Chapter 174
Chapter 174
‘Not good.’
The final strike that Kang Chowon had shown was excellent even in Youngho’s eyes. However, it was a single sword strike that someone at Kang Chowon’s current level should not have been able to unleash.
A severe burden had come upon Kang Chowon’s body.
‘External injuries or internal injuries aren’t the problem.’
Her soul—or something similar to it—had been injured. The most appropriate way to describe it would probably be the mindscape.
The black blood flowing from Kang Chowon’s eyes gradually took on an even darker hue. Youngho bit his lip and poured his Internal Energy into Kang Chowon’s body.
Fortunately, Youngho’s Internal Energy possessed exceptional purity, so he was able to stabilize Kang Chowon’s body, even if only slightly.
By the time Youngho arrived where the others were gathered, he spoke immediately as if he would accept no questions.
“Chowon won. Even without me, you should be able to return safely. And Kang Hosan.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
Kang Hosan answered at once at Youngho’s urgent tone.
“Chowon’s life is currently in danger.”
He had expected it when Youngho arrived carrying his younger sister, but it seemed far more serious than he had imagined. With a rare seriousness in both expression and voice, Youngho asked,
“Right now, Chowon is barely clinging to life with the Internal Energy I’m pouring into her. So I ask you this.”
Youngho spoke while unable to steady his trembling pupils.
“Do you trust me?”
It was a statement filled with many meanings. However, Kang Hosan could answer without hesitation. If he and his sister had not trusted Youngho until now, they would have died long ago.
And this time as well, he would naturally say the same thing.
“I trust you. So, Young Master.”
Kang Hosan did not beg. He did not plead. He merely made a request to his lord.
“Please… save Chowon….”
Even so, his anxiety did not disappear, so his voice trembled in the end. But Youngho seemed satisfied with just that and nodded with a smile.
“Alright. When you have time, take a look at Cheon Muback’s corpse. Chowon split him very nicely in half.”
After finishing those words, Youngho dashed away so quickly that even Black Shadow, who had been hiding within the shadows, could not follow him.
He moved so stealthily that not even the slightest sound was produced. At this point, one might even think he had surpassed the speed of sound.
Kang Hosan and the others stared blankly at the place where Youngho had been standing.
Regaining his senses first, Kang Hosan spoke to Namgung Cheon, who was essentially the leader of the Orthodox Sect group.
“Young Master.”
Only after Kang Hosan spoke did Namgung Cheon come to his senses. Startled, he replied,
“Ah! I understand. Then let’s return—”
“Let’s go see Cheon Muback’s corpse before we leave.”
“…What?”
As Namgung Cheon made a sour face as though he had heard something he should not have, Kang Hosan revealed a desperate determination that he would not yield on this matter.
“Our Chowon killed the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult. And according to Young Master, she split him very cleanly in half.”
“……”
Those from the Orthodox Sect looked at Kang Hosan with expressions that said, What kind of lunatic is this? Meanwhile, those from the Unorthodox Faction, though somewhat disgusted, also had curious looks as they urged Namgung Cheon for an answer.
Let’s hurry and go see it.
“Oh, that does make me curious. Did I take that stomach medicine for nothing? Just knowing that one of those who practiced the Heavenly Demon Divine Art is dead makes my stomach feel better.”
Cheonung’s remark was the final touch.
Faced with this insane scene, Namgung Cheon and Tang Gunhyeon opened and closed their mouths speechlessly, while Hwangbo Nyeong—who had grown somewhat accustomed to this—laughed weakly and said,
“These bastards are truly insane.”
BOOOOM—!
With a single push off the ground, a deafening explosion rang out, and Youngho’s body shot forward more than thirty zhang in an instant.
As Youngho hurtled toward his destination almost as if flying, a ferocious aura flowed from his body.
‘Not much farther!’
Hyeon-gang and Hwa Ryeong were waiting in Sichuan. He had never imagined she would be injured to this extent, so he had merely placed them nearby on standby…
‘I should’ve brought them with me!’
The regret pierced his bones.
Only a quarter-hour earlier, Youngho had been in Cheonsan. Now he was already close to reaching Sichuan.
Youngho ran in a straight line at full power. If there was a cliff ahead, he leapt over it. If there was a mountain, he ran across it. Yet he never reduced his speed even slightly.
The rate at which his Internal Energy was being consumed was enormous, but with intense concentration he drew External Qi from the air and forced it into his Dantian.
He was performing Circulation and Regulation of Qi while moving.
It was an act no different from suicide, but Youngho’s ability to control Internal Energy—combined with his understanding of the natural order and his approach to a transcendent realm—had reached a level unmatched by others.
A distance that should have taken at least one shijin to travel was crossed in merely a quarter-hour.
It was an achievement so astonishing it bordered on myth.
But such achievements did not matter at all.
‘Faster!’
Kang Chowon’s destabilized body could barely accept even a spirit pill. Even for Youngho, who was highly proficient in manipulating Internal Energy, guiding the power of a spirit pill within her body was impossible.
If even one-tenth of her bodily functions had remained normal, it might have been possible—but Kang Chowon was not even at that state.
Youngho cursed under his breath and crushed a Purple Dawn Pill from his sleeve into his mouth.
It was a spirit pill Unjeong had given him when he heard Youngho was heading to Cheonsan, telling him to take it if things became dangerous. Even in Mount Hua, the Purple Dawn Pill was not something easily obtained, yet Unjeong had handed it over without the slightest regret in his eyes.
‘Thank you!’
Unfortunately, however, the pill only served to restore a small amount of Youngho’s Internal Energy.
Besides, Youngho did not need the Internal Energy from the pill. Rather than storing the medicinal power in his Dantian, he immediately converted it into disposable energy.
With the ability to maintain his speed for about half a dakyung, Youngho resolved to reach Sichuan within that time.
Half a dakyung later, after continuously pouring Internal Energy into Kang Chowon while running with Lightness Skill, Youngho finally arrived where Hyeon-gang was.
“Hyeon-gang!”
“Damn it!!”
Instead of greeting Youngho, Hyeon-gang took Kang Chowon from his back.
“Don’t worry about the injuries you can’t see. I’ll handle those.”
“So you’re saying I only need to treat the internal and external injuries! Damn it! Pyeong! Go call the Divine Physician!”
“Yes, Master!”
“Is the surgery preparation ready?”
“We’ve already prepared the area since it didn’t look like she would return to normal…! Let’s move her immediately!”
As Hyeon-gang hurried, Youngho nodded with a hardened expression.
Youngho only knew how severe Kang Chowon’s injuries were. But from the perspective of a physician like Hyeon-gang, the real question was not the severity of the injuries—but whether she could be saved.
And in Hyeon-gang’s judgment, Kang Chowon’s body leaned more toward the side of being impossible to save. Otherwise, he would not be reacting like this.
The moment Kang Chowon was moved into the surgery room, Hwa Ryeong arrived after finishing the preparations.
Without saying a word, she examined Kang Chowon’s pulse and frowned.
“Youngho, how much Internal Energy do you have left?”
“None. I squeezed out everything to get here.”
“Tsk, then we’ll have to use those long-nosed Taoists as a temporary measure. Quickly perform Circulation and Regulation of Qi. Her mindscape is injured.”
“I know. Please.”
“I will do my best.”
While Youngho and Hwa Ryeong spoke, Hyeon-gang, who had finished preparing the surgery with his disciple, spoke urgently.
“The ribs are the most dangerous.”
“Her entire body is meticulously wrecked. Let’s begin immediately.”
At this moment, even ten hands would not have been enough.
Though Jo Pyeong’s medical skills were still lacking, he perfectly assisted everything Hwa Ryeong and Hyeon-gang required.
The Plum Blossom Sword Queen and the Fist King rushed over, and according to Hwa Ryeong and Hyeon-gang’s instructions, they poured Internal Energy into Kang Chowon’s vital energies to increase her regenerative ability even slightly.
Then Youngho, who had restored his Internal Energy in a short time, dismissed them and began pouring his own Internal Energy into Kang Chowon.
As Youngho’s clean energy flowed through Kang Chowon’s vital energies, her regenerative ability increased several times more than when the Fist King and the Sword Queen had combined their strength.
Only after fifteen shijin of full-force treatment by Hyeon-gang and Hwa Ryeong did Kang Chowon’s treatment finally end.
However, Youngho’s treatment continued.
His battle to restore Kang Chowon’s mindscape was still ongoing.
Youngho’s body was already drenched in cold sweat, and a chilling aura like a cold blade repeatedly swept through the surroundings.
This phenomenon occurred because Youngho and Kang Chowon’s mindscapes were connected.
If one stayed about one chi away from them, it was fine—but if someone approached even slightly closer, their flesh would be torn apart by the aura.
However, the greatest problem was nourishment.
For a patient like Kang Chowon, the best method of recovery was replenishing nutrients in the body.
Usually, unconscious patients would be fed large amounts of thin porridge to supply nutrients, but Kang Chowon had been unable to eat anything since she fainted.
As time passed, Kang Chowon’s cheeks grew increasingly gaunt.
Those who saw this believed Kang Chowon was desperately struggling to cling to life even unconsciously.
And while that statement was partly true, it was also false.
Because the one truly struggling was Youngho.
BOOOOM—!
“Hey! It’s your mindscape! Hurry up already!”
“Who can control their own mindscape however they want?!”
“I can, so that’s why!”
“……”
“Huh? It’s raining? Are you crying right now?”
SHHHHH—
“Hey! Wait! You’re too sad! Why is there a torrential downpour?!”
“Must be nice being a genius!”
Currently, Youngho was struggling to survive natural disasters born from Kang Chowon’s emotions inside her mindscape.
Youngho barely managed to gather the strength to speak.
“I told you, it’s not about controlling your emotions—control your mindscape….”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about! Isn’t this place supposed to move according to my emotions in the first place?”
Tears filled Kang Chowon’s eyes as if a tidal wave would come crashing down.
Seeing that, Youngho said with a pale face,
“No! This is your mindscape! It’s not a place for handling emotions!”
“Then what is it supposed to be?!”
CRACK—!
This time lightning began to strike.
The bolts were so thick that they looked large enough to swallow an entire house.
If struck by one of those, there would not even be bones left behind.
Youngho swallowed hard at the tension he felt for the first time in a while.
“Chowon, listen without getting angry. This place is your mindscape, your mind, your soul, and your emotional vessel.”
“What does that mean?”
“It’s everything that makes you you.”
“……”
“Everything about Kang Chowon except for the physical parts like muscles, bones, organs, and blood exists here.”
“So it’s my mental world?”
“Yes. You can think of it as a dream. But there’s one problem.”
“What is it?”
When Kang Chowon asked curiously, Youngho answered firmly yet gently.
“If you die here, we both die. So don’t get angry—if lightning strikes or something—”
KRAAAACK—!!!!
A bolt of lightning far more destructive than before struck right beside Youngho.
As his body stiffened in fright, Kang Chowon shouted,
“Why are you telling me that now?!”
KRAAACK—!!
Dozens of lightning bolts identical to the previous one crashed down around them.
At that moment, Youngho regretted speaking gently instead of simply being firm when he gave the warning.
‘If she was going to get angry anyway, why did I bother saying it nicely?’
Thanks to that, they had already nearly died twice in an instant.
Kang Chowon forced herself to calm down.
Though anger still rose within her, lightning no longer struck, which meant she was managing her emotions properly.
After taking a breath, Kang Chowon looked at Youngho again and asked,
“Then what am I supposed to do with this?”
“You fix it. That’s why I came here.”
“So what do I need to do?”
“What? That’s for you to know. How would I know? I only came to help you.”
KRAAAACK—!!!!
Lightning far greater than before struck the surroundings once again.