The Divine And Demonic Doctor [EN]: Chapter 183

Joo Jang-myung, who was on the carrier [a type of backpack used to carry children], answered instead of his father.

“My father is also a doctor.”

“Ah!”

Ah-doo was finally able to properly see the child sitting on the carrier.

He must have been about seven or eight years old.

He was about the same age as his younger siblings.

Yet, his eyes were very mature and dignified.

“Are you a real doctor?”

Joo Cho-woon smiled wryly at Ah-doo’s question.

“Doesn’t everyone have their own circumstances?”

“Ah, right. I’m sorry.”

Joo Cho-woon shook his head dismissively at Ah-doo’s apology.

Joo Cho-woon put down the carrier and leaned it against the wall, then sat down wearily next to it.

Even that sight made Ah-doo feel sorry for him.

However, the other patients who came here also had their own stories.

Ah-doo soon began the work he was given.

But he couldn’t help but keep glancing towards the carrier.

Shortly after, Dan Ahk-seon, who entered the clinic, treated Cho Ahk-ryang, Beom Gye-wi, and Han Seol-hwa before greeting the patients as usual.

While receiving treatment, Beom Gye-wi cast a worried look at Dan Ahk-seon.

“Doctor Dan, why don’t you take a day off today?”

“I can still handle it.”

“But your complexion is so bad.”

“Just a little more. I’ll try to do as much as I can.”

Seeing that Dan Ahk-seon wouldn’t budge, Beom Gye-wi asked Cho Ahk-ryang for help, catching his eye.

In response, Cho Ahk-ryang cautiously brought up the topic to Dan Ahk-seon.

“We may need to limit the number of patients we treat per day.”

Dan Ahk-seon smiled ruefully.

He understood Cho Ahk-ryang’s concern, but he couldn’t just send the patients who came from afar back home.

Cho Ahk-ryang, guessing Dan Ahk-seon’s thoughts, offered an alternative.

“Or we could recruit more doctors. The number of patients one doctor has to handle is too many. It’s already overwhelming, but if it continues like this…….”

“I’m thinking of a way anyway.”

Dan Ahk-seon said that, but he was also in a difficult situation.

To take care of seriously ill patients, he needed a doctor with excellent medical skills.

The three doctors of Jinseong Medical Center were skilled, but they were still far from catching up with Poongjinseong [a renowned medical center].

Moreover, they fell far short of his standards.

While he was pondering this and that, it was Ah-doo’s turn.

As Ah-doo lay face down on the bed, Dan Ahk-seon immediately began to insert the needles.

“Ah-doo, how are you feeling?”

Dan Ahk-seon asked as he removed the needles he had inserted into Ah-doo’s body.

After examining his body for a moment, Ah-doo smiled and nodded.

“I think the sensation in my legs is definitely returning as I receive treatment. The tickling feeling is also stronger than before.”

“That’s a relief. We’ll be able to start other treatments soon.”

Ah-doo, who came down from the bed after the treatment, put splints on his legs.

Then he suddenly glanced at Dan Ahk-seon.

He had an expression that he had something to say.

But when he met Dan Ahk-seon’s eyes, he swallowed his words, offering only an awkward smile.

Dan Ahk-seon cast a curious look at the sight.

“Do you have something to say to me?”

“No. Just…….”

Ah-doo smiled at Dan Ahk-seon.

“What is it? If you have something to say, say it.”

Ah-doo sighed and opened his mouth honestly.

“Actually, there is a patient who has been waiting for three days. The patient is a child about the same age as my younger siblings, and his father brought him here on a carrier.”

“Ah! That person!”

Dan Ahk-seon also remembered seeing him as he entered the clinic.

“I want to bring him into the clinic regardless of the order, but there is a fairness issue with other people…….”

“Why did you want to bring that patient in first?”

“The child looked very ill.”

Dan Ahk-seon pondered for a moment.

He hadn’t seen the child’s face clearly, having only glanced at him as he came in.

However, there must be a reason why Ah-doo said this.

After estimating the time for a moment, Dan Ahk-seon smiled and nodded.

“Bring him in.”

“Yes? But it’s not consultation time yet?”

“So, I’ll see him now. During consultation hours, I have to see patients in order.”

“But are you okay? You must be tired.”

“I’m okay, so tell him to come in.”

Ah-doo nodded with a complicated look.

On the one hand, he was happy that he seemed to have helped the child, but on the other hand, he was sorry that he seemed to have made Dan Ahk-seon, who was already tired, even more so.

Shortly after, Joo Cho-woon entered the examination room with the guidance of Ah-doo.

Joo Cho-woon left the carrier outside and held his son in his arms as he entered.

The child’s complexion was pale, almost blue.

Dan Ahk-seon’s expression became serious as he observed the child.

On the other hand, surprise appeared on Joo Cho-woon’s face.

He had never imagined that the owner of this medical center, called the Medical Immortal [a highly skilled doctor], would be so young.

Nevertheless, he first paid his respects.

“Thank you for your consideration, Doctor.”

Joo Cho-woon, who laid his son on the bed, took out the Shinma Pill [a type of medicinal pill] he had purchased from the clerk a while ago from his arms.

“I heard that you are the one who manufactured this medicine. At first, I doubted its efficacy, so I checked it myself, but its function was truly amazing. So, I came to see you like this…….”

Dan Ahk-seon cut him off.

“Let’s talk later. I’ll check his pulse first.”

Dan Ahk-seon immediately approached Joo Jang-myung and placed his finger on his wrist.

After a while…

“Hmm…….”

Dan Ahk-seon made a thoughtful sound.

As expected, the child’s condition was as he suspected.

The serious cyanosis [bluish discoloration of the skin] spreading on the child’s face confirmed his fears.

He had guessed to some extent through this, but he did not know that it would be this serious.

“He has a congenital heart problem.”

As Dan Ahk-seon took out the needles, the child flinched.

“Hello? My name is Dan Ahk-seon. Will you tell me your name?”

Dan Ahk-seon smiled and reassured the child.

“Jang-myung (長命)……. It’s Joo Jang-myung.”

“Joo Jang-myung? That’s a good name.”

It was a name that contained the parents’ wish for the child to live a long life.

Dan Ahk-seon picked up the needle and showed it to Joo Jang-myung in detail.

“Do you see the sculpture of a god carved on this needle head?”

Joo Jang-myung’s eyes widened as he carefully examined the Seonang Needle [a special type of acupuncture needle].

“Wow……! Amazing. How can you carve this small needle so delicately?”

Dan Ahk-seon smiled and nodded.

“Isn’t it amazing? I’m surprised even though I see it every day.”

Then he explained the purpose of the needle.

“I’m going to use this needle to check your body condition. It will sting a little, but it’s nothing compared to the pain from the disease. So, you don’t have to worry.”

“Yes…….”

“Don’t be nervous and take it easy. I’ll start when you’re okay, so you don’t have to be scared in advance.”

Joo Jang-myung glanced at his father and slowly nodded.

“I’m ready.”

“Already? Our Jang-myung is very brave.”

Joo Jang-myung smiled slightly at Dan Ahk-seon’s encouragement.

But he soon frowned.

“Ugh.”

He felt a stinging sensation and a sense of foreignness digging into his chest.

However, he was not surprised or frightened as he had already talked to Dan Ahk-seon in advance.

Dan Ahk-seon, who had inserted needles into several places on Joo Jang-myung’s body, had an unexpected expression.

Soon, Dan Ahk-seon looked up at Joo Cho-woon.

“The shape of his heart is not normal.”

Joo Cho-woon silently listened to the words because it was already a known fact.

“Due to a congenital malformation, his heart is not functioning properly. As a result, it is not pumping blood properly. In addition, the backflow phenomenon is also repeated.”

Joo Cho-woon’s eyes shook at Dan Ahk-seon’s words.

“Who treated this child?”

“How did you…….”

“This child’s condition is a miracle that he is still alive. Thanks to his treatment, he is barely avoiding the worst situation.”

Joo Cho-woon couldn’t hide his surprise.

The half-doubtful mind because of Dan Ahk-seon’s age disappeared at once.

No doctor he had ever met had made such an accurate diagnosis.

“My name is Joo Cho-woon, and I inherited and operated a medical family that had been passed down from my great-grandfather in Jeongju, Henan Province.”

“Huh?”

Dan Ahk-seon looked at Joo Cho-woon with surprised eyes.

“Could it be that you were called Able to Heal the Dying (能療不亡) [a legendary doctor]?”

This time, Joo Cho-woon was surprised.

He never imagined that Dan Ahk-seon would recognize him.

“It’s an excessive title. How can someone who can’t even cure his child’s illness be called that?”

This was not humility but his sincere feeling.

However, Dan Ahk-seon had heard about him from an early age.

So, he was just amazed at this situation.

If there were Five Greats in Murim [a world of martial arts], there were also five famous doctors who were considered to be outstanding among doctors.

Three people excluding his parents.

One of them was none other than Joo Cho-woon in front of him.

A master of medicine who could cure any disease unless it was a terminal illness.

But at some point, he disappeared and created many rumors.

“Since that’s the case, we can talk more easily. You must have been treating him for the longest time. What is your opinion on this disease? I’ve only checked it in medical books, but this is my first time seeing it in person.”

Joo Cho-woon was momentarily embarrassed because he asked so honestly. But soon he gave his opinion without hesitation.

“I also found out about the heart defect, but I couldn’t find a way to do anything about it. I can’t open his chest for treatment. It was best to take emergency measures when the blood flowed backward.”

“Is that so? Hmm…….”

Joo Cho-woon carefully asked Dan Ahk-seon, who was lost in thought.

“Is there a way to treat this child?”

“Just a moment.”

Dan Ahk-seon, who was recalling the contents of the medical book left by his parents in the past, finally nodded slowly.

“There is a way.”

“……!”

Joo Cho-woon, who had been waiting anxiously, could not hide his agitated feelings.

Dan Ahk-seon calmly opened his mouth to him.

“First of all, it is urgent to induce the heart to function properly and prevent blood from flowing backward. Second, the cause must be removed so that the symptoms do not recur.”

There were mountains of things he wanted to ask, but Joo Cho-woon tried to keep his mouth shut in order to listen to Dan Ahk-seon’s next words.

“But the process will not be easy. The unstable blood flow has affected other organs. Damage has begun to progress because blood is not fully supplied. Above all, no matter how good the medical skills are, there is no way to completely correct congenital malformations.”

“Yes? But you just said that treatment is possible…….”

Dan Ahk-seon smiled bitterly and shook his head.

“To be honest, it is impossible to fix the heart.”

Joo Cho-woon’s vision became blurred.

Was his expectation too high?

Knowing that Dan Ahk-seon’s medical skills were excellent, the despair returned even greater.

No matter how much the symptoms are relieved, the cause of the disease will recur unless it is removed.

It was like living with an unstable bomb in his chest that could explode at any time.

Then Dan Ahk-seon opened his mouth.

“But there is a way to keep living.”

“Yes?”

“Instead of fixing the heart, which is the cause of the disease, it means replacing it with another method.”

“Are you saying that something else can completely replace the heart?”

Dan Ahk-seon nodded at Joo Cho-woon’s question.

“On the premise that you can control tachycardia [rapid heart rate] with medicine and needles and stop the backflow of blood to some extent.”

“But I don’t have any other methods left.”

Dan Ahk-seon smiled brightly.

“Don’t worry. Fortunately, I have some other options.”

“Ah!”

“That’s the first thing, to buy time. Then, you have to assist the deformed heart with something else so that it can function properly. Then Jang-myung can be free from the disease, even though he has it. If this attempt is successful, he will be able to live without any major problems, just like his name.”

“What is that method?”

“It’s martial arts.”

“Martial arts?”

“Yes. Pure internal energy can sufficiently assist the heart’s insufficient function.”