Today, I Am the Physician
Seeing Lee Song flushed and dizzy, I couldn't help but feel a wave of worry, even though it meant the medicinal herbs in the Yang-bursting Dongpo Pork were doing their job. I wasn't sure if his latent Yang energy had suddenly exploded, or if his Yin energy was simply weaker than I had anticipated.
"Chef Yoon... my body..."
"You don't have to say it. I know."
Immediate results weren't necessarily a good thing in this case. What I had wanted was a slow, gentle warmth to gradually melt the Yin energy accumulated in his acupoints and meridians. Instead, the exact opposite was happening.
Thwack!
I quickly tapped his acupoints to temporarily suppress the surging Yang energy and immediately laid Lee Song down. After clearing the table, I asked everyone except Lee Song and Yi Mok to step outside.
"My lady, why don't you take a walk to help digest your food?"
"It's a bit too cramped for all of us to stay, isn't it?"
"You catch on quick. Let's meet back here in about thirty minutes."
"You must tell me how it goes, okay?"
"Of course."
Once the three of them left, I immediately pulled my needle case from my sleeve. Today, I wasn't the Three-Virtue ChefYoon Gomyung—I was Master Yoon, the romantic physician.
"The treatment won't hurt much. In fact, Song might actually find it quite comfortable."
"I trust you completely," Yi Mok replied.
Currently, Yang energy was steadily filling Lee Song's entire body. While it would melt the deep-seated Yin energy, a sudden rush of Yang energy would make it impossible to dissolve the blockage completely.
This was where acupuncture came in. By using needles to expand his meridians, I had to completely flush out the turbid qi and Yin energy trapped inside.
"Of his seven major meridians, I will only clear one today. Attempting to clear two or three at once would tear his weakened pathways or place too much strain on his body."
"...Whatever you deem best. If you can clear even a single blocked meridian, I would gladly pay you ten thousand gold."
Yi Mok seemed to trust me implicitly. Well, it was certainly better than him grabbing me by the collar and demanding proof of my skills.
Slowly and meticulously, I began to insert the needles. Since he was around the same age as Gongson Yeongji, I had to be exceptionally gentle.
With each needle I placed, Lee Song's expression eased, and the feverish flush on his face began to fade back to a healthy color.
"His color has suddenly returned. What does this mean?"
"The stray Yang energy has dispersed throughout his body, temporarily weakening its concentrated force. From here on, I will use my inner force to clear the blocked meridian."
With those words, I placed my hand on Lee Song's chest and closed my eyes.
[…&%$^%#!$#!]
As I released my suppressed sensory perception, a torrent of sensations and ambient noise rushed in like a tidal wave. However, because my target was right in front of me, the distraction was manageable.
Extending my senses deeper, I felt that the Lung Meridian of Hand-Taiyin—one of his most critical pathways—was on the verge of collapsing entirely. Fortunately, there was a tiny fracture through which a minuscule thread of qi was barely managing to flow.
It seemed the previous physician had poured their heart and soul into creating that tiny crack, but it was nothing more than a temporary life-support measure.
Having identified the exact locations and number of blockages, I immediately began channeling Yang energy through both of my hands.
"...I am beginning."
If he were an adult, I could have shattered the blockage and melted the Yin fragments in a single, swift strike. But doing so to a child would surely make him lose consciousness. Instead, I refined my qi into a needle-sharp point and slowly pushed it into the blockage.
I could feel the frozen, stubborn Yin energy slowly melting away as it came into contact with my Yang energy. Once the tip of my qi pierced through to the other side, I fanned the flames of the Yang energy, intensifying the heat.
It was hard to visualize the inside of a meridian, but I imagined it looked something like a donut. Mmm, a donut? I really should make donuts sometime. But Zhongyuan doesn't have baking powder, so that's going to be a pain.
Making a mental note to attempt baking them later, I checked the state of the newly cleared meridian.
"Haaah..."
Lee Song let out a long, deep sigh. As qi began to flow smoothly through the cleared pathway, a look of profound relief washed over him. There was still some lingering turbid qi, but it was nothing my channeled Yang energy couldn't easily burn away.
With a soft, sweeping sensation, the Yin energy blocking the meridian dissolved completely, and the Yang energy boosted by the Dongpo Pork gradually began to subside.
"Phew..."
My dantian felt a bit stiff. I decided I wouldn't use any inner force for the rest of the day. This was probably the first time outside of combat that I had depleted two-thirds of my reserves.
"Song, how does it feel to breathe?"
"It used to feel so tight and heavy, but now it's so much easier!"
"As long as you don't overexert yourself, you won't have any issues. Just make sure to take the medicinal pills I made once a week."
As I wiped the sweat from his forehead with a cloth, Lee Song beamed at me. Yes, children are always at their best when they're smiling.
"Is the treatment truly finished so quickly? Other physicians would spend an entire day just to bring him slight relief."
I retrieved my needles and replied to Yi Mok's question.
"It's not that other physicians are incompetent. It's just that internal injuries and meridian issues happen to be my specialty. I'll be visiting Gyeongsa about once a month, so I can continue treating Song then. You don't need to worry."
"I... I don't even know how to begin repaying this grace..."
"Then just deduct it from the cost of making my kitchen knives and utensils."
"Other physicians would demand a fortune in silver for such a treatment. Is that truly enough?"
"If you really want to pay more, I won't stop you, but I can't guarantee I'll actually accept the money."
Sure, everyone loves money. But taking money from a father who relocated his entire forge just to save his son? If I did that, I wouldn't be a great man. I'd be a petty scoundrel.
"Just forge me some legendary kitchen knives. I don't ask for anything else."
Yi Mok stared at me blankly for a moment, then let out a deep breath and nodded.
"They say one of the three virtues of the Three-Virtue Chef is righteousness, and it seems the rumors did not lie."
"Honestly, 'Three-Virtue Chef' just rolled off the tongue better than 'Two-Virtue Chef'. I only threw 'righteousness' in there because I couldn't think of anything else."
"There is no need to deprecate yourself. To me, Chef Yoon, you are a man of greater righteousness than anyone else."
Oh, man, he's making my face hot. For a guy built like a mountain, he sure knows how to deliver a sweet compliment.
"In any case, I'll leave the kitchen knives in your capable hands."
"I will send them via messenger the moment they are complete. Or you can collect them when you return next month."
As I exchanged farewells with Yi Mok, Lee Song spoke up in a hesitant voice.
"Did you... did you really clear my meridian?"
"I really did."
"Then... my father doesn't have to keep moving our home anymore...?"
"Well, I don't know your father's financial situation, but if he keeps working this hard, I'm sure you'll be able to move to an even better place next time."
Lee Song burst into a wide, radiant smile. It was an incredibly bright yet bittersweet conversation. Children shouldn't have to grow up and understand the world so quickly.
I ruffled Lee Song's hair and turned to Yi Mok. "I'll see you next month. I have high expectations."
"...Thank you, Chef Yoon."
"If you're truly thankful, just make sure those knives are perfect."
I grinned, and Yi Mok nodded back with a warm, if slightly awkward, smile.
"...No."
Seeing Gongson Yeongji reject the idea so resolutely, I rubbed the back of my neck in embarrassment.
"I saw you and Song playing so well together, so I just assumed... I guess I was wrong?"
"I prefer mature people."
She was only eleven, but her preferences were rock solid.
After returning to the academy, we had gathered in my private room in the Inner Dining Hall so I could prepare dinner for everyone. Remembering how well Gongson Yeongji and Lee Song had gotten along, I had playfully asked if she liked him, only to be shut down instantly.
"Is that so? Who do you consider mature, then?" Man Hanseok asked.
Gongson Yeongji glanced at me out of the corner of her eye. Wait, did that glance mean she thought I wasn't mature? Well, to be fair, I didn't exactly exude maturity. Goo-goo ga-ga, I'm baby Gomyung.
"I suppose I am a bit childish, aren't I?"
I grinned, waiting for her to nod in agreement, but instead she blinked.
"No...?"
"Huh? No?"
Wait, this was throwing off my entire comedic timing. Curious to see what she would say next, I leaned in.
"You treated Song practically for free today, didn't you...?"
"Oh, come on, Yeongji. I heard their story. How could I possibly charge that blacksmith for treatment?"
"...But most physicians have terrible personalities."
My goodness, to hear such words from Gongson Yeongji. Was she entering her rebellious phase? It was a surprisingly harsh statement for someone as gentle as her, and I was about to tell her to tone down the cynicism.
But to my surprise, both Man Hanseok and Seonwoo Seol were nodding in solemn agreement.
Seonwoo Seol leaned in close to me and asked, "Chef Yoon, you haven't been to a physician lately, have you?"
"Well, no. I have no reason to. The most I ever do is drop by the academy's infirmary occasionally."
Hearing that, Seonwoo Seol nodded as if her suspicions had been confirmed. "Physicians in the Central Plains are notorious for ripping people off."
"All of them?"
"To give you an idea, if you gathered a hundred of them, ninety-eight would be corrupt. Oh, and one of the remaining two would probably have dementia."
"Come on, surely more than one out of a hundred operates honestly... right?"
Before I could even finish my sentence, all three of them shook their heads in unison. It seemed the concept of righteousness was entirely dead among the medical profession of Zhongyuan.
"Just look at Master Yi," Seonwoo Seol continued. "With his skills, he should have been incredibly wealthy. But the fact that he had to move to the absolute outskirts of Gyeongsa means he was bled dry by medical fees."
"I suppose... I learned everything from my master, so I never really thought about how much it was worth."
"Sometimes, Chef Yoon, you seem completely clueless about how the world works."
Seonwoo Seol's sharp observation hit a little too close to home. I had been navigating Zhongyuan for over five years now, but I still only knew about the things I had personally experienced. The only reason I got by at all was because I had read a fair share of wuxia novels in my past life.
"But then again, you're incredibly knowledgeable when it comes to cooking and medicine," Man Hanseok chimed in. "And you always know the strangest trivia."
"Hey, what strange trivia do I know?"
"Like how giant pandas don't just eat bamboo and are actually carnivores, or how you can jump higher if you hold your breath, or how pigs can't look up at the sky... things like that."
"Hey, facts are fun."
"Exactly. So how is it that you know about giant pandas but have no idea about corrupt physicians?"
"Just accept it and move on. Don't dig too deep."
As I scolded him, Seonwoo Seol tilted her head, her eyes narrowing slightly.
"Why are you looking at me like that, my lady?"
"You said what you told Deputy Director Ha last time was a lie, right?"
"I did."
"Then what is the truth?"
"She's right," Man Hanseok agreed. "If that story was a lie, it means you have a completely different past, Chef Yoon."
"I'll tell you later. Sometime in the future."
"...You always say 'later'."
"I'm saving it for a proper, serious occasion. Don't you trust me?"
"How can I trust someone who lied straight to the Eastern Depot's face?"
"Trust the me you've seen up until now."
"That makes you sound even more suspicious..."
Honestly, if I told them I was a reincarnated nutritionist from 21st-century Korea, spent four years trapped in the Medicine Sage's cave, and only escaped last year, who would believe me? They'd probably form a 'Yoon Gomyung Truth Society' and demand the real story.
Having successfully dodged the topic, I headed into the kitchen to fetch our dinner.
"Oh, the Head Chef is here."
The kitchen staff, who had been huddled together whispering, immediately fell silent and stopped what they were doing when they saw me. I let out a dry laugh.
"I'm not your parent... just keep doing what you were doing. I'm just here to grab dinner."
"Wait, Head Chef. Aren't you going to introduce her to us?"
"I've been at this academy for over half a year, and you want me to introduce myself now?"
"No, not you... her."
"Her?"
Who was 'her'? I looked in the direction the kitchen hand was pointing.
"Hmm?"
A woman with an elegant, refined charm was standing there. She looked to be around my age, perhaps slightly older. Even though she was just standing still, she exuded an air of sophistication, as if she had received a high-class education. Of course, the only reason I assumed she was a cook was because she was wearing the uniform of our kitchen staff. But where on earth did she get those clothes?
"Who might you be?"
"I am called Hye-woon, good sir. It is a wondrous honor to meet the esteemed Three-Virtue Chef."
...Why was she speaking like that?
"Did you come from the Imperial Palace or something?"
"Pardon? I do not quite grasp thy meaning..."
"Your way of speaking is quite... archaic."
"Ah, it must be because I spent so much time in the company of my master."
"I see."
A master? A culinary master? Or a martial arts master?
I let out a hearty laugh, then leaned in and whispered to a nearby kitchen hand. "Where on earth did she come from?"
"She arrived suddenly today. We thought you brought her in, Head Chef... Did you not?"
"If I brought someone in, I would have told you beforehand. You know how I am."
What was going on? Even the kitchen staff thought I was the one who hired her. Who was this woman?
"Were you hired by the Principal or someone else?"
"Yes. The one who employed me instructed that I should report to the Inner Dining Hall."
"And who was that?"
"An administrative instructor from the Discipline Hall sent me here."
"The Discipline Hall?"
That was strange. Woo Mi-do wasn't the type to make such an appointment without consulting me.
"Well, I need to get some feedback on a new dish from some other staff members. Ask the other kitchen hands to show you the ropes."
"Understood, sir."
Something was definitely off. Where did this person suddenly spring from?
After asking another kitchen hand to help Hye-woon settle in, I carried the dinner back to the private room where the three were waiting.
"You took your time."
"A new cook suddenly showed up."
"Oh, did they hire extra hands for the break?"
"It seems so, but the problem is, I didn't hire her."
"What? What do you mean?"
As I explained the situation, Seonwoo Seol rested her chin on her hand, lost in thought for a moment, before immediately reaching a conclusion.
"Isn't it obvious?"
"Obvious how?"
"There's only one reason a beautiful female chef would suddenly show up and insist on working by your side, Chef Yoon."
"A pure-hearted woman who fell for my noble character and wanted to become my disciple?"
"Are you insane? Who do you think you're flirting with?"
"Ah, right. My apologies."
The dangerous spark in Seonwoo Seol's eyes flared and then vanished as she raised a single finger.
"She's a spy."
"Whose spy?"
"Who else has the power to easily infiltrate the academy and absolutely detests you?"
Ah, could it be?
"The Eastern Depot?"
"Bingo."
Seonwoo Seol's bright, cute smile was lovely, but the reality of her words was chilling. Wow... the Eastern Depot. Those bastards are relentless.