The heavenly secret that the Great Emperor Zhenwu revealed to me in my dream, as a reward, concerned the current whereabouts of the Black Flute Physician.
In this life, I had already cured the illness brought on by my Black Dragon Star Body, so I hadn’t been paying much attention to the Black Flute Physician’s location.
He was like the wind, after all.
The Great Emperor Zhenwu had told me this information, boasting that I would bow to him in gratitude later.
At the time, I had wondered, ‘What’s this about?’ But it wasn’t meaningless.
This was exactly the heavenly secret I needed most right now.
But why was this considered a heavenly secret rather than simple information?
And why did I only remember it now, after having forgotten it completely?
If I had remembered from the beginning, I would have sought out the Black Flute Physician in advance.
It was like when I only recalled the location where the Blood Cultist was sealed after seeing it firsthand. Once again, it seemed that because this was a heavenly secret, I was prevented from remembering it.
Honestly, even if my memory wasn’t as sharp as Clerk Heo Un’s, it was still quite good.
There had to be a reason for this.
But now wasn’t the time for such thoughts.
I immediately ran to Father.
.
.
.
Father granted me permission to leave.
I prepared to depart immediately and set off within one shichen.
Our destination was Yueyang in Hunan.
After riding at full speed for a long stretch, we took a brief rest. We were fine since we practiced martial arts, but the horses weren’t.
“Still, it’s a relief.”
Escort Guard Lee Pil wiped his sweat as he spoke.
“That our destination isn’t far.”
“True enough.”
Yueyang lay on the border between Hubei and Hunan, close enough to reach quickly.
If it had been farther away, this would have proven quite difficult.
It seemed the Great Emperor had told me the Black Flute Physician’s location precisely because he was the nearest.
We took a short break before setting off again.
This wasn’t a simple trading journey or leisurely trip, but an urgent situation.
And so, without sleeping, we rode and rode until we finally reached Yueyang.
We arrived at the inn where the Black Flute Physician was staying.
This was thanks to the Great Emperor Zhenwu telling me not just which city, but which specific inn in Yueyang the Black Flute Physician had chosen.
“Welcome!”
We entered the inn to the waiter’s cheerful greeting.
Then I spotted a middle-aged man eating on the first floor.
I smiled as I looked at him.
He appeared almost exactly the same as when I had met him in my previous life, when I had just turned twenty-three.
I was nineteen now, so I was meeting him about four years earlier than before.
I approached him, cupped my fist, and offered a greeting.
“What is it?”
“I have come seeking the Physician’s help.”
At my words, he studied me intently.
“You must have urgent patients.”
“That’s correct.”
“You’re all quite fortunate. I was planning to leave this town around noon today.”
That meant if we had arrived even slightly later, we would have missed the Black Flute Physician entirely and made this trip for nothing.
“By the way, have you had breakfast?”
At his question, I scratched the back of my ear.
“Not yet, we haven’t.”
We had rushed here, eating only one meal a day, and even that was just dumplings while on horseback.
“Where did you come from?”
“From Sunyang County, Hubei.”
“That’s not a place you can reach quickly. Still, let’s have breakfast before we leave.”
“We’re fine.”
“Tsk, tsk. You already look exhausted. I need to pack my things anyway, so eat something in the meantime.”
“Understood.”
While we ordered noodles that could be prepared quickly, the Black Flute Physician finished his meal and went upstairs to pack his belongings.
Honestly, the food didn’t go down easily, but as he said, I needed to replenish my energy, so I forced myself to swallow it.
It was then that something happened.
“Huh?”
I sensed something with my heightened awareness, and soon three men entered where we sat.
A much stronger sense of disgust washed over me than before.
‘Unorthodox Sect martial artists.’
The waiter cautiously approached and asked.
“W-what can I do for you?”
“Here, I heard there’s a Daoist of the Sea Black Sect here?”
“…”
“Is he not here?”
“Those bastards said he was here.”
“Well, it doesn’t matter if he doesn’t come out. We can just kill them all.”
Then the Unorthodox Sect martial artist in the center drew his sword.
‘What kind of lunatic is this?’
I muttered to myself and quickly drew my sword, blocking him from cutting down the waiter.
Clang!
At the same time, Escort Guard Seo Wu and Escort Guard Jin Yu, who had received my prior instructions, pointed their swords at the other men.
“Who are you?”
“Just a passing guest.”
I answered calmly while assessing their skill levels.
The one whose sword I had blocked and his companions were First-rate. To be precise, First-rate on the verge of Peak level.
They were skilled for common ruffians, but more than manageable for our party.
We didn’t have time to get entangled in something like this, but we had no choice but to resolve it quickly and move on.
“Eek!”
That man, perhaps enraged that his sword had been blocked, struck my blade away and swung at me again.
Clang! Cha-chaeng!
I swung my sword in response, parrying his attack and following through with my own.
After exchanging several blows, I understood his swordsmanship.
A heavy sword that relied purely on brute strength.
For this type of technique, my illusory sword style, Snow Flower, was perfect.
“W-what…!”
The snow flowers blooming from my sword disoriented his vision, and eventually my blade reached his throat.
“I… lost…”
With those words, he pulled something from his robes, hurled it at me, and shouted.
“Just kidding! You bastard!”
‘Really, how predictable can he be?’
I calmly deflected the hidden weapon with my scabbard, and it flew back to embed itself in his shoulder.
Thwack!
“Huh?”
Realizing something was wrong, he trembled from the intense pain shooting through his shoulder.
“N-no! The, the poison!”
‘So the hidden weapon he threw at me was poisoned.’
It didn’t seem lethal, and seeing as he couldn’t move a muscle, it appeared to be a paralyzing poison.
Well, he had reaped what he sowed.
When I looked around, the other Escort Guards had also completely subdued the remaining Unorthodox Sect martial artists.
Just then, a surprised Black Flute Physician came down from upstairs and blinked in bewilderment.
.
.
.
We handed them over to the constables and set off for the main headquarters with the Black Flute Physician.
During the journey, I began to understand why the Black Flute Physician’s location, as told to me by the Great Emperor Zhenwu, was considered a heavenly secret.
If we hadn’t been there, everyone in that place would have died.
The Black Flute Physician, not being a skilled martial artist, would have been no different.
In other words, because of me, not only the Black Flute Physician but many other people had been able to save their lives.
If I had known the Black Flute Physician’s whereabouts in advance and brought him away, many people at the inn would have lost their lives.
Moreover, considering their skills and target, they would have killed many people not just there, but everywhere they went.
But then a question arose.
I had met the Black Flute Physician in my previous life several years later than now.
That meant he wouldn’t die here.
But my thoughts were interrupted by Escort Guard Jin Yu’s words.
“The horses are very tired. I think it would be good to rest for a while.”
We decided to take a break.
The horses needed food, water, and rest.
Just then, the Black Flute Physician looked at a mountain visible in the distance.
“Oh, isn’t that mountain similar to Mount Wudang?”
“Come to think of it, it is.”
At Escort Guard Yeo Eung-am’s response, the Black Flute Physician showed curiosity.
“Have you seen Mount Wudang?”
“Yes. I went to Mount Wudang at the beginning of this year.”
“I see. I was at Mount Wudang a while ago before coming here.”
At his words, my question was answered.
In my previous life, many people had died and been injured in the bloodbath caused by the Blood Cult Leader who was sealed within the Wudang Sect.
In my previous life, that chaos had occurred around this time as well.
I had taken the Fruit of Renewal that was the catalyst for that incident, so I thought it wouldn’t happen. But because of the Murim Alliance, that incident had nearly occurred in this life too.
Anyway, would the Black Flute Physician, who was there at that time, have abandoned them to come to Hunan?
Of course not.
In other words, because of me, the future had changed, and the Black Flute Physician had left Mount Wudang to go to Yueyang.
Because of me, the Black Flute Physician could have died.
Realizing this fact, cold sweat broke out across my body without my notice.
The Black Flute Physician was not only a respectable physician but also my Master’s father-in-law.
Even if I told my Master about this, he would probably tell me not to worry since it was something that couldn’t be helped.
But my heart wouldn’t accept that.
The Black Flute Physician was a benefactor who had saved my life in my previous existence.
The heavenly secret that the Great Emperor Zhenwu had told me wasn’t simply a heavenly secret for my sick nephews.
It was a clue to set the twisted future straight again.
‘I really must go and bow to the Great Emperor Zhenwu in gratitude for this.’
.
.
.
We arrived at the main headquarters.
“Department Chief, you’ve returned?”
“Yes. I’ve brought the Black Flute Physician. How are the children?”
At my question, the Clerk who had greeted me replied.
“They’re stable for now, but you should go see them quickly.”
We quickly washed up and headed to Brother Jeong-ho’s private residence.
“Ah, bring me a couple of bottles of high-proof distilled liquor.”
At the Black Flute Physician’s request, Palgap immediately headed to the liquor storage.
“I’ve brought the physician.”
At my words, every gaze in Brother Jeong-ho’s private residence turned toward us.
And I could glimpse hope blooming in their faces.
Palgap brought the distilled liquor, and the Black Flute Physician washed his hands with it, then raised his internal energy to evaporate the alcohol fumes.
Come to think of it, the Black Flute Physician could use martial arts.
He was only about Second-rate level, but he said it was a martial art he had learned specifically to treat patients.
The Black Flute Physician asked.
“The patients?”
“H-here they are!”
Brother Jeong-ho quickly guided him to Geon-hyeok and Bo-yeon’s room, and the Black Flute Physician entered.
He quietly observed the two children.
I was grateful that they had both held on so well.
I had been worried about what I would do if I arrived too late and had to lose them again in this life.
“Hmm… indeed, you had no choice but to call me.”
The Black Flute Physician nodded, took out a needle from his medicine pouch, and inserted it into the two children.
After placing several needles in various locations, he removed them in the same order he had placed them.
Then both children began to vomit what they had eaten.
“P-Physician. The children are vomiting, is that alright?”
When my sister-in-law asked worriedly, the Black Flute Physician answered calmly.
“It’s fine. They’re vomiting to remove the cause of their illness. Their body’s Qi and blood circulation is poor, so they couldn’t digest what they ate, and they kept being fed milk on top of that. How could they not fall ill?”
“Pardon? Then?”
“It’s indigestion due to a combination of factors. You probably didn’t understand the cause or symptoms properly, so you couldn’t treat it.”
The Black Flute Physician continued.
“They’ll be fine now. Tell the nanny to be on standby.”
“A-alright.”
“And prepare some lukewarm water to wipe the children clean.”
“Yes.”
And so, Geon-hyeok and Bo-yeon were able to live.
If the two children could have spoken, the treatment might have been easier.
But since they were still newborns, that was impossible.
Even so, seeing that he knew what the problem was as soon as he examined the children, the Black Flute Physician was truly a master physician.
Come to think of it, hadn’t the Black Flute Physician said, “You must have urgent patients,” as soon as he saw me?
Usually, one would say ‘an urgent patient’, not ‘urgent patients’, right?
How did he know there was more than one patient?
Could it be?
.
.
.
A few days passed.
Geon-hyeok and Bo-yeon were now completely healthy.
Father had told me to give the Black Flute Physician his payment, and I took the money Father provided and headed to where the Black Flute Physician was staying.
As a sign of respect for the Black Flute Physician, we had given him a small detached house.
I encountered the Black Flute Physician as he was coming out of the detached house.
“Where are you going?”
“As it happens, my daughter lives near here, so I was planning to visit for a bit.”
I knew where the Black Flute Physician’s daughter lived, but I couldn’t reveal that, so I concealed it.
“If you tell me roughly where it is, I can guide you.”
“That would be wonderful. I think it was near a bamboo grove.”
“This way, please.”
I escorted the Black Flute Physician to my Master’s house.
But I wondered if my Master was home now.
He had left on an escort mission shortly before I departed for Yueyang.
“Excuse me, but there’s only one house here.”
“How do you know that?”
“I know because the house of a child I once saved is here.”
“Is that so? By any chance, is that child’s surname Gwak?”
“Yes. That’s right.”
The Black Flute Physician looked at me intently and nodded.
“I see. Thank you for saving my grandson.”
“Pardon? You were Hyeong-jin’s maternal grandfather?”
“That’s right. My eldest grandson’s name is Hyeong-jin.”
We soon arrived at my Master’s house.
Instead of going straight into the house, the Black Flute Physician looked at me and asked.
“By the way, you.”
“Yes?”
“What is your relationship with my son-in-law?”
–TL Notes–
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