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TL: ALT
Chapter 19 – How To Locate Pressure Points
[A patient from the dimensional gate has been hospitalized.]
[Hospitalized Patient: Dang Cheonbi]
[The points awarded increase depending on the patient's recovery.]I hospitalized the physician who called himself Nak-yong.
In my house.
But even calling it hospitalization…
“You can sleep here from now on.”
It was just renting him a room in our house.
There was no way there could be a hospital-like ward.
Nak-yong nodded as if he’d expected it.
“It reminds me of when I was kicked out of the noble household. It’s nice.”
“…Is that a compliment?”
“Sometimes ignorance is bliss, you know.”
Anyway, the introduction to his new living quarters was complete.
There was one thing left to do.
“We’ll begin treatment immediately.”
“Starting this quickly?”
“As I mentioned, this is a chronic condition.
I’m not a specialist surgeon.
Therefore, surgery is not an option.
I must do my best with the methods available to me.
“The treatment plan consists of three stages.”
“Oh, it’s systematic.”
First, we’ll treat your fingers with herbal medicine and acupuncture. You’ll also need to apply traditional Korean external medicine regularly.”
“Traditional Korean external medicine?”
“It’s a method where medicinal herbs are kneaded into a paste to remove stagnant blood and reduce swelling. Then, the paste is applied to the injured area.”
That’s the treatment plan for the next one to two weeks.
“Once you’ve mostly recovered, we’ll combine cupping and Chuna therapy.”
“Chuna therapy?”
“It’s a method to correct the damaged area and restore the joints in your hand.”
As I continued, Nak-yong’s eyes lit up.
He clearly hadn’t expected such a detailed treatment plan.
“Once this process is complete, your treatment will be finished, Mr. Nak-yong.”
“Hm? I thought there were three stages of treatment…”
“The final stage involves improving your lifestyle. You’ll return to your original location, take the herbal medicine, and perform the rehabilitation exercises. That’s the end of my treatment.”
“Indeed, the most important part rests with the patients themselves.”
After hearing my entire plan, Nak-yong nodded.
He didn’t doubt it.
As a physician, he must have known there was nothing wrong with my plan.
“As expected of the divine doctor. To have planned such a meticulous treatment process.”
“Then, first, let us proceed with the initial stage.”
I reached out my hand as I said this.
At that, Nureongi came scurrying over.
“Young Master, here I am!”
“Thank you, Nurse Nu.”
“Hehe! It’s nothing!”
After patting Nureongi on the head, I handed Nak-yong a packet of herbal medicine.
“Would you like to try it first?”
“So this is the ‘herbal medicine’ you mentioned.”
“That’s correct.”
“Then I’ll gladly drink it.”
Nak-yong took the medicine I offered her.
The medicine was made only with ingredients that are beneficial for treating fingers.
Therefore, I was confident it would be effective.
But…
[Master of the Herb Garden effect activated.]
[The effect of herbal medicine increased by 200%.]However, only the standard message appeared.
The message I wanted didn’t appear.
“I guess there’s no effect for the finger pain to disappear.”
It seems it has to be the recipe written in Yakseon’s notebook after all. Seeing that, I thought about tweaking the recipe a bit.
“Hmph! It’s quite bitter!”
“Bitter medicine is good for the body.”
“But I don’t feel any different.”
“It’s a long-term battle.”
I couldn’t find the recipe for torn finger ligaments in Yakseon’s notebook.
Therefore, all I could do was fight the battle of time.
Understanding this, Nak-yong quietly nodded.
“Then I’ll proceed with acupuncture.”
We headed to the makeshift treatment room.
Afterwards, I examined Nak-yong’s finger.
“It’s still serious.”
There was no way he could throw a dagger with a finger like that. I understood why he had given up his dagger skills.
“Where do you plan to place the needles?”
“…You seem to be enjoying this now.”
“I’m a physician myself. Seeing a more skilled physician, how could I not enjoy it?”
At those words, I chuckled softly, too.
Nak-yong was indeed a physician.
“I’ll place needles at the Hegu, Quchi, and Ashi points.”
[T/N: These are well-known acupuncture points used in traditional Chinese and Korean medicine. Hegu is LI4, Quchi is LI11, and Ashi literally means "Ah, yes," referring to a tender or painful spot that reacts when pressed.]“Oh, so that’s how it plays out.”
“Additionally, I’ll place needles at Taichong and Joksamni.”
[T/N: Taichong is LV3 and Joksamni is ST36.]“Hm? Taichong and Joksamni? Why?”
“To regulate the pain.”
Upon hearing this, Nak-yong’s eyes widened.
He clearly hadn’t expected me to know about such things.
Then again, what reason would there be to manage pain in the martial arts world?
Getting better fast is all that matters there.
“Your medical skill is truly divine.”
“Is that so?”
“It’s not just about treatment. Above all else, it’s a method that prioritizes the patient.”
“It’s all the wisdom of my ancestors.”
With that, I touched Nak-yong’s body.
Then, I carefully located the acupoints all over his body and began inserting needles.
After inserting the needles, I took a moment to catch my breath.
“I know it’s uncomfortable, but you must stay like this for a while.”
“That’s fine, but may I ask one question?”
“Go ahead.”
Nak-yong asked, looking puzzled.
“You… Are you sure you can see the acupoints?”
At those words, my eyes widened.
* * *
At the same time.
The Flower Garden was the pinnacle of the information group that controlled all the world’s intelligence.
Yunseol, the leader of the Flower Garden, was racking her brains.
“Voyager, you damn bastard…”
Her anger hadn’t subsided.
As usual, she was collecting information with Lapis and Lazuli.
Suddenly, Voyager attacked them.
And for no reason whatsoever.
Because of Voyager, Lapis suffered critical injuries.
“What about Voyager’s information?”
“It remains unchanged.”
“He really is a troublesome bastard.”
Why couldn’t the Flower Garden, a group focused on intelligence, find Voyager’s information?
There was a reason for it all.
Voyager possessed the ability to transform.
“Voyager is changing his appearance relentlessly. In fact, finding his whereabouts is difficult, let alone gathering information.”
“I suppose so. That’s one of his lifelines.”
Yunseol didn’t press her subordinate.
Unlike typical organizations, she deeply valued her subordinates.
Moreover, even she couldn’t obtain information on Voyager.
Therefore, there was no reason to be angry.
“Still, I’ll catch him someday and make him pay.”
With this thought, Yunseol continued sharpening her blade.
Then,
“Your Majesty, I have something to report.”
A subordinate approached her.
Yunseol frowned as she received the documents.
“Information was leaked?”
“Yes, and the leaked information is… only about Master Hua Tuo.”
Correct.
This is the reason why no information about Hua Tuo could be obtained until now.
It’s why Hua Tuo could live in the shadows, shrouded in mystery.
It was all thanks to Yunseol.
“Information only I could know!”
Of course, it wasn’t out of goodwill.
She hid Hua Tuo’s information out of pure obsession.
Now, she wanted to feel the pride of being the only one who could meet Hua Tuo.
“How deeply has the information been leaked?”
“That is… Master Hua Tuo’s current location.”
“What? That’s really bad!”
“Ah, but it’s not the exact location.”
“Even if it’s not the exact location, it’s still a big deal!”
What if this happens?
The situation Yunseol dreaded most would come true.
That would be…
“Other people will start going to see our Hua Tuo, too!”
She wanted to keep Hua Tuo all to herself.
But with the information leaked, that became impossible.
Other patients would surely seek out Hua Tuo from now on.
Yunseol resented that thought.
“But it’s been spilled. There’s nothing to be done.”
Still, no one would dare harm Hua Tuo.
As far as she knew, no one held a grudge against him.
Not a single one.
If there were, she would have killed them.
“So, what was leaked? Nothing else, just the location?”
“That’s correct. The information that the newly trending ‘Awakener, Hua Tuo’ and ‘Back Alley Doctor, Hua Tuo’ are the same person is still secure.”
“That’s a relief.”
She wasn’t the head of an information-based organization for nothing.
She knew the two Hua Tuos were the same person.
But she deliberately didn’t show it.
The reason?
“Because it didn’t seem like Master Hua Tuo wanted that.”
Hua Tuo was a quiet person who disliked being in the spotlight.
Therefore, Yunseol respected that aspect of him.
In fact, she reinforced that trait.
She deliberately controlled the community, manipulating things so that the Awakener Hua Tuo seemed like a different person than Doctor Hua Tuo.
That was the plan.
Of course, information about Hua Tuo was scarce to begin with, so the plan rarely came up.
“Well, the leaked information can’t be helped.”
“I’m ashamed.
“Instead, we’ll have to move ‘that plan’ forward a bit.”
“…Are you really going to carry out that plan?”
“Hm? Are you questioning my decision now?”
“Ah, no.”
Yunseol had already made up her mind.
She was going to carry out the plan she’d been contemplating.
She vowed silently,
“I will protect Master Hua Tuo.”
No matter what happened, she would protect him.
* * *
Nak-yong chuckled as he looked at me.
“You really can’t see the acupoints?”
I can’t see them.
I just stabbed based on memory.
When I admitted this to him, Nak-yong was very surprised.
“Do all martial arts physicians have the ability to see acupoints?”
“Of course not. But I thought all skilled practitioners, like you, could see them.”
“I feel a bit embarrassed.”
“No, there’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
Nak-yong shook his head.
“On the contrary, it’s remarkable that you can perform acupuncture at this level without seeing the acupoints.”
“Is that so?”
“Because relying solely on memory to place needles requires absolute confidence.”
Nak-yong seemed to hold me in higher regard.
I’d always thought of it as the flailing of an incompetent fool in a desperate situation.
“Still, seeing the acupoints is extremely important.”
“You’re right.”
“The assassination technique I intend to teach you also fundamentally requires the ability to see acupoints.”
He was right.
An assassination technique is a martial skill that only works if it strikes the vital point precisely.
Therefore, being able to see the acupoints was crucial.
“Then I suppose we must change the plan.”
“How do you plan to change it?”
“Originally, I thought you could see the vital points, but since that’s not the case, I must first teach you to see them.”
My heart began to race at those words.
Being able to see the vital points meant…
“I could stand at the same level as Father!”
I’ve always just followed in my father’s footsteps.
For someone like me to be able to do something closer to his level was unimaginable.
It was as if one of my dreams was coming true.
“Of course, I’m still far behind Father in many ways.”
But this is still something!
Besides, if I keep receiving guests like this… Before I know it, I’ll be on par with Father’s skill level.
“First, I’ll teach you how to identify acupoints.”
“Understood.”
“I heard Yeong-do helped you create your dantian…”
“Indeed, the dantian is already formed.”
“That saves me some trouble.”
Nak-yong nodded and moved behind me.
“First, assume the lotus position.”
[T/N: This is a cross-legged sitting pose where each foot is placed on the opposite thigh, creating a flower-like appearance.]At his words, I crossed my legs.
Then, Nak-yong’s hand came up to my head.
He spoke quietly.
“Excuse me for a moment.”
At that instant—
—Zzz!
A powerful pain shot through my head.
This wasn’t a simple headache.
This was…
“Internal energy!”
Nak-yong was forcing his internal energy into my body.
Actually, he was drawing it out.
The dormant blue energy within my dantian.
Nak-yong’s internal energy seized and pulled my clear qi all the way from my dantian to my head.
It traveled all the way to my head.
“Focus your mind! Move it as if you’re covering your eyes with internal energy!”
I tried to manipulate the clear qi as Nak-yong instructed.
But it was difficult.
After all, clear qi was wild and unruly.
Due to the twisted qi energy, the pain throughout my body was severe.
Drip, drip!
Sweat dripped from my forehead down my chin.
If this continued, I would fail.
“Absolutely not!”
Just as I was wrestling with the clear qi…
[Yakseon’s herb garden suppresses the energy of the clear qi.]
That message appeared.
At that very moment…
“Guh!”
I coughed up blood.
Seeing this, Nak-yong quickly pulled his hand away and said,
“Did it fail?”
“Still, don’t be too disheartened. It normally takes at least two weeks to see the blood points.”
Nak-yong spoke beside me.
But I didn’t hear a word he said.
And no wonder.
“Is this the world Father saw?”
A whole new world had just unfolded before me.
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