94 - Heavenly Demon of the Huashan Sect

Chapter 94 The next morning. Bubble, bubble— Having stayed up all night, Jeokgeom and Seollan tilted their heads in uncertainty as they gazed at the bubbling, mysterious liquid in the pot. “Is this the elixir...?” “Master, is this really an elixir?” Their skepticism was palpable. Understandably so, as the water that had filled the pot was nearly gone, having evaporated almost entirely. What remained was a murky yellowish-green liquid. “This is strange.” Cheon-hwi stared intently at the liquid. ‘I followed the exact same method for creating the Gwangma Jintendan...’ Lost in thought, Cheon-hwi stroked his chin. ‘Is it because I transformed the demonic energy into poison?’ The Gwangma Jintendan, when consumed, significantly boosts internal energy but also acts as a double-edged sword, with demonic energy penetrating to the marrow. A slight mishap would lead to insanity. However, Cheon-hwi had twisted that concept. Using poison instead of demonic energy. And he had concocted it in such a way that the poison would be neutralized before it reached the marrow. ‘I’m not sure. Let’s just taste it.’ Despite his doubts, Cheon-hwi dipped his finger into the liquid and tasted it. ‘Hmm. It’s right.’ As soon as it touched his tongue, his senses cleared, and a faint energy spread through his body. But. “It’s a bit disappointing, though.” It wasn’t completely satisfying. “Well, I suppose it’ll be different once it’s perfected.” Cheon-hwi gathered internal energy into his hands. With those hands, he swiftly manipulated the thick liquid. Soon, the yellow-green liquid compressed into a small pill, about the size of a child’s fist. Cheon-hwi examined the pill. The perfectly round pill had shifted from its yellow-green hue to a deep green. “This looks like...” “It seems like an elixir...” Jeokgeom and Seollan examined the created elixir with astonished eyes. Meanwhile, Cheon-hwi scrutinized the pill. ‘I did it as planned, but I’m not sure if it’s right. I probably won’t gain much benefit from consuming it...’ A few days ago, after absorbing enough Yin energy from Danmok Rin, his internal energy was already abundant. He glanced over at Jeokgeom and Seollan. ‘I’ll know once they try it.’ Cheon-hwi turned to them with a question. “Want to try it?” “The elixir, you mean?” “Is it safe?” Both Jeokgeom and Seollan felt a sense of unease. The years spent with Cheon-hwi had taught them to be wary. “What are you waiting for? Not going to try it? Are you going to miss out on a chance to enhance your internal energy?” Cheon-hwi’s relentless temptation made them waver slightly. “I’ll try it.” Eventually, Seollan relented. “Here.” Cheon-hwi handed over half of the pill. Hesitantly accepting it, Seollan squinted her eyes shut and swallowed it. “Sister, are you okay?” Seollan slowly opened her eyes. “Huh? I’m fine.” “Really?” “Then you try it too.” Taking advantage of Jeokgeom’s moment of distraction, Cheon-hwi shoved the remaining pill into his mouth. “Ack! Master!” Jeokgeom exclaimed in panic. Yet despite his protests, the elixir melted immediately upon entering his mouth. Jeokgeom clenched his eyes shut. But time passed without any reaction, and he sighed in relief. “Phew, it seems it’s a decent elixir...” “Ugh!” Suddenly, Seollan let out a groan. Before anyone noticed, Seollan's complexion had turned pale as she dropped to her knees, clutching her stomach. “Sister, are you... ugh!” Abruptly, Jeokgeom felt a sharp pain in his head. Simultaneously, a wave of agony assaulted his mind. His vision blurred, and he instinctively fell to his knees. My, my head hurts! This is exactly why I should’ve been cautious with the elixir...! Clutching his head, he looked up. In front of him were two blurry figures. In reality, the singular form had split into two due to his dizziness. “Did a bit of poison remain?” Even amidst his throbbing headache, Cheon-hwi’s voice was clearly audible, causing Jeokgeom to clench his fists in frustration. ‘Why would an elixir contain poison!’ He felt the anger well up within him. Who would ever imagine an elixir with poison in it? It was then. 『Focus.』 Through the pounding migraine, a voice directly echoed in Jeokgeom’s mind, causing his face to twist in confusion. 『Start your breathing exercises quickly.』 Grinding his teeth, Jeokgeom forced himself into the lotus position. And suddenly, realization struck him. ‘Wait, could this be the energy of the elixir?’ Unknown energy circulated within his body. Though not vast in quantity, it was pure and potent enough to make him gulp. ‘So this is the elixir’s energy? Ugh, if I don’t concentrate on my breathing now, it’ll dissipate!’ Despite the lingering dizziness from the pain, Jeokgeom gathered his strength and initiated the Plum Blossom Qi cultivation. Cheon-hwi calmly watched the two with pale faces as they entered a state of meditation. “Did I mix it incorrectly?” He wasn’t satisfied. Fortunately, much of the poison was expelled, leaving only a tolerable amount that wouldn’t cause death even if it caused poisoning. But the bigger issue lay elsewhere. “There’s too little accumulation of internal energy.” Even with the high-quality ingredients, the amount of energy was too little to be considered an elixir. “Guess I’ll have to try a different method.” As Cheon-hwi pondered over alternative methods described in the elixir-making manual: “Huff, huff.” Jeokgeom, having finished his breathing exercise, opened his eyes with difficulty, gasping for air. “Brother.” He turned his head sideways to see Seollan, equally exhausted. Neither spoke a word. Yet, even in silence, they shared a glance of mutual understanding. It was then a shadow fell over them. As both looked up simultaneously, Cheon-hwi gazed down at them. “What’s the verdict?” “It has effects.” Seollan spoke, wearied, prompting Jeokgeom to hurriedly add comment. “But the poison is too potent.” “And?” Cheon-hwi’s expression changed to one of mild disinterest. “Well, it’s not like you’re going to die.” “......” “......” Speechless, Jeokgeom and Seollan closed their eyes tightly. They had forgotten for a moment, but they were dealing with Cheon-hwi. The same Cheon-hwi who had once thrown them amidst beasts in the dead of night and assigned them ludicrous training regimens. How many times had they narrowly escaped death? As they resignedly accepted their fate: “Then Jeokgeom, stoke the fire again, and Seollan, fetch more water for the pot.” A terrifying command echoed in their ears. “What are you waiting for? We need to make it again.” Cheon-hwi’s words left them dumbfounded. To do that all over again? “That poison—I mean, elixir, are we making it again?” “We’re really going to make another one?” “Isn’t it obvious?” Cheon-hwi spoke as if what he was saying was the most obvious thing in the world. “Don’t you want to create an even better elixir than this?” Jeokgeom and Seollan fidgeted, their tongues itching to respond. That didn’t make any sense at all. Yet, they kept their mouths shut, vividly imagining the potential consequences of speaking out. Ultimately, what they chose to do was... “But the poisoning is still...” “I still have stomach aches and headaches...” Their pleas were nearly a form of begging. However, Cheon-hwi was anything but sympathetic. “You can endure that much, can't you?” While it was indeed bearable, pain was still pain. “It feels like we're going to die.” “Just a little rest...” “You need me to make you move somehow?” Startled, Jeokgeom and Seollan swiftly got to their feet. Knowing Cheon-hwi, he would actually make good on that threat. “What are you doing? Get going already.” Under Cheon-hwi’s relentless urges, Jeokgeom and Seollan endured their pain and began to move. As Cheon-hwi set about making another elixir, footsteps began approaching. Step by step— It was Shin-ui along with Lord Sohee and her entourage. Shin-ui glared at Lord Sohee’s group trailing behind him. “Why are you following me?” Shin-ui scowled and spoke gruffly. “We came to see So-hyeop Cheon-hwi,” Lord Sohee replied casually. Shin-ui gave her a glare before turning his head away. “To get closer, I’ll need time,” Lord Sohee murmured under her breath. “Is this really alright?” Simwi-jin asked with concern. “We have no choice.” “If you mention the imperial summons, no matter how free-spirited Shin-ui is...” “Are you serious?” Lord Sohee glared at Simwi-jin. “Shin-ui is a free spirit. Even if my father has summoned him, he won’t come and go as commanded.” Shin-ui had once left, ignoring the position of the emperor’s physician. Would someone like that obey any summons? She shook her head. “Moreover, we can’t leave right now.” Her eyes on Shin-ui’s back grew cold. “Assassins might be waiting outside the Huashan sect. Until we uncover the culprit, we must stay put.” Lord Sohee bit her lip. Her departure from Qinghaeseong had been a top secret. Yet within days, it had been discovered. ‘...The culprit is someone close.’ She paused, knowing that suspicion was dangerous. Each was a confidant of the imperial family. Misplace her trust, and it would be a disaster. ‘Don’t doubt.’ She shook her head. Probing deeply could prove perilous. ‘I just need to do my job.’ Her plan was simple. Get close to Shin-ui so that when the culprit was revealed, leaving would be possible. ‘If I can persuade the sage, Cheon-hwi, who interests Shin-ui, there’s a high chance.’ Currently, the only means of involving Shin-ui was Cheon-hwi. ‘But how do I get close?’ Lord Sohee’s brow furrowed. She had visited Cheon-hwi multiple times. However, all she received in return were indifferent reactions and scarce attention. “Is there a way to get closer?” she muttered under her breath, her head lowered. Suddenly, Shin-ui came to an abrupt halt. “Elder, what’s the matter?” Lord Sohee, having stopped, glanced ahead and halted. “What is this...?” It was chaos. Thick smoke hung over the area around the pot, and nearby were two haggard figures. “Please, no more...” “It feels like I’m dying.” Seollan, who was stirring the pot, and Jeokgeom, who was desperately tending to the fire, were looking up at Cheon-hwi, begging him for mercy. “You won't die from just this.” Cheon-hwi replied coldly. “They’re here.” He turned his head slightly, his gaze landing on Shin-ui and Lord Sohee’s group. The same vacant eyes. Yet, the sight before her sent chills down Lord Sohee’s spine. Shin-ui frowned heavily as he hurried over. He approached Jeokgeom and Seollan, examining their condition. “Are you alright?” Recognizing Shin-ui, tears welled up in Jeokgeom and Seollan’s eyes. “Elder...” “Elder Shin-ui.” Their hoarse voices deepened Shin-ui’s frown as he looked towards Cheon-hwi. “What are you doing?” “Making an elixir.” “An elixir...?” Shin-ui’s eyebrows rose in anger. “With these kids?” “Yes.” “The children are poisoned.” Shin-ui’s voice was tense. “That’s right.” Contrasting Shin-ui’s tone, Cheon-hwi remained indifferent. He jumped down from the rock and approached the pot, tasting the orange liquid that had formed inside. “It’s better than before.” Then, with movements close to magic, he swiftly sculpted the liquid into a small pill and divided it in half. “Here.” As Jeokgeom and Seollan were about to take the proffered pill with resigned expressions. “Stop.” Shin-ui intervened, preventing them from consuming the pill. Intercepting it, he asked. “Were you going to feed them this?” Cheon-hwi frowned. What’s the deal? We’re already short on time. Eager to create the elixir swiftly, he found Shin-ui’s interference irksome. “Yes.” “Why are you giving them a poison pill?” “It’s an elixir.” “How can this be an elixir... huh?” Shin-ui examined the pill, surprised. From an elixir filled with apparent poison, somewhat inexplicably, a positive energy was emanating. “Why is there positive energy in a poison pill?” “What poison pill?” Cheon-hwi’s eyes narrowed. “I told you, it’s an elixir.”