Next morning Soo bin came to the inn to take Tae Yun at the City Lord's mansion. Tae Yun told Dori to fetch his horse, Tae Yun and Soo bin left for the destination on the horseback.
Tae Yun followed Soo bin's directions and arrived at the City Lord's mansion.
The City Lord's mansion was a fortress of silence. As Tae-Yun and Han Soo-Bin approached the gate, they were met by a sight that mirrored the family's despair. The City Lord stood at the entrance, flanked by his two children and a line of rigid guards.
-"You're finally here," the City Lord whispered, his voice cracking with hope.
But the silence was shattered by a young boy, no older than fifteen, the City Lord's son Hwang Mu- Jin. His face was red with tears as he pointed a trembling finger at Tae-Yun.
-"You're just like the others!" the boy screamed. "Another conman with pretty words! You can't wake her up! No one can!"
Before anyone could react, the boy turned and bolted toward his room, his sobs echoing through the courtyard. The City Lord's face turned pale.
-"Sir Jin, please... forgive his rudeness. He has watched his mother wither away for a year. His heart is in pieces."
The daughter, a young woman with eyes full of weary maturity, stepped forward and bowed deeply. -"I am Hwang Yeon-Hwa. Please, disregard my brother's outburst. We are desperate."
Tae-Yun gave a short, emotionless nod. "Take me to her."
The Sight of the Soul -
Inside the inner chamber, the air was cold. Lady Hwang Eun-Seol , the City Lord's wife, lay on a jade bed, looking more like a marble statue than a living woman.
Tae-Yun stood by the bedside and activated [Appraisal Eye].
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[STATUS REPORT: Hwang Eun-Seol ]
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Physical Condition: Severe internal meridian scarring. (Treatable)
Spiritual Condition: Soul Fracture due to Qi Backlash. (Critical)
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-"A potion (spirit medicine) won't be enough", Tae-Yun thought. Murim internal energy is for destruction or reinforcement. To fix a soul, I need something from a different realm.
-"Everyone out," Tae-Yun commanded.
-"Observe from behind the glass partition. If a single breath of foreign Qi enters this room, the treatment will fail."
The City Lord hesitated, then ushered his daughter and guards behind the thick glass window. They watched with bated breath, their hearts pounding against their ribs.
Tae-Yun stood alone in the center of the room. He didn't sit in a meditation pose. He simply raised his right hand, palm open toward the ceiling.
-"[Eternal Soul Recovery]," he whispered.
Suddenly, a massive orb of golden light materialized in his palm.
To the observers behind the glass, it looked like a sun had been born in the room. The City Lord gasped, his knees buckling. "That... that pressure... it's as if he's holding massive amount of condensed, pure internal energy in a single hand!"
But it wasn't Qi. It was pure Mana, woven into a Tier 9 healing spell.
A golden circular formation a geometric lattice of ancient runes ignited on the floor beneath the bed. Eun-seol's body began to lift, floating three feet into the air. Suddenly, a blinding ray of golden light erupted from her every pore, illuminating the entire mansion grounds.
Behind the glass, Yeon-Hwa shielded her eyes, tears streaming down her face. She felt a warmth through the glass that she hadn't felt in years.
Slowly, the light faded. Eun-seol floated back down to the jade bed, her skin now glowing with the flush of health.
Tae-Yun lowered his hand and made a simple gesture toward the window.
The City Lord practically broke the door down. He and his children rushed to the bed just as Eun-seol's eyelids fluttered. Her eyes, clear and bright, opened for the first time in a year.
-"My... my loves," she whispered.
The room dissolved into a chorus of sobbing as the family wrapped themselves around her, their year of mourning ending in a single, golden moment.
The Disciple's Plea -
Two days later, after the City Lord insisted Tae-Yun and Soo bin stay at the mansion for rest, a formal banquet was held. Eun-seol, now fully recovered and radiating a refined aura, walked into the hall supported by her husband.
She stopped before Tae-Yun and Soo-Bin, bowing with the grace of a high-born lady. "I am Hwang Eun-seol. I have been told of the miracle you performed. I owe you a life that can never be repaid."
Suddenly, the City Lord's son Mu Jin who had screamed at the gate stepped forward. He fell to his knees, his forehead hitting the floor with a loud thump.
-"I was a fool!" the boy cried out. "I insulted a God! Please, Senior Jin, forgive my arrogance! I saw the golden sun in your hand... I want to be strong enough to protect my family like you!"
He looked up at Tae-Yun, his eyes burning with a new fire. "Please! Take me as your disciple!"
The City Lord and Eun Seol watched in silence, their breaths held.
Tae-Yun sipped his tea from the Heavenly Dragon's Tea Set, the steam curling around his face.
-"The path I walk is not one of Qi," Tae-Yun said calmly, looking at the boy. "It is a path of solitude. Are you prepared for that?"