Chapter 7 : The Tightrope and Swing [3]
“Hmm?”
**Baek Kang-hyuk** hurriedly pulled his back away from the wall.
“Something seems to have happened.”
**Dolseok** squinted as he peered outside.
The members of the **troupe**, who had been sprawled out in drunken stupor, were now rushing in.
Their hostile demeanor suggested that even making eye contact with them could lead to trouble.
“They’re a rough bunch, so it’s best to be cautious.”
Dolseok quietly shut the door again.
In the **Joseon** era, soundproofing was terrible, so whether the door was open or closed, the sounds from the next room could be heard clearly.
“**Pyeonsu** (leader of the troupe)! Open your eyes!”
“What the hell is going on!”
“Father! He’s not breathing!”
Amid the deep voices of the men, a sharp female voice could be heard.
Kang-hyuk had already guessed that there was a woman among them, though he hadn’t realized that she was the leader’s daughter.
Without thinking, Kang-hyuk strained to listen to what was happening next door.
Dolseok also pressed his ear against the wall.
“Young master, it sounds like someone collapsed.”
“Hmm. They’re talking about a **pyeonsu**.”
“Oh no. They were supposed to perform at the **governor’s residence** tomorrow, but it’s all over now. They won’t just let this pass.”
“Someone’s sick, and you think they won’t let it go?”
“Do you think it’s just any event? Even the **Elder Master** is supposed to attend. They’ve probably invited all the local nobles and even officials from nearby districts.”
“I see.”
The point was the **governor’s** reputation.
Even at a simple hospital event, failing would lead to reproach.
The **Suwon governor’s** event would be even more important.
Kang-hyuk glanced down at the medical bag he had been holding.
‘Should I at least check the situation…?’
As Kang-hyuk’s hand twitched toward the bag, Dolseok tensed up as well.
“Young master, are you thinking of going?”
“Why not?”
Dolseok paused at Kang-hyuk’s question.
Kang-hyuk wasn’t someone who liked to interfere unnecessarily. He usually avoided situations that could cause him trouble.
‘But this is **Joseon**.’
Who would dare touch a nobleman?
This wasn’t some remote mountain village, and it was the middle of the day.
Dolseok wasn’t much different in his opinion.
“It’s not that you can’t…”
After all, it was the **Baek family** of Suwon. Though no longer holding an official position, **Seungmun** had once served as **Chief Inspector** and his influence had not disappeared. His disciples still worked in the royal court, and local officials frequently sent him gifts.
“Then let’s go.”
Kang-hyuk grabbed his medical bag and stepped out of the room.
Dolseok reluctantly got up as well.
If the master was going, the servant couldn’t be left behind.
The door to the other room was still wide open.
Inside, they were splashing water and shaking the man’s shoulders, trying everything to wake him up.
“Call a doctor! A doctor!”
The **Eoreumsani** (tightrope walker) seemed to have given up pretending to be a man, as she shouted frantically in a high-pitched voice.
Sweat had dampened some of her hair, whether it was because of the mask or the stressful situation.
Some of the men, now resigned to the situation, were wailing in despair.
“He’s already gone, what use is a doctor! Oh, Elder!”
Kang-hyuk cleared his throat and knocked on the door, although it was already open, making the gesture somewhat pointless.
“Is everything alright inside?”
The sudden voice made everyone in the room tense up.
“Who are you?”
A man, who had been joyfully swinging earlier, stood in front of Kang-hyuk.
He was much shorter than Kang-hyuk, but his arms and calves were muscular and well-built.
Tears still clung to the corners of his eyes from the crying fit he had just had.
Dolseok hurriedly stepped between the two.
“Hey! Do you know who you’re speaking to? This is a descendant of the Suwon Baek family!”
“Suwon Baek family?”
The man didn’t back down, though his aggressive stance softened somewhat.
It was clear that this well-dressed man was indeed a nobleman.
“Our young master is knowledgeable in medicine. It would be an honor to have him examine your leader.”
Dolseok looked around with a self-important expression.
Though to Kang-hyuk, Dolseok’s demeanor was completely common, it seemed to have an effect on the troupe.
Especially on the woman who had played the role of the **Eoreumsani**.
“So… are you a doctor?”
Dolseok didn’t know how to respond to that.
After all, it was only yesterday that he had seen Kang-hyuk perform medical treatment for the first time. Actually, it was the first time he had ever seen him do anything remotely helpful.
“Hmm.”
Dolseok let out a grunt instead of an answer.
It was Kang-hyuk himself who responded.
He moved past the man standing in front of him and walked inside.
With his impressive build, even the burly men couldn’t help but step aside.
“Yes, I’m a doctor.”
Kang-hyuk stepped in and checked the unconscious man’s neck.
A regular doctor would usually check the wrist, so this was an unusual sight.
But no one dared to question it.
The atmosphere around Kang-hyuk, which had been somewhat relaxed before, suddenly became tense.
‘There’s no pulse…’
When blood pressure is too low, sometimes it’s hard to feel a pulse in the carotid artery.
In such cases, the femoral artery in the groin area is more reliable.
“What are you doing…”
As Kang-hyuk pressed near the groin, there was immediate protest.
Of course, it didn’t last long.
“Quiet. Now, then.”
Kang-hyuk recalled that the **pyeonsu** had been hit in the chest during the performance.
‘He was struck hard in the chest.’
In hindsight, it hadn’t been the kind of impact one could just brush off.
“It’s a heart problem. Now, take off his top!”
“What…?”
“Just do it!”
The first to react was Dolseok.
Having witnessed Kang-hyuk’s miraculous treatment the previous day, he wasted no time.
“Yes, young master!”
“How dare you touch the **pyeonsu’s** clothes…”
“Shut up and help!”
“Uh… okay…”
Following the **Eoreumsani**’s lead, some of the men began following Kang-hyuk’s orders.
It wasn’t just because he was a nobleman.
The overwhelming confidence in his voice carried a strange persuasive power.
“Whew.”
In no time, the **pyeonsu’s** top was removed, revealing a large, bluish bruise on his chest.
While tapping on his chest, Kang-hyuk turned to Dolseok.
“Dolseok, open the bag.”
“Yes, young master.”
Kang-hyuk pulled out a large syringe and a stethoscope from the bag.
‘As expected…’
The heart wasn’t completely still, but it wasn’t functioning properly either.
The sac around the heart was filled with blood.
“Dolseok, hold him down.”
“Yes?”
Without waiting for Dolseok to reply, Kang-hyuk plunged the syringe into the **pyeonsu’s** chest.
Bright red blood quickly filled the syringe.
The **Eoreumsani** screamed.
“Are you crazy?!”
But Kang-hyuk paid no attention to the reactions around him.
Once he started, he didn’t stop to think about anything else.
“Dolseok, watch closely and learn!”
“Yes?”
“This is how you save a life.”
Though the blood that was pressing on the heart had been removed, the heart still wasn’t strong enough to pump properly.
Kang-hyuk immediately began chest compressions.
To an untrained eye, the technique would have looked more like murder than a life-saving procedure.
Here was a grown man pressing down on the chest with all his might.
Even the **Eoreumsani** seemed stunned.
But Kang-hyuk ignored everyone around him, focusing solely on the man’s pulse.
“He’s not back yet. Now you try.”
“Me? Do you mean me?”
“Yes. Press with the heel of your hand between the nipples. Keep your arms straight.”
“Uh… yes, young master.”
Though Dolseok could feel the tense atmosphere growing worse, he nodded.
Whatever happened, if the **pyeonsu** didn’t wake up, it would be disastrous.
As a nobleman, Kang-hyuk wouldn’t be harmed, but Dolseok had no such protection.
As Dolseok pushed down on the **pyeonsu’s** chest, terrified for his life, Kang-hyuk moved on to an even more extreme measure.
“Hup.”
He began performing mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
The **Eoreumsani** couldn’t take it anymore and grabbed Kang-hyuk by the shoulder.
“You bastard! If he’s dead, he’s dead! How dare you mock him like this!”
But Kang-hyuk’s strength was enough to shake off even a strong man.
There was nothing this woman could do to stop him.
She ended up just hanging onto his shoulder, unable to budge him.
Without giving her a single glance, Kang-hyuk shouted to Dolseok.
“Stop for a moment! Hold on.”
By now, a group of men had gathered around Kang-hyuk and Dolseok.
Some were even holding wooden clubs.
Dolseok swallowed hard and responded.
“Y-yes!”
Kang-hyuk calmly checked the **pyeonsu’s** neck.
Then he nodded.
“It’s fine now. He’ll wake up soon.”
The **Eoreumsani**’s eyes widened.
How could a man who had been clearly dead come back to life?
Everyone was staring at Kang-hyuk in disbelief when the man who had been on the swing earlier began smacking his palm with a club.
“Alright, you lot. Let’s see what happens if the **pyeonsu** doesn’t wake up.”
It wasn’t just him. The entire troupe was glaring fiercely.
It seemed that their respect for the **pyeonsu** far outweighed their fear of the nobleman.
Dolseok shuddered as he whispered to Kang-hyuk.
“Young master, these guys don’t seem to care about anything.”
“Don’t worry. I’m confident. He’ll get better.”
“Are you sure…?”
Dolseok had never found the phrase ‘don’t worry’ to be more worrisome than now.
He silently prayed to any ancestors he could think of.
‘Please, please.’
