Rustle—
“What’s this? Another brat here to earn a thousand gold coins?”
Jin Cheon-hee clenched his fists tightly.
“Hehe, Cheon-hee. Did you really think you could fool your master and sneak off somewhere?”
When he turned around, he saw Zhuge Lin standing there with a cold smile on his face.
Compared to the last time he had seen him, Zhuge Lin’s complexion looked even worse, but the aura he exuded was terrifying.
Behind Zhuge Lin stood Yu Ho, whose face looked like it had been split in half, sweating profusely.
‘That bastard Yu Ho…?’
At that moment, Zhuge Lin’s hand grabbed Jin Cheon-hee’s ear.
“Ack! Master!”
“My disciple, who was supposed to be in closed-door training, why are you out here?”
“It’s not like that, Master!”
“Hehe, alright. You’ve grown a lot, and your body has become quite strong. Let’s go inside and talk in detail, shall we?”
Crack—
Only then did Jin Cheon-hee realize just how terrifying his master’s level of cultivation was.
Even though his ear was being held, no matter how much strength he used, he couldn’t break free.
‘Wait, his condition seems worse than before, so where is this strength coming from?’
Wang!
Meanwhile, Hwang Gu seemed to realize he didn’t have to wait outside anymore and looked happy.
Wagging his tail, he followed closely behind Jin Cheon-hee as he was dragged away.
Jin Cheon-hee endured a lifetime’s worth of scolding in just one hour.
After a long lecture, his master finally sighed.
“I’ve already gathered some information, but I want to hear it from your mouth.”
Jin Cheon-hee gulped.
At his feet, Hwang Gu was lying on his back, panting.
Perhaps because he had been given a medicinal candy, he looked extremely happy.
And not just any candy—it was a special candy from Baek Rin’s line, infused with medicinal herbs, which made Hwang Gu even happier.
‘I know it’s good for the body…’
Jin Cheon-hee scratched Hwang Gu’s belly and began his explanation.
“First, I’m sure you’ve guessed that I went out because I needed the inner core of the Ten-Thousand-Year Fire Lotus.”
Jin Cheon-hee pulled out the inner core of the Ten-Thousand-Year Fire Lotus from his bag.
To be precise, it was wrapped in mud like a dumpling, but the fiery heat radiating from its surface and the overwhelming aura it emitted left no doubt about its authenticity.
“How did you know it was there?”
Zhuge Lin immediately cut to the chase.
Jin Cheon-hee flinched but maintained a calm expression.
“Actually, I know the locations of at least five spirit beasts and seven rare medicinal herbs.”
This was a done deal.
Lying here wouldn’t help at all.
Jin Cheon-hee added, “But I can’t tell you how I know.”
“……”
A frown appeared on Zhuge Lin’s forehead.
He pressed his temples firmly.
“Alright. When I took you as my disciple, I promised not to ask about these things.”
That was their agreement.
After a moment, Zhuge Lin spoke again.
“But there’s one thing I’m curious about. Capturing the Ten-Thousand-Year Fire Lotus should have been impossible for someone of your level. Are you planning to risk your life to find other spirit beasts in the future?”
“If it’s to save you, Master, I’ll do anything.”
“Cheon-hee. I have no attachment to this world, and the only thing I value is my disciple’s life.”
“I know.”
“……”
Jin Cheon-hee answered firmly and looked straight at Zhuge Lin.
In the end, Zhuge Lin let him go.
Jin Cheon-hee bowed deeply to Zhuge Lin and left.
Zhuge Lin watched him go for a long time before sipping his tea.
“You seem troubled,” Yu Ho said.
“This troublesome disciple is giving me a headache.”
“But you also look happy.”
“Of course. Where else would you find a disciple so devoted to his master?”
Zhuge Lin felt a small smile form on his lips.
It was a strange feeling.
He was angry that his disciple had done something so dangerous, but he was also happy to see how much he had grown.
“Now I understand why those old monsters in the martial world go crazy over just one disciple.”
Zhuge Lin muttered as he sipped his bitter tea.
“It’s a strange feeling. Worry, anger, joy, and pride all mixed together.”
Is this what they call the bond between master and disciple?
Zhuge Lin fell deep into thought.
In the martial world, spirit pills and inner cores have unique properties.
They can be liquid, solid, or even gaseous, all while containing the essence of Qi.
No wonder they’re considered the pinnacle of martial arts.
They’re a mystery that modern science could never unravel.
These spirit pills have been used to create various medical tools, but this time, the goal was to create a kind of membrane to be placed inside the heart.
Jin Cheon-hee used a hammer to break the mud encasing the Ten-Thousand-Year Fire Lotus’s inner core.
Clang!
The sound was like shattering porcelain.
The heat inside must have been immense.
Sure enough, the inner core of the Ten-Thousand-Year Fire Lotus, steaming with heat, was revealed.
The core was as massive as the body of the Ten-Thousand-Year Fire Lotus itself.
“Hoo… Focus.”
Jin Cheon-hee began using the Metal element of the Five Elements Divine Technique to draw the core into thin threads.
If he made a mistake, the fiery energy within the core could escape, so this was a task that required absolute concentration.
“Is there anything I can do to help?”
Yu Ho, who was standing nearby, asked.
It seemed he was in a good mood, thinking that his master might be saved.
“Once I’ve drawn all of this into golden threads, follow the design I gave you.”
“This is really going inside the body?”
“Yes. Surprisingly, it will.”
What’s interesting is that items made from spirit pills and inner cores don’t cause rejection when inserted into the human body.
While it’s possible to die from taking in too much internal energy and suffering a Qi deviation, there’s no such thing as an immune reaction like in modern medicine.
It’s truly fascinating.
‘In a way, it’s similar to the Blood Gu.’
The second thing Jin Cheon-hee found fascinating was the Blood Gu.
The Blood Gu is clearly a parasite, yet it consumes the host’s internal energy and assimilates itself.
There’s no medical rejection in the process.
It doesn’t cause Qi deviation either.
The only danger is if the Blood Gu isn’t fed on time and explodes inside the body.
‘And the third is the Bone Transformation Technique.’
Even though he’s experienced it, he still doesn’t understand how it works.
The body reassembles itself? And it can make you younger or help you grow?
‘Just as there’s science in the world I came from, there’s Qi here.’
He prided himself on adapting well to the martial world, but it was still difficult.
Yu Ho, who had been watching, spoke up.
“Your internal energy seems purer now? And your endurance has improved too.”
“I underwent Bone Transformation.”
At Jin Cheon-hee’s sudden statement, Yu Ho’s eyes widened before narrowing again.
“I thought so. Normally, practicing martial arts speeds up bone growth and makes the body larger, but you’ve gone way beyond that.”
“I haven’t told Master yet. I’ll tell him later.”
“He probably already knows. His anger subsided as soon as he saw you.”
Jin Cheon-hee nodded at those words.
“He must have known the moment he saw me.”
“Your facial features haven’t changed much, though?”
“What, are you falling for me?”
“Hahaha, stop with that disgusting face.”
“You’ll only hate me for now, Yu Ho. Once I finish this, the rest is up to you.”
Jin Cheon-hee stopped there and focused again.
To protect his hands from the fiery energy of the Ten-Thousand-Year Fire Lotus’s core, he had to continuously circulate Water Qi.
‘Using Ice might disrupt the balance…’
Even if his hands got burned, he was determined to finish this.
The smell of burning flesh filled the room.
“You’re really something, Young Master.”
“Oh, have you finally fallen for my charm?”
“Sigh… I can’t even kill you.”
Jin Cheon-hee chuckled as he burned his own flesh.
If the circulation of Water Qi slowed even a little, the pain would surge.
But Jin Cheon-hee’s expression remained calm.
“At this age, I’ll heal quickly. It’s fine if I’m in pain. Master’s life is more important.”
“Seriously, why are you going this far? If the master passes away, everything will be yours.”
Sizzle—
The golden thread, infused with heat, stretched out long.
A deep scar formed on Jin Cheon-hee’s finger.
“Well, if the surgery fails, you’ll come to kill me, right?”
“That’s a given, but is that the only reason?”
“Isn’t it natural for a disciple to risk his life to protect the master who taught him martial arts?”
“I know you’re not the type to be bound by such things.”
“……”
Jin Cheon-hee fell into thought.
Why was he going to such lengths to save Zhuge Lin?
After thinking for a while, he answered.
“If the roles were reversed, he would have done the same for me. Wasn’t that why he took me as his disciple in the first place?”
“That’s true.”
“Then that’s enough. Overthinking will only give me a headache.”
Jin Cheon-hee continued to draw out the golden threads.
The smell of burning flesh filled the room.
He said, “This is good training. To maintain the Water element of the Five Elements Divine Technique using the entire body’s meridians, I have to focus to the limit, right? If I can finish this without any mistakes, my internal energy will deepen even further.”
Yu Ho looked at Jin Cheon-hee as if he were crazy.
“What, Yu Ho?”
“I was thinking I’d like to take a look at your brain, Young Master.”
“Hahaha, just a joke.”
“I may not like your face, but I’d really like to see your brain.”
‘This guy’s serious.’
Jin Cheon-hee clicked his tongue and continued working steadily.
Jin Cheon-hee finally succeeded in the first stage of processing the Ten-Thousand-Year Fire Lotus’s inner core.
Having completed the hardest part, the second and third stages of processing were now up to Yu Ho and the medical team.
During this time, Jin Cheon-hee shared the outline of the thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) procedure and trained with the medical team.
‘Normally, this would require collaboration with other specialists…’
But here, he was alone.
If he failed, his master would die, and Yu Ho would come to kill him.
Jin Cheon-hee knew full well that Yu Ho would show no mercy when the time came.
He’d only debate whether to behead him or twist his neck.
‘I have to succeed.
I must succeed.’
After a week of preparation, the day of the surgery finally arrived.
Early in the morning, Jin Cheon-hee sat cross-legged and meditated.
He didn’t circulate his internal energy.
He simply ran through the surgery simulation in his mind dozens, hundreds of times.
As he did, he remembered his training days.
Back then, Jin Cheon-hee had been like this too.
Afraid of failure, and even more afraid because he couldn’t trust himself.
For Jin Cheon-hee, who had no family, the only place to return to was the medical bureau.
‘There’s never a second chance.’
It felt like walking on thin ice.
If it broke, he couldn’t imagine what he would do next.
Days filled with a hole in his chest.
He had worked tirelessly to fill that void.
In a way, it might have been the heart of a child, wishing for people to need him.
Jin Cheon-hee was feeling those emotions again.