Chapter 44

Chapter 44
## Chapter 44: Same Bed, Different Dreams (2)

“This is no mere prank played by adolescents. What on earth were you thinking?”

“That wasn’t my…”

Nangong Dan attempted to offer a justification, but Nangong Hu cut him off sharply.

“I have not finished my remarks, Uncle.”

“I ask for your forgiveness.”

Nangong Dan bowed his head in a swift apology.

“On the occasion of your seventieth year, no less! Hah! To spark such a mess during a time of celebration. It is remarkably petty. Upon reviewing the account, I found it hard to credit. I had to verify the details repeatedly. I felt such humiliation that the renowned Nangong Clan would descend to such tactics that I found it difficult to face anyone. It is natural to feel slighted. Perhaps you even wished to land a minor blow. But such impulses belong to reckless youths devoid of logic. You, Uncle, and everyone gathered here should possess better discernment. Have you given any thought to the reputation of our house in the martial world? How will the world judge the main family now?”

The room fell into a heavy silence, no one daring to speak under the weight of Nangong Hu’s frigid questioning.

Nangong Hu let out a weary breath, his features clouded with annoyance as he spoke again.

“Anyone aware of the bond shared between Sword Ghost Senior and myself should have acted with more wisdom. How am I supposed to encounter him after this?”

The friendship between Sword Ghost and Sword Saint was legendary across the land, a bond that defied the gap in their years.

Hearing Nangong Hu’s grievance, those present masked their shame, paralyzed by the awkwardness of the situation.

“Seon-ah.”

“I am here, brother.”

“What of the group dispatched to the Ha Hu Clan as the wedding envoys?”

“Word has reached us that they have begun their trek back to the main estate.”

“Miserable. Instruct them to halt their progress and remain where they are.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“This cannot be brushed aside. We must deliver a formal message of regret to the Ha Hu Clan. You will return to them and offer a sincere apology.”

“I shall make the arrangements immediately.”

Nangong Seon offered a respectful bow in agreement.

At that point, Nangong Gyeong—who had remained still with his eyes shut—finally broke his silence.

“I shall go instead.”

“You, Uncle?”

“Fortunately, the matter concluded without a disaster, but we cannot treat this as a minor oversight. If an apology is required, it must be done with gravity. It is not that I doubt the capabilities of the Azure Cloud Pavilion Leader, but my personal attendance may better preserve our dignity.”

“If you are prepared to make the journey, Uncle, we would be in your debt. We leave the matter in your hands.”

Nangong Hu inclined his head toward Nangong Gyeong.

“It will be pleasant to visit Sword Ghost Senior after all this time. Heh heh heh! Given his legendary temper, I am surprised he didn’t take more drastic action. I expect I shall receive quite a scolding.”

Nangong Gyeong let out a soft laugh, though his expression suddenly turned grim.

He thought back to the enigmatic warrior he had met during the raid on the Golden Fox Bandit Lair at the behest of the Juhae Escort Agency—a person he hadn’t anticipated meeting.

‘Is it possible?’

Even the brief accounts provided before this gathering suggested that the strange individual who claimed victory in the tournament bore a striking resemblance to that warrior.

‘I shall find the truth when I see him.’

Nangong Gyeong pushed the suspicion to the back of his mind.

“And regarding the appeal from the Murim Alliance? How do you intend to address that?”

In response to Nangong Seon’s inquiry, Nangong Hu spoke with the tone of a man who had already made up his mind.

“They wish to avoid open warfare as well, which is why they filed a formal plea through the Murim Alliance. That is the reason the Alliance sanctioned it.”

“Are you not being overly casual about this, Family Head? How can we possibly place our faith in the dregs of the Heavenly Demon Cult?”

Nangong Dan, who had been cowed by the previous scolding, found his voice once more.

“The Elder speaks the truth. How can we trust those Cult monsters? They might incite chaos within our borders. We cannot simply follow the Murim Alliance’s lead without question, Family Head.”

As Elder Nangong Wi expressed his doubts, several others in the room murmured their agreement.

“If they choose to incite chaos…”

Nangong Hu’s piercing stare swept across the room, silencing the assembly.

“Then they shall be made to pay the required price. Is that not the way of things?”

His sharp retort ended the protests.

“Cheongpung, Cheonun Unit Leaders, attend to me.”

“Yes, Family Head.”

Two men sitting together at the far end of the hall stood up instantly.

They were Nangong Hyeok, who commanded the Blue Wind Unit—the primary martial force of the Nangong Clan—and Nangong Son, who led the Azure Cloud Unit.

Nangong Hyeok possessed a powerful, rugged frame, while Nangong Son was built more delicately with skin as white as marble, giving him a deceptively weak appearance. However, no one in the Nangong Clan was foolish enough to underestimate him; he was known for a ferocity second to none.

“I doubt those wretches have the courage to start a fire in our home. Regardless, as the elders have suggested, we must be ready for the worst-case scenario.”

“Understood, Family Head.”

Nangong Hyeok and Nangong Son bowed together.

“Is the matter resolved then?”

Nangong Hu looked around the hall. Though some looked displeased, no one dared to voice a further objection.

“Why are they pursuing him with such obsession, going to these lengths? Ah, that’s right—they claim he is a deserter, don’t they?”

“That is their public excuse, but it is a farce.”

Nangong Seon let out a mocking snort before continuing.

“There is a deeper motive at play.”

“I would very much like to uncover it.”

Nangong Hu gave Nangong Seon a pointed look.

“It could prove hazardous. We might even find ourselves in a direct struggle with them.”

Nangong Seon shook his head in concern, but Nangong Hu did not back down.

“Proceed with it.”

After a long silence where he locked eyes with Nangong Hu, a sigh of resignation escaped Nangong Seon.

“I will do what I can without directly antagonizing the Heavenly Demon Cult, but do not expect a miracle.”

“No, we must succeed. Who else is there to take charge?”

Nangong Hu laughed heartily. Nangong Seon could only respond with a look of weary defeat.

—

Upon his return to Soheung, Sima Geon produced a bag of silver that was far heavier than expected, meeting the sparkling gazes of his younger siblings.

This was the result of Ha Hu Gok’s influence, as the man felt a debt of gratitude toward Sima Geon. The sum was significant enough to sustain the household comfortably for an entire year.

While the others stared at the money, Sima Geon set a small chest made of wood upon the table.

“What have you brought?”

At Sima Ho’s prompt, Sima Geon unlatched the chest.

The potent scent of medicinal herbs immediately saturated the air.

The box was roughly a foot in length and filled with wet moss. Nestled in the center was a unique plant.

Its structure was reminiscent of sand ginseng, but its vibrant crimson color—stretching from the tips of the leaves down to the roots—marked it as something extraordinary.

“The smell is incredibly powerful. What kind of plant is this?”

Sima Ho took a deep sniff and reached out to touch it.

“Watch it! Don’t bring us bad luck by being careless.”

Cheol Woo blocked Sima Ho’s hand with his massive, calloused palm.

“Hey! You could have just said something!”

Sima Ho winced, rubbing his reddened hand with a grimace.

“It came into my possession by a stroke of luck. They referred to it as the Millennium Transformation Spirit Herb.”

Sima Hyeon was the first to react to the name.

“The Millennium Transformation Spirit Herb? When we sought a cure for the youngest’s ailment before, it was only the common Transformation Spirit Herb. If this is truly the millennium variety…”

Sima Geon offered a smile at Sima Hyeon’s shock.

“Do you recall the doctor’s words? The thousand-year version possesses healing properties far beyond the standard variety.”

“Certainly. But you say you got it by chance? He claimed it was a treasure beyond price—something money alone couldn’t buy.”

Noticing Sima Hyeon’s look of disbelief, Sima Geon tried to put him at ease.

“Fortune was on my side. It turns out the high elder of the Ha Hu Clan has a deep tie with Elder Sohang. He provided it as a gift.”

“A… gift?”

As Sima Hyeon continued to look doubtful, Cheol Woo shouted out.

“Why are you being so suspicious? We worked our tails off hunting livestock and game, and they decided to compensate our effort. It was intended for Elder Sohang regardless. You can’t fathom the number of creatures we had to deal with over those three days. I can still smell the filth on me.”

Cheol Woo made a show of sniffing his clothes before raising his voice further.

“The Millennium Transformation Spirit Herb? It’s a massive treasure for people like us, but to the Ha Hu Clan, it’s just a trifle. They are wealthy enough to provide meals for thousands without blinking. The rewards for the combat tournament were all legendary items. They have medicines much rarer than this that they didn’t even bother listing. Isn’t that right, boss?”

Nudging Sima Geon, Cheol Woo looked for confirmation. Sima Geon, momentarily distracted by his own thoughts, gave a slow nod.

“Yes. Cheol Woo is right.”

Unlike Sima Hyeon, who remained wary, Sima Ho had no doubts and spoke with excitement.

“Does the origin really matter? The important thing is that we have the medicine right here to cure our sister.”

Sima Ho reached for the chest again, flinching when Cheol Woo glared at him, then smiled awkwardly.

“Regardless, you all did an incredible job. You returned with a small fortune and a legendary herb. So, how do we prepare this?”

Sima Ho pointed at the Millennium Transformation Spirit Herb.

“We just eat it, right?”

Cheol Woo turned to Sima Geon.

“That might work, but usually, these things are brewed. No, we went through too much trouble to get this—we have to do it right. Let’s consult the doctor at the Clear Heart Clinic.”

Sima Geon looked toward Sima Jin with a gentle expression.

“We will head to the Clear Heart Clinic tomorrow. We can pay our respects and find out the best way to administer it.”

“What should we do? The doctor isn’t there.”

Sima Jin looked uneasy.

“The doctor is away?”

“Yes. He traveled to Soju yesterday to see a patient. A retired palace official who is gravely ill.”

“How long will he be gone? Wait—how do you know that?”

When Sima Jin hesitated to answer Sima Geon, Sima Hyeon cut in with a grin.

“She still reads every book she can find, but it seems our little sister has developed an interest in the medical arts as well. The doctor at Clear Heart Clinic has been very encouraging.”

Sima Geon observed Sima Jin, who was now blushing and looking at the floor.

“Is it your wish to become a doctor?”

“No, not exactly. I just wanted to understand a bit about medicine.”

Sima Jin shook her head quickly, but Sima Geon noticed a momentary flicker of excitement in her eyes. He could tell what she truly wanted.

“Pursue whatever makes you happy. Learn what you find interesting. Don’t worry about anyone else—just follow your heart.”

Sima Jin gave a small nod, a faint smile appearing at his words.

“But if he left for Soju just yesterday, it will take quite a while for him to return. Did he mention a timeframe?”

“At least fifteen days.”

Sima Geon frowned at the news, looking back at the wooden chest.

“Fifteen days is too long to wait.”

“Why is that?”

Sima Geon gestured to the herb in response to Sima Hyeon’s question.

“It has already begun to lose some of its luster since I received it. Its life force is fading.”

“Even inside the moss?”

“The moss only slows the process. Once a plant like this is pulled from the earth, it begins to die.”

“Then what is the plan?”

As Sima Hyeon’s face grew tense, Cheol Woo shouted as if the answer were obvious.

“What do you mean? We eat it before it dies completely. We’ve given her medicine before, haven’t we? There has to be a way.”

“Not exactly. We just boiled the herbs the Clear Heart Clinic gave us.”

“Then let’s boil this one.”

Cheol Woo reached for the box with determination, but Sima Ho grabbed it first.

“They say the skill of the brewing determines the strength of the cure. I’ll handle the stove.”

Sima Ho bolted out of the room before anyone could object.

Sima Hyeon watched him go, then sighed and stood up.

“He doesn’t have the first clue how to brew a medicinal tea.”

Despite his sigh, his face was full of joy.

The others felt the same way. A sense of hope filled the room that this legendary plant might finally succeed where the Celestial Pure Jade Milk and the Living Immortal Medical House had failed, curing Sima Jin once and for all.