Sword God Reborn

Chapter 8 : What Kind of Bastards Are They!

Physician Jin of the Azure Star Escort Agency was a physician whose skills were recognized in the vicinity.

If not, he would not have been able to enter the Azure Star Escort Agency in the first place.

However, his reputation had recently hit rock bottom.

It was because of Cheon Mubaeck's sudden fever.

Putting aside the fact that he could not predict the fever in advance, it was a big deal that he was helpless and could not come up with a solution.

After that, Physician Jin was quite ostracized in the escort agency.

At a crucial moment, he didn't know the name of the disease, he didn't know anything, and he was powerless, so how could it be otherwise?

'Still, this is not it!'

No matter how much, this was not it.

My goodness, leaving him, a physician, aside, Cheon Mubaeck was going to perform acupuncture himself?

"Young Master. Acupuncture is a life-saving art that saves people, but if you place the needle in the wrong place, it can also become a killing art that kills people."

At Physician Jin's heavy words, Jeombak's face, lying on Cheon Mubaeck's bedding, turned pale.

"Y-Young Master!"

"Hey, hey. Don't worry. I even saved the dying leader of the martial arts alliance with this. Huh?"

Physician Jin and Jeombak's gazes met in mid-air.

When on earth did he save someone with acupuncture?

Huh? Is the leader of the martial arts alliance a nickname for an old man in the neighborhood?

At the incomprehensible words, Physician Jin wondered if the aftereffects of the fever were appearing.

'Did the heat of the fever penetrate his head?'

Huh? So his mind is a little...?

Cheon Mubaeck, regardless of the reactions around him, took out the needles from the acupuncture case.

Seeing the needles with sparkling tips, Jeombak looked like he was about to faint.

"Young Master, what if I can't walk at all after this?"

"That won't happen."

At Cheon Mubaeck's firm answer, Jeombak became desperate.

The only person who could stop this situation was Physician Jin who had come with him. Jeombak looked at Physician Jin with a desperate face.

"Physician Jin. Is there, by any chance, a fatal point in the ankle?"

"That..."

At Jeombak's pitiful face, Physician Jin could not continue his words.

He wouldn't die from a misplaced needle in the ankle.

'He might just not be able to use his foot.'

That would be a relief. It would be terrible if his lower body was paralyzed.

Physician Jin could not bear it any longer.

No matter how much the people of the escort agency treasured the youngest young master, this was crossing the line.

Physician Jin reached out to stop Cheon Mubaeck's hand, which was touching the needles, with a serious face.

"Young Master, please stop..."

Physician Jin could not finish his words. No, he couldn't.

'Huk!'

Cheon Mubaeck's pupils.

Beyond the pupils that were always filled with a warm feeling, something huge was surging.

Something that he couldn't even look at.

A pressure greater than facing the Five Great Mountains of the Central Plains. That pressure bound Physician Jin's body and soul.

'W-What on earth...!'

His breathing became increasingly difficult. It was clearly a brief moment, but it felt like an eternity. It felt like time had not just slowed down, but stopped.

Cold sweat ran down his back and his limbs trembled.

"...This. Do I need to explain a little?"

Only when a warm light reappeared in his pupils could Physician Jin finally catch his breath.

He barely looked at Cheon Mubaeck with trembling pupils.

An unchanged face.

Just the face of an ordinary handsome boy.

'What was that?'

Was it a mistake?

Jeombak, lying on the bedding, was just on the verge of tears, not knowing what had happened.

Physician Jin had no idea what the something he had just seen was.

For some reason, Physician Jin found it hard to look at Cheon Mubaeck.

"I know a little about medicine, Physician Jin."

"Yes?"

"The concave part below the outer ankle bone, this is Guheo, and the two acupoints above it are Gonryun and Haegye."

"...That's right."

"Usually, when the ankle is sprained, pressing this Guheo will alleviate it."

Cheon Mubaeck recited the acupoints without a break.

Physician Jin's pupils shook.

'How?'

Physician Jin's mouth fell open. The corners of his eyes trembled slightly.

He was even pointing out acupoints that he didn't know.

'He said he's been learning martial arts from Chief Instructor Jang recently, but is he already at this level?'

If you learn martial arts, you learn about the body's acupoints.

"The Hapgok between the thumb and index finger here, and the Guheo of the ankle bone, and the Pungji behind the neck, if you stimulate them and open the acupoints, the flow of qi will become smooth. Isn't that right?"

"Th-That's right."

"Then where do you think I'm going to place the needles now?"

"Hapgok, Guheo, and Pungji?"

"That's right."

"But..."

Cheon Mubaeck's explanation was accurate.

Physician Jin felt like he wanted to faint. He understood that he knew the acupoints because he was learning martial arts. But how did he know the healing methods and effects for each acupoint?

And even how to apply them to treat?

Cheon Mubaeck's treatment method was accurate and by the book. Even Physician Jin had no choice but to nod.

It was a clean method, to the point that he blamed himself for not thinking of it right away.

The only problem was.

"I'm sorry, but it's been ten years since Jeombak's foot became like this. Even if you place needles in the acupoints to make the energy flow, it's hardened as much as it can be."

An ankle that had been hardened for ten years.

No matter how much you stimulate the acupoints and place needles, there was no way it could be treated.

Physician Jin carefully watched his expression.

He was afraid that the huge pressure he had seen beyond that innocent-looking face a moment ago would pop out again.

But fortunately, Cheon Mubaeck did not shout, nor did he show that scary look. He smirked.

"That's why I have to do it."

"Pardon?"

"I don't think any more explanation is needed. See for yourself with your own two eyes."

"..."

Cheon Mubaeck, leaving Physician Jin with wide eyes behind him, picked up the needles.

In an instant, his upper dantian slowly opened.

He slowly circulated Heaven-Shaking Soul Art and recalled the rhythm of the daegeum he had just played in his head.

The clear energy accumulated in his upper dantian moved according to the rhythm.

His internal energy gathered minutely at the tip of the needle through his fingertips.

* * *

It was just placing needles in three acupoints, but it took quite a while.

Physician Jin, who was watching, did not dare to breathe loudly.

'Just how much is he concentrating?'

Physician Jin clicked his tongue.

The beads of sweat forming on Cheon Mubaeck's forehead.

A serious, no, engrossed expression.

For some reason, Physician Jin felt his heart grow heavy.

"Hoo!"

When Cheon Mubaeck, who had retrieved all the needles, let out a deep breath, only then did Physician Jin move his stiff body.

Because of the atmosphere, he had been watching without being able to move a single finger.

Cheon Mubaeck smiled with satisfaction and patted Jeombak's leg.

"It's done."

"Is. Is it done?"

"Yes."

"Uh..."

"Try standing up and walking."

Jeombak stood up from his seat with a bewildered face.

In fact, he hadn't felt anything, to the point that he didn't even know if the needles had been placed. There was a warm feeling, but... it was all better?

Jeombak stood up with a half-believing, half-doubting face.

And he walked.

"Huh?"

"...!"

Physician Jin's mouth fell open.

Jeombak's walk was... perfect.

Although there was a slight limp, it was because of the habit of limping for 10 years. Physician Jin could tell at a glance.

'His ankle is treated.'

In an instant, goosebumps rose all over his body.

In his common sense, with his medical knowledge, it was absolutely impossible.

How was that possible with just one acupuncture treatment?

"Th-This can't be! Y-Young Master! Thank you! Thank you!"

Jeombak's body trembled with emotion as he prostrated himself.

Cheon Mubaeck tried hard to put on a sullen expression and patted his shoulder.

"It's not over yet. We have to do it a few more times. And you have to take medicine too."

"Of course, of course. I thought I would live my whole life as a cripple. Young Master. But this is really... I will serve you with gratitude for the rest of my life."

Jeombak, who was crying his eyes out with emotion, and Cheon Mubaeck, who was waving his hand as if it was nothing.

Physician Jin looked at that scene with a strange gaze.

"Ah, Physician Jin. I need to brew medicine with these medicinal herbs, do you have them now?"

Cheon Mubaeck quickly wrote down a list of medicinal herbs.

"Hmm. I have a few, but I don't have this one right now."

"Then go get it. If you mix it with this, the body's energy will become much more relaxed, so it will definitely be effective."

"...I understand. I will go myself."

Physician Jin stood up abruptly and went out.

At that sight, a strange light flashed in Cheon Mubaeck's pupils.

'He didn't even send a servant, well. A physician should check the medicinal herbs.'

Although he was stubborn, he seemed to be a decent physician.

Cheon Mubaeck calmed down the crying Jeombak.

Not long after, Physician Jin came back with a bundle of medicinal herbs.

"That was fast?"

"There is a medicinal herb merchant who receives medicinal herbs. There were a lot of people, but when I said I was from the Azure Star Escort Agency, I was able to get them right away."

Cheon Mubaeck nodded and examined the medicinal herbs.

As expected of something that Physician Jin had personally examined and brought, the quality looked excellent even on the outside. Some of them were of such high quality that even Cheon Mubaeck was impressed.

"These are good. If I brew the medicine right away, hmm...?"

But Cheon Mubaeck's face hardened as he examined one of them.

"This, where did you get it?"

"From the medicinal herb merchant..."

"...I'll have to go myself."

"Pardon? Is there something wrong with the medicinal herbs? From what I can see..."

Physician Jin was startled.

"This is a fake."

"Pardon? Th-That can't be."

Leaving the flustered Physician Jin behind, Cheon Mubaeck looked at the medicinal herbs with a firm face.

Fake.

It's a counterfeit.

Right, it would be better if it were just a fake.

But this.

'It's full of poison.'

If you sell a fake as a real one, you're just a swindler.

But to disguise a poison that reeks of poison like this as a medicinal herb and sell it?

"What kind of bastard is playing games?"

Cheon Mubaeck's pupils blazed.

* * *

They were medicinal herbs with a refined fragrance.

The color was clean and the fragrance was excellent. They were undoubtedly high-quality medicinal herbs.

But Physician Jin's expression was complicated.

"You're saying there's a poisonous herb in here?"

"It looks like a medicinal herb, but there are a few that hide poison inside."

"What on earth..."

"Hey, just watch."

As Physician Jin continued to argue, Cheon Mubaeck's tone also became blunt.

To be precise, it was because of the medicinal herbs.

If you deceive with trash as medicinal herbs, you can just consider them a swindler.

'But he deceived with a poisonous herb as a medicinal herb.'

The shape is a perfect medicinal herb.

But the inside is poison.

What does that mean?

'It means it's an artificially made poisonous herb.'

Why?

'To poison the youngest young master of the Azure Star Escort Agency?'

Since he knew that Physician Jin was from the Azure Star Escort Agency, the person who wanted to poison him might have handed him the poison.

But that was honestly an absurd hypothesis.

Cheon Mubaeck, who had been cooped up in his room, had no reason to have a grudge against anyone.

Moreover, wasn't it that most people felt favorable towards him because he had a natural charm that drew people in?

And how would he know if the medicine was for Cheon Mubaeck, or for the escort warriors or other people?

At that moment, Physician Jin argued again.

"Young Master. I just don't understand this situation at all."

"Don't, then."

"Pardon?"

"Sigh. This, this, this, and this. Try checking them."

At Physician Jin's continued arguments, Cheon Mubaeck bluntly picked out a few medicinal herbs and pushed them towards him.

At some point, Cheon Mubaeck's tone had changed from half-formal to completely informal and blunt, but Physician Jin was so engrossed in the medicinal herbs that Cheon Mubaeck had chosen that he didn't even notice.

Physician Jin looked at the medicinal herbs with a bewildered expression.

He was a medicinal herb merchant he was close to.

To think that he had deliberately given him a poisonous herb. It was an unbelievable thing, no, he didn't even want to believe it.

'But he clearly seemed to have a deep knowledge of medicine.'

No, it wasn't that he seemed to have a deep knowledge.

He actually showed it, didn't he? The fact that he completely treated Jeombak's ankle.

Physician Jin readily admitted it. The reason he had become a fairly skilled physician was thanks to that mindset.

He had no unnecessary stubbornness or prejudice. So he quickly acknowledged Cheon Mubaeck's medical skills.

He could recite the body's acupoints, and his acupuncture skills were also excellent. He had perfectly treated Jeombak's ankle, which he had never even imagined.

Then he must be extraordinary in medicinal herbs as well.

He could not dismiss Cheon Mubaeck's words as nonsense.

Clatter.

He took out a silver needle from the acupuncture case and poked the medicinal herbs that Cheon Mubaeck had pushed towards him.

"...!"

In an instant, an earthquake occurred in Physician Jin's pupils.

The silver needle that turned black.

It's poison!

Physician Jin, like a man possessed, stuck the silver needle into all the medicinal herbs with a pale face.

He muttered in a bewildered voice at the result.

"How can this be...!"

Physician Jin let out a deflated sound.

Surprisingly, the medicinal herbs were full of poisonous herbs.

What was more surprising was the fact that the silver needles that had turned black were all the ones that Cheon Mubaeck had pointed out.

His eyes widened as if they would pop out at this unbelievable fact.

"When on earth? When did you become so knowledgeable in medicine..."

He was clearly Cheon Mubaeck who had only been engrossed in arts and music.

When people see something they can't understand, they sometimes come to regard a wrong basis as reasonable in order to understand it.

At that moment, what caught Physician Jin's eye were the books and paintings that filled the room.

'Books!'

Books that were densely packed.

There were many books, starting from the Analects and Mencius. Among them, there was a book title that caught Physician Jin's attention.

'The Comprehensive Guide to Medicine?'

Huh.

Was that it?

Physician Jin, along with admiration, wanted to give Cheon Mubaeck a round of applause.

'Did he learn all this by himself through self-study?'

Even though he had learned from a teacher and practiced medicine countless times, he had not been able to perform the treatment and had not had the eye to distinguish the poisonous herbs among the medicinal herbs.

To think that he had learned all this by himself just by looking at books.

Physician Jin muttered in a trembling voice.

"Not only a genius in arts and music, but also a genius in medicine."

(End of Chapter)