Chapter 3: This is Sane (2)

Morning.

At the top floor of a nine-story pavilion, a short distance from the Moyong Clan.

“…Finally, the day has come.”

An old Taoist with a long white beard, resembling an immortal, the Martial Alliance Leader and Kunlun Sect Leader, [Supreme True Lord], gazed at the morning sun and let out a long sigh.

“The day Miss Moyong becomes an adult. Exactly twenty years since she was born into this world.”

He looks down from the pavilion.

“…The day death begins to come for those afflicted with the Nine Yin Severed Meridians.”

The Moyong Clan’s front yard is bustling with people from early morning.

“They’re all wearing masks on their faces.”
“Master, how can you call them masks?”

Behind Supreme True Lord, an elegant black-haired woman, his disciple, stands and asks.

“Jinhyeon, my disciple.”
“Yes, Master.”
“Could you, on the day of your death, ask everyone to smile and celebrate it?”
“…”

The woman, Jinhyeon, silently shakes her head.

“Indeed. It’s not easy. It’s the same for Miss Moyong. Even the heavens seem to know, as the sky is strikingly clear, with hardly a cloud in sight.”
“Do you find it regrettable?”
“I do. Death is always regrettable. What about you?”
“Is this the lament of the Kunlun Sect Leader or the Martial Alliance Leader?”
“…”

At Jinhyeon’s question, Supreme True Lord quietly closes his eyes.

“It’s a difficult thing. Mediating conflicts between officials and senior Taoists taught me the art of handling affairs, which led me to a position overseeing the entire martial world.”
“The direct heir of the Moyong Clan is dying. Many branch members will vie for the clan leader’s seat.”
“Indeed. That’s why they can smile, even if it’s hypocritical. The person herself asked them to smile, not cry.”

Martial Alliance Leader Supreme True Lord places a hand on his chest.

“I, too, must wear such a mask in front of them. Hide my sorrow and celebrate death with a smile. That’s politics, the role of the alliance leader.”
“…”

“So, my disciple, in this moment, not as the Kunlun Sect Leader or the Martial Alliance Leader, but as a person mourning a life, and as a father who has already lost a daughter, I wish to offer my condolences to the Sword Saint and his daughter.”

Supreme True Lord clasps his hands as if in prayer.

“May you forget all the pains of this life.”

Tears stream down Supreme True Lord’s face.

“And live a full life in the next. …Ha. A great star of the martial world falls before it can bloom.”

Because today is the day Moyong Seol dies.

“…The daughter of the greatest under heaven, who defeated the Heavenly Demon without spilling a drop of blood.”
“From a martial world perspective, isn’t it fortunate she’s dying?”
“Perhaps.”

Martial Alliance Leader Supreme True Lord slowly opens his eyes.

“If she lived, countless men would wage bloody battles to claim that flower.”

There’s the fastest way to be killed in this world.

It’s a form of suicide, but if you’re too afraid to take your own life, there’s a method to be killed faster than anyone.

Speak ill of the Sword Saint’s daughter in his presence.

“Oh no, she won’t live long due to the Nine Yin Severed Meridians, what a pity.”

That kind of talk is fine.
No matter the intention, Sword Saint Moyong Cheon is a man of character, the epitome of a righteous martial artist.

“Please give me your daughter.”

That’s dangerous.
“Before she dies, I’ll give Miss Moyong an unforgettable night…”

Slash.

A rising talent from the Jeomchang Sect was beheaded for saying such a thing.

It nearly sparked a full-scale war between the Jeomchang Sect and the Moyong Clan, but fortunately, it was resolved as the individual disciple’s misdeed.

“Since she’s going to die anyway, let’s use Moyong Seol to do XX.”

Saying that in front of Moyong Cheon is common knowledge in the martial world to result in immediate death.

I committed that sin.
Since she was going to die anyway, I spent a night with Moyong Seol.

Even though it wasn’t my desire but Moyong Seol’s own wish, I agreed to her proposal.

I was prepared to die.
After Moyong Seol’s birthday passed and she died, I was a dead man anyway.

“You let Moyong Seol die like that. The cause being the Nine Yin Severed Meridians? Unforgivable.”

By the mad Heavenly Demon.

To survive, I should have defiled and assassinated Moyong Seol, then shocked Moyong Cheon by saying, “The Demonic Cult’s assassin killed her.”

But I didn’t.

Whether I succeeded or failed, I was going to die anyway, so I thought I’d at least stir some trouble for the Demonic Cult that kidnapped me and implanted deadly poison.

“Keep taking this medicine, disciple. It will suppress the poison’s activity and curb your blind loyalty to the Demonic Cult.”

I had my master’s help.
My master, the Demonic Healer, settled in the Moyong Clan and developed medicine to suppress my brainwashing.

She’s gone now.
The Demonic Cult’s bastards came to the Moyong Clan and killed her.

There’s nowhere to escape.
Even if I fled to Haedong, I’d die.

If so, I’d rather die by the Sword Saint’s hand.

They say the Sword Saint’s blade is so swift and precise that the dead don’t even realize they’ve been cut.

So, I resolved to die by the Sword Saint’s hand.

And as a man, I decided to embrace the woman I loved, even just once, on the last day of Moyong Seol’s life, joining her in her defiance.

If it got out, I’d die.
If I woke up, I’d die.
I’d be dragged to a place Moyong Seol couldn’t see and killed.

Or killed immediately after Moyong Seol’s death.

I imagined the worst possible morning.

But the horror I imagined was nothing compared to this.

“Physician Seok Muwol.”
“Yes, Clan Leader.”

Physician Seok Muwol.
My name and my title as a physician.
And the one I call Clan Leader is, of course, the head of the Moyong Clan—Sword Saint Moyong Cheon.

“How is my daughter’s condition?”

He speaks from behind me.
I’m seated, and he stands still behind me, asking.

In a position where he could kill me at any moment.

But he doesn’t, because I’m sitting right beside Moyong Seol’s bed.

“D-Dad… Ahem, Father.”

And because the woman whose wrist I’m holding to check her pulse is his daughter, Moyong Seol.

“Thanks to the physician, I’m alive. Why are you interrogating him like that?”
“Interrogating? Seol, it’s not like that.”

The greatest Sword Saint is flustered by his daughter’s words.
Having lived here for three years, I can clearly tell the Sword Saint is deeply confused.

Since he hasn’t killed me yet.

“Clan Leader, as you already know, her body temperature has surpassed normal levels.”
“Keep reporting.”
“Her heartbeat is accelerating, her complexion is rosy, and warmth flows from her hands.”
“Isn’t that because she’s holding hands with the physician?”

Moyong Seol smiles shyly.
That smile makes my heart race, but it nearly stops under the pressure I feel from behind before barely resuming.

It’s no joke.
The Sword Saint is subtly emitting killing intent, directed only at me.

“In my opinion, no matter how I look at it, the Nine Yin Severed Meridians… seem to have subsided. Theoretically, since the condition is caused by excessive yin energy suppressing the blood vessels—”
“In simple terms.”

Grip.

“Are you saying that because you took my daughter’s virginity, her blood vessels normalized?”

The Sword Saint’s right hand lands on my shoulder.

“As a result, yes.”
“…It’s a pity your master, the Demonic Healer White Mask, isn’t here.”

Crush.

“If she were alive, I could have entrusted her with the examination.”

It hurts.
Really.

“Yes. You slept with my daughter.”

It looks like he’s just resting his hand, but it feels like his inner energy is piercing my shoulder like thorns.

“From midnight to dawn.”

It’s not intentional—probably.

“Just the two of you, naked.”

If it were intentional, my shoulder would already be crushed.

“N-No, Father.”

Moyong Seol swats his hand away.

“Seol?”
“Don’t do that.”
“Ahem, fine. I acted unbecomingly…”
“That’s where I scratched him last night.”
“…”

Is this woman trying to get me killed?

Now that she’s cured, am I no longer useful, so she’s trying to have her father kill me?

“The physician’s ‘treatment’ hurt at first… but then my body started heating up… heh heh.”

At least, judging by the way she holds my hands tightly with a blushing smile, that doesn’t seem to be her intention.

“Thanks to him, I didn’t spit blood this morning.”
“…”

“So, Father, Physician Seok… is my lifesaver.”

Moyong Seol pulls my hand.

“Don’t keep getting angry at him. I know why you’re upset, but I’m the one who asked him to do it.”
“Seol.”
“If you’re going to report anyone to the authorities, report me.”

Moyong Seol clasps her hands, offering them to the Sword Saint as if to be bound.

“I’m the one who violated Physician Seok.”
“Seol!”
“Should I be more direct? I forced Physician Seok, who kept refusing, onto the bed and then—”
“Miss Moyong.”

I grab her hand.

“How could you call yourself a criminal?”
“Physician, but—”
“When a man and woman fall for each other and share their feelings, it’s not an act forced by anyone.”

That’s how it was.
If I had resisted to the end, Moyong Seol would have quietly returned to her room.

“If I did anything wrong, it was not speaking up sooner.”
“Physician…”

Honestly, I didn’t plan to go this far, but my shoulder hurt like h*ll.

“I believe this isn’t a momentary improvement. As a physician and as a man, I want Miss Moyong to keep living.”
“Then I’ll need continuous checkups.”

Crush.

“You’ll keep checking on me, right?”

Moyong Seol holds my hand tightly.

“You’ll keep ‘treating’ me, right?”

Not letting go.

“Of course, Miss. Until my last breath, I’ll stay by your side.”

I don’t know what expression he’s making behind me.
I don’t want to know.

“…Physician.”

The Sword Saint stands beside me, his voice sounding like he’s suppressing something.

“Thank you. Truly.”

“?!”

The Sword Saint bows to me in gratitude.

“I thought it was my daughter’s last day, but you’ve let me see her face glow with life for the first time.”
“Well…”

His words are subtle.
As if she’s not fully cured.

“Of course. As you said, we need to keep monitoring.”
“Father.”
“Seol, I don’t want to think this way either. But… it’s the Nine Yin Severed Meridians.”

I understand what he’s thinking.

“It’s an incurable disease. Even if she’s better now, she could spit blood and collapse again.”

As a father, he wants to believe the illness is cured, but the martial knowledge of a transcendent master—the common sense of martial artists—is causing him anxiety.

Return of light before death.

What if this vitality is her final burst of yang energy?
What if the Nine Yin Severed Meridians gave her one last day?

Since I share that worry, I couldn’t say anything rashly.

“Let’s keep watch. For now… the banquet must proceed. A feast for your birthday.”

The Sword Saint turns his gaze to the window.

“A coming-of-age ceremony in the fullness of yang energy at noon—”

Crunch.

“…You’ve already held your own coming-of-age ceremony, so while not official, privately, it’s a day to celebrate your birth.”

The Sword Saint smiles while grinding his teeth.

“Daughter, is there anything you wish for? I’ll send someone to get it, or I’ll go myself.”
“Then.”

Moyong Seol, without any malice, gathers her hair with a radiant smile.

“For my coming-of-age and birthday gift… I’d like a hairpin.”
“…”

A hairpin.
In the past, a woman wearing a hairpin was like using jewelry to signify her status.

Married.
A symbol of being someone’s woman.

“…”

Drip.

Did he bite his tongue, or clench his lips too hard?

“Al… right.”

A drop of blood drips from the Sword Saint’s mouth as he turns away.