MAEPG: Episode 258
Episode 258 The Zhuge Clan (4)
Plip—
Tea flowed from the teapot into the teacup, a subtle fragrance spreading through the air.
The room was decorated simply and elegantly, in a classic style.
It was a space befitting a scholar's residence. Inside, the old man, Zhuge Gunak, the Grand Elder of the Zhuge Clan, who had personally brewed the tea, slowly raised the teacup and savored its aroma.
“Hmm.”
He had long since lost his sight, but his movements as he performed the tea ceremony were flawless.
Through years of cultivation, he had developed senses keen enough to perform such everyday tasks without difficulty.
‘Harris… and Ha Seung-hoon.’
And of course,
Those sharp senses were also very useful for assessing people.
And the strangers who had suddenly appeared were no exception.
‘Otherworlders… These visitors are quite extraordinary in many ways.’
But even for Zhuge Gunak, understanding these two wasn’t easy.
He had interacted with otherworlders in his younger days, but these two were completely different from those he had encountered before, in terms of their personalities, behavior, and abilities.
‘But neither of them seemed malicious, and I didn’t sense any hostility. If anything, they seemed… benevolent?’
Although Harris’s demeanor was a bit disrespectful, it wasn’t unusual for a powerful individual of his level to be arrogant.
And they had even taken the initiative to mend their relationship.
By subtly revealing Ha Seung-hoon’s healing ability.
‘I don’t know how they learned about Hyemi’s condition.’
It was a transparent ploy, but Zhuge Gunak played along.
He knew it was an olive branch, an offer of reconciliation and cooperation.
‘There are still many unanswered questions.’
He had already noticed that Harris was hiding something.
About the winged otherworlder who was suspected to be the cause of this chaos.
But the hostility he had shown when the topic was brought up was genuine…
‘Hmm, I need to observe them more closely.’
Further action was unnecessary for now. Maintaining a friendly relationship was recommended.
That was the Grand Elder’s initial assessment.
“Hahaha, and he’s also my granddaughter’s lifesaver. They said she’s already showing signs of improvement? I’ve been holding back, worried that this old body might cause more harm than good… I can finally see my granddaughter’s face again.”
A small smile appeared on Zhuge Gunak’s lips as he organized his thoughts while enjoying his tea.
As the clan’s elder, the clan’s well-being was his top priority, but he also cared deeply for his sick granddaughter.
‘One is a Mysterious Realm expert, inheriting the lineage of the Heavenly Ki Sect. The other is a divine healer who saved a patient even our clan’s best doctors couldn’t cure… It seems like it would be beneficial to form a connection with them.’
Of course, it was in their blood to instinctively calculate gains and losses.
______________________
Healing with holy power wasn’t a panacea.
Of course, it was incredibly effective, being a gift from the Saint himself, but it still required considerable time and effort to treat serious illnesses.
And this case was no exception.
It was the third day since Hugo started treating the ‘young miss’ with holy power, once a day.
Flash—
As before, a gentle light emanated from the holy symbol and seeped into the patient’s body.
The scene was identical to the first day, but something was different…
“Hmm, this is strange. It feels different from internal energy. It’s more… warm and encompassing…”
Zhuge Hyemi, the Zhuge Clan’s precious daughter, was awake.
She had regained consciousness on the second day of treatment, after being in a coma.
A faint blush had returned to her pale cheeks, and her skin now had a healthy glow.
It was a dramatic improvement compared to before, when she had been barely clinging to life despite all the elixirs they had used.
And this was only the third treatment.
‘It’s working, which is good… but her reaction to the holy power is different from other patients. Is this really a disease?’
But Hugo, the healer, frowned, a strange feeling in his heart.
He could sense that something was different, but as a layman who was simply channeling holy power through a medium, he couldn’t pinpoint the problem.
‘Heinrich would know if he was here.’
But that wasn’t possible, so he had no choice but to observe the long-term changes and make indirect assessments.
It didn’t seem like the treatment would be over soon anyway.
‘But she’s definitely recovering. And if we combine it with the existing treatments, it might shorten the duration.’
It was a somewhat mercenary thought, but it wasn’t a bad thing. The longer the treatment lasted, the stronger their bond with the Zhuge Clan would become.
Heinrich, who had to constantly supply the holy power, might be annoyed, though.
“Ha… I don’t know how long it’s been since I felt this way. Maybe… it’s even my first time? I’ve always been sickly since I was young… ever since I was born…”
He was able to have a conversation with Zhuge Hyemi during the treatment.
She, who had been bedridden, seemed to have a lot of pent-up frustration. She chattered nonstop, perhaps because he was an outsider.
Thanks to that, Hugo learned a lot about her in just two days.
That she had three older brothers, that her mother died giving birth to her, that she was a cursed child who brought misfortune to the world…
Most of what she said was self-deprecating and pessimistic, but there was one thing that particularly bothered him.
“Hmm, if you don’t mind me asking, Young Miss Zhuge… how old are you?”
“Huh? You’re asking a lady her age? Young Master Ha, I didn’t expect that from you… You seem to be lacking in tact…”
This wasn’t going to work.
He had to stop her before she went on forever.
Hugo cut her off.
“I heard the world became like this 22 years ago, because of that incident.”
“Yes? That’s right. It’s not common knowledge, though.”
“So you’re twenty-two years old?”
“W-why do you have to be so specific? Just let it go.”
He stared at her with a dubious expression as she puffed out her cheeks and pouted.
She looked and acted like a girl no older than thirteen.
‘Well, she said she’s been sick since she was young, so it’s understandable.’
It wasn’t unusual, and it wasn’t important anyway.
What mattered was that a major incident that shook the very foundation of this world had occurred in the year she was born.
‘Coincidence?’
It couldn’t be a real curse, but maybe there was a connection between the incident and her illness…
“How old are you, Young Master Ha?”
As he was lost in thought,
Zhuge Hyemi asked him a question in an innocent voice.
She was smiling brightly again, as if she had never been sulking.
“I’m twenty-three.”
He answered firmly.
He had deliberately added a year, as he felt like she would be more receptive to someone older than her… but it wasn’t exactly a lie.
He was still twenty in Earth years, but it had been almost three years since he entered this world.
He could technically be considered twenty-three. And considering that he was experiencing time at a much higher density than others due to his multiple avatars, maybe he should even add a few more years.
“Ah! You’re about my age? I thought you were older. Hehe.”
Was she subtly calling him old?
He thought so for a moment, but her innocent smile seemed genuine.
She was a tiring person to deal with.
“Haaam—!”
She suddenly yawned, covering her mouth in surprise.
She froze for a moment, then subtly glanced at him, as if embarrassed.
“You seem tired. Why don’t you get some rest? The treatment’s over for today.”
“No, no! I’m not tired! I’m perfectly fine!”
“Don’t be stubborn. Rest is also a part of recovery. Talking also consumes a lot of energy, so let’s stop here for today.”
Hugo stood up firmly.
It was the perfect timing, as he had been looking for an opportunity to leave.
“Hmm… Will you come again tomorrow?”
“Of course. I’ll be coming every day for a while.”
“…Alright.”
Zhuge Hyemi’s face fell, and she reluctantly lay back down.
It was an excessive display of affection for someone she had just met… but he was her lifesaver, so it wasn’t that strange.
‘Maybe she just needed someone to talk to.’
An outsider who wasn’t family or a clan member— someone completely unrelated to her life.
He could understand her, considering what she had told him.
“…See you tomorrow.”
“Yes, see you tomorrow.”
And so, Hugo steadily established himself in Ganghwange, forming a new connection.
__________________
In a corner of a battlefield, seemingly ravaged by a fierce battle.
Wooong—
A heavy aura surrounded a man who was kneeling with his hands clasped together, his eyes closed in prayer.
He was completely still, but his solemn demeanor emanated an overwhelming pressure, as if suffocating the very air around him.
And someone was watching him with admiration—.
‘As expected of Heinrich! He never stops praying.’
Saintess Liesta.
Immediately after another White Giant subjugation,
She had returned to her assigned area, helped the victims, and then found Heinrich praying, as always. Her eyes sparkled with reverence.
‘I can’t lose either!’
It seemed like the holy power blazing from his body had ignited her own faith.
She quietly sat next to him and began to pray in the same posture.
She was exhausted after the battle and the large-scale healing spell she had just cast… but if Heinrich, who had led the fight and handled the aftermath, was still so devout, she couldn’t complain!
And so, in that space filled with holy power,
The Saint and the Saintess prayed to the Main God side by side—.
‘Hmm, is this enough?’
Heinrich had successfully replenished his holy power for Ganghwange.
__________________
“Found another one. This is a real gold mine!”
Harris smiled with satisfaction, holding a large, human-shaped root in his hand.
He was on Mount Wudang, a sacred mountain not far from Yungjung Mountain, where the Zhuge Clan resided.
It was the home of the Wudang Sect, one of the largest factions in Ganghwange.
‘Well, it’s my personal garden now.’
He could clearly feel the difference now that he was in a place with abundant Ki.
He had been slightly disappointed by the elixirs he had collected so far.
‘They said the overall efficacy of elixirs was decreasing in the Zhuge Clan.’
It was because they were too sensitive to the surrounding energy and were affected by the dwindling Ki.
Most of the remaining elixirs in this world would probably be in a similar state, unless they were grown in a Dragon Vein.
That made the elixirs from Dragon Veins even more valuable.
‘And my Hugo deserves only the best!’
Even elixirs would lose their effectiveness with repeated use, as the body developed a resistance.
He couldn’t just feed him anything.
‘It was a good decision to give the other elixirs to the Zhuge Clan. It was a good way to earn their favor.’
Harris nodded with satisfaction and continued his search, collecting the visible elixirs.
He concealed his presence and avoided being seen, just in case.
‘I’ll come back here whenever I have the chance. But I should at least gather enough for Hugo to use.’
He had collected more than he initially intended, but it was always better to have too much than too little.
He could always distribute the surplus later.
‘Hmm, this should be enough. Now then…’
It was the tenth day since Harris entered Ganghwange.
It was time for him to return to Auterica.
This was his last harvest before leaving.
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