1207 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

A living corpse. I've heard those words before. In this life, when I first encountered the Immortal Healer at Mount Hua. It was the remark he made after feeling my pulse. An expression denoting someone close to death. He questioned what a person on the verge of death was doing there. I never expected to hear it again. In many ways, it feels like déjà vu. "A living corpse, you say?" Paejon's face twisted in curiosity as he asked the Immortal Healer for clarification. "What do you mean by that?" "What do I mean? I'm telling it like it is. This guy is a living corpse. It's a wonder he's able to walk around." "...Oh." He couldn't help but be impressed. The words were strikingly similar to what he had heard back then. Just like before, after feeling my pulse, he had said it was remarkable that I was even walking around. If not for that— "Or should I say someone who could fall apart any moment?" Right, those were his exact words back then. "Explain in detail." "What is there to explain? You already know it, don't you? It's surprising you took him as a disciple despite knowing all this. You're far better at discerning physical conditions than I am, aren't you?" "..." "In terms of physical attributes, it's astonishing. How can a human body be so intricately built...? It's a strangely perfect physique." Strange and bizarre—those words fit perfectly. This body, which had shattered its shell once, surpasses mere transformation. It's a body that, if compared to a human, surpasses all others, not anything less. It's no wonder the Immortal Healer described it in such a fashion. However. "But the vessel is peculiar. It's...” "Enough." Paejon interrupted the Immortal Healer. "We'll discuss the rest elsewhere." The Immortal Healer squinted his eyes. "Going? Where to?" "Where else, to the house. We can't stay outside indefinitely." "So, where is this house, exactly?" "....." "Answer me, you insufferable brat." A growl laced his voice. The reaction seemed a bit unusual. "The only reason I made the effort to come to Shanxi was because I found your conditions interesting." Conditions. His ears perked up at that word. "The only reason I chose to endure this uncomfortable space is solely because of that. Just to clarify. You're not intending to head to the Gu Clan, are you?" "....." "Answer me. Bijuu. Am I correct?" The Gu Clan. That word made the Immortal Healer react sharply. Paejon responded with an awkward smile. "Doesn't it seem odd to leave without accomplishing anything after coming all this way?" "...!" Upon hearing that, the Immortal Healer turned away. He stomped off. "Hey! Where are you going?" "I'm leaving. There's no point in continuing this conversation." "Are you sure about this?" Paejon called out to the Immortal Healer who was walking away. Even after hearing that, the Immortal Healer ignored him and continued marching on. ... Paejon remained silently still. Halt. "..." The Immortal Healer's footsteps abruptly stopped. It seemed like he used some form of silent communication, which caught the Immortal Healer off guard. The Immortal Healer turned to face Paejon again. "You wretched fool..." His face was filled with anger. Yet. "So... are you going to do it or not?" "..." Paejon questioned with a smile. Grit. It didn't take long for the Immortal Healer to grind his teeth before making his way back toward them. "...There will be no second chances. Keep that in mind." "Of course, naturally." The conversation appeared to proceed smoothly. "Let's go," Paejon said, looking at us. I stole a brief glance at the Immortal Healer. But his expression warned me not to stare for too long. "...Yes." And thus, we set out back to the Gu Clan. * * * Returning to the Gu Clan was not the end of it. Naturally, handling Do Cheol presented a complication. Regarding Do Cheol, my father had a discussion with Gu Seongyeol. They agreed to imprison him for the moment. Once he awoke, they'd interrogate or do whatever else was necessary. For now, they kept his energy points sealed and confined him. I'd need to provide testimony regarding this at some point, but that wouldn't happen immediately. It would be dealt with alongside the interrogation tomorrow. This was at Paejon's request. As he had something to verify with me first, he asked for it to be postponed until tomorrow. Gu Seongyeol consented to this request. What was remarkable in this event was— '...It's Do Yoon.' Do Yoon. Do Cheol's son and the presumptive heir of the Do family approached Gu Seongyeol himself, requesting to be imprisoned as well. Given he was a bloodline of the Do family and considering the circumstances, they would have likely captured and confined him anyway. 'I didn't expect him to come forward.' I didn’t anticipate Do Yoon would volunteer himself in this situation. Though he was already in the Gu Clan, still... When Do Yoon learned about Do Cheol's capture, he appeared before Gu Seongyeol in panic and asked to be confined. Thus, both the head and the heir of the Do family ended up in the Gu Clan's prison. "...Hmm." Do Cheol's words echoed in my mind. The curse of the Gu Clan. He alleged that the Gu Clan had made them this way. '...But it turned out to be linked to the Blood Demon after all.' Though it seemed like the work of the Blood Demon— 'Can the Gu Clan really be uninvolved?' Asserting that the Gu Clan had done nothing to the Do family is uncertain. Trust in the Gu Clan wasn't particularly strong, so it was further fueled. 'I’m curious how Grandfather plans to respond.' Gu Seongyeol's reaction is critical. What does he know about the Do family? Having not been back long enough, I couldn't make any concrete judgments. Furthermore, it wasn’t the time to focus on that right now. "Extend your hand." "Ah, yes." At the Immortal Healer's request, I extended my hand again. We were currently within the chambers the Gu Clan provided for the Immortal Healer. Upon his arrival at the Gu Clan, the clan swiftly offered him guest accommodations, as if they'd been expecting him. 'Did Paejon already put in a word?' He might have. Otherwise, everything wouldn't have proceeded so seamlessly. The Immortal Healer, sporting a perpetually disgruntled face, felt my pulse. Unlike before, he concentrated deeply while examining. "...It's the same every time, no matter how many times I check." He shook his head while speaking. "This guy's vessel is abnormal." "The vessel?" Paejon, seated nearby, inquired. "What do you mean by the vessel?" "There should be energy, but it's completely absent." "Is that a problem?" "You're asking the obvious." The Immortal Healer responded to Paejon with a hint of disbelief. "Do you know why cultivation deviation happens?" "Because the flow of energy becomes erratic." "Precisely. Cultivation deviation occurs when the excessive use of energy or damage to the dantian disrupts the energy channels. Here's the amusing part: this doesn't happen to third-rate or second-rate martial artists. Why do you think that is?" "Because they have less energy?" "That's half correct." The Immortal Healer took a breath before continuing his explanation. "To be precise, it's because their physical body and energy aren't integrated. Internal energy starts to seep into the physique at the first-rate level. And it fully merges at the peak level. But still, for first-rate, the energy begins to blend with the body." The Immortal Healer explained further, highlighting how the beginning of true mastery starts, as energy starts to infuse with the body, making a martial artist far more potent than an ordinary person. "In this process, martial artists gain tremendous strength. Yet, it's a double-edged sword." "A double-edged sword, you say...?" I asked cautiously, and the Immortal Healer clicked his tongue before explaining. "Once energy sinks into the body, it fixes it like a nail. But if that energy vanishes, the once-stabilized body loses cohesion, and the energy pathways become unraveled." "...Pardon?" Seeing my confusion, the Immortal Healer simplified it further. "It's like having sturdy legs thanks to internal energy, but once that energy vanishes, those legs collapse. And by legs, I mean the physical body." "Oh." "This is commonly referred to as cultivation deviation, but... it's because your body is peculiar." Typically, during cultivation deviation, one's energy pathways are so disrupted that they can no longer move. "But you can walk normally and breathe easily. A body that should have already collapsed is somehow intact. What else could I call you but a living corpse?" "...Haha." If such a significant amount of energy disappeared at once, normally the body should have failed. '...Hmm.' Why is this the case? Could it be because I've transcended human limits? At least, that's my speculation. 'I can't explain this.' I couldn't very well explain it to the Immortal Healer. "So, we've identified the problem. What's the solution?" "What solution? There's no clear solution." The Immortal Healer spoke irritably towards Paejon. "You've lost your energy, so you'll need to replenish it. However, I can't predict what issues might arise if you infuse energy now." "What kind of irresponsible statement is that?" "Your irresponsible actions led us here." "Ugh..." Paejon massaged his temples in frustration. "If you don't have a solution, that puts us in a tough spot." "It's unreasonable to expect to remain in this state indefinitely. As far as I know, there's no immediate fix." The Immortal Healer released my wrist. "For now, hope for a miracle. That's all there is. And..." His eyes focused sharply. "You must give me what you owe." "Don't worry about it." With a swift motion, the Immortal Healer gestured for me to leave. "Disciple, leave us. There's something I need to discuss with this fellow." "...Ah, yes." I rose promptly, casting a quick glance at the Immortal Healer. "What are you looking at?" "Nothing." It was impressive to see the youthful mien of the Immortal Healer. Yet, I was curious about what he was after at this moment. 'What could it be?' The fact that he had been lured by Paejon deeply intrigued me. Squeak. Leaving all that behind, I opened the door and stepped out, deciding to head back. "You've come out." "...!" I was immediately greeted by a pair of fiery red eyes. My father stood waiting. Why was he here? The reason was obvious. "Is it my turn now?" "......" "Speak, Baek Yangcheon." He sought to learn the secret that had once summoned my father. "What is that secret?" It was clear that this was his purpose. TN: Novel is on hiatus till May 12th.