Chapter 111
Chapter 111
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 111
Chapter Title: I Can Even Make You Number One (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
My suggestion to head to the Mercy Pavilion made the medical maiden guarding the Pill Sovereign Hall furrow her brows, asking as if to confirm whether I was serious.
"You're going to the Mercy Pavilion?"
The answer was right there, so of course I had to go.
"Didn't you yourself say it's fine to go there?"
"That's true, but I said it off the cuff, recalling the place the Pill Sovereign elder occasionally drops by when he's away. Do you truly know what kind of place the Mercy Pavilion is?"
I knew it well.
However, my master at my waist apparently did not, and sent me a mental question.
- Isn't the Mercy Pavilion under the Pill Sovereign Hall? With a name like Benefiting the People, it should be a place that cares for the common folk, right? It seems like they're doing good deeds, so why does this medical maiden speak of it like a place to avoid?
'Doing good deeds and it being grueling are two different things. Just think about it. Are there many quacks in the world?'
It wasn't me disparaging the world's physicians; that was simply the reality.
Being a doctor in this era wasn't a well-respected profession.
As a result, even those born with the brains or dexterity suited for it usually ended up wielding a brush or sword instead of needles, leaving the world full of quacks rather than true masters.
'On top of that, consultation fees and medicine costs must be a heavy burden for the common people. But at the Mercy Pavilion, the Pill Sovereign's disciples handle the treatments, with no charge for pulse diagnosis or acupuncture, and even the decoctions provided at cost...'
- ...Patients must flock there in droves?
'Exactly. And it's infamous for being exhausting because the apprentice physicians and medical maidens get into scuffles whenever they get the chance.'
- Heh. And people actually scuffle there?
My master, with his straightforward bamboo-like personality, seemed unable to comprehend it, but I understood to some extent.
'Getting sick makes people feel aggrieved, after all.'
A sick and uncomfortable body inevitably wears down the spirit as well.
And no matter the intent or process, a physician's failure always ends in death.
'That leads straight to the stages of denial, anger, bargaining, and depression.'
I could even understand the medical maiden's reaction.
Academy trainees were, after all, the elite of the younger generation selected from across the world. As guests of the Murim Alliance Leader and the Pill Sovereign elder, any unfortunate incident would spell trouble for her.
But for me, the brief hardship awaiting at the Mercy Pavilion?
Honestly, it was nothing.
Compared to the trials of my past and present lives combined, whatever toil the Mercy Pavilion could throw at me was trivial from the start.
'Especially with the Pill Sovereign's golden acupuncture technique waiting at the end. Why wouldn't I endure a single day for that?'
Of course, there was no need to voice such inner thoughts.
I selected my words carefully, nodded, and spoke.
"I know exactly what the Mercy Pavilion is. I'm well aware of what they do there, and that the senior apprentice physicians and medical maidens sometimes face difficulties. I know they're always short-handed. Knowing all that, how could I sit comfortably sipping tea in the Pill Sovereign Hall's annex?"
At my words, the medical maiden's eyes suddenly reddened.
"...Ah."
"...? Did I say something offensive?"
"No, not at all. It's just... this is the first time I've heard such a thing. Plenty of trainees have visited the Pill Sovereign Hall before, but they only complained—no one ever said anything like that. And lately, they haven't come at all."
Well, rumors had spread among the trainees that it was just a waste of time.
"For the future leaders of the righteous murim to recognize the efforts of lowly folk like us... my emotions welled up embarrassingly."
Anyway.
Since her eyes had merely reddened a bit, the medical maiden quickly regained her composure. She peeked her head sideways and addressed the other trainees.
"Ah, look at me. I know you trainees decide your assignments individually, but do the rest of you feel the same?"
In response, Jeong-hyeon was the first to speak up.
"I agree. Truth be told, from the moment Eon young hero suggested the Pill Sovereign Hall, I figured you'd head to the Mercy Pavilion. I'll follow Eon young hero and witness their service to the people."
That settled it.
In such an atmosphere, no one would object.
We changed into the apprentice physician robes the medical maiden had prepared and set off for the Mercy Pavilion.
The Mercy Pavilion was an affiliate department of the Murim Alliance, funded by their resources.
However, since its role involved treating an indiscriminate mass of patients, the facility itself was located at the base of mountains north of Luoyang, far from the Alliance headquarters.
What was amusing was that the mountain unfolding like a folding screen behind the Mercy Pavilion was the infamous North Mang Mountain.
'A clinic at the foot of a mountain synonymous with places like the Yellow Springs, the Three Crossroads River, or the River Styx—talk about paradoxical.'
Well, the reason North Mang Mountain became synonymous with the underworld was simply because its feng shui was so excellent that everyone used it for burials, turning it into a massive graveyard. The scenery itself wasn't bad.
"Th-that bamboo tube... you're going to stab it into his lungs to punch a hole for breathing? N-no, I refuse!"
"Madam! I swear on my name, Jeong Hyo-saeng—this is a dire emergency! If you keep blocking your husband's side like this, we can't perform the procedure! He'll die!"
"Stabbing him like that would obviously kill him! He was perfectly fine just moments ago! You call yourselves doctors? This place is nothing but a death trap!"
"This is a procedure devised by the Pill Sovereign himself! It's not to harm your husband, but..."
"No! I knew it was suspicious from the start, being under North Mang Mountain!"
The issue was that patients or guardians like this popped up from time to time.
'Hmm, and on my very first day helping out at the Mercy Pavilion, I've already heard complaints about the location five times. "From time to time" might be an understatement.'
Anyway.
I spoke up to assist Jeong, the apprentice physician whose medical skills were excellent but who clearly struggled with handling people.
"Jeong senior? Let me try persuading her."
"You, Eon trainee? Well, you're certainly better at talking to people than I am. Sigh. Please do."
It wasn't difficult.
"Madam?"
"W-what? What do you want to say?!"
"First off, you're under a misunderstanding. The Mercy Pavilion is located under North Mang Mountain precisely so we can stand firm here and pull back those on the verge of crossing into the underworld."
By flipping her perspective and creating some leeway in her preconceptions, I let her calm her startled heart.
"But do you think that's easy? Take a good look. Is that really the same husband who was 'perfectly fine' earlier?"
"......"
"Moment by moment, your husband's soul is heading toward North Mang Mountain. You two seem deeply attached— if you truly want to keep him in this world, the words you should be saying to Jeong physician right now aren't 'no,' but 'save him by any means necessary.'"
"...!"
Just mix in a gentle rebuke and point out the path?
"I-I'm sorry! I just panicked so suddenly! Please, save him!"
"Leave it to us, madam. We'll proceed immediately. Just in case, Eon trainee, hold his legs. Eun trainee, left arm. Woo trainee, right arm."
Done.
Easy, right?
- You'll always bob to the surface, no matter how deep you sink.
'Why just bob? I can swim, you know.'
- ...You always have to get the last word, don't you? Brat. Well, what you did just now, back at the Pill Sovereign Hall's main building, and that spirit you showed this morning in front of Namgung Uk—you've done well today. A disciple of the Heaven-Splitting Sword Sect I wouldn't be ashamed to show off anywhere.
'...Is it because North Mang Mountain is right there? Why the sudden praise?'
- ...? What do you mean? You saying if I do something unusual, it's my time to go or something?!
Anyway.
After lending a hand to save one family's breadwinner, I took a brief rest break at the decoction area behind the Mercy Pavilion to wet my throat.
Guided by the Mercy Pavilion's directions, my younger Eon brothers had been scattered to various tasks, but luckily they all got similar rest times and began gathering one by one.
Finally, with our guest family member Dang Ok-gi, we were complete.
"Ha-yeon. I'm so tired. So, so, so, so tired."
"Ok-gi, yours is legit exhaustion. You're the only one among us who could be thrown straight into physician duty without issue—you worked the hardest."
Dang Ok-gi had taken on miscellaneous tasks.
Coincidentally, the one in charge of misc duties in her assigned area was Namgung Yun, so I asked her something I'd been wondering.
"Was Namgung Yun at least a bit helpful?"
"That son of a... Oh, he's not here?"
"Nope. Absent."
"Crazy bastard. Acts like he's never set foot in a place like this—why the hell did he even follow?!"
Yeah.
Why did he follow?
In the original story, Namgung Yun comes along to the Pill Sovereign Hall at Jeong-hyeon's behest, but when the choice splits between the Mercy Pavilion and the annex, he picks the annex.
"At first, he saw a wound and puked his guts out. For about one sichen? During that time, he was basically counted as one of my patients! Now? Half a person, at best."
Whatever.
It was then.
Just as I was lost in thoughts about Namgung Yun.
Dang Ok-gi asked about the earlier commotion.
"Oh, by the way, your side was noisy earlier—what happened?"
"Right, I was busy sorting herbs at the medicine window and only glanced over, so I didn't catch the details. What exactly went down, Eon young master?"
"If you're asking about that moment, allow me to explain. It was just before. The patient was on the brink of death, but the guardian was nitpicking the Mercy Pavilion's location and opposing the procedure."
At that, Ha-seong seized the moment and launched into his theatrics.
"In that do-or-die crisis! Brother Yong-un declared: 'The Mercy Pavilion stands under North Mang Mountain to hold fast those trying to cross the underworld threshold!' Kuu!!"
Does this punk skip training to practice rhetoric?
"Wow."
"Ooh."
"As expected of Eon young hero."
"Brother Eon, is that really why they built it here?"
"What 'wow' and 'ooh'? I don't know why they put it here. Cheap land, probably. Who cares? We saved lives."
"Kuu."
"Wow."
"Ooh."
"Whoa."
"As expected of Eon young hero. No matter the path, as long as it leads to saving lives..."
Master.
To me, none of these guys look tired at all.
This isn't just my imagination, right?
- Doesn't seem like imagination. Far from tired, they look exhilarated.
That's how you see it too, right, Master?
"...Looks like you've got energy to spare. No need for rest then? Break's over. Return to your posts—move out."
After sending the brimming-with-energy bunch back to their posts,
I made my way back to mine as well.
Along the way, I spotted not just my Eon brothers from earlier, but other classmates sweating it out here and there.
'Brother So-cheon diligently hauling herb crates.'
Yong-myeong and Cheon Jang-ho splitting firewood for the decoction fires.
Je-gal Seol-ji and Paeng So-jin wrapping up medicines.
Namgung Yun, face pale as a ghost, assisting one of the apprentice physicians.
'And over there, Cheongjuk Hall classmates Han Jong and Gok Jun-pyeong...'
Hmm.
What's that situation?
The Mercy Pavilion didn't charge separate consultation fees beyond the cost of medicines, so they applied two principles for patient order.
First: By urgency.
Second: For non-urgent cases, a separate window handled them in arrival order.
Under these two rules, they performed pulse diagnoses and treatments.
Han Jong and Gok Jun-pyeong's task was to assist the physician checking urgency levels by tying colored bands on the patients.
'Arguably the most important role.'
Yet some middle-aged man in fine silk robes with a goatee beard was interfering with Han Jong and Gok Jun-pyeong's work.
If their role was tying bands on patients, my role in internal security was managing the overall order at the Mercy Pavilion.
'Can't just let this slide.'
I quickened my pace.
Arriving at the scene of the altercation, I asked my classmates what had happened.
"Han Jong. Gok Jun-pyeong. What's going on?"
But before they could answer, the goatee beard opened his mouth.
"I asked for someone high-ranking, and they send another half-grown brat! Back from my Guangdong trading trip, and suddenly all these unknown faces!! Is Physician Byeon not on duty today?"
"He's not. Cut the this-that crap."
"Hey! Watch your tone!"
"You know the saying: 'Fair words in, fair words out'? Anyway, state your business. As you can see, it's a busy place."
Under my emitted presence, the goatee clearly flinched.
"S-so Physician Byeon is off duty?"
"Whether Physician Byeon or shit physician, he's off. If you're here for him, head back."
However, perhaps conscious of the surrounding stares, he puffed out his chest and kept causing a scene.
"Talking like that about Physician Byeon. Now I see—you must be one of the newbies who showed up during my fortnight away. Don't even know who's superior here! Obviously don't know who I am either?!"
"Don't. Does it relate to your business?"
"It does! I'm Yeom Jin-hoe, merchant handling shipping at Mengjin Port, aiding the Murim Alliance. It's merchants like me who feed and clothe all these beggars sprawled around and you apprentice brats!"
"And?"
"A-and? You're dense! If no Physician Byeon, fetch one of his underlings! Got a hangover—need an acupuncture needle for my bile!"
"Ah. That's your goal? Should've said so sooner. This place treats patients by urgency order."
Crack—crack—
"I can even make you number one."