Chapter 7: Treatment of varicose veins (2)

“Welcome. It’s your first time in this annex, isn’t it?”
“Indeed. I’ve never set foot here before.”

Starfall Garden.
Not a place where a star literally fell, but named after Sword Saint Moyong Cheon destroyed a training ground here with his Seven Star Sword technique and built this annex in its place.

“I lived here with my mother until I was seven. My father, my mother, and I, together.”

Moyong Seol gazes at the small courtyard, reminiscent of a quaint study hall, lost in memories.

“When my severed meridian syndrome began to manifest, I moved to the main Moyong Clan estate. Though ‘main estate’ is just a half-hour walk from here…”

The Moyong Clan estate is vast.
But even within it, a half-hour walk from Starfall Garden to the main hall means it’s quite distant.

“…”

Moyong Seol stares at a tree planted in one corner of the garden.

Beneath a towering peach tree stands a marble grave marker, solitary and stark.
In front of it lies a bouquet of flowers, neatly placed, likely this morning.

A trace of Moyong Cheon’s visit.
And the recipient of the bouquet he left before the banquet began—

“My mother’s grave marker.”

Moyong Seol’s mother.
No name is inscribed.
An unmarked stone, with no name on its back either.

“There’s no body, just the marker.”

The wife of the Moyong Clan Leader, the Sword Saint’s spouse, yet a woman whose name cannot be mentioned.

“I don’t know why Father placed a stone he carved there. But if he considers it a trace of my mother…”

Moyong Seol clasps her hands and bows before the marker.

“Mother, I’m healed. And this is the physician who cured me.”
“…I pay my respects.”

I bow toward the marker.

“I am Physician Seok Muwol. Though I never met you, I will ensure your daughter no longer suffers from severed meridian syndrome.”
“Ensure?”

Moyong Seol grabs my hand.

“Not ‘take care of’?”
“The world calls someone like you, Miss Moyong, a ‘lady.’”
“I’d prefer you call me something else.”

She interlocks her fingers with mine, gently squeezing.

“What would you call me?”
“Well… for now, my patient.”

Her expression hardens as she’s about to place a hand on my shoulder.

“What?”
“I’m not joking. The blood vessels that briefly opened are narrowing again.”
“…That.”

As I mention the return of her syndrome symptoms, Moyong Seol’s face pales.

“Then—”
“Of course, immediate treatment will fix it quickly. But… to manage your syndrome, we need to confirm one crucial piece of information.”
“…Information? I’ll do anything you ask, but what is it?”
“Yes.”

I reach toward her shoulder.

“Was it a one-time miracle, or does that act truly cure your syndrome? The theory has been tested, but further treatment and monitoring of symptoms must start now.”
“Ah, you mean the ‘public pretext’ Father mentioned.”

Public pretext.
I tried to phrase it delicately to avoid Moyong Cheon’s notice, but Moyong Seol saw through it effortlessly.

“What will you do? If you want me to say it’s unrelated, I’ll report it as such.”
“How could I lie when there’s a connection?”

Moyong Seol steps closer, embracing me.

“We’ve already become man and woman.”
“Miss.”
“Mmm. I do like you calling me that when we’re alone, but instead of ‘Miss’ all the time… hmm.”

She looks up at me, then chuckles.

“Let’s save that worry for later. Your expression’s getting stern, Physician.”
“Delaying treatment would be troublesome.”
“Got it. I’ll do as much treatment as needed, but…”

She points to the room.

“How will we do this? Whether through Father or someone sent later, don’t we have to ‘report’ it?”
“Unfortunately, yes. I didn’t mean to shame you, Miss.”
“If I cared about shame, I wouldn’t have announced to everyone that I slept with you.”

Hmm. Fair point.

“Still, isn’t it a bit much to keep talking like that?”
“I don’t like it either.”

Clutch.

“…But if it’s with you, I can talk about it all day. In front of men giving me dirty looks, and especially in front of women giving you even dirtier looks.”
“That hits home.”

I pull Moyong Seol into an embrace.

“I feel the same. That’s why I… rudely said such things to the Clan Leader.”
“Pfft, that last thing you said?”
“Yes.”
“Why’d you say it? He’s still my father-in-law.”
“Telling us to do it outside is like saying not to have children.”
“…Father, I’ll scold him later.”

Fortunately, Moyong Seol is on my side.
As long as she is, the Sword Saint can’t kill me, no matter how much he wants to.

“If Father tells you to pick up a sword or train, refuse at all costs. He’ll definitely say something like that.”
“Because a Moyong Clan son-in-law should have the strength to protect his woman?”
“Hmm, that’s sweet, but our relationship is a bit different, isn’t it?”

Standing beside me, Moyong Seol slides her hand from my waist downward.

“I’ll protect you, Physician. You just need to keep yourself safe until I come to you.”
“Hey, where’s that dangerous hand going?”
“What’s the harm? We’re engaged.”

Is it okay for a woman to tease a man like this, even if engaged?

“You can write it in the report as is. It’s just telling the truth.”
“…With some time, we could add variations.”
“Variations?”
“Yes. As the Sword Saint said, would it work outside?”
“What if the patient refuses treatment?”
“Is that what you want?”
“You know what?”

Moyong Seol opens the door, pulling me inside.

“I’ve never heard of doing it outside.”

Rustle.
Pushing me into the room, she swiftly closes the door, grabs a blanket from the wardrobe, and spreads it wide.

“It’s not a bed, but I’ll make it as close as possible. We just need to recreate it, right?”
“…Yes. We can analyze variations after treatment and monitor progress.”
“Then…”

Click.

“You just need to lie still. Hehe.”

One thing.
As a human, there’s one part I couldn’t bring myself to tell the Sword Saint.

‘I’ve never tried it outside.’

That statement.
Some might say, ‘How could you say that to your father-in-law?’ and shift uncomfortably.

“Now, lie down. You were lying down the whole time anyway, weren’t you?”
“Someone might think I stayed down on purpose.”

The Sword Saint doesn’t know.

“I couldn’t even get up.”
“Haha.”
“You’re not planning to bind me with pressure points again, are you?”
“Hmm… will you write that in the report?”
“Maybe.”
“Then, first with pressure points, then without, for comparison. If the symptoms ease without pressure points…”
“Then the positions might change too.”

He doesn’t know how dangerous his daughter is.

“Hoo.”

I lie on the blanket and point upward.

“Good thing there’s no bed.”
“Why?”
“Because you couldn’t tie my hands to a bed with cloth… wait, no.”
“It’s a recreation, a recreation~”

Moyong Seol gathers my hands, lifting them above my head.

“You came through the window at midnight, trying hard to convince me… but first, I forced it.”

I was.
Overpowered by Moyong Seol.
There was no option to ‘do it outside.’

Afternoon.
About an hour before sunset, nearing evening.

Martial Alliance Leader Supreme True Lord subtly surveys those in the reception room.

Shaolin’s Divine Monk.
The Sword Empress of Haedong Sword Pavilion.
And the masked warrior—imperial inspector Yeo Cheong.

Including himself, four of the Ten Great Masters of the world are gathered in one place.

Waiting for someone, with questions ready in their hearts.

‘I’m going insane.’

Supreme True Lord thinks.

‘I just wanted to grab some medicine and leave, but this has turned into a massive headache.’

He is the Martial Alliance Leader.
Though the Kunlun Sect Leader, Kunlun is far from the Central Plains, so his identity as the Alliance Leader is stronger.

And since the martial world’s stability ensures Kunlun’s safety, he has actively resolved conflicts and disputes in the Central Plains.

Even if he’s the lowest-ranked among the Ten Great Masters, he prides himself on reading people’s intentions, ranking among the top three in the world.

Thus, he long ago gave up his personal matter—getting ‘stomachache medicine’ from the Medicine Dragon Seok Muwol.

Step, step.
With slow footsteps, the host of the reception room arrives.

“You’ve come, Sword Saint.”

The greatest under heaven.
An unprecedented master whom even all four here, plus the Martial Alliance’s waiting masters, couldn’t defeat.

“It’s easiest to speak with the Alliance Leader. You’re the furthest from the ‘severed meridian syndrome’ issue.”

He declares he’ll speak only with the Alliance Leader and sits.

“Shaolin is worried about the Great Restoration Pill’s reputation.”
“Ahem.”
“The Sword Empress is here personally, not for Haedong Sword Pavilion. The pavilion is all-female, and though you left, many former disciples married common men and bore children with the syndrome.”
“…”

“The palace, well, they’re here for the syndrome but also to recruit Physician Seok Muwol as an imperial physician.”
“You know well, Sword Saint.”

The Alliance Leader nods at Yeo Cheong’s words.

If the Sword Saint were slightly less formidable, the Alliance Leader would have recommended him as the alliance’s strategist.

A man who had everything but a healthy daughter.

And now she’s healthy.
That’s good, but as the Alliance Leader, the tension in this room feels like something’s churning in his stomach.

‘I want to quit.’

Is there someone else to take over as Alliance Leader?
Or maybe just tell the Sword Saint to take over and rule with an iron fist.

“Alliance Leader.”
“Speak, Sword Saint.”
“The Moyong Clan has no intention of hiding the method to cure severed meridian syndrome.”
“…Truly, thank you.”

The stomachache eases slightly.

“The Namgoong Clan, the Tang Clan, and other sects have many syndrome patients. If Moyong monopolized or hid it, I’d be in a tough spot. So, what’s the method?”
“Infusing yang energy through the act between man and woman.”
“…Hah.”

The Divine Monk openly shows displeasure, and the Sword Empress blushes, clearing her throat.

“Yin-yang union is the actual method?”
“Yes.”
“…Sword Saint, if that cured the syndrome, it would’ve been cured countless times already.”
“Indeed. It seems you’ve already ‘verified’ it.”
“…Tch.”

The Alliance Leader’s stomach burns at the casual remark.

“What do you mean?”
“Alliance Leader, when I asked to meet now… no, even if I’d delayed, you’d have acted already. Because it’s you.”
“I’m flattered you think highly of me, but what did I do?”
“You’ve already contacted families in Liaodong with syndrome patients. And you got quick responses. Am I wrong?”
“…You’re correct.”

Ugh.
Why doesn’t this man just take over the alliance and be the strategist?

“The result?”
“No change. Same as always, no improvement.”
“I see.”
“So we must consider the ‘special’ case.”

Enduring the gazes of others, the Alliance Leader speaks, suppressing his churning stomach.

“Either Moyong Seol had a uniquely curable syndrome, or Seok Muwol’s yang energy can cure all syndromes.”
“Absurd.”
“If the former, there’s no hope. If the latter, there’s hope for other patients.”

Hoping against hope, the Alliance Leader, with tears in his eyes, voices what others expect.

“If Physician Seok Muwol can cure all syndrome patients, can the Moyong Clan send him across the Central Plains?”
“Alliance Leader, let me say one thing.”

The Sword Saint takes a deep breath, speaking solemnly.

“The man called the Medicine Dragon. Unmatched in medical knowledge, capable of subduing second-rate thugs with acupuncture alone despite not being a martial artist. Diligent in training, respectful to elders, courteous, and above all, a man who takes responsibility. He is…”

That’s not one thing— the Alliance Leader can’t say it.

“Physician Seok Muwol. The one who cured my daughter…”

He could guess why the Sword Saint spoke so elaborately and what the Moyong Clan’s stance would be.

“My son-in-law.”

Yet he can’t say ‘son-in-law’ to his face.

Almost said it.
The Alliance Leader swallows his words.

Instead.

“So what is that son-in-law doing now?”
“…”

Just a casual question.

Crack!
The Sword Saint, about to lift a teacup, crushes it in his grip.
Thanks to his protective aura, no blood spills, but tea drips from his hand like blood.

“My son-in-law is…”