A living poison.

You either died as the Junior Cult Leader, or you lived to become the Heavenly Demon. There was no other path. That was the life laid out for Yeo Ha-ryoon, the Heavenly Demon.

And I was just an extra.

Worse, an unnamed extra who gets hit on the head and dies on the very first page. Whether this extra had once foolishly dreamed of becoming the Junior Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult was something neither the author, the readers, nor I would ever know.

Splash—

I plunged my head under the bathwater.

I am absolutely not going to the Demonic Cult.

I had no idea if this body was originally destined to be a candidate for Junior Cult Leader or just some grunt, but either way, I refused to walk that path.

So how should I live?

A memory from my past life, the one that had stayed with me the most vividly, surfaced in my mind.

Whenever I entered an operating room, there were always people waiting in the hallway. They weren’t there for me. They were the families of the patient on the operating table. Some sang hymns, others chanted Buddhist scriptures. Even the most hardened atheist prayed to a god in those moments.

If I were ever in that same situation, would there be anyone waiting outside for me?

For the forty-year-old Jin Cheon-hee, there had been no one. He had always strived for other people’s families.

If that’s the case… if I’ve done that much for others… don’t I deserve to have a family of my own now?

It didn’t have to be a family bound by blood. I had already accepted that I was a lone orphan in this world, too. All I wanted were people who would worry about me, and for whom I could worry in return.

To do that, it’s best to have money.

Money was important in any world. Whether buying a house or a meal, you couldn’t do anything without it.

And I’ll need power.

This was the Murim, of all places. A world where a human life was as fragile as a fly’s. On top of that, I would soon be swept up in countless calamities. If I couldn’t even protect myself, I had no right to protect a family.

And I have neither of those things.

But I did know the future. And one other thing.

Doctors are needed in every world. That’s a fact.

***

When I stepped out of the bath, a new set of clothes was waiting for me. The rags I had been wearing were so torn and filthy they could hardly be called clothing. The new garments were made of a crisp, stiff material, giving them a clean and refined look.

After changing, I stood before a silver mirror and saw a handsome boy with a radiant complexion staring back.

Wow. I know it’s my face, but I’m really good-looking.

Jin Cheon-hee had just discovered another asset he now possessed. Good looks made it easier to earn people’s trust and favor. With clear, dark eyes now sparkling with intelligence, he naturally exuded an air of nobility. Furthermore, the nauseating, foul stench that had clung to him was gone, replaced by a faint, refreshing scent.

Yoo Ho was inwardly shocked by the transformation.

Is that really the same brat from before?

While it was true that clothes made the man, the shift from a street urchin to a young nobleman was a bit too dramatic.

Even so, he’s just a kid with no known background. I don’t know why the Master chose him over all the other prodigies and geniuses, but I can’t let myself be swayed.

“Ahem.”

Yoo Ho cleared his throat.

Jin Cheon-hee startled and looked up at him. The expression on his face was purely that of a child, and it unexpectedly softened Yoo Ho’s resolve.

Strange. Just a moment ago, he had the face of a world-weary old man. But after seeing himself in the mirror, he suddenly looks like a child? It’s almost as if an old man learned how to mimic a child’s expression.

What an absurd thought. Yoo Ho clicked his tongue.

He has no internal energy, and his martial constitution is worse than most children from martial families. The Master said it was good enough, but from what I can see, it’s far from it.

If this boy really became his disciple, the Divine Physician’s already limited lifespan would surely shrink even further. As someone who had served him for a long time, Yoo Ho was determined to report every single misstep the boy made. If he could use that to make his master reconsider, what a relief it would be. That was his duty, his loyalty as a vassal.

***

Hmm, this feels just like my intern days.

Perhaps it was because of Yoo Ho’s piercing gaze, but Jin Cheon-hee couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly. He was being so obvious with his suspicion that it was impossible not to notice.

He sat in the guest parlor, sipping tea with his small, child’s hands.

There must be a reason he’s acting like this… Is it because of the Marrow Cleansing?

In the novel, White Qilin had never performed a Marrow Cleansing on anyone else. Of course, he wasn’t a major character in the grand scheme of things, and he had died early on from his illness.

Well, after I became a professor, the only thing that grew was my nerve.

The patients who came all the way to a tertiary hospital to see him were often gravely ill. Maintaining a calm and composed demeanor in front of them and their families was a crucial part of the job. When facing the crossroads of life and death, if the doctor wavered, the patients would have no one left to trust. He had even deliberately practiced his humor to comfort patients who were crying in fear. Grieving changed nothing. What mattered was what came next. Sometimes, a corny joke could be a great comfort, and if it helped even a little, he was willing to learn as many as it took.

From his perspective, Yoo Ho was simply dumbfounded.

Is this little brat crazy? Or is he just incredibly dense?

This was the distinguished guest room of the great Cloud-Dragon Escort Agency. It was a place where even the most successful merchant lords sat stiff with tension. And yet, despite being so openly scrutinized, this boy was eating sweets with a smile on his face.

We’ve done a background check, but nothing came up.

Using the Divine Physician’s network, they had made inquiries, but no one knew anything about this child. The only scrap of information they had was that he was an orphan, and even that wasn’t certain.

The boy, having finished one sweet, now reached for a dried persimmon. Without even brushing off the white powder, he popped it into his mouth.

It’s true that one feels hungry after a Marrow Cleansing, but still…

A passing servant saw him and asked if he would like some more. At her question, Jin Cheon-hee’s face turned red, and he shook his head.

“I’m sorry. Did I eat too much?”

His bashful response made the servants burst into laughter.

“He’s just like my own son.”

“A growing boy can be hungry. Besides, he’s a guest of our Chief, isn’t he? The one who treated the wounded before the Divine Physician arrived…”

“Really? In that case, we should give this little guest as much as he wants.”

If he had thrown a tantrum and demanded more, it might have drawn some criticism. But instead, sweets and rice cakes began to pile up in front of him.

“Thank you!”

He even ate with gusto. Seeing him, the servants looked ready to bring him a full meal instead of just snacks. It was clear to Yoo Ho that this boy knew how to use his looks to his advantage.

Just then, the door slid open. A figure with a veiled face entered the room. The silhouette beneath the wide-brimmed hat and gauze veil told him it was a woman. She looked at Jin Cheon-hee and bowed deeply.

Huh?

Before he could react, she spoke.

“Thank you for saving my life. I was told that if it weren’t for you, Young Warrior, my Yeong would not have survived. I, Gongsun, will surely repay this debt.”

So she must be Gongsun Hyeon. She’s probably here to see her cousin, Gongsun Yeong.

“Not at all. I’m just glad I could help.”

Jin Cheon-hee meant it. He was a doctor, and he had saved a patient. It was as simple as that.

“Indeed… You are just as the Chief and the Divine Physician described. The Gongsun Clan will not forget this.”

“Anyone would have done something in that situation. Ah, more importantly, shouldn’t you go see your family? That’s more urgent, isn’t it?”

At her high praise, Jin Cheon-hee’s face reddened, and he quickly changed the subject. In that moment, he looked exactly like a child. The veiled woman, Gongsun Hyeon, seemed to study him for a moment.

“Then I shall take my leave… We will meet again.”

Gongsun Hyeon bowed deeply once more and left the room.

Jin Cheon-hee slowly recalled the events to come.

Gongsun Hyeon, born into the main family, was the only daughter of her generation. Normally, she would have been the one to inherit the Gongsun Clan’s sword lineage, but her lack of talent for the sword had made her a disappointment to the family elders.

In contrast, her cousin from a branch family, Gongsun Yeong, was a natural martial prodigy with a quick understanding of the sword. The heir of the main family who couldn’t inherit their secret sword arts, and the heir of the branch family who was already making a name for herself. People often whispered about the main family being inferior to the branch, the older sister being less capable than the younger.

But there’s something people don’t know about Gongsun Hyeon.

First, while she lacked martial talent, she was a genius when it came to commerce. Half the world ran on money, and this was no different for a martial clan. If you couldn’t learn something yourself, you could hire someone who could. Elixirs, treasured swords, secret manuals—half of a clan’s power was sustained by its wealth.

And there’s one more thing. The most important thing.

She loved her cousin, Gongsun Yeong, more than anyone, cherishing her as if she were her own body. Due to the tense political rivalry between the main and branch family parents, they couldn’t express it openly, but the two cousins cared for each other deeply.

—Kill them all. Make them pay for touching a single hair on my sister’s head, a single one of her fingernails. Find the mastermind behind this.

—Ah, Yeong… my Yeong. Gone all alone in that cold place. Do you see me, sister? The blood of all those who did this to you has finally formed a river.

After the death of the cousin she had cherished like a sister, Gongsun Hyeon became consumed by vengeance. She spent her entire life hunting for the mastermind behind the ambush. When she discovered that a member of her own main family, someone who wanted her to become the next matriarch, was involved, she unleashed an irreversible bloodbath.

Gongsun Yeong was originally supposed to die here.

And he, Jin Cheon-hee, had saved her. He had prevented a great massacre from happening in the future.

By now, Gongsun Hyeon is probably holding Gongsun Yeong’s hand, crying her eyes out. And Gongsun Yeong will wake up to her sister’s sobbing and grumble that she worries too much.

—Why would I die? Who do you think I am? Sister, don’t you trust me? I won’t die before you do. I can’t. You fool. You’re so smart, but sometimes you’re such a fool.

That was from one of the dreams Gongsun Hyeon had after losing Gongsun Yeong in the novel. Waking from that dream, she could neither laugh nor cry, simply staring at the ceiling like a hollow, dead tree. The sorrow that began in her eyes would travel down her temples and into her ears. She had given Gongsun Yeong the most lavish funeral, but the dead do not return.

That future has been changed. The problem is… what comes next?