Jeon Gaeun stood at a moderate distance from Seoha, watching the worksite.
"A secret vault. Even Huam doesn't have information on this."
The existence of a secret vault in Eun-ak was something even Jeon Gaeun, a member of Huam, had never heard of.
"Where did he get that kind of information?"
Lee Seoha knew something even Huam did not.
That should have been impossible.
"Lee Seoha's information doesn't come from Huam."
Lee Seoha had blocked the plans of the Eunwol Order—plans even Huam didn't know about—in advance, and had secured Eun-ak by using Han Sanghyeok.
She had thought it was a coincidence, but now she was beginning to wonder if it truly was.
"He wouldn't have spent twenty thousand gwan to buy this dead city unless he was certain the secret vault existed. The vault probably does exist."
The secret vault exists.
She couldn't believe it until she saw it with her own eyes, but that was the correct conclusion.
While she was lost in thought, Lee Seoha called her name.
"Jeon Gaeun."
Jeon Gaeun immediately moved to his side and nodded.
"You called for me?"
"I have a favor to ask. How many members are able to move right now?"
"Eight in total, including myself."
"Eight? That's a bit few."
What was he planning to make her do?
"I need to learn as much as possible."
She had to find out where this man's information came from and what he was planning.
That was why Jeon Gaeun intended to give her all no matter what order Seoha gave.
Gaining his trust came first.
"Please give the order."
"I wasn't planning to ask, but I don't have a choice."
Seoha held out a shovel.
"Then I'll ask."
Jeon Gaeun stared blankly at the shovel, then looked up.
"So the order is…?"
"Yes. We're short on labor. Go dig for a bit."
"Dig… with a shovel?"
"You don't seem to have anything else to do right now. I'll pay you."
"Ah… yes."
For now, it seemed she would be digging.
The search for the secret vault proceeded smoothly.
All of Huam's members were deployed as laborers, and thanks to those who could use martial arts, the pace of work increased noticeably.
Aside from training time, I spent most of my hours at the worksite, and Sanghyeok did the same.
The problem was that Arin also started saying she wanted to enter the tunnel.
"I'm telling you, I'll do it too. It's fine. I'm good at digging."
"No. It hurts my heart to see you digging, so no."
I didn't want to see her digging with those delicate arms.
I'd rather go in and dig myself.
"You should focus on practicing the Immovable Mind Technique. Someday, your strength will definitely be needed."
"Then can I do it in front of the tunnel? I want to watch them work while I practice."
"That's fine."
Arin trained the Immovable Mind Technique at one side of the worksite.
Since the technique required absolute steadiness in any situation, the noisy area in front of the tunnel was actually a good training ground.
While I was watching Arin, Sanghyeok came over and spoke.
"This is nice. Really nice."
"What is?"
"When I come over while working and see Arin, it feels like all my fatigue melts away. Ah, don't misunderstand. I'm not lusting after Arin. People feel good when they see something beautiful, right? Like when you see the Milky Way in the sky or a beautiful sunset."
"Is Arin really on that level?"
"More than that. What? You don't think so?"
"No. I agree. You say something right once in a while."
"Yeah. But there's a problem."
"A problem?"
"Yeah. Because of Arin, the work speed is slowing down."
"Why?"
"Look."
At Sanghyeok's words, I looked around. Everyone, without exception, was staring at Arin.
"..."
Even the girls who had brought lunch were staring absentmindedly. If that was the case, how much worse must it be for the older men?
I cleared my throat loudly in their direction.
"Ahem."
They all had enough sense to quickly avert their gazes.
"Alright! Let's get back to work."
"Thanks for the meal. Haha."
The workers returned awkwardly.
Sanghyeok chuckled and said,
"But what are you going to do about the acting lord?"
"That's what worries me."
We would soon have to return to the Seongmu Academy.
All the officials, including Kim Hakgyu, had been expelled, and the educated people had long since fled the city.
As a result, there was no one suitable in Eun-ak to appoint as acting lord.
"It's hard to bring someone in from outside too."
Who would want to come waste their time in a city on the brink of collapse? Especially someone who had already passed the civil service examination.
At that moment, Yang Miyoung approached.
"Is something worrying you? The work is progressing smoothly, but…"
I might as well ask.
Yang Miyoung was the most well-connected person in this city.
"Is there anyone in this city who could serve as acting lord?"
But Yang Miyoung hesitated and couldn't answer right away.
Honestly, I hadn't expected much.
Anyone who passed the civil service exam would try to stay in the capital and hope for promotion.
Even if assigned elsewhere, they'd want to return to the capital as quickly as possible.
So why would any civil official stay in a ruined city like Eun-ak?
"There is one person, but…"
"There is?"
What? There was?
"Then could you introduce them? I'd like to ask them to serve as acting lord."
"Well…"
Yang Miyoung hesitated, then continued.
"It's my daughter."
"Your daughter?"
"Yes. While others taught martial arts to make warriors, I taught her academics. Warriors die young, don't they? So I wanted her to become a civil official…"
Indeed, there were many youths in Eun-ak who had failed to become warriors.
Ten years ago, it had been a wealthy city, and most families could afford to send their children to local academies.
Because being a warrior was dangerous, Yang Miyoung wanted her daughter to become a civil official.
Perfect.
Yang Miyoung was a figure supported by the citizens, and if her daughter became acting lord, everyone would gladly accept it.
"Really? If she passed the civil service exam, there's no reason she couldn't be acting lord. Could I meet her?"
"Well… her health isn't very good. That's why she couldn't work in the capital and came back to Eun-ak."
"Her health isn't good?"
"Yes. She gets tired easily and falls ill often. She was weak even before, but it's been getting worse. She went to physicians, but they all said they didn't know the cause…"
"If that's the case, I can take a look. Since we're talking about it, let's go now. Is she at home?"
I'm using the Life-and-Death Acupuncture again here.
"Really? She actually brought lunch and is nearby right now. I'll bring her right away."
Yang Miyoung hurried off to get her daughter.
By now, I had gained some confidence in my medical skills.
After all, wasn't I a divine physician who had killed someone once and brought them back to life?
"This is my daughter, sir."
"Greetings, sir. My name is Jo Suyeon."
She was tall like her mother, but her face was pale and frail, giving her a completely different impression.
"I heard you're a civil official. Is that right?"
"Yes. I worked in the capital for about a year."
"She passed first in the civil service exam."
Yang Miyoung said proudly.
First place.
How had I never heard of such a genius—a commoner who placed first?
Either way, I had found the perfect candidate in an unexpected place.
"Then you're perfect for acting lord."
"Acting lord?"
Jo Suyeon looked flustered, glancing between me and her mother.
"I am not worthy of such a position."
"If you're not good enough yet, you can learn. You must be smart if you placed first."
Anything you don't know, you can learn.
"I am not healthy enough to take on such an important role. I appreciate the high evaluation, but…"
"That's something I'll fix now. Excuse me for a moment."
I stepped closer to Jo Suyeon and took her pulse.
She got tired easily and fell ill often.
These symptoms appeared in many diseases.
Getting tired easily meant her recovery function was weakened, and getting sick often meant her body had grown frail.
"A simple cold could cause that, but…"
What bothered me was that it was chronic.
Chronic fatigue and weakened immunity.
I had a bad feeling.
For now, let's check her pulse properly.
After focusing for a long while and checking not just her wrist but also her abdomen and back, I looked at Yang Miyoung.
Seeing my expression, Yang Miyoung asked anxiously,
"…What is it?"
It seemed I'd failed to control my expression.
All the miners who had gathered around were staring at me seriously.
This was… the worst.
"Is there some serious problem?"
I finally understood why I'd never heard of this genius who placed first.
"Her innate true energy is leaking."
"Innate true energy?"
"Simply put, it's the vitality you're born with. When all of it is gone, a person dies. She's already lost an enormous amount. At this rate, she'll die within a year."
Innate true energy could be described simply as life force.
The life energy every human is born with.
Unlike other inner energies, it couldn't be acquired through cultivation techniques.
Jo Suyeon's was leaking.
"The vessel that holds her innate true energy has a hole in it. Considering the leakage rate and the remaining amount, it seems congenital."
When she was young, even with leakage, she had plenty left, so it didn't affect her health.
But now she had reached her limit.
Jo Suyeon had one year left.
No—she had less than three months before she wouldn't even be able to walk or live independently.
Yang Miyoung approached her daughter and sat beside her.
From Yang Miyoung's trembling hands, I could tell her mental state.
"Is there… no way?" she asked.
"We can stop the leakage, but recovery is another matter."
Using the Life-and-Death Acupuncture, I could seal the hole.
But without recovery, Jo Suyeon's current condition wouldn't allow her to serve as acting lord.
Yang Miyoung spoke in a pale voice.
After hearing her daughter would soon die, it was only natural.
"Is there truly no method?"
"If she takes the Innate True Energy Restoration Pill, she could recover to some extent. The problem is, it costs about one thousand nyang per pill, and she'd need around ten doses just to return to an average level."
"Then…"
Ten thousand nyang.
An amount a commoner could never earn, even in a lifetime.
Hearing the amount, Jo Suyeon smiled bitterly.
"I'm fine, Mother. I was already prepared. I came back to spend whatever time I have left with you, so please don't worry too much."
Yang Miyoung lowered her head deeply.
What must a mother feel when she can't treat her child because she lacks money?
"I can't borrow from Cheongsin."
Grandfather wouldn't lend it.
He did everything for me, but always with calculations in mind.
The porcelain was because of a promise between us.
And this investment in Eun-ak was borrowed against the trust I had built so far.
Grandfather would never invest a large sum where there was no benefit.
I thought for a moment, then spoke.
I had to judge whether saving Jo Suyeon would be beneficial in the long term.
Was she worth ten thousand nyang?
The answer came quickly.
She was worth more than ten thousand nyang, and more importantly, hadn't I regressed to save as many people as possible?
Value or not aside, saving a life came first.
"I think I can take care of the money."
"…Really?"
"Of course, though I'll need the citizens' help."
I looked at the gathered miners and said,
"I plan to buy the medicine using the funds Kim Hakgyu embezzled. Once we find the secret vault, we can replenish it. If anyone objects, speak now."
The money Kim Hakgyu embezzled should have become Eun-ak's emergency funds.
I could use it easily because I was confident the secret vault existed, but the citizens weren't.
If the vault wasn't found, Eun-ak might not survive this winter.
But the response came instantly.
"Isn't buying medicine the obvious thing to do?"
"That's right. If it weren't for her, we'd have all been beaten to death long ago."
"Alright! Let's work! Work! If you don't want to freeze to death this winter, shouldn't we find that secret vault or whatever it is?"
Everyone responded casually and returned straight to the worksite, and Yang Miyoung looked at her comrades.
"Then it's decided."
I smiled faintly.
"Will you take on the role of acting lord?"
"…I will do my best."
Jo Suyeon bowed her head, and Yang Miyoung, after sniffling briefly, grabbed a pickaxe and shouted,
"Alright! Let's work! Work!"
The acting lord issue was resolved, and morale rose.
The workers labored day and night, and on the seventh day, Yang Miyoung came running toward me as I waited in front of Tunnel Three.
"We found it! A passage not marked on the map!"
At last, the secret vault had been discovered.