Chapter 6
Chapter 6
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: 6. Keeping in Check
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Jo Physician, who had returned from his day off, was in a foul mood from the morning. It was because he had heard that Jegal Yeongyeong had visited precisely on his day off.
After Yang Physician, the disciple of the Divine Physician, joined the Luoyang Medical Hall and pushed him into the number two spot, Jo Physician's pride lay in the favorable impressions he had left on the Murim Alliance's high-ranking officials, securing him more prestigious patients.
It was possible only because Yang Physician treated people stiffly, focusing solely on consultations without any social graces.
'Even though more patients flock to Yang Physician, my income from handling more high-value patients is nothing to sneeze at.'
Having recently taken in a new concubine, he was putting all his effort into maintaining his current earnings.
He knew well that while losing one or two regular patients like the Murim Alliance Chief Strategist wouldn't hurt, letting them slip away one by one could lead to a significant difference, like getting soaked in a drizzle.
So, he visited the newly arrived Baek Yuseong's eleventh consultation room to issue a warning.
Of course, Yuseong wasn't one to take it lying down, and it escalated into a shouting match.
"You think it's an obvious prescription, yet you come asking about it anyway?"
"Didn't I tell you? The Murim Alliance Chief Strategist is my patient. Naturally, I need to know so I can reference it next time the Chief Strategist visits me. You're right in principle, but if the Chief Strategist's condition worsens from some strange prescription, will you take responsibility?"
Jo Physician's words weren't entirely wrong, but his attitude was the problem. He kept insisting that Jegal Yeongyeong would come back to him.
Just as Yuseong was about to retort, Cha Physician rushed in from the neighboring room upon hearing the commotion.
"There's a disturbance, so I came to check, but I see Jo Physician is here."
"Ahem. Disturbance? I was merely instructing Baek Physician."
Cha Physician knew Jo Physician's temperament well. He hated losing patients and didn't hesitate to check rivals.
Since Cha Physician acknowledged Baek Yuseong's skills and character, he changed the subject to help him.
"Ah, Jo Physician, you were off yesterday. Have you heard about the 'heart compression technique'? Thanks to the technique Baek Physician shared yesterday, they even revived someone whose heart had stopped."
"What? Heart compression technique? Do you slap 'secret technique' on every treatment? I heard today it wasn't anything special. If I'd been there yesterday, I would've thought of heart compression too. Don't make a fuss over nothing."
Yuseong was dumbfounded.
Like Columbus's egg, it seemed obvious once you knew the principle, but how could he speak so easily?
Yet claiming 'you couldn't have done it' about something that hadn't happened would make him no better.
Yuseong no longer wanted to deal with Jo Physician.
"Anyway, since you came to hear about the Chief Strategist's prescription, I'll tell you. She had a headache, so I gave her temple acupuncture."
"Temple acupuncture? Useless. You wasted effort. She always takes plenty of medicine—did you prescribe any?"
"No. After the acupuncture, she said the headache was gone and was very satisfied."
"Hmph. Even if temple acupuncture temporarily relieves a fatigue-induced headache, it won't help without addressing the root cause. When the effect wears off, won't she have to come back tomorrow? Should a busy person go through that trouble? Prescribing ample medicine considers all those circumstances—why don't you understand?"
"Whether she returns tomorrow, in a week, or a month, we'll see when we watch."
"What!"
"Oh dear! Baek Physician, that's enough. Jo Physician, please hold back. What good does arguing among ourselves do? We'll know who's right when the Chief Strategist visits again. Come on, it's past closing time—let's wrap up and head out."
Seeing the confrontation between Yuseong and Jo Physician dragging on, Cha Physician quickly ended the conversation.
Rumors of physicians fighting wouldn't do anyone good.
Jo Physician backed down at Cha Physician's words.
'Fine, we'll see when the Chief Strategist returns. Without medicine, she'll suffer greatly, so even if late, she'll come back for a prescription by the day after tomorrow.'
The next day, Jo Physician openly showed his displeasure toward Baek Yuseong, and the other physicians learned of the incident through the attendants.
"Tsk, physicians should just treat patients well—why fuss over who they prefer?"
Yang Physician took that stance, but the others were intrigued by the rivalry between Jo Physician, the longtime number two, and the rising Baek Yuseong.
Sitting in a well-organized medical hall doing consultations was quite boring.
"But aren't you curious? Logically, Jo Physician is right, but since Baek Physician has something special, I can't predict who the Chief Strategist will choose."
***
Jegal Yeongyeong had slept deeply for the first time in ages the night before.
Even with time set aside for qi circulation and meditation, the throbbing headaches had made nights feel sleepless, but last night had been so comfortable.
The lingering black energy had noticeably faded. This deep sleep had relieved not just the fatigue in her head but also in her body.
'I'm so happy. He said to come back if the headache returns. I didn't expect my work efficiency to improve like this.'
With more free time than anticipated, Jegal Yeongyeong decided to study starting today and pulled out an old book.
The cover read Comprehensive Analysis of Celestial Divination Formations.
The formations in the book had shown great power during the past Orthodox-Demonic War and were left by one of her ancestors.
Their difficulty was so high that even in the Zhuge Family, renowned for intelligence, no one in her generation had mastered even one properly.
Most gave up soon after, complaining of severe headaches.
Yet Jegal Yeongyeong was the family's acknowledged genius. She deemed it worth trying.
'If I master this, it'll be a huge help in any future conflicts.'
As Jegal Yeongyeong opened the book and read intently, a blue, hazy energy like smoke rose from the pages and burrowed into her mind.
But she didn't notice the blue energy at all.
How much time passed?
Thud—
Closing the book, Jegal Yeongyeong couldn't hide her bewilderment.
Before reading Comprehensive Analysis of Celestial Divination Formations, she had no headache at all, but suddenly her head throbbed.
'My fatigue is gone, and I slept deeply—why the sudden headache? I was proud of how well I understood it.'
The focused reading time was short, so not accumulated fatigue. Could reading this book trigger headaches?
Trying again, she realized the pain worsened and the content blurred, so she stopped.
'Something's up with this book!'
Suddenly, she recalled the mysterious tale of the ancestor who wrote Comprehensive Analysis of Celestial Divination Formations.
'An ancestor not particularly outstanding in the family loved observing the stars. One day, while watching the sky, he suddenly devised ten formations. Afterward, renowned geniuses tried to learn them but only grasped one or two at most, all suffering severe headaches.'
Another mystery: no one succeeded through copied versions.
The original book was in her hands by decision of the family elders.
The next day, Jegal Yeongyeong resolved to visit the Luoyang Medical Hall again after just two days.
***
Kind Hakjin, who triaged patients at the Luoyang Medical Hall to determine emergencies, chatted with his colleague during a brief lull.
"It's already the second day. I haven't seen the Chief Strategist long ago, but I've never seen such a relaxed expression. She must be fully cured. She brought money, right?"
"No, I thought Jo Physician was obviously right. Logically, how much could Baek Physician have learned? Jo Physician trained in medicine from childhood."
"Hey, you can't judge talent by age. By that logic, does Yang Physician's superior skill make sense?"
"That's different. Yang Physician is the Divine Physician's disciple. Baek Physician's background is unclear..."
"Why keep calling him Baek Physician if someone hears? Where's your respect?"
"Who cares? No one's around but us. Anyway, we can't void the bet, right? Thinking about it, I bet too rashly... Gasp! Chief Strategist is here!"
As his colleague shot up from his chair, Kind Hakjin startled to his feet too.
Jegal Yeongyeong entered the triage room, slightly furrowing her brow.
'She's holding her head! Damn, Jo Physician was right! My money!'
Seeing his beaming colleague rush to triage, Kind Hakjin thought he was doomed.
Jo Physician had said temple acupuncture had clear limits, so the Chief Strategist would return soon with headaches, while Baek Yuseong claimed it was fully cured.
Her appearance this early meant Jo Physician was right, so his colleague—who bet on Jo—had won.
However.
"Pardon? The headache matches, but you want Baek Physician—no, Baek Physician's consultation?"
"There seems to be a misunderstanding. Baek Physician's treatment was perfect. This headache seems from a different cause, so I need treatment again. Any problem?"
His colleague glanced at Kind Hakjin and replied.
"Problem? None at all. I'll escort you to Baek Physician."
After the attendant guided Jegal Yeongyeong to the waiting room, the two conversed gravely.
"So, who won the bet?"
"She came with a headache. Jo Physician was right, so I win."
"Nonsense. She said the previous headache was perfectly cured and this is from another cause! She chose Baek Physician, so logically I win."
Still arguing over the bet as another patient entered, they finally focused on work.
***
One of the joys of games, Yuseong thought, was accumulating experience to level up and earning appropriate rewards.
In that sense, confirming Divine Power growth immediately after treatment made the physician work enjoyable.
With luck, after consultations ended, thanks from grateful patients could auto-farm more Divine Power.
Energetically seeing patients, he saw Jegal Yeongyeong appear before his room, brow slightly furrowed.
Yuseong's heart sank.
'Only two days passed, and she's back already? Does the Healing skill work differently from Virtual Fantasy? No way... a complaint?'