“Once you’re ready, you should just find your way here on your own. Or are you saying that thieves don’t know time and place?”
Do-mun Hyang-joo stepped back and pointed his sword at the new intruder.
“Your little antics end here.”
Uncle Wang murmured in a voice that seemed ready to slice them all in half.
Is this really the Uncle Wang I knew? He seems like a completely different person.
“By yourself? Do you really think that’s possible?”
As soon as Do-mun Hyang-joo finished speaking, all the martial artists drew their swords. The only allies standing here were me and Uncle Wang.
Can the two of us fight nearly twenty enemies together? Should I stall for time a bit longer?
As I pondered, suddenly Uncle Wang’s figure blurred.
“Cough!”
As one of the Tu Sect’s martial artists grabbed their throat and collapsed, Uncle Wang reappeared before me almost simultaneously.
“Looks like we’ve taken one down.”
Uncle Wang. You were just gone a moment ago, right?
It didn’t seem like I was the only one who hadn’t seen it; a flash of confusion crossed the faces of the Tu Sect martial artists.
“Hah… Even if it’s an old tiger, its claws are still sharp, it seems.”
Do-mun Hyang-joo chuckled derisively, looking down at his fallen subordinate, who had turned to a corpse in an instant.
In that moment, the shoulder of a martial artist who had collapsed near Do-mun Hyang-joo twitched. Good. This is the chance! Perhaps the Tu Sect’s martial artist had the same thought, and in an instant, they sprang up and charged at the enemy.
“Die! … Ack!”
“Just lie still. There are always a few idiots who can’t read the situation.”
Did they know? Do-mun Hyang-joo swung his sword like swatting a fly, beheading the martial artist.
Looks like Do-mun Hyang-joo’s martial arts skills are nothing to scoff at either. If I want to turn the tide, it looks like I have to face Do-mun Hyang-joo and Uncle Wang one-on-one while I handle the rest.
Alright. With nearly twenty of them, I should just draw numbers and challenge them in order.
“Do, Do-mun Hyang-joo!”
“Ugh!”
Fortunately, the only ones waiting for the numbers were the Do-mun folks. One by one, the Tu Sect’s martial artists who had driven out the poison began to rise.
“Do you think we can leave alive?”
Time is on our side. Uncle Wang urged Do-mun Hyang-joo to surrender.
“Of course we can leave! Why wouldn’t we, with a pass ready?!”
Do-mun Hyang-joo smiled confidently, lifting someone unconscious at his feet.
“Ugh…”
“Im Ha-yeon!”
What’s that guy trying to do? Just as I was about to throw the talisman, Uncle Wang restrained me with one hand and spoke up.
“Are you trying to take my daughter hostage?”
“She’s been a hostage for ten years. What’s gonna change by adding one more day?”
“Do you really think you can take my daughter and escape while turning your back on me?”
Uncle Wang’s sword gleamed bluish under the moonlight.
Our father-in-law sure has a confident voice. If I could, I’d want to scream, “You’re all dead like the scum you are!”
“Well… that’s a fair point, isn’t it?”
Do-mun Hyang-joo nodded, seemingly losing his confidence, chuckling as he did. Yeah. As a gambler, if you’re nervous, you should start preparing for your death.
“Behave… What’s that?!”
Do-mun Hyang-joo pulled out something round from his robes.
What’s that? A amulet? While I was briefly lost in thought, Do-mun Hyang-joo grabbed Im Ha-yeon by the neck and stuffed whatever he was holding into her mouth.
“Ugh!”
“W-What did you just feed her?!”
“Something good for her! Originally, I planned to eat it myself after I turned the tables. The problem is, she also needs to take the antidote…”
“Then I’ll just rummage through your corpse.”
A murderous voice directed toward Do-mun Hyang-joo.
“If I get captured, I’ll never find the antidote!”
“……”
“When the sun sets tonight, let’s meet by the Yangtze River at the venue ran by Do-mun. I’ll have Tu-mun Hyang-joo bring the seal ring. See you tonight!”
With that, Do-mun Hyang-joo turned as if he had no further business, nonchalantly exiting the mansion.
———–
Inside the mansion, once the intruders had vanished.
“Ugh!”
At the agonizing groan of Im Ha-yeon, the two of us sprang into action.
“Ha-yeon! Ha-yeon! Get a grip! Ha-yeon!”
Uncle Wang rushed over to embrace Im Ha-yeon, calling out to her anxiously.
“Hyung-joon! I’ll call for a doctor!”
“Ha-yeon!”
As I got closer to look at Im Ha-yeon, her state was beyond dire.
Her face was red as if painted with red vermilion, sweat pouring down her forehead like rain. Im Ha-yeon’s lips trembled uncontrollably.
No way.
My legs felt weak. I sank to the floor on my knees. My shocked feet wouldn’t move. Gritting my teeth, I crawled towards her.
Our eyes met. He handed her over to me with a mournful expression. She felt hot. Burning hot. But her hands were as cold as ice.
Don’t joke around.
I’ve been running this far to change her fate. Getting here wasn’t just to see her collapsed face.
Overwhelmed with emotion, I held her tight.
“I know a legendary doctor! I’ll take you there… Huh?”
Was it the fatigue from battle?
My body ached, but it didn’t matter. The one hurting was her…
“Wait?”
But why does only the part touching Im Ha-yeon feel like it’s stung by bees?
“Hey! What in the world is going on?!”
“Huh? Whaaaat?!”
Poison was seeping out of Im Ha-yeon’s body.
——-
“Did you bring my daughter some elixir just to show off?”
Inside the inner chamber of the banquet hall where the situation had calmed down, a renowned doctor, who had once been mentioned in Wuhan, stared at us incredulously.
“What do you mean by that?”
Uncle Wang asked in surprise.
“Did you feed her a highly effective elixir, thinking it was poison?”
“An elixir?”
“Unless it’s the celestial elixirs like Dae Hwan Dan or Tae Cheong Dan from prestigious families, every other elixir has side effects.”
The doctor sighed, looking frustrated.
“Side effects?”
“Let’s see. The elixir has a bit too much yin energy, so she might be clinging to her husband all night. Thinking of her husband next to her, it might actually not be enough; so, I don’t think it’s an issue…”
“Stop mumbling to yourself and just say it plainly!”
“Geez! What elixir is there that doesn’t have poison? Sure, her body has become somewhat stronger with yin energy, but it’s tolerable, and though there’s poison, it’s manageable to treat. So what would a martial artist have left after the cure?”
Was what Do-mun Hyang-joo pulled out really an elixir close to poison? If it was truly a valuable elixir that he kept in his arms, then Do-mun Hyang-joo must have been in a serious predicament at that moment.
“There’s no way he fed her a proper elixir…”
Uncle Wang. Please stop scanning me with your suspicious gaze. It’s kind of pressuring. Of course, I did use a questionable method for healing.
‘Long time no see, but Reverse Heaven’s Decree has really come in handy this time.’
An innate totem sorcerer. The panacea of all ailments. Kang Yoon-ho is making his entrance. Today’s totem in use is the healing totem. As soon as I noticed the poison seeping out of Im Ha-yeon’s body, I realized what was happening.
I need to use my powers right away.
After dropping hints of my secret methods, I cast my deep healing spell for the third time tonight. For a moment, I felt a heavy murderous intent from behind, but it didn’t matter.
Because the poison was forcefully purging out of Im Ha-yeon’s body.
‘Thanks to my author life and Ho Pil’s business, my reputation has certainly risen compared to the past.’
Before the doctor even arrived, Im Ha-yeon’s complexion had returned to normal.
“That guy claimed to have the antidote himself. So does that mean we don’t need one?”
I had no words I could say to Uncle Wang. I quickly shifted my attention back to Im Ha-yeon.
“Then he must be the one who can’t give you the antidote.”
“Yes. That’s right.”
“Since her body is now ready to accept the next remedy, if she takes the antidote, it’ll neutralize the poison right away and she’ll gain even more inner strength. But if the risk is too great, there are other methods.”
“What methods are those?”
“She just needs to take the medicine I made and rest for a while. After several years of recuperation, the poison will eventually play out.”
“Is just taking medicine enough?”
Uncle Wang asked again, seemingly in disbelief.
“Just? For most wealthy families, the money spent just to save a single child would uproot the foundation! Of course, you’re the one who goes around uprooting foundations, so you’re not saying that.”
“Hmm…”
“Early dawn, when a face I haven’t seen for ten years suddenly appeared, I thought a ghost was asking me to save them.”
The doctor grumbled at Uncle Wang, now that the matter was settled.
“Sorry about that.”
“Forget it. I was just happy to see you after a long time. She should come to her senses in half a day or so. Once cured, she’ll have more inner strength than many members of the Nine Great Sects & One Alliance.”
The doctor mentioned that he’d come back for herbs in the morning before exiting the mansion.
—–
“Phew.”
Thank goodness. I let out a deep sigh and sat down.
Uncle Wang couldn’t take his eyes off his daughter after not seeing her for so long. He sat there, staring blankly at the unconscious Im Ha-yeon.
‘Where should I even start speaking?’
I’m truly sorry, Uncle Wang.
When I took your black token to visit the Hao Sect, everyone threatened me.
I managed to get past the crisis by claiming we were brothers, but somehow I ended up promising a future with Uncle Wang’s daughter.
‘No, that’s too concise.’
Im Ha-yeon had fallen for me and decided to accept my feelings. No, should I focus more on emphasizing my efforts to solve everything up to this point.
While I pondered on how to explain, I suddenly felt a gaze fixed on me.
“Is the ability to save my daughter the function of Reverse Heaven’s Decree?”
Uncle Wang asked, without hesitation, something that was one of my biggest secrets.
“Huh?”
Only So-hee knew I was the Reverse Heaven’s Decree user, right? Caught off guard by his unexpected question, my eyes widened.
“A young man who was taking care of her while being close to Heavenly Killing Star, I figured as much.”
Uncle Wang smiled, seeing my reaction.
“Did you figure that much?”
“I heard it from Cheon Gi-ja. Along with some important details.”
Uncle Wang stared deep into my eyes.
“Important details?”
“Nothing much. Since I gave him a generous bounty, he spilled various tales.”
So it was Cheon Gi-ja, not So-hee, who had told him. I nodded in understanding.
“How did you find this place?”
“Since news of the righteous martial artist, The Shadowless Thief, is circulating throughout Hubei Province, there’s no way I wouldn’t know. After catching up with Kwak Ga from Yichang for a brief chat, I arrived in Wuhan not long ago.”
“I see.”
As I nodded again, a brief silence fell between us.
If he has already heard the situation, I probably won’t need to explain too much. Still, speaking from my own perspective might be better.
As I was gathering my thoughts, Uncle Wang stood up.
“Thank you for taking care of my daughter in my absence. I don’t know how to express my gratitude.”
Uncle Wang went down on one knee and bowed his head to me.
“Sir, you don’t need to do that! Besides, the work isn’t finished yet. We can exchange our thanks when it’s all over.”
I just borrowed help when I was in need. Besides, we still need to resolve the Do-mun situation.
I quickly got up with a friendly smile and lifted Uncle Wang back up.
“Right. It’s not the time when the Do-mun folks are rampaging. Let’s save our reunion for after we wrap this up.”
Yeah, this isn’t the time.
Now that I know Uncle Wang has a general idea of the situation, I’m relieved to have bought time to discuss other topics. Outside, the internal conflict of the Hao Sect rages on, and we need to take action to resolve it.
I looked at Uncle Wang and opened my mouth to devise a plan.
“Father-in-law.”
Uncle Wang’s brow twitched.
Why is he not responding? When I called again.
“Father-in-law…?”
Uncle Wang’s brows twitched, twisting as if a worm was moving.
Is this…?
“Should I call you Uncle Wang instead?”
“Call me Brother Wang. As a father meeting his daughter after ten years, I still need to prepare my heart for you saying that.”
Uncle Wang finally smiled and answered me.
“Not at all! I’m truly sorry for calling you an outsider during the crisis.”
Rather than having a power struggle with my father-in-law, let’s swap titles. I subtly emphasized that it was a crisis, leaving me no choice but to lie.
“You’ve done so much already, so how could I just say a thing like that? I’d have forgiven no matter what you said.”
Uncle Wang patted my shoulder with a somewhat hurt look.
Really?
You’d forgive me no matter what?
“Then, Father-in-law.”
I came in for another sneak attack.
This guy? A look of shock swept across Uncle Wang’s face.
Hahaha. Just admit it already! After all, it was me who saved Im Ha-yeon this time. Where would you find a better son-in-law than me?
“…Has my daughter told you about Heavenly Killing Star?”
An unexpected perfect counter struck deep into my chest.
“Brother Wang…”
“Kang, my brother.”
Sure enough, the representatives of the Hao Sect became true brothers, shaking hands with smiles that transcended age gaps, reaching a dramatic agreement.
