"I am a student of Sabrang Panuluh."
Ki Wardiman, who had turned his body towards the house, immediately stopped upon hearing Arya Mandana's answer. He then stared with sharp eyes.
In addition to Ki Wardiman, there was another gaze directed at the same spot. It was Jagat Wengi, who reluctantly postponed his rest upon hearing the surprising response.
"You're a student of Rakryan Tumenggung?" Ki Wardiman asked. His eyes still scrutinized Arya Mandana.
"Yes, Ki. I am a student of Rakryan Tumenggung Kediri. I..."
"But why do you now support that small village? How is it possible?" His eyes were full of disbelief. "Did Lord Sabrang permit this?"
Arya Mandana briefly recounted how he was invited by Ranggalawe to join his troops, but when he sought permission from Sabrang Panuluh, the atmosphere at the palace was uncertain. Many Panewu wanted to bring down their master.
"I did hear about that issue."
"Please, help my friend, Ki. We have driven out the Mongols from Java, Ki. This young man is one of them. Wasn't it the Mongols who plundered the villages in Tuban?"
A trace of sadness was captured in Ki Wardiman's eyes, which he reluctantly revealed.
"Where is Lord Sabrang now?" Ki Wardiman asked with a weakened voice.
And Arya Mandana fell silent, not answering. Jagat Wengi, who heard the question, also remained silent as Ki Wardiman's gaze shifted towards him.
"It's a long story, Ki Wardiman," Arya Mandana directed his gaze towards Jagat Wengi, who was still standing there, motionless, watching the two of them.
"Take him inside. Later, you will tell me about your teacher." His voice was firm as he quickly stepped into the house and called out to his granddaughter.
"Gendis! Prepare a room!"
Arya Mandana was equally enthusiastic about bringing Jagat Wengi inside the house and immediately laying him down in the treatment room.
Gendis, Ki Wardiman's granddaughter, was still preparing the bed for Jagat Wengi's rest.
"Change all his clothes, Gendis!" Ki Wardiman shouted from outside. From the sound of it, he seemed busy preparing wood for burning.
Gendis became flustered and unsure about her grandfather's command. She muttered to herself, even though she had moved a bit closer. "Why does it have to be me? Why not just you?"
"Enough. Let it be. Uncle will do it."
Arya Mandana promptly helped Gendis undress Jagat Wengi.
"In that case, I'll fetch some replacement clothes first."
Indeed, Jagat Wengi's body appeared different from the average human skin. The bruised blue spot that was initially concentrated in one specific area seemed to be spreading across his entire body.
"This young man was poisoned by the Poison Kala sect. How did he sustain such injuries?"
(Editor Note: In order to use a more familiar and appropriate word, the word "school" will be replaced with the word "sect".)
Arya Mandana immediately diverted the question by mentioning the previous physician's claim that Jagat Wengi had experienced a severe emotional shock.
"Which physician? From Majapahit? Fool! That's how powerful poisons work. If you want to kill someone, just use your weapon. But poison slowly kills people. That's the essence of poison."
Arya Mandana fell silent upon hearing Ki Wardiman's objection. When Gendis arrived with the replacement clothes, Arya Mandana accepted them and let them hang in his hands for a moment.
Ki Wardiman could be seen examining the various wounds, a mixture of previous battle scars and injuries. It seemed that Ki Wardiman was searching for the source of the initial poisoning, not the wounds from the fight in Tuban.
Jagat Wengi himself remained silent, watching the two nimble hands moving across his body. They pressed on specific points of the injuries. Sometimes he winced in pain, but at other times, he felt nothing.
"Pay attention to these wounds, Mandana. Didn't Sabrang ever teach you about the types of poisons used in the martial arts sects of Java?"
Ki Wardiman explained that pressing on a poisoned wound wouldn't cause pain, and conversely, wounds from explosions would result in pain.
Mandana's nod indicated his growing understanding, but it wasn't enough as Ki Wardiman reprimanded him once again.
"I doubt that you are a student of Sabrang Panuluh."
Ki Wardiman's statement caught Arya Mandana off guard. He hadn't expected the physician to bring it up again.
From behind, Gendis came to his rescue, holding a cup emitting swirling smoke. "Grandfather, the drink is ready to be consumed."
"Blow on it first so it can be drunk. And you, Mandana, come with me."
For a moment, Jagat Wengi and Gendis exchanged puzzled glances at Ki Wardiman's behavior. The sweet girl was curious and opened the bedroom window, directly facing the front yard of the house.
While occasionally blowing on the cup in her hand, Gendis stared at her Grandfather and Arya Mandana, who faced each other, with a serious expression.
"Show me the techniques Sabrang taught you, Mandana," said Ki Wardiman.
Jagat Wengi's eyes, obstructed by the window, couldn't witness the examination performed by the physician. He could only hear and couldn't imagine that he would encounter two people connected to Sabrang Panuluh.
What should he say to these two individuals? Should he tell them the truth that Sabrang Panuluh and his wife had fled from the Kediri and Mongol warriors?
"Drink up. It seems to have cooled down," Gendis said, surprising Jagat Wengi with her voice.
Using his elbows, Jagat Wengi tried to support his body to receive the cup handed to him by Gendis. He glanced briefly towards the outside yard where Arya Mandana was demonstrating several martial arts moves in front of Ki Wardiman.
"This concoction will slow down the spread of the poison in your body. Afterward, Grandfather will examine you again. Drink it all," Gendis said, her eyes also gazing towards the outside yard.
The liquid entering Jagat Wengi's body was incredibly warm. With diligence and patience, Gendis held the cup, ensuring that every drop was consumed.
"After this, you should rest. Don't fight the urge to sleep when it comes."
Jagat Wengi could only nod softly, expressing his gratitude with a small smile. Gendis's long hair swayed as she stood in front of the window, looking towards the yard where Arya Mandana was being tested.
From the side, Jagat Wengi finally noticed that Gendis possessed a natural beauty akin to the rural landscape, with vast fields and trees. Gazing at her for too long would enchant your eyes and make you reluctant to look away.
Jagat Wengi couldn't recall the last time he had interacted with a woman. And even if he did notice the beautiful women in Java, he didn't pay much attention to them.
But perhaps it was the fate of a criminal. Like Ken Arok, who saw Ken Dedes and was captivated by her beauty when he was still a robber.
Jagat Wengi quickly blinked his eyes, trying to dispel his daydreams about the woman in front of him.
The liquid medicine given by Ki Wardiman did reduce some of the pain inside his body. An indescribable pain. He vaguely remembered being struck by the blade of the Poison Kala sect, but he didn't anticipate that its effects would linger for so long.
He had never received an order to steal a book from the Poison Kala sect. Not because they were a dark sect, but because people rarely desired books about poison.
Most clients requested books on martial arts techniques and inner energy practices. Books about poison required additional medications or concoctions made from various plants and animals. And that took a considerable amount of time.
As demonstrated by Arya Mandana at present, he moved swiftly before Ki Wardiman with a combination of punches and kicks. He executed breaks and strikes with his swings and kicks smoothly.
A satisfied smile appeared on Ki Wardiman's face as he folded his hands in front of his chest. He resembled a teacher observing his student practicing.
"Hasta Geni!" Ki Wardiman shouted a technique name that made Gendis look eager to get closer to the window. Her eyes sparkled as if she recognized the name of the technique.
Jagat Wengi acted the same way, shifting his body slightly to ensure the prowess of the technique.
Arya Mandana responded to Ki Wardiman's request with a leap into the air, clenching his fist. As he descended back to the ground, his clenched fist struck the earth.
The fist that landed on the ground was not immediately lifted by him. Arya Mandana let it stay there for a moment while gazing at his target ahead.
That target was a coconut tree. A thin layer of sweat already adorned his forehead and neck, indicating the power of the technique he was about to unleash.
For a few moments later, the clenched fist transformed into a small whirlwind swirling above the ground. A faint rumbling sound could be heard. Gendis and Jagat Wengi's eyes were still fixed, waiting to see what Arya Mandana would do next.
The whirlwind around his clenched fist grew larger, and before it was completed, Arya Mandana glided at high speed, delivering his fist to the coconut tree trunk.
And what happened next was truly astonishing. The trunk bore a hole with dark marks and a slight wisp of smoke.
"Hasta Geni is indeed amazing!" exclaimed Gendis as she moved away from the window, seemingly unaware of Jagat Wengi's presence there.
"Gendis..."
For the first time, Jagat Wengi spoke. Something troubled his mind as he witnessed the techniques demonstrated by Arya Mandana.
"Yes..."
"May I ask for something?"
"What is it?"
"Paper and a pen. Do you have them?"
Gendis's face showed slight hesitation before nodding slightly. She left and soon returned with what Jagat Wengi requested.
"What is this paper for?" asked Gendis, usually used by her grandfather to jot down names of plants for medicinal purposes.
"It's nothing. I just want to copy something."
Without any suspicion, Gendis continued her intention to leave, leaving Jagat Wengi alone in the room.
What was Jagat Wengi really doing with the paper in his hands?
He himself wasn't sure he could answer that because after witnessing Arya Mandana's performance earlier, he desperately wanted to copy the movements of his techniques.
Yes... Jagat Wengi was no longer copying from a stolen book but instead copying the techniques he had just witnessed directly.