Chapter 17

Chapter 17
## Chapter 17: Half Success (1)

“I can smell something scorched. What exactly did you pull off?”

Sima Geon directed a sharp, annoyed glare toward Cheol Woo, who was wiping his palms together as he approached.

“Those blood-drenched bamboo stalks were everywhere. It was a mess.”

“And your solution was fire? Don’t tell me you set the entire bamboo grove ablaze.”

Sima Geon questioned him again, his voice thick with disbelief.

“Of course not. I only sliced down the ones with blood on them, piled them up, and lit a fire. Once I actually got to work, there were fewer than I expected.”

“What about the corpses?”

“Buried them deep underground. That’s why I was gone so long. Honestly, if I’d had a supply of Bone Dissolving Powder, I would have finished in a heartbeat.”

“Be practical. Even if Bone Dissolving Powder is as effective as they say, imagine the quantity you’d need to melt away that many bodies.”

“About this much?”

Cheol Woo held his hands roughly a foot apart, then let out a strained, awkward laugh as the absurdity of his claim hit him.

“Ha ha ha! Yeah, you’re right. That wouldn’t work.”

He chuckled to himself for a moment, genuinely amused, before shifting his attention to the barracks and letting his smile fade.

“Is it still happening?”

“It is.”

“It’s dragging on. I assumed you’d be finished by this point. Has it been two hours?”

“Not quite that long yet.”

Sima Geon was unable to mask his own anxiety regarding the lengthy procedure.

“Her state was dire from the start, and it seems the reality is even worse. Even a premier practitioner from the Living Immortal Medical House had to use Celestial Pure Jade Milk.”

“Everything will turn out fine.”

Sima Geon whispered with intense hope, his eyes locked onto the structure.

“It has to. That girl has a lot of fight in her. She’s going to make it, so stop worrying so much, Boss.”

“She must.”

Sima Geon gave a heavy, determined nod.

“What’s the deal with him? Still out cold?”

Cheol Woo gestured toward Sima Ho, who was snoring away in the pavilion.

“I decided to let him sleep. Waking him up would just mean he’d spend the time pacing and worrying.”

“Maybe, but it’s been ages. Shouldn’t he have naturally woken up by now?”

“He’s likely exhausted.”

“Exhausted, my foot!”

With a quiet scoff, Cheol Woo walked over to the pavilion and delivered a few sharp taps to Sima Ho’s curled-up backside.

“Hey, how much longer are you going to nap? Wake up.”

“Just let him rest a while longer.”

Sima Geon attempted to intervene, but Cheol Woo brushed him off.

“When our little sister’s life is on the line, the whole family should be awake to worry. Sleeping through this? Unacceptable.”

As the prods to his rear became more forceful, Sima Ho—who had been deeply unconscious—knit his brows and slowly forced his eyes open.

“Ugh, what’s going on?”

“What’s going on? You’re actually asking that while you’re napping?”

“Why are you being like this? I’m completely drained, and you’re bothering someone who’s finally resting…”

Sima Ho started to complain irritably, but then he caught the atmosphere and looked around with sudden alertness.

In a flash, his eyes, which had been half-closed, popped open wide.

He scrambled to his feet and yelled.

“The Clear Heart Clinic! My sister—how is the procedure going?”

“Be quiet! It’s still in progress, so sit down and shut up.”

Sima Geon sent a warning look at Cheol Woo and spoke in a hushed tone.

Sima Ho immediately went silent and moved closer to Cheol Woo, whispering urgently.

“How long was I out?”

“Around two hours, give or take.”

“What? Two hours? I’ve been asleep that long?”

Sima Ho’s jaw hit the floor, and then a look of confusion crossed his face.

“That’s strange. I didn’t even feel that tired.”

While Sima Ho pondered his sudden nap, Sima Geon and Cheol Woo both snapped their heads toward the barracks.

The entrance swung open, and Hwang Jeong walked out, his face etched with deep fatigue.

“What is the result?”

Sima Geon sprinted over and gripped Hwang Jeong’s arm.

“The golden needle treatment we initiated today was completed without complications. Her health has shown a marked improvement.”

“Ah!”

Sima Geon exhaled a massive breath of relief.

“Thank you. I am truly, deeply grateful.”

As Sima Geon bowed his head in a show of profound thanks, Sima Ho and Cheol Woo rushed over and followed suit with awkward bows.

“Step inside first. You can receive the full briefing there.”

Hwang Jeong turned back toward the barracks. However, his expression was not as cheerful as the others had hoped.

Sima Geon, still in his bow, didn’t see it, but Cheol Woo caught the look.

‘Something isn’t right.’

Cheol Woo felt a sense of dread based on Hwang Jeong’s demeanor but kept his mouth shut. He simply followed Sima Geon—whose face was bright with relief—into the building.

The moment the three men entered, they were hit by a powerful stench.

Gok Ja Yu and Yu Sa Ha had unlatched both windows to let in air, but the foul smell was stubborn.

“What’s that odor? It smells like something died.”

Sima Ho pinched his nose and made a face. But Sima Geon and Cheol Woo didn’t seem to mind. Having both gone through a total physical reconstruction in the past, they even allowed small smiles to form.

“It’s a bit pungent, isn’t it? Those are the toxins and impurities being purged from her body.”

Hwang Yeong remarked with a faint, weary smile.

Her skin was pale and she was soaked in perspiration as if she’d been standing in a rainstorm; she looked significantly more spent than Hwang Jeong.

“You should focus on your breathing and rest, miss.”

Gok Ja Yu said, his voice full of concern.

“I’ll be fine.”

Hwang Yeong dismissed his worry with a small wave and turned her attention back to Sima Geon.

“We utilized every resource, including the Celestial Pure Jade Milk and the golden needle technique of our clan, but regrettably, we were unable to achieve a total cure.”

“Ah!”

Sima Geon, who had been riding a wave of hope, let out a sound of pure devastation.

He bit his lip until it hurt and turned his eyes to Hwang Jeong.

“You just told me she was better…”

“She is better. She is significantly healthier than she was—that is a fact.”

Sima Geon looked totally lost at Hwang Yeong’s clarification.

“But the cure is incomplete. We gave it our all, yet we could not pull the root of the sickness out entirely. You have my apologies.”

Hwang Yeong bowed her head in regret, but Sima Geon shook his head forcefully.

“Don’t say that. We are well aware of the incredible effort you’ve put in. I understand that the needle technique can be dangerous for the one performing it. I have nothing but gratitude—more than I can put into words.”

“It isn’t necessary. This is our calling as doctors. A chance to treat a condition this rare doesn’t come along often. Especially with the addition of Celestial Pure Jade Milk. It feels like a professional failure on our part to tell you this, but from a medical perspective, this experience was a stroke of luck.”

Sima Geon didn’t react to Hwang Yeong’s honest assessment, but Cheol Woo—who had been in a foul mood since hearing the treatment wasn’t a total success despite using the Celestial Pure Jade Milk—snapped at the mention of “luck.”

“I’ve had a bad feeling ever since they said it didn’t work all the way.”

“Stop it.”

Sima Geon tried to intervene, but Cheol Woo’s temper was already flared.

“In the end, it’s just fancy excuses. Luck? Wow, must be nice for you.”

“How dare you speak to her that way!”

“You’re insulting the miss and the reputation of our clan!”

Yu Sa Ha and Gok Ja Yu shouted back, their faces turning crimson. If they hadn’t been inside the sickbay, they likely would have pulled their blades then and there.

Cheol Woo was not intimidated.

“Did I say something that wasn’t true?”

He lifted his chin defiantly, baiting them. Sima Geon let out a soft, tired sigh and spoke one word.

“Hey.”

Cheol Woo, who was currently locked in a glaring match with Yu Sa Ha and Gok Ja Yu, suddenly stiffened.

He turned his head slowly, met Sima Geon’s cold, hollow stare, and gulped.

“Apologize. Right now.”

Sima Geon’s voice was flat and devoid of any heat, yet Cheol Woo found it impossible to argue.

“I am sorry. I spoke out of turn because I was upset and I made a serious error.”

His bulky frame folded into a deep bow.

His apology was perfectly executed.

The sudden change in attitude left the enraged Yu Sa Ha, Gok Ja Yu, and even Hwang Yeong feeling stunned.

“Please forgive my associate’s outburst. I offer my apologies as well.”

Sima Geon bowed once more.

“No, please, there is no need for that.”

Hwang Yeong waved her hands in a flustered manner, looking uncomfortable.

After a tense silence, Sima Geon looked with pity at Sima Jin, who remained as still as a corpse, and asked.

“What is the extent of her recovery?”

“She will be able to manage daily activities without difficulty. However…”

“Since it isn’t fully cured, there is always the danger of it returning.”

Hwang Yeong, who had paused, nodded her head.

“We anticipate she will be fine and we hope for a positive outcome, but we cannot rule out a relapse. I am sorry.”

Hwang Jeong looked annoyed by her constant apologizing and spoke up for her.

“This is ridiculous. Anyone with eyes could see that the golden needle work was perfect. It couldn’t have been done better.”

He then looked at Sima Geon.

“The real tragedy is the sheer malice of the condition—it was more aggressive than we anticipated. And we made a miscalculation.”

“A miscalculation?”

“We placed too much faith in the Celestial Pure Jade Milk.”

Sima Geon and Cheol Woo both stared at Hwang Jeong, looking perplexed.

“There is no denying it is a legendary medicine. Our clan has even used it to successfully treat Nine Yin Severed Meridians. Because of that, we assumed it would have no trouble countering the yin qi of the Heavenly Yin Divine Meridian. But it wasn’t enough.”

Sima Geon and Cheol Woo were stunned into silence by the idea that “even Celestial Pure Jade Milk fell short.”

Sima Geon had secured the Celestial Pure Jade Milk from the Ghost Gate Clan and used it himself; both men had seen its miraculous power firsthand.

Sima Geon had left Black Dragon Valley with a perfected physique and internal energy that dwarfed his previous strength. Cheol Woo had reached the heights of the Diamond Indestructible realm.

It was true they had consumed a much larger dose than Sima Jin, but because they knew its true power, Hwang Jeong’s claim felt impossible.

“Man, if Celestial Pure Jade Milk can’t do the trick, what kind of medicine do you need to handle that Heavenly Yin thing’s energy?”

Cheol Woo asked, his frustration boiling over.

“It’s not necessarily that it wasn’t ‘enough,’ but rather that it was the wrong kind of medicine for this specific problem.”

Hwang Yeong looked toward the sleeping Sima Jin and explained further.

“As far as I know, very few things are superior to Celestial Pure Jade Milk. Perhaps the legendary Ten Thousand Year Ginseng King. However, while those have a balanced nature, substances that focus purely on extreme yang or extreme yin can be more effective—such as the inner core of a Snow Mountain Fox or Ice Crystals formed over thousands of years.”

Sima Geon grasped the concept immediately.

“So Jin requires a Snow Mountain Fox inner core, not Celestial Pure Jade Milk.”

“Looking back, yes.”

Hwang Yeong nodded her head sadly.

“A Snow Mountain Fox inner core… where do we find one? Does such a thing even exist?”

Sima Geon’s eyes filled with a new, sharp light. He would search every corner of the earth to find it if he had to.