Defying the Heavens Scholar - Chapter 13

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Defying Heaven 13

Episode 13. Karma.

The moment the young disciple’s fingertips touched Kang No’s pulse, the air inside Pyoguk shifted.
It wasn’t Pulse Reading so much as the motion of unraveling an invisible thread.
Finding the path where breath moved, she placed her fingertips only at those junctures—tracing the pulse at the Inch, Gate, and Foot positions in sequence, then again, deliberately.
A moment later, the young disciple’s brow furrowed ever so slightly.

“Even on reexamination, the Internal Injury runs very deep.”

I hastened to offer proper courtesy.

“My father has been ill for some time. For that reason, we sought out the physicians of Sichuan…….”
“By the time you reach Sichuan, it will be too late.”

A careful pause.
Yet there was no retreat in her tone—only the firmness of absolute certainty. At that single statement, Kang No, sitting upon my back, swallowed almost imperceptibly. The young disciple holding the books turned his head.

“Junior.”
“Yes, Senior.”

The expression on the senior disciple’s face as he observed the young apprentice reading the pulse was far from pleased.

“No matter how eager you are for the healing arts, how dare you take someone’s pulse without permission?”

Only then did the apprentice realize her mistake, and quickly bowed her head.

“I apologize. It seemed urgent, and I acted without thinking…….”
“First, you must apologize to these guests.”
“Yes, Senior.”

The young apprentice looked up at me with hesitant eyes and lowered her head.

“I truly apologize. I should have asked permission first…….”
“Not at all. I’m grateful for your concern.”

As I bowed respectfully, the young apprentice bowed even more formally. The senior disciple watching this exchange asked:

“The blood meridians are severely tangled. It is not mere bruising or surface wounds. Coagulated blood blocks the pathways from within, and there are multiple such obstructions.”

Owing to his remarkable ability, he was the one who prepared medicinal broths and occasionally administered acupuncture for the elders and sect leader—so his words could not be mere fabrication.
And yet, it remained an incredible claim.

It was virtually impossible for anyone of such attainment to exist in a village like this, and even if they did, the act of expending one’s own Internal Qi to give it to another was extraordinarily rare.
At the elder disciple’s words, the young apprentice bowed respectfully at once. Yet his tone remained deferential to the end.

“There is certainly… a trace of energy remaining. A trace of the meridians being forcibly opened and held together so they wouldn’t collapse.”

The explanation didn’t end there. He pressed the meridian once more, very briefly.

“But even with such reinforcement… it will only last days.”
“Why?”

When the elder disciple asked, the young apprentice traced something in the air with his fingertips as he explained.

“When tangled Blood Meridians are forcibly opened with Internal Qi, the breath does come free at first. But the underlying blockage isn’t resolved. The coagulated blood needs to drain away, yet we’ve only forced the path open…”

The apprentice’s voice dropped lower.

“As time passes, the Blood Meridians will rupture or snap. If that happens… then it’s death, I’m afraid.”

Kang No’s breathing came shallow from behind my back. It was breath, yes—the breath of the living—but breath that could cease at any moment.
I asked carefully.

“Then… is there anything we can do right now?”

I’d learned medicine in Musim-dong, but what I knew was meager at best.
The Medical Texts there had been limited entirely to content directly related to martial arts.
Even infusing Qi into Kang No’s meridians was the extent of what I could manage.
If I had time enough and a proper environment to support my studies, I could deepen my medical knowledge through Acupuncture Method. But now I lacked books, time, and environment alike.
To my question, the young apprentice looked up at me directly and answered.

“He must be brought to our sect. We need to realign the meridians with needles and dissolve the coagulated blood with medicine to clear the blockage. If we don’t… I cannot make any guarantees.”

A clear answer, without hesitation. Just as I might explain martial arts in writing, this young disciple was expounding medicine in his own way.
I nodded without speaking. After leaving Musim-dong in haste, I’d wrestled with this same dilemma countless times.
But I had neither the means nor the place. On the road, there was only one thing I could do: keep Kang No from collapsing, make him ‘endure.’

“Forgive my presumption, but I would make a suggestion. Come with us to the Gongdong Sect.”

This meant I could no longer force the journey to Sichuan. If I did, Kang No would meet his end before he ever reached his master. Seized by that dread, I sent an internal transmission to Kang No while keeping my fists clenched.

— Elder, your body comes first. Sichuan… can wait. Just this once, please follow my judgment.

Kang No fell silent for a moment. Only shallow breath continued across my back.
I sent another transmission.

— Didn’t you make me a promise? If we find a way on the road to Sichuan, then you would follow it.

Only then did Kang No nod, barely perceptibly. That small gesture sealed my resolve.

“It may prove troublesome, but I must ask for your help.”

The young apprentice added quietly.

“What he has endured this far is a miracle. We must act while there is still time.”

Only I knew in this place whose doing that miracle was. I pressed my lips together and merely nodded.

* * *

As we left Pyoguk, an indifferent wind cut across my cheek.
The young elder disciple took the lead.
For reasons I couldn’t quite name, we avoided the main road and climbed along the ridgeline by way of a narrow, less-traveled path.
After walking in silence for some time, my senior brother slowed his pace on a small ridge and turned to greet me.

“Allow me to introduce myself first.”

Even as he walked, he kept his posture steady and composed.

“I am Jeong Yeon, a third-generation disciple of the Gongdong Sect.”

The younger disciple beside him bowed respectfully as well.

“I am Yun Seo, also a third-generation disciple of the Gongdong Sect. I apologize for what happened just now.”

I lowered my head in turn.

“My name is Myo Jin. The man I carry on my back is…… my father.”

Jeong Yeon glanced briefly toward Kang No, then his gaze returned to me.

“Time is pressing, so I’ll keep words brief. We will see to it that you lack for nothing while we escort you to our sect.”
“Thank you.”

Yun Seo drew closer as if to check on Kang No’s breathing, and extended a small cloth pouch toward me.

“It’s a Revival Pill. If you place it beneath his tongue, his breathing should grow a bit steadier. It won’t buy us much time, but…… it will help.”

I accepted it at once and placed it in Kang No’s mouth. The old man’s throat moved slightly, and his breathing did indeed become a touch longer and deeper.
Then Jeong Yeon’s hand pressed against his chest again.
His fingertips kept tracing the edge of the book—unable to open it, yet unable to let it go.
It was just like a child tenderly cradling his most treasured gift.
Yun Seo, observing his senior’s actions, spoke quietly.

“Senior brother, the wind is growing strong. The book…”
“I know.”

Jeong Yeon cut him off curtly. Then, turning toward me, he began to speak with visible care.

“Did you happen to see a book back at Pyoguk?”

I paused to collect myself and answered only with a nod.

“I didn’t see it myself, but I happened to hear talk of it.”

Jeong Yeon asked nothing further. Instead, he opened up of his own accord.
The courtesy of a sect member—not to pry needlessly into a stranger’s affairs.

“The truth is, I sought this book not to learn sword techniques from it, but merely as a reference.”

At his words, Yun Seo lifted his eyes. Jeong Yeon exhaled softly and continued.

“In one month’s time, a Martial Tournament will be held. Every three years, it brings together the Nine Great Sects and martial artists of renown from across the land to compete. This time, it will be held at our Gongdong Sect.”
“The Nine Great Sects, you say?”
“Indeed. They are the sects that represent the Orthodox tradition. However, this year the Huashan Sect has suddenly declared its non-participation, so perhaps we ought to call them the Eight Great Sects instead.”

Jeong Yeon smiled as he joked, but I felt more relief than amusement.

‘Is it because of what happened in Musim-dong?’

It seemed plausible.

If word spreads through the martial world that the Natural Fire Realm has been compromised, the Huashan Sect’s reputation will be shaken.
And if friction with the imperial court piles on top of that, the ripples would be far too great for a single sect to weather.
The Huashan Sect is likely catching its breath now, moving cautiously as it searches for a thread to unravel this knot.

“A Martial Tournament, then—I imagine the competition must be quite fierce.”

I offered the response carefully, and Jeong Yeon nodded.

“Rather than fierce combat, it’s more accurate to say it’s young disciples from each sect testing their skills against one another. So you might think of it as a friendly tournament where dangerous situations are forbidden.”

Jeong Yeon paused. In that silence, the book at his chest made the faintest sound—paper brushing against paper.

“I too have been selected to participate as the third disciple representative of the Gongdong Sect. My skills are still lacking, but I suppose they saw some earnest effort in my training. Because of that, I’m both excited and feel the weight upon my shoulders.”

When I nodded at his somewhat excited words, Jeong Yeon carefully touched the book in his robe and continued.

“For that reason, this book was necessary. I’m not sure if you know, but the footnotes in books written by this author are particularly distinctive. So I went to considerable trouble to obtain a sword technique book known to be authored by him, hoping that if I could broaden my perspective even slightly, it might help with my preparation for the tournament.”

Even here, he observed proper courtesy.

“Forgive me if it’s presumptuous to ask, but from our conversation, it seems you’ve read quite extensively. Is that correct?”

I chose my words carefully, unwilling to reveal more.

“In the past…… I spent time with books.”

Jeong Yeon lowered his head.

“Then, might we discuss a few of the footnotes together as we travel? Hearing different perspectives will surely help with the tournament. It’s not a demand, but a request.”

In truth, he had no real need to ask me for help.
He was only asking deliberately to ease the burden he sensed I carried.
Thanks to that courtesy, I could breathe.

“I’ll help as much as I’m able. I too have received help, after all.”
“Thank you, sir.”

Yun Seo added a word.

“……I will save your life.”

The sincerity in those words reached my heart.
I recalled the precise touch of Yun Seo’s fingers reading my pulse—a living certainty that surpassed any mere talk of talent.
Seeing that, I nodded.

“Please.”

After that brief exchange, we set aside further conversation and moved, avoiding the main roads.
We followed low hills and took paths winding through scrubland. Rough terrain, but less exposed to view.
Whenever the wind died, Jeong Yeon would briefly pull out the book, read only a single line, then tuck it away again.
Like someone sketching something in their mind.

“Sir.”

Jeong Yeon asked quietly.

“‘The shape of clouds follows the wind.’ How does that sentence strike you?”

At that question, I suddenly recalled myself in a narrow room long ago, unfolding the Cloud-Form Sword Technique.

“Ah, I understand it might be difficult for you…….”

Jeong Yeon trailed off uncertainly. I fell silent for a moment, gathering my thoughts, before answering carefully.

“It sounds like you’re saying not to chase the form of the blade, but to read its flow first.”

Jeong Yeon’s eyes flickered with light. Then he fell quiet for a long while, as if turning my words over in his mind.
His disciple Yun Seo walked in silence as well, saying nothing.
Only when Kang No’s breathing grew labored did Yun Seo draw closer, supporting his wrist, checking on the Revival Pill, and adjusting their pace.
He never asked me who had infused their Internal Qi into Kang No. Though he surely wanted to.
But he swallowed that curiosity. It was a gift nearly as remarkable as his talent for medicine.

As the sun began its descent, Jeong Yeon altered their course.

“A little further and we’ll find a small hermitage. We can spend the night there. Tomorrow, once we cross one more ridge…… we’ll be close to the sect.”

I nodded.

“I’m imposing on you once more.”

Jeong Yeon smiled quietly.

“Imposing? This is the work of saving a life. Don’t be so formal with me.”

I held Kang No more firmly on my back. Through my shoulders, I felt his breath still flowing steadily.
And before that breath could fade, I resolved not to miss a single step on the road to the Gongdong Sect.
After walking through that treacherous terrain for two days, a colossal mountain veiled in cloud unfurled before me.

Though those two days were brief, Jeong Yeon and I had shared much conversation, finding common ground in our thoughts.
We spoke of the principles behind written characters, the way we regard things—not merely their surface, but their inner meaning and root nature.
At first, Jeong Yeon struggled to grasp what I was saying, yet, as one whose mind was opening, he often nodded rather than objected.
During those conversations, his young disciple Yun Seo remained vigilant through nearly sleepless nights, watching over Kang No.

‘I will repay this debt one day, without fail.’

I offered my gratitude in silence, then stopped in my tracks at Jeong Yeon’s brighter tone.

“This is Gongdong Mountain, where our sect resides.”

At Jeong Yeon’s words, I gazed up at Gongdong Mountain.
Sheer cliffs. Peaks rising so high they seemed to touch the sky itself.

“The path up will be quite demanding, so please follow slowly.”

And so Kang No and I ascended Gongdong Mountain together, bound by an unexpected twist of fate.

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