CRD 23

Chapter 23

 Even Strength Can Be Exploited (3)

A strange light flickered in Yang Hyomyeong’s eyes.

“You look better than I expected.”

“……”

“Young Master, is your condition all right?”

Moyong Bi stared at Yang Hyomyeong without answering.

What’s this now?

The Brain-Gate Divine Art quietly opened a side door.

Woooong.

A faint vibration rang in his ears. Brain-Gate True Qi flowed into his glabella—the Yintang acupoint—sharpening his five senses.

That confirms it.

He had deliberately activated the Brain-Gate Divine Art to see more clearly, and as expected, his intuition was correct.

This man possesses a considerable amount of internal energy.

It was the kind of cultivation that would normally take at least sixty years to accumulate.

He had concealed it almost perfectly, to the point that even seasoned masters would find it difficult to notice. Without his memories from a past life and keen instinct, Moyong Bi would never have seen through it at his current level.

His martial techniques don’t seem extraordinary, yet his internal energy reserves are immense. A Daoist cultivation method… and on top of that, he’s mastered concealment. That means—

A single sect naturally came to mind.

The Wudang Sect.

Among Daoist schools, Wudang placed particular emphasis on natural flow.

Their true qi was long-lasting and transparent in nature. Perhaps because of this, even without great enlightenment, Wudang practitioners were especially adept at concealing their energy.

Swordsmanship aside, their control over internal energy was exceptional. That was precisely why Wudang could stand shoulder to shoulder with Shaolin as one of the twin pillars of Mount Tai.

This is unmistakably a Daoist divine art. Such gentle yet resilient qi—only Wudang fits.

Don’t tell me Sujeong’s physician is from Wudang?

“Hm? Is there something on my face?”

“No.”

“I’ve been waiting for you. After such a fierce battle, you must be exhausted.”

Moyong Bi’s eyes glinted again.

Well, would you look at this.

Yang Hyomyeong clearly understood that the yang energy infused into Moyong Sujeong’s body was based on primal vitality.

Any competent physician would recognize it—especially one trained in Wudang internal arts.

Yet he isn’t angry?

In the medical world, transferring life force into another person was considered outright heresy.

True, many martial factions freely transferred internal energy, and in desperate situations, masters even passed on their life force to disciples.

It was seen as noble—but from a physician’s perspective, it was a violation of Heaven’s Mandate.

That was why orthodox doctors deeply despised tampering with life force.

Yet Yang Hyomyeong showed none of that.

Not even a hint of anger.

If anything, he looked intrigued—his gaze resembled that of a beggar who had just discovered a precious jewel.

Suyeong’s personal physician…

Just then, Yang Hyomyeong spoke.

“You look all right, but you still seem fatigued. I see signs of internal injury—let’s start with checking your pulse.”

That would not do.

“I’m fine.”

“Hm?”

“I can take care of my own body. There’s no need to worry.”

Even a perfectly trustworthy physician couldn’t be allowed to examine his body freely—let alone someone this suspicious.

Yang Hyomyeong’s expression hardened.

“Young Master… are you saying you don’t trust me?”

There it is.

Moyong Bi openly frowned.

This man is getting more suspicious by the minute.

A normal physician would never pressure a potential patient like this—it only creates psychological burden.

Just as Moyong Bi was about to respond—

“Physician Yang.”

“Hm?”

Moyong Sujeong spoke in her usual blunt tone.

“If anything goes wrong, I’ll take care of him myself. I don’t think there’s any need for you to examine Bi-ah.”

With the acting head of the family intervening, Yang Hyomyeong had no choice.

“Hah. I’m well aware of your skill.”

“If that proves insufficient, I’ll ask for your help then. My apologies.”

It was an audacious request, to say the least.

Yang Hyomyeong clicked his tongue.

“Very well. If the Acting Head says so, there’s no reason for me to interfere.”

“Thank you.”

“Take good care of yourself. If anything happens, summon me at once.”

“Yes.”

Yang Hyomyeong left the audience chamber.

At that moment, Moyong Bi caught it—the meaningful glance Yang Hyomyeong cast his way.

Staring at the closed door, Moyong Bi muttered quietly,

“He’s suspicious.”

“Who?”

“The physician.”

“The physician?”

“From what I can tell, he’s Wudang—”

Ah. That’s far enough.

Yet Moyong Sujeong nodded, having somehow understood.

“He represents Myeongjin Pavilion. It wouldn’t be strange if he practiced Wudang martial arts.”

Myeongjin Pavilion? A medical hall?

Wait—why doesn’t she find it strange that I figured out he practices Wudang martial arts?

“More importantly, Bi-ah.”

Her voice sank heavily.

Despite having done nothing wrong, Moyong Bi felt his neck stiffen.

“Y-Yeah?”

“What in the world happened?”

“My body?”

“…Yes.”

Moyong Bi replied as casually as possible.

“I expelled some of the cold energy through a full-contact exchange.”

“That’s not all, and you know it!”

Moyong Sujeong suddenly snapped, causing him to flinch.

“How do you explain this pure yang energy still lingering in my meridians? Don’t tell me you secretly learned an extreme yang cultivation method?”

You don’t tell lies that will be immediately exposed.

“I didn’t.”

“You weren’t born with a strong yang constitution either.”

“That’s true.”

“Then there’s only one explanation! You put your life force into my body—!”

Unable to finish her sentence, Moyong Sujeong bit her lip.

Moyong Bi decided that boldness was the best approach. She already seemed to know the truth—there was no need to escalate things.

“It’s fine.”

“What do you mean ‘fine’? Did you think I’d be happy knowing I recovered at the cost of your lifespan?”

“I would be happy.”

“…What?”

“Whether you’re happy or not doesn’t matter to me. What matters is me.”

Moyong Bi grinned.

“It’s enough that you’re healthy. At least, that’s enough for me.”

Moyong Sujeong fell silent again.

She was grateful—truly grateful. After all the suffering she had endured, her gratitude was beyond words.

But—

“Why are you always like this…?”

Her eyes welled with tears.

Moyong Bi, who had been smiling, panicked.

No!

Don’t cry!

Whenever Sujeong teared up, he felt like he had committed some unforgivable sin. He had no idea what to do.

Stammering, he said,

“S-So, listen, okay? The vitality transferred to you was really just a tiny bit. Barely anything. I’m a little tired, sure, but if I rest properly for ten days, I’ll be fine. It’s really not serious. So let’s not cry, okay?”

Let’s settle this here. Please.

“Sniff… hic…”

Moyong Sujeong collapsed onto the floor, covering her face with both hands as she burst into tears.

Noooo!

No agreement. None whatsoever.

Left with no options, Moyong Bi awkwardly hovered around her before squatting down and patting her back.

He had no idea if it even helped—but he’d never comforted anyone before.

Only after more than two hours did Moyong Sujeong finally calm down.

When she lifted her head, her eyes were swollen.

“You’re really fine?”

Moyong Bi gave a wry smile.

“Other than being tired from you crying your heart out, I’m fine.”

“….”

“Please don’t cry.”

Despite herself, Moyong Sujeong smiled faintly. It sounded like a joke, and his complexion didn’t look particularly bad.

But this wasn’t over.

“I’ll make medicine to replenish your vitality.”

“I said I’m fine.”

“No. I’m not fine.”

He had given a mal and received a doe.

To keep the conversation moving, Moyong Bi nodded.

“If that makes you feel better, go ahead. Anyway, that’s not the important part.”

“How is that not important?!”

Her voice sharpened again.

A sharp voice meant something was about to be cut—whether him or someone else. And pain led to tears.

Panicking, Moyong Bi shouted,

“The Black Tiger Gang! The Black Tiger Gang!”

“What?”

“That’s what’s important right now!”

His speech turned stupid under pressure.

Damn it. Making a fool of myself in front of my great-grandniece.

“The Black Tiger Gang? Don’t tell me—!”

Moyong Sujeong’s gaze instantly sharpened.

“She returned from worried sister to clan head.”

“Did they do something to you?”

“They did—to themselves.”

“…Huh?”

“The Black Tiger Gang was wiped out today.”

“…?”

“….”

“Wiped out?”

“Yes. Completely wiped out. As in, a sect uprooted entirely—”

“No, I know what that means!”

Her face filled with disbelief.

“The Black Tiger Gang was wiped out?”

“Yes.”

“How…?”

No—that wasn’t the real issue.

“When did you find out?”

“In real time.”

“…What?”

“I stepped out for a bit.”

“Oh, right. But why would the Black Tiger Gang suddenly be wiped out? Could it be the Ten Sword Sect or the Hong Sword Clan—”

The thought struck her, and she stopped.

Moyong Bi’s expression was disturbingly calm. His eyes were deep and clear like a still lake.

After staring at him for a long moment, Moyong Sujeong spoke in a trembling voice.

“…You?”

Moyong Bi thought the time had come.

No—he had decided long ago. The moment he healed her, this was inevitable.

The question was whether to deceive her or evade the truth.

It doesn’t matter anymore.

His great-grandfather had already possessed his great-grandson’s body and was calling her “older sister.” One more lie—or omission—changed nothing.

Everything is for the clan.

It felt uncomfortable.

But there was no guilt. Some problems couldn’t be approached with common sense. Better to shoulder everything himself.

Even if it meant dying again and falling into hell.

“About that—”

“So it really was you.”

“Huh?”

“The Ten Sword Sect or the Hong Sword Clan wouldn’t do something like this. Yes… it must have been you.”

The tension drained from Moyong Bi’s eyes.

What is this? That certainty?

“When I think back, you’ve been different for days—no, for dozens of days now. Yesterday’s change was just the most extreme.”

“…?”

“You kept wandering outside as if possessed. You always came back drunk, but looking back, it wasn’t like you at all.”

What are you talking about?

“You even said it yourself. That this wasn’t just about crushing a den of thugs. You’ve been preparing for something for a long time.”

This is getting interesting.

Moyong Sujeong sighed.

“I couldn’t bring myself to ask what you were thinking. I was just relieved you seemed to be returning to your old self—but I knew you were hiding something.”

“…!”

“And this morning, you healed my body with a method I never imagined—full-contact exchange.”

Her gaze burned with intensity, as though it could split Mount Tai itself.

“I won’t ask anything else. Just answer this one question.”

Why does this suddenly feel so tense?

Moyong Bi swallowed unconsciously. It felt like she could see straight through him.

After a brief silence, Moyong Sujeong asked softly,

“Bi-ah… did you learn Wudang martial arts?”

……What kind of absurd question is that?