Hmm. She possesses the same murderous aura as Sama Hyeon.

Jin Cheon-hee observed the young woman before him with a mixture of wariness and resignation.

“I see,” he said aloud.

“My hobby of crafting leather dolls, as well as my achievement in reaching the realm of a Peak Master… they are all thanks to the Hwaju Medical Pavilion.”

Her smile was bright, but the intent behind it was dark enough to curdle milk. I am so grateful I could die. In fact, I am so grateful, I want to kill you.

For a fleeting moment, Sama Hye’s voice seemed to overlap with the terrifying baritone of the Sama Clan head, Sama Hyeon.

“Oh, wait a moment. Speaking of which.”

Sama Hye rummaged through her luggage and produced two figures crafted from leather: a dog and a bird.

“It’s Hwanggu and Noe-jin. I made them from cowhide.”

“Quite exquisite, isn’t it?”

“Yes. Benefactor, I wanted to present these to you the moment we met.”

Woof, woof, woof!

Hwanggu wagged his tail furiously. Judging by the rhythmic thumping against the floorboards, the dog’s intent was clear: Throw it!

The moment that becomes a chew toy, it won’t last a day.

Feigning ignorance of the dog’s pleading gaze, Jin Cheon-hee tucked the leather figures into his sleeve.

Woof!?

A sharp whine followed, clearly questioning why the human was pocketing a gift meant for him. Quick-witted as ever, Sama Hye instantly grasped the dynamic between Jin Cheon-hee and the white dog.

“Ah… Hwanggu. Come to think of it, we can use this as a necklace decoration.”

She retrieved a small leather pouch. While it had loops to attach to a human’s waist sash, it was petite enough to hang comfortably around Hwanggu’s neck. The strap was adjustable, ensuring it would remain secure even if the spirit beast utilized the Muscle Contraction Art to shrink his size.

Whimper!

“Yes, yes! There’s one for you, too. And you.”

Jin Cheon-hee narrowed his eyes at the pouch. No matter how he looked at it, the design resembled a utility bag meant to hold needle cases or hidden weapons. Sama Hye had clearly crafted these with serious intent.

It looks capable of sending two or three people to the afterlife. Is her grudge against the Hwaju Medical Pavilion truly that deep?

As if reading his thoughts, Sama Hye spoke up.

“It’s okay. Still, Oppa is spreading rumors that White Qilin Medical Pavilion is the best under heaven and that Hwaju Medical Pavilion is nothing but bubbles!”

Sama siblings? What am I hearing right now?

Jin Cheon-hee’s neck creaked audibly as he turned to look at her.

“I-Is that okay? Hye-ah?”

“It’s fine! The Hwaju Medical Pavilion cast the first stone, spreading false rumors that White Qilin’s medicine is quackery! Oppa gathered all the evidence. We decided to smash them by flooding the streets with rumors about everything—true or false.”

What? Not just the truth, but false fabrication as well?

“Benefactor, you are too kind to do such things. But this is an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Black propaganda for black propaganda!”

Indeed. One should never provoke the little Sama Hye. Even if she appeared to be an innocent young lady who had just ascended to the position of Branch Leader, the blood of the Sama Clan ran thick in her veins. She would not take an insult lying down.

“Don’t worry, Benefactor. My life’s goal is to trample them thoroughly—physically, reputation-wise, and popularity-wise.”

“H-Hye-ah. You are a physician.”

“I know. So I won’t kill people. Benefactor, I am a very rational physician.”

“Right. Y-You’re doing well…”

The Benefactor decided to give up.

Resigned to the inevitable chaos, Jin Cheon-hee decided to simply cheer for Sama Hye from the sidelines. She continued, her voice softening slightly.

“Because for us, who were orphans, Benefactor is like a parent. I cannot forgive those who slander you.”

At those words, Cheon Woo nodded in solemn agreement.

“Yes. I was an orphan too, so I understand that feeling.”

“Cheon Woo, you are a Taoist.”

“That is why I don’t kill peo… well, I didn’t not kill, but I control my strength, Hyung.”

Right. That’s good. Just don’t tear your uniform. Okay?

Come to think of it, no one in this carriage had parents.

***

Upon arrival, they established a temporary treatment center in the annex assigned to the White Qilin Medical Pavilion.

It was nothing grand. Everyone needed to recover from the fatigue of travel, so they simply unpacked their essentials. Any earnest work would have to wait until the morrow.

Assigned a guest room similar to his previous visit, Jin Cheon-hee set down his luggage and spent the day doing absolutely nothing, focusing solely on recuperation.

“Hmm? Hyung is resting for once? I thought you’d start working the moment your feet touched the ground.”

As expected of Cheon Woo. He knew his Hyung too well. Jin Cheon-hee felt a prick of conscience, and his ears burned slightly at the accuracy of the observation.

“You see, if I start working, the kids feel obligated to come out and work, too. If that happens, they’ll all get sick from exhaustion.”

“Ah… Ahh.”

Cheon Woo accepted the logic immediately.

The physicians here were genuine physicians, not martial artists. While their stamina exceeded that of the average commoner, they still required time to recover from the accumulated fatigue of the long journey. If Jin Cheon-hee began bustling about alone, his subordinates would be unable to rest easy.

“A difficult problem, Hyung.”

“No, it’s an easy problem. Well, the Junior Physicians watch my mood, but the experienced Senior Physicians just rest with thick skin.”

Isn’t that because they adapted perfectly to the culture of the White Qilin Medical Pavilion? Cheon Woo fell into thought but decided to let the comment slide.

Thus, the two shared a room and rested deeply until the next morning.

When they stepped outside, the morning air was crisp.

Hmm, I don’t see Hye-ah. Does she have business?

Despite her youthful appearance, she was a Branch Leader; she surely had political duties to attend to. Having risen to such a high position at a young age, she likely faced disregard from the older generation. No matter how much Jin Cheon-hee wished to protect her, Hye-ah had to fight her own battles.

In that sense, this trip was a good opportunity for her to build independent connections.

“I should check the medicinal ingredients first.”

Dried herbs did not spoil easily, but for a physician, freshness was life. Mushrooms, in particular, were treacherous; if tossed into a decoction pot without noticing mold, the patient could be placed in grave danger.

It’s better if I do this myself.

Woof!

And he had the best assistant available. Hwanggu could detect spoiled herbs like a ghost.

Jin Cheon-hee and the white dog worked through the dawn. By the time the sun fully breached the horizon, the Junior Physicians yawned and crawled out from their quarters, moving sluggishly. Seeing their superior already working, they startled.

“Ah! Young Pavilion Master! You’re awake!”

“Ah, yes, yes. Are you up?”

“Uh… Yes. We slept well.”

“Even though I set the wake-up time late on purpose, you are diligent.”

At Jin Cheon-hee’s praise, the Junior Physicians blushed, clearly pleased.

“Not at all. Not at all. We have to brew tea.”

Even though the White Qilin Medical Pavilion was freer than other institutions, it could not escape the strictures of a Confucian society armed with swords. It was natural law for subordinates to respect superiors, and thus, Junior Physicians brewed tea for the Senior and Intermediate Physicians.

“Must be hard.”

“Not at all. Compared to the Hwaju Medical Pavilion, this is easy.”

“Ah, I heard you entered through a clinic before. You are Junior Physician Jo Pal-ryeong, correct?”

When Jin Cheon-hee recited his name, the young man nodded vigorously.

“Yes. When I was at the Hwaju Medical Pavilion, I had to heat water for the Middle and Senior Physicians—and even for the Junior Physician seniors who entered before me—just so they could wash their hands and feet. At White Qilin, the martial arts unit heats the water during shift changes, so serving tea itself is a luxury.”

The Junior Physicians at Hwaju really did suffer.

At White Qilin, seeing juniors serve tea in the morning had made Jin Cheon-hee sympathetic… but it was paradise compared to the alternative.

Honestly, I don’t like this hierarchy either. Perhaps it is my sensibility as a transmigrator from Earth.

Still, he adhered to his Master’s warning that eliminating even these small rituals would destroy the discipline of the Medical Pavilion, so he kept the formalities to a minimum.

Instead, he instructed the Intermediate Physicians to prepare the tea leaves the night before. He also ordered the guard martial artists, who changed shifts every four hours, to stoke the fires during their rotation.

The effect was positive.

The burden on the Junior Physicians was significantly reduced. Intermediate Physicians only had to measure out leaves, a manageable task.

As for the Senior Physicians…

Hmm, they are hopeless.

Since Senior Physicians bore the brunt of the intellectual workload, they spent their nights compiling medical texts. In the morning, clutching their aged, stiff eyes, they desperately awaited the tea brought by the juniors.

Senior Physicians were frail creatures. They coughed if the wind blew.

Knowing so much about medicine, why do their bodies only get frailer?

They were also the class that exaggerated pain the most. It was the age where they began every sentence with ‘Aigoo’ when ordering something and felt compelled to emit the sound effect ‘Euhyu’ even when simply straightening their clothes.

That was the essence of a Senior Physician.

So even the mighty Jin Cheon-hee utilized them carefully, making them compile texts, sequestering them in the research building, or using them to teach the lower ranks.

The Surgical Arts Department was exhausted just following the surgery schedule. The medical skills of Middle and Senior Physicians were worlds apart, yet the seniors complained of aching joints at the slightest provocation. They hadn’t even passed thirty (Irip), yet the moment they donned the Senior Physician robes, they began grumbling that their bodies weren’t what they used to be.

Only a very few exceptions, like Hye-ah, moved briskly.

Regardless, the leadership—the Young Pavilion Master, Branch Leaders, and Medicine Hall Leaders—had to carry these old, frail, complaining, and busy Senior Physicians on their backs and move forward.

Because Senior Physicians always seemed to have one or two broken parts, their health management required strict oversight.

Fortunately, the White Qilin Medical Pavilion headquarters was situated on a mountaintop, forcing a monk-like existence where one had to physically descend the mountain to find alcohol. Since meals were effectively a school lunch system, they were forced to eat medicinal cuisine three times a day, whether they liked it or not. The only harmful elements were the occasional snacks Jin Cheon-hee made. Even smoking was banned inside the Pavilion, requiring a long trek to indulge in tobacco.

That was the forced healthy life of the headquarters’ Senior Physicians.

Since the Master possessed a cat-like constitution that required roasting his body in warmth, the dormitories were equipped with ondol floors and hot springs—truly a mandatory Health Land. Of course, while Jin Cheon-hee mentally compared him to a cat, in reality, the Master was a Mountain Lord Great Tiger who could break necks with a casual paw swipe.

However, while the headquarters enforced health, the Hangzhou branch was different. As soon as the Senior Physicians stepped out the door, pubs lined the streets. Everyone offered discounts to the physicians, given that public sentiment for the White Qilin Medical Pavilion in Hangzhou was absolute. After a cup or two, a physician quickly became a patient. Sama Hye likely had her hands full managing them.

Thus, tea was a critical lifeline—delivered to the slightly less frail headquarters Senior Physicians and the significantly more frail Hangzhou seniors weakened by alcohol and tobacco.

Should I help while I’m at it?

Since the purpose of the tea was to wake them up, wouldn’t they rouse more effectively if they heard the Young Pavilion Master brewed it himself? Probably.

Fufufu. Morning coffee brewed by a distant superior.

Just the concept sounded like a nightmare.

I should brew it strong to wake them up properly.

Thus, the tactless Junior Physician chicks received the tea brewed by Jin Cheon-hee on a tray, shouted loudly, “Thank you! Young Pavilion Master!” and marched off.

Just imagining these chicks cheerfully announcing, “The Young Pavilion Master brewed it for youuu!” while placing the teacup on a hungover Senior Physician’s bedside table made him happy.

Kuehehehe!

Staring at Jin Cheon-hee, who was letting out a wicked chuckle, Cheon Woo spoke up.

“Hyung, something has changed about you.”

“What?”

“You’ve become a bit more relaxed.”

“Really? That’s a good change.”