Dokmaeuiseon - Chapter 9
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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 9
The result of seizing the opportunity was astonishing.
‘My dantian has become heavy and solid.’
Dantian strengthening, one of the abilities of the Three Origin Heart Technique.
It was manifested even as it was absorbed.
His dantian was greatly strengthened.
‘It feels reliable.’
It wasn’t just his body that was strengthened.
The Internal Energy accumulated within his dantian.
Changes occurred in those as well.
Sssss-
As he circulated his Heart Method through his strengthened dantian, the internal power within his body also moved rapidly.
It swirled and swept through his entire body like a whirlwind.
The internal power didn’t simply perform Great Circulation.
Receiving the power of enlightenment, it whirled throughout his entire body.
The swirling internal power had a clear goal.
Turbid energy!
It moved targeting the turbid energy accumulated throughout his body.
Was it trying to wash it away?
No.
The internal power of the Three Origin Poison Art, which had absorbed the Three Origin Heart Technique, brought the turbid energy accumulated in his body to one place.
To his dantian.
Turbid energy in the dantian!
Normally, this would be an insane thing that should never be done.
However, this was Jung Myeong who had learned not just any Heart Method, but Poison Art.
For him, this became beneficial.
Poison Art is a Heart Method that deals with poison, isn’t it? When viewed broadly, such poison included turbid energy as well.
In other words, turbid energy is also poison.
The power of Poison Art is that poison becomes internal power.
The turbid energy that had filled his entire body was cleansed and naturally became his internal power.
Thus, his internal power increased along with his strengthened dantian.
“It seems like it increased by a full five years.”
He had raised five years’ worth of internal power in an instant.
Thus his Internal Energy had reached twenty years.
It hadn’t been long since he reached ten years, and now it was double that.
“This is an unexpected ability.”
Jung Myeong’s eyes held satisfaction at this.
* * *
‘Five years of internal power from one treatment… plus enlightenment.’
For a single good deed, he had gained excellent benefits.
If he also considered the strengthening of his new Heart Method.
‘I hope there will be another opportunity like this next time.’
For something like this.
Jung Myeong was thinking he would step forward anytime.
“Good. Hehe.”
Thus, Jung Myeong spent a long time thinking about what kind of experiments he could conduct with this newly increased power.
Following treatment, even enlightenment.
Though it had long been morning after staying up all night.
His body, having gained enlightenment, was far from being tired and was brimming with energy as if angry.
As if telling him not to be satisfied here, but to gain even more power immediately!
Jung Myeong was about to concentrate in earnest as well.
“Hmm…?”
At some point, he couldn’t help but twitch his right eyebrow.
Because there was another presence felt from outside.
‘What is it? A patient? When I came up to the Guest Room, I said I was resting today, so there shouldn’t be anyone coming to find me.’
The presence that had suddenly appeared.
It disappeared quickly.
Thud-
Instead, the sound of something falling followed.
Jung Myeong wondered what it was.
He carefully opened the door to his Guest Room.
Creak-
He felt something catch on the door that opened outward.
“Why is there a pouch here?”
Jung Myeong looked down below.
He saw that a precious Silk Pouch was placed there.
There was even embroidery on it.
It was a precious Silk Pouch that would be difficult to see under normal circumstances.
On top of the pouch, a small Letter was tied conspicuously.
Jung Myeong picked up the pouch and unfolded the Letter.
The content contained within was just two characters.
『Repaying Kindness』
“Hmm?”
Repaying kindness.
Wasn’t this returning a favor?
Though brief, the meaning was clearly conveyed.
It was certain that someone who had received help from his treatment had brought this.
Who could it be? Even he couldn’t know that yet.
‘Have I ever treated someone who would repay me this generously? I don’t know.’
However, the conclusion that it was meant for him was certain.
He opened the mouth of the Silk Pouch that remained after the Letter was put away.
“What the…”
Jung Myeong’s eyes widened as he looked inside.
“Gold Ingots!”
What was inside were actually Gold Ingots.
About a hundred Silver Coins equaled one Gold Ingot.
Even Silver Coins were money that was hard to handle at once.
But these were Gold Ingots. There were as many as ten of them in the pouch.
“Gold Ingots all of a sudden. What on earth… what is this about.”
Seeing that it was written as repaying kindness, it was definitely given to him.
The problem was the amount.
Gold Ingots. It was an unbelievable sum of money.
What on earth was this repayment for!
At this, he kept looking around his surroundings.
‘Who is it? And would the person who gave such a pouch just leave?’
There was no way they would just leave.
That didn’t make sense.
However, there was no one visible to his eyes.
So Jung Myeong quietly murmured.
“Analysis.”
[Using Skill: Analysis.]
[Analyzing surroundings.]
Whoooosh-
A faint energy that was hard to see without concentration flickered and disappeared.
It meant the Analysis Skill was properly used.
[Ending use of Skill: Analysis.]
“…Hmm.”
The problem was that even using the skill, nothing was caught.
The skill was definitely used properly.
Yet nothing was caught meant.
‘It seems to mean they used a Stealth Technique so strong that even my skill couldn’t catch it? Is someone beyond my abilities watching me?’
He could infer from the failure itself.
It was difficult to find with his current abilities.
What could he do.
‘I don’t know what kind of repayment this is, but it’s definitely for me. If they wanted to harm me, they wouldn’t have given Gold Ingots. For now, I’ll accept it.’
For now, since it was definitely meant for him, he would just accept it.
After all, it was a good thing.
He smiled bitterly, thinking he might be accepting such a large sum too easily.
But reality was reality.
Thinking of what he could do with Gold Ingots, he couldn’t refuse them.
‘With this, it seems I’ve secured funds for what’s next, so let’s think of it as a good thing.’
Jung Myeong held the pouch to his chest and went inside. For now.
* * *
The corridor outside Jung Myeong’s Guest Room.
‘What was that? Some kind of divine power?’
Long after Jung Myeong had gone inside,
someone revealed their presence from one end of the corridor.
It was a Black-Robed Man.
He wasn’t wearing a mask.
However, his presence was extremely secretive.
Even now that he had revealed himself, his face seemed obscured by something and was hard to see clearly.
It meant he had mastered extreme Stealth Technique.
A small question rested on his cold expression.
‘Some unknown energy definitely swept past me. What on earth was that energy…?’
The direction of his question was toward Jung Myeong.
There was one reason he had come here.
To carry out the order given by his lord.
A simple task of bringing Gold Ingots to Jung Myeong, the wandering physician.
Though he wondered why his master would give such a large sum of money.
An order was an order.
He had handed over the Gold Ingots to carry out this task, and concealed himself to see if they were properly received.
It was something he thought would be easy.
However, an unexpected question had arisen.
The skill Analysis that Jung Myeong had used.
It was because of the unsettling feeling from the energy he had sensed.
From his high level of mastery, this wasn’t ordinary power.
‘It was such a subtle energy that I would have missed it if I hadn’t concentrated. There was no killing intent, so it couldn’t have been for an ambush. It was too strange to call it enhanced Ki Sensing. What was it?’
Fortunately, he had succeeded in subtly deflecting the energy he felt through Ki Sensing.
But he had been curious all this time about what Jung Myeong was trying to do.
The problem was that getting an answer right away seemed difficult.
However, the Black-Robed Man didn’t mind.
‘That physician, for some reason I feel like he’s someone I’ll encounter often?’
Should he call it intuition.
That intuition was telling him that his connection with Jung Myeong wouldn’t end here.
Since there was no need to obsess over something that couldn’t be resolved immediately.
The Black-Robed Man decided to wrap things up for now.
‘First, I need to report.’
Whoosh-
He simply launched his body somewhere else again.
Believing that he had succeeded perfectly.
However, he should have known.
“Hmm… That face. I should remember it.”
That sometimes there are those who fly above those who run.
It had been several years since he lived disguised as a Gangho Physician.
Before that, he had accumulated experience under his master.
Where would that experience go.
If there are no teeth, use the gums.
If ability falls short, endure with persistence.
He had lived through the years in such a way.
Would he give up just because skills didn’t work?
As soon as he entered the room as if giving up, he bent his body low.
Then he peered through the gap in the door.
Since skills didn’t work, he tried to observe directly with his eyes.
And thus he saw it!
The face of the one who had left the gold ingot.
Clearly with his own two eyes!
‘It was written as gratitude, so it’s definitely money given for me. But just in case.’
It was a manifestation of thoroughness to verify money of unclear origin.
He waited until the very last moment and finally achieved results.
“Hehe…”
Jung Myeong smiled with satisfaction.
It was a moment when his prudent side, hidden behind his seemingly light-hearted appearance, shone through.
* * *
The Black-Robed Man moved without knowing that his face had been seen by Jung Myeong.
He revealed himself at a pavilion far away.
[Hwa Yeon Pavilion]
Among the pavilions in Hangzhou, this was one that competed for the top position. The Black-Robed Man entered that place.
“Ahem…”
“Hmm.”
Those inside acted strangely upon seeing him.
They turned their heads away, pretending not to know him.
An air of deliberate ignorance.
No one acknowledged him.
It was obviously artificial indifference.
The Black-Robed Man didn’t take issue with this.
He likewise ignored them and quickened his steps.
“…”
The place he headed to was the very bottom of the pavilion.
After opening several doors and entering, a hidden underground space became visible.
Going down there, he passed through several more corridors.
What remained was a wall.
Facing the wall, he spoke quietly.
“Leader.”
“Come in.”
Rumble rumble rumble-
As soon as permission was granted from inside, the door disguised as a wall opened.
Upon entering, there was the person the Black-Robed Man had called Leader.
A somehow artificially heavy voice.
Contrary to that voice, the Leader’s build wasn’t very large.
Far from being heavy, a thin frame close to feminine could be glimpsed.
Though the voice and build didn’t match at all, even this didn’t seem to concern the masked man.
He simply bowed deeply and paid his respects upon seeing the Leader.
The Leader accepted this nonchalantly and asked.
“Did you deliver it?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Well done. A Gangho Physician?”
“For now, that’s what it seems like.”
“Hmm. Can a Gangho Physician’s medical arts treat such a thing?”
“If he’s lucky, it might be possible. But to call it just luck…”
“Since when have we relied on luck?”
“My apologies. Excluding luck from consideration, he seems like an ordinary person. There’s nothing strange about that, is there? This Hangzhou is a place with so many eccentric individuals and unusual events.”
“For someone like that, his past was too clean.”
“Should I investigate once more?”
“No need. You wouldn’t have handled such matters poorly. If you couldn’t find anything then, nothing will change if you look now.”
“…”
The Black-Robed Man considered telling the Leader about the energy he felt in the corridor, but closed his mouth.
He knew the Leader viewed uncertain stories most negatively.
So what followed was only a brief silence.
Soon, the silence was broken by the Leader.
“He must have obtained some kind of fortuitous encounter.”
“A fortuitous encounter seems most likely at the moment.”
“Right. Let’s call it a fortuitous encounter. Anyway, that’s settled. What matters is the disposal. Those fools who can’t properly recognize who they’re messing with.”
“Shall I handle the disposal?”
“Having misguided eyes is also a sin, isn’t it? Erase them completely.”
“Yes!”
Separate from the discussion about Jung Myeong, someone’s fate was decided.
It was impossible to know exactly who this disposal was directed toward.
A short while later.
At the Western Market entrance where the old man Jung Myeong had saved was stationed.
A sect that had been eyeing that location was silently erased.
It was a very coincidental occurrence.
* * *
Around the time this coincidental event occurred.
“Hmm?”
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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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