Chapter 20

Chapter 20

“Ugh…….”

Kang Hosan let out a groan and looked around.

‘This place is…?’

Judging by the scent of incense and the surroundings, it seemed to be the Medical Hall.

‘Did Chowan bring me here?’

Chowan must have forced herself to bring him all the way here. At that thought, Kang Hosan felt the bridge of his nose sting.

It was just as Kang Hosan tried to push himself up to get out of bed.

“You’d be better off staying still.”

At the suddenly heard voice, Kang Hosan sharply turned his head. Someone with a refined appearance was looking at him, as if he had been there all along.

“You did suffer a bit of an internal injury, but as long as you don’t overdo it, you’ll recover quickly. You don’t have to worry about Asura Squad training. I asked for you to be excused.”

“And you are……?”

“Would you understand if I said I’m Master’s fifth disciple?”

‘The fifth?’

At that moment, a certain piece of information pierced through Kang Hosan’s mind, and once he came to his senses, he hurriedly got up and spoke.

“I pay my respects to the Fifth Young Master.”

“I told you not to get up.”

“I cannot do that.”

“You were already this rigid back then, huh?”

“Yes?”

“It’s nothing. Ah, and you— you were unconscious for two days.”

“What?!”

When Kang Hosan involuntarily shouted, Youngho let out a small chuckle.

“Is being unconscious for two days that surprising?”

“N-no, it’s not that…….”

“And this might be meddling, but I killed the bastard who was harassing you.”

“……?”

He couldn’t understand it. Why was the Fifth Young Master helping him to this extent? What did he even have that warranted this?

Kang Hosan tried his best to control his expression, but perhaps because he was still young, everything he was thinking showed clearly on his face.

As if finding it amusing, Youngho snickered and said,

“Just think of it as gaining someone backing you. It’ll be easier that way.”

“What do you want from me?”

Kang Hosan knew. There was no kindness in this world without a price. It was far too cruel a truth to realize at such a young age, but this place was the Unorthodox Alliance.

A place where, if you had no strength and no backing, you were preyed upon. That was the Unorthodox Alliance.

It was an utterly natural principle for the Unorthodox Faction, but not something someone still untainted by it should be saying.

Youngho looked at Kang Hosan for a moment with a smile-filled expression.

It was a fleeting instant, shorter than a breath, yet to Kang Hosan, this moment felt longer than all the years he had lived until now.

In that endlessly slow time, the two faced each other.

Then Youngho opened his mouth.

“Come under me.”

“…….”

When Kang Hosan said nothing, Youngho wiped the smile from his face and spoke as if he had expected this from the start.

“I have nothing right now. But from here on, I’ll build it all. And the very first cornerstone is you.”

“Do you think I can live up to the Fifth Young Master’s expectations?”

“More than enough. And it’d be better for you to come under me. That way, it looks like your younger sibling can be treated too.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Do you know that your sibling has the Three Yin Severed Meridians?”

“What are you—!”

“Severed meridians. Recently, there must have been anemia, a constant coldness inside the body, and a lack of proper strength.”

“……That is correct.”

As Kang Hosan said that, his pupils trembled violently, as if an earthquake had struck.

“There’s no need to swear loyalty. You can throw me away if you think I’m useless. That’s the Unorthodox Faction.”

Youngho stared straight into Kang Hosan’s trembling eyes and said,

“For now, stay by my side. It benefits you, and it benefits me.”

Kang Hosan bit his lips for a moment, then, as if he had made up his mind, spoke with a hardened expression.

“Can you truly treat my sibling?”

“I can guarantee it. I’ll treat them within five years.”

“How exactly do you plan to do that?”

“What else? I just need to become stronger and increase my influence. Then I’ll be able to obtain the elixir needed to treat the Three Yin Severed Meridians.”

“I think I could manage that on my own as well.”

“Testing me already? Well, that’s how you survive in the Unorthodox Alliance. To put it simply, before you rise to success and obtain the elixir, your sibling will already be dead.”

It was an extremely realistic statement. For Kang Hosan to rise in status would take at least twenty years, and by then, Kang Chowan would already be dead, or in a condition no different from it.

‘In fact, before the Regression, Kang Chowan had already died.’

Perhaps agreeing with Youngho’s words, Kang Hosan let out a low groan.

Truthfully, there was so much he wanted to say. Youngho had spoken of raising his influence to treat Kang Chowan, but Kang Hosan knew how utterly unrealistic that sounded.

Even for Youngho, five years was far too short a time to raise his influence significantly. There were countless points to refute.

But for now, just staying by Youngho’s side seemed to offer many benefits, so Kang Hosan nodded and said,

“Understood. For the time being, I will stay by the Fifth Young Master’s side.”

“A good choice. Then let’s go.”

“Where to?”

“Where else? My house. Chowan’s there too, so let’s hurry. She needs treatment as well.”

“What exactly do you mean by that?”

“There’s something like that. Let’s buy some sweets on the way.”

“W-wait a moment.”

“Hurry up.”

With those words, Youngho began to walk slowly. His pace was extremely slow— slow enough that even Kang Hosan, who couldn’t properly control his body yet, could follow.

After buying sweets and taffy like that, Youngho and Kang Hosan arrived at the house.

When Kang Hosan entered Youngho’s home, Kang Chowan, who had been chatting with Sopyung, widened her eyes, her face crumpling as she ran toward Kang Hosan.

“Big brother! Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

As he said that, Kang Hosan felt an overwhelming disappointment at himself for failing to properly protect Kang Chowan.

A deep disappointment in himself.

When Kang Chowan cried and hugged Kang Hosan tightly, Kang Hosan could only return the embrace with a bitter smile, holding his younger sister close.

It was a very pitiful scene, but Youngho yawned and said,

“Are you done? Horyeung, did the elixir arrive?”

“Yes. Once we commissioned the Gold-Blood Hall, they delivered it immediately.”

“All right, Hosan. You should think about being separated from your sibling for a bit, and let’s start treating Chowan now.”

“Is treatment really possible?”

“Of course. This Wild Ginseng is about a hundred years old. It contains enough yang energy to treat the Three Yin Severed Meridians.”

As Youngho spoke in an exaggerated tone, Kang Chowan let out a laugh without realizing it. To be honest, she didn’t feel particularly hopeful.

“Thank you so much, Fifth Young Master.”

“All right. Let’s get started with the treatment. Horyeung, it’s only the Three Yin Severed Meridians, so you can handle it, right?”

“This level is manageable. But the way you say that makes it sound like the Fifth Young Master could do it as well?”

“I’m omnipotent. Enough talk—just do the treatment.”

“Understood.”

As always, Horyeung half-listened to Youngho’s words and tried to lead Kang Chowan into the room to begin treatment.

At that moment, Kang Hosan tightly hugged Kang Chowan and said,

“What are you trying to do to Chowan right now?”

“Didn’t you hear? I said treatment.”

“You clearly said it would take time. Is this really treatment?”

“Yeah. Since it is, hurry up and take Chowan already. To begin with, what would I even do to her?”

Youngho spoke toward Kang Hosan, who was glaring at him with a ferocious presence.

“If you keep this up, I’ll knock you out and treat Chowan.”

At those words, goosebumps rose all over Kang Hosan’s body. He was serious. Everything Youngho had said was true.

That treatment was possible, and that he would knock him out and begin treatment—both were real.

If asked why he felt that way, Kang Hosan could only call it instinct.

As if a massive serpent were tightening around his body, the strength drained from Kang Hosan’s hands.

Not missing that moment, Youngho immediately pulled Kang Chowan free from Kang Hosan’s grasp and sent her into the room with Horyeung.

‘Damn it!’

It all happened in such a brief instant that he couldn’t even react before Chowan was taken away.

As Kang Hosan tried to rush into the room, Youngho struck the back of his head hard.

“Seriously, if I say something, at least try listening.”

With those words, Kang Hosan’s consciousness slowly faded away.

“Will I really be able to recover?”

“Yes. It’s still in the early stages, so it can be cured. Honestly, if it were the Four Yin Severed Meridians, it would’ve been a bit questionable, but the Three Yin Severed Meridians are fully treatable.”

“Then what would have happened if it were the Four Yin Severed Meridians like you said?”

“What else would happen besides death? The Four Yin Severed Meridians would turn into the Nine Yin Meridians, and you’d die.”

At those words, Kang Chowan broke into a cold sweat.

‘I really almost died…….’

She had thought it was just a minor illness……

“You’re quite lucky. To have caught the Fifth Young Master’s eye.”

“Come to think of it, why is the Fifth Young Master helping me?”

At her pure question, Horyeung smiled and said,

“The Fifth Young Master does not bestow good deeds without benefit. He helped you because there is something he intends to take from you someday, so don’t worry about that. We’ll begin the treatment now. I’ll be performing pulse diagnosis, so don’t panic.”

“Yes.”

Soon, Kang Chowan’s vision gradually blurred, and she fell into a deep sleep.

‘The Three Yin Severed Meridians…….’

Truthfully, Horyeung had never treated the Three Yin Severed Meridians before. But since he knew the theory, he was simply attempting it.

Even if the treatment failed, the only side effect would be a slight excess of yang energy flowing within the body.

Horyeung did his utmost not to betray Youngho’s expectations.

Thus, a day passed.

Bang!

Kang Hosan suddenly regained consciousness, his eyes wide as he looked around.

“Chowan!”

The moment he shouted to find Chowan, someone struck the back of his head.

Thwack!

“Ghk!”

As Kang Hosan turned around with a strange sound escaping him, Youngho spoke while chewing on sweets.

“Why are you yelling in broad daylight? Chowan just woke up, so go see her yourself. Oh, and try checking her pulse too. That strange feeling of energy you used to sense is gone now.”

At those words, Kang Hosan rushed off to find his sibling.

Watching him go, Horyeung let out a deep sigh and said,

“She’ll be in the kitchen. She’s gotten quite close with Sopyung.”

Without even thanking Horyeung, Kang Hosan immediately dashed toward the kitchen.

Seeing that, Horyeung clicked his tongue once and said,

“Isn’t the Fifth Young Master a bit too mischievous?”

“So what? She’s all better now.”

“Even so, telling him to find her himself was a bit much, wasn’t it?”

“I don’t feel like repeating what I said earlier.”

“Understood. By the way, would it be all right for me to teach those children my martial arts?”

Seeing Horyeung move faster than expected, Youngho’s eyes gleamed as he spoke.

“Why do you want to teach them?”

“Well, you know. People who once suffered from severed meridians are often said to be geniuses, aren’t they?”

“That’s true. There’s even a case where someone who cured the Nine Yin Meridians became the Foremost Master of the Unorthodox Faction.”

“That must be why I’ve grown a bit greedy myself.”

Youngho let out a small chuckle.

“Do whatever you want. Are you going to teach Hosan as well?”

“It would be better to do so if I want to gain Chowan’s favor.”

“Do that. Still, Hosan will probably be no less than Chowan.”

“That makes it all the more exciting.”

As Horyeung said that, his eyes were filled with irrepressible joy.

Soon, Kang Hosan returned to where Youngho was and knelt down.

Panting as his breath rose to his throat, Kang Hosan steadied his breathing for a moment and then spoke.

“Kang Hosan greets his lord.”