Chapter 38

Voices filled with worry and concern erupted from all corners of the Hyunjeong Hall.

At that moment.

Bang!

The door to the Hyunjeong Hall burst open, and a person entered.

It was Han Seol-hwa.

Whoosh.

Standing at the center of the swirling cold air, she gazed at Nam Gung Baek with a composed look in her eyes.

"Order your subordinates to stand down."

Her voice, unlike the first time they met, was chillingly cold. Taken aback, Nam Gung Baek hesitated for a moment before Han Seol-hwa fully unleashed her aura.

Crack.

The white frost that began at his feet quickly spread across the floor, then rapidly covered the pillars and walls.

"Cough!"

At that moment, a few martial artists inside the Hyunjeong Hall coughed up blood.

Nam Gung Baek hurriedly issued an order.

"Everyone, retreat outside!"

"But, Lord Alliance Leader!"

"Hurry!"

At Nam Gung Baek's stern command, all the martial artists disappeared outside the Hyunjeong Hall.

Once they were alone, Han Seol-hwa quietly spoke.

"If you threaten that child again..."

She continued, looking at the tense Nam Gung Baek.

"I will have my name added to the list of the Ten Great Evils."

"......!"

Han Seol-hwa turned and left after saying that.

Nam Gung Baek stared at where she had disappeared, then sighed deeply.

"Was she not Tai Tai Xian, but Hu Kou Tai Tai (Tiger Mouth Lady)...?"

At this moment, she felt like a female ghost who brought disaster wherever she went.

* * *

Upon returning to the annex, Dan Aksun immediately sought out Feng Jinsheng.

She wanted to explain the cause and reason of the illness she had discovered and discuss the treatment plan.

"Recovery of the blood is necessary. To do this, we need to activate the innate qi."

"But won't the balance be further tilted if we awaken the innate qi?"

Feng Jinsheng nodded at Nam Gung Baek's concern.

"I plan to purge the impurities in the blood with a powerful yang elixir, all at once. If we don't, even if the treatment seems to work initially, the illness will recur over time."

"It's too dangerous. It could be like trying to catch a mouse and burning down the house. Especially in her current weakened state, the energy of the elixir itself could become toxic..."

"Yes, regulating the yang energy is key."

Feng Jinsheng shook his head.

"It's not just that... the gap between the time the elixir is absorbed and the time its effects manifest is too large. How will we deal with any side effects that occur?"

He also mentioned another reason.

"Even if her condition improves, there will still be a problem. It will take a considerable amount of time to restore the balance of yin and yang, which is heavily skewed. In her current state, she absolutely cannot endure it."

"What if we can adapt to the changes in yin and yang?"

"As I already said, no elixir can..."

"It's impossible with an elixir, but it's possible with people."

Feng Jinsheng suddenly realized something.

The gazes of the two people turned to Fan Jiwei and Han Seol-hwa.

"Two of you, if you help, I think it's possible."

Han Seol-hwa would protect the internal organs and meridians with yin energy, while Fan Jiwei would burn away all the toxins inside the body with yang energy.

At the intense gazes of the two people, Chao Aklang suddenly felt a sense of foreboding.

"Can I trust them?"

Dan Aksun smiled brightly at the worried Chao Aklang.

"Don't worry too much. I'm here, after all."

"I trust Doctor Dan, of course. The problem is with these two."

"There's no other way now. We have to trust each other."

Chao Aklang sighed.

Since Dan Aksun had said this much, he couldn't just back out.

At this moment, Feng Jinsheng spoke.

"Now, the most important issue remains."

The gazes of the group turned to Feng Jinsheng.

"Since we're doing such a difficult task, what would be a suitable reward?"

Feng Jinsheng smiled.

Fan Jiwei shouted loudly, as if he had realized something.

"Elixirs!"

Feng Jinsheng nodded.

"Not just that, but we also need a substantial amount of treatment fees."

He was already aware of the friction between Nam Gung Baek and the group.

"We need to take everything they have."

Chao Aklang agreed with Fan Jiwei.

"Of course. In the world, Doctor Dan is the only one who can treat this illness."

* * *

Nam Gung Baek, who was listening to the report, gripped the armrest of his chair.

Crack.

The sturdy zitan wood was crushed under his grip. Still, his anger did not subside, and he glared at the woman bowing below the dais.

"So? You couldn't find him?"

The leader of the Thousand Mile Pavilion, Zhuge Yan, bowed her head.

"I apologize. We have mobilized all our resources, but more time is needed. He has been missing for a long time..."

Seeing Nam Gung Baek's disappointment, Zhuge Yan bit her lip.

'Is this really what I should be doing?'

It was a very personal matter for the Alliance, and she had felt uncomfortable doing it all along.

However, she had to endure it for the sake of the relationship between the families.

She hid her true feelings and looked at Nam Gung Baek with a determined gaze.

"I will find him, no matter what."

Nam Gung Baek silently nodded in response.

Zhuge Yan left, and Nam Gung Baek drank the cold tea. He drank three cups in succession, but the burning in his chest remained.

The person who had presented the bed made of Qinghua Silver Jade.

His anger towards the leader of the Flying Dragon Trading Company.

Ten years ago, when the man first came to him, he offered a vast fortune in exchange for protection of his interests in Anhui Province. He then used his cunning to push out other trading companies in Anhui, including several that had close ties with the Nam Gung family.

The Nam Gung family remained silent during their conflicts.

Partly because they had already received a vast fortune, but also because the Flying Dragon Trading Company had taken care of them more diligently than their existing interests.

However, during the time Nam Gung Baek became the Alliance Leader and was slightly negligent about family matters, this incident occurred. The owner of the trading company had already changed, and the man had vanished without a trace.

Nam Gung Baek was seething.

At that moment, Yang Bulwei, the leader of the Heavenly Heaven Hall, spoke.

"The head of the Jinsheng Clan of the Qingcheng Sect requests an audience."

Nam Gung Baek nodded silently, and soon the door to the Hyunjeong Hall opened, and Feng Jinsheng entered.

"Feng Jinsheng of the Jinsheng Clan of the Qingcheng Sect pays respects to the Alliance Leader."

Feng Jinsheng maintained his usual courteous demeanor.

"I hear there was a small misunderstanding."

"Misunderstanding? Was it a misunderstanding?"

Nam Gung Baek chuckled.

However, he didn't continue the conversation about it.

The more he thought about it, the more it hurt his pride, so he didn't want to mention it again. Instead, he asked about his daughter's condition.

"Xiang, how is that child?"

"That's exactly why I came to see you, Alliance Leader."

Feng Jinsheng's words brought a hint of hope to Nam Gung Baek's face.

"I have determined a treatment plan."

"Is it possible to treat her?"

"While I can't guarantee the outcome, one thing is certain."

"......?"

"It is the only way to save her."

"I trust you, Clan Head! Please save that child!"

Feng Jinsheng looked at Nam Gung Baek with a vague smile.

"I will convey your words as they are."

"What do you mean by that?"

"As you know, the person in charge of the treatment is not me. My fellow doctors and I will only assist from the side, while the overall treatment depends on Master Guchou."

Feng Jinsheng continued.

"Normally, Master Guchou would come here to explain the treatment process, but he is currently researching the treatment method. So, I came in his place."

Nam Gung Baek waved his hand.

"Please save her! I will never forget this favor."

"Favor? It's just what a doctor should do."

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Actually, I have a request for the Alliance Leader."

Feng Jinsheng explained the general treatment plan. Of course, he substituted the martial arts parts involving Fan Jiwei and Han Seol-hwa with other content.

He particularly emphasized the need for elixirs during the process.

"Elixirs..."

Feng Jinsheng took out a piece of paper he had prepared and handed it over.

One of the Heavenly Heaven Hall's martial artists received the paper and passed it to Nam Gung Baek.

As Nam Gung Baek read the densely packed list of medicinal ingredients, he suddenly gasped.

At first, the list contained common ingredients, but as he read on, it included elixirs that would cause a stir in the martial world.

"Thousand-year-old Tianyin Snow Lotus Fruit and ginseng over a thousand years old..."

The list also included the Shaolin Great Revival Pill, the Huashan Zixiao Pill, and the Wudang Taqing Pill. Each of these alone could cause a commotion in the martial world.

However, the real problem was something else.

A single word written on the last line.

"Kongqing Shiyu?"

While Nam Gung Baek was perplexed, Feng Jinsheng calmly replied.

"If we can obtain it, the success rate of this treatment will increase by more than ten percent."

While Nam Gung Baek was pondering, someone spoke up cautiously.

"Alliance Leader."

Sagong Yun, the leader of the Qinghua Pavilion, which was responsible for the Alliance's financial planning and execution.

"The elixirs requested by Clan Head Feng are strategic assets that are only approved through a rigorous process in special cases. Please be cautious in your decision..."

Nam Gung Baek raised his hand to cut him off.

"These medicines are for my personal use, so I will use the Nam Gung family's assets to obtain them."

Sagong Yun seemed to have been waiting for these words and immediately retreated. Seeing this, Nam Gung Baek turned to Feng Jinsheng and asked.

"What is the original success rate?"

"Fifty percent."

"Only?"

The fifty-fifty chance made Nam Gung Baek's eyebrows twitch.

However, Feng Jinsheng calmly replied.

"Even that would be impossible for anyone else."

"I understand."

Nam Gung Baek made his decision.

"I will do whatever it takes to provide them."

When it comes to his daughter's life, even a ten percent difference is significant.

"Please save Xiang, that child."