Chapter 14
Tang Ha-ryeong did not back down so easily.
She wasn’t naive enough to believe the words of someone who suddenly appeared.
At this, the middle-aged man gave off a faint hint of killing intent.
“Believe me or don’t — that’s your choice.”
Tang Ha-ryeong’s knees trembled against her will.
“Move aside.”
“But—”
“I don’t repeat myself.”
The mere fact that he was speaking with her this much was, for him, a considerable show of kindness.
The man clicked his tongue.
Under normal circumstances, he would have ignored her completely or simply shut her up.
‘But, seeing that expression, I suppose…’
A face that looked as if she might burst into tears at any moment.
He didn’t dislike people who could shed tears for others.
He had no intention of treating her harshly.
But if she continued to annoy him, he wouldn’t tolerate it.
“Will you keep blocking my way?”
Realizing she couldn’t stop him any longer, Tang Ha-ryeong took a step back.
The man leaped into the air.
Lee seon’s condition looked critical at a glance.
However, the man merely snorted.
If he were the type to die from something like this, he wouldn’t have taken him in.
“Hmm?”
The man sensed a presence following him from behind.
The speed was hardly enough to be called “following,” but the direction was accurate.
He looked at Lee seon’s pale face.
“So, you even showed her where we live.”
It seemed she already knew about the residence.
Ordinarily, a formation designed to mislead would have been set up in all directions.
Because of this, those unaware of the formation would merely circle the area without ever reaching the residence.
This was why, even though people had come to Hyeokmun Mountain, there were no rumours about anyone living here.
“Tsk.”
But now that she had identified the centre of the formation as the residence.
To her, the formation no longer held any significance.
It seemed he would have to greet a visitor.
***
When Tang Ha-ryeong finally found the residence, the middle-aged man was sipping tea.
She leaned against a tree, sweating.
“Where is he?”
The man looked at her with interest.
“He’s still breathing.”
“May I see him?”
“No.”
At his firm refusal, Tang Ha-ryeong bit her lip.
“Is he still alive?”
“He’s on the edge.”
Tang Ha-ryeong recognized the familiar scent from the blood Lee seonhad coughed up.
Though she couldn’t identify the exact poison, he was clearly poisoned.
Wi Yu-gi had been a formidable opponent, but he hadn’t used any poison.
So, it was clear that Yi-seon had taken the poison himself.
Just as she had once done, he must have consumed poison to forcibly enhance his internal power.
It wasn’t a simple condition to treat.
Given her knowledge of medicine, she knew this was a dangerous situation that couldn’t be handled lightly.
“For someone who used poison to forcibly open his upper dantian, he’s doing well.”
“…Pardon?”
Tang Ha-ryeong’s eyes widened in shock at the unexpected answer.
Just as she knew, taking poison was always a last resort.
It was precisely because she knew this that she was so anxious.
But his response was far beyond anything she had imagined, leaving her stunned.
Using poison to forcibly open the upper dantian?
He was lucky to have survived such a dangerous act.
“Didn’t you say you treated him?”
“I said I kept him alive.”
That was what he meant.
‘He’s already neutralized the poison and stabilized his condition?’
Could something like that even be possible?
Unless he had reached divine levels of medical skill, it should have been impossible.
…Could it be?
Tang Ha-ryeong examined the man’s appearance closely.
Eyes that seemed to pierce right through a person.
An almost overwhelming confidence in himself, bordering on arrogance.
Now that she thought about it, Lee seon had shown a familiarity with handling poisons.
He had even treated her poisoning with impressive medical skill.
Furthermore, the man’s extraordinary techniques and martial prowess were beyond comprehension.
When she put all these pieces together.
Only one person in the entire Murim came to mind.
Tang Ha-ryeong respectfully bowed.
“I Greet the Divine Doctor.”
The man took a casual sip of his tea.
“The Divine Doctor, huh. What led that small mind of yours to such a conclusion?”
Tang Ha-ryeong responded confidently.
“A hunch.”
The man’s eyebrow twitched slightly.
He didn’t deny it.
“You sure a good sense.”
The Divine Doctor, Lee Jeong-gwang, nodded.
“So, he’s your disciple?”
At last, Tang Ha-ryeong’s questions began to clear up.
If Lee seon was a disciple of the Divine Doctor, it explained all his actions so far.
“He’s not exactly a disciple; I took him in to have some company in my old age.”
It wasn’t a formal discipleship.
“I cared for the boy, yet seeing him this injured feels like a knife to my heart.”
He spoke bluntly, his expression unchanged.
Those words pierced Tang Ha-ryeong’s heart.
“What nerve you must have to return here, knowing you’re likely responsible for how he ended up like this.”
“…”
The middle-aged man clicked his tongue as he looked at her, unable to speak.
“You don’t resemble your father at all, but you certainly have his stubbornness.”
Tang Ha-ryeong looked at him in shock.
Had the Divine Doctor ever had a connection to the Tang Clan?
At the same time, she was surprised he had recognized her as a member of the Tang Clan.
Tang Ha-ryeong clasped her hands together and bowed respectfully.
“Allow me to introduce myself formally. I am Tang Ha-ryeong of the Sichuan Tang Clan.”
The middle-aged man waved dismissively.
“You look as if you’re wondering how I figured it out.”
“That’s correct.”
Currently, Tang Ha-ryeong appeared to be nothing more than a beautiful woman.
She wore nothing that would identify her as a member of the Tang Clan.
It was incredible that he had recognized her true identity.
“Your name is being whispered in every corner of the Murim.”
“Pardon?”
“I don’t know the details, but rumours are spreading that you died somewhere nearby. The Sichuan Tang Clan has refused to comment. Since you, the subject of these rumours, haven’t shown yourself, the rumours are spreading out of control. So, meeting a woman here who isn’t the Poison Peak would have been the real surprise.”
Lee Jeong-gwang took another long sip from his teacup.
Tang Ha-ryeong’s eyes shook violently.
She never imagined such rumours were circulating in the Murim.
Given that she truly had been on the verge of death, it wasn’t surprising that such rumours had spread.
She knew she had to return to her family.
If she didn’t show herself, the issue wouldn’t be resolved.
Leaving immediately was the natural choice.
Yet, her steps remained firmly planted.
Her gaze was fixed on the tightly closed door before her.
“There’s nothing you can do here.”
This was no ordinary person—he was the Divine Doctor.
Even if no one else could save him, this man’s title alone inspired trust that he could.
The healer recognized as reaching divine levels of skill in medicine within the Murim was none other than Lee Jeong-gwang.
“Worry about your family instead. I don’t care for those pompous so-called ‘righteous’ sects, but I don’t want to see you entangled in their scheming.”
With a sombre expression, Tang Ha-ryeong bowed deeply.
“Thank you for the guidance.”
The Divine Doctor had pointed out the truth precisely.
As a member of the Tang Clan, she bore a responsibility to end this confusion swiftly.
Yet the weight on her heart felt impossibly heavy.
Lee Seon had consumed poison to help her, leaving him at death’s door—how could she just leave?
If only she could stay until he opened his eyes, at least.
But now that she had been effectively dismissed, she couldn’t remain here against his wishes.
“I’ll take my leave then. But before I go…”
She took out a token from her inner pocket.
“If he regains consciousness, could you please give this to him?”
On the surface, it didn’t look like an expensive item.
It was just a simple metal token.
But anyone with a discerning eye would recognize its value.
It was crafted by one of the master artisans within the Sichuan Tang Clan.
However, the token wasn’t merely decorative.
The emblem of the Tang Clan was engraved on it.
Tang Ha-ryeong was leaving it as a token of gratitude for saving her life.
Lee Jeong-gwang accepted the token.
“I’ll deliver it with your message.”
Her retreating figure looked as pitiful as a puppy in the rain.
Unable to watch any longer, Lee Jeong-gwang sighed.
“Wait.”
He retrieved a bundle and tossed it to her.
“Now, go.”
Though she didn’t know what it contained, it felt quite heavy.
Tang Ha-ryeong bowed her head and began to descend the mountain slowly.
Inside the bundle were internal medicine, snacks for the journey, and a simple map of the surrounding area.
Now she understood from whom he had inherited that unusual temperament.
Tang Ha-ryeong glanced back in the direction of the residence.
‘I believe in you.’
More than even the Divine Doctor, she believed in Lee Seon.
The Lee Seon she knew would shake off this setback and rise again as if nothing had happened.
Even if he didn’t regain consciousness, it didn’t matter.
As long as he was alive, she would do whatever it took to save him.
The Tang Clan’s repository of medical knowledge was second to none.
Even if he didn’t come to her after resolving the Tang Clan’s affairs, it wouldn’t matter.
She would find him.
Even if he were in hell, she would drag him back by the scruff of his neck.
“Just wait a little longer.”
Tang Ha-ryeong’s determined eyes glistened.
***
The boy lay in the room as if dead.
His pale face and bluish lips made it look like he could die at any moment.
The middle-aged man sat beside him with a curious look.
“Stop pretending and get up.”
Lee Seon’s eyes shot open.
—
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