Doctor Goes Back to Joseon - Chapter 55: The Scholar [2]

The battle, which had been at a stalemate, quickly began to turn with Yeon’s intervention. It was only natural; she was a skilled swordswoman, not an untrained farmer.

Chang-gwon, his vision already half-blurred, turned his gaze to the scene.

“Good… very good….”

His bloodstained voice came out with great difficulty, accompanied by a faint smile. He genuinely seemed to believe things were going well.

Kang-hyuk pressed his hand firmly over Chang-gwon’s wounds and spoke.

“Sir, just hold on a little longer.”

Bright red blood poured out between Kang-hyuk’s fingers. Yeon’s swordsmanship had been precise, but the damage was catastrophic—stomach, pancreas, and even the aorta. There wasn’t a single intact organ in the area.

‘Better than that bastard though….’

The masked Wae Pirate lay lifeless nearby, his body already cold. The trajectory of the sword had pierced upwards, reaching his heart.

“Let’s start with fluids….”

With practiced precision, Kang-hyuk inserted a needle into the vein of Chang-gwon’s arm. The man’s blood pressure had dropped so severely that his veins were barely visible, but for someone of Kang-hyuk’s expertise, this was no challenge. He could map out the anatomy of the arm in his mind even with his eyes closed.

He cranked the IV wide open, then returned his attention to the wounds.

‘Even in a hospital, this would be impossible….’

Without advanced equipment, there was no hope. All he could do was press down on the wounds to slow the bleeding, but even that was doing little good.

“Sir, just a bit longer. You can do this.”

He muttered the empty reassurance as Chang-gwon’s eyes grew even more unfocused. It seemed unlikely he could see anything at this point; his blood pressure was simply too low. The IV fluids, no matter how fast they were administered, couldn’t keep up with the blood loss.

‘Damn it.’

For all his acclaim as a top surgeon, there was so little he could do in the moment.

“Young Master, let me help.”

Yeon ran over, slipping her bloodied sword back into its scabbard. It seemed she had already dealt with the remaining Wae Pirates.

“Alright, hold this open for me.”

“Yes, ah….”

Yeon, with her experience assisting Kang-hyuk in the past, quickly grasped the situation. Her expression turned grim, silently acknowledging that saving Chang-gwon seemed impossible.

“Pass me the mosquito clamps.”

“Here.”

Yeon handed him several small clamps, which Kang-hyuk used to pinch off smaller blood vessels. He didn’t dare attempt anything with the aorta.

The bleeding slowed somewhat, but it was still far from under control.

*Thud, thud, thud.*

While Kang-hyuk and Yeon worked to stem the bleeding, the cavalry finally arrived in the village. Their lead swords were stained with blood, having cut down many Wae Pirates on the way. At the forefront were Shin Rip and Magistrate Kim Yoon-gil.

Kim Yoon-gil was the first to dismount and run over.

“Damn it.”

He let out a sigh at the sight of Chang-gwon lying in ruins.

“Ugh….”

Despite his state, Chang-gwon recognized Yoon-gil. Slowly, laboriously, he began to speak.

“My apologies… I couldn’t protect the school….”

As he said, most of the scholars had perished. Only the farmers had largely survived.

“No, no… you did well.”

“Ugh….”

Yoon-gil, unable to bear the sight of the suffering Chang-gwon, turned to Kang-hyuk. While he was curious how Kang-hyuk had ended up there, more pressing questions filled his mind.

“How does it look?”

From Kang-hyuk’s expression, it was clear: the prognosis was grim. However, Yoon-gil held onto the faint hope that Kang-hyuk, who had accomplished miracles before, might pull off another.

Kang-hyuk shook his head slightly, the motion alone conveying all that needed to be said.

“I see….”

“We can at least ease his pain.”

“Is that possible?”

Yoon-gil glanced at Chang-gwon, whose groans of pain were unending. His anguish was plain to see.

“That much, I can do.”

“I see… understood.”

Kang-hyuk, leaving the regretful Yoon-gil behind, retrieved the last of his narcotic painkillers. There were only three doses left, but it was better than nothing.

“Yeon, keep pressing on the wounds.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

Yeon used gauze and her hands to block the flow of blood as Kang-hyuk added the painkillers to the IV.

“How are you feeling?”

“I… feel fine… much better.”

Chang-gwon’s eyes had already lost most of their light. He likely couldn’t even see Kang-hyuk’s face. The blood vessels leading to his eyes were too thin and heavily dependent on blood pressure.

“Thank you… thank you for everything.”

“No, sir… it’s nothing.”

Chang-gwon’s pale face still bore a faint smile. He spoke again, his parched voice carrying his final thoughts.

“You are… my daughter’s savior… and the son of my only teacher….”

Blood trickled steadily from his mouth, making it difficult for him to continue. After coughing for a moment, he managed to speak again.

“I could not… let someone like you die….”

A savior of his daughter? Kang-hyuk’s own face paled at the realization. He had no idea what had happened to Jeong Yeoju, Chang-gwon’s daughter.

“Young Master, Makbong is coming,” Yeon interjected.

“Ah, is that so?”

Thankfully, Makbong, Dolseok, and Jeong Yeoju had successfully escaped with the main group. They were now advancing steadily alongside the cavalry, arriving at the village at last.

Despite only a day apart, seeing their familiar faces felt like reuniting after years.

“Young Master! You’re safe!” Dolseok exclaimed as he ran over.

The feeling was mutual—Kang-hyuk was just as relieved.

“Yes, I made it.”

“And who is this…? Ah.”

Dolseok’s expression changed as he recognized Chang-gwon. There was no mistaking the identity of the man before him.

Because he had frequently visited Seungmun’s home, there was no mistaking the identity of the man before him.

“He’s the one who saved my life. It’s a long story, but for now, go fetch Yeoju.”

“Ah… yes, Young Master.”

Dolseok quickly ran off and returned with Yeoju, who was leaning on Makbong for support due to some trouble with her foot.

“Young Master, you’re safe after all,” Yeoju said, bowing her head in greeting.

After briefly acknowledging her greeting, Kang-hyuk guided Yeoju to Chang-gwon.

“That….”

“Ah, Father?”

At the sound of Yeoju’s voice, Chang-gwon’s half-closed eyes shot open. Perhaps it was the surprise of hearing his daughter’s voice, something he hadn’t expected. However, opening his eyes didn’t mean he could see anything. He called out into the air.

“Yeo… Yeoju?”

“Yes, yes, it’s me, Yeoju.”

“To hear your voice before I die… it feels like a dream.”

“Die? No, Young Master, that’s not true, right?”

Yeoju turned toward Kang-hyuk with a startled expression. Kang-hyuk couldn’t meet her gaze and looked away.

“Young Master?”

“I’m sorry.”

It wasn’t like Kang-hyuk to apologize—Yeoju had never seen it happen before. Even Dolseok, standing behind her, widened his eyes in shock. A single apology from Kang-hyuk carried far more weight than usual, and Yeoju immediately understood its hidden meaning.

“This can’t be….”

She turned back to Chang-gwon, whose life was slipping away. The IV fluids had run out, and there was no longer any means to sustain him.

“Father….”

“Yeoju.”

“Yes, yes.”

Yeoju’s face was quickly drenched with tears as Chang-gwon continued in a frail, faltering voice.

“My entire life… I’ve always felt sorry toward you.”

“What are you saying, Father?”

“From now on… follow your own will, not mine….”

“Father?”

Yeoju shook his shoulders, but there was no response. His limp arm held no pulse.

“Ah….”

Yeoju buried her face in Chang-gwon’s chest and broke into tears. It was only then that Yoon-gil realized Yeoju was a woman—and, even more, that she was Chang-gwon’s daughter.

“You fools, there’s been a death. Why are you standing around staring? Move along.”

As a perceptive and pragmatic scholar, Yoon-gil quickly dismissed the startled soldiers who had been taken aback by the sudden sound of a woman’s cries.

“And don’t go running your mouths about this anywhere. Understood?”

“Yes, sir.”

He didn’t forget to add a subtle threat to ensure compliance. Fortunately, Shin Rip and the other officers were elsewhere, likely interrogating captured Wae Pirates. The occasional anguished screams coming from that direction were evidence enough.

“Lady Yeoju….”

Yeon gently placed her hands on Yeoju’s trembling shoulders. Yeoju gazed down at her father’s body, her tears welling anew as she noticed his severely injured limbs.

“Who… who could have done something so horrible…?”

Yeon flinched at the question, but Kang-hyuk quickly interjected.

“It was that masked Wae Pirate. If not for him, both Yeon and I would have died.”

“Is that true?”

“Yes. Not just us, but everyone here owes their lives to your father.”

Kang-hyuk gestured toward the field filled with both corpses and survivors. Many of the living silently nodded in agreement, each owing their survival to Chang-gwon’s sacrifice.

“I see. Then, who avenged my father?”

Yeoju’s tear-filled eyes settled on the masked pirate’s corpse.

“Yeon did.”

“Ah….”

Yeon, unsure of what to say, remained silent and motionless.

“Yeon, thank you.”

To everyone’s surprise, Yeoju dropped to her knees and bowed deeply to Yeon. Though she was from a noble family, her gratitude overrode all societal norms.

Yeon, flustered, quickly tried to lift Yeoju to her feet.

“My lady, please don’t do this.”

“No, I must. It’s the least I can do for the person who avenged my father.”

Yeoju stubbornly completed her bow, leaving everyone, including Kang-hyuk, watching in somber silence.

“Are you Yeoju?” Yoon-gil stepped forward slowly from the background.

“Yes, Magistrate.”

“I’m sorry. It was my insistence on building the school that led to this.”

“No, my father wanted this as well.”

“You needn’t worry about the funeral. I will personally see to everything.”

“But isn’t the war more urgent?”

“Don’t worry. Now that the cavalry is here, the Wae Pirates are no longer a threat.”

Yoon-gil pointed to the ranks of cavalry surrounding the village. At that moment, Shin Rip appeared, his face beaming.

“Magistrate, we’ve got it. The prisoners revealed the location of their temporary base.”

“Are you certain?”

“It’s not far. We can attack immediately once we’re ready. Please follow as soon as you can.”

“Understood.”

After sending Shin Rip off, Yoon-gil turned back to the group. Everyone, including Kang-hyuk, looked utterly exhausted. Yeoju, in particular, was in no state to join a battlefield.

“Kang-hyuk, can I trust you to care for the wounded and the villagers here?”

“Yes, of course. Leave it to me.”

“And… look after Chang-gwon’s daughter as well.”