Chapter 47

Chapter 47
## Chapter: 47

### Chapter Title: Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Spirit Grass (3)

—

“Do you want another bottle?”

Cheol Woo inquired, dangling a finished vessel of spirits.

“No. I’m finished.”

Ever since the departure of Hwang Jeong, Sima Geon had been consuming potent alcohol without pause, pairing the drinks with heavy, weary exhales until the first light of morning touched the sky. He finally set his vessel aside.

Despite a night of heavy drinking, he showed no signs of intoxication. If anything, his focus seemed sharper, his mind more alert.

“What’s the plan, boss?”

Cheol Woo discarded the final bottle and looked at him.

His skin was slightly reddened, but much like Sima Geon, he appeared entirely sober and composed.

“Plan for what?”

“Stop playing games. You have to find a way to fix the little one’s health, don’t you?”

“I’m going to wait for the time being. The elder claimed he would use the full influence of the Ha Hu Clan to track down a medicinal herb capable of treating her.”

Once it was verified that Sima Jin’s Heavenly Yin Divine Meridian had flared up again because the Ha Hu Clan had blundered, mistaking the Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Spirit Grass for Thousand-Year Flower Spirit Grass, Ha Hu Gok had offered a sincere apology to Sima Geon and his kin. He had also pledged to exhaust every asset of the Ha Hu Clan to find a remedy that surpassed the Thousand-Year Flower Spirit Grass.

“But that doctor seemed genuinely distressed. He mentioned that once the dam has crumbled, sealing it again takes much more power than the first time. Even the Thousand-Year Flower Spirit Grass might fall short—hell, maybe even the Celestial Pure Jade Milk wouldn’t be enough.”

“Even so, waiting is our only option for now. The physician mentioned he would contact the Living Immortal Medical House as well.”

Sima Geon reached for a drink by instinct but let his hand fall back, lacking the spirit to continue.

Cheol Woo stood up quietly and grabbed a fresh bottle, asking as he did,

“And if those leads fail? What happens then?”

Sima Geon remained silent, his gaze fixed intensely on the empty cup.

“I’m asking what you’ll do if the Ha Hu Clan and the Living Immortal Medical House both come up empty, boss.”

Sima Geon slowly brought the cup to his mouth and spoke.

“Then we depart. For the Shaolin Temple.”

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

Sima Jin, who had remained in a coma for three days following the recurrence of her Heavenly Yin Divine Meridian, appeared to be in better condition than anticipated.

Though her face remained somewhat bloodless, she seemed otherwise unchanged.

In fact, as she began her medical studies in earnest under the tutelage of Hwang Jeong, she exhibited such remarkable intelligence that her mentor was left speechless on a daily basis.

During this period, the Ha Hu Clan, following the uncompromising commands of Ha Hu Gok, began delivering a constant stream of various herbs.

Upholding their prestigious reputation within the martial world, the items they sent to the Clear Heart Clinic included rare and priceless specimens that were nearly impossible to find.

When a pair of Thousand-Year Flower Spirit Grass roots arrived, it briefly seemed as though her recovery was imminent.

However, as Hwang Jeong had worried, the reactivated Heavenly Yin Divine Meridian—now bolstered by the Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Spirit Grass—was far more formidable than before.

The potent yang energy of the Thousand-Year Flower Spirit Grass was insufficient to cure her, and it couldn’t even halt the steady decline of her health.

A month later, Sima Jin’s physical state began to noticeably fail.

It was then that a legendary doctor known as the Heavenly Hand Divine Healer arrived from the Living Immortal Medical House.

This healer was the Senior Uncle of Hwang Yeong, the one who had previously seen Sima Jin. Even within the fractured internal politics of the Living Immortal Medical House, he was respected as a grandmaster who had mastered the path of acupuncture.

His Piercing Heaven Soul Revival technique was far superior to that of Hwang Yeong.

Given the relentless pleas from Hwang Jeong and the humble requests of Hwang Yeong, the fact that a master of this caliber—carrying the Golden Spirit Flower, a treasure said to outclass the Thousand-Year Flower Spirit Grass—had come to the Clear Heart Clinic was proof of how much the Living Immortal Medical House prized Sima Jin’s medical potential.

Success seemed certain when the Heavenly Hand Divine Healer used both the fresh Thousand-Year Flower Spirit Grass from the Ha Hu Clan and the Golden Spirit Flower, performing his Piercing Heaven Soul Revival with masterful precision.

The observers believed that even if a total cure was out of reach, she would at least be stabilized.

But when the Heavenly Hand Divine Healer eventually exited the room, drenched in sweat and wearing a look of total defeat, optimism turned to gloom.

While it wasn’t a complete failure—he had managed to slow the ailment’s advance significantly—Sima Geon found the result unacceptable.

That evening, Sima Geon and Cheol Woo sat together once more.

After a long period of drinking in silence, Sima Geon looked up at the exceptionally luminous moon and spoke softly.

“We have to go.”

Cheol Woo, who had been drinking heartily, suddenly went still.

While others might have been confused, Cheol Woo knew exactly what was being said.

“When do we leave?”

“As quickly as possible. The progression has been slowed, but there’s no telling when it will accelerate again.”

“Good choice, boss. Heh heh heh! I was prepared to drag you there myself if you tried to stall like you did before.”

Cheol Woo laughed widely, took a long pull from his bottle, and wiped his mouth.

“Ahh! That’s the stuff.”

He cleaned the stray drops from his lips with his sleeve and asked,

“But if the two of us leave, what becomes of the butcher shop? We can’t just leave it to anyone. The quality of the cuts would suffer immediately.”

Sima Geon stayed quiet, simply looking at Cheol Woo. Understanding the look, Cheol Woo laughed and shook his head.

“I told you before, I’m not letting you go on your own, boss. This isn’t just some random place—it’s Shaolin. I’ve never fought them, but I’ve heard the stories my whole life. Besides, the Great Reversion Pill is their greatest treasure. They won’t just hand it over. Not a chance.”

Sima Geon exhaled and conceded to Cheol Woo’s stubbornness.

“Who am I to stop you? Fine.”

“Now you’re talking. So, we need to decide what to do while we’re away. Do we just lock the doors?”

“We can’t.”

“There’s no other way.”

“Actually, I think there is a way, though it might be difficult.”

“Who? You don’t mean Ho, do you? No way. He quit his training halfway. We’d lose every regular we have.”

Cheol Woo shook his head, finding the idea ridiculous.

“Of course not. There is only one person I’d trust with the blade.”

“Who’s that?”

Cheol Woo tilted his head in confusion.

“Someone you’re very familiar with.”

Sima Geon raised his cup slowly and whispered,

“The difficulty will be in convincing him to do it.”

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

“What did you just say to me?”

Ha Hu Gok asked, his expression one of pure shock.

“I am asking you to take responsibility for the butcher shop.”

“……”

The request sounded more like a mandate, leaving Ha Hu Gok staring with his mouth hanging open.

Ha Hu Yeon, standing nearby, and even Cheol Woo looked at Sima Geon as if he had lost his mind.

“I have to travel for a while to handle the little one’s problem. I was going to leave Cheol Woo in charge, but…”

“Not happening.”

Cheol Woo interjected instantly.

“As you can see, he has to come with me. So, we are requesting that you manage the shop, sir. Specifically, the butchering. Second Bro will handle the business side.”

“I’ll take over instead.”

Ha Hu Yeon stepped up, unable to stay silent.

“The kid is all talk and has no real talent. How do you think you could fill the boss’s shoes? You’d destroy the business in a day.”

Cheol Woo shut him down without a second thought.

Ha Hu Yeon’s face twisted at being called a “kid,” but he didn’t have a comeback. It was a blow to his pride, but he knew it was the truth.

Under Ha Hu Gok’s orders, Ha Hu Yeon had been helping out at the farm and occasionally engaged in secret duels with Cheol Woo to keep their skills sharp.

They were supposed to be spars, but they were essentially one-sided drubbings.

Ha Hu Yeon, who believed he was peerless among his age group—excluding perhaps a prodigy like Namgung Hak—was completely outclassed by Cheol Woo, who wasn’t much older than him. He hadn’t landed a single hit, which made him realize the massive gap in his abilities.

Then there was the earth-shaking duel with Sima Geon, which had happened because of Ha Hu Gok’s persistence.

Discovering that the Black Wolf, the champion of the Ha Hu Clan’s tournament, was actually Sima Geon had given him a hint of the man’s strength. But he never dreamed that his great-grandfather—the man feared as the Sword Ghost—would actually lose.

It wasn’t even a close fight. It looked intense to an outsider, but Ha Hu Yeon could tell instinctively that Sima Geon was holding back.

It was truly a case of a heaven above the heavens.

Observing Cheol Woo and Sima Geon, Ha Hu Yeon realized he was just a frog in a well. He understood why his great-grandfather had brought him all the way to Soheung.

“You really think this old man should be the one to do it?”

“You have to. Weren’t you the one who caused the mess that’s forcing me to leave in the first place?”

Ha Hu Gok’s expression turned grim.

He hadn’t done it on purpose, but the blame was his to bear—there was no denying it.

“I’ve never even touched a butcher’s knife.”

“I will instruct you. For a man of your caliber, a day or two should be more than enough.”

“Why not just close for a while? I’ll pay you back for every cent you lose while you’re away. I’ll be generous.”

Sima Geon didn’t flinch.

“This isn’t about money. It’s about the trust we’ve built with our customers.”

“You arrogant brat!”

Just as Ha Hu Gok was about to lose his temper,

“In exchange, I will grant you whatever you wish, sir.”

Ha Hu Gok stopped his shouting mid-breath, waiting to hear the rest.

“Whatever it is you want, I will do it.”

“Truly?”

Ha Hu Gok’s eyes began to glow.

“You have my word.”

“Hmm.”

Ha Hu Gok, who looked ready to fight moments ago, was now deep in thought.

There had only ever been one thing Ha Hu Gok wanted from Sima Geon.

Even at the age of eighty, his desire to reach the next level of martial arts burned hot.

The brief moment of insight he’d gained previously only made him crave more, and the only person capable of providing that was Sima Geon and his limitless power.

Balancing his dignity against his potential gains, Ha Hu Gok finally held up five fingers, looking determined.

“What does that signify?”

“Once every five days.”

“Let’s say every ten days.”

“Then every seven…”

“Ten.”

Seeing the look on Sima Geon’s face, Ha Hu Gok realized he wouldn’t get a better deal and nodded.

“Fine. Every ten days. Do not go back on your promise.”

“As long as you take proper care of the shop, there will be no trouble.”

“Fine. But how long do you intend to be gone?”

“I’m not certain. A couple of months at the very least.”

“A couple of months… that’s a long journey. You said you’re going for medicine for Jin’er, but what exactly are you looking for?”

“……”

“Can you even get your hands on it?”

“I will get it, no matter the cost.”

The certainty in his voice stopped Ha Hu Gok from asking anything else.

“When do you want to start?”

“As soon as you are comfortable with the slaughtering process, sir.”

Before Sima Geon could even finish his sentence, Ha Hu Gok stood up.

“Then we have no time to waste. Let’s go.”

As Sima Geon followed the old man out, Cheol Woo—who had been watching the whole time—laughed and said,

“Kid, what did we just watch happen?”

“I have no idea. I don’t even have the words for it. Nobody would believe this if we told them.”

Ha Hu Yeon, stunned by the scene, answered blankly.

Cheol Woo threw an arm around Ha Hu Yeon’s shoulder and grinned.

“The world’s gone crazy. The boss is teaching the old man how to butcher, and the old man is actually going to learn it.”