Murim Login - Chapter 480

“Where… am I?”

Wrinkled eyes twitched, and an old man groaned as he stirred. It took a long while before he managed to open his eyes with great effort.

Instead of the damp, yellowed wallpaper he was used to, an oppressively white ceiling greeted him.

As the old man lay there, unable to make sense of his situation, a calm voice reached his ears.

“Have you come to your senses?”

“Uh… uhh?”

Finding the voice’s owner wasn’t difficult.

Startled, the old man sat up and saw a young man seated in front of a small brazier, calmly looking at him.

“Who… who are you?”

“There are only two kinds of people in a clinic: doctors and patients. Since you fall under the latter, I suggest you lie back down.”

“Ah…”

It was only then that the old man realized this unfamiliar place was a clinic. And he also figured out who this young man was.

“So, you’re the doctor… But why am I in a clinic? Oh, dear.”

The confused old man trailed off as a sudden headache made him groan.

Now that he was aware, he realized his already frail body ached everywhere, and he was drenched in sweat, shivering slightly.

‘What in the world happened to me?’

Just as the old man clutched his head in pain, the young doctor crossed the room and approached him.

“I will perform acupuncture to help you. Please calm yourself and breathe slowly. One, two…”

‘Prick.’

“Huh? What?”

The old man’s eyes widened. The moment he felt a slight prick on his crown, like a tiny ant bite, his headache vanished as if it had been washed away.

The young doctor, holding a fine needle, smiled gently at the astonished old man staring at him.

“How do you feel?”

“Uh… Yes, much better.”

“Then, please lie back down. From what I’ve observed over the past two days, there seem to be no major issues. However, you’re not yet ready to move around.”

“A-alright.”

The old man found himself surprisingly at ease, both physically and mentally, thanks to the doctor’s remarkable skills and calm demeanor.

Though he looked much younger up close, he exuded a sense of skill and experience far beyond his years, even more so than any older doctor the man had met.

“Here, let me help you. Relax your body and lie down slowly.”

“Y-yes.”

As if entranced, the old man obediently lay back down while the young doctor extended his fingers.

“I need to perform a quick check. How many fingers am I holding up?”

“Three, it seems.”

“And now?”

“Two.”

“Correct. Now, tell me your name, where you live, and your age.”

“Do I have to answer that?”

“It’s to confirm that your mind is fully intact.”

“Hmm… Let me think.”

This time, the old man paused to consider his answer.

Though his state was still unstable, and a slight headache lingered, he spoke slowly.

“I’ve lived my whole life near Wuhan and Dongting Lake. My name is Gwak Bongchul. I’m not sure about my exact age since I didn’t grow up with much structure, but I believe I’m over seventy.”

“Ah, Mr. Gwak. For your age, you’re remarkably healthy. What do you do for a living?”

“Well, I… um…”

Furrowing his brows, the old man hesitated before recalling his occupation.

“I row boats.”

“A ferryman?”

“Yes. I worked on a merchant ship when I was younger, but after buying my own boat, I’ve been ferrying passengers and giving tours around Dongting Lake.”

As the old ferryman recalled his memories, he began talking more freely. The young doctor listened patiently, nodding along with a warm smile.

“There was this close friend of mine. He always said that a man who owns a boat would surely find a woman. So, I splurged and bought a sleek one from Baekchu. It was a fine vessel, truly elegant.”

“Baekchu, you say?”

“I wonder if you’ve heard of it. These days, boats from Baekchu are common at the Wuhan docks. But back in my day, a man who owned a Baekchu-made boat was considered prime husband material. Unless it was an Audi—one with four circles at the bow.”

“Ah, something like Ogi Jo Won?”

“Huh? What’s that?”

“Never mind, let’s move on.”

“Anyway, that boat was beautiful and swift. It even helped me attract many women. One time, a widow from the neighboring village came late at night, asking to see the boat. Then, out of nowhere, she started undoing her—”

“Perhaps you could skip ahead a bit?”

The young doctor displayed an extraordinary level of patience for his age, enduring the old ferryman’s rambling. As the conversation continued, the tightly locked dam of memories began to crumble.

But just as the ferryman was getting carried away, he suddenly froze, as if struck by a lightning bolt.

It was a flash of terror—an echo of a nightmare.

‘Boom! Crash!’

– “Kroaaaaar!”

The deafening sound of thunder and a furious roar echoed in his ears.

As his vision blurred, he saw a massive figure silhouetted against a dark sky.

“Ugh!”

Startled, the ferryman shot up from the bed, staring blankly into space.

“W-wait a moment.”

His voice trembled, his eyes wide with fear. Though the sudden movement made his aching body throb anew, he paid no mind.

It was the memories flooding back that left him shaken.

“D-doctor! What did you say to me earlier?”

“Which part are you referring to?”

“You said two days! You mentioned two days passed!”

‘Grab!’

The old man’s grip, unexpectedly strong for someone over seventy, clamped down on the young doctor’s slender wrist.

But the young doctor, unfazed, calmly responded.

“Yes, that’s correct,” replied the young doctor.

“Oh… oh no, what is happening!”

“Calm yourself, sir,” he urged.

“This… this isn’t the time to sit still! We must inform the others and notify the authorities right away!”

The ferryman was in a half-mad state.

His entire body, drenched in sweat, trembled uncontrollably. His unfocused eyes darted around, as though he feared being devoured at any moment.

“We need to flee—right now!”

At that moment, the young doctor extended a hand toward the panicked patient.

‘Swish.’

The doctor’s pale, calloused-free hand gently rested on the man’s hunched back. A warm, soothing energy flowed from the doctor’s touch, filling the ferryman’s being.

Startled by the inexplicable sensation, the ferryman let out a shuddering breath.

“What… what was that?”

“Consider it a little trick I’ve picked up over time. Now, sir…”

“Ah…”

For reasons he couldn’t explain, the ferryman found himself speechless as he met the doctor’s deep, clear eyes.

The young doctor gazed at him calmly and spoke slowly.

“The thing you’re worried about—it will not happen. Do you understand?”

“Pardon?”

“It’s simple. Forget everything you saw, heard, and experienced. Two days ago, you were brought to Dongting Lake by the military but collapsed due to poor health. Today, you woke up.”

“Wait… just hold on a moment.”

“What I’m saying is the truth. It must become the truth. That day, you didn’t ferry any passengers, and you didn’t see the spirit of Dongting Lake.”

The ferryman trembled as though struck by lightning.

The young doctor’s words were so shocking that he couldn’t even process them properly.

“Are you… are you saying you’ve seen the spirit too?”

“I might have, or I might not have. But the only thing you need to remember is this: you must forget everything you recall about that day.”

The doctor’s voice was gentle, yet it cut like a cold blade. The ferryman swallowed hard, his throat dry.

The suffocating silence that followed was broken by the last bit of courage the old man could muster.

“Are you… are you planning to kill me?”

“Me? No.”

The young doctor shook his head slowly and continued.

“But someone else might think differently. For instance… the governor of Hubei Province, who wouldn’t want unpleasant rumors spreading.”

“The… the governor?”

The governor of Hubei Province.

Appointed by the emperor to rule a city, he was essentially a king within his domain.

Shocked at the mention of such a high-ranking official, the ferryman realized the gravity of his mistake. His face turned pale as his mind raced.

‘You fool! What if someone overheard? What were you thinking?’

The young doctor, however, remained composed.

He exuded a calm confidence, knowing that no one outside the room could hear their conversation. Even if the discussion leaked, the doctor wouldn’t have flinched.

This wasn’t for his own safety but purely to protect the ferryman’s life.

Unaware of this, the ferryman, his voice barely a whisper, spoke again.

“I… I want to live. Why would the governor want to kill someone like me?”

“When floods ravage the land, droughts strike, or plagues spread, people die in droves. Wars break out everywhere, and rebels dream of overthrowing the throne. They claim Heaven has abandoned the emperor and call for revolution.”

Clicking his tongue lightly, the doctor stood and added in a detached tone:

“And when a monstrous spirit as massive as Dongting Lake goes mad, wreaking havoc, what do you think happens?”

“…?”

“Thousands died. The Yangtze River and Dongting Lake were filled with corpses and blood. Once vibrant cities are now dark and desolate. With the people trembling in fear and all eyes on Hubei, what do you think will happen if they find out what you’ve seen and heard?”

The doctor didn’t need to finish the sentence. The ferryman could already see the answer in his mind.

‘Death. That’s certain.’

Born into a poor farming family, illiterate and ignorant for most of his life, the ferryman had learned the ways of the world through the conversations of passengers he ferried.

‘If I say even a word about what I know…’

That would be the end.

Neither the emperor nor the governor of Hubei would want the truth about the rampaging spirit to become public knowledge.

Perhaps they’d eliminate everyone involved in the matter outright.

A mere ferryman past seventy, without power or influence, would disappear without a trace.

“Hah… hah…”

As the ferryman gasped like a man who had lost his soul, the young doctor offered him a lifeline.

“Erase everything from your memory. Sell your boat, keep your mouth shut, and live out the rest of your days in peace. If you do that, nothing will happen.”

“Is… is that true?”

“That’s all I have to say.”

With those final words, the young doctor stood and moved toward the door.

The ferryman, watching him with a dazed expression, hurriedly called out.

“Wait! Are you truly a doctor?”

“Of course.”

The young doctor, Moon Kyung, firmly replied as he let go of the door handle.

He gestured toward the brazier in the corner, where a pot of medicine was simmering slowly.

“I made that concoction myself. Drink it three times a day after meals. Don’t forget.”

Even in the midst of it all, fulfilling the duty to care for his patient was a doctor’s obligation.