“Teacher Ya, here you go.”

Suddenly, Tang Guanglie handed me something. It was a bundle containing a bead and a letter.

“What’s this?”

“One is an antidote. Generally, in the Martial World, there are three main methods to counteract poison. One is to prevent the poison from entering by taking a prophylactic antidote, another is to detoxify the poison after it has already entered the body with medication, and the last is to build up resistance to the poison itself.”

Tang Guanglie pretended to put something in his pocket and continued.

“The antidote you received is something that sits between the second and third methods. You don’t need to ingest it; just keep it on you, and it will automatically detoxify the poison, though it does consume the antidote’s efficacy over time.”

So it’s a disposable item that automatically detoxifies you without any need for action upon poisoning. That’s quite a valuable item to receive.

“Then what about this letter?”

“It’s a request letter asking the Poison Doctor Tang to examine Teacher Ya’s condition.”

“…Excuse me?”

“It’s not just about seeking a doctor when there’s an illness. As a martial artist, the Elder may be able to identify any issues you have.”

I stared at Tang Guanglie for a moment.

What could it possibly mean to introduce me to the Poison Doctor? Given the mention of me having issues as a martial artist, has he figured out that I’ve been stuck at the Iryu stage, unable to progress?

Even ordinary people might reach the first-rate level, yet countless individuals remain at the Iryu stage without ever stepping up to the first-rate. So, it’s not something I need to hide, nor is it particularly valuable information.

I might have gotten a bit too carried away yesterday. I can’t believe I blurted out the essence of my insights to the level that made Tang Guanglie suspicious.

But what could I do? My techniques have become martial arts, right?

I couldn’t sit idly by.

At first, I was confused, but once I regained my composure, I realized I had been spouting the teachings of my insights while spitting all over the place.

I rambled on about what martial wisdom is concerning the peerless Tang Do-gyeong and Feng Ying Hall Master among the three in the region! And all I had to show for it was being stuck at the Iryu stage!

This genuinely updated Ho Cheon-an’s black history, as if I had been showing off in front of a chrysalis.

Ah, just thinking about yesterday makes my face heat up again.

Back to the present, I was in front of three individuals who could be considered experts in martial arts, so it was entirely possible they would notice that I had been stagnating at the Iryu stage for a long time.

What surprised me was that Tang Guanglie shoved the letter at me without any context.

“Um…”

Among the three, well, actually, generally speaking, the quick-witted Feng Ying Hall Master noticed my discomfort and calmed Tang Guanglie down.

“Ahem, Family Head, this seems rather sudden. If I’m feeling bewildered, how must Teacher Ya feel? Let’s have a cup of tea and discuss this calmly.”

“Ah, I see. I apologize, Teacher. Looks like I got a bit too eager.”

After taking some time to brew tea and gather his thoughts, Tang Guanglie spoke.

“First, I express my deep gratitude to Teacher Ya. It’s not just to handle a simple request; I know that you have dedicated much effort and affection towards Tang Do-gyeong, myself, and the entire Tang Clan. While I can surely provide financial compensation, how can one simply trade kindness between people with mere gold?”

“You’re embellishing things too much, Family Head.”

Right, I did give quite a bit to the Tang Clan. After a brief exchange of humble words and compliments, Tang Guanglie returned to the main topic.

“As the descendant of the Tang Clan, my gambling skills may be mediocre, but in terms of martial arts, I am among the best in the world. Looking at you, Teacher, it seems your interest in martial arts is significantly higher than that of someone stuck at the Iryu stage. Although I’ve never personally witnessed your martial skills, going by my indirect experiences, you don’t lack talent. However, being stuck at the Iryu stage raises questions.”

“It doesn’t look normal for the Elder to be stuck at the Iryu stage, either. I’m not a physician myself, so I can’t say for sure what the cause is, but if you receive an examination from the Poison Doctor, you may find both the cause and a solution.”

Is this the point of introducing me to the Poison Doctor?

The Poison Doctor.

In the Martial World, there are three legendary figures: the Demon Doctor, Dokko, the Life-and-Death Doctor, Hyun Gyeon-seo, and the Poison Doctor, Tang Cheoin.

Having the opportunity to be examined by the Poison Doctor would be quite a fortuitous encounter.

However, meeting the Poison Doctor isn’t something I can decide on lightly.

As my hesitation stretched on, Tang Guanglie spoke again.

“Haha, it’s not something to feel burdened about. It may be an unfamiliar concept to outcasts, but in noble families, it’s common to seek the guidance of a physician or receive a prescription for the purpose of enhancing martial skills.”

Tang Do-gyeong chimed in.

“Indeed. While martial artists primarily focus on physical training to maintain health, that doesn’t mean they won’t have any ailments. Above all, the Elder of Poison is undeniably the best in the world when it comes to managing the bodies of martial artists.”

Generally, martial artists are extremely wary of leaking their martial skills. This worry causes many of them to be cautious around physicians.

‘What if they figure out my martial skills while examining me?’ Such fears are common among martial artists. They don’t dislike physicians; they simply avoid exposing their martial skills to them.

Injuries may force one to seek a physician, but they prefer to keep interactions to the bare minimum.

To find the cause of stagnation in my martial skills, I would inevitably have to reveal my martial skills to a physician, which would typically be a hard pass for any ordinary martial artist.

But I wasn’t an ordinary martial artist. Why would I care so much about my Iryu martial skills? Even if my martial skills and body were completely exposed, just getting help with the Blood Qi would be worth it.

The two were trying to persuade me, believing I hesitated due to concerns over leaking my martial skills, but my real worry lay elsewhere.

Actually, I had no reason to decline this proposal. This was an outcome born from the careful consideration by Tang Guanglie and Tang Do-gyeong; plus, it was precisely what I needed and objectively a high-value proposition.

A proposal that perfectly fits the saying of repaying kindness double.

The only issue is the time investment required to meet the Poison Doctor.

The Tang Clan’s head, a person who epitomizes the word wanderer, gathers poison and herbs across the world’s landscapes. While I have an introduction letter, there’s no telling how long it might take to find him if he happens to be chilling up in the northern part of the Black Dragon River Province or something.

“While I deeply appreciate your proposal, I’ve heard that the Poison Doctor roams the vast world like it’s home.”

A look of understanding appeared in Tang Guanglie’s eyes.

“Ah, yes, indeed. However, every now and then, the Poison Doctor sends a dispatch indicating his route. Fortunately, we can currently determine his destination from the latest notice.”

Is this the point? I opened my mouth to confirm my thoughts.

“Ah, I see. A person with such divine skills as the Poison Doctor must have many people wanting to seek his expertise, just like clouds in the sky.”

“My Clan has a difficult time tracking the whereabouts of the Poison Doctor, so we have no choice but to send those seeking help away.”

While he spoke in circles, the truth was they knew the Poison Doctor’s whereabouts but pretended not to know for external appearances.

In that case, the situation changes.

The Poison Doctor was definitely around Sacheon or nearby. That’s why Tang Guanglie is pushing me so strongly. He’s urging me to grab this good opportunity.

“Ah, I see. It seems I worried unnecessarily about something the Family Head already considered. After returning to Sacheon, I could set off right away. Is that enough time?”

“Of course. He seems likely to stay there for a while. Still, it won’t hurt to set off tomorrow morning.”

“…Is that so?”

In fact, from Tang Guanglie’s perspective, it would make sense to keep me attached to the Tang Clan for at least a day longer. I made considerable progress with the Black Dragon Stealth Art just a day ago.

Tang Guanglie must want to extract everything he can from me while I’m still here.

His insistence on sending me off at the earliest is a show of genuine care, which can’t help but fill me with gratitude.

“Thank you, Family Head.”

“Haha! It’s still too early for thanks. It only makes sense when Teacher Ya’s problem is resolved.”

“Well, I suppose I have to work hard today, even if it’s only a trade-off.”

“Ha! Teacher Ya has already done plenty!”

Now that our departure was set for tomorrow morning, I needed to finish everything I could at the Tang Clan today.

As Tang Guanglie was showing his concern for me, I wanted to give back whatever I could before leaving.

I should organize my thoughts about the Black Dragon Stealth Art and leave behind a written record of the magic tricks I promised to teach Rye-ah. Maybe I’ll call it [Ho Cheon Sorcery (-Just learn this and you can become the academy’s idol-)] or something.

While sorting out my thoughts, I suddenly realized I hadn’t heard where the Poison Doctor was located.

“So where do we need to go to meet the Poison Doctor?”

Tang Guanglie smiled and said,

“To a place called Hyeong Gwi-san in Yunnan.”