Ep490 - I Became a Drunkard in a Martial Arts Novel.

Holy Power. In its essence, this energy known as divine power is specialized in protection and healing. While in terms of offensive capabilities it might fall short compared to magical energy, or inner power, the mere fact that it can heal when inner power cannot gives it a clear reason for existence. Thus, in this otherworld, the reputation of priests who wield divine power soared even higher than that of powerful knights. It was only natural. Their strength restored peace to the sick and afflicted. For this reason, priests who served the gods are sometimes referred to as such: "The God's Proxy." Agents sent down by the gods themselves to heal the sick and suffering. It wasn't entirely incorrect. Though not sent directly by the gods, these priests chose arduous paths to inspect every corner where the sight of the gods didn't reach. However. "It's… not healing, not with divine power." An unhealable wound by divine power had appeared. It wasn't unheard of. There are times when a wound is too deep to be healed if it exceeds the amount of divine power a priest possesses. However, the issue here was that the priest in question was none other than Seol Sue-yeon. "The Saintess." A blessed woman born with the grace of the gods. The amount of divine power she possessed at birth surpassed that of priests who had devoted decades to the gods, and it was pure. Furthermore, the divine power she accumulated in service to the gods elevated her strength to a level comparable to that of a hero. In terms of healing, she was nearly a match for any hero, which is what made her the Saintess. "But of course, she is no longer the Saintess now." Reincarnated into a new world, she lost her title as the Saintess. In this place where the existence of gods is faint, unlike the diverse deities of the otherworld, it was only to be expected. Yet, the knowledge and experience of her past life did not vanish. There was only one thing capable of nullifying her divine power. "It must be using magical energy… tainting the wound with inner energy." The marks upon the bodies of masters typically came from inner power. And this inner power naturally dissipates shortly after a wound is inflicted. However, using a certain special method, it can be made to linger on the wound site. Baek Woo-jin carefully traced the wound on Joo-woon’s body with his hand imbued with inner energy. He could distinctly feel the malice-filled inner energy along the cleanly sliced edge of the wound. "It's definite." This was not merely a slash to the chest. The beast had dispersed its inner energy into minuscule fragments when it cut Joo-woon's chest, preventing Seol Sue-yeon's divine power from easily healing him. "An attempt at a two-for-one strike, is it?" The plan was to barely keep him alive long enough to implicate me, and eventually, even Joo-woon, who had once clashed swords, would end up dead. But why attempt to kill Joo-woon? "Simply because he is the head of the Huashan Sect?" Removing the head of the Huashan Sect, one of the Nine Great Schools, would clearly benefit their plan significantly. But it seemed that wasn't the entirety of the reason. There must be a specific reason he should die without regaining consciousness. The most likely reason is that they feared him facing them with a clear mind. "There must be a reason they can't face him." Perhaps they knew that while their disguise seemed flawless at a glance, it had a critical flaw. If Joo-woon, fully conscious, recognized this and retracted his accusations... The rage would be directed wholly at the true beast and those behind him. "Exactly." From their perspective, Joo-woon absolutely had to die. And I must ensure Joo-woon's survival. “The problem is that saving him as he is now is incredibly difficult….” Thanks to abundant high-quality medicinal ingredients applied to the wound, its deterioration is barely being prevented, but it's only a temporary solution. The wound, still unhealed, would begin to fester, worsening rapidly in two to three days. When that happens, not even Seol Sue-yeon can manage it. While she may save a wounded person, it doesn't mean she can save one on the brink of death with her divine power alone. "What to do..." The problem lies with the fragments of inner energy scattered throughout the wound. The method to remove them is straightforward. You must extract each inner energy fragment from the wound one by one. The issue, however, is that even if it takes a day or two to finish, it’s an impossible task. And. "It's hard to hold on beyond four days in this condition." Despite efforts to keep him breathing, three to four days are the utmost limit. Removing all shards of magical energy within that time is no easy feat, nor is the process itself simple. Due to the need for meticulous handling of the inner energy, he must focus solely on the wound day and night for three days. But if that is what the opponent is targeting? “Being caught off guard while exposed would mean death for even me." Of course, having the Blood Sorceress or other members accompanying me would significantly reduce such risks. ‘But nothing is foolproof.’ I have no doubts about their abilities. However, the problem was not knowing the full extent of the enemy's skill. If the beast has reached the level of a revered master, even the Blood Sorceress couldn't perfectly defend against it. It's always more challenging to protect someone than to attack. ‘What to do?’ A situation where I can't go left or right. Yet, I had to choose something. If things continued this way, clearing my name would become an ever-distant goal. After much deliberation, Baek Woo-jin finally thought of a pretty decent strategy. Stepping out momentarily from his chamber, he murmured softly under the cover of the dense shadows. "Miss Song." With that, she emerged from the shadows cast at Baek Woo-jin's feet. “Yes, young master… I mean, Sir.” “...” It's clear she still considers me her master in her heart. The fact that even after all this time she finds it difficult to call me ‘young master’ only proves it. And that could serve as a rewarding incentive in this situation. “There’s something I need you to help with, Miss Song.” “Just give the order.” “Uh… if you do this task well, you can call me master instead of young master.” A hint of delight briefly flickered across her usually stoic face. “Is that really true?" “…Yes.” He found it amusing as he said it. To think that allowing her to use the term ‘master’ would be the reward he offered. “I'll get it done. Absolutely.” Watching her resolute determination, Baek Woo-jin thought. He should prepare some more tangible reward to genuinely please her. Smirking bitterly, he leaned to her ear and whispered. “Here’s what you need to do…” Whisper, whisper. As Baek Woo-jin continued to speak, her eyes widened and narrowed in turn. --- Anxiety. This uneasy emotion is one of the hardest for humans to conquer. And it was no different for Geum Yeo-ul, who was trapped alone in the dungeon. ‘If it’s Baek Woo-jin, he can do it.’ She had full faith in him. He would surely capture the true beast, clear his name, and rescue her from here. But her surroundings were the problem, despite her firm belief. Firstly, the dark, damp underground cell. ‘Uncomfortable…’ Though she had gotten used to sleeping in rough terrains after managing a trading company recently, resting in this subterranean cell was still difficult for her. While it was somewhat reassuring to have a roof over her head, the oppressive air lingering in this place constantly disturbed her. And that wasn't the only issue. “Good morning.” The individual who brought her meals daily was also troubling. To mask her true feelings, she responded with the brightest smile she could muster. “Hello, Elder.” Indeed. The man bringing meals for Geum Yeo-ul was none other than Tak Il-woo. An elder of the Huashan Sect, a key figure next to the sect leader, carrying meals. The mere thought that he had ulterior motives was hard to shake off. “I apologize for keeping you confined here.” “It’s alright. It was my choice.” “Heh heh…, quite a courageous woman you are.” He chuckled heartily and handed her the meal. “Is there anything making you uncomfortable?” “No, I’m fine.” There were plenty of discomforts. But those were issues that couldn’t be resolved without changing her location. Although his duty was done, he lingered, continuing to talk about various matters. “I hear Young Master Baek remains in the sect leader's quarters. They say he’s tending to the sect leader, verifying if he’s truly the beast… Two days have passed without improvement, making one suspect he might be stalling for time.” At his implication of mistrust towards Baek Woo-jin, she responded sharply. “My lord would never do such a thing.” “Hmmm…, I’d hope so too. However, we must consider the worst-case scenario, don’t you think?” “What do you mean by worst-case scenario?” As she subtly inquired back, Tak Il-woo, showing a friendly smile, continued. “Young Master Baek surely stands as one of the current martial world's pillars. We cannot deny that.” “Yes, that is true.” "But how can we afford a rift between such a person and our righteous sect which upholds the martial arts?" “That is…” Certainly, it wasn’t a favorable situation. Especially with the looming battle against the demonic cult drawing nearer. "Day by day, the disciples of the Huashan Sect are growing increasingly hostile towards Young Master Baek. If this goes on for a few more days, it's hard to predict what might unfold… even for an old man like me." "......" She knew it too. The perception of Baek Woo-jin among the Huashan Sect disciples was steadily worsening. Whenever disciples passed by, they were bound to hurl insults at him. The severity of these insults was escalating with each passing day. "Before the situation spirals out of control, it needs to be resolved at an appropriate juncture. Whether Young Master Baek captures the real beast… or admits to his own crimes and repents." Tak Il-woo's eyes gleamed sharply. Noticing the flicker of confusion in Geum Yeo-ul's eyes, he wasted no time to continue. "It's not too late even now. If Young Master Baek admits to his wrongdoing and shows remorse… I, as an elder, will take care of the rest." "What do you mean by taking care of it…?" In response to her question, Tak Il-woo hid his face with a benign smile. "I mean I'll work to resolve it within the sect to ensure his reputation doesn't suffer." How about it? Her eyes began to quiver intensely at his proposition. --- Author's Note I'll see you in the next chapter. Thank you for reading as always. Have a peaceful night. (_ _)