Chapter 5: Recovery Speed Beyond Imagination
The family head had tried to die together with his grandson.
No one in the family stopped him. No one appeared even at the moment he took the poison. At this point, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say everyone had lost their minds.
‘What about my parents?’
Would there be parents who wouldn’t come to see their sick child?
Hougong inwardly shook his head.
‘Impossible... They must have already passed away.’
Perhaps their deaths had driven Beomhang to such extremes?
The moment the question arose, Hougong shook it off.
He didn’t need to understand that much.
The important thing was how he had ended up in this body.
Suddenly, the Sword Saint’s words came to mind.
— Hougong... You too cannot be eternal. In the darkness, I saw it. Whether it was my delusion... or a dream... I saw you losing everything...
And what else did he say... Ah, right.
— You, who became so weak that even the wind could shake you... I wish that had been your downfall...
Somehow, those words had come true.
A weak appearance, a body like a blade of grass. Losing everything.
The feeling wasn’t particularly pleasant.
‘That Sword Saint bastard. If only he’d laid out a mat, it would’ve been spectacular.’
Had he glimpsed fragments of the future while swallowed by demonic energy? Or was it just a delusion? In any case, it turned out as the Sword Saint said. He lost everything. Even his plump flesh...
‘Well, I can just start over.’
The cause would soon become clear.
In the meantime, he needed to gather information and focus on recovering his body.
Then suddenly, Hougong realized he had forgotten something important.
‘Damn! I haven’t eaten anything yet.’
The only things he had consumed were poison and a small amount of water.
The night was deep, and now was the time to satisfy his hunger. Thinking he might be able to sit up if he tried hard enough, he opened his eyes.
“Ah!”
Hougong flinched as he opened his eyes.
Someone’s face was close in front of him.
Too close. They had leaned in about a hand’s breadth away, and just as Hougong opened his eyes, they both startled each other.
The other person was more shocked.
“Kyaaah!”
They let out a sharp scream and stumbled backward.
It was a young woman. She had a small frame but was quite pretty, and naturally, it was a face he hadn’t seen before.
“S-sorry, Young Master. There was something on your chin I tried to remove...”
The woman composed herself and begged forgiveness.
Hougong wasn’t pleased.
He frowned inwardly and clicked his tongue.
It wasn’t because of the woman’s actions or her apology.
The reality hit him hard.
How could someone be in the same room, right before his eyes, and he not notice? They were close enough to hear each other’s breathing!
The old him could have distinguished what kind of insect was crawling a hundred paces away, how many legs it had, whether a leg moved slowly due to numbness or injury. But now, his sensory abilities were practically nonexistent.
“Your face was too close. Are you blind or something?”
“N-no! I’m sorry, Young Master.”
The woman fidgeted, unsure how to react.
Considering her maid attire, Hougong adopted a casual tone.
“What’s your name?”
“My name?”
“Yes.”
“Young Master... Did the poison damage your mind?”
“Hm?”
The woman’s remark was refreshingly bold.
Hougong studied her closely.
It wasn’t just her speech that was peculiar.
Though dressed as a maid, her posture was impeccably balanced, and a sharp glint lingered in her eyes—signs of martial training.
“Hmm. ‘Damaged’ is an understatement. I seem to be in complete disarray. Even my memories.”
“Really?”
“Do you not have a name?”
“Ah, forgive me. My name is Songhwa.”
Hougong grinned and tried to sit up.
His left side was partially paralyzed, making the effort difficult. As he groaned, Songhwa hurriedly supported him.
“Songhwa.”
“Yes, Young Master?”
“My stomach is empty. Prepare some porridge. We’ll talk while I eat—”
“Huh?”
Songhwa’s eyes widened.
Her reaction was so extreme Hougong couldn’t finish his sentence.
Since when was wanting to eat so shocking?
But he quickly understood.
‘Of course. Beomhang likely never asked to eat properly. If he had, his body wouldn’t be in this state.’
Hougong offered a warm smile.
“No need to be surprised. From now on—”
“Why are you like this, Young Master?”
“Haha, I said not to be surprised.”
“You shouldn’t act like this!”
Songhwa’s eyes turned fierce.
“What?”
“Why do you want to eat?”
At first, he thought he’d misheard, but Songhwa’s piercing glare confirmed it.
“To regain strength, of course.”
“And what will you do with that strength?”
“Just... live.”
“No! You’ll use it to die again! You’re recovering ‘death energy’ because you’re anxious without it, aren’t you?”
Sparks flew from Songhwa’s eyes.
She looked ready to strike her master if he insisted on eating.
‘Beomhang, you rascal. Was it this bad?’
For a maid to reach this point...
Though, to be fair, the maid didn’t seem entirely sane either.
Did she not realize refusing food would kill him? Whether maid or guard, they should at least let him eat under supervision.
“Are you perhaps my fiancée?”
“W-what kind of question is that?!”
“If you were, I’d break off the engagement. It’s the trend these days.”
“Stop joking! Everyone is exhausted because of you—the family head, the young master, all of us! We’ve even talked about dying together. And now you want to eat?!”
Hougong tilted his head and spoke.
“What should I do, then?”
“You must live passionately! Pursue goals, eat well, sleep well, laugh, feel moved, and seek hope!”
“That’s sound advice. I’ll start with eating well.”
“No! I don’t believe you!”
“Then I’ll starve.”
“You must eat! Why are you like this?!”
“......”
Hougong went blank.
Chaos whether he ate or starved.
At this rate, not just the family but even the guards and maids were losing their minds.
‘How many times has this girl watched Beomhang attempt suicide?’
Given her martial arts training, she likely doubled as a suicide prevention measure.
In that sense, arguing about eating was pointless.
Hougong gave up swiftly.
“Songhwa, I have a question. Who is the current Martial Arts Alliance Leader?”
“Why ask about the Leader?”
Sharp again.
“Why are you suddenly curious?”
“Answer me. With those pretty lips of yours.”
“Pre... pretty... Hmm...”
Songhwa curled her lips inward.
After flusteredly avoiding his gaze, she finally spoke with feigned indifference.
“Fine. The Alliance Leader’s story is amusing enough to share.”
“Oh? Amusing?”
As a former Alliance Leader himself, Hougong perked up.
“Very! The Alliance Leader is a pig. An extremely fat pig.”
“Uh...”
“So fat he waddles when he walks! His cheeks are so swollen his eyes look permanently closed. Haha! He boasts about being the world’s greatest, but it’s laughable.”
“......”
“They say he killed the Sword Saint half a year ago with that blubbery body. Even stray dogs mock him. All he does is eat while claiming supremacy. He clearly relies on political power, not martial skill. That fatty’s name is—”
“Enough.”
Hougong cut her off softly.
“Young Master, you’ve turned pale.”
“I’m always pale.”
“No, you’ve worsened. Why?”
“Because of you.”
“Me?”
“You’re a wicked child.”
“What did I do?!”
“How dare you slander someone so shamelessly—even if they aren’t present!”
“But it’s true! He’s really fat!”
“Enough! Stop calling him fat!”
Hougong snapped, adding:
“He’s... robust!”
“Not according to the rumors.”
“Nonsense! ‘Robust’ is the word! Besides, the Alliance Leader must be a splendid person devoting himself to the martial world’s peace. How disappointing that you judge others based on looks!”
“I’m sorry.”
“I don’t want to hear it. Don’t you know how charming plump people are?”
“Huh? You think plump people are charming?”
“Obviously.”
At his firm reply, Songhwa’s expression shifted. She blanked momentarily, then blinked rapidly.
“So... you want to become plump too?”
“Naturally.”
“I’ll prepare your meal immediately!”
“Hurry!”
As Songhwa left, Hougong shook his head.
‘Hmm... The timeline aligns. Did Beomhang and I soul-swap?’
If so, Beomhang now occupied his original body at the Alliance.
‘That fool... He must be bewildered. Or...’
Bewildered or not, Hougong lifted his hand.
Countless scars lined his wrist.
A foreboding premonition struck him.
‘...Did he kill himself in my body? No... Surely not...’
Ten days passed swiftly.
Hougong lay in bed, circulating his inner energy.
He didn’t expect rapid progress.
This body’s frailty defied description. All he could do was gently coax his meridians open, barely elevating himself from a vegetative state.
Yet his recovery was astonishing.
He dutifully consumed prescribed medicines and ate at least two bowls of porridge daily. The paralysis nearly vanished, and pain subsided to a dull ache.
Then, the news he’d awaited arrived.
Late at night.
“Human affairs are unpredictable. Who knew Young Master Beomhang would recover so quickly?”
“Baffling. This shouldn’t be possible...”
By his bedside, the doctor and family head marvelled—half joyful, half apprehensive.
Hougong pretended to sleep while listening.
“Why worry prematurely? Seeing how well he eats and takes medicine, the blood poison might have been a blessing.”
“Hope frightens me. He’s likely acting this way due to amnesia. Still, I pray you’re right. Human affairs are ever uncertain.”
“Indeed.”
“Frankly, who could’ve imagined Alliance Leader Hougong would take his own life? Not demonic cults or ghost sects—suicide! Even the world’s greatest has his sorrows. Truly, one can’t judge by appearances... Hm?”
The doctor trailed off, staring at the bed in shock.
Family Head Beomcheon’s eyes bulged.
The grandson they thought asleep was twitching violently.
Teeth-grinding sounds emerged.
“Family Head, the Young Master is...”
“Must be a nightmare...”
But how could they know?
The one here was Hougong.
Though Hougong had suspected Beomhang might suicide post-swap, confirming it left him hollow with rage.
