Baek Suryong did not wake up for five days.
Ak Yeonho was simply scheduled to be sent away on the condition that he swear never to use the Ak Clan of Shandong's martial arts again or go near the clan estate.
"They say there's nothing wrong with his body, so why isn't he waking up?" Noh Goonsang asked in frustration.
The physicians shook their heads, frowning.
"What on earth is so urgent that it can't be postponed?
"We don't know the reason either."
Noh Goonsang sighed. They had summoned the most renowned physicians from the nearby Murim Alliance and Beggars' Gang branches, yet no one could figure out why the Azure Dragon Hero had not regained consciousness.
"Fine. Since you insist you're okay, I can't keep you here by force. I'll take my leave now."
"His injuries were severe, but his physical condition has clearly improved..."
"Hyung-nim, you saved those children." Noh Goonsang chuckled, feeling the sunlight stream through the window.
"His breathing is regular now, and the flow of his qi is smooth."
"There are no issues with his body, so we suspect the cause might be psychological."
His aura was so faint it was almost imperceptible.
Everyone offered their own speculations, but no one could provide a clear answer.
The next day, Baek Suryong woke up.
Still, Noh Goonsang couldn't find it in himself to blame the physicians who had been toiling day and night for several days. Sighing again, he apologized, "I was just venting my frustrations. Please, physicians, don't take it to heart."
"You're the one who needs to rest most, Principal. Should you really be worrying about others right now?" the oldest physician asked, looking at Noh Goonsang with concern. He was the one who had personally splinted the Principal's arms, which were so badly fractured that there wasn't a single unbroken bone left. "Didn't I tell you that if you keep pushing yourself like this, you might never be able to use martial arts again? You need to lie down and stay still, as even the slightest movement could strain your body."
Noh Goonsang shook his head. There was too much work for him to rest. "Isn't it true that moving more often helps bones mend faster? Physician, please look after the other instructors and students instead of me."
"Please, you must consider your age..."
Many lives were saved thanks to the man who fought to the very end, all while hiding the world's most terrifying secret.
"Hohoho! I'm just an old man who's about to retire soon. There's not much to regret even if I lose my martial arts."
The old physician snorted. He knew what it meant for a martial artist who had trained his entire life to hear he might lose his skills. He had seen several martial artists take their own lives, declaring they would rather die than live without their abilities. Noh Goonsang was definitely lying.
Still, Noh Goonsang wore a serene smile as if he had transcended such concerns. Claiming he knew his own body best, the soon-to-retire Azure Dragon Academy Principal received only simple first aid and splints before asking the physicians to look after the others.
The old physician grumbled, "Everyone from the Azure Dragon Academy is so stubborn. This person and that person, all asking us to treat others first..."
"We don't know the reason either."
"Hohoho! We tend to be that way."
"Fine. Since you insist you're okay, I can't keep you here by force. I'll take my leave now."
"Even if you were far away, didn't you see something?
The physicians left, and Noh Goonsang gazed at Baek Suryong's haggard, sleeping face.
A squabble briefly broke out between the Murim Alliance and the Beggars' Gang over who would treat Baek Suryong, but Namgung Su settled the matter by reasoning that taking him to the Murim Alliance was better for the patient's hygiene. The beggars were left speechless by his argument, but logic was not on their side. In the end, they could only hand over a large supply of restorative medicines and set up camp around the Murim Alliance Branch.
"If the Sword Addict saw this, he would have caused an uproar."
When the blood-soaked Namgung Su had carried Baek Suryong down the mountain, most people who saw them thought the Azure Dragon Hero was dead. His aura was so faint it was almost imperceptible. If Namgung Su had not quickly cleared up the misunderstanding, the Five Young Azure Dragons, who had burst into tears, would have fainted on the spot.
The old physician grumbled, "Everyone from the Azure Dragon Academy is so stubborn. This person and that person, all asking us to treat others first..."
"The Murim Alliance will care for our Chief Instructor!"
"What nonsense! The Azure Dragon Hero is a brother of beggars! We will look after our brother!"
A squabble briefly broke out between the Murim Alliance and the Beggars' Gang over who would treat Baek Suryong, but Namgung Su settled the matter by reasoning that taking him to the Murim Alliance was better for the patient's hygiene. The beggars were left speechless by his argument, but logic was not on their side. In the end, they could only hand over a large supply of restorative medicines and set up camp around the Murim Alliance Branch.
"By the way, how did you know a fight had broken out here?"
"How could we not? A massive vortex of qi suddenly appeared in the sky out of nowhere."
The vortex created by the battle between the Fire King and the Blood Cult Apostle was reportedly visible from over a hundred kilometers away. The nearby Murim Alliance and Beggars' Gang branches had sensed that something unusual was happening and dispatched their forces.
"......" Ak Yeonho, who had been about to get angry, was shocked speechless.
As luck would have it, Ak Jinheon and Donggeol, the first to escape through the secret passage, encountered them while heading down the mountain and led them back. It could only be called a stroke of heavenly luck.
"Hyung-nim, you saved those children." Noh Goonsang chuckled, feeling the sunlight stream through the window. The late autumn light was orange and warm, reminiscent of someone who wasn't here anymore.
Of course, the Fire King hadn't accomplished this incredible feat alone. Many instructors and Ak Clan spearmen had become wandering souls.
After receiving the Gratitude Token, Namgung Su thought for a moment, then handed it back.
Then there was the Azure Dragon Hero. Many lives were saved thanks to the man who fought to the very end, all while hiding the world's most terrifying secret.
Noh Goonsang sat by Baek Suryong's bedside and gently stroked his hair with a bandaged hand. "Hurry up and wake up, Mr. Baek. Many people are waiting for you."
Ak Yeonho nodded without knowing why.
With every elegant stroke of the brush, characters filled the blank paper.
Namgung Su sat with his back ramrod straight, moving the brush with great care, completely focused on each and every character. Despite having his severely injured left arm splinted and held in a sling, his dignity as a member of a prestigious family was not diminished in the slightest.
"......" Namgung Su's brush paused for a moment. The action was so fluid and natural, however, that the Murim Alliance martial artist found nothing strange about it.
"Master Namgung, may I ask just one last question?" the man sitting opposite him asked cautiously. He was a martial artist from the Murim Alliance's investigation team, there to inquire about the battle in the gorge.
The martial artist clasped his hands in farewell and left.
Namgung Su nodded. "Of course. Please ask freely."
He had requested the investigation team's understanding in advance, explaining that he had an urgent, unavoidable matter and would cooperate with the investigation while he worked. It was an awkward request, but the Murim Alliance had readily accepted. After all, who would dare interrogate a peerless master who had taken the Spear King Ak Bi's head and become one of the new Ten Supremes? Even the Murim Alliance Chairman himself would hesitate.
Fortunately, Namgung Su answered the Murim Alliance's questions diligently. As the martial artist who had fought the Blood Cultists until the very end, he knew a great deal.
"You said the Blood Cult's Head Elder, other elders, and even several members of the Ten Great Villains were in the gorge, correct?"
"That is correct."
"Who do you think was the owner of the powerful qi that approached the gorge and then retreated?"
She seemed briefly surprised to see Ak Yeonho, but quickly composed herself and formally greeted Namgung Su.
"I did not get to meet them, but I surmise they were a master stronger than the Head Elder."
Hearing that this person was likely stronger than the infamous Undying Supreme Demon, the Murim Alliance martial artist gulped. "T-Then, could it possibly have been the Blood Demon?"
"......" Namgung Su's brush paused for a moment. The action was so fluid and natural, however, that the Murim Alliance martial artist found nothing strange about it.
After finishing one letter, Namgung Su set it aside, took a blank sheet of paper, and began writing a new one.
"As I said, I did not meet them in person," he reiterated.
Namgung Su nodded. "Of course. Please ask freely."