Chapter 44

Chapter 44

“Something like that happened to you….”

Youngho listened to Tang Hyeon-gang’s story and put on a sympathetic expression. Of course, Tang Hyeon-gang had not told him everything, but Youngho, who already possessed information about him, merely smiled inwardly.

‘What luck.’

He had never imagined that today would be the very day Tang Hyeon-gang was expelled from the Tang Clan.

‘Then I gave Chowon an unnecessary order.’

In truth, two days ago, Youngho had mixed one of his own poisonous herbs into the medicinal herbs Tang Hyeon-gang possessed.

Well, even if that poisonous herb were used, it would not kill anyone. It would only cause excruciating pain.

As Youngho knew, Tang Hyeon-gang had been falsely accused and expelled from the Tang Clan. And he even knew the full story behind it.

‘I’m certain some bastard from the direct line framed this fellow over the herb issue….’

It seemed there had been several other matters as well. The effort of deliberately switching the herbs Tang Hyeon-gang purchased with poisonous ones had been rendered meaningless…

‘As long as the result is good, that’s all that matters.’

Unaware of Youngho’s thoughts, Tang Hyeon-gang gave a bitter smile and spoke.

“In any case, I can no longer use the Tang surname. So I suppose I must simply be called Hyeon-gang.”

As if this were the moment he had been waiting for, Youngho pressed into his heart.

“Hyeon-gang Great Hero. Would you consider traveling the Jianghu with us?”

Hyeon-gang felt puzzled by Youngho’s invitation and asked him,

“Why do you wish to travel with me?”

It was an innocent question—no, more accurately, suspicion. What benefit could there possibly be in traveling with someone who had just been expelled from his clan?

Youngho hesitated briefly, then decided to speak the truth.

“In truth, we are looking for a physician.”

“A physician, you say?”

“Yes. And not just any physician—a highly skilled one.”

Youngho placed emphasis on the word skilled. Hyeon-gang’s expression grew even more confused.

“How can you know that I am skilled?”

“Yes.”

“Distinguishing medicinal herbs is something any decent physician can do. If you are referring to that incident…”

“No. You are the finest physician in the Central Plains. I can tell.”

At Youngho’s words, filled with conviction, Hyeon-gang failed to hide his flustered expression.

“You say you can tell?”

“Yes.”

“How on earth…?”

‘Because I regressed.’

But he could hardly say that aloud. So Youngho spoke the truth—just not all of it.

“There is the scent of life about you.”

“Pardon?”

“The scent of life. Like the fragrance of flowers blooming when winter passes and spring returns.”

At such an unexpected statement, Hyeon-gang stared blankly at Youngho, who let out a small chuckle.

“Well, just think of it as a feeling. That would be more comfortable.”

He had meant to brush it off lightly, but Hyeon-gang continued to stare at him blankly. This was not the first time he had experienced something so strange.

‘It reminds me of the time I saw a Taoist priest from Wudang.’

From his words flowed a faint mystical aura, and from his very gestures emanated a brilliant spiritual presence that enveloped Hyeon-gang.

As things stood, there was nothing he could do. To earn money, he had to practice his specialty—medicine—but at the very least, he could not display his medical skills in Sichuan.

In Sichuan, even a Divine Physician could not establish a Branch Hall. Much less someone expelled from the Tang Clan—if he dared to practice medicine, who knew what would happen.

Then he first had to leave Sichuan. But even that alone would easily consume two nyang of silver.

Yet relying on others for free was far from Hyeon-gang’s principles. Thus, he asked Youngho,

“Are you perhaps injured anywhere?”

“Not at the moment. But I will be soon.”

“What?”

“You will understand if you follow us.”

It seemed Youngho was embarking on quite a dangerous journey through the Jianghu. To think he would try to take along a physician, someone usually not brought on such travels…

‘Still, it doesn’t seem he expects me to work for free.’

Only then did Hyeon-gang feel somewhat at ease. Nodding, he said,

“If I will not be a burden, I shall gladly accept.”

“Do not worry. I have dealt with a brat of far higher standing than a mere physician.”

“Pardon? A brat?”

“Haha, that one was far too much of a brat to even compare to you, Physician.”

“Excuse me?”

“Haha. Just a joke.”

Youngho recalled once more the reaction Hwangbo Nyeong had shown upon learning that he was the Fifth Young Master of the Unorthodox Alliance.

‘In all my life, I had never seen such a face.’

After that, Hwangbo Nyeong had left without another word. It had also weighed heavily that it was an event of the Unorthodox Alliance, leaving her unable to take any action.

‘She must have wanted to confirm it immediately.’

Whether he truly was the Fifth Young Master—whether he had truly been defeated by Namgung Cheon.

“Now then, in any case, let us depart. It is still morning, so we should get moving.”

“Where do you intend to go?”

“A mountain near Hebei.”

“Pardon?”

“We will be climbing a mountain.”

Hyeon-gang tilted his head with a puzzled expression, clearly not understanding.

Youngho had no intention of resolving that confusion and said nothing further on the matter.

“You need not worry about financial matters. An acquaintance of mine is quite wealthy.”

What does your acquaintance being wealthy have to do with financial matters?

Hyeon-gang looked at him as if to say, What kind of fellow are you? Youngho responded with a faint smile.

“If you wish to earn money, Physician, I will help you display your abilities.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“As we travel, you may treat as many patients as you wish.”

“Let us go.”

That way, Hyeon-gang could resolve his personal financial concerns as well.

More than anything, he had long desired an opportunity to fully exercise his abilities at least once.

Before long, nothing remained in Hyeon-gang’s eyes but the burning desire to treat patients. His blazing passion was enough to draw an awkward smile even from Youngho.

‘So that is why he was called the Mad Physician….’

Thus, Youngho’s party, now five in number, began heading toward Hebei.

And after some time passed, they arrived in Luoyang.

‘The number of patients treated along the way: ten.’

None of them had suffered from particularly severe illnesses or injuries, yet as Youngho watched Hyeon-gang’s medical skill, he found himself unconsciously admiring it.

‘He truly deserves to be called the greatest physician under heaven in the future. He is barely at the age of Forty, yet his medical skill is already this exceptional…. But his Martial Might is far too low.’

Before the Regression, Hyeon-gang had not been like this. His Martial Might had reached the level of a Transcendent Peak Master—so high that it was difficult to even consider him merely a physician.

‘But now, at best, he is only a Second Rate Martial Artist.’

Numerous martial arts manuals within the Unorthodox Alliance passed through Youngho’s mind.

‘It must be a martial art as safe as possible.’

No matter that it was the Unorthodox Alliance, these days even the Demonic Cult learned proper orthodox techniques.

If he were to teach him a poorly constructed heretical art, it could cause major problems in the future.

‘But if I teach him martial arts now, he will feel an immense burden, won’t he?’

That was only natural. He had not yet become Hyeon-gang’s Lord, and if he showed such favor now, it might only breed suspicion instead.

After lengthy contemplation, Youngho decided to rest for now.

“Children, let us go rest.”

“Yes.”

“Physician, please follow as well.”

“Pardon? That road leads toward the Gold-Blood Hall. There should be an inn nearby….”

“That is precisely why I suggested it.”

“Excuse me?”

“My acquaintance is the Branch Hall Master of the Gold-Blood Hall. This much is no problem.”

“…Ah.”

Something flashed through Hyeon-gang’s mind.

Youngho’s abnormal sense of money he had displayed on the way to Luoyang. The way he had purchased outrageously expensive medicinal ingredients and medical tools without hesitation.

Ah… so his acquaintance was the Branch Hall Master of the Gold-Blood Hall?

For a moment, he felt as though his soul might leave his body, and he hurriedly slapped his own cheek hard.

Smack!

Coming to his senses, Hyeon-gang looked at Youngho and asked in a trembling voice,

“W-What in the world is your true identity?”

At first, he had thought him to be the son of a wealthy household.

Later, upon hearing that he was traveling the Jianghu, he had assumed him to be the scion of a prestigious clan.

Moreover, along the journey, he had felt puzzled watching him intermittently train Kang Hosan and Kang Chowon, the young boy and girl.

If anything, the one who appeared to be their master was the old man Horyeung.

And yet even Horyeung, who claimed to be Youngho’s escort, occasionally received training from Youngho.

It had been such a strange sight that he had dismissed them as merely eccentric people.

Suddenly, something Youngho had once said resurfaced in Hyeon-gang’s mind.

While overseeing Kang Hosan and Kang Chowon’s Coordinated Attack, Youngho had occasionally displayed actions that seemed somewhat violent.

Each time, when Hyeon-gang told him to ease his hand since they were still children—

—Ah, I am just normally stimulating their acupoints a bit.

That had been Youngho’s reply. At the time, he had thought stimulating acupoints was hardly child’s play and had assumed it was merely a joke.

Thus, thinking it an ill-timed joke, he had even performed a pulse examination on Kang Hosan and Kang Chowon.

‘So that is why they were perfectly fine….’

No—far beyond fine, they had been extremely healthy. Hyeon-gang felt his thoughts growing increasingly tangled.

‘A master who underwent Rejuvenation?’

No. Then it would not explain why Horyeung addressed Youngho as Young Master.

‘Is he hiding his identity?’

For what reason? What use would it serve someone capable of stimulating acupoints at that level to conceal his identity?

Watching Hyeon-gang gradually lose his composure in real time, Youngho chuckled softly.

“Let us go inside and speak. This is not a place to discuss my identity.”

Snapping back to attention, Hyeon-gang nodded. Thus, Youngho’s party headed toward the Gold-Blood Hall.

Even so, Hyeon-gang’s mind continued working at a furious pace.

‘He cannot be from the Demonic Cult… could he perhaps be from the Unorthodox Faction?’

Only someone from the Unorthodox Faction could both have ties to the Gold-Blood Hall and make use of them.

‘He is from the Unorthodox Faction?’

From everything Hyeon-gang had seen of Youngho so far, it was difficult to believe.

‘In what way does he resemble the Unorthodox Faction?’

It was not because he bore the face of some heroic figure from tales. Rather, it was Youngho’s attitude.

Though he could appear somewhat arrogant, he had never fundamentally looked down on others.

Even after Hyeon-gang had been expelled from the Tang Clan, Youngho had treated him with proper courtesy—and he treated others the same.

Hyeon-gang recalled how Youngho would speak informally with Horyeung and occasionally let out small amused chuckles.

In particular, when he looked after Kang Hosan and Kang Chowon, his consideration was far more delicate than that of the senior disciples of most sects.

Thus, as Hyeon-gang took up residence in the room provided by the Gold-Blood Hall, he could only gape, still unable to grasp the reality of it.

‘He truly had close ties with the Gold-Blood Hall!’

He had been given a special chamber reserved only for those with deep connections to the Gold-Blood Hall.

While Hyeon-gang remained in a daze, Youngho finished arranging their belongings and spoke.

“Then I shall introduce myself. I had no intention of hiding it, but since you never asked until now, I ask for your understanding.”

“Ah, yes!”

Hyeon-gang stood rigid with tension.

‘There is no need to be so nervous. It is not as though I am about to devour you.’

Youngho clasped his fists in greeting and spoke.

“I am Youngho, the Fifth Disciple of the Alliance Lord.”

At that moment, Hyeon-gang’s face froze.