Chapter 59

Yeon Mujin took the Dragon Eye Pearl and strode toward the gathered Zhuge family with a confident gait.

“Make way.”

Yeon Mujin snapped at the Zhuge Family’s warriors, who stood watching, nerves obvious on their faces.

“What are you doing? You gonna just leave your young Family Lord to die? If you want him saved, move aside.”

At that threat, they grudgingly opened a path.

Beside the fallen Zhuge Kwan, Zhuge Jo-yeon clung to his brother’s hand, helpless.

That was the same bastard who’d been beaten by Yeon Mujin in the sparring match on the first day.

“Move, you idiot.”

“What the—! What are you trying to do!”

“What would I do to a patient? I’ll try to detoxify him.”

Zhuge Jo-yeon shoved himself in front of Yeon Mujin.

“Absolutely not! You cannot lay a finger on my hyung.”

“Is that so? Then leave him to die.”

“A physician… I was told one is on the way.”

“What the hell.”

When Yeon Mujin raised his fist, Zhuge Jo-yeon flinched—the memory of being struck by Yeon Mujin was still raw.

“Have you still not grasped the situation? Zhuge Kwan was poisoned by Solitary Cloud Manor. They’re the ones who want him dead. Do you think they’ll just let you call a physician?”

Zhuge Jo-yeon’s pupils trembled. The more Yeon looked at him, the more he saw how timid the boy was. How did someone like this get born into the mighty Zhuge Family?

‘…Then again, looking at the Bukgung Family, I’m not really one to talk.’

The timid Zhuge Jo-yeon forced himself to protest.

“B-but you’re also from Solitary Cloud Manor!”

Yeon Mujin shoved him aside.

“Wrong. I’m not affiliated with Solitary Cloud Manor. I’m from Flying Swallow Manor.”

“Flying Swallow Manor…?”

When scolded he’d refuse, but when pushed he obeyed meekly.

Yeon Mujin rolled back Zhuge Kwan’s eyelids, took his pulse at the neck, and checked the wound. The condition was worse than he’d expected—the poison was spreading rapidly.

“This is about to kill him.”

Zhuge Jo-yeon craned over Yeon Mujin’s shoulder.

“Is there a way to help him?”

“Don’t rush me. That’s why I came.”

Yeon Mujin closed his eyes, took Zhuge Kwan’s wrist, and slowly infused his innate qi. After a moment he opened his eyes and exhaled softly.

Zhuge Jo-yeon swallowed.

“How is he…?”

Yeon Mujin met his gaze.

“How should I know? I’m not a physician.”

“You quack—then why did you even take his pulse!”

“I don’t know his condition, but I’ll try to detoxify him.”

“Gasp! You can cure him?”

“…Either get angry or beg—pick one.”

Zhuge Jo-yeon’s face flushed. “Please, noble warrior…”

Yeon Mujin sneered and beckoned him.

“Sit here.”

“Me?”

“Are you not going to help your hyung? Remember: the more you stall, the less time there is to save him.”

“Understood. What should I do?”

“You heard what Zhuge Kwan shouted earlier, right? He said it’s an extremely potent poison combining Heart Stealing Herb and White Blood Poison. Do you know what those poisons do?”

“White Blood Poison blocks the blood vessels and chokes breathing. Once it spreads, it clogs the airway and throat, causing breathing difficulty, then cyanosis—hands and feet turn blue—and it severs the energy flowing to the dantian. Heart Stealing Herb attacks the heart meridian: the heart races, convulsions follow, blood refluxes, and finally consciousness is lost…”

“How do you know so much?”

“Th-this is basic knowledge in the Zhuge Family.”

For a moment he looked every bit like a Zhuge.

“Both are extremely toxic and strike circulation and the heart. As long as the heart keeps beating, the poison keeps moving, and too much time has already passed—detoxifying him in place is impossible.”

“Is that what you mean?”

“So we’ll stop Zhuge Kwan’s heart for now.”

Zhuge Jo-yeon stared at Yeon Mujin as if he’d gone mad.

“This Dragon Eye Pearl can absorb poison. By stopping his heart I can halt circulation, then use my internal qi to draw the poison out. Zhuge Kwan can’t circulate qi right now, so I’ll use my body as the conduit. Block his blood channels, stop his heart, then channel and trap all the poison into the elixir—that’s the plan.”

It was audacious. Beyond feasibility, it carried a fatal risk.

“If anything goes wrong, your life could be at risk. If the absorption is too slow, my hyung will be in danger too…”

“Then what’s the alternative? Think fast. Even now, Zhuge Kwan is dying.”

At that moment, Zhuge Kwan groaned. There was no time for further debate.

Zhuge Jo-yeon nodded.

“I understand.”

“You’ve practiced the blood-stopping technique well, right? Stopping the heart will be your role.”

“…Huh, me?”

“If not, do you want me to do it? I need to pull the poison out.”

“But how could I…”

Zhuge Jo-yeon’s voice trembled. The young Family Lord’s life now rested on his shaking hands.

Yeon Mujin stared at him with contempt, then—

Thud!

He headbutted Zhuge Jo-yeon.

“Argh!”

A nosebleed crept out, staining the young man’s white scholar’s robe.

“You idiot. Don’t be a coward—do it. Left as is, Zhuge Kwan will die.”

“But…!”

“Hurry!”

“Alright! I said I understand! Stop nagging!”

Yeon Mujin sat cross-legged, holding the Dragon Eye Pearl in one hand and Zhuge Kwan’s wrist in the other. Even with life and death balanced before him, he showed no tension.

He looked at Zhuge Jo-yeon calmly.

“If he dies, it’s not my fault—it’s yours.”

Zhuge Jo-yeon was seized by the urge to punch Yeon Mujin in the mouth.

“Physician Shim has arrived!”

Physician Shim, summoned by the lord of Solitary Cloud Manor, entered the martial hall. He was one of Shanxi’s renowned doctors, famed for detoxification techniques—and he’d already been promised a large sum on the way here.

‘The Zhuge Family’s young Lord must not live. Absolutely not.’

Solitary Cloud Manor had instructed that if necessary the young master should be done away with. Physician Shim had accepted the request; a wealthy client’s wish was not to be refused.

“Where’s the patient?”

Putting on the air of a physician burning with duty, he searched the hall.

In one corner, among the Zhuge Family’s white-robed group, lay a collapsed young warrior. His complexion was sallow, breathing faint.

Physician Shim hurried over. The patient’s condition looked grave enough that no venomous measures were needed—fortunate for Shim.

“Everyone, step back! This is Physician Shim of the Hundred Herbs Clinic!”

But beside the collapsed man, a mangy-looking fellow sat cross-legged like a stray dog.

‘There was no mention of this. Who is that guy?’

Sitting there clutching the patient’s hand, not taking a pulse—an odd sight. Maybe another physician. Shim couldn’t allow his reward to be grabbed.

Feigning righteous outrage, he cried out, “Get your hands off my patient right now!”

The more theatrical the action, the better—it would make the grief more convincing when announcing the death.

He shoved the mangy fellow aside and took the patient’s pulse.

“…?”

Then he checked for breath under the nose.

“…?”

Finally he loosened the chest cloth and pressed his ear to the left side of the chest.

“…?”

The Zhuge warriors gathered, waiting for his verdict.

“Physician, how is he?”

There should have been nothing to discuss—his heart had stopped. But Physician Shim launched into his performance, bending his head low so his expression couldn’t be read, and made his voice as mourning as possible.

“The Zhuge Family’s young Lord… has… passed away…”

Gasps rippled through the hall. Physician Shim glanced at his employer and saw the overseer’s slight disappointment.

“You bastard! How dare you, not even a real doctor, lay hands on the patient!”

Shim grabbed the mangy fellow by the scruff, dragging him to the patient’s side.

“Look at this! This patient is dead because of you. It’s as if you killed him! Open your eyes and look properly! If I’d been here earlier, I could have saved him…!”

A flawless performance, if he said so himself. If he could pin everything on this bewildered man, the rest would be easy.

“Damn.”

Physician Shim thought he misheard.

“The old man is barking like crazy. He’s got an upset stomach, so pipe down a bit.”

“W-what?”

“You, open your eyes and look. Does this look like a dead man to you?”

He checked the pulse, the breath, the heart—no physician could revive a dead man, not even Hua Tuo or Bian Que.

“I stake the reputation of the Hundred Herbs Clinic—this man is certainly dead! How dare you brazenly kill someone and then shout…”

Phew!

At that moment, the collapsed Zhuge Kwan sprang up, spitting black blood.

Physician Shim stumbled back, stunned.

“Eldest Young Lord!”

“Hyung!”

The Zhuge warriors streamed forward.

“How…? I was sure he was dead…?”

Physician Shim stood frozen, disbelief on his face.

Yeon Mujin left Shim and approached the trembling Zhuge Jo-yeon, patting his shoulder.

“That was the exact timing for the blood-extraction technique. He woke at the right moment.”

“…hyung—will he live?”

“I pulled all the poison out. He should be fine.”

Yeon Mujin glanced at the Dragon Eye Pearl in his hand; it was stained jet black—a testament to how virulent the poison had been. He felt queasy, but the procedure had worked.

“Hyung!”

Zhuge Jo-yeon rushed to Zhuge Kwan.

“Now it’s time to repay the karma that brought things to this state, right?”

Yeon Mujin clenched the blackened pearl like a dark orb and fixed his gaze on one man—the one who had commissioned the poisoning and feigned ignorance.

Un Ji-kang, smiling on the surface while raising a hundred vipers beneath, met Yeon Mujin’s stare. His face hardened.

What are you staring at? This time it’s your turn.

Suddenly, Yeon Mujin hurled the Dragon Eye Pearl at Un Ji-kang.

Shaaak!

The black-stained pearl flew toward Un Ji-kang like a dagger, terrifyingly fast.