C1714 That’s It. (9)
“Cough!”
“Elder Heo Gong! You shouldn't strain yourself so much.”
When Heo Gong coughed with difficulty, the disciples of the Wudang Sect, pale-faced, tried to stop him.
It was a natural reaction.
Heo Gong had exhausted even the vital energy that keeps a person alive, the innate qi. It wouldn’t be surprising if he started coughing up blood and died at any moment.
“Elder Heo Gong.”
“Step back.”
However, the disciples who were trying to stop him immediately halted at Heo Gong’s decisive gesture. Despite his corpse-like pale face, his eyes reflected an undeniable authority.
“Cough!”
Coughing again, Heo Gong descended from the bed. His movements were slow but without the slightest hesitation.
He stood silently in front of Tang Gunak and spoke in a low voice.
“You said the Deputy Sect Leader's body is full of fire, right?”
Tang Gunak looked at him with a slightly dazed face.
Although Baek Cheon is a concern, Heo Gong's condition is also critical. It must be hard for him to maintain consciousness…
“Gaju-nim.”
“Ah…”
Heo Gong called him again firmly, making Tang Gunak regain his composure with a sigh.
“I already said it. The Deputy Sect Leader's body is already...”
Heo Gong observed Baek Cheon, who lay unconscious, in silence.
Indeed, his body was completely filled with fire. It wasn’t hard to understand why Tang Gunak couldn’t do anything.
“For the current Deputy Sect Leader, any medication is useless. No treatment…”
“Yes. It's meaningless. He’s already unbalanced.”
While Tang Gunak nodded with a regretful expression, Heo Gong spoke.
“But... if the balance is restored, could Gaju-nim save him with your medical skills?”
Tang Gunak was silent for a moment, with a look of surprise.
“What... what are you saying?”
Heo Gong didn’t respond and instead stared at Baek Cheon for a long time before giving an order to the tense Wudang disciples.
“Bring the Divine Elixir.”
“Elder Heo Gong.”
The mention of the divine elixir made the faces of the Wudang Disciples pale.
“Are you talking about the Taiji Elixir?”
The Taiji Elixir is even more valuable than the well-known Taiqing Elixir of Wudang. Even the Leader of the Wudang Sect wouldn’t use it lightly, indicating its great value.
But the reason the Wudang Disciples were shocked was another.
“Are you going to use the Taiji Elixir on the Deputy Sect Leader of Mount Hua?”
Heo Gong didn’t respond to the astonished Wudang Disciples, only looking at them firmly. One of the disciples exclaimed in shock.
“No, you can't! You can't, Elder Heo Gong! There is only one pill of the Taiji Elixir left in Wudang, and that elixir is for you to use. It’s a precious item you must use yourself!”
Tang Gunak was startled.
Of course, Heo Gong was also in a critical condition after exhausting all his innate qi. No ordinary medication could restore his vital qi.
“Withdraw that order! It’s inadmissible! No matter how much they have done...”
“Moderate your words.”
Heo Gong interrupted sternly.
“Even though my condition isn’t good, it can't compare to the Deputy Sect Leader's. Besides, my body can be treated adequately with the Taiqing Elixir.”
“It can be treated, but…”
Mu Jin, who had been observing the situation, intervened. Heo Gong's gaze turned to him.
“But that would only be a superficial treatment. If you take the Taiqing Elixir instead of the Taiji Elixir, you might save your life, but you’ll lose your martial arts abilities.”
“......”
“You can survive as a person, but as a martial artist, you’ll be finished.”
Everyone in the room, including the Mount Hua Disciples watching anxiously, held their breath.
Who is Heo Gong?
He is the hope of Wudang, a rival of Shaolin in the struggle for supremacy in Jianghu. Considering his age and skills, he could be said to be the very essence of Wudang.
The Mount Hua Disciples also clearly remembered Heo Gong fighting with Chung Myung. Although he didn’t manage to strike Chung Myung, no one could deny that he was one of the future leaders of Jianghu.
Losing his martial arts abilities would be a great loss.
Although many from Wudang had already lost their lives in this event, losing Heo Gong would be unacceptable.
In fact, given that so many lives had already been lost, the situation would be even more serious.
From now on, for many years, Wudang will need to rebuild, and the presence of Heo Gong is essential for that process. His existence can determine Wudang’s future.
Even the Mount Hua Disciples couldn’t ask Heo Gong to sacrifice his martial arts abilities to save Baek Cheon.
Mu Jin asked.
“Even so... are you really going to do it?”
Heo Gong simply shook his head.
“Mu Jin. You’re wrong.”
“Elder Heo Gong.”
“It’s not that the person Heo Gong lives and the martial artist Heo Gong dies.”
A small smile appeared on Heo Gong’s lips.
“From the beginning, I was a Taoist, and I will continue to be a Taoist.”
His voice was serene. His eyes were like a calm lake. Seeing this, Mu Jin slowly nodded.
“What are you waiting for?”
“Mu Jin…”
“It’s an order from the Elder! Bring the divine elixir!”
The Wudang Disciples bit their lips hard. Once Heo Gong and Mu Jin issued the same order, no one could oppose it.
While some rushed to bring the elixir, Heo Gong directed his gaze to the Mount Hua Sect disciples and the unconscious Baek Cheon, who were in silence.
Tang Gunak, hesitant, broke the silence.
“… Hey, Heo Gong Jin-In.”
“Just call me Heo Gong. 'Jin-In' is an excessive title.”
“What does the title matter now? What are you thinking? The Deputy Sect Leader's body is…”
“Medicine can’t save him. But with martial arts, Wudang martial arts, it’s possible.”
“Is it true?”
A faint smile appeared on Heo Gong’s pale face.
“That’s what Taiji means. Even if it breaks and crumbles, it eventually turns and finds balance. That’s the nature of the world and the nature of human beings. We’re just helping a little.”
Tang Gunak nodded gravely.
There is no way to reverse the imbalance with medicine. But if it’s Wudang’s martial arts, based on the harmony of yin and yang, there might be a way to handle the fire in Baek Cheon’s body.
“But then... what about you?”
Yoon Jong, hesitant, asked the question, but Heo Gong showed no expression. His slightly cold appearance was as usual.
“I’m alive. I’m here.”
“…”
“The Deputy Sect Leader saved my life. Not just mine. If the Mount Hua Sect and the Deputy Sect Leader hadn’t traveled hundreds of kilometers to help us, none of us would have survived.”
Heo Gong gently closed his eyes.
The memory was still vivid. The image of Baek Cheon jumping off the cliff to save them. He didn’t just feel joy at that moment.
“I’m not saying this to return the favor. I don’t think I can repay everything we’ve received with this. But if with what Wudang has we can return even a bit of the favor received, and if with what I can offer the Deputy Sect Leader can live…”
Heo Gong opened his eyes. There was no hesitation in his gaze as he looked at Baek Cheon.
“That’s enough.”
No one dared to speak.
They couldn’t ignore how much it cost Heo Gong to make such a difficult decision.
“Elder…”
“Elder!”
At that moment, the Wudang Disciples who had left returned. They were carrying something in their arms. Heo Gong silently took the small jade box they offered with trembling hands.
Inside the small box adorned with the Taiji symbol were two pills the size of a pinky fingernail. One was white, and the other was black.
“This is…”
“Extreme yang and extreme yin. Two energy pills.”
Tang Gunak nodded deeply. But as much as he was, he didn’t know how to use these pills. He had no idea.
Then, Heo Gong took the white pill and handed it to Tang Gunak.
“This is for the Deputy Sect Leader.”
“Do you want me to give it to him? But if I do…”
“Don’t worry. I’ll handle the rest.”
Tang Gunak slightly pressed his lips. Trusting solely in Heo Gong’s words was risky.
“But there’s no other option.”
If they left him like this, Baek Cheon would undoubtedly die. So now, they could only rely on Heo Gong and Wudang.
“Protect the Deputy Sect Leader!”
“Yes!”
When Tang Gunak made a quick decision, the Mount Hua Sect disciples also surrounded Baek Cheon with tense faces. Tang Gunak approached Baek Cheon, looked at him closely, and pressed his lips.
“No, what I must trust is…”
I trust that this man will endure. That he won’t die here.
Shuaa.
The golden needles began to pierce Baek Cheon’s neck and chest one after another. When Baek Cheon’s mouth opened, Tang Gunak, holding the white pill, infused it with energy. The melted pill quickly flowed into Baek Cheon’s mouth.
“Heo Gong Dojang!”
Heo Gong, who had slightly closed his eyes, opened them. Then, he swallowed the remaining black pill and sat in a lotus position.
Woong.
Yang energy surged from his body.
Directing the elixir’s energy throughout his body, Heo Gong slowly stood up and approached Baek Cheon.
“Yin is yang and yang is yin, and they meet and turn…”
Yin and yang are different, but in the end, they are not.
Wudang’s Taiji aims for the ultimate balance. If Heo Gong could achieve it even for a moment, this man’s life could continue.
Tap.
Those surrounding Baek Cheon came into his view. They were next to him as if they were one, carrying a single fate.
A smile unknowingly appeared on Heo Gong’s lips.
“It’s a good sect.”
Maybe now he was truly recognizing the Mount Hua Sect.
“Elder! Sahyung’s body…!”
“… Calm down, Jo Gul.”
Baek Cheon’s body was frozen. At the same time, it was burning.
The yang energy in his body clashed with the yin energy, starting to exit his body. And his weakened body couldn’t withstand the impact.
At the moment when the disciples’ faces distorted, Heo Gong gently placed his hand on Baek Cheon’s forehead and spoke.
“There’s nothing to worry about. My path will be no different from yours…”
Then he slowly closed his eyes.
“The path of Mount Hua and the path of Wudang will also be no different.”
A serene and divine energy emanated from Heo Gong, flowing into Baek Cheon.
“They will eventually arrive.”
Right there, the path was.
