༺ Immortal Healer (5) ༻
“How are you feeling?”
The Celestial Plum Blossom asked after he was finally allowed to enter the hut.
I also snuck in when things had cald down sowhat inside.
“You shouldn’t co all the way here when you are so busy…”
“I just happened to stop by, so no need to say that.”
“…Lord.”
The Plum Blossom Sword then smiled at the Celestial Plum Blossom.
The Immortal Healer was still glaring at him, but he didn’t speak or say anything else.
‘The Immortal Healer huh…’
I was quite a bit astonished after hearing that the elderly man was actually the Immortal Healer himself.
He was a man who was incomparable in the field of dical techniques.
Moreover, he was known as soone who could heal anyone, but due to his wandering nature, it was hard to make contact with him even for the high-ranking clans.
But to co across the Immortal Healer here…
‘…I didn’t expect him to have such a personality though.’
｢Ever since tis immorial, a master of a specific field has always shown to be weird in their own ways.｣
‘…Oh, so that’s why…’
It was definitely credible since he was a reliable example of that trait himself.
｢What! What do you an by that!?｣
Putting aside the matter of the Immortal Healer, the real problem here was the presence of Zhuge Hyuk.
I kept looking at him while he was quietly sitting down while looking up into the air.
‘Zhuge Hyuk is the grandson of the Immortal Healer?’
I had indeed heard that he was traveling with his grandfather, but I didn’t expect said grandfather to be the Immortal Healer himself.
‘What is going on here…?’
What could have happened for him to change?
If that guy really is the Zhuge Hyuk I know, then what happened to him that drove him to take the Heavenly Demon’s side?
The background he had recounted to was completely different than the one I am currently witnessing with my own eyes.
Of course, I didn’t believe everything he told back then, but I never thought that he would actually be the grandson of the Immortal Healer.
Does this also play a role in his transformation in the future?
‘Why is everything getting more and more complicated?’
Why was it that I could never have anything easy in my life?
I glanced at Zhuge Hyuk and thought to myself.
…Can I really kill him?
“…ild.”
Or should I even kill him?
And if I do, when should I, and would it cause probl—
“Child.”
“…Huh?”
｢Wake up.｣
I clenched my head at the headache I got after hearing Elder Shin’s voice…
When I gazed at the direction the voice – other than Elder Shin’s – had co from, I saw Celestial Plum Blossom looking at .
“Are you feeling ill?”
“No, I’m fine…”
“Tae! The child said he’s sick!”
“Shut up!”
The Immortal Healer shouted angrily at the Celestial Plum Blossom and continued boiling the dician herbs.
Slowly and carefully boiling the herbs, he handed the concoction over to the Plum Blossom Sword.
“Sleep after you drink this, you’ll feel tired after taking the dicine.”
“…Thank you.”
A nervous expression floated on Gu Ryunghwa’s face, worrying that her teacher might drop the dicine from her hands.
From the outside, she looked like a weak elderly woman, but both the Celestial Plum Blossom and the Immortal Healer called her a Swordmaster.
And my sister, Gu Ryunghwa, was her disciple.
Now I understood why Yung Pung had said that Gu Ryunghwa was his senior.
Probably, that was also the reason behind Gu Ryunghwa being treated as a second-generation disciple even though she joined the sect even after the third-generation students.
‘Why didn’t I know that she was a student of the Plum Blossom Sword?’
We didn’t talk much in my previous life, but I had never heard about Gu Ryunghwa being a disciple of the Swordmaster of Mount Hua from others either.
That probably ant that this information hadn’t been spread outside much.
How did Gu Ryunghwa even beco her disciple?
And what happened for the student of the Plum Blossom Sword to be so unknown to the world?
I just knew that Gu Ryunghwa was a martial artist of the Mount Hua Sect and nothing else.
The Plum Blossom Sword was a Swordmaster who was respected by many swordswon of the martial world.
And if I had to list the top martial artists of the Mount Hua Sect, the Plum Blossom Sword would be included at the sa tier as the Celestial Plum Blossom.
A female Swordmaster that never hesitated to run into danger to save others in need.
When the true gate of demons appeared in Shaanxi, not only did the Plum Blossom Sword evacuate all the people to safety, but she also beca a generational hero after holding off all the demons until the Celestial Plum Blossom’s arrival.
However, her sudden inactivity and the news of her hiding from the world was a hot topic that was often discussed by many.
‘Was it because of her disease?’
Needless to say, she didn’t look fine.
Just the fact that she looked older than the Celestial Plum Blossom even though being younger than her was enough reason to reach that conclusion.
While I kept staring at her like that, our eyes suddenly t.
I was surprised by that and flinched, but the Swordmaster rely smiled at kindly.
“Nice to et you.”
“Huh?”
“I should have t you much sooner, but too much ti has passed away already for that.”
“You know ?”
Did she hear about from Gu Ryunghwa?
I was nervous, naturally assuming that she didn’t relay anything good about to her master.
However, the words that left her mouth were totally out of my expectations.
“You look very much like Cheonhee.”
“…!”
Words that I never expected to hear; a na that I thought I had already forgotten about.
How did she know that na?
“You… knew my mother?”
Cheonhee— the na of my mother.
Let alone her na, I have even forgotten that smiling face of hers, and the voice with which she used to call my na.
The Swordmaster rely smiled at my question.
“She was a friend of mine… a really good friend.”
“My mother was a friend of yours…?”
How?
I was unaware of my mother’s experiences from her younger days, but I often heard that she had lived an ordinary life…
‘…I guess it’s not too weird.’
Since there was a girl like Wi Seol-Ah around.
The problem here was that I started learning way too many things around only now, after my regression.
“…He doesn’t look anything like her.”
Were the words Gu Ryunghwa spoke while being nestled in the Swordmaster’s arms.
She was glaring at fiercely.
“Ryunghwa…?”
“That guy looks nothing like my… mother. Mother looked like a rabbit, while that guy looks like a human mantis…!”
“Mantis…”
｢See I didn’t just say that you look like a mantis for no reason!｣
Why is it mantis out of all the options…
There are so many cute or cool animals in the world but why is it that she only compared to a mantis?
｢Why don’t you realize the possibility that maybe you don’t look cute or cool?｣
‘…Elder Shin, you can stop now.’
How heartbreaking…
The Swordmaster patted Gu Ryunghwa’s head and spoke.
“Ryunghwa, why are you being so rude to a person that ca all the way here for you?”
“…That’s… not…”
“Now, now… apologize to your brother.”
Gu Ryunghwa’s lips curled into a sulky pout at the Plum Blossom Sword’s words.
She was still a kid, after all.
“…So… rry.”
Her expression told that she was cursing at , even though her mouth emitted words of apology.
However, she still listened to the Swordmaster’s words.
The Swordmaster smiled after seeing Gu Ryungha’s behavior and continued her words.
“4 years ago, when I visited the Gu Clan, I wanted to see you as well… but… you were not in the clan at the ti.”
4 years ago?
‘Oh, is it during then?’
The ti around which I began to see the darkness of the Gu Clan.
The ti that I slowly started getting destroyed from the inside.
It wasn’t a good ti for .
The Swordmaster gazed at with that kind smile of hers without knowing about that fact.
“I’m glad I can at least see you now…”
“?”
“Of course, it was very disappointing for when I couldn’t see you back then.”
Why?
Is it because I am the son of her friend?
It all started to make sense now. The reason why Gu Ryunghwa left for the Mount Hua Sect a year after the Swordmaster visited our clan 4 years ago was probably due to this.
Moreover, since none other than the Swordmaster wanted to make Gu Ryunghwa her disciple, it was understandable why the father or the elders didn’t refuse the offer.
Of course, that decision of theirs was probably strengthened further due to my existence.
“You look very similar to Cheonhee.”
I smiled inwardly at the Swordmaster’s words.
They were words I could never relate to.
“I don’t rember my mother having such a sharp expression on her face though…”
“The outside may be different, but you certainly are very much like her, especially the aura of yours.”
｢Even in the middle of this, that woman doesn’t deny the fact your face is indeed fierce.｣
‘Do you really have to tease every ti?’
Aura huh, what does that even an?
Trying to understand what she ant now was extrely difficult as all my mories of my mother had grown dim.
I just vaguely rember my ti with her being warm and comforting.
That was the only thing I could rember about her.
While I was starting to beco engrossed in my own thoughts, I sensed soone next to handing sothing.
I wondered who it was, and I found that it was actually Zhuge Hyuk; I was slightly surprised at that.
‘What now…?’
Towel? What does he want to do with it?
“What is it?”
Even when I asked, the guy just continued to stare at without even moving his mouth.
Gu Ryunghwa had already told that he was a disabled boy who was unable to talk,
However, it was strange to since I rembered him talking just fine in my previous life.
Was that also due to the power of the Heavenly Demon?
They were even able to make a disabled person talk?
Were they even human at this point?
As I didn’t react or respond much, the boy just put the towel back into his pocket and sat near the Immortal Healer.
Was he always like that?
The guy that always had that nasty smile on his face… the guy that led thousands of people just with his words alone without any hesitation,
Were they really massacred by the sa kid that was currently in front of ?
Then just what in the hell happened for Zhuge Hyuk to beco a supporter of the demonic cult?
“So.”
The Immortal Healer spoke while gazing at the Celestial Plum Blossom.
“You fucker… why did you even co here?”
“…Jeez, how could you call the Lord of the Mount Hua Sect a fucker…”
“Want to leave?”
“Call whatever you like… I ca here to see how my disciple is doing.”
“Just shit with your mouth at this point, your face is blatantly telling that you ca here for sothing else.”
“Ahem…”
“Did you co here for that kid?”
The Immortal Healer gazed at as he spoke those words.
“I an… you know, might as well kill two birds with one stone since I ca here—”
The Celestial Plum Blossom avoided Immortal Healer’s gaze after being caught red-handed.
It seed like the Immortal Healer was about to spout fla from his eyes after seeing that action of his.
“The promise between us ends with the Swordmaster. I’m sure you know this yourself.”
“…Hmm.”
It was very uncomfortable for to sit here.
I ca here when I wasn’t even given a proper explanation, however, learning that we had co to the Immortal Healer for my sake made feel even worse.
“Uh… What’s—”
“Jeez! Can’t you just let it pass? That’s what friends are for, you know!”
“Now you are just being utterly shaless! Do you not know just how much it cost for you to hire to ask sothing like that!?”
“Are you really gonna be so petty?”
“Petty my ass, I’m about to drown you in this dicinal herb.”
What is this abomination of a conversation I am hearing right now?
Is this really the conversation between the greatest Taoist, the Celestial Plum Blossom and the legendary healer, the Immortal Healer?
The Plum Blossom Sword just maintained that kind smile of hers even while hearing all this bickering.
It looked like she was used to it already.
“My answer is still no.”
“Co on now…”
“It’s obvious that he’s not in a normal condition, and if I also took care of him, I can’t put all my attention into the Swordmaster, and are you okay with that?”
“Huh?”
My eyes beca bigger after hearing the Immortal Healer’s words.
Not in a normal condition? Who…?
‘?’
I ate, pooped, slept, and walked quite well up until now… I couldn’t understand why he said that I was not in a normal condition then.
If it was anyone else, I would have taken those words as pure bullshit, but the problem here was that they ca from the Immortal Healer himself.
“Judging by your reaction, it seems like you weren’t aware of that yourself, but you’re telling to fix that?”
“Hey, I never asked you to fix it… Only to check—”
“Get out of here with that nonsense of yours, Dohwa.”
Immortal Healer’s voice was tinged with notes of extre anger.
“That’s the responsibility of a healer. Are you telling to neglect a patient even after knowing that they are hurt?”
“…Tae.”
“Plus, I have soone that I have to take care of in front of —”
“Would the Leaf of Dragon’s Candle do it?”
– Pause
The Immortal Healer stopped moving after hearing those words leak from the Celestial Plum Blossom’s mouth.
He was so stunned that even his hand that was boiling the dicine so diligently had stopped.
He wasn’t the only one that was shocked as I was just as shocked.
‘He has the Leaf of Dragon’s Candle?’
The Dragon’s Candle was a sacred herb that was extrely hard to acquire even if soone had a lot of money.
It was often said that even one root of Dragon’s Candle was capable of making a good chunk of the greatest dicines that were available in the world.
…And he offered that to him?
It wasn’t strange to hear that the Mount Hua Sect had possession of Dragon’s Candle,
However, a precious thing was not sothing that should’ve been offered just to get checked.
Moreover, he even offered the leaves of Dragon’s Candle…
“Dohwa, are you being serious right now?”
“If it turns out that I am lying, I will bark like a dog in front of you.”
Even so, for a sect leader to bark like a dog is just…
It wasn’t sothing that a leader should ever say, but I guess it’s more believable now that he said that—
“…You piece of shit, you said that last ti and you barked like a dog like it was nothing…!”
Everyone froze instantly after hearing what the Immortal Healer just said.
The Lord of the Mount Hua Sect actually barked like a dog? Surely the Immortal Healer was joking right now… right?
Thinking like that I looked at the Celestial Plum Blossom, only to see him standing there with an awkward expression on his face.
“Hey! There are kids watching…!”
“You idiot, you caused so much trouble that surely it won’t get any worse.”
I thought for a second.
…Will Mount Hua be alright like this?
‘Elder Shin…’
｢…Don’t talk to .｣
‘Are you really okay with Mount Hua being like this?’
｢What’s Mount Hua? I don’t know what that is. My mories have been faint lately… Could it be that I have dentia…?｣
This old man wasn’t normal either.
He even used dentia as an excuse even though he’s a ghost already.
“…Can’t believe this didn’t work.”
“You—”
“Then if it turns out I was lying, I will step down as the Lord of the Mount Hua Sect.”
“My Lord!”
The Swordmaster called out to the Celestial Plum Blossom with utter shock on her face.
Shocked that he even bet his position as the lord of the sect.
He was such a man that even bet the clan’s treasure for a drinking ga so…
It was really hard to trust soone like him.
After hearing the Celestial Plum Blossom’s words, the Immortal Healer looked at again.
I assud that betting his position as the Lord of Mount Hua was enough to make the Immortal Healer believe in him.
“Hmm…”
“How about it?”
The Immortal Healer thought for a while.
Is the Dragon’s Candle really that valuable?
Soon, he let out a sigh…
“…I’m just going to check him and that’s all I’m doing… Even if sothing is wrong with him, I’m not going to do anything about it.”
After musing by himself for a while, the Immortal Healer finally accepted the Celestial Plum Blossom’s request.
“Oh yes, yes! That’s enough.”
“Uh… sorry to interrupt, but what about my opinion?”
“…I’m never going to accept your requests ever again.”
“Then I’ll just have to co to you over and over again till you do.”
“Just shut your mouth please.”
After speaking those words, the Immortal Healer reached out his hand towards .
“Pull up your sleeve and lend your arm.”
I couldn’t help but hesitate at the Immortal Healer’s words.
I knew that the whole reason why we ca here was because the Celestial Plum Blossom knew about the Qi of the Mount Hua Sect that was swirling inside of ,
However, I doubted if he could even figure out the condition of the Qi inside of . Moreover, if he really was able to figure everything out, I feared him being able to discover my demonic abilities as well.
｢Lend him your arm.｣
‘Elder shin?’
｢The longer you hesitate, the more suspicious you look. I’ll take care of the thing you are nervous about, so lend him your arm.｣
I listened to Elder Shin’s words and pulled up my sleeve and reached my arm out to the Immortal Healer.
｢However, I hope you tell what you are so nervous about as paynt.｣
‘…Yes.’
The Immortal Healer grabbed my arm and slowly checked my pulse.
Soon, a very small trace of Qi ca inside my body from the tips of the Immortal Healer’s fingers that were touching my arm.
I guess even if one was a healer, they had so amount of Qi in them at least.
“…Oh god.”
After touching my arm for a while, the Immortal Healer finally spoke in an extrely astonished tone.
After hearing his words, I couldn’t help but feel my mind go blank.
“You aren’t just abnormal, but you are basically a walking dead.”
Huh…?
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