At Palgap’s words, I stepped outside and saw four people dressed in deep blue robes.
Embroidered on the hems of their robes were the characters for Thorn Gate (荊門).
They were from the Thorn Gate Sect.
The Thorn Gate Sect was a Daoist-affiliated sect that leaned closer to the secular world.
However, it wasn’t a prestigious sect like those in the Nine Great Sects.
Their swordsmanship wasn’t anything like peerless sword arts or exceptional internal techniques.
But there was one thing they possessed that no one else could rival—their sword formation.
The Sword Gate Formation, modeled after the terrain of Mount Thorn Gate with its opening and closing gates, was so formidable that even the Namgoong Clan acknowledged it.
As I approached, they tilted their heads slightly upon seeing me, then soon smiled and walked over.
“By chance… are you the Handsome Young Hero?”
Hearing that embarrassing title, like someone smearing gold all over my face, made me sigh involuntarily.
I couldn’t exactly confirm it myself…
Palgap quickly stepped forward.
“Yes, this is the Handsome Young Hero.”
“Oh! I knew it!”
“Pleased to meet you.”
Chak!
They cupped their fists with impeccable form.
“We’re disciples of the Thorn Gate Sect.”
“I’m Eun Seo-ho, Chief of the Virtuous Wind Department of the Eunhae Merchant Group.”
“In truth, we came here after hearing that the Ragged Sage Physician is present.”
“Why are you looking for the Ragged Sage Physician?”
“That is…”
The eldest-looking disciple answered.
“There’s a plague spreading within our sect.”
Huh?
What are they talking about?
A plague in a martial sect?
From what I know, once martial artists reach a certain level, they don’t easily succumb to plagues.
That’s why the two escort guards and I are fine.
Well… Palgap is basically a bear, so he doesn’t count.
Some of the employees who came in with me did catch the plague.
But they quickly recovered thanks to the medicine made from the Snowmist Grass I brought.
Could it be that the infected disciples are simply low in rank?
I asked them,
“If you don’t mind… could you tell me what level those infected are?”
“It’s hard to explain in detail, but… this plague doesn’t seem to care about cultivation level.”
‘What?’
Regardless, what mattered now was introducing them to the Ragged Sage Physician.
“Follow me.”
A short while later.
After finishing his patient rounds, the Ragged Sage Physician sat down with the Thorn Gate Sect disciples.
Most of the conversation was a medical consultation about the patients’ symptoms.
“This is… peculiar.”
“What do you mean?”
“From what you describe, the symptoms match the plague spreading here.”
“Seems you’re concerned that even martial masters are falling ill.”
“Exactly. You’re right.”
The Ragged Sage Physician thought for a moment, then made his decision.
“I’ll have to see it with my own eyes.”
Then he glanced at me with a smirk.
“Judging by your face, you’re itching to come along.”
“Ah… I’ve been found out.”
I shamelessly admitted it, and the Ragged Sage Physician said,
“Fine. You can come. But only you.”
“Just me?”
“Anyone else might catch the plague and be at risk.”
At that, Palgap immediately protested.
“Then wouldn’t Young Master be in danger too?”
“Your Young Master will be fine.”
“Huh?”
“Stop asking annoying questions. He’s got… something.”
“…”
And like that, the Ragged Sage Physician and I set off for Mount Thorn Gate, where the sect was located.
.
.
.
I glanced back.
A sheer cliff stretched behind me.
We were walking along a mountain path so narrow that it required carrying everything by hand.
‘Ugh… this is exhausting.’
“Getting tired?”
“N-no, sir.”
I couldn’t bring myself to admit it.
Especially since the Ragged Sage Physician was walking the same steep path with a mountain of supplies on his back.
“You’ve got good stamina. I feel like I’m about to die here.”
“…”
“Ah… youth is a wonderful thing. Hahaha!”
Maybe I should’ve just said I was tired.
Half of the Thorn Gate Sect disciples were ahead of us, the other half following behind.
With a good distance between us, it was the perfect time to ask something that had been bothering me.
“Elder… there’s something I’m curious about.”
“What is it?”
“Why did you say I’d be fine?”
The Ragged Sage Physician glanced back at me and answered.
“Black dragons are resistant to disease.”
“…!”
He worded it vaguely… but it was clear.
He had figured out my constitution—the Black Dragon Star Body.
“But the escort guards who were with me, and Palgap, didn’t catch the plague either.”
“That’s probably thanks to that little one in your sleeve.”
“You mean… Geumryeong?”
“I could feel its Qi. I suspect its presence protected them.”
“Then… couldn’t they have come with us too?”
“I don’t speak when I’m not certain.”
From that, I understood.
He didn’t allow them to come because he was concerned about them.
I had no complaints about that.
In fact… I was grateful.
“By the way… how does it feel?”
“What do you mean?”
“Being called Handsome Young Hero. I’ve been spreading your praises wherever I went.”
So it was you… You’re the one behind that nickname.
“Fame might be troublesome, but it’s useful. It lets you do things money can’t.”
Well… that wasn’t wrong.
Having a title meant that my reputation had spread.
And in my past life, I learned firsthand how foolish it was to think money could solve everything.
There are things money simply can’t fix.
And what fixes those things… is reputation.
That’s why, even if it embarrassed me, I didn’t outright reject it.
I’d use it when the time came.
Still… the Thorn Gate Sect…
There’s a reason I said their sword formation ‘was’ incredible, not ‘is.’
In my past life, the Thorn Gate Sect vanished without a trace.
After that, local Forest bandits took over, extorting tolls from anyone passing through.
Even the Eunhae Merchant Group got robbed heavily back then.
Why such a famous sect in this region disappeared… I never figured it out.
After walking for half a day, one of the disciples said,
“We’ve arrived.”
“Arrived…? Really?”
“Yes. See that rock up ahead?”
A massive rock stood ahead, looking almost like a gate.
A staircase led upward between the gap.
“Go past that rock, and you’ll be there.”
With renewed hope, I quickened my steps.
The moment I passed the rock… a building appeared right beside it.
“But… you’re truly impressive.”
I turned my head at those words.
One of the disciples was looking at me as he said it.
“Me?”
“Yes.”
He nodded.
“To be honest, the road from the village to our sect is so rough and long… This is the first time anyone’s made it in just half a day.”
“Hahaha, is that so?”
“Normally, it takes a full day.”
“…”
I glanced at the Ragged Sage Physician.
The only reason I hurried was because he hurried first.
He looked back at me like, ‘What? Why?’
I smiled and answered.
“I just couldn’t bring myself to slow down when I thought about those suffering from illness in your sect.”
“Oh! Truly fitting of the Handsome Young Hero!”
“Thank you so much.”
Hearing that, they looked at me with expressions full of gratitude.
And like that, we finally arrived at the Thorn Gate Sect.
But then—
“Uugh… S-Senior Brother… you’re here…?”
“Senior Brother…”
“I… I’ll go announce your arrival…”
The disciples of the Thorn Gate Sect looked half-dead.
I turned to the disciple who’d guided us.
“Looks like the plague worsened while we were away.”
We headed toward the Sect Leader.
I’d already heard that not only the Sect Leader but also the Guardians and the Gatekeepers were bedridden.
Soon, we entered the building where the Sect Leader was staying.
“Sect Leader, we’ve brought the Ragged Sage Physician and the Handsome Young Hero, Lord Eun Seo-ho.”
“Ugh… Thank you… for coming…”
“You seem very unwell.”
I commented, and the Sect Leader forced a smile.
“Forgive me… for showing you… such a sight…”
“Not at all.”
The Ragged Sage Physician, who’d been watching silently, stepped forward.
“Then allow me to check your pulse.”
“Please, go ahead.”
He examined various points on the Sect Leader’s body and checked his pulse.
Then he nodded.
“It is the plague. With a few days of medicine and rest, you’ll recover.”
“Thank you…”
After treating the Sect Leader, the Ragged Sage Physician began examining everyone else.
I had work to do as well.
I started preparing porridge for everyone’s meals.
Thank goodness the Thorn Gate Sect wasn’t a Buddhist sect.
Otherwise, we’d have had to figure out another way to supply enough nutrition.
While I was busy cooking, the Ragged Sage Physician walked over.
“Smells good.”
“Shall I serve you a bowl?”
“I’m sick of porridge.”
“I thought you were hungry.”
“Just the smell. That’s all.”
Sighing, he sat down on a pile of firewood nearby.
But his expression… was strange.
“What’s wrong?”
“There’s a problem.”
“Huh?”
“Whether it’s fortunate or not, I originally thought this was the same plague as the one spreading in Yichang.”
‘Wait… is he saying…?’
“You mean… it’s not?”
“Correct.”
‘Not the plague…? Then what…?’
“But earlier… didn’t you tell the Sect Leader it was the plague?”
“I did. I said it was the plague. But I never said it was the one from Yichang.”
“…”
“This… this is bad. A plague that only affects martial artists…”
“Pardon?”
“The only ones who aren’t infected are the outer disciples who haven’t started formal training. They’re the weakest physically, yet they’re fine. What does that tell you?”
“Then…”
“Exactly. This disease only infects those who’ve trained in internal techniques.”
“Is… is that even possible?”
I’d never heard of such a thing.
Not even in my previous life.
This left only two possibilities.
Either this never happened in my previous life, or I never knew about it.
Come to think of it…
The Ragged Sage Physician disappeared in my past life too.
Back then, when I was searching everywhere for a physician who could cure my Black Dragon Star Body condition, I couldn’t find a trace of him.
And oddly enough… that disappearance happened right around the same time the Thorn Gate Sect vanished.
‘Could something have happened back then that I didn’t know about?’
The Ragged Sage Physician shook his head.
“This is a first for me too. In any case, this plague must end here. If it spreads elsewhere…”
“The martial world will be in chaos.”
“Exactly. I must figure out the cure quickly.”
Two days passed like that.
The Ragged Sage Physician was busy trying various treatments—herbs, acupuncture, anything.
“Hey… um.”
“Hm?”
I turned to the young disciple washing dishes beside me.
He said he was seven years old, right?
With his tiny hands, he was diligently scrubbing bowls.
“Do you think… Senior Brothers will get better?”
“You’re worried about them?”
“Yes.”
“You don’t have to worry. The Ragged Sage Physician’s incredibly skilled. That’s why people call him an Sage Physician.”
“You think so?”
“By the way, we haven’t introduced ourselves, have we? My name’s Eun Seo-ho. What’s yours?”
“My name’s Hong Jun.”
“Hong Jun? That’s a good name.”
“I was actually an orphan… but the Second Gatekeeper took me in as his disciple.”
The Thorn Gate Sect had a unique position called Gatekeeper.
It literally meant someone who guarded the gates.
But it wasn’t the same as a Guardian.
Guardians protected the sect itself, while Gatekeepers protected the sect’s future.
In other words, they scouted talented disciples and raised them.
A belief that disciples are the future of the sect… and I agreed with that.
“When I start formal training, my Master said he’ll give me a new name.”
“Bet you’re curious what it’ll be, huh?”
“Actually… I already know.”
“You do?”
“It’s a secret, but… one of my Senior Brothers told me.”
“Really?”
“Yeah… He said it’s Gusi (鳩屎).”
Gusi…?
That means… pigeon poop.
‘No way. How could anyone name their disciple pigeon poop?’
“That’s not it.”
“Huh?”
“Gusi means pigeon poop. Your Senior Brother was messing with you.”
“R-really?”
“Yeah. Just wait. You’ll get a much better name. If not… I’ll give you a good one myself.”
Hearing that, the kid, who’d been on the verge of tears, quickly broke into a grin.
‘That Senior Brother… seriously… of all the jokes…’
And then it hit me.
I… I remembered hearing the name Gusi before.
–TL Notes–
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