The Liberated Woman, The Resurrected Man
The footsteps of the busy female doctors gradually faded, and the sound of Mo Yong-bai grinding herbs was steady.
I sat cross-legged on the bed.
I could hear Hong-shin snoring and Jin-hae occasionally exhaling deeply.
There were some miscellaneous sounds mixed in, but the emotion I felt in Mo Yong's presence was tranquility. 'Good.' I realized after returning that the Poison Master Mo Yong-bai sometimes smiled like that in his youth.
Like me, there are those who smile even when they are mad.
And there are those who do not smile at all as they descend into madness.
They have carved the very emotion of laughter from their hearts.
Because of this, in my eyes, the young doctor Mo Yong-bai looked much happier than the Poison Master Mo Yong-bai.
I also began my breathing exercises with a faint smile.
The energy of the seven roots of Bai Yan grass had already been absorbed into my Dantian.
As usual, I converted the energy of the Dantian into internal power.
There was no need to rush.
Having experienced the state of entering a trance many times, I understood my body well.
There are cases where anxiety and impatience lead to entering a trance, so I approached my martial arts practice thoroughly and slowly, like a turtle leisurely traversing the world.
Therefore, I did not practice my breathing exercises all night.
After concentrating for just one time period, I lay back on the bed and stared at the ceiling.
Although I was lying down, I fell into a light sleep while paying attention to the sounds around me, as if I were the guardian of Mo Yong's family.
In the hazy boundary between memory and dream, I was looking at a staircase.
A thin man dressed in yellow monk robes was slowly ascending the stairs, holding a corpse in both hands.
At the top of the stairs, a tall man with a large prayer bead around his neck looked down with a stern expression, accompanied by other monks.
The faces of those at the top of the stairs were filled with sorrow, but the face of the tall man showed no emotion at all.
After confirming the condition of the corpse, the man conveyed a brief farewell to the other monks and slowly descended the stairs alone.
As he came down, his expression changed moment by moment.
The calm expression first disappeared, he cast aside all pretense, declared his own break from the monastic life, and his face transformed into that of the immovable king, like a statue.
The monks at the top of the stairs shouted for him to return, but the man who declared his break from the monastic life stood still, expressionless, at the last step.
Dreams are not stories that fit together neatly.
The tall man who descended the stairs wandered through the darkness.
I sighed as soon as I saw the man's unusual attire, even in the dream. 'Why are you looking at me again?' The man with the thick prayer beads around his neck was a martial monk from the miscellaneous sect of the secret teachings.
Commonly known as the Grandmaster of the Miscellaneous Sect.
The man who waved his hand to clear the darkness looked at me and smiled with a strange expression. “Disciple, it’s been a while.” I opened my eyes involuntarily, and all sleep vanished. 'Ah, damn it…' So, to summarize, this is a nightmare.
It seems that I dreamed of this mad monk because I took Bai Yan grass.
I was dragged around by this mad monk and ended up taking Bai Yan grass.
The hardships I endured at that time are beyond words.
In terms of my past life, he was the man who became the previous Mad Demon.
The Grandmaster of the Miscellaneous Sect was my master.
However, because of his background, attire, and demeanor, he was called the Mad Monk by his enemies.
There are a few men in the martial world who are like natural disasters that one should avoid at all costs, and the Mad Monk is one of them.
Every time I thought of the master with whom I had a brief connection, I felt nauseated.
He dragged me from the Central Plains to the West, saying to taste the Bai Yan grass.
He dragged me through the seas of Zhejiang, wondering what fish lived there, and went through Sichuan, Chongqing, Hubei, and Anhui to Zhejiang.
In that journey, all the black sects and the likes of Sa Ma Wei were killed by the Mad Monk.
Although I never called him master while being dragged around, he always called me disciple.
Later, after becoming the Mad Demon, I reflected that he was indeed my master.
I cautiously vowed to myself.
This time, I would never become a disciple again.
I had nearly lost my life more than once while being dragged around.
Naturally, being the previous Mad Demon, he was a madman.
If I had not returned to the West one day, enlightened, I would have probably died at the hands of half of the masters in the Central Plains.
Early in the morning, Mo Yong-bai, who had been moving around quietly, discovered that I was already awake. “Lord, you are up already?” When I nodded, Mo Yong-bai said, “I will bring the soup soon.” As soon as I looked at Mo Yong-bai's face, I realized that he had stayed up all night.
Mo Yong-bai quickly brought a bowl of soup.
A dark potion given by the Poison Master… I thought that he was not yet the Poison Master, but my knees trembled slightly.
Mo Yong-bai presented the unappetizing medicine that looked like poison with innocent eyes. “Lord, please take it.” Doctor, what did you make this with? I suppressed the urge to ask and drank from the bowl.
Watching it slide down my esophagus smoothly, it seemed it was not poison.
“How does it taste?”
“It just feels a bit refreshing in my chest.”
“So, it feels like your insides are cleared out? May I check your pulse?”
I extended my wrist, and Mo Yong-bai checked my pulse, then tilted his head slightly.
“Have you had any difficulties in cultivating your internal power?”
“Not particularly.”
Suddenly, Mo Yong-bai pulled his hand away with a surprised expression.
“There’s a pulling force…”
“Your internal power?”
“Yes.”
Mo Yong-bai touched his finger that had checked my pulse and expressed his feelings.
“It feels like it’s being burned and absorbed.”
“That’s probably it.”
“It seems that Jin-hae’s internal power has also been affected by this?”
I smiled slightly as I looked at Mo Yong-bai.
The man before me seemed to have grasped the situation quite well.
“Does this mean that the internal power you lost has entered the Dantian of the Lord?”
“Correct.”
“Perhaps you have gained traditional knowledge, or have you obtained it in the form of a fortuitous encounter?”
“It should be a fortuitous encounter.”
“Then, until you perfectly embody this phenomenon as your own, it would be best to refrain from absorbing the internal power of others.”
“I was already planning to refrain.”
“Where do you usually reside?”
“Somewhere in Heungmyo or Il-yang County…”
“Please do visit often, even if you are busy.”
I openly revealed my plans.
“Once I handle the Daena-chal, I will return with a lighter heart.”
Handling the Daena-chal means that I would mostly take control of the black sects in the southern region, including Il-yang County.
Once this is accomplished, there would be no more unexpected troubles for Mo Yong-bai.
Until the morning, after treating Hong-shin and Jin-hae and exchanging farewells, I climbed into the carriage and looked back at Mo Yong-bai once more.
“Doctor Mo Yong, sleep well. Thank you for yesterday and today.”
Mo Yong-bai replied with a smile.
“Lord, I wish you well. If you feel unwell, please come find me anytime.”
I also left a word of caution.
“Doctor, be careful of the martial world. If anything happens, I will come personally.”
“What could happen to a doctor? Thank you for your words.”
As soon as the carriage started moving, I let out a slight sigh.
‘I’m in the middle of a war to prevent anything from happening, you fool…’
Jin-hae's complexion was better than yesterday.
However, beside him was Hong-shin, who had overcome his diarrhea, and in front of me was myself.
Jin-hae, who was cautiously guarding against slaps, spoke to me in a careful tone. “Brother Nok, can I not go home?” I nodded. “Home is good.” “Thank you.” “No.” “……” This time, Hong-shin clasped his hands and wore a good expression. “Brother, you will give me the antidote, right?” “I already did.” “When?” “The poison and the antidote are the same thing. The diarrhea was treated by Doctor Mo Yong.” I looked at Hong-shin's dazed expression and said, “Sister, you should manage your expression.” Hong-shin smiled brightly.
But to my eyes, even while smiling broadly, it looked like flames were burning fiercely in her eyes.
“Sister Hong, Brother Geum.”
“Yes.”
“Is it funny that I suddenly call you sister and brother, even though we have never met?”
“No, it’s not.”
“Isn’t it funny?”
“What about your real master? There’s nothing more precious in life than fate. If the two of you stand with the Daena-chal against me, I will have the carriage stop immediately. I’ve resolved the poison and treated my injuries to a certain extent, so there should be no major issues, so let’s get off and go our separate ways.”
“Hmm.”
“I’m not getting off, though?”
“I also don’t have any particular affection for you two, so if I stand beside the Daena-chal, I feel like I could easily kill you both like strangers. You two can live as you please, like me.”
Hong-shin and Jin-hae stared at me blankly.
I added one more thing. “You two are neither my slaves nor the Daena-chal’s slaves, so it’s fine.” Jin-hae opened his mouth. “Brother, I may be executed for betraying the Daena-chal, and my family could be wiped out. Can you tell me how much power you have and how strong your influence is? It’s not just my life at stake.” Suddenly, Mo Yong-bai’s words came to mind.
After the Daena-chal died, the disciple who once was a Twelve Divine General and lived a normal life might be Jin-hae.
Originally, he was the son of a wealthy family, so it’s entirely possible.
If that’s the case, he has received treatment from the one who killed him in his past life.
The corners of my mouth lifted. ‘Life is truly…’ “Is it because you’re a merchant? You want to compare strengths and calculate carefully?” Jin-hae slightly lowered his head. “I’m sorry. It’s just that it’s not just my life at stake…” In the martial world, there is no such foolish calculation as comparing strengths.
Fights do not yield results through such calculations.
I explained in my own way.
“Let’s think this way. If I lose, it’s only natural that the Daena-chal still has many of his disciples. It would be expected that my strength is lacking. But let’s assume that this deficiency is because you two, Hong-shin and Jin-hae, are not with me. Since you two have rejoined the Daena-chal, I would be regrettably losing. Would you find satisfaction in your lives in that case?”
The two of them were silent for a moment.
“Still, go steal something. Bring me money. I saw that Mo Yong’s female doctors were exceptionally beautiful. If they catch the eye of the Daena-chal, Mo Yong-bai might have to offer one of them to the Daena-chal. That’s just the kind of person he is. You two will have to live as slaves until the Daena-chal dies.”
I shook my head.
“It’s not about comparing strengths. Even if I am weak, will you continue to live as slaves? Or will you not live as slaves? That’s what’s important.”
After a while, the carriage stopped, and the coachman announced, “We have arrived at Heungmyo.” I said to Jin-hae, who had followed me this far.
“Jin-hae, you were born into a wealthy family and grew up without lacking anything. You must have pride in your family, but look at the current situation. How is that money yours? Your family is a funding source for the Daena-chal. If you are truly wealthy, isn’t it more important to think about how to use that money rather than hoarding it?”
Jin-hae avoided answering directly.
“Brother, I’m sorry, but could you give me one more meal?”
I asked Hong-shin.
“Sister?”
Hong-shin asked back with a puzzled expression.
“What about me? Food? I’m hungry too.”
Jin-hae elbowed Hong-shin in the side.
“You’re asking if you will stand with the Daena-chal.”
Unlike Jin-hae, Hong-shin was simple and clear.
“I will definitely stand with you, brother.”
Jin-hae asked instead of me.
“Why?”
Hong-shin answered.
“You took me to the bathroom, took me to the doctor, and I ate pig bones. I felt a bit uneasy about the poison you gave me, but it was the antidote. And if the Daena-chal’s master had given me poison, it would have been real poison, and I would have died, right? He wouldn’t have taken me to the bathroom and would have let me urinate in the bushes, right? Just thinking about it is terrifying, so I will stick with you, brother.”
I had once again captured the heart of a lady with diarrhea medicine.
“Let’s go eat.”
We got off the carriage and entered Heungmyo together with the coachman.
As we opened the main gate and entered, I saw my subordinates in training.
When I appeared without my mask, So Gun-pyeong took up a stance and said, “We meet the Lord.” Then, my subordinates greeted me while maintaining their painful training postures. “We meet the Lord!” I nodded as I led Hong-shin on my left and Jin-hae on my right, breaking through the courtyard.
In the meantime, Jin-hae looked around with a confused expression, not understanding why my subordinates called me Lord, and then stopped. “Is Brother Nok the servant? Huh, is he the servant? Brother Nok? The Lord was a servant?” I turned around to look at Jin-hae. “Hey, hey… look at that. Here comes the trance again. Sister Hong.” “Yes.” Hong-shin, who understood immediately, slapped Jin-hae’s cheek, which was full of confusion. “Are you not paying attention?” Jin-hae held his cheek, returning from the gates of hell.
How many times had he been slapped yesterday and today? I clicked my tongue and said, “Oh, what use is that rich young master?” I said to those who had been freed from diarrhea and resurrected. “Let’s eat.” Surviving in the martial world is not an easy task.