1715 - That Will Do (10)
Jo Gul swallowed nervously.
Baek Cheon was simultaneously engulfed in flames and ice, while Heo Gong, with his hand on Baek Cheon's forehead, had his eyes closed.
Jo Gul couldn't grasp how to understand this scene.
Was it truly possible?
Could something that even the Tang Family's medical arts couldn't cure be treated by the martial arts of Wudang? Was that really possible?
"S-Sahyung, will Sasuk be... alright? Huh?"
"..."
"Sahyung!"
"Be quiet!"
Yoon Jong scolded Jo Gul quietly with a frown. Not even the slightest disturbance could be allowed right now. If anything went wrong, not only Baek Cheon but also Heo Gong could lose their lives in this dangerous situation.
Yoon Jong bit his lower lip tightly.
'Damn it, how am I supposed to know that?'
Who here could possibly know? This was an unknown territory. No one could dare predict the outcome. The only thing to rely on was...
"They say all things ultimately return to their origin."
"...What?"
"When everything reaches its peak, all things become one. But... that also means that until everything reaches its peak, they remain different."
"..."
"Though both are studying the martial arts of the Daoist sects, the martial arts of Mount Hua and Wudang are fundamentally different. What Mount Hua can do, Wudang cannot, and what Mount Hua cannot do, Wudang can."
Yoon Jong fixed his gaze on Heo Gong, who had his eyes closed, with a firm expression.
"What I know for certain is that, at least when it comes to handling and controlling different energies, no sect in the world can surpass Wudang."
Listening to Yoon Jong's words, Jo Gul stared intently at Baek Cheon.
Heo Gong was an exceptional existence even within Wudang. Jo Gul had already witnessed it. He had seen Heo Gong execute the Taiji Sword, which harmonized yin and yang, based on the Yang-I Shim Gong that had reached its zenith.
Thus, it was now clear that only Heo Gong could save Baek Cheon.
'Please...'
Jo Gul's eyes reflected an unprecedented desperation.
Woo-woo-woong.
Meanwhile, Heo Gong's consciousness was sinking deeper.
It wasn't easy to observe the energy within another's body, especially when the body was in such a wrecked state as this.
'It's like a fireball.'
No, that word alone couldn't fully describe it.
It felt like jumping into the middle of boiling lava. It was almost unbelievable that someone could still be alive while harboring such intense yang energy within their body.
'...Is that so?'
Baek Cheon, who had lost consciousness and collapsed, seemed to have let go of everything.
However, at this moment, Heo Gong realized something. The Acting Sect Leader of Mount Hua was fighting more fiercely than anyone else in the world.
Even in the midst of everyone's despair, Baek Cheon alone was relentlessly battling the overwhelming heat, refusing to give up on his own potential.
A faint smile appeared on Heo Gong's lips.
'This is what they mean by 'respectable.'' It was a different kind of awe from what he had felt when he encountered Chung Myung. This time, he was marveling not at martial arts, but at the person himself.
When was the last time he had felt such an emotion?
Woo-woo-woo-woong!
The energy of the White Elixir that had flowed into Baek Cheon's body was surging in the sea of lava. Although the yang energy left behind by the Sun Sovereign was formidable, the Taiji Elixir was also a peerless tonic. If these two powerful energies collided head-on, a human body would be shattered in an instant.
Thud!
As expected, the moment the two energies clashed, Baek Cheon's body leapt into the air as if struck by a giant club.
"S-Sahyung!"
"Sasuk! Damn it!"
There was a commotion around them, but Heo Gong blocked out all distractions. He focused all his senses and nerves solely on the inside of Baek Cheon's body.
'I will save him.'
Absolutely.
Woo-woo-woo-woong.
A clear energy flowed from Heo Gong's hands and entered Baek Cheon's body.
Compared to the intense yang energy that burned like molten lava and the fierce yin energy that threatened to freeze everything around it, Heo Gong's energy seemed utterly insignificant. It seemed too weak to subdue the raging energies.
Nevertheless, Heo Gong continued to pour his energy into Baek Cheon.
From the beginning, he had no intention of overpowering the rampant energies.
Heo Gong's energy slowly penetrated the boundary between the boiling yang energy and the freezing yin energy. This seemingly fragile energy, which seemed on the verge of being crushed, miraculously retained its strength and gently surrounded the point where the two energies collided.
'What was it?'
Was it dangerous? Was it strange?
No.
This was how the world was from the beginning. Just as there is shadow where there is light, and frozen cliffs in barren deserts, yin and yang coexist in the world.
The two energies that emerged from the primordial chaos created the world. However, Wudang does not seek chaos or the state of Wuji, the ultimate void.
(In Chinese philosophy, wuji originally referred to infinity. In Neo-Confucian cosmology, it came to mean the "primordial universe" prior to the "Supreme Ultimate" state of being.)
Wuji. Complete unity may attract the human heart, but in reality, there is nothing there. Had the energies not divided, the world would not have come into being, and had there been no conflict, humans would not exist.
Thus, being divided, in and of itself, is what is natural. This is the teaching of Wudang.
So what is different? How is the body of the Acting Sect Leader of Mount Hua, where yin and yang coexist, any different from the Taiji that Wudang pursues?
The divine energy from Heo Gong gently enveloped the yin and yang energies filling Baek Cheon's body and began to circulate slowly.
Harmony is not static. The world may seem eternal, but it is constantly changing. It does not stay still but revolves. Sometimes yin becomes yang, and yang, too, becomes yin.
Thus, it is called Taiji.
Woo-woo-woo-woong.
The vast yin and yang energies, which had been rampaging as if to destroy everything, began to move slowly, following the guidance of Heo Gong's divine energy. It was faint, but it was definitely happening.
Yoon Jong, who had been holding his breath, flinched and stared at Baek Cheon.
'Something has changed.'
Of course, the yin energy that froze the body was still present, as was the yang energy that seemed ready to consume the remaining half of his body.
But Yoon Jong clearly felt it. Something was changing. Whether it was a positive or negative sign, he couldn't tell.
Heo Gong was still holding onto Baek Cheon's forehead. His eyes were lowered as if in meditation, and large beads of sweat had formed on his forehead.
'What's happening?'
He grew increasingly anxious. It would be most reliable to check Baek Cheon's condition by touching his body, but he couldn't bring himself to do so at this moment.
Yoon Jong eventually forgot about scolding Jo Gul and quietly called out to Tang Gunak.
"Leader... is it..."
Tang Gunak, who had been watching the situation gravely, nodded heavily. A faint but clear sense of expectation was growing in his eyes, along with great surprise.
"Although it's just a little... it seems to be gradually stabilizing."
"Really?"
Tang Gunak bit his lip nervously.
"Of course... it's still too early to be relieved. If anything goes wrong in the middle, the consequences will be irreversible."
As he spoke, Tang Gunak couldn't help but stare at Heo Gong.
If the treatment could continue to the end like this, perhaps Baek Cheon's life could truly be saved.
But would Heo Gong be able to endure until the end of the treatment?
His face was pale, and sweat was constantly pouring down. It was a sight that spoke volumes about how much energy he was expending in this treatment.
Would someone who was already severely injured be able to hold on until the entire process was complete?
At that moment...
"It's fine."
A voice answered the question that had been too difficult to even speak out loud.
"...You."
"If it's the elder, there's no need to worry. He may break or bend, but he's never let go of something on his own."
Mu Jin spoke calmly while looking at Heo Gong. However, a bittersweet emotion was faintly hidden in his eyes.
It was only natural, considering that, from Mu Jin's perspective, this situation couldn't be something to be merely proud of.
"If it's the elder, he will surely succeed."
Tang Gunak and the disciples of Mount Hua could only nod in agreement.
Right now, there was no choice but to trust that person and the Wudang Sect.
Thump!
But then, Baek Cheon's body suddenly jerked up again.
"What!"
Whirr!
The yin and yang energies surged wildly from Baek Cheon's limp body, as if they were desperately trying to escape from what they saw as a suffocating prison.
"Ugh!"
Without being prompted, The Five Swords rushed over and held Baek Cheon's body down. They were careful not to crush his weakened body, but they were also determined not to let go.
Sizzle!
"Ugh!"
Jo Gul's hands, gripping Baek Cheon's body, began to smoke and sear. The others weren't in much better condition.
"What's going on... Leader!"
Tang Gunak urgently examined Baek Cheon's state with a grim expression.
"The Sect Leader's body can't hold on any longer."
"What?"
Jo Gul's eyes widened in shock.
"The Sect Leader's body is no longer able to contain the energy."
"W-wait a moment. Then, what should we do..."
Yoon Jong's face turned ashen.
When a martial artist's body could no longer contain energy, it was often referred to as death.
"Fortify the Sect Leader's body. We can't allow even a single bit of energy to escape!"
"What?"
"Contain the energy! Immediately!"
Tang Gunak urgently gathered his energy and enveloped Baek Cheon's body. It started to encase Baek Cheon's form.
"Damn it!"
Yoon Jong gritted his teeth.
Encasing someone's body completely in energy to prevent even a single wisp from escaping? It was something he had never even heard of before. Even a supreme master who could freely control protective energy would find it impossible to do this to someone else.
But now wasn't the time to consider whether it was difficult or not. It had to be done, no matter what.
In the end, The Five Swords and Hye Yeon also rushed forward, grinding their teeth as they deployed their energy around Baek Cheon's body.
"D-damn it! It's not enough..."
"We'll help!"
Even Mu Jin and Jin Hyun joined in, pouring their energy into the effort.
Voom!
Soon after, the wildly thrashing energies began to subside, albeit barely.
"Is... is it working?"
"It's too soon to be relieved! We must maintain this state until the treatment is finished."
Jo Gul forced himself to nod, clenching his teeth. Then, he suddenly met eyes with Jin Hyun, who had a faint smile on his face.
Jo Gul awkwardly lowered his head.
"Th-thank you..."
"Fate is a strange thing, isn't it, Dojang?"
At those words, The Five Swords nodded unconsciously. When they first met Jin Hyun, who would have thought that they would end up tangled together like this?
"Indeed, life goes round and round."
"Surely..."
The moment The Five Swords nodded in agreement while continuing to infuse energy, an unfamiliar voice suddenly pierced their ears.
"Fate... I quite like that word too."
Everyone flinched and quickly turned their gaze toward the entrance of the medical ward. Through the open door, they saw a large courtyard. In it, an unfamiliar group had gathered without anyone noticing.
Seeing them wrapped in blood-stained bandages from head to toe, a deep sense of despair settled over The Five Swords.
"I have a bit of fate with the one lying there as well. I would like to share the joy of our reunion. Would you spare a moment?"
Though his face was obscured, everyone could sense it—the sinister smile on the lips of the Blood Cult leader.