The Physician of Traditional Medicine Returns from Murim

Han Yeowon exuded excessive confidence.

Realigning a misaligned joint just like that?

If it were possible, what’s so difficult about it? Just remove skin troubles, just help with weight loss, just straighten a curved spine.

Of course, patients would be enchanted at first if you say you’ll treat everything as if it’s nothing, with such charisma!

But how do you take responsibility when you fail? You have no choice but to be defensive in your diagnosis to fend off those who demand refunds or threaten lawsuits.

‘Ha! Is this model student who’s only read books thinking she can do everything?’

She’s just opened her practice, and because patients are praising and thanking her, she probably thinks she’s something special.

Chu Miyoung was like that at first too. Even just using the routine prescriptions set up by Haneul Korean Medicine Clinic, more than half of the patients improved, so her confidence soared. But then she fell into a quagmire when she encountered patients who wouldn’t get better no matter what she did.

‘Tsk…’

Seeing such naive enthusiasm made her anxious as she entrusted her jaw to this chuna manipulation.

How many times has this kid performed cervical corrections since graduating? Does she really know what she’s doing?

Crack.

But the moment Han Yeowon somehow aligned her jaw and neck.

“Huh? What?”

The clicking sound truly disappeared completely.

It had been clicking, then grinding, then feeling stuck, then making strange sounds like a mouse gnawing.

For over a year, she had suffered from temporomandibular joint disorder, and while there were changes, the discomfort and sounds never fully went away.

The sensation of a normal jaw joint had become so distant that she had resigned herself to thinking this was just how it would be, that she’d have to live with it for the rest of her life.

“How is there no sound? What on earth did you do?!”

Chu Miyoung gaped without realizing it.

Is this even possible?

It didn’t seem like she had performed any extraordinary technique.

She just put her hand in her mouth and pushed, then slightly twisted her neck.

Though she had never tried it on patients due to lack of confidence, Chu Miyoung had learned the latter technique in school.

The former… she could only describe it as simply pushing.

Just as the word “chuna” (推拿) literally means “push and grasp.”

It really meant she just grasped and pushed.

Though she didn’t know what she was doing, Chu Miyoung must have tried pushing that spot herself.

She had tried acupuncture here and there, massaged various parts of her face to relax the muscles. She even tried bee venom acupuncture hoping to reduce inflammation, and even got fitted for a splint. Though she stopped using the latter after a short while because it was too uncomfortable.

‘Even Director Kwon said there’s nothing to be done when stress is this severe, and to just manage it so it doesn’t worsen.’

That’s what Kwon Woo-jin, the representative director of Haneul Korean Medicine Clinic’s Cheonan branch whom Chu Miyoung greatly respected, had said.

He said it’s difficult to reverse structural changes that have already occurred, and that the best they could do was manage it to prevent it from worsening to the point where the mouth couldn’t open at all.

He told her to correct the habit of clenching her teeth or tensing facial muscles when stressed, and to get acupuncture treatment right away whenever inflammation caused pain.

But around the time she was preparing to open her own practice, an unfortunate incident occurred.

Moreover, after opening, there wasn’t a single good day due to the stress of sales… How could she have had time to worry about her jaw joint?

Chu Miyoung had essentially given up on her own condition.

“Hehe.”

Han Yeowon just smiled without saying anything.

Of course, she wouldn’t so easily teach her secret technique.

‘She really does have something.’

It wasn’t baseless confidence.

Unlike the Chu Miyoung of the past, she wasn’t making empty promises to treat patients without knowing whether she could cure them or not.

Han Yeowon said she would fix it because she truly could treat her.

It probably wasn’t a coincidence that she had treated Jung In-sung’s skin in just a month either.

“It’s fortunate there was an immediate treatment response. Since you’ve suffered from this condition for a long time, you’re probably well aware of lifestyle habits to avoid? Like not chewing gum, or that clenching your teeth is bad.”

“Yes, yes…”

“Get about 3-4 acupuncture treatments until the inflammation subsides. Be mindful of your habits, and do a massage while taking deep breaths before bed each night. You can go to the treatment room now.”

She didn’t even try to sell anything.

If it were Chu Miyoung, she would have said to take medicine to strengthen the joint, or for stress management purposes.

No, if she knew how to do chuna, she might have even recommended a package of about 20 treatments?

But Han Yeowon only set a treatment period of 3-4 sessions, and didn’t recommend any more chuna beyond today’s one essential treatment.

“Ah…”

She was dazedly moved to the treatment room.

Even as the nursing assistant gave her clothes to change into and attached physical therapy machines to her neck and back, she remained in a daze.

‘No way, these machines must be 20 years old…’

Did she take over the equipment the previous director of Seongsu Korean Medicine Clinic bought when he first opened?

She didn’t even spend money on interior renovations if she hadn’t replaced the sign or physical therapy machines.

‘There were 5 people waiting from early morning, not counting me. If it’s 5 people per hour, does that mean she sees over 50 patients a day? And she probably didn’t spend much money on the clinic.’

How nice. After seeing Han Yeowon’s skills, she felt nothing but envy.

The recent decrease in her own patients… it probably wasn’t a coincidence. Even Chu Miyoung herself would seek out this place if she were a patient.

Blink.

Chu Miyoung only remembered that she had turned on the voice recorder when she saw the light on her phone blink.

If Han Yeowon had promoted her business by disparaging other Korean medicine clinics, she had planned to spread it to the local directors. Though it’s not a small enough neighborhood to be territorial, surely she could do something?

But there was not a single flaw in Han Yeowon’s treatment.

Releasing this would only serve as free advertising for her.

Even if she had intentionally set out to make a promotional video, Chu Miyoung couldn’t have done it.

“Sigh.”

After fuming to herself about how this could possibly be real,

She berated herself for neglecting her studies while only searching for advertising secrets.

It wasn’t until the physical therapy and acupuncture were finished that she finally calmed down.

With the chuna included, the cost approached 50,000 won, but she didn’t feel it was the least bit wasteful.

Having completely lost her fighting spirit, she finished paying and went to the water purifier for a drink.

“Is something bothering you? Would you like to come to the consultation room for a moment?”

Han Yeowon approached, seeing her drink water with a gloomy face.

This only deepened Chu Miyoung’s sense of defeat.

She had never once asked a patient who had finished treatment that day if they were okay.

She was afraid to hear that they weren’t getting better.

“No, I’m very comfortable thanks to you. Thank you.”

Chu Miyoung bowed her head deeply and left Seongsu Korean Medicine Clinic as if fleeing.

◆◇◆◇◆

“Hmm.”

Honestly, the voice recorder was bothering me. What was she planning to do by recording at a small Korean medicine clinic?

I couldn’t be sure if she had bad intentions, so I had just tried to surprise her a little while being cautious, but seeing Chu Miyoung leave the clinic looking so disheartened made me concerned.

‘It feels like becoming the world’s greatest swordsman and then giving it my all against a latter-day disciple.’

In terms of sects, it’s like an elder who should be giving guidance matches coming out and crushing the spirits of the youngsters.

‘No, rather, seeing an elder’s skills might inspire them to study harder. The wall of peers might be even greater.’

Thanks to once having accumulated considerable inner energy, I may look young on the outside, but in reality, I’ve experienced far more patients with incredible density over a much longer period than Chu Miyoung.

From the number of successful and failed treatments to the diversity of diseases and injuries.

I’m not an appropriate person for Chu Miyoung to consider a rival in many ways, so there’s no need for her to be so disheartened.

‘I was planning to surprise her just a little and then call her to the consultation room to ask why she used Sibmi Paedok-tang.’

TN: “Sibmi Paedok-tang” (십미팔득탕) is a traditional Korean herbal medicine formula. It typically consists of a combination of various herbs and is used to treat specific conditions, often related to improving overall vitality and balancing bodily functions. The name “Sibmi Paedok-tang” can be translated as “Ten-Pulse Eight-Acquisition Decoction,” reflecting its formulation and intended therapeutic effects.

I was still curious because it was a prescription choice I just couldn’t understand.

Additionally, I wanted to know why she came to our clinic and why she was recording.

But it felt wrong to chase after the fleeing Chu Miyoung and press her with questions, so I let her go, hoping for another opportunity.

“Well, is she better than someone like Jo Haneul who keeps grumbling without ever admitting it? This could be an opportunity for growth.”

With patients flooding in today, I didn’t have the luxury of thinking about her for long.

Word must be spreading somewhere, as more and more mothers with children have been coming lately.

At this rate, we’ll be seeing not just 40, but over 50 patients a day.

I’ve seen over 100 patients in a day before, but… is Seo In-ae really okay handling this alone?

◆◇◆◇◆

“Ahhh! Time to go home!”

“Good work today. I’ll hire a new employee soon.”

Unlike last time when she had insisted she was fine, Seo In-ae quietly nodded.

It seems even she, who used to cheer every time the number of patients increased in hopes of getting even a bit more incentive, was overwhelmed.

“Doctor, do you happen to have plans to go to the supermarket this week?”

Seo In-ae asked while turning off the computer and tidying up.

“The supermarket? Why? Do you need something?”

“We’re running low on coffee mix and paper cups. L-Mart in front of the station is having a sale now, so I was wondering if you could pick some up if you’re going anyway.”

“Ah~.”

“If you’re going, please get them, and if not, I’ll just order them online for a few thousand won more.”

“I’ll go today. I need to do some grocery shopping anyway.”

Come to think of it, I couldn’t go to the supermarket on the weekend because I was watching the game.

I gladly accepted the list Seo In-ae had written and headed down the hill.

“Hmm. Should I make hot pot today?”

Though I didn’t want to go back to the martial arts world, I sometimes craved the food from there. If I had known, I should have asked the servant girls for more recipes.

I bought a week’s worth of groceries while thinking about various things.

“Wow~ The moon is so beautiful.”

By the time I finished shopping, the sun had completely set.

The stars that used to adorn the sky were no longer visible, but the moon shone just as brightly everywhere.

I walked along the road, immersed in nostalgia as I recalled my eventful past.

“Oh.”

As I passed through the station, crossed the road, and went by Haneul Korean Medicine Clinic, Chu Miyoung was leaving work after finishing her evening consultations.

The sight of her walking with slumped shoulders somehow evoked a strange sense of pity.

‘She must have woken up early to see me, and working until this hour must be tough.’

Thinking I might offer a word of comfort, I approached her.

“Dr. Chu.”

I called out to Chu Miyoung from a short distance away.

Perhaps because Haneul Korean Medicine Clinic didn’t have a parking lot, she was heading down to the basement of the next building via the road.

‘Did she not hear me?’

If it were me, or anyone with even slightly developed qi sensitivity, they would have noticed someone approaching.

She didn’t seem to notice anything and kept walking straight ahead. If anything, her pace seemed to quicken.

“Doctor?”

So I called out to her again, closing the distance a bit more.

“Kyaaaa!”

Chu Miyoung screamed in shock, wrapping her arms around herself.

Her shoulders were trembling, and tears welled up in her eyes.

“Oh my, please calm down.”

Her reaction was extremely unusual.

Worried she might fall from being so startled, I supported her back.

“S-stalker…!”

“Dr. Chu.”

“…A woman?”

“It’s me, Han Yeowon. The director of Seongsu Korean Medicine Clinic.”

“Ah…?”

About to scream again, she blinked as she saw my face.

What’s going on, has she been suffering from a stalker?

‘Ah, she wasn’t ignoring me, she was pretending not to hear and walking faster.’

I removed my hand from her back and apologized politely to Chu Miyoung.

“I’m sorry for startling you.”

She must have been genuinely terrified, as Chu Miyoung was shedding tears with all her makeup wiped off.