Book 24 Chapter 4

The debut of Miss Yoon Mi!

—The Dance of the Plum Blossom

The boy had always been shy about standing in front of people. It was because his face would inexplicably flush red. They called it blushing disorder, and it wasn't something he could easily fix, especially since it was quite severe.

Perhaps it was because his timidity was a gift from heaven, it wasn't easily remedied. And because he wasn't proactive, he was often looked down upon by his fellow disciples at the Huashan Sect. Humans, not yet fully in control of their animalistic instincts, tended to torment or suppress the weak rather than help them, seeking to confirm their own superiority. Thus, the boy was bullied every single day. Another constitution he was born with, along with his blushing disorder, played a significant role. He had a peculiar constitution where he broke out in hives at the scent of plum blossoms, the very symbol of the Huashan Sect. Through some fortunate encounter, his skills advanced to a point where calling his fellow disciples friends was an insult to the concept of friendship. Despite being far ahead, he was still an outcast due to his psychological issues. If he hadn't met Bi Ryu Yeon, a person who seemed intent on shattering all worldly conventions, he would likely have remained an outcast forever.

Of course, many people harbored doubts about Bi Ryu Yeon's humanity, and quite a few insisted he was surely a ghost or a goblin. However, after meeting him, the boy was finally able to look at himself squarely, accept himself, reflect, and gain confidence. It was only after meeting him that the boy realized that if he himself changed, the world would change along with him.

But just because he gained a little confidence didn't mean his chronic timidity was completely cured. This remained true even after he was transformed into a fictional character named Yoon Mi through a combination of threats and persuasion by someone named Yeon Bi.

"How did things get this way?"

It felt like just yesterday that he breathed a sigh of relief after separating from Bi Ryu Yeon, believing that he wouldn't get entangled in strange incidents against his will. But when he opened his eyes, he found himself caught in another affair. The person at the center of that vortex was none other than the one called Yeon Bi.

In truth, he didn't know much about Yeon Bi. Nor did any of the other members of the delegation. This black-clad woman with mysterious tiger-eye pupils appeared suddenly, as if dropped from the sky, and became the eye of a new storm. All he and his friends knew was that Yeon Bi was very close to Bing Baek Bong Na Ye Rin and had known her for a long time. It was thanks to her that he was now standing in front of so many people in these unwanted clothes.

"Is my appearance really okay? Will I look strange?"

Fortunately, he hadn't been discovered as a man yet, but his heart couldn't help but race whenever he stood before so many people. To him, Yeon Bi spoke with a firm voice full of conviction.

"Don't worry at all. The public only sees what they want to see. They don't even think as calmly as they do when they're alone. It's like they think, 'Someone else is thinking for me, so I don't have to, right?' So, it's actually much less likely to be discovered standing in front of tens of thousands of people than in front of even one observant person."

"Really?"

"Of course. Haven't you heard the saying that the public is blind? They don't see the essence of things, nor do they intend to. They only see what they want to see. So, don't worry at all. Understand?"

"I, I see…"

Although Yeon Bi had tried to encourage him with those words before his first appearance, his lingering unease was likely due to his timid nature. In any case, it was time to fight, so he needed to quickly set aside distracting thoughts and focus. Yoon Mi's hand trembled slightly as he caressed his beloved sword.

He still trembled every time he fought. It wasn't the opponent that scared him. He feared the gazes of the numerous spectators watching him more than the opponent holding a sword. He recalled Yeon Bi's words as she approached him while he was trembling with nervousness in the waiting area, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry, Miss Yoon Mi So. There's no need to be nervous at all. Because they aren't looking at you."

Whenever Yeon Bi called him, she never used the title 'Miss Yoon Mi' but always 'Miss Yoon Mi So'. It was clearly intentional.

"They aren't looking at me? What does that mean?"

Yoon Mi looked at her with eyes that seemed about to tear up and whimpered. Yeon Bi nodded vigorously.

"They are looking at the fictional character Yoon Mi So right now. So, there's no need to tremble or be nervous. As I said, they aren't looking at you. Since they aren't looking, there's no need to be embarrassed."

"Not looking at me…"

That piece of advice, which wasn't really advice, had an unexpected effect. The trembling in his hands stopped, as if by magic.

"Huh? It's okay? I'm really not trembling."

He seemed surprised himself. Then Yeon Bi smiled and said,

"See? There's no need to tremble at all. If you're not nervous, an opponent like that is nothing. Now, go out there and show them how outstanding the sword energy of Huashan is."

Then, she added a brief remark.

"The dance of the plum blossoms."

Yoon Mi slowly looked at the three people dressed in snow-white clothes, one by one. Two were men, and one was a woman, all gaunt with sharp, snake-like eyes. The white robes they wore gave off a decidedly unhealthy, rather than pure and innocent, aura. They exuded a presence that made people uncomfortable, like snakes or frogs, just by standing there. Yoon Mi was no exception.

Unbelievably, their white robes were spotless. That was the kind of white that felt unnerving. However, Yoon Mi, who had seen their matches, knew. He knew that at the end of the match, it wasn't dust that stained their white robes, but blood. But the tool that produced that blood was no ordinary weapon. It was a surgical scalpel, incredibly small, thin, and sharp. Yes, they were physicians. Moreover, they were the leaders of the Fourth Unit, responsible for medical care, under the Macheon Thirteen Great Temples. Clearly, they chose the Fourth Unit because the pronunciation of 'sa' (four) is the same as 'sa' (death). Did they want to claim dominion over death? That they alone could give life or death to the students of Macheon Pavilion? Honestly, Yoon Mi didn't want to fight these individuals who were steeped in a madness that could turn a healthy person into a patient in an instant.

'Ah, really, do I have to fight…'

He wanted to turn around and leave this place right now. Just looking at their emaciated bodies clad in pristine white robes and white gloves made his stomach churn. Yoon Mi could never forget what was held in those white gloves during a match not long ago.

* * *

"Medical Immaturity!"

That was the name of the team to which those snow-white aspiring physicians belonged. If they had chosen it to be humble, it was the worst possible name. If not, it was even worse. The name of their team possessed a power that evoked inexplicable fear, anxiety, and disgust. He had started paying attention to their matches because Eun Seol Ran had given him a rather aggressive hint that he absolutely had to watch them, as they were core leaders of the Fourth Unit and possessed formidable skills.

"It's best to watch the matches of those crazy bastards. Because they are incredibly dangerous. You probably won't understand how crazy they are unless you see it for yourself. Because they are crazier than you can imagine."

This was the warning Eun Seol Ran had added. Given such a warning, he couldn't NOT watch. So, Yoon Mi sat in the front row with Yeon Bi and Na Ye Rin to watch their match. As a participant's privilege, they had the best seats to watch the match. Although Eun Seol Ran wasn't a participant, she easily entered the player's-only area and sat with them.

"Hohoho, I'm still quite someone here."

To the surprised onlookers, Eun Seol Ran said this with an exaggerated laugh.

It was easy to distinguish the Fourth Unit members who came to cheer for the Medical Immaturity team. That was because, just like them, they all wore pristine white robes without a speck of dust.

"There must be a rule in the Fourth Unit that states that if you get dust on those white robes, it's a capital offense."

"That might be so," Yeon Bi whispered into Na Ye Rin's ear with conviction.

"Maybe. But who is that person in the middle of the white-robed onlookers? The one with a large diagonal scar on their face? They're quite tall, aren't they? About 'nine feet'? And quite muscular, a master of external martial arts?"

Na Ye Rin pointed a finger in one direction. The person looked to be in their early thirties, with a scar running diagonally across their face, like stitches. For some reason, the skin color above and below the diagonal line seemed subtly different.

"Ah, that person is the captain of the Fourth Unit, 'Life and Death Without Permission, Bul Rak Gu Chook'."

Eun Seol Ran said.

"Ah, so that's him!"

Only then did Yeon Bi seem to take an interest, shifting her gaze. It was advantageous in many ways to remember anyone who could potentially be at the level of a Macheon Thirteen Great Captain.

"Who is their opponent? Are they also from Macheon?"

Eun Seol Ran nodded.

"They are the Blue Wolves."

"Blue Wolves?"

"They are members of the Ninth Unit of the Macheon Thirteen Great Temples, also known as the 'Azure Wolf Team'."

So, their team name was 'Azure Wolf Team'. It seemed they hadn't spent much time on such a simple naming convention.

The match between the Fourth Unit's Medical Immaturity team and the Ninth Unit's Azure Wolf team was decided not by a best-of-three format, but by a single three-on-three match. This thirty-thousand-liang betting match allowed for one-on-one fights, three-on-three simultaneous fights, or one person fighting three others, as long as both sides agreed; if they couldn't agree, it was decided by lot. Both teams appeared very accustomed to coordinating with each other, so it seemed they judged a team match to be more advantageous than individual combat.

Especially the 'Azure Wolf Team', whose weapons were of different lengths yet didn't hinder each other's strengths, suggested they specialized in combination techniques. Combination techniques don't necessarily make one person stronger just because they become two, or two become three. If one carelessly relied on the number of heads, they could easily injure their comrades with their own swords. However, the 'Azure Wolf Team' moved with the perfect coordination of a pack of wolves, maintaining their positions without encroaching on others. Just by standing there, one could tell they were strong.

"A lone wolf may not be scary, but a pack of wolves is. Indeed, wolves are wolves."

Eun Seol Ran murmured, looking at the blue wolf emblem embroidered on their chests.

"Are they that scary?"

Yoon Mi frowned, looking at the number nine inscribed on their backs.

"There are few groups as tenacious and persistent as a pack of wolves. Especially these Blue Wolves."

According to Eun Seol Ran, they were excessively obsessed with combination techniques, even among the Macheon Thirteen Great Temples. It was rumored that they could only use combination techniques when they were alone, which spoke to the extent of their obsession. No one knew if that was true or false. That's because they never went around alone. When there were two or more people, they could perform combination techniques with any member of the Ninth Unit at any time. It was no problem even if the numbers increased to four, five, eight, or nine. There were rumors that there was even a 'Grand Combination Formation' that mobilized the entire Ninth Unit. They met at the main headquarters' meeting hall daily to research formations from other sects, and it was an open secret that the formation they most wanted to break was the Shaolin's Hundred and Eight Arhat Formation. However, there were no reports of them having broken the Hundred and Eight Arhat Formation yet. Even though the captain of the Ninth Unit changed continuously, their ranking remained the same. And to prove whether theoretical formations could actually be applied, one could only do so by experiencing it firsthand. Of course, they would undoubtedly seize any opportunity if it arose.

"Then how strong are the people in white? To willingly give an opportunity for combination techniques to those who are seasoned in it… it must be impossible without considerable confidence?"

There was nothing wrong with Yeon Bi's words.

"They are… madmen."

"Madmen?"

"Yes, madmen obsessed with medicine."

Eun Seol Ran's eyebrows furrowed slightly.

"Then the Ninth Unit people have the advantage."

Physicians, after all, give the impression of being weak. This is because their role is to heal wounds rather than inflict them. Only the captain of the Fourth Unit gave the impression that he would beat an opponent senseless and say, "You are already dead," but the rest were all frail. However, Eun Seol Ran did not agree with Yoon Mi.

"Why do you think so?"

Eun Seol Ran countered.

"Naturally, because they are in charge of combat power. So, wouldn't they have undergone much more training and practical experience? And they look much stronger. On the other hand, the people in white have only learned medicine?"

The physical advantage was obvious to anyone. Although the people in white were indispensable, it didn't mean they were strong.

"Is that so?"

Eun Seol Ran smiled wryly.

"They say seeing is believing. You'll probably know when you watch this match."

Once again, Eun Seol Ran emphasized direct observation.

Anticipating the impressive skills they would display, they focused their attention on the center of the arena. A little later, they clearly understood that those in white were indeed remarkable. However, it was remarkable in a horrifying way.

The Azure Wolf Team of the Ninth Unit formed a triangular formation, while the Fourth Unit's Medical Immaturity team formed a straight line. The three members of the Azure Wolf Team each held a sword, saber, and spear in a ready stance, while the Medical Immaturity team raised both hands to their chests, wearing snow-white gloves. All six hands of the three people were empty.

"Why are they taking such a strange stance?"

Yoon Mi, unable to contain his curiosity, asked. Looking at the only person who could answer this question among them. Eun Seol Ran sighed softly and replied,

"I don't know the details either. But they say it's to protect their hands from weapons."

"From weapons like swords or sabers? How? They look incredibly vulnerable?"

To Yoon Mi, their stance looked like an invitation to cut off their hands. So much so that their stance was severely against the principles of martial arts.

"It's not weapons (兵器), but the 'qi' of illness, pathogenic 'qi' (病氣). They believe that everything external is contaminated with pathogenic 'qi', so they must always maintain purity to prevent that 'qi' from invading."

"For what?"

This short question came from Yeon Bi. Eun Seol Ran hesitated for a moment before opening her mouth with a look of resignation.

"I heard… it's for opening a person's belly."

The first to move among the two teams was the Azure Wolf Team of the Ninth Unit. These Blue Wolves were not patient enough to wait for their prey.

"Unleash the Three Consecutive Demon Wolf Formation!"

Ma Seong Jin, Blood Three Wolf, the leader of the three, shouted. He was the third-ranked member of the Ninth Unit and a master of tyrannical swordsmanship. Following his command, Fourth-ranked Black Wolf Do Myeong and Fifth-ranked Red Five Wolf Yeo Wi went to their positions. These Ninth Unit members had a peculiar tradition of assigning ranks even in their nicknames. This was because wolves valued hierarchy so much that the number in the middle of their nicknames changed when their rank changed.

The three people formed a triangular formation. The one at the apex of the triangle, leading the front, was Blood Three Wolf Ma Seong Jin.

"No need to prolong this with these disgusting bastards. End it in one go. Understand?"

"Yes!"

The reply came simultaneously.

"They're just physicians anyway. Let's let them heal each other to their heart's content! Beat them up as much as you want."

"Understood."

Blood Three Wolf commanded.

"Move in the 'Third Formation'."

Formation refers to the pre-arranged methods of operating combination formations. In combination techniques, if there are no such arrangements, movements can become tangled, and the formation can collapse, so one must be careful.

"Let's show them how sharp the Blue Wolf's teeth are!"

The three wolves moved in unison, maintaining their formation and howling.

"Charge!"

The techniques called Composite Sword Formation (合劈陣), Composite Sword Technique (合劈術), or Combination Technique (合擊術) are simply a general term for methods that effectively overwhelm one person with multiple people. At least, that's how they think in the Black Path. Therefore, the Composite Sword Formations of the Black Path differ in every aspect from those of the White Path. Yin-Yang, Five Elements, Three Powers, Nine Palaces—all those troublesome things are unnecessary. The operation of nature and the mutual generation and destruction of the Five Elements are considered stale and useless theories to them. They pursue only one thing: practicality (實戰性). How to defeat the enemy easily, quickly, and in a short amount of time—that is the beginning and end of the Composite Sword Formation. The Composite Sword Formation of the Azure Wolf Team was no different. They too staked everything on how to bite their target most easily and quickly. As such, their movements were swift, devoid of any waste, and greedy.

The white-robed individuals, who had remained motionless until now, finally moved. They had no intention of simply standing there and offering their heads to the wolves' jaws.

"Well then, let the diagnosis begin. Inquiry phase, commence!"

The person at the very back of the Medical Immaturity team shouted. He was the second-ranked member of the Fourth Unit, Medical Tiger Ha Woo Soo.

"Yes! Medical Officer!"

The first white-robed man, 'Inquiry' Chae Yi Soo, charged towards the three Blue Wolves in formation. The Blue Wolves were not so foolish as to leave the charging prey alone.

The Red Five Wolf, standing at the right flank of the triangle, moved. His weapon was a massive saber swung with both hands. The power from both hands is stronger than one. His role was to immobilize the opponent with this single blow. Not to kill, but to immobilize, so he could sufficiently hold the opponent afterward by fully exerting his personal strength. However, Chae Yi Soo, with his incredible speed, evaded the fiercely descending saber with his footwork. Then, he quickly grabbed the opponent's wrist, twisted his joint backward, and then firmly stepped on the back of his knee to immobilize his leg.

As Red Five Wolf was subdued so quickly, Blood Three Wolf and Black Wolf were dumbfounded, losing their timing to charge. If their captain were looking down at this scene now, he would scold them severely upon their return. Their captain wolf was a cruel demon wolf who knew no forgiveness. The most unfortunate aspect was that their captain was watching this match from the front row. Cold sweat ran down the spines of the three wolves as they thought of this.

"Hyaaaaaaah!"

With a loud yell, Black Wolf thrust his long spear like lightning. Originally, his role was to pierce the opponent's abdomen, which was immobilized by the saber.

"Anesthesia, commence!"

At that moment, Medical Tiger Ha Woo Soo shouted again.

"Yes!"

Then, the second white-robed person charged forward. Surprisingly, this white-robed person was a woman. Several large needles flew from the white-robed woman's hand and were thrown towards Black Wolf, who was lunging with his spear. Black Wolf had no choice but to change the direction of his spear and deflect the incoming needles.

Clang! Thwack!

Black Wolf deflected the first three needles but couldn't stop the fourth. Struck in a vital point by the needle, Black Wolf froze like a stone statue. Then, Blood Three Wolf rushed to help his subordinate. However, Ha Woo Soo did not intervene. He trusted the white-robed woman, Ho Won.

The white-robed woman's left hand spread open. Then, a hazy, smoke-like substance rose from her white glove, instantly covering an area of about three jang in all directions.

"Poison?!"

Startled, Blood Three Wolf immediately stopped breathing and retreated. However, he couldn't retreat more than three steps.

'How can this be! I clearly stopped breathing…'

Originally, 'poisonous mist' was not a type of venomous technique with high lethality. It was particularly useless in intense combat where one was constantly moving. It tended to dissipate before entering the opponent's respiratory system. So, it shouldn't have had any effect. But it did. Sensation was slowly draining from his entire body.

'Could it be skin poison!'

Blood Three Wolf was horrified. If so, the stiffness of his body, even though he held his breath, was explained. Although he didn't know the inner workings, it was likely that the 'paralyzing agent' on the needle interacted with the poisonous mist absorbed through the skin, causing the effect to spread more quickly.

"Ah, it's poison! Poison! Isn't poison a violation of the rules?"

Miseong-gongja Yoo Jin exclaimed in shock.

"Ah, if it's poison, it's a violation of the rules. But it's fine as long as it's not poison."

Teacher Mubaek replied in a calm voice.

"Then…"

The answer came from the white-robed woman herself.

"It's not poison, but a type of paralyzing agent. For skin absorption. The one on the needle is for muscles."

The white-robed woman declared icily, as if telling him to stop talking nonsense.

"But why…"

The first white-robed man and the second white-robed woman quickly scanned the bodies of the three immobilized people.

"What are the symptoms?"

Medical Tiger Ha Woo Soo, still motionless, asked.

"Yes. They seem to have an upset stomach."

Upon hearing Chae Yi Soo's answer, Ha Woo Soo's eyes flashed with a sharp glint.

"Chae Yi Soo, how many organs do you think are in a human's stomach, and how many muscles and bones are located there? Can you cure a patient with just that? What is the exact location?"

"S, I'm sorry. I'll do it again. It seems to be around the small intestine."

"Around? Seems?"

Ha Woo Soo questioned in a still displeased tone. Chae Yi Soo, who was palpating with his hands, looked flustered.

"No. It is definitely the small intestine. It is clearly suffering from severe indigestion due to small intestine obstruction."

Chae Yi Soo replied with a confident tone.

"Good! Then, let's proceed to improve the patient's condition. What treatment is needed, Ho Won?"

Ha Woo Soo asked the white-robed woman Ho Won this time.

"Immediate abdominal surgery is deemed necessary."

Abdominal surgery literally meant opening the abdomen.

"Good, we will begin the abdominal surgery now."

Before he could finish speaking, Ha Woo Soo moved. With a gust of wind-like footwork, he closed the distance in an instant like a swift tiger. His white glove now held a scalpel shining sharply. It was honed so sharp that a blue hue emanated from the blade, but it was too small to be considered a weapon. Even at its largest, it was about the size of a small brush. No matter how sharp it was, it seemed impossible to harm a person with such a knife.

Scrape!

Swoosh!

However, in an instant, everyone's expectations were proven wrong. As Ha Woo Soo's scalpel flashed once, Red Five Wolf's abdomen, who had been frozen in place, was split in half. But he didn't seem to feel any pain at all. Instead, he looked at his abdomen with a puzzled expression. There wasn't as much blood as expected for the wound. He seemed to think this was impossible.

Gush!

Ha Woo Soo's white glove plunged into the split without hesitation.

"Eek!"

Yoon Mi let out a strange scream upon seeing the gruesome and bizarre sight. Yeon Bi and Na Ye Rin also frowned slightly. Eun Seol Ran averted her gaze. She didn't want to see what would happen next.

Drip!

The white glove that had been in Red Five Wolf's abdomen was unceremoniously pulled out. In his hand was a long intestine. It was the opponent's small intestine.

"Hmm, seeing the reddish hue in its color, it seems to be in better health than expected. Can you see the color of this small intestine?"

Ha Woo Soo asked, turning his gaze to Chae Yi Soo and Ho Won.

"Yes, I can see it."

"Yes, I can see it."

The other two replied simultaneously.

"This is a healthy small intestine. Remember this elasticity and color well. Understand?"

"Yes."

"Yes."

They didn't seem to care at all that Chae Yi Soo's diagnosis just now was incorrect. No one pointed that out. Their only concern was what the inside of a person looked like. The man in the white mask immediately put the organ back into the abdomen. Then, without hesitation, he turned and said,

"Inquiry, you try suturing this time."

"Thank you for the opportunity, Deputy Medical Officer!"

Chae Yi Soo replied with a pleased tone, pulled out a needle and thread from somewhere, and began to sew the opened abdomen with skillful hands. He carefully pushed the organs in, making sure they didn't get tangled or contaminated, then closed the surgical site and sewed it tightly with a needle and thread at regular intervals. It was a remarkably swift movement, as if he had done it before.

"Unlike other areas, a person's abdomen has strong muscles and is thick, so if not sutured properly, it can open up easily. Therefore, always be careful when suturing."

Ha Woo Soo explained in detail and kindly while watching Chae Yi Soo diligently suturing. If it weren't for the fact that a tournament match for the eight-star advancement was taking place, it would have been considered a conversation where they were seriously exploring medical intentions. But this was a martial arts competition. Therefore, their behavior was no different from madness.

"The suturing is complete."

Upon hearing this, the deputy head of the Fourth Unit, the man in the white mask, carefully examined the suturing, then examined the patient's eyes and mouth.

"Hmm, no abnormalities. Well done."

"Thank you."

Chae Yi Soo bowed deeply.

"If you want, shall we examine you too? We still have plenty of time, so we don't mind? It is our duty to be responsible for the health of the friends at Macheon."

Ha Woo Soo said slowly, turning his head towards the remaining two people. The faces of Black Wolf and Blood Three Wolf turned pale. Even after enduring countless battles in the midst of a fierce wolf pack, the scene they had just witnessed was truly an unbearable hell. The two quickly shook their heads. Fortunately, they could move their necks.

"Please leave this abdominal surgery to me, Deputy Medical Officer!"

Chae Yi Soo said with eyes full of enthusiasm. When would such an opportunity arise again? He didn't want to miss this wonderful opportunity to open a person's belly.

"No. Please leave it to me. I'm confident I can do it well too."

"Ho Won, you sewed with the scalpel still in the patient's abdomen last time!"

"Hmph, and you, Chae Yi Soo, sewed with your glove in it! Have you already forgotten that the sutured area opened up again two days later, and the internal organs nearly spilled out?"

As Chae Yi Soo and Ho Won's argument escalated, more and more color drained from the faces of Blood Three Wolf and Black Wolf.

"We… we lost."

Finally, Blood Three Wolf uttered the words admitting defeat. He was sure that these lunatics wouldn't hesitate to cut open his belly out of sheer curiosity. He would rather be bitten by the captain wolf.

Ha Woo Soo, who had been silently watching the argument between Chae Yi Soo and Ho Won, took out a piece of paper from his pocket and began to quickly scribble something with a brush. Then, with a face that showed no emotion, he threw it towards the chest of Red Five Wolf, whose face was pale with a large abdominal surgery scar. The paper, seemingly imbued with internal energy, flew through the air and landed precisely in the chest of the pale-faced Red Five Wolf with the large abdominal surgery scar.

"This is a prescription."

With those words, the three men in snow-white robes turned and walked towards their waiting room. Their snow-white gloves were now stained crimson with blood.

"Wh-what was that just now?"

Yoon Mi asked in a trembling voice.

"A health check-up."

"A check-up for what?"

"It was a diagnosis of the person's internal health. Fortunately, there seems to be no illness."

Eun Seol Ran's expression as she said this was far from relaxed.

"Are you saying they cut open a healthy person's belly for that?"

"It seems it was a misdiagnosis. That's why I told you, they are crazy."

"Do people die from receiving such merciless treatment?"

"Do you think there won't be?"

Eun Seol Ran asked, looking directly into Yoon Mi's eyes.

"Ah, no."

Yoon Mi replied, breaking out in a cold sweat. After all, it made no sense for there not to be.

"They don't die immediately, but it's said to happen about one out of three times. Even their unit leader, Bul Rak Gu Chook of Life and Death Without Permission, fails about once in ten times."

He added that this success rate was only due to the fact that their skill was close to 'divine'.

"And yet, they continue?"

"That's why they say they must continue. Until there are no failures after cutting and suturing a hundred times. I saw last time that they boasted of succeeding with seventy-seven people. There are only thirty-three left."

Yoon Mi was stunned by their shamelessness and incomprehensible madness, losing the ability to speak.

Yoon Mi almost vomited. Even more surprising was that the person who had their internal organs examined hadn't died. As if overconfident in their skills, or perhaps to practice their skills in real combat, they quickly inserted the organs and swiftly sutured the incision with thread and needle. The spacing of all the sutures was perfectly uniform, a disturbingly neat skill.

Only then did Yeon Bi, Na Ye Rin, and Yoon Mi clearly understand what Eun Seol Ran had meant. Forcing them to describe that scene in words was certainly a cruel act.

"They are certainly not just moderately crazy."

Yeon Bi expressed her thoughts with a slight frown. Her tone was filled with displeasure.

"I am truly glad that I don't have to provide further explanation."

Eun Seol Ran said, her beautiful eyebrows knitted together. Despite this not being the first time, the sight, which she could never get used to, made her stomach churn. Even if she saw it hundreds of times again, she would never get used to it. If the day came when she became accustomed to that sight, she decided she would question whether something was wrong with her own mind and closed her eyes tightly to forget what she had seen today. Even from a considerable distance, the strong scent of blood seemed to stimulate her senses.