Empty Stone Milk (1)
Early in the morning, the four siblings and Cheol-woo headed first to Cheongsimwon, near Nammun Boulevard.
They were going to meet the physician who, by making the closest possible assessment of Sima-jin's condition and prescribing medicine accordingly, had at least managed to prevent the worst outcome.
Sima-Xian tried to dissuade them, saying that there was still some of the prescribed medicine left and that they could rest for a day or two and visit slowly, but Sima-Jian, whose heart was in too much of a hurry, had no intention of delaying even for a moment.
Cheongsimwon was larger than expected.
Despite the early hour, patients were lined up in long queues. There were even three or four men standing around to maintain order.
Confronted with a scene he had never seen before, Sima-Jian found himself trusting a little more in the skill of the physician treating Sima-jin.
"The line's pretty long. Looks like we came too late."
Seeing the long queue, Sima-Jian spoke with regret.
"It's very famous around here. Just wait a bit."
Sima-ho lightly tapped Sima-Jian's arm and stepped forward with a slightly swaggering air. He then approached the men who were barking orders under various pretexts, telling people to line up properly and so on.
Unlike his confident stride, once he stood before them, Sima-ho hurriedly bent at the waist and greeted them.
"What are those guys?"
Cheol-woo asked, wearing an incredulous expression.
"They're with the Dongsimhoe,"
Sima-Xian replied bitterly.
"Ah!"
"They extort money under the pretense of maintaining order. Not just here—several businesses pay them for the same reason."
"So they call it maintaining public order. But why is he being so submissive? Last night he was talking about being a 'pillar' or something."
At Cheol-woo's words, Sima-Xian let out a deep sigh.
"A pillar, my foot! He just talks big—he's nothing but a low-level lackey."
"Hahaha! Well, that's how everyone grows up."
Unlike Sima-Xian, who looked exasperated, Cheol-woo didn't seem to think much of it at all. If anything, there was a hint of approval in his eyes.
After finishing his talk with the men, Sima-ho returned, shrugging his shoulders as if he'd never bowed in the first place.
"It's settled. Let's go that way."
Ignoring Sima-Xian's displeased look, Sima-ho took Sima-jin's hand and moved to the left.
Sima-Jian followed without saying anything, Cheol-woo trailed behind with a grin, and Sima-Xian, sighing, had no choice but to follow as well.
Turning around the left wall, they found a small side gate.
It was normally kept tightly shut, but a rough-looking man was already holding it open.
"Thank you, brother."
When Sima-ho bowed politely, the man patted him on the shoulder.
"Go on in."
"Thank you."
"Hey, good work."
As he passed, Cheol-woo casually tapped the man's shoulder with a palm as big as a pot lid.
The man grimaced as if he'd been struck with a hammer and stared after Cheol-woo's retreating back.
After passing through the side gate, the group strode straight toward the infirmary, where physicians were tending to patients.
"There are a lot of patients, but quite a few physicians too."
Sima-Jian exclaimed in admiration as he looked at the busy physicians.
"In all of Soheung and the surrounding areas, there's no medical hall bigger than Cheongsimwon. There is one in Hangzhou, but that place is reserved for government officials and the wealthy."
Sima-Xian, who had broadened his horizons while traveling with escort caravans, spoke knowingly.
"What's amazing is that it didn't take many years for it to grow this big. When we first came here for Jian's treatment, there was only a single infirmary building. And only one physician—Sosoma's."
"Sosoma's?"
"The physician treating our youngest. People call him that because he always has a smiling face."
"He doesn't seem like a quack, at least," Cheol-u said, glancing around.
"He'd better not be."
Sima-Jian nodded heavily.
Judging from everything he had heard and seen, the man called Sosoma was undoubtedly an outstanding physician. Still, the fact that even such a physician had been unable to accurately identify Sima-jin's illness weighed heavily on his mind.
When the group entered the infirmary, Ohwan, who had been sorting and guiding patients, hurried over.
"Ah, you've come. But this isn't the scheduled date—what brings you here?"
Sima-ho stepped forward and spoke.
"Circumstances forced our hand. Please inform the physician."
"Understood. Please come this way for now."
Ohwan led them to a ward prepared for special guests.
"Please wait a moment. I'll bring my master shortly."
Ohwan left, and about fifteen minutes passed.
"I'll be coming in."
With a low voice, the owner of Cheongsimwon—Sosoma, Hwang Zheng—slowly entered the ward.
Sima-Jian was surprised twice upon seeing him.
First, he was surprised by how young he looked. Then he was surprised again to realize that he was not merely a physician. Though not to the level of a master, he clearly possessed martial arts.
'A physician with martial arts?'
Both Sima-Jian and Cheol-woo examined him with curious eyes.
[He's pretty decent for a physician, Boss.]
As Sima-Jian gave a slight nod in response to Cheol-woo's voice transmission, Sosoma greeted them with a gentle smile.
"I was quite startled when I heard you had come. There should still be medicine left from last time, so when I heard you'd visited suddenly, I worried that the condition might have worsened. Fortunately, that doesn't seem to be the case."
While speaking, Sosoma was already examining Sima-jin.
"Yes, that's not it. My elder brother wished to meet you, so we hurried a bit."
"Ah, I see."
After briefly looking at Sima Jian and Cheol-woo, Sosoma fixed his gaze on Sima Jian.
"My name is Sima Jian."
As Sima Jian offered a formal greeting, Sosoma returned one just as respectfully.
"I am Hwang Zheng."
He gives a good impression—simple and unpretentious.
Seeing Hwang Zheng dressed in worn hemp robes despite having amassed great wealth, Sima Jian felt an instinctive liking for him.
"I've seen patients' families for years, but I didn't know there was an eldest brother."
"There were circumstances. When I returned home, I heard that our Jian was seriously ill. Upon hearing that you were treating him, I came at once."
Sima Jian spoke with utmost courtesy.
"Well, 'treatment' may be too generous a word… In any case, I'm glad you came."
Straightening his posture, Hwang Zheng continued calmly.
"Your brother's illness always weighs heavily on my heart. It also makes me reflect on how insignificant my abilities are."
At his self-deprecating words, Sima Xian hurriedly objected.
"What are you saying? The fact that Jian can live as he does now is entirely thanks to you."
"I'm grateful you would say so, but in the end I've been unable to accurately identify the illness. Far from a cure, I'm merely preventing the worst from happening."
"I heard that using better medicinal ingredients would have a greater effect," Sima Jian said.
Hwang Zheng nodded gravely.
"The current ingredients do have some effect, so I believe that if higher-grade ones were used, things might improve a bit more. It's also my hope."
"What kind of ingredients would those be?" Sima Jian asked at once.
"Well…"
Hwang Zheng hesitated, glancing at Sima Xian and Sima ho. He knew well how hard the siblings worked just to afford the medicines they were already using.
The problem was that the higher-grade ingredients cost several times more than the current ones.
"To neutralize the yin energy dominating the body, we've been using ingredients rich in yang energy. A representative example is Fire Spirit Grass. It's the key ingredient."
Sima Jian and Cheol-woo nodded. Just hearing the name made it seem as though yang energy would surge forth.
"What are the better ingredients?"
"Fire Spirit Grass itself has grades. The highest is Thousand-Year Fire Spirit Grass. Similar ingredients include Golden Spirit Fruit and mountain ginseng over three hundred years old. With even greater efficacy are the inner core of the Snow Mountain Flower Carp, Ten-Thousand-Year He Shou Wu, and Empty-Clear Stone Milk—but in terms of price and availability, they're almost impossible to obtain."
At the names of these spiritual medicines, Sima Jian's expression hardened.
He didn't know much about the others, but he knew all too well the value of Ten-Thousand-Year He Shou Wu and Empty-Clear Stone Milk. Even a small amount was worth an astronomical sum, and above all, they were exceedingly difficult to acquire.
"I can't guarantee it, but since we saw some effect with the Fire Spirit Herb, there's a strong chance the medicinal ingredients I just mentioned would also be effective. The problem is that even those alone would increase the cost beyond comparison with the present. They are herbs that trade at extremely high prices."
Hwang Zheng, who had been watching Sima Jian's expression, saw that he showed no particular agitation and, with a hint of hope, added a few more words.
"Of course, the best option would be to obtain the elixir I mentioned last, but…"
"Is it something that can actually be obtained? I'm not familiar with Snow Mountain Hwa-ri, but I've heard of Ten-Thousand-Year He Shou Wu and Azure Clear Stone Oil. They're said to be elixirs capable of reviving even the dead. But as you said, I've heard acquiring them is as difficult as plucking stars from the sky."
"You're well informed. Yes, it's difficult. I myself have never even seen Snow Mountain Hwa-ri, and I've only seen Ten-Thousand-Year He Shou Wu once. As for Azure Clear Stone Oil…"
Hwang Zheng, who had been speaking, suddenly realized his mistake and hurriedly shut his mouth.
Sima Jian did not miss his reaction.
"Can Azure Clear Stone Oil be obtained?"
"Well, that is…"
Hwang Zheng trailed off, his face troubled.
Certain now that Hwang Zheng knew a way to obtain Azure Clear Stone Oil, Sima Jian asked earnestly,
"Please tell me, Physician. Is there a way to obtain Azure Clear Stone Oil?"
"No, I…"
As Hwang Zheng waved his hands in refusal, he suddenly let out a sigh. Sensing something unusual, Sama Xian and Sima ho quickly bowed their heads.
"Please teach us, Physician."
With Sima jin gripping Sima Jian's hand tightly, tears streaming down her pale face—and even Cheolwoo bowing his head—Hwang Zheng could no longer turn away.
"It's not that there is absolutely no way."
"Then you mean…?"
Sima Jian saw hope in Hwang Zheng's words.
"Yes. Azure Clear Stone Oil can be obtained. Even if only in an extremely small amount, it can definitely be obtained."
At Hwang Zheng's firm statement, Sima Jian's heart began to pound.
"Does Cheongsimwon have it?"
Sima Jian asked urgently.
"Of course not. There's no way a place like this would possess such an elixir. To be honest, it would be dangerous."
Azure Clear Stone Oil was not only a crucial ingredient with a high chance of treating Sima jin's condition, but also one of the ultimate elixirs that martial artists would search for with burning eyes. If word spread through the martial world that Cheongsimwon possessed Azure Clear Stone Oil, the entire place would be reduced to ashes overnight.
With a tense expression, Sima Jian asked,
"Then where can it be obtained?"
After maintaining silence for a long while with a troubled look, Hwang Zheng finally let out a long sigh and spoke.
"Have you ever heard of the Suryong Merchant Guild?"
When Sima Jian shook his head, Sima Xian—who had been listening closely—carefully interjected,
"Are you perhaps referring to the merchant guild in Hangzhou?"
"That's right. It's one of the largest merchant guilds in the Central Plains. Not long ago, the guild master's son contracted a particularly difficult form of malaria known as 'chronic ague,' and they urgently summoned me. Fortunately, I was able to treat him before it was too late and saw improvement. During that process, I learned that the Suryong Merchant Guild possesses Azure Clear Stone Oil. I can't even describe how shocked I was when the guild master showed it to me, saying it might help with the treatment."
"Then… did you use the Azure Clear Stone Oil?"
Sima Jian asked in a trembling voice.
"Of course not. Azure Clear Stone Oil is a peerless elixir, so if I had used it, it would certainly have been effective. But if I had used it to treat something like malaria, physicians across the world would have laughed at me."
As Hwang Zheng shook his head, everyone listening let out a sigh of relief.
"How much is it?"
Sima Jian asked, slapping the table.
"Well…"
Hwang Zheng hesitated.
"How much would it take to buy Azure Clear Stone Oil?"
Samageon pressed again.
"I didn't ask directly, but the guild master once mentioned it jokingly. However, it's an amount beyond imagination…"
"This is frustrating. Please tell me."
When Sima Jian raised his voice, a startled Hwang Zheng answered in a barely audible tone,
"Three hundred nyang…"
"What?"
"He said he would sell it for three hundred nyang of gold."
At Hwang Zheng's reply, the room froze solid.
With one nyang of silver, a family of three or four could live comfortably for an entire month.
Since twenty nyang of silver equaled the value of one nyang of gold, three hundred nyang of gold was truly an unimaginable sum.
Samageon turned his head toward Cheolwoo.
Cheolwoo, who had been frowning and counting on his fingers, nodded.
"With the money we brought, it's impossible. But if we sell that, it might be doable."
"That?" Samahyeon asked cautiously.
"There's something I picked up by chance while doing mercenary work at Mount Mandeok. I thought it was just a shiny stone, but I was shocked when I learned it could sell for an enormous price."
At Cheolwoo's casual words, Samageon smiled broadly and nodded.
"That's right. We almost fainted back then."
Samageon recalled the Night-Glowing Pearl he had obtained after destroying Mabulsa at Mount Mandeok.
Its only drawback was that it was a bit small, but in the right hands, it was a treasure worth a fortune.
"Anyway, don't worry. Your big brother will get it somehow. Physician."
"Yes."
"Azure Clear Stone Oil—I will purchase it. Could you arrange a meeting?"
At Sima Jian's words, Hwang Zheng's mouth fell open unconsciously.
The Suryong Merchant Guild master's request that he erase all memory of Azure Clear Stone Oil from his mind had long since vanished.
Hwang Zheng sprang to his feet without realizing it and nodded frantically.
"I'll contact them immediately."