RED STAR IN THE SKY GORYEO (The Scent Of Life 2)
CHAPTER 17 BEGINS THE INVESTIGATION

Byeol, Wang So, Wang Jung and Wang Wook were sitting in a gazebo on a hill talking about their next plan.

"The supplier of herbal medicines was controlled by a female merchant named Mrs Hae. Even goods from Tang were also supplied through the woman. Tonight there's a party at Mrs Hae's house. An opportunity for us to infiltrate his house and check the distribution records of herbs" Wang So explained

"It seems like I have an interesting idea," Wang Jung said as he glanced at Byeol.

Byeol looked at Wang Jung questionnaires, the man glanced at him with a smile.

"We went to the doctors' practice. There is something strange in our opinion, because there are some patients who experience the same disease as the Crown Prince. Their skin was wailing and experiencing acute hallucinations. They finally die. There is one daughter still alive and in treatment. Maybe hyung can come to him," Wang Wook explained.

Byeol understood the current condition in Songak. While in the dorm, Byeol did not get any news. He only found out that after the palace riots, the Crown Prince had a strange illness. The skin of the Crown Prince was itching and his body began to weaken. Not only that, Wang Mu also began to sleep frequently and hallucinate.

***

Wang So, Wang Wook and a few bodyguards came to a house of wood roofed leaves on the edge of town. A man came out with a bowl.

"I'm closed today. You will come tomorrow if you want to seek treatment" said the man when he saw the guest who came.

"We don't want treatment. We want to see your patients. A small child who has a skin rash," said Wang Wook

"Ooh, you came yesterday. Go ahead" said the physician.

Wang So and Wang Wook went inside the treatment room. They saw a little girl in pain, her face full of rashes, and her breathing was shallow.

"What happened to her?" asked Wang So

"I found him unconscious on the edge of the forest yesterday, when I was looking for herbs. Looks like he's got poison. Frontal administration of poison can cause death, but if given little by little the effect settles and is slowly poisoned until the victim dies. I don't know what happened to this poor girl. I have not succeeded in making the antidote" said the healer.

Wang So sat next to the Little Girl. The girl's forehead. The girl's eyes opened. The girl smiled.

"Help me, sir. I need to find Physician Hong. My brother is in danger in that damned valley" said the weak little girl near Wang So's ear.

The girl painstakingly took off the blue stone ornate necklace and seashells. Wang So helped the girl remove the necklace.

"This is my brother's necklace, he told me to give this necklace to Physician Hong," said the little girl with increasingly wheezing breath.

Wang So nodded his head while grasping the necklace. The girl had difficulty breathing, and eventually fainted.

"We have to find someone named Physician Hong" Wang So told Wang Wook

"I think I know where he is" said Wang Wook.

"Tabib, take care of this girl and try to make her antidote" said Wang So while giving a bag of money to the Physician.

The Physician's eyes sparkled to receive a lot of money, and responded to Wang So's request.

"This child is in danger, put some people to guard him. We have to examine the forest on the mountain where this child was found" Wang So told Wang Wook.

"Okay" Wang Wook replied.

Wang So and Wang Wook left the healer's house. They planned to search for Physician Hong, and inspect the forest where the little girl was found. To uncover the crown prince's poison and illness, which is still a secret. They will take the winding road that is not easy, because they know the person in the palace is the culprit, but who? It's still a mystery.

***

Byeol and Wang Jung walked in the middle of the city and stood in front of a gyobang, where the gisaengs lived. Byeol showed a face full of question marks, why did Wang Jung take her to gyobang.

"Let's go in," Wang Jung asked.

Byeol simply raised his eyebrows, then followed Wang Jung's steps into the gyobang. Inside the bridge they were greeted by a man.

"Master, welcome, Mrs Chun is inside," the man greeted

"Come," Wang Jung asked

They went inside the house. There are some gisaeng who dress up pretty pacing back and forth in the hallway. In another part of the house there was the sound of music echoing signifying they were practicing. Wang Jung opened the door of a room without excuse. Byeol saw a beautiful woman sitting on her face. Wang Jung immediately sat down, and Byeol also sat down next to Wang Jung.

"You are always alone" protested the woman called Mrs Chun

"Help me. Put her in a gisaeng troupe that will entertain at Madame Hae's house tonight," Wang Jung said straight to the point.

The woman immediately pursed her lips as if she wanted to protest. Then he looked at Byeol with a look of disdain.

"Beautiful, but she's too pale. Emm ... Whatever happens later I'm not responsible" said Madam Chun stroking her chin while researching Byeol's face without makeup.

Wang Jung took out a bag of money and approached Madam Chun. The Prince intimidated Madame Chun. The gyobang leader woman turned her head back

"If you don't want to cooperate with me, you know for yourself the consequences," Wang Jung said in Madam Chun's ear as he put the money bag into her hands.

The woman was immediately cheerful, then smiled at Byeol.

"Come with me, I'll make you beautiful tonight" Madam Chun said as she pushed Wang Jung away.

Madam Chun took out her beautiful clothes and hair ornaments from the box.

"Take off your clothes, put on this shirt" Madam Chun ordered Byeol.

Byeol took off his clothes and put on the clothes given by Madam Chun. Gisaeng senior gyobang owner helped Byeol install all the accessories.

"What's the name, Agassi?" ask Madam Chun

"Byeol," Byeol replied briefly.

Madam Chun smiled.

"If you really were a gisaeng. You'll be the beautiful Red Star of Goryeo" she praised as she combed through Byeol's long, jet-black hair.

Byeol thinks of gisaeng figures such as Madam Chun as if they were destined to be so when the caste system was created. Many of them are not only beautiful, but also smart with a variety of skills. But they still belong to the cheonmin caste. The lowest caste in Goryeo society.

The gisaeng seems to function as a thinner for paint. They can be a melting pot of problems in a complicated relationship among yaban or nobles. Not a few roles of the gisaeng in the political map of Goryeo history. But cheonmin is still cheonmin, as great and beautiful as anything they can not rise to the caste of yaban. Cruel!

"Finished" Madam Chun told Byeol after rubbing Byeol's lips with a lipstick brush.

Madam Chun leads Byeol to a large mirror. It is clearly visible the shadow of a beautiful woman dressed up as a gisaeng. Byeol was wide-eyed while holding his cheek. As if I couldn't believe it was him. The gisaeng dress in red and emerald green was so fitting with her white skin, combined with the hair ornament on the top of her head.

"Sir, we're done" Madam Chun said as she opened the door connecting her room to the next room where Wang Jung was waiting anxiously.

As soon as the door opened, Byeol smiled sweetly at the man. Wang Jung was stunned and fascinated by Byeol's beauty until his elbow slipped from the table. He also cleared his throat to melt his groin.

Byeol sat in front of Wang Jung at Madam Chun's company.

"You go in with the gisaengs later. We'll go the other way. Take good care of yourself, Byeol-ah. Find information about who came and watch the event" said Wang Jung.

"Yes, I understand" replied Byeol.

***

Wang So and Wang Wook came to a house some distance away from the hustle of the city. The house belonged to Physician Hong. There was only an old woman sitting peeling nuts.

"Are you looking for that crazy healer? Just look in the market, he's barking there, " said the old grandmother.

Wang So and Wang Wook wondered why Mr. Hong, the famous physician in Songak, was barking at the market. They both went to the market. Indeed, in accordance with the old grandmother's words, Mr. Hong was in a drunk condition imitating the barking of the dog in front of him as if inviting a fight.

Seeing that inappropriate thing, they picked up Mr. Hong and led him to the riverbank. They threw the physician into a shallow river to be immediately aware of his drunkenness. The old man nodded and shouted. Wang So just looked with a cold face at the man, while Wang Wook laughed seeing Master Hong yelling at the swearing.

The three of them sat on the riverbank on the rocks. Physician Hong had already begun to come to his senses from his drunkenness. He knows who he's talking to. Physician Hong cried while holding a necklace in his hand. The ornate necklace of blue stones and seashells was given by Myungwool through Wang So.

"Pity of the children. Soon Joon Myungwool's older brother is a medicine and herbs expert. They're orphans. The last time I came to visit, their house was empty and in disarray. I don't know where they are" said Mr. Hong.

"Do you know about this drug?" wang So asked as he took a piece of medicine in a cloth from the slip of his shirt and gave it to Mr. Hong.

Master Hong took the medicine and smelled it.

"It's Monk's Hood's flower poison. Where did you get this rare poison?"ask Mr. Hong

"This is a drug taken by rowdy dancers who mess up at the Crown Prince's birthday show" said Wang Wook.

"Soon Joon is actually doing research on Monk's Hood. I'm afraid that someone is abusing Soon Joon's ability for certain purposes" said Mr. Hong

"That's what we're worried about," Wang So replied.

"Your highness, take me to where Myungwool is being treated," asked Physician Hong.

Wang So nodded his head. The three of them went to the house of the healer who took care of Myungwool.

***

Inside the treatment room, Physician Hong examined Myungwool's condition. He took a deep breath and shook his head.

"The condition is severe, the poison is spreading through his bloodstream. Seeing the condition could be that the poison was given little by little through food or drink until it settles and kills him slowly. We have to make the antidote. Have you made it?" physician Hong asked the healer who cared for Myungwool.

"I have made you sir. While my medicine can only reduce his pain and hallucinations, so that he can sleep peacefully without delirium and fever. I lack knowledge of poison" said the healer and lowered his head.

Physician Hong nodded his head. Wang So suddenly heard a movement outside the healer's house. So was Wang Wook who was instantly on guard. They're moving out of the house.

"Wook-ah, take Myungwool away from here, we'll try to block them," Wang So ordered as a group of black veiled people had already surrounded the house.

Without waiting for long Wang So and a few guards drew their swords. The group of attackers also began attacking Wang So. The battle was inevitable, with victory on Wang So's side.

"They're a horde of Monk's Hood" Wang So said after examining the bodies of the attackers. There is a tattoo of the Monk's Hood flower symbol on their inner hand.