LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 103
Chapter 103: Very Positive
“Are you the Young Master Byeok Taesan?”
A beautiful woman asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
Instead of replying, Byeok Taesan looked around again at the people gathered near the main gate.
A strong medicinal scent filled the air.
“Heavenly Medicine Pavilion?”
The woman smiled brightly.
“As expected, you recognized us.”
Her tone and expression seemed as if being recognized was only natural for her.
“Now that I know, move aside.”
At Taesan’s words, the woman, Cho Seoran, slightly furrowed her brows.
“Aren’t you being too rude?”
“Rudeness is blocking someone on their way home.”
Cho Seoran bit her lip slightly, then stepped aside. The men accompanying her also moved to clear the way.
Byeok Taesan strode past them and lightly pushed the door open.
Although it was supposed to be locked, it swung open smoothly.
Inside, someone who had been sending messages was hurriedly running toward the entrance.
As soon as he spotted Byeok Taesan, he bowed deeply.
“Young Master, you’ve returned.”
Taesan gave a slight nod in acknowledgment and walked briskly inside. The man quickly stepped out and said,
“I’ve already informed the secretary. Please, head inside. I’ll guide you to the reception room.”
Cho Seoran quickly erased the expression Byeok Taesan had drawn from her and entered the Golden Wall Pavilion.
The seven men accompanying her followed closely behind.
“If you wait in the reception room, the secretary will arrive shortly.”
Cho Seoran replied with a light smile and a slight nod of her head.
Once they reached the reception room, the group each found a seat to rest.
Having traveled arduously from the Heavenly Medicine Pavilion to this place, they were thoroughly exhausted. They would need a few days of food and rest to recover from the journey.
A short while later, the secretary arrived.
After exchanging formal greetings, the secretary looked at Cho Seoran and said,
“The Leader is currently away and will not return for three days. I heard that you came to meet the Heavenly Divine Healer and the Needle Master. Is that correct?”
Cho Seoran nodded.
“That’s right.”
The secretary brightened.
“In that case, may I take you to them immediately?”
Cho Seoran smiled faintly.
“That’s exactly what I was hoping for.”
“Please follow me.”
The secretary quickly led Cho Seoran’s group out of the reception room.
He was in a hurry to deliver them to the Heavenly Divine Healer, as the man had been incessantly inquiring every day about the arrival of someone from the Heavenly Medicine Pavilion. He hoped to free himself from that burden as soon as possible.
With that, the secretary promptly guided the guests from the Heavenly Medicine Pavilion to the garden where the Heavenly Divine Healer and the Needle Master were waiting.
—
The Heavenly Divine Healer and the Needle Master were deeply engrossed in the martial arts manual they had received from Byeok Taesan.
They had already read through it three times.
The more they read, the more it revealed new insights. At the same time, more questions arose.
It was indeed martial arts befitting the Bloodletting Demon and the Blood Physician. Its depth and intricacy were beyond words.
“The Young Master should be stopping by soon…”
At the Heavenly Divine Healer’s mumble, the Needle Master rebuked him.
“He stopped by earlier to give us this. Do you really think he’d come back so soon? Use your head. Don’t you know our Young Master by now?”
“You underestimate him. The Young Master is extremely meticulous. He’ll definitely stop by to teach us anything we fail to understand.”
“Care to make a bet?”
The Needle Master smirked.
“Still not over that habit? Haven’t you learned from all the trouble your betting has caused?”
“Forget it. Are we betting or not?”
Just as the Heavenly Divine Healer was about to point out how betting had left the Needle Master penniless, the door connecting the garden to the adjacent courtyard suddenly swung open.
Both of them turned their heads in unison.
The Needle Master felt his heart pound like crazy, thinking it might be Byeok Taesan.
‘Damn it, if that fool wasn’t wrong, I could’ve been in trouble.’
While the Needle Master heaved a sigh of relief, the secretary entered through the open door.
“Ah, don’t scare me like that,” grumbled the Heavenly Divine Healer.
The secretary grinned and announced,
“The guests you’ve been eagerly waiting for have arrived.”
“Guests?”
Behind the secretary, Cho Seoran entered. Seven men followed her closely.
“What? The Medicine King?”
At the Needle Master’s exclamation, the Heavenly Divine Healer glanced back and forth between him and Cho Seoran.
He hadn’t expected the Medicine King to come in person.
Hearing the commotion, two physicians from the Heavenly Medicine Pavilion, who had been stirring a cauldron at the edge of the garden, ran over with tears in their eyes.
“Master!”
The two physicians rushed forward, dropping to their knees before Cho Seoran and bursting into loud sobs.
“Ughhh! We’ve longed to see you!”
Cho Seoran was genuinely taken aback by their actions.
People affiliated with the Heavenly Medicine Pavilion were, by default, skilled physicians. Physicians, as a rule, were highly prideful.
Even in front of the Medicine King, it was unheard of for them to prostrate themselves like this.
“Please, calm down and get up.”
At Cho Seoran’s words, the two physicians hesitated, then slowly stood.
Just as they were about to speak, the Heavenly Divine Healer and the Needle Master approached.
“Do you remember me?”
At the Needle Master’s question, Cho Seoran replied with a radiant smile.
“Of course. Master Needle, have you been well?”
“Well… let’s just say things haven’t been exactly smooth. Life’s been a mess ever since I crossed paths with this guy.”
The Needle Master gestured toward the Heavenly Divine Healer, resting his hand on the latter’s shoulder.
“And this must be the Heavenly Divine Healer.”
The Heavenly Divine Healer responded with a warm smile. Anyone familiar with him would have been shocked to see such an expression.
“Pleasure to meet you. I never imagined I’d meet the Medicine King like this.”
“It’s an honor for me as well. However, I must say, it’s surprising to see you both here. And this place…”
Cho Seoran glanced around. The vast garden filled with medicinal herbs was a rare sight, even for someone from the Heavenly Medicine Pavilion.
The Needle Master frowned at her remark.
“There’s just too much medicine to make. Still… I didn’t expect you to come in person. Aren’t you busy? And I hear you’ve joined hands with the Murim Alliance?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Cho Seoran’s expression darkened slightly.
“Judging by your face, something must have happened. Surely the Murim Alliance isn’t pressuring you…”
“It’s nothing serious. It’s just… circumstances got a little difficult, and we needed help.”
“Difficult circumstances? That doesn’t sound like the Heavenly Medicine Pavilion.”
The Heavenly Medicine Pavilion was unmatched in the realm of medicine. From miraculous elixirs to simple ointments and balms, their medicines were superior to anything else on the market.
Their products were so sought after that they were often in short supply.
To claim that the Pavilion was struggling financially was hard to believe.
Cho Seoran’s face grew slightly awkward.
“Things spiraled out of control. Issues with herb supply arose, payments were delayed, and these problems piled up, making things difficult.”
She could speak of it calmly now, but at the time, it had been a dire situation.
Who could have imagined the Heavenly Medicine Pavilion would face financial struggles?
Yet, once the flow of funds began to falter, it was nearly impossible to restore it to normal.
Even when it seemed solutions were within reach, new issues would arise, worsening the situation.
In the end, Cho Seoran had to break one of the Pavilion’s long-standing rules and seek help from the Murim Alliance.
“Still, we didn’t become subordinate to the Murim Alliance. We simply agreed to cooperate with them.”
Her expression grew heavy as she spoke. It was clear that partnering with the Murim Alliance had not been a smooth process.
“Well, since it’s come to this, make the best of it.”
“Thank you for your concern.”
Cho Seoran replied with a polite nod before turning her gaze alternately between the Needle Master and the Heavenly Divine Healer.
“Have you both taken up residence with the Golden Wall Merchants?”
The Needle Master shook his head.
“No.”
“As I thought. I assumed as much. Rumors are just rumors after all.”
The Needle Master looked mildly exasperated.
“We didn’t join the Golden Wall Merchants. We’ve pledged our loyalty to our Young Master.”
“What?”
“Not just me, but this guy as well.”
Cho Seoran looked between the Needle Master and the Heavenly Divine Healer, her expression confused.
“You’ve pledged yourselves to Young Master Byeok Taesan? Why?”
The Heavenly Divine Healer glanced into the distance and spoke.
“Well… let’s just call it fate.”
The Needle Master shot him an incredulous look.
“Could you not say stuff like that to me? Damn it, you’re embarrassing me.”
Cho Seoran stifled a laugh behind her hand.
“You’re as lively as ever.”
The Heavenly Divine Healer gave the Needle Master an exasperated look.
“Brother, did you seriously curse in front of this lady?”
“That wasn’t cursing; it was just an expression. You’re being way too sensitive!”
“What kind of expression involves cursing like that?”
The Needle Master clenched his fist tightly, his face twitching.
Just then, the Heavenly Divine Healer glanced toward the door and said,
“Oh? The Young Master?”
Byeok Taesan had entered the garden. Initially, upon noticing the crowd, he considered leaving but decided to step in.
All eyes turned to Byeok Taesan.
Byeok Taesan ignored everything around him and approached the Needle Master and the Heavenly Divine Healer.
“Have you read it?”
“Of course!”
The Heavenly Divine Healer replied, and the Needle Master added,
“We’ve read it three times already.”
Both of them had countless questions they wanted to ask Byeok Taesan, but with so many people around, it wasn’t the right time.
Just then, a voice resonated directly in their ears, a message conveyed through sound transmission.
It was the solution to the very issues they had been stuck on, specific to the techniques they were studying.
The transmitted messages provided different answers to each of them, tailored to their respective martial arts.
The Needle Master and the Heavenly Divine Healer exchanged startled glances, quickly realizing the implications of what had just happened.
‘How is this even possible? He didn’t even ask us what we were stuck on!’
‘Is he really transmitting two completely different solutions simultaneously? How can anyone do that?’
A firm voice echoed again in their minds.
“Focus.”
The two immediately snapped to attention, focusing on Byeok Taesan’s explanation. With his simple and concise guidance, the obstacles in their understanding were instantly cleared.
It felt as though the martial arts manuals they had painstakingly studied all day suddenly unfolded vividly in their minds.
Once the explanations concluded, the Needle Master stared at Byeok Taesan with astonishment and asked,
“How did you know which parts we were struggling with?”
Byeok Taesan smirked slightly.
“Isn’t it obvious?”
With the number of martial arts he had mastered and studied, it was natural for him to understand such things. Moreover, the Ghost Dragon Martial Arts and Yellow Pill Art that he had provided were techniques he had once developed alongside the Bloodletting Demon and the Blood Physician.
The Needle Master and the Heavenly Divine Healer couldn’t take their eyes off Byeok Taesan, and the others in the garden were staring at them with a mix of confusion and curiosity.
While the conversation between Byeok Taesan and the two martial artists was incomprehensible to the others, they could only speculate based on the context that it must have involved some discussion about martial arts via sound transmission.
As the conversation wound down, the Heavenly Divine Healer nudged the Needle Master in the side.
When the Needle Master glared at him, the Heavenly Divine Healer gestured with his chin and eyes, urging him toward something.
Following the gestures, the Needle Master noticed Cho Seoran and the group from the Heavenly Medicine Pavilion standing nearby.
Realizing what was being implied, the Needle Master cautiously stepped forward.
“Young Master, these are representatives from the Heavenly Medicine Pavilion. This young lady here is their current leader.”
Cho Seoran quickly stepped forward and bowed toward Byeok Taesan.
“I am Cho Seoran.”
Byeok Taesan didn’t even glance at her and asked the Needle Master,
“Do you know her?”
The Needle Master looked slightly awkward as he replied.
“We had a minor connection a long time ago.”
“Were you with the Heavenly Medicine Pavilion before?”
“No, I once received great assistance from the previous leader of the Pavilion.”
“Is that so?”
Only then did Byeok Taesan look at Cho Seoran.
Cho Seoran instinctively tensed under his gaze, her body stiffening slightly. Swallowing hard, she looked nervously at him.
“Well, make yourself at home,” Byeok Taesan said nonchalantly before turning away.
The Heavenly Divine Healer and the Needle Master both visibly relaxed. In contrast, Cho Seoran looked perplexed, and her companions from the Pavilion wore sour expressions.
Unfamiliar with Byeok Taesan, they felt he was being dismissive of Cho Seoran.
“This is perfect. Very positive indeed,” the Needle Master muttered.
Cho Seoran blinked at him in confusion, while the Pavilion members stared at him as though he had said something absurd.
The Heavenly Divine Healer stepped in to clarify.
“Our Young Master is not one to easily express his emotions or intentions. His reaction just now is actually a very good sign. So, let’s not dwell on it and instead discuss future-oriented and productive matters.”
Though unsure what they were being told not to worry about, the mention of “future-oriented and productive discussions” drew everyone’s attention to the Heavenly Divine Healer.
“How about we collaborate on medicine? Work together to develop new formulas and maintain a good relationship?” the Heavenly Divine Healer suggested. He nudged the Needle Master. “Brother, say something too.”
The Needle Master nodded reluctantly.
“It’s just as he says. We’re working on some medicine here. Why not collaborate, share ideas, and work together?”
Hearing this, Cho Seoran and the Pavilion members turned their attention to the two physicians who had initially contacted them.
The physicians looked incredibly awkward but showed no signs of objection.
“That sounds reasonable,” Cho Seoran said as she glanced around. “It seems you’ve been working on medicine here already.”
With her approval, the Heavenly Divine Healer’s smile widened.
“Great! Since we’re meeting like this, let’s celebrate. Let’s drink until we can’t stand. It’s well-known that alcohol makes conversations flow and helps people bond. What do you all think?”
No one objected, though the two resident physicians appeared slightly uneasy. However, they quickly lowered their heads when the Heavenly Divine Healer glanced at them.
“Alright, then let’s go. I know the perfect place,” the Heavenly Divine Healer said cheerfully.
As they prepared to leave, Cho Seoran asked hesitantly,
“Would it be possible for Young Master Byeok to join us?”
The Heavenly Divine Healer and the Needle Master froze on the spot.
“Hmm? Our Young Master? Well… that’s…”
Cho Seoran smiled gently at the Needle Master.
“Please, could you ask him? It would be nice to grow closer to him. Besides, I have some things I’d like to discuss with him personally.”
The Heavenly Divine Healer and the Needle Master exchanged awkward glances before reluctantly nodding.
“Fine… we’ll ask, but don’t get your hopes up.”
Shortly after, they left the Golden Wall Pavilion with Byeok Taesan in tow.
Throughout the walk to the drinking spot, the Heavenly Divine Healer and the Needle Master couldn’t stop glancing at Byeok Taesan.
“Hey, should we check if this guy is really our Young Master?”
The Heavenly Divine Healer nodded fervently in agreement with the Needle Master’s comment.