The Ruler of Darkness

Book 2: Chapter 21

The Medicine King.

A single sentence was enough to describe him.

The pinnacle of all medical practitioners.

He had come to visit Wongak Pavilion.

* * *

Life-Stealing Devil Sword whispered to Jung-ah.

“Is he really the one? The one who they say can even bring the dead back to life, as long as they can consume medicine and drink a potion?”

“Yes, as far as I know.”

Life-Stealing Devil Sword whispered again.

“The one who received the title of ‘Medicine King’ directly from the royal palace?”

“Yes.”

Life-Stealing Devil Sword shook his head.

“In my eyes, he merely looks like a senile old man lost in delusion.”

Where his gaze landed, an old man was energetically teasing triplets maids who were leading the way.

“Ahem, ahem. I, the Medicine King, am personally offering a diagnosis, and you’re rejecting it?”

“…If you touch my behind again, I will cut off that hand.”

“Oh my, this is serious, very serious. What about the woman walking in front? Are you experiencing any chest pain lately? I can cure it with just a simple touch, you know?”

Jung-ah turned around and smiled.

“My health is already under my master’s care, so you need not worry.”

The old man, his nose now reddening, jumped up in indignation.

“What? That guy is personally checking your large and seemingly soft chest? Have I ever seen anyone more outrageous and enviable?”

Jung-ah burst into laughter.

Life-Stealing Devil Sword sighed.

The elder might be skilled in medicine, but mentally, he was a troublesome old man.

* * *

The old man, who had been babbling nonsense for a while, suddenly stopped when the forest path ended.

Where the forest path ended, the paradise-like scenery of Wongak Pavilion began.

At that breathtaking view, anyone who stepped foot there couldn’t help but pause.

The triplet maids sneered internally at the Medicine King.

‘Hmph. How do you like the scenery of our Wongak Pavilion, old man?’

She herself had arrived just half a day before, yet she was acting high and mighty.

She looked up at the Medicine King to check his expression and then turned her head away.

“……”

In the eyes of the old man staring at the landscape, a profound regret and deep nostalgia were evident—emotions too deep for a young girl like her to fathom.

“Do you know?”

He said, rubbing his red-hot nose.

“This Wongak Pavilion was originally the dwelling of So-yoo.” 

Jung-ah sensed something amiss and asked, “By So-yoo, are you referring to the mother of Grand Young Master, ?”

The one who answered was Life-Stealing Devil Sword.

“Correct. I heard that the Grand young master was born here, and that is also why Wongak Pavilion remains his property.”

The Medicine King silently took steps forward.

Others quietly followed him.

In his eyes, there wasn’t a place untouched by the hands of the mother and child.

Every single pine tree, every flower, all started from their hands.

Everyone was curious about the relationship between the Medicine King, Grand young master, and his mother.

However, no one dared to speak up.

Though no one guided him, he walked ahead and arrived in front of Yeon So-Hyeon’s residence.

The old man momentarily surveyed every corner of the building.

At that emotionally-charged sight, everyone felt a pang of sadness, when suddenly,

The old man shouted loudly.

“Boy! Your master has come this far, isn’t it too stingy of you to not even step out and greet me?”

At that moment, one of the questions was answered.

He was indeed Yeon So-Hyeon’s master.

“What did you say?”

The door opened widely, and Yeon So-Hyeon, dressed as usual, appeared.

He spoke in a displeased tone.

“Who said you’re my master? All of my medical skills, I realized them myself.”

The question arose again.

The old man leaped in excitement.

“I taught your mother, didn’t you learn from her?! You must have also read and studied the medical books I’ve written!”

Though it was not known, Yak So-yoo, called the incarnation of Medicine Buddha, seemed to have been Medicine King’s disciple.

And Yeon So-Hyeon learned his medical arts from his mother.

While others were busy making conjectures, Yeon So-Hyeon snickered again.

“Don’t make me laugh. My mother never taught me medicine. As for your medical books, they were so subpar that I used them as toilet paper.”

Everyone listening became dizzy.

“Here we go again, you impudent boy!”

“Don’t you start again, you old geezer!”

Medicine King, his face flushed, yelled at Jung-ah.

“Bring all the alcohol we have right now! Today, I will show this insolent brat who his real master is!”

Yeon So-Hyeon scoffed coldly.

“I suppose you’ve come to drink the alcohol my mother prepared.”

“You penny-pinching brat! Are you too stingy to offer a drink to a master who has come to honor his precocious disciple?”

“It’s a waste even to offer a glass of water to an alcoholic like you.”

As Medicine King yelled and jumped around, and Grand young master, who would never be seen like this usually, Jung-ah laughed out loud.

“Truly, it’s a fitting relationship.”

At her words, the triplet maids and Life-Stealing Devil Sword looked at Jung-ah with strange eyes.

Ignoring their stares, Jung-ah gave an order to the triplets.

“Go and prepare a lavish alcohol setting with the others. I will take care of the alcohol. I have an idea where it is.”

-The triplet maids nodded and asked, “So how should we prepare the tea?”

Jung-ah shrugged her shoulders.

“The master will probably prepare the tea himself.”

“Really, do you think so…?”

The triplet maids looked toward the two people.

“What a lecherous old man.”

“This good-for-nothing guy?!”

Yeon So-Hyeon spoke coldly.

“Come in. It’s too cold to argue outside.”

“Fine! I’ve brought some good tea leaves, so let me offer you a taste out of pity!”

“Ha, you make me seem like a miser who won’t even serve tea to a guest!”

The triplet maids were dumbfounded as they watched the two happily go inside.

Jung-ah gave her a ‘See?’ look and left her seat.

“I can’t understand them at all.”

Muttering this, the triplets also left.

Left alone, Life-Stealing Devil Sword muttered,

“……me?”

* * *

Jung-ah poured alcohol into the empty cup of Medicine King and said, “So, you two are good rivals in the realm of medicine, right?”

The Medicine King gulped down his cup and suddenly got angry.

“What are you talking about?! I’ve diagnosed billions more than that guy! How could he even compare to me, Medicine King?!”

Yeon So-Hyeon chuckled and took a sip from the cup Jung-ah had poured.

“What’s important is to be accurate even if you diagnose once, do you think the number matters?”

“Ah, so the two of you complement each other’s weaknesses and bring out each other’s strengths!”

“No!”

“Absolutely not!”

The triplets, who were bringing new side dishes, secretly clicked their tongues at Jung-ah’s words.

‘No, how can they get along so well?’

Yeon So-Hyeon’s eyes sparkled as he provoked the Medicine King.

“If you’re so confident in your skills, then diagnose this child and determine her constitution!”

“Ha! If you thought I would be impressed by some rare constitution, then you are sorely mistaken, young man!”

Medicine King grabbed Jung-ah’s wrist and began taking her pulse.

“Oh, this is…”

He smacked his lips and nodded.

“Judging by the overall state of her blood vessels, it seems like she has a broken pulse. Hmm, it looks like she’s been treated once before.”

He continued nodding.

“This skill is surely that of an inadequate disciple of mine.”

“I am not your disciple.”

Indeed, Medicine King was Medicine King.

Jung-ah was impressed.

“But what is this…?”

The Medicine King’s eyes snapped open.

A strong skepticism filled his deep eyes.

“What are you, harboring a dragon within a human body?”

Just then, Yeon So-Hyeon quickly pulled Jung-ah towards him, into his embrace.

“Ha! Old man, I knew you wouldn’t know.”

The Medicine King leapt from his spot.

“What? This brat? Stealing a patient while taking the pulse, is there such a rule in the Central Plain’s world?!”

Holding Jung-ah, whose face was flushed red, Yeon So-Hyeon spoke to Medicine King.

“How about it? Don’t you want to fix this child’s pulse once?”

He wore a thick smile.

“Aren’t you curious what would happen to the dragon within her if her pulse is fixed?”

Medicine King trembled all over.

He was someone who could never overcome his curiosity.

“You… Fine, I admit defeat. Let me take her pulse again.”

Yeon So-Hyeon wore a villainous grin.

“If you wish to request that, fulfill one of my requests.”

“What?!”

Ignoring the old man’s reaction, Yeon So-Hyeon made his demand.

“Provide me with clues or whereabouts regarding my mother’s acquaintances.”

The old man exclaimed in frustration.

“You idiot! Don’t you know? They’re all in Medicine’s Gate!”

Yeon So-Hyeon shook his head.

“No. I’m not talking about those incredibly stupid fools.”

“……!”

For the first time, Yeon So-Hyeon’s face was serious.

“I mean my mother’s ‘real’ friends.”

The old man swallowed dryly.

“You… what are you planning?”

Yeon So-Hyeon chuckled.

“I’m tired of this life now. Plus, all the talk about being swordless and such has gotten to me.”

“Don’t joke around.”

The old man was stern.

“Even if someone tried to convince you, you who would always spout off about being like an old man, doing things through inaction, and talking endlessly day and night, you?”

Yeon So-Hyeon shrugged his shoulders.

“I’m not a fickle teenager anymore, am I? I want to live in a new way now.”

The old man put down the bowl he was holding.

“Stop the nonsense and speak properly. What exactly are you thinking?”

Yeon So-Hyeon also set down Jung-ah who he was holding.

“……I just want to take responsibility as well.”

The old man’s eyes deepened.

“Really?”

“Really.”

The old man hesitated for a long time before speaking.

“……You must know what kind of sacrifice your mother has made?”

Yeon So-Hyeon’s expression hardened.

He went to a corner of his room and brought out a bundle of documents.

“This will answer your question.”

The old man began to read the papers.

“A report on the newly emerged Heavenly Star of Calamity in the True North position……!”

The documents were a report sent to Yeon So-Hyeon by the astronomers of Heavenly Astronomical Tower, under whose supervision Yeon So-Hyeon was working.

The old man read the report with a disbelieving expression, reading it again and again.

“This is……!”

The old man opened his mouth several times but closed it again, repeating the action.

After closing his eyes and organizing his thoughts for a while, the old man nodded his head.

“Alright. I will tell you what I know about them.”

“Thank you for understanding.”

“But before that, I have a condition!”

The old man’s voice grew louder.

Yeon So-Hyeon’s eyebrows twitched.

“Go on.”

The old man looked at Yeon So-Hyeon and opened his mouth.

“First, I must take your pulse.”

As he spoke, not a trace of drunkenness could be felt on the old man’s face.

His deep eyes, filled with mysteriousness, were trembling.

“So-Hyeon-ah, what on Earth have you done to yourself?”

At that, Jung-ah, who was next to him, gulped her breath.