"I asked you! What the hell is happening!?"
Hwang Jongi's voice rang out loudly.
Confused and panicked, the disciples of the Southern Edge Sect didn't say anything and stared blankly at Hwang Jongi.
What could they say?
Cough. Cough.
"…"
Right now, what they needed most was an excuse, but the blood pouring from Chung Myung's mouth would render any excuse invalid.
In this hopeless situation, not even the grandfather of Zhuge Liang's grandfather could find a suitable excuse to help them escape.
Hwang Jongi looked at Chung Myung lying on the floor and cried out.
"Hurry! Bring a physician right now! There must be a member of the outer house who hasn't left yet! What are you doing!"
"Yes! Young master!"
One of the servants following Hwang Jongi rushed to the outer garden. Hwang Jongi strode closer to Chung Myung, who was down.
"…"
The disciples of the Southern Edge sect hesitated as they opened a path for him.
Hwang Jongi knelt down and examined Chung Myung's condition. Anger violently surged in his heart as his face distorted in rage.
"You people dare claim to be righteous!"
At Hwang Jongi's words, the faces of the Southern Edge sect disciples darkened.
"Are you saying that this is how one should act against a child? I thought the Southern Edge sect would be dignified at least, but how am I supposed to understand what just happened in front of my eyes!"
Lee Song-Baek's face turned pale.
Would he be able to make it out of this alive?
He never intended to hurt him like that.
'I even called back the internal qi!'
Lee Song-Baek was standing still without a word. But one thing was certain. Hwang Jongi's expression left no room for excuses.
The servant came running back with a physician in tow at that moment. As soon as the physician approached the wheezing Chung Myung, his face stiffened.
"Ugh!"
With his stiff face, he spoke.
"Hurry and move him inside! Come on! His insides are a total mess, so be careful! Careful!"
The Southern Edge Sect's disciples tried to assist them upon hearing that.
"Stand back!"
Hwang Jongi wouldn't allow them to touch Chung Myung's body. Hwang Jongi stared at them with blazing red eyes and called for his servants.
"What are you doing!? Did you not hear my words!?"
"Sorry! Young master!"
The servants carefully embraced Chung Myung. Blood, gushing from his mouth, dripped down to his chest and settled on the floor.
"Careful! Careful!"
The physician clung tightly to Chung Myung and headed to the main house. Hwang Jongi and the other disciples watched as Chung Myung was moved.
As the fading figure of Chung Myung finally disappeared., Hwang Jongi turned his head.
"I will never forget what happened today."
"Young master!"
"Leave."
Lee Song-Baek's face turned pale.
The Eunha Merchant Guild was necessary for the Southern Edge sect. Wasn't that why even their elders came down here?
If their relationship was now in trouble, the aftermath wasn't something the sect could afford.
As Lee Song-Baek was about to say something, a voice came from behind.
"What is all this?"
It was Ki Mok-Seung. He approached with a puzzled look in his eyes.
"Young master, what is all this? Is that blood…."
Ki Mok-Seung, who was speaking, went silent. The floor and the wall were broken, and he could guess what had happened.
'These stupid bastards!'
Ki Mok-Seung's gaze fell on his disciples. He sighed after seeing Lee Song-Baek, who couldn't even meet his gaze.
"Young Master. If some accident has happened, we—"
"Are you calling this an accident?"
"—Young master."
"The person who was here to treat my father was horrifyingly injured by your disciples. Can you call this an accident? An accident is something which happens unintentionally, am I wrong?"
Ki Mok-Seung looked at Lee Song-Baek.
His look conveyed a deeper meaning to Lee Song-Baek. Since he was the one who caused this, he should settle the matter himself.
Lee Song-Baek, who understood, bit his lip and stepped forward.
"Young master. There seems to be a misunderstanding."
"A misunderstanding?"
Hwang Jongi exhaled in anger.
"It would be better that you call me blind. I saw with my own eyes and heard with my ears, so what could I have misunderstood?"
"I never used much force against him. There is something—"
"Look here."
Hwang Jongi stared at Lee Song-Baek with cold, sunken eyes.
"Do you think that overextending your hand is the problem here? Why did you, a disciple of the Southern Edge sect, have to wield your sword against a child from Mount Hua in the first place?"
"It was a simple spar."
"Spar?
Hwang Jongi shook his head.
"I might not be familiar with the ways of warriors, but I know that spars are done between those who hold equal levels of strength. You say that you were sparring when you went against a child who was barely half your age?"
No one said anything.
If the spar had ended without accident, there wouldn't have been anything to say. However, with it resulting in an injured and bleeding child, there was no talking their way out of taking responsibility.
"I won't say much. Take your disciples and leave."
"Y-Young master, listen to my wor—"
"I said to leave…."
"…"
Hwang Jongi looked at Ki Mok-Seung and said,
"I won't press the issue farther out of respect for the relationship we've shared with the Southern Edge sect for so long. But now, I don't want to see the faces of your disciples here. Please leave this place for today."
In the end, Ki Mok-Seung just slowly nodded his head, unable to speak up.
"I will. Young master, this was an unfortunate accident, but please remember that the Southern Edge Sect hopes for Elder Hwang's swift recovery."
"I wish that to be the case. But it doesn't seem like that anymore."
Hwang Jongi returned toward the main house. Ki Mok-Seung, who observed Hwang Jongi's departure, turned his head to glare at Lee Song-Baek.
"Elder, I…"
"I won't say much. This is your fault; you deal with it. Go and ask for the young master's forgiveness at any cost, solve the situation, and then return. I will return to the Mountain with the others."
Lee Song-Baek's face turned pale.
How could he possibly ask for forgiveness from the young master in this situation?
This was more like a punishment than an order. But looking at the frigid expression on Ki Mok-Seung's face, he could only stay quiet and comply.
"… I understand."
Ki Mok-Seung looked at Lee Song-Baek for a long time without speaking and then turned around.
"We're leaving."
"Yes. Elder."
The disciples all looked at Lee Song-Baek and then followed after the Elder.
Watching them leave, Lee Song-Baek bit his lip in frustration.
"How is his condition?"
"… it's not so good."
"Hmm."
Hwang Jongi's face darkened when he received the physician's diagnosis from the general head. Seeing his bleak expression, the general continued.
"According to the physician, his qi meridians are completely strained and in a dangerous situation. For now, they are trying to control the qi, but they can't guarantee a complete recovery."
"Does that mean he won't die?"
"It seems like it."
"Thank goodness."
Hwang Jongi sighed in relief.
Mount Hua's disciple came to Eunha Merchant Guild to help and was beaten to death by the Southern Edge sect?
This was something he hated to even think about.
Moreover, Chung Myung had come to treat his father. Of course, the fault lay in those who assaulted him, but even the Eunha Merchant guild would be ridiculed for allowing it to occur at all.
For Hwang Jongi, personally, this was intolerable.
Chung Myung was the only person who managed to improve his father's condition so far. Maybe, he was the only hope at ever having his father back.
Attacking such an important person and injuring him so… this would have never happened if the Southern Edge Sect had even a modicum of respect for his father and his guild.
'That Southern Edge sect has become so arrogant!'
Normally, he would have tried to see both sides of the situation. But when he thought about their attitude and Ki Mok-Seung's words, it was difficult to trust them any longer.
Hwang Jongi coughed several times in discomfort and looked at the general.
"Then, how long will it take for him to awaken?"
"He should be up in two or three days…."
"Hmm. In the meantime, I only pray my father's condition doesn't worsen."
Hwang Jongi let out a deep sigh.
He thought he had finally found a way to help his father, but this had to happen. It seemed like the heavens had turned their backs on him.
The general head, who glanced at Hwang Jongi's expression, carefully spoke.
"But Young master…."
"Hm?"
"Will this child really be able to cure the Elder? I'm not that confident in him."
"Is there anything we lose by believing him?"
"That is true, but…."
Hwang Jongi spoke firmly.
"Of the many people we called for, none have been able to figure out father's disease. But this child from Mount Hua could list the symptoms without even looking at my father. Didn't my father's condition improve a little too?"
"Yes."
"This isn't some vague belief that I have in him. I feel like Heaven is trying to help us a little. Anyway, we just have to ensure that this small child recovers properly. Don't hold back on supporting him."
"I'll keep that in mind. Then, I'll take my leave for now."
"Yes."
The general head bowed and got up from his seat.
"Hmm."
Hwang Jongi, who watched him leave, let out a low sigh.
Wheeze
Wheeze
A low, feeble breath escaped from the corner of Chung Myung's bedridden mouth. His face was pale and tired, seemingly devoid of blood, which showed how precarious his condition was.
It was slow and quiet with no consistent rhythm, but it continued, nonetheless. However, it wouldn't be strange if he stopped breathing entirely.
Wheeze
Only the short and weak breathing filled the room when a strange silence followed.
Click!
The door opened with a slight sound. And then, nothing happened for a while.
Did a few minutes pass?
Kiik!
The door began to open carefully.
Before long, a man carefully snuck his way in. A cautious movement, not even letting his footsteps make a sound. The room was blanketed in total darkness, leaving it impossible to recognize who had entered.
The man snuck in like a cat hunting for food as he came to Chung Myung's side.
Wheeze
Wheeze.
The sight of Chung Myung breathing weekly with a pale face caught the eye of the silent intruder.
The mysterious figure, staring at Chung Myung's face, slowly raised his hand.
Their fingertips were dyed an eerie black as if coated in ink.
"I have no grudges against you; just think of this as the price for disturbing my work."
The man mumbled to himself, then slammed the blackened hand towards Chung Myung's neck.
At that moment
Grab!
Chung Myung, who should have been exhausted and tired, suddenly pushed aside the blanket and grabbed the man's wrist.
"Ugh!"
Chung Myung looked at the man with a tired complexion.
"…"
A strange smile on his face, the most wicked and triumphant kind.
"I got you, you son of a bitch!"