The Terminally-Ill Side-Character Inside of a Martial Arts Novel

After all the medicine was burned, we rushed to Anhui while conserving as much as possible. However, the amount we had was absolutely insufficient.

We had to take it once every two days instead of once a day, and sometimes once every three days.

Since there were no visible numbers related to health, I had to sense the changes in my body by feeling. We flexibly adjusted the dosage and received help from Ji Seok in between to supply nutrients through food, but it was meaningless since I couldn’t take the medicine.

My body condition started to gradually worsen, and now, even though only three days had passed, my body’s energy and blood easily fluctuated. As my body’s balance started to collapse, the blood vessels reacted to the changes first.

I exhaled softly, rinsed my mouth to spit out the remaining blood, then spoke slowly.

“I received a message from Ji Seok last evening. He said he’s obtained some decent medicinal ingredients and is compounding them, so let’s meet in Boyang in four days.”

“I received it too.”

Hyuk Dojin slowly nodded his head while continuing to speak, then stared blankly at my face. I forced a smile at his gaze mixed with worry, but Hyuk Dojin’s gaze didn’t fall. I slowly lowered the corners of my mouth that I had forcibly raised.

Hyuk Dojin slightly furrowed his brows at my appearance.

“Wife.”

Hyuk Dojin raised his arm onto the table and spoke slowly.

“…Do you really know the location of that spirit herb?”

“I don’t know exactly, but to some extent.”

He stared at me blankly with anxious eyes. Coming here in the first place was no different from gambling with my life when viewed broadly.

Of course, I wouldn’t immediately collapse and return to my previous state. But it was a body that had already reached its limit before.

If it worsened again, there was a very high probability of returning to that state in an instant. In such a situation, we came here to find a spirit herb that no one was said to have discovered, so I could understand the great concern about the uncertainty.

“We should be able to find it if we look in the place I mentioned before.”

I couldn’t definitively say where it was. That’s because I hadn’t seen it directly, nor was it drawn in a picture or photo. All that was written was text content.

Hyuk Dojin sighed worriedly.

“I’m not doubting you, but I’m worried because I don’t know how many places in the Huai River match the specific location you described.”

A riverbank where lush grasses grow, and yellow earth. The Huai River flowing below and a bent cliff.

Considering that the Huai River has been flowing for thousands of years, grass, yellow earth, and cliffs weren’t particularly rare phenomena. Moreover, finding a single spirit herb blooming among various grasses was a very difficult task.

“Still, it’s better than not knowing at all. There won’t be that many places that satisfy all the conditions.”

“Yes, there won’t be many. But I’m saying this because I’m worried about your health if time passes while searching all those not-so-many places.”

Hyuk Dojin stared at me blankly. A moment of silence flowed, and soon Hyuk Dojin’s mouth opened slowly.

“Wife. Let me directly…”

“No. As I said before, I don’t want to recommend that.”

“But there’s always a one-in-a-million chance. If we bet everything on one thing and it fails, it’s literally over.”

His arm approached and gently covered the back of my hand. Hyuk Dojin’s heart was fully conveyed beyond the warm body temperature and softness.

“If I move alone, ten days is enough. You’ll be exposed to danger during that time, but I sent a letter to my martial uncle before coming here, so he should arrive without taking too long. If you stay with Harang while leaving Yoo Doha and Eun Do behind, it won’t be that dangerous. So…”

“Then what about you?”

“…”

My voice covered Hyuk Dojin’s words as he was continuing to speak. His voice that was opening quickly was cut off.

In the silence that flowed, I let my voice flow quietly once more.

“Dojin, who will be responsible for your safety?”

“…Who would attack me…”

“You said there was a Flowering Realm master among the people who attacked us before. That means there’s someone behind who can command a Flowering Realm master.”

“I can win against that level.”

I know. Winning.

As I cut off my words shortly, Hyuk Dojin’s brows narrowed.

“I know that probably, unless it’s the Murim Alliance Leader, there aren’t many people who can win against Dojin in a direct confrontation. But to make a round trip from here to Guangxi within ten days, you have to pour all your inner power into footwork and stamina. You can’t even take a boat across the wide Yangtze River, you have to leap across using water-walking techniques or other methods.”

That meant an enormous consumption of inner power. No matter how much of a Transcendent Demonic Realm master Hyuk Dojin was and how profound his inner power was, running at full speed for ten days straight was too much.

“In such a situation, if a Flowering Realm master attacks, do you think you can win then too? Maybe then it won’t be one person but two, or it could be a hundred supreme masters. Can Dojin defeat them all then too?”

There was no answer from him. Hyuk Dojin also knew that what he had said was just nonsensical talk stemming from anxiety and worry.

If he really ran to Guangxi, and on his way back with my medicine, he was attacked and died… I didn’t have the confidence to endure without hating myself.

I was grateful that Hyuk Dojin had such thoughts for me, but I couldn’t accept it. I raised my arm while looking at him with his mouth tightly closed. I covered his hand that was covering the back of my hand and spoke quietly.

“I’ve sent a letter to the Demon Cult asking for help too, so even if we can’t obtain the spirit herb here, we should be able to get help.”

“…I understand. I got excited. I was just worried about you…”

Hyuk Dojin smiled slowly, rubbed his face dry, then brushed up his hair. I smiled brightly at his appearance.

“It’s okay. More importantly, if you’re done eating, shall we get up now? Let’s finish our business here and start leaving soon.”

As I stood up pushing my chair, Hyuk Dojin also nodded his head with a smile. While watching Hyuk Dojin moving his body while packing his luggage, a somehow familiar face suddenly passed behind him.

‘That person is…’

“Wait…”

I hurriedly pressed down on Hyuk Dojin’s shoulder as he was getting up from his seat.

“Wife?”

Hyuk Dojin’s gaze rose towards me then slowly turned back. He looked behind, stared blankly at a man, then slowly turned his head.

“…Who is that person?”

Come to think of it, Dojin wasn’t at the Demon Cult that day. I glanced at the middle-aged man wearing clothes made of high-quality silk and sent a voice transmission.

[The Namgoong clan leader, Namgoong Danghwi.]

At my voice transmission, Hyuk Dojin was surprised and glanced behind. He was the man I had a heated argument with during the meeting before.

Namgoong Danghwi approached the counter, exchanged a few words with the clerk, then turned his body and slowly approached our direction.

Hyuk Dojin’s gaze turned from behind towards me again.

I too examined Namgoong Danghwi’s appearance while hiding my face by pulling down the veil on my head a little more.

He walked lightly and sat down about five tables away from us. His appearance of ordering food from the approaching waiter and looking outside was overflowing with leisure.

While examining Namgoong Danghwi, I met eyes with Hyuk Dojin. After jerking my chin lightly, I stood up from my seat again. I stood up first and Hyuk Dojin followed behind.

After going upstairs to pack our luggage, we came down again, returned the key, and just as we were about to go outside, Hyuk Dojin’s hand approached and pulled my shoulder.

[Wait.]

Shortly after Hyuk Dojin’s voice transmission flowed, the inn’s door opened again and a group of people entered in a rush. Each had a sword hanging at their waist.

And a strap with the character “Nam (南)” embroidered on the sword handle was hanging long.

[They’re martial artists of the Namgoong clan.]

As I slightly stepped aside to make way, the Namgoong clan martial artists who entered took their seats and started eating.

At their appearance, other people also seemed surprised and retreated to the corners hesitantly.

In an instant, only the Namgoong clan martial artists existed in the middle of the inn’s dining room.

While staring blankly at their appearance, Hyuk Dojin’s hand lightly tapped my shoulder.

[Let’s go out.]

The door was open. I nodded my head and slowly approached the door, and just as I was about to go outside, one more person appeared in front of the door and blocked it.

I was only paying attention to Namgoong Danghwi and the martial artists, so I didn’t even notice a person approaching in front.

Hyuk Dojin supported my body from behind as I stepped back in surprise. As my body leaned back and the veil lifted, the face of the person entering through the door was visible.

“…”

The person entering inside opened his eyes wide as soon as he saw me. I too opened my mouth in surprise and bewilderment at the face I was seeing after a long time.

“Namgoong Seolbyeok…”

Why is this man here too? Shouldn’t he be beside Namgoong Baek?

I exchanged glances with him while leaning on Hyuk Dojin, then came to my senses and hurriedly pulled down my veil.

Hyuk Dojin too must have seen Namgoong Seolbyeok’s face, as strength entered his hand holding my shoulder for a moment.

Namgoong Seolbyeok’s eyes shook finely while fixed on me. Then they slowly rolled to examine inside the inn and touched on me again.

So we were caught in the end. He was none other than Namgoong Baek’s disciple. There were many Namgoong clan martial artists inside the inn, and even the clan leader was present.

Assuming I couldn’t use much martial arts since I had to be careful with my body, Hyuk Dojin would have to fight while protecting me.

Hyuk Dojin quietly sent a voice transmission from behind my back as if ready to cut him down and escape if necessary.

[Hold onto my body.]

Hyuk Dojin’s arm went down as if taking a stance to attack immediately.

But even after seeing me and Hyuk Dojin, Namgoong Seolbyeok didn’t attack us or inform Namgoong Danghwi.

He just examined me and Hyuk Dojin alternately with wide open eyes.

His pupils examined my now hidden eyes, then glanced inside the inn, and stepped back one step.

“Are you alright?”

A quiet and gentle voice. I nodded my head shortly while staring at him blankly.

Namgoong Seolbyeok smiled faintly.

“That’s fortunate.”

He bowed his head lightly. Then he moved his body slightly to the side and brushed past me.

During that time, Namgoong Seolbyeok’s voice rang out softly.

“…Leave this place immediately.”

His whisper stayed for a very short moment just as he brushed past, then disappeared in an instant.

I blankly followed his back heading towards Namgoong Danghwi with my eyes, then turned my head.

Hyuk Dojin too must have heard his words, as he was just looking at his back with a complicated face.