Chapter 236
“…What?”
Chris looked Ella squarely in the eyes and continued.
“The Yi Sun Qi Gong you unleashed on the sect leader triggered the ‘Throat Gland Storm’ symptoms, which caused his current condition.”
This was earth-shattering news for the Yi Sun Sect.
“N-no way! That can’t be true!”
Ella shook her head vehemently, refusing to accept it.
“No matter how strong the Yi Sun Qi Gong is, it doesn’t cause Throat Gland Storm symptoms.”
The throat gland was a vital organ that produced substances essential for sustaining life energy.
While Yi Sun Qi Gong did activate the throat gland by boosting the body’s vitality, it never caused such a problem.
“That would be true in normal cases. But your master was already poisoned.”
“Poisoned? What do you mean?”
Ella’s expression showed disbelief.
“If your master was poisoned, it doesn’t add up. Using Yi Sun Qi Gong should have improved his condition.”
According to Chris, the Qi Gong had worsened the poisoning, which sounded absurd.
“That’s true for ordinary poison. But what if the poison was used like medicine?”
“…What does that mean?”
“Let me ask you first. How does Yi Sun Qi Gong cure poison?”
“…It neutralizes harmful substances in the body through the will to save lives.”
Ella hesitated before answering.
“Then what about substances that aren’t harmful?”
“!!”
“Wait, what really distinguishes poison from medicine?”
The same ingredient can be either a medicine or a poison depending on how it’s used.
“If medicine is used incorrectly, it becomes poison. The same goes for poison—it can sometimes act like medicine.”
Ella fell silent, and Chris went on.
“The poison that infected your master actually enhanced the activity of his throat gland. That alone wouldn’t be poison—it acted more like medicine. The problem came next.”
“…The Yi Sun Qi Gong.”
“Exactly. The Qi Gong you used caused the already overactive throat gland to go into overdrive. And you didn’t stop—you kept pouring it on.”
Ella bit her lip.
Not knowing the illness, she had kept using the Qi Gong relentlessly.
The more she did, the worse her master’s condition became—and the worse it got, the stronger the Qi Gong she used.
It was a perfect vicious cycle.
“So, what if you stop using the Qi Gong?”
“It’s too late. The throat gland storm is already in full swing. Even if you stop the Qi Gong, it won’t stop.”
“!!”
“The condition has deteriorated too far for medicine to help. It’s the worst-case scenario.”
Ella staggered.
‘I was the one who killed my master. It’s because of my shortcomings.’
On the verge of collapsing under guilt, Chris said something unexpected.
“But it’s not hopeless.”
“What do you mean?”
“We just need to remove the throat gland.”
“!!”
Ella shook her head in disbelief.
“Surgery is impossible during a throat gland storm. Touching the gland could kill him.”
The throat gland storm meant the gland was producing excessive amounts of vitality-enhancing substances.
If the gland was mishandled, it would release a flood of these substances, rapidly worsening the condition.
But—
“We can remove it without stimulating the gland.”
“…That’s even more impossible.”
No healer in the Yi Sun Sect could perform such a surgery.
“I can.”
“!!”
“Leave it to me.”
For context:
In his previous life, when Chris was known as the Divine Healer, he didn’t know Yi Sun Qi Gong.
He saved countless patients with just medicine and a single blade.
In other words, his surgical skills surpassed anyone in the Yi Sun Sect.
After much deliberation, Ella entrusted the surgery to Chris.
Leaving the life of the Yi Sun Sect’s sect leader in the hands of a mine-born was unthinkable, but there was no other choice.
No one in the Yi Sun Sect had the skill to succeed in the surgery Chris described.
‘Actually, the disciples of the Yi Sun Sect are surprisingly poor surgeons.’
Ironically, it was because of Yi Sun Qi Gong.
Most illnesses were cured with Qi Gong, so they lacked surgical experience.
“I have one condition. I want to assist in the surgery.”
Ella said this, and Chris nodded.
“Fine. But I have a condition too.”
“What is it?”
“Watch closely and learn from my surgery.”
“!!”
He was serious.
‘Ella’s skills are worse than I expected.’
She was destined to play a major role as the next sect leader during the coming calamity.
‘She wasn’t like this when I met her before.’
He intended for this surgery to be her awakening moment.
How?
Simple.
“Let’s begin.”
Chris raised his blade.
Throughout the surgery, Ella was overwhelmed with shock.
It was a treatment beyond anything she had ever imagined.
Truly on a different level—like a divine intervention.
Ella was so stunned by Chris’s surgery that she couldn’t speak.
‘Hopefully, this will be a wake-up call.’
Chris shrugged.
In any case, the surgery was a success, and the sect leader survived.
Though he hadn’t fully recovered consciousness yet.
‘Still, I’ve issued a summoning order to the disciples who broke the rules. They won’t ignore the sect leader’s command.’
The healer Miselle had been able to break the rules only because the sect leader was incapacitated.
Now that he was recovering, no one could run wild anymore.
With the Yi Sun Sect prevented from intervening in the war, they could breathe a sigh of relief.
‘Of course, it’s not over yet.’
Chris’s gaze darkened.
‘I have to take down Lion King Maximus.’
He was a troublemaker who would cause problems again and again.
This was the chance to finish him.
‘But first, I have to wrap up the Yi Sun Sect’s affairs.’
There was still business to attend to.
Just then, a knock came at the door of Chris’s resting place.
“…May I have a moment to speak?”
It was Ella.
She looked at Chris with complicated eyes, then bowed her head.
“Thank you for saving my master. You are a savior to the Yi Sun Sect.”
Her gratitude was sincere.
Chris smirked.
“Empty words? If you’ve received a favor, you should repay it.”
Ella looked slightly embarrassed but nodded.
“Of course. If there’s anything you wish for, please say it. I will repay you in any way I can.”
“Anything, really?”
“…Yes, within the power of the Yi Sun Sect.”
Ella’s face tensed, nervous about what Chris might ask.
Then he said:
“Set the Yi Sun Sect straight.”
“!!”
Ella’s expression hardened.
“You know well enough—the Yi Sun Sect is rotting from within. If you don’t fix it, the sect will collapse from the inside.”
They had just survived this crisis, but the sect leader’s remaining lifespan was short.
Ultimately, it was up to the next sect leader—Ella—to restore the sect.
“A great calamity is approaching the continent. If your sect is in this state, you won’t be able to stand against it.”
Ella looked at Chris with confused eyes, as if asking why he made such a request.
Chris just shrugged.
‘The reason is simple. The Yi Sun Sect has to become my tool.’
To stop the coming calamity, Chris couldn’t do it alone.
That was why he planned to subjugate the Poison Mage and Destruction Mage to form the Dark Alliance, and strengthen the Crusade Union externally.
The Yi Sun Sect was a core part of the Crusade Union, so it had to stand tall and true.
‘Even if only in name, it was once the sect leader’s body. I can’t just watch it rot.’
Meanwhile, Ella looked at Chris with a complicated expression.
“So, Evan oppa was right. Even as a mine-born, you carry a nobler light than anyone else.”
Chris pursed his lips.
‘No, I’m doing all this for wealth and glory.’
Though he was struggling, he hadn’t lost his original goal.
He would prevent destruction, rise to the top of the Mage Empire, and enjoy the greatest riches in the world.
‘What should I call myself? The Sloth King? Or the Greed King? Ha, both sound good. A king who’s lazy as a sloth but enjoys ultimate wealth.’
Unaware of Chris’s inner thoughts, Ella bowed her head again.
“When we first met, I misunderstood you because of your wicked appearance. I sincerely apologize.”
“…No.”
Chris shook his head reluctantly.
‘But seriously, why does my face look like this?’
Over time, his appearance had become more and more unapproachable, now radiating the aura of a villain.
The worst part was that this villainous aura combined with his handsome looks, creating a powerful synergy.
You know the type from novels—the hidden mastermind with a dark presence.
Anyway, Chris made his next request.
“As payment for saving the sect leader, give me the elixir.”
“!!”
Ella froze for a moment.
Chris looked tense.
‘Will she really agree?’
Though he saved the sect leader, the elixir was the Yi Sun Sect’s most precious treasure, produced only once every few decades.
But Ella gave an unexpected answer.
“Yes, I will give it to you.”
No hesitation—just acceptance.
“…Is that really okay?”
“Of course not. There’s only one elixir left in the Yi Sun Sect. That’s why the sect leader refused to use it on himself.”
Ella spoke calmly.
“But I believe that someone who carries such a noble light as you will use the elixir more meaningfully than anyone else.”
Chris felt a bit embarrassed.
“You keep calling it noble, noble—it’s a bit embarrassing. It’s not like that. Well, if it makes you feel better, I suppose there’s no harm in the misconception.”
Anyway, if things hadn’t gone well, I was even prepared to resort to thievery. So this outcome was a relief.
“Besides the elixir, there’s something else I want to give you.”
“What is it?”
“It’s the secret manual of our Uiseon family—the Uiseon Gyeong.”
Chris’s eyes widened in surprise.
It was the Uiseon family’s most treasured secret manual!
Containing the essence of their core medical techniques.
“Why me?”
“Because of the will of the revived you carry within.”
Ella continued her explanation.
“Traditionally, when someone emerges bearing the will of a Level 10 revived, our Uiseon family honors them as a Medical Sage. But since you’re a minein, we can’t bestow that title on you. And I’m sure you wouldn’t want it either.”
“So instead, you’re giving me the Uiseon Gyeong?”
Ella nodded.
“I’m not sure if this is the right choice. But I trust what you showed me that day at Minus Pond.”
“…I see.”
“Just don’t get your hopes up too high. Since you can’t use Uiseon energy cultivation, it will only help deepen your medical skills to some extent.”
No.
This Uiseon Gyeong was a secret manual that would help Chris more than anything else.
‘Now, I’ll finally be able to perform the “Miracle of Uiseon.”’