That will be enough. (9)

Cough!

“Elder, please! You mustn’t push yourself!”

As Heo Gong struggled to cough, Wudang’s disciples turned pale with concern and rushed to stop him.

Their reaction was understandable.

Heo Gong had already exhausted his inner strength, even tapping into his innate life force. It wouldn’t be surprising if he were to collapse and die at any moment.

“Elder!”

“Stand back.”

Despite their efforts to stop him, they hesitated and stepped back at Heo Gong’s firm gesture. Though his face was as pale as a corpse, his eyes held an unyielding authority that none dared to defy.

Cough.

Heo Gong coughed again before carefully stepping down from the bed. His movements were slow, but there wasn’t even a hint of unsteadiness in his steps.

He looked quietly at Tang Gunak before speaking in a low voice.

“You said Vice Sect Leader’s body is filled with extreme yang energy?”

Tang Gunak, slightly bewildered, looked at him. While Baek Cheon’s condition was dire, Heo Gong’s state was also critical. It was clear that even maintaining consciousness must have been a tremendous effort for him.

“Lord Tang.”

“…Yes.”

When Heo Gong called his name again, Tang Gunak finally snapped out of his daze and let out a deep sigh.

“I’ve already said… Vice Sect Leader’s body is beyond saving…”

Heo Gong silently gazed at Baek Cheon, who lay unconscious.

Indeed, Baek Cheon’s body appeared to be filled solely with hot yang energy, making it clear why Tang Gunak had deemed any attempt at treatment futile.

“Right now, Vice Sect Leader is beyond the help of any medicine. No treatment will…”

“Yes, it’s meaningless. The balance within his body is already shattered.”

Just as Tang Gunak’s face reflected his deep regret once more, Heo Gong spoke up.

“But… if that shattered balance could be restored, then with your medical skills, you could save him, correct?”

Tang Gunak, caught off guard, looked at Heo Gong with a startled expression.

“…What did you just say?”

Instead of responding, Heo Gong continued to gaze intently at Baek Cheon. After a long moment, he finally turned to the anxious Wudang’s disciples and gave a command.

“Bring me the Divine Elixir [신단(神丹)].”

“Elder!”

At the mention of the Divine Elixir, the faces of Wudang’s disciples turned as pale as sheets.

“Surely… you don’t mean the Taiji Divine Pill [태극신단(太極神丹)]?”

The Taiji Divine Pill was a priceless treasure, even more valuable than the well-known Great Clarity Pill [태청단(太淸丹)] of Wudang. Its worth was such that even the Sect Leader of Wudang would hesitate to use it lightly.

But the reason for the disciples’ shock went beyond its rarity.

“Surely… you’re not thinking of using the Taiji Divine Pill on the Vice Sect Leader of Hwasan?”

Heo Gong stared intently at the startled disciples of Wudang, saying nothing at all. One of the disciples, shocked beyond belief, cried out.

“N-No! No, Elder! There’s only one Divine Pill left in Wudang. And isn’t that pill meant for you, Elder?”

Tang Gunak flinched.

And rightly so – Heo Gong was in a critical condition, having exhausted all his innate energy. No ordinary elixir could possibly restore his depleted true essence.

“Please reconsider! This is unthinkable. No matter how honorable they are…”

“Watch your words.”

Heo Gong cut him off with a stern voice.

“Though my condition may be dire, it is not even comparable to the condition of the Vice Sect Leader. Moreover, my body can be adequately treated with the Great Clarity Pill.”

“It can be treated, yes.”

Mu Jin, who had been observing the situation, finally spoke up. Heo Gong’s gaze shifted to him.

“But that’s all it will do – treat. If you take the Great Clarity Pill instead of the Taiji Divine Pill… You might save your life, but you will forever lose your martial arts.”

“…”

“Heo Gong the man may survive, but Heo Gong the martial artist will face an inevitable death.”

At this, everyone in the room, even the anxious disciples of Hwasan who had been watching, couldn’t help but be struck with terror.

Who is Heo Gong?

He was the person who carried all the expectations of Wudang on his shoulders, one who rivaled Shaolin as the guiding star of Gangho. Considering his age and status, it would not be an exaggeration to say that he ‘was’ Wudang itself at this moment.

The disciples of Hwasan remembered it vividly – the image of Heo Gong brandishing his sword against Chung Myung. Though his blade never reached Chung Myung, no one dared to deny that Heo Gong was destined to lead the next generation of Gangho.

And now, this man was about to lose his martial arts forever.

It wasn’t just Heo Gong – countless swordsmen of Wudang had lost their lives in this ordeal, but the thought of Heo Gong being sacrificed was something they couldn’t simply accept. 

In fact, the gravity of the situation was heightened precisely because so many had already perished. For those who would now have to rebuild Wudang over the coming years, Heo Gong’s presence was of paramount importance. It wouldn’t be an overstatement to say that the future of Wudang hung on whether he survived or not.

Knowing this, even the disciples of Hwasan couldn’t bring themselves to speak. Who could possibly demand that Heo Gong give up his martial arts to save Baek Cheon?

Mu Jin asked, 

“Even so… will you truly go through with it?”

But Heo Gong simply shook his head silently.

“Mu Jin, you’re wrong.”

“…Elder.”

“It’s not that I, the man, will live, and I, the warrior, will die.”

A faint smile appeared on Heo Gong’s lips.

“From the beginning, I was a Taoist, and I will remain a Taoist.”

His voice was calm, serene. His gaze was like a still lake, undisturbed by even a breath of wind. Seeing this, Mu Jin slowly nodded.

“What are you all waiting for?”

“Mu Jin Sasuk…”

“It is the Elder’s command. Bring the Divine Pill!”

The disciples of Wudang bit their lips tightly. With both Heo Gong and Mu Jin giving the same order, there was no one who could refuse. As several of them rushed to fetch the pill, Heo Gong turned his gaze towards the disciples of Hwasan, who had fallen into silence, and then to the unconscious Baek Cheon.

Tang Gunak hesitated before speaking.

“…Heo Gong Jinin.”

“Just call me Heo Gong. The title of ‘Jinin’ is too much.”

“What does it matter what you’re called? What are you thinking? The condition of the Vice Sect Leader’s body is…”

“Medicine alone will not save him. But with martial arts, with Wudang’s martial arts, it is possible.”

“Is that really true?”

A faint smile spread across Heo Gong’s pale face.

“That is the nature of Taiji. Even when it’s broken and scattered, it eventually returns to balance and harmony. That is the principle of the world, the principle of humanity, isn’t it? I’m merely helping it along a little.”

Tang Gunak nodded heavily.

There was no way to restore the broken balance through medical skill alone. However, Wudang’s martial arts, which had always been based on the harmony of yin and yang, might offer a way to quell the fiery energy within that body.

“But then… what about you, Dojang…?” 

Yoon Jong hesitated, voicing his concern, but Heo Gong’s expression remained unchanged. His face, seemingly a bit stern, was just as it always was.

“I am alive. Right here, right now.”

“…”

“It was the Vice Sect Leader who saved my life. And not just mine. If Hwasan hadn’t rushed here from hundreds li away, not a single one of us would be alive.”

Heo Gong slowly closed his eyes.

The memory was vivid. The image of Baek Cheon leaping up from that cliff was still fresh in his mind. But what Heo Gong felt at that moment wasn’t just joy.

“I’m not saying this is how I intend to repay the favor. I don’t believe that something like this could possibly repay all that we owe. But if we can repay even a fraction of the debt we owe with what Wudang has to offer, if what I can give could save the Vice Sect Leader…”

Heo Gong opened his eyes. His gaze, fixed on Baek Cheon, was unwavering.

“That will be enough.”

No one dared to speak.

They all understood just how difficult a decision those calm words had come from.

“Dojang…”

“Elder!”

At that moment, the disciples of Wudang who had left earlier returned, holding something in their arms. With trembling hands, they handed Heo Gong a small jade box, which he silently accepted.

When the small box adorned with a Taiji symbol was opened, two small pills the size of a pinky fingernail were revealed. One was white, and the other was black.

“This is…”

“These are the elixirs of Extreme Yang and Extreme Yin, containing the purest forms of both energies.”

Tang Gunak nodded deeply, but even with his knowledge, he couldn’t fathom how to use these elixirs. He had no idea.

At that moment, Heo Gong picked up the white pill and handed it to Tang Gunak.

“Give this to the Vice Sect Leader.”

“You mean for him to take it? But if he does…”

“There’s no need to worry. Leave the rest to me.”

Tang Gunak bit his lip slightly. Trusting solely in Heo Gong’s words carried a significant risk.

‘But there’s no other option.’

If things were left as they were, Baek Cheon would surely die. Right now, the only choice was to trust Heo Gong and Wudang.

“Guard the Vice Sect Leader!”

“Yes!”

As Tang Gunak made his decision quickly, the disciples of Hwasan also tensed up, standing guard around Baek Cheon with serious expressions. Tang Gunak approached Baek Cheon, staring intently at his face before biting his lip again.

‘No, what I should believe in right now is rather…’

He believed. He believed that this man would endure, that he would not die here, not like this.

Paaaat. 

Golden needles began to pierce Baek Cheon’s neck and chest in rapid succession. As Baek Cheon’s mouth reflexively opened, Tang Gunak infused energy into the hand holding the white pill. The pill, now liquefied, flowed smoothly into Baek Cheon’s mouth.

“Heo Gong Dojang!”

Heo Gong, who had momentarily closed his eyes, opened them again. Without hesitation, he took the black pill from the jade box and swallowed it, then seated himself cross-legged on the spot.

Woooong!

A surge of Yang energy erupted from Heo Gong’s body, as if it were boiling over.

Circulating the energy of the divine elixir throughout his entire being, Heo Gong slowly rose and approached Baekcheon.

‘Yin is Yang, and Yang is Yin, intertwining and revolving around each other…’

Yin and Yang are different yet ultimately inseparable.

This is the final destination of Wudang’s Taiji. If Heo Gong could reach even a glimpse of that place, this man’s life would not end here.

Step.

The people surrounding Baek Cheon came into Heo Gong’s view. They stood by him as if they were one, as if they shared a single destiny.

A smile unknowingly spread across Heo Gong’s lips.

‘A fine sect indeed.’

Perhaps, at this moment, he truly came to acknowledge the sect named Hwasan.

“Sahyeong! Sasuk’s body is…!”

“…Calm yourself, Geol.”

Baek Cheon’s body had become cold, yet it was simultaneously burning.

The Yang energy within him was clashing with the Yin energy, causing a violent reaction that was now erupting out of his body. In his severely weakened state, Baek Cheon’s body could not withstand this shock.

Just as Five Swords’ faces twisted in worry, Heo Gong gently placed his hand on Baek Cheon’s forehead and spoke.

“There is nothing to worry about. My Tao and your Tao are not so different…”

Then, he slowly closed his eyes.

“Just as the Tao of Hwasan and the Tao of Wudang are not so different either.”

A serene spiritual energy flowed from Heo Gong into Baek Cheon.

“In the end, it will lead us there.”

To that very place, where the true Tao lies.