A corpse lying on the floor of the training ground.
No, seeing that it was wriggling, it seemed that it was not yet dead.
"Ugh..."
Heo Cham had just experienced what it meant to be beaten to a pulp on a rainy day.
A pain felt throughout his body as if he had caught a cold. But strangely, if asked if it seemed to be life-threatening, that was not the case.
Cheon Myeong had really beaten Heo Cham only to the point where it would not be life-threatening and then stopped his punches.
"This should be enough."
Cheon Myeong muttered, looking at Heo Cham who was lying on the floor.
And he took something out of his bosom and approached the fallen Heo Cham.
"Take off your upper garment."
"M-my upper garment...?"
What on earth was he going to do to him this time that he was even trying to take off his upper garment?
As Heo Cham was startled and covered his body with his two hands, Cheon Myeong clicked his tongue and said.
"I'm telling you to take it off for treatment, so take it off quickly."
"T-treatment!"
"..."
Ah, come to think of it, he had also said it was treatment when he had beaten Heo Cham.
Seeing Heo Cham's frantic appearance, Cheon Myeong realized that he had to correct his words.
"I'm going to apply this medicine to your body."
Cheon Myeong said that and showed Heo Cham the medicine container he had taken out of his bosom earlier.
Heo Cham, who was looking at the medicine container Cheon Myeong was holding with a suspicious gaze. And he carefully asked Cheon Myeong.
"W-what is that?"
"A special medicine that works well on wounds on the body."
"..."
"It has an excellent effect especially on places that have been hit by fists."
If those words were true, it could be said to be a medicine that he desperately needed right now.
But isn't something strange?
The one who had hit him was clearly Cheon Myeong, so why was he trying to give him a medicine that works well on wounds?
Heo Cham couldn't help but have that question upon hearing those words.
"Excuse me... I'm asking out of an abundance of caution."
"What is it?"
"That... where did you get that medicine?"
"It's a medicine I made myself."
"..."
Was this the identity of the sense of incongruity he had been feeling since a while ago?
Heo Cham instinctively held on to his clothes more tightly and said to Cheon Myeong.
"Don't tell me you've been beating me until now to use that medicine on me!"
"That's right."
"...!"
"I wanted to let you know how effective this medicine is."
To think that he had beaten him so much just to let him know the effect of the medicine.
For a moment, Heo Cham was so dumbfounded that he couldn't even speak properly.
"I'm sorry for hitting you. But if you apply this medicine, you'll be as good as new overnight."
"...I won't apply it."
"What?"
"I can't understand what on earth you are trying to make me do, Young Master."
Isn't this the very situation of giving a disease and then giving medicine?
If Cheon Myeong had offered that medicine in a different situation, Heo Cham would have gratefully and willingly received the medicine.
However, the perpetrator who had given the wound was Cheon Myeong.
Of course, it seemed that Cheon Myeong had some intention, but Heo Cham somehow was not in the mood to readily accept that medicine.
In a word, he was sulking at Cheon Myeong.
"Do you know how harsh your hands are, Young Master?"
"..."
"When I was being beaten by you, Young Master, I thought I was a dog on a dog-meat day."
Heo Cham rebelled against Cheon Myeong for the first time.
He had been beaten so much by Cheon Myeong that it hurt so much, and now that he had heard the reason, it seemed that he had to say this even if it was out of injustice.
"If you just wanted to teach me the effect of that medicine, you didn't have to beat me this much!"
"..."
"Come to think of it, it would have been enough to show me you using it on someone else."
"It seems you haven't been beaten enough yet?"
"I'm not your experiment... yes?"
For a moment, as a cold voice was heard from above, Heo Cham stopped his words in the middle and looked at that side.
"...!"
A chill that made it even fearful to make eye contact.
The moment he saw that gaze, Heo Cham realized that something was wrong.
"Aren't you talking like that because you haven't been beaten enough yet?"
"..."
"I thought this was enough. It seems I was weak-hearted and hit you lightly."
"Y-Young Master! That's not it...!"
"I know. I'll make you beg me to apply the medicine yourself."
With those words, Cheon Myeong, who was getting up from his spot.
Crack- crack-.
Soon, the sound of Cheon Myeong cracking his knuckles was heard eerily above Heo Cham's head.
'If I get beaten again... I will definitely die!'
Even now, it was not to the point of death, but it was by no means okay.
But if he were to be beaten more in this state?
He absolutely did not want to even imagine the result.
"Young Master!"
Grasp-.
Heo Cham urgently called Cheon Myeong and grabbed his trouser leg. And he looked up at Cheon Myeong with a desperate gaze and said.
"I-I was wrong!"
"What's wrong? I was the one who was wrong."
"...!"
"This time, I'll beat you up so thoroughly that you won't have such thoughts, so don't worry."
Those words are sincere. Heo Cham could instinctively know that fact.
'H-how should I...'
Grabbing his trouser leg was not enough to stop Cheon Myeong.
In the end, in order to save himself, Heo Cham began to desperately rack his brain, squeezing out all the wisdom he didn't have.
"...!"
Rip-.
As soon as Heo Cham let go of Cheon Myeong's trouser leg, he stood up from his spot and tore off his upper garment.
No, the expression 'tore off' would be more correct than 'untied'.
Heo Cham, who had completely taken off his upper garment, looked at Cheon Myeong and said.
"Young Master! Please apply that medicine to me!"
"..."
"I want to apply that medicine so much that I think I'm going crazy right now!"
Heo Cham stretched out his two hands to the side and shouted as if he were desperate.
Cheon Myeong, who was watching him without a word.
Soon, the coldness disappeared from his face, and Cheon Myeong said with a smile.
"What, you wanted to apply this medicine that much?"
"..."
"Then I can't help it. Now, sit down."
"...Thank you."
Heo Cham, who was saying that, holding back his tears.
Heo Cham's timid rebellion ended faster than the twinkle of a meteor falling from the night sky.
***
Heo Cham stood in his spot and looked at his body here and there.
Until yesterday, it had felt like his whole body was going to crumble.
Heo Cham was constantly looking at his body, which had returned to normal overnight, as if it were strange.
'It really got better overnight?'
Heo Cham also had quite a lot of experience applying external medicine, but this was the first time he had seen a medicine with such a good effect.
But to think that Cheon Myeong had made this.
Heo Cham was so surprised by the effect of the medicine that he couldn't easily believe those words.
'Since Young Master Cheon Myeong said he made it himself, I thought it would definitely be strange...'
But when he actually applied it, wasn't it a medicine with a tremendous effect?
When Cheon Myeong had beaten him, he had honestly been a little resentful, but as he recovered so quickly and cleanly, that resentment seemed to disappear on its own.
Creak-.
"What, you're already up?"
At that moment, the door opened and Cheon Myeong and Jong Seojun entered the room.
As soon as Heo Cham discovered the two, he immediately took a fist salute, and Cheon Myeong asked Heo Cham.
"How's your body?"
"It really got better overnight."
"I told you it would."
Actually, at that time, he hadn't completely believed those words, but there was no need to tell Cheon Myeong that fact.
"Did you really make this medicine, Young Master?"
"Why would I lie about something like that?"
"..."
Come to think of it, those words are right.
He had had that question because the effect of the medicine was so outstanding, but after hearing Cheon Myeong's words, Heo Cham had no choice but to nod his head at those words right away.
"Well, the fact that you asked that means that the effect of the medicine was that good, right? I'll take it as a compliment."
Cheon Myeong said that and took out a medicine container from his bosom.
And as he held it out, Heo Cham looked at the medicine container with a puzzled face.
"What is this?"
"Don't you know when you see it? It's a container with medicine in it."
"I know that... but my body is fine now."
"No. One place is still the same."
"...?"
Cheon Myeong pointed to Heo Cham's left arm with his eyes.
At that moment, his two eyes widened. And Heo Cham was startled and said to Cheon Myeong.
"D-don't tell me...! Are you saying this is the medicine to treat my left arm?"
"Yes. From now on, take one of these every day."
"..."
"If you continue to take it for about ten days, your left arm will return to normal."
He couldn't believe it.
To think that his left arm, which he had not been able to fix until now, would be treated just by taking that medicine.
And hearing that it would be cured in ten days, Heo Cham looked at the medicine Cheon Myeong was holding with a blank face.
"Trust me."
At that moment, Cheon Myeong, who was looking at Heo Cham and saying that.
Then, Heo Cham's gaze turned to Cheon Myeong's eyes.
"You have already experienced the effect of the medicine I made with your own body."
"..."
"This time too, if you just listen to my words well, your left arm will definitely return to normal."
"R-really..."
"Yes, I'll bet my life on it."
As Cheon Myeong said that, not only Heo Cham, but also Jong Seojun, who was standing behind him, looked surprised.
"Y-Young Master's life... Please don't say such things carelessly!"
Heo Cham, who was speaking with a trembling voice.
Then, Cheon Myeong said to Heo Cham with a light smile.
"Then, in order for me not to die, you should take that medicine and get well."
Thump-.
Cheon Myeong dropped the medicine container on Heo Cham's hand.
Heo Cham received the medicine container with both hands, and after looking at the medicine container without a word for a while, he soon looked at Cheon Myeong as if he had made up his mind and said.
"I will definitely get well."
"...Yes."
Cheon Myeong, who turned around after leaving a short answer. And he took a step and opened his mouth.
"Focus on your treatment at the Demonic Infirmary for the time being."
"..."
"See you in ten days."
"...As you command."
Cheon Myeong left the room, leaving Heo Cham, who was taking a fist salute to him, behind.
And Jong Seojun, who was following behind him.
Jong Seojun soon asked Cheon Myeong with a voice full of doubt.
"Young Master, did you have the medicine to treat that illness from the beginning?"
"What medicine?"
"What do you mean, what medicine... The one you just gave to Leader Heo."
Cheon Myeong stopped his steps.
As he stopped in front, Jong Seojun also had no choice but to stop, and Cheon Myeong looked at Jong Seojun and said with a calm face.
"That's just a medicine that's good for vitality."
"...Yes?"
"If you take it, your mind will temporarily become clear. I also take it sometimes when my head is complicated."
"..."
Jong Seojun seemed to have lost his words for a moment upon hearing Cheon Myeong's words.
According to Cheon Myeong's words, that was just a medicine that only cleared the mind, and in the end, it was not a medicine that could treat Heo Cham's left arm, right?
Then why did he say that to Heo Cham?
Since Cheon Myeong had just made a bold promise, even betting his own life, Jong Seojun asked Cheon Myeong with a reluctant voice.
"Then why did you say that to Leader Heo..."
"The reason why that guy's left arm doesn't heal is, by all means, a mental problem. You said with your own mouth that his body is actually normal, right?"
"...That's right."
"Then what that guy needs is not medicine. It's just a strong belief that he can believe that his body is fine."
"Ah...!"
Hearing Cheon Myeong's words, a small sigh came out of Jong Seojun's mouth.
"So I've been trying to give Heo Cham that belief until now."
"Don't tell me you even beat Leader Heo..."
"Yes, I tried to increase his trust in my medicine by letting him experience the effect of my medicine directly."
"..."
"The medicine I just gave is just a medium. In the end, in order for the illness to be cured, Heo Cham himself must try the hardest more than anyone else."
Jong Seojun didn't know what to say.
To think that there could be such an approach to a patient like Heo Cham.
Although he had devoted most of his life to medicine, the more he saw Cheon Myeong's treatment method, the more it came to Jong Seojun as a fresh shock.
"If Heo Cham's left arm doesn't return to normal even after this, I can't help it."
"Does that mean... that treatment method is not perfect?"
"Well, that's right."
"Why did you say you would bet your life on such an uncertain thing, Young Master?"
Although it didn't seem like Cheon Myeong would actually die if the illness was not cured, a word once spoken by someone of Cheon Myeong's position carries a tremendous weight.
Therefore, that remark he had made to Heo Cham could not be dismissed as just a light joke.
At Jong Seojun's question, Cheon Myeong answered with a face that had become serious.
"Because that would give that guy more faith."
"..."
"And I don't like it. To tell a subordinate to unilaterally sacrifice his life."
A gaze without a hint of a smile.
At first, Jong Seojun had not thought that Cheon Myeong would die even if Heo Cham's illness was not cured.
However, seeing that gaze, it seemed that Cheon Myeong might really keep that word.
"Young Master... really..."
"..."
Thump-.
Cheon Myeong lightly tapped Jong Seojun's shoulder with his hand.
And he had returned to his usual face and said.
"Please take good care of Heo Cham in the meantime."
"..."
"Just keep what we just talked about to yourself."
With those words, Cheon Myeong walked forward again.
"..."
Jong Seojun, who was silently watching Cheon Myeong's back as he moved away.
In Jong Seojun's mind, the words that Cheon Myeong had just said to him seemed to be constantly echoing.
(End of Chapter)