I stared at Sara, who was absently watching the stage magic.
At first, I didn’t show it, but I was really surprised when I saw her face.
The moment I saw her, I thought it was a serious notion that she might be the blood relative of the Black Cat.
“Wow!”
Even seeing her smile as she let out a gasp of admiration, she was undeniably the little Black Cat.
Aside from her browner skin and youthfulness, she looked just like the Black Cat. Should I say it’s not just about appearance but the atmosphere? It’s the impression that springs to mind when seeing a person.
Sara’s face looked just like that of the Lord/Lady of the Palace, and if you look closely, there were noticeable differences in her features compared to the Black Cat…
But if you stood the Black Cat and Sara next to each other, anyone would think they were sisters.
Maybe it’s because of the strong influence of the Yin energy, both the Taiyin body and Nine Yin Absolute Pulse feel so alike; even a slight difference in features gives a completely different vibe, yet it’s fascinating how, despite different facial structures, they leave a similar impression.
Anyway, the performance itself went smoothly. The three people were completely immersed in the magic.
Although I started this under the pretense of moving the Podalap Palace… still, a child should shine brightly like that while laughing.
As the performance continued, it was time for the Black Cat’s turn. Hmm. It felt like the little Black Cat was looking at the bigger Black Cat, which was quite strange.
“Pretty sister…”
It seemed I wasn’t alone in feeling that the Black Cat and Sara resembled each other, as Rano Jingbu and Chai-rang also alternated their gazes between the magic on stage and the two.
For them, the Black Cat and Sara must feel like duplicates.
While I knew the face of the Black Cat, at the moment, she was wearing a face veil, so I could only distinguish them by atmosphere, and that ambiance was incredibly similar.
Thanks to the similar vibes of the Black Cat and Sara, there was a moment of silent commotion, but the magic performance itself continued smoothly.
“Eek!”
During the escape magic, she held Chai-rang’s hand and kicked her feet in nervousness, and during the dismemberment trick, she screamed and covered her eyes.
Then, perhaps curious, she subtly parted her fingers to peek at the outcome, which was quite adorable.
After actively participating in both the escape and dismemberment tricks, Okryong returned to the stage and took a bow along with the other magicians as the curtain fell.
“Thus concluded today’s stage magic.”
“Really, really amazing!”
Maybe the excitement hadn’t worn off yet, but Sara wiggled her body with glee. I couldn’t tell if it was just my feeling, but it seemed her complexion had improved as well.
Sara began to spill her impressions of each trick without pause.
“That was incredible! The solid rings getting tangled, the disappearing person, the bird coming out from the cloth..! The squirrel magic was so fun, and also…!”
Breathlessly chattering, Sara panted as if the excitement had made her breathless.
Chai-rang gently patted Sara’s back.
“I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
“Well… um…”
As I moved to take my leave, Sara hesitated, looking at Chai-rang and Rano Jingbu as if seeking help.
“I… want to see the magic again…”
Her tone suggested she was unsure if she could even say such a thing. I silently glanced at Rano Jingbu, who, after alternating glances between Sara and me, closed his eyes for a moment and stood up.
“It seems a good amount of time has passed while watching the magic performance. They too can’t stay here forever; I will discuss with my magicians. Let’s talk about this tomorrow.”
“Got it. Father!”
The three of us quickly left Sara’s quarters.
“Let’s change places for a brief conversation.”
“Of course.”
I gestured for my companions on stage to wait and followed the Lord/Lady of the Palace to another location, which was set up for a more comfortable tea gathering than the palace room where I previously met Rano Jingbu.
“First of all, I should thank you. I never imagined my daughter could smile like that.”
His wife, Chai-rang, seemed choked up over the memories of their daughter and wiped her tears with her sleeve as she spoke.
“I am grateful just to see her so lively, given that she would cough up a storm if someone spoke a little too much.”
“Not at all.”
“I will handsomely reward you for today’s performance. So… would it be alright to request one more performance in the future?”
“Yes, seeing Sara happy makes me feel good too. I will need to discuss it with my companions, but I don’t think anyone would oppose.”
The Lord and Lady of the Palace sighed in relief. Seeing the two exchange looks filled with assurance and hold hands, I felt a tension rising within me.
Having successfully completed the performance and acquired the next opportunity, it was now time to hit the real objective.
“However, I have a question that is unrelated to the performance about the Little Princess.”
The sudden shift in tone caused both of them to focus their gaze on me. The puzzled look on the Lord’s face indicated his surprise. He seemed to be questioning why I would be curious about Sara.
“Is your daughter afflicted with the Absolute Pulse Syndrome?”
The two’s eyes widened in shock.
This was the moment for Act Two of my plan to unfold.
The two looked back at me with astonished faces.
“How would the magician know that?”
“I was just taking a stab in the dark, considering how rare the condition is; I thought it might be a possibility.”
I tried to maintain a serious demeanor, frowning slightly.
“Could it be… around the Nine Yin Absolute Pulse?”
“…Yes.”
“Is that so?”
After a moment of silence, Rano Jingbu scrutinized me with keen eyes and asked,
“Did you perhaps hear rumors about Sara from the outside?”
“Uh? No, I haven’t.”
Feigning confusion, I gazed at Rano Jingbu. Yet, there was no way he could lower his guard now after being fooled by swindlers.
“So just by looking at Sara once, you can pinpoint that ailment? Do you know how rare the Nine Yin Absolute Pulse is? Even esteemed physicians struggled to reveal that Sara has this condition!”
“…That…”
I hesitated, biting my lip momentarily, which only exacerbated Rano Jingbu’s tense scrutiny.
“Why can’t you answer?!”
“…Huh. Because I’m very interested in special physiques.”
“That you figured out Sara’s condition by merely being interested in those special physiques? Might you consider that logical? Is it that you are always lying?”
Now Rano Jingbu was downright unleashing his Qi against me. I felt nauseated, as if the gravity had doubled. Being a skilled martial artist representing the region, his presence could foretell his future ascension to higher ranks, but right now, it felt intimidating.
In that pressing atmosphere, I pondered carefully. Had Rano Jingbu not asked his scouting team about our background? Perhaps that could have been.
“Fine.”
As I moved my hand, Rano Jingbu’s pressure intensified. Clearly sensitive to my movements from having been deceived during the card magic.
I deliberately extended my hand slowly.
“…What are you doing?”
As I offered my pulse to Rano Jingbu, the Lord/Lady of the Palace looked on baffled.
“Like the Little Princess, I possess a special physique.”
“What?”
“And to solve that condition, I’ve been wandering the world, searching for various spiritual medicines and methods. My companions also hold such peculiar physique.”
I continued to speak.
“Try infusing Qi into my body. You’ll be able to feel the impurities obstructing the Qi flow within my meridians.”
“…Do I really need to go to such lengths to prove my innocence?”
The Lord looked skeptical of my motives. Infusing one’s Qi into another’s could be akin to exposing your throat to the executioner’s blade. A slight hint of malice from the other party could lead to fatal injuries.
I said nothing, maintaining my gaze on the Lord. He finally relented and reluctantly grasped my pulse, channeling his Qi. It felt coarse just like his emotional state, but I endured.
“…This is indeed remarkable. How could someone like you have reached the peak in this condition?”
“It’s thanks to wandering the world in search of solutions. Naturally, I’ve had my share of luck as well.”
“How many spiritual medicines have you consumed? There’s so much Qi within your body…”
“Ha ha, I have taken eight.”
Honestly, that felt like an absurd amount.
Seeing my answer, the Lord stared at me in disbelief, then silently withdrew his Qi.
“…I apologize for my rudeness. It seems my eyes went clouded due to those who have tried to exploit my daughter’s illness.”
“It’s fine. I’m glad the misunderstanding has been cleared.”
Rano Jingbu let out a heavy sigh laced with exhaustion.
That didn’t bode well.
The way he looked at me shifted to a more negative tone, like boredom or resignation.
“Alright then, go ahead and say what you want.”
“I have traveled the world searching for various encounters to remedy my condition. Among those are knowledge, not just spiritual medicines or treasures.”
“Were you implying that you have a treatment method for the Nine Yin Absolute Pulse?”
His demeanor felt off, almost as if he were watching a cliché ending unfold in a play, and it seemed unlikely that my words would hold any weight.
“Yes, indeed.”
“I see.”
Rano Jingbu seemed to have shed all glimmers of hope.
“Then, is that method verified?”
“Absolutely.”
“You’ll surely be confident, but your confidence holds no value whatsoever. Has the treatment you claim to know ever cured the Nine Yin Absolute Pulse?”
“The fact that you don’t place trust in my words is understandable. So how about trying a method to alleviate the symptoms of the Nine Yin Absolute Pulse before moving on?”
“Impossible.”
Rano Jingbu decisively shot that down. Honestly, this was a surprising situation. I had anticipated Rano Jingbu to suspect me after being swindled before, but I didn’t think he would be so obstinate about it.
“Do you not understand why I am saying this? I have encountered so many like you—those who are not swindlers but with good intentions. Some renowned physicians rushed in believing they invented a cure for the Nine Yin Absolute Pulse, only to profess that they could solve it with their spiritual power.”
His story was rather unexpected for me.
“Even if there’s good intention, even if there’s confidence. Does that guarantee results?”
“…I do understand your feelings, Lord. So…”
“More than anything, Sara is already at her limit.”
Rano Jingbu let out a long sigh.
“You may just see Sara invigorated after the magic performance, but that child has grown too weak to try any new treatments.”
This was quite a difficult situation. The treatment method for the Nine Yin Absolute Pulse I knew was indeed a real one, but could I find a way to prove it?
No, I couldn’t.
Yet it was hard to potentially persuade the Lord and Lady of the Palace, who had already encountered too many disappointments.
I could hear it. The sound of difficulty skyrocketing.
How could I sneakily give Sara some medicine somehow? Without the cooperation of the Podalap Palace, it’d be challenging to acquire materials to make even symptom-relieving drugs, let alone a cure… in that scenario, I’d have to gather all that medicine and secretly give it to Sara.
Alternatively, I could persuade the utterly exhausted Lord and Lady of the Palace to grant permission.
Either approach seemed riddled with peril.
“Do you see my position?”
“While I don’t fully accept your view, I understand.”
“…Hmmm.”
The response that left room for further discussion perked Rano Jingbu’s curiosity. I wasn’t going to back down, so I kept my gaze steady against his.
There are multiple ways to stop Jeong Cheol. So why was I putting on a magic show here instead of taking those routes?
Because this method inflicts the least collateral damage.
If the Podalap Palace appears on the border of Sacheon and Yunnan, from the perspective of the Yunnan Outcast Faction, it’s akin to a wasp nest. It’s dangerous, yet the nest itself contains no honey. To those from the Central Plains, the western region appears to be a poor countryside housing formidable forces.
However, the masters from that western region would undoubtedly worry about their stronghold being attacked. In such a situation, could they effectively take on Sacheon?
What about the Sacheon Righteous Faction? They were decent folks. In a scenario where the movements of the masters from the western region appeared challenging, attacking Yunnan wouldn’t align with their principles.
If the Podalap Palace masters displayed themselves around Sacheon and Yunnan, even just creating tension would help stave off conflict between Yunnan and Sacheon. The moment the Podalap Palace interjects, a three-party dynamic forms between Sacheon, the western region, and Yunnan, effectively tying everyone’s hands.
The Podalap Palace could certainly facilitate this tactic. If the martial artists on the ground swing without causing undue calamities, there wouldn’t be any confrontations with the Sacheon Righteous Faction or the Yunnan Outcast Faction. Sure, there might be a few scoundrel members, but could a faction of that caliber inflict damage on the Podalap Palace?
The time I needed to catch up to Jeong Cheol wasn’t a matter of days. The only way to buy time, with minimal harm, was by mobilizing the Podalap Palace.
So, surrendering easily wasn’t an option for me.
I absolutely had to make this happen.
“I will prepare for the next performance within a few days.”
Rano Jingbu seemed to realize I wouldn’t back down easily from his deepened furrowed brow as he continued to gaze at me.
I also didn’t shy away from his stare.
The ensuing battle of wills culminated in an unexpected manner.
“Brother! Brother! Sara, Sara…”
It was Sudalcha, who came rushing in in a fluster.
“Sara is experiencing bizarre phenomena with that magician!”
…Seems like something’s gone awry.
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
The site is fast and lightweight because there are no ads yet. However, the theme is different from Cybor-TL, so take some time to familiarize yourself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.