Chapter 49
Chapter 49
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 49
Chapter Title: Even So, It's Jang Physician, Right?
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"Even so, it's Jang Physician, right?"
The next day, Mun Su-ro made time in the morning to visit the Clear Seclusion Clinic.
'Seok Jung, and even the owner of the Ten Thousand Winds Inn recommended it so highly.'
He wasn't the only one.
Rumors about the Clear Seclusion Clinic were rife even among his colleagues at the Unit Stone Guild.
Of course, Mun Su-ro had heard the stories too, but he'd never had the chance to go.
His shoulder had been bothering him for a few years already. Then, last year, he'd gone to a clinic in the Medical District.
The physician examined him and said in a dry voice,
"It's a natural symptom of aging."
"Can't it be fixed?"
"How do you fix a person getting old?"
"But if you find a way..."
"Are you the physician? I make the diagnosis."
Mun Su-ro had been irritated by the physician's attitude.
'That clinic ended up closing not long after.'
Still, it was true.
How could anyone fix the effects of aging?
He recalled what the Iron Mountain Fortress folks had said yesterday.
"Isn't it about time you retired from the field?"
"The body naturally weakens with age."
They were right. He needed to accept it and retire.
So he'd been prepared to let go of this old shoulder.
'But before that, maybe I'll stop by the Clear Seclusion Clinic.'
If everyone around him was praising it so much, it was worth a visit.
Mun Su-ro headed to the outskirts of the Deokyang Medical District. The Clear Seclusion Clinic came into view, standing alone on slightly elevated ground.
'Ah, Seok Jung's construction work is obvious at a glance.'
He did the same kind of work himself. There was no mistaking the Unit Stone Guild's—Seok Jung's—style imprinted on the clinic.
As he entered through the main gate,
'Even the waiting room.'
The waiting room was designed for good ventilation—anyone could tell it was Seok Jung's handiwork. Mun Su-ro could see the love and effort poured into it at first glance.
'Seok Jung always puts his all into everything, but this is different. To show off his skills like this?'
Mun Su-ro grew increasingly curious about the Clear Seclusion Clinic.
He sat at the end of the line of waiting patients. A young man approached and said,
"Hello. I'm Bae Seon-u, apprentice at the Clear Seclusion Clinic. It seems this is your first time here, sir."
A gentle smile and a polite voice.
Mun Su-ro felt at ease just from Bae Seon-u's courteous demeanor.
"That's right. But how did you know?"
"You were looking around the clinic so carefully."
"Ha ha, you've got sharp eyes for a young man."
Mun Su-ro wrote his name and details on the paper Bae Seon-u handed him and gave it back.
Bae Seon-u glanced alternately at the paper and Mun Su-ro.
"Something wrong?"
"I was just thinking you write with such strong, vigorous strokes, sir."
As Mun Su-ro wondered what that meant, Bae Seon-u continued,
"The depth of years truly is impressive and wonderful. Please wait just a moment."
Mun Su-ro sat there stunned for a bit.
Even after Bae Seon-u left, those words lingered in his ears.
And so, after sitting there dazed for a while,
"It's your turn now, sir."
Mun Su-ro snapped to at Bae Seon-u's call.
He entered the Clear Seclusion Clinic and sat before the young physician.
'Younger than I thought.'
He'd heard the physician was young, but he looked even younger up close.
"Hello. You're from the Unit Stone Guild, I see. I'm Jang Wol of the Clear Seclusion Clinic."
"Pleased to meet you. I'm Mun Su-ro of the Unit Stone Guild."
They exchanged greetings, but Mun Su-ro still felt half-doubting.
'This young physician's skills are supposed to be that great...?'
"It seems your right shoulder is giving you trouble, sir."
Mun Su-ro jumped at Jang Wol's sudden diagnosis, which cut through his thoughts.
"Y-yes, that's right."
"Could you tell me about the symptoms?"
"It started as just a bit of stiffness, but lately my shoulder seizes up every morning, making it hard to lift my arm. And it's getting weaker, so I can't work properly."
Jang Wol nodded quietly and said,
"Doesn't it hurt worse at night? Especially if you lie on that side, you probably wake up from the throbbing often."
"Ah, spot on!"
Jang Wol spoke in a gentle voice.
"This is a symptom anyone who has used their shoulders for a long time might experience. It's a mark of how hard your body has worked. But don't worry too much. If you manage it well from now on, it will get much better."
Mun Su-ro stared blankly at Jang Wol. This was completely different from the brusque physicians he'd dealt with before—polite and courteous.
With a voice tinged with cautious hope, he asked,
"Is treatment possible, by any chance?"
"Let's start with taking your pulse."
After a moment of pulse diagnosis, Jang Wol said,
"It's a condition from aging, so a complete cure isn't possible."
The diagnosis was the same as the others.
So it really couldn't be fixed.
But oddly, Mun Su-ro's mind felt at peace. Somehow, he felt he could accept this natural ailment of age now.
'It's a mark of how hard your body has worked.'
That one line from Jang Wol made his years feel acknowledged, even if just a little.
Mun Su-ro gave a wry smile and started to say something.
But Jang Wol wasn't finished.
"Still, we can restore some shoulder function, so no need to be too discouraged."
Mun Su-ro's eyes widened.
"I-is that true?"
"Yes. You should be able to join the site work for this project and even a few years beyond without issue."
That would give him solid time to prepare for retirement.
Then, with a startled look, Mun Su-ro asked Jang Wol,
"But how did you know?"
He spoke as if he could read minds.
In response to Mun Su-ro's question, I smiled and replied,
"Didn't you say you work for the Unit Stone Guild? And they're building the Qingcheng Sect's sub-branch right now. I took a guess since you seemed so eager for treatment."
Mun Su-ro was impressed.
"This Clear Seclusion Clinic has an impressive apprentice, and the physician seems extraordinary too."
Patients were full of praise for Bae Seon-u. He must have shown some skill again.
But truthfully, it wasn't deduction.
Last night, Seok Jung had come by and asked me to help Mun Su-ro.
I'd judged based on Seok Jung's description of him and his symptoms.
'Degenerative arthritis in the right shoulder.'
Degenerative arthritis from aging is incurable even in the modern world.
A condition where cartilage wears away over long years, like the laws of nature.
So I'd told Seok Jung a cure wasn't possible,
"But please let Senior Mun Su-ro work on site at least one last time."
At first, I didn't understand the request.
But meeting Mun Su-ro made it clear.
'A lifetime devoted to his work. He's not ready to leave it suddenly.'
I'd seen people like this in the modern world too.
An old shop owner facing closure.
"Closing the shop was the hardest part. Once I thought it was really the end, I wondered where else I could pour my heart into like that."
They'd confessed something similar during a consultation.
So I wanted to help Mun Su-ro as much as possible.
'And a mission popped up just in time.'
The mission was to restore shoulder function, not a full cure.
I had Mun Su-ro sit on the treatment bed and exposed his right shoulder.
"The treatment won't finish in one day."
Mun Su-ro nodded calmly.
"That's obvious. How long will it take? Half a month? A month? That'd let me join the end of the project."
"Two days."
"Hm. Two days... What? Two days?"
"Yes. So make sure to come back tomorrow."
I began the treatment on the dazed Mun Su-ro.
The degenerative arthritis had caused swelling and fluid buildup in the shoulder.
In modern terms, this effusion fluid shouldn't be drained all at once—it reformed repeatedly, altering the joint structure. It had to be done in stages.
'Thanks to the Nine Needles owner's proficiency, I shortened it to two days.'
When I took out the Long Needles, Mun Su-ro flinched at their length.
'Everyone fears Long Needles the same way.'
My Long Needles were at the Mastery stage.
'First, stimulate deep tissues to promote blood circulation, and for shoulder joint recovery...'
Starting with Shoulder Hollow to ease joint inflammation, I inserted Long Needles into Shoulder Well, Leg's Bone Hollow, and Heavenly Pivot.
At Mastery, they went in swiftly and precisely without needing to feel for qi sensation.
"Hup...!"
Long needles pierced Mun Su-ro's startled shoulder in an instant.
After waiting for the Long Needles' effects to circulate, I took out the Lance Needles next.
Mun Su-ro's eyes widened at the triangular blades on the needle tips.
"Y-you're sticking those in my shoulder?"
"Yes. But it won't hurt, so don't worry."
My Lance Needles were at Skilled stage.
They needed upgrading to Mastery.
Out of my four Insights, I used two.
I inserted the Lance Needles near the swelling.
Though bladed, Mun Su-ro felt no pain and looked at me in surprise.
'Reminds me of when I used Lance Needles on Seong Chu's blackened arm.'
Back then, Seong Chu had been in agony, but now at Mastery, the patient felt nothing.
Dark bruises flowed from the insertion sites, followed by yellowish fluid.
I wiped away the bruises and fluid with water boiled from coptis and such, then wrapped it in clean cloth.
"Try moving your shoulder."
Mun Su-ro moved it around and stared at me in shock.
"W-what? The pain's mostly gone."
"Glad to hear it."
"How after just one treatment..."
"It's not over yet, so no need to be so surprised."
"R-right. So I just rest well today?"
"No. Avoid straining it, but light movement is fine."
Mun Su-ro looked at me as if unsure what I meant.
"Move it? It's okay to move during treatment? I thought you shouldn't."
"No, actually moving helps. No heavy lifting, but light hammering is fine."
In truth, for degenerative arthritis, gentle movement after reducing inflammation slows progression and aids prevention.
"Thank you so much. I'll come back tomorrow then."
Mun Su-ro thanked me and left the Clear Seclusion Clinic.
Tomorrow, I'd finish draining the remaining effusion and apply moxibustion.
That should let him use his shoulder nearly as well as in his youth for a while.
The construction site for the Qingcheng Sect's sub-branch.
The Unit Stone Guild members greeted Mun Su-ro, who arrived in the afternoon.
"You're late."
"Worried there'd be no work for me?"
"Huh? For you, Senior Mun?"
As they hesitated, Seok Jung approached.
"Did you go to the Clear Seclusion Clinic?"
Mun Su-ro nodded.
"I did, just as you said."
Surprised voices rose around them.
"You went to the Clear Seclusion Clinic? Then you can work?"
"No way it improves in one day, even so."
"Even so, it's Jang Physician, right?"
Seok Jung eyed Mun Su-ro briefly. Even Jang Wol couldn't fix age-related shoulder issues in a day.
But if Mun Su-ro was saying this, he'd clearly heard something from Jang Wol.
"Then could you do the bracing on that roof?"
It required precise hammering more than strength.
"Got it. Leave it to me."
As Mun Su-ro climbed the roof, Iron Mountain Fortress workers gathered, murmuring.
"Assigning work to that old man again?"
"What accident this time?"
"Won't he ruin his right shoulder for good?"
Then Mun Su-ro began hammering.
Thud, clang!
Steady rhythm, crisp sounds.
Veteran hammering brimming with his lifetime experience.
Admiration burst from the Unit Stone Guild side.
"Whoa, I had my doubts, but as expected!"
"Senior Mun's face was full of confident smiles for a reason!"
The Iron Mountain Fortress crew could only stare in daze.
"O-our physician would say that's impossible..."
Even so, it's Jang Physician, right?