No matter how skilled an archer you are, there’s a natural tension when an arrow is flying toward the target.
Even after a day and then two, I still hadn’t heard any news about Hwarin. Could it be that my expectations were wrong? No, my sincere feelings had definitely been conveyed.
I worried several times a day, but then, a good news came flying in.
“The dangerous moment has been passed.”
The Deputy Medical Official came to me with a serious face, as if he had just emerged from an operating room.
“Really?”
“Whether it was the Joseon ginseng boosting the vitality or the poisonous substance enhancing physical abilities, it’s dramatically heightened!”
Rather than thanks to the Joseon ginseng, it was really because of the black-haired barbarian, but since both were made in Joseon, I decided to keep quiet about it.
“Phew. That’s a relief.”
I loosened the tension that had been tightly pulled for over three days and sat on the bed.
“However, there was an unexpected development.”
The Deputy Medical Official added a twist back into my tension. He said we’d passed the dangerous moment.
“What happened?”
“Originally, during the mutual destruction of the two poisons, we should have formed an independent poison with the remaining toxicity, but Hwarin, that child, contrary to our intentions, is trying to create an independent poison even with the yang and yin that have yet to mutual destruction.”
“Isn’t that dangerous?”
He had said that only controlling pure toxicity would allow for survival.
“Everyone, including myself, was tense because of that, but we successfully formed an independent poison. Just barely, the energy inside her body is now under her control.”
Has Hwarin’s completely restored body gotten strong enough to control the yang and yin contained within the poison?
“So that means we definitely avoided the worst situation?”
“By forming an independent poison, all the energy in her body is now under her control. Now, it may take time, but we just need to wait until she can slowly gather those poisons to create a complete independent poison.”
“Then that’s settled.”
Isn’t this unexpected 1+2 event a gain? What a relief. I was unnecessarily tense and released another sigh of relief.
“Now, you should get some sleep. I heard you haven’t slept at all for three days.”
“I’ll try to close my eyes now.”
Thinking I could finally loosen my tension, my head spun for a moment. Can I really sleep? I don’t want to hear about any unexpected issues when I wake up in the morning.
“Tsk. Looking at this, it seems you won’t be able to get to sleep until that child gets out of bed. I can take a break now, so come to the training grounds tomorrow.”
The Deputy Medical Official looked pityingly at me, who was debating whether to sleep or not, and made an unexpected suggestion.
“Training grounds? Why should I go there?”
“It’s necessary for that child, as well as for you, so just come.”
The Deputy Medical Official left my room, saying I’d find out tomorrow about my anxious question.
What on earth does he plan to do tomorrow?
————————
I barely managed to sleep and woke up in the morning to find the Deputy Medical Official had come again.
“Hwarin will need a few more days to turn all the poisons into an independent one. In the meantime, learn some martial arts.”
Since he asked me to come to the training grounds, I was expecting something like this.
“Got it. I have no thoughts of being tied to the Tang Family.”
In the martial arts world, the concept of family comes from the martial arts learned in common. In order to survive, I have to keep my distance from the Tang Family, and I’m not planning to get entangled any further by learning martial arts.
“Is a child born with the blood of the Tang Family hesitating to learn just one martial art? Even if you gave up your right to become the Deputy Head of the Family, everyone recognizes you as a descendant of the Tang Family, so it doesn’t change whether you learn martial arts or not.”
No. I’m saying it’s not flowing!
“Hwarin will return to Yichang as soon as she recovers. What kind of martial arts can I learn in the meantime?”
Hwarin won’t stay in that state for a month or a year, and once the independent poison is complete, she’ll go to the Tea Bookstore, so what martial arts can I learn?
“……”
“Deputy Medical Official?”
Why are you looking at me with a pitiful expression? Are you feeling sorry for me for giving up and going back? Do you want to feed your grandson a little more during the holidays? It doesn’t matter, you know.
“Ahem. If you happen to die in the guesthouse, even if you want to keep a distance from the Tang Family, they’ll step in. If you don’t want to see that, think of it as learning self-defense and get to it.”
With Hwarin beside me, why would I worry about dying? I want to say it doesn’t matter, but considering the concept of the Tang Family’s illegitimate child, Kang Yoon-ho, it feels wrong to flat-out refuse.
“Well, there have been times when someone tried to separate my neck when I was alone.”
I nodded, indicating my understanding. I couldn’t completely ignore the Deputy Medical Official’s insistence on looking out for me.
“Ha! After just one night of sleep, it seems you’re ready to talk! Just thinking about that child won’t change anything. Practice your martial arts, and sleep on time so you can greet a healthy-looking child!”
“Deputy Medical Official!”
“I’ve been waiting!”
At the Deputy Medical Official’s shout, the Deputy Medical Official appeared with a suspicious smile on his face.
Good, it looks like the Deputy Medical Official wasn’t fired after all.
“Thank you for always preparing opportunities to make up for my mistakes, Deputy Medical Official.”
The Deputy Medical Official looked at me with mixed emotions. Is it possible he’s going to teach me martial arts?
“Deputy Medical Official, uh, no, Deputy Medical Official, though I’ve apologized, I apologize once again…”
“Kang Master, I told you, I understand.”
“Ah, then.”
“Love is important. How could the partner be more important than the position of Deputy Head of the Family? Still, couldn’t you say a word to your loyal subject? Look at how I’ve suffered until now.”
I’m sorry. I’m really sorry. The weight of the Deputy Medical Official’s resentment is heavy.
“Deputy Medical Official!”
The Deputy Medical Official yelled at the Deputy Medical Official’s sudden outburst.
“Ugh! I’m sorry! Deputy Medical Official! Just spare my life! I’ll be loyal forever! Loyalty! Loyalty! Loyalty!”
“Stop that nonsense and follow what I say!”
“Yes! I am always the eternal servant of the Deputy Medical Official! Loyalty! Loyalty! Loyalty!”
The Deputy Medical Official shouted his loyalty as if he were going to lick the Deputy Medical Official’s shoes. Is this how one acts when they misstep on the line? I should learn this.
“I’ll take my leave now, so do well.”
“I’ll do my best.”
“Ha ha. I know that you are aware of what Kang Master said to the Deputy Medical Official, but I apologize for showing you a shameful scene. I’m just a bit petty and still have some resentment, but I completely understand both rationally and emotionally, so no worries.”
I’m sorry, but if possible, could you also remove the resentment? The Deputy Medical Official kept bowing his head, feeling sorry after his sudden outburst.
“I understand.”
I didn’t say much because I felt sorry too.
“It seems you won’t be able to learn martial arts for a long time, so I plan to mainly teach you the basics of the Tang Family’s stealth techniques.”
The Deputy Medical Official began explaining the basics of stealth techniques to me with all sincerity, as if asking when he ever did that. Due to his position, he must have taught a lot.
“When facing a stark difference in skill, if we clash swords, one side is bound to bleed. However, with stealth techniques, regardless of the skill gap, one will only lose one technique. If in a crisis, don’t hesitate to throw it!”
Although the Deputy Medical Official’s basic lecture wasn’t quite at the level of the best internet instructors, I understood enough to live on from it.
“Over there is a scarecrow. Let’s assume there’s a hidden knife in your sleeve, and let me throw the hidden knife at that scarecrow. I’ll demonstrate a few efficient movements, so focus.”
“I’ll be watching closely.”
The Deputy Medical Official checked that I was concentrating and got ready to throw the hidden knife at the distant scarecrow. And with a shout, he started throwing his knife aimed at the scarecrow.
“Die! Traitor! I believed in you!”
“Eh……”
You said I should understand both rationally and emotionally.
“Now, see, when throwing the hidden knife, remain always calm. The precision of the hidden knife relies on the sensitive sensation in your fingertips that determines success or failure. If you’re excited like I am, you will fail!”
Despite that, with hits to the head, kidney, heart, and neck, even a hero with seven lives would die at least four times if hit that way.
“Kang Master, since you haven’t learned the Tang Family’s internal arts, you can’t learn the Tang Family’s martial arts. However, if you learn the proper direction, proper strength, and proper throwing moment from me, you will be able to learn stealth techniques that excel in self-defense. Here, take this hidden knife and give it a try.”
“Thank you.”
“Once you throw it and feel you’ve got the hang of it, I’ll also teach you the advanced manipulation methods. Although you haven’t learned the Tang Family’s internal arts, if you only know the advanced manipulation methods, there won’t be a significant difference in the basic stealth techniques.”
I took the hidden knife from the Deputy Medical Official and stood in position to see the scarecrow. Reminded me of grenade toss training.
Seeing me get stiff, the Deputy Medical Official continued speaking.
“There’s no need to be tense. Just place the target in the center and perform the series of movements in a single flow as practiced. Initially, the fact that it flies toward the scarecrow is a miracle, so don’t burden yourself too much.”
Easier said than done.
Placing the target in the center and performing one flow. In other words, place the target at the center and switch it, huh?
“I’ll try.”
Bang! With a lively sound, the hidden knife embedded itself in the scarecrow’s head.
Oh! Did it work on the first try? Gaining some confidence, I sequentially threw the other two hidden knives I had at the targeted scarecrow as well.
Better than I expected.
Clap clap clap!
The sounds of applause erupted from behind me in succession.
Is it the members of the guard unit? When I turned around, the guard unit members and a few unfamiliar faces were looking toward the training ground.
“Impressive!”
“Isn’t that right? How can he throw that well without practicing internal arts?”
“Truly the offspring of the Tang Family Head.”
“How thick is the blood of the Tang Family? Hitting consecutively from that distance is no small feat.”
No. While moving around the Central Plains, I practiced throwing pebbles with local hoodlums a lot.
Plus, the internal arts I’m learning are indeed from Tang Family martial arts. With the Small Wheel Mental Image Technique mastered, my physical abilities have definitely skyrocketed.
Feeling embarrassed by all the praise from afar, I lowered my head slightly and looked at the stunned facial expression of the Deputy Medical Official.
“Truly, you are deserving of being the descendant of the Tang Family Head. I thought just hitting the scarecrow would be a success today, but now it seems I can teach you the application of hitting two consecutively.”
The Deputy Medical Official, looking touched as if he was different from the rest, happily prepared to teach me the next stealth technique.
Stealth technique seems to be surprisingly useful for self-defense.
————————-
While waiting for news about Hwarin, I devoted several days to training the stealth techniques.
Though it was as basic as learning to throw a fastball in baseball or a basic changeup, this basic stealth technique is the essence of the Tang Family, which I believe could be quite handy in combat situations.
“Hwarin, wake up quickly.”
Hwarin, you need to wake up in good health and return to Yichang.
Though we’ve passed the crisis situation, being in the waiting position feels like waiting outside an operating room for a critically ill patient.
And if the time passes too long, unexpected variables can arise.
“Is Master Kang here?”
As I gazed out the window with my troubled heart toward where Hwarin was, a martial artist from the Tang Family I recognized approached me.
“What brings you here?”
Why is he visiting so late in the evening when it’s neither day nor just dusk?
“Master Kang, the Tang Family Head is quietly calling for you.”
