Dokmaeuiseon - Chapter 7
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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 7
The method itself is simple.
‘I just need to implant the poison into myself.’
Extract the poison and bring it into his own body.
It’s not like he would get poisoned or anything.
The Mind Art he learned was the Three Origin Poison Art, wasn’t it.
The Poison Art part was important here.
If he utilized the Poison Art well, he might be able to control the poison.
The problem was the probability.
‘With no Internal Energy right now, the success rate is thirty percent…’
The success rate was extremely low. Even lower than usual.
‘I found a way, so is there any reason not to try?’
But Jung Myeong didn’t hesitate.
He placed his left hand on the Old Man’s palm.
With his other hand, he held an Acupuncture Needle.
‘Let’s do this.’
[Using Acupuncture.]
[Controlling the patient’s poison.]
Puuuk-
He first inserted a Long Needle that he rarely used.
The Long Needle was the axis that changed the flow of energy the Old Man possessed.
Following that, dozens of needles were inserted, supporting the axis.
[Successfully controlling the poison!]
He forcibly created a flow using the needles.
What he had accomplished was essentially creating a kind of dam.
Not to block the poison, but a dam to change its flow.
Even that was only temporary.
Within the created flow.
He immediately initiated the next step.
‘Extract the poison.’
[Using Extraction to extract the patient’s poison.]
The utility of the Extraction skill was that it could extract any component.
That utility was immediately demonstrated.
The poison that was intertwined and mixed with the Old Man’s Internal Energy.
He attempted to extract only the poison from this.
The benefits gained from this were twofold.
One was to preserve even a little of the Old Man’s remaining Internal Energy to increase the chances of saving him.
The other was to increase the purity of the poison, thereby raising the probability of completely absorbing it.
This was the crucial part.
[Extraction successful!]
‘Phew, it worked.’
The first stage was successful.
Following the flow created by the needles.
The poison moved.
He could fully feel the poison flowing into him.
The poison filled him completely.
The moment all that poison entered him.
‘Now!’
He quickly pulled his hand away.
As soon as he removed his hand, the Old Man’s chest bounced back.
His body stirred.
“Cough!”
Coughing repeatedly, he twisted his body continuously before opening his eyes.
With the poison gone, his sanity returned.
However, Jung Myeong had no time to tend to the Old Man.
“Old Man!”
“Just keep him calm. In the meantime, I… hah…”
There was no time for longer explanations.
Tss tss tss-
Before he knew it, his entire body was poisoned.
[You have poisoned yourself.]
[Status Abnormality: Entering poisoned state.]
The poison that rose through his left hand rapidly drove him into a poisoned state.
Although he had learned Poison Art, uncontrolled poison affected him the same as others.
It would be fortunate if it was just poisoning.
The poison was rampaging.
If this rampage continued, the poisons in the Internal Energy that were originally controlled by his power would also start moving.
Then the situation would worsen further.
It meant the poisoning would occur several times more severely, so he couldn’t let his guard down.
But he couldn’t stop it either.
‘Ah…’
The work had already begun.
His mind became dizzy in an instant.
Vertigo struck him.
As if panic had set in, he became afraid to breathe.
At the same time, a burning thirst overwhelmed him.
Pain filled him completely.
Clear symptoms of poisoning!
In the midst of it all, he struggled to concentrate his mind.
‘I must succeed.’
He wanted to live. There was no reason to die so meaninglessly.
If he was going to die like this.
He wouldn’t have even tried.
Even amid the pain, he hurriedly sat in lotus position.
[Using Three Origin Poison Art.]
In the midst of agony.
He finally succeeded in executing the Heart Method.
* * *
Jung Myeong was immersed in the Heart Method.
There was someone watching him.
It was Old Man Gang.
The old man was staring with vacant eyes.
“How was I… cured?”
“That physician treated you.”
“I surely would have refused treatment…”
“That person is not a physician from this neighborhood, no. Not a physician from Hangzhou. I’m saying he has no connection to your grudge, sir.”
“…Forcibly.”
“Yes. Forcibly. But isn’t it the truth?”
“…”
“And wasn’t your refusal of treatment also forceful, sir?”
“…”
“Just because that person passed away like that, does it make sense for you not to receive treatment, sir? Does it?”
“Hehe…”
At Han Jeong’s words, the old man could only smile.
A laugh that seemed empty somewhere, not of joy.
Seeing him, Han Jeong beat his chest as if frustrated.
The old man just stared at him with vacant eyes.
Originally, he was one meant to die.
One who wanted to die by his own will.
By not receiving treatment.
He knew it was stubborn.
But he wanted to be stubborn.
‘At least dying is something I can choose for myself.’
While he was away on business, his only family member died.
It was his wife, the only family left after his child died.
She lost her life so meaninglessly.
Was there some grand reason? No.
She died.
Because of lack of money.
Because they couldn’t move up the order that the physicians spoke of.
She died so meaninglessly.
That’s why he refused all treatment.
Rather than being saved by the reluctant touch of incompetent physicians who knew nothing of benevolence, he chose to die by himself.
That’s why even as the boil grew larger and pain surged, the old man could smile.
Even when he collapsed, he rather smiled.
But.
‘This young fellow stubbornly saved me.’
Han Jeong, whose eyes glistened with tears inappropriate for his age.
That fellow with cow-like eyes stubbornly saved him.
‘Those eyes…’
Even then, those eyes had caught his attention.
Seeing those young eyes, he had given him dumplings.
Because he had the same eyes as his dead child.
The eyes of the child he had lost so meaninglessly.
The one with those eyes, though his youthful appearance had all faded away.
With only his eyes remaining the same as back then.
Stubbornly saved him.
‘How does fate continue like this? It’s incomprehensible.’
A child he saved by chance.
Who would have thought that child would grow up to save him.
Though they say no one can guess the will of heaven and earth.
Who would have thought a brief connection would lead to saving each other, becoming those who save one another.
It was utterly incomprehensible.
In any case.
‘I’ve lived. This stubborn life has stubbornly continued.’
He had thought it was a life full of resentment.
But looking at himself reflected in those eyes.
Even that resentment felt meaningless to Old Man Gang.
“Huuu…”
A harsh life.
Some deep resentment buried in the depths of his heart.
That burning heat seemed to melt away gently.
However, even so, the problem still remained.
“…”
The physician right in front of him.
Look at the physician with blue lips and pale complexion, barely managing to draw breath.
Wasn’t it clear to see that he was suffering so much because of himself?
He couldn’t stop worrying about him.
Someone who had willingly taken on danger.
To save his half-dead self at all costs.
A lifesaver.
His benefactor.
The old man wasn’t selfish enough to rejoice in his own survival while leaving such a benefactor behind.
‘Please live. Please… don’t die because of this harsh life of mine!’
Old Man Gang watched the physician with deep concern.
How long had he waited for the physician to open his eyes?
Half a moment (about 30 minutes), half an hour (1 hour).
One hour (2 hours), two hours.
Time continued to flow where each moment felt like a day.
Even through that long time, the old man kept his back straight.
And stayed by the young physician’s side.
“Heuu…”
Until just before, his body that had been suffering from illness urged him to rest quickly.
Not to overexert himself anymore.
As if this was enough, he forcibly soothed his body that wanted to lie down on the floor right away.
And endured with his back kept straight.
While watching and watching again like that, at some moment.
When a clueless rooster crowed announcing early dawn.
Flash-
The physician opened his eyes.
At this moment, the old man knew what he had to do.
The old man first bowed toward him.
…Han Jeong, whom the old man had raised as his own, was with him too.
* * *
Jung Myeong opened his eyes.
A brilliant light burst from them.
‘I’ve gained something.’
The act of trying to save someone.
It didn’t need to go as far as sacrificing oneself for others.
It was an action done without thinking of gain or loss.
That had come back to him as an unexpected gain.
[The poisons you possess have combined with new poisons.]
[You have secured poison diversity.]
[Poison power is strengthened.]
[Diversified poison increases internal energy.]
[Understanding of Poison Art increases.]
[The realm of Three Origin Poison Art reaches the tenth level in one leap.]
The Heart Method realm that had been rising quickly jumped up all at once.
‘The tenth level in one leap?’
Two stages until the twelfth level.
Soon mastery was visible before his eyes.
Even if it was a third-rate Heart Method, it contained the mysteries of handling internal energy.
Just mastering it would make Jung Myeong’s level jump up several stages.
After mastering this, it might even be possible for him to create his own Heart Method.
Mastery held such meaning.
Just as he was about to rejoice at this.
‘Huh…?’
Jung Myeong discovered the old man bowing toward him.
What kind of situation was this?
He could understand it quickly.
He was bowing in gratitude for saving his life.
He understood the intention, but,
“Oh my. Elder, if you do this, it puts me in a difficult position.”
Jung Myeong quickly stepped forward and urgently stopped the old man from bowing.
It wasn’t that he didn’t understand the sentiment.
He had survived thanks to him.
Having received such grace, it would be natural to bow at least.
However, Jung Myeong found it difficult to accept this.
He didn’t need to go as far as the principle of respecting elders.
Should he call it a physiological aversion?
An aged old man, making such an old man kneel down to receive gratitude.
He wasn’t shameless enough for that.
“No, if you do this, it puts me in a difficult position. I should be bowing to my benefactor…”
“I didn’t do it expecting anything in return.”
“No, still… I can only feel at ease if I bow like this.”
“I’m telling you it’s fine not to.”
“Huh…”
The Old Man stood half-crouched, stubbornly insisting.
‘If I let him go right now, he looks ready to bow immediately…’
From what he heard, this Old Man was known for his stubbornness.
When it manifested as kindness, it was a good thing.
But when it manifested like this, it was troublesome.
Still, he couldn’t keep standing there half-crouched forever.
To change the situation, Jung Myeong subtly made a suggestion.
“If you want to repay the favor.”
“I’m listening.”
“About forty nyang in Copper Coins would be enough.”
“How could that possibly be enough!”
“Even that amount is twice as much as usual.”
“That won’t do for me. Is my life worth only forty nyang? Oh my. What kind of nonsense are you saying…”
“Oh dear, really…”
He was completely blocked.
What should he do about this.
‘Good grief, if he were the type to demand I hand over my bundle after saving him, I could shamelessly drive him away… but that’s not the case either.’
It was troublesome for Jung Myeong.
Wasn’t he maintaining this very troublesome situation.
‘What to do?’
Jung Myeong frantically racked his brain to escape this situation quickly.
Something befitting what the Old Man would pay as the value of his life.
Yet something that wouldn’t be an immediate burden.
Could there really be such a thing.
‘What demanding conditions.’
It wasn’t an easy condition, but to escape this awkwardness, he had to think quickly.
Then he had a flash of inspiration.
‘Ah! If it’s that…!’
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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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