A Renowned Physician

"Walk a little slower, will you?"

Namgoong Seol, who was walking ahead, glanced back over her shoulder.

"Out of breath already?"

"We are on our way to see a physician. I ought to at least look the part of a patient."

"I hardly think you need to put in the effort."

Her gaze dipped toward my legs.

The trouble was our stride. Even when she walked at what she considered a leisurely pace, I had to take two quick steps for every one of hers just to keep up.

Is it even fair for two people to have such different legs?

Without a word, Namgoong Seol shortened her stride. Thanks to that small mercy, we were finally able to walk side by side.

"You intend to settle this with words alone today, yes?"

"Provided the other party is willing to answer in kind."

"And if he isn't?"

I glanced down at the sword hanging at her waist. "Then I shall have to trouble my wife."

"It seems my blade has finally found your favor."

"Nothing is more reassuring than knowing its tip isn't pointed at me."

Namgoong Seol let out a quiet snort. Even so, she subtly shifted the side she carried her sword on, keeping it to the outside so the hilt wouldn't snag on my sleeve as we walked.

My, how thoughtful.

I reached inside my robes to confirm our evidence was secure: the small vial containing last night's medicinal broth, alongside the Qi Circulation Chart stamped with the official seal of the Martial Pavilion. I had already instructed the maid that we would visit the physician ourselves. There was no need to send that innocent girl back to a man cloaked in suspicion.

The private room within the Hall of Medicine was thick with the scent of dried herbs. Medicine chests lined the walls, flanked by balance scales, a mortar, and an herbal pot simmering gently over a brazier.

A man with graying hair paused his grinding and rose to his feet.

"To what do I owe the honor of your visit, Young Lady?"

Physician Gwak.

He had a gentle face and meticulous, neatly trimmed nails. Not a speck of herbal powder dusted the hems of his sleeves. His gaze drifted past me, only to snap right back when he realized I was standing side by side with Namgoong Seol.

"Young Master, you have accompanied her as well."

"My wife mentioned that she is always in your care, so I came to pay my respects," I said, flashing an easygoing, brazen smile as I took a seat.

Namgoong Seol sat beside me and cut straight to the point.

"I came because I was curious about the message you gave my maid yesterday. You asked if I had felt any chills in my flank."

"Ah, yes. Formulations containing herbs from cold regions can occasionally cause such symptoms. Had it troubled you, I intended to adjust the prescription."

A smooth, unhesitating response with a plausible explanation to boot.

Beneath the table, I lightly tapped my knee. "Taking cold medicine leaves the body feeling cold. Put that way, it sounds perfectly natural."

"Such is the inherent nature of medicinal properties."

"Then why did you wait six months before bothering to ask?"

Physician Gwak turned his gaze toward me. "I asked because enough time has passed for the medicine's efficacy to take deep root. If the Young Master is also interested in tonifying his constitution..."

"You should examine my wife before worrying about me. We've only been married a few days; it hardly makes sense for me to jump ahead of her."

Beside me, Namgoong Seol's sleeve fluttered slightly. Whether she was stifling a chuckle or adjusting her posture, I couldn't quite tell. Physician Gwak's smile, on the other hand, thinned noticeably.

"Of course. Young Lady, if you would permit me to take your pulse—"

"I wish to see the prescription first," Namgoong Seol said without extending her wrist. "I ought to know what herbs are entering my own body."

Her tone was gentle, yet it brooked no refusal. The only daughter of the World's Greatest Martial Artist knew how to impose her will without ever having to draw steel.

"Please wait a moment."

Physician Gwak retrieved a slim booklet from a drawer, flipped to the page bearing Namgoong Seol's name, and laid it out before us.

"It is the Meridian-Nourishing Decoction, crafted to nourish internal qi and meridians. Its medicinal properties are mild, making it safe for prolonged consumption."

I skimmed the listed ingredients and measurements. This record was completely spotless—a textbook restorative tonic that any physician in the land would praise as safe.

"And you brew it strictly according to this?"

"Yes. Without the slightest deviation."

I pulled the small vial from my robes and set it upon the table.

"Then why does this look so different?"

Physician Gwak's eyelids twitched downward.

"This is the medicine you sent last night. I preserved it, so take a look."

"Once a decoction cools, its fragrance and color naturally shift. If the Young Master—"

"Forget the fragrance." I slowly tilted the vial. The sediment resting at the bottom trickled out, revealing needle-thin black crystals glinting amidst a pale gray residue. "Leaving it to settle overnight left behind something quite peculiar."

Physician Gwak froze solid.

He knows.

There had been a faint chance that someone else had tampered with the medicine without his knowledge, but seeing that reaction confirmed where he stood.

"It is common for sediment to remain in herbal decoctions," he stammered.

"Indeed. However, not a single herb written in this registry solidifies into needles upon cooling." I tapped a finger against the open page. "If there were herbs you neglected to write down, write them now. It would be rather embarrassing to suddenly remember them in front of the other physicians later."

Physician Gwak fell silent for a long moment before letting out an aggrieved sigh.

"As the Young Lady is well aware, prescriptions must be adjusted according to one's condition. Within the framework established by Hall Master Heo..."

"Do not use what I know as your excuse," Namgoong Seol said, her voice dropping to a glacial chill. "Did you not just claim you brewed it strictly according to this record?"

I stole a quick glance at her. She had claimed a sword was far more reliable than words, yet she was doing quite a thorough job of stabbing him with her tongue.

"I only wish to clear up the Young Lady's misunderstanding. Allow me to fetch the raw herbs."

Physician Gwak rose from his seat. At that moment, I unrolled the Qi Circulation Chart from my chest and smoothed it flat across the table.

"Explain this while you're at it."

Meridian pathways were mapped in stark crimson lines. Physician Gwak's eyes glanced past the archive seal along the border and locked onto the annotations for the Third Form. He didn't read it from the beginning; his pupils darted straight to the exact passage that caused the flaw.

"What happens when your medicine intersects with this circulation?" I rested my chin on my hand. "A physician of your caliber should have no trouble explaining, right?"

The blood drained from Physician Gwak's face, his expression contorting with sudden malice.

"...You should have lived out your days in blissful ignorance. You're simply hastening your own deaths."

In the next instant, Physician Gwak's right shoulder dipped. His left foot slid half a pace backward, and three fingers coiled tightly under his ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠sleeve.

That's no grip for acupuncture.

A bent wrist, an elbow angled outward—it was the classic stance for flicking steel projectiles. A scoff slipped past my lips.

I knew it. 'Physician,' my foot.

Having seen straight through him, I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠called out immediately, "Wife, his right hand!"

Ssshhk!

A streak of silver shot straight toward my eyes. Faster than the thought of dodging was the cold realization that my frail body would never make it in time.

Clang!

A crisp ring of metal echoed through the room. Namgoong Seol's scabbard intercepted the projectile inches from my face, deflecting the needle so hard it buried itself deep into the wooden medicine chest behind me.

"Stay behind me."

Her shoulder planted firmly between me and danger. Without a shred of hesitation, I scooted backward, chair and all. Trying to save face as a husband in a moment like this was pure idiocy; pride would only get you buried under six feet of dirt, smelling incense from the wrong side of the grave.

I didn't survive the Demonic Cult by hesitating. Quick judgment and sharp instincts were my greatest assets.

"Tsk." Physician Gwak clicked his tongue and spun on his heel toward the wall of medicine cabinets. While Namgoong Seol was occupied shielding me, he meant to destroy the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠evidence. He wrenched open a drawer, grabbed a bundle of yellowed paper, and lunged toward the brazier.

Trying to burn it?

Not on my watch. Did he truly think he could destroy evidence right in front of us?

Not a chance in hell.

True to form, Namgoong Seol's sword flashed from its scabbard. It was a swift, soundless strike devoid of any flashy sword qi.

Thwack!

The spine of the blade struck the back of Physician Gwak's hand, sending the papers scattering into the air. One sheet drifted down, catching on the rim of the brazier. She slammed her sword back into its sheath and twisted the man's wrist with her left hand.

"Aaaargh!"

Crash!

Physician Gwak hit the floor knees first. Even as he shrieked, Namgoong Seol showed no sign of easing up. Pressing her scabbard against his elbow, she locked his joint so his shoulder and wrist couldn't move an inch.

A textbook Grappling Hand.

The very fingertips that mastered the sword pinpointed human joints with unerring precision. It was an effortless takedown delivered without expending a single drop of internal energy. Her breath remained steady, and the shoulder we had corrected yesterday moved without a hint of stiffness.

Well trained. Exceptionally well trained.

I darted forward, snatched the scorched paper from the brazier, and ground out the embers against the floor. Once the sparks died, I gathered the scattered pages.

"Keep holding him like that."

"I don't intend to hold him for long."

"Why? Getting tired?"

"No. If he struggles any harder, I might snap his arm."

I looked down at Physician Gwak. "You heard her, didn't you? Don't bother struggling. My wife isn't one for empty threats."

"Urgh..."

The tension drained from the man's arm. A wise decision.

"Just kill... kill me," Physician Gwak spat through gritted teeth.

Namgoong Seol's gaze turned frigid. "You launch hidden needles at my husband under my own roof, and now you beg for death?"

I paused, my hand hovering over the papers.

"Who promised you such a painless end?"

The moment her words fell, the thunder of footsteps echoed outside. Drawn by the clash of steel and the scream, guards burst through the door.

"Young Lady!"

"Bind his hands," she commanded briskly. "Search his mouth to ensure he has nothing hidden to swallow. Summon Hall Master Heo, and bar all others from entering."

Her orders were swift and razor-sharp. An elite guard took custody of Physician Gwak, and only then did Namgoong Seol release her grip. I smoothed out the charred edges of the paper. Our little courtesy call to the physician had certainly yielded a rich reward.

"Are you injured?" Namgoong Seol asked as she adjusted her sword belt.

I dusted off my robes. "Thanks to your intervention, Wife, I am completely unscathed."

"Then why are you looking at me like that?"

"Because you called me 'my husband.'"

Her hand resting on her scabbard trembled for a fraction of a second. She couldn't slip that past my watchful eyes.

"It is the truth, isn't it?"

"Haha, indeed. An indisputable fact."

"...Stop smiling. You nearly lost your life just now—is this really the time to laugh?"

"Ha, put that way, you have a point."

Swallowing my chuckle, I glanced at the needle lodged in the medicine chest. It sat at exact eye level. Being able to banter like this was entirely thanks to the woman standing beside me.

"Thank you."

Namgoong Seol turned to look at me.

"That wasn't a joke."

Our eyes met. Her gaze lingered on mine for a quiet beat before darting away as if fleeing.

"...Next time, warn me a little sooner."

"Ah, about his right hand?"

"You're doing this on purpose, aren't you? I meant warn me the moment danger appears."

She brushed back a stray lock of hair, letting the silky strands flutter in the breeze.

I took her for a cold-blooded ice queen, but she's surprisingly sentimental.

I nodded, tucking the thought away, as she shifted her focus to the pages in my hand.

"What is written there?"

"We'll have to look to find out."

I pieced the scattered papers together atop the table. The cover sheet merely listed dates and quantities of herb deliveries.

He took great care to hide his tracks.

The real issue lay in the small supplementary leaf tucked between the pages: records detailing six months' worth of dosage, matched step by step with the progression of her internal circulation.

From the Third Form to the Fourth Form.

Cold aches in the right flank upon gathering qi.

Double the dosage of the Supplementary Medicinal Powder once symptoms manifest.

"It seems he never had any intention of curing you."

Namgoong Seol stared down at the paper in silence. The hand that had trembled with fury only moments ago grew unnervingly still.

Good. In the Jianghu, a calm mind is survival. It seemed she was maturing in her own way.

I smoothed out the bottom of the supplementary leaf with my fingertips. Though the corner had scorched against the brazier, the final directive remained crisp and legible.

My gaze locked onto those words.

Within seven days of the wedding.

The first week I was supposed to spend doing nothing but freeloading by Namgoong Seol's side. The conspirators had something they needed to finish before that week was out.

"Wife." I slowly looked up. "Did you promise to demonstrate your sword before anyone after the wedding?"

Namgoong Seol's lips pressed into a tight line. Hesitating in a way she hadn't before, she quietly answered,

"In three days... ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Father is scheduled to inspect my martial progress."

"...Pardon?"

A hollow gasp escaped my lips. I couldn't help my shock.

Namgoong Seol's father.

That meant the World's Greatest Martial Artist himself.