The Great Heavenly Sword Emperor - Chapter 21

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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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#021. The Poison Seeps In (1)

Buk Gung Dan Ya returned in a state of conflicted bewilderment—hope and despair tangled together.
He had soared on the wings of hope that he might now fly freely beneath the vast sky, only to have those wings bent and broken. One could well imagine the magnitude of his emotional fall.
After Buk Gung Dan Ya left for his quarters, Cheon Mu Gyeol remained in the temple hall.
And shortly after.
The temple doors opened, and Gwang An, who had gone out, returned.
“I’ve sent word to Ui Rim. I asked them to dispatch someone, discreetly.”
“Ui Rim must be a remarkable place indeed.”
“Ah, you may not know of it—but in the Gangho as it stands now, and indeed throughout Jung Won itself, there is no institution that rivals Ui Rim in medicine. Most physicians, I would wager, either trained at Ui Rim or learned from someone who did.”
Cheon Mu Gyeol nodded at Gwang An’s words.
“But can he truly be healed? Ah, forgive me. That was a pointless question.”
Gwang An realized even as the words left his lips that the question was meaningless.
Cheon Mu Gyeol was not a man who spoke of impossibilities as though they were possible.
If he said it could be done, then Buk Gung Dan Ya would recover.
And with that realization, Gwang An’s own heart grew somewhat lighter.
That Buk Gung Dan Ya had not collapsed entirely was likely because he understood, at least in some measure, the nature of Cheon Mu Gyeol’s character.
“The crux of the matter is when and whom Ui Rim will send,” Gwang An mused.
Cheon Mu Gyeol nodded in agreement.
“There is something we must do in the meantime.”
“Yes. Please speak.”
“We must learn everything about the Dong Bang Se Ga.”
At Cheon Mu Gyeol’s words, surprise flickered across Gwang An’s face.
“Already?”
“Do you think it premature?”
“Yes. I thought we would begin only after the young lord of Buk Gung has recovered and regained some measure of strength.”
Cheon Mu Gyeol shook his head.
“There is no time for that.”
At those words, Gwang An’s gaze deepened.
“That is not merely a matter of your own circumstance, is it?”
Cheon Mu Gyeol regarded Gwang An steadily.
“The Dong Bang Se Ga does not go anywhere. They remain always in their place. They are not undertaking any immediate action. Perhaps they do not even know of your existence. Or if they do, they may pay you no attention whatsoever.”
Cheon Mu Gyeol said nothing in response, only listened to Gwang An’s words.
“Yet if you say there is no time, then I ask: is it not your personal resentment, your desire to hold the Dong Bang Se Ga accountable for the fall of Cheon Geom Jang with all speed, that drives this urgency?”
Gwang An had struck the heart of the matter.
The reason for wanting to move against the Dong Bang Se Ga quickly.
It was, more than anything, Cheon Mu Gyeol’s own desire to settle his personal grudge at the earliest opportunity.
Confronted with the truth, Cheon Mu Gyeol accepted it without demur.
“I will not deny it.”
At Cheon Mu Gyeol’s acknowledgment, Gwang An continued with measured composure.
“Then I ask only that you exercise a little more patience. You may regard this as a personal matter, but circumstances have changed. I and Bo Hyeon Sa have taken your side, and Buk Gung Dan Ya stands with you as well. This is no longer a path you walk alone—it is one we walk together.”
The words Gwang An spoke—that this was no longer a solitary path but one walked together.
Those words flew straight into Cheon Mu Gyeol’s heart and lodged there.
[A worthy ally. You could fill in what I lack.]
Cheon Sin Geom interjected abruptly.
Cheon Mu Gyeol had his shortcomings too.
They did not yet stand out starkly, but there was one: his habit of making every judgment and decision alone.
It could not be otherwise.
Having descended into the depths beneath Cheon Geom Jang in his childhood and lived apart from humanity, he had grown accustomed to doing all things by himself.
Such a tendency could easily curdle into arrogance, and arrogance could ruin everything.
In that regard, Gwang An’s counsel now was quite apt.
“I understand. Still, I would ask you to prepare information regarding the Dong Bang Se Ga.”
At Cheon Mu Gyeol’s words, Gwang An exhaled a long breath before letting out a small, rueful laugh.

* * *

Contact had been made with Ui Rim, and time slipped away.
On the fourth day, word came that Ui Rim would send someone, and four days after receiving that reply, no one had yet arrived.
During that stretch, Buk Gung Dan Ya seemed unable to shake the shock, barely leaving his quarters.
Gwang An checked in on him from time to time, and at least there was this mercy: he hadn’t sunk completely into despair.
Two more days passed that way, making nine days in total.
At last, an envoy from Ui Rim arrived at Bo Hyeon Sa.
Gwang An went out to the gate himself to receive the visitor.
“I am Yu Baek Hyeon of Ui Rim. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”
A man with an upright, composed bearing; his eyes held a sharp, crystalline clarity.
At the mention of Yu Baek Hyeon’s name, Gwang An’s expression shifted with surprise, and he pressed his palms together in greeting.
“I was told someone would be sent, but I never imagined that the successor of Ui Rim would come in person. It is an honor to meet you. I am Gwang An, abbot of Bo Hyeon Sa.”
Yu Baek Hyeon bowed slightly, a faint smile on his face, in response to Gwang An’s courtesy.
“Shall we see the patient first? Where should I go?”
“This way, if you please. He is waiting.”
Gwang An led Yu Baek Hyeon toward the San Shin Gak and its inner temple hall.

* * *

In the temple hall, Cheon Mu Gyeol and Buk Gung Dan Ya awaited Yu Baek Hyeon’s arrival.
Cheon Mu Gyeol was composed; Buk Gung Dan Ya was restless.
When the door opened moments later, Buk Gung Dan Ya sprang to his feet, his head turning sharply toward the entrance, while Cheon Mu Gyeol merely shifted his gaze, unhurried.
“You have arrived.”
With those words from Gwang An, Yu Baek Hyeon stepped inside.
“It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Yu Baek Hyeon.”
“He is the successor to Ui Rim.”
Gwang An added this detail to his introduction of Yu Baek Hyeon.
“The pleasure is mine. I am Buk Gung Dan Ya.”
“Likewise.”
Yu Baek Hyeon exchanged a brief greeting with Buk Gung Dan Ya.
Buk Gung Dan Ya felt genuine joy at meeting him.
The successor to Ui Rim, no less.
A master physician of legendary skill had come in person from an organization renowned for its formidable medical knowledge.
After a short exchange with Buk Gung Dan Ya, Yu Baek Hyeon turned his attention to Cheon Mu Gyeol, who rose slowly from his seat.
“Cheon Mu Gyeol.”
“Yu Baek Hyeon.”
The two exchanged names without further ceremony, their greeting concluded.
Gwang An then gestured toward Buk Gung Dan Ya and spoke.
“The patient you have come to examine is Buk Gung, the young master here.”
“I am aware.”
Yu Baek Hyeon spoke as though he already knew, and Gwang An’s eyes widened in surprise.
When contact was made with Ui Rim, no mention had been made of who the patient was.
Even Cheon Mu Gyeol showed a momentary flash of astonishment in his eyes.
Noticing their surprise, Yu Baek Hyeon smiled faintly and spoke.
“A person’s eyes, face, skin tone, breath, and distinctive Qi—such things reveal much. Shall we begin with the pulse diagnosis?”
“Ah, yes. I would be grateful for your expertise.”
Buk Gung Dan Ya and Yu Baek Hyeon sat side by side.
Yu Baek Hyeon placed his hand upon the wrist Buk Gung Dan Ya extended and began his pulse diagnosis.
After reading the pulse for some time, Yu Baek Hyeon withdrew his hand with a grave expression and opened his mouth to speak.
“You have been poisoned by Jeok Eum San. And for quite some time, at that. The dosing ended long ago.”
With the pulse diagnosis complete, Yu Baek Hyeon had arrived at his answer.
At his words, Gwang An glanced toward Cheon Mu Gyeol.
Yu Baek Hyeon’s diagnosis had confirmed that Cheon Mu Gyeol’s initial suspicion had been correct.
“What manner of poison is Jeok Eum San?”
In response to Buk Gung Dan Ya’s question, Yu Baek Hyeon explained the nature of the poison.
“It is not lethal in the immediate sense. There are no pronounced symptoms, but it weakens the body overall, and prolonged exposure damages Qi and Blood and the Meridians. It eats away at them, bit by bit. In this sense, it could prove fatal to a martial artist.”
“I always thought my constitution was weak from birth…”
“It is difficult to speak with absolute certainty given the traces of poison, but from what I observe, your fundamental constitution is not inherently weak.”
At Yu Baek Hyeon’s words, Buk Gung Dan Ya exhaled deeply.
“Is there a means to treat it?”
Gwang An asked, concern etched across his features.
“Jeok Eum San itself is not a particularly difficult poison to treat. However, in the case of Master Buk Gung Dan Ya, the situation is somewhat more complicated. He was poisoned long ago, and the poison itself has already left his body. What remains are the residue of the toxin adhered to his Qi and Blood and Meridians.”
“I see…….”
“Treatment is possible. However, it will take considerable time. Because it’s so delicate, the risks are correspondingly greater.”
Yu Baek Hyeon then went on to explain the more specific course of treatment.
“First, we use the Cheong Tak Hae Dok Tang to dissolve and expel the adhered poison residue—the detoxification phase. Next, we use a decoction called the Sun Maek Jo Gi Tang to clear the Qi and Blood and correct the Meridians. Once that process is complete, we use the Bo Won Gwi Jin Tang to restore his damaged Original Qi and physical strength.”
“It sounds like it will be a lengthy process.”
“Yes. It will take time. And during that period, he must refrain entirely from Martial Arts training.”
It was not Buk Gung Dan Ya who reacted to Yu Baek Hyeon’s firm words, but Cheon Mu Gyeol.
“That won’t do.”
Yu Baek Hyeon’s brow furrowed slightly as he looked at Cheon Mu Gyeol, who had suddenly interjected.
“If he trains in Martial Arts during the treatment process, his Qi and Blood and Meridians could deteriorate further, making full recovery impossible.”
“We have matters that demand our attention, and we cannot afford to waste time. More than that.”
Cheon Mu Gyeol paused and turned his gaze toward Buk Gung Dan Ya.
“For someone standing at a crucial crossroads, that time is extraordinarily precious. If he misses this window, everything he has built will come to nothing.”
At Cheon Mu Gyeol’s words, Buk Gung Dan Ya felt a stirring of quiet joy.
His efforts had borne fruit—he had advanced and grown.
The fact that this was not merely his own conviction, but that Cheon Mu Gyeol saw it the same way, filled him with warmth.
Yu Baek Hyeon rose from his seat in response to Cheon Mu Gyeol’s words.
“I understand your meaning, having studied Martial Arts myself, but your priorities are inverted. There must be a person first, and Martial Arts second—not the other way around. If we do not treat him properly, he may well become someone who cannot hold a sword for the rest of his life.”
“Neither I nor Buk Gung Dan Ya wishes for that. Yet I remain unchanged in my conviction that he cannot afford to lay down his sword for so long.”
The positions of Cheon Mu Gyeol and Yu Baek Hyeon stood in perfect opposition.
“Your name is Cheon Mu Gyeol, is it?”
“It is.”
“I do not know who you are or what your relation is to Master Buk Gung Dan Ya here, but that is not a matter for you to decide. It is a matter for me, as the physician treating the patient, and for Master Buk Gung Dan Ya himself, as the one concerned, to judge and determine.”
Yu Baek Hyeon spoke in a sharp, cutting voice.
Then Gwang An, who had been watching in tense silence, spoke up.
“Master Cheon, didn’t you mention a method before? What if we explain that approach to Master Yu here and discuss it with him?”
At Gwang An’s mediation, Yu Baek Hyeon turned his gaze toward Cheon Mu Gyeol.
“You have a method in mind? Do you know medicine?”
“Not well.”
“And someone who barely understands medicine has put forth a treatment method?”
Yu Baek Hyeon was furious.
Medicine is a sacred act that preserves human life.
Yet for someone who knows nothing of it to presume to propose a course of treatment for a matter where a life hung in the balance—that was gross irresponsibility.
But Cheon Mu Gyeol paid no heed and opened his mouth.
“Damage the blocked Qi and Blood and twisted Meridians further, then resurrect them.”
At Cheon Mu Gyeol’s words, Yu Baek Hyeon’s face flushed crimson with rage.
“Is that what you call a proposal!”
Yu Baek Hyeon let his fury burst forth in a sharp rebuke.
Buk Gung Dan Ya watched the confrontation between these two men with a heart oscillating between paradise and hell.

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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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