“It’s like a strategy you need when living in an organization or group. Humans are emotional creatures. Small tactics can solve many problems.”

“Is that the wisdom of people who haven’t learned martial arts?”

“It’s wisdom needed whether you have martial arts or not. This is why martial artists are no good. They draw their swords at the slightest thing, stabbing each other. Man, you can’t live long like that. Let’s say a doctor saves you at that moment with all their might. Do you know how fatal it is to have air enter your internal organs?”

“Hmm…”

“Do you think the body will completely return to its original state just by stitching it up, as if people were game characters? Those guys end up coming back to the hospital later with intestinal adhesions.”

“…I really don’t understand what you’re talking about at all, hyung. Is a doctor the same as a physician? And what’s this game thing?”

“I misspoke.”

“…”

Yeo Ha-ryoon looked at his hyung suspiciously, then finally shrugged.

Jin Cheon-hee said:

“Anyway, if there’s a need to use a sword, hold back three times. And if you really must use it, think about where the nearest physician is and stab carefully, leaving them alive.”

“…What if it’s someone who must be killed?”

It wasn’t the kind of thing that should come from a child’s lips.

Even more so, it wasn’t something to say while stuffing your mouth with fried honey rice cakes without drinking water, having already finished the tanghulu.

Jin Cheon-hee answered that question:

“Then kill them decisively on the spot. Leave no chance for a physician to intervene. You wouldn’t understand the heart that tries to save someone even knowing it’s impossible.”

Yeo Ha-ryoon furrowed his brow, deep in thought.

Eventually, he said:

“Twice.”

“What?”

“I’ll try holding back twice. Because it’s your words, hyung. Three times seems too late no matter how I think about it.”

“What’s too late?”

“…”

Instead of answering, Yeo Ha-ryoon busily ate his skewer.

Seeing this clear expression of unwillingness to answer, Jin Cheon-hee didn’t ask further.

The fact that he would think twice before killing someone was quite a significant achievement.

A sword can make some things easier, but it can also make things more difficult.

This guy had never had trouble because he lacked strength or because he spared someone who should have died.

Rather, he had often complicated matters by killing those who shouldn’t be killed, or by his madness threatening to consume him as he killed.

Just this alone would clearly improve his future path.

“I’m not saying don’t kill. I’m saying think about it.”

“Mm.”

The boy’s mouth set in a straight line.

“I will, hyung.”

“Good boy. Is there anything else you want to eat?”

“What’s that dish over there that’s made with stewed pig intestines?”

“It’ll be quite spicy, can you handle it?”

“No need to worry about that, hyung.”

His tone was rather solemn.

He seemed to be steeling himself in front of the spicy smell that was enough to make one cough.

***

That guy seems to have an infinite stomach. He ate endlessly.

Books often mentioned that martial artists generally eat more than ordinary people. That’s true.

Unless you’re a master on the verge of transcendence, if you move a lot, you need to eat a lot.

It’s the law of calorie conservation.

Martial artists have activity levels far surpassing ordinary people.

A sword is heavier than it looks, and just swinging it for an hour makes your whole body scream.

The body will desperately draw calories from fat cells, and the stomach will order the brain to gather more calories.

It means you get hungry. And if this is repeated, the stomach naturally expands and you end up eating a lot.

After all, the human body is shaped by genetics and habits.

‘That’s why when people enter their forties, they really have to take responsibility for their own bodies. Even if you tell them that… Oops, this isn’t right.’

Anyway, Little Cheonma is already an incredible big eater.

“Hyung, you don’t need to give up your food for me…”

“…No, I’m really full.”

I gave him two more hotteok.

“Don’t hold back, eat. Your hyung is giving it to you. You shouldn’t refuse what your hyung gives.”

“Hmm, I’ve never heard that before, but thank you, hyung…”

The boy put the hotteok in his mouth.

Before they knew it, the sun was setting over the market.

The two watched a troupe of performers. A large dragon mask moved as if it were alive.

It was amazing how they made it breathe fire, I wondered how they did it.

Jin Cheon-hee asked in a very small voice that only he could hear:

“You’re leaving soon, right?”

The Demonic Sect.

At Jin Cheon-hee’s words, Yeo Ha-ryoon erased his expression and became serious.

“I heard they’re organizing another escort party and will depart soon.”

“It’ll be a tough journey, but you’re still going?”

“Because there’s no other way.”

“I see.”

“…”

The dragon left and now a tightrope walker appeared. He climbed onto a high rope and jumped up and down.

Of course, there were no safety devices or nets.

That’s the kind of era it was.

People laughed and applauded. Coins rained down from here and there.

“Why don’t you ask? Why I’m obsessed with that place. Why I’m voluntarily going to a place everyone calls hell.”

At Yeo Ha-ryoon’s words, Jin Cheon-hee smiled gently.

Seeing that, Yeo Ha-ryoon seemed to realize something and his voice lowered slightly.

“Do you… know something?”

Jin Cheon-hee answered:

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I just thought you must have a reason since it’s what you decided.”

Yeo Ha-ryoon’s mouth formed a straight line.

After keeping his mouth shut for a while, he said:

“Hyung.”

“Yes?”

“Someday, you’ll tell me what you’re hiding, right?”

‘No, I won’t tell you no matter how much time passes. It’s only good for being labeled a madman if I tell you.’

But Jin Cheon-hee smiled slightly and answered like this:

“Yes. Someday. You’re my dongsaeng, after all.”

Saying that, he stood up.

“Let’s go back.”

“Okay.”

“And today, I’ll tell you what you wanted to hear. You should hear it before you leave.”

How to solve blood congestion.

It was the final lesson.

********

Arc 2: Bound to Lose Someday, But Not Yet

Yeo Ha-ryoon left like that.

After seeing him off, Jin Cheon-hee let out a small sigh.

‘Now what should I do…’

He had done everything he could.

The rest is up to our protagonist to figure out.

‘Still, it feels strange to be called hyung by the great Yeo Ha-ryoon.’

It feels good, but that’s all.

Now Jin Cheon-hee’s life remained.

Gongsun Hyeon sent the Black Pine Cloud Sword. Since Gongsun Yeong had collapsed, she asked to allow her to express her gratitude once she woke up.

They say Gongsun Yeong finally broke through the wall to become a peak master.

A Gong family warrior said with a wide grin that she would receive a great reward.

Judging from other things he heard, it seemed they seriously wanted to recruit Jin Cheon-hee into the Gong family.

‘The Gong family… isn’t bad either.’

If it were at the point in the novel where Gongsun Yeong died, it would be one of the three great evil lairs you should never go to, but now Gongsun Yeong is alive and well, and even became a peak master.

‘Working as a physician for the Gong family.’

Just making penicillin would be worth his weight in gold as a doctor.

Blue mold.

It’s not for nothing that doctors in novels, movies, or dramas set in the past always start by making penicillin.

But it’s not easy to make.

Due to the nature of mold, it’s sensitive to temperature and environment, and even if you cultivate it until your hands fall off, it’s difficult to reach the mass fermentation production stage with current technology.

Still, it should be enough to protect one family.

‘The Cloud-Dragon Escort Agency isn’t bad either.’

He had succeeded in buttering up the elders of the Cloud-Dragon Escort Agency, led by the agency head Woon Ji-sang.

He is the little benefactor of the Cloud-Dragon Escort Agency.

The escort agency does various jobs. In modern terms, it could be described as a combination of a delivery company, a security company, and a service company.

They do numerous jobs as intermediaries and receive money.

In this martial world where swords are faster than words, there are many occasions when people come injured.

Naturally, the role of a physician is important.

He could aim for a key position in the future.

That wouldn’t be a bad life either.

Jin Cheon-hee lay on the wooden porch, blankly basking in the sunlight.

Until recently, he had been struggling to survive.

Now it feels like he’s lost a molar tooth.

“So you were here.”

Silver hair entered his field of vision.

Soon after, a pale face devoid of any color.

A man with the body temperature of a snake rather than a human spoke to him.

Divine Doctor Baek Rin.

The one people revered as a divine physician.

“Would you like to have a chat for a moment?”

***

“What? Me as your direct disciple…?”

“It’s more strange that you didn’t notice despite all the hints I’ve been giving.”

‘Well, that’s because you never took on a disciple even once in the novel… right?’

If he had read even one line describing him showing interest in a successor, it might have been different.

He just lived aloofly and died aloofly.

He never seemed to feel loneliness, nor did he have any attachments.

In some ways, he looked like a person whose desires had been castrated.

Jin Cheon-hee’s eyes rolled around.

‘This is huge. This is even bigger than the Gong family and Cloud-Dragon Escort Agency combined.’

Divine Doctor.

His title had the character for “divine” in it.

His patients are mainly martial artists. Among them, he treats those who can’t be cured by ordinary physicians.

Due to the nature of being a physician, he also treats people from the imperial palace or government, and even treats people from the Demonic Sect.

The more unusual and unknown the disease, the more likely it is to catch the Divine Doctor’s interest.

Catching his interest means he won’t treat just anyone even if they have money or fame.

Famous families who can’t do without him are already lining up.

However, the one problem is that he suffers from the Nine Yin Meridian Obstruction as the last descendant of the Zhuge family.

He ascended to the position of Divine Doctor revered by all, but couldn’t cure his own body.

No, if it were just a disease, there might be hope.

Strictly speaking, the Nine Yin Meridian Obstruction is a constitution.

It could only be said that he was born that way.

He studied medicine with the desire to live, but ironically, he couldn’t solve his own illness.

‘By now, he should have somewhat accepted his terminal life…’

Jin Cheon-hee thought.

‘Why me?’

Divine Doctor Baek Rin asked:

“Do you dislike it?”

“Ah, no! How could I! It’s a great honor! It’s just so sudden.”

“I’m glad.”

Divine Doctor Baek Rin smiled softly.

It was still very strange. Even with the sun shining down like this, not even a tiny bit of warmth could be felt from the man.

Jin Cheon-hee thought and thought, then said:

“What should I learn if I become your disciple?”

“You should learn everything from me.”

He answered without a moment’s hesitation.

It wasn’t a simple joke. Nor was it hiding any other meaning.

He really wanted Jin Cheon-hee to become his disciple.

“You seem to be hesitating about something.”

Divine Doctor Baek Rin, the Divine Doctor, wasn’t he himself a patient?

Thinking with just the head, it’s a golden opportunity.

He’s about to die. With no descendants, all his achievements and legacy would become Jin Cheon-hee’s.

But was that enough?