Almighty God of War - Chapter 26
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
026
Having made his decision, Guyang Cheongang surveyed his surroundings.
The bloodstains leading to where the old man had collapsed were clearly visible under the moonlight.
‘Akasha, I need to erase these traces. The pursuers will definitely follow them.’
[Yes, Doctor. It would be safer to create false traces as well. If you leave convincing bloodstains in another direction, it could confuse the pursuers.]
Guyang Cheongang carefully dabbed the old man’s blood onto some leaves.
Then he quickly erased the bloodstains he had seen with dirt and fallen leaves.
Continuing for about a hundred zhang, crossing roofs and walls, he cleverly left bloodstains along the optimal escape route calculated by Akasha.
He perfectly disguised it to look like a severely injured master had fled while using light body technique, scattering blood as his strength failed him.
When Guyang Cheongang had erased all his own traces and returned to the separate building, the old man was unconscious and fainted.
Just then, thin and sharp whistle sounds came from outside in succession.
Tweet- Tweek! Tweet tweet!
Guyang Cheongang instinctively knew the pursuers had appeared and hurriedly carried the old man to his room.
The whistle sounds that had been heard around the area for a while disappeared quickly about half an hour later, apparently following the false traces.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Guyang Cheongang examined the unconscious old man’s wounds.
Near his heart, there was a black palm print about the size of a child’s palm.
Since no other external injuries were visible, the yin cold energy gnawing at the old man’s heart meridians must have been caused by that palm force.
‘Akasha, I need to treat this old man.’
[Understood. I’ll assist you.]
Guyang Cheongang carefully placed his hand on the old man’s chest and circulated the Transcendent Impermanence Divine Art.
Shortly after, a strange suction force generated from his palm began drawing out the yin cold energy that was destroying the old man’s heart meridians.
The situation was similar to iron filings being drawn to a magnet.
Guyang Cheongang unconsciously frowned.
The energy flowing into his meridians wasn’t simple yin cold energy.
It contained evil qi that was as sinister as a living venomous snake and unpleasantly disturbing.
Guyang Cheongang gritted his teeth.
The clear and transparent pure yin true energy of the Transcendent Impermanence Divine Art rotated in his dantian, rapidly purifying the absorbed yin cold energy.
In that process, the impure evil qi was perfectly filtered out, and only purely purified energy accumulated layer by layer in his dantian.
[Doctor, I have successfully separated and neutralized the harmful evil qi components from the incoming yin cold energy. As a result of absorbing the purified energy and converting it to internal energy, we’ve secured approximately 6 months’ worth of pure internal energy. Moreover, the quality of the energy was very high, having the effect of refining your existing internal energy by one more level.]
At that moment,
“Mmm…”
The old man let out a faint groan and opened his eyes.
Sitting up, the old man couldn’t hide his amazement upon realizing that the cold energy from the Yin Wind Palm that had been pressing on his heart meridians had disappeared like a lie.
But now wasn’t the time to ask curious questions.
Understanding the situation immediately, the old man swallowed a pill of secret internal injury medicine and said.
“Young master, would you guard me while I practice energy circulation and breath control?”
“I understand.”
Only after practicing energy circulation and breath control for half a shichen could the old man barely recover sixty percent of his internal energy.
Opening his eyes, he looked at the boy who had saved him with disbelieving eyes and asked.
“The yin cold energy in my body… did you remove it?”
“Yes.”
“Huh… The Yin Wind Ghost Demon’s Cruel White Yin Wind Palm is an extremely vicious internal injury infliction method, so exactly what method did you use to remove the yin cold energy?”
“The martial arts I learned has the effect of controlling yin cold energy.”
Divine Physician Hwata asked with an expression as if he had misheard something.
“Just now… did you say you learned martial arts?”
“That’s right.”
“Hmm… I couldn’t have been mistaken…”
The old man, frowning deeply while muttering, asked.
“May I check your pulse?”
“Of course.”
Guyang Cheongang offered his wrist without hesitation.
In Gangho, offering one’s wrist to another was impossible without an absolutely trusting relationship.
But Guyang Cheongang didn’t even know such customs of Gangho, and even if he had known, he would have allowed it.
The old man’s atmosphere had that much power to draw out people’s trust.
The old man grabbed Guyang Cheongang’s wrist with a careful expression and checked his pulse.
Shortly after, his pupils shook noticeably large enough to be perceived.
“Indeed, I wasn’t mistaken. You’re definitely suffering from Nine Yin Severed Meridians. The fact that you’re still alive is itself miraculous, so how did you even learn martial arts? This goes beyond the normal principles of medical arts…”
This time Guyang Cheongang was surprised.
“How did you know that?”
“There’s no one in all under heaven who knows this disease better than me.”
The old man sighed at the strange fate and revealed his identity.
“Oh my… I was so distracted I didn’t even introduce myself. I am called Jong Gawi. People in Gangho call me Divine Physician Hwata.”
Guyang Cheongang was stunned.
The injured old man before his eyes was the divine physician of all under heaven, Divine Physician Hwata Jong Gawi.
It was a connection he had never imagined.
He bowed his head and spoke.
“I am called Guyang Cheongang. This place is Bamboo Forest Manor of Bamboo Sword Master Heo Ilbi, my uncle by marriage, and I am staying here temporarily due to circumstances.”
“Guyang… Bamboo Forest Manor? The friendship between the Heo Family and Guyang Family Estate is quite famous. Then you must be a descendant of the Guyang Family Estate.”
“That’s right. My father is the current head of Guyang Family Estate, and his name uses the character ‘Baek’ with Guyang.”
“Indeed, that’s right.”
Jong Gawi was momentarily speechless at the fact that the one who saved his life was a boy born with a cursed heavenly affliction.
He asked.
“Your Nine Yin Severed Meridians hasn’t worsened but has stagnated. Can you tell me how this happened?”
Guyang Cheongang answered with an awkward expression.
“I created a somewhat special internal energy method to treat Nine Yin Severed Meridians. I’m controlling the cold energy of Nine Yin Severed Meridians with it, and thanks to that, the progression of the disease has stopped.”
At those words, Jong Gawi was truly shocked beyond measure.
“You yourself… created a heart method to treat Nine Yin Severed Meridians?”
“That’s right, but…”
Jong Gawi burst into hollow laughter with a deranged expression.
“Heh heh… Heh heh heh! Since I’ve confirmed it directly, I can’t not believe it… Nine Yin Severed Meridians, which I couldn’t confidently cure completely even with my lifetime of learning, and now a boy not even twenty has found a way to treat it… I’ve met an unprecedented crazy genius today…”
Witnessing his mad mode up close, Guyang Cheongang inwardly flinched.
‘Akasha, was my creation of the Transcendent Impermanence Divine Art something worthy of being called a crazy genius?’
[I don’t know either. To judge that, I’d need to know Murim’s common sense, traditions, and rules, but such information isn’t stored in my database yet, Doctor.]
‘Hmm… Looking at this man’s reaction, I think I shouldn’t tell other people that I created martial arts.’
[That would probably be best.]
Guyang Cheongang spoke with expectant eyes.
“Elder, I heard you had experience completely curing patients with Nine Yin Severed Meridians and really wanted to meet you.”
Jong Gawi responded with a bitter smile.
“That’s just a false rumor.”
Guyang Cheongang’s eyes widened.
“Pardon?”
“Nine Yin Severed Meridians isn’t a simple disease but closer to a curse. I’ve done countless research and experiments, but the only conclusion I’ve reached is that treating it with medical arts is nearly impossible. The rumor you heard was probably a distorted version of that process.”
“Ah…”
“But with you, I think treating Nine Yin Severed Meridians might not be impossible.”
Jong Gawi looked at Guyang Cheongang with burning eyes and continued.
“What a waste… such a waste…”
“What do you mean?”
“I was saying it’s too wasteful that I don’t have the leisure to stay here and research together with you.”
“Do you have to leave right away?”
“There are friends waiting for what I’ve discovered, so I have no choice.”
Guyang Cheongang’s eyes lit up as he asked.
“May I ask what kind of people were tracking you, Elder?”
Jong Gawi’s gaze deepened.
“Hmm… Though my connection with you is not ordinary, I cannot tell you that.”
Guyang Cheongang lowered his head with a disappointed expression.
“Ah… it was a secret. I apologize.”
“It’s not that I can’t speak because it’s a secret.”
“Then…?”
“I cannot tell you because you cannot handle it. Some matters in Gangho can bring not just mortal danger but complete annihilation of one’s family just by knowing about them.”
“Hmm…”
Jong Gawi looked at Guyang Cheongang for a moment, then sighed and continued.
“Sigh… Though I cannot speak of specifics, there is a sect that several old men of Gangho, including myself, are investigating. They wear the mask of a righteous sect, but their actions are secretive and cruel beyond measure. It’s just that they’re not known, so the people of Gangho are unaware.”
“Ah!”
Jong Gawi’s eyes softened.
“If you can cure the Nine Yin Severed Meridians in the future, would you help us?”
“Me?”
“If you help us, it would be of great assistance.”
“If there’s anything I can help with, I’ll gladly do so.”
“Good, very good. Hahahahaha!”
Jong Gawi burst into hearty laughter and continued.
“When we meet again after your Nine Yin Severed Meridians is completely cured, I’ll tell you all the secrets I know without hiding anything.”
“I understand.”
Jong Gawi seemed to think about something for a moment, then took out two parchment books from his chest and handed them to Guyang Cheongang.
“I owe you my life, but I have nothing suitable to repay you with right now, so please accept these for the time being.”
Guyang Cheongang’s expression changed when he casually received the books and saw the titles on the covers.
‘Life and Death Medical Classic.’
‘Divine Hand Secret Transmission.’
Realizing what they were just from the titles, he spoke with a flustered expression.
“These are… too much, Elder.”
“Not at all excessive.”
Jong Gawi shook his head and continued.
“For a genius capable of creating martial arts to treat the Nine Yin Severed Meridians himself, my lifetime’s learning wouldn’t even be sufficient.”
“You’re evaluating me far too highly, Elder.”
“I trust my judgment.”
Jong Gawi smiled and continued.
“I dislike being tied down to people, so I haven’t taken any disciples until now. As I approach the threshold of death, I fear my lifetime’s learning will be lost. So giving you those two books could be said to stem from my own selfishness. You don’t need to feel burdened.”
Realizing he could no longer refuse, Guyang Cheongang bowed his head.
“Thank you. I will learn well and pass it on to someone with talent so that your lineage will not be broken.”
Jong Gawi responded with a gentle smile.
“You’ve already forgotten my words about not feeling burdened. Anyway, from now on they belong to you, so do as you please with them.”
“Yes, Elder. I’ll do as I please.”
“Hahahahaha.”
Jong Gawi burst into laughter and continued.
“The Life and Death Medical Classic is a compilation of my medical arts, and the Divine Hand Secret Transmission is something I created by combining my family’s martial arts with things I learned while wandering Gangho. I hope they’ll be of some small help to you.”
“Small help? For me, this is an unprecedented opportunity, Elder.”
“Hahaha, the Divine Hand Secret Transmission contains my research on the Nine Yin Severed Meridians up to now. It also includes acupuncture techniques and spirit pill manufacturing methods that can increase the possibility of treating it. With that and your genius, I believe you’ll surely be able to complete a cure for the Nine Yin Severed Meridians. It’s such a pity that I don’t have time to work with you.”
With those words, the conversation came to an end.
Jong Gawi, who had treated his internal injuries with Energy Circulation and Breath Control until dawn, left Bamboo Forest Manor before daybreak.
Guyang Cheongang quietly saw him off, promising to meet again someday.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————