Chapter 8. The Nine Yin Absolute Meridians
Kim Do-Joon was startled into stillness. Suddenly, a sharp knock on the door echoed, and two people entered the room—Jung Da-Jung and a middle-aged man wearing a white coat. The man was Dr. Kwon Sung-Joo, the attending physician. Seeing the doctor, Kim So-Eun bowed in greeting.
"Hello, sir. I see you're visiting today," Kwon Sung-Joo said, looking at Kim Do-Joon.
"Yes, Doctor. How are you?"
"I’m doing well, thank you for asking. I've heard what you’ve been up to—you must have had a hard time," Kwon Sung-Joo said sincerely, sounding relieved to see Kim Do-Joon safe and sound.
Kim Do-Joon shook his head, an awkward smile on his face. "No, I was pretty lucky, actually."
"Hello, sir!" Kim So-Eun chimed in.
"Hi, So-Eun! How are you today?"
"I'm feeling pretty good!" she replied cheerfully.
"That’s great to hear," said Kwon Sung-Joo, pulling up a chair to sit in front of Kim So-Eun. "Now, why don’t we start the exam?"
"Okay!"
Kim Do-Joon stepped back, letting Kwon Sung-Joo get to work. The doctor adeptly inspected Kim So-Eun's eyes and mouth, then surveyed the readings on the machines. It was a routine examination, nothing extraordinary.
After observing Kim So-Eun's condition, Kwon Sung-Joo's eyes widened with surprise. He turned to Kim Do-Joon and relayed the news.
"Her symptoms have significantly subsided. The swelling in her throat has gone down, and her complexion looks better. In fact, she looks the healthiest she's been as of late."
"Oh, really?" Kim Do-Joon said in his relief.
Truth be told, he was pleased that he could finally help. As a parent, he had always felt helpless while witnessing his daughter suffer; he wished he could bear the pain instead. Despite that, all he could do was hold her hand through it.
I should come by whenever I have the time to use the copy-paste skill.
Kim Do-Joon was fully aware of the fact that he could not cure Kim Do-Eun’s disease, but he would do everything in his power to help her live a longer, more comfortable life.
Looking as if she had understood what Kwon Sung-Joo said, Kim So-Eun jumped into Kim Do-Joon's arms. She excitedly exclaimed, "It’s because you’re here, Daddy! That’s why I’m feeling better!"
"Is that so? Then Daddy must be your healer, haha!" Kim Do-Joon replied with a smile.
"Of course!"
Kwon Sung-Joo chuckled, then turned to Kim Do-Joon. He explained, "Based on today’s results, I think she’s well enough for a short walk."
"Really?" Kim Do-Joon replied.
"Just make sure to stay inside the hospital grounds," the doctor said. "You know, in case there’s an emergency."
"Got it, thank you. So-Eun, do you want to go for a walk with Daddy?"
"Yes!" Kim So-Eun nodded eagerly and jumped out of bed, rushing to the closet. "Daddy, help me grab my clothes!"
"What do you want to wear?"
"This one! The one that looks like Bikachoo!" she replied while pointing towards a yellow hoodie which, true to its namesake, featured a characteristic pair of ears and a tail.
Kim Do-Joon followed Kim So-Eun to the closet and retrieved the hoodie, helping her dress. The hoodie was a bit large on her, having been bought in a slightly larger size in anticipation of her growth.
"Wow, So-Eun! You look so cute!" Jung Da-Jung said.
"Really?" Kim So-Eun said, face relaxed and beaming. She proudly showed off, twirling around to the beat of Jung Da-Jung’s delighted clapping.
Moved by the peaceful scene, Kim Do-Joon smiled and asked, "So-Eun, Daddy needs to talk to Dr. Kwon for a moment. Could you wait for me?"
"Okay!"
Jung Da-Jung stepped up to attend Kim So-Eun in his place. The nurse straightened the girl’s clothes, adjusted her crossbody bag, and helped put on her shoes.
Kim Do-Joon then approached Kwon Sung-Joo. "Doctor, may I ask you something?"
"Of course," replied Kwon Sung-Joo, glancing at Jung Da-Jung and Kim So-Eun with a gentle smile of his own.
Kim Do-Joon shot a quick look back at Kim So-Eun; he could still see her status window.
Condition
- Nine Yin Absolute Meridians
Having neglected his studies in his younger years, Kim Do-Joon could not make heads or tails of the written affliction. Based on the fact that it appeared under Kim So-Eun’s status window, he could only assume that it had something to do with her illness.
Cutting to the chase, Kim Do-Joon asked, "Have you heard of something called the Nine Yin Absolute Meridians?"
Kwon Sung-Joo was taken aback, eyes shooting wide open in surprise.
***
The man’s brief look of shock did not escape Kim Do-Joon's keen eyes. He gulped, unnerved by Dr. Kwon’s reaction.
After a short while, Kwon Sung-Joo spoke up. "What is that?"
His response eased the tension. Kim Do-Joon let out a relieved laugh, thinking he was worried over nothing.
I guess he was just startled by the mention of a disease he had no clue about.
Before Kim Do-Joon could reply, Jung Da-Jung spoke up from behind them. "Nine Yin Absolute Meridians? Doesn't that sound like something out of a martial arts novel?"
Both men looked at her with puzzled expressions.
"Martial arts?" Kwon Sung-Joo asked.
"Martial arts novels?" Kim Do-Joon repeated.
"You've never read martial arts novels? They're usually popular among older men."
Kim Do-Joon and Kwon Sung-Joo exchanged looks again, shaking their heads. Neither of them had ever read a martial arts novel before.
"By martial arts, are you talking about the sorts of stories where characters fly in the air and shoot fireballs from their hands?"
"I've seen a few movies like those, but… aren't they all exaggerated?"
"You’d be right," she confirmed. "That said, they're hardly all that fantastic nowadays—you see Hunters flying around and shooting energy waves from their hands all the time."
Kim Do-Joon found her words reasonable. Between the three of them, Jung Da-Jung seemed to be the most knowledgeable about the subject.
With a confused look on her face, she turned to Kim Do-Joon. She asked, "So, what's the deal?"
He scrambled for an excuse. "Oh, uh… a friend suggested that So-Eun's illness might be similar to it. The Nine Yin Absolute Meridians."
Kim Do-Joon thought it sounded convincing enough for something he thought up on the spot, but Jung Da-Jung erupted into laughter.
"Haha! Sounds like your friend is a martial arts novel enthusiast!"
"Seems so. Haha…" Kim Do-Joon replied.
"Well, since you mentioned it, I can see the similarities. In the stories, children are sometimes born with Nine Yin Absolute Meridians. In exchange for powerful innate energies, exceptional looks, and remarkable astuteness, the illness dooms them with a short life expectancy," Jung Da-Jung explained.
Astuteness? Does that mean… they’re born smart?
Though the word was outside his normal vocabulary, Kim Do-Joon understood its meaning. He solemnly nodded; sure enough, the description fit to a tee. In his eyes, Kim So-Eun was the prettiest and smartest girl in the world.
Oblivious to Kim Do-Joon’s thoughts, Kwon Sung-Joo stroked his chin in contemplation. "Hmm… So you’re saying that there's a disease in that martial arts novel similar to mana disorder. I should probably look into it."
"Oh, come on, Doctor. It's just a novel, a fantasy novel," Jung Da-Jung said with a smile.
"Still…"
Kwon Sung-Joo was a good doctor, both skilled and passionate. It was thanks to the man's demonstrably sincere demeanor that Kim Do-Joon felt that he had left his daughter in good hands the past few years.
"I'll help look into it," Kim Do-Joon added.
Jung Da-Jung laughed at their earnestness, but Kim Do-Joon fully intended to study some novels. After all, he saw what others couldn’t: a reference to Nine Yin Absolute Meridians written clear as day in Kim So-Eun’s status window.
Simply put, he couldn’t nonchalantly dismiss a clue that was only found after six whole years of searching. It wouldn’t be the first time fiction turned reality, either—the World Tree was likewise a thing of mere stories some decades ago.
"Daddy, when are we going for a walk?" Kim So-Eun asked impatiently.
"Huh? Oh, yeah, let's go now," Kim Do-Joon replied.
Seeing the girl rushing her father, Kwon Sung-Joo took the hint and bid farewell. "I'll get going now."
"Yes. Thank you, doctor," Kim Do-Joon replied.
"Take care, So-Eun. Have fun with Daddy, and see you later!" Jung Da-Jung said.
"Okay, bye-bye! See you later!"
After seeing the two off, Kim So-Eun and Kim Do-Joon left the hospital room. Kim So-Eun held her father’s finger tightly with her adorable hand. When he glanced down, their eyes met and Kim So-Eun smiled brightly at him.
How long had it been since he had seen her bright face? The sight of his healthy daughter was heartwarming. Feeling a rush of emotions, Kim Do-Joon slowly headed out of the hospital.
***
That night, the moon shone unusually bright, and the stars sparkled.
Kim Do-Joon left the hospital after confirming that his daughter had fallen asleep. He made his way home, wading through the cold night breeze.
Hmm… A martial arts novel, was it…?
He began searching for martial arts novels referencing the Nine Yin Absolute Meridians the moment he stepped into his store. Over the course of his research, he stumbled across variations of it, such as the Great Yin Divine Meridians and Nine Yang Absolute Meridians. Collectively, they were often labeled the Pulse Deficiency Syndrome.
Maybe it would be easier to get results if I narrowed down my scope to Pulse Deficiency Syndrome.
Term-searching through Google, Kim Do-Joon found numerous novels—some free, others not. Included were novels he discovered through blog posts; he spared no expense in purchasing them through web novel platforms.
Rather than read the novels in their entirety, he simply skimmed through them for any mention of Pulse Deficiency Syndrome. The sheer size of his haul considered, it still took him a long stretch of time to finish up—time flew by, and dawn broke before he knew it.
Kim Do-Joon stepped out onto the terrace to clear his head. In his hand was a can of beer he had picked up along the way.
Pop!
Kim Do-Joon leaned against the railing and took a sip of beer. Then, he glanced back at his phone.
Most of the novels he read had similar plots: the protagonist obtained a mysterious power and, boasting overwhelming strength, crushed their enemies.
The first novel he took a gander at left him with the distinct impression of a macho genre—as an entry point, it was both gruesome and provocative. Delving further, however, changed his opinion in the opposite direction.
These novels read like fairy tales.
Kim Do-Joon was neither accustomed to brutality nor a stranger to gratuitous bloodshed. What caught his scrutiny and focus, however, were the circumstances surrounding the characters typically afflicted with Pulse Deficiency Syndrome: the female protagonists.
Per Jung Da-Jung's description, they were beautiful, pitiful, and astute damsels languishing in wait for their deaths. The male protagonist would, of course, step in to chivalrously relieve them of their malady.
The female protagonist tended to fall head over heels in love with her savior as a result, but that was of little relevance to Kim Do-Joon. Rather, what he was fixated on was the male protagonist's use of a seemingly magical power to manifest a solution for the previously thought incurable Pulse Deficiency Syndrome.
Thunk!
Seized by a wave of emotion, Kim Do-Joon subconsciously clenched his fist. His can of beer crumbled under the force, its remaining contents dribbling down his hand. Paying it no mind, Kim Do-Joon gritted his teeth.
The female characters afflicted with Pulse Deficiency Syndrome took the metaphorical part of a kidnapped princess in need of a knight. Predictably, her knight in shining armor would appear indeed, effortlessly freeing her from the clutches of a demon king or wicked dragon. Hardly a sweat would be shed in the princess’s rescue, because she was written to be rescued—to be cured.
Snow White ate the poisoned apple because the prince would kiss her; Cinderella endured her stepmother's torment because she would marry the prince and be saved.
Therein lay the problem: those princesses and knights did not exist in reality.
I'm all she has…
Should a knight exist, there was no guarantee that he would appear to help them in particular. In the end, Kim Do-Joon was the only person who would dedicate his all to save Kim So-Eun.
A prince could save his princess, but a parent had to be the one to save a child.
Well, at least they gave me something to go off of…
According to the novels, the Nine Yin Absolute Meridians were usually caused by an excess of the innately cold yin energy. Neutralizing it with an equal amount of yang energy—as by the absorption of holy animals, plants, and medicines—could pose a cure. Along those lines, a potion of sufficient fire energy would be effective.
I can't blindly believe every word out of a novel, but... it's better than nothing.
It was the first clue he found in six years of searching. The labyrinth, copy-pasting, and Insight skill gave them a lead to follow.
Kim Do-Joon made notes about his findings; they made up the second possible course for Kim So-Eun’s treatment. Of course, he did not forget to add in parentheses: need to confirm first.
That aside, he had another thing in mind for plan A—an option of his knowing for a long while.
The Golden Divine Elixir…
The Golden Divine Elixir was a legendary potion that had made its appearance but a single time since the emergence of the Yggdrasil Tree. It was a miraculous elixir known for its capacity to treat all diseases and even raise the dead.
In the past, I had no hope of getting my hands on it…
Though Kim Do-Joon longed to find it, he was a mere Potion Crafter and Gatherer. On the other hand, legendary items were coveted things that made waves throughout the world with their surfacing. Wars and conflicts would erupt to secure possession of them.
Even then, the Golden Divine Elixir was said to be an item able to revive the dead. It was a special, priceless treasure unable to be obtained with millions of gold.
It had effectively been a thing of dreams, far out of his reach.
But now, things are different.
Kim Do-Joon wanted to take a gamble on the extent of his newfound abilities. He knew that they hardly changed his feeble self. Whatever remarkable things they were or weren’t capable of, he couldn’t be sure that they would lead him to the Golden Divine Elixir either.
However, his abilities were a starting line. No matter how he hurt or stumbled, Kim Do-Joon was perfectly willing to tread towards the faint glimmer at the end of a dark tunnel if it meant hope.
I’ll save my daughter.
Mind settled, Kim Do-Joon got up from his seat. He tossed the beer can into the trash and headed back into the shop.
Despite the chilly night air, he felt his body heat up—it was not the alcohol alone, but his burning resolution.
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