A day ago, Baek Jongmeng had to quickly work on Yeowun. He tried to put needles in Yeowun so he could heal up.
‘Will it be suspicious if I get better so fast?’
If Yeowun was to heal with the Nano Machine, he’d be fully healed within a day. He then became concerned. Making himself heal fast would be suspicious, but he couldn’t dare to waste time and risk being left behind.
‘Would it be better I just fill the time needed without becoming suspicious? Let’s ask the doctor how long it will take me to heal and choose.’
Yeowun then turned to Baek Jongmeng who was preparing his needles.
“Doctor.”
“I’m Baek Jongmeng.”
“Huh?”
“Call me with my last name too,” Jongmeng grinned.
“Doctor Baek. How bad is it?”
Chun Yeowun knew his body was damaged due to Nano, but he became curious as to how the doctor saw it. He looked at Yeowun’s pale face and sighed.
“Well, it will take you about two weeks to return to the academy.”
“What?”
Yeowun was shocked. He knew it might take a long time, but that was too long.
“Don’t be too disappointed.”
“But if it takes that long…”
“I don’t know what you think of this, but I will keep your secret about learning from the Right Guardian.”
“Oh…”
Jongmeng had witnessed the Right Guardian taking Yeowun as his apprentice. This was not allowed in the academy and Jongmeng had every right to report it to the Chief, but he didn’t. Jongmeng also had a hard time in his younger days as he too was born to peasants and he faced hardships until he was accepted as a doctor for the Demonic Cult. That’s why he felt sympathetic toward Chun Yeowun.
“…Thank you. I will not forget this debt,” Yeowun thanked the doctor.
“It’s alright. Don’t mention it.”
The doctor didn’t think much of it anyway because he thought that Yeowun had no other chances after becoming Submeng’s apprentice. It would give him a good chance to learn, but he was already way too behind.
“Okay, lie down then. I will put the needle in you.”
Yeowun then lay back down on the bed.
[Sensing attack on the body due to the iron needle. Activating self-defense…]
‘No, don’t. This is a medical procedure done by a doctor.’
[Stopping self-defense mode.]
‘Can’t you determine if it’s a medical procedure or not?’ Yeowun asked Nano.
[If you do not warn me prior to the medical procedure, any act of damaging your body will be considered as an attack.]
‘Okay. From now on, don’t react to those that I take accept willingly.’
[Understood.]
As Yeowun ordered Nano, Jongmeng began putting needles into Yeowun’s body.
[Analyzing the needle-based acupunctural procedure. The needle placed over the spot is enhancing regeneration in the damaged stomach area.]
‘Oh.’
Yeowun had no interest in medical procedures, but it was fascinating to see it work.
“Take a nap while I work on this.”
Jongmeng offered Yeowun to take a nap. Yeowun then came up with an idea.
‘Nano, can you heal me and pretend that I still have wounds internally to fool others like the doctor?’
[I do not understand your request, Master.]
‘I mean, if I am healed, then it will be suspicious. So, can you fool the doctor so he won’t know that I’m healed?’
[Positive. It is possible to change the pulse temporarily while the doctor is checking it.]
If that was possible, then he could heal himself. If he could fool the doctor for two weeks, this might be the best chance for him to learn about internal energy from Submeng.
‘Good. Then heal me and fool the doctor whenever he checks on me.’
[Yes, Master. Activating self-healing mode.]
After the Nano Machine began working on him, he was healed under thirty minutes. Yeowun was able to get a good night’s sleep, until an unwanted guest intruded to the room before dawn.
Submeng’s stench of alcohol permeated the air around the room. Yeowun looked at him with a shocked written on his face.
“T…teacher?”
“Hmm? Is that a formal greeting?”
Yeowun was surprised as to why he had come so early in the morning.
“Good morning, Teacher.”
Yeowun then got up and bowed. Submeng replied, “Good. So did you do my homework?”
“Huh?”
Yeowun, who was still not fully awake yet, was baffled. He then asked, “Wait… do you mean what you told me about the internal energy and how I should read it?”
“Yes. Didn’t I tell you to memorize it all before I came back?”
Yeowun was dumbfounded. Nano had healed him, but he should have been sick in the bed without it and Submeng should’ve known this.
‘…He is quick-tempered.’
Submeng looked at Yeowun with a suspicious glance, asking if Yeowun had not memorized it yet and Yeowun sighed.
“Of course… I memorized it.”
He didn’t memorize it of course as the Nano Machine had just scanned it for him. Submeng became intrigued.
‘Oh? He memorized it while he was sick in bed?’
Submeng knew that he was being absurd. He was only here so that Yeowun could memorize it, but it was surprising to hear that Yeowun really did it.
“G-great. It is nice to hear that you are listening to your teacher.”
“Thank you. But aren’t you too early?”
The sun hadn’t even risen yet.
“Why? You don’t like it?”
“…No, sir.”
Chun Yeowun always woke up early since he had to be awake for any assassination attempts. He just asked if there was a need to visit him so early in the morning.
“Good. Let me tell you a vital piece of information then.”
Submeng dragged a chair next to the bed and continued, “I have only two weeks to teach you.”
“Huh?”
“I can meet you here in this medical room, but once you return to the dorm, I can’t contact you.”
Learning martial arts by anyone else other than the assigned instructor was forbidden in the academy. Submeng was already breaking the rules.
“I couldn’t think of that, sorry.”
“Yes, well you just joined the academy yesterday. So that’s why I had to come early so that no one will know.”
“Huh?”
“If I stay here in bright daylight, do you think people will not become suspicious?”
Submeng did whatever he wanted, but he knew what he could and could not do. And he wanted to train Yeowun more than ever.
“I have to report to the Lord in the afternoon, so I can only come before dawn to teach you.”
He had wanted to come earlier, but he had to wait until the guards and staff members loosened their patrols before dawn. He only was able to come here because the guard was dozing off.
“Thank you, Teacher.”
Chun Yeowun became thankful for Submeng doing things to this extent to teach him.
“Good. Then let’s get started.”
“Now?”
“Didn’t you just hear that I don’t have much time?”
Yeowun then got up from the bed.
“Sit down on the ground.”
“…Yes, sir.”
“Come on!”
Yeowun sat down on the ground while Submeng sat behind him and placed his hand on Yeowun’s back.
“It’s good that you memorized my Breathing of Thousand Martials.”
“What are you doing?”
“We don’t have time, so I’ll rummage the breathing into you.”
“Rummage..? what?”
“It is what my teacher created. You don’t have to fill the qi. I will do the rest.”
“Uh, Teacher?”
“Hang on. Don’t scream.”
And before Yeowun could speak, powerful internal energy flew into Yeowun. A jolt of pain spread throughout his body.
“NNNGH!!”
“Shut up!”
It almost made him scream in pain. The internal energy then flowed through the entire body. Yeowun did not notice this, but Nano who always activated self-defense mode did not work on this pain.