Chapter 181
Sleep is important.
No matter how much a martial artist can use internal energy to invigorate the body, and though it’s true that one can stay awake for several nights without major issues because of it...
That’s only to say they can endure a bit better, not that sleep is unnecessary.
In truth, there's a subtle difference between how the body feels after proper rest and after forcing through sleepless days.
Still, no matter how important sleep may be, one must get up when the time comes.
Be it for early morning appointments, training, or... simply because you’re hungry.
Growl.
“Ugh.”
My eyes flew open at the unbearable hunger I hadn’t felt in a long time. It was a familiar room.
The scenery I saw when I first came to the Tang Family. It was clearly a side room behind the Medical Hall. As I was still half-asleep and trying to assess the situation, a loud voice beside me—so loud I couldn’t tell if it was a scream or a shout of joy—rang out.
“L-Lord Tang! Medical Hall Master!!”
Well, looks like I somehow survived.
***
Slurp.
I practically drank down the porridge, made with finely ground meat and vegetables. The flavor was surprisingly decent.
“Oh my. You’re spilling it all over yourself even though you’re in a hurry. You must have been really starving, Cheon Hwi-da.”
I was starting to feel a bit better now. Didn't I just eat three bowls?
“It’s alright. Even if you were a bit sloppy, I can just clean it up for you.”
Tang Sowol smiled brightly as she wiped my chin and collar.
The proximity, much closer than usual, felt strangely overwhelming, but in any case, she looked fine, which was a relief.
Though I said it was overwhelming, I actually liked it.
I set down my third empty bowl and looked around.
Not long after I’d regained consciousness, the Medical Hall Master had come in to check on me, and shortly after, Tang Sowol, Seol Lihyang, Seo Mun-Hwarin, and even Tang Jincheon had burst through the door with such force it seemed like they might break it.
Feeling like I’d starve to death, I asked them for food right away, and now here we were.
“Whew. I feel alive again. Now, how about you finally tell me what happened after I lost consciousness?”
“Ah, the thing is...”
Tang Sowol started, clearing her throat. She quickly tidied up the small table, then half-stole my blanket and sat right next to me, shoulder to shoulder.
“I did extract the poison from your body and quickly gathered what I could to stabilize your internal injuries, but honestly, I don’t know much about what happened after that. I just know that Father and Sister Hwarin came and took us away.”
Tang Sowol hadn’t left my side even for a moment. I glanced at Tang Jincheon for his reaction, but surprisingly, he simply nodded in silence.
“To be honest, we didn’t do much either. We got word from a young lady of the Sama Clan you sent and rushed immediately to the Thousand Poison Gate... but by then, it was already over.”
“That’s exactly right. If anything, what I and the Head of the Tang Family did was just bring you both back to the Tang Clan. Frankly, I’d rather ask what happened on your side.”
“Didn’t you already hear it from Tang Sowol?”
“Of course I did. But only you truly know what happened to yourself, do you not? Do you realize? You were unconscious for ten full days.”
In Seo Mun-Hwarin’s eyes—no, in the eyes of everyone present—there was deep concern.
It made me feel a bit ticklish, but also grateful, and I couldn’t help but smile.
“Ten days, just in the Tang Clan. It must’ve been even longer counting travel time. No wonder I was so hungry. Tang Sowol, when did you wake up?”
“Not too long ago either. Let me think.”
She folded her fingers, counting, then nodded.
“I woke up on the third day after we arrived at the Tang Clan. I visited you every day for the next seven days, so I’m certain.”
“Isn’t that a strange way to count days...?”
As I gave her a baffled look, Tang Sowol just shrugged silently.
I shook my head and turned to Seo Mun-Hwarin.
“Anyway, let me explain what happened to me. It started when I had just left the hideout of the Ghost Shadow Thief…”
I calmly explained everything that had happened.
How I collapsed after fighting the Poison Demon, how Tang Sowol was captured to save me, how I ingested random elixirs to heal my wounds and rushed to the Thousand Poison Gate, how I deliberately triggered Qi deviation to block the poisoning, and how I finally gained enlightenment and unleashed sword force on the verge of death.
After hearing it all, Tang Jincheon bowed his head.
“Son-in-law. Once again, we owe you greatly. Thank you for saving Sowol... and I’m truly glad you’re safe.”
“Please raise your head, Father-in-law. Receiving such gratitude for what I see as natural makes me uncomfortable.”
“Natural, you say. Who considers fighting while on the verge of Qi deviation as something natural?”
“Isn’t it natural to risk your life for family? Didn’t you also rush over without backup when you heard Sowol and I were in danger?”
“Family… yes, you’ve been part of the Tang Clan for quite some time now.”
They say it was only the two of them who carried Sowol and me back after we collapsed fighting the Poison Demon.
It’s not like the Tang Clan lacks manpower. So why only the two of them?
Because they were the only ones at the Flowering Stage who could move nonstop and get there the fastest.
“Ah, Senior Seo Mun-Hwarin. On that note, I’d like to thank you. I didn’t expect you to come running even though you’re not family.”
“What?! How can you say something so hurtful out of nowhere?! And besides, you’re already…!”
“Just kidding.”
Seo Mun-Hwarin puffed out her cheeks and lightly kicked the edge of the blanket I was half-covered with.
She couldn’t bring herself to hit someone injured, but clearly wanted to show she was upset.
Tang Sowol and I looked at each other and burst out laughing at the same time.
Tang Jincheon, who had kept a stiff expression filled with guilt and gratitude, was lost in the emotion of the word ‘family,’ and Seo Mun-Hwarin, despite her outward sulking, was smiling faintly too.
There had been all kinds of hardships, but for now, we were simply happy that everyone was safe.
But that moment didn’t last long. As Seol Lihyang looked me over to check if I was okay, she suddenly seemed to realize something and jumped up.
“W-Wait a second! Did you say sword force? Then, Cheon Hwi, that means…?”
“I’ve probably reached the Flowering Stage.”
“Good heavens. This isn’t just surprising—it’s downright unbelievable.”
“Same for me. That’s why I plan to verify it once I recover a bit.”
My chuckle at Seol Lihyang’s flustered reaction didn’t last long. Seo Mun-Hwarin, understanding her reaction, patted her on the back.
“I’d have reacted the same if I only heard the story. But I saw it myself, so I couldn’t help but believe.”
“Saw what?”
“A sword strike that cleanly sliced through an entire floor of a pavilion.”
“…Excuse me?”
“I didn’t see the sword force myself, but anyone looking at the top of the building would know it was sliced clean through. And who else could’ve done it?”
Seol Lihyang was left speechless and wide-eyed at the mention of an entire floor being cut through.
As I’d just told her, I also couldn’t believe it myself. I had finally reached the Flowering Stage I’d so longed for... yet I felt no sense of it.
Probably because my body was still too weak.
Just as I reflexively clenched my hand, recalling the sensation of that moment—
“Hey!”
Seo Mun-Hwarin suddenly crouched and locked down my hand.
Tang Jincheon didn’t go that far, but he shook his head with a stern look.
“Don’t do that.”
“…Excuse me?”
“We’ve confirmed, I, the Seomun Clan Head, and the Medical Hall Master, that your life is no longer in danger. However, the concern is... your condition is a bit unique.”
“Unique? What do you mean?”
“Sowol said that right after you defeated the Poison Demon, your body was in such a state that it wouldn’t have been strange for you to die at any moment.”
“That’s true. All my meridians were damaged, and parts of my body were necrotizing from poison. But didn’t the rebirth fix all that?”
I hadn’t aimed for it, but I had indeed undergone Rebirth. That must’ve been why I was still alive.
Or so I thought.
As I blinked in confusion, Seo Mun-Hwarin finally let go of my hand and continued.
“You certainly survived thanks to Rebirth. That’s true. However... the fact is, you shouldn’t have been able to undergo Rebirth in the first place.”
“…What?”
“Rebirth requires the integration of willpower into one’s martial arts and body to reconstruct the physique. The most crucial element in that process is willpower... but what fuses it with the body is internal energy.”
“And my meridians were so destroyed I couldn’t channel any internal energy.”
“Exactly. Rebirth requires a reserve of strength. If Sowol hadn’t helped you, you would’ve died before you could complete it.”
“You mean Tang Sowol?”
I turned my head toward her, finding her absentmindedly twirling my hair.
Noticing my gaze, Tang Sowol smiled shyly and spoke.
“It’s true. I didn’t really know what I was doing—I just wanted to help you somehow, so I combined every kind of poison I could gather to make a new one. It was a poison that temporarily protected your meridians and boosted recovery...”
I asked with a strange feeling of déjà vu.
“Wait, does this poison require constant re-administration after the first dose?”
“…How did you know?”
“Just had a feeling.”
As I gave her a faint smile, she tilted her head in confusion.
Tang Jincheon coughed and continued the conversation for her.
“Kuheum. So during that brief window when your body was relatively intact, you underwent Rebirth and healed all your injuries. That in itself is fortunate.”
“But it wasn’t a normal Rebirth.”
“Exactly. Since Sowol’s poison was maintaining your meridians, and your body was reconstructed in that state, it means your current body is now fused with the poison.”
“Rebirth is meant to recreate a martial artist as a pure existence. But you rebuilt your body using someone else’s energy.”
Seo Mun-Hwarin looked at me with eyes filled with concern.
“This is extremely rare, even in the long history of Murim. Just to be safe, do not pick up a sword until you’re completely healed. Don’t even think about it.”
“And that goes for you too, Sowol.”
“Huh? Me too, Father???”
“The Poison Demon’s poison... as much as I hate to admit it, it’s potent enough to corrupt even someone at the Flowering Stage. And you absorbed it without hesitation, didn’t you? Along with all the other poisons from the Thousand Poison Gate.”
“Ah…”
Tang Sowol gave a troubled smile, knowing full well she had acted recklessly.
“You must also refrain from using poison arts until you’re completely recovered. Understood? Absolutely.”
“...Yes.”
She nodded a little sullenly at her father’s repeated warning.
Though, of course, that mood didn’t last long.
Tilting her head slightly, Tang Sowol whispered mischievously in my ear.
“Then until we’re all healed… we’ll be lying around doing nothing, right? Should we push our beds together so we’re not bored?”
…Honestly, I was tempted.