When Jin Cheon-hee arrived at the annex as summoned, a feast fit for royalty awaited him. Freshly prepared beef tartare, topped with crisp pear slices and pine nuts, glistened under a drizzle of fragrant sesame oil.
“I prepared the garnish using eggs from the Ogol Chicken.”
Yoo Ho placed a ceramic bottle upon the table with a deliberate, heavy thud.
“I infused a specific scent into the liquor. It should be quite pleasing when you unseal it.”
“Do you have a favor to ask?”
Jin Cheon-hee looked at the fox in human guise with a startled expression. Indeed, this creature was always like this.
What was it this time? Was he asking Jin Cheon-hee to craft some bizarre artifact? Or perhaps suggesting they drown together in another tremendous ocean of paperwork? He was ready to be annoyed regardless of the request, but before the fox could speak, Jin Cheon-hee cut in with something unexpected.
“I’d like you not to help with the next research project, Yoo Ho.”
“……?”
“You can’t help me forever. Humans should conduct research using human strength.”
Jin Cheon-hee drew the line naturally, offering a nonchalant smile to soften the blow. “Of course, if it becomes too difficult, I might still ask for your aid.”
“Are you talking about that sodium bicarbonate?”
“Ah, no. For that, we have to wait until we purchase a suitable lake. The next project is an anthelmintic.”
“Anthelmintic?”
“A dewormer. You can likely eat whatever you wish without issue, Yoo Ho, but for humans, consuming raw meat or fish is a gamble with death. I’ve performed several surgeries for it already.” Jin Cheon-hee sighed, tapping the table. “Martial artists of the Gangho understand parasites well because of Gu poisons; if their internal energy is distinct enough, they can burn the parasites away. But the majority of commoners receive no such benefits.”
“Will you be okay without me for such critical work?”
“Yeah. I’ll be fine.”
Jin Cheon-hee reached into the corner of the annex and retrieved the instrument kept respectfully in its case—the Seven Silver Zither, a gift from Sama Hyeon.
Twang.
The vibration of the silk string hung in the air.
“If you don’t plan to kick me out, shall I play a tune?”
Yoo Ho slightly furrowed his brow.
This crazy human was always like this. Always sudden, always inscrutable. Sometimes sticking closer than a leech, and now, after Yoo Ho had prepared luxurious food and supreme alcohol, the human was telling him not to interfere in mortal affairs.
This gap in behavior annoyed Yoo Ho. He didn’t know why it irked him, but he couldn’t suppress the irritation.
Pop.
When Yoo Ho unsealed the bottle, the profound aroma of the Heavenly One Drunkenness flooded the annex. It was a supreme scent, unlike anything Yoo Ho had ever encountered in his long life.
Splash.
As the cup filled with golden liquid, Jin Cheon-hee plucked the strings as if he had been waiting for the sound of the pour. He began to play, a slow, contemplative melody.
“Have you thought about how to formulate it?” Yoo Ho asked.
“You know there isn’t a proper anthelmintic in existence, right? I found records of Master temporarily developing one in the past, but those were likely written during her time at the Northern Sea Ice Palace. Even that formula hasn’t been improved since.”
“Ingredients?”
“It will be herbal. That much is natural.”
On Earth, anthelmintics were synthesized chemically, but such methods were nonexistent here. Yet, even on Earth, medicine had often been brute-forced into existence. Penicillin, Streptomycin, Aspirin—all born of discovery and refinement.
“Torreya Seeds and Digenea red algae will form the base. These have been mentioned a few times in past medical texts, and Master’s old formula relied on them as well. I’ve listed the auxiliary herbs I intend to test next. If I repeat the process until it works, a solution will emerge eventually.”
Ninety-nine percent grinding and one percent luck. It was no different from his previous life.
Jin Cheon-hee took a sip. The alcohol coated his throat, and a sensation indistinguishable between floral nectar and raw honey overwhelmed his senses. Beneath the taste, he detected the faint trace of internal energy—his own Five-Elemental True Qi, infused into the brew.
It was no wonder Hwanggu and even Noe-jin were desperate for a taste.
“Are you really okay without me?” Yoo Ho asked again.
“Yes. This is much lower in difficulty compared to my previous inventions. I’m not introducing a radical new method, just combining existing knowledge to make something better.”
“What is the reason for going this far?”
Strum—
Following the scent of alcohol, the resonance of the Seven Silver Zither widened, filling the room.
“Because when the time comes that both you and I are gone, people will have to manage amongst themselves. If I had to use a metaphor… we are like training wheels. Someday, the people here will have to move forward on their own.”
He spoke words that were slightly incomprehensible to the fox, yet the meaning was conveyed through the melancholic pluck of the strings.
“So, how is it? The alcohol? The snacks? Anything you want improved? I’ll do it for the next meal,” Yoo Ho offered, deflecting the heavy atmosphere.
They said the Heavenly One Drunkenness kept one intoxicated for a thousand days. It wasn’t literally true, of course, but the legend claimed one wouldn’t forget the taste for a thousand days.
In the distant past, Yoo Ho had slaughtered many humans. Human liver had been a delicacy to him, and he had long since lost count of his victims; it was no different than counting meals.
But after this human died… would Yoo Ho be able to eat human meat like before?
Since it was called Heavenly One Drunkenness, would he be able to forget this companion after a thousand days?
“Are you perhaps going to look for a grave site?”
The words tumbled out of Yoo Ho’s chest, blunt and sharp.
Jin Cheon-hee replied with the expression of a man struck by a sudden truth. “Well, not that. But I have to look ten, twenty years ahead, right? I will age. And you, Yoo Ho… you can’t labor for me until the end of time.”
Truly a shameless human.
Having started so many fires, for some reason, he was tying knots one by one, ensuring the world would continue to spin even if he disappeared. It was a habit. The human in front of him had possessed this fatalistic streak since he first learned the sword.
He always said martial artists died easily. Resigning himself to death had come faster to him than mastering the martial arts. In a way, he lived as if he had already died once before.
“Please be only moderately shameless.”
“Hehehehe. It seems you like the alcohol?”
Yoo Ho was about to grab him by the collar, but his anger cooled. He silently sipped the golden liquor while Jin Cheon-hee played the Seven Silver Zither beside him.
It was a leisurely afternoon. Before they knew it, a spring rain began to fall, creating a sun shower.
“Wow, it’s raining even though the sun is out?”
Jin Cheon-hee smiled, enjoying the fickle spring weather. The sound of the zither continued without interruption, harmonizing with the rain.
***
Time drifted by.
Jin Cheon-hee finished his organization and took a much-needed rest, laying the foundation for the new research before he left. He even completed the recommendation letters for the physicians who wished to enter government service.
With all preparations complete, Jin Cheon-hee departed.
It was already spring, but the Northern Sea Ice Palace would be eternally frozen, so he didn’t forget to prepare warm cotton clothes in advance.
As for Hwanggu…
“Bark bark!”
Jin Cheon-hee decided to ride Hwanggu, now transformed into its massive original form, instead of a horse. Consequently, he had prepared thick cotton armor for the beast as well.
Fed on the cuisine Jin Cheon-hee cooked, Hwanggu had grown as large as a bull. When it fully reverted to its original form, the sight caused more than a few Medical Pavilion members to make appalled faces.
His master had said, “For the Northern Sea Ice Palace, riding just Hwanggu should be enough.”
Indeed, Hwanggu could scale cliffs where horses would falter.
“Yes. So… this time, I intend to go without the White Qilin Unit escort.”
If they were attacked, a human escort would likely become a hindrance in the heavy snows of the North. His master had pondered for a long time, clearly displeased, but eventually permitted it. No matter what one did to horseshoes, they couldn’t match the traction of Hwanggu’s paws. Furthermore, if a frostbite patient occurred among the escort, Jin Cheon-hee would try to save them regardless of the risk.
He was a man for whom the option of leaving someone behind did not exist.
“Then, I will be back!”
“Bark bark!”
Jin Cheon-hee departed with the giant Yellow Dog bounding through the flowering trees. Perhaps because it was a four-legged spiritual beast, it moved faster and more fluidly than most human lightness skills.
Master had a reason for saying Hwanggu isn’t a pet but a spiritual beast. If I feed it, I should work it.
She had reprimanded him, pointing out that Noe-jin was at least used as a carrier pigeon, while Hwanggu had been idling away, doing nothing but occasionally sniffing out intruders.
Kugh. He knew that. But weren’t these furry friends healing just by breathing by his side?
Squeak!
Jin Cheon-hee rode on Hwanggu, and Noe-jin rode on Jin Cheon-hee.
Somehow recalling the Bremen Town Musicians, they moved far away from the White Qilin Medical Pavilion. Once they were at a safe distance, Jin Cheon-hee stopped the dog and dismounted.
“Since the Northern Sea Ice Palace requires going north even from Heilongjiang Province… Assuming we start from the White Qilin Medical Pavilion, would it be better to go east, take a boat from a port city to Liaoning Province, and then head by land from there?”
Liaoning Province was the territory of the Moyong Clan and the Gongsun Clan. He had sent a letter to the Gongsun Clan in advance of his departure, stating he needed help to reach the Northern Sea Ice Palace.
“Good. From here, we’ll move on foot.”
Bark?
“I’m not saying I won’t ride. I’ll ride when we get near the Ice Palace. Until then, I intend to run using lightness skills.”
Bark, bark!
“Don’t say I’m getting off just because Master isn’t watching. This is training.”
Grrr!
“Really. I’m telling you, I’m running because it’s training.”
Squeak?
Noe-jin tilted its head, confused. This human didn’t have a translation artifact like last time, yet somehow, he seemed to roughly understand Hwanggu’s complaints. Was this a ‘reading the atmosphere’ translation?
Regardless, Jin Cheon-hee took some of the luggage from Hwanggu’s back and strapped it to himself. Then, he urged them forward. Hwanggu growled a few times in protest but eventually decided to run alongside its master, determined to stick like a leech even if told to get off at the ends of the earth.
Zip!
Heavenly Energy Bewildering Footwork.
Originally, he had considered running with the Three Calamities Steps, but if he lagged behind, Hwanggu would definitely pester him to get on its back. So, he simply ran straight.
“Haha, this is fun!”
The wind brushed past his cheeks. He felt the sensation of the ground folding beneath his feet. Mountains in the distance approached his eyes in an instant.
“Bark bark!”
“Alright. Alright. I’ll definitely ride when we arrive. I’ll be carried on your back then!”
Saying that, he leaped from cliff edge to cliff edge. Noe-jin flapped its wings atop Jin Cheon-hee’s head, seemingly enjoying the sensation of flying without effort.
Tap—
Stepping on the cliff edge, he regained his posture instantly and surged forward again. It didn’t take even a single breath to transition his momentum. He treaded the path quickly, moving as fluidly as flowing water.
As expected, he didn’t tire.
Perhaps due to his internal energy, he was an untiring marathoner. What nonsense was this? Olympic marathon winners on Earth ran 42.195km in just over two hours, and naturally, they collapsed from exhaustion at the finish line.
However, Jin Cheon-hee was running much faster than any marathon winner, yet far from being tired, vitality welled up in his body.
At this speed, well… I could easily cover about 200 kilometers in four shichen (eight hours). Can I spend the rest of the time eating, sleeping, and resting?
If the road conditions were optimal, he could speed up further, but traversing forests dense with ancient trees and rocky valleys wasn’t simple.
Like that, Jin Cheon-hee ran eastward using his lightness skills. Behind him, Hwanggu ran happily.
Squeak!
Noe-jin mocked Hwanggu, who was a step slower than the human.
Bark!
Was its pride hurt? Hwanggu began to accelerate.
Wow, I won’t be able to catch up to Hwanggu if he gets serious.
Indeed, it seemed the dog’s pace earlier hadn’t been serious running.
Boom, boom, boom!
Contrary to Jin Cheon-hee, who ran by weaving around trees and rocks, Hwanggu charged in a straight line, ramming through everything that got in its way like a siege weapon. Even so, not a single scratch appeared on its golden fur.
A spiritual beast was indeed a spiritual beast.
Only then did Jin Cheon-hee realize the true value of his companion. How dumbfounded must Hwanggu have been, watching its master insist on running on his own two slow feet?