Chapter 203

“Namgung boy. I have already settled the debt I owed you. If you intend to use it as leverage to demand something from my girl...”

At the suspicion in Tang Jung’s eyes, Namgung Hwi hurriedly spoke.

“That isn’t it, Elder. I’m simply worried about her. I can’t get the last image I saw of her out of my mind... I won’t be able to rest easy until I know she’s all right.”

“No. Your presence could confuse her memories.”

Tang Jung shook his head firmly.

He had no intention of letting an outsider see her in her current state, and more importantly, he did not want to confuse the girl any further.

Her strength had declined so badly that she could not remain awake for even an hour a day. Even when she did wake, she could barely recognize his face and was far from fully lucid.

Most of the time, she simply repeated that she had to go somewhere without explaining why, then fell asleep again.

In that condition, how could he possibly let a stranger visit when he had no idea what kind of shock it might cause her?

Namgung Hwi’s expression turned grave at Tang Jung’s refusal. His lips moved as he searched for the right words before he carefully asked,

“Does Miss Tang... not remember what happened that day?”

“I have no reason to tell an outsider.”

It was as good as an admission.

Namgung Hwi’s mouth tightened.

Tang Jung glared at him sternly.

“I won’t stop you from staying nearby. But do not come here again without my permission. There is a limit to how much I will overlook. You’ve already gone through your coming-of-age ceremony. How long do you intend to keep behaving like an unruly child?”

“I’ll keep that in mind, Elder. If there is anything I can do to help...”

“There isn’t. I understand your intentions well enough, so leave.”

Tang Jung waved him away, making it abundantly clear that he had no desire to continue the conversation.

At the second dismissal, Namgung Hwi hurriedly spoke again.

“P-please wait, Elder!”

“What now?”

“Please don’t tell Miss Tang about me.”

Tang Jung frowned and tilted his head as he looked back at him.

“...What do you mean? You want her kept unaware of the debt you paid for her?”

“Yes. I don’t want to interfere with her recovery.”

“Forget it. This is not something that can be hidden. The inner force within her has changed. How could she fail to notice?”

“I know. But if her memories are already impaired, as you said, then it would be better if she did not remember me. Remembering a moment when she hovered between life and death would only deepen her inner demons.”

“...”

“Please, Elder. Don’t tell her anything. I’ll take my leave now.”

Namgung Hwi bowed politely, then slowly turned away.

Watching his retreating back, Tang Jung swallowed a low groan and squeezed his eyes shut.

His thoughts were in such turmoil that he struggled to contain his anger.

Even a complete stranger worries about her this much, yet those who share her blood drove the girl to the brink of death...

While Tang Jung steadied his breathing and tried to suppress his fury, Seoryak approached him.

“Stop working yourself up over nothing and go check on the girl. She’s stirring. Looks like she might be awake.”

“Is my little pup awake?”

Tang Jung’s eyes flew open. His troubled expression vanished in an instant, replaced by a broad smile, and then so did he.

“...Tch. What a hopeless fool.”

Clicking her tongue, Seoryak folded her arms and glared at the cloud of dust Tang Jung had left behind.

“Yes, little one. Grandfather’s here.”

His soothing voice drifted from afar.

Seoryak snorted and turned away.

He really does adore his disciple. That old corpse comes back to life over a single twitch of her hand.

It was a ridiculous sight, and yet...

It was not unpleasant to see.

Seoryak stopped at the threshold of the main gate and considered something for a moment before making up her mind.

This much meddling should be harmless.

It was only a passing whim.

It certainly was not because some brat waiting for her in the Bamboo Sea had been on her mind.

And it was even less because the longing burning in that boy’s eyes reminded her of someone.

Having completed her rationalization, Seoryak sharpened her energy sense.

She felt the boy’s presence descending the mountain at a painfully slow pace, as though his feet refused to carry him away.

Seoryak caught up with him in an instant and blocked his path.

“You. I want a word.”

“Divine Physician?”

Namgung Hwi’s eyes widened at the unexpected sight of her.

******

When I opened my eyes again, I saw a face I had missed.

I stared blankly into those dark blue eyes, then blinked.

Is this a dream?

“...Grandfather?”

My throat rasped when I cautiously called out to him. Grandfather forced a smile and stroked my cheek.

“Yes, little one. Grandfather’s here.”

“When... did you get here?”

“While my girl was sleeping.”

“Ah...”

Right. Uncle had sent me a letter. Grandfather had come out of seclusion...

And then...

What was it?

Everything was hazy, as though I were wandering through fog. It felt as though parts of my memory had been painted black.

I groped through the blur and finally managed to speak.

“Grandfather. I have to go...”

“Where do you keep saying you need to go? You still can’t move, little one. Lie down.”

“I have to go...”

At my muttering, a crack appeared in Grandfather’s smile. As though he could no longer bear to look at me, his face twisted while he muttered some curse under his breath.

Then a warm palm covered my eyes.

“Sleep some more. Grandfather will take care of everything. Don’t worry about anything. Just rest, little one.”

I have to go... I don’t have time for this...

Every part of me wanted to leap out of bed and run, but my body would not move. It felt pinned beneath a boulder.

Just as my consciousness began to sink, Grandfather’s inner force flowed into me.

Under his guided circulation, a blue energy pushed back the darkness and washed the world in vivid blue.

...Blue?

That was strange.

My inner force had never had this color before.

Neither had Grandfather’s.

Something felt as though it were about to surface, but everything remained obscured in haze. I could not remember anything clearly.

My body, however, naturally tried to circulate its inner force.

When I struggled to follow Grandfather’s flow, he smiled as though pleased with me.

“That’s it. You’re doing well now. Let’s try a little more.”

The laughter brushing my ears eased some of my tension.

It felt as though I had returned to some distant day when I had only just begun learning martial arts.

But that was all.

Even after completing a full circuit, my body still refused to obey me.

I frowned and strained uselessly until Grandfather wiped the cold sweat from my face with a soft cloth.

“Little one. Don’t think about anything. Just rest. You have to get better quickly so you can go home with Grandfather, all right?”

“Yes...”

I mumbled my answer, feeling the warmth of Grandfather’s hand clasping mine as sleep dragged me under.

After that, I helplessly repeated the same cycle—sleeping as if I had fainted, waking again, then slipping back into unconsciousness.

I had no idea how much time passed.

I could not even tell whether it was day or night, summer or winter. Everything felt distant, as though I were submerged underwater.

Sometimes my entire body was covered in needles.

Other times I woke immersed in a medicinal bath.

There were also moments when the sensation of Grandfather sending inner force through me pulled me back toward consciousness.

Only one thing never changed.

Whenever I opened my eyes, Grandfather was there.

He deliberately allowed his presence to be felt as he stayed beside me, and because of that, I always knew I was not alone.

“Her recovery is slow. Ordinary medicine won’t be enough to replenish the innate inner force she lost. Let’s use the inner core of the Human-Faced Spider I have.”

“What do you need me to find?”

“We’ll need a precious medicine capable of neutralizing its extreme yin energy. Does the Tang Clan happen to have...”

Sometimes I vaguely heard Grandfather speaking with someone.

Judging by that distinctive way of talking, I thought it might be the Ghost-Hand Divine Physician.

Why is the Ghost-Hand Divine Physician here?

The question lasted only a moment before my thoughts scattered like clouds driven by the wind.

Drowsiness swept over me, and soon everything around me grew as still as a quiet lake.

Slowly, I sank into deep water.

******

Sunlight poured across my face through the sliding paper doors.

From somewhere far away came the faint rustle of leaves in the wind.

I slowly lifted my heavy eyelids and immediately realized that my body felt different from usual.

Today, it did not feel as heavy as stone.

I could even push the blanket away on my own.

My mind was still foggy, but now that my body was finally obeying me, I had no desire to remain lying still.

I flexed my hands and feet a few times, then braced myself against the bed and pushed my upper body upright.

A prickling ache ran through my left shoulder, but it was bearable.

I had bound that arm while prepared to lose it entirely, so this much was fortunate.

After having a sword driven through it, coming away with only this much...

...Wait.

Was I stabbed through with a sword? Why?

I clutched my left shoulder and tried to think, but nothing came back to me. It was as though someone had taken an inkstick and blacked out the memory.

Massaging my faintly trembling left arm, I looked around.

The room was unfamiliar, but its layout felt familiar enough that I guessed it was one of Grandfather’s safe houses.

I blinked repeatedly, trying to clear my head, when a voice spoke.

“Are you awake?”

Startled, I turned my head and saw a familiar face.

The Ghost-Hand Divine Physician.

“Stay still. The dizziness will be severe.”

Our eyes met, and I started to raise my hands in a clasped-hands salute, but the Ghost-Hand Divine Physician stopped me and reached toward me instead.

The instant she did, my body tensed before I could even form a coherent thought.

I reflexively slapped the approaching hand aside and threw a punch—

Thump!

—and planted my face straight into the blanket.