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Chapter 33
When I was captured by those bastards, I remembered what I had seen underground.
The screams of spiritual beasts and children, the blood, the stench of rotting flesh were the strongest impressions, but among them there had also been the smell of herbs.
Don’tdothat!Don’t do that!
How many times had I shouted, rammed my body against the iron bars, and bared my claws?
But my claws only tore off, my skin only split open, while the cage did not break.
So I had no choice but to helplessly watch as the spiritual beasts and young humans died.
They forced open our jaws with devices so we couldn’t close our mouths and made us swallow a foul-smelling decoction of herbs.
I had been the same. Whenever I lost consciousness for a moment and then came to, I was forced to swallow something again.
If I refused, they shoved something like a tube down my throat and poured it in.
I absolutely did not want to eat any of that.
Youdamnedbastards…!You damned bastards…!
What being would ever want to swallow some unknown liquid mixed with the flesh and blood of those slaughtered right before its eyes?
“Grrrrrr…”
After I ate that stuff, my mind would become hazy. Sometimes I even lost consciousness, and when I regained my senses, I would find myself in a different place.
‘That’s how we became slaves to them.’
It was only later that I realized it was something that stole control over my body.
Even thinking back on it made my blood boil.
But the important thing was that those bastards fed us medicine.
The main ingredient had indeed been the Sichuan Tang Family’s poison.
But their hideout had mountains of herbs piled up, not just poison.
‘To experiment on spiritual beasts, they’d need herbs. A lot of them.’
In that case, instead of gathering them in the mountains, they would prefer a stable supply. Just like how they obtained food and silk through trade with Cheonwolru.
In that sense, isn’t the Eunrok Merchant Group a tempting target?
The more I thought about it, the more complicated my feelings became, and I swallowed a sigh. It looked like the fox and Wi Jihak had finished their discussion.
“If the master arrives, I will inform you immediately.”
“Please rest comfortably.”
The human closed the door, his footsteps gradually growing distant until they could no longer be heard. The only sounds left were the occasional footsteps of the guards patrolling.
So?Whythatseriousface,MountainLord?So? Why that serious face, Mountain Lord?
There’sasmellhere.PresumablyfromthoseBloodCultbastards.There’s a smell here. Presumably from those Blood Cult bastards.
The fox’s eyes narrowed.
What?AreyousayingthecurseistheworkoftheBloodCult?What? Are you saying the curse is the work of the Blood Cult?
That…probablynot.Thecurseisaseparatematter.That… probably not. The curse is a separate matter.
The fox stroked his chin with one hand and muttered,
“…The Eunrok Merchant Group is a large organization recognized even in the Central Plains. When it comes to dealing with herbs, it could even be called the best in the Central Plains. And such a big merchant group is going to be swallowed up by some Blood Cult whose existence hasn’t even been clearly revealed yet…?]
It’snotWiJihak.IfhewerepartoftheBloodCult,hewould’venoticedlongbeforeweevengothere.It’s not Wi Jihak. If he were part of the Blood Cult, he would’ve noticed long before we even got here.
Then…thatmeanssomeonehasinfiltratedtheplace.Then… that means someone has infiltrated the place.
The fox’s eyes narrowed. Whenever he looked like that, it meant he was plotting something.
“Hyeryeong, you must be tired from traveling so far. Why don’t you rest for a while?”
“Rest?”
“You’ve traveled quite a distance. Wouldn’t it be hard on little Hyeryeong?”
Saying that, the fox leisurely lay down on the bed.
Ifanythingchanges,they’llinformus.It’snottoolatetomoveafterwegraspthesituation,MountainLord.If anything changes, they’ll inform us. It’s not too late to move after we grasp the situation, Mountain Lord.
But…But…
IknowmattersregardingtheBloodCultareserious.ButMountainLord,thinkabouthowwehunt.I know matters regarding the Blood Cult are serious. But Mountain Lord, think about how we hunt.
At his words, which grabbed my ankle just as I was about to rush out in impatience and anxiety, I fell silent.
Right. Impatience is poison in the hunt.
But doing nothing at all isn’t a great attitude in hunting either.
I’mcuriousifthere’sbeenanyprogressininvestigatingthatpill.I’m curious if there’s been any progress in investigating that pill.
Aboutthat…theyarestillinvestigating.Butitdoesn’tseemeasy.About that… they are still investigating. But it doesn’t seem easy.
What?What?
For the fox—who had been quite proud of being the head of Hao Sect, the information guild—that was an unexpected reaction.
At my expression, the fox let out a long sigh and replied,
They’relookingintoitthroughphysiciansandherbalists,butapparentlytherearesomeratherunusualingredientsmixedintothatpill.They’re looking into it through physicians and herbalists, but apparently there are some rather unusual ingredients mixed into that pill.
Unusual?Unusual?
Yeah.Herbsthataren’tnormallyhandled.Soit’sgivingthemheadaches.Andwecan’tjustgoaroundfeedingittopeopletotesttheeffects,right?Yeah. Herbs that aren’t normally handled. So it’s giving them headaches. And we can’t just go around feeding it to people to test the effects, right?
Ifanyonedidthat,I’dbefurious.If anyone did that, I’d be furious.
Exactly.Whichiswhyit’sgoingtotakemoretime.Eventheherbstheydorecognizedon’thaveparticularlyspecialeffects.Exactly. Which is why it’s going to take more time. Even the herbs they do recognize don’t have particularly special effects.
In the end, it was like going in circles. I let out a deep sigh at that realization.
“Right. Hyeryeong is tired.”
I flopped onto the bed next to the fox.
I hoped Wi Jihak would respond soon. It seemed like those Blood Cult bastards wanted something from him.
Wi Jihak’s steps were heavy.
Considering the current situation, he couldn’t help but think that everything had flowed as if he had been bewitched by something.
He had simply requested help from Hao Sect, hoping to meet someone who knew even just a little about Western medicine.
With the medical knowledge currently known, he couldn’t cure his father, nor could he save his only remaining child. So he had clutched at straws and made the request.
But suddenly, someone appeared who knew about the white deer—a secret of the family known only to the family head. And on top of that, he found out that person was a master of rejuvenation.
After that, things no longer went according to Wi Jihak’s will. No matter how much martial artists avoided meddling with ordinary people, the law was always far while fists were always near.
If he incurred the wrath of a martial artist, not only himself but also his family—and even the very existence of the merchant group—would be at risk. And if that person was a master, there would be no way to handle it.
Even if all of it was a lie, just knowing about the white deer was already a tremendous threat.
If it became known that a mere merchant clan possessed the inner core, hide, horns, and bones of a spiritual beast, threats would pour in from all directions.
Information was power, and sometimes a weapon. And Hao Sect was a group that knew very well how to handle such information.
‘I made a mistake. I should have been more cautious.’
But even if Wi Jihak went back to the past, nothing would have changed.
He still would have wanted to save his child, and he would have been willing to do anything to do so.
Even if someone had told him to jump into a blazing fire with kindling on his back, he would have done it.
A father’s desperate desire to save his only remaining child was just that strong and earnest.
Suppressing a rising sigh, he headed toward his son’s room. Even within the merchant group, which was always filled with the smell of herbs, this was a place steeped in the scent of decoctions.
“My lady, I’m back.”
“You’ve returned, my lord.”
Jihak was taken aback by the sight of his wife greeting him with such joy.
His wife, Deung Hyebin, after losing all their children except for their son Seogwang, had become someone who devoted all her strength to their child’s health.
Even if she collapsed while caring for him, she could never let go of his well-being.
Long ago, she had lost her smile and had been withering away…
Yet now, she was smiling brightly. Though still haggard, it was the brightest smile she had shown in a very long time.
“My lady? Did something good happen? It has been so long since I’ve seen you smile so brightly.”
“Something very good happened, my lord.”
Hyebin’s voice fluttered with excitement as a smile like a blossoming flower spread across her face.
“Seogwang, come here.”
“Yes, Mother.”
“No, my lady. Calling for a sick child so suddenly…”
Jihak trailed off mid-sentence, his mouth falling open in disbelief.
“Father! You’re back!”
The child approached at a slightly brisk walking pace and bowed to him. Jihak’s face filled with shock.
Still thin and frail-looking, but his son’s cheeks had color for the first time.
“H-How… how did this happen?”
“Well…”
“We recently brought in a new physician, and the medicine he prescribed has shown improvement, my lord.”
At Hyebin’s words, Jihak’s eyes grew wider and wider. Tears began to gather at the corners of his eyes.
“Father…? Are you crying?”
“No, no. Is it really alright for you to be walking around like this?”
“I can walk a little now, Father. I even stroll in the garden for about half an hour.”
“I-I see… That’s a relief. Truly a relief…”
In the end, he shed tears.
The son who had rarely left his sickbed his entire life was now walking quickly before his eyes, with color returning to his cheeks.
A miracle he had desperately wished for yet had never been able to achieve was unfolding right before Wi Jihak’s eyes.
In an instant, the promise he had made with the rejuvenated master vanished from his mind.
