****
Early in the morning, the four siblings and Cheol U headed first to the Pure Heart Clinic near the south gate.
It was to meet the physician who had managed to stave off the worst by prescribing treatment based on the closest guess he could make of Sima Jin's condition.
Sima Hyeon had advised resting a day or two since they still had medicine left and taking it slow, but Sima Geon, whose heart was in a rush, had no intention of delaying even a moment.
The Pure Heart Clinic was larger than expected.
Even early in the morning, patients were lined up long. There were even two or three men maintaining order.
Seeing this unfamiliar sight for the first time, Sima Geon came to trust the physician treating Sima Jin a bit more.
"The line's pretty long. Looks like we came too late."
Sima Geon looked regretful at the long queue.
"It's famous around here. Just wait a bit."
Sima Ho patted Sima Geon's arm with a touch of smugness and stepped forward. He approached the men barking orders and making excuses about standing properly.
Unlike his bold stride, once in front of them, Sima Ho hurriedly bowed his waist in greeting.
"What are those guys?"
Cheol U asked with a dumbfounded look.
"Guys from the Same Heart Society."
Sima Hyeon said bitterly.
"Ah ha!"
"They're extorting money under the pretext of maintaining order. Not just here, but at various businesses around."
"They call it their own security service. But why's he so servile? Last night he was talking about being a pillar or something."
At Cheol U's words, Sima Hyeon let out a deep sigh.
"Pillar, my ass! It's all talk—he's just a lowly underling."
"Hahaha! Well, everyone starts that way."
Unlike Sima Hyeon, who looked pitiful, Cheol U didn't seem to think much of it. His eyes even held a hint of admiration.
After finishing with the men, Sima Ho returned shrugging his shoulders as if he'd never bowed.
"All sorted. Let's go that way."
Sima Ho ignored Sima Hyeon's displeased glance, took Sima Jin's hand, and moved to the left.
Sima Geon followed without a word, Cheol U grinned as he trailed behind, and Sima Hyeon, sighing, had no choice but to follow.
Rounding the left wall, they found a side door.
It would normally be shut tight, but a rough-looking man had it already open.
"Thanks, brother."
Sima Ho bowed politely, and the man patted his shoulder.
"Get in quick."
"Thank you."
"Hey, good work."
Cheol U brushed past, tapping the man's shoulder with a hand like a pot lid.
The man winced as if hammered, glaring at Cheol U's back.
Passing through the side door, the group headed straight for the treatment building where the physicians tended patients.
"Lots of patients, but plenty of physicians too."
Sima Geon marveled at the number of busy physicians moving about.
"There's none bigger than Pure Heart Clinic in Soheung or the surrounding areas. There's one in Hangzhou, but that's for officials and the rich."
Sima Hyeon, whose knowledge had broadened from escort trips, showed off what he knew.
"The amazing part is it grew to this size in just a few years. When we first came for Jin-a's treatment, there was only one treatment building, and just one physician—the Smiling Hemp Robe."
"Smiling Hemp Robe?"
"The physician treating the little one. People call him that because he always smiles."
"Doesn't seem like a quack, boss."
Cheol U said, looking around.
"He'd better not be."
Sima Geon nodded gravely.
Putting together all the stories and circumstances, the Smiling Hemp Robe was undoubtedly an exceptional physician. What nagged at him, though, was that even such a doctor couldn't properly diagnose Sima Jin's illness.
As the group entered the treatment building, an apprentice who had been sorting and guiding patients hurried over.
"Ah, you're here? But it's not the appointed day—what brings you?"
Sima Ho stepped forward.
"Circumstances changed. Tell the physician."
"Understood. This way, please."
The apprentice led them to a special patient room prepared for VIPs.
"Please wait a moment. I'll fetch Master right away."
After the apprentice left, about fifteen minutes passed.
"Coming in."
With a low voice, the Pure Heart Clinic's master, Smiling Hemp Robe Physician Hwang Jeong, entered slowly.
Sima Geon was surprised twice looking at him.
First by how young he seemed, and second by sensing he wasn't just a mere physician. Not a master, but he clearly knew martial arts.
'A physician with martial arts?'
Not just Sima Geon, but Cheol U eyed him curiously too.
[Pretty good for a doctor, boss.]
As Sima Geon nodded faintly to Cheol U's transmission, Hwang Jeong smiled softly and greeted them.
"I was startled to hear you came. You still have medicine from last time, so I worried if her condition had worsened. Thankfully, it doesn't seem so."
Hwang Jeong was already examining Sima Jin.
"Yes, nothing like that. My brother just wanted to see you, so we hurried a bit."
"I see."
Hwang Jeong glanced at Sima Geon and Cheol U, then fixed his gaze on Sima Geon.
"I'm Sima Geon."
Sima Geon bowed properly, and Hwang Jeong returned the courtesy politely.
"Hwang Jeong."
'Good impression. Looks frugal too.'
Sima Geon felt affinity seeing Hwang Jeong in worn hemp robes despite his evident wealth.
"I've seen the family for years, but had no idea there was an eldest brother."
"Family circumstances. But coming home, I heard Jin-a was very ill. Hearing you were treating her, I rushed here."
Sima Geon spoke with utmost politeness.
"Well, treatment is... Anyway, welcome."
Straightening, Hwang Jeong continued calmly.
"Your sister's illness weighs on my heart. It makes me reflect on my own inadequacy."
At Hwang Jeong's self-deprecating words, Sima Hyeon disagreed vehemently.
"Not at all. Jin-a's able to live like this thanks to you."
"I'm grateful, but I couldn't even pinpoint her illness accurately. I'm barely preventing the worst."
"I heard using better ingredients would be more effective."
Hwang Jeong nodded heavily at Sima Geon's words.
"The current ones have some effect, so better ones might help more. I hope so."
"What ingredients?"
Sima Geon asked immediately.
"Well..."
Hwang Jeong hesitated, glancing at Sima Hyeon, Sima Ho, and the others. The current medicines weren't cheap either. He knew how hard the brothers worked to afford them.
The problem was the superior ones cost several times more.
"To neutralize the yin energy dominating her body, we've used strong yang herbs. Fire Spirit Grass is the mainstay."
Sima Geon and Cheol U nodded. The name alone evoked surging yang energy.
"What's better?"
"Fire Spirit Grass has grades. The top is Millennium Fire Spirit Grass. Similar are Gold Spirit Fruit, three-hundred-year-old ginseng. Even better: Snow Mountain Flower Carp inner core, Millennium Fleeceflower Root, Empty Clear Stone Milk. But they're exorbitantly priced and nearly impossible to obtain."
Sima Geon's face hardened at the spirit medicines mentioned.
He didn't know the others well, but knew the value of Millennium Fleeceflower Root or Empty Clear Stone Milk. A tiny amount was worth ten million gold, and hardest to procure.
"I won't guarantee, but since Fire Spirit Grass worked somewhat, these should too. The issue is the cost—unimaginably higher."
Seeing no reaction from Sima Geon, Hwang Jeong added cautiously.
"Of course, best would be the last ones mentioned..."
"Can we get them? I know of Millennium Fleeceflower and Empty Clear Stone Milk—said to revive the dead. But like you said, harder than plucking stars."
"You know well. Yes, difficult. Never seen Snow Mountain Flower Carp, only once glimpsed Millennium Fleeceflower. But Empty Clear Stone Milk..."
Hwang Jeong clamped his mouth shut with an 'oh no' expression mid-sentence.
Sima Geon caught it.
"Can we get Empty Clear Stone Milk?"
"Th-that..."
Hwang Jeong looked troubled, unable to continue.
Convinced Hwang Jeong knew a way, Sima Geon pleaded earnestly.
"Please tell me, physician. Is there a way to get Empty Clear Stone Milk?"
"N-no, I..."
Hwang Jeong waved it off but sighed suddenly. Sensing something unusual, Sima Hyeon and Sima Ho bowed quickly.
"Please teach us, physician."
Sima Jin, clutching Sima Geon's hand, teared up with her pale face. Even Cheol U bowed, and Hwang Jeong could no longer evade.
"It's not entirely impossible."
"You mean..."
Sima Geon saw hope in his words.
"Yes. Empty Clear Stone Milk can be obtained. A tiny amount, but definitely."
Hwang Jeong's assertion made Sima Geon's heart pound.
"Does Pure Heart Clinic have it?"
Sima Geon asked urgently.
"No way. No clinic could hold such a treasure. Too dangerous besides."
Empty Clear Stone Milk could treat Sima Jin, but to martial artists, it was the ultimate elixir. If word spread Pure Heart Clinic had it, it'd be ashes overnight.
Sima Geon, tense, asked.
"Then where?"
After long silence with a troubled face, Hwang Jeong sighed deeply and spoke.
"Heard of Water Dragon Merchant Association?"
Sima Geon shook his head, but Sima Hyeon, listening intently, interjected carefully.
"The one in Hangzhou, perhaps?"
"Yes. One of the Central Plains' giants. Recently, their young master caught pernicious malaria—the trickiest fever—and urgently summoned me. I treated in time and learned during that they hold Empty Clear Stone Milk. You can't imagine my shock when the chairman showed it as a helpful herb."
"Did you use it?"
Sima Geon asked in a trembling voice.
"No. It's a heavenly elixir—effective for sure, but using it on malaria? All physicians would mock me."
Hwang Jeong shook his head, and everyone sighed in relief.
"How much?"
Sima Geon slammed the table.
"That's..."
Hwang Jeong couldn't answer easily.
"Empty Clear Stone Milk—how much to buy it?"
Sima Geon pressed.
"Didn't ask directly, but the chairman joked once. An unimaginable sum, though..."
"Don't beat around. Tell me."
As Sima Geon raised his voice, startled Hwang Jeong whispered.
"Th-three hundred taels..."
"What?"
"Three hundred gold taels, he said."
The room froze at Hwang Jeong's answer.
One silver tael fed a family of three or four for a month leisurely.
Twenty silver taels equaled one gold tael, so three hundred gold was beyond imagination.
Sima Geon turned to Cheol U.
Cheol U, frowning and calculating on fingers, nodded.
"Money we brought won't cut it, but selling that thing might."
"What thing?"
Sima Hyeon asked cautiously.
"Got something by chance on that mercenary job at Mount Mandeok. Thought it was just a shiny rock, but turns out it's worth a fortune."
At Cheol U's nonchalant words, Sima Geon grinned and nodded.
"Yeah. Thought they'd all faint."
Sima Geon recalled the Night-Luminescent Pearl from collapsing the Demon Buddha Temple on Mount Mandeok.
A bit small, but to the right buyer, priceless.
"Don't worry. Big brother'll make it happen somehow. Physician."
"Yes."
"I'll buy the Empty Clear Stone Milk. Can you arrange a meeting?"
Hwang Jeong gaped unwittingly at Sima Geon's words.
The Water Dragon chairman's plea to forget he'd shown it was long gone from mind.
Springing up unconsciously, Hwang Jeong nodded frantically.
"R-right away. I'll contact them."