Chapter 1715: That's Enough. (10)
Jo Gul nervously swallowed.
Baek Cheon was simultaneously covered in flames and ice, while Heo Gong, with one hand on his forehead, closed his eyes.
Jo Gul had no idea how to understand this scene.
Could it be possible?
Healing someone that Tang's medicine couldn't, with Wudang's martial arts... was that really possible?
"Sahyung. Will Sasuk be... be alright? Yes?"
"..."
"Sahyung!"
"Quiet!"
Yoon Jong frowned and reprimanded Jo Gul in a low voice. Now, there couldn't be even the slightest distraction. A misstep and not only Baek Cheon, but also Heo Gong, could lose their lives.
Yoon Jong bit his lower lip.
‘Damn it, how would I know?’
Who here could possibly know? This is uncharted territory. So, no one can predict success or failure. The only hope they have is...
"There’s a saying that everything returns to its origin."
"…What?"
"At the pinnacle, everything becomes one. But... that also means until you reach the pinnacle, everything is different."
"..."
"Although both martial arts stem from the Tao, Mount Hua and Wudang's arts are distinctly different. What Mount Hua can do, Wudang can't, and what Mount Hua can't do, Wudang can."
Yoon Jong observed Heo Gong with a serious face and closed eyes.
"The only thing I know is that, at least in terms of handling and guiding different energies, no other sect in the world can match Wudang."
Jo Gul listened to Yoon Jong while staring intently at Baek Cheon.
Even in Wudang, Heo Gong is a distinguished existence. Jo Gul had already seen it. The way Heo Gong unfolded the Taiji Sword, a technique of harmony between yin and yang, based on the extreme energy of yang.
So, ultimately, now only Heo Gong can save Baek Cheon.
‘Please…’
Jo Gul's eyes showed unprecedented desperation.
Uuuuuuu.
Meanwhile, Heo Gong's consciousness was sinking into the depths.
Observing the energy within another person's body isn't easy. Especially in a body as shattered as this.
‘It's like a furnace.’
No, that doesn't even begin to describe it.
It's like jumping into a sea of boiling lava. It's almost a miracle that someone could endure so much yang energy in their body.
‘...I see.’
Baek Cheon, unconscious and collapsed, seemed to have given up on everything.
But now Heo Gong realized. The Deputy Sect Leader of Mount Hua was fighting more fervently than anyone in the world.
Even when everyone gave up and fell into despair, Baek Cheon continued to fight desperately against the overwhelming heat.
Heo Gong's lips curled into a slight smile.
The word 'admiration' is used for this. This is different from the awe he felt when encountering Chung Myung. This time, he was admiring the man, not his skills.
How long had it been since he felt something like this?
Uuuuuuu.
The energy of the white pill that had entered Baek Cheon's body was stirring in the sea of lava. The yang energy left by the Sun Palace Leader was formidable, but the Taiji Elixir was also an unparalleled remedy. If these two energies clashed head-on, the human body would disintegrate in an instant.
Bam!
As expected, the moment the two energies met, Baek Cheon's body jolted as if struck by a massive club.
"Sahyung!"
"Sasuk!"
An uproar ensued around them, but Heo Gong blocked out all senses. He concentrated all his attention and energy on Baek Cheon.
‘I will save him.’
Definitely.
Uuuuuuu.
From Heo Gong's hand, a pure energy flowed into Baek Cheon's body.
The yang energy, burning like lava, and the yin energy emanating a deadly cold. In comparison, Heo Gong's energy seemed infinitely weak. It appeared insignificant in the face of the rampant energy that was destroying everything.
Even so, Heo Gong continued to send his energy.
From the beginning, he had no intention of suppressing those rampant energies.
Heo Gong's energy slowly slid toward the boundary between the yang energy and the yin energy. Although it seemed that this weak energy would be crushed at any moment, miraculously, it didn't lose its strength and gently surrounded the collision point of the two energies.
‘What is this?’
Is it dangerous? Strange?
No, the world has been like this from the beginning. Where there is light, there is shadow, where there is dry desert, there are frozen walls. The world has both yin and yang.
The two energies that arose from the initial chaos created the world. But Wudang doesn't seek the original chaos, the Wuji.
Wuji. Perfect unity attracts the human heart, but in reality, there is nothing there. If it hadn't been divided, the world wouldn't exist. If there were no conflict, humanity wouldn't exist.
Therefore, division is natural. That is Wudang's teaching.
So, what difference is there? What difference is there between Baek Cheon's body, which contains both yin and yang, and the Taiji that Wudang seeks?
Heo Gong's divine energy began to gently envelop the yang energy and the yin energy in Baek Cheon's body, slowly spinning.
Harmony is not something static. The world seems eternal, but it is always changing. It doesn't stop and always spins. Sometimes, the yin becomes yang, and the yang also becomes yin.
That’s why it’s Taiji.
Uuuuuuu.
The massive yang and yin energy that seemed it would destroy everything began to move slowly under Heo Gong's divine energy's guidance. Though weak, it was clear.
Yoon Jong, who was holding his breath, stared intently at Baek Cheon.
‘Something has changed.’
Though the yin energy freezing the body and the yang energy seeming to burn everything were still there.
But Yoon Jong clearly felt it. Something was changing. Though he couldn't be sure if it was a positive or negative sign.
Heo Gong still had his hand on Baek Cheon's forehead. His eyes were closed in meditation, and his forehead was covered with thick drops of sweat.
‘What’s happening?’
Yoon Jong was becoming increasingly restless. The safest way to check Baek Cheon's condition would be to touch his body, but he didn't even dare to try at that moment.
Finally, forgetting that he had reprimanded Jo Gul a moment ago, Yoon Jong spoke quietly to Tang Gunak.
“Ga-Gaju-nim, right now…”
Tang Gunak, who was also watching the situation gravely, nodded. There was great surprise and a faint but palpable hope in his eyes.
“It seems that... even if a little... it is starting to stabilize.”
“Really?”
Tang Gunak lightly bit his lip, anxious.
“Of course... it’s still too early to be certain. If something goes wrong, the result will still be irreversible.”
As he spoke, Tang Gunak looked at Heo Gong.
If this treatment continues until the end, maybe they can really save Baek Cheon.
But, can Heo Gong hold on until the treatment is complete?
His face was pale, and the sweat kept flowing. This scene showed how much effort he was putting into this treatment.
Can someone so gravely injured hold on until the end?
At that moment, an answer came to the unspoken question.
“He will be alright.”
"You…?"
“Don’t worry about it. Even if he might break, he will never give up.”
Mu Jin looked at Heo Gong while speaking calmly. However, there was a trace of emotion in his eyes that he couldn't completely hide.
It was understandable since Mu Jin couldn't feel proud in this situation.
“He will make it.”
Tang Gunak and the disciples of Mount Hua could only nod.
At this moment, there was no other option but to trust him and Wudang.
Uuuuuuu!
Suddenly, Baek Cheon's body jolted again.
"Oh!"
Huuuu!
From his inert body, the yin and yang energy began to erupt violently, as if his body were a prison and the energy was trying to escape.
“Ack!”
Without anyone asking, the disciples of Mount Hua rushed to hold Baek Cheon down. Carefully not to break his fragile body, but with the determination not to let him go.
Chiiiiiiik!
“Ack!”
Jo Gul's hands, holding Baek Cheon, started to burn and smoke. Of course, the others were not much better.
“What the hell…? Ga-Gaju-nim!”
Tang Gunak, with a tense face, quickly examined Baek Cheon.
“The Deputy Sect Leader's body cannot endure it.”
“What?”
Jo Gul's eyes widened.
“The Deputy Sect Leader's body can no longer retain the energy.”
“Wait a moment. Then, what…”
Yoon Jong's face turned pale.
The body being unable to retain energy… in the martial arts world, that is called death.
“Strengthen the Deputy Sect Leader's body. Don’t let a speck of energy escape.”
“What?”
“Retain the energy. Now!”
Tang Gunak quickly gathered his energy and began to envelop Baek Cheon's body.
“Damn it!”
Yoon Jong clenched his teeth.
Surrounding another person's body with energy without leaving a gap for it to escape… he had never heard of such a thing. Even martial arts masters who could control their own energy at will couldn't do that with another person's body.
But this was not the time to worry about whether it was difficult or easy. They had to do it. Even if it was impossible, they had to try.
Finally, Jo Gul and Hye Yeon joined, gritting their teeth and deploying their energy around Baek Cheon's body.
“Damn it! It’s not enough…”
“I’ll help!”
Even Mu Jin and Jin Hyun approached to add their energy.
Uuuuuu!
After a while, the violently stirring energy began to gradually calm down.
“Is it… is it working?”
“It’s too soon to be sure. We must maintain this until the treatment ends.”
Jo Gul nodded with effort, gritting his teeth. Then, suddenly, his eyes met Jin Hyun's, who had a small smile on his lips.
Jo Gul awkwardly tilted his head.
“Th-thank you…”
“Fate is a mysterious thing, Dojangs.”
At those words, Jo Gul couldn't help but nod. He would never have imagined meeting Jin Hyun again under these circumstances.
“Such is life, full of twists and turns.”
“That’s true…”
Jo Gul nodded as he focused his energy. Suddenly, an unfamiliar voice resonated in his ears.
“Fate… I like that word too.”
Everyone shuddered and turned their gaze to the door of the medical hall. Through the open door, they could see a large courtyard. There, a group of unfamiliar people had appeared without anyone noticing.
Seeing those men wrapped in bloodied bandages, Jo Gul felt a deep despair.
“The man lying there and I also share a common fate. I would like to share the joy of this reunion. Could you give me a moment of your time?”
A dark shadow appeared at the corner of the Blood Palace Leader's mouth, covered by bandages. Though they couldn't see it, everyone knew he was smiling cruelly.
