Chapter 1731
What’s the right thing to do… (1)
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“Let me change your bandages.”
Tang Soso carefully unwrapped Baek Cheon’s bandages. As Baek Cheon’s emaciated arm slowly became visible, Tang Soso’s eyes grew somber.
She spoke calmly,
“Your recovery is quick. The external wounds are almost healed.”
“…Is that so?”
“Yes. Now, it all depends on how consistently you put in the effort.”
“Then, do you think I’ll get better?”
“Of course. You’ll definitely get better.”
Baek Cheon widened his eyes slightly at Tang Soso’s firm response, then let out a bitter laugh.
“…But the head of the Tang clan said it would be difficult.”
“He’s a quack.”
“What?”
Tang Soso added firmly,
“I said he’s a quack. He only deals with poison and doesn’t know much about medicine.”
Baek Cheon, staring at her blankly, soon burst into loud laughter. It had been days since he’d laughed so heartily.
Tang Soso frowned.
“You think I’m joking? My father is the Poison King, not a divine healer. You don’t have to believe everything he says.”
Hearing her say that, Baek Cheon felt even more bewildered. But Tang Soso met his gaze confidently, as if she had said nothing out of the ordinary.
“…Yes, that might be true.”
“Yes, so please keep at it. If you continue, you’ll start to regain feeling in your fingertips.”
Squeeze.
In the meantime, a fresh bandage was quickly wrapped around his arm.
Everyone knew that bandaging a fully healed arm was merely a pointless formality, but Tang Soso performed the task with unwavering dedication.
What she was asking of Baek Cheon now was no different.
“All done.”
Baek Cheon, who had been quietly watching Tang Soso gather the old bandages, nodded.
“I’ve caused you trouble.”
“Huh? You’re saying such strange things. It’s only natural.”
She swiftly laid out the items she had brought.
“Now, look here. Take these pills with every meal, and make sure to drink every drop of the herbal medicine as well. That will speed up your recovery.”
“Alright.”
Baek Cheon answered calmly, but Tang Soso didn’t back down and stared intently into his eyes.
Feeling puzzled, Baek Cheon was about to ask why she was looking at him like that, but she spoke first, her expression deadly serious.
“Sasuk.”
“…Hmm?”
“What do you think a doctor should say to a patient who believes they can no longer be cured?”
“Well, that’s…”
Baek Cheon couldn’t answer immediately.
What should he say? What words should a doctor offer to a patient they can no longer cure?
“Maybe… ‘I’m sorry’?”
“No.”
Tang Soso shook her head firmly.
“That’s just an excuse. It’s something a doctor should never say.”
“…Then what?”
“If you were facing an enemy you couldn’t defeat, what would you do, Sasuk?”
“…I’d have to keep trying.”
“Why?”
“Because that’s the only way to eventually win. Someday.”
“Exactly.”
Tang Soso nodded.
“It’s difficult now, but I’ll find a way to improve my skills and heal you. I promise.”
“…”
“So until then, don’t ever give up. Don’t let my efforts be in vain. Do you understand?”
Finally, realizing her true intent, Baek Cheon smiled warmly. He couldn’t help but smile.
“I’ll remember that.”
“Good. Then I’ll take my leave now.”
Tang Soso gathered her tools and stood up.
“If you need anything, just call for me anytime.”
“I will.”
In her heart, she wanted to stay by Baek Cheon’s side a little longer. But she couldn’t. She knew it wouldn’t be considerate of him. Right now, Baek Cheon probably found even the presence of others to be a burden.
So, Tang Soso resolutely left the room without looking back. However, her once confident and unwavering steps gradually slowed. When she finally closed the door behind her and faced the darkening sky, she hurriedly covered her mouth with her hand.
Her body trembled as if it might collapse.
‘No.’
She couldn’t afford to show weakness. She couldn’t let Baek Cheon see her shaken, or worse, grieving. The face of a doctor is a mirror for the patient. If she despaired, so would he. A doctor must never give in to despair.
But the afterimage lingered, refusing to fade away.
The emaciated arm, the slight tremble in his shoulders, the shadow cast on his face that tried to mask his pain with calmness.
Could she really do it? As confidently as she had promised, would she ever be able to heal Baek Cheon’s arm?
Tears welled up in Tang Soso’s large eyes.
If only she had never chosen the path of a physician, her heart wouldn’t be aching like this.
Even if it were possible, it would require countless hours, and during that long period, Baek Cheon would have to live with deep despair. How could fate be so cruel?
Tang Soso swallowed her tears as she looked up at the sky, then took a deep breath to calm her heart. She started walking back to her quarters.
After walking for a while, she finally reached the vicinity of the room that Wudang had provided for her. Just then, a familiar voice pierced her ears.
“Is it true?”
“Y-Yes, I’m telling you!”
“Wait! Say it again, properly this time! You mean to say they can cure Sasuk?”
Tang Soso’s head snapped around violently.
There was no time to think. She rushed forward and flung open the door in front of her.
“Huh?”
“So… Soso?”
The familiar faces inside the room turned towards her in shock. Even Baek Sang, who was being held by the collar by Jo Geol, stared at her in a daze.
Tang Soso, her face a mixture of disbelief and hope, asked.
“What are you talking about?”
Everyone’s expressions turned rigid.
“…An elixir that can heal Sasuk’s body,”
Yoon Jong murmured as if in a daze. He never imagined that such a thing could exist, let alone be so close.
“Those damned bastards from Jongnam! If they had something like that, they should’ve handed it over long ago!”
Jo Geol slammed his fist on the floor in frustration, his anger spilling over. Yoon Jong calmly intervened to stop him.
“They say it’s Jongnam’s precious treasure, right?”
“Even so, how can an object be more important than a person?”
Yoon Jong let out a deep sigh. This wasn’t the time for such arguments. What mattered was verifying the truth of the information they had just heard from Baek Sang.
“Soso.”
“…Yes, Sahyeong?”
“What do you think? Does it sound like something that could be true?”
Tang Soso frowned, deep in thought, and remained silent for a long while. Then, she slowly nodded, her expression heavy.
“…It seems possible.”
“Really?”
Jo Geol, excited, asked again, and Tang Soso nodded once more.
“If what Jongnam’s Sect Leader said is true… then the possibility is more than enough.”
“Amitabha. How could this be? Even Lord Tang, the greatest healer, said there was no chance at all…”
“Medicine was more advanced in the past than it is now.”
Hye Yeon looked at Tang Soso with a puzzled expression, as if asking for further explanation.
“That is, I don’t mean to say that medicine has regressed. Of course, the medical practices passed down among the common people have improved. But…”
“The ones considered the best are different, is that it?”
“Yes, Sahyeong. That’s exactly it.”
“Is that even possible?”
Jo Geol still seemed unconvinced, tilting his head in confusion. Yoon Jong shrugged.
“If you think about it, it’s not that strange. Even here in Wudang, no one since the founding of the sect has come close to reaching the level of the great ancestor Sambong, right?”
“Ah… that’s true. The same goes for Shaolin.”
“Amitabha… It’s embarrassing, but it’s the truth.”
Hearing this, it was easier to understand.
“So, that master… the Divine Hand or whatever he’s called, holds a similar status in the field of medicine?”
“Yes. The medical knowledge of the Divine Hand Physician is still considered legendary among physicians. And if we’re talking about the Divine Hand’s elixir, the Divine Water…”
Everyone’s eyes were fixed on Tang Soso.
“It might be able to heal Sasuk’s body.”
A heavy silence fell over them.
It could be healed – Baek Cheon’s body.
That thought echoed in their minds like thunder.
Suddenly, Jo Geol jumped to his feet, startling Yoon Jong.
“What are you doing, Geol? Where are you going?”
“What good is it for us to sit around talking here? We need to go and meet them!”
“Meet who?”
“Who else? The Sect Leader of Jongnam, of course!”
“Sit down, you fool! Don’t be reckless!”
“Reckless, my foot. We’ve found something that could heal Sasuk’s body. Whether we have to beg, beat them up, or steal it, we need to get our hands on it!”
“Stop, you idiot!”
Yoon Jong finally grabbed Jo Geol’s sleeve roughly, stopping him in his tracks. Jo Geol glared at him, refusing to back down.
Yoon Jong shouted.
“We overheard something that was meant for retired Sect Leader! If we act recklessly in this situation…”
“Then what do you suggest we do? Just sit around twiddling our thumbs and wait?”
“That’s not what I mean!”
“I know! I understand! But damn it, do you think anything will be solved by doing nothing?”
Jo Geol’s eyes were bloodshot with frustration.
“Didn’t you hear the condition they set?”
Yoon Jong fell silent, his mouth clamping shut. The condition had been weighing on him, making it difficult to speak, even after hearing such hopeful news.
“To become a disciple of Jongnam – what kind of ridiculous demand is that?”
Jo Geol’s eyes flared with anger.
“No decent person would act like that! After everything we’ve done for Jongnam!”
“It’s not entirely unreasonable.”
“What?”
“It’s not an ordinary medicine. It’s Jongnam’s most prized possession. They can’t just hand it over to an outsider. Naturally, it’s only allowed to be used on Jongnam’s disciples.”
“…”
“If that’s how their ancestors decreed it, then even the Sect Leader of Jongnam has no other choice.”
“Then they should’ve kept their mouths shut! What do they expect us to do with such an unreasonable condition?”
“Isn’t it better to know than to be left in the dark?”
At Yoon Jong’s sigh, Jo Geol’s eyes turned icy cold in an instant.
“Sahyeong, what are you thinking right now?”
“…What do you mean?”
“Don’t tell me… are you actually considering having Sasuk join Jongnam?”
“What kind of nonsense are you spouting? How could Sasuk ever go to Jongnam?”
“Then why are you so calm about this? Tell me, why are you sitting here while those bastards are dangling a cure in front of us like a bait? We should storm Jongnam, crack their heads open if we have to, and take it!”
“Be realistic! Stop talking nonsense!”
The tension between Jo Geol and Yoon Jong escalated, their heated argument growing more intense.
The others, witnessing this fierce clash, couldn’t bring themselves to intervene or add their own opinions.
The possibility of saving Baek Cheon was undeniably a significant relief, even if the chance wasn’t guaranteed. But the conditions attached to it were unbearably harsh.
“Look, if we can just get our hands on that medicine, we’ll figure out the rest later. So first, let’s-“
“Didn’t you hear?”
Baek Sang, who had been silent since delivering the news, finally spoke up.
“Sahyeong refused.”
“…”
“Even if we were to steal that medicine from Jongnam, do you think he would just take it willingly? That stubborn bastard? He’d probably just turn his back and refuse to even look at it!”
“Then we’ll force him to-“
Jo Geol, muttering stubbornly as if he wouldn’t back down, eventually trailed off and shook his head. He knew all too well how pointless his suggestion had been.
“Then what do we do?”
“I don’t know! That’s why I’m here with you all, trying to figure it out! I don’t know what to do.”
Jo Geol rubbed his face in frustration, feeling more helpless with each passing moment. They had found a solution, but it felt as if the situation was only becoming more agonizing.
“Isn’t there some other way to get it? Maybe we could offer them something else in exchange.”
“It won’t work. If this is about the rules of their sect, not even the Sect Leader can change that. This isn’t about value – it’s about principles.”
Jo Geol was about to let out another deep sigh when a voice cut through the tension.
“…Then why not just go?”
“Huh?”
“…What?”
All eyes turned to one spot.
Tang Soso, looking straight at them, repeated herself.
“If Sasuk becomes a member of Jongnam, wouldn’t that solve the problem?”
“…”
“Then Sasuk could be healed…”
“You!”
Jo Geol erupted in a loud shout, his face contorting in anger.
“What did you just say?”
For the first time, a fierce rage he had never directed at her surged within him.
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