Stop throwing things!"
He dodged the flying teaware with a flurry of movements. It was an agile action that didn't suit his large frame.
The sound of the teaware shattering made my neck stiffen.
Elders. I have to clean all this up.
I wanted to cry.
* * *
"Ugh, that was my favorite white porcelain…"
"It's not my fault. You just suddenly threw it."
"Isn't it because you were provoking me?"
"Is it my fault that you have such a bad temper?"
Dang Jung lightly ignored Paeng Rak's grumbling and opened the door to the reception room.
Paeng Rak, who followed him, sniffed the air, looking puzzled.
"There's no poison mist in this den of raccoons? That's unusual."
"Den of raccoons? Is that what you think of my place?"
"Isn't it? You're always spreading out all sorts of weeds and boiling them to make poison… Ah, I get it. I get it, so put down what you're holding."
Paeng Rak waved his hands and backed away. He seemed to have suffered badly from Dang Jung's poison, as his thick eyebrows twitched.
Dang Jung replied nonchalantly.
"Dang-un has been coming and going frequently these days, so I moved it to one side. He was vomiting blood in my place."
That's because you were suppressing people with your Internal Martial Arts. This old man is subtly shameless.
I glared at Dang Jung and sniffed. Now that I thought about it, I didn't smell the acrid odor that I had smelled when I first came to Dang Jung's residence.
Could that have been the poison mist? Perhaps Dang Jung had been reluctant to let the Maids enter because of the poison.
Wait, so you brought me into a place full of poison mist? Elder. What if I wasn't immune to all poisons?
"How is Dang-un? Is there any progress?"
"…No. Dang-un's mother is desperately trying to find Elixir Pills, but the progress isn't good. I'd say he has a year or two at best."
"Have you shown him to the Ghost Hand Divine Physician?"
"I've mentioned it. But you know how capricious that old monster is. He came to Chengdu as if he would see him, but he suddenly left for Wuhan a while ago."
"Isn't that old man's principle to not create troublesome situations? Helping Dang-un would be like getting involved in your family's Heir struggle, so I guess that's why."
Paeng Rak shrugged as if he understood.
"I know. He's been tormented by the grudges of the Jianghu his whole life. If you save someone who lives by the sword, another person who lives by the sword will say you saved their enemy and come for revenge. It's not a one- or two-day thing, is it? I wouldn't want to be a doctor because it's so dirty."
…Martial Arts World doctors have an extreme job, too. It's no different from a doctor caught between gangsters and getting cursed at.
Judging from their conversation, I thought the Im family guy Dang Jung mentioned a while ago might be the Ghost Hand Divine Physician.
If he had the nickname "Ghost Hand," he must be an incredibly skilled doctor. Maybe he could cure severed meridians.
They must have some hope if they were trying to show Dang-un to him.
I was lost in thought. I seemed to remember the Ghost Hand Divine Physician being briefly mentioned in the novel…
-The Ghost Hand Divine Physician's secret cave was in such a hidden place that no one would notice there was a cave. It was right under the lake.
Strangely, this cave was usually filled with water, but the water would recede every month on the full moon. After the full moon, the water would rise again and connect to the lake, so it was impossible for ordinary people to notice the existence of the cave.
But that made it the perfect place to hide something. Whether it was a monster or a person.
On a night when the full moon was shining brightly, Namgung Hwi wandered around the edge of the lake, searching for the entrance to the secret cave. Finally, the entrance to the secret cave was revealed on the west side of the lake.-
I remembered. It was one of the lucky encounters Namgung Hwi had. That guy really was something, getting all sorts of lucky encounters as if he were the main character.
In the novel, it was only mentioned that Namgung Hwi had discovered the remains left by a hermit, but it seemed the Ghost Hand Divine Physician was still alive.
At the time, Namgung Hwi had obtained a lot of precious Elixir Pills and increased his Internal Martial Arts.
There might be something among them that could help Dang-un.
Could I possibly bring the treasures stored in the Ghost Hand Divine Physician's secret cave? If I told Dang Jung…
He'd suspect me again, asking how I knew about it. No, wait. I don't even know where that lake is in the first place.
Nothing seemed easy. As I clicked my tongue, Paeng Rak asked.
"Kid. Why are you sighing?"
"Huh? Oh, it's nothing."
"You must be feeling stifled thinking about your brother. He's close to Dang-un. So-hye, you go and study your writing. We'll take care of the drinking."
Dang Jung waved his hand at me. As I nodded and was about to step back, Paeng Rak grabbed me.
"Ah, you're trying to make her study even on a day like this, Brother. Don't do that. Come sit here."
"What do you mean, 'a day like this'? Is there a separate day for playing and a separate day for studying? There's a lot to learn."
"Come on, don't be so boring. Give her a break today. So-hye. Come sit here."
Paeng Rak laughed heartily and pulled out a chair for me. I didn't know whose tune to dance to.
"He told you to sit. Come over here quickly."
When I hesitated, Paeng Rak patted the chair with his large palm.
I looked at Dang Jung, and Dang Jung nodded as if it was okay. I awkwardly approached and sat down on the chair.
Paeng Rak, who had seated me next to him, messed up my hair with a satisfied look. It was only natural that my carefully styled hair became disheveled again.
I'm going to lose all my hair. Elder. Please control your strength.
"Are the Tang Clan children always this small? It's amazing how small your head is. It fits right in one hand."
"You'll hurt the child. Be gentle. And are you insulting me right now?"
"I never said you were small, Brother…"
Paeng Rak stammered, looking at Dang Jung's expression. He subtly pulled his chair away, distancing himself from Dang Jung.
"Ahem. Anyway, since I feel a little sorry, this old man will give you a gift."
Paeng Rak cleared his throat and took something out of his arms.
