CLS-Chapter 482

Chapter 482:

“No, first put that down…”

Wei Yan-ho waved his hand. In the Medicine Hall Master’s hand was a sharp needle.

No matter how much his specialty was medicine, he was still a respectable member of the Tang Family. The needle in his hand could be a tool to save lives, but it could also become the world’s greatest hidden weapon.

Which way that needle was currently being utilized was so clear it didn’t need to be said.

Seeing the fresh blue energy wrapped around the needle’s tip, Wei Yan-ho smiled awkwardly.

“I don’t think it’s something to get that angry about?”

“What do you mean?”

“Goodness, you have quite the temper.”

Just as the Medicine Hall Master, unable to bear it any longer, was about to throw the needle, Jang-il and Peng Dao-ji rushed forward in alarm and grabbed hold of the Medicine Hall Master.

“Let go! Won’t you let go?”

“Please calm down.”

“Think rationally, rationally! Though I know it won’t be easy!”

“Rationally?”

The Medicine Hall Master foamed at the mouth.

“He’s talking about using poison on patients, and you want me to think rationally? Using poison on patients? Where in the world did such a lunatic come from!”

The two of them fully sympathized with his feelings. But they couldn’t just let the Medicine Hall Master charge at Wei Yan-ho like this.

“It would be best to calm down first.”

“That lunatic sometimes—no, quite often—spouts crazy nonsense, but if you listen carefully, there are times when he says crazy things that actually make sense.”

“…What kind of nonsense is that?”

“I know it’s hard to understand. I don’t have the confidence to explain it comprehensibly either. So please, just listen to what he has to say first…”

The Medicine Hall Master, who had been glaring at Jang-il and Peng Dao-ji with eyes that looked ready to pop out, saw their awkward smiles and took a deep breath. He was trying to calm his boiling heart.

“Do I have to keep listening to that nonsense?”

“Isn’t progress originally something that begins with nonsense?”

“I have no interest in your crappy philosophy.”

The Medicine Hall Master clicked his tongue.

“Still, since you’re asking so earnestly, I’ll listen. But if you start spouting nonsense, know that even if I face some punishment from the Family Head, I’ll mercilessly throw you all out. This is already me being very generous.”

“How could we refuse?”

Jang-il laughed hehe.

But contrary to his laughing face, his insides were burning black.

‘Why do I have to make excuses for that bastard?’

Of course, it wasn’t just him. Peng Dao-ji was also trying to calm the Medicine Hall Master, and even Mu-san and Zhuge Woo-in were ready to jump out at any moment.

When you traveled with Wei Yan-ho, you naturally became skilled at making excuses for him and cleaning up his messes.

Jang-il sighed and approached Wei Yan-ho.

“Think carefully before you speak. If you don’t want to be banned from the Medicine Hall.”

“Why do people in this world treat someone’s words as nonsense without even thinking about them?”

“…It’s not someone’s words, it’s your words.”

And you deserve to be treated like you’re spouting nonsense. It’s true, isn’t it!

“Tsk, how tiresome.”

Wei Yan-ho looked at the Medicine Hall Master with dissatisfied eyes and opened his mouth.

“So think about it carefully. Right now we need to infuse energy, but if we give them elixirs, the problem is that they can’t handle that energy, right?”

“That’s correct.”

The Medicine Hall Master’s face seemed to have ‘I absolutely have no intention of accepting whatever you say’ written on it.

‘This won’t work?’

Jang-il knew that Wei Yan-ho was surprisingly eloquent. Even if he didn’t know about other times, when selling medicine, Wei Yan-ho was someone who could speak with unparalleled brilliance.

Although Jang-il usually wanted to punch Wei Yan-ho when he was selling medicine, right now he had no choice but to cheer for Wei Yan-ho.

“Then we should just use medicine that doesn’t strain the body. Isn’t this what the Tang Family always said? Poison is medicine. Poison energy and internal energy have aspects that are interconnected.”

“Hmm…”

“Poison energy is also used to create internal energy, right? As long as poison arts exist, you can’t deny this. Right?”

“That’s correct.”

He couldn’t help but acknowledge this. To refuse to acknowledge this would be no different from denying the Tang Family’s martial arts.

“Then it’s simple. Poison has energy in it, right? And no one has ever died from their body exploding after eating poison, have they?”

“…”

The Medicine Hall Master’s face was becoming more and more peculiar.

This was nonsense.

It really was nonsense.

But what should he call this? So this was…

‘Plausible nonsense.’

It didn’t make sense, but it made sense.

The Tang Family’s medicine was based on the unity of medicine and poison. It meant that poison could become medicine, and medicine could become poison. And this wasn’t just the Tang Family’s theory.

Any medicine becomes poisonous if used excessively. Energy, if used appropriately, nourishes the body, but if used excessively, it devours the body instead.

Poison was the same. While poison was generally considered completely harmful, in actual medicine shops, poisons like arsenic were prescribed for inflammation or pain relief. If used to the extent that it didn’t strain the body, poison could also become medicine.

But…

“Listen here, young hero. These people are already hovering between life and death. And you want to use poison on such bodies?”

“Do you have another method?”

“No, there’s no other method, but!”

Just because pouring water didn’t put out the fire, could pouring oil be called the right method?

“It’s unreasonable. Absolutely unreasonable.”

“Don’t think so negatively. Think about it. These people have all their energy channels blocked, so normal medicine or elixirs don’t work. We need energy that spreads regardless of energy channels. In that regard, poison that screws over anyone—whether martial artist or ordinary person, human or beast—without discrimination is the best!”

His head was spinning.

What kind of novel nonsense was this?

There was no such nonsense as this nonsense.

But…

“It makes sense.”

The Medicine Hall Master’s head whipped around. There, Zhuge Woo-in was nodding with a meaningful expression.

“It certainly sounds plausible.”

“No…”

The Medicine Hall Master beat his chest.

“Master Zhuge! What sounds plausible but is actually deceptive is what the world calls pseudo-science. What are we to do if even Master Zhuge falls for such sweet talk?”

“But isn’t it an undeniable fact that the lord’s words are the most realistic treatment method that’s been proposed so far?”

“Re-realistic?”

The Medicine Hall Master was on the verge of fainting.

“Realistic? Did you just say realistic?”

“Yes. Other energies can’t penetrate the gaps, but poison can penetrate them, right? Then if used well, we should be able to restore their energy again.”

“It will penetrate! Of course it will penetrate! The poison energy will. Do you know what we call a situation where poison energy penetrates without resistance?”

“…Well…”

“It’s called poisoning! Poisoning! Hey, you crazy people! What are you going to do by poisoning people who are already on death’s door! If you want to clear away corpses, just stick a knife in their necks instead of going through such a troublesome way to kill people!”

“Is, is that so?”

Learning the lesson that he should never step forward in areas that weren’t his specialty, Zhuge Woo-in retreated.

“I absolutely cannot allow it.”

“Ey, don’t keep thinking so negatively.”

Wei Yan-ho shrugged his shoulders.

“If we just properly control the poison energy, it will have the effect of filling a well with water. Right now these people are broken and collapsed wells. We don’t have time to rebuild the well and pour clean water into it. If we just throw in dirty water for now and prevent the well from collapsing, over time the dirt will naturally settle and the water will become clear.”

“…You pseudo-scientist!”

The Medicine Hall Master flew into a rage.

He had no choice.

Didn’t it sound really plausible just to hear it?

Even the Medicine Hall Master was thinking to himself, ‘No, it seems like it might be worth trying once?’

But it couldn’t be done.

“I cannot gamble with patients’ lives!”

“It’s not gambling. Continuing to just spend time without proper treatment is more of a gamble. This at least has some possibility.”

“That…”

“We just need to properly control the poison energy, just the poison energy.”

“Listen here, Wei young hero!”

The Medicine Hall Master glared.

“You’re telling me to pour poison into people who could die at any moment, and then keep them from dying from that poison? That’s more precarious tightrope walking than walking on a blade’s edge. Who’s going to do that?”

“You, Hall Master.”

“…”

The Medicine Hall Master’s eyes wavered.

“I am…”

“I know. You may not be the greatest physician in the Central Plains, Hall Master. But there probably isn’t a single person in the world who is as well-versed in both poison and medicine as you are.”

The Medicine Hall Master closed his mouth.

Wei Yan-ho’s words were correct.

This was something only he could do. Even if Hua Tuo came back to life, he couldn’t do this job better than him. This wasn’t a problem that could be solved with medicine alone.

“That’s why I’m telling you. If the Medicine Hall Master says he won’t do it, I have no other options either. It’s not something I can do myself.”

“Hmm…”

Wei Yan-ho looked quietly at the Medicine Hall Master and spoke.

“My master said this: if there’s no path, we must make one. If you only follow paths that have already been made, new paths will never open.”

“You’re saying now is the time to make that new path?”

“That’s not for me to know. But I can be certain of one thing.”

“What’s that?”

Wei Yan-ho lowered his head to look at the patients. After staring at their miserable state for a long while, Wei Yan-ho raised his head.

“If these people had consciousness, which would they have chosen?”

“…”

“Would they have chosen to just slowly die like this, or would they have looked for a way to live even if it meant risking their lives?”

“That’s a stupid question.”

The Medicine Hall Master contorted his face.

“Of course they would have looked for a way to live. They are proud descendants of the Tang Family.”

Wei Yan-ho grinned.

“Then isn’t the decision made?”

“Young hero.”

“Yes?”

“You’re going to hell.”

“Whew, that’s scary talk.”

The Medicine Hall Master shook his head.

“This is crazy. Really crazy, I tell you. One wrong move and there’ll be mass death.”

“It’s just a matter of when they die.”

“…Damn it.”

The Medicine Hall Master whirled around.

“Where are you going?”

“I need to meet the Family Head.”

“Why the Family Head?”

“How else am I going to decide what poison to use!”

Everyone’s gaze focused on the Medicine Hall Master’s back. As the Medicine Hall Master opened the door and left with steps full of irritation, Wei Yan-ho shrugged his shoulders and followed behind him.

“As expected from the Tang Family. Even the doctors are hot-blooded.”

“…”

Jang-il defined his conclusion after watching this entire process.

“Probably no one throughout history could match you when it comes to getting on people’s nerves.”

“That’s a compliment, right?”

“Probably.”

Jang-il shook his head and followed behind the Medicine Hall Master.