The Physician of Traditional Medicine Returns from Murim - Chapter 44

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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 44

Chu Miyoung introduced me to a person.

Her name was Seol Yuhui. 23 years old.

She was a woman who had graduated from a nearby technical college and was approaching her second year since obtaining her nursing assistant certification.

“Her experience was short, which seemed strange, but she was pretty – maybe because she’s a Russian quarter – so I just hired her. Ah, in the early days I was planning to specialize in skincare, so I did consider looks when hiring staff.”

“I see.”

1/4 Russian mixed blood? An unusual character. At that ratio, would she just look like a regular Korean?

“Looking back, among all the staff I’ve worked with so far, she was the most responsible and diligent.”

Stop beating around the bush and tell me. So what’s the fatal problem? Was it the salary or working conditions that didn’t match?

Chu Miyoung immediately answered my question.

“If only her health wasn’t weak, I would have kept her on, but it’s unfortunate how things turned out.”

“…? She’s only twenty-three, so if her health is weak, how weak are we talking?”

Is it a disease? Since she mentioned Russian, European royal hereditary diseases came to mind. The Habsburgs had protruding jaws… Was it hemophilia for the Russian dynasty?

But she couldn’t be from such a family.

Realistically, maybe it’s something like a disc problem that makes sitting for long periods difficult. If that’s the case, she could work while receiving treatment.

“She’s been suffering from a very young age, but no one can figure out what disease it is. But I thought maybe the Clinic Director might be able to cure it, so I brought it up.”

“What were the symptoms? You mean only Western medicine diagnosis wasn’t available. Do you have no idea what it is either, Director?”

Chu Miyoung explained the symptoms to me while sending a message to that person called Seol Yuhui.

“I could attach a pattern identification. Would it be close to yang collapse syndrome ?”

A completely unexpected term popped out.

“First, she was extremely sensitive to cold. Her face was pale , her limbs were cold , and her breathing was somewhat weak . When you check her pulse, it’s really faint as if it might stop ? Sometimes she would sweat profusely even when it wasn’t hot .”

It wasn’t close to yang collapse syndrome – it was yang collapse syndrome itself. I’d believe it if someone said they copied the original text directly. Anyone could see these were symptoms of depleted yang qi.

“It’s not hypothyroidism?”

Except for the excessive sweating, it seemed somewhat similar. I asked just in case, but Chu Miyoung denied it.

“Of course we tested for that. Blood tests showed everything was normal except for anemia.”

“Were the things you just mentioned problematic enough to make working difficult?”

“Yes. We worked together for about 3 months, and she had a cold for about 70 of those days. There were times when she had trouble even standing… In spring she managed to work while feeling unwell, but when we turned on the air conditioning in summer, she couldn’t endure it at all. Ah, I got a reply.”

As Chu Miyoung expected, Seol Yuhui said she hadn’t been able to find work.

She could get hired, but in addition to the symptoms mentioned earlier, she would frequently collapse and be sick for days at a time, unable to work, so she’d get fired quickly.

Chu Miyoung tried to keep her on somehow, but she couldn’t endure the summer air conditioning and quit on her own.

A 23-year-old nursing assistant would be welcomed anywhere, so I thought it was strange, but hearing the circumstances, it made sense.

“Has she tried herbal medicine?”

“No…”

I asked on a whim, but thinking about it, there’s no way she would have tried it.

Even for the usual types of patients, prescriptions were only made according to protocol, so there’s no way she would have confidently recommended medication for symptoms without even knowing the disease name.

“Let’s meet her first. I need to hear her story directly and check her pulse too.”

“Yes. She says that sounds good to her too.”

A few days later.

Seol Yuhui came to our Traditional Korean Medicine Clinic for an interview.

* * *

Seol Yuhui had been weak since childhood.

Getting severe colds and being unable to go to school for days was routine, and she had even collapsed during exams and been taken to the emergency room.

She had hoped that she would get healthier as she aged, but her parents had to worry about her attendance days until Seol Yuhui graduated high school.

They visited various hospitals and tried every possible test, but the diagnoses were all different.

Chronic bronchitis, orthostatic hypotension, functional dyspepsia, vasovagal syncope, etc…

It meant there was no particular cause, but everything was wrong everywhere.

There was no fundamental treatment either. They could only provide symptomatic treatment whenever something went wrong.

She somehow managed to graduate college while receiving academic warnings, but society was much colder.

There’s no way there would be a workplace that would let you take a week of sick leave every month.

“Sigh…”

Two years since getting her nursing assistant certification. She had repeated the cycle of getting hired and fired at over 10 workplaces.

There was a time when she expected that somewhere there would be a suitable workplace, and somewhere there would be a doctor who could treat her, so she went from hospital to hospital and enthusiastically submitted resumes… but now it seemed time to accept reality.

That she was a body that couldn’t do work, only consuming food and medical expenses.

“Hm? Clinic Director Chu Miyoung?”

Just then, she received contact from the head director of Haneul Clinic, where she had worked the longest. Wondering if she was asking for short-term part-time work, she answered politely…

[Yuhui, how are you? Sorry for contacting you suddenly. A good clinic director is looking for staff, so if you’re not working anywhere right now, would it be okay if I introduce you?]

It was an unexpected job introduction.

Seol Yuhui immediately sent a reply.

[Of course. Thank you so much for looking out for me. I’ll work hard so as not to be a burden!]

Even while thinking she should give up, she wanted to fulfill her role as a person in society.

* * *

“Hello. I’m Seol Yuhui. Thank you for calling me in.”

Her first impression was striking in many ways. Was it because her jade-white skin and long straight hair flowing down to her waist embodied the very image of a beauty? Even her ordinary, polite greeting seemed to exude elegance.

“Wow, I thought you were a goddess from the North Sea Ice Palace.”

‘I heard a lot about you from Director Chu. I’m the one who should be grateful that you came all the way here.’

I tried not to show my surprise as I offered Seol Yuhui a seat.

“Huh? North Sea… what did you say?”

“Oh, did I just say that out loud?”

“Yes. Something about the North Sea Ice Palace.”

“Aaaaah! Please forget that!”

Ugh, I ruined my first impression. What kind of person calls someone a North Sea Ice Palace goddess to their face! I’ve never even been to the North Sea Ice Palace!

I hastily changed the subject.

“Um… this might be a rude question, but don’t you do entertainment or modeling work?”

“Ahaha, Director Chu also recommended I become an influencer. But I’m really scared of having my face become known. I want to do ordinary work.”

“I see.”

I gulped down the water I had poured for no reason.

What should I talk about? I had some common questions prepared beforehand. Motivation for applying… well, she came because she was introduced. What do you expect from this workplace? Should I ask that?

“Um, Director. How much did Director Chu tell you about me?”

As if reading my concerns, Seol Yuhui asked first.

“She told me that you have a weak constitution and gave me a general idea of your symptoms. It must be quite difficult to live with.”

“Yes… Even when I worked at Haneul Clinic, I caused trouble because of severe chills. If I may ask, why did you call me here even after hearing all about my situation?”

An interviewee who asks about my motivation in reverse. I quite like that.

“I’m sorry if this was rude. I was worried about causing problems if I suddenly couldn’t come to work.”

Rude? It wasn’t like she suddenly spoke informally, and it was a perfectly reasonable point to be curious about. I was the only one who had been rude from the start today.

“Of course, suddenly not being able to come to work would be very troublesome.”

“I thought so.”

“But Director Chu vouched that you’re someone who would never do that intentionally unless your condition suddenly worsened. That’s why I really wanted to meet you.”

“…That’s only natural. I’ve always done my best in everything within my capabilities, and I will continue to do so.”

“Then that’s enough. I can help you with your weak constitution.”

Seol Yuhui’s eyes widened. She looked like she never expected to hear such words.

It seemed that while she had explained her symptoms to me in detail, she hadn’t given Seol Yuhui any hints.

“I invited you here with the intention of proposing that you work while receiving treatment.”

“Ah…?”

“Would that be alright? Have you ever taken herbal medicine before?”

“Once in elementary school. The effect was just so-so, but it wasn’t uncomfortable to take. I’d be so grateful if it could be treated! Come to think of it, Director Chu said she would ask her mentor next time – are you that person?”

Seol Yuhui’s eyes sparkled with anticipation. It seemed she had no confidence in herself and was planning to consult with the Cheonan Branch director.

“That’s not the case, but my skills shouldn’t fall short of that person’s.”

“Yes, yes. If you treat me, and if you give me work, I’ll really work hard.”

Seol Yuhui nodded as if anything was fine.

When treatment attempts fail multiple times, people usually become hostile like Yu Minha or Jeong Inseong’s Mother, but perhaps because of her young age or pure nature, she had come to trust me as I was.

I extended my hand to Seol Yuhui.

“I have a rough idea, but I need to confirm. Let me check your pulse once.”

Seol Yuhui willingly extended her hand.

“…”

I placed my index, middle, and ring fingers on Seol Yuhui’s inch, bar, and cubit positions respectively.

These were the three points where pulse is generally checked at the wrist.

But the conventional method held little meaning.

Since all the meridians connecting to every organ were completely powerless, organ pattern differentiation itself was meaningless.

If someone feels cold while sweating profusely, it means the defensive qi that protects the body from external pathogenic qi, namely the yang qi, has worn away to nothing.

In modern terms, it might be easier to understand as having completely destroyed immunity.

Without the antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs created by modern medicine, the frequent colds might have already developed into pneumonia and caused an early death.

‘Chu Miyoung called it yang collapse syndrome.’

Yang collapse syndrome mentioned in classical medical texts – symptoms similar to Seol Yuhui’s – usually occur after suffering from a major illness. The yang qi gets consumed fighting against it.

But there’s a congenital constitution that completely depletes yang qi from birth without any major illness.

It’s an incredible constitution where yin qi constantly emerging from within devours yang qi, eventually blocking one’s own blood vessels and leading to death.

That very thing that appears in every martial arts novel – one per story.

Even in the vast Central Plains, there might be one person per generation who lives and breathes past ten years old.

“As expected. The balance of yin and yang is severely disrupted.”

It’s Guumjeolmaek (Nine Yin Severed Meridians).

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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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