Chapter 88 : The Slacker Ponders (1)

Chapter 88: The Slacker Ponders (1)

"Young Hero Wiieeee!"

"Go away."

"Young Hero Wiieeee!"

"I told you to go."

"Young Hero Wiie—"

"Aaaargh!"

Wi Yeonho suddenly bolted upright and hurled his blanket at Jin Soa.

"Why are you doing this to me! What did I ever do to deserve this!"

"What should I do?"

Wi Yeonho looked at Jin Soa with utter exasperation. This cheeky little brat clearly saw him as some sort of problem-solving machine. What else could explain the constant whining every time he got into trouble?

"Why do I have to solve everything that goes on in your household!"

"Please don't say that…"

"This is between you and your sister from the start!"

"That may be true, but…"

Jin Soa looked utterly miserable.

He had been inspired watching Wi Yeonho’s recent performance and boldly laid out everything he’d been holding to his sister. That part had gone well.

But everything that came after had gone completely off the rails.

"The words sounded good, but…"

Right now, Jin Soa was completely helpless. Sure, the debt had been paid off, but the Sacred Hand Grounds were still effectively under Jin Yeran’s control, and Jin Soa, being just a child, didn’t yet have the trust of the physicians.

On top of that, he didn’t have a single coin to his name. It wasn’t like he could just leave and start something on his own.

"Young Hero Wiieeee!"

"Kaagh!"

Wi Yeonho kicked off Jin Soa, who was clinging to his leg. Jin Soa tumbled all the way to the wall, then rolled right back and latched onto Wi Yeonho’s leg again.

"Aaagh! You clingy little leech!"

"If you save someone from drowning, you’re supposed to rescue their bundle too!"

"Isn’t that what people call shameless?"

"Then what am I supposed to do? I can’t even swim!"

"Ughhh…"

Wi Yeonho sighed deeply, trying to pry Jin Soa off him.

"I’d rather die than deal with this."

What kind of karmic sin had he committed in his past life to end up like this? No matter where he went, there was always some sort of drama.

"So what is it you want?"

"I want to succeed as a physician."

"Then just do it."

Jin Soa answered with a firm expression.

"I can’t do it here."

"Then leave."

Wi Yeonho offered a simple solution, but Jin Soa didn’t seem to like it.

"If I leave, I have nowhere to go."

"Hmm, so basically…"

Wi Yeonho pieced it together.

"You want to succeed, but it’s impossible here. And since you have nothing, you can’t leave either. So now you want me to figure out a realistic way for you to succeed and somehow solve this mess, is that it?"

Jin Soa nodded vigorously.

"That’s exactly it."

"You little—!"

With a loud thud, Wi Yeonho kicked Jin Soa again and stormed out the door.

"Young Hero Wiieeee!"

"Ugh, just get lost already!"

Wi Yeonho shuddered in frustration and left the room. As soon as he stepped outside, he leapt like lightning onto the rooftop and collapsed on the tiles.

"Young Hero Wiieeee!"

Jin Soa’s voice called from below, but Wi Yeonho ignored him completely and shut his eyes.

"You clingy little parasite."

He couldn’t believe Jin Soa had managed to make him leave the room of his own volition.

Pulling off something that no one else had ever accomplished—Jin Soa truly was something.

"If I helped you that much already, you should at least let me rest."

He had already done so much, and now the kid was still pestering him for more.

Fuming over Jin Soa’s shamelessness, Wi Yeonho drifted off into sleep.

Snore.

“…Hmm?”

He opened his eyes, sensing a chill creeping into his body. The sun had already set.

'How long did I sleep?'

His body felt sluggish and sore.

'Damn that Dream Training Technique.'

All he wanted was one good night’s sleep without dreams. But the master in his dreams was even stronger and more ruthless than his real-life master.

From the moment he fell asleep, his dream master would charge in and start swinging a sword, forcing him into combat until he woke up.

"Ugh."

Wi Yeonho twisted his body all over.

"It’s just a dream, so why does it still hurt?"

The only silver lining was that the dream master used a wooden sword. If it had been a real blade, he might’ve died of a heart attack by now.

"Why can’t I land a hit?"

He thought he’d become strong enough, but in the dream, the difference between him and his master felt as vast as heaven and earth.

At first, he figured it was just because it was a dream…

'But now I’m not so sure.'

No matter how advanced the Dream Training Technique was, unless his master was a god, it was impossible for him to perfectly replicate sword techniques in someone else’s mind. That meant the sword being shown in the dream was a fusion of his master’s real technique and Wi Yeonho’s imagination.

'Then how come even the dream version of me can’t keep up?'

It wasn’t just that he couldn’t win—the fight wasn’t even close. The worst part was that the way his sword got dismantled actually made sense to him.

He could see every flaw in what he thought was a perfect technique as it fell apart in front of him.

"He wasn’t this strong at the beginning…"

Wi Yeonho let out a long sigh.

They said he had to perfect his martial art to escape this dream, but that so-called perfection was maddeningly vague.

If he had to defeat the dream version of Baek Muhan to be free of it, then he might be trapped in this dream for the rest of his life.

With a roll, Wi Yeonho slid off the edge of the roof.

"Whoa!"

He flinched when he saw Jin Yeran standing right in front of him, as if she had been waiting.

"May I have a word with you?"

"Huh? Me?"

"Yes."

When Jin Yeran gave a firm nod, Wi Yeonho couldn’t help but give in with a reluctant expression. Her face was far too serious to brush her off with a "let's talk later."

“This way.”

“Okaaay.”

Wi Yeonho followed Jin Yeran into her room.

He did feel a bit uncomfortable stepping into a young lady’s quarters, but refusing when the owner herself was telling him to come would’ve been weirder.

“Please have a seat.”

“Sure.”

Wi Yeonho sat down in Jin Yeran’s room. But she didn’t sit with him—she stepped out instead.

“Huh?”

Jin Yeran left him alone and only returned after a short while, opening the door again with a large food tray in her hands.

“You need to eat.”

Wi Yeonho licked his lips as he looked at the lavish spread laid out on the table.

For once, he felt like he could enjoy this meal without feeling like he was chewing sand. After all, he had done something for the Sacred Hand Grounds.

But there was something different on the table today.

“Huh?”

‘What’s with that bottle?’

Jin Yeran placed a cup in front of Wi Yeonho and picked up the bottle.

“This is wine I got from a tavern. It’s a token of my gratitude, so please accept a drink.”

“Wait, I don’t drink.”

“You don’t?”

“To be precise… I’ve never had any before.”

Jin Yeran stared at Wi Yeonho for a moment, then gave a nod.

“Then you don’t need to drink it. Just accept the cup.”

“Sure, that much is fine…”

As soon as he took the cup, Jin Yeran poured wine into it, placed the bottle on the table, then stepped back and bowed deeply.

“Huh? What are you doing?”

“The debt I owe you is as deep as the sea. I wonder if I’ll ever be able to repay it all in this lifetime.”

“Please, stand up. Come on.”

Wi Yeonho urged her, but Jin Yeran kept her head down.

“Not once, but twice, I’ve received your grace. How could I dare to raise my head in front of you? I will repay this debt, even if it takes my entire life.”

“…It’s not like I did anything amazing.”

“If not for you, I would have been sold off to a brothel. I wouldn’t have seen Soa stand on his own for the clan either. How could such a grace be called anything but immense?”

“Ugh…”

Wi Yeonho started to feel awkward.

Apparently, a truly comfortable meal in this household was a pipe dream. Everyone here acted like they were out to devour him.

‘I need to get out of here.’

Grinding his teeth, Wi Yeonho thought of Mun Yuhwan, who had recommended this place.

‘So much for being one of the Three Arts Grand Historians—he was an utter fraud. Who sends someone off to a place like this without knowing whether his friend is even alive or dead?’

“Alright, alright. I get it. I appreciate the sentiment, really, so can you please lift your head now? It’s making it hard to eat.”

Only then did Jin Yeran slowly lift her head.

‘She really is beautiful.’

That much was undeniable.

Wearing a plain, modest robe made her look more subdued, but Wi Yeonho could only imagine how breathtaking she’d be if she ever decided to dress up.

“Benefactor.”

“…My name is Wi Yeonho, you know.”

“Young Hero Wi.”

“Yes.”

“I know I’m being forward, but… may I ask for one more favor?”

“Ugh…”

Wi Yeonho let out a long sigh.

Somehow, he had a feeling this was coming.

‘Maybe one of my ancestors was a drowning ghost.’

Whether it was Jin Soa or Jin Yeran, they always started with words of thanks and then wouldn’t stop asking for favors.

“What is it?”

Unable to endure the silence, Wi Yeonho asked reluctantly. Jin Yeran bit her lower lip and finally spoke.

“Please turn Soa’s heart back around.”

“Sorry?”

What was she talking about now?

“Soa looks up to you deeply. You’re the only one who can change his heart now—not me.”

“Uhh…”

“Soa is the one who must carry on the Sacred Hand Grounds. He must restore the clan and reclaim its past glory. But right now, he’s wavering. Please bring him back.”

Wi Yeonho stared at Jin Yeran blankly and replied.

“So what you’re saying is—you want the Sacred Hand Grounds restored?

“Yes.”

“And you want Soa to do it?”

“Yes.”

“Hmmm…”

Wi Yeonho rubbed his chin, falling into thought.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Go ahead.”

“I just don’t get it. ‘Restoring the Sacred Hand Grounds’ and ‘Jin Soa becoming a great physician’ sound like two separate things to me. Which one’s more important?”

“…What do you mean by that?”

“You keep talking about both together… but I can’t tell whether you want to revive the Sacred Hand Grounds, or whether it’s more important for Soa to become a great physician even if the name disappears.”

Jin Yeran clearly hadn’t considered that distinction before—but her flustered expression gave it away.

“So which one is it?”

“Do I have to choose?”

“Picking one helps define a clear path forward.”

After some hesitation, Jin Yeran answered.

“Reviving the Sacred Hand Grounds.”

“Are you sure?”

“Even if Soa becomes an excellent physician, if the Sacred Hand Grounds don’t rise again, I can’t fulfill my promise. But if we restore it, future generations will surely produce great physicians.”

Wi Yeonho nodded. That wasn’t a bad judgment. He would’ve chosen the same.

“Alright, I get it. So the first priority is bringing back the Sacred Hand Grounds. In that case, there’s a very simple solution.”

“You’ll turn Soa’s heart back?”

“Yep.”

Wi Yeonho grinned.

“There’s a surefire way to do that.”

That smile on Wi Yeonho’s face gave Jin Yeran an unexplainable sense of dread.

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