The Physician of Traditional Medicine Returns from Murim - Chapter 260
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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 260
As we left the party venue, I briefly hoped that they might decline from their side.
But David Lawson, some kind of WHO expert, immediately said yes.
Since he was alone, it would have made sense for him to come to us, but apparently he found protocol so inconvenient that he even dismissed his driver.
“He must be a modest person?”
“He finds it bothersome to have many people around. I’d like to do the same if I didn’t need interpretation, but I can’t speak Arabic, so what choice do I have? English works in most places, but starting tomorrow I’m planning to do some sightseeing too… Oh, we’ll need a car too.”
So quite a large group headed to the hotel – the members we’d been traveling with until now, plus Shin Yubin and his interpreter.
David Lawson. When I searched for him, he seemed to be somewhat famous.
I occasionally saw articles about him making statements – sometimes in Iran, sometimes in Iraq, and on other days in Afghanistan. Indeed, he was someone who would be fluent in Arabic.
Would I have any interesting stories to tell such a person?
As for things I’d done related to public health… honestly, it’s not like there weren’t any.
Aren’t there common things modern people do when they fall into another world? Like making a fuss about washing hands and such.
But since it all happened in the Martial Arts World, there weren’t really any parts I could talk about.
While having such leisurely concerns, we arrived at the hotel.
* * *
“I’m David Lawson. Professor Kim, Doctor Han. Nice to meet you.”
David Lawson greeted us with a weak voice.
“Sorry for disturbing you while you were resting.”
“Oh, not at all. I’m always welcome to this kind of discussion.”
And then followed about 3 hours of conversation.
David Lawson showed off his full academic otaku prowess, talking about traditional medicine in the Middle East.
“In South Korea and China, herbal medicine treatment was included in the infectious disease response system. How do you prescribe them in practice?”
“Ah, there are protocols, but in traditional Korean medicine, we prioritize the symptoms that appear over the pathogens and do something called pattern identification. For example, wind-cold syndrome is… “
He also asked various questions about traditional Korean medicine.
Fortunately, they weren’t questions that were difficult for me to answer.
But I couldn’t help gradually becoming mentally dazed.
Even with interpretation, the conversation topics felt like listening to another forum session.
When talking with Sasha, she felt so lively and energetic that I thought all Americans had high energy.
Is it an unavoidable law of the world that highly educated people speak in a boring way?
Among professors too, there were quite a few who spoke in that mumbling manner.
I wondered if this person couldn’t put strength in his voice because his constitution was weak.
‘Low and weak voice… it’s qi deficiency syndrome, but it would be awkward to recommend medicine, wouldn’t it?’
Just as I was falling into other thoughts I’d been having since the forum venue.
I shook my head, thinking this really wouldn’t do.
I couldn’t stand it any longer.
“Um, I’m really craving cola, so I’ll step out for a moment.”
“Huh? Should we see if we can order it through room service?”
“I also want to get some fresh air. Being indoors all the time is suffocating.”
I came out as if fleeing, taking only my interpreter with me.
“Ah, I finally feel like I can live.”
“You must have been very tired.”
Luckily, it was late and the gift shop was closed.
I took a car with the interpreter and went all the way to a convenience store.
“Ahh!”
Had carbonated drinks ever been this refreshing?
After getting some fresh air outside and with the caffeine from the cola kicking in, I finally felt somewhat alive.
[How far did you go to buy cola?]
[Heh, sorry]
I felt bad about leaving her alone… but what could I do? I felt like I was going crazy.
She must have started participating in the conversation again soon, as she didn’t check my message.
“I should socialize for about 30 more minutes and then appropriately bring everyone out. Professor Shin and Professor Kim are one thing, but it must be too much of an ordeal for Hasha and Teacher Inae.”
“You should do that.”
After killing some time outside like that, I tried to return to the hotel with the interpreter.
But in the few dozen minutes I’d been out, a completely different situation had unfolded at the hotel.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
“Gu, gunshots?”
As the interpreter said, they were really gunshots.
Tremendous gunfire sounds vibrated through the air.
“Do gunfights happen in Riyadh too…?”
“That can’t be! Not once since I immigrated here… I’ve seen drone terrorism on the news, but this kind of thing…”
I had thought it was like the United States, but according to the interpreter, Saudi Arabia was a country that strictly prohibited firearm use.
Gunfights and murder cases were of course serious situations, but.
“Te, terrorism.”
The possibilities narrowed down to one thing.
“■■■■! ■■■■! ■■■■■■■■■”
“■■■■■■■! ■■■■■■!”
“■■■■■■! ■■■■■■■■!”
He stopped the car as soon as he heard the gunshots.
They were already too close. Getting any closer would be dangerous.
He could also faintly hear shouting from near the hotel.
“What are they saying?”
“Uh, you heretics who spread sin on this land. Your greed and corruption have invoked God’s wrath.”
“Crazy….”
“They’re Islamic extremists. Terrorists are trying to occupy the hotel, or rather, they seem to have already occupied it. Your country made us shed our blood, so now it’s time to pay the price. Don’t do anything foolish. Move and you die…. Clinic Director, let’s escape quickly for now. At least we need to get out and call the counter-terrorism unit.”
I nodded.
“Let’s do that.”
And I opened the car door.
“What? What about you, Clinic Director?”
Without answering the interpreter, I quickly approached the hotel.
In any situation, protecting myself wouldn’t be too difficult anyway.
I’d somehow survive even in the middle of a battlefield, wouldn’t I?
I’ve never fought gunmen before, but if I hide my presence and subdue them before they shoot, wouldn’t that work somehow?
‘They’re all gathered in the lobby.’
What on earth had happened in such a short time?
I approached the window while completely hiding my presence and examined the interior.
The entrance was controlled by fully armed terrorists, but the occupying force didn’t seem very large.
‘Fortunately, no one seems injured.’
Security personnel had been subdued and were lying down, but they didn’t appear to have been shot.
Bang! Bang!
There were those firing guns into the air to intimidate, but there was no killing intent.
“Ugh… uh….”
“Mother…!”
“■■■■■■!”
“Ahhhhh!”
Had they dragged down all the guests from their rooms?
Perhaps because this was a hotel where many Westerners usually stayed, 80% were white people.
“■■■■■■! ■■■■!”
The extremists were venting their anger at them indiscriminately.
“I’m with WHO. You should be able to verify my identity with medical forum documentation and such.”
“■■■■! ■■■■!”
“I won’t resist. I understand what you want. I’m willing to become a hostage.”
At least David Lawson seemed to have received training for situations like this.
In this chaotic situation, he was relatively calmly trying to communicate with them.
‘David and Hasha are over there, and Clinic Director Kim is… ah.’
Our entire group was safe.
Perhaps separating those with high value as hostages, David Lawson and Hasha were isolated to one side with three others.
The rest of our group was with the other hundreds of people.
“■■■■■■■! ■■■■■■!”
“■■■■! ■■■■■!”
“Apostate who abandoned Allah and rotted in the land of heretics! As long as this corrupt regime rules, true divine law cannot exist in this land!”
“S-sorry… ■■■■■…. ■■■■■■■.”
Particularly sharp words were directed at Hasha.
Though I couldn’t understand Arabic, Hasha was completely panicked and trembling.
‘Seventeen people. This should be manageable, right?’
I assessed the number of terrorists and their actions.
Fortunately, there seemed to be no bombs, but everyone was armed.
Eight lightly armed personnel with knives or pistols controlling hostages, and as many as nine heavily armed with rifles.
‘I need to be careful not to let them fire… Sigh, it would have been nice to have throwing knives.’
If I had just had the twelve throwing knives, I could have subdued everyone at once.
It was regrettable, but it would be better to handle them one by one.
I first quickly closed the distance toward the three controlling the hotel entrance leading to the lobby.
Thwack! Thud!
I kicked one guy first.
And drove my fist into the stomach of the terrorist next to him.
Though he was wearing a tactical vest, such things were useless against internal energy.
Both went flying without even making a sound.
I hit them just hard enough not to kill them, so they wouldn’t get up for several hours.
Thwack!
After striking the last person’s neck with a knife-hand.
Crash! Crack! Bang!
As I entered inside, I simultaneously shot dozens of acupuncture needles toward the lobby lighting.
These were separate from the disposable needles I used for treatment.
“■■■■■■■?! ■■■!”
It was already late at night. Except for the hotel lighting, the outside was pitch black.
I eliminated all the lights illuminating the lobby, then acted before the terrorists could adapt to the darkness.
Swoooosh!
That bastard first.
I shot a needle toward the neck of the man who was giving a loud speech and firing his gun into the air.
“…?!”
“■■■■■!”
Since I had infused my internal energy to strike the pressure point, he collapsed immediately.
Okay, four down.
“■■■■!”
“■■■■! ■■!”
Before they could mount a proper resistance, I shot needles at all of them.
I needed to destroy their guns and knock out the people, so I generously allocated three or four needles per person.
Those who were hit precisely in their pressure points collapsed with thuds.
But there was one who accidentally avoided it by twisting his body.
“Damn it! I’ll kill the hostage right now!”
Most of the gun barrels that had been guarding the surroundings or threatening hostages couldn’t find their targets and soon collapsed.
But one bastard tried to threaten Hasha.
“You’re the one who’s going to die.”
Doesn’t look like he’s ever killed anyone before?
I rushed at him in an instant and kicked his head.
Then I snatched away his rifle and bent the barrel with force.
“Ah.”
I suddenly realized.
Even though I turned off the lights, a bent gun would be too conspicuous, wouldn’t it?
I snatched a blunt weapon from the hand of a terrorist collapsed next to David Lawson.
“Who exactly are you…? Delta Force? CIA?”
“Shh.”
I put my finger to my lips and smiled.
Unfortunately, neither.
I’m just an ordinary Korean medicine doctor from South Korea.
After clumsily removing the magazine.
Crash!
I skillfully smashed the trigger with the blunt weapon.
Bang! Bang!
I dealt with the other firearms the same way.
Wouldn’t it look strange to see traces of damage from thin needles? I completely destroyed the evidence by smashing everything with the blunt weapon.
“Is, is everything okay now?”
“What happened?”
Soon, the hostages began to speak up one by one.
“My God! There must have been a sweep operation in the meantime!”
“Hooray, we’re alive!”
Those whose eyes had adjusted to the darkness discovered the collapsed terrorists and cheered.
“For now, it would be best to wait for the main force. Please stay as you are for a moment.”
David Lawson glanced at me sideways while calming the people.
Good thing he’s quick-witted.
I tied up the terrorists tightly, threw them to one side, then made a round all the way outside the hotel.
‘Good. I’ve recovered all the needles, so there shouldn’t be any major problems!’
* * *
“The hotel was occupied?”
Prince Faisal bin Amir Al Saud, who was enjoying a banquet at the royal palace, couldn’t contain his confusion and anger.
How could such a thing happen, especially now?
It was already outrageous that extremists dared to make noise and attempt terrorism.
Most unfortunately, it was the hotel where David Lawson, who had entered the country for the forum hosted by Faisal, was staying.
“Princess Hasha’s whereabouts cannot be confirmed. According to records left by the interpreter assigned to Director Hanyewon, it’s presumed she moved to the hotel to meet Dr. David Lawson….”
“What are you all doing right now!”
When Faisal received the news, deployment orders had already been issued to the Special Security Forces.
He also informed the United States and South Korean embassies of the situation.
“Faster… much faster!”
They must still be safe, right? They have to be.
The reality that they couldn’t even determine if there were casualties was incredibly frustrating.
Faisal urged them to go as quickly as possible, and rushed to the hotel with the counter-terrorism unit, fully prepared.
When Faisal finally arrived.
“Ah, you’re here now?”
Director Han Yewon was smiling and waving her hand.
Beside her, seventeen terrorists and mangled chunks of scrap metal were scattered about.
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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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