Episode 188: The Sima Family

Exactly five days later, Tang Mujin and Hyun Gong set out for the Sima family estate to meet with Sima Zheng, the Red Flame Lord.

As they traveled, Tang Mujin turned to Hyun Gong with a question.

“Do you have any idea why they want to see me?”

“Well, it’s pretty obvious. Either the elder or you were being sought out, so it’s likely there’s a patient involved.”

“You haven’t heard anything about the patient or their symptoms?”

“That’s right.”

Hyun Gong replied in a friendly tone. After all, he had received a hefty commission for connecting Tang Mujin with the Sima family, so his response was only natural.

Of course, more than half of that commission ended up in Tang Mujin’s pocket. For him, it was a win-win situation—earning money and getting a chance to treat a patient.

The mention of a patient at the Sima family estate brought Sima Hong to mind. He was one of the two top martial artists they had subdued at the gambling den a few days ago.

However, Tang Mujin doubted that Sima Hong would be seeking his help due to any physical issues. The method they used to incapacitate him wasn’t harmful, so there was no reason for him to have any problems.

Could it be that the Sima family had discovered the identity of the intruders at the gambling den and wanted to draw Tang Mujin and his group in?

‘That doesn’t seem likely. Sima Hong was subdued so quickly that he didn’t even have a chance to see our martial arts.’

Despite all the logical reasoning, Tang Mujin couldn’t shake off a strange intuition. Was the Sima family calling him just because they needed a physician?

Hyun Gong seemed to notice the unease on Tang Mujin’s face.

“What’s bothering you?”

It wasn’t something worth explaining in detail, so Tang Mujin gave a vague response.

“I think I’ve heard something about the Sima family before, but I can’t quite remember where.”

“The Sima family is quite famous. There are many families and sects in the martial world, but none possess the high-level martial arts like the Sima family.”

“That’s not the reason I heard about them, though.”

“Well, I can’t think of anything else.”

Their conversation ended there, but the mood remained light.

The two strolled through the city of Luoyang, taking in the sights, and soon arrived at the Sima family estate.

The Sima estate wasn’t as vast as the Namgung family estate, but it was impressive enough to be called a grand family. Many people were coming and going in the vicinity.

‘It must not have been easy to secure such a large estate in Luoyang. They might even be wealthier than the Namgung family.’

What stood out most about the Sima family wasn’t the buildings but the people. Many had a reddish tint to their hair and eyebrows.

It wasn’t a bright, floral red, but more of a reddish-brown, varying slightly from person to person. It seemed that the more advanced their martial arts, the stronger the red hue became.

‘The Sima family members would stand out anywhere.’

Tang Mujin and Hyun Gong entered the estate without being stopped.

As they pondered where to go to meet Sima Zheng, a middle-aged man appeared in the distance and began walking toward them.

Tang Mujin recognized him as Sima Zheng, the Red Flame Lord. His hair and beard had a much stronger red hue than the others, and his presence was fitting for the head of a grand family.

When Tang Mujin acknowledged Sima Zheng with a respectful gesture, Sima Zheng smiled warmly.

“Are you the renowned physician? You’ve arrived much sooner than expected.”

Hyun Gong, out of habit, rubbed his hands together as he replied.

“Hehe, we were lucky. We happened to be nearby.”

“Heaven must have guided you. Please, follow me.”

Without further questions, Sima Zheng led Tang Mujin and Hyun Gong through the estate.

Tang Mujin was wary, wondering if Sima Zheng might lead them somewhere suspicious.

However, the place they arrived at was a spacious, well-lit building, not a place for imprisoning people or ambushing intruders.

“Please, come in.”

When Sima Zheng slid open the door, they saw a slightly younger middle-aged man lying down inside.

The problem was that the man’s face was somewhat familiar. It was Sima Hong, the martial artist from the Sima family they had knocked out at the gambling den.

Pointing to Sima Hong, Sima Zheng spoke.

“Could you take a look at his condition?”

Both Tang Mujin and Hyun Gong tensed up slightly.

If Sima Hong had suffered any harm, it would be an awkward situation, even if they weren’t found out.

While they were fond of wealth, they had no intention of harming innocent people for it.

‘What could be wrong with him?’

Tang Mujin sat beside Sima Hong to examine his condition.

Sima Hong’s eyes were closed, his body temperature was slightly elevated, and his breathing was steady. He didn’t respond when Tang Mujin spoke to him, suggesting he was unconscious.

Tang Mujin asked Sima Zheng, who was sitting nearby.

“When did his condition start?”

“It’s been about two weeks. Other physicians have only diagnosed it as an unexplained fever, but none have provided a clear treatment.”

Two weeks? That was odd. They had subdued Sima Hong at the gambling den about ten days ago.

‘So, he had a mild fever from two weeks ago until ten days ago, and lost consciousness after that?’

But Tang Mujin couldn’t voice these thoughts. He continued his examination, feigning ignorance.

“For someone who’s been unconscious and ill for two weeks, his complexion doesn’t look too bad.”

“Fortunately, he’s been able to take some thin porridge. I suppose that’s a blessing.”

As Tang Mujin assessed the patient’s condition, he thought to himself.

‘He can swallow porridge.’

‘His body temperature is high, but he’s sweating slightly, so it’s not a case of sunstroke.’

‘His mouth isn’t dry, and he doesn’t pull his feet out from under the covers, so it’s not a case of yin deficiency.’

‘His pulse isn’t weak, and his breathing is close to normal. What could it be?’

The only noticeable thing was a slightly rapid pulse. With his consciousness gone, it wasn’t a normal state.

“I’ll need to examine him further.”

Tang Mujin carefully checked Sima Hong’s body. There were no visible injuries, suggesting the incident at the gambling den wasn’t the cause.

“Does he experience fever during the day and chills at night?”

“No, nothing like that.”

With no alternating hot and cold symptoms, it wasn’t a case of shaoyang disease either. Even with his medical knowledge, Tang Mujin found it difficult to identify the illness.

Most physicians would have prescribed something based on the symptoms, even in such a situation.

Medical practice often involves treating symptoms rather than perfectly diagnosing the illness.

Another physician might have prescribed medicine for the rapid pulse, mild fever, and unconsciousness, then monitored the progress. Since he could swallow porridge, there was no need to rush.

But Tang Mujin couldn’t let it go so easily. He had already received a substantial payment, and as a physician, he felt a stubborn determination.

He asked Sima Zheng.

“Red Flame Lord, may I examine his internal energy and meridians?”

For an ordinary person, there would be no reason to refuse, but Sima Hong was a martial artist, which made things different.

If someone with high martial prowess like Tang Mujin examined a martial artist’s internal state, there was a risk of discovering clues about their internal energy techniques or martial arts. Given Tang Mujin’s expertise in medicine, it would seem even more dangerous.

And martial artists from large sects or families are often more willing to accept the death of a member than the possibility of their martial arts being leaked.

Tang Mujin expected Sima Zheng to refuse.

Surprisingly, Sima Zheng agreed without hesitation.

“If it helps, please do.”

“Understood.”

Tang Mujin glanced at Sima Zheng, trying to discern his intentions. But there was no way to read Sima Zheng’s thoughts.

‘No need to overthink. Focus on the treatment.’

Tang Mujin carefully channeled his internal energy, purging it of any harmful intent. He then sent a thin stream of energy into Sima Hong’s body.

Visualizing the pathways of the eight extraordinary meridians and the governing and conception vessels, he slowly moved his energy.

’…This is strange.’

Normally, if someone were unconscious, there would be stagnant blood or blocked energy in key points like the pupil, jaw, or temples. But Sima Hong’s head showed none of these signs.

‘Is this a unique condition?’

Tang Mujin directed his energy elsewhere, probing points like the chest and abdomen, which might relate to unconsciousness.

Yet, he found nothing. The clean, well-maintained meridians of a seasoned martial artist greeted his energy.

Changing his approach, Tang Mujin searched for issues outside the meridians.

Soon, he discovered a peculiar toxin lingering near the spleen.

‘The nature of the toxin is… from Euphorbia and Pinellia.’

Both are plant-derived toxins. The elevated body temperature and rapid breathing made sense.

However, two things were odd.

First, the toxins from Euphorbia and Pinellia don’t cause unconsciousness.

Second, they aren’t deadly poisons.

With such toxins, especially in this quantity, even an ordinary person would only experience mild fever for a day or two before recovering.

In other words, someone like Sima Hong should have easily expelled it, as if blowing his nose.

Judging by the severity of the poison in his spleen, it seemed unlikely that the toxin had been in his system for more than a day. At most, it had been half a day since exposure.

Dang Mujin’s eyebrows twitched as he pieced together the situation. He finally understood what was going on.

”…He’s faking it?”

It was a mistake to assume that a seasoned martial artist in his fifties would feign illness, something one might expect from a child.

Sama Jeung asked Dang Mujin, “Do you know what ailment he has?”

The word “malingering” was on the tip of Dang Mujin’s tongue, but he swallowed it back. If he revealed the truth, Sama Hong would face social ruin.

A physician must consider the patient’s circumstances. Dang Mujin murmured in a low voice, “It seems he’s been poisoned by two different toxins. If he can channel his inner energy to expel the poison, he should recover quickly. But since he’s unconscious…”

Sama Hong continued to lie still, feigning unconsciousness. However, Dang Mujin noticed a slight movement beneath his eyelids. It really was a charade.

‘Unbelievable.’

Sama Jeung asked again, “Is there a way to expel the poison?”

“There is. Please wait a moment.”

Dang Mujin took out a needle, thinking, ‘Since you’re pretending to be unconscious, bear with a little pain.’

With uncharacteristically rough movements, he inserted the needle below Sama Hong’s chest. He didn’t stop there; he twisted the needle slightly to widen the entry point before withdrawing it. A red drop of blood oozed out.

Dang Mujin placed his fingers near the blood drop. The poison trapped in Sama Hong’s spleen began to move, and soon the blood drop darkened, emitting the distinct herbal scent of the toxin.

Sama Jeung murmured, “Did you draw out the poison?”

“Yes.”

Dang Mujin wiped the blood with his finger, drawing the poison into his own body. To Hyun Gong and Sama Jeung, it seemed as if the darkened blood magically regained its red hue.

“It’s always fascinating to watch.”

Sama Jeung’s comment struck Dang Mujin as odd.

‘Always?’

But with the treatment nearly complete, Dang Mujin didn’t dwell on it and addressed Sama Hong. “You can get up now.”

Sama Hong, however, continued to feign unconsciousness. Dang Mujin barely suppressed a sigh and said, “Don’t worry. You’ll be up within a quarter of an hour.”

He set a time limit for Sama Hong to wake up, and it seemed Sama Hong had no intention of prolonging the act.

A moment later, Sama Hong let out a nasal sound and began to stir.

Sama Jeung asked Dang Mujin, “So, what was the ailment?”

“As I mentioned earlier, he was poisoned by two herbal toxins…”

As Dang Mujin hesitated, Sama Jeung chuckled. “Is that really so?”

Dang Mujin faltered, and Sama Hong, now sitting up with a smile, said, “You’re quite the skilled physician. You saw through my act and even identified the poison.”

“Indeed.”

Dang Mujin flinched. It was strange enough for Sama Hong to admit to faking it, but even stranger for Sama Jeung to accept it so casually.

Sama Jeung stroked his unusually red beard and said, “You must truly be a dragon among physicians. The way you handle poison so effortlessly suggests the rumors of you being a disciple of the mysterious master are true.”

“It seems so.”

Sensing the tension in the air, Dang Mujin sprang to his feet, hand on the hilt of his sword.

Sama Jeung laughed at his reaction. “No need to be so alarmed. I sought you out because I have a question.”

Sama Jeung stepped closer, until they were nearly breathing the same air.

“Tell me, Dragon Physician. Was it you or Lee Chung who killed Baek Chuseo and brought down the Jeweon Baek family?”

Dang Mujin suddenly recalled where he had heard of the Sama family.

The family that had once proposed a marriage alliance with Baek Hyang-a.

The family that the mysterious master had personally confirmed had no such proposal.

That was the Sama family.