Chapter 429: Senseless (1)

The last time I saw the Immortal Healer was around when Wi Seol-Ah left Gu Clan.

That was around two years ago.

According to the First Elder, he left to the Taeryung Clan with the Sword Emperor.

Ever since then, I haven’t heard anything from him.

Why is the Immortal Healer here…?

In Tang Clan of all places at that.

Plus, what were the odds that we were both in Sichuan at the same time?

“What are you doing? Come sit down already.”

“…”

I first sat down after hearing the Immortal Healer.

I wondered who the guest was for them to be treated with such a building, but it was totally understandable if it was the Immortal Healer.

No one was able to say who the Zenith was in our current world, but the greatest doctor in the Central Plains was in no doubt the Immortal Healer and he wasn’t someone anyone was able to see even if they offered a ton of money.

I sat down in front of him, bowed my head with respect and asked him carefully.

“…Have you been well ever since then?”

I first greeted him. The Immortal Healer responded with a slight frown.

“How could I be when I’m this old. I’m just living the rest of my life.”

“…”

This old man still spoke in a nasty tone.

“I heard that you happen to come to Sichuan as well, so I called you here.”

“Yes, thank you for calling me.”

“Unlike your words, your face is screaming exhaustion as if you are asking me why I called you here.”

“…”

He was still sharp as ever too.

The Immortal Healer took a sip of the tea in front of him and stared at me with a sharp gaze.

“Rumors about you have been everywhere recently.”

“…Ugh.”

“I knew that something like this would happen, but it happened much faster than I expected.”

The Immortal Healer knew about my rumors as well.

It was understandable though. It would’ve been weirder for him to be unaware of my rumors since the Alliance and the Beggar’s Sect were working together to spread news.

“Anyway, I’m glad that you still seem to be healthy.”’

“…Thank you.”

The Poison King looked at us from behind with a shocked expression as he heard our conversation.

He seemed to be shocked by how the Immortal Healer was being so warm towards me.

The Immortal Healer then spoke to the Poison King.

“Lord of Tang Clan.”

“Yes, Elder.”

“Could you leave for a moment as I have a matter to speak about with this child alone?”

“…!”

He asked the Lord of Tang Clan to screw off. He really was an impressive person in some ways.

I guess it was possible only because he was the Immortal Healer.

The Poison King seemed to think for a moment after hearing him, but he lowered his head, closed the door and left the sight.

After checking that, the Immortal Healer moved his gaze back at me.

What important matter did he want to speak to me about?

“I heard that you called me here.”

“Yes, like I said earlier, I heard that you also came to Tang Clan so I wanted to see you.”

“What brought you here in Sichuan?”

The Immortal Healer thought for a moment after hearing my question.

Then, he spoke with a slightly annoyed tone.

“I originally wasn’t going to come here…”

His response mixed with his sigh had lots of emotions in it.

“It’s not easy to break off a past relationship.”

I opened my eyes widely after hearing him. That means…

“Wait… does that mean that Elder Wi came here as well?”

The Immortal Healer went to Taeryung Clan because the Sword Emperor headed there.

That meant that the two had a relationship of some sort, and right now in Sichuan…

Wi Seol-Ah is here.

His granddaughter was in this land, so it wouldn’t have been strange for the Sword Emperor to be here for her.

If the Sword Emperor came here… does that mean he came here to take Wi Seol-Ah?

As I started to worry, the Immortal Healer looked at me with an annoyed look.

“Why are you suddenly mentioning that old man?”

“Huh?”

“He didn’t come here.”

“…Then who…”

“Would you even know if I told you?”

“…”

That’s true.

I scratched my head as it suddenly became awkward.

“Well, it’s possible that you might know.”

“Would it be someone I know?”

“He’s outside to take care of a business right now, but come see him once he returns.”

“Huh? Isn’t that a bit sudden?”

“That old man wanted to see you anyway… so show up.”

“…Ah, understood.”

I already felt nervous.

Considering how all of the old people that the Immortal Healer knew were monsters, it was possible that this person was a great figure in the Central Plains as well.

Well, there shouldn’t be anyone more shocking than people I’ve met already.

I met the Sword Emperor right after I regressed, and the Dishonored Venerable became my master. Even the king of all assassins known as the Dark King was around my vicinity.

I met all of the Lords from the Four Noble Clans, and I even saw the Sword Queen and the candidate for that position.

How could there be any more martial artists that were impressive as those people?

As long as it’s not the last person from the Three Venerables, I have nothing to be scared of.

Yes, as long as the Heavenly Venerable wasn’t in Sichuan, I wasn’t going to be shocked by anything.

“Then I shall come visit when you give me the call.”

The Immortal Healer nodded after hearing my response. Then, someone pulled on my sleeve from my side.

I checked to see, and it was Zhuge Hyuk.

“What?”

“…”

Zhuge Hyuk started to write something on the table using his finger, and it seemed like he was writing ‘It’s been a while, big brother.’ Or something of the sort.

After seeing that, I pat the guy’s head.

“Yes, it’s good to see you as well. You must’ve eaten well judging by how you seemed to have gained a bit of weight.”

Zhuge Hyuk smiled brightly after hearing my words. I thought to myself after seeing his smile.

…He’s smiling?

I became a little shocked after seeing the sight.

Not only did he get bigger than before, but it also seemed like he expressed more emotions.

I guess he has had a healthy life ever since.

“I heard that the girl named Seol-Ah is also here.”

“…Ah, yes. That’s right.”

“Is that child also doing well?”

He was referring to Wi Seol-Ah.

It was honestly hard to answer that question.

Was Wi Seol-Ah doing well?

I at least hoped so.

“I am trying my best to give her a good life.”

“At least it’s not that shitty answer you gave in the past.”

“…”

What did I say in the past for him to say that?

I didn’t think things changed that much.

As I thought to myself, the Immortal Healer spoke bluntly.

“You changed a lot.”

“…It’s a compliment, right?”

“It’s both.”

He meant that I changed in both good and bad ways.

“You seem like you lost some confidence compared to back then, and you seem more tense than before.”

I lightly smiled after hearing him.

It was exactly like he said.

“And…”

The Immortal Healer reached his wrinkly hand towards me.

“Pull up your sleeve and show me your arm.”

“…Immortal Healer?”

“Now.”

The Immortal Healer had a serious expression as he asked me for my arm.

I was already used to getting checkups from him, so I carefully reached my…

…Wait, which arm do I give him?

I paused midway.

Both my arms were in strange conditions.

My left arm had some bandage glowing it pinkish light wrapping around I, and my right arm had scales on them.

I wondered for around three seconds, and I decided to show him my left arm. I concluded that it was better to show him a strange bandage than some scales.

The Immortal Healer showed a strange expression after checking my arm.

“Did you get hurt or something? Your arm didn’t seem to have any problems when I first saw you.”

“No, it’s nothing like that… I just somehow happened to have… um…”

As I struggled to explain, the Immortal Healer nodded as if he understood something.

What was that about?

“Yes, you are at that age after all.”

“Huh?”

“Using bandages or even eye patches. Everyone does that at your age.”

It seemed like he had a big misunderstanding.

What was he on about? It wasn’t anything like that.

I hurriedly tried saying something in order to clear up this misunderstanding, but the Immortal Healer already started his checkup after pulling my arm.

…Damn it.

I knew I wasn’t allowed to talk to him during this.

The Immortal Healer would yell at me saying that he can’t focus if I talked to him now.

But then I have to accept the fact that I became an embarrassing boy going through puberty thinking that bandages and eye patches are cool?

That really wasn’t the case…

I wanted to tell him, but I couldn’t speak.

In the end, I had to wait until the checkup was over without saying a word.

That time felt especially long and frustrating.

The checkup took longer than usual.

Perhaps there was a problem, because the Immortal Healer’s checkup was taking around fifteen minutes when it normally took a few minutes.

It seemed like it finally ended as the Immortal Healer started to open his eyes.

Then, Gu Yangcheon was able to ask his question.

“Is there a problem with my body?”

It was because the checkup took way longer than usual.

In response, the Immortal Healer asked Gu Yangcheon a question with a rather serious expression.

“I’ll first ask you a question.”

Gu Yangcheon became nervous after hearing his serious tone, and the Immortal Healer continued.

“Did you learn Bijuu’s martial art?”

“…!”

Gu Yangcheon’s eyes widened in shock after he heard the Immortal Healer.

How did he know?

The Immortal Healer calmly started to explain after seeing Gu Yangcheon’s shocked expression.

“Only his martial art changes a person’s muscles and blood vessels this much.”

“…”

“It would’ve made sense if you rebirthed yourself, but there’s no trace of that in your body. That leaves the only other option, am I correct?”

“…You are.”

Gu Yangcheon didn’t expect him to find out only by getting his muscles checked.

He was rather shocked by him getting caught, but the Immortal Healer showed a slightly sad emotion in his eyes.

“So that bastard finally found a disciple… But it’s you of all people.”

“Immortal Healer…?

“I didn’t want anyone to be manipulated by his obsession of his goal, but things turned out this way.”

“…”

It seemed like the Immortal Healer knew about the problems with the Heaven Destruction Art.

It was a martial art that brought terrifying pain to the user as it forced their muscles and blood vessels to change.

It was a martial art artificially rebirthed the user let them achieve State of Selflessness with brute force.

However, like the Dishonored Venerable said many times, there weren’t anyone that were able to endure the pain that came from it.

This wasn’t a welcoming news for a doctor like the Immortal Healer.

“Does your father or that bastard Gu Ryoon know about this?”

“…The Lord knows, but the First Elder does not.”

“Gu Ryoon doesn’t know? You are going to be scolded a ton once you return.”

“…”

Gu Yangcheon agreed.

He was also scared by the fact that he would be beaten up by the First Elder as he had a record of selling him out.

No, I could at least run now.

It was possible to run away from the First Elder since Gu Yangcheon reached Fusion Realm.

That much was enough to give him relief.

As Gu Yangcheon planned his escape routes, the Immortal Healer continued to speak.

“You must have run into a situation where you needed to use a ton of Qi.”

“Ah, yes… that’s right.”

A ton of Qi was used when demonifying Tang Duk and hatching the Red Water Snake.

Because of that, Gu Yangcheon was exhausted, and the Immortal Healer found out all about it.

He was still as impressive as ever.

“You are filled with exhaustion. I’m sure you feel that as well.”

“Yes.”

“It’s necessary for you to take a good rest.”

Gu Yangcheon put on a bitter smile after hearing the Immortal Healer.

It was because he planned to, but he came here as he was called.

However, he didn’t bother saying this out loud.

He knew just how valuable the Immortal Healer’s checkup was and that he was doing that out of the kindness in his heart.

“Also.”

Gu Yangcheon focused when the Immortal Healer spoke again.

It felt different this time.

His tone was much darker and dense.

At least that’s what Gu Yangcheon felt from his tone.

“Immortal Healer…?”

“Do you remember how I called you a living corpse back then?”

It happened a few years ago.

Around… a year after Gu Yangcheon regressed, he went to Mount Hua to take Gu Ryunghwa and the Immortal Healer said this to him after checking his body when the Celestial Plum Blossom asked him to.

A walking living corpse.

That’s what he called him.

“Yes, I remember.”

There was more than one type of Qi in Gu Yangcheon’s body, so it wouldn’t have been strange for him to explode.

However, Elder Shin fixed issue with Tao Qi and the Demonic Absorption Art’s efficiency and the beast inside Gu Yangcheon’s body balanced everything out which made it okay.

Thanks to that, Gu Yangcheon was even able to learn the Dishonored Venerable’s Heaven Destruction Art.

He forgot all about this problem as there seemed to be no issue.

But he wondered why the Immortal Healer suddenly mentioned this.

As Gu Yangcheon thought to himself,

“I wasn’t certain back then, but listen to me carefully as I swear on my name when I say this.”

The Immortal Healer made a displeased expression and spoke to Gu Yangcheon.

“At this rate, you are going to die soon.”

Gu Yangcheon opened his eyes widely after hearing the Immortal Healer’s cold words.