Chapter 16 : Treatment
It was a sensation that Geum Hyeonah had never felt before in her fourteen years of life.
A pain as if an invisible hand had appeared, grabbed her brain, and thrown it to the floor!
Her brain, which had gone beyond receiving the sensation of pain, had momentarily shut down due to the excessive stimulation.
The aftermath immediately appeared on her body.
Geum Hyeonah lost consciousness for about three to four seconds.
Saliva flowed from the gap in her mouth, which was mechanically biting the gag, and as the muscles of her whole body relaxed at the same time as she fainted, liquid trickled down between her legs.
It was a stroke of luck for Geum Hyeonah that her digestive system had weakened due to her long illness, so she had not eaten proper food, and thanks to that, no solid matter had leaked out.
"…!"
After a fleeting moment, Geum Hyeonah came to her senses, and only then could she understand what had happened to her.
She had been hit.
To be precise, it seemed that she had been hit on the back with a palm, making a 'slap-' sound.
It was a kind of pain that everyone had experienced at least once in their lives.
However, the pain from it was not normal.
Geum Hyeonah, who could not see her own back, did not know, but her back was currently covered in a bright red bruise.
Geum Hyeonah's skin, which had been hit by a powerful palm, was so red that her previous jade-white and smooth appearance felt like a lie.
And on that reddened skin…
Prick!
"…Heeik!? What, what did you do, benefactor!?"
"Wait a minute. It's coming out, it's coming out… good, there it is!"
Jang Baekseo, who had been busily doing something behind Geum Hyeonah's back for a moment, came out in front of Geum Hyeonah with a small jade bottle in one hand.
"…That is?"
"Your blood."
Saying so, Jang Baekseo held out the jade bottle filled with blood in front of Geum Hyeonah's nose.
"Take a sniff."
"Yes? Why all of a sudden…"
Geum Hyeonah, who was about to ask back, was surprised by the clear scent flowing from the jade bottle.
"H-how can it smell like this?"
Blood should normally have a fishy, metallic smell. But the smell coming from inside the jade bottle now was completely different from that. A clear and fresh smell that made one feel good just by smelling it!
Geum Hyeonah suddenly felt that she had smelled this kind of smell before.
Geum Hyeonah, who was pondering what it was, realized that this was similar to the smell of the Cheongyang Pill she had eaten three years ago.
"H-how can my blood smell like the Cheongyang Pill…?"
Jang Baekseo, who was rolling the small jade bottle in his hand, also took a sniff and then began to explain the reason.
"You must have been surprised when I suddenly hit your back."
"That's… well…"
Saying so, Geum Hyeonah's face turned red as she looked at the yellow liquid that had flowed down her leg.
Beyond being surprised, she had even fainted for a moment, and because of that, she had even wet herself.
Leaving the blushing Geum Hyeonah behind, Jang Baekseo continued.
"Of course, I didn't just hit you with my palm with all my strength. I put a special kind of energy into it when I hit you."
"Energy…?"
"The commonly used energy techniques in the martial world include internal energy strikes, penetrating energy, and hidden energy. Of course, besides these, each sect has its own unique energy method. To put it simply, I made the energy of the elixirs that had settled in your body and were eating away at your body react through a slap filled with energy."
"Then the stinging sensation from before was…?"
"I pricked you with a needle to make you bleed. The energy of the elixirs in your body naturally rose and reacted to protect your body from the slap accompanied by energy, and the bruise that resulted from that had the energy of the elixirs that had moved to protect your body gathered in it. I made a small wound with a needle on the bruise that was created by the gathering of the elixir's energy, and the blood that flowed out from there is this."
Geum Hyeonah, who had heard the principle of the treatment, looked at the jade bottle that Jang Baekseo was holding with surprised eyes.
Come to think of it, she had been so preoccupied with the immense pain until just a moment ago that she hadn't noticed, but… her body was clearly lighter than before.
The headache in her head had also subsided more than before, and her fever had definitely gone down a little… although her back was burning like crazy…
Geum Hyeonah, who had a dazed face for a moment, began to shed tears, one drop, two drops.
"Why, why are you crying? It must have hurt a lot!"
'Damn it, she even wet herself, so of course it hurt…'
Jang Baekseo, who felt that he had made the child embarrassed by saying something so obvious, blamed himself.
Even though she was only fourteen, a woman was a woman. But today, in front of a strange man she had seen for the first time, she had not only been naked but had also wet herself…
"Thank you… thank you, benefactor!"
But unlike Jang Baekseo's thoughts, Geum Hyeonah was expressing her gratitude while crying.
Jang Baekseo, who was bewildered by this, soon wiped her tears for her, as her hands were tied.
He held the continuously crying Geum Hyeonah in his arms and comforted her.
The chest where Geum Hyeonah had buried her face was getting wet, but Jang Baekseo said nothing.
How much time had passed like that?
Geum Hyeonah, who had calmed down to some extent, looked at Jang Baekseo with her eyes red from crying and a stuffy nose.
"Benefactor, would you please untie the cloth that is tying my arms? I want to properly bow to the benefactor who saved the life of a girl who was destined to die without a choice."
Geum Hyeonah, who was asking to have her arms untied with a voice excited with joy, felt a question of 'Huh? Why?' appearing on Jang Baekseo's face, which was covered by a black cloth.
Although she couldn't see it because it was covered by a black cloth, Geum Hyeonah definitely felt it.
And for a moment, a chill ran down her spine.
An ominous premonition enveloped her whole body.
It wasn't that she thought Jang Baekseo would do something to her, tying her up and fulfilling his dark and dirty desires.
Nor did she think that he would suddenly kill or torment her for no reason.
But…
For some reason, she had a crazy ominous premonition.
"Why?"
"Yes? Why, what do you mean, why…? Isn't that polite, benefactor?"
"Yes, well, that would be polite."
"So… yes?"
"Huh?"
The two of them faced each other with bewildered faces for a moment. Jang Baekseo soon realized that something was not right with the conversation and also realized what the cause was.
"Ah! Ah ah, yes, that's right. Of course, that's the right thing to do. But let's do that after the treatment is all over."
"All… over… you mean?"
"It means the treatment is not over yet."
"…"
"Do you think the energy of the elixir is only in one part of your back? It's spread all over your body."
"You mean…"
"Well, that's what I mean…"
Geum Hyeonah felt her vision go black.
***
"Haa… haa…"
How much time had passed?
"It's all over now… you've really suffered."
Saying so, Jang Baekseo untied the cloth that was supporting Geum Hyeonah, who was already unable to stand properly as all the strength had left her body.
Wobble~
As soon as the cloth was untied, Jang Baekseo caught Geum Hyeonah, who was about to fall.
Geum Hyeonah's whole body was literally a mess.
Except for her face, her whole body was covered in bruises, and she was soaked as if she had been caught in the rain.
She had sweated like rain because she had instinctively tensed her body to endure the pain.
Of course, it wasn't just sweat that she had shed. As long as a person is alive, whether they are awake or asleep, they are tensing their body to some extent. But when they receive such extreme pain, that naturally maintained strength is concentrated on enduring the pain. And after enduring that momentary pain, all the strength in the whole body is completely released. When that happens, not only saliva but also urine will leak out.
Geum Hyeonah was currently in that state. Jang Baekseo held Geum Hyeonah, who was soaked with various secretions, including saliva, tears, snot, sweat, and urine, without any hesitation.
And using the water that had been prepared in advance before the treatment began, he washed Geum Hyeonah cleanly.
Geum Hyeonah wanted to say that she could do it herself, but she was in a state where she had used all her strength to endure the pain, so she couldn't even utter a single word.
But.
But despite that, a smile was on Geum Hyeonah's lips.
She had no strength in her body. And her whole body's skin was covered in red bruises and was stinging and tingling like crazy… but that was all.
The high fever and haziness that had tormented her for years were all gone, and her mind was clear and distinct.
It was as if the pain she had been feeling until now was a lie.
Jang Baekseo applied ointment to Geum Hyeonah's cleanly washed skin all over.
"Don't worry too much about the bruises. They'll disappear cleanly in a week at most."
Saying so, Jang Baekseo applied the ointment and at the same time, he infused his internal energy to adjust the flow of internal energy that had been disturbed due to the elixir's energy until now.
In the meantime, Geum Hyeonah said nothing.
Jang Baekseo thought it was understandable.
How would she feel now that the serious illness she had thought was a heavenly punishment had disappeared in just one day?
After carefully applying ointment to all of Geum Hyeonah's bruised areas and boosting her energy with his internal energy, Jang Baekseo handed her a jade bottle.
"This is…"
"Yes, it's your blood."
Of course, it wasn't just blood. It was blood that was condensed with the energy of all sorts of elixirs, which was practically an elixir itself.
"When your health recovers, it would be good to learn martial arts, even if it's of a low level."
"May I ask why, benefactor?"
Jang Baekseo, who nodded his head, continued.
"Through the treatment today, the balance of energy in your body has been restored. But I don't know how that constitution will work in the future. If you learn martial arts to be able to handle the energy of your body with your own strength, it will be a great help in supplementing your body."
In addition, Geum Hyeonah's body, which had been influenced by the strong energy of elixirs for several years, was in a state similar to having learned a kind of alchemy. If she learned martial arts in this state, she would surely be able to make rapid progress.
Although he thought so, Jang Baekseo did not say it out loud. If he instilled confidence in her with unnecessary words and she suddenly decided to become a female master of the martial world, Geum Gadong would be in a lot of trouble.
"When you get a little used to internal energy techniques, drink the blood in this jade bottle little by little."
"Th-this, you mean?"
Geum Hyeonah had a very disgusted face. That was because the contents of this jade bottle were the cause of the serious illness that had tormented her for years…
Of course, Jang Baekseo also understood Geum Hyeonah's feelings, so he added a little explanation.
"The blood in this jade bottle is filled with the energy of the elixirs that have accumulated in your body for a long time. If you drink this blood again without learning internal energy techniques, the energy of the elixirs will cause you pain, but if you learn internal energy techniques and become able to handle the energy in your body, the story will be different from then on."
In other words, if she learned internal energy techniques and became able to handle the energy in her body, she would be able to absorb the energy of the elixirs in the blood as her internal energy. In addition, absorbing the energy of elixirs was a great opportunity, but at the same time, it was an act that was accompanied by great danger.
If one was unlucky, one could suffer internal injuries or, in the worst case, fall into qi deviation.
But for Geum Hyeonah to drink the blood in the jade bottle was a different story. The blood in the jade bottle was created by the combination of the energy of various elixirs in Geum Hyeonah's body over a long period of time. Since it was originally energy that was in her own body, there was no risk of internal injuries or qi deviation at all.
In addition, the energy of the elixirs in this jade bottle was at a level comparable to Shaolin's Great Rejuvenation Pill…
The Seonyang Pill alone had an energy comparable to the Small Rejuvenation Pill, and on top of that, over the course of three years, Geum Gadong had swept up and fed her all the elixirs that were said to be good for illnesses in the world with the enormous wealth of the Geumjo Merchant Guild… the energy of the elixirs that had accumulated in her body was already at a level that surpassed the Great Rejuvenation Pill.
Of course, if one were to say this…
'Then can you get an effect greater than the Great Rejuvenation Pill just by sweeping up and eating medicinal herbs if you have money?'
…one might think, but that was half right and half wrong.
If a merchant guild that was considered the best in a province poured out its wealth without sparing it and fed them, there would certainly be a considerable effect. But it would be difficult to gather energy greater than the Great Rejuvenation Pill like Geum Hyeonah.
That was because even if a martial artist who was cultivating internal energy ate such a low-grade elixir, a considerable portion of the elixir's energy that had entered the acupoints would be lost in the process of turning it into their own internal energy because the energy was so weak. Even if they gathered the remaining energy in that way, the gathered energy would barely reach the level of the Small Rejuvenation Pill, let alone the Great Rejuvenation Pill.
This was a product of the accidental outcome created by the combination of Geum Gadong's excessive love for his daughter and Geum Hyeonah's natural constitution.
Here, one might worry, 'Then can't some evil group kidnap Geum Hyeonah and mass-produce the blood in the jade bottle?' But…
"Benefactor, please accept this jade bottle. According to your words, my blood in this bottle is no different from an elixir. Then I would be happy if you would accept this jade bottle, benefactor."
Although she said that, Jang Baekseo did not answer Geum Hyeonah's words. At this reaction of Jang Baekseo, Geum Hyeonah, who had thought of something, quickly continued.
"Ah, d-don't misunderstand, benefactor! I'm by no means trying to repay the grace you have shown me with this blood! It's just that… even if I repay your grace, it will be by the power of my father and the Geumjo Merchant Guild, not my own. I just want to repay the grace you have shown me, which is like the heavens, with what I have, even if it's a little!"
At Geum Hyeonah's desperate plea, who had understood Jang Baekseo's silence in a different way, Jang Baekseo finally opened his mouth.
"Ah, child, I didn't keep my mouth shut for that reason. I was just trying to tell you that the blood in that jade bottle is certainly like a legendary elixir to you, but not to others."
"Yes?"
The energy in the jade bottle was certainly as dense as the Great Rejuvenation Pill. The problem was that the energy was completely exclusive to Geum Hyeonah.
If Geum Hyeonah drank it, she would quickly increase her internal energy, and at the same time, there would be no risk of internal injuries or qi deviation. But if someone other than Geum Hyeonah drank it, the effect would be greatly reduced. There was a high probability that they would not even get the internal energy of a Small Rejuvenation Pill, and the risk of internal injuries and qi deviation was also much greater than that of a normal elixir.
In fact, Jang Baekseo was also really reluctant to give up the blood in this jade bottle.
To save Sohyun, who would suffer from a serious illness five years from now, he needed an elixir of the Great Rejuvenation Pill's level. But since an item with the energy of the Great Rejuvenation Pill's level had come into his hands so exquisitely, he couldn't help but be excited. But since the characteristics of that item were completely exclusive to Geum Hyeonah, he had no choice but to give it up, no matter how regrettable it was.
Geum Hyeonah, who had heard the whole explanation, suddenly became sullen and bowed her head.
Looking at Geum Hyeonah's appearance, Jang Baekseo thought that she was a child with very extreme emotional changes.
But what if she was a little like that?
Children are originally like that.
They are happy over trivial things, angry over trivial things, sad over trivial things, and enjoy trivial things.
That was enough.
Jang Baekseo gently stroked the hair of Geum Hyeonah, who was still bowing her head.
Jang Baekseo would continue to change the future. And the first step of that was this girl's life.
There is no righteousness in the martial world he knows.
It is cowardly, vile, and ugly.
And in addition, there is no chivalry either.
It is shameless, hypocritical, and selfish.
And perhaps that is the fate of all ordinary people who live in the martial world of the Central Plains.
Whether they are third-rate warriors or the best in the world…
But Jang Baekseo decided to live a life that went against that fate.
Wasn't he Jang Baekseo, who had gone against even the heavenly principle of the world that time that has passed does not return, and had returned to the past?
Jang Baekseo had decided to ignore the fate of the martial world, a world within a world.
'I will live according to my righteousness and my chivalry.'
And what had made him strengthen that resolve was this very girl.
"Benefactor?"
Geum Hyeonah, who had been bowing her head for a long time, lifted her head at Jang Baekseo's action of just stroking her head without a word.
And for a moment.
"Thank you."
It seemed as if she had faintly heard such words.
And when Geum Hyeonah lifted her head…
Only she was left alone in her room.
(End of Chapter)