Chapter 307
“The world looks different now.”
Those were the first words spoken by the Eccentric Doctor of Luoyang, who finally came to his senses after an hour. His tone and voice were so calm and gentle that it was hard to believe he was the same old man who had been so irritable before they returned to the modern world.
“Are… are you okay?”
“Of course, I’m fine. My head hurts a bit, but that’s to be expected.”
By now, it was getting to be a bit terrifying.
How bad-tempered must a person be to earn the nickname “Eccentric Doctor”?
Yet, after being hit on the head with the vase, he had completely transformed into a different person.
Even Sword Saint Mae Jong-hak, who had hurried over fearing an attack by Amcheon, asked worriedly.
“Hey, Eccentric. Are you really okay?”
The Eccentric Doctor of Luoyang nodded with a soft smile.
“Hoho, Great Hero Mae. This old man is fine. Just be sure to keep a close eye on this promising young man here, so he doesn’t get injured in the upcoming battle.”
“You…!”
“Elder…?”
This is truly the foremost doctor of Henan! A genuine physician!
I was filled with both admiration and shame for having grumbled to Mae Jong-hak about him being a quack. The Eccentric Doctor’s voice pierced through my thoughts.
“If that young man does get seriously injured and I have to treat him, I might just drive this large acupuncture needle right into his dead blood. Hoho.”
“You wouldn’t kill someone as a doctor, would you?”
So that’s what he meant by being careful not to get hurt.
I felt a chill down my spine as I raised my head. The Eccentric Doctor of Luoyang met my gaze and smiled like a kindly old grandfather.
“Whether he’s Fire King Jeok Cheon-Gang’s disciple or not, I’ll gouge those eyes right out. Hoho.”
At this point, he seemed less like a kindly grandfather and more like a neighborly murderer.
The Eccentric Doctor, his head wrapped in bandages and laughing like a madman, finally began the examination of Jeok Cheon-Gang that he had delayed.
No matter his personality, he was still the best doctor in Henan and one of the top ten in all of China.
However, after just half an hour of examination, his conclusion was similar to before.
“I don’t know. It’s truly strange.”
“Is there… no way to treat him?”
“No way to treat him?”
The Eccentric Doctor gave me a disapproving look before continuing.
“There’s no such thing as an incurable disease in this world. But how can I find a way to treat something when I don’t even know what it is?”
This is hopeless.
If we at least knew the name of the disease, we could find a way to treat it… but an unknown disease? That’s not good.
I grabbed Jeok Cheon-Gang’s wrinkled hand.
‘Why can’t someone so strong wake up?’
Was it because he couldn’t bear the shock of losing his most trusted disciple and closest friend?
No. The Jeok Cheon-Gang I know is much stronger than that.
So then…
‘Is it the aftereffects of **Hwasingwimu** (Dance of the Fire Demon)? Or is it that Blood Lord, that bastard? Did he use some trick?’
Hwasingwimu is a double-edged sword that consumes the life of the user. For Jeok Cheon-Gang, who was already old, it would have been an overwhelming force.
And the Blood Lord, a core figure in Amcheon, wouldn’t be above using dirty tricks.
The Eccentric Doctor murmured as if groaning.
“It’s not demonic energy, and it’s not poison either. But if this continues, his qi and blood vessels will slowly get blocked.”
Both Mae Jong-hak and I widened our eyes.
“Doctor, didn’t you say his life wouldn’t be in danger?”
“You didn’t listen properly. I said ‘for now’ his life isn’t in danger.”
The Eccentric Doctor spoke slowly.
“Today, when I checked his pulse, it felt different from yesterday. If the Great Hero doesn’t wake up soon, all his qi and blood vessels will get blocked, and he’ll become no different from an ordinary old man.”
“You mean he’ll lose his martial arts and only then will he regain consciousness?”
The Eccentric Doctor shook his head at my question.
“I can’t even guarantee that. Even if, by the grace of heaven, he wakes up, he’s already past his prime. How long do you think he’ll be able to hold on?”
It felt like being hit on the back of the head with a hammer.
As the Eccentric Doctor said, Jeok Cheon-Gang had already lived for over a hundred years.
If he were still the Fire King, he could probably survive another ten or twenty years, but that would require immense power and martial arts.
But how much time does the old man Jeok Cheon-Gang have left?
“Half a year. If we keep up with the acupuncture, we might be able to buy another couple of months, but that’s it.”
“Half a year… is there really no other way?”
“You brat. Do you feel better making me repeat myself twice?”
Not knowing the name of the illness means I can’t find a way to cure it.
The Eccentric Doctor’s reply was so firm that it extinguished the last flicker of hope.
But he was also the one to reignite that hope.
“So you must find the Divine Doctor.”
“The Divine Doctor?”
It was as if I had been doused in cold water, and I asked with wide eyes.
“Who is this Divine Doctor?”
The Eccentric Doctor looked surprised and asked back.
“You don’t know the Divine Doctor?”
“A doctor? A really skilled one?”
“Of course, the title is Divine Doctor! Even a stray dog in the back alleys would know that. Great Hero Mae, is this kid really from Murim?”
Mae Jong-hak, who had been standing a step back, intervened to calm the Eccentric Doctor.
“Calm down, Doctor.”
“No matter how ignorant he is, there are limits. Not knowing the Divine Doctor, can you believe it?”
“Hmm, he must be famous then.”
“…What?”
“…Huh?”
The Eccentric Doctor and I both turned our heads at the same time. Mae Jong-hak was smiling innocently.
‘Where have I seen that smile before?’
Ah, I remembered.
With a smile just like Cheongpung’s, Mae Jong-hak spoke up.
“I’ve been living in seclusion in the mountains for nearly thirty years, hoho.”
“What are you saying? The Divine Doctor has been famous in Jianghu for over forty years.”
The Eccentric Doctor, dropping facts, left Mae Jong-hak in brief silence before he responded.
“Now that I think about it, I’ve been old for over forty years too. I must have mixed things up.”
Truly, Mae Jong-hak is an extraordinary character.
The Divine Doctor.
As the title suggests, he is a master of medicine, possessing skills that reach the level of the divine.
Over forty years ago, he appeared at the edge of the continent, demonstrating near-miraculous medical skills, curing thousands of patients single-handedly, and quelling an epidemic. This earned him the title of Divine Doctor.
“Since then, the Divine Doctor has generously shared his medical knowledge. He never refused a patient and didn’t accept any payment. He’s a true physician, as noble as his medical skills.”
“Oooh, a godly doctor.”
“The most powerful figures in the world sought to bring him into their fold, but he always vanished whenever they tried, saying he wished to care for the sick in the lowest places.”
“Oooh, a righteous doctor.”
“He always covered his face with a white veil, so no one has ever seen what he looks like…”
“Oooh, a masked doctor.”
The Eccentric Doctor of Luoyang picked up a large acupuncture needle as he continued.
“Shut your mouth, before I shut it for you.”
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to.”
“With Great Hero Mae here, this brat’s mouth won’t stop flapping. Isn’t that right?”
Mae Jong-hak answered with a twinkle in his eye.
“Oooh, the Divine Doctor.”
After that, the Eccentric Doctor of Luoyang, who was now half a sage, kindly and briefly explained more about the Divine Doctor.
He is recognized by all as the best physician in the world, possessing a noble character.
And…
“No one knows his true identity?”
“He always wore a veil when practicing medicine, didn’t he?”
“But he’s been active for over forty years, and no one knows who he is?”
It’s natural that the wind would eventually blow and reveal his face at least once.
But the Eccentric Doctor shook his head.
“Someone might know. But no one in the world has ever been able to properly identify him.”
“Why? Did he always run away before they could find him?”
“The testimonies were always different. Some said the Divine Doctor was an old man with white hair, others said he was a shaven-headed nun. When the people who had seen the Divine Doctor were questioned, their stories always conflicted. How could anyone possibly find him?”
“Wow.”
“His reputation among the people is absolute. So many people willingly became his eyes and ears and hid his identity that even the royal palace gave up trying to find him.”
“That Divine Doctor sounds amazing and all, but…”
I looked at the Eccentric Doctor with an incredulous expression as I continued.
“If even the royal palace gave up, how am I supposed to find him?”
“Oh. That’s true.”
Is this a joke?
Seeing my scowl, the Eccentric Doctor suddenly burst out laughing.
“Don’t worry. Would I have mentioned it to you if I didn’t have any leads?”
“As expected. I had complete faith in you, Elder.”
“Ten years ago, I heard about the Divine Doctor and was so inspired that I set out on a medical journey.”
“Oh, a medical journey.”
I had vaguely heard of it in the past when I was cooped up in the Taewon Jin Clan. If there’s a Bi-mu (Martial Arts Gathering) for martial artists, there’s a Medical Journey for doctors.
The Eccentric Doctor said that he had followed the trail left by the Divine Doctor, traveling across the continent and spending five years on his journey.
“It was a rewarding and joyful experience. But for an old man like me, it was also exhausting.” But in the end, it bore fruit.
“Something I had only imagined came true.”
The unexpected gift he received was in a remote slash-and-burn farming village in the southern part of the continent.
The slash-and-burn farmers, who had barely enough to eat and little to no education, told a story about a noble person who had treated their ailments just a few months ago.
‘You have no need for treatment. But I will leave a few silver coins here, so please use them wisely.’
‘Um…’
‘What is it? I’m sorry, but I have no other wealth left…’
‘That’s not it. Might you be a doctor with the surname Oh from Luoyang?’
‘Why do you ask?’
‘The noble person who treated us mentioned that if a doctor with the surname Oh from Luoyang came by, we should give him this.’
What they handed over was a piece of jade pottery, and that very item was now in the hands of the Eccentric Doctor of Luoyang.
“This is…”
“Read what it says.”
The pottery shard in his wrinkled hand bore faint writing.
The best *Obaeja* comes from Sichuan. [1]
What the hell is this? As I looked puzzled, the Eccentric Doctor explained.
“Obaeja is a widely used medicinal herb. The Divine Doctor was subtly telling me that he is in Sichuan with this one line.”
“…Is that really what it means?”
“Yes, it is.”
“Then if I say the best adult films come from Japan, does that mean I’m in Japan?”
“What nonsense is that? Great Hero Mae, is this guy completely insane?”
Mae Jong-hak, who looked like he was dying of curiosity, asked.
“What exactly is an adult film?”
“That’s not the point right now!”
The Eccentric Doctor, who had been fuming, placed the pottery shard in my hand.
“Look closely! Don’t you feel it? The Divine Doctor’s earnest desire to share his medical knowledge with me!”
“What earnest desire…?”
The moment I picked up the shard to take a closer look, a notification sounded.
*Ding.*
– You have acquired the quest item, [Trace of the Divine Doctor]!
– You can use [Trace of the Divine Doctor] to track his whereabouts!
– A quest, [Finding Mr. Shin in Sichuan], has been generated!
I muttered as I looked at the Eccentric Doctor of Luoyang.
“I feel it. His desire.”
And I could see it.
The path to healing Jeok Cheon-Gang.
***
Footnotes:
[1] **Obaeja** (五倍子): This is a medicinal herb also known as Chinese gall, often used in traditional Korean and Chinese medicine. The reference here implies that the best quality of this herb is found in the Sichuan province of China. The mention of Obaeja in this context is a clue pointing to the Divine Doctor’s location.