Chapter 17: The Blade [1]
He seemed to resemble someone, but Kang-hyuk couldn’t quite place who.
To get a closer look, Kang-hyuk moved toward the man.
The man then handed him the number slip marked “23.”
“Apologies for the late hour.”
Up close, the man’s face exuded determination. He looked to be about thirty, though there was a strange air about him that made it difficult to approach.
Without thinking, Kang-hyuk found himself speaking more formally.
“It’s no problem. How’s your injury?”
“It’s nothing serious, but I seem to have caused some trouble.”
The man casually revealed his right leg as if it were truly nothing.
Someone had treated it, but it was poorly done. A makeshift splint was clumsily applied.
To Kang-hyuk’s eyes, it was a disaster.
‘The tibia is completely misaligned… How is he even standing?’
Medically, it shouldn’t have been possible. He must have been enduring it with sheer superhuman willpower. Sweat was beading on his forehead.
“First, please come inside. Dolseok, looks like we’ll be sleeping here tonight.”
Dolseok, who had been excited about having a drink, turned pale at the sudden news.
“Ah…”
“This is someone the vice governor requested. Just prepare the bedding, no complaints.”
“Yes, young master.”
Dolseok, now on the verge of tears, rushed inside.
Yeon, quick to sense the situation, immediately supported the man.
“Young master, let me assist.”
“Alright. Makbong, come help as well.”
“Yes, young master.”
Despite the man’s large frame, even with three people supporting him, it was difficult to help him walk. How he had made it here and remained standing was a mystery. His tolerance for pain was remarkable.
‘He hasn’t uttered a single groan…’
Even when his injured leg bumped against the door frame, not a sound escaped him.
Kang-hyuk, who rarely admired people, couldn’t help but be impressed.
“We’re here. Please lie down with your head on this.”
“Understood.”
The man winced slightly but followed Kang-hyuk’s instructions.
Now that they were in better light, the injury looked even worse.
His entire calf was swollen and bruised a deep blue.
Yeon and Makbong turned away instinctively.
“Alright, you two can leave now. You’ve worked hard today.”
“We can stay if needed, young master.”
Yeon answered resolutely, ready to stay as long as necessary.
“There’s nothing more to do here. Dolseok will assist me, so you’re free to go.”
“Understood.”
Yeon wasn’t one for unnecessary words. She never made him repeat himself twice. She left without any hesitation, Makbong following behind her.
Dolseok, now the only one left, busied himself.
“Heat some water and warm this infusion as well. But not too hot, you know the drill.”
Kang-hyuk handed him an empty basin and a small infusion from his medical bag.
“Yes, young master.”
Dolseok had become quite reliable. Kang-hyuk didn’t even need to supervise him for tasks like this anymore.
“It might hurt a bit.”
“I’m fine.”
Kang-hyuk carefully inspected the man’s leg.
The leg had looked odd from the moment he first saw it.
As he felt around, his suspicions were confirmed.
‘The right leg being shorter is no coincidence. The bone is broken and displaced.’
Kang-hyuk continued his examination.
The man, apparently skilled in martial arts, had well-developed calf muscles. Even in his injured state, his leg showed considerable strength.
‘Simply setting the bone isn’t going to work. And…’
The color of the leg was troubling.
A small blood vessel must have burst.
That was the only explanation for the bruising and swelling.
‘I’ll need to make an incision. But how?’
Even for a surgeon as skilled as Kang-hyuk, there was no way to eliminate pain completely.
‘Anesthesia… I need proper anesthesia.’
At the very least, spinal anesthesia would be necessary.
The problem was, there were no facilities, no medicine, and no personnel to assist him.
While Kang-hyuk pondered this, Dolseok returned with the heated basin of water. The infusion was warmed to the perfect temperature.
‘Even if I add painkillers, it won’t be enough.’
Bone pain wasn’t something that could be managed with mere painkillers or local anesthesia.
The shock from the pain alone could be deadly, even cause death in extreme cases.
But leaving it untreated would lead to the same outcome.
‘Gangrene will set in soon. Then he’ll die.’
Kang-hyuk had to make a decision.
He decided to trust the man’s seemingly superhuman tolerance for pain.
Didn’t they say that in old novels, Guan Yu had his bone scraped without anesthesia?
While Kang-hyuk had always thought that story was nonsense during medical school, seeing this man made him reconsider.
“Listen carefully.”
“I’m listening.”
“Your tibia is broken and misaligned. It needs to be set, but that’s not all.”
The man nodded silently.
“On top of that, a blood vessel has been damaged. That’s why your leg is so swollen.”
“I see.”
“I’ll need to cut into your leg to drain the blood, tie off the damaged vessel, and set the bone.”
As Kang-hyuk explained, he watched the man’s reaction.
Most people would be terrified upon hearing such news.
But the man remained calm.
“Then please proceed.”
His calmness left even Kang-hyuk momentarily speechless.
‘Did he not understand what I just said?’
It didn’t seem possible for someone to be so unfazed by the prospect of having their flesh cut open and blood drained.
Maybe the pain was affecting his judgment.
But the man’s eyes remained clear and sharp, far from clouded.
In the end, it was Kang-hyuk who found himself asking a stupid question.
“Are you sure?”
“Master Kim Yoon-gil spoke highly of you. He said if you can’t do it, no one else can. I trust him. Do as you see fit.”
“I’ll have to use a blade.”
“It’s fine. This body is committed to the path of the warrior.”
His eyes didn’t waver.
Once again, Kang-hyuk found himself admiring the man, and by extension, Kim Yoon-gil.
‘Who knew that old rascal could earn such trust from someone like this?’
Kim Yoon-gil clearly wasn’t just any vice governor.
‘Well, even I have to admit he’s got a strong sense of loyalty.’
Sure, he might have accepted bribes on the side, but when it came to taking care of his people, he didn’t mess around.
Kang-hyuk resolved to repay the man’s trust.
“Alright. First, I’ll administer some pain relief.”
Kang-hyuk pulled out a narcotic painkiller from his medical bag.
‘What did Chairman Lee intend to do with all these supplies, anyway?’
It was a mystery.
Now that he thought about it, the chairman’s face was fading from his memory.
Oddly, the memories of that day and the chairman himself were growing dim.
‘Not that it matters. It’s good that I have them.’
Thanks to the medicine, the man would at least be able to endure the procedure.
With practiced precision, Kang-hyuk found a vein and administered the infusion with the painkiller.
“Dolseok, take off your clothes.”
“Ugh. Yes, sir.”
The two of them stripped off their clothes while the patient lay on the floor.
It was an awkward sight, but there was no choice.
Performing surgery in those loose hanboks was nearly impossible.
“Young master, we should really get proper surgical attire for times like this…”
“I know. We’ll just have to make do today.”
“See? Even the patient is surprised. The man’s traveled all this way with a broken leg, and now this…”
Just as Dolseok said, the man did seem surprised at first.
But he quickly regained his composure.
“Quiet, let’s clean the leg.”
“Yes, young master.”
“It might feel a bit cold.”
“Don’t worry.”
The man fixed his gaze on the ceiling. His lips trembled slightly—he was tense, no doubt.
“It’ll sting a little.”
Kang-hyuk carefully injected a local anesthetic around the incision site.
The atmosphere was starkly different from when he treated the magistrate.
If the magistrate had been watching, he would have probably burned down the clinic out of indignation.
“Hoo…”
Kang-hyuk sighed.
Even for him, performing such a major surgery with only local anesthesia was nerve-wracking.
‘And there’s no blood supply…’
Blood transfusions were impossible.
This surgery might be the most difficult thing he had ever done.
‘But I have to do it.’
Seeing the man lying there, placing all his trust in him, Kang-hyuk couldn’t back down.
He nodded slowly and picked up the scalpel.
“Dolseok, we need to do this right today.”
“Yes, yes, young master.”
“Alright, let’s begin.”