Chapter 23

Shinma's Selection (23)

"Kongcheongseokyoo... Is that what you mean?"

At first, I thought it was a joke.

But it wasn't. Danakseon's eyes were as clear as always, which made me even more perplexed.

Seeing this, Choaegryang chuckled.

"Looks like we're going to see some rare Kongcheongseokyoo."

"Can you just find it if you want to?"

In response to Beomgyewi's question, Hansolhwa answered.

"It's no different from asking for ginseng after getting wild dandelions."

Only then did Danakseon notice the bewildered expression on Beomgyewi's face.

"Ah! I'm sorry. Pretend you didn't hear that."

Beomgyewi finally regained his composure.

"No, I'll do my best."

Although the words "I can't guarantee it" lingered in his mouth, Beomgyewi didn't say them.

But at some point, Beomgyewi's eyes sparkled.

"Ah! Maybe there's a way."

Danakseon shook her head.

"It's fine. Don't worry about it. Come to think of it, it's already time for breakfast."

Beomgyewi tried to stop Danakseon, who was getting up to prepare breakfast.

"I'll do it."

"No, I'll do it."

Danakseon quickly ran towards the pavilion.

Once Danakseon was out of sight, Beomgyewi bowed to the other three.

"Please take care of me for a while."

"For a while?"

"Yes. I think I'll stay here for a few days."

Choaegryang, who had been quietly observing Beomgyewi, smiled faintly.

"You don't trust us, do you?"

Beomgyewi didn't deny it.

"Please understand."

"I understand. I would have done the same."

Choaegryang nodded with a smile, but his eyes flashed coldly.

"But I should ask for your understanding in advance."

"What for?"

"We also can't trust you."

Suddenly, Beomgyewi, who had been silent, spoke up.

"Don't think of using me, an innocent kid who doesn't know the ways of the world. You'll die by my hand if you do."

"How could I do that?"

"Yeah, you shouldn't."

Beomgyewi looked at the villains in front of him a bit differently. They were supposed to be the worst villains in the world...

But somehow, they seemed naive and even a bit simple.

But they were definitely the villains who had killed dozens, even hundreds. So he couldn't easily relax.

A little later, Danakseon returned with breakfast made of herbs.

As Beomgyewi chewed the herbs and savored the taste, he nodded in amazement.

"Hmm, not bad. The taste of Duseongcho is excellent."

"This kid is really good at lying? How can this be tasty?"

Everyone's gaze turned to Beomgyewi.

Beomgyewi was startled and blinked.

"Did I say that out loud? I just thought it..."

Danakseon, who was explaining the herbs, smiled.

"At first, it's bitter and astringent, but once you get used to it, you can feel the subtle flavors. The sweetness comes out if you chew it for a long time."

As if to prove her point, Danakseon slowly and thoroughly chewed the herb.

"Maybe there's a special method? The aftertaste of sweetness lasts longer than usual."

Danakseon nodded with a smile.

"Of course! I believed you would understand, Uncle."

Danakseon explained in detail how she had cultivated the herbs and what aspects she had focused on.

"Wow, you did all that?"

Beomgyewi, who had been watching Danakseon's enthusiastic explanation, suddenly picked up the herb in front of him and put it in his mouth.

Beomgyewi's brows immediately twisted.

The bitter taste filled his mouth after just a few chews. But Beomgyewi forced a smile and looked at Danakseon.

"Ugh! As Doctor Dan said... the taste is really unique if you chew it for a long time!"

"Uncle Beom finally understands the taste... huh? Huh?"

Danakseon looked at Beomgyewi in surprise.

He was clearly smiling, but his eyes were brimming with tears.

Then she noticed the herb Beomgyewi was holding.

"Uncle, that's Gosimnak..."

The herb Beomgyewi was chewing was the most bitter and intense Gosimnak. The more you chewed, the more bitter it became.

"Really, you're enjoying it."

Choaegryang responded enthusiastically to Beomgyewi's tearful effort.

"Here, try mine too."

"Me too."

Hansolhwa joined in.

Beomgyewi's face twitched from the forced smile, but he couldn't back down.

Beomgyewi displayed superhuman patience.

In the end, he had to chew and swallow all the Gosimnak offered by the two. Then, he sneered at Choaegryang and Hansolhwa.

"Hmph, you amateurs. What good is martial arts if you don't know the first thing about fine dining?"

"Wipe your tears and talk!"

"Tears? What tears?"

Only then did Beomgyewi realize that his eyes were filled with tears.

"Doctor Dan said before, you're supposed to chew it a couple of times and swallow it."

"What? When?"

Hansolhwa interjected in the conversation between the two.

"Never mind. Why are you trying to explain it now?"

Then she smiled at Beomgyewi.

"Please take care of me in the future, gourmet."

"Me too."

Beomgyewi, who finally realized something, shouted.

"Are these people trying to trick me?"

"We're amateurs when it comes to fine dining."

Seeing the three bickering, Danakseon burst into laughter.

'Strange, very strange.'

Beomgyewi's eyes showed interest.

'These are the people known as the Four Great Villains in the martial world.'

The three looked at Danakseon with unmistakable affection.

'Are these really the Four Great Villains?'

He was secretly worried.

He couldn't tell if this connection would be a good or bad one. But one thing was certain: this connection shouldn't repeat the same form of past misfortunes.

He couldn't let Danakseon follow in her teachers' footsteps.

'Should I observe a bit more?'

Hasty judgments are forbidden.

This was a matter concerning Danakseon's future.

* * *

After finishing breakfast, Danakseon started treating Beomgyewi as usual.

While she was treating him, Beomgyewi came to visit.

"Am I disturbing you?"

"Of course not. It's fine."

Unlike Danakseon, who greeted him with a smile, Beomgyewi glared at Beomgyewi.

"I'm not fine."

Danakseon looked at Beomgyewi in surprise.

"What's wrong?"

"Huh? No, Doctor Dan, I didn't mean it that way..."

Beomgyewi was momentarily speechless.

He had just noticed the large acupuncture needle in Danakseon's hand, which was over a foot long.

Seeing it, his anger vanished like magic.

"If anything unusual happens during the treatment, you must tell me immediately."

"If I tell you?"

"I need to act before it's too late."

"Act? Do you mean...?"

Beomgyewi glanced at the large acupuncture needle neatly placed on the floor.

Danakseon nodded.

"Don't worry. It might hurt a bit, but the effect is definite."

Thinking about the large needle piercing his body, even the great Beomgyewi felt a chill. He tried his best to maintain his composure.

Danakseon, who continued the treatment, looked at Beomgyewi.

"What brings you here?"

"I have a question."

Beomgyewi, who had opened the conversation, asked Danakseon.

"Do you know about the disease where, after turning fifteen, the blood turns cold and the body stiffens?"

Danakseon nodded.

"You're talking about the case where the Yin meridian develops excessively and becomes a Jue meridian."

"That's right."

"What are the symptoms?"

"Anemia, dizziness, decreased physical strength, and fever."

"It seems premature to diagnose it as a Jue meridian based on those symptoms alone."

"Yes, so I scratched the skin slightly. Soon, dark red spots appeared."

The appearance of these spots, caused by the rupture of invisible tiny blood vessels and the inability to stop the bleeding, was one of the typical symptoms of Jue meridian.

After a moment of thought, Danakseon said.

"Those with Jiuyin Jue meridian mostly die in the womb, and even if they are born, they don't survive past a year. So the patient is likely to have Qiyin Jue meridian or Wuyin Jue meridian."

The disease where the Yin energy becomes too strong and the Yang energy can't support it, leading to an internal imbalance, causing the body to become cold and eventually leading to death.

Jue meridian is an incurable disease, beyond difficult to treat.

However, there was one exception.

"I know that in the past, your teachers treated Jue meridian."

"Yes, they did."

"Is there any record of that treatment?"

"Yes."

Beomgyewi's face brightened.

"Can I see that medical text?"

"That might be difficult."

"Huh?"

Confusion appeared on Beomgyewi's face.

He hadn't expected Danakseon to refuse. Danakseon smiled and answered.

"It's not recorded in writing. Both of them were too focused on the treatment at the time."

"Then?"

Danakseon nodded.

"I remember it."

"Ah!"

Beomgyewi, who let out an exclamation, was then asked by Danakseon.

"Who is suffering from this disease?"

After a moment of thought, Beomgyewi looked at Danakseon with determination.

"The youngest daughter of the Wulin Alliance leader."

"Ah! So that's why you're connected to the Wulin Alliance."

"Yes. I'm in charge of treating the youngest daughter of the Wulin Alliance leader."

Nodding, Beomgyewi continued.

"Thanks to that, I was able to resolve the Fasaduan incident smoothly. But the problem is..."

Beomgyewi sighed, trailing off.

"The treatment is far from certain. She's barely surviving with all kinds of elixirs."

"Is that so? Then the starting point is wrong..."

"Huh?"

Danakseon carefully spoke to the puzzled Beomgyewi.

"Jue meridian is not the cause but the result. It's one of the symptoms that manifest due to the disease."

"......!"

"The reason other doctors couldn't treat Jue meridian is because of this. They focused on the symptoms rather than the cause, so they couldn't treat it."

"Ah!"

Beomgyewi, who seemed shocked, couldn't continue for a while.

After a moment, he smiled bitterly.

"Relying on old medical texts for most of the rare diseases I've never seen, I must have unknowingly fallen into a rut."

"Don't blame yourself. Your parents also struggled to understand it."

Changing one's mindset was that difficult.

"Do you remember the old days?"

Beomgyewi tilted his head at Danakseon's question.

"What do you mean?"

"The patient your parents gave up on treating for the first time."

"Yes, I remember. That lama..."

Beomgyewi, who had spoken without thinking, quickly trailed off. Then he hurriedly continued.

"He had a chronic illness and poisoning. He fell into madness while fighting the poison."

"Yes, that's right. That was the first time your parents cooperated to save him. His symptoms were very similar to Jue meridian. After treating him, your parents found a way to treat Jue meridian."

"Ah!"

Beomgyewi, who let out an exclamation, suddenly wondered.

"But why didn't they teach me that treatment method?"

"They didn't teach me either. I just learned by staying by their side."

"I regret not being there for a while."

"It couldn't be helped. Jue meridian isn't a common disease."

Danakseon looked at Beomgyewi seriously.

"Moreover, Jue meridian isn't a disease that one doctor can handle. Even my parents said they couldn't treat it alone."

"Hmm."

Danakseon smiled at the contemplative Beomgyewi.

"Perhaps that's why they didn't teach you. They knew you would pour everything into the patient without taking care of yourself."

"That means..."

Beomgyewi's expression darkened.

Jue meridian was a difficult disease, even for the divine and demon doctors to treat together.

Moreover, Danakseon was the only one who knew the treatment method.

'Is there another doctor with the same skill as the Pavilion Master?'

Beomgyewi inwardly smiled bitterly.

He had interacted with the imperial physicians, but he hadn't met anyone with the same level of medical skill as Danakseon.

Beomgyewi finally sighed.

"Still, I think it was a good idea to come see Pavilion Master. It feels like the fog in front of my eyes has cleared."

At that moment, a voice interrupted their conversation.

"Um..."

It was Beomgyewi.

"I've been here the whole time. Did you forget about me?"