The Physician of Traditional Medicine Returns from Murim - Chapter 1

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 1

“I haven’t even begun to repay a fraction of the debt I owe to the Divine Physician, and now you’re leaving so suddenly.”

Lady Heo, a peerless beauty who would be second to none in Sichuan, wept as she dampened her sleeves.

“What other repayment could there be? Your good health is my joy.”

“But if it weren’t for the Divine Physician, my child would never have seen the light of this world.”

“That’s right!”

“If I had known you were leaving, I would have done so much more for you…”

When one person showed tears, even the servants who had been cheerfully saying their farewells began to sob.

“We’ll miss you!”

“Sob sob…”

“Once again, I bow my head in gratitude. Thank you.”

Had I really formed connections with so many people?

It had been quite a long time since I had taken refuge with the Tang Family, so there were quite a few people I knew as a physician. Among them, I had only contacted about ten close friends, yet dozens had come out to see me off.

“If you leave like this, I don’t know who will treat my husband’s chronic illness.”

The leader of the Heavenly Demon Sect.

The great demon lord who had given me the nickname Divine Physician and made me famous was also pouting with her arms crossed.

She was truly frightening when I first met her.

But after growing close through treating her husband, she now treated me like a dear friend.

“You don’t need to worry about your husband. As I’ve always told you, if he just stops his dawn training, there will be no problems.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. Ah, next time you come to the Central Plains, be sure to contact the Sect.”

I waved my hands dismissively, but Cheonma looked very regretful as she grasped my hands.

“Tsk.”

Someone who found this scene disagreeable clicked their tongue.

The only man who could boldly frown in front of Cheonma was the Martial Arts Alliance Leader.

“Young Master Namgung is doing well, I trust?”

I quickly stepped between the two of them.

Since this was a gathering to see me off, they wouldn’t cross any lines, but these two absolute masters competing for the title of the world’s greatest were like natural disasters that could erupt at any moment.

“Of course.”

“Haha, that’s truly a relief.”

“The boy should greet you in person as a matter of courtesy, but his body isn’t ready to use lightness skills yet, so he couldn’t come.”

“Of course he should rest properly!”

Unlike Cheonma’s husband, whom I had treated like a personal physician, I had met the Martial Arts Alliance Leader’s son less than a year ago.

His blood and vital fluids had been severely damaged by internal injuries, barely clinging to life. For him to come all this way just to see me? That was absolutely out of the question.

“The Martial Arts Alliance always welcomes the Divine Physician.”

“It’s an honor, truly.”

Since these were people who had taken the trouble to come see me one last time, I expressed my heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of them.

But I couldn’t keep this up forever.

“Everyone, farewell! Thank you for everything until now!”

If I delayed any longer, I might not be able to depart today. I bent my waist 90 degrees and bowed to everyone.

It didn’t match the etiquette of this place, but what did it matter?

‘Still, you really didn’t come? No matter how upset you were… I thought you’d at least see me off.’

I looked around at the gathered people one last time, but my master was nowhere to be seen.

With regret, I departed using lightness skills.

It had already been 20 years since I suddenly fell into this martial arts novel-like world. Of those, I had spent more than 10 years right here in Dangjata.

It was thanks to my master who had graciously given me a place in the Tang Family’s medical pavilion.

‘Tsk, I knew he’d be disappointed.’

Since he was the only person who knew that my homeland wasn’t simply some frontier region, I had expected he would be quite surprised.

But what was with throwing a tantrum telling me not to go?

Settle down here permanently?

It was a grateful suggestion, but… that was out of the question.

For all 20 years, not missing a single moment, I had longed for my homeland, South Korea.

Actually, it wasn’t as if I had been overflowing with patriotism when I was in South Korea.

Moreover, now no martial arts master could pose a threat to me anymore.

All the people I had come to know here were precious, and the sky-high fame and mountain-like gold and silver treasures were beyond compare.

‘So what? Even if gold was rotting from abundance, I couldn’t lay internet data networks.’

I was someone who preferred a life of gaming under microfiber blankets over being dressed in silk and surrounded by gold.

To reclaim those precious days, I had researched continuously.

And finally succeeded.

“I’m sorry, Master! May you always be in good health – this disciple will pray for it from South Korea, thousands of miles away!”

After bowing toward Dangjata where my master would be.

I unleashed the Soul Return Great Technique.

I had waited and prepared for this day.

At the moment when the moon completely disappeared and the yin energy was at its strongest, I poured out almost all of the internal energy I had accumulated over the years.

Whoooosh—.

A massive light enveloped me.

It was exactly the same scene as when I had been dragged to this place.

* * *

A towering 20-story Building. Cars running faster than aerial void crossing techniques. And people wearing nylon and polyester clothes.

A dream-like world I had longed to see for so long.

“Huh? Where did you go… No wait, Yewon, why are you still here?”

The Hotel door opened and clear Korean pierced my ears.

How long had it been since I heard my native language?

Seeing my old friend’s face, I felt like tears of emotion might flow.

“Didn’t you leave for Sichuan Province by train earlier? Don’t tell me you missed it?”

“Yeah. There was traffic.”

“Oh my god, what should we do? Don’t you need to book the next train?”

My friend turned on her phone in confusion, but I felt like shouting with joy.

I succeeded.

I really succeeded in returning!

Fourth weekend of August. Beijing, China.

The time and place were perfect without a single error.

“It’s fine. Since it turned out this way, I’ll just go to South Korea.”

My name is Hanyewon, and the friend who called me is Hwangseoyeong.

We had come to China using our last vacation.

It wasn’t a simple trip.

She and I were fourth-year classmates in the Korean Medicine Department at Korean University, and we crossed the West Sea to participate in an internship at the Affiliated Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine University.

We had done internships following the curriculum at our own university hospital, but we made this decision because we wanted to see more diverse patients in China.

‘Though I didn’t know I’d see them quite so diversely.’

Just because we came for an internship didn’t mean we could only go back and forth to the hospital.

I originally loved martial arts novels, and among them, the Sichuan Dang Family was my favorite. Moreover, I love spicy food and go crazy for malatang or hotpot.

How could someone like me come all the way to China and not stop by Sichuan Province?

“What are you talking about? You’ve been singing about how excited you were for months! There will be remaining tickets. You should go today or tomorrow at least.”

Unlike me, who had been so enthusiastic about travel, my friend was only interested in the internship.

No matter how close she was to me, she wouldn’t accompany me to Sichuan Province, transferring trains multiple times, so I had planned to go to Sichuan Province alone during the last week before vacation ended.

No, I actually had gone.

Twenty years ago by my perception, and just a few hours ago from this point in time when I returned.

I had woken up at dawn and left for Sichuan Province, and got lost as soon as I arrived.

‘Phew.’

Remembering that incident made my heart pound even now.

While I was wandering in a place where I couldn’t communicate, an Old Man approached me in fluent Korean, telling me to follow him.

I should have been suspicious of the strange atmosphere, but hearing my native language in a foreign land, I let down my guard and followed him.

The moment I felt unease as we entered a Secluded Area, a brilliant white light engulfed me.

What happened after that… would take ten books to tell, so I’ll skip it.

“It’s fine, it’s fine. I won’t go to places like Sichuan. Let’s return home together.”

The destination I had set for the soul return technique was this Hotel in Beijing where we had been staying, right before boarding the train to Sichuan Province.

I would have liked to go straight to my home in South Korea, but I returned to this exact time in case something went wrong and caused problems with immigration records.

“What? You’re just going back to South Korea?”

That was exactly the wish I had cherished for the past twenty years.

I would never go near Sichuan Province again in my lifetime. No, I would never set foot on Chinese soil again.

I should finish my remaining school days quietly and live peacefully.

“I was actually thinking about not going because I’m too tired anyway.”

My heart was resolute, but I just smiled awkwardly.

“What…? It’s not because I said I didn’t want to take the Airplane alone, is it?”

“Come on, of course not.”

Hwangseoyeong frowned and tilted her head.

She seemed unable to understand my suddenly changed attitude.

“Alright. I’ll check if there are remaining seats on the plane.”

But she didn’t try to stop me anymore.

Having already missed the train, what would be the point of leaving me behind?

She too seemed to want company during the long flight.

* * *

After finishing the complicated boarding procedures, we finally got on the Airplane.

“Wow~ We’re lucky there were seats available.”

I went to the window seat and plopped down heavily.

I was quite tired from gathering the little energy remaining in my dantian.

“Right.”

“Are you really okay with the plane fare?”

Hwangseoyeong asked carefully. If it had been the old me who acted like a miser, I would have been shocked at the full-price airfare paid on the same day, but a few hundred thousand won was not a concern for me now.

“Don’t worry about it. What can I do about missing the train?”

As she said, it was fortunate that there was a seat available. I could worry about my bank balance after returning to South Korea.

– Dear passengers, hello. This is Korean Air flight 875 bound for Incheon Airport, and we will be taking off shortly. Please turn off all electronic devices in your possession.

Soon after, the in-flight announcement began.

I couldn’t use my phone right after coming back. It was heartbreaking.

“What should I do first when I get back to South Korea?”

Still, if I could just endure a few more hours, I’d finally be in South Korea, the place of my dreams.

“Classes start right when you get back, so what time do you even have~.”

“I should definitely eat kimchi stew first, right? Then hamburgers, spaghetti, and oh, tempura udon too.”

Hwangseoyeong dampened my spirits, but something like the start of classes couldn’t stop my excitement.

I muttered about all the foods that came to mind and turned on the screen attached to the seat in front of me.

If I couldn’t turn on my phone, I had to do at least this.

The graphics were very old, but to me, having done a 20-year digital detox, it was incredibly stimulating.

Bang bang bang bang bang!

Even while chatting with Hwangseoyeong, I excitedly destroyed enemy fighter jets.

* * *

About an hour had passed like that.

“Are there any medical professionals among the passengers?”

At the flight attendant’s sudden call for a doctor, I reflexively stood up from my seat.

“Yes!”

It was a habit from when I used to run around the battlefield where every second counted, trying to save even one more person.

“Huh?”

Hwangseoyeong, who had been dozing off, looked up at me in surprise.

“Hanyewon, what are you trying to do?”

Hwangseoyeong’s voice was filled with bewilderment.

Only then did I realize the reality.

‘I’m not a divine healer or anything anymore!’

Right… what should I do?

I belatedly realized I had made a mistake, but the flight attendant was already approaching.

I wasn’t worried that there might be a patient I couldn’t treat.

While I couldn’t treat every patient in the world, I had enough confidence that if I couldn’t do it, no one else could.

The problem was the license.

‘I’ve treated all sorts of bizarre and extraordinary diseases, but here I’m unlicensed.’

Performing medical procedures recklessly as a student in modern times could get me into serious legal trouble.

“There’s a doctor here too!”

Just then, someone from the back seat also raised their hand.

Fortunately, it seemed there was another medical professional on the plane.

I secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

“Both of you, could you please come forward for a moment?”

I went to see the patient with a much more relaxed mind.

Hwangseoyeong followed me anxiously.

In fact, excluding my experience in the martial arts world, my only real practice was a few days of medical volunteer work, so it was natural for her to be nervous.

“Huff, huff…”

At the very front of the aircraft, in the space in front of business class, a man in his thirties wearing a suit was gasping for breath.

“Are, are you the doctor?”

Clutching his chest with an extremely pained expression, he brightened up as if he had met his savior when we appeared.

“Yes.”

More precisely, the doctor who had raised his hand from behind, not me.

The middle-aged man’s appearance, with age etched into his wrinkles, was enough to inspire confidence.

“How many years of experience do you have?”

Instead of taking the patient’s hand, the doctor turned to look at me.

It was obvious from appearance that he had overwhelming experience. He meant that he would examine the patient.

‘I guess he had some romantic notion about airplane doctor calls.’

That was exactly what I had hoped for too.

“Still… mmph.”

I covered Hwangseoyeong’s mouth as she was about to say I was a student and answered politely.

“I graduated not too long ago. Please, you examine the patient.”

Setting aside getting into trouble, there was no need to unnecessarily worry the patient, was there?

“Indeed.”

Though his tone was quite annoyed, the martial arts masters also used to give teachings while grumbling in exactly that manner.

Since putting on airs had little to do with actual skill, I tried to listen to his diagnosis with an open mind.

…But I soon found myself fidgeting.

The diagnosis—it shouldn’t be going in that direction, should it?

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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