Chapter 57, The Secret of the Spiritual Pill
Goeui brought the boat to shore and helped Jaha out.
Jaha needed to immediately circulate his qi and treat his internal injuries.
However, there were too many people gathered around the lakeside.
It was not a suitable place to enter meditation.
Suddenly, Jaha bent forward.
Cough!
The clotted blood he had been holding back finally came up through his mouth.
Jaha had tried to endure because Ha Seonbaek, Han Seol, and Jo Unryong were watching.
But his body was stiffening and his true qi had begun raging uncontrollably.
The martial artists gathered around the lake were experienced enough to understand what this meant.
"Heavenly Demon Defying Sword needs to circulate his qi!"
Someone shouted.
Another person immediately answered from the crowd.
"Then we'll stand guard for him. Everyone, move fifty jang away from Heavenly Demon Defying Sword. We'll form a circle and protect him!"
The surrounding martial artists looked at one another.
Then they nodded.
They moved fifty jang away from Jaha and formed a wide protective ring.
"Anyone who crosses this line, no matter the reason, will be treated as someone intending to harm Heavenly Demon Defying Sword, and we will kill them!"
Goeui had never in his life seen so many martial artists voluntarily stand guard for a single person.
This was how they were expressing their respect for Jaha.
"Well, I'll be damned. I've lived long enough to see something like this."
Goeui muttered before looking at Jaha.
"Stop wasting time and circulate your qi. We'll protect you."
Jaha looked toward Ha Seonbaek.
Ha Seonbaek nodded with a proud expression.
"If you have something to say, say it later. First, calm your internal energy."
Jaha immediately sat cross-legged and entered meditation.
Ha Seonbaek stared at him with deep emotion.
His disciple had grown enough in just a few years to earn the respect of so many martial artists.
Byeok Ho had become the kind of martial artist Ha Seonbaek himself once wanted to be.
Perhaps he had not defeated Hwancheonma using Ha Seonbaek's personal ultimate techniques.
Still, the Azure Cloud Sword Jaha used against Hwancheonma had been beautiful.
That evolved Azure Cloud Sword almost no longer resembled the one Ha Seonbaek had taught him.
Yes. That's enough.
Ha Seonbaek turned away.
If anyone tried to harm his meditating disciple, he decided he would protect him even at the cost of his life.
Han Seol and Jo Unryong stood with their shoulders full of pride.
The simple fact that the man who had defeated Hwancheonma was their senior brother made them proud.
Watching their senior brother fight Hwancheonma over the water had felt less like watching a battle and more like watching a sword dance.
Neither of them possessed enough internal power to clearly see every detail of the fight.
That was why it had looked almost dreamlike.
Still, that was enough to show them how magnificently their senior brother had fought.
Watching him run across water and rise through the air as though walking through the sky was deeply moving.
For Jo Unryong especially, the sight was so incredible that he almost felt guilty for wishing the battle with Hwancheonma had lasted longer.
Before leaving for Taiyuan to earn money, his senior brother had been an ordinary instructor, the kind found in any small martial school.
After returning from three years of escort work, he had become a completely different man.
Not simply a strong martial artist.
He had grown strong enough to fight and kill a peak expert like Hwancheonma.
Jo Unryong deeply respected him.
Han Seol, however, felt more worried than proud.
If Senior Brother becomes this famous, his life will become troublesome. It's good that Azure Cloud Martial School becomes known, and it's good that Senior Brother gains fame, but it will take him farther and farther from the quiet life he wants.
Han Seol knew Byeok Ho was not someone obsessed with fame.
That was why the grand nicknames Heavenly Demon Defying Sword and Invincible Village Sword actually made her worried.
After nearly one full shichen of qi circulation, Jaha finally managed to stabilize his body.
Byeok Ho's original internal power was small.
However, Jaha had repeatedly absorbed much larger amounts of external energy through the Acupoint-Draining Claw Method.
That had placed enormous strain on Byeok Ho's dantian.
Most of the martial artists who had gathered around the lake were already gone.
Still, several dozen remained.
They had stubbornly insisted they would stay and protect Jaha until he woke.
When Jaha learned this, he cupped his fists toward them.
"Thank you for standing guard for me."
One martial artist returned the gesture.
"No, Young Hero Byeok. We were ashamed that we could not help you fight Hwancheonma. At least by protecting you afterward, our hearts feel lighter. Now that you have awakened, we'll take our leave."
Once even the remaining martial artists departed, only Jaha's group remained at Willow Flower Water Garden.
The place that had been crowded with hundreds of people suddenly became quiet.
After things calmed down and Jaha stabilized, Goeui began regretting the loss of the Medical Righteous Sect's spiritual medicine.
"What a waste. A dead man carried away such precious medicine."
Jaha smiled.
"There's no need to regret it. The medicine Hwancheonma took wasn't the real one."
"What? That wasn't real?"
Goeui looked completely unconvinced.
Naturally so.
He had personally watched Jaha hand the medicine to Hwancheonma.
He had also clearly heard Hwancheonma declare that it was genuine.
"Hwancheonma himself said it was genuine. He wanted that medicine more than anyone. How could he fail to tell the difference?"
"He was fooled because he doesn't properly understand the Medical Righteous Sect's medicine."
Goeui tilted his head.
"Then where is the genuine medicine?"
Instead of answering, Jaha looked toward the lake.
Something far away was slowly drifting toward the shore.
"That!"
Han Seol's eyes widened when she saw the object floating toward them.
Jo Unryong looked at Jaha.
"Senior Brother, isn't that the silver box you threw away? How did something that was in the middle of the lake drift all the way back here?"
Jaha inwardly flinched at Jo Unryong's sharp eyes.
He had used the Command of All Living Things to make turtles push the box toward shore.
Jaha dismissed the turtles.
Then he asked Goeui to retrieve the box.
He was deliberately trying not to show too many martial arts in front of his master and fellow disciples.
He did not want them to begin feeling distant from him.
"The wind must have pushed it toward this shore."
Jaha gave a careless explanation and accepted the silver box Goeui had retrieved.
"This old man clearly watched you hand the spiritual medicine to Hwancheonma. Are you saying that thing was fake?"
Instead of answering Goeui's demanding question, Jaha opened the box.
Click!
The moment it opened, the strong fragrance of the spiritual medicine was still there.
Goeui looked at Jaha in confusion.
"What? The medicine is still inside?"
Goeui searched through the silver box and pulled out four sheets of silver foil.
There was nothing else inside.
Yet the fragrance of the spiritual medicine continued spreading from the box.
Jaha smiled.
"These sheets of silver foil are the real spiritual medicine."
For several moments, Goeui and Ha Seonbaek could not even respond.
Their mouths simply fell open.
Han Seol and Jo Unryong's eyes became huge.
After a brief silence, Goeui snatched one of the silver sheets and smelled it.
Sniff. Sniff.
Then he spoke in a stunned voice.
"It's real. This is the genuine spiritual medicine. Hwancheonma smelled the fragrance inside the box and assumed the pill itself was the medicine."
"Exactly."
Goeui immediately understood the trick.
"So you deliberately removed the round pill wrapped inside these sheets and handed that to Hwancheonma."
"That's right."
"Hahaha."
Goeui laughed helplessly.
Then he asked,
"But how did you know the silver foil was actually the medicine? Even this old man didn't notice."
Jaha glanced toward Ha Seonbaek before answering.
"Senior Demon Physician was actually a successor of the Medical Righteous Sect. That's how I knew they had used a strategy of truth within deception to protect their spiritual medicine."
"I see. That explains it. So that's why no one who obtained the Medical Righteous Sect's medicine was ever said to have gained internal power from it. There were even rumors that all of their spiritual medicines were fake. So this was the reason."
Goeui nodded repeatedly.
Ha Seonbaek spoke with concern.
"Ho, we should leave this place first. Some martial artists may still be nearby. If anyone discovers this, we'll have trouble."
"Yes, Master. Let's return to the Daewon Merchant Group shop first."
"No. Hwancheonma knows we're there, and so does the Western Gorge Sect. Let's go where you were staying instead."
Jaha froze for a moment.
No matter how he looked at it, bringing his master to a brothel felt wrong.
Goeui, however, casually spoke.
"We've been staying at a brothel for a short while. Is that all right?"
"A brothel? Ah, I see. Let's go."
Han Seol and Jo Unryong were surprised that their master showed no reaction to hearing Jaha had been staying at a brothel.
For a moment, they wondered whether Ha Seonbaek actually understood what kind of place a brothel was.
"What are you doing? Why aren't you following?"
When Han Seol and Jo Unryong simply stared at him, Ha Seonbaek looked back.
"Senior Brother was staying at a brothel. Is that really fine?"
"There must have been circumstances. Is your senior brother someone who moves carelessly?"
Seeing their master's absolute trust in Jaha, the two smiled at each other.
They also trusted Jaha.
They had only worried that their master might misunderstand.
It had been unnecessary.
When they returned to the brothel, Jaha was surprised by the manager's extremely respectful treatment.
"I've made sure no one approaches the detached residence."
Dozens of high-class dishes had already been prepared in the building where Jaha and Goeui were staying.
Goeui looked at the manager.
"We don't have money to pay for food like this. Aren't you misunderstanding something?"
The manager laughed and shook his head.
"What are you saying? Senior has treated countless courtesans here over the years. This is simply our way of showing gratitude."
"Really? It doesn't feel like that's the only reason."
The manager glanced toward Jaha.
"There's also the matter of making amends for failing to recognize Young Hero Byeok, Heavenly Demon Defying Sword."
"I knew it."
Goeui smiled.
For his recovery, Jaha needed to eat well.
Goeui also rarely enjoyed such luxury.
Neither had any reason to refuse the manager's kindness.
"Fine. We'll gratefully accept it."
After the manager left, Goeui spoke to Ha Seonbaek.
"Master Ha, there's someone I should introduce to you."
At Goeui's words, Jaha suddenly remembered So Rihyang and Ha Yeon.
"Ah, we should bring Miss Ha and the old madam here."
"Right. They're now tied to you in a way that's difficult to separate, so introductions are necessary."
When Goeui left, Ha Seonbaek asked,
"An old madam and Miss Ha? What do you mean by being tied to you?"
Jaha saw Ha Seonbaek, Han Seol, and Jo Unryong all looking at him.
He slowly began explaining.
"After Senior Goeui and I rescued Miss Deung, we saw Hwancheonma staying at this brothel on the way back, so we followed him."
Jaha briefly explained everything that happened afterward without leaving out the important points.
"So Hwancheonma kidnapped us because Ho had the spiritual medicine he wanted for the exchange. After being taken hostage by Hwancheonma, I felt more miserable than when I was lying sick in bed. I thought I was blocking my disciple's future. I truly wanted to die."
Ha Seonbaek openly revealed his feelings.
"We felt the same."
Jo Unryong and Han Seol lowered their heads.
Being helplessly kidnapped by Hwancheonma's people and then used as bait to capture their senior brother had felt worse than death.
After that incident, Jo Unryong desperately wanted to become strong like Jaha.
He had regretted his weakness again and again.
That was why, at Willow Flower Water Garden, he had watched his senior brother fight Hwancheonma with greater tension than anyone else.
His palms were covered in dark bruises.
He had clenched his fists so tightly throughout the battle that he injured himself.
Not only Ha Seonbaek, but also Han Seol and Jo Unryong had now understood just how desperately strength was needed.
They had also understood why it was not the strong who needed to hide away from the world, but the weak.
After a brief silence, Jaha spoke.
"Master, there's something I need to ask forgiveness for."
"What is it?"
"This time, I learned Senior So's footwork art without asking for Master's permission."
"Ah, you mean that Ghost Spirit Traceless Steps?"
"Yes."
"That very art saved your life and ours. How could this master blame you? I should be the one bowing in gratitude to the old madam who taught you such an art. Who else would willingly pass such profound martial arts to you?"
At that moment, the door opened and So Rihyang entered.
"Hearing Master Ha say that puts this old woman's heart at ease."
Supported by Ha Yeon, So Rihyang entered the room.
Ha Seonbaek immediately stood and cupped his fists.
"This junior greets Senior."
"Oh my. We're both growing old. There's no need to worry so much about formalities."
"I heard everything from my disciple. I am deeply grateful in many ways."
"If anything, I'm the one who enjoyed great fortune by meeting Young Hero Byeok. Without him, this old woman would already be buried in the ground after falling into that old monster Hwancheonma's hands."
After exchanging greetings with Ha Seonbaek, So Rihyang introduced Ha Yeon.
"This child is this old woman's disciple."
Ha Yeon released So Rihyang's arm and politely folded her small hands.
"My name is Ha Yeon."
Ha Seonbaek smiled.
"Even at a glance, she looks like an outstanding disciple."
At Ha Seonbaek's kind words, Ha Yeon's cheeks slowly turned red.
The reason was not Ha Seonbaek.
She had noticed Jo Unryong looking at her.
So Rihyang looked into Ha Seonbaek's kind eyes and replied,
"Even if my disciple is talented, how could she compare with Young Hero Byeok? I envy Master Ha. When I heard that he mastered the Ghost Spirit Traceless Steps so quickly and even benefited from it while fighting Hwancheonma, I cannot describe how happy I was. I felt our sect's ultimate technique was finally seeing its true worth."
So Rihyang had mostly used the Ghost Shadow Sect's techniques for stealing.
She had rarely used them in battles against overwhelming experts.
So when Goeui told her Jaha had used the Ghost Spirit Traceless Steps to fight and defeat Hwancheonma, a shiver ran through her entire body.
For a moment, her chest felt full.
It was as if her sect's ultimate art was finally being used for its true purpose.
That was why she had hurried here to see Jaha.
Hearing a famous senior of the martial world like So Rihyang praise Byeok Ho so highly filled Ha Seonbaek with pride.
He even lost the chance to offer any modest reply.
