Chapter 430: Senseless (2)

Death.

Gu Yangcheon frowned after hearing a familiar word.

“What do you mean…?”

It was way too sudden?

He’ll die soon at this rate?

When Gu Yangcheon looked at the Immortal Healer in shock, he calmly started to explain.

“Every person has a vessel of their own. You know that, yes?”

“…Yes.”

A vessel that each person had.

It could be seen as a space that held Qi, and it was a source of existence that any human had.

But why was the Immortal Healer talking about it?

Gu Yangcheon waited for his words after calming his eyes.

“Your vessel has reached its limit.”

He felt his heart sink after hearing the Immortal Healer.

“…So that means,”

“You being able to use different types of Mind Arts is different from your vessel reaching its limit.”

Despite Gu Yangcheon solving the danger of his Qis colliding with each other, it was a whole different issue from his vessel breaking due to it reaching its limit.

However, he became curious about one thing.

“I… never heard such a thing before.”

He was never warned about this issue back when the Immortal Healer gave him checkups before.

After hearing Gu Yangcheon, the Immortal Healer let out a sigh and spoke in an awed tone.

“I didn’t think that you would add in another type of Qi. Do you think it makes sense for anyone to reach their vessel’s limit?”

“…”

“Your vessel isn’t small compared to others. Despite that, it is about to overflow. What do you think this means?”

If a vessel cannot hold what’s inside and it overflows, then it would explode in one’s body.

Even if it doesn’t overflow, there will be a risk of it breaking and causing a mess inside.

“Can I do anything about it?”

“I said it before too, but the fastest way is for you to shut down your Dantian.”

That was the fastest and safest method to prevent any risk,

“…I can’t do that.”

But that was worse than death for Gu Yangcheon.

He had lots of things he had to prepare for in the future.

He couldn’t afford to break his Dantian and become an ordinary person.

“Is there really no other way?”

The Immortal Healer frowned after hearing Gu Yangcheon.

Even with the risk of dying, he was choosing to protect his martial art.

That’s how the Immortal Healer saw all martial artists.

Idiots that value their martial arts more than their own lives.

It was only possible for people to see their loved ones and live their future if they were alive, yet they were choosing to live the same lives as moths.

The Immortal Healer was reminded of many martial artists who died like that, and he couldn’t help but frown.

“If you don’t want that, then you have two choices.”

Despite this, he listed two methods.

He believed that it was right to give his patients choices as a doctor.

So there was a different method after all. Right as Gu Yangcheon’s expression started to get better,

“You can stop increasing your Qi. If you maintain your current amount, then you’ll be able to live a decently long life if you are lucky.”

“…”

That meant that Gu Yangcheon couldn’t train and increase his Qi anymore.

Does that mean he was no longer allowed to grow as a martial artist and stay the same way forever?

In some ways, that is indeed what it meant.

If Gu Yangcheon put aside his dissatisfaction due to him still being an unstable Fusion Realm martial artist, he was still better off compared to other people, and considering how there were only around a thousand Fusion Realm martial artists in the Central Plains, he was more than able to live a life while lifting his shoulders proudly.

However…

That’s pointless.

Gu Yangcheon knew he couldn’t afford to do that better than anyone.

The Immortal Healer let out a deep sigh after seeing Gu Yangcheon’s concerned expression.

He knew that this answer didn’t satisfy Gu Yangcheon.

“You are no different from those idiots. You really can’t give up on martial arts?”

“…I’m sorry.”

The Immortal Healer didn’t know.

Gu Yangcheon was always willing to give up martial arts.

If he wanted, he could always choose to shut his Dantian down and live as an ordinary person.

But then who’ll protect everyone?

It was Gu Yangcheon’s job.

It wasn’t because he wanted to become the hero who saved the world.

He had more than enough people around him that he had to protect.

That was why he needed martial arts.

Because of that, there was no way that he could give it up now.

“Is there… no other choice?”

The Immortal Healer said there were two choices.

The last choice was Gu Yangcheon’s remaining hope.

As he waited nervously, the Immortal Healer spoke with a sigh.

“It may not be a treatment, but it’s possible to stall this out a little longer.”

“That means…?”

“I’m saying it’s possible to lessen the risk by using medicines. It’s impossible to cure it fully. Even I can’t do that with my hands.”

“…”

Gu Yangcheon fell deep into his thoughts after hearing the Immortal Healer.

After seeing his reaction, the Immortal Healer calmly closed his eyes.

During their conversation, he continued to feel a strange sensation.

Once Gu Yangcheon finished thinking, he fidgeted with his lips and asked the Immortal Healer.

“…The medicine you are talking about, are you the only one who’s able to make it?”

“Yes. Only I know how to get to the Central Plains.

It made sense.

Gu Yangcheon had never heard of such a medicine that helped a breaking vessel maintain itself.

It was a hopeful response, but there was an important part to it.

“Do you have any intent on giving me that medicine?”

It was as if the Immortal Healer was willing to give such medicine to Gu Yangcheon.

“No, I do not.”

The Immortal Healer firmly responded to this question.

“It only stalls a bit more time in the end, and I’m not going to do anything for you when you aren’t choosing a perfectly fine option.”

“…”

Gu Yangcheon only stared at the Immortal Healer who spoke out of anger.

His gaze felt very strange for some reason.

“Immortal Healer.”

Gu Yangcheon spoke as the atmosphere became heavier.

“If that really prolongs my life, then how much more will it prolong it for?”

Even after this far, Gu Yangcheon asked such a question which started to anger the Immortal Healer.

“Even if the medicine works properly, you won’t be able to live past forty. If your body doesn’t take the medicine well, then you will only last ten more years.”

Gu Yangcheon started to think deeply after hearing the Immortal Healer as if he was trying to calculate his time.

The Immortal Healer added on after seeing the sight.

“If you are thinking about getting treated after taking the medicine to prolong your life, then put that thought aside. This medicine- “

“…Ten years you say.”

The Immortal Healer tried to explain the danger of the medicine, but Gu Yangcheon spoke back in a calm tone as if that didn’t matter.

-That should be enough time.

“…”

A monotone voice echoed in the Immortal Healer’s ears.

As the sun was setting, a banquet was underway to celebrate the return of the Poison King.

The Immortal Healer sat on a floor in his guest house and poured himself a drink.

“So…”

The Immortal Healer recalled his conversation with Gu Yangcheon and thought about why he continued to feel a strange sensation from him.

After thinking for a long time, he finally realized.

No, perhaps he knew as soon as he saw him.

That child didn’t change.

It wasn’t that his confidence died down or he became more tense. He was instead hiding it.

Immortal Healer thought about when he first met Gu Yangcheon.

Unlike the boy’s nasty personality, his eyes seemed calm.

The eyes of martial artists who killed themselves due to the Demonic Realm incident.

Gu Yangcheon had the same eyes as them.

The Immortal Healer drank his liquor with that thought.

You…

The child had no desire in his life in the first place. At least that’s how the Immortal Healer saw Gu Yangcheon.

He should’ve known from the very beginning.

Gu Yangcheon thought calmly to himself despite the conversation being about the risk of him dying.

He had no fear of death.

Instead, it seemed like he was calculating his time so that he could do everything that he planned.

An unstable vessel was able to mentally affect a martial artist.

It was also possible that Gu Yangcheon got severe pain and headaches because of it from time to time.

However, in the Immortal Healer’s eyes, Gu Yangcheon seemed calm despite going through all of those things.

He’s not just calm. He is just worn out.

The mental state that should’ve been affected.

This child had none of those things.

The Immortal Healer was able to know immediately after seeing Gu Yangcheon after the Poison King brought him.

Martial artists lacked the eyes for it, but the Immortal Healer didn’t.

It wasn’t strange for Gu Yangcheon to die any moment.

That was why the Immortal Healer asked Gu Yangcheon for his arm despite only planning to see him at first.

The inside of his body was a mess.

Gu Yangcheon’s Qis were somehow maintained peacefully inside his body, but it felt forced.

Forced harmony was bound to break and cause a disaster in his body, and there wasn’t that much time left for him.

But was this child really unaware of that?

The Immortal Healer wondered.

“…”

Even when Gu Yangcheon heard that he only had ten more years to live, he seemed happy which really horrified the Immortal Healer.

He wasn’t happy because he was able to live longer.

But then what is it…?

What destroyed this child this much?

This child’s mind was way too dark and cold for him barely being twenty.

What are you planning?

The Immortal Healer thought about when Gu Yangcheon left the room.

As if he forgot that the Immortal Healer said he had no plans to give him the medicine, Gu Yangcheon left after saying that he’d visit again.

It felt like there was a heavy boulder in the Immortal Healer’s heart when he saw Gu Yangcheon’s back.

To see a person having no attachment towards their life made the Immortal Healer feel that way.

“Ugh, tsk.”

Even so, the Immortal Healer still had no plans to give him the medicine.

It wasn’t easy to make the medicine nor was it easy to gather the ingredients for it.

Moreover, he had only enough ingredients for Wi Seol-Ah.

Even if he had more ingredients, he wouldn’t have given it to him as the effect of this medicine couldn’t be reversed.

A person couldn’t survive without their Dantian anymore after using this medicine, so they couldn’t even shut it down even if they wanted to.

If they also don’t take it consistently, then it would bring problems to their Qi.

How could a doctor give such a medicine to his patients?

Because it was a very short meeting, the Immortal Healer felt very bothered by the fact that that’s how their conversation ended.

As the Immortal Healer poured himself another drink,

Slide-

He felt someone’s presence entering the room.

The Immortal Healer let out a snort after seeing him.

“Hmph, you said you won’t be coming here for some time, yet you crawled in?”

It was a rather rude tone, but the person hearing these words only smiled in response.

“It was harder than I expected. The child is better at hiding than I thought.”

His voice tone was both heavy and soft. He was an old man with wrinkles that showed his age, but his proper posture in his shoulders and back showed that he was a martial artist.

“Jeez, you should just move on if that isn’t what the child wants. Do you really need to be so forceful?”

Chuckle.

The old man started to chuckle after he heard the Immortal Healer.

“The child is a bit old to be called a child.”

“Who cares about the actual age?”

“If you care so much, then why don’t you go take a visit? I’m not the only one with a family.”

“How can I go see those children without knowing what you guys will do if I tried?”

The old man gave no response and walked towards the floor.

Swish.

A cup lifted in the air and was sucked towards the old man’s hand once he made a small gesture.

It was done like it was nothing, but the Immortal Healer showed no shock.

“Drinking yourself, this isn’t like you. Did something happen?”

“Don’t worry about it. I just felt like drinking today.”

“Hmm… I see.”

The old man didn’t ask any further.

Step.

He slowly walked towards the Immortal Healer and his martial outfit waved with each movement.

The word Namgung was clearly written on his outfit.

“Oh, then did you get to see that child?”

“…”

The Immortal Healer’s shoulders shook a little after hearing the old man’s question.

“The Lesser King of Hell… was it. I’m talking about that child.”

“Go see him if you want to. It seems like the girl from your household happens to be with him anyway.”

The old man smiled and sat down next to the Immortal Healer after hearing him.

“It’ll be a bit disappointing to see them now… so I’ll see them later. We’ll see each other anyway, so I can save the enjoyment for later.”

“What a strange personality you still seem to have.”

“Strange coming from you of all people.”

The old man waved the liquor bottle in his hand along with a chuckle.

It was a cheap liquor he usually didn’t get to have, but it wasn’t a bad day to drink as the outside had a beautiful scenery with the moon.

A full moon had come up after sunset.

The old man was a living historical figure of Namgung Clan, and one of the greatest martial artists in the Orthodox Faction.

The absolute of Namgung Clan.

The Heavenly Venerable took a sip of his drink while watching the moon.