Chapter 10 – Make a Wish (2)
The strong smell of medicinal herbs. The rustling sound. And… my eyes opened wide at the delicate touch that made my heart flutter.
“Ah! You pervert!”
“Wh-who are you calling a pervert!”
Pink hair resembling flowers. A high-pitched voice like a bird chirping. And breasts so large that you can’t see the face when looking from below.
Hong Yeon-hwa kept touching my chest, and I let out a deep sigh.
“I thought you finally came to your senses, but the first thing you say after opening your eyes is calling me a pervert… You’re still delirious.”
“Oh, I know that.”
“….?”
It’s the first time she’s done this in front of me, but I receive this every day. I could tell from the sensation of the small hand touching my body.
Hong Yeon-hwa raised her head in surprise at my nonchalant response.
“Then why do you do that?”
“Well, it’s funny to see you deny it while jumping around like that.”
“What…?”
“I’m just teasing you.”
“Hehe! Hehehe!”
I wanted to hit her, but I couldn’t because she’s a patient. Hong Yeon-hwa just rolled around with her feet, feeling like she couldn’t hit me. Sometimes when she plays around, I feel like I can’t believe she’s treating me like this!
Watching Hong Yeon-hwa giggling and trembling, an old man approached me with a hearty laugh from a distance.
It’s Heo Yeong-gam, the only doctor in the lower village. We’re not close, but we’ve had a few conversations before.
Judging by the herbs around and the presence of Heo Yeong-gam, it seems like this is a doctor’s office. Did they bring me here after I fainted?
“Don’t tease her too much. Do you know how much that soldier took care of you while you were unconscious?”
“What? What are you talking about…”
“Even when you couldn’t get up, he stayed by your side every day…”
“Ugh! Ahh! You’re not supposed to say that! Don’t listen to him either! I didn’t stay up all night worrying about you or anything like that!”
Hong Yeon-hwa rushed over and covered my ears with both hands. Of course, I could still hear her voice, but…
The problem is that Hong Yeon-hwa’s large breasts are now pressing against my face.
The soft sensation, the weight, and Hong Yeon-hwa’s unique scent made my head spin.
Huh? Isn’t this a reward instead of a problem?
Of course, I couldn’t hear what Heo Yeong-gam was saying because I was too focused on Hong Yeon-hwa’s touch. In the end, it seems like Hong Yeon-hwa got what she wanted.
Well, even if I didn’t hear it, I can guess what he said.
I pretended to drop my hand for a moment, but the warmth soon faded away as I moved my face away from her chest.
But no matter how much I looked around, I couldn’t see Heo Yeong-gam anywhere.
“If it’s that doctor, he must have left his seat. He said there’s something he can’t talk about in front of others, so he gladly listened to it.”
Oh no. I understand that he’s telling me this because he listened to all sorts of nonsense when I first picked up Hong Yeon-hwa. But I still wanted to hear the details.
Anyway, it seems like it’s related to Hong Yeon-hwa or the upper-class people of Pungyu.
“First, let me explain what happened while you were unconscious.”
According to Hong Yeon-hwa, she and I were taken to a doctor’s office by the Mureungmaeng warriors.
However, Hong Yeon-hwa only hurt her arm and suffered from severe dehydration. Unlike me, she remained conscious.
So while they were treating me, they asked Hong Yeon-hwa about her situation… and she pretended to be a Pungyu upper-class baby.
“Oh, did she say that she’s a Pungyu upper-class baby?”
“Well, I had no choice! It’s meaningless to say her name in a world without a religion! Besides…”
“Besides?”
“Besides, we didn’t have enough money for the treatment.”
“Ah.”
I was originally going to buy rice, so I had some money in my pocket. But did I need all those expensive herbs for my severe injuries?
So Hong Yeon-hwa pretended to be a Pungyu upper-class baby. She said that she would receive something from the Mureungmaeng later, so she asked them to treat her first.
Since the warriors said that I brought a survivor from Pungyu, they probably didn’t doubt her too much.
After that, even though my body was healed, I couldn’t get up, so Hong Yeon-hwa took care of me every day by doing acupuncture and other things.
Hong Yeon-hwa put her hand on her huge breasts and proudly said, “Ahem! I have some dignity too.”
“…The Mureungmaeng is not stupid, and they would naturally confirm whether it’s true or not. Why did you lie like that when you’ll have to deal with it later?”
Maybe I can get away with it if I just ignore it…?
Hong Yeon-hwa’s smile deepened as she saw me rolling my eyes.
“What do you think of me? There’s no problem.”
Hong Yeon-hwa raised her chin and exhaled through her nose, then took out a book from Pungyu upper-class baby from her arms.
And with a proud attitude, she explained that the book was just a simple diary. However, she wrote it in great detail in case there were any fellow sufferers in the same situation.
She’s so confident. Is it really okay?
“I get it. Now continue.”
“What are you talking about?”
“The acupuncture for the chugung blood. I feel better every time I receive it.”
“Of course. It’s better than any other doctor’s acupuncture because it’s done by none other than you, my lady.”
Hong Yeon-hwa giggled and started massaging my chest again.
Maybe it’s because my body is sensitive due to the pain, but I could feel a slight current flowing through her hands.
Come to think of it, this isn’t just a massage, it’s real chugung blood…
No wonder I feel so warm.
Is it because my inner energy is stimulated by the blood flow, or is it because of Hong Yeon-hwa’s admirable attitude of doing something for me?
Either way, it’s all thanks to Hong Yeon-hwa.
***
And a few days later, my wounds healed faster than I expected.
The black mark on my chest left a scar, but it healed properly. Even the broken bones were in place, so I should recover soon enough.
In modern terms, it’s a serious injury that would require lying down for a few months, but this isn’t a modern world.
The natural healing speed that accelerates during the energy circulation exercises, combined with Hong Yeon-hwa’s chugung blood, allowed me to recover to the point where I could move my body a little.
These days, I’m practicing the Mureungsin Gong while recalling the feeling of knocking down the Cheokan Geumgwi… but I can’t seem to grasp it.
Still, I feel proud every time I see my expanded meridians and the size of my Danjeon. Even my inner energy feels like it’s moving better than usual.
I thought I would have to live as a third-rate person for the rest of my life, but I feel a little excited that I’ve found a clue to reaching the peak.
Today, while chatting with Hong Yeon-hwa about the chugung blood, a stranger came in as the door of the doctor’s office opened.
He was a middle-aged man with a stiff impression, a huge and wobbly body, and a giant sword on his back.
Maybe because of the suspicious atmosphere, Hong Yeon-hwa gave him a wary look, and he opened his mouth with a sneer.
“I don’t know if I’m interrupting a good time. Nice to meet you. I’m Paeng Cheol-jin, the head of Baekho-dae.”
Ah. Come to think of it, I heard that they sent Baekho-daeju to catch the Cheokan Geumgwi last time… So this is the guy.
I quickly put on my upper garment and surrounded him. Hong Yeon-hwa also followed my lead and awkwardly greeted him.
“Nice to meet you, Daeju-nim. I’m Jin So-chan.”
“No… I mean, I’m Hong Yeon-hwa… sir…”
How much has the way of speaking of my lady stuck to her?
Paeng Cheol-jin just chuckled at Hong Yeon-hwa’s awkward greeting and nodded his head.
“My subordinates have already reported to me. Since your body hasn’t fully recovered yet, let’s keep it short. Our soldier here is a top-class woman from the Pungyu Sangdan, and you’re a young swordsman who defeated the Cheokan Geumgwi.”
“You call me a swordsman, but I’m embarrassed.”
“What’s there to be embarrassed about? Who else but a swordsman would risk their life to protect a weak woman?”
At the mention of a weak woman, Hong Yeon-hwa flinched, perhaps feeling her pride hurt, but she didn’t say anything.
Paeng Cheol-jin kept his promise of keeping it short and only talked about what was necessary.
What worried me the most was Hong Yeon-hwa getting caught in a lie, but surprisingly, it went smoothly.
Hong Yeon-hwa answered Paeng Cheol-jin’s questions without hesitation, but what struck me the most was how her behavior was strangely similar to that of the Pungyu Sangdan.
It gave me chills to think that it might be something that could only come out after living in that environment for a long time.
Anyway, we got through the difficult part, and the atmosphere became a little more relaxed. Paeng Cheol-jin took out a small pouch from his pocket.
“My father’s business…unfortunately, it’s over. This is a kind of compensation.”
There might be the gold that the Pungyu Sangdan sent to the Muryeong Clan inside.
I don’t know if he returned everything or just part of it, but at least it wouldn’t damage the Muryeong Clan’s reputation.
Hong Yeon-hwa received the pouch with a sad expression, and this time, she handed me a small wooden box.
“This is a token of gratitude for the small guild that caught the wicked madu in place of the Muryeong Clan.”
“This is…”
Inside the box that I opened slightly, there was a bitter medicine with a strong scent.
“It’s called Yosanghwan, a medicine that’s good for trauma. I heard you were badly injured this time, so I prepared a good one. I’m just saying, don’t be too modest. If you had tried to catch Baekho-dae, some of you would have died or been seriously injured. You stopped them, so why waste the medicine to treat you?”
“If you put it that way, I’ll gladly accept it.”
I tried to refuse out of courtesy, but he didn’t like that and gave it to me anyway.
Yosanghwan is a medicine that’s effective for trauma. With this, my bones will heal twice as fast.
I was getting tired of lying in bed all day, so I was secretly happy, but Paeng Cheol-jin put his hand in his pocket again and took out a small metal plaque this time.
“And this is a personal gift from me to a talented junior.”
The plaque had the words Baekho on it, and on the back, there was a picture of a dragon and a phoenix.
This is the first time I’ve seen it with my own eyes, but I’ve heard about it from my master. This is a recommendation letter that can get you through the preliminary round of the Yongbongjihoe.
I guess when it comes to Baekho-dae, he has the authority to give out recommendation letters.
“Judging by your reaction, you seem to know what this is. Of course, it’s up to you how you use it, but I hope you’ll participate.”
“Uh…”
Without listening to my stuttering response, Paeng Cheol-jin got up from his seat and left the room with a simple farewell.
Well, I did say it was up to me, so I could always sell it if I wanted to. Surprisingly, this recommendation letter allows for trading.
***
The Yosanghwan I received from Paeng Cheol-jin was much more effective than I thought. My remaining injuries were completely healed in just three days.
Hong Yeon-hwa paid for my medical expenses with the money she received from Paeng Cheol-jin, as promised to Heo Yeong-gam.
Even with the remaining money, she bought rice, meat, and finally a few dumplings from Hwang Dae-woong’s guesthouse and headed home.
It’s been a long time since I’ve been home. There are many broken parts, but because of the fight in the yard, the only thing that needs immediate repair is the broken door.
We ate dumplings and meat to our heart’s content, trying to relieve the grudge of not eating properly due to being a patient.
But as time passed, both Hong Yeon-hwa and I became quieter. The reason was clear.
There was no longer any reason for Hong Yeon-hwa to stay at my house.
Originally, Hong Yeon-hwa had been hiding her body until she regained her strength because of the pursuers chasing her.
But this is not the Mu-rim where Hong Yeon-hwa used to live. Of course, there are no guys targeting Hong Yeon-hwa. Even though the factions are in conflict, the present time is relatively peaceful.
Hong Yeon-hwa, who has recovered more than her original state when facing Cheokan Geumgwi, is not in great danger wherever she goes.
In addition, Hong Yeon-hwa has a goal to return to the Mu-rim where she used to live.
Perhaps today will be the last time we can eat together and chat happily.
As the day drew closer, the farewell became closer.
In the end, we sat side by side, looking at the moon beyond the broken door, without saying a word.
While Hong Yeon-hwa fixed her gaze on the moon, she opened her mouth.
“Come to think of it, you’ve saved my life twice already.”
“How did that happen?”
“My life is never easy to take. Let alone twice.”
After saying that, Hong Yeon-hwa took a breath and looked straight at me.
Hong Yeon-hwa, who had turned her back to the moon, smiled softly.
“So make a wish.”
