The Physician of Traditional Medicine Returns from Murim - Chapter 122
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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 122
“No, the downward strike needs to be much stronger! Like this, swoosh- coming down.”
I tried to teach Jeon Minji the domineering swordsmanship of the Namgung Family style.
“Taaaat!”
Whooom-.
Though it was just a light practice sword, when I swung it, it properly made the sound of cutting through air.
“Like this, taaaaat!”
But when Jeon Minji swung it… the feeling just wasn’t there at all.
“Clinic Director, this isn’t going to work.”
Chu Miyoung, who was filming and trying different angles, also shook her head.
Even imagining CG filters over her eyes with blue sword energy swirling around, it still wasn’t enough.
“Let’s change the technique… I mean, the movement.”
This can’t be salvaged.
The techniques of Jeowanggeomhyeong, which pursued strong sword, dominating sword, and heavy sword, were too difficult for Jeon Minji, who had no basic swordsmanship foundation whatsoever.
It just looked like cosplay with random swinging!
Though that was actually accurate, the video still needed to look cool, not funny.
“What should we do?”
Jeon Minji had tried earnestly for half a day to get as close as possible to the desired feeling, even though she couldn’t achieve it.
She looked at me with very worried eyes.
“It would be better to go a bit more complex instead. You can memorize it, right?”
“More complex?”
At the mention of getting even more complex, Jeon Minji was startled with fear.
But simple downward strikes actually require more internal energy.
I demonstrated a much more complex technique instead.
The Twenty-Four Hand Plum Blossom Sword Technique of Hwasanpa, famous for its phantom sword.
Among them, the 9th technique that scatters numerous feints while changing sword forms, Nine Transformations of the Plum Blossom.
…Based on that, it was a movement performed at 0.1x speed, very slowly.
Rustle-.
Between the dance-like flowing movements, countless cuts and thrusts were interwoven.
Among them, the real attacks that would actually land were only 9 times.
I demonstrated very slowly the complex technique that a Hwasanpa swordsman would have finished in an instant, putting strength only into the final downward strike.
Kuuuung!
‘The Martial Arts Alliance Leader or Hwasanpa would scream if they saw this… but it can’t be helped!’
Sects that use heavy swords like the Namgung Family generally consider the feints scattered along with phantom swords meaningless.
And those who use fast and complex swords criticize simple and heavy swords as crude.
They say all streams return to the source, meaning no matter which path you take, at its extreme you return to the origin, but while walking different paths in the middle, your vision is bound to be narrow.
They’d try to kill me if they saw this mixed up version, but those people won’t see it anyway.
For me, what’s most important is that the YouTube video comes out looking decent.
“Um… it’s cool, but doesn’t it feel too swaying? Like a dance.”
“Ah, you have to play it at 5x speed. Originally it’s like this.”
I can’t do 5x speed either.
I repeated the same technique at 3x speed.
When you see it fast, it gives that swoosh- feeling where you can’t even tell what’s passing by, right?
“…”
Thud.
Chu Miyoung dropped the phone she was holding for filming.
“Uh, uh, uh…!”
And Jeon Minji blinked her eyes and covered her mouth.
“Wh-what did you just do?”
“You didn’t see it properly, right? It’s okay. Practice by watching the slow version we filmed earlier. We can film the speed and upload it later.”
“No, no, it’s not that I can’t follow it…!”
Hmm, was it that impressive?
I just imitated what I could see on the surface thanks to having good observational skills.
It’s a bit embarrassing since they’re admiring it so much.
“Come on, stop being amazed and try memorizing it! If we speed it up, Director Jeon should be able to create a similar feeling too.”
“Yes…!”
Unlike Jeon Minji, whose movements had to be corrected, Yu Gyeonghun was practicing with intense focus.
Kung! Kung! Kung!
…Though the ground wasn’t actually rumbling.
His serious face looked like he was truly witnessing such a scene.
The expression he was making had as much authority as the real Cheonma.
The overwhelming presence was a perfect Cheonma Sovereign Step.
“Your footwork has improved a lot. Try holding the sword.”
Of course, the precise movements were lacking so I had him practice separately, but even that improved much after a few repetitions.
“Thank you!”
“If you practice separately, you’ll get even better.”
“Yes! So this much effort went into just one YouTube video.”
“No, I… Never mind. Let’s pick up the sword.”
I was about to say that I had just been drinking, but I closed my mouth.
Because it was true that decades of effort before that were contained in it.
Such ‘truth’ shouldn’t be conveyed, and it would be impossible to learn in just a few days anyway.
One way or another, I succeeded in making Yu Gyeonghun memorize the basic forms of martial arts, and Jeon Minji memorize strange forms that mixed Jeowanggeomhyeong and plum blossom sword techniques.
I thought it would end quickly since I only taught them simple movements and figured the rest could be handled with CG, but this also took more time than expected.
“When the custom-made costumes arrive, we’ll film properly and send it to you! Please review it!”
I also gave various advice about the costumes.
“I’ll memorize the entire manual by the next time we meet.”
I also finished briefing them on the treatment manual.
Since Jeon Minji was going to observe in Busan for a while anyway, there wasn’t much to worry about.
The basic concept for the interior was also completed.
“Then we’ll see you next time in Seoul!”
When I personally contacted Grandmother Heo Sunnam asking if it would be okay to visit the gallery, she said she had recently signed an exclusive contract with an artist who mainly painted Oriental paintings.
The couple really liked the few pieces she sent photos of, so I even made another appointment with the 4th branch managers.
It would be perfect to go to Seoul soon and look around the 3rd branch as well.
“The ocean! Let’s hurry and go see the ocean!”
After finishing that schedule.
On the second evening and third day, I went sightseeing with Chu Miyoung.
We went to the beach, stopped by a cafe that was supposedly a hot place, and even ate black pork, so it got late again.
We could only briefly visit the hotel swimming pool she had so desperately wanted to see on the third morning, but she seemed very satisfied.
“Next time we come, let’s go to Hallasan too.”
I did feel a bit regretful.
Since we were here, I wanted to absorb some of Hallasan’s energy too, but she hates hiking this much, geez.
But such old-fashioned remarks would only get nods from someone like Chairman Choe Gwije, so I kept my mouth shut and looked forward to next time.
* * *
Not long after, the 4th branch manager couple and I met in Apgujeong.
We had come to the gallery that Grandmother Heo Sunnam operated.
“Wow, you own such a big gallery?”
I had known since early in our relationship that she owned a gallery in Seoul.
I thought she must have financial means since she readily paid for her grandson’s or boyfriend’s herbal medicine.
Still, this big?
Imagining the art dealers I saw in the martial arts world, I thought she might have one or two exhibition rooms… but isn’t this big enough to be called a small art museum?
No wait, are commercial art museums originally called galleries?
Being completely ignorant about art, I looked around the gallery with great curiosity.
“At first, I wanted to sell some paintings by my husband and other artists. But somehow it ended up like this.”
I couldn’t fully understand the world of contemporary art, but anyway, it was somehow cool and impressive.
“Wow!”
“Wooow…!”
The 4th branch couple also didn’t seem to have much experience visiting galleries, showing reactions not much different from mine.
“Well, that exhibition is rented space, and the paintings I want to show you are over here. Come this way.”
“Ah, yes.”
We moved from the temporary exhibition hall to the permanent exhibition hall.
There were many paintings here too, but one particularly caught my eye.
“Wow, it’s really cute.”
Because the chipmunk in the painting looked very similar to the one I saw on the rear mountain.
I thought it might be because that was the only chipmunk I’d seen since coming to modern times, but the extraordinary atmosphere was similar too.
“Ah~ that one was painted by my son. If you like it, just take it!”
“No, I should definitely buy it!”
“You fixed my back like this, so one painting is nothing!”
“Oh come on, I already received everything I should have!”
While Grandmother Heo Sunnam and I were bickering, the 4th branch couple stopped in front of an Oriental painting.
“…Wow.”
It was a horizontally long dragon painting, much larger than the other things around it.
Actually, there weren’t that many paintings in the gallery that would suit a martial arts-style interior, but this painting was perfect.
The colors were exactly red and black too.
It was natural that Yu Gyeonghun was mesmerized.
According to Grandmother Heo Sunnam, all the Oriental paintings in the gallery except one were painted by the same person.
The artist’s name was Seong Myeongin. He was someone who had recently signed an exclusive contract with Grandmother Heo Sunnam’s gallery.
And the remaining one piece was a work by his teacher, artist Cheonwon-il, which costs well over ten million won.
Grandmother Heo Sunnam apparently became fascinated with artist Seong Myeongin at a previous Oriental painting special exhibition that featured mainly artist Cheonwon-il’s work along with many of his students’ paintings?
“I knew you’d like this one! That’s why I asked this artist to come by.”
“Yes?”
“There are customers interested in Artist Seong’s works, and they seem like they’ll buy several pieces, so I asked if he’d like to come and explain them personally.”
“Wouldn’t meeting in person be too much trouble?”
“Not at all. I told him it was fine if he was busy, but when I mentioned that Doctor Han who treated my back was coming, he said he’d come right over.”
Yu Gyeonghun, Jeon Minji, and I were surprised, but Grandmother Heo Sunnam was calm.
Was this something that happened often? I hoped we hadn’t unintentionally made an unreasonable request.
“Hello? You must be the doctors interested in my paintings?”
But contrary to our worries, the artist showed no signs of displeasure whatsoever.
“Ah, that’s right. Thank you so much for taking the time to come.”
“Not at all. Actually, I was thinking of visiting you in Busan sometime. It’s an honor to meet you while you’re in Seoul and explain my paintings!”
“Me? Really?”
I was just here to look around though…?
I had received great help from Grandmother Heo Sunnam before, so I was only planning to browse and perhaps buy one or two pieces out of courtesy.
Weren’t these two the actual customers?
I looked back at the couple, but Seong Myeongin grabbed my hand firmly.
“Representative Heo said you’re the finest physician in the entire country.”
“Oh, that’s not true!”
“She said that what you can’t cure, no Korean medicine doctor can cure.”
My face flushed at the unexpectedly excessive praise.
Though I had grown quite used to Grandmother Heo Sunnam’s exaggerated fussing, having a stranger suddenly say this was inevitably embarrassing.
“But you said you were thinking of visiting me? Is there somewhere that hurts?”
While people might travel far to see a great artist, a healthy person wouldn’t really need to go all the way to Busan just to see a famous physician.
When I asked, Seong Myeongin scratched his head and answered.
“Ah, it’s not me, but my master’s shoulder. He can’t raise his arm, so he hasn’t been able to work on any pieces lately.”
“I see.”
As expected, he brought a patient along!
“Cheonwon-il?”
Grandmother Heo Sunnam was very surprised.
He must be quite famous.
“So where is he? I’ll take a quick look at him while you explain the works to these two.”
But he didn’t seem to be nearby.
Was he looking at the special exhibition? Or in the car?
I looked around, but.
“Ah, he said he couldn’t impose when you came to see my paintings, so he’d visit Busan separately later.”
He said the actual patient hadn’t come along.
Well, normally if customers came to see paintings but then asked for medical treatment, they might not like that.
“I don’t mind at all. If his place isn’t far, please bring him over even now.”
I was used to people rushing up to me everywhere saying “Divine Physician, Divine Physician! I have a chronic condition, just once…!”
“Still, imposing on your day off…”
“It’s really fine.”
“Ah, our doctor says it’s fine, so why are you being so frustrating?”
In the end, instead of Seong Myeongin who hesitated uncertainly, Grandmother Heo Sunnam made the call.
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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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