Chapter 56: Gate to the Way of Medicine (2)
"This is the Medical Clinic. Even if you’re ignorant of everything else, cleanliness is absolutely essential. This is a place where patients in poor condition come and go. If someone unwashed in both clothing and body wanders around, it can harm the patients. So please, wash up."
Wi Yeonho nodded with a serious face.
Jin Soa brightened, thinking Wi Yeonho had finally understood what he was saying. But the next words that came out completely drained his energy.
"Don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere. If it really bothers you, I won’t even open the door."
Jin Soa looked at Wi Yeonho with a blank expression.
No matter what he said, no matter what he asked, no matter what tricks he tried… this man was utterly hopeless.
He was more beast than human.
‘Even beasts at least hunt when they’re hungry, or go to the water’s edge.’
Was he not worse than a beast?
What Jin Soa couldn’t understand was how such a person had come with his uncle’s letter of introduction. The man known as Mun Yuhwan, one of the Three Arts Grand Scholars, was not only his uncle but also a man revered across the world for his noble character.
That such a man had written a letter of introduction for this loafer and sent him here — Jin Soa simply couldn’t comprehend it.
‘Is he a con artist?’
But then again, it bothered him that the man knew about Mun Yuhwan’s connection with his late father.
As he watched Wi Yeonho polish off the entire meal, Jin Soa shook his head and stood up.
"Please enjoy your meal."
"Thanks."
Wi Yeonho smiled broadly, chicken fat smeared on his lips.
Even that sight disgusted Jin Soa.
- - -
"Is he still acting the same?"
Jin Soa shuddered, as if he didn’t even want to think about it.
"Yes, sister. Since the first day, he hasn’t moved from the floor in his room. Unless he’s eating or going to the latrine, he doesn’t even sit up, let alone stand. It’s been over seven days and nights now."
Jin Yeran only laughed at her brother’s complaint.
Just how long had it been since her younger brother showed emotion like this?
Ever since their father passed and their family declined, Jin Soa had always put on the airs of an adult, acting far older than his years. Apparently, the guest who had holed up in the room had thoroughly gotten on his nerves.
"What’s got you so irritated?"
"I’ve never in my life seen someone so lazy."
"So did he harm you in any way?"
"No, he didn’t."
Jin Yeran nodded.
"Then don’t speak ill of him either. No matter how much you dislike him, he came by our father’s hand."
Normally Jin Soa would have agreed, but this time he replied with a face full of discontent.
"I don’t know how long we’re supposed to feed and house someone who’s no help at all, even if he came with Father’s introduction."
"He came to see the Medical Clinic. If he sees or learns something, he’ll go on his way."
"How’s he supposed to see anything from inside his room? And who’s paying for all the food he eats?"
"You don’t need to worry about money."
"But still…"
"You’re a physician. Focus on saving lives. Leave trivial matters like money to me."
Jin Soa still wore an unhappy expression, but he didn’t argue. Ever since their father’s passing — no, even before that — Jin Yeran had been like a mother to him.
Jin Soa stood up.
"I’ll be going."
"Go ahead."
Jin Soa opened the door and stepped outside. Lifting his head to the sky, he let out a deep sigh.
"Ugh."
Creeeak.
At that moment, the door to Wi Yeonho’s room opened, and he stepped out, eyes half-closed, trudging forward.
Seeing him, Jin Soa’s face lit up, and he quickly approached.
"You’ve finally decided to wash?"
Wi Yeonho looked him up and down like he was speaking nonsense, then casually replied.
"Oh, don’t mind me. It’s just a bit chilly inside today, so I’m going to sleep up on the roof."
"What?"
"It’s warm and nice. Wanna come up?"
Jin Soa stared at him, dumbfounded, then shook his head.
"No, thank you."
"Suit yourself."
Wi Yeonho grinned and lightly leapt onto the thatched roof. Jin Soa watched him in surprise.
‘He’s a martial artist?’
To leap onto a roof in a single bound meant he had learned martial arts.
‘Even so…’
Even if he was a martial artist, there was no way someone that lazy could possess exceptional skill. He probably just picked up a few tricks somewhere.
"Tsk, tsk."
Jin Soa clicked his tongue and turned away.
Whether he clicked his tongue or not, Wi Yeonho yawned as he lay down on the roof.
"Chmph."
Ever since learning the Dream Training Technique, no matter how much he slept, he was always sleepy. Baek Muhan had made him learn the technique out of concern for his laziness, but thanks to it, Wi Yeonho had become even lazier.
Even Baek Muhan hadn’t expected that side effect.
"No matter how much I sleep, I still feel sleepy…"
Even in the past, Wi Yeonho had needed eight hours of sleep a day just to get by. After mastering the Dream Training Technique, he felt even more exhausted from constantly training in his dreams. He ended up needing even more sleep.
"Whatever. I’ll just sleep more."
Wi Yeonho simply shrugged it off.
If there was no clear solution to be found by worrying, then it was better to at least keep a peaceful mind.
Wi Yeonho turned his head slightly and looked down.
Jin Soa was moving from room to room, checking on the patients.
From what Wi Yeonho had seen so far, a physician’s daily routine was quite simple.
They examined the condition of walk-in patients or looked after those whose condition was serious enough to remain at the clinic for treatment.
"Doesn't seem particularly difficult..."
Understanding medicine was the hard part—practicing it, less so. From what Wi Yeonho saw, it involved examining patients, applying acupuncture, and boiling herbs. That seemed to be all there was to it.
What was truly difficult wasn’t treating patients.
"You’re fully recovered now. You may return home."
"Oh, doctor. Thank you. But I have nothing to give you right now\..."
"Once your situation improves, repay us then."
"Doctor, I don't know how I can ever repay this kindness..."
Wi Yeonho clicked his tongue.
Acupuncture might not cost anything, but using medicinal herbs certainly did. Herbs were hard to come by, and that made them expensive. And there was no way that medicine made from costly ingredients could be cheap.
To treat people by pouring such herbs into them and still not ask for money—no wonder the clinic’s finances were always on the brink.
Because they didn’t properly collect fees, money was constantly tight. As a result, expensive ingredients and costly procedures were utterly out of reach.
Naturally, wealthier patients sought other doctors, and only the poor came to Sacred Hand Grounds through word of mouth. In the end, it turned into a vicious cycle: the more they ran the clinic, the more financially depleted they became.
It was for this reason that Wi Yeonho hadn’t easily found Sacred Hand Grounds in the first place. So well-known was their free treatment that among the public, this place wasn’t called Sacred Hand Grounds—it was referred to as the "Free Clinic."
If Wi Yeonho had simply asked, "Where can I get treated for free?" he could have found this place without much trouble.
"Digging dirt to make a living, are they?"
Where others might be moved by the physicians’ generosity, Wi Yeonho instead found them pathetic.
Just then—
"Anyone here?!"
A group of people rushed into the clinic in a commotion.
Jin Soa, startled by the sudden crowd, shouted out.
"What’s going on?!"
Behind the group, over ten patients were carried in on stretchers. Jin Soa’s face went pale as he rushed to assess the situation.
"What happened?"
"They’re workers from the quarry! There was a rockslide, and they were severely injured! We only brought those still breathing!"
"Th-that's..."
At a glance, several looked moments from death.
"Sister! Please, come out!"
The door burst open, and Jin Yeran ran out.
She looked around and grasped the situation instantly.
"Sort the patients! The critical ones go to the inner chamber right now. The rest, send them to the outer rooms. Move!"
"Yes, sister!"
Jin Soa shouted as well.
"That patient, that one, and the one over there—send them to the outer rooms. Boil some hot water!"
"Yes, doctor!"
"And the rest..."
Jin Yeran shouted again.
"Put them down!"
"What?"
"There’s no time to take them inside. Put them on the floor right now!"
At Jin Yeran’s commanding voice, the people carrying the stretchers hurried to lay the patients down. She immediately ran over, pulled out golden needles from her robe, and began stabbing them through the clothing.
"Sister!"
"What are you doing standing around? Can’t you see the others? Are you planning to let them all die?!"
"R-right!"
Jin Soa rushed over, wrapping wounds gushing blood and inserting gold needles into the patients' pressure points.
‘Not enough hands!’
He moved as quickly as he could, but there was a limit to how many people one could treat at once. At least seven patients looked like they’d die without immediate intervention. But there were only Jin Soa and Jin Yeran capable of actual medical procedures.
‘Just one more person...’
Right now, only Jin Soa and Jin Yeran could perform proper emergency care in Sacred Hand Grounds. The Chief Steward, who had some emergency skills, was out gathering herbs, and the physicians in charge of monitoring the patients lacked the skills to help in a crisis.
"Ugh."
Jin Soa cursed under his breath as he tightly bandaged the chest of a trembling patient.
The man's chest was split wide—if he took his hands off now, the patient would surely die.
"Cough!"
Just then, the patient next to him started vomiting blood.
"Grkkk!"
Jin Soa’s face turned ashen. The vomited blood was blocking the airway. If left alone, he’d suffocate and die. But Jin Soa couldn’t move his hands, and Jin Yeran seemed similarly tied up.
‘No!’
At that moment, he saw someone’s legs appear in front of him.
Jin Soa looked up with hope. Wi Yeonho stood there, his face crusted with sleep, clicking his tongue.
"Tsk tsk. Pretty bad shape."
Wi Yeonho surveyed the groaning patients strewn across the floor, clicking his tongue again and shaking his head.
"Couldn’t they be more careful?"
Then, clicking his tongue once more, he turned away.
Jin Soa shouted in disbelief.
"Where are you going?!"
"Hm? To my room."
"Please help us!"
Wi Yeonho tilted his head as if to ask what he was talking about.
"Help? How am I supposed to help? Wouldn’t you be better off asking a servant?"
"I’ve heard martial artists learn basic first aid for both internal and external injuries, in case they’re hurt!"
"That’s true."
"Then you should at least be able to handle emergency care for trauma patients like these!"
Wi Yeonho shook his head.
"That’s how it is usually, but I learned it all half-assed, so I don’t know anything."
Jin Soa’s face twisted with frustration.
Wi Yeonho, sensing the scorn, protested defensively.
"I’m telling the truth!"
It was true, but considering his past behavior, who would believe him? It was karmic retribution for everything he’d done.
"I really mean it..."