Kapitel 72: Chapter 1714- That Will Do (9)
"Cough!"
"Please, Elder! You must not overexert yourself."
As Heo Gong coughed weakly, the disciples of Wudang turned pale and tried to restrain him.
Their reaction was understandable.
Heo Gong had drawn upon his very life force, the primal energy of life itself, to keep breathing. It wouldn't have been surprising if he had started coughing up blood and died on the spot.
"Elder!"
"Step back."
However, those trying to hold him back had to stop as Heo Gong firmly gestured for them to do so. Despite his face being as pale as a corpse, his gaze commanded an undeniable authority that no one dared to defy.
"Cough."
Heo Gong coughed again lightly as he got off the bed. Although his movements were slow, there wasn't even the slightest wobble.
Standing there, he quietly gazed at Tang Gunak before finally speaking in a low voice.
"You said the body of the Deputy Sect Leader is filled with fire qi?"
Tang Gunak stared at him blankly.
Not only was Baek Cheon in critical condition, but Heo Gong's state was also severe. It was clear that even maintaining consciousness wasn't easy for him...
"Master."
"...Ah."
When Heo Gong firmly called out to him again, Tang Gunak snapped out of it and let out a deep sigh.
"Didn't I say it already? The body of the Deputy Sect Leader is already..."
Heo Gong silently gazed at Baek Cheon, who lay unconscious.
Indeed, his body seemed to be filled with nothing but fire energy. It was easy to understand why Tang Gunak had said there was nothing he could do.
"For the Acting Sect Leader right now, any treatment... is pointless."
"Yes, it would be meaningless. The balance has already been broken."
As Tang Gunak nodded, a look of pity crossed his face once again. At that moment, Heo Gong spoke.
"However... if the broken balance could be restored, you could save him with your medical skills, correct?"
Tang Gunak, who had been silent for a moment, asked back with a bewildered expression.
"...What did you just say?"
Instead of answering, Heo Gong simply stared intently at Baek Cheon. After a long pause, he finally turned to the tense Wudang disciples and gave a command.
"Bring the Divine Pill."
"Elder!"
The mention of the Divine Pill made the faces of the Wudang disciples turn ashen.
"Surely you don't mean the Taiji Divine Pill?"
The Taiji Divine Pill was far more precious than the Taechung Pill, Wudang's well-known spiritual medicine. Even the Sect Leader of Wudang wouldn't easily dare to use it, which spoke volumes about its value.
But the reason the Wudang disciples were shocked was different.
"You're not seriously thinking of using the Taiji Divine Pill on the Deputy Sect Leader of Mount Hua, are you?"
(T/N These donnies are really starting to piss me off)
Heo Gong stared at the shocked Wudang disciples, his expression unreadable. One of the disciples, overwhelmed, shouted out.
"No, no! Elder, you can't! There's only one Taiji Divine Pill left in all of Wudang. And isn't that pill meant for you, Elder?"
Tang Gunak flinched.
It was understandable. Heo Gong himself was in a dire state, having exhausted all of his primal energy. Ordinary medicine wouldn't be enough to restore his depleted true essence.
"Please reconsider! This is unthinkable! No matter how much you care about them..."
"Watch your words."
Heo Gong interrupted in a stern voice.
"My condition may not be good, but it cannot be compared to the Deputy Sect Leader's. And my body can be treated sufficiently with the Taechung Pill."
"It can be treated, yes."
Mu Jin, who had been silently observing, finally spoke. Heo Gong's gaze turned to him.
"But that would only be a temporary fix. If you take the Taechung Pill instead of the Taiji Divine Pill... you might save your life, but you would lose your martial arts forever."
"..."
"The man Heo Gong might survive, but Heo Gong the martial artist would be no more."
Everyone present, even the anxious disciples of Mount Hua, was horrified by these words.
Who was Heo Gong?
He was the one carrying the expectations of Wudang on his shoulders, competing with Shaolin for supremacy in Kangho. Given his age and experience, he was effectively Wudang itself.
The disciples of Mount Hua also remembered clearly. Even though Heo Gong's sword couldn't touch Chung Myung, he was still recognized as one of the leaders of the next generation in Kangho.
And now, he might lose his martial arts forever.
Although many of Wudang's swordsmen had died, the idea of Heo Gong sacrificing himself was something that couldn't be easily dismissed.
In fact, it was even more severe because so many had already been lost.
For those who would now have to rebuild Wudang over many years, how important was Heo Gong's presence? It would not be an exaggeration to say that Wudang's future depended on him.
Knowing this, even the disciples of Mount Hua couldn't speak. Who could dare ask Heo Gong to give up his martial arts to save Baek Cheon?
Mu Jin asked.
"Even so... will you really go through with this?"
But Heo Gong just quietly shook his head.
"Mu Jin, you're mistaken."
"Elder."
"It's not that the man Heo Gong lives, and the martial artist Heo Gong dies."
A small smile formed on Heo Gong's lips.
"The one who was a Taoist from the beginning will remain a Taoist until the end."
His voice was calm, like a lake without a single ripple. Seeing this, Mu Jin slowly nodded.
"What are you all doing?"
"Mu Jin Sasuk..."
"It is the Elder's order. Bring the Divine Pill!"
The Wudang disciples bit their lips tightly. Since both Heo Gong and Mu Jin had given the same order, there was no one who could refuse.
As some of them rushed off to fetch the pill, Heo Gong turned his gaze back to the unconscious Baek Cheon and the silent disciples of Mount Hua.
Tang Gunak hesitated, then spoke.
"...I see you, Heo Gong-nim."
"Just call me Heo Gong. Adding 'Nim' is too much."
(T/N Adding "Nim" to the end of someone's title is a form of respect. Tang Gunak is of a higher position socially than Heo Gong hence Heo Gong feels uncomfortable with this)
"What does the title matter now? What are you thinking? The Deputy Sect Leader's body is…"
"No medical treatment can save him. But if we use martial arts, especially the Wudang Sect's martial arts, it might be possible."
"Is that true?"
A faint smile appeared on Heo Gong's pale face.
"That is the nature of Taiji. Even if it breaks and scatters, it eventually returns to harmony. That is the principle of the world and the principle of humanity, isn't it? All we need to do is help it along a little."
Tang Gunak nodded heavily.
There is no way to restore a broken balance with medical skills. However, since Wudang's martial arts are based on the harmony of yin and yang, there might be a way to manage the energy in that body.
"But if that's the case… what about you?"
Yoon Jong hesitated before speaking, but Heo Gong's expression remained unchanged, as stoic as ever.
"I am alive. Right here, right now."
"…"
"It's a life that the Deputy Sect Leader saved. And not just mine. If Mount Hua and the Deputy Sect Leader hadn't rushed to our aid, no one here would have survived."
Heo Gong closed his eyes gently.
It was vivid in his mind—the sight of Baek Cheon appearing, leaping up the cliff. What Heo Gong felt then wasn't just joy.
"I'm not saying this to repay a debt. I don't think something like this can settle everything. But if Wudang can repay even a fraction of the kindness we received, if what I can offer can save the Sect Leader's life…"
Heo Gong opened his eyes. There was no doubt in the gaze he directed at Baek Cheon.
"Then it's enough."
No one dared to speak.
It was impossible not to know how difficult a decision had led to those calm words.
"Dojang…"
"Elder!"
At that moment, the Wudang disciples who had left earlier returned. They were carrying something in their arms. Without a word, Heo Gong took the small jade box they offered with trembling hands.
As he opened the small box engraved with the Taiji symbol, two pills the size of a pinky nail were revealed. One was white, and the other black.
"What are these…?"
"Extreme Yang and Extreme Yin. They are two kinds of energy elixirs."
Tang Gunak nodded deeply. But even he didn't know how to use these elixirs effectively. He couldn't even guess.
Then, Heo Gong picked up the white elixir and handed it to Tang Gunak.
"Give this to the Deputy Sect Leader."
"You want me to make him take this? But if he does…"
"Don't worry. Leave the rest to me."
Tang Gunak bit his lip lightly. Trusting only Heo Gong's words carried significant risk.
'But there's no other way.'
If left as is, Baek Cheon would surely die. So now, they could only place their faith in Heo Gong and the Wudang Sect.
"Guard the Deputy Sect Leader!"
"Yes!"
As Tang Gunak quickly made his decision, the disciples of Mount Hua tensed and closely guarded Baek Cheon. Tang Gunak approached Baek Cheon, gazed down at his face, and bit his lip hard.
'No, what I really need to trust is…'
He believes. He believes that this man will definitely survive. That he won't die in a place like this.
Flash.
Golden needles began to be inserted one after another into Baek Cheon's neck and chest. As Baek Cheon's mouth opened involuntarily, Tang Gunak infused energy into the hand holding the white elixir. The melted elixir soon flowed down Baek Cheon's throat.
"Heo Gong Dojang!"
Heo Gong, who had closed his eyes slightly, opened them. Then, he swallowed the black elixir left in the jade box and sat down cross-legged.
Rumble!
Yang energy surged from Heo Gong's body as if it were boiling.
Circulating the energy of the divine pill throughout his body, he slowly rose and approached Baek Cheon.
'Yin is yang, and yang is yin; they touch and circulate…'
Yin and yang are different, yet ultimately not. Where Wudang's Taiji aims to reach in the end—if Heo Gong could reach that place, even for a moment, then this man's life would not end here.
Step.
The people surrounding Baek Cheon came into view. They stood by him as if they were one person, bearing a single fate.
A smile unknowingly appeared on Heo Gong's lips.
'A fine sect.'
Perhaps now, he had truly come to acknowledge Mount Hua as a sect.
"Sahyung! Sasuk's body…!"
"…Calm down, Gul."
Baek Cheon's body froze. At the same time, it was burning.
The yang energy filling his body clashed with the yin energy, beginning to explode outward. And Baek Cheon's weakened body would not withstand this shock.
As the faces of the Five Swords twisted in worry, Heo Gong lightly touched Baek Cheon's forehead and spoke.
"Do not worry. My way and your way are not different…"
Then, he slowly closed his eyes.
"The way of Mount Hua and the way of Wudang are not different either."
A clear, serene aura flowed from him and entered Baek Cheon.
"In the end, it will reach."
Right there, the way existed.
AUTORENGEDANKEN 
Muffin_niffuM
Muffin_niffuM I'm crying rn . . . Again
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