Episode 189: The Sima Family
Dang Mujin recalled the conversation with Baek Chuseo and Goeui.
“There’s a place called the Sima Family in Luoyang, known among martial artists for their Hongyeom Divine Qi Technique. Fortunately, our talks with them went well, so we won’t need to resort to any drastic measures.”
“There was no marriage proposal between the Sima Family and the Jeweon Baek Family.”
A thought followed swiftly.
“All Sima Jeung has is the fact that the old man asked about a marriage proposal, right?”
Neither Goeui nor Dang Mujin had ever spoken openly about the Jeweon Baek Family. Killing Baek Chuseo wasn’t an act of senseless violence, but it wasn’t a fond memory or a pleasant story either.
Even his friends only had a vague idea of the connection between the Jeweon Baek Family and Dang Mujin.
“The only ones who know the full story are the deceased Baek Chuseo, Baek Hyang-a, or those involved with the Salmak. Baek Hyang-a isn’t in a position to spread tales, so that leaves the Salmak.”
Dang Mujin had taken out the Salmak leadership himself, but he hadn’t completely dismantled their lower ranks. It was nearly impossible to do so, and what remained posed no threat to him, so he didn’t bother.
However, if the Sima Family had ties with the Salmak before their downfall, they might understand the full story.
Dang Mujin frowned and questioned Sima Jeung.
“It seems the Sima Family had connections with the Salmak.”
“The Salmak? Ha!”
Unexpectedly, Sima Jeung scoffed. It didn’t seem like a reaction to flaunt his composure or hide his thoughts.
“So the Salmak were involved too. But I didn’t learn about it through them. I just had enough clues to piece things together.”
“What clues do you have?”
“Plenty.”
Sima Jeung raised his left thumb.
“Lee Choong came to the Sima Family after over a decade and asked if there was a marriage proposal between the Sima Family and the Jeweon Baek Family. Strange, isn’t it? There’s no reason for such talks between the hollow shell of the Jeweon Baek Family and the Sima Family.”
Then he extended his index finger.
“Not long after, a daughter of the Jeweon Baek Family became a disciple of the Wuliang Sect. Despite never having practiced martial arts, her progress was astonishingly fast.”
Finally, he raised his middle finger.
“Soon after, Baek Chuseo died from poison. All these events are directly or indirectly linked to Goeui. If you trace back from here, the conclusion becomes clear.”
With that, Sima Jeung folded his three fingers back.
Sima Jeung’s deductions were accurate, but ultimately, the only special clue he had was the question about the marriage proposal.
Yet, Sima Jeung had managed to deduce that something was amiss from just that one clue, and then he pieced together the rest. Unlike most martial artists who were more accustomed to wielding swords than using their heads, Sima Jeung was different.
However, Dang Mujin didn’t flinch. Killing Baek Chuseo was an uncomfortable matter, but not something to be ashamed of.
Thus, Dang Mujin maintained a stiff demeanor.
“Baek Chuseo was the one who hired the assassin first, and I merely killed him in return. Don’t act like you’ve caught me in some great weakness. I have nothing to be ashamed of.”
With that, the conversation paused.
Dang Mujin wasn’t comfortable with the situation, but Hyun Gong, who was listening nearby, found it even more unsettling.
He thought he had caught a fool, but it felt like he had led Dang Mujin into a trap instead. To be precise, it wasn’t fear of the aftermath that bothered him, but his wounded pride.
Hyun Gong quietly fiddled with his sword hilt, thinking.
“If things get dangerous, I’ll strike first and take out Sima Hong. Then we’ll use our numbers to quickly subdue Sima Jeung and make our escape.”
Though it might cause some trouble later, Hyun Gong was prepared to bear a bit of infamy to make up for his mistake. Sometimes, such efforts are necessary to redeem oneself.
Hyun Gong slowly approached Sima Hong, careful not to bend his knees or make any noise. Neither Sima Hong, Sima Jeung, nor Dang Mujin noticed his stealthy movements.
At that moment, Sima Jeung broke the silence.
“No, I asked about Baek Chuseo’s death just for fun. I don’t care if a small fry like him lives or dies. He was just a flat stepping stone between a brilliant father and an extraordinary daughter. My interest lies elsewhere.”
When Dang Mujin didn’t respond, Sima Jeung asked in a gentle voice.
“Let me ask you. Baek Chuseo’s daughter, Baek Hyang-a, did she suffer from the Jeolmyeok condition?”
There was no reason to lie, nor did it seem possible. Dang Mujin nodded.
“Yes, it was the Gu-eum Jeolmyeok.”
“So, Baek Hyang-a survived and achieved success, meaning you and Goeui cured her Jeolmyeok condition?”
“Yes.”
Hearing Dang Mujin’s answer, Sima Jeung smiled contentedly.
“My curiosity is satisfied. I have a favor to ask.”
But Dang Mujin remained defiant.
“No, I have no intention of granting a favor to someone as sly as you.”
Hearing himself called sly to his face, Sima Jeung could have drawn his sword, but instead, he shrugged and raised his hands.
“If my demeanor was unpleasant, I apologize. Leading a family has given me some strange habits. But I hope you understand. I really need the help of you and Goeui.”
Dang Mujin hesitated. There are many who hate apologizing more than death, especially among martial artists.
Moreover, as the head of a great family, one often can’t apologize even when they want to. That’s the nature of leadership.
Yet, unexpectedly, Sima Jeung admitted his fault without hesitation.
A thought crept into Dang Mujin’s mind.
“All Sima Jeung did was play a prank to satisfy his curiosity.”
In fact, it was a test to see if Dang Mujin was the “real dragon,” so from a different perspective, it was understandable.
However, regardless of rational judgment, Dang Mujin wasn’t ready to accept Sima Jeung’s apology easily.
Understanding the situation and feeling annoyed are separate matters.
“No, forget it. Find my master and ask him for help. Let’s go, Hyun Gong.”
Of course, Goeui had long been buried in the ground, so Sima Jeung couldn’t seek his help.
“Wait, wait!”
As Dang Mujin led Hyun Gong out, Sima Jeung finally panicked and tried to stop him.
But Dang Mujin deftly avoided Sima Jeung’s hand, clearly expressing his unwillingness to continue the conversation.
“I’m sorry! Please, just wait a moment!”
When Dang Mujin didn’t stop, Sima Jeung blocked the doorway, lowering his stance.
He clasped his hands and even slightly bowed his head. Both Dang Mujin and Hyun Gong, as well as Sima Hong, were taken aback.
Even when grateful, people usually just clasp their hands in respect; bowing is rare. Especially for someone like Sima Jeung.
Dang Mujin stopped not because he intended to grant Sima Jeung’s request, but because he was surprised.
Sima Jeung had lowered his pride so much that ignoring him could lead to immediate conflict.
Interpreting Dang Mujin’s reaction, Sima Jeung quickly got to the point.
“There’s a child suffering from Jeolmyeok. Could you take a look? As far as I know, only you and Goeui can treat Jeolmyeok.”
“Jeolmyeok?”
The mention of Jeolmyeok shifted Dang Mujin’s focus away from Sima Jeung’s demeanor.
If he had mentioned a sick person from the start, Dang Mujin would have agreed easily. Why did he beat around the bush so much?
Seeing Dang Mujin’s expression soften slightly, Sima Jeung continued.
“Yes. The child is at the age to start learning martial arts, but their health is too poor. No improvement from various doctors. But I heard the symptoms resemble Jeolmyeok.”
Naturally, Dang Mujin’s thoughts turned to treating the child. Healing the sick was Goeui’s first principle.
However, treating a child within the Sima Family was a bit uncomfortable.
Sima Jeung, sensing Dang Mujin’s hesitation, added another condition.
“The Sima Family will pay any price within our means. We’ll cover all treatment costs, of course.”
“Is the child your grandchild?”
“No. The child was brought in from outside, not a member of the Sima Family.”
Willing to pay any price for an outsider. Sima Jeung’s impression improved slightly in Dang Mujin’s mind.
Finally, Dang Mujin sighed deeply and spoke to Sima Jeung.
“Send the child to the inn where I’m staying.”
“Understood. I have one more request. Can our family’s doctor observe the treatment process?”
Sima Jeung added this casually, but Dang Mujin sensed a certain weight to it.
However, it wasn’t an uncomfortable condition. In fact, teaching another doctor how to treat Jeolmyeok to save more lives was ideal.
“That’s fine.”
“Thank you. I’ll send someone over first thing tomorrow.”
With a satisfied nod, Sama Jeung took his leave, and Tang Mujin and Hyun Gong made their way back to the inn from the Sama family estate.
The next morning, a physician from the Sama family arrived at the inn, accompanied by a boy who looked to be about twelve or thirteen.
As expected, the boy hadn’t learned the martial arts of the Sama family; his hair and eyebrows lacked the distinctive red tint.
The physician and the boy both greeted them with a respectful bow.
“I am Sama Yugong from the Sama family. This boy here is Wang Jincheong.”
“Pleasure to meet you. How did this boy come to be associated with the Sama family?”
“He was a homeless child with no connections, but I heard he caught the master’s eye by sheer luck.”
However, what intrigued Tang Mujin more than the boy was the physician, Sama Yugong. Despite his title, he seemed more like a warrior than a healer.
‘His martial prowess is considerable.’
If Tang Mujin was a physician who had learned martial arts, and Gwai was a warrior who had studied medicine, then Sama Yugong leaned much more towards the warrior side.
Tang Mujin asked Sama Yugong, “How much medical training have you had, if I may ask?”
“I’ve read the Treatise on Cold Damage and the Inner Canon, and I’ve learned a bit of the family medicine from a nearby physician. But I started studying medicine quite late, so I haven’t had much hands-on experience with patients. I’m not quite ready to practice as a full-fledged physician.”
Sama Yugong’s humility was evident. Yet, his approach was far better than that of a quack who starts treating patients without proper training.
“Let’s take a look at the boy’s condition first. Wang Jincheong, was it? Come here.”
Tang Mujin had the boy lie down and began his examination.
The boy’s meridians were flawed, and his internal energy was unbalanced. Unlike Baek Hyang-a, who had an excess of yin energy, Wang Jincheong had an excess of yang energy.
‘Gu Yang Jeolmaek… No, it’s not quite that severe. It’s more like Sam Yang Jeolmaek.’
While Baek Hyang-a’s condition was critical enough to be life-threatening without immediate treatment, Wang Jincheong’s situation wasn’t as dire.
Even without treatment, he wouldn’t face a critical situation anytime soon. He might live a somewhat frail life, but reaching the age of forty shouldn’t be too difficult.
‘To have the chance to treat Jeolmaek at such a young age and with the support of the Sama family… This boy is incredibly fortunate.’
Wang Jincheong’s luck extended beyond just receiving treatment for his condition.
In the human body, yin and yang energies flow and mix, neutralizing each other. Over time, this balanced energy dissipates without a trace.
However, when suffering from Jeolmaek, one energy becomes disproportionately high. By gradually balancing it with the opposite energy through internal cultivation, one can rapidly accumulate significant internal power.
Considering that a lack of internal power is a major hurdle for martial artists seeking to advance, a Jeolmaek patient essentially starts with half the problem solved.
‘If this boy can grasp the right insights, he might become a formidable master in the future.’
Moreover, with the backing of the Sama family, his future seemed promising. Wang Jincheong might well become a leading figure among the next generation of martial artists.
Tang Mujin spoke to Sama Yugong, “It is indeed Jeolmaek. The excess yang energy is causing the issue, so please gather as many elixirs and herbs that can supplement yin energy as possible.”
Given Sama Yugong’s medical knowledge, there was no need to explain in detail which elixirs and herbs were needed.
“Understood. I’ll return as soon as possible.”
With that, Sama Yugong took Wang Jincheong by the hand and left the inn.