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“This isn’t something that can be healed with medicine…”

I felt at a loss. Contrary to Mangnyang’s boastful claim that he would solve it himself, his condition looked dire. If left as is, it seemed like he might meet a premature end, so I had to take action somehow. The problem was, my medical skills couldn’t deal with mystical phenomena like the divine fever.

I asked Jang Sam-bong.

“Do you know how to solve this phenomenon?”

[I could forcefully control his body with spirit summoning, but…]

“Is there a problem?”

[In that case, his mental power wouldn’t be able to endure it and he might suffer shock.]

“What? Why on earth…”

[That’s just how the Great Immortal’s presence works.]

“Hmm…”

Listening to Jang Sam-bong made sense. The divine fever was a residue left by the Great Immortals’ powers, and Mangnyang was in a precarious state because he couldn’t handle it. If a powerful spiritual being like the Great Immortal intruded, Mangnyang’s mind might just burn out.

“Don’t you know any other method to solve this?”

[I’ve never encountered such a case before… And since I’ve been training in a different way, I’m not well-versed in these techniques.]

“Ugh.”
Then there was no choice but to go to Zhuge Sa.

‘But Zhuge Sa is a demon sorcerer…’
Can he really resolve the divine fever, given that it’s a side effect unique to sorcerers?

Still, I needed to make a trip to Zhuge Sa. My knowledge of techniques like the Great Peace Art and Heavenly Secret Technique didn’t seem to offer any solutions for this divine fever. If I could utilize Ji-seon Mangnyang’s knowledge of sorcery, we might find a way, but my skill level was so low that I couldn’t even interpret it.

I quickly moved to Jangryeong Valley. However, Zhuge Sa was nowhere to be found this time. When I asked Sibi, he replied.

“Master went out on an urgent matter.”
This could not be happening right now…

I thought that if Zhuge Sa was here, I could use the Soul Exchange Technique to insert Mangnyang’s spirit into the Portrait Immortal, but that was just a stopgap solution. It wouldn’t fundamentally resolve the life-and-death situation Mangnyang was in.

Next, I considered seeking help from the Twelve Joules. They had sects specialized in sorcery that might help restore the divine fever. I hurriedly moved towards the base of Haedong Milcheon.

Ba-at!

“Wait, what?”
I unexpectedly appeared at the location of the Lord of Haedong Milcheon, startling the nearby sorcerers. The Lord, seated in a chair, glanced at me and said.

“… Who are you?”

“I’m Baek Woong, the one who fought alongside you not long ago. I’m also the Master of the Twelve Joules.”

“What nonsense…”
He sneered, then casually groped the half-naked woman next to him.

“Get lost. I just fought a big battle, so I need to rest.”
I almost started to explain Mangnyang’s situation, but then reconsidered and sealed my lips.

I was uncertain if that guy could actually heal him or even if he had the ability to do so.

Was it worth wasting time pleading and revealing my secrets to someone who might just mock me?

No matter how I viewed it, the time spent butting heads with the Lord of Haedong Milcheon was a waste.

So, I took a stand and said, “Whether you believe me or not is irrelevant. But there’s one thing I wish to know.”

“What nonsense is this?”

“If there were a shaman suffering from divine fever due to consecutive possessive spells from the Great Immortal, what method would be used to heal him?”

“Hehe.”
The Lord of Haedong Milcheon found it amusing.

“Why would I tell you that?”

“If you tell me, I will repay you. I’ll even scrape together what I have…”

“Hah, I don’t need anything from you… But you’re really ugly.”

“What?”

His unexpected comment left me bewildered, and he burst into laughter.

“No, if there was a pretty woman offered to me, I might consider it.”

Watching him speak so lewdly, I grit my teeth. It was evident that this guy wasn’t taking me seriously. Continuing the conversation would just lead to him mocking me further. I glared at him and said, “As the head of a sect, don’t you realize how important your words are at your age? Why be so reckless in creating enmity with others?”

“Huh? I can’t hear what an ugly guy is saying.”
This bastard really…

I pressed down my anger once more and warned him.

“You might regret that insult deeply.”

“Hah! Go ahead, do what you want.”

“Okay.”
I turned my back to the Lord of Haedong Milcheon and left.

This punk would definitely regret this through my rebirth.

But right now, my feelings of vengeance weren’t the priority. I lay on a rock at Jinrang Valley, watching Mangnyang’s complexion worsen by the minute, worrying intensely. It felt utterly futile to use medicine now, tightening my chest with dread.

Suddenly, I had a thought. ‘Should I ask for Cheon Woo-jin’s help?’
If my older brother was in danger of dying, wouldn’t he lend a hand? I hurriedly took Mangnyang with me towards the village where Master Mangnyang was, where Cheon Woo-jin stayed.

“Cheon Woo-jin! Mangnyang is in critical condition! Please help!”

Whoosh!

Cheon Woo-jin appeared from within an illusion barrier, frowning openly as he said.

“That divine fever is something your older brother brought upon himself.”

I was taken aback. It was clear that from a moral standpoint, this was indeed Mangnyang’s self-inflicted consequence. I couldn’t blame Cheon Woo-jin for the fact that he couldn’t bear the divine fever on his own. But I had to save Mangnyang, so I mustered all my courage and shouted,

“So you can’t heal him? He’s your older brother!”

“… Do you even realize how nonsensical that sounds?”

Cheon Woo-jin sighed. “A typical sorcerer can barely survive accepting a single Great Immortal, yet he deliberately accepted nearly ten of them and tried to amplify his powers with that immense divine fever… Any sorcerer who knew your brother’s thoughts would surely call him insane.”

“But you…”

“What about me?”

“……”
I had seen Cheon Woo-jin grow stronger through overcoming the divine fever. Mangnyang must have attempted this dangerous adventure because he saw Cheon Woo-jin endure it as well. But there was no point in mentioning that to Cheon Woo-jin; he would dismiss it as nonsense. He was a sorcerer of the divine level, so he had the foundation to endure the divine fever.

I clenched my jaw and said, “I’m begging you. At this rate, Mangnyang will die. Are you really going to let him die?”

“… Your brother said he would endure it himself. He must be held accountable for what he says.”

“Damn it! I know he’s being stubborn. But if he dies, what about the debt of his heart? Can you say without a moment’s hesitation that the choice you made, leading to Mangnyang’s death, is the right one?”

“You bastard.”

What?
Surprisingly, curses slipped from his mouth, and I looked at Cheon Woo-jin, who glared at me with a stiff expression.

“You blew unnecessary wind into your brother’s life, leading him to this risky situation! You, who put your brother’s life at stake without the capability to take responsibility, have the audacity to come and ask me to help? What an utter fool!”

He dropped his polite tone and began hurling insults at me.

“Is being the Master of the Seven Luminaries enough? Your brother is not a pawn for you to manipulate! You have no capacity to take responsibility, yet you deceive others with futile righteousness!”

“Ugh…”
I was stunned into silence by his rambling insults. I knew Cheon Woo-jin hated me, but I never imagined it was to this extent. Plus, with the responsibility of Mangnyang’s divine fever weighing on me, I found it hard to retort.

As I fell silent, Cheon Woo-jin said, “Fine. I’ll save him.”

A fierce look of intent was in his gaze.

“But you must give me the Fire Spirit!”

“What?!”

Cheon Woo-jin looked at me in disdain, mocking me.

“What’s wrong with that? When you compare your brother’s life with the Fire Spirit, the Fire Spirit’s worth outweighs that. You have to save the world, after all.”

“Hey…”

“If you dislike this deal, get out of my sight! You pathetic fool!”

“……”

Listening to his rants, I bit my lip hard.

‘That guy is just venting his frustrations.’
Having been through many outbursts, I managed to keep cool while being insulted by Cheon Woo-jin. I recognized that he was acting out of control due to his anger. If I responded recklessly now, it would only amplify his fury further.

If I handed over the Fire Spirit, the Fire Dragon Incarnate recovering from the Sea God’s magical power would enter a critical state, and my power would significantly weaken going forward. Unless I forcefully released Xu You, I’d only be a martial artist stronger than average. Considering that, offering the Fire Spirit to Cheon Woo-jin was clearly not an option.

But I pulled the Fire Spirit from my waist and extended it towards Cheon Woo-jin.

“Here, take it.”

That’s right, I would prioritize Mangnyang now.

Cheon Woo-jin seemed taken aback by my statement.

“… Are you serious?”
It was a response he hadn’t expected.

“Yes.”
I said it through clenched teeth. “The Fire Spirit can be gotten again, but Mangnyang’s life is irreplaceable. If you want the Fire Spirit, take it!”

“……”

“But if you don’t save Mangnyang, I’ll never forget today.”
No matter how many lifetimes it took to meet Mangnyang, I couldn’t ignore his life. While the values of Mangnyang’s existence versus the Fire Spirit were objectively incomparable, I had to save him. Turning my back on that value would be an ungracious path.

This life might become even harsher due to this choice, but it couldn’t be helped. I would protect the relationships around me.

Then Cheon Woo-jin, clenching his fists and trembling, spat out, “You madman… What are you even… how are you so extraordinary…”

He continued trembling for a while. It seemed a storm of emotions was sweeping over him. Then, as if he had settled his feelings, Cheon Woo-jin took a deep breath and said, “Phew – fine.”

He reached out his hand toward Mangnyang’s body, placing his index and middle fingers on Mangnyang’s solar plexus and began chanting an incantation. Soon, blue energy sprouted and enveloped Mangnyang’s body. As the light faded, Mangnyang gradually woke up.

“Ugh… Where is this…?”

Mangnyang seemed to find the divine fever calmed, lifting himself up.

“I’ve stabilized him using the power of the Heavenly Mysterious Woman as a temporary measure.”
Cheon Woo-jin said while looking at Mangnyang.

“What do you exactly want, older brother?”

“Priest.”
Cheon Woo-jin glared at me intensely.

“Gaining strength through divine fever is madness. It’s a phenomenon that cannot be overcome with mere mental strength. You must know that countless shamans have perished unable to endure the divine fever.”

“……”

“What in the world could that idiot have done to make you think this way?”
Mangnyang collected his thoughts and replied.

“… Priest. The dream of a priest is to reach the realm of the divine through sorcery, ultimately reaching Master.”

“That’s true.”

“I feel the same way. Primarily, it’s about correcting the chaos in this world and upholding justice… but the end of that path inevitably leads to the [Old Ruler] or a divine status that governs the world. The path I pursue and the path the priest pursues are identical.”

“……”

“The [Old Ruler] governs all life and death in this world. We are mere livestock, unable to escape the fate of destruction even in death. That is undeniably wrong.”
Mangnyang stated with conviction.

“And Baek Woong defeated the [Old Ruler]. I see Baek Woong as a beacon of hope for humanity trapped in despair.”

“No way…”
Cheon Woo-jin said, appearing incredulous.

“Yes, while the Sea God he defeated was indeed a colossal entity, there are many magnificent divine beings among the [Old Rulers] that surpass him. One cannot claim such things simply based on defeating a Sea God. More importantly, even if he did defeat the Sea God, it would have no impact during the time of reckoning.”

“But it’s true that nobody has ever accomplished this throughout history. In thousands of years of Chinese history, no hero has even attempted it.”

Cheon Woo-jin fell silent, unable to refute that fact. Undoubtedly, my feat of defeating the Sea God must have silenced even the Illusory God. Mangnyang seized upon that hesitation and pressed on.

“Had Baek Woong sought wealth and fame, he could have done so long ago. I respect his will, and for that reason, I wish to aid him with my life.”

Silence fell once more.

“Give it here.”
Suddenly, Cheon Woo-jin snatched the Fire Spirit from my hand. He stared at it for a while before throwing it back at my face.

Thud!

As I caught the Fire Spirit, Cheon Woo-jin spoke.

“I’m going to follow you.”

It was an unexpected statement.

“What?”

“With the previous deal, the Fire Spirit is mine. But it seems you have something to do immediately, so keep it for now.”
Cheon Woo-jin growled.

“I can’t watch you lead your brother to his doom. If you’re going to recklessly charge ahead and perish, then I’ll take the Fire Spirit at that time.”

Whether he turned this way or that, I understood what he meant.

So I replied with a grin, “Come along.”

So the once-reclusive Cheon Woo-jin, who had been holed up in the village under the guise of protecting Master Mangnyang, decided to help me.

 

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