“What?”Startled, the Divine Physician asked back.Letting his gaze slide to Sohwa, the Division Head spoke in a grave voice.“I’ve already ordered the five-stone ore using the ratios Young Lady Sohwa brought. It should arrive at the Tang estate next week. We also need to check whether these produce the same effects, so one way or another, I must try ingesting it myself at least once.”Whenever he fed poison to direct-line children, the Division Head would show respect to the Clan Head by addressing the youngsters with honorifics.In particular, because he had changed poison blends for Sohwa and held close conversations with her for years, he found it hard to switch to informal speech even after she entered the Medical Division.Habit is a frightening thing. Whenever he was tense or excited like now, he would unconsciously slip back into respectful speech.Even though he sounded matter-of-fact, Sohwa sensed his tension.“There’s no need for that. In Hubei, there were dozens who were poisoned by Oseoksan, and I’ve already compiled their symptoms.”“No. That should be considered the immediate reaction. It differs from the poisoning symptoms that appear with prolonged exposure.”A low, shaded tone crept into the Division Head’s voice.“To be precise, I’ll take it myself for a few months.”“That’s— that’s dangerous, Division Head.”The Divine Physician tried to dissuade him, but the Division Head did not back down.“They say there was that much of it at the Hubei Branch. This isn’t something to treat lightly. One day our Tang Clan could be hit as well. If the Medical Division of the Grand Sichuan Tang Clan can’t even lay a hand on it, how disgraceful would that be?”He was resolute. Perhaps moved by that resolve, the Divine Physician looked at him with moist eyes.Gaining confidence under that gaze, the Division Head ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) flipped open the box on his desk. Inside lay Oseoksan.He spread a thin cloth over the desk and placed the minerals on top, one by one.“How should I take it?”Having recovered his composure, he addressed Sohwa in a level tone again.Sohwa rose and came to his side.She wrapped the ore in cloth and struck it several times with her fist. As befitted a woman of a martial clan, this relatively soft mineral was easy enough to pound into powder.She offered the mixed Oseoksan powder to the Division Head.“Either take it as is, or mix it with water and drink.”“I’ll just take it straight.”He tipped the powder directly into his mouth.“Khmm. When will the reaction begin?”“It should come almost immediately.”No sooner had she finished speaking than the Division Head’s brows knit.“Ugh… this feels strange.”His eyes blinked as though his vision had gone blurry.Having tried it once before, Sohwa could guess what he was experiencing.“Your strength will go slack—please lie down on the bed.”She helped him up by the arm. As she moved to guide him to the bed behind the desk, the Divine Physician stood to assist her.“Thank you. But this— the onset is incredibly fast.”The Division Head’s breathing had turned uneven.Sohwa lowered his eyelids and said,“Your consciousness will soon grow hazy. Keeping your eyes closed will be more comfortable.”He did not answer, as if he had already lost consciousness. He only breathed softly, like a man fallen asleep.Watching him, the Divine Physician asked quietly,“How long does the drug’s effect last?”“It will vary from person to person, but since the dose was small, he should come to his senses within about thirty minutes.”The Divine Physician let out a sigh.“Thirty minutes isn’t a short span. If someone is left that defenseless for about thirty minutes, isn’t that dangerous?”“Yes. But calling it ‘dangerous’ may be overstating it—its potency is weak. Compared to Mihunsan, which can last one shichen or even half a day or more, Oseoksan’s effect is far too brief.”At her words, the Divine Physician gave a small nod.He too had once thought Oseoksan inefficient compared to Mihunsan, which made him all the more curious about the ore’s true efficacy.Thirty minutes is short—yet long.The two standing before the bed had to endure an awkward silence.In the end, unable to bear it, the Divine Physician spoke first.“I heard from the Clan Head—you applied to the duel tournament.”“Yes.”He smiled in an easy, open way.“Then you’ll see Young Hero Namgung again when you go to Hubei.”Instead of answering, Sohwa only gave a slight, wry curve of her lips.A faint smile touched the Divine Physician’s mouth as well.'Well, that is the age for it.'The Tang daughter he had first met at seventeen now clearly wore the air of a grown woman.A moment later, a trace of bitterness flickered in his eyes.'Jeom-chil must be all grown by now, too.'Looking at Sohwa brought Jeom-chil to mind.The Divine Physician was surprised by that train of thought.Apart from being of similar age, the two had nothing in common. They were like red jade and white jade—entirely different hues.And yet, looking at Sohwa, he naturally thought of Jeom-chil. For some reason, Jeom-chil overlapped with her.The plain clothing without embroidery, the long hair tied down without ornament—The clean impression and the sense of open white space felt similar.But unlike Jeom-chil, who had found any adornment cumbersome, Tang Sohwa seemed to have set everything down of her own accord. The mood was different. Where Jeom-chil felt free, Tang Sohwa gave off a strong restraint—and a hollow emptiness.'Emptiness at such a young age…'With a faint chuckle, he brushed the thought aside.'I must be getting old—judging people by a feeling.'Chiding himself, he turned to another topic.“I heard Namgung is leaving today as well. Did you take your leave of them?”“Yes. I saw him before coming here.”“Oh? What did he say?”His voice held interest, but the young lady rumored to harbor affection remained composed.As if uncomfortable with this line of talk, Tang Sohwa shifted the subject.“Then why didn’t you volunteer for the duel tournament, Divine Physician? If you went, you could see Young Lady Jeom-chil.”At that, he smiled ruefully.“I actually did apply.”“I didn’t see your name on the roster. You should speak to the Medical Division—they must have missed it.”“No. I was rejected.”“What?”Rejected?Warriors who entered the duel tournament were screened separately within the clan, but physicians—if they volunteered—were usually allowed to accompany the group.All the more so for the Divine Physician; it was hard to believe the Division would refuse to take him along.As if to answer her doubt, he continued,“During the Five Clan Conference, many requested Yeonjuhwan. Some, hearing that ingredients were scarce, said they would return another time, but others asked us to send it to their clans as soon as it was finished.”“That can be handled after you return, can’t it?”“In truth, that’s what I’d prefer, but the Division Head seems worried the schedule will be disrupted.”Sohwa’s gaze dropped to the Division Head lying on the bed.Mouth slightly open, lost in unconsciousness as if sunk in no-mind.True to being Tang Hae-han’s father, the Division Head was a man who kept rules like a blade.He must have decided that even for a gift, the production schedule had to be met.And indeed, with newly ordered ingredients arriving soon, if the Divine Physician left for a month, some would spoil.Sohwa looked down at him with a bittersweet eye.A Division Head who took the Medical Division’s budget dead seriously was unlikely to relent.'Knowing the Divine Physician’s circumstances, he could take a small loss for once and show lenience…'After a brief consideration, she spoke again.“Don’t worry. The Division Head will help you go to the duel tournament.”He seemed to take it as mere comfort and smiled silently. But Sohwa meant it.She recalled a few of the Division Head’s weak points she knew. Just one of them would be enough to make him let the Divine Physician go.“Since the Division Head understands your situation, he’ll help you meet Young Lady Jeom-chil. Anyone with a heart should understand as much. Don’t worry—prepare to go to Hubei with us.”“Well… Embarrassing to admit, but I tried saying exactly that and pleading with him. The Division Head was firm…”Trailing off with a hollow laugh, the Divine Physician fell silent.“Mmm.”The Division Head’s lashes fluttered.Leaning in, the Divine Physician studied his face.“Division Head, are you awake?”As he slowly opened his eyes and saw the Divine Physician, the Division Head seized his hand.“Wh-what are you doing?”When the Divine Physician tried to pull back in surprise, the Division Head squeezed tighter, eyes reddening.“Go at once…”“Pardon?”“Go out now and pack your things.”At the strange behavior, Sohwa and the Divine Physician exchanged glances.Not seeing their look, the Division Head stroked the back of the Divine Physician’s hand with a choked expression.“I’m a parent myself—I understand. Yes, anyone with a heart should understand your circumstances. Don’t you worry about a thing—prepare to go to Hubei.”Silence fell.As if by prior agreement, Sohwa and the Divine Physician met each other’s eyes again.The Division Head had repeated, word for word, what Sohwa had said.“Division Head, are you sure I can really go to Hubei?”The Divine Physician asked carefully, and the Division Head nodded vigorously.“I won’t say it twice! Make ready at once.”As if to confirm something, Sohwa slipped in gently.“Then what about Yeonjuhwan?”“Yeonjuhwan?”“Yes, the Yeonjuhwan the guests requested. You ordered new ingredients for it because of that. Some of those will lose efficacy if not used soon.”“Ah—of course! Look at me. They even paid in advance—we must make it quickly!”Snapping to, the Division Head’s small eyes widened.“Then the Divine Physician can’t apply to the duel tournament, can he? Should he remain at the Tang estate?”When she pressed again, the Division Head sprang up from the bed.“No! He must still go! When else will he get to see Young Lady Jeom-chil, who is like a daughter to him? We can buy the ingredients again later—go!”“…I appreciate your words, Division Head, but this is confusing. Even this morning you drew a hard line, and now you suddenly say this.”The Divine Physician, uneasy himself, sought to confirm the man’s true intent.“Yes, I did. Until this morning… but I’ve just changed my mind.”“Why? This morning Jeom-chil was already like a daughter to me, and you were still a parent raising a child.”“That is…”Mouthing wordlessly, the Division Head tilted his head.He wore the look of a man who didn’t understand himself.After a long search for words, he sighed and spoke frankly.“I don’t know. I just… felt that the Divine Physician must go see Young Lady Jeom-chil.”Seeing his confusion, Sohwa asked,“Is it perhaps because of what I said?”“Hm? What did you say?”He calmly asked back in informal speech.When Sohwa spent the Medical Division’s budget too freely or lied to him, the Division Head would sometimes grow agitated and switch to respectful speech.But now he looked composed.So it didn’t seem a lie.The silent Divine Physician interjected.“Um, Division Head. Perhaps I’m being oversensitive, but…”Hesitating, he voiced his thought.“When you were under the influence of Oseoksan, it seems you heard our conversation—and your mind changed.”“No, I didn’t hear anything.”Sohwa explained instead.“While you were lying on the bed, I told the Divine Physician that you understood his circumstances and would help him meet Young Lady Jeom-chil. I told him not to worry and to prepare to go to Hubei with us.”“I don’t recall hearing that. But how strange… to speak exactly what I’m thinking…”Only then did the Division Head’s expression grow serious, as if he too sensed something amiss.“…Could I have been brainwashed just now?”It wasn’t certain, but the suspicion was there.“Don’t tell me that’s its true effect…”He muttered, eyes vacant.No one in the room could answer that murmur.***The Division Head abandoned the idea of testing for prolonged poisoning symptoms.The thought that he might be brainwashed by someone left him thoroughly frightened.Sohwa was about to volunteer to try it herself—then decided against it.Frankly, she was afraid too.She trusted these two not to use her, yet the idea that someone could tamper with her thoughts sat ill with her.That made it hard to ask the Divine Physician as well. He too must have been afraid; he never offered to try it.Sohwa exhaled a long breath.'If Oseoksan can really change thoughts, that’s a serious problem.'And yet, another part of her suspected its efficacy wasn’t all that great.She recalled the quantity of Oseoksan she had seen at the Hubei Branch.With that amount, the Zhuge Family could have taken Wudang’s sector into their own hands without much effort.But what she saw at the Hubei Branch was a long meeting, struggling to persuade the Wudang Daoists.'Is the effect only temporary? Or can it change only a very narrow, fragmentary thought?'Doubting its potency, she weighed Oseoksan’s limits.However strong a poison, there are always constraints:It might need to enter through the meridians, or via the respiratory tract; its effect might vanish after more than a day’s exposure to air or humidity…Catching herself, she let out a breath of disbelief.To be gauging Oseoksan’s limits was, halfway at least, to believe it had such a function.'…I should have asked him when he came.'That Blood Cult man had said he was going to meet the one who sent Oseoksan to Guangdong. Surely he had inquired about Oseoksan as soon as they met.But when he’d come all the way to the Tang estate, she’d been so intent on throwing him out that she hadn’t asked a thing.Swallowing a frustrated breath, Sohwa pushed aside the tangle of thoughts.Soon she would be heading to Hubei anyway; she would seek him out the moment she arrived.'Ah—under the pretext of removing the dokgo, should I feed him Oseoksan once?'He had already agreed to offer his body as a host, so she could likely run such a test without leaving a trace. And there was no need to feel any pang of conscience toward a Blood Cult man.Thinking it over, she touched the Oseoksan on the desk.…No—did she really need to use someone else?After a moment’s hesitation, Sohwa locked every door of the study, put the ore into a bowl, and ground it finely.She swallowed the Oseoksan neutralizer she had prepared earlier, and a little while later took the Oseoksan powder.She intended to refine the neutralizer so it would expel Oseoksan even faster than Oseoksan’s own onset.“Urgh…”Perhaps because she had taken the neutralizer first, the reaction was milder than the first time—yet her head still swam.As she prepared to accompany the duel tournament, she devoted every spare moment to making Oseoksan antidotes.And a few days later, after completing all preparations, she set out across the Central Plains—now astir with the Martial Alliance’s duel tournament—bound for Hubei.

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