Ascension of the Heavenly Demon - Chapter 186

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 186

 

“What do you mean by that? Who’s doing what now?”

 

The conference room was noisy.

 

The faces of those gathered clearly showed their displeasure.

 

“Treatment, you say? Treatment!”

 

“That’s right. How can we entrust the Young Lady’s treatment to a Central Plains person! And what do you mean a woman from the Tang Family took her pulse?”

 

“Even the physicians of Yunnan, whose medical skills are said to reach the heavens, said treatment would be difficult. So what does that son from the Zhuge Family know…!”

 

Elder Council Lord Wi Jungsan, who had taken charge of the meeting in place of the Palace Lord, only maintained silence despite the pouring complaints.

 

It was natural resistance.

 

Dan Yeonhwa was born with blindness and couldn’t learn martial arts, so she couldn’t even become a minor palace lord.

 

However, she possessed the talent to read spirit energy as if compensating for her natural affliction.

 

For the Beast Palace, which identified, raised, and used spiritual creatures at full power, it was an invaluable talent.

 

But an unheard-of young martial artist from the Central Plains had stepped forward saying he would treat her condition.

 

It was something no one in the Beast Palace could accept.

 

“Let’s go. Even if he’s the Palace Lord, this decision is wrong.”

 

“That’s right. Just because he passed the Azure Heaven Trial doesn’t mean everything is permitted.”

 

“That young Zhuge brat must have bewitched the Palace Lord with his vile tongue. We must investigate again in connection with Chiljangjja’s incident.”

 

“Ha! Treating blindness, he says. What skill could possibly treat a condition one is born with? He should speak sensibly!”

 

As the elders and senior members of the Beast Palace found their opinions converging and their intentions aligning, they seemed ready to immediately seek out the Palace Lord to confront him.

 

Some even stood up abruptly, urging action.

 

That’s when it happened.

 

Wi Jungsan, who had been silently listening, stomped the floor hard with his foot.

 

Thump!

 

A rough tremor spread throughout the entire great hall, making the building sway.

 

Those who had been rising stopped awkwardly mid-motion, and those who had been raising their voices in competition with others closed their mouths and turned their heads to look at Wi Jungsan.

 

“…Are you now dishonoring the Palace Lord?”

 

A voice that pressed down on the entire assembly.

 

Everyone wore dumbfounded expressions at the heavy anger contained within it.

 

“According to your words, the Palace Lord lacks the sense to be swayed by a mere young martial artist’s three-inch tongue?”

 

“L-Lord Wonju, that’s not what we meant…”

 

“According to your words!”

 

“…”

 

“Is the Young Lady’s blindness a condition that must absolutely never be treated?”

 

Silence flowed.

 

Everyone shrank their necks and watched for reactions at Wi Jungsan’s angry voice as he stood majestically.

 

“Is the Palace Lord someone who would carelessly entrust treatment to a Central Plains person, temporarily mad with a father’s affection and worry for his daughter?”

 

“…”

 

“Are you… pledging loyalty to such an inadequate person?”

 

No one could answer.

 

Those who had been shouting at the top of their lungs hardened their faces, reflecting on their verbal mistakes.

 

Though spoken in anger, they had been too thoughtless.

 

They had insulted the Palace Lord themselves and denied that Dan Yeonhwa’s condition could be treated.

 

“What pathetic fools.”

 

“…”

 

“Truly pitiful. To think the decision of the Palace Lord you pledged loyalty to was merely a momentary lapse. Not just for a day or two, but some of you have served for decades – how can you be so thoughtless!”

 

His scolding was like frost.

 

“The Zhuge Munhyeon I saw was no ordinary person. It seemed no junior scholar of the Beast Palace could match him. The Palace Lord must have judged likewise. That it would be fine to entrust his blood relative to him. Yet you fail to understand the Palace Lord’s heart as a father privately, and only oppose that decision officially – how can I just stand by and watch?”

 

“L-Lord Wonju. What we meant was…”

 

“Shut up! Must I take up the rod and strike your shins like in the old days!”

 

“…”

 

At the thunderous scolding, the one who had carelessly spoken shrank his neck like a turtle.

 

He was the greatest elder in the Beast Palace.

 

Many of those gathered here had learned from him, been scolded by him, and received help from him.

 

Perhaps he was far more difficult to deal with than even the Palace Lord.

 

Usually withdrawn like an old man in the back room, but when he stepped to the front, he became someone even the Palace Lord relied on – that was Elder Council Lord Wi Jungsan.

 

“Show restraint. Don’t utter a single word about this matter.”

 

“…”

 

“This might be a chance to remove the nail that has been stuck in the Palace Lord’s heart all along. If anyone chatters about this again… I absolutely will not let it pass! Wait quietly. Hope that he succeeds in treating the Young Lady. Do you understand?”

 

At his glaring eyes filled with anger, the elders only watched each other’s reactions.

 

“Why is there no answer!”

 

“…Y-Yes, we understand.”

 

“Now go back!”

 

“Yes.”

 

At Wi Jungsan’s scolding, they left the great hall with their faces deeply bowed, unable to recover their dignity.

 

“Heh heh. Still as spirited as ever, Elder Brother.”

 

“Hmph!”

 

The great hall, now quiet after everyone had left.

 

An old man approached with his hands behind his back, making a joke.

 

Grand Elder Seong Yeonghoo.

 

By age alone, he should have retired to the elder council, yet he was energetic enough to still remain in active duty.

 

“Tsk, you should have handled this kind of thing well yourself. How did you let them make such comments?”

 

“Oh come now, Elder Brother, don’t say such things. Would suppression alone solve everything? They all voiced their opinions out of concern for the Palace Lord and Young Lady.”

 

“So you’re saying what those fools said was reasonable?”

 

“Who said that? I’m just saying times have changed greatly.”

 

“Times… damn it.”

 

“Suppression isn’t the answer. There must be open channels of communication for progress.”

 

“You’re still as soft as ever.”

 

Wi Jungsan frowned and showed irritation toward the grinning Seong Yeonghoo.

 

They had always had different dispositions.

 

Wi Jungsan possessed bamboo-like rigid uprightness, making him fearsome and imposing, while Seong Yeonghoo knew how to listen to everyone’s words and embrace them all.

 

This was why one became the Elder Council Lord and the other became Grand Elder, supporting the Beast Palace Lord.

 

“So? Do you also think the Palace Lord was wrong?”

 

“How could that be? I’m someone who earnestly wishes for the Young Lady’s condition to be cured.”

 

“Yet you defend those fools?”

 

“I’m sorry about that. I didn’t expect these guys to speak that way even to the Palace Lord… But tell me, Elder Brother, what do you think?”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Heh heh, Elder Brother really… Think about it. It’s not just treatment. I heard she has to remove her upper garments for treatment.”

 

“So what!”

 

“The Young Lady is unmarried. She’s never shown her body to an outside man.”

 

“It’s just her shoulder. Her shoulder! And it’s for treatment purposes.”

 

“That’s true. But just because it’s seen doesn’t mean it becomes unseen.”

 

“Hmm…”

 

“Are you planning to marry the Young Lady off to the Central Plains? Or bring that Zhuge Family child as a live-in son-in-law?”

 

“Th-that’s…”

 

“That’s why they’re saying these things. They don’t know what the Palace Lord is thinking.”

 

“Hmm…”

 

Thinking about it, that was true.

 

No matter how much it was for treatment purposes, an unmarried woman showing her bare skin to an outside man was a very serious matter.

 

“What do you think? If the Young Lady’s blindness is truly cured… shouldn’t we pursue this opportunity?”

 

“Pursue?”

 

“The marriage proposal. The son of the Zhuge Family you’ve been observing isn’t bad, is he? And the young lady is at the perfect age for marriage.”

 

“Ahem.”

 

Wi Jungsan cleared his throat.

 

It seemed like a decent idea.

 

Zhuge Munhyeon.

 

Though still incomplete, he was a talent worth expecting a future from.

 

His family background wasn’t bad either.

 

“But the Palace Lord promised not to impose any responsibility for this incident…”

 

“Oh my! How could the Palace Lord understand the complex subtleties of romantic affairs between men and women? How about I send a communication to the Zhuge Family?”

 

“Hmm.”

 

Though he didn’t answer, Wi Jungsan’s expression was much softer than before. It even seemed to contain a hint of anticipation.

 

“Are you really doing it? Will you do it?”

 

“Ahem. This person really…”

 

Even while clearing his throat like that, Wi Jungsan subtly nodded his head.

 

* * *

 

Three days after the first pulse diagnosis, Zhuge Munhyeon visited Dan Yeonhwa again.

 

There were only three people in her room.

 

Dan Yeonhwa, Dan Chuyeong, and Zhuge Munhyeon.

 

The reason he didn’t treat her immediately was because Zhuge Munhyeon also needed to restore his body’s energy.

 

So for three whole days, he refined his internal energy at the Heavenly Demon’s private training ground.

 

And now.

 

“Young Lady Dan.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Now you must make a choice.”

 

“A choice?”

 

“The fact that I can treat your blindness is still just a hypothesis. I’ve never done it before either.”

 

“Ah…”

 

“So I don’t know what problems might arise.”

 

“Don’t worry about that. I wanted the treatment of my own will, so I won’t be a burden to you. Even if the treatment goes wrong, there won’t be any blame. Right, Father?”

 

When Dan Yeonhwa said this and looked over, Dan Chuyeong cleared his throat with a displeased expression.

 

“It’s not a matter of responsibility.”

 

“Pardon?”

 

“It’s a matter of having to give up one thing.”

 

“Give up?”

 

“What I’m planning to do isn’t medicine.”

 

“…?”

 

“I plan to block the flow of spirit energy that has permeated your body. I’ll try to block it first, but if I judge it impossible, I’ll have to crush the acupoint itself. There won’t be physical damage, but you won’t be able to learn advanced martial arts, and most importantly, you might lose your spiritual sight.”

 

Dan Chuyeong’s eyes widened as he had been quietly listening to Zhuge Munhyeon’s words.

 

“What are you saying? Lose her spiritual sight!”

 

“Exactly as I said. In exchange for gaining vision, there’s a high possibility that your ability to read spirit energy will disappear.”

 

“What?”

 

This was an unexpected problem.

 

Why hadn’t he mentioned such an important thing beforehand?

 

Martial arts didn’t matter since she wasn’t learning them anyway, but losing spiritual sight would be a great loss.

 

Until now, his daughter had been discerning the innate energy of beasts.

 

Naturally, the Beast Palace’s power had greatly increased.

 

Beasts with spirit energy and those without had different combat abilities from the start.

 

Meanwhile, the spiritual herbs found through his daughter’s ability were not just one or two.

 

All of that would have to be given up.

 

“Palace Lord.”

 

“…Speak.”

 

“I wasn’t asking you, Palace Lord.”

 

“What?”

 

“I was asking your daughter for her opinion.”

 

“…”

 

Zhuge Munhyeon turned his head to look at Dan Yeonhwa again.

 

“Young Lady, this is a matter you must choose for yourself alone. So don’t be swayed by anyone else’s words and make the choice yourself.”

 

At those words, Dan Yeonhwa gazed toward her father.

 

She couldn’t see him.

 

But his breathing reached her sensitive ears.

 

Perhaps because her hearing had developed more than others due to losing her sight, she could even hear his racing heartbeat.

 

Worry, concern… hesitation.

 

Because he was not far away, all of those things pierced her heart.

 

After pondering for a long while, she smiled gently toward her father and spoke.

 

“Father.”

 

“Mm…”

 

“I’m fine. I’ve been blind for a long time, so I don’t need to change. I’ll choose whatever helps the palace.”

 

Dan Yeonhwa smiled brightly.

 

She was sincere.

 

She wasn’t blaming anyone.

 

Dan Chuyeong felt terribly ashamed and had nowhere to hide his face.

 

How foolish…

 

What kind of disgraceful behavior was this in front of his daughter who had decided to receive treatment even showing her bare skin to a strange man?

 

How hurt must she have been?

 

Acting as if his daughter’s value lay only in her spiritual sight…

 

How pathetic.

 

“Yeonhwa. I’m sorry. Your foolish father misspoke.”

 

“No. How could I not know? You’ve been hurting even more than me.”

 

“Yeonhwa…”

 

“And regardless of the treatment results, please treat Master Zhuge and his companions well before sending them off.”

 

“Mm…”

 

“Promise me, Father.”

 

At her repeated request, Dan Chuyeong pondered for a long time.

 

And.

 

“Please cure her. I beg you.”

 

The decision was made.

 

To treat Dan Yeonhwa, and to give up her spiritual sight.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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