Chapter 164. The Children of the Gorge

The girl who had kidnapped the rabbit brought over a basin and some cloth.

Tang So-hwa removed her outer robe, covering the patient's body before undressing him beneath it.

The girl, quick-witted, soaked the cloth in clean water and handed it to So-hwa.

So-hwa carefully wiped down the boy's skin. Feeling with her own hands, she realized the boy's condition was worse than it appeared. His body was so emaciated that his bones jutted out.

By the time she had finished wiping the boy's body, the man who had gone outside returned with a set of clothes.

"For the boys, Great Warrior, please do the washing and changing yourself. Their clothes may still be tainted with sulfur, so strip them completely and clean them thoroughly."

"I understand."

The man obediently followed So-hwa's instructions. While he dressed another boy, So-hwa took a fresh basin and dropped in a detoxification pill.

Chiii—

The pill dissolved, sending up bubbling steam.

"Strictly speaking, the room should be sealed so they can breathe in the vapor fully, but since the situation doesn't allow it, we'll leave it at this."

She wiped the moisture from her hands, turning her gaze toward the man.

"Judging from the mild frostbite, it seems they weren't lying there long before being found. They also weren't heavily exposed to sulfur, so within a short while, they should regain consciousness. After that, depending on their state, about three days of medicine should..."

"How can you be sure they weren't heavily exposed?"

The man's suspicion sharpened, but So-hwa replied calmly.

"If they had been subjected to a lethal dose strong enough to make them collapse, they would have died on the spot. Their strength must have been so depleted that even the faintest trace of sulfur provoked a severe reaction."

So-hwa's eyes fell back onto the patient.

It was hard to tell if the protrusion was bone or just a finger.

For a child drained of energy, a poison harmless to a robust adult could be fatal.

"Once he regains consciousness, we'll need to test whether his eyesight has been damaged. But most likely, there shouldn't be lasting harm."

Having done everything within her means, So-hwa lowered her body and met the eyes of the girl who had been helping her.

The girl flinched, but So-hwa paid no mind. She gently pulled down the girl's eyelids, checking the inner membrane. Not as severe as the unconscious children, but her eyes were reddened as well.

Rustle.

So-hwa brushed aside the girl's hair to inspect her nape. The soft skin was marred with reddish rashes.

This girl, too, seemed to have been exposed to sulfur.

When So-hwa reached for her pulse, the man hastily stepped forward, pulling the girl behind him.

"This child is fine. You need not concern yourself with her!"

So-hwa met his cold gaze and gave a small nod.

It seemed the girl's constitution was a secret not to be revealed to outsiders.

Withdrawing, So-hwa glanced down at her own hands and frowned. Ash, she couldn't tell when she had touched it, clung to her skin.

At that moment, one of the boys stirred, letting out a faint groan.

"Mm."

So-hwa set aside her thoughts for the moment and returned to the patient.

"Are you awake?"

She deliberately asked in the Central Plains tongue.

The boy blinked, then gave a small nod.

It seemed he, too, understood the language of the Central Plains.

Strange. Even if the North Sea Branch had been seized by Central Plains folk, it was unusual for peasant children to be fluent in their tongue.

But So-hwa hid her suspicion and continued the examination in Central Plains speech.

"How is it? Can you see my fingers clearly?"

"Yes, I can see well. But... who are you?"

Startled, the boy tried to sit up in a rush, only to clutch his head.

"Ugh."

Like a drunk reeling from a hangover, he gagged and retched dryly.

"Your head is spinning, and your stomach feels sick, doesn't it?"

"Yes. Ugh. But really, who are you?"

So-hwa took out a tonic pill, the same kind she had once given Namgung Jin to restore his strength.

"Since you've regained consciousness, take this first. Young warrior, you'll starve to death before you recover if you go on like this."

The boy reached for the pill, but his eyes darted around. Suddenly, he flinched hard. Following his gaze, So-hwa saw the man glaring at him with a fierce, cutting look.

As if he had done something terribly wrong, the boy trembled all over, unable to resist.

"I—I didn't mean to go there on purpose..."

"Silence. I'll deal with you later."

Ignoring the heavy tension, So-hwa spoke evenly.

"His strength is dangerously depleted. Restoring his body must come first."

The man swallowed a sigh and told the boy,

"Eat it."

"C-can I really?"

"You brat, the way you devour anything edible, and now you..!"

The man cut himself off mid-shout, lips pressed tightly together.

Rolling his eyes nervously, the boy finally swallowed the pill.

Though the man had accused him of being gluttonous, his body was as thin and frail as the others.

Looking over the four siblings still unconscious, So-hwa said,

"I didn't expect to face so many patients at once, so I didn't bring enough medicine. I'll need to return to my clinic to gather more ingredients."

"Clinic? Where could you possibly have one?"

The man's face hardened, his expression turning cold.

"... Don't tell me you came from the island?"

"No. There are many empty buildings at the southernmost harbor. I moved my herbs there and use it as a dispensary. When I found it strange that no one was in the harbor, I wandered about—and that's when I found this girl, which led me here."

Her explanation only deepened the man's wariness. His jaw tightened, the muscles twitching visibly.

So, the harbor really is sealed off to keep out outsiders.

But So-hwa feigned ignorance and continued calmly.

"You, too, Great Warrior, are not in good condition. You should come to my dispensary for treatment."

Her words seemed to shake him; he fell silent for a moment, but then let out a bitter laugh.

"You take the North Sea night too lightly. In this body, I wouldn't even live to see the sun if I tried to reach the southern end."

Limping, he stepped closer to So-hwa.

"I don't have much to offer, but since you saved those fools, I'll give you a room for the night. I'll also show you a shortcut so you can leave and come by the morning. But first, take a look at my back, and let's share a meal. Najin, tomorrow you'll guide her to fetch the medicine."

At his proposal, So-hwa smiled faintly.

Impatient, the man immediately bared his back to her. Lowering her gaze, So-hwa inspected the swellings.

"How is it?"

Hope tinged his voice.

The boils were not large, but they were many, clustered closely together. They had spread to his shoulders and ribs, swollen as if ready to burst with pus, radiating heat.

She thought to herself how much pain he must have endured. With so little of his body that could bear weight, even lying down to sleep would have been torment.

'Still, the boils aren't deep. With a month or so of medicine, they should show improvement.'

Instead of saying this aloud, So-hwa let out a long, heavy sigh.

"I'd like to lance the boils at once, but that would only be a temporary measure. After draining the pus, you'd still need to take medicine for proper treatment..."

The man cut her off.

"Then drain them for now. I couldn't do it myself, and that's why they've grown this bad."

So-hwa shook her head.

"No. I cannot cut into flesh here. In a filthy place like this, opening the skin recklessly could invite worse illness."

She pressed lightly around the inflamed flesh.

"Urgh."

The man clenched his teeth to endure the pain. When she withdrew her hand, So-hwa spoke calmly.

"I'd like you to come with us to the harbor."

The man remained silent, weighing whether to trust the woman who claimed to be a physician of the Yeonju Group. Reviving the child who had collapsed from sulfur fumes seemed to have earned his faith.

Though in truth, that had not been Yeonju medicine but the detoxification method of the Nine Turns Pavilion.

After long thought, the man straightened his back, his expression troubled.

"I'll consider it further. Najin, give the physician the inner room, and guide the martial artist to one of the outer rooms."

His cold voice made the words sound less like hospitality and more like an order—as if he meant to confine them until someone else arrived.

Namgung Jin, sensing the same thing, interjected.

"There's no need to prepare two rooms for us."

He smiled under the man's gaze, then casually slipped his arm around So-hwa's shoulder.

"Some couples may sleep apart after marriage, but since our wedding day, my wife and I have never once done so. Even if you gave us two rooms, I'd only end up crossing into hers. Better you not trouble yourself with unnecessary arrangements."

Knowing well why he acted so, So-hwa did not brush his arm away.

The man looked displeased, but found nothing to rebuke.

"... Ahem. Najin, guide both of them to an outer room."

"Yes, Uncle!"

The girl turned toward them brightly.

"This way, please."

Her guard seemed fully lowered now, and she led them with cheerful energy. But as soon as they stepped out of the cave, she whispered with caution.

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were a physician of the Yeonju Group."

So-hwa, who had been watching the gorge above, lowered her gaze again. The girl kept sneaking curious glances at her and Namgung Jin.

"I once read in a Central Plains book that the Divine Physician could bring the dead back to life. Seeing you, it feels real. You're amazing."

Her eyes sparkled with sincerity, but So-hwa caught something odd in her words.

"A book from the Central Plains?"

"Yes, I learned the language by reading several volumes."

"A maiden living deep in the mountains, yet able to read Central Plains books? The North Sea must have a lively exchange with the Central Plains, indeed. Do your people teach the tongue from childhood?"

So-hwa asked in a friendly tone, but the girl startled as though she had spoken carelessly.

"Ah! The path turns sharply here, so be careful!"

Namgung Jin's gaze shifted to So-hwa. He too seemed to have noticed something strange in the girl's response. So-hwa gave the slightest nod, silently urging him not to drop his suspicions.

As they rounded the bend, the cliffside that had blocked their view opened up.

Still, nothing unusual appeared—only the same endless gorge stretching before them.

The girl, walking ahead, suddenly stopped. Placing her hand on the rock wall, she pressed.

With a rumble, the massive wall slid aside, revealing a hidden entrance.

"Come inside."

Within the stone cavern were several round openings, carved as if by human hands.

As they approached the walls dotted with holes, children peeked their heads out from within.

"Wow, they're from the Central Plains."

"Oooh, they're coming this way."

The hushed whispers echoed loudly through the grotto.

They were the same children who had clumsily fired arrows earlier. Each tiny hollow seemed to serve as a personal room, with crude drawings scrawled along the walls.

The girl pointed to the lowest chamber and lowered the rope ladder hanging above it.

"Please rest here for a while."

"Thank you."

Namgung Jin, still keeping up the act of husband and wife, held So-hwa's hand and helped her inside.

"Whoa, look, they're holding hands!"

"Gasp, doesn't holding hands make babies?"

Strange remarks drifted down from the upper levels.

"W-well then, please rest comfortably."

Blushing, the girl withdrew the ladder and stepped outside. The moment she left, the children who had been whispering rushed down in a noisy cluster.

They didn't dare approach or speak directly, but gathered around the entrance, chattering among themselves with wide, curious eyes. Outsiders were a novelty.

"How strange. I've never seen anyone from the Central Plains before."

"Are they going to live here now?"

『What are you all muttering about?』

『Nothing important. Just that it's amazing to meet people from the Central Plains.』

Now and then, words cropped up that were hard to understand, but the atmosphere of the chatter wasn't hostile.

Gone was the earlier hostility—their hearts had softened easily, perhaps because their friend had been saved.

So-hwa watched the shadows flickering between their feet, then turned her gaze to her palm, where warmth was spreading. Namgung Jin was tracing letters into her hand with his finger.

『Cut Stone (切石)』

His message delivered, the swordsman of Namgung discreetly touched the smooth cavern wall.

So-hwa studied the wall closely for the first time.

The rock had been carved into a flawless circle.

As she laid her hand against the surface, Namgung Jin traced words onto her palm again.

『Bloodless Full Moon Sword (無血滿月劍)』

So-hwa's eyes lifted at the name.

Even Tang So-hwa—who had little interest in the affairs of the Murim—had heard of this sword art.

A sword that drew the full moon without shedding a single drop of blood.

One of the Five Absolute Arts of the North Sea Ice Palace.