Regardless of what the others said, Jin Cheon-hee checked Han-jeong’s pulse and guided True Energy through him. Since Han-jeong had drawn on Innate True Energy, he must have suffered internal injuries.
After administering emergency treatment, Jin Cheon-hee rose so abruptly it looked like he’d been yanked to his feet.
“It is my victory.”
The physician made it clear he had no intention of killing.
“…….”
In the strange silence that followed, none of the martial artists of the Northern Sea Ice Palace could manage so much as a breath.
Jin Cheon-hee didn’t say another word. He simply looked at the Northern Sea Ice Palace Lord.
At last, the Ice Palace Lord spoke, “Good. Execute the loser, Han-jeong.”
This crazy bastard?! He’s going to kill his own head disciple just because he lost?
Jin Cheon-hee spoke at once, voice urgent. “In a life-and-death duel, don’t I hold the right over this person’s life and death?”
“That is so.”
“Then this person is mine now, because this person’s life and death belong to me.”
“…….”
The Palace Lord did not answer. He only glared at Jin Cheon-hee.
The air tightened, taut as a bowstring about to snap. Everyone watched, unable to take a proper breath.
Then the Palace Lord spoke again.
“Good. Young Pavilion Master of the White Qilin Medical Pavilion, Jin Cheon-hee. Your opinion is valid.”
“Thank you.”
“However, it contradicts the laws of this palace. Therefore, I will not implement your preventive measures.”
“This is also right for the civilians of the Northern Sea Ice Palace and Baekho City.”
“That is merely your thought. We cannot know if your method is right, and the Northern Sea has the laws of the Northern Sea. If you dislike it, then follow our laws.”
At those words, Gongsun Yeong couldn’t hold back. “No, doesn’t that mean you’re telling One Light to weigh one person’s life against the lives of Baekho City right now?”
“When did I permit you to speak, martial artist of the Gongsun Clan?”
Gongsun Yeong snapped her mouth shut. Her fist clenched so tightly her knuckles turned white. A moment later, she tried to add one more word anyway.
“However, this is…….”
[……Sister, it’s okay.]
Jin Cheon-hee cut her off with telepathy.
This was a chain that had started with his master, Zhuge Rin. There was no need for the Gongsun Clan to step in and take losses here.
One life in front of his eyes, versus countless lives that could be endangered later.
Was there even a right answer?
Why did he have to choose?
And who, exactly, was responsible for all those lives?
A cruel choice was being forced into his hands. Jin Cheon-hee lowered his head, deeply.
No matter what he chose, regret would follow.
Suppressing the simmering anger, the physician answered low and slow. “Understood. Then.” With that, he lifted the fallen martial artist. He said, “You chose.” Then, without letting the silence swallow him, he added, “Please reconsider the alliance with the Unorthodox Alliance.”
“Understood. Then withdraw now. The answer will be given in ten days. Be free until then.”
Jin Cheon-hee paid his respects and carried the unconscious martial artist out.
I quit because it’s dirty and petty…….
The physician decided he’d just cause a ruckus.
***
He returned to his room.
The fallen warrior was placed in the distinguished guests’ chamber. Jin Cheon-hee spent a long time treating him, working carefully because this was a place where surgery was out of the question, which meant any reduction would have to be done by hand.
Fortunately, it cleared cleanly.
Moreover, the instant Jin Cheon-hee’s blow had landed earlier, Han-jeong had used internal energy to protect his brain and internal organs. The fact he could do that unconsciously meant he’d drilled the same basics for so long they’d become instinct.
He had trained far beyond the “effort” most martial artists liked to boast about, to the point where it surfaced even in a blackout.
However, a Pre-natal Energy explosion was similar to Qi Deviation, and yet still considerably different.
It’s fortunate I blocked it early, too.
Still, it was true Han-jeong had tried to move with a body already falling apart, and those injuries were by no means shallow. He could endure and be treated only because he was a master who had learned martial arts. If he had been a civilian, he would have died on the spot.
Jin Cheon-hee treated him that way until dawn, again and again, refusing to let the situation win.
When he finished and finally returned to his own room, he found Gongsun Yeong and Prince Han-bing waiting.
“Certainly… Master’s nature has changed greatly.”
Prince Han-bing muttered it with a miserable expression. He had always carried an exceptional sense of responsibility toward his people, so the shock seemed to hit him harder than most.
“Is that so?”
“It certainly is. No matter if he lost in a duel, ordering his execution because it was a life-and-death match… He’s not my Master of the past.”
Gongsun Yeong crossed her arms. “Killing someone just because they lost a duel is rare even among the Unorthodox Factions, unless it’s a truly rough place. Is the Demonic Cult different?”
“……The Demonic Cult, huh.”
Cheol Mu-baek came to mind. He had arrived as an envoy of the Unorthodox Alliance, but he actually belonged to the Demonic Cult.
Had the Demonic Cult used some stratagem to change the Palace Lord’s personality? Or was it the Blood Immortal Cult?
They’re driving me crazy, those two major cults. Umm…… But I’m an outsider. There’s no way I can investigate.
Jin Cheon-hee fell into contemplation.
“For now, we have ten days left. The Palace Lord said he’d give an answer in ten days.”
Gongsun Yeong tilted her chin. “You’re going to butt heads, right?”
“Ah……. Yes. Yes.”
How did she know?
“It’s written all over your face. Those eyes say, ‘I should just cause a ruckus.’”
This sister gets ripped off in business all the time, so why is her intuition so good?
Jin Cheon-hee answered honestly, “Correct. I’m going to cause a ruckus.”
“How?”
“I’ve thought of a few plans.”
“Hm……. Should I tell you the method my sister uses often?”
“I’d be grateful if you do,” Jin Cheon-hee nodded readily.
“Sister usually deludes the world and deceives the people at times like this.”
“Pardon?”
“She recruits some quack doctor from somewhere and makes public sentiment a mess.”
Jin Cheon-hee understood at once.
This is why everyone shudders and says Black Ice Poison Dragon Gongsun Hyeon is vicious. I absolutely must not make an enemy of the Gongsun Clan.
And separately, it was quite a convenient method.
“And that… I could use it too?”
Gongsun Yeong’s eyes widened. “Ah, right. Right! You’re an incredible physician! You can just go out on the street, hold a flag that says, ‘The creator of Ondol, the Blue-Eyed Mad Physician, has arrived!’ and wander around.”
“…….”
Jin Cheon-hee turned red and curled in on himself like a bear.
“What’s wrong?”
“No, it’s just… dark history of the past came to mind.”
Do I really have to do this again after the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly?
Gongsun Yeong clicked her tongue. “There’s no way you didn’t think of this. Are you hesitating because you’re embarrassed?”
“Wait a moment. I need mental preparation. Huff, huff!”
“Gangho Quack Doctor! Jin Cheon-hee!”
Gangho Quack Doctor.
It was said that during the Song Dynasty, there were physicians called Nangjung, or “Gentleman of the Interior.” The origin was known to be a physician named Yi Cha-gu, and they mainly wandered around treating people, a bell hanging at their side and a box of medicinal ingredients and medical tools on their backs.
Because of that bell, they were called Bell Physicians, and also Wandering Physicians of Gangho.
In other words, if it was like that in actual history, then what about this Murim world?
When someone said “Gangho Quack Doctor,” it usually meant a quack with a little Qi Art or martial skill who wandered around treating people. Of course, among them, there were also those equipped with medical arts and martial arts worthy of being called hermit masters.
Two hundred years ago, there had been someone called the Quack Divine Physician, and there was a story that he possessed the best medical arts under heaven, with martial arts high enough to enter the Ten Greatest Masters under Heaven.
“Is there a better way than this?”
“That is…….”
“Setting aside the reluctance.” Jin Cheon-hee stared up at the ceiling. “I decided I’m going to butt heads with the Northern Sea Ice Palace. But having to go this far just to butt heads… I’m starting to feel skepticism about life, Sister.”
“…Feeling skepticism about life at merely your age…?”
“……No, well…….” Jin Cheon-hee couldn’t bear to tell the truth, so he hugged his knees and curled up again. If I combine my past-life age and my present-life age, shouldn’t I be retiring and slowly looking after grandchildren by now? Why is shame always my share….
Gongsun Yeong, who didn’t know the truth, said, “People believe mysterious things easily, you know? You just need to show your skills and preach preventive measures. Then everyone will rush in.”
“That could be true.”
“It definitely will be. And even if you act as a Gangho Quack Doctor, it’ll be hard for the Northern Sea Ice Palace to interfere. Isn’t it strange to hinder relief activities for civilians?”
“True.”
“And looking at him, he seemed too stubborn. The more stubborn and obsessed with face a gentleman is, the less he can interfere in things like this.”
At those words, Prince Han-bing smiled bitterly. “Master wasn’t like that in the past. Why has a person changed like this?” He muttered that it would be better if it were a disease.
***
After one day, Jin Cheon-hee had spent all his money preparing materials from morning to night.
First, smoke bombs, used to kill or drive off bugs by generating dense smoke.
Second, insecticide, a crude form made using lye.
It was made by placing ash from burned straw on a cloth, a bamboo hat, or a rice-cake steamer, then pouring water through it. Repeating that process about ten times produced a strong alkaline solution, which was lye.
It was used for laundry and also for natural dyeing.
But if you added and combined medicinal herbs into it, it could become an ingredient for insecticide, too.
The necessary medicinal herbs could be obtained in this region.
Precisely…….
“Hey…. Is this enough?”
“How on earth did you get all this, Sister?”
“I talked about you, and everyone rolled up their sleeves and said they’d get it. The Young Divine Physician’s fame is still strong here, too.”
“That’s a relief. But rather than my fame, it must be because Sister is sociable.”
It was true.
Hadn’t Gongsun Yeong already piled up local friends like folded laundry?
The people of Baekho City loved alcohol as fiercely as the people of the Ayesha Kingdom did, and since Gongsun Yeong was also a tremendous heavy drinker, she made friends in droves after running a round of drinking bets at an inn.
Wow. Really good sociability.
Jin Cheon-hee himself was skilled at social life, but that didn’t mean he was naturally sociable. He was good at keeping distance, being considerate, and not hurting anyone within a set system.
But becoming friends instantly with people she’d just met?
That was the kind of talent Gongsun Yeong possessed.
Because of her, Jin Cheon-hee was able to purchase a huge amount of medicinal herbs gathered by people whose names he didn’t even know.
When the preparations were finally finished, he went out holding a large flag, written in both the Ayesha Kingdom language and the Central Plains script.
Creator of Ondol, the Number One Divine Physician under Heaven, Jin Cheon-hee, descends!
With a beet-red face, Jin Cheon-hee thought, The Number One Divine Physician under Heaven is Master……. Aaaah… Sister…….
Hwanggu and Noe-jin were at full-grown size. Especially Hwanggu, who was bigger than a bull, closer to the size of a buffalo you’d see in an American movie.
Noe-jin was the same. Lightning crackled across his feathers even without conscious effort.
As they walked down the street like that, people gaped in surprise.
“Wooooow!”
Let’s die.
When this is over, I die honorably.
Resolved to die of shame, he settled into the vacant lot in the square.