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Chapter 90




<Chapter 91> Treatment. (3)
Treatment (3)
“What do you mean...?”
Suddenly, Gulinghua burst in, opening the door wide.
Of all times, why now?
...
...
...
...
Oh.
I had hoped she wouldn’t show up today.
As soon as Gulinghua saw me, she asked in a stern tone,
“Is that true...? That you can cure Master?”
“...I’m not certain.”
“How can you do something even the God of Medicine... couldn’t?”
While speaking, Gulinghua glanced at the God of Medicine.
To be honest, I wasn’t sure that absorbing the evil qi would cure the Empress’s body.
Moreover, I was still hesitating internally, wondering if I should get involved in this.
The Empress would surely die if left as is.
Even if a miracle allowed her to survive, she might go into hiding or live quietly.
That’s what happened in my previous life.
Though the future has already been altered several times by my selfishness, this would surpass all of that.
Given the Empress’s existence, it’s entirely possible.
Is it right to twist the future like this?
Still, if I help her now, it might be useful in the future calamity.
Various thoughts swirled in my mind.
‘In reality, I just want to create a pretext for myself.’
Yes, I was trying to create a reason to save her, to convince myself.
‘Even now, I’m still being selfish.’
I felt a lingering doubt about whether I should step forward.
Looking at Gulinghua with trembling eyes and an anxious expression, I could see the hope in her face despite the absurdity of the situation.
It reminded me that she was still a young and innocent child.
After observing her for a moment, I spoke calmly.
“If you allow it, I would like to try to treat the Empress’s illness.”
Perhaps my words didn’t sit well with him, as the God of Medicine barked again.
“...You’re overstepping, a mere apprentice who hasn’t even mastered medicine. Do you know the enormity of the sin in joking about a patient’s life?”
I understood the God of Medicine’s perspective.
If I were in his position, I might have reacted the same way.
The Empress quietly met my gaze in this situation.
Despite still battling the evil qi within her, her eyes showed a subtle determination rather than pain.
The Empress asked me,
“Could you explain in more detail?”
Empress!
The God of Medicine called out, seemingly surprised by the Empress’s words.
This indicated that the Empress was willing to listen to me.
Taking it as permission, I began to list the thoughts I had been pondering.
“The Gua family’s cultivation technique can expel evil qi through heat.”
No one interrupted me, indicating they would let me continue without interference.
“I feel that the illness consuming the Empress’s life is caused by some kind of energy. Isn’t that right?”
I asked the God of Medicine.
He looked surprised at my question.
He didn’t deny it; rather, his expression seemed to confirm it.
‘If I can’t detect the evil qi in my own body, how can I detect it in the Empress’s body?’
I suppressed my immediate question, focusing on the task at hand.
“When I touched the Empress’s hand, I confirmed that I could expel the evil qi from her body.”
To be precise, I absorbed it, but mentioning that might have a negative effect.
Recalling the sensation I felt when our hands touched, the Empress seemed to have noticed something as well, falling into thought.
While the Gua family’s technique shouldn’t have such an effect, this was the only way to make it convincing.
Gently.
Turning my head, I noticed Gulinghua gripping my collar.
“...C, Can you save Master...?”
I saw her trembling hand.
“Like I said before, I’m not certain...”
“Please save her...”
...
...
“Please save our Master, big brother...”
Seeing her tearful eyes, I sighed inwardly, knowing what she was feeling.
‘Always calling me “big brother” when she needs something.’
Still, the doubt and hesitation I felt about stepping forward seemed to lessen a bit thanks to Gulinghua.
The God of Medicine asked me,
“...There’s no record of such an effect in the Gua family’s martial arts. Are you saying you can do what even the Plum Immortal couldn’t?”
The God of Medicine’s question was valid.
Even the absolute expert in Daoism, the Plum Immortal, couldn’t expel the Empress’s evil qi, which is why he called the God of Medicine.
Yet, I claimed I could cure it.
The God of Medicine’s skeptical face was about to say something, but the Empress, who had been silent, spoke up.
“Why not let him try?”
“You...!”
“Better to grasp at a straw than do nothing. As the child said, I felt a change in my body when we touched.”
“Even if you can expel the evil qi, it’s too risky to entrust it to a child. If something goes wrong, you might lose the little time you have left.”
The God of Medicine’s concern made the Empress smile slightly.
As if to say, “It’s alright.”
“I know my time is limited. I’d rather try and believe in my own will.”
The Empress’s elegant yet firm words made the God of Medicine sigh deeply.
Though he wanted to persuade her, the Empress had already made her decision.
The God of Medicine realized he couldn’t argue further.
“...Can you really do it?”
His voice still carried doubt.
My answer remained the same.
“I don’t know. We’ll have to try.”
“Though it might sound arrogant, I couldn’t do it either. Before criticizing you, I should talk about the burden and responsibility you’ll face.”
Saving someone.
To feel the excitement and emotion, one must also bear the burden, guilt, and responsibility.
The God of Medicine was worried if I could handle the karma that would come if I failed.
I smiled at the sharp tone in his voice.
Whether it was the Plum Immortal or the God of Medicine, they reminded me of the elder.
There was something in their roughness.
“Even if there’s a chance I might succeed, I can’t just stand by and do nothing.”
This was more a statement to myself than to the God of Medicine.
It meant I shouldn’t run away again.
The God of Medicine met my gaze for a moment, then looked away.
“...If anything happens, I’ll intervene.”
Finally, the God of Medicine gave his permission.
I had managed to convince him with a mix of truth and half-truth.
Taking a deep breath, the Empress asked me,
“What would make you more comfortable?”
“Just sit comfortably.”
Gulinghua helped the Empress sit down, and I carefully moved behind her.
I could see the Empress’s thin, curved back in front of me.
Even as I reached out, the anxiety and fear remained.
It’s hard to overcome all emotions in an instant.
Still, I had to try.
‘If I do nothing, everything will fall apart.’
This was a realization I had repeatedly ignored in my previous life.
Finally, my hand touched the Empress’s back.
Unlike before, I was worried about what method might be needed to absorb the evil qi.
However, the evil qi immediately surged into my palm.
At the same time, the Guxian Huolun Gong began to spin uncontrollably.
‘Crazy...!’
The pain was intense, as if my skin was being torn, due to the large and rapid influx of evil qi.
A scream almost escaped my throat, but I gritted my teeth and held it back.
The moment I started absorbing the evil qi, I realized:
If I move even slightly, it will backfire.
‘If it gets disordered, it will reverse.’
The absorbed evil qi followed the path of the Guxian Huolun Gong, circulating within me.
It felt like a typhoon was raging inside my body.
Handling such a violent and intense energy with precision was impossible.
The only thing that made it possible was the Guxian Huolun Gong and the Dao qi given to me by the Fire Mountain’s treasure.
The Dao qi helped the evil qi flow smoothly within me.
Still, the pain was intense.
‘...Damn it.’
Compared to the pain I felt when the Heavenly Demon gave me evil qi and turned me into a demon, this was even worse.
The Empress must be feeling similar pain, yet she didn’t even whimper.
‘Her body must be weak.’
In a way, her body was weaker than an ordinary person’s.
Despite her frail body, she was enduring the pain.
Knowing this, I clenched my eyes and endured the pain.
I couldn’t tell how much I had absorbed, but it felt like a long time, though it probably wasn’t.
I could feel the evil qi being purified, but the amount was too much to keep up with.
It was excessive, far too excessive.
‘She was enduring this much evil qi in her body...?’
I could now understand the level of pure inner energy and wuwei the Empress must have possessed.
The overwhelming influx made me feel like I was losing consciousness.
‘I have to endure.’
I couldn’t give up now.
It wasn’t just about the Empress’s life; I couldn’t handle the evil qi if it went out of control.
‘If I make a mistake, it will be a disaster.’
Even if I tried to enter a state of disaster, it wouldn’t be easy.
The shock of a mistake would be too great.
‘This is my karma, damn it.’
The evil qi seemed endless, and I was approaching my limit.
[...Ugh.]
A voice came from somewhere.
‘...Huh?’
[Uh...uh...uh.]
‘This...’
The pain was momentarily forgotten.
It was a voice I had heard before.
The mysterious voice I heard at the end of the battle with the Blood Demon.
A voice that had been hazy in my memory suddenly became clear.
[...Full...but...but.]
The voice, which sounded old and crackling, seemed to gain life as it continued.
I had a bad feeling.
‘...Who are you?’
[This time...it’s...delicious?]
The voice didn’t respond to me.
[This is...very delicious.]
The voice seemed to be smiling.
At the same time, a surge of evil qi rushed in.
‘...!’
The evil qi, entering like an explosion, immediately attacked my entire body and penetrated my dantian.
The pain was no longer the issue.
This was a matter of death.
Blood trickled down the corner of my mouth.
My consciousness, which felt like it was about to slip away, was still holding on, and my arm, which I wanted to pull away from the Empress’s back, was stuck.
It meant my mind and body were no longer under my control.
‘This...damn...what the...!’
Crack!
The evil qi pierced my meridians and filled my dantian, as if trying to break it.
[Ah.]
It stopped at a single word.
[It was delicious.]
The satisfied voice that followed.
I lost consciousness as my body’s strength drained away.
When I opened my eyes again, it was morning.
Sitting up in surprise, I found myself still in the hut where I had been treating the Empress.
Fortunately, it seemed I hadn’t died or had the evil qi reverse and harm me.
‘...Was it a dream?’
I wondered if it was, but checking my body quickly dispelled that thought.
‘...So much.’
I could feel the evil qi coursing through my body, more than the inner energy I originally possessed.
Looking around, the God of Medicine and Jiegalge were gone, and Gulinghua was curled up under a blanket, sleeping soundly.
‘Is it morning...?’
Could I have slept for a day or two? It didn’t seem likely.
The Empress was nowhere to be seen, and the God of Medicine was also missing, which made me a bit anxious.
I stepped outside the hut.
Swish! Swish!
As soon as I opened the door, someone was practicing sword techniques in the sunlight.
Seeing this, I sighed in relief.
Even though she was just practicing lightly, the faint plum fragrance she emitted was unmistakable.
Though her sword movements seemed weak, the lines she drew in the air revealed the depth of her martial arts.
‘...Impressive.’
Her movements, which seemed weak at first glance, made my shoulders tingle with instinct.
The sword dance, which had been swirling like petals, came to a stop.
Though I couldn’t see her face clearly in the sunlight, I could feel her gaze on me.
“You’re awake now, I see.”
“...Yes.”
Her white hair, which had turned gray with age, was now black as ink, fluttering in the morning breeze.
“Seeing you like this, it feels different.”
That’s what I should have said.
Her appearance was completely different from before I lost consciousness, leaving me speechless.
Though I couldn’t see her face clearly in the sunlight, the atmosphere was enough to tell.
‘Rebirth? But it doesn’t seem like that.’
Perhaps it was just a return to her original state.
Just from expelling the evil qi...?
Creak.
The door behind me opened, and someone came out.
“...Master...?”
It was Gulinghua.
Her gaze wavered, and she immediately burst into tears.
The Empress laughed out loud.
“If you keep crying like that, your pretty face will be ruined.”
Hearing the Empress’s joke, Gulinghua ran over and hugged her.
Seeing her sobbing in the Empress’s embrace, I instinctively looked away.
‘This atmosphere is awkward.’
I awkwardly scratched my head.
I wasn’t used to such a scene.
Though I didn’t know the details, it seemed the matter had been resolved in the direction I had hoped.
In the future, I needed to check my own condition and inform the Plum Immortal.
However,
‘...I feel like I’ve forgotten something important.’
A nagging feeling that I had forgotten something significant lingered.
And when I arrived at my quarters, I immediately realized what it was.
As soon as I entered, I saw Weixie and Nangong Bei glaring at me with their arms crossed.
Nangong Bei glared at me and said,
“I told you to come back before dinner... Were you out all night?”
...
Oh no.