Ming Mountain, Sichuan Province.
Hundred Herb Forest.
Hundred Herb Forest is an herb broker.
They buy herbs from herbalists and sell them to clinics and small-scale pharmacies.
It was originally a modest-sized business, but it grew rapidly after the Hua Family Clinic was established in the land of An, which was half an hour away.
Until the Hua Family Clinic was revered as the Divine Doctor Family of the Divine Land, Hundred Herb Forest also prospered by supplying a large amount of medicinal ingredients.
However, when the Hua Family Clinic declined due to the death of the divine doctor and the head of the family and his wife, Hundred Herb Forest's sales also decreased. But the master of Hundred Herb Forest considered this not a crisis, but an opportunity.
He thought that if he could get his hands on the Hua Family Clinic, he could grow both the clinic and Hundred Herb Forest at the same time.
So he was waiting for the day when the Hua Family Clinic could no longer hold on, looking for an opportunity.
But what was this, the Hua Family Clinic, which seemed to be on the verge of collapsing, was holding on.
So he secretly investigated and found out that all the family members, including the doctors of the Hua Family Clinic, had voluntarily cut their monthly salaries by twenty percent.
Originally, they had offered to cut it by half, but Hua Sochen, who was temporarily serving as the head of the family, said that twenty percent was enough and that she was grateful.
"Hmph! Foolish thing! To kick away the opportunity to reduce the monthly salary by half herself!"
The master of Hundred Herb Forest sneered at Hua Sochen for being foolish.
He asserted that thanks to her foolish act, the Hua Family Clinic would not be able to hold on for long.
But three months passed and it was almost four months, but the situation did not change.
"So what did I say! I told you to just cut off the supply of medicinal ingredients!"
A young man who looked to be about twenty years old complained.
It was Yang Gatae, the only son of the master of Hundred Herb Forest.
"Foolish words! For a supplier to cut off the supply is the worst move. If you just go to Chengdu, which is two days away, there are pharmacies that are bigger than us, so the Hua Family Clinic can just change their supplier to that side."
"We can just rob the incoming medicinal ingredients, or set fire to the herb storage warehouse in the clinic. If we do it a couple of times, they'll give up."
"You foolish brat! Don't you know that if it's revealed that we did it, we could lose everything in an instant!"
"We just have to not get caught."
"Shut up and get out! I don't even want to see you, so go out and do the womanizing you love so much! Go quickly!"
At his father's urging, Yang Gatae pouted and went outside.
"What a pathetic brat! Why doesn't he know that there's a time for trickery and a time for violence!"
The master of Hundred Herb Forest, who had let out a long sigh, was lost in thought.
Lately, his mind was only filled with thoughts of the Hua Family Clinic.
Of course, it was the thought of how to swallow it whole.
***
"Myung, let's rest!"
Seokcheong slumped down.
Seokcheong, who had boasted that he was born with stamina, was sweating like rain and struggling after climbing the mountain for two hours.
"Big brother, are you tired?"
Cho Myung, who had run far ahead, came back and handed him a water container made of bamboo.
When Seokcheong took it, opened the lid, and tilted it to his mouth, cool water filled his mouth.
Gulp! Gulp! Gulp! Gulp!
His throat was strong, and even the sound was cool.
"Big brother, me too."
"Oh. Here."
Cho Myung also drank the water from the bamboo container coolly, just like Seokcheong.
But as Cho Myung closed the lid of the bamboo container, a look of disappointment appeared on his face.
"Big brother, why don't I have that?"
"What?"
"Big brother Yunhui has it, and so do master and grandfather. This."
Cho Myung reached out and touched Seokcheong's Adam's apple.
"Hey, that tickles."
Seokcheong, who had leaned back to avoid Cho Myung's touch, chuckled and made a deliberately arrogant face.
"This is a symbol of a man."
"I'm a man too."
"You're a man, but you're still a child. A child is not a man."
"I'm not a man?"
Cho Myung's eyes widened.
He had a face that looked like he was about to misunderstand something if he wasn't careful.
"You're a man, a man. Of course Myung is a man too. But you're not an adult, right? This is a symbol of an adult man, no, it's like a symbol that a man has become an adult. Do you understand?"
"Yeah. It means it appears when you become an adult, right? Right?"
"Yeah, that's right. Myung is smart."
"Hehehe."
Cho Myung laughed at Seokcheong's praise.
Then he asked, as if he had suddenly thought of it.
"By the way, big brother. What's good about being an adult?"
"When you become an adult?"
"Yes."
"Being able to eat as much as you want?"
"I eat as much as I want these days too."
"Ah, that's right."
When Seokcheong nodded and looked at him, Cho Myung was staring at him.
"Being able to do what you want?"
"Big brother Cheong, you don't like learning medicine, do you?"
"Hey, I don't dislike it! The young master will misunderstand if he hears you. It's just that it's too hard to memorize and stuff because I'm a blockhead, but I don't dislike it. Got it?"
"Yeah, big brother Cheong doesn't dislike it because he's a blockhead."
"Huh?"
"Hee."
"You're already teasing your big brother!"
When Seokcheong pretended to be angry, Cho Myung shot up and ran away.
Then he stopped a little way off, looked back at Seokcheong, and shouted.
"Big brother, rest there. I'll come and find you when I'm done digging for herbs."
"Hey! What if you get lost?"
"I have your smell, big brother. I can find you wherever you are."
"Ah, that's right. Don't go too far."
"Okay."
Cho Myung, who had answered, started running again.
Seokcheong watched him and then sat down on the spot.
If Hua Yunhui or Old Man Ban had seen him, they would have scolded him for sending a child alone, but Seokcheong, who had been with him for a few days, had a different thought.
In the mountains, he was the burden.
Just waiting in one place like this was helping.
'From tomorrow, should I ask the young master to bring me a medical book to read?'
In fact, he hated studying medicine as much as dying.
But he couldn't betray the consideration of Hua Yunhui, who was teaching him one by one, step by step, as befitting a blockhead, saying he would make him a doctor.
"Yes, let's do that. From tomorrow, I'll bring a medical book and read it. For now... since I don't have one, I'll take a nap."
Seokcheong lay down on the spot.
A gentle breeze brushed past his ears.
Cho Myung was sitting on a large rock.
He was sitting crouched with his knees drawn up.
It was a posture he took when he recalled a terrible memory he didn't want to remember.
After sitting like that for a long time, Cho Myung suddenly shot up at some point.
"I hate it! I hate it, so get out of my head! Get out!"
He suddenly started hitting his head.
It was a sight that would have made anyone who saw it look at him with pity, thinking he was not a normal child, but Cho Myung had a reason for it.
"I like it now! I like living with master and grandfather and my two big brothers! I hate even thinking about it, so I hate it, so get out of my head! Get out!"
The memories that remained like an imprint and sometimes came back vividly.
The Immortal Demonic Aura, which seemed to be perfect in every way, made him unable to forget anything, and it sometimes came up and tormented Cho Myung.
"I hate it! I hate it! I'll forget! I'll forget!"
Cho Myung jumped off the house-sized rock.
It was something that would have made anyone who saw it's heart sink.
Although he looked like he was eight or nine years old because he had grown so much due to the bone and marrow cleansing and the bone cleansing phenomenon, it was a height that could have broken his legs or caused serious danger even at that age.
But Cho Myung landed on the ground without any problem and then ran off.
He looked as light as a squirrel that had jumped to the ground and then immediately leaped and ran off.
***
A few days passed.
The same daily routine was repeated.
Cho Myung and Seokcheong went up the mountain to dig for herbs, and Hua Yunhui took care of the patients at Healing Hall.
Jeok Yorap and Old Man Ban at Longevity Hall tried to recover by moving their bodies a little.
But one day, the master of Hundred Herb Forest stormed into the Hua Family Clinic.
"Thirty percent! For what reason are you reducing it by thirty percent?"
"The main family's situation has become difficult, so we had no choice but to reduce it like that."
The head of the pharmacy told him to calm down and said that the Hua Family Clinic's situation was not good, but the master of Hundred Herb Forest snorted.
"I know very well that the number of patients visiting the Hua Family Clinic is increasing again, so what kind of nonsense is that! What's the scheme? Has someone appeared who will supply the herbs instead of me!"
The master of Hundred Herb Forest's eyes were as sharp as a viper's aiming for its prey.
"Who in the vicinity would dare to snatch Hundred Herb Forest's business? It's not like that, as I said, the main family's situation is not good."
"Are you really going to come out like this!"
The master of Hundred Herb Forest, who was not easily convinced.
His voice grew louder and louder, as if he were sure that the Hua Family Clinic had some kind of scheme.
It was at this moment that Hua Sochen opened the door and entered the head of the pharmacy's office.
"Why are you being so rude? The volume of transactions will increase as the situation improves, but you come here and raise your voice like this! A transaction is originally about giving and receiving, paying for what you need and receiving it, but are you saying you're going to be tyrannical because we're not buying a lot?"
When Hua Sochen fiercely rebuked him, the master of Hundred Herb Forest's face turned cold.
'To attack me out of the blue? So there is something you're trusting in!'
If so, there was no need to raise his voice. The priority was to find out what the scheme was.
The master of Hundred Herb Forest got up from his seat.
"I must have been flustered because it was so sudden. That's right. A transaction is originally about both sides giving and receiving what they want. That's good. That's good. I was wondering what to do because the amount of medicinal ingredients coming in has been decreasing lately. I had been forcing myself to prioritize the medicinal ingredients that the clinic needed, but now there's no need for that. If there is, we'll trade, and if there isn't, we won't."
It was a threat that they would not be able to buy as much as they wanted in the future, even if they had the money.
"Master of the forest! What are you saying!"
The head of the pharmacy shouted in surprise.
But Hua Sochen just had a calm expression.
'So... that's what it is!'
The master of Hundred Herb Forest twisted his lips into a smile and headed outside.
The head of the pharmacy hurriedly grabbed him and tried to calm his anger, but he just raised his hand to stop him and did not say another word until he left the clinic.
A moment later, the head of the pharmacy returned.
"What were you thinking? You should have appeased him."
"What will he do now?"
"You heard what he just said!"
"I mean, other than that."
"What else?"
"Won't he be tyrannical in other ways?"
"He'll block the herbalists who were trading individually. He'll block all the places in the vicinity where they can trade and isolate the main family."
"Then that's fine. We just need Myung."
"What about the medicinal ingredients that Myung can't find?"
"We can get the medicinal ingredients that can be stored for a long time by drying them in advance. As for the medicinal ingredients that Myung can't get and have a short storage period, we can go to Chengdu and get them as needed."
"Hah! It's easy to say. Anyway, I'll have to make a list of the medicinal ingredients that Myung can't get."
"Yes. The time has been moved up, but it's something we had to do someday anyway. If we just get through this crisis and establish a stable purchasing method, the clinic's finances will improve a lot."
"What's there to worry about if it just goes as you think."
The head of the pharmacy sighed again and leaned back in his chair.
It seemed that his worries outweighed his expectations.
He had a very gloomy face.
Hua Sochen turned away from such a head of the pharmacy.
'I will grow the main family to be bigger than a martial arts family. So I will make it so that neither the Orthodox Faction nor the Demonic Faction can look at the main family carelessly.'
***
Cho Myung, who had eaten his fill of dinner, ran to Jeok Yorap's bed and massaged his legs.
"Grandfather, get up quickly. Let's go digging for herbs. You just have to follow me, grandfather. I'm good at digging now."
"Yes, let's go digging for herbs together as soon as grandfather is all better."
Jeok Yorap smiled.
At that moment, Old Man Ban, who was moving his body and loosening his joints in the middle of the room, said a word.
"You rascal, when are you going to train, you're only talking about herbs?"
"I'm training now."
"The sandbags are too light, so it's not even training."
"Still, I'm running all over the mountain as you said."
"Yes, you're admirable. Until the things I've ordered from the ironworks arrive, run hard like that."
"Okay."
Cho Myung laughed foolishly.
Old Man Ban, who was looking at him, was a little worried.
It wasn't that he couldn't teach the Hundred Strikes Art here at the clinic, but since there were many people, it would be difficult to concentrate.
The time left for Old Man Ban was about a year, or two years at most.
He had to teach the entire Hundred Strikes Art within that time.
It was a short or tight time to teach loosely.
"Younger brother! I'm in a hurry, so please recover quickly."
"Well, it seems I've become a burden."
"Ah, that's not what I meant."
Old Man Ban approached and lightly tapped the sole of Jeok Yorap's foot.
He had stimulated the Yongquan acupoint.
It is an acupoint called the Yongquan acupoint because life and energy are said to spring up like a spring, and stimulating this place activates the flow of qi.
"I told you, right? I have a martial art to teach Myung. If I just teach that, you and I can rest in our coffins with our feet stretched out. So get up quickly and help this older brother."
"Yes. I should."
Old Man Ban nodded and lightly tapped the sole of Jeok Yorap's other foot.
Old Man Ban, who had tapped the Yongquan acupoints on both soles of his feet several times in alternation, stroked Cho Myung's head and then went outside.
It was time to strengthen his muscle strength through the horse stance.
"Will you join me?"
At Old Man Ban's question, Cho Myung looked at Jeok Yorap.
Jeok Yorap smiled and nodded.
"I'll give you another massage when I'm done."
"Okay."
Cho Myung followed Old Man Ban out.
The western sky was burning with the sunset.
Old Man Ban and Cho Myung stood side by side in the front yard of Longevity Hall and took the horse stance.
It is a posture where you stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, bend your knees as if riding a horse, and lower your hips.
It is a training process that anyone who learns martial arts has done at least once.
It means that it is that effective in building stamina.
Had it been time to drink half a cup of tea?
Thick sweat flowed down Old Man Ban's face.
Someone who didn't know might have sneered at him for sweating so much in just half an hour, but someone who knew Old Man Ban's physical condition would have been amazed.
"Master."
"What is it?"
"Is this that hard?"
"Master has been sick for a long time."
"Ah."
Cho Myung, who nodded as if he understood.
After another half an hour, he glanced at Old Man Ban and spoke to him.
"Master."
"What?"
Old Man Ban, who answered shortly because he was so tired, had sweat pouring down his face like rain, and his legs were trembling as if he were holding on with all his might.
"My body is strange."
"Are you hurt somewhere?"
Old Man Ban was startled and stopped the horse stance and approached him.
"No. I'm not hurt, but something is moving around inside my body."
"...?"
When Old Man Ban made a face as if he didn't understand, Cho Myung said again.
"When my body is tired, something moves around inside my body and makes me not tired. Something... seems to be living inside my body."
(End of Chapter)