Chapter 55. Five Minerals Powder

“It’s difficult to explain in detail since I only saw the record in the Tang Clan’s secret archives, but given the situation, I’ll try to recall. I’ll compile the necessary medicinal ingredients and deliver them in one shichen (approximately two hours), so please obtain them as quickly as possible.”

At So-hwa’s words, the Medical Hall Master from the East Quarter burst forward with eyes wide.

“Well, this is quite the cunning affair! How is it that a fire breaks out the moment you arrive! And of all places, Five Minerals Powder is right there! And you just happen to have the treatment as well!”

At his words, the Medical Hall Master from Wudang furrowed his brows, and Sword Saint also shot a sharp glare at him.

But before Tai Chi Sword Saint could speak, So-hwa responded to the Medical Hall Master’s suspicion.

“When the fire is out, go to the western room on the second floor and check the floor. If I really smuggled in that large quantity in a single night.”

So-hwa added with a cold smile.

“There will have to be a very long discussion about just how incompetent the one who failed to stop it must be.”

“How dare you speak so insolently..!”

“First.”

Tang So-hwa calmly cut off the Medical Hall Master’s shout.

“Check that quantity first. It won’t be too late to misspeak after that.”

This Medical Hall Master might truly have no connection to Five Minerals Powder. The way he kept dragging out the conversation and drawing attention to Five Minerals Powder made it seem that way.

Once he sees it himself, he’ll realize this isn’t something he can gloss over with a few words.

At that moment, a middle-aged man standing beside the Medical Hall Master cautiously stepped in.

“I’ve just requested assistance from Anguk Merchant Group.”

He gave a brief report to the Medical Hall Master and then explained to So-hwa.

“Anguk Merchant Group brings in rare goods even from beyond the Central Plains, so whatever you need, they should be able to obtain it quickly. Once you let us know the necessary ingredients, we’ll have everything prepared so treatment can begin by morning.”

“Deputy Hall Master, I’m the one speaking now!”

“Hall Master.”

The deputy hall master whispered in a low voice.

“… There are many watching.”

Not only the Sword Saint, who had been openly radiating fury from earlier, but also the gazes of the martial artists glancing this way beside their fallen comrades were quite hostile.

Only then did the Medical Hall Master close his mouth.

Into the silence, where no one dared speak carelessly, a calm voice cut in.

“One shichen.”

No—it was a voice full of sighs.

“… I will have it prepared within that time.”

Tang So-hwa said nothing more and immediately returned to her quarters.

Perhaps it was just a feeling, but her retreating figure looked like that of an ox being dragged to the slaughterhouse.

***

Standing in front of the bedchamber, Han-won wore an uncharacteristically grim expression as he kept a wary eye on his surroundings. Though the Black Tiger Unit usually prioritized erasing their presence, he was openly radiating killing intent, his senses on high alert.

“Tone it down.”

Ranhee scolded him, but he did not lower his aura.

And understandably so—the current state of the Hubei branch was beyond reason.

They had failed to apprehend the assailant, a fire had broken out, and unidentified medicinal ingredients had burned, causing dozens to fall unconscious.

Amid all that, Tang So-hwa had entered her room, repeatedly insisting no one was to follow her.

Even with her in plain sight, guarding her felt insufficient. With just a door between them, it was maddening.

Half a shichen passed, then nearly a full shichen. Not only Han-won but also the other Black Tiger Unit members began showing signs of anxiety on their faces.

It was then—

Clack.

“Young Lady!”

Without realizing it, Han-won leapt forward and scanned So-hwa’s face. Then his own expression twisted.

… Tang So-hwa was in a terrible state.

Her hair was soaked with cold sweat, and her face was exhausted. She hadn’t even changed out of her torn inner robe, likely having rushed out.

Taking a deep breath, So-hwa finally spoke.

“To the Medical Hall.”

“I’ll go. Please rest, Young Lady.”

As Han-won reached out to take the book in her hand, So-hwa pulled it back.

“East Quarter is beyond disorganized—it’s a disaster. There isn’t a single person I can trust. I need to see their faces myself. At the very least, I should remember the face of the one trying to deceive me.”

Having said that, no one could block her path. The Hubei branch—especially East Quarter, managed by the Zhuge clan—was truly the worst.

Moving her tingling fingers, So-hwa headed for the Medical Hall.

It was a horrifying experience she never wanted to go through again.

Five Minerals Powder is not a medicine.

It is an item that should be forbidden.

So-hwa, feeling her consciousness fade and her breathing and pulse slow, desperately observed her reactions.

The sensation of her body growing limp was similar to a sedative, while the onset of effects resembled paralytic poison. A bizarre numbness was slowly consuming her body. The most terrifying part—she had lost about half a shichen of memory.

It was an unpleasant symptom she had never experienced in her life. Then again, in her past life, she had never seen such a substance.

So-hwa, slipping the secretly secured Five Minerals Powder into her waistband, continued walking.

When she arrived at the Medical Hall, she saw a wide tent spread across the yard. It seemed they had set up a temporary space to treat the unconscious.

The deputy hall master, who had been moving about busily, spotted So-hwa and immediately ran over.

“Is it done?”

“Yes.”

Without further words, So-hwa handed over the treatment method she had compiled. The deputy hall master skimmed through the document quickly and let out a stunned breath.

“To have organized it so neatly in such a short time… It makes me curious about the Tang Clan’s Medical Hall system.”

Saying so, he handed the record to a man standing behind him. The man dashed off the moment he received the book. It looked like he was heading to the Anguk Merchant Group.

“By the way, the young lady also went in there—are you alright? I’ve heard Tang Clan members are resistant to most poisons, but still… no, perhaps you’re not alright?”

As he spoke, So-hwa closed her eyes tightly.

Her head was spinning. Ever since encountering the Blood Sect member, she hadn’t properly rested due to tension, and her focus on observing the reaction to Five Minerals Powder had completely drained her energy.

She wiped the cold sweat trickling down her cheek with the back of her hand and nodded.

“I’m fi—…”

But she didn’t finish.

She tried to speak again, but no sound came out. Only the sound of multiple voices calling her name reached her ears.

Thud.

As she collapsed forward, someone caught her.

So-hwa blinked her heavy eyelids several times, trying to bring her blurry vision into focus.

As her sight finally sharpened, she saw a soft pink long robe. Her gaze slowly moved upward to see the robe’s owner.

He looked down at her with a faint smirk before turning his gaze to the deputy hall master.

“I heard there was a fire at the branch. How could we possibly stand by and do nothing? Of course, we must lend a hand.”

As that calm voice brushed past her ear, So-hwa clenched her hand.

It was the same voice she had heard in the shop.

She tried to push him away, but before she could even muster strength, a hand touched her neck.

『Rest.』

A quiet voice pierced her eardrum like a mental transmission.

『Once you wake up, I’ll answer all of your questions.』

The moment firm pressure touched the back of her neck, all the tension melted away, and So-hwa lost consciousness.

***

So-hwa sat up the moment she regained consciousness.

Someone had tended to her—at her bedside were a water basin and a damp cloth.

“You should rest a bit more, Young Lady.”

Ranhee was seated beside her.

“Who…”

Her voice cracked, producing a hoarse sound. As So-hwa clutched her throat, Ranhee handed her a prepared cup of water.

“Your clothes were wet, so I changed them for you. I thought it would be uncomfortable.”

She roughly grasped the situation.

Shamefully, it seemed she had lost consciousness on the spot, and the Black Tiger Unit had brought her back to her quarters and put her to bed.

So-hwa turned her gaze to the window.

A bluish light tinged the sky. Judging by the faint dawn just beginning to break, she thankfully hadn’t slept too long.

Without a word, So-hwa rose from the bed.

“Where are you going?”

“We’re leaving the branch immediately. Get ready.”

She grabbed the book placed on the table and stepped outside.

Click.

As expected, the remaining Black Tiger Unit members were all standing guard outside. So-hwa handed the book to Cheolho.

“Deliver this to Tai Chi Sword Saint.”

“Yes.”

Without protest, Cheolho moved at once. Keen as he was, he had sensed that So-hwa’s expression was not her usual.

So-hwa addressed the others.

“We leave before mishi (1 PM–3 PM). Gather anything you need, and if the branch asks for help, refuse.”

All the Black Tiger Unit members nodded.

So-hwa turned to Ranhee.

“Were you the one who brought me here?”

“I tried to, but the Junior Hall Master wouldn’t let go of you, so I came with him. The situation was urgent, so I didn’t have a chance to protest. I apologize.”

“Where is he now?”

“He’s probably at the Medical Hall.”

So-hwa immediately headed for the Medical Hall.

The hall looked completely different now.

Unlike the previous night, when frail tents housed patients laid out carelessly, sturdy tents had been set up, and what appeared to be outsiders were tending to the patients.

“Young Lady Tang!”

The voice of the Deputy Hall Master called from behind.

“It seems the method you mentioned is working.”

A weary smile was on the Deputy Hall Master’s exhausted face.

“It was too risky to apply it broadly at first, so we tested the medicine on the most critical patients—every one of them regained consciousness within half a sijin. If the effect holds, they should all wake before oshi (11 a.m.–1 p.m.).”

“That’s good to hear.”

“Truly, thank you. Thanks to you, there may be no casualties.”

So-hwa considered advising him to monitor closely for any airway damage caused by the fire, but she let it go.

This was a branch of the Murim Alliance. Such basic advice would be unnecessary.

She gave a small nod and looked toward the hall. Workers were cordoning off the area and inspecting various parts of the structure.

“Have you checked the Five Minerals Powder?”

The Deputy Hall Master replied in a somber tone.

“The Branch Leader and the Medical Hall Master are in a meeting about that now… To think that much was hidden—we don’t know what to make of this situation.”

“Is the Five Minerals Powder still inside the hall?”

“They said the building might collapse, so we removed it quickly and relocated it. But… how we’ll manage this chaos…”

“Deputy Hall Master!”

Just as he was about to lapse into complaint, someone called out to him.

With dozens of patients, it was no surprise to be summoned. The Deputy Hall Master told So-hwa they’d speak later and rushed over to the caller.

So-hwa moved toward the hall. As she tried to enter, a worker blocked her path.

“You can’t go in. It could collapse at any moment. Please stay back!”

He waved his arms in warning. So-hwa stared at him and spoke to Han-won.

“I’ll be out within one gak (15 minutes)—hold them off.”

“… That word ‘one gak’ makes my heart pound every time I hear it.”

Han-won muttered with genuine exasperation, but So-hwa offered no reply and stepped into the hall.

“H-hey! I told you not to go in! Ah, let go of me! It’s dangerous!”

The worker tried to resist for a moment, but soon there was no more sound.

The place was in such disarray that no one paid his voice any mind.

Inside the hall, in stark contrast to the chaos outside, silence reigned.

Even the faint rustle underfoot felt loud.

The stairs had already burned away, but it wasn’t a problem. A rope had been installed—presumably for checking on the Five Minerals Powder—that connected to the second floor. So-hwa grasped the rope and climbed up. Thanks to a few hours of sleep, her body felt light.

But it seemed the worker’s warning about the hall collapsing hadn’t been a lie.

Creak. Creeeak.

Every step echoed with an unsettling noise.

Yet oddly, in stark contrast to the eerie atmosphere, a strange warmth filled the air.

Soft sunlight and the trace of someone’s internal energy flowed down the blackened hallway.

It was the medicinal herb storage room, where she had first found the Five Minerals Powder.

So-hwa stepped inside slowly.

A man dressed in a pale pink long robe stood with his hands behind his back, gazing down into the hole in the floor.

“The amount burned must’ve been significant, yet you recover after barely a sijin (1hr) of rest. Our little orthodox young lady isn’t ordinary at all.”

He straightened his back and turned around.

“Well then, as promised, let’s talk. I’ll answer everything you’re curious about—truthfully and without hiding anything.”

With the same light tone as his expression, he added:

“But in return, you must also answer sincerely, all right?”

Separated by the broken floor, the man proposed a conversation with a face full of mischief.

Ignoring the Blood Sect bastard’s carefree demeanor, So-hwa asked bluntly:

“What is the reason you brought Five Minerals Powder to the branch?”

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