NOVEL NEXT Chapter 14
“It’s oil extracted from things like tree leaves, roots, and seeds. This one is from lavender, and it smells wonderful. Would you like to smell it?” The oil was of high quality. I nodded eagerly, my eyes sparkling.
“Lavender…”
The scent was a pleasant blend of floral and grassy notes, calming me. I looked around at the various jars. The names flashed by quickly: Wintergreen Oil, Eucalyptus Oil, Menthol, Peppermint Oil, Camphor, Thyme Oil…
My eyes shone with a clear, strong light. I felt this was the chance to use my unique ability. My power was currently at level 7.
At level 1, it harmonizes without standing out. At level 2, it achieves balance. I had always thought this referred to physical balance. But seeing those oils, I realized it was more than that. I knew I had to act. I looked up at Dan Mok-hyeon-woo.
***
First, I mixed four parts wintergreen oil, three parts of a one-to-one blend of peppermint oil and menthol, two parts eucalyptus oil, and one part of a mix of camphor, lavender, sandalwood oil, and thyme oil.
I used my Insight, Harmony, and Purification abilities simultaneously, gathering the clear oils into one jar and stirring slowly. A cool, refreshing scent wafted up to my nose. I smiled as I saw the spirit energy seep into the oil particles.
Using Insight, I examined the ingredients, then used Harmony to mix them in the right proportions to achieve the desired effect. Finally, I added a touch of Purification to perfect it.
‘Perfect! The spirit energy is being absorbed well!’
When I finished, my spirit energy had dropped to ’15’. It was the first significant achievement since I woke up.
‘So, Insight and Harmony really do complement each other,’ I thought.
At first, when I used Insight to check the materials, I felt like firing the supplier for providing such poor quality ingredients. But as I examined the oil jars more closely:
– Wintergreen Oil: Grade: High, Condition: Medium, made from fermenting and distilling the leaves of the wintergreen tree. It has a refreshing, deep scent with anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties.
– Peppermint Oil: Grade: Supreme, Condition: High, distilled from peppermint leaves. It has analgesic, anesthetic, anti-inflammatory, and antipyretic properties, and is effective for indigestion.
[Would you like to use Harmony?] a prompt suddenly appeared, catching my eye as I glanced at my sleeve.
I had never encountered this before, so I quickly used my harmony ability.
[You can combine recognized materials to create a product with better efficacy. Would you like to proceed? This function consumes energy.]
Of course, I would! They said using purification could improve the state of materials, so I used it diligently. What I created was this essential oil that looked as clear as water.
Apply it to your temples for a clear mind, use it to stay awake when sleepy, or apply it to joints or any sore spots for relief. People in this era would call it a “cure-all.” Just then, a clear sound rang out.
[Achieved Harmony Level 3 (1▲) ]
[You can now purify negative energy. ]
I savored the moment of my increased harmony achievement.
“Ryeon, this is…”
I took a small amount of the completed oil and put it in a bottle no bigger than a child’s palm, then took a deep breath. The real challenge started now. I looked around, then pulled Hyeon-woo’s hand and whispered seriously.
“Uncle, do you know what this is?” I asked, knowing he couldn’t possibly know since I had just made it.
Hyeon-woo shook his head gently, his eyes full of affection for me.
‘Uncle…’
I held his rough hand, thinking about how grueling his closed-door training must have been. How could I tell him he didn’t need to feel guilty about the years I spent lying down?
‘It might not change anything, but still…’
“While I was sleeping, I spent time above the clouds. A celestial being taught me this.”
“What do you mean…?”
“He told me that you were in pain while I was asleep, and that you still are. But if you use this, you can get better.”
“What? No, Ryeon, I…”
Hyeon-woo tried to say he wasn’t in pain, but I shook my head.
Even if his body wasn’t hurting, I knew his mind was troubled and he suffered from headaches.
“If you apply it here, it will cool the area, relieve your headaches, and even help with a stiff neck. I made this especially for you.” I handed him the bottle of essential oil.
Hyeon-woo, almost mesmerized, tilted the bottle and let the clear oil drip onto his fingertips. He rubbed it on his temples. At first, it felt cool, almost stinging, but as he massaged it in, the constant dull ache in his head seemed to lighten. The sharp, invigorating scent cleared his mind.
Since I had fallen into a deep sleep, he had been plagued by headaches. Now, his breathing, which he hadn’t realized was heavy, felt easier and lighter.
Hyeon-woo turned to me with a surprised expression. I smiled at him.
I mentioned the celestial being because I remembered the servants’ gossip. They talked about how, even in autumn, my garden remained green while others shed their leaves. They whispered that a celestial being must have taken my soul for seven years and returned it. Wasn’t it kind of true? I had seen the ends of the world and returned with these abilities. If they believed the ends of the world were the celestial realm, then my abilities might as well have come from a celestial being!
Worried that others might try to capture me if they knew about my abilities, I asked Hyeon-woo to keep the celestial being a secret. He nodded quickly.
“Yes, you’re right. With your talents, anyone would want you.”
Hyeon-woo looked down at his hand, still holding some of the essential oil, and muttered as if in a trance. I quickly changed the subject.
“Uncle, if you find it helpful, can we give some to Grandfather?”
“What? Of course! We can give it to him right now. I’ll find a good bottle.” Still feeling the oil’s effects on his neck, Hyeon-woo stood up suddenly and instructed a servant. The surprised servant hurried off and returned with a small jade bottle, just the size of a child’s palm.
Though small, the jade bottle felt heavy and substantial. As he gazed at it, Hyeon-woo suddenly spoke up.
“What do you think of ‘Cheongryeonsu’?”
“Huh?”
“It clears the mind and body, and though it’s oil, it’s clear and transparent like water… Ah, I mean, as a name for the oil. If you don’t have a special name in mind…”
Hyeon-woo, clearly still amazed and a bit flustered, was rambling. I felt the affection in his suggestion. The middle character in ‘Cheongryeonsu’ was the same as my name ‘Ryeon’. I smiled broadly and nodded.
“No, it’s perfect! Cheongryeonsu… I like it.”
Seeing my reaction, Hyeon-woo smiled, then quickly turned serious again and continued speaking.
“And from today, you’ll start studying medicine with me. Or rather, let’s say you’ve been studying it informally for a while…”
It was sudden, but I nodded. After saying what he had to, Hyeon-woo seemed to zone out for a moment. Then, slowly and nervously, he asked,
“Ryeon, about what you said… that you were above the clouds while you were sleeping… with the celestial beings…”
Was he doubting me? What if he told me to be honest since there was no need to lie? As I worried about this, Hyeon-woo cleared his throat and continued,
“Did you get sick at all while you were there?”
“Huh?”
“Were you cold… or hot?”
I blinked at him for a moment, then slowly shook my head. Finally, he relaxed, his face softening into a gentle smile.
“Good, that’s good. Thank you for making this for me…”
I found myself avoiding his gaze and lowering my head. Then I saw it: the “concerns” section in Hyeon-woo’s status had been completely cleared.
***
“Ryeon made this?”
“Yes, Father. She did it this morning.”
Dan Mok-cheon-gi had just heard the news that I had memorized the Thousand Character Classic and was preparing to teach me, but his youngest son arrived first, clutching the oil I made. His face was glowing, a stark contrast to the gloomy shadow that had been over him since the accident a few years ago. This was the first time he seemed to have a glimmer of light in his expression.