“Oh, you an the Immortal of Herbs? I’ve heard about him through my father-in-law.”
“Yes. He’ll arrive this evening—he’s my disciple.”
If he was the Immortal of Herbs, then he was the one my father-in-law ntioned whenever he brought up the Immortal of dicine.
Judging by the way he was always referenced alongside the Immortal of dicine, he must be of comparable skill, which ant he wasn’t a bad choice, at least in terms of qualifications.
However, there was sothing that concerned , so I asked the Immortal of dicine again.
“Then are you saying we need to use decoctions?”
“Yes. Pills or decoctions would be best. If it’s really urgent, you could try using dicinal acupuncture like you said, but treating it with pills or decoctions would be more appropriate. That’s the usual treatnt for pulmonary inflammation.”
Though not entirely sure, it was true that even in my previous life, pneumonia was typically treated with antibiotics—either taken orally or injected.
But what I was most concerned about was whether Elder Geumdo could ingest anything at all.
Considering that most spirit beasts don’t eat food, it seed wise to check if Elder Geumdo could actually consu food or dicine.
After all, spirit beasts usually don't eat.
When Cho, Hyang, and Bini’s biological mother entrusted them to , she had said they might eat, but even if they didn’t, it didn’t matter.
Because they consud Qi.
That’s why Cho, Hyang, and Bini—and most spirit beasts in general—didn’t eat actual food.
It would be best to just ask him directly.
“Just a mont, Elder. Most spirit beasts don’t eat, so I need to check if he can take dicine.”
“He doesn’t eat?”
“Yes, because they absorb the energy of nature directly.”
“Hoho...”
As the Immortal of dicine stared at the children in fascination upon hearing they lived solely on Qi, I made a request to the kids.
“Can one of you go ask Elder Geumdo if it’s okay for him to eat so grass or herbs?”
—Chrrr!
At my request, Hyang imdiately chirped back, then darted through the bamboo and scampered off toward where Elder Geumdo’s head lay.
A mont later, Bini’s voice echoed in my head.
『“—Chrrt! (Dad, he eats! He says he eats grass and even rocks!)”
“Rocks? For minerals, maybe? Like for his shell? Got it. Thanks, Hyang.”』
Relieved that he could ingest things, I replied with a bright expression.
“Good news—he says he can eat.”
“Hoho, that is good news indeed. By the way, you can communicate with spirit beasts?”
“Oh, yes. I raised those children myself from when they were young. For other spirit beasts, I talk to them through these three.”
“It’s amazing that you ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) can understand the language of spirit beasts.”
Hearing that I could speak with spirit beasts, the Immortal of dicine looked at with genuine curiosity.
Then, right at that mont, Hwa-eun’s voice chid in.
“You said you arranged to et with the Immortal of Herbs?”
In response to Hwa-eun’s question, the Immortal of dicine nodded.
“Yes, Hwa-eun. I was heading to a small village in Unghyeon, Hebei. I heard the entire village is suffering from anemia.”
“Unghyeon in Hebei?”
Hwa-eun looked at , reacting to the na.
And with her gaze and the Immortal of dicine’s answer, I suddenly rembered sothing I had completely forgotten.
Sothing that punk Lee Tae from the River Patrol Gang, one of my flunkies, had reported.
He had compiled so information and told about it, but I’d dismissed it as useless and tossed it aside.
‘First, there’s word that in a small village in Unghyeon, Hebei, the entire population is suffering from anemia. Also, near Mount Tai on the Yellow River, there’s a rock that sotis erges from the water.’
As Lee Tae’s report replayed in my mind, I realized what that part about the Yellow River near Mount Tai ant.
That rock that occasionally erged from the water probably referred to Elder Geumdo.
It wasn’t an island of sand, but a rock—likely aning the moss-covered top of Elder Geumdo’s head.
Even spirit beasts need to surface to breathe once in a while, no matter how long they can hold their breath.
And that ant Lee Tae’s report hadn’t been wrong.
I now felt we had to drop by that village in Unghyeon.
‘We really have to go there.’
Back when Lee Tae ntioned it, I thought it was nothing special, but now, I couldn’t help but feel there might be another spirit beast there.
After all, if Elder Geumdo was that “rock,” then maybe other places with strange sightings might also hold sothing.
Smiling brightly, I said:
“This is perfect. We were planning to go to Unghyeon anyway. Once we treat Elder Geumdo, we can head there together.”
“Oh, is that so? That’s great! Two old n traveling alone would’ve been boring. And now I’ll get to see Hwa-eun’s face for a bit longer, too.”
The Immortal of dicine bead in delight at my words.
Just then, Hwa-eun’s thoughts and Sister Seol’s sound transmission both ca flying into my head and ears.
‘So-ryong, how co I didn’t know we were going to Unghyeon?’
[Ryong, are we going there? Not to Young Master Peng’s place?]
Well, of course they didn’t know—I’d just decided that now.
‘Let’s not fuss over the little things.’
***
We left Elder Geumdo’s island and headed to the inn where the Immortal of dicine was staying.
Because we had to et the Immortal of Herbs.
He was supposed to arrive around evening, so we planned to wait at the inn until he showed up.
“By the way, that rascal Habokja will probably be happy to see Hwa-eun.”
“Habokja?”
“That’s the Immortal of Herbs’ na.”
“Oh, I see.”
Apparently, the reason the Immortal of dicine kept showing Hwa-eun so much affection was because he, my father-in-law, and the Immortal of Herbs had all been part of a kind of dical hobby circle in their past lives.
The most skilled healers of the Central Plains had ford a group to exchange ideas, and its mbers were my father-in-law, the Immortal of dicine, and the Immortal of Herbs.
The Immortal of dicine and the Immortal of Herbs wandered the realm to treat patients, so even if they had a base, they rarely stayed there. Once every few years, they’d et up at the Tang Clan estate, and since Hwa-eun had been visiting the Tang Clan since she was little, the Immortal of dicine thought of her like a real granddaughter—or so Hwa-eun explained.
“By the way, So-ryong.”
“Yes, Elder.”
After saying I should speak comfortably since he saw Hwa-eun as a granddaughter, the Immortal of dicine started treating like a real grandson, too.
But then he said sothing I didn’t quite understand.
“Habokja might be a bit cold toward you, so if that happens, I hope you won’t take it personally.”
“Toward ?”
‘But he’s never even t ?’
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
I blinked in confusion, but the Immortal of dicine just chuckled.
“He said he’d keep a close eye on the guy who ends up with Hwa-eun, since she’s basically like a granddaughter to him. Said he’d examine you thoroughly. I an, who does he think he is?
Where does he get off, acting like he’s got the right? Tsk.”
『“The Immortal of Herbs actually dotes on more than the Immortal of dicine does.”
“Ohh, I see what you an.”』
Now that I thought about it, Hwa-eun always referred to the Immortal of dicine respectfully as ‘Elder,’ but called the Immortal of Herbs ‘Grandfather.’
So even she felt closer to the Immortal of Herbs than to the Immortal of dicine.
I could sense the situation now.
This felt like I was about to et her maternal side of the family and had to make a good impression.
‘I’d better be careful not to give him any reason to hate .’
Just as I was thinking I needed to be on my best behavior around Hwa-eun’s people, the Immortal of dicine, who’d just badmouthed his own disciple, grinned slyly and said:
“But So-ryong, do you think you could pull the sa trick on my disciple that you did on ?”
“The sa trick?”
“Yes. You know—don’t explain anything, just leave him completely flustered. That kind of thing.”
He didn’t want to be the only one pranked, so now he wanted to do the sa to the Immortal of Herbs.
I stared at him in disbelief.
He had just accused his disciple of not acting his age... and now he was the one suggesting childish antics.
‘So this is what being martial brothers ans? Still, if he already thinks I’m not going to make a good impression, isn’t helping him just going to make things worse for ...?’
It wasn’t like I could just say no to the Immortal of dicine, but it wasn’t like the Immortal of Herbs was going to storm off and refuse to treat the patient either.
Still, I was seriously starting to worry that this might only make him dislike more.
“He already said he wouldn’t think highly of —won’t this just make it worse?”
Apparently, my reasoning made sense, because the Immortal of dicine nodded and said:
“Then just keep your mouth shut.”
***
“Тhis is exhausting. Brother, maybe it’s ti we start doing this less. I’m not as young as I used to be, you know? Hm? Oh—looks like we’ve got company.”
Just as we were upstairs at the inn, sharing a al and chatting over a few dishes, an elderly man with a notably strict air stepped into the inn around evening ti.
The Immortal of dicine looked like a gentle, white-haired old man, but the Immortal of Herbs had neatly combed black hair with white sideburns and a sharp, stern appearance.
His hair was slicked back with oil, and his clothes were so impeccably arranged that he resembled a corporate executive in my past life—soone ticulous and exacting.
“Who in the world are you dining with? Wha—Hwa-eun?!”
“Hello, Grandfather Yakseon.”
The Immortal of Herbs had walked in with a weary look as he spotted the Immortal of dicine, but when Hwa-eun—who had her back turned—looked over and greeted him, his eyes widened in surprise.
“Why, what brings my little Hwa-eun all the way out here from the Tang Clan?!”
His stern expression lted the instant he saw her, his face softening into a warm, almost mushy smile.
“I just stopped by on so business and heard you were here, so I ca to see you, Elder.”
“Oh-ho, what a wonderful surprise to see you in a place like this! How’s your father?”
“He’s doing well, of course, Grandfather Yakseon. Oh—there’s soone I want you to et.”
“Introduce soone?”
At the ntion of an introduction, the Immortal of Herbs turned his head and looked directly at .
With a smile, Hwa-eun introduced .
“Yes, this is my fiancé, So-ryong. So-ryong, say hello. This is Grandfather Yakseon. He’s very dear to .”
“Pleased to et you. I’m So-ryong of the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace.”
“Oh, So-ryong, is it? You’re the one who walks around with bugs, aren’t you?”
He scanned from head to toe as if performing a full body inspection.
Then he took a seat, folded his arms, and continued staring at .
“Ahem.”
Didn’t they say in psychology that folding your arms when eting soone ant you were closed off to them?
Just as the Immortal of dicine had said, he didn’t seem too fond of .
Still, they say you can’t spit on a smiling face, so I forced an awkward smile—and at that, his head whipped around.
“Ahem!”
Then he turned to look at his martial brother, the Immortal of dicine.
“So, what were you two talking about?”
“Oh, we were discussing a patient Hwa-eun found.”
“A patient Hwa-eun found?”
So much for staying out of it—now the Immortal of dicine was calling Elder Geumdo a patient Hwa-eun had discovered.
The Immortal of dicine scratched his head with an embarrassed look.
“Yes, I went and checked, but I don’t think I can handle it.”
“You can’t handle it, Brother?”
“That’s right. I mostly rely on acupuncture and moxibustion, and the patient has pulmonary inflammation.”
At that, the corners of the Immortal of Herbs’ mouth twitched upward into a smirk.
“Ah, pulmonary inflammation. Brother, really now. Can’t even treat sothing that simple...”
Judging by their tone, there seed to be a bit of a rivalry between them, and the Immortal of Herbs looked all too pleased that the Immortal of dicine had given up on the case.
“The patient’s body is quite large, and the infection and pus have spread in the lungs...”
“Doesn’t matter how big they are. That can be fixed with a single pill. Hwa-eun, don’t worry—Grandpa will take a look. Didn’t I always say dicine is the best answer?”
We quickly finished eating and returned to the harbor to board the boat again.
Whether it was his sense of duty toward patients or simply his eagerness to outdo the Immortal of dicine, he barely chewed his food before insisting we head straight to the patient.
“The patient’s on that island?”
“Yes, Grandfather.”
“Then this old man’s going to show off a bit in front of Hwa-eun.”
As he said this, the Immortal of dicine was struggling to keep from laughing.
And then we arrived at the bamboo structure.
“There. That’s the patient. A giant turtle.”
When I showed him the wound, he looked between the gaping injury and the Immortal of dicine with a bewildered expression.
Then he turned to Hwa-eun and spoke in an awkward voice.
“Hwa-eun, so... the thing is...”
His voice was clearly uncertain.
***
After a long bout of laughter, the Immortal of dicine explained the whole story—and sohow, I ended up getting scolded.
“You rascal! Why didn’t you give a hint? Just sat there watching! I knew I didn’t like you from the start.”
Suddenly, it felt like all the world’s problems were sohow my fault.
As I stared back, utterly baffled—
“Cho? Hyang? Bini? Where did they run off to again? We have a guest—co say hello.”
Hwa-eun called for the kids to co out and greet our guest.
And just like before, the children burst from the sand.
—Chrrr!
—Chrrt!
—Chrrrrr!
“Whaaa—?! O-O-gong!? A-A spirit beast!?”
At first, I thought he was joking again, but the mont the kids appeared, the Immortal of Herbs’ eyes practically popped out of his head.
“Don’t be scared, Grandfather. These are the children So-ryong raised like his own. They’re spirit beasts, but they understand human speech, and I think of them as my daughters.”
At Hwa-eun’s calm explanation, the Immortal of Herbs stared at in shock.
Then, recovering his composure, he suddenly spoke in an unexpectedly warm tone.
“So, you’re So-ryong, was it? Did I ntion that I liked you the mont I saw you?”
‘What the...?’
That was a complete 180.
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