NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 33
In the midst of the bustling talk about a woman whose incurable sickness, known as Sickness of Absolute Meridians, was treated and the physician Seok Muwol, who can cure this affliction…
“The Great Family Head is still in seclusion, isn’t he?”
“Yes, family head.”
In stark contrast to the noisy atmosphere of the Martial World, there lies the quiet Pan Family.
Hebei Paeng Family!
Like the Mo Yong Family, it is one of the five great families of the martial world and is highly regarded when it comes to ‘blades’.
In fact, the top martial artist, the Great Family Head ‘Dao Huang’, is a master at the current realm whose presence feels sky-high.
Although the Sword Saint exists beyond compare, those considered below him count the few elite martial artists in line under the Sword Saint.
Sword Saint, Dao Huang, New Ascendant.
These three are often referred to as the ‘Three Heroes of the Martial World’ by enthusiasts.
Excluding the Sword Saint, who has already become a living star of the martial world, Dao Huang Paengwol is practically the most famous martial artist known.
However…
This esteemed Paengwol has been reclusive for years now under the name of ‘seclusion training’.
He hardly makes an appearance in official family events, coming out once a year at most, while he trains alone, cutting off outside communications.
If the martial arts techniques he has been refining had not periodically been published in book form, or if he hadn’t been continuously writing secret techniques on Paeng Family’s martial arts that contained his interpretations, the existence of the Paeng Family would have been in doubt.
People might think Dao Huang has already died, pretending to be alive.
The current head of the Paeng Family, Paenglim, who is hardly a master of the current realm nor a master of the next, might be concealing the absence of Dao Huang out of fear that the prestige of the five great families is waning.
Paenglim, the current head of the Paeng Family and son of Dao Huang, could not help but feel wronged.
Unlike others in the Paeng Family, he meets his father every day and talks with him.
And only he knows why his father has withdrawn from outside activities and is passionately honing his martial arts alone in the secret training grounds of the Paeng Family.
“My son.”
“Yes, father.”
The head of Hebei Paeng Family, Paenglim, bowed his head before Dao Huang.
Even in the dark, his head sparkled brightly, as if a full moon were rising on the ground.
“I think Mo Yong is truly a blessed place. Perhaps it is the celestial grace granted to one who may save the central martial world.”
“The Sword Saint was faster. If you had moved first, grandfather, the hero who defeated the Heavenly Demon and saved the central martial world would have been Dao Huang Paengwol.”
“That might be true. If I hadn’t lost this due to opening the celestial passageway…”
Paengwol raised a hand to his head.
“The celestial passageway exists in the space between heaven and earth, receiving energy from the earth with one’s feet and energy from the heavens with one’s head. I needed to pursue that harmony, yet I only sought ‘the blade’ and ended up like this.”
Sparkle.
The light from the illuminated ceiling reflected off Paengwol’s head, shining brightly.
“My wig no longer suits my skin. But if I show myself to the world as is, the entire Hebei Paeng Family will be humiliated. Yes, your Great Family Head is bald.”
“…”
“Above all, the most humiliating thing is that none of the Paeng Family are bald, yet I might pass the suspicion of being bald to you because of the problems I faced while opening the celestial passageway.”
In a family spanning several generations, if one person is bald, it means the next generation may end up being bald too.
Though Paengwol’s baldness is merely a minor issue caused by an overaccumulation of extreme yang energy during his martial arts training…
“I’m truly envious. I envy the Sword Saint.”
“Father…”
“And it is truly unfortunate. With the Divine Sword, the sword can fly through the sky. Through aerial stepping, one can leap across the sky, and with water walking, one can run upon the water…!”
Paengwol clutched his head with both hands.
“Why, oh heavens, have you not bestowed upon us a medicine that can make hair grow back in this world!!”
“…”
At his father’s lament, Paenglim could only hang his head low.
Because he is his father.
Since he had seen his father, whose hair was as abundant as the ‘mane’ of the lion brought in from the western regions since childhood, he felt nothing but sadness that such a thing happened to his father.
“Father, how about we visit [Medical Dragon] once?”
“Seok Muwol, the physician?”
“Yes. It’s not impossible. Given that he developed the Extreme Yang Reversal after treating a patient with Sickness of Absolute Meridians, he might be able to create a new medicine that could perhaps bring back hair.”
“Hmmm…”
Dao Huang crossed his arms and hummed.
“I’ve heard rumors that the daughter of the Purple Sword Gate had her Sickness of Absolute Meridians treated and now her body has somewhat returned; it’s as if a similar Reversal of Aging has occurred.”
“A Reversal of Aging could occur, but I am certain.”
Dao Huang picked up the brazier in front of him with his hand.
“Even if I become younger here, I’ll merely become a young bald man.”
Compared to the head of the family, Paenglim looked much younger.
“I have already undergone a Reversal of Aging. If my hair could return in the same way as my youth, I would have long gone to the Mo Yong Family to offer my congratulations to the Sword Saint.”
“…”
“Now I’m just a young bald master; what would it matter if I went out like this? Once I use my martial arts, it will be known that I’m from the Paeng Family.”
“However, wouldn’t it be alright to at least inquire once?”
“Inquire?”
Paengwol laughed bitterly.
“If there is a medicine that can return lost hair, how could I repay such great grace?”
* * *
[Deepest inside the Mo Yong Family, Sacred Heavenly Garden.]
I received an assignment that was more like a homework from the Sword Saint.
To make Dao Huang Paengwol our ally, I need to restore his hair.
“Before deciding whether to administer the Extreme Yang Reversal, we should first see if the hair can grow back.”
“Should I cut my hair?”
“No, that won’t do.”
Mo Yongseol pretended to cut her hair, but I immediately stopped her.
“The case of Dao Huang that I’ve heard from the family head is not something that can be solved simply by cutting hair.”
Hair is like a plant.
If there’s a root left in the ‘field’ of the scalp, watering that root and infusing it with life can revive it, but if the root is dead, the plant can’t grow at all.
It’s no coincidence that the end of hair is called ‘hair root’.
“So I plan to use this.”
“That is…?”
“Plant sap mixed with Extreme Yang Reversal.”
I placed the prepared medicine, ‘Hair Growth Solution’, beside me.
“Using this hair growth solution either by applying it to the head or ingesting it will allow us to confirm if the hair will grow back.”
“The problem is, ‘who’ will we confirm this with? That is the issue.”
“Indeed.”
If I planned to reveal everything to Dao Huang, I could just grab him and slather the sticky hair growth solution over him.
After rubbing it on his completely bald head until the medicinal power seeps in, if he longs for hair, it should grow back.
In theory, at least.
“If successful, Dao Huang will become the Great Family Head of the Hebei Paeng Family, and when the Mo Yong Family finds itself in great trouble later, he will help us greatly.”
“Since he is right next to us, as the Great Family Head and current master, he will definitely determine the family’s direction, and the family members will follow his opinion.”
“Exactly. That is why we must conduct this experiment properly.”
But if it fails, securing Dao Huang’s cooperation will become virtually impossible.
“What if I say ‘We will be able to regrow hair’ and then after administering the medicine, there’s no effect? As a physician, that is absolutely something I shouldn’t do.”
A physician must remain calm.
Even if deep down, I wish to ‘save them’, I may have to impart false hope of ‘you will be able to recover’ to the patient, but it remains crucial to coldly convey the harsh truth to their guardians in private, where the patient cannot hear.
There are times when hopeful talk should be made and times when it shouldn’t.
Just as I staunchly declared that ‘the treatment of Sickness of Absolute Meridians is impossible’ even before the Sword Saint.
“We should keep one thing in mind.”
“What is it?”
“We must not experiment on just any bald person.”
I pretended to cut my arm.
“If there is a one-armed bald man, what would he wish for most?”
“…Both?”
“If both grow back, we could get significant experimental results, but unfortunately, that’s uncertain.”
When moving towards Dao Huang, what I truly desperately require is one thing.
“A bald person whose other attributes are intact.”
“…….”
“Or a person who suddenly loses their hair without any significant desire for it.”
“Excuse me?”
“The method is simple.”
I held up a hammer and nails.
“We’ll create a coffin to confine a person and allow them to see only their own hair through a mirror.”
“Uh…”
“That hair would be in a condition starkly different from what they imagined.”
Saying that being bald is terrible is not the point.
If a person who was not originally bald suddenly loses their hair and their scalp looks like it was burned, it would shock them to the point that their eyes might roll back at first sight.
“At that very moment, regardless of whether it’s the Extreme Yang Reversal or hair growth solution administered, we will make their hair grow back.”
“…But what if it fails? It would unjustly turn someone into a bald person.”
“That’s why experiments should still be conducted on someone less aggrieved.”
Nonetheless, the Demon Cult’s tentacles remain everywhere.
“Not every disciple of the Purple Sword Gate is a member of the Demon Cult or a sleeper agent, yet there remains at least one subordinate presumed to be a lackey of the Heavenly Demon. I plan to use him.”
“That would be… Ah, Yu Giyeon’s betrothed.”
“Indeed.”
A man alleged to be involved with Yu Giyeon.
“Already, Dang Yu Ri has gone to make contact with him.”
Considered a lackey sent by the Heavenly Demon, he has been plotting against the Yu family daughters.
“If his intellect is on par with the Heavenly Demon, there should be no lack of cooperation in the experiment.”