Free Web NovelChapter 11: Fortuitous Connection or Ill Fate
Tang Min let out a small laugh.
"Not everyone who comes here is a patient, are they? We're similar. We came up here hoping to acquire the Yeonjuhwan, said to be the world's most renowned spiritual elixirs, or perhaps to witness the medical arts the divine doctor left behind."
The old man smiled and shook his head.
"I apologize for the disappointment, but our pellets are not spiritual elixirs."
He explained in a calm voice.
"Each person accumulates a different amount of toxic energy, harboring unique illnesses. We merely observe the patient's body carefully to remove the toxic energy and illness. It is true that the clearing of blood vessels allows energy to circulate qi swiftly, and the body becomes lighter, aiding external martial arts training, but our pellets do not cultivate internal energy. In short, it is a distorted rumor."
A hint of gentle amusement laced the old man's voice.
"It's likely similar to the common misunderstanding that because the Tang family's Poison Arts are the best, a Tang family Detoxifier can detoxify all Poison in the world."
The old man's gaze briefly rested on Tang So-hwa. He smiled warmly and turned towards the courtyard.
Yeon-a, who had been glancing towards them from the courtyard, quickly averted her gaze when her eyes met the old man's.
Smiling, the old man called out to Yeon-a.
"Jeom-chil, it's time to change the cloth and apply the salve. Could you do it for me?"
"Yes! I'll do it! Please continue your conversation comfortably!"
As if afraid to delay, Yeon-a dashed towards the thatched hut that smelled of blood.
The old physician's gaze slid to the man standing beside the thatched hut, and he stared intently. He, too, reluctantly followed Yeon-a—or rather, Jeom-chil.
Tang So-hwa furrowed her brow.
Even upon hearing it again, the name felt utterly unsuited to Yeon-a. freewebnoveℓ.com
Didn't it sound like the sort of name one might give an inn servant in Sichuan?
It was a name starkly at odds with the child herself, who shone with the radiance of a lotus flower.
"No, but why such a name?"
Tang Min also seemed displeased, his expression tightening.
The old man smiled faintly at his words.
"There's a saying that a name contains a life. When they descend the mountain, we deliberately give them insignificant names as a way of shedding the memories of this place. We hope they will choose a name more befitting themselves."
Tang Min frowned, seemingly unable to understand.
"Ah, but what if the children don't descend the mountain?"
"Fortunately, all the children we have taken in so far have found their own paths and descended the mountain."
A subtle pride resonated in the old man's words.
Just then, Tang Hak, who had been silent, asked a question.
"Could it be that Young Miss Jeom-chil is the seventh child taken in by the Yeonjuda?"
A sudden silence fell.
Tang Min, who had been frowning the entire time, furrowed his brow further.
"Surely the first child you took in wasn't named Jeom-il, the second Jeom-i, and the one who went down before Jeom-chil was Jeom-yuk?"
"You said you were curious about the divine doctor's medical arts, didn't you? I will show you the tools they used. Come, let's get up."
The old man avoided their gaze and rose from his seat.
"...Seriously, they named them so casually."
Tang Min muttered. Tang So-hwa quickly spoke up, attempting to smooth over Tang Min's rude remark.
"Was that the divine doctor's idea?"
"Yes, that was their will."
"They were a wise person. If I could have chosen my own name, perhaps my outlook on life would have been different."
At those words, the old physician smiled gently.
"What stories have Young Miss and Young Master heard about the divine doctor?"
As the siblings fell silent, the old man nodded as if it were natural.
"You wouldn't know much, would you? In the world, only their reputation for medical arts seems to remain, but they were the wisest person I knew."
The old man's voice deepened.
"The first time I met them was on this Mount Emei. I'm afraid you might misunderstand and think I'm senile if I say this, but at first, I thought I had met a celestial maiden."
"Truly senile..."
Tang So-hwa quickly pressed down on Tang Min's knee, stopping his harsh words. The old man smiled, acknowledging Tang Min's criticism.
"It couldn't be helped. At the time, Yeonju used strange language and wore peculiar clothes that exposed their skin up to their knees."
Like a creation myth, Yeonju's past unfolded through the old physician's voice. The old man continued, gazing at the foot of the mountain as if lost in memory.
"I taught them how to read, and though I was lacking, I taught them various things I knew. We lived together. Yeonju was truly brilliant. They quickly mastered reading and established themselves as a physician. They had a great deal of genuine affection and didn't properly accept payment for their services, yet wealth poured in. It was a fulfilling, peaceful, dreamlike time." freewebnσvel.cøm
The old man smiled bitterly.
"Then, that incident occurred."
That incident.
He was likely referring to the rumor that they had captured living people for experiments.
The old man smiled and shook his head at the silent Tang family members.
"I swear, we never dissected living people for experiments. And it is also not true that we went into hiding because we couldn't bear the scrutiny of others."
Not hiding?
As a question flickered in Tang So-hwa's eyes, the old physician spoke as if answering it.
"We merely moved our base to where they disappeared, hoping Yeonju might return. Yeonju vanished suddenly, just as they had suddenly appeared."
"Why?"
Tang Hak, who had been listening intently, interrupted the old man and asked. The old man shook his head.
"I don't know. They didn't leave a reason for leaving and didn't even say goodbye. Still, we weren't flustered. Yeonju always said they would return to their hometown someday. However, when asked where their hometown was, they wouldn't answer. They said it was a place we wouldn't understand even if they explained."
A bitter smile formed on the old man's lips.
"Yeonju always seemed prepared to leave, leaving nothing behind in the world. Even when taking in disciples, they embraced them unconditionally, seeing it as fate. They believed that only then could they save at least one more sick person."
His gaze returned to the guests sitting on the flat bench.
"Whether it proves a fortuitous connection or ill fate, we neither treat those who seek us out harshly, nor do we hide our medical arts. We learned more than just medical arts from Yeonju."
The old man smiled at Tang So-hwa, who was staring intently at him, and rose from the flat bench.
"It will be difficult to descend once the sun sets, so I will show you quickly. Please follow me."
The old physician led the guests to the thatched hut next to them. It appeared to be a storage shed. Inside the earthen walls, too low to even be called proper walls, peculiar tools were piled high. There was the still seen earlier on the flat bench, beehives used for beekeeping, and countless tools whose purpose was unknown.
It suddenly felt real that they had entered the Yeonjuda.
Following the old man into the thatched hut, their eyes this time fell upon a well-organized chest of drawers. Unlike its shabby exterior, the thatched hut was neatly arranged. It was comparable to the Tang family's medical hall.
The old man opened a drawer next to the desk. Then, he pulled out an entire large drawer. He placed the drawer on top of the desk and smiled.
"These are tools made by the divine doctor. They look interesting, don't they?"
Inside the drawer lay small scissors and knives, neatly arranged, looking almost like children's toys. The blades were so thin they seemed made of paper. Some scissors had blunt wood inserted instead of blades. Their purpose was utterly unfathomable.
As they curiously examined them, the old man pulled out another drawer.
Inside lay pieces of dough of various sizes.
"These are models used for practicing cutting and stitching flesh. I will show you, so watch carefully."
The old man took out a piece of dough shaped like a person's forearm and held a small knife. As he cut into the sticky dough, reed stems appeared inside, mimicking blood vessels.
"This is a blood vessel where blood flows. Occasionally, such vessels might rupture from within on their own. In such cases, you must stitch and Suture them like this."
The old man's hands were precise and quick. He cut the stem and first stitched three points with a needle. As the round cross-section turned into a triangle and sealed tightly, he began to sew meticulously.
Soon, the stem was joined together cleanly, as if it had never been cut. Even witnessing it directly, it was hard to believe. It was truly worthy of being called Sorcery.
Is this the medical art of the Yeonjuda?
Astonished by the medical art she had never seen before, Tang So-hwa listened intently, as if captivated, to what the old physician explained.
"Martial artists can staunch bleeding by pressing pressure points and recover from internal injuries with internal power, but by cutting away and properly reattaching damaged parts like this, even ordinary people can have their lives saved."
Pride was evident in his voice.
The old man took out another piece of dough and repeated the same process. However, this time he showed something new. It was the medical art of excising necrotic flesh and removing broken bone fragments.
"Occasionally, the pain is so severe that the patient loses consciousness. So, when performing this Procedure, you must first put the patient to sleep. There is a separate Book summarizing the Medicinal Formula for that..."
The old man glanced at the chest of drawers, then looked back at the Tang family members.
"The medical arts of the Yeonjuda may appear simple, but true skill takes a long time to acquire. You must study for several years to be called Yeonjuda."
Tang So-hwa wanted to say that it didn't look simple at all, but she quietly listened to his words.
Just then, the old physician's eyes rose towards Tang Min. Unlike the old man who had been smiling continuously, his gaze darkened.
"If you wish for the medical arts, I can teach you, but can you stay for that long?"
"A few days are possible, but several years are difficult."
At Tang Min's reply, the old man smiled as if he had expected it. Then, as if offering an alternative, he spoke in a gentle voice.
"Jeom-chil is a child who has learned the divine doctor's medical arts."
The smile gradually vanished from his face.
"As I mentioned earlier, depending on the time, a person's connection can prove either fortuitous or ill-fated."
His ink-colored eyes, resting on the Tang family members, shone with unnerving calm.
And his voice, just as calm, seemed to pierce their very souls.
"I hope the Tang family members will take Jeom-chil with you."
