“Good. Then let’s deal with that damned parasite. Your body doesn’t look like it can hold out much longer, Brother, so we need to finish this today.”
When I clapped my hands and changed the subject, Yeon Ryang looked out of the cave and muttered,
“No wonder the weather’s so nice. Today must be the day I go to the afterlife......”
“No, it isn’t.”
“Since we’re doing this, finish me off in one blow, sister. I don’t like pain that drags on.”
“Oh, come on! I said you’re not dying! Stop saying ominous things and roll up your sleeve. I need to take your pulse.”
“Ow, ow, ow. Fine. Fine, I said.”
When I smacked his forearm and scolded him, Yeon Ryang made a show of whining and held out his wrist.
Judging by the obnoxious grin on his face, it seemed that had been his idea of a joke.
I glared at him and took his pulse.
The blood congestion blocking the flow of qi had almost disappeared, but the pitch-black energy I assumed was the parasite was tearing through Yeon Ryang’s body and wounding his energy channels.
The unpleasant sensation of it nibbling away at his internal energy reached even me.
I grimaced and withdrew my hand from his wrist.
“We need to move the parasite’s position. If I touch it wrong, your dantian will be damaged.”
“It isn’t something that will move so easily.”
“Then we’ll force it to move. Lie down, Brother. I’m going to block your meridians with needles so your qi and blood can’t flow into your lower body. Try gathering your internal energy toward your chest. Let’s make it climb toward your stomach.”
“Understood.”
Yeon Ryang answered obediently and lay down. I pulled the needle case from my sleeve and called out.
“Cane! Come in now!”
From outside the cave, Cane let out a strange cry, as if it did not want to.
“Krrk.”
“Stop sulking and come in. Are you going to let Yeon Ryang die?”
“Krrrrk.”
“Hey, are you coming or not?”
When I shouted again, Cane slowly entered the cave with its fur bristling stiffly.
The way it twitched its nose and grimaced made it seem that Yeon Ryang’s demonic qi was horribly unpleasant to it.
Yeon Ryang looked hurt.
“Furball. Are you keeping your distance from me now? Just because my appearance changed a little? After all the affection between us, I’m disappointed.”
“It wouldn’t act like that just because you grew a beard. It’s because of your demonic qi.”
“That’s surprising. That thing likes poison. Why does it hate demonic qi?”
“Because that isn’t energy Cane can swallow. And are poison and demonic qi the same thing?”
“People hate both of them just the same.”
“......”
Mm. Somehow, I had no rebuttal.
I set Cane beside Yeon Ryang’s head and opened the needle case.
As I inserted needles into each meridian one by one, Yeon Ryang’s brows twitched. It was obvious he felt uncomfortable with his qi and blood blocked.
“Bear with it for a bit, even if it feels bad. Is your internal energy gathering?”
“Not very well, but I’m trying.”
“All right. Let’s watch for a short while.”
Yeon Ryang nodded and closed his eyes. We held our breath and waited for the parasite to move.
As he lay still, focusing on the flow of qi, he whispered softly.
“It’s coming up.”
“I’ll give you the deworming pill.”
I hurriedly put the deworming pill into Yeon Ryang’s mouth, and his face twisted.
“Ugh. What does this taste......”
Yeon Ryang squeezed his eyes shut, and his throat bobbed as he swallowed. I chewed my lip anxiously and observed his condition.
Not long after, Yeon Ryang’s breathing grew rough. At the same time, the parasite convulsed and began to thrash.
It was large enough that I could see it writhing beneath the skin of his stomach, the size of a child’s forearm.
It’s too big. Do I need to use more poison?
I tried to keep calm, but my heart pounded with anxiety.
I forced strength into my eyes so I would not weaken.
Yeon Ryang trembled as he endured the pain, and his teeth began to chatter. I put a clean cloth into his mouth and inserted more needles.
My plan was to artificially alter the flow of qi and blood to slow the poison’s spread, then drive the poisonous energy toward the area around the parasite.
As the parasite flailed and poured out poisonous energy, the veins all over Yeon Ryang’s body swelled and writhed, and the whites of his eyes turned black.
“Ghaaaak!”
Yeon Ryang clawed at the ground and bit down on the cloth. Stone powder scattered from every place his fingertips scraped.
Cold sweat streamed down my forehead as I watched. Cane also seemed anxious, whining and scratching at the straw.
Then, after throwing its long fit, the parasite began crawling toward Yeon Ryang’s heart.
If it gnawed at his heart, there really would be nothing I could do. Flustered, I struck Yeon Ryang’s chest with a poison palm.
“Urk!”
The surge of poisonous energy made Yeon Ryang cough up a mouthful of black blood.
The parasite, struck directly by the poison palm, jolted and seemed to retreat downward, only to tremble violently and claw at Yeon Ryang’s stomach.
The way it was still struggling even after being steeped in lethal poison showed how tenacious its life was.
Should I feed him another poison pellet? Can Yeon Ryang endure it?
As I hesitated, fingering the poison inside my robe, the movement that had been fierce enough to tear through his skin suddenly stopped.
Yeon Ryang let out a pained groan and spat out the cloth soaked with blood and saliva.
The whites of his eyes, which had turned black, were returning to their original color.
“The seizure stopped—ugh!”
“Huh? Really? What is it? Is it dead? Brother. Let me check your pulse.”
I hurriedly took Yeon Ryang’s pulse, and I could no longer feel the parasite’s energy at all.
But lethal poison was rapidly seeping into the energy channels the parasite had wounded.
“The poisoning is too fast. I need to detoxify you right—”
“Cough, cough! Uwegh!”
Before I could finish speaking, Yeon Ryang vomited an endless stream of black, dead blood.
Mixed among the clotted blood were the remains of the parasite, dissolved by poisonous fluid.
When his face turned purple, I screamed.
“Aaaagh! Cane! Hurry and absorb the poisonous energy!”
“Kiiit!”
“Bloodletting needles! No, the antidote pills first—aaaagh! Where are the antidote pills? Eat this! Brother, circulate your energy! Hurry!”
I shoved an antidote pill into Yeon Ryang’s mouth and rapidly pulled out the needles embedded in his body.
I hurriedly sat him up and placed Cane on his lap. Yeon Ryang crossed his legs and began driving the poisonous energy to one side.
He kept vomiting black blood, but he was smiling with blood-smeared teeth bared. His face looked relieved.
For a moment, I started to smile along with him.
“Ugh, Sohae. This won’t do...... Uwegh! Your brother is r-really going to die......”
“Huh? No! Don’t pass out! Detoxify first, then pass out! Hey! Yeon Ryang!”
I had no choice but to jump up and stab bloodletting needles into all ten of his fingers.
25. A Given Life, a Chosen Life
After the parasite disappeared, Yeon Ryang grew healthier by the day.
The muscles in his back, which I had thought would take at least another month to heal completely, knit back together cleanly in five days, and there were no aftereffects from being poisoned by lethal poison.
It was recovery speed fit for a monster.
“That parasite really was sucking you dry, Brother. I didn’t think getting rid of one thing would make you recover this quickly.”
As I removed the needles and shook my head, Yeon Ryang chuckled.
“Truly. I thought once it was gone, I would feel relieved, like a rotten tooth had finally been pulled...... But strangely enough, I don’t feel anything at all.”
“What does it matter if you don’t feel anything? It’s better than being in pain.”
“That’s true. So I’m all better now, right? Then can I train?”
“Only for one hour today. No more than that.”
“Understood!”
Yeon Ryang answered energetically, sprang up from the bed, and snatched up his sword.
When I saw him rush out of the room with his face full of excitement, I burst out laughing.
He had a good sword now, his back was healed, and his body must have been itching to move.
I put the needle case away and stepped outside the hermitage.
The humid summer breeze carried the sweet scent of apricots.
In the courtyard, Yeon Ryang and the deposed consort were talking. I laughed at the sight of him pretending to be dignified after rushing out with his sword.
“Great Hero Yeon, are you going somewhere?”
“To loosen up. Your Grace, is there anything you want for dinner? How about fish?”
At Yeon Ryang’s casual question, the nuns listening nearby smiled awkwardly. I quickly went over and pinched him.
“Brother, you should speak more respectfully to Her Grace.”
“Should I? Her Grace doesn’t seem to mind. Your Grace, does it make you uncomfortable?”
“Of course not. I like that you treat me comfortably.”
The deposed consort waved her hand as if asking what I was talking about.
As her health improved and she began going outside more, the two of them naturally ran into each other more often.
At first, the deposed consort, who had never had occasion to meet men other than the emperor and eunuchs, had been terribly uncomfortable being alone with Yeon Ryang. But once Yeon Ryang behaved without reserve, she adjusted quickly and even started speaking to him first.
Apparently, she liked Yeon Ryang’s way with words.
......Or perhaps she liked Yeon Ryang’s face.
In any case, the deposed consort wanted to spend time with us siblings.
“Fish sounds lovely. Are you going to the stream? May I come with you?”
“Of course. Your Grace, do you know how to fish?”
“Haha. I have done it for amusement in the palace. Though the eunuchs caught everything for me.”
“Don’t worry, Your Grace. My sister is much better at catching fish than those eunuchs.”
“Oh my, truly? Young Lady Yeon, are you skilled at fishing?”
“Of course. You’ll be shocked when you see what my sister can do.”
Yeon Ryang looked at me and chuckled. I jabbed him in the side and waved my hand at the deposed consort.
“Brother is teasing me. My skills are nothing impressive, Your Grace. The stream is a little far. Will you be all right? Should we pack lunch ahead of time?”
“Shall we? I’m already excited to go on an outing with you two.”
The deposed consort smiled shyly, and her cheeks filled with a lovely color.
Now that she had regained her health, her beauty inspired admiration like a flower in full bloom.
Her glossy hair was soft as silk, and her white-jade skin was clear and smooth.
She really did look like one of the emperor’s consorts.
The thought that I was the one who had restored that beauty made my shoulders rise for no reason.
Grandfather’s standards were so terrifyingly high that I had not noticed, but perhaps I was actually a fairly decent physician.
As I grew full of myself and the corners of my mouth twitched, Yeon Ryang pressed down on the crown of my head.
“Stop thinking strange things and bring the pot and seasonings. Let’s cook lunch by the stream.”
“Really? What are we making?”
I wanted spicy fish stew simmered with lots of chili powder and sliced hot peppers. Yeon Ryang probably did not know how to make that.
When I asked with my mouth watering, Yeon Ryang laughed softly and answered.
“We’ll see after you catch something. Your Grace, which do you prefer? Steamed? Fried?”
“How do you two usually eat it?”
“When we sleep outdoors, it’s hard to cook properly, so we just clean it and roast it. With a little salt.”
“Then I would like to try eating it that way too.”
“Want to? Then I’ll roast it over the fire for you.”
“Yes!”
The deposed consort nodded, her eyes sparkling. Apparently, she wanted to experience the daily life of people from the martial world.
Listening to the two of them talk, I smiled and packed rations.
I was eating rice.
