The Physician of Traditional Medicine Returns from Murim

Entrance tickets for the National Sports Festival opening ceremony. This was the first time I’d received such a gift.

Usually, gifts were 95% food items, and occasionally some patients would bring expensive presents that made me uncomfortable.

For instance, in Murim, there was a merchant guild leader who offered to hand over his entire inheritance, which I had to adamantly refuse. Recently… Grandma Heo Soon-nam had brought a painting that looked quite expensive at a glance.

“It might be difficult for you to come on a Friday, but there will be many singers performing, so please come if you’re interested.”

“I’ll definitely be there!”

I read through the paper with the opening ceremony and game schedules that came with the tickets.

“If we finish a bit early, we should be able to see the athletes’ entrance! Ah, it looks like I’ll only be able to watch the weekend games though.”

“Gasp, you’re planning to come to the games too?”

“Of course. I promised to be your publicity ambassador when you become a national representative, remember?”

What else would I go to see if not the games? There was a lineup of singers listed for the opening ceremony, but I hadn’t been interested in celebrities even 20 years ago.

“…Yes.”

Kim Yijin’s face was filled with emotion.

It’s nothing special. You’re the first to bring people around and help our clinic prosper, of course I should go!

Plus, today you’ve brought new patients again.

“Hello~ I’m Min Ju-yeon~. I’m Yijin’s friend! I’ve heard a lot about you from Yijin!”

A cute girl with a bright personality spoke cheerfully. Judging by In-sung’s frequent glances, this must be the girl he likes.

Tsk, how sweet~. It was refreshing and nice to have so many young people around. Is that too much of an old person’s thought?

All three completed their registration. Normally, Kim Yijin and Jung In-sung would go straight to the treatment room, but this time they came in together for Min Ju-yeon’s consultation.

“Here, I think I’m getting a pimple. Yijin and the class president said even just getting acupuncture would help, so I came! I was scared to pop it myself in case it got worse~.”

“Let’s remove your makeup for a moment.”

Min Ju-yeon said, but her symptoms were hard to see under the makeup. I handed her a cleansing tissue, which I rarely keep on hand for examining skin patients’ lesions.

Swish. As Min Ju-yeon wiped her cheek, a small inflammatory spot the size of a millet seed appeared.

“Ah, it’s good you came. This is folliculitis. If you extract it incorrectly, it could spread.”

“Oh, really?”

“Wow, it’s good we brought her. To be honest, I thought it would be nothing.”

Kim Yijin said with a frown. In fact, she wasn’t entirely wrong.

With proper care, these often disappear naturally.

“It’s a mild case that hasn’t spread, so there’s not much to worry about. Have you heard of folliculitis?”

“No! This is the first time I’ve had something like this on my face!”

I drew a simple diagram on paper while explaining.

“You’ve heard of acne to some extent, right? There’s a sebaceous gland attached to the hair follicle like this. People think sebum is always bad, but it’s essential for moisturizing and protection. When sebum is secreted normally, it’s expelled through the pores along with sweat, removing waste.”

“I see.”

“When there’s excessive sebum production and the pores get blocked, it swells and becomes inflamed, turning into acne. In this case, it helps to reduce inflammation while also piercing the pore to squeeze out the sebum. Do you understand?”

I didn’t bother explaining this to In-sung, who actually had severe acne, because both he and his mother exuded an air of having extensive prior knowledge.

In contrast, Min Ju-yeon, who had likely lived with flawless skin her whole life, nodded as if listening to a fascinating story.

“Folliculitis looks similar on the surface, but instead of sebum building up from below, it’s an external bacterial infection. If it had penetrated deeply and formed pus, it would be a bit troublesome… but at this stage, applying some ointment and maintaining good hygiene should heal it.”

“Ah, that’s a relief!”

“It looks like you’ve applied multiple layers of concealer and foundation to cover it, but leaving residue isn’t good, and harsh foam cleansers used to remove makeup can also worsen it. Hmm… if you’re okay with it, I’d recommend just moisturizing with a gentle lotion.”

“Yes, yes! I usually only wear sunscreen unless it’s a photo day~ I’ve been so stressed because of this~!”

Somehow, In-sung’s expression gradually worsened.

Ahem. One’s own cold is always more serious than another’s measles, as they say.

“It’s an ointment called Hwangryeonhaedok-go, the same one I gave In-sung. It should help reduce inflammation. Get some acupuncture too, to boost your immunity. Come back next week if it’s still there.”

“Yes, thank you!”

I had made a bit extra of the Hwangryeonhaedok-go ointment, intending to give it to Kim Jinsang-ssi who had shingles last time if he came back.

Come to think of it, it’s already been a week for him, I wonder if he’ll come back? Actually, it might be better if he doesn’t.

I had euphemistically described it as improving immunity to Min Ju-yeon, but my plan was to take her pulse, insert needles into her meridians to expel excess energy and supplement deficiencies. Of course, I would also needle points that directly benefit the skin, such as Sama, Lung, and Large Intestine meridian points.

“Please take good care of our Ju-yeon.”

Kim Yijin said with a grin, and In-sung also bowed his head with a rather serious expression.

“Of course. I’ll treat you all well.”

I kindly opened the consultation room door to guide them towards the treatment room, then sat back down.

I briefly summarized my conversation with Min Ju-yeon in her chart and recorded the treatments for the patients I had seen before the three students arrived.

Barely a minute had passed when the bell at the entrance chimed.

“Hello, it’s Kim Jinsang.”

Speak of the devil. Well, this one’s no gentleman, is he?

Having displayed violent tendencies once, I needed to be cautious with this person.

I slightly opened the consultation room door, ready to intervene if he showed any sudden behavior, and watched the front desk.

“I’m sorry about last time. This… it’s not much, but I brought it as an apology.”

“Oh my, cookies? Thank you.”

Seo In-ae mechanically accepted the gift. She probably doesn’t have very positive feelings towards Kim Jinsang either.

“I’ll pass it on to the doctor. You’re here for an appointment, right?”

“Yes. The doctor told me to come back last time, but I couldn’t because I was away on a business trip.”

“I understand. I’ll show you to the consultation room.”

Soon after, his name appeared on the chart, and Kim Jinsang entered the consultation room.

He bowed at a 90-degree angle and apologized to me politely.

“I’m truly sorry, Doctor. I was ignorant and didn’t know whose words were right, so I behaved rudely.”

“It’s alright. It’s understandable to be confused when doctors say different things.”

“I often get in trouble because of my quick temper, but I’m really grateful for your understanding words.”

Hmm. Is saying it’s a “quick temper” barely enough to warrant forgiveness? At least there hasn’t been any actual harm done “yet.”

“How are your shingles skin lesions and pain? It’s been a little over ten days since onset.”

“As you advised, I immediately got tested and received antiviral medication. The blisters that were tingling then have subsided or burst, and now there are scabs, but the pain just won’t go away.”

“What kind of treatment have you been getting in the meantime?”

“My employer had business in Jeju Island, so I had to go along…”

Kim Jinsang stopped mid-sentence and turned his head.

The consultation room door was firmly closed, but he seemed to have sensed something outside.

[Doctor; The students are eavesdropping outside the consultation room door ㅠㅠㅠ Should I send them to the treatment room?]

[Just leave them be]

…Actually, I had known about this for a while now.

I had given them clear directions to the treatment room, but perhaps because Seo In-ae was attending to Kim Jinsang at the front desk, they hadn’t gone to the beds and were instead lingering and whispering.

“Hey, hey. Kim Yijin. That’s the guy.”

“Huh?”

“The one who caused a scene, yelling ‘Hey, you bastard~ Get the doctor out here~!'”

“Oh my, oh my. What if he causes trouble again?”

“Both of you go in and close the curtains.”

“What are you planning?”

With my good hearing, I could hear the conversation between the three students as well.

Kim Yijin didn’t respond to In-sung and Min Ju-yeon’s questions about what she was planning, but instead started emitting a murderous aura.

The other two, unaware of Kim Yijin’s killing intent, joined in the eavesdropping out of curiosity, while Seo In-ae was at a loss for what to do with the three huddled together.

And Kim Jinsang, the target of the killing intent, seemed to sense the ominous energy, perhaps due to good qi sensitivity.

“…I couldn’t receive any other treatment because I went to Jeju Island with my employer. I’m a driver, you see.”

How can a kid emit such energy? It’s not like he’s the Heavenly Demon Lord born with the Thousand Killing Star!

“Uh… um…”

“They’re students from a nearby school here for career experience. I told them not to come in during consultations, but they must have been very curious. If it’s alright with you, may I invite them in?”

I asked loudly enough for those outside to hear.

In any case, I appreciated Kim Yijin’s protective intentions. Even in the Medical Pavilion of the Tang Family, only my master was stronger than me.

If I had Seo In-ae send them to the treatment room, it might just add to their worries.

“Ah, sure, go ahead.”

Kim Jinsang, who had caused trouble last time, willingly accepted my suggestion.

When my master was treating the young master of the Namgung Family, he was doing exactly this outside. From experience, it was better in many ways to just let them in.

“Hello. Thank you for allowing us to observe.”

“Hehe~ Thank you!”

“…”

The three students entered the consultation room hesitantly.

The 180cm tall, short-haired, muscular female student emitting killing intent seemed a bit out of place, but the bespectacled male student covered in acne and the heavily made-up girl struck a decent balance of normalcy.

Kim Jinsang, reassured that they were indeed students, turned back to me with relief.

“Anyway, I’d really appreciate it if you could do something about this pain. This neuralgia is absolutely excruciating. Even with painkillers, it doesn’t seem to get any better, and it’s driving me crazy when I’m driving.”

“That must have been extremely difficult for you.”

“Yes. I barely managed to get some time off to come here. I did visit a local Korean medicine clinic in Jeju, but it wasn’t like the acupuncture you gave me on my first visit here, Doctor. Please, I’m begging you to help me.”

So that’s why he changed his attitude, even bringing cookies.

On the first day, he came at 55 minutes past the hour and yelled at me to treat him, but now he’s taken time off work and come during regular consultation hours, afraid of being turned away at the door.

“Don’t worry. We have an excellent treatment for post-herpetic neuralgia.”

After all, it’s only right to provide the best possible care to patients who come to our clinic.

“Really?”

“Yijin, please tell In-ae outside to prepare 0.1cc of bee venom pharmacopuncture.”

It’s incredibly effective.

And the most painful treatment technique of all the procedures done in Korean medicine clinics.

Of course, I’m not doing it for the latter reason, but because it’s truly effective for post-herpetic neuralgia.

Soon, Seo In-ae brought the bee venom, and I grinned as I rolled up his sleeve.

“Let’s do a test first~.”

“A, a test?”

Kim Jinsang hunched his shoulders and looked up at me.

Why are you so nervous?

It’s not like I’m injecting poison… Oh.

Well, it actually is poison.