The head of the Chiropractic Hall spoke up.
“In that case, the Chiropractic Hall will no longer inquire about the young master’s identity.”
Her decision was quite straightforward.
On the other hand, the Acupuncture Hall Master persistently began to delve into Jin Cheon-hee’s medical skills.
“Does the head of the Medicinal Herbs Hall have nothing to say?”
At those words, the head of the Medicinal Herbs Hall chuckled.
“I’ve lived my entire life as a servant of the Zhuge Clan. This old woman has been single all her life, and the hall master is also in no position to marry. But now we’ve brought in this toad-like disciple, and I’m just dying of affection.”
“Tsk, she’s already completely fallen for him.”
The Acupuncture Hall Master clicked his tongue. Then he turned to the Martial Force Hall Master and asked,
“What about you, Martial Force Hall Master?”“You’ve brought in a master of the Transformation Realm, so what kind of martial arts head am I? Just let me retire already.”
“…”
“It seems I’m the only one opposing this.”
The discussion continued for quite some time after that.
One thing was certain: after Yoo Ho vouched for Jin Cheon-hee, the atmosphere became much more relaxed.
It seemed Yoo Ho’s trust carried that much weight.
In the end, even the Acupuncture Hall Master, who had been fighting alone until the very end, relented.
“Then I’ll draw a conclusion. The new hall, the Surgery Hall, will be established later, and Jin Cheon-hee, as the head of the Surgery Hall, will create books on surgery, educate within the Medical Pavilion, and undergo verification.”
“We shall follow the hall master’s orders.”
And so the meeting came to an end.
***
On the night after the meeting, Jin Cheon-hee couldn’t fall asleep for a long time.
Four hours of sleep a day. Usually, he would fall asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. But for some reason, tonight something seemed to be stuck in his solar plexus, preventing him from drifting off.
‘Ah, this won’t do.’
Finally, Jin Cheon-hee went outside.
He thought that if he exercised a bit, he might be able to fall asleep.
Outside, the pitch-black sky was blooming with stars like buckwheat flowers.
Jin Cheon-hee recalled a novel he had read as a child. It really did seem like the scent of buckwheat flowers would fill the black sky.
He was considering practicing the Three-Elements Stride in the spirit of Heo Saengwon from Bongpyeong, when he suddenly noticed that the lights were on in the conference room.
‘Who could be up at this hour without sleeping?’
As he approached the conference room, he heard voices.
“You’ve had a hard time, Hee-ya. Such a young one getting caught up in the schemes of adults.”
“The heads of the Medical Pavilion are no ordinary individuals. They all had intentions of pulling the young master into their own medical pavilions, didn’t they?”
“Except for the head of the Medicinal Herbs Hall, yes.”
“Well, she must have realized that the young master doesn’t have much ability in pharmacology. To be honest, while I acknowledge the young master’s surgery skills, he’s practically a blank slate in everything else, isn’t he?”
“Still, his learning speed is terrifyingly fast. Even I, at sixty years old, couldn’t acquire knowledge that quickly…”
“Really, Master? To that extent…”
“Haha. Of course, I too was renowned as a genius in the world, and I did indeed improve my medical skills faster than others. But… when it comes to just memorizing, Hee might be better than me.”
‘Master is gilding my face. It’s making me blush.’
Jin Cheon-hee thought as he listened to the voices.
“I had no idea it was to that extent.”
“Moreover, he already possesses the necessary instincts as a physician, so he’ll soon reach a level of mastery in acupuncture as well. And they all know that. That’s why all the hall masters were so surprised and greedy.”
“So from the perspective of the head of the Medicinal Herbs Hall, it would be more beneficial to have the young master establish the Surgery Hall independently and maintain a relationship with him, right?”
“From her standpoint, that would be the best choice for the Medicinal Herbs Hall.”
“That’s why the Acupuncture Hall Master was the one who couldn’t give up until the very end. The Martial Force Hall Master seemed to covet the young master’s speed of achievement, openly throwing a tantrum with the excuse of wanting to retire.”
“No, I think he really wanted to retire.”
“It’s not like this is the first or second Medical Pavilion meeting. Master, would people who have served the Zhuge Clan for generations just throw tantrums like that?”
A soft laughter from Zhuge Rin could be heard.
“You’re right. That’s true. Even the Martial Force Hall Master, who wields a sword, resorts to tricks in our Medical Pavilion. Normally, he would have reluctantly asked to be allowed to teach Jin Cheon-hee himself. Saying that since he serves someone who is a master of the Transformation Realm, he should personally teach martial arts to save face.”
“You know it well and yet you say that. In the end, I subtly intervened and made it all come to nothing.”
So that’s why he acted that way at first.
Jin Cheon-hee had thought it was just suspicion towards an unverified medical skill and a child of unknown background.
The Acupuncture Hall Master seemed to doubt Jin Cheon-hee until the very end, so he thought he hadn’t earned their trust yet, which was understandable.
But it seems that wasn’t the case.
“The only one who truly had no lingering attachment was probably the head of the Chiropractic Hall. She probed once, and when she confirmed that I, the steward, was behind it, she let it go.”
“Your involvement means that it’s my will. They all picked up on that.”
“Still, the Acupuncture Hall Master couldn’t give up.”
“The Acupuncture Hall is already short-handed, isn’t it? They have the highest proportion of Medical Pavilion members, but even so, it’s not enough. And our Hee is quite exceptional, isn’t he? They must be very tempted.”
‘Wow. They’re all truly cunning.’
At that moment, the voices of the two people stopped.
Even though there was quite a distance, they seemed to have noticed Jin Cheon-hee’s presence.
It would be more awkward to run away now. Jin Cheon-hee deliberately coughed. Then, from inside, someone called out to him.
“Is that you, Hee? What brings you here at this late hour?”
“I couldn’t sleep.”
Jin Cheon-hee said as he entered.
Inside, only his master and Yoo Ho were seated.
Seeing the scattered bamboo slips and books, it seemed they had been organizing today’s meeting.
The corners of his master’s eyes curved gently as he looked at Jin Cheon-hee.
“Wait a moment. I’ll brew you some tea to help you sleep.”
“Oh my, Master. Please maintain your dignity. I’ll brew it and bring it.”
Yoo Ho went out to brew the tea, adamantly refusing to let the master do it himself.
Suddenly, Jin Cheon-hee noticed that there was also a teacup in front of his master.
In the past, he wouldn’t have known what herbs were in this tea.
But now, Jin Cheon-hee could tell what herbs were used just by the scent.
‘It’s a tea to chase away sleep and clear the mind.’
His master had no intention of sleeping at all.
Even if it has components that clear the mind, that’s only a temporary effect.
It’s just postponing today’s sleep until tomorrow, it can’t eliminate fatigue.
In the end, people need to sleep. Especially patients like his master.
‘I want to say something…’
The words keep circling on his tongue.
He now understood how heavy the responsibilities of the Medical Pavilion head were.
“Hui, do you have something you want to say?”
Jin Cheon-hee smiled awkwardly.
“Master, how about we share the tea together?”
“Are you referring to the sleep-inducing tea you’ll drink, or the tea I’m drinking to stay awake?”
The tone was like coaxing a child, but there was a sharp edge to the words.
“Either would be fine, I’d just like us to drink the same tea together.”
“This is quite troublesome. I still want to make sure you, who are still young, get proper sleep.”
“I’m glad we have the same feelings, Master.”
“You’ve become quite eloquent after attending the meeting.”
The master chuckled softly. Then he patted Jin Cheon-hee’s head.
“This is a big problem. No matter what you say, I just find it endearing. This must be what it’s like to have a disciple in the martial world. This master is too incompetent to scold you properly for not sleeping, and that worries me.”
“…”
“Hee.”
The master’s voice resonated through the night.
“Yes, Master.”
“What does the Medical Pavilion mean to you?”
It was a difficult question.
Jin Cheon-hee hadn’t been at the Medical Pavilion for long, so he wasn’t sure what he knew, but it seemed his master wanted to hear his answer anyway.
After much contemplation, Jin Cheon-hee spoke with difficulty.
“To me, the Medical Pavilion is like a den of water bandits in a river.”
“Not a mountain, not a sea, but a den of water bandits in a river? Aren’t water bandits’ dens where thieves gather? Why do you think that?”
“If we compare human life to water, wouldn’t it be born in the mountains, flow to the sea, and die? And then the sea becomes rain again and falls on the mountains. The river is in the middle. The water bandits are the wicked ones who block the flow of water.”
“So the Medical Pavilion is a gathering of wicked ones who block the flow of water.”
“Water bandits are originally the kind who can’t rest easy unless they pick fights with everything flowing freely beside them. And they also extort money and goods.”
At those words, the master burst into laughter.
“That’s right. Money and goods are important too. Very important indeed.”
Pleased with his disciple’s answer, the master patted Jin Cheon-hee’s head even more enthusiastically.
“Hee.”
“Yes, Master.”
“If the Medical Pavilion is a den of water bandits, then you, who have become the head of one of its halls, are becoming a bandit captain. Is that why you can’t sleep?”
“Somehow my chest felt tight and it was hard to breathe.”
“That’s how it should be. That’s the right thing. A physician only needs to be responsible for the life of the patient in front of them. But a hall master is different. You must be responsible for the lives of all the patients in your hall. That’s why all the hall masters were so desperate.”
The master paused for a moment and stroked Jin Cheon-hee’s head.
“…They have strong pride, so they rarely show it outwardly.”
Then how heavy must the shoulders of the Medical Pavilion head be, who is responsible for all those halls?
Jin Cheon-hee’s gaze fell on his master’s teacup. It was slightly larger and heavier than an ordinary teacup.
Jin Cheon-hee pondered the meaning of this for a long time.
Eventually, Yoo Ho’s presence could be felt.
Jin Cheon-hee spoke.
“Master.”
“What is it?”
“Cold tea doesn’t taste good. Since we’re drinking anyway, wouldn’t freshly brewed warm tea be better?”
Still, because even such a master was a patient, Jin Cheon-hee tried to recommend his own.
“Are you suggesting we drink tea together and then go back?”
“The night sky is bright, so it won’t be lonely to walk together. The stars are really beautiful, Master. Like buckwheat flowers.”
Recalling the phrase from the novel he read as a child, Jin Cheon-hee persistently spoke.
Finally, the master said with a wry smile.
“Since you insist so much, I can’t refuse. Alright. Let’s walk together and look at the stars.”
“While drinking warm tea.”
“Yes, let’s drink warm tea.”
A smile finally appeared on Jin Cheon-hee’s stiff face.
“I’ll pour it, Master.”
“You’re quite thorough.”
“I’m a hall master of the Medical Pavilion now, so I can’t be careless.”
“Hahaha, you’re cute, but you still have a long way to go. You’ll have to learn a lot from Chief Yoo. If you want to be called ‘Young Master’ instead of ‘Young Lord’ even in private settings, you’ll have to work hard.”
Jin Cheon-hee nodded.
As someone who wasn’t a martial artist, he had no pride. He was willing to learn anything that could be helpful.
However, before that, he had to pour sleep-inducing tea into his master’s cup.
That was the most important thing for Jin Cheon-hee right now.
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