“A surefire way to overpower the cult leader…”
Tang Mujin pondered for a long time, only to conclude that he couldn’t find a solution on his own.
“I need a new strategy. Is there anyone who can help…?”
Namgung Myung hadn’t offered any brilliant solutions, so the first person to consult was Hyun Gong. Although Hyun Gong wasn’t particularly reliable, he had recently ascended to a higher level, making him somewhat more useful than before.
However, the old saying “birds of a feather flock together” seemed true, as Hyun Gong’s suggestions were not much better than Namgung Myung’s.
“Wouldn’t poison be the best option? You did recommend that poison master. It’s the most certain way to administer poison.”
“I thought about it. But if I try, the cult leader might just cut off my arm.”
Hyun Gong responded calmly.
“Isn’t that actually a good thing?”
“Why?”
“Because it means you have two chances.”
Tang Mujin simply stared at Hyun Gong, neither criticizing him nor demanding a new plan.
But Mok An, with a bright smile, asked, “What’s Geonhonsu?”
Tang Mujin realized belatedly that it was natural for Mok An not to know. Geonhonsu was a deadly poison he had created using the toxicity of the Inmyeonji spider.
“It’s a poison. More lethal than the Inmyeonji’s venom.”
“Then poison me with it. If I experience it firsthand, I might figure out how to improve it.”
Mok An boldly opened his mouth. The simplest way to absorb poison without injury was through mucous membranes like the inside of the mouth.
Of course, Tang Mujin shook his head vehemently.
“No. Absolutely not.”
“Why?”
“Even you would die instantly from Geonhonsu.”
“Me, die from poison?”
“That’s the kind of poison it is.”
Mok An’s eyes widened in surprise, and Tang Mujin felt a subtle satisfaction at the expression. Perhaps it was the feeling of asserting his authority as the head of the family.
Then Mok An suggested a new approach.
“How about looking for a solution at the Odokmun? They might have poisons or techniques you don’t know about.”
Tang Mujin had considered visiting the Odokmun in the southern region someday. Finding a solution to the current problem was different from what a moderately skilled person could achieve.
Moreover, the dense, humid jungle was said to be vast and endless—a perfect environment for potent poisons.
However, the timing was not ideal. A trip to the southern region could take months or even years, and the cult leader wouldn’t take that long to recover and confront the family.
”…No, it won’t work.”
As Tang Mujin stood up, Mok An grabbed his hand.
“I’ll think about it more. Come to my room tonight, okay?”
“Okay.”
As Tang Mujin left Mok An’s quarters, he thought, “Who should I ask next? Hong Geolgae? No, he’s about the same level as Namgung Myung and Hyun Gong, so he won’t be much help. Maybe Elder Jang? Or Manryeokseung or Yu Jin-gwang? Manryeokseung might be helpful, but Yu Jin-gwang probably won’t be…”
Just then, someone approached Tang Mujin as if they had been waiting.
“Master Tang.”
It was Choo Sang, the head of the medical practitioners.
“I’m sorry, I can’t assist with that.”
“It’s winter, so it’s natural for hands and feet to be cold.”
“Even if you go outside for a moment, your hands and feet get cold, and even in a warm room, your fingers become stiff, don’t they?”
Choo Sang nodded at Tang Mujin’s question.
“That’s true. I thought it was natural for hands and feet to get cold and sluggish with age.”
“But it seems related to an illness now. When you wake up, your joints are particularly stiff, and you often feel bloated, don’t you?”
“That’s right.”
Tang Mujin seemed to have deduced something from a brief examination, and there was a hint of expectation in Choo Sang’s voice. Tang Mujin shared his opinion without hesitation.
“It’s not a joint or eye problem. It’s more likely a liver issue.”
“Liver? But I don’t have any abdominal pain…”
“Unlike other organs, the liver doesn’t cause pain when there’s a problem. It seems that an old injury from a spear wound on the battlefield is affecting you now.”
“An injury from decades ago is causing problems now?”
“The liver can regenerate, but once damaged, it never fully returns to its original state. As the body weakens or ages, various issues can arise.”
Tang Mujin had Choo Sang sit down and continued his explanation.
“Before coming to me, you must have seen other doctors, right?”
“Of course.”
“They probably said it was a lung or kidney issue.”
“Exactly. It seems the doctor I saw wasn’t very skilled…”
Choo Sang replied sheepishly, but Tang Mujin shook his head.
“Not at all. If they were less skilled, they would have focused on the stiff joints. A skilled doctor would have pointed to the lungs and kidneys.”
“Then what about you?”
“Well, I’m just a genius physician, so I noticed a bit more accurately.”
Tang Mujin spoke with a modest tone, despite his rather boastful words. And he wasn’t wrong.
“Typically, the lungs, spleen, and kidneys are known to manage the body’s fluids and metabolism. But the liver also plays a significant role in fluid regulation, so if it’s not healthy, it can cause circulation issues. Your cold hands and feet stem from circulation problems.”
“That makes sense.”
“Similarly, your dry eyes and digestive issues are related to the liver, so it’s wise to check for liver problems first.”
This is the most challenging yet fascinating aspect of medicine. Instead of looking for problems where it hurts, you must carefully unravel how complex symptoms are interconnected.
Choo Sang spoke with admiration.
“Now that we know it’s a liver issue, should I ask the acupuncturist to treat it?”
“No, I’ll do it myself.”
Tang Mujin had Choo Sang lie down and applied acupuncture to points related to the liver. Naturally, the symptoms didn’t disappear instantly.
So Tang Mujin used his palm to gently massage Choo Sang’s abdomen, using his internal energy to untangle the knots and smooth the flow of energy.
Nowadays, there are a few physicians in the Tang family who practice martial arts and poison techniques, but until recently, Tang Mujin was the only one who could perform such medical feats.
As Tang Mujin closed his eyes and examined Choo Sang’s body, he discovered that the liver had hardened like clay.
“The liver has accumulated toxins.”
However, it wasn’t a severe toxin. In the past, he would have treated the liver and guided the flow of internal energy, waiting for the symptoms to gradually improve.
But recently, Tang Mujin’s thoughts had taken a different direction.
“Is it possible to detoxify it now?”
If the toxins were circulating in the bloodstream, he could have made a small incision to draw them out. If the toxins were ingested, he could have induced vomiting to expel them.
But could he directly remove toxins that had taken root in the liver? This was a different kind of challenge.
Yet Tang Mujin saw potential.
Although his recent breakthroughs were in poison techniques rather than medicine, the line between the two was thin. Using advanced poison techniques to heal wasn’t an impossible idea.
With his eyes closed, Tang Mujin began to unravel the toxins lodged in Choo Sang’s liver.
There was no need to extract the toxins from the body. The energy that naturally exists in a healthy person had merely taken a wrong turn and become entangled. Restoring the flow to its rightful path would suffice.
Despite the complexity of the idea, treating Choo Sang didn’t take long. Before Tang Mujin could announce the treatment’s completion, Choo Sang opened his eyes wide, realizing that Tang Mujin had accomplished something remarkable.
“Impressive. I don’t know much about medicine, but I know it doesn’t usually work this quickly. How do you always manage to…”
“It’s just a little extra skill I have. It’s not that significant…”
As he spoke, a peculiar thought crossed Tang Mujin’s mind.
Dang Mujin dispersed the poison within his body, sending it back to its rightful place. This wasn’t a typical method of detoxification. He hadn’t injected a counteracting substance to neutralize it, nor had he extracted the poison from his body. He simply unraveled the tangled threads.
So then, what if he could tangle those threads within someone else’s body? Could he poison them that way?
This was a completely different approach from traditional poison techniques.
Typically, poison techniques involve introducing an external toxin into the body. The success of such techniques depends on the strength of the poison and the skill with which it is wielded.
But this method didn’t involve injecting poison. It merely entangled the natural energies within the body.
Thus, poison could be created internally.
”…Poisoning someone without using poison.”
In some cases, this could result in a poison that is impossible to cure. If the twisted energies within the body continued to generate poison endlessly, how could anyone without deep knowledge of medicine and the human body resolve the issue? Even if one managed to temporarily dispel the poison, it would only be a stopgap measure.
And there was no reason why this poison had to be mild, causing only minor discomfort. If one could intentionally create a strong poison…
Dang Mujin shook his head slightly.
”…It’s a ridiculous idea.”
Ridiculous and impossible. Yet, his instincts kept whispering to him.
“Don’t you see the potential?”
Dang Mujin spoke to Dowi with a distant look in his eyes.
”…Yes, the treatment is complete. I’ll check back soon to monitor your condition.”
“Thank you.”
With that, Dowi stood up and left. But even after Dowi had gone, Dang Mujin sat in contemplation for a long time.
He reached a conclusion.
He needed a test subject. Someone robust, not easily broken, and preferably someone who had achieved a level of mastery close to that of the sect leader.
Dang Mujin stepped outside, his expression unchanged from usual, and surveyed his surroundings. His eyes fell on someone—Hyeon Gong, who had just finished sparring with Namgung Ryeong and was sitting down, wiping away sweat.
Dang Mujin approached Hyeon Gong and spoke.
“Hyeon Gong, you look exhausted from training.”
“A bit tired, but I’m fine.”
“No, I don’t think so. Your complexion isn’t good, and you’re sweating so much even though it’s winter. It seems like something’s off with your body.”
Hyeon Gong responded with a hint of frustration.
“Really?”
Despite his calm demeanor, a flurry of thoughts raced through Hyeon Gong’s mind.
“Why is Dang Mujin suddenly concerned about my health? Has he ever done this before?”
“No, it’s the first time.”
“Even in winter, it’s normal to sweat if you’ve been swinging a sword until you’re exhausted, right?”
“Is he checking people’s health because of the upcoming match with the sect leader? No, if that were the case, he would have done something before the fight in Junggyeong.”
”…And why am I the first?”
As his thoughts reached this point, Hyeon Gong heard a clear warning from his survival instincts.
A skilled martial artist never ignores their instincts and intuition. Hyeon Gong stood up and said to Dang Mujin.
“Shall we head to the clinic?” “Sure. It won’t take long.” “Alright.”
Hyeon Gong seemed to be heading to the clinic with Dang Mujin, but suddenly, he turned and sprinted away at full speed.
He moved so quickly that it took only a couple of breaths for him to disappear over the Dang family’s wall.
Dang Mujin shouted.
“Go, hounds! Bring Hyeon Gong back!”
Namgung Myeong and Hong Gyeolgae instinctively understood. If they failed to bring Hyeon Gong back, they would face the fate intended for him.
Namgung Myeong and Hong Gyeolgae sprang to their feet and dashed in the direction Hyeon Gong had vanished.