Chapter 7

Faber in Sachun Tang Family - Chapter 8 (7/187)

Reverse Interview 3

I was quite surprised to learn that the old man from Cholsan knew medicine, so I asked the Tang Family warrior as I followed the village chief to his house.

From what I had heard while living together, the Sachun Tang Family was a clan in Sachun that practiced martial arts.

However, their specialty was unusual—it was poison, right?

In other words, it was a clan that studied and honed the methods of killing people with poison.

It felt like some legendary clan of assassins.

That's why my reverse interview score had been dropping quite a bit.

If the Tang Family was also skilled in medicine, it seemed I could learn medicine instead of the terrifying methods of killing people with poison.

Even if it was a niche field, I could focus on that.

After all, it's up to the person to choose their path, right?

'Tang Family's medical expertise. Choi Gon-de?'

So, when I looked at the Tang Family warrior with a questioning expression, he smiled and answered.

He seemed to really want me to join the Tang Family, as he answered my rare question with great enthusiasm.

"The Tang Family's martial arts involve poison, so we are also skilled in medicine. Medicine and poison are closely related, after all. And martial arts start with understanding the body, so we have some knowledge of medicine.

To harm someone else's body, you need to understand the body well.

In our case, the Sachun Tang Family needs to understand how poison reacts in the human body, so we sometimes inject it into captured criminals. Therefore, we are naturally more knowledgeable about medicine than other clans."

"Ah... I see?"

The warriors were trying to recruit me into the Sachun Tang Family, so they were even using honorifics.

However, after hearing his explanation, the image of the Sachun Tang Family in my mind became that of a crazy clan that studied the human body to kill people and even conducted human experiments.

They were even a psychopathic clan that aimed for mass murder using poison.

'They study the human body to kill people well... Reverse interview score -50 points. Crazy human experiments -100 points. Completely a psychopathic clan. But, public support +3 points.'

In the end, except for the flying lightness technique and public support, the reverse interview score for the Sachun Tang Family was only dropping.

While I was evaluating the Sachun Tang Family in my mind, we arrived at the village chief's house.

The old man from Cholsan placed his hand on the child's chest and did something, and the child's rapidly beating heart calmed down, and the child let out a deep breath.

-Phew...

The old man from Cholsan had somehow revived the child.

Wiping his forehead, he said to the village chief,

"I've put some internal energy into the child's body to prevent the breath from stopping."

"Thank you! Black... She's my only granddaughter, please save her."

However, the old man examined the village chief's granddaughter for a while and had a puzzled look on his face.

"That's strange. It's an irregular heartbeat."

"What, what is that?"

'An irregular heartbeat, a heart condition?'

I hadn't learned medicine, but as someone who specialized in poisons and venomous insects in my previous life, I had some knowledge of medicine.

So, I had a bit of an idea from the old man's explanation.

"It means the heart is not beating properly. Has it been like this since the child was born?"

'Ah, so you're asking if it's a heart condition.'

"Of course. It's been about half a year, and suddenly people started falling ill and ended up like this. We call it a strange disease. That's why I told you to turn back at the village entrance."

Even though the Yao people were relatively kind, they had been cold to us because of the village's troubles. The old man from Cholsan nodded and replied,

"It doesn't seem contagious, so it should be fine. However, to save the child, I need to examine other people as well. Can you gather those who are suffering from the same strange disease?"

"Understood!"

There was no infectious disease in my knowledge that affected the heart, so I was slightly relieved.

Following the village chief's instructions, the sick people gathered in front of the village chief's house, and the old man from Cholsan began to examine the patients, taking a considerable amount of time.

However, after examining all the patients and writing down their symptoms, the old man from Cholsan shook his head with a puzzled look.

"There's lethargy, swelling in the eyes, irregular heartbeat, and a mild fever, but the symptoms are not the same. The ones with severe symptoms all seem to have heart problems, which is quite strange."

Some were lethargic and had a fever, some had an irregular heartbeat and swollen eyes, and those with severe symptoms all had heart problems.

The village chief asked with a fearful expression,

"Can't it be cured!?"

"I'll write down a good medicine for the heart, so can you gather the ingredients quickly? Let's try the medicine."

However, as someone who had learned medicine, the old man from Cholsan avoided giving a definitive answer and said he would try to treat it.

Since he didn't know the cause, he seemed to be planning to treat the symptoms.

But the village chief saw this as hope and called the villagers to gather herbs.

"Everyone, gather! The doctor said to find herbs!"

***

The reason I couldn't just pass by someone else's business.

It was because seeing the sick girl reminded me of Hwaeun in Sachun.

"I'm sorry, Father. I've become a disobedient daughter."

After failing to practice martial arts and being poisoned, her face had turned pale as she apologized.

Her face came to mind, and I couldn't just leave.

So, Tang Cholsan examined the child with utmost care.

He understood the pain of a parent whose child or grandchild was sick better than anyone.

While taking care of the child, he made medicine and washed the eyes of those with eye problems and applied medicine.

He made and gave antipyretics to those with a fever.

After examining all the patients, it was getting dark.

One of the Tang Family warriors approached and offered a wet towel.

"Lord, please wipe your face. You've worked hard."

"Thank you. Gopa."

"No problem."

The person who handed the towel was Gopa, the deputy leader of the Poison Blood Squad.

He was a person of excellent character and respected by the Tang Family warriors.

He had stayed here because he was injured while trying to save other warriors who were in danger during the capture of the Green-Banded King.

"By the way, how about the young man?"

"Oh, he fell asleep after helping, so I put him to bed."

"Yes, it must have been tough for him to travel with us for a few days without practicing martial arts. So, what do you think of the young man after observing him for a few days?"

Tang Cholsan asked Gopa about Wuxiaolong.

He wanted to know the young man's character, not just his talent, so he had asked Gopa to observe his personality for a few days.

Since he would be his son-in-law, his character was as important as his talent.

"Since the young man isn't officially part of our Sachun Tang Family yet, can I be honest?"

"Of course."

Tang Cholsan nodded, and Gopa began to talk about his impressions of the young man.

"First, he was an orphan who lived alone in this Hainan forest, raising venomous creatures. He's a remarkable person. It's natural for someone his age to miss people."

"Yes, the young man is indeed remarkable."

"Yes, but if you ask if his character is as sharp as other remarkable people in the martial world, it's not. He's not ordinary, but he doesn't seem to have a cruel or vicious character."

"From the fact that he released some of the venomous creatures he raised before coming here, it's clear he's not cruel. So, he should be a suitable son-in-law, right?"

Gopa bowed his head in response to Tang Cholsan's question.

"Yes, but I'm worried about..."

Tang Cholsan tilted his head in confusion when Gopa said he was worried about something after saying it was fine.

"What's the problem? You just said it was fine."

"It's his potential..."

Tang Cholsan also knew.

The young man was now fourteen or fifteen.

It was a bit late to start practicing martial arts, and his own potential wasn't very good.

However, Hwaeun was there for martial arts, and the young man's value wasn't in martial arts, so he shook his head.

With the young man's talent alone, he could potentially elevate the Tang Family's martial arts to a new level.

No, he would definitely elevate it.

"Don't worry. The young man's value isn't in that. Didn't we all see the venomous creatures he raised?"

"Still... As a match for the young lady, it would be better if he was outstanding in many ways..."

"Hehe, you're being greedy. Anyone would think you're Hwaeun's father."

"Sorry, Lord."

Gopa's words were all out of concern for the Tang Family and Hwaeun.

Tang Cholsan smiled, knowing how much Gopa cared about the Tang Family and Hwaeun.

After thinking about the Tang Family and Hwaeun, his gaze turned to the girl who was still unconscious.

"This girl is a big problem."

He had given her antipyretics to reduce her fever and a medicine to boost her energy, but he hadn't found the root cause.

If the heart problem wasn't solved, the irregular heartbeat would return.

If he left, he couldn't guarantee the girl's life.

"Did you not find the cause?"

"I have no idea. As you know, few people in the Tang Family have read as many medical texts as I have. I've never seen or heard of such a disease."

"We can't stay here indefinitely, so this is a big problem?"

"Yes. Would you like to check her?"

Out of hope, he had Gopa examine her, but Gopa shook his head after checking her pulse.

"I have no idea either."

In the end, they couldn't think of any solutions.

It was now completely dark, and even fireflies were flying in from outside.

"I should check on my son-in-law. With these fireflies flying in, it's quite hot here, and there are as many insects as in the Yunnan forest."

"I'll accompany you. This way. You, take care of the young lady."

"Yes, Deputy Leader."

After entrusting the young lady to another warrior, they went to check on the sleeping son-in-law.

In the flickering light, the young son-in-law was sleeping.

Tang Cholsan was looking at his sleeping face with a pleased expression when...

-Splat.

A firefly flew in and landed on the son-in-law's forehead, slowly crawling across his cheek toward his lips.

'No, that thing!'

If the son-in-law was bitten by the insect, it would be a big problem.

There were many unknown venomous insects in Hainan.

So, Tang Cholsan quickly ran to the son-in-law and slapped the insect away with all his strength.

-Smack!

He couldn't forgive the insect for daring to bite his son-in-law.

"Kyaah!"

However, in his haste to catch the insect, he forgot that it was crawling on the son-in-law's cheek.

The son-in-law woke up, grabbed his red cheek, and looked at Tang Cholsan with a resentful expression.

"What's going on!? Ouch, it hurts!"

Being slapped in the middle of the night would be both surprising and resentful.

Tang Cholsan scratched his head and replied.

"I'm sorry. There was an insect crawling on your cheek, and I caught it without thinking."

"No, sir. You caught the insect, but you hit me first. Ouch, my cheek."

"I'm really sorry. A big insect was crawling on your cheek, and I hit it without thinking. Look, it's a big insect, isn't it?"

To defend himself, Tang Cholsan showed the insect he had caught, which was still stuck to his palm.

Fortunately, the son-in-law's resentful gaze turned to the insect.

However, something strange happened.

The son-in-law, who had just woken up with blurry eyes, suddenly opened them wide and brought his face close to the insect still on Tang Cholsan's palm.

He then pulled Tang Cholsan's hand to the lamp and asked in surprise.

"This, this? Why are these things here!?"

It seemed to be an insect that shouldn't be there.

Tang Cholsan asked cautiously.

"What kind of insect is this?"

The son-in-law looked up at Tang Cholsan and answered.

"Kiss... I mean... In the Central Plains, what should I call it? Ah! Yes! Kissing Bug! This is a Kissing Bug, sir."

"Kissing Bug?"

A bug that kisses.

Tang Cholsan's eyes widened at the lewd name of the insect.

The name of the insect was quite lewd, after all.