Chapter 23
Chapter 23
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: The Mad Drunk Guest's Aid
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Hyeong So leaped from the Clear Seclusion Clinic and bounded across the rooftops of Deokyang City's buildings, arriving at the medicinal herb district in an instant.
The Hyeongtong Herb Shop, third from the entrance.
Hyeong So scanned the location with impassive eyes and landed squarely in front of the herb shop.
"Gasp!"
The shop owner jumped in shock as someone dropped from the sky like a bolt.
Recognizing the newcomer as Hyeong So, the infamous Disruptive Maniac of Deokyang City, he jolted again.
'W-what? Why is this prickly Disruptive Maniac here?'
He knew the man wasn't bad. But his thorny personality made him hard to approach, so most people steered clear of the murim wanderer.
As the owner stared with trembling eyes, Hyeong So asked in a flat voice.
"Where did the herb gatherer go?"
"W-what?"
"Looking for the herb gatherer who vanished over Earth-Sky Ginseng."
Only then did the owner grasp Hyeong So's intent and gasp in surprise.
'Did that Jang Physician from Clear Seclusion Clinic send him? The Disruptive Maniac?'
Many ronin moved for money. But the Disruptive Maniac wasn't one of them.
Few employers had the guts to hire such a prickly man in the first place.
'How the hell did they hire the Disruptive Maniac?'
Too stunned to reply amid his swirling thoughts, the owner froze. Hyeong So fixed him with a steady gaze, and he finally snapped to and answered.
"T-to Seopyeong Mountain."
"Where on Seopyeong Mountain."
"I-I only heard he found Earth-Sky Ginseng in Chim-ryeong Valley there."
Hyeong So's brow furrowed. Chim-ryeong Valley was a long, deep gorge. Searching it wouldn't be easy.
After a moment to organize his thoughts, Hyeong So asked.
"Where does Earth-Sky Ginseng grow well?"
"Ah, it grows in high altitudes but needs plenty of sunlight to thrive naturally."
Deep gorges got little sun. Yet Earth-Sky Ginseng needed bright spots.
A contradictory tale, but it narrowed the search area.
Decision made, Hyeong So leaped away again.
The shop owner muttered to himself, staring incredulously at the departing figure.
"Man, what's going on in Deokyang City these days?"
Hyeong So vanished from the herb district and left the city behind in moments.
His target: Chim-ryeong Valley in Seopyeong Mountain.
The nearby peak posed no challenge; Hyeong So had been there several times before.
From a ridge on Seopyeong Mountain, the long, split Chim-ryeong Valley stretched out below.
Hyeong So's gaze shifted to the sky.
Sunlight direction and the long, sheer gorge walls.
Alternating between sky and valley, Hyeong So soon leaped off again.
The shop owner's words echoed.
- Ah, Earth-Sky Ginseng grows in high altitudes but needs plenty of sunlight to thrive naturally.
To meet those conditions in Chim-ryeong Valley, it couldn't be too deep, and the cliffs on either side needed to face east and west. That way, midday sun could filter between them.
The valley snaked like a river, but few spots matched both criteria.
In the second search area, a faint voice reached Hyeong So's ears.
"Anyone there—!"
Hyeong So veered sharply.
"Help me—!"
Tracking the voice, Hyeong So spotted a man slumped against a rocky ledge midway up the gorge wall.
Seeing Hyeong So, the man shouted.
"Y-you there! Please help me!"
Instead of replying, Hyeong So assessed the man and surroundings.
Crumbling ledges on the cliff,
Blood trickling from the man's thigh.
He'd leaped across ledges, a weak one gave way, and falling debris had torn his thigh badly.
Conclusion reached, Hyeong So launched without hesitation.
The herb gatherer cried out in alarm.
"Watch the cliff! That ledge is unstable..."
But his words cut off. Hyeong So had vaulted across in one bound, without touching the ledges.
The herb gatherer gaped at the display of lightness skill, then jolted again upon recognizing Deokyang's famous warrior.
'No way, how's the Disruptive Maniac here?'
Hyeong So's hand moved, pressing acupoints near the thigh to staunch the bleeding temporarily.
"D-did you come to rescue me?"
Hyeong So asked something else instead.
"The Earth-Sky Ginseng."
The herb gatherer pointed to the basket at his waist.
"R-right here."
Did he come all this way to steal it? Even if so, he'd have to hand it over.
As fear gripped him and he fumbled to offer the ginseng,
Hyeong So hoisted the man onto his shoulder like a sack.
"Then let's go."
"Y-you're saving me? But how will you carry me..."
Alone, crossing this vast space in a single bound was feasible. With a passenger, far less so.
Hyeong So answered with action, leaping off.
Mid-cliff, the unstable rocky ledge.
Hyeong So touched down, and it crumbled with a crack.
But his form had already reached the next ledge before collapse.
Arriving safely via astonishing lightness skill, Hyeong So said.
"I'll take you to a clinic."
"Th-thank you. Mine's Herb Fragrance Hall..."
"Clear Seclusion Clinic."
"...Pardon?"
Hyeong So's form sliced through the wind.
The herb gatherer marveled at the superb lightness skill.
Exiting Chim-ryeong Valley, descending Seopyeong Mountain, they reached Clear Seclusion Clinic in Deokyang City in a flash.
Dang Seol-yeong, just seeing off the last patient, startled.
"Physician!"
At her call, Jang Wol emerged from the clinic. Assessing the situation, he asked Hyeong So.
"Is this the herb gatherer?"
"Yes."
They supported him inside and laid him on the treatment bed.
Jang Wol stepped out to express thanks.
"Thank you. Thanks to you, the herb gatherer is safe."
"Generate Pulse..."
Hyeong So cut him off. But Dang Seol-yeong had already preempted.
Quick on the uptake, she'd brought a bowl of Generate Pulse Powder decoction.
Gulp gulp.
Hyeong So downed it in one go, handed back the bowl with a satisfied look, turned, and vanished.
Gazing after the departed Disruptive Maniac, Dang Seol-yeong said.
"We owe the Disruptive Maniac again."
Recalling Choi Cheol-bo's words, she added.
"Good deeds come back as good fortune."
"Wasn't that what Escort Warrior Choi Cheol-bo said?"
Sharp memory, as expected.
"That's not the point. Let's check the patient first."
They hurried inside to examine him.
"What's your name, sir?"
"D-Deung Baek-cho."
Hyeong So had said this was the man who'd gone for the Earth-Sky Ginseng.
'The ginseng's whereabouts matter, but the patient comes first.'
A ragged laceration tore his right thigh. Likely from rock shards.
Treat Deung Baek-cho's right leg.
🎁 Reward: One Insight
A task appeared.
Then Deung Baek-cho spoke.
"I-is this Clear Seclusion Clinic?"
"Yes."
"Take me to Herb Fragrance Hall. That's my regular clinic."
"The bleeding's gone on too long. We need to treat you here right away."
"St-still, this place..."
"Don't worry. This is the Disruptive Maniac's clinic."
Leveraging the Disruptive Maniac's fame worked wonders. Deung Baek-cho quieted down.
He began with pulse diagnosis.
The ailment revealed perfectly through qi and blood flow.
'Thigh laceration, and damage to the sciatic nerve in the femur area.'
Skin torn, plus considerable impact.
Blood from the thigh wound had stopped briefly, then seeped again. Likely Hyeong So's acupoint press for temporary hemostasis.
'Fortunately, the laceration isn't too long.'
Hemostasis first.
Cleaning the wound carefully with water boiled from coptis and gold-and-silver flower, he said.
"Prepare atractylodes."
Atractylodes was the root of an orchid family plant. Excellent for clotting, ground into powder and applied to wounds.
Moments later, Dang Seol-yeong brought finely powdered form.
"Mixed in blood-clotting charcoal."
He blinked at the powder. Indeed, black flecks mingled in.
Charcoal from burned human hair—blood-clotting charcoal.
Great for hemostasis, but rarely used in modern times with advanced meds. First time seeing it for real.
'Anyway, if Dang Seol-yeong made it, it'll work.'
He dusted the powder on the thigh wound.
Before bandaging, he placed Fire Needles first.
'For this laceration, control bleeding first, reduce inflammation, promote tissue regeneration. Starting with...'
From inner thigh Blood Sea acupoint, to Yanggu, Knee Ring, Crooked Spring, and Hips Gate, he inserted Fire Needles.
'Next, to restore the sciatic nerve and improve blood flow.'
From right hip Hips Gate, to Wind Market, Yang Mound Spring, and Abdomen Center, more Fire Needles.
Soon after, he removed the Fire Needles and bandaged with gauze.
'First laceration patient here.'
Luckily, not too severe.
'Even as Nine Needles master, regeneration and closure will take days.'
Having lost much blood, Deung Baek-cho soon slept on the bed.
The next day.
Waking in his own bed, a message floated before his eyes.
What? Task complete already?
Stepping outside, Dang Seol-yeong was already up.
"Physician, you're up early."
"Huh? Oh, good morning."
Mae So-hwa and Won Ji-ro had arrived at Clear Seclusion Clinic too.
They followed him into the main hall as he greeted them awkwardly without proper courtesy.
Deung Baek-cho, looking much improved, welcomed him.
"Ah, Physician! Thanks to you, I'm doing great. No wonder it's the Disruptive Maniac's clinic—something special about it."
"Glad you're better. Let me check the wound."
Unwrapping the gauze, washing off the atractylodes powder.
Those around him were even more shocked.
"...That torn wound..."
"It's already healing..."
As they said. Not fully new skin, but tissue had regenerated, sealing the gash.
This counted as fully healed. Skin would regenerate fully over time, leaving just a faint scar.
'Could it be Fire Needle at Mastery?'
- No pain on insertion, perfect acupuncture, maximized effects.
He'd vaguely thought "maximized" just meant better results.
But this was beyond improvement—miraculous healing.
"Try getting down from the bed."
Deung Baek-cho, bewildered, stepped down.
Walking this way and that.
"Feels like before the accident. Perfectly healed!"
Even Dang Seol-yeong, who'd seen his treatments, stared in awe.
But he was shocked too.
Didn't expect Mastery to yield this.
Mae So-hwa and Won Ji-ro whispered in disbelief.
"Senior, did you see? That wound healing?"
"Saw the laceration yesterday. Thought it'd take half a month to close."
"Sealing a laceration in a day requires profound inner arts."
"That level of medicine rivals Immortal Spirit Pharmacy's Immortal Spirit Miracle Hand."
Mae So-hwa and Won Ji-ro scribbled furiously in their books while murmuring.
Apparently, Immortal Spirit Miracle Hand used inner arts for such feats.
After much pacing, Deung Baek-cho bowed in thanks.
"Truly grateful. How can I repay this kindness?"
"Actually, we were after that Earth-Sky Ginseng."
Deung Baek-cho pulled the ginseng from his basket in the corner.
Dang Seol-yeong said it was worth about five silver taels.
Wonder how much he'll sell for.
Then Deung Baek-cho smiled and thrust the Earth-Sky Ginseng forward.
"Here, take it."
"Pardon?"
"Legendary herbs shine brightest with legendary physicians."
The words "legendary physician" tugged at his heart.