Behind the collapsed ice waterfall, a cave revealed itself.

“Hey, old man! Are you alive!?”

There was no light in the cave, nor any sign of human presence.

Seol Gyeon shouted again, “Old man!” Her voice trembled.

Only then did the sound of a cough echo from within.

Kekeke!

“You troublesome old geezer. Making people worry… You really are tough to kill.”

She quickened her steps and hurried inside.

Jin Cheon-hee lit a tinder fuse to create a flame. As the cave’s interior brightened, a seated old master was revealed, his legs crossed in meditation. The first things he sensed were a bitter cold and a foul stench.

There was a large sword wound on the old master’s chest. Traces of blood, blackened after flowing and clotting, were visible. And then he saw an area even blacker than the sword wound: the old master’s arm.

Jin Cheon-hee immediately rushed to the old master’s side and checked his pulse.

His body is a wreck. And frostbite, on top of it all…

The winter mountain was merciless.

Hardly any internal energy could be felt in the old man’s body. It seemed that after being hit with the energy-scattering toxin, he had defeated his enemies and then tried to sustain his life with what little energy he had left, but it had not been easy.

From a modern medical perspective, it was baffling how the old master was still alive.

To think he could cling to life this long, even after being poisoned with an energy-scattering toxin.

Seol Gyeon hid her joy, intentionally grumbling, “Old ginger really is spicier. Then again, you’re not the type to die in a place like this.”

“Raise the cave’s temperature first!”

At Jin Cheon-hee’s command, the beggars and the physicians who had come with them began to move.

Jin Cheon-hee said urgently, “We absolutely must not move the patient.”

The human body is 70% water. If that water freezes within the cells and an external shock is applied, the crystallized liquid inside will destroy the cells.

The most important manual for frostbite: Do not move them carelessly. Do not apply any shock or friction.

These were the basic principles.

Just then, one of the physicians who had come along spoke up. “What about submerging the frostbitten area in warm water?”

“How could that be possible in this situation? It will take at least one dagyeong just to find firewood.”

The priority was to warm the patient’s body without moving him.

Jin Cheon-hee clapped his hands together. “It’s fine. There’s no need for that. I’ve mastered the Water and Fire arts of the Five-Elemental Divine Art to the fifth level for just such an occasion. First, let’s set up a formation.”

At Jin Cheon-hee’s words, the physicians’ eyes widened.

“Water and Fire are polar opposites; their internal energies clash easily. Are you saying you can do it?”

Controlling the energy was more important than the amount of it.

And it’s something that’s only possible to learn when your internal energy is still weak.

Such was human greed. There were things one could only learn when their internal energy was weak, and things one could only learn when it was abundant. But martial artists always tried to accumulate internal energy first. The physicians of the Murim were no different. This is what happens when one neglects the fundamentals.

From the time his internal energy had been as small as a millet seed, Jin Cheon-hee had endlessly practiced combining and clashing the Five-Elemental Divine Art. Repeating the act of joining wood, and cutting wood.

The eldest physician asked again, “I heard it hasn’t been long since you learned the Five-Elemental Divine Art, Sir White Dragon… Is such a thing truly possible?”

Jin Cheon-hee nodded. “It’s possible, at least enough for emergency treatment. But please, do not touch me.”

The basics were crucial. One must not neglect even the smallest things. The seniors would say this time and time again, but young physicians tended to miss it. They all wanted to learn the flashier medical arts, because the basics were just too tedious.

Jin Cheon-hee, on the other hand, had been practicing the fundamentals of circulating internal energy ever since he’d first stabilized his Five-Elemental Divine Art. Cutting stumps and reattaching them—if he had neglected that work for even a single day, this would be an attempt he’d never dare make.

Jin Cheon-hee continued, “You must not move either, Faction Leader.”

The Beggar’s Sect’s Faction Leader responded with a faint breath. He was in a state where even speaking was difficult.

Jin Cheon-hee settled behind the seated Faction Leader. He then began to slowly send his Fire Qi and Water Qi.

Woooong—

First, the heavy, soft Water Qi began to move. It flowed sluggishly, like ink, following Jin Cheon-hee’s guidance. Then, he drew out the light, sharp Fire Qi. He did not let them touch at first. He made the Fire Qi spiral around the Water Qi, as if it were a snake. Then, he slowly fused them.

The two opposing energies, which should have clashed, instead merged under Jin Cheon-hee’s control, moving from his shoulders toward the Faction Leader.

The meridians, invaded by cold, accepted the Five-Elemental Divine Qi.

This is the truly frightening part of frostbite.

If he were to rashly push his internal energy in, it could collide with the cold and cause the patient to suffer internal injuries. Jin Cheon-hee was slow, but he meticulously thawed one meridian at a time, pushing his energy deeper.

And so, two shichen passed.

“Is he human?”

“Why hasn’t he collapsed from exhaustion?”

Seol Gyeon, anxious, repeatedly asked the physicians, “What is it? Is he doing it right? Why isn’t he moving?”

The physicians replied, “We honestly don’t know. Normally, one dagyeong would be the limit for such a feat…”

The physicians stared at Jin Cheon-hee as if looking at a monster.

At last, Jin Cheon-hee opened his eyes. “We’re moving to the next treatment.”

Warmth had returned to the old master’s body.

Rapid rewarming. It was a method of thawing a frostbitten area by submerging it in hot water of about 37 to 42 degrees Celsius. But since the situation didn’t allow for that, he had resolved it with internal energy. In the modern world, one would have to be careful not to move the frostbitten area at all and immediately transport the patient to a hospital. But in this world, without cars, asphalt roads, or emergency helicopters—and given the old master’s condition—it was impossible.

Jin Cheon-hee took a ragged breath.

Success.

He felt the old master’s constricted blood vessels and muscles relax, and his blood flow return to normal. But at the same time, blood began to flow from the sword wound.

Acupuncture is perfect for this.

Jin Cheon-hee inserted needles into the patient’s acupoints to buy time.

He tore off the wet clothes and wrapped the body in blankets soaked in hot water. The inside of the cave became as warm as a heated room, thanks to the four physicians who had come along and set up a ‘Fire-Generating Formation’. The Beggar’s Sect disciples had also covered the cave interior with leather blankets to raise the temperature, working diligently while Jin Cheon-hee had been busy.

Seol Gyeon asked, “Can we move him to the White Qilin Medical Pavilion for treatment now?”

Jin Cheon-hee shook his head. “His external injuries are a problem, but his internal injuries are extremely critical. Even if he’s past the immediate crisis, the chance of him dying during transport is high.”

“Keuheum…”

“The Faction Leader has three problems. The first is the external wound from the fiend; the sword strike reached his intestines. Fortunately, the blade did not reach any vital organs.”

“That’s a relief.”

“He succeeded in stopping the bleeding with his internal energy, but another problem has arisen.”

“What is it?”

“To protect the body from cold, it is basic to circulate internal energy to the nerve endings. That’s how people of Gangho can run through a snowfield wearing only thin cotton clothes.”

“What are you trying to say, kid?”

“He has severe frostbite. He likely has no sensation in his extremities.”

“But you treated him, didn’t you? By sending your internal energy…”

At those words, Jin Cheon-hee swallowed. There was something he had to say. But it was a conversation he never wanted to have as a doctor, and one a patient would never want to hear.

Jin Cheon-hee clenched his teeth. “Frostbite is more terrifying than a sword wound.”

It was the same for martial artists as it was for modern people. They underestimated frostbite. During Napoleon’s invasion of Russia, the reason so many soldiers died wasn’t from guns or swords; it was from frostbite.

Frostbite is classified into four degrees. First degree: Just swelling from the cold. A common symptom in winter. Second degree: Blistering and pain. You can slowly thaw it in warm water, but a hospital visit is recommended. Third degree: Black blisters begin to form, and sensation dulls. This is when you must not rub or move it and must go to the hospital immediately. From here, it’s classified as deep frostbite. Fourth degree: Completely blackened, with no sensation. The subcutaneous tissue is damaged.

“The Faction Leader has endured for days in a state of fourth-degree frostbite. The fact that his life was preserved at all is a miracle.”

Even after treatment, the complications were the problem. Nerve tissue is sensitive to temperature. Just as a burn victim’s scars continue to hurt long after healing, the same is true for frostbite. Sensory abnormality is a representative after-effect.

Seol Gyeon asked, “A sword wound and frostbite. What’s the last problem?”

“His qi and blood have been twisted from forcefully circulating his energy. If he is moved a long distance in this state, he will live the rest of his life as a cripple.”

The cave filled with a heavy silence.

“Is there a way to treat him?” Seol Gyeon’s voice was a strained whisper. “Anything. Tell me anything. I’ll do whatever it takes. Just tell me.”

She didn’t speak of wealth or honor. It was a simple promise to do whatever was necessary. But Jin Cheon-hee, knowing the future, knew just how heavy that promise was.

He shook his head. “I’ve already brought what I need. What’s more important… is his decision.”

“A decision?”

“He must give up his right hand and his left foot. All five fingers, and everything below the ankle.”

Kwaaaang!

At those words, she couldn’t hold back and slammed her fist into the ground. “You’re telling him to give up living as a martial artist? No, to give up even living as an ordinary person?”

Just then, a rusty, grating sound echoed. It was the Faction Leader’s voice.

“Seol-ah…”

At the small voice, the fighting spirit that had been radiating from her instantly subsided.

“Old man, are you conscious?”

“Kekeke, Kekeke. How can I stay unconscious when you’re shouting like that? Honestly, a Beggar’s Sect’s Successor should be setting an example. This is why people treat you like a dog.”

“You son of a bitch, old geezer! You’re perfectly fine! This quack is talking about cutting off your arms and legs when you’re fine, so what am I supposed to do!”

“Mad dog.”

“See! You’re fine! You’re talking! Huh? Any minute now, you’re going to smack me on the back of the head hard enough to make a ppeok sound! Huh!”

“…”

“Why aren’t you saying anything!”

“When a mad dog is barking, what is a person to say? I just think, ‘Ah, it’s barking.’ Keukeukeu!”

The Faction Leader burst into a laugh, his face crinkling. At last, he spoke to Jin Cheon-hee.

“The White Dragon Physician truly is a famed doctor. My four limbs are all numb, yet you say you can save two of them. And not by taking the whole shoulder, but by cutting off only the ends…”

At those words, Seol Gyeon and all the other Beggar’s Sect disciples stared at Jin Cheon-hee in shock.