Chapter 59 : Chapter 59
Chapter 59 : Rope of Hope
The masked men's raid was dismissed as a small disturbance before the start of the engagement ceremony.
"The situation?"
"It has been concluded."
At the North Sea Ice Palace Lord Seol Baek-ho's question, General Manager Seol Su-hyeok answered.
"This is already the second time."
"I apologize, I will strengthen the security."
"How do you think they sneaked in?"
"Since there was a month until the engagement ceremony, it seems they gradually infiltrated the Ice Palace one by one over the month."
"To think no one knew while they crossed the Outer Palace and permeated up to here, it is a shameful matter to the Demonic Cult and the Central Plains people."
"I apologize."
Once can be understood.
Since there was someone colluding within the Council of Elders last time, even if I try to understand.
'This time I'll have to wring out the Five Families a bit.'
There is no vigilance.
Seeing this, it seems rumors that the Ice Palace and the Demonic Cult are joining hands have spread throughout the Central Plains.
The moment the conclusion of the blood alliance becomes definitive through the engagement ceremony,
'The time will come to preach to the entire Jianghu that the Ice Palace is no longer the Ice Palace of the past.'
To do that.
"Hm?"
"Where did the Clan Head of the Yayul Demon Clan go?"
"It seems he went to the side where the Small Snow Squad Captain and the Young Palace Head are."
Because the engagement ceremony hall became a chaotic scene, the engagement ceremony was delayed a bit.
Since Hyeokryeon Yeom would be guarding his daughter's safety, Seol Baek-ho thought he might as well chat with various figures of the Murim.
"If you are conversing with the Moyong Guild Leader, I will go and bring him."
"The Young Palace Head of the Potala Palace is also not visible."
"It seems they all moved."
It seemed Seol Baek-ho and Seol Su-hyeok were the only ones who properly guarded their positions.
"...Should we have moved too?"
"Because the Palace Lord was here, the ceremony hall could avoid being further ruined."
"It seems children are always trouble."
There was someone who approached Seol Baek-ho.
"Indeed."
It was the Moyong Clan Merchant Guild's Guild Leader, Moyong Jae.
"Where is Young Master Moyong?"
"You have taken in a good live-in son-in-law. Saying he has to protect the Young Palace Head and Young Master Hyeokryeon, he left his father here alone."
"Is that so? Since Young Master Moyong has also reached the marriageable age, shouldn't he hold a ceremony too?"
"There is no suitable marriage partner. He says work is still better than women."
"You must worry a lot."
"Well, I think he will do well on his own."
Moyong Jae was showing infinite trust and faith in Moyong Geum.
Seol Baek-ho nodded upon hearing those words.
Seol Baek-ho also possessed firm faith that Seol Ye-rin would also do well on her own.
"By the way... why are they taking so long to come? I heard all the masked men were repelled?"
"I will find out immediately."
Seol Su-hyeok began to figure out through his subordinates why they couldn't come here from a place far away after leaving the engagement ceremony hall.
A short while later,
"Pa, Palace Lord!"
Startled, Seol Su-hyeok called Seol Baek-ho.
"Why are you acting like that!"
"The Y, Young Palace Head!"
At that one word, Seol Baek-ho's figure instantly vanished from the engagement ceremony hall.
***
The incident happened in an instant.
It was a blunder to judge that there were no more elements that could be dangerous after completely dealing with the masked men.
Thud.
Seol Ye-rin, who was about to move her steps towards the engagement ceremony hall, collapsed.
"Young Mistress-!"
What happened?
I quickly looked around.
Masked men turned into ice statues.
Corpses that could no longer revive.
Among them, the person who could be a threat is,
Whiip-!
I turned my head and stared at the Hell Poison Demon.
No, to be precise,
"Huff, huff!"
I looked at the Yayul Demon Clan's Young Clan Head, Yayul Jin, who was spreading his palm wide open next to the Hell Poison Demon, Yayul Cheon-ung.
"What is... this behavior right now?"
"That is what I want to ask as well."
Yayul Cheon-ung also looked at Yayul Jin.
It seemed Yayul Cheon-ung also hadn't expected that Yayul Jin, who was intoxicated by Seol Ye-rin's beauty, would suddenly use poison.
"I asked... what this behavior is!"
-It seems he was controlled.
As I shouted at Yayul Jin.
The Sword Venerable examined Yayul Jin's condition and spoke.
-His pupils turned red and then returned. It seems he fell for it?
By whom?
Before I could even have such a question,
Whish!
"I asked what you did just a moment ago."
Yayul Cheon-ung grabbed Yayul Jin by the collar and lifted him up.
"Cough- Fa, Father... why are you suddenly acting like th......."
Yayul Jin was making a fearful expression with a look of not knowing the reason.
Seeing that expression, I bit my lip.
I knew information about the Yayul Demon Clan's Young Clan Head through my past life.
A half-wit with a timid personality who takes a long time even to administer poison.
There was no way such a guy would have the guts to ambush Seol Ye-rin.
In other words, he was really controlled.
Whooo.
I took a deep breath.
Let's calm down.
First, what's important now is Seol Ye-rin's safety.
I approached Seol Ye-rin and checked her pulse.
'Although it's slow, the poison is spreading throughout her whole body.'
I turned my head.
"Clan Head, would detoxification be possible?"
"I'll have to figure out what poison he had, but......."
Perhaps Yayul Cheon-ung also judged that Yayul Jin was controlled, as he put Yayul Jin down and began to examine Seol Ye-rin's condition in detail.
"No......."
"What is wrong?"
"It's the worst. I'm sorry, but this poison...... cannot be detoxified right now."
"Why is that?"
To think it's a poison that Yayul Cheon-ung, called the Hell Poison Demon, cannot detoxify.
"I'm sorry, I don't know when he packed it but... it seems he used the Seven Steps Soul Severing Poison."
Seven Steps Soul Severing Poison.
An extreme poison that causes death before walking seven steps.
Above all, this is one of the worst poisons for people in the Ice Palace.
If hit by this poison, from that moment, the Yin Qi a person possesses begins to freeze one by one starting from small bone joints.
Furthermore, from the perspective of the Young Palace Head who learned sound arts and is an Extreme Yin Body, it could be called one of the most conflicting poisons.
"Then her life should be in imminent danger......."
Flinch-
I realized why Seol Ye-rin's condition wasn't as severe as expected.
The Extreme Yang Qi I had put in.
'It burned the poison, albeit a small amount.'
It's a relief at least.
The Extreme Yang Qi that I shared and permeated throughout her body occupied every joint of the poison's flow, making the movement of the poison very slow, and some even burned and disappeared.
However, the sight of Seol Ye-rin trembling while pale blue caught my eye.
I asked with a hardened expression.
"What is the method to detoxify it?"
"To detoxify the Seven Steps Soul Severing Poison... several ingredients are needed but......."
"Wait... may this old man check the pulse for a moment?"
At that time, an old man with a long pure white beard contrasting with his copper-colored skin appeared.
Flinch-
'When.......'
I didn't notice him approaching at all.
If this old man had intended to assassinate Seol Ye-rin and me, we might have lost our lives in an instant.
-Ho, he is an old man using mysterious footwork.
-Unlike his skin color, his eyes are full of vitality. I think it might be okay to entrust it to him once?
Listening to the Sword Venerable and Demon Queen, he didn't feel like someone with malice.
Still,
"Who are you?"
I had to find out his identity.
Because I couldn't let just anyone check Seol Ye-rin's pulse.
"Just a passing physician."
'Physician?'
A copper-skinned physician.
Something, it felt like I could almost remember but not quite.
"Ugh-"
Seol Ye-rin groaned.
"Young Master, what shall we do?"
"I will allow it."
"Thank you."
As soon as my permission fell.
The old man's figure disappeared from before my eyes.
Puk- Puk- Puk-
The old man, who instantly grabbed Seol Ye-rin's wrist and began checking the pulse, took out needles and started piercing Seol Ye-rin's acupoints.
"......."
If he had pierced fatal acupoints, I would have stopped him from piercing with needles by doing whatever it took, but.
The old man was piercing acupoints that were not fatal acupoints with needles.
"...It's tremendous hand movement."
Enough for the Hell Poison Demon to burst out in admiration.
"Hm, that acupuncture technique is......."
The Hell Poison Demon, who was continuously watching the old man's acupuncture, burst out an exclamation.
"Why... are you at the Ice Palace?"
"Ah, was I caught? Long time no see. Cheon-ung."
Calling the Hell Poison Demon by name?
"Clan Head, if it is not rude, could you tell me who he is?"
"He is the Holy Hand Divine Physician."
At Yayul Cheon-ung's words, my two eyes widened as big as lantern lights.
***
Holy Hand Divine Physician Seong I-han.
He is the best Divine Physician in the Central Plains who treats all patients regardless of Orthodox, Unorthodox, or Demonic factions.
"...What happened to that skin color?"
I couldn't believe at all that the old man with sparkling copper skin was a physician with god-like medical skills.
"Seeing it, it seems he has been to the Southern Barbarians."
"You saw correctly. While touring the Outer Regions because I was sick of the Jianghu, I stopped by the Southern Barbarians and ended up like this."
"What brings you all the way to the North Sea?"
"It was really too hot, so I came up to avoid the heat. The North Sea is cool so I like it."
To the appearance of the Divine Physician raising his body while holding his waist, I asked.
"What did you do with the acupuncture just now?"
"I delayed the poison from spreading. It was fortunate that a small amount of fire energy remained in the body."
"Couldn't you induce the poison completely outside and expel it?"
"I don't know if it was another poison, but for the Seven Steps Soul Severing Poison, that is difficult. If done wrong, it's straight to the netherworld."
It seemed the only way to treat it was to obtain medicinal ingredients that could detoxify the Seven Steps Soul Severing Poison.
"......Please tell me what medicinal ingredients need to be obtained."
"Hmmm, as for herbs that can be obtained in the North Sea......."
Just when he was about to talk about herbs,
"Ye-rin-ah!"
My father-in-law revealed his appearance.
Whish-!
Without even talking, my father-in-law tried to reach out to Seol Ye-rin.
"Tsk."
Pish-
"Ugh."
A fine needle embedded itself into the father-in-law's back of the hand.
"She is a patient. Calm down for now."
Seol Baek-ho's expression hardened after confirming the fine needle stuck in the back of his hand.
"You are......."
"Long time no see, Ice Palace Lord."
"...Quack!"
Whoosh!
Seol Baek-ho's fist flew towards the Divine Physician.
Boom!
However, that fist could not reach the Divine Physician.
"...Small Snow Squad Captain?"
"To call him a quack, are you acquaintances, Father-in-law?"
Fist fighting would only consume time.
I, who wanted to recover Seol Ye-rin even a moment sooner, blocked Seol Baek-ho's fist despite the rudeness.
"Do not block me! Do you know how much that quack doctor ripped off using Ye-rin as an excuse in the past?!"
It seemed the Divine Physician had checked Seol Ye-rin's pulse in the past.
And without showing much improvement, it seemed he only ripped off money.
As I turned my head and looked at the Divine Physician.
"Ahem, that is in the past! It is a miracle that the Extreme Yin Body is still alive!"
"So, is what you said just now true, or is it a lie?"
My expression distorted like a ferocious god.
"Haha, if I said it was a lie, you look ready to clear away a corpse. Didn't the Poison Demon say so, that medicinal ingredients are needed to treat the Seven Steps Soul Severing Poison. Not a penny of falsehood was mixed. This poison grows by eating Yin Qi, but rather, through the passage of time, it gets swept away by extremely pure Yin Qi and must be circulated within the body. If done so, it could rather become a spiritual elixir that strengthens the inside of the body. One problem is that to do so, medicinal ingredient fellows that have harbored pure Yin Qi for a long time are needed."
"What are those medicinal ingredients?"
"Black Yin Ten Thousand Year Herb, and Clear Dark Marrow."
Both were medicinal ingredients I was hearing for the first time.
"Where can they be obtained?"
"That is......."
"They are medicinal ingredients handed down like legends even in the North Sea. If they could be obtained, I would have obtained them long ago and fed them to Ye-rin!"
Father-in-law poured out his sorrow.
The past was not important to me.
The present was more important to me.
"So you mean you don't know where to obtain them?"
Then what about Seol Ye-rin?
Let her die just like that?
Absolutely, that could not happen.
At that time,
-Ahem.
The Sword Venerable cleared his throat.
Whiip-!
My head turned rapidly.
-Elder?
-...You quick-witted fellow. Those two medicinal ingredients. It seems you can obtain them.
A rope of hope named Snow Wind Sword Venerable came down to me.