Chapter 209
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 209
Chapter Title: My Great Hero
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I too had ties like those with Hwang Sanghun and Cheon Gwangseon.
A patient I treated with all my heart, yet had to bury deep in my thoughts.
"Great Hero, where are you headed?"
"...They say the Divine Physician's skills truly threaten the prestige of the Ten Supremes Under Heaven."
"Don't deflect with that ridiculous rumor. You've only just recovered from your internal injuries."
The moment treatment was over, he slipped away from the medical quarters in secret.
"Once you leave Tang Family territory, there's no telling what might happen. In your current state, Great Hero, you can't stand against the Blood Water Demon Lord."
It was a tangled web of grudges and debts.
A wandering swordsman from a minor clan—no, a true hero.
He had no famous moniker, but his skills and righteousness were worthy of the title Great Hero.
- I found this ronin collapsed with severe internal injuries. It's beyond my abilities, but I thought you might have a way, so I brought him here.
He wasn't a patient who came on his own.
My master had gone to visit a friend in a distant land and brought back the man he'd found collapsed by the riverbank.
The physician who assisted with the surgery and I poured ourselves into it for three days and nights straight.
And after that, we spent over a month more to barely pull the man through.
But the instant he recovered, he declared he would challenge the Blood Water Demon Lord again.
He'd learned too late that his master's son had died at the hands of that evil faction leader.
He couldn't bear to breathe the same air under the same sky, even if it meant dying by that same hand.
'...Honestly, it's a dog's death.'
I'd never seen the Blood Water Demon Lord in person, but his name carried real weight.
Not one of the Ten Supremes, but always counted among the top fifty masters, and I'd even heard the Heavenly Demon praise him.
This man had boldly stormed the demon's lair.
He'd stirred up chaos, demanding a duel to the death.
That he hadn't been killed outright—out of respect for the man's spirit, and dumped by the river instead—was a miracle.
"There are things in this world you know you can't do... but must do anyway."
Honestly, back then, I couldn't understand it.
Even challenging again offered slim chances of revenge.
Besides, the Blood Water Demon Lord wasn't some mindless slaughterer, despite being from the evil faction.
There had been prior bad blood between that master's son and the demon lord. I heard later from the Heavenly Demon that the boy had gone around slandering the demon's name.
Couldn't he carry on his master's will by simply surviving longer?
Or build his strength and settle the score later?
"Great Hero..."
But he brushed off my pleas and charged toward his enemy.
"I am truly grateful you saved my life. Thanks to the Divine Physician, I can spend my remaining days as I intended."
With those words, he walked out of the medical quarters on his own two feet and left Tang Family territory.
He boldly challenged the Blood Water Demon Lord once more.
And in the end, he met his end at the same hand that took his master's son.
"..."
It wasn't the first time a treated patient had died, yet I felt down for quite a while.
I pondered long and hard about what death meant and what value life held.
"That's the breed of warriors they are."
My master said it plainly.
"When a man defines his heroism as charging to certain death, no one can stop him."
"..."
"It's neither right nor wrong. This family did the same. Every time someone touched a bearer of the Tang name, we rushed in ready to face annihilation—and that's how we built our current power."
Success makes a hero; failure, a futile death?
Does martial prowess decide heroism?
Warriors truly revered the spirit of heroism.
I was born in another world, with different values.
Could I, of all people, judge the rightness of their convictions?
Was it right to force my ways on him, telling him to live one more day to honor his master's legacy?
I couldn't judge. It wasn't possible.
"...I see."
All I could do was choose how to live my own life.
I'd learned martial arts from my master's teachings, but I hesitated to call myself a true warrior.
"For the Great Hero, how he burned his life mattered more than living one extra day."
I understood him, just a little.
"Then even if a patient heads off to die tomorrow, I'll use my life to make today more comfortable for them..."
That became my definition of heroism.
"I'll devote my life to it."
My master had said the same. He'd chosen to dedicate his life to medicine.
Born the Tang Family's greatest martial talent, no matter what the family said, he'd walked only the path he chose.
- Alliance Leader, do you go to church? Why name the clinic Seongsu?
- It's not holy water from a fantasy game, is it?
When Kkweok Kkweok-nim and Cheongpung Gongja-nim asked once.
"But Director, what's the meaning behind the clinic name? Are you from Seongsu-dong?"
"No, not me. It's an inherited clinic—the previous director ran it in Seongsu-dong before moving."
That's how I answered Yang Jimin.
Truth be told, the name caught my eye the moment I first saw it.
[Seongsu Clinic Director Han Yeowon]
Like carrying on my master's legacy—shedding the moniker Lightning Poison Eagle to call himself Lightning Holy Water.
'He would've been proud to see it.'
It was a shame I couldn't tell anyone.
Brag about learning medicine in the murim world? I'd end up in a psych ward or labeled a cult leader.
Well, who knows. Life's unpredictable.
"Ugh."
"What's up?"
"Your brother..."
"Ah, hyung. He's heading back to Seoul soon?"
Back when I first returned to Korea, who would've thought I'd get this close to Hwang Sanghun?
I'd known him for five and a half years as Friend A to Jo Haneul, and now he'd become our deputy director.
Hwang Sanghun seemed lost in thought after attending Cheon Gwangseon's funeral, much like I had been back then, but he'd pulled himself together now.
Probably thanks to the daughter expressing her gratitude and sharing so many good stories.
She even wanted to donate part of her father's legacy to our clinic or Hwangje Korean Medicine Hospital.
Our clinic had nothing to do with it—what was she thinking?
Apparently, relaying that I was leaving the hospital led to a misunderstanding that Hwang Sanghun had shares there.
He didn't, and small clinics can't accept donations anyway, so I directed her to the hospital side.
"Yeah. I've wrapped up in Changwon, and meddled plenty at the Busan branch."
"You can meddle in other branches?"
"If I nitpick right and wrong, no."
True. Hwang Jihun, the director, didn't seem the type to care about that.
My request to borrow Hwang Sanghun wasn't exactly proper either.
"Sigh. He messaged before leaving—wants to grab a meal. Come if you can, but feel free to decline."
"Hm, what's on the menu?"
I asked, and Hwang Sanghun checked his messages before replying.
"Anything's fine, he says?"
"Ooh, nice. Let's get some expensive grub then."
Hwang Sanghun didn't seem eager to see his brother, but I wanted a free meal.
How hard had I worked covering for him solo, doing portions for two!
Might as well be pricey and delicious.
I told him to book the fine dining spot I'd gone to with Park Seonyun before.
Hwang Jihun happily booked the restaurant I suggested.
But his reaction to the menu was a bit off from what I expected.
"..."
His pupils shook.
The menu must've thrown him.
Dinner had just three courses—A, B, C—and prices to match.
I naturally ordered the priciest C course.
"Uh, me too then."
Hwang Sanghun glanced at his brother, smirked, and picked the same.
What, not a rich kid? First time at fine dining? Well, second for me!
"How is it? To your taste?"
"Yes, uh—yes! Delicious!"
Hwang Jihun masked his fluster with bold enthusiasm.
Guess the family didn't let him splash cash freely.
I didn't feel bad.
Compared to the grief from Hwang Sanghun's absence, this was fair compensation!
"Ah, to think there's a place this good nearby. If I'd known, I'd have hit up hyung weekly for meals."
Hwang Sanghun was enjoying his brother's fluster too.
He'd always recoiled at meal invites before, but now even jokes like that.
Changwon to Busan isn't that close, and weekly fine dining wasn't realistic anyway.
"Ahem. Truly grateful. Thanks to you, I sorted the Changwon Hwangje Korean Medicine Hospital smoothly and fixed the Busan issues. Gave my uncle a solid hit."
Still, Hwang Jihun regained his composure soon enough.
Bowing a full 90 degrees for effect.
"Got word from Grandpa and Dad that they've reevaluated Sanghun too. If possible, at the next event—"
"Not going."
"Wasn't inviting you."
Serious-acting brother and recoiling younger sib.
No siblings myself, but their bickering was hilarious.
Were these two just extra funny?
"The specialist you sent arrived, right?"
"Yes. He's already on duty, and the director finishing military service as a medic will join in April. That should quiet the overload and rumors."
"Good to hear it's resolving well."
"Thank you. It's all thanks to you. Director Han, if you ever need my help, just say the word."
Even if Hwang Jihun offered, would I ever need help from the hospital?
"Say, if a rival hospital opens next to your Seongsu Clinic branch, I could dig up dirt on their weaknesses..."
No, not like that.
I waved it off.
"Ew, what kinda talk is that!"
"I say it because I'm aboveboard. If any Hwangje branch has issues, feel free to report us straight away."
Ridiculous.
That'd be me helping him take over the hospital, not the other way around.
Well, boldly claiming everything under his watch was clean and vowing to cut out problems—ambitious.
Managing dozens of branches meant some pruning.
"Anyway. Add a caviar dish."
"...!"
That was Hwang Jihun's issue.
We still had... Busan two, Daegu, Seoul, Jeju, Gwangju. Six branches.
Even with directors handling things, it wasn't easy.
"By the way, Director, no more expansions?"
"Some inquiries come in, but I'll decide more cautiously from now on."
Inquiries trickled after Sun Nayeon, especially emails post-book.
But I ditched after meetings.
Too many seemed shady, just after tech or clients.
I've disclosed everything possible—no tech to steal. Why waste time?
Grateful the first directors were good folks.
"Wise choice."
Hwang Jihun nodded.
We swapped stories on management's pains over conversation.
I'd dreamed of fewer treatments when opening branches—why'd it end up like this?
Couldn't cut clinic time for admin.
Working six days filling for Hwang Sanghun, then back to four—patients still grumbled.
Drop to two for more free time? Might spark a riot.
"Ah, but the Rome branch is a long-term project—I'll give it my all."
Alessandro's studying for years, Rich Chairman prepping eagerly.
I'd stake my life on it too.
Speaking of, Alessandro was in Busan right before semester start, hoping for even a short visit.