Chapter 40
Chapter 40
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: One More Condition
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But could I add one more condition?
When Dang Seol-yeong had checked Jo Jeong-yak's pulse for the regulating medicine, she said there was a sense of emptiness somewhere in his qi.
So I took his pulse myself.
As Pulse Eye activated, the flow of qi and blood coursing through Jo Jeong-yak's body came into sharp focus.
'Just as Dang Seol-yeong said. There's a feeling of deficient qi somewhere.'
A typical pulse diagnosis would have ended there.
But Pulse Eye was different. It could pinpoint the exact pathology from the flow of qi and blood.
'Toxins are building up in his liver. And not just any—toxins accumulated gradually over many long years.'
And at the same time, a message appeared before my eyes.
Treat Jo Jeong-yak's liver.
🎁 Reward: Two Insights
A quest had appeared.
I explained that there was strain on his liver, but Jo Jeong-yak checked his own pulse and didn't believe it.
'Well, a monk can't shave his own head.'
The condition hadn't worsened yet, so it wouldn't show up in a standard pulse reading.
"No, your liver is definitely not well. Have you repeatedly ingested poison and then detoxified it?"
Jo Jeong-yak stuttered in surprise.
"H-how did you know that?"
"How many years have you been doing this?"
"Over thirty years."
"That's why toxins have built up in your liver. Slowly, over that long period."
"...But I always detoxified it thoroughly..."
Jo Jeong-yak looked at me and nodded gravely.
"You're right. No matter how thoroughly you detoxify, those herbs can still strain the liver."
Jo Jeong-yak was the renowned White Crane Scholar. He could certainly understand my explanation.
There was a condition called drug-induced liver damage.
It occurred when the same medicine was taken consistently over many years, harming the liver.
'In the modern world, something like acetaminophen painkillers mixed with alcohol can cause acute liver damage like this.'
The concept of drug-induced liver damage appeared even in ancient medical texts.
Works like Famous Physicians' Records or Compendium of Materia Medica warned that even the best herbs could cause illness if taken long-term.
'So Jo Jeong-yak knows the concept too.'
I spoke to his now somber expression.
"Yes. And you've repeated poisoning and detoxification. Unless you're an unparalleled master immune to all poisons, your liver couldn't escape damage from the toxicity."
"But no symptoms appeared, so I thought I was safe..."
"Yes. It wouldn't show up in a standard pulse check."
"Exactly. No unusual signals in the pulse, and none of the classic liver damage signs like jaundice."
"No jaundice in your skin or eyes either."
"But if you could pinpoint my secret weakness so precisely, my liver must already be starting to fail."
Jo Jeong-yak's face darkened. As a physician himself, he knew how hard it was to treat a diseased liver once it began.
The air in the treatment room grew heavy.
Dang Seol-yeong looked at me, her eyes clearly asking, 'Is there no way?'
There was a way, of course.
"Let me treat you once."
Jo Jeong-yak's eyes widened.
"What? How do you plan to treat it?"
The quest appearing meant it was fully treatable.
'At this early stage, Moxa Nourishment should be enough.'
Drug-induced liver damage is not hard to treat if caught early.
Stop the offending drug and provide supportive care.
The supportive care wasn't anything special either—just rest and stability, ample fluids and calories, maintaining electrolyte balance, allowing the liver to recover gradually.
'I can substitute Moxa Nourishment for that supportive care.'
Moxa Nourishment replenished vital essence through moxibustion and restored energy.
At this point, it would be more than enough for a full recovery.
I answered Jo Jeong-yak, who had asked how.
"Recovering your liver's vital essence with moxibustion will be sufficient."
"Moxibustion? If it's the advanced kind from a movement art, maybe, but you..."
Jo Jeong-yak scanned me up and down.
To his martial artist's eyes, I must have looked like a frail civilian.
Dang Seol-yeong cut in from the side.
"Do you know So Hong-ryeo of the Deokyang So Family? Jang Physician treated her with moxibustion."
"What? You're the one who treated So Hong-ryeo? With moxibustion? Then it must be an extraordinary technique. Perfect. I'll accept your treatment."
"But there's something you must promise. No more repeating poisoning and detoxification on your own body."
Jo Jeong-yak's face fell.
"...That's impossible. How else am I supposed to research poisonous and medicinal herbs?"
Jo Jeong-yak shook his head firmly, his resolve unyielding on that point.
It wasn't hard to understand his mindset.
'It's the path he's walked his whole life.'
It was his life's work.
Asking him to abandon it on the spot was no small thing.
As I pondered how to persuade him...
"Leave that to me."
Dang Seol-yeong drew our gazes.
"Poisoning and detoxifying your own body? Even the Sichuan Tang Family gave that up over a century ago."
Jo Jeong-yak nodded.
"R-right. The Sichuan Tang Family are unrivaled in poisons, after all."
"I'll teach you other methods. You can research poisonous and medicinal herbs just fine with those."
Jo Jeong-yak's eyes widened.
"R-really?"
"Of course. I can't share our family's secrets, but other ways are plenty effective."
Jo Jeong-yak nodded eagerly, beaming.
"Got it! I'll get treated and keep my promise, no question."
Dang Seol-yeong smiled at me, her face saying plainly, 'I handled it, right?'
I returned a grateful smile, then told Jo Jeong-yak,
"Then lie face down on this treatment bed."
As if the heavy mood had never been, Jo Jeong-yak complied readily, even grinning now.
'The Sichuan Tang Family's reputation is even higher than I thought.'
It made sense.
Wuxia novels centered on the protagonist.
The Sichuan Tang Family usually just tossed untouchable poisons or Thousand Blossom Rainstorms as a minor clan in passing—unless it was a story starring them.
Jo Jeong-yak lay on the bed. I molded the mugwort powder into cones.
'Most acupoints good for the liver are on the feet and legs.'
Rowing Space between big toe and index toe, then Taichong two centimeters toward the ankle.
Both linked to the liver, and pressing them helped with hangovers too.
I placed mugwort cones on Rowing Space and Taichong on the feet, plus Sanyinjiao and Zusanli on the ankles.
'And finally, for all liver and gallbladder ailments.'
I placed a cone on Liver Shu point on his back and lit them.
The mugwort burned, smoke rising, the scent of moxa filling the room.
Jo Jeong-yak's eyes widened, sensing the change.
'Of course. As a martial expert, he'd feel it.'
About five minutes later...
Lucky it was early-stage drug-induced liver damage. One moxa session cured it.
I extinguished the flames and wiped away the ash, then asked,
"Treatment's done. How do you feel?"
Jo Jeong-yak sat up on the bed and dressed.
"...I've never felt moxibustion from such an extraordinary technique."
He looked down at his body, then took his own pulse at the wrist and continued.
"The pulse that felt deficient in qi is pounding strong again. From this alone, I can tell how much better my liver is. It feels like I've grown years younger."
"Glad to hear it. Congratulations on your full recovery."
Jo Jeong-yak gazed at me with newfound respect.
"As they say, the waves behind push the waves ahead. Deokyang Medical District has produced a young physician like you."
I doubted my ears for a moment.
'Isn't that what veteran experts say when acknowledging the next generation?'
A classic line from countless wuxia novels.
Usually said when a young or novice protagonist amazes elder masters with their skills.
'Never thought I'd hear it myself.'
I wasn't acknowledged across the entire jianghu yet. But rising a step as a physician filled me with pride.
'I didn't want to lose to the old guard here, and now one of them recognizes me.'
I answered without hiding my smile.
"You're too kind. It was easy because it was caught early."
"Even so, I'm truly grateful. You've done me an unexpected great favor. Curing an intractable condition like this is a huge debt. How can I ever repay it?"
I'd gotten two Insights anyway, so I was about to say it was fine.
But Dang Seol-yeong spoke first.
"I hear White Herb Hall has a herb garden with rare medicinal plants. Could we buy herbs from there sometimes?"
I hadn't known that. But it piqued my interest.
Physicians and herbs were inseparable.
'Rare ones? Even better.'
Jo Jeong-yak smiled and nodded.
"Fine by me. But could I add one more condition?"
"What is it?"
"Miss Dang should occasionally chat with me about poisons."
Dang Seol-yeong smiled back, just like him.
"I'd love that. Poisons can be medicine too. Few truly understand it."
"Heh heh, such proper thinking, unlike most youngsters these days."
The two laughed, sharing a conversation beyond my grasp.
I knew that look in Dang Seol-yeong's eyes.
'The one when she talks poisons or tends her poison herb garden.'
Jo Jeong-yak had the same glint.
Seemed I'd met another poison enthusiast.
Ten Thousand Winds Inn's office.
Seong Chu had come to report, only to get an earful of Na Ho-pyeong bragging about his daughter.
"So anyway, I'm thinking of inviting some Emei Sect masters to Deokyang soon. Our Sang-a's martial skills improve by the day. It'll be a chance to show off her prowess."
Seong Chu asked indifferently.
"How do you invite masters from a prestigious sect like Emei? To the outside, you're just an innkeeper."
"Sang-a and So Hong-ryeo of the Deokyang So Family are growing together. Their patriarch shares my thinking. A family like Deokyang So can move Emei easily enough. Haha! What do you think?"
"..."
"What are you thinking?"
"Wondering when Brother Man-seok will arrive."
"You don't want to hear me out?"
"No way that's..."
A voice came from outside.
"Chu Man-seok here."
"Come in."
As Chu Man-seok entered, Seong Chu seized the chance and slipped out.
Chu Man-seok handed Na Ho-pyeong some documents.
"This request came through Subtle Shade Pavilion."
Subtle Shade Pavilion was one of Deokyang's information groups—and connected to Hao Gate.
"Subtle Shade Pavilion means a request from the Medical District."
"Yes. A patient being treated jointly by Esteemed Benevolence Clinic and Herb Fragrance Hall is seeking Frost Lotus Blossom, a rare herb."
Esteemed Benevolence Clinic and Herb Fragrance Hall had reputations on par with Famous Physician Tower in Deokyang Medical District.
"Hm. That rare, huh..."
"Intel says only White Herb Hall has it. Impossible to find in this region's climate near Sichuan Province."
Na Ho-pyeong muttered as he scanned Chu Man-seok's documents.
He had Chu Man-seok handling Deokyang Medical District intel exclusively. All the papers were from there.
Suddenly, Na Ho-pyeong's eyes widened.
"W-wait, how did things progress like this?"
White Crane Scholar Jo Jeong-yak had received treatment from Jang Wol. And Dang Seol-yeong had visited White Herb Hall's herb garden.
Na Ho-pyeong looked up at Chu Man-seok.
"So doesn't that mean Dang Seol-yeong can get the Frost Lotus Blossom?"