Chapter 40
Chapter 40
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: [Secret Clinic] Secret Technique Transmission
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"No, Eunuch Kim. Please calm down and explain from the beginning. What on earth happened?"
"Well, you see..."
Eunuch Kim stammered as he spilled the whole story.
On his way to fetch medicine for the Queen's sudden worsening condition, he stopped by a brothel for a quick drink, only to wake up and find the box completely gone.
Of course, the "quick drink" was a blatant lie—he'd gotten tangled up with some girls and a drinking party, only to get robbed in the process.
Master Heo Seol listened in heavy silence.
"...Good heavens. What a mess. That box contained priceless treasures nowhere else in the world."
"That's why I'm going insane! I have to deliver medicine tomorrow—if I show up empty-handed, my head's on the chopping block... Waaah!"
Eunuch Kim wailed like a child.
He couldn't care less if the Queen died; he was only worried about saving his own skin.
'Truly pathetic. Utterly vile.'
For a scum like that to manage the palace's affairs—the state of the kingdom was deplorable.
In the original story, this human trash had made Master Heo Seol suffer endlessly too.
After sobbing his heart out, Eunuch Kim clung desperately, grasping at straws.
"Listen, Physician Heo. Aren't you a divine healer? There has to be a way! Even without those ingredients, can't you improvise somehow? Fake it, anything!"
"..."
"Please, I beg you! I'll give you every last coin I have as thanks! Save me!"
A heavy sigh came from Master Heo Seol moments later.
"Sigh... It's not that there's no method at all."
"R-Really?!"
"However, without the ingredients in that box, we can't expect full efficacy. We can mimic their energies with other herbs, but it's only a temporary fix at best. It won't eradicate Her Majesty's illness—just suppress it for a while."
"That's enough! That's perfect! Put out the immediate fire first! If she shows even a bit of improvement, we can cover for the rest! No, anyway! Just make it! Please!"
I knew from the original story.
This bastard would later blame everything on Master Heo Seol when the Queen's condition relapsed.
He'd conveniently omit losing the ingredients and slander the physician as a quack or claim the medicine was mishandled—a total piece of trash.
'Ugh, that guy.'
I wanted to kick down the door and smash his head with a staff.
But I had to hold back.
Stepping in now wouldn't benefit me.
He had no intention of sharing the ingredients I'd swiped, and meddling could derail the plot.
"Very well. Given your dire circumstances, Eunuch, I'll use my secret technique to brew a substitute."
"Thank you! Truly, thank you! I'll never forget this favor!"
"But gathering the materials will take time. It'll be ready by morning—go home and wait."
"Yes, yes! I trust you! I'll send someone tomorrow! I won't forget this!"
As if he'd remember the favor.
This backstabbing rat.
Soon after, the door opened, and Eunuch Kim bolted out.
Gone was the deathly pale face from when he arrived; relief lit up his features now that he was safe.
He glanced at me, then haughtily lifted his chin.
"Tch, there's dust flying everywhere in the courtyard! Sweep properly, you lowly thing!"
"...Sorry."
"Tsk tsk, useless underlings."
Eunuch Kim clucked his tongue as he climbed into his palanquin.
The way he treated the disciple of the man who'd just saved his neck.
I'll beat him senseless later for sure.
As the palanquin departed, Master Heo Seol emerged from the room.
His expression was grave.
"Lee Jun."
"Yes, Master."
"We need to fetch ingredients from the storeroom right now. Deer antler, red ginseng, sea cucumber, and epimedium. Pick the finest ones."
"Understood."
"Then head to the herbalist for dragon bone herb, radix paeoniae, and dried rubus. The best quality. Hurry before they close."
"I'll be right back!"
I grabbed the money pouch and dashed out, sprinting full speed.
I wanted to use body enhancement, but this was a public errand to the shops—too many eyes.
No problem anyway.
My base physicals could outrun Usain Bolt.
Dragon bone herb, radix paeoniae, rubus.
All herbs rumored to boost men's vitality.
No real-deal rhino horn, so he'd settle for these practical tonics.
I raced between herbalists and dried goods shops, sweeping up everything.
"Got them!"
"Good, quick work. Bring them in."
I carried the ingredients into the decoction room.
The air reeked of herbs.
Master Heo Seol had already lit the brazier and prepared the cauldron.
"Lock the door tight. No one outside our circle can see what we're about to do."
"Yes."
I bolted the door and stood by his side.
Master began prepping the herbs one by one.
"Lee Jun."
"Yes, Master."
"Have you ever heard of the Four Divine Beasts?"
The Four Divine Beasts.
Qilin, phoenix, spirit tortoise, responding dragon.
The owners of the ingredients I'd stolen from that box.
Better play dumb.
"Four Divine Beasts? You mean those mythical creatures from legends? Like Azure Dragon of the East, White Tiger of the West?"
"Similar, but not quite. Qilin, phoenix, spirit tortoise, responding dragon."
"Aren't those just fantasies from old tales?"
Master Heo Seol chuckled at my response.
He paused his chopping and gazed at me warmly.
Look at those eyes.
Even doing nothing, he looked perfect.
Damn, he's ridiculously handsome.
If I were a girl, I'd fall for him?
Fuck, life's so unfair.
Master gave a wry smile and continued.
"Fantasies... Yes, that's what most believe. But those spirit beasts—the Four Divine Beasts and Four Symbols—truly existed."
"Really?"
"They vanished suddenly at some point. Yet deep in the palace, traces of those divine creatures are passed down as treasures. What Eunuch Kim lost in that box—they're exactly that."
As expected.
Master Heo Seol knew precisely what those ingredients were.
"Qilin horn builds bone and flesh, phoenix feather grants undying vitality, spirit tortoise shell seals essence, responding dragon tears bring harmony. Only together do they form the perfect medicine. Without them now, we must imitate with these humble herbs."
Master sighed, tossing deer antler and sea cucumber into the cauldron.
"Watch closely. What I'm making now is the Fengyang Pill."
"Fengyang Pill..."
"Yes. A secret elixir that maximizes a man's yang energy, balancing yin and invigorating life. Originally made with divine beast materials, but now with substitutes. Efficacy will be lesser, but the principles are the same."
Master fanned the flames, adjusting the heat.
"Listen well and memorize. I won't explain twice."
"Yes! I'll commit it to memory!"
Usually, memorizing acupuncture points made my head throb and yawn, but not now.
This concerned my future down there.
The blueprint for my grand dreams.
Thinking that way fired up my brain cells.
"Deer antler forms the skeleton of yang energy, substituting qilin horn. Add it first and boil fiercely to extract its power. The flame intensity at this stage..."
Master's explanation flowed.
"Red ginseng circulates the energy, fanning heat in place of phoenix feather. Slice finely and simmer on medium..."
Proportions, timing for heat control.
"Sea cucumber and dragon bone herb are the source of virility. Not as firm as spirit tortoise shell, but unmatched for containing energy. Raw, they smell fishy and lose potency, so..."
Every detail was priceless.
I couldn't forget a word.
I even activated [Mana Detection] to etch the energy flows inside the cauldron into my eyes.
'At this point, when the energy boils, add the responding dragon tear substitute—radix paeoniae—to harmonize.'
Time flew by unnoticed.
'Finally, when adding honey to bind, not just mix—impart rotational force to seal the energy within...'
As night deepened and the rooster crowed at dawn, a rich aroma rose from the cauldron.
"It's done."
Master wiped sweat from his brow and lifted the lid. Amid the steam sat a single dark red pill.
'All those ingredients for just one pill.'
Elixir: Fengyang PillGrade:A-Description: Imitation made with substitutes. Boosts yang energy, but falls short of the original. Effect: Enhances male yang energy.
[1. Male symbol length increases. (+5cm)]
[2. Virility strengthens.]
A knockoff, sure, but a dream for any man.
This should improve the Queen's condition temporarily at least.
"Phew, exhausting."
Master slumped into a chair.
His face was ashen from pouring his energy through the night.
"You worked hard, Master. Here, some water."
I offered cold water; he gulped it down.
"Feels like I'm alive. Did you memorize it all?"
"Yes, every word perfectly."
"Heh, usually thick-headed, but sharp when it counts. Well, men are always serious about their lower halves."
Master chuckled.
"Master, is it okay to teach me something like this? Such a precious recipe."
He stopped laughing and gazed warmly again.
"Lee Jun."
"Yes."
"Truth be told, secret arts like this aren't shared lightly. There's an old saying: even family secrets aren't told to daughters-in-law."
"I suppose so..."
"But I showed you because I truly wish to take you as my direct disciple."
"Master..."
"Your background is humble, your learning brief, but your deft hands, keen eyes, and—above all—your compassion for patients won me over. What master skimps on his disciple?"
Master gripped my hand firmly.
"I'll pass all my medical arts to you. So stay true, train hard, and become a great physician."
His words pierced my heart.
Honestly, when I first joined [Divine Physician Heo Seol], I only planned to use him.
Yet this man trusted a rootless nobody like me, revealing his lifeline secret without reserve.
'Come to think of it, he always taught properly with patients or massages. Even yielded VIP clients.'
Respect welled up naturally.
"Thank you, Master. I'll never forget this grace. I'll never bring shame upon you, no matter what."
"Good, that's enough. Dawn's breaking—deliver this pill to Eunuch Kim. I need rest."
"Yes, go rest."
Master staggered to his bedroom.
Meanwhile, I boxed and wrapped the Elixir: Fengyang Pill.
'Eunuch, you bastard.'
Master exhausted himself to save your hide, and you're plotting to betray him?
Just you wait.
I won't let it slide.
Time to revise the plan.
Originally, I'd make [Divine Pill: Fengyang Pill] with the stolen ingredients and hog the Queen's dose too.
But what about the Queen then?
Without medicine, she'd collapse again, Eunuch Kim would frame Master Heo Seol.
Master would end up imprisoned, facing execution.
He might survive with plot armor like in the original, but what if variables went wrong?
'No way.'
I can't throw the man who's treated me this well to the wolves.
There's such a thing as loyalty.
Plus, to claim the [Trait: Royal Physician] reward, I need to fully cure the Queen.
Let's crunch the numbers.
[Divine Pill: Fengyang Pill] from the box ingredients: +10cm length.
[Elixir: Fengyang Pill] quest reward: +5cm length.
That's +15cm total.
Added to my original 3.4cm: 18.4cm.
'Plenty.'
18.4cm is top-tier anywhere in Korea—no, the world.
No need to greed for 23cm.
Too big, and women might run in pain.
Just right—fierce yet enjoyable.
'I came aiming for 13.4cm originally. Over 18cm is pure profit. Skip the elixir greed; eat just one.'
Besides, what if the divine pill's potency blocks the cure?
I must feed her the elixir one way or another.
To max this world's rewards, this is optimal.
Saves Master, saves Queen, grows my dick, claims rewards.
"Alright, let's do it."
Time to deliver the pill to Eunuch Kim.
[Reward 2: 'Elixir: Fengyang Pill']
Condition: Recover the "Royal Medicine Box" lost by the eunuch & complete prescription.
Hand over this pill, and I get the +5cm elixir.
Then dig up the hidden box, make the pill, done.
Sigh, still a shame though.
My extra 5cm...