“A problem?”

“We’ll need an elixir. A potent one.”

Chor Yeon glanced back at Soyak.

“In his current state, even if he receives the Great Rectification Technique, his body won’t withstand it. He has built up some stamina, but because of his severed meridians, his constitution is still far too weak.”

If the seizures grew worse than this, Soyak’s body and mind might not survive it.

“To pierce the meridians, restore the twisted balance, and simultaneously replenish sufficient inner force....”

Ordinary elixirs would not be enough.

This was something that had nothing to do with Namgoong Mugang’s cultivation—it was simply required.

Seolhwa nodded slowly.

She too knew that abundant inner force was essential to cure Jin Soyak’s Meridian Severance.

It was one of the reasons she had hurried back to the Namgoong Clan.

‘Use the Imoogi’s inner force in place of an elixir.’

That had been her original plan.

The problem was—

‘The Imoogi still hasn’t returned.’

He had said he would come back once his blood channels had recovered, yet more than half a month had already passed, and there had been no word.

She had assumed he would reappear before she even reached the clan, but that expectation had been wrong.

Had his blood channels been so badly damaged by just one manifestation?

Or had the Imoogi been gravely injured in his battle with the Blood Demon?

His return was far later than expected, and though Seolhwa worried, she had no means of knowing.

Separate from that—

“Uhhk... ngh...”

Soyak let out another agonized groan.

“The seizure has begun again. I’ll channel in a little more inner force for now—please burn more incense.”

“Yes, I’ll do that.”

Cheongun infused inner force into Soyak’s body, while Chor Yeon moved quickly to light more incense.

“Pardon me, young lady.”

Seolhwa stepped aside to let Chor Yeon pass as she went to retrieve incense from the drawer near the entrance, lost in thought.

‘If I can’t rely on the Imoogi’s strength, then I’ll need an elixir....’

If she had known it would come to this, she would have procured one on her way back, using her memories of the previous life.

Was there any place nearby where she could obtain such an elixir?

Perhaps she could inquire with the Hao Clan?

If all else failed, even a Great Restoration Pill....

It was then—

The door rattled violently open without so much as a knock.

“Whoa, what’s this? Why so many people in here?”

It was Seop Mugwang.

He entered as though he owned the place, but froze in surprise at the unexpected crowd and even took a step back.

Ryeong saluted him with clasped fists.

Seop Mugwang, embarrassed at having barged in without sensing the presence inside, gave a sheepish laugh as he returned her greeting.

“Ah, it’s been a while.”

He ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ craned his neck, scanning the room.

And when his eyes landed on Chor Yeon, standing behind the blind woman, his expression brightened.

“Hey—you there.”

Busy gathering incense, Chor Yeon cast him a brief glance and answered curtly.

“What are you doing here?”

But despite the sharpness of her tone, the corners of her lips had faintly curved.

“Cut your finger again? What hurts this time? Or stomach troubles? I told you to go see other physicians for those things.”

“N-no, it’s not like that...! Today....”

Flustered, Seop Mugwang sniffed and turned his eyes away.

“Oh—kid?”

His gaze finally landed on Seolhwa, and his eyes lit up with delight.

Seolhwa smiled back and clasped her fists to him.

Seop Mugwang gestured discreetly at the blind woman, mouthing, Who’s that?

“She’s my guest.”

He muttered under his breath, “So that’s it.”

Chor Yeon, finishing with the incense, spoke briskly.

“Anyway, we’re busy right now. Come back later—I’ll see to you then.”

“I said it’s not that....”

Seop Mugwang, murmuring “pardon me” to the blind woman, squeezed past and placed something down before Chor Yeon.

A small box, no larger than his palm.

“What’s this?”

“The inner core of a White Tiger.”

As Chor Yeon opened the box, her eyes widened in shock.

Seolhwa, Cheongun, and Ryeong all turned toward them in surprise.

Seop Mugwang scratched the back of his neck.

“You needed a good elixir, didn’t you? It wasn’t the strongest beast, but it’ll do the job.”

“Lord, this is....”

“I’ve no use for it. You know that.”

Seop Mugwang looked toward Soyak.

“If it can save a life, then that’s the best use for it.”

It seemed he had heard about the need for an elixir through Chor Yeon.

But even for someone who had lost his inner force, the inner core of a spiritual beast was a treasure most would be lucky to see once in their lives.

Chor Yeon hesitated, unable to accept it so easily.

“Will this be enough?”

Seop Mugwang chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.

“More than enough?” Chor Yeon gave a wry smile and nodded.

“More than enough.”

“Good. Put it to use.”

He patted her shoulder twice, then walked up to Seolhwa.

“You rascal. You’re back safe, and... hey, what happened to your arm?! What, again—again, you’ve no regard for yourself, huh?”

“It’s not like that. This was....”

As Seolhwa protested, bickering with him, Chor Yeon clutched the box with the inner core tightly.

A shadow of sorrow lingered on her face.

****

With the White Tiger’s inner core Seop Mugwang had brought, everything was ready.

When the time came for the Great Rectification Technique, Soyak’s Meridian Severance could be cured completely.

Slurp. Slurp.

“Mmm—delicious, truly delicious.”

Seolhwa silently watched the blind woman devour food before her as if she hadn’t eaten in days.

She ate like a beggar, shoveling food into her mouth.

Only after the meal ended and refreshments were served did she lean back, patting her belly with a look of satisfaction.

“Ahh, that was good. Forgive me for the unseemly sight—I hadn’t had food this fine in so long.”

“I’m glad the food suited your taste.”

“How could it not? A great clan like this would naturally have skilled cooks.”

“You flatter us.”

“Not flattery.”

She waved her hand dismissively and reached for the sweets.

Seolhwa’s gaze sank low as she observed her.

“By the way, that child earlier—who was he? Your younger sibling?”

“He is not of the clan.”

“Not of the Namgoong Clan? Then why is he being treated here?”

“Because otherwise, he would die.”

Seolhwa turned her teacup in her hand, speaking evenly.

“He suffers from Dual Polarity Meridian Severance. To treat it requires great wealth, rare elixirs, and the hand of a master.”

And before the seizures, the child’s body was terribly weak, requiring constant care.

“Without our aid, he would not have survived for long.”

In truth, he had been twisted into a murderer by the Blood Demon Cult in her past life.

But even then, he had eventually perished, unable to withstand the blood he consumed. So saying he would die was no lie.

“Our household has the means, so we help him.”

“You seemed rather close, though. If it were just treatment, would you need to care so deeply?”

“Soyak is already like family. We found him as a child and raised him, so of course bonds formed.”

Though she hadn’t realized Hwarin was so close to him she’d weep like that.

“But even so, isn’t it wasteful to spend a beast’s inner core on him?”

“That...”

The smile faded from Seolhwa’s face.

“That surprised me as well.”

She knew better than anyone what it took for Seop Mugwang to obtain such a core.

Blood spilled, flesh torn, bones broken—battle to the death.

And after such sacrifice, that core was his reward.

And yet, for Soyak, he had given it away.

“I too....”

Seolhwa could not help but be more surprised than anyone at Seop Mugwang’s action.

“Truly, I was astonished....”

“A man you know well?” 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

“He is my master.”

“I see.”

The blind woman nodded slowly.

Seolhwa regarded her for a moment before speaking softly.

“He is a good man. He always values the lives of others above his own. He may act rough, but he is warmer than anyone.

No matter how hard or despairing things become, he bears it quietly within. And whenever he finds delicious food, he always wishes to share it with others.”

The blind woman’s brow arched faintly.

“Is that so?”

“And so...”

Seolhwa rose from her seat.

She stepped to the blind woman’s side and suddenly dropped to her knees at her feet.

“Therefore, I beg you. Please heal my master’s affliction. I implore you like this.”

Though she must have sensed Seolhwa come close, the blind woman’s eyes stayed fixed elsewhere, unmoving.

A long silence stretched between them.

Seolhwa did not rise, and the woman did not speak.

Finally, after that heavy silence, the blind woman broke it first.

“Since when did you know?”

“From the first moment I saw you, I suspected. I noticed your nails were stained green by herbs.”

“You guessed my identity from that?”

“Baekyak Seonsaeng—the Hundred Medicines Master. That is your epithet. Since you know every herb under heaven, I thought you must gather them yourself. Surely you wouldn’t entrust rare herbs to others.”

“And that alone?”

“When the Head of the Medicine Hall went to fetch incense from the drawer earlier, I saw you step aside in advance. You must have read the names of the incense written on the drawers.”

“My, my.”

“Even without my support, you followed without faltering. And during the meal, you had no trouble picking up food. Do you, in fact, see?”

“First, sit back down. This is far too burdensome.”

Seolhwa rose and returned to her seat.

The so-called master of medicine popped a sweet into her mouth and spoke around it.

“You were wrong about one thing.”

“What is that?”

“I truly cannot see.”

“Ah.”

So she really was blind.

But then why had she acted as if she could see?

“Only—something else is more developed in me than in others.”