The World's Greatest Troublemaker

Chapter 8

Their opinions matched.

Daoist Master Pung was clearly trying to use his internal energy, then stopping, and repeating the process. It was impossible to tell just by looking whether it was due to pain or a blocked meridian.

Pyeon Jeoksu asked what he was going to do about it.

"What are you going to do? He's clearly coming to see me."

"Well. He's probably coming to see me too, since it's been a while."

It was a bit of a dilemma. But I organized my thoughts in the way I always made decisions.

"Still, we have a pretty close relationship, so I should let him meet you."

"You're letting him meet because Pung Oksan is on your side?"

"Not completely on my side, but someone who is close to being on my side?"

And not long after they talked, Pung Oksan came to visit again.

"It's been a long time, Daoist Master Pung."

"Aigoo. You're a young man now. I wouldn't even recognize you on the street."

Pung Oksan spoke with a wide smile. Seeing him made me feel glad.

"So you went through a great ordeal? Are you alright now?"

"I'm all better."

"Still, you must rest well. There might be a hidden illness you're not aware of."

What should I say? I could feel the sincerity in his words. This person is genuinely worried about me. He's speaking for my sake. That feeling was conveyed.

"You don't have to worry since Physician Pyeon is here."

"I heard on my way here. They say he's a physician with incredible skills. That's a relief. A real relief."

A conversation where their sincere feelings were conveyed to each other. It was a heart-warming time that I hadn't felt in a long time.

But apart from that, I was observing Pung Oksan closely. I was concerned about where the problem might be.

I was startled. I didn't show it on the outside, but I was greatly shocked.

'Daoist Master Pung is also under a curse?'

If it were just that, I wouldn't have been so surprised. Curses weren't common, but it was possible to be afflicted by one. But what I had confirmed was something completely unexpected.

'The same curse as me?'

There was no possibility of being mistaken. The energy of the curse still remained in Mok Wigun's body. And that energy was identical to Pung Oksan's.

'What is this? Does this mean we were attacked by the same person? Or the same group?'

It was absurd. How could there be such a coincidence?

'One thing is for sure. The ones who cast the curse have been active for at least 10 years.'

My thoughts became a bit complicated. I was lost in thought for a moment when I heard Pung Oksan's voice.

"What are you thinking so hard about?"

Pung Oksan asked, looking at me with a curious expression.

"Ah. It's nothing. I was just thinking about the past for a moment."

I immediately changed the subject.

"But are you alright? I heard you were seriously injured in the past."

"The aftereffects are still there. It doesn't heal that easily."

"Is that so?"

After confirming the curse, I could clearly understand why he had moved like that earlier. It was because of the nature of the curse that sucked away the body's energy.

The more you use internal energy, the stronger the curse becomes. Because the curse gnaws at the internal energy to grow in size. As time passes, the internal energy decreases and the pain intensifies. You struggle like that until you meet your doom.

The shock would be greater for a master. The higher you fall from, the more it hurts. I could imagine how difficult it must have been for Pung Oksan all this time. The feeling of slowly dying without any hope. It was horrifying just to think about.

"Have you received any treatment?"

"Haha. Well... there's no physician who knows about this symptom."

"No physician who knows?"

I pretended to be moderately surprised and then asked for his understanding.

"This is perfect timing. There's a very skilled physician here right now. I'll bring him."

At my words, Pung Oksan was overjoyed. In fact, it was a bit awkward to bring it up, but for him to offer an introduction on his own, how fortunate.

I immediately went to Pyeon Jeoksu, who was in another room.

"Hey. It's a curse. And it's the same one I was afflicted with."

"What? That's a strange thing."

Pyeon Jeoksu tilted his head as if he couldn't understand.

"Are curses common in this world?"

"No. They're not common. It's not that there aren't places that use such methods, though."

When it came to curses, the Demonic Sect or the Blood Sect were suspected. The Mosan Sect and the factions that split from it also used curse-like techniques.

"You know more about curses, so go take a look."

"Alright. But to what extent should I look?"

"Very meticulously."

I told him to examine him as thoroughly as possible.

"But don't tell him everything."

"Then how much should I tell him?"

The two of them decided on a few things to talk about as they headed to the room where Pung Oksan was waiting.

"Daoist Master. This is Physician Pyeon."

Pyeon Jeoksu greeted him with a cupped fist salute.

"I am Pyeon Jeoksu."

"I am Pung Oksan of Zhongnan."

The three of them, including Pyeon Jeoksu, sat down and talked about various things. Mostly, Daoist Master Pung asked about Mok Wigun's condition.

Whether the illness was completely cured. Whether there were any problems with his health. Pyeon Jeoksu also answered well, playing along.

"By the way, Daoist Master Pung."

At Pyeon Jeoksu's words, Pung Oksan, who was talking with Mok Wigun, turned his head.

"Do you perhaps have pain in your chest area?"

"What? How did you...?"

Pung Oksan was truly surprised. There was indeed an area where he often felt pain. Around his heart, his solar plexus, and the back of his neck.

But Physician Pyeon had pointed it out without even checking his pulse.

"You probably have similar symptoms in your solar plexus and neck as well?"

"Hah."

Pung Oksan was so surprised he couldn't even answer. They said he was a divine physician who had even saved a dead person, and he thought he was different in some way.

"That's right. I was worried about that. Do you know why this is happening?"

Pyeon Jeoksu answered.

"What should I call it. It's a type of demonic art."

It was a bit different from demonic arts, but there were similar aspects. So it wasn't a completely wrong answer. An answer they had prepared before coming.

"Demonic art."

Pung Oksan's expression became serious.

"It was a demonic art. That's why the physicians couldn't figure it out."

"It would be difficult for ordinary physicians to know."

Not just physicians, but there are almost no people in this world who can recognize it. It's because he's a Vampire Lord that he can tell at a glance.

Pyeon Jeoksu continued to speak to the astonished Pung Oksan.

"You probably felt some kind of energy in your body."

"That's right. It's strange, it's not internal energy, but I felt that there was something unsettling."

Pung Oksan also knew well about the symptoms of being hit by internal energy. It was definitely not internal energy. But there was something unknown.

"It's an energy that slowly gnaws at the body. You probably felt severe pain in that area when you tried to use internal energy."

"That's right. That's right."

How could he pinpoint it so accurately? Pung Oksan was completely engrossed in Physician Pyeon's story.

"When you use internal energy, it's like feeding that energy. So it's best to refrain from using internal energy if possible."

"Ah. So that's why the symptoms got worse every time I tried to draw out my internal energy."

Pung Oksan asked about the things he had been curious about, and Pyeon Jeoksu answered in detail. There was no one who knew more about curses than him. Pung Oksan felt his mind becoming clear.

And the final question.

"Then is there a way to cure this?"

Pung Oksan's voice trembled slightly as he asked.

He had suffered so much because of this symptom that he felt like dying. How frustrating must it have been for someone who was a peak master to be unable to use his internal energy properly. And because of that, he had suffered all sorts of humiliation.

But now, he saw a path to a cure. Pung Oksan was only looking at Physician Pyeon's mouth. Earnestly praying that he would say it could be cured.

"It is difficult."

"Aah!"

Pung Oksan's strength suddenly drained away. His expectations crumbled. All that came out was a deep sigh.

"So it's difficult to cure."

"Not only is it rare, but it's a tenacious one. It's not something that can be cured simply. However."

At the word 'however', the light returned to Pung Oksan's eyes.

"To cure this, there are things that need to be prepared."

Pung Oksan swallowed his saliva. He was pouring out a gaze that said to quickly say the words that followed.

"But I cannot promise when that will be."

"Aah. I see."

It can be cured, but it's unknown when it will be possible. There was hope, but in other words, the opportunity might not come until he grew old and died.

"Well. To cure something like this, there must be special things that need to be prepared."

"That's right. In reality, you should consider it difficult."

At those words, Pung Oksan's expression became dejected.

"It seems I have caused you concern by speaking unnecessarily."

"Not at all."

Pung Oksan soon smiled and shook his head.

"I was frustrated all this time, but just finding out why is enough."

The conversation continued after that, but there was nothing special. Pung Oksan tried hard to put on a bright expression, but he couldn't hide the shadow that was implicitly revealed.

* * *

"Why did you tell me to say it's difficult?"

Pyeon Jeoksu asked as if he couldn't understand.

"It seems like he can recover in a few months."

If Pyeon Jeoksu regained his strength, he could get rid of a curse with a single wave of his hand. So he could have just told Pung Oksan to wait a few months.

"Of course, I have to treat him."

I knew as soon as I met him. This person was on my side.

But I judged that it was better not to reveal the information that he could be cured right now.

"If I say I can break the curse, how will the other party react?"

"The other party, you mean the person who cast the curse?"

"Yes. The ones who cast the curse."

The answer was obvious.

"They'll try to eliminate me somehow. Because I'm cutting off their livelihood."

"I guess so? That's why it's better to say it can't be cured right now."

Pyeon Jeoksu hadn't regained his strength yet.

"If it's the one who attacked Daoist Master Pung 10 years ago, it means he's a considerable master."

To the extent that Pung Oksan, who was a peak master, was defeated, he must be a considerable expert. So for Pyeon Jeoksu's safety, it was right to hide it for now.

"Besides, I can use it to my advantage later."

If I find someone who I think is the culprit, I can use it for confirmation.

"I see. If he's the real culprit, he'll move to eliminate me."

"Right. So I have to use it after you regain your strength and I'm somewhat prepared."

That way, I can catch them properly and screw them over.

"I always think this, but you seem really interesting. How do you think of all those things?"

"That's because I'm weak."

Pyeon Jeoksu waved his hands, saying it was ridiculous.

"You, who cut off the Demon King's head, are weak?"

"That was the result of struggling desperately not to die."

Because I was weak, I had to find a way somehow. The reason I came to devise all sorts of means and methods was all to survive.

"It's all just cunning. You're so strong you don't need to use cunning, so you wouldn't know."

Those who were strong from the beginning don't know. What the weak have to do to survive. It's a story that a being who has never been weak in the first place cannot understand.

"So until I fix my Dantian, I'm going to be careful. Revenge isn't too late even after I have the strength to take it."

Pyeon Jeoksu nodded, saying he understood. Then he suddenly brought his face close and asked.

"By the way, can't I go to the banquet too?"

(End of Chapter)