Chapter 278

Chapter 278
## Chapter 278. Those Who Break Walls (4)

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As the Academy entered its vacation period, signs of life grew scarce across all facilities, including the dormitories. Barring a handful of people who stayed behind, the campus was practically deserted. The instructors and chief instructors had departed for their respective holidays, and the campus dining hall had entered a prolonged recess, operating with only a skeleton crew.

Out of all the locations on campus, the one that became the most desolate was the Medical Hall (Ui-yak-dang). With no examinations or martial challenges taking place during the break, visitors to the Medical Hall were virtually nonexistent. Furthermore, the students who remained had immersed themselves in training regimes akin to isolated closed-door cultivation, resulting in an absence of serious mishaps.

Nevertheless, to remain prepared for any unexpected emergencies, half of the female physicians (ui-nyeo), alongside the Medical Hall Master, were required to stay on duty. Consequently, the Medical Hall opened its doors daily, regardless of the lack of patients. On this particular morning, the Medical Hall Master, Sama-jeong, arrived early to inspect the facility and its surroundings.

Before he had even realized it, snow had blanketed the courtyard of the Medical Hall in a thick layer. The female physicians and attendants made a move to sweep it away, but he waved them off. Since no patients were expected and there were no tasks demanding attention, he wished to appreciate the accumulated snow to his heart’s content.

‘It is a bleak sight.’

He could not recall feeling this way when observing snowfall in the past. This year’s winter scenery felt far more isolated than any he had previously witnessed.

“Perhaps I should just walk away from it all…”

Gazing at the heavy snowfall, Sama-jeong voiced his inner thoughts aloud without intending to. Hearing this, a female physician who was shredding medicinal roots nearby gasped in astonishment.

“What are you saying, Hall Master (Dang-ju-nim)!”

“Hmm? Ah… did that slip out?”

“Please do not even joke about such things. Are you aware of how many healers dream of entering the Murim Alliance, let alone securing a place in this Medical Hall?”

Hearing the female physician’s chiding, Sama-jeong let out a faint laugh. Indeed, she was correct. He was currently occupying a coveted position that countless others envied.

“Miss Physician. Tell me, do you happen to know the number of people who freeze to death during a winter like this?”

“…Excuse me?”

“Back when I was still learning the craft, the arrival of winter meant I would be drenched in sweat from morning till night, struggling to tend to the overwhelming flood of suffering people.”

The female physician, momentarily caught off guard by the sudden shift in conversation, offered a nod of understanding as she deduced his meaning.

“So, it was through surviving such hardships that you were able to earn such an excellent position.”

Sama-jeong simply chuckled, choosing neither to confirm nor deny her assumption.

“I suppose so.”

An abundance of medical supplies and a stress-free schedule for administering treatments. During both the summer and winter recesses, the total absence of patients made it an ideal environment for pursuing personal medical research. Had his former mentor seen this place, he would have praised it as a dream scenario. After all, the advice his mentor had constantly drummed into him was, “You ought to find a position like this.”

Yet, that was precisely why the reality weighed so heavily on him. Naturally, he had no desire to watch patients pass away in squalor due to a lack of resources, as his mentor once did. He remembered all too well the profound sense of helplessness that came from watching lives slip away simply because a common, inexpensive herb could not be acquired.

That stark reality was what had driven him to join the Murim Alliance in the first place. He had intended to elevate his expertise and build a renowned name here, using the substantial fees collected from affluent patients to fund the treatment of the destitute. He had believed that by utilizing such an approach, he could preserve far more lives.

And yet,

“Being here makes me feel no different than a private doctor tethered to a wealthy estate.”

The staff of the Medical Hall did not provide care to ordinary citizens. To be precise, they were restricted from doing so. From the very beginning, outsiders were barred from stepping foot inside the Murim Academy. Somewhere along the line, it felt as though he had strayed entirely from the path he had originally set out to walk.

The female physician halted her herb-cutting tool and gestured animatedly as she addressed Sama-jeong.

“But isn’t that a wonderful thing, Doctor (Ui-won-nim)? I insist that you must remain in this post for thousands and tens of thousands of years! Every one of us holds you in such high regard, Doctor.”

“…I suppose I must. Haha. I appreciate the sentiment.”

Faced with her naive perspective, Sama-jeong forced himself to swallow a sorrowful smile. If only he hadn’t concocted that specific medicine in the past. He constantly berated himself for his greed, recalling how he had merely intended it as an offering to encourage talented youngsters.

‘Will the opportunity ever arise for me to leave this place?’

While he enjoyed watching the snow drift down in moments of idleness, his true desire was to be out in the world, working tirelessly under that very sky. However, stepping onto those pristine, deceptively beautiful snowflakes with unprotected feet would undoubtedly be freezing. He doubted whether he possessed the inner fortitude required to endure such a trial. Somewhere along the way, he had grown soft.

Right at that moment.

Crunch, crunch, crunch.

A solitary figure was making their way across the pristine, undisturbed blanket of snow.

“Oh?”

The female physician blinked in surprise at the approaching man. A moment later, Sama-jeong’s eyes widened in recognition as well.

“You are…”

“It has been quite some time.”

The very youth who had previously caused a major stir during his visit to the Medical Hall was standing there, smiling calmly as the falling flakes dusted his clothes.

“The aroma of that tea is quite inviting. Would it be alright if I joined you for a cup?”

The snow showed no signs of stopping in the courtyard of the Medical Hall. So-un-Jin and Sama-jeong sat side by side, separated only by a warm brazier, silently contemplating the winter landscape for a long duration. It was only after the snow that had gathered on So-un-Jin’s shoulders and head dissolved into water droplets and vanished that Sama-jeong finally broke the silence.

“What brings you to this place? From what I can see, you aren’t suffering from any ailment… and there is no earthly reason you would travel all this way just for a taste of tea.”

“How do you usually occupy your time during the winter?”

“The winter?”

Faced with such an abrupt inquiry, Sama-jeong fixed a sharp gaze on So-un-Jin. To engage in a meaningful dialogue, one had to grasp the underlying motive. Yet, Sama-jeong found himself entirely unable to fathom the purpose behind this question.

“Well, I imagine I will continue to pass the days idly, just as I am doing now. Did you really come all this way merely to inquire about that?”

“Do you no longer venture out to provide relief work (guhyul)?”

“…….”

Sama-jeong’s expression instantly turned rigid.

“What is the meaning of this?”

“I am aware that during your time at the Divine Physician Hall (Sin-ui-gak) within the Murim Alliance, you spent every vacation period participating in relief efforts. …Was it because you fell out of grace with them that you ended up stationed here at the Academy?”

An irritated scowl marred Sama-jeong’s features. Under normal circumstances, interacting with an Academy student is an opportunity that martial artists in the Jianghu value greatly. However, Sama-jeong had never been the type to concern himself with such superficial matters.

“Have you been investigating my background? Do you believe you can extract something valuable from me? I hate to disappoint you, but your efforts will be entirely in vain.”

Did the fierce reaction of a solitary healer strike him as amusing? So-un-Jin merely offered a bright, relaxed grin.

“Not at the slightest. I only sought this information because I wished to understand the measure of your character.”

“…….”

“The institution known as the Divine Physician Hall is essentially dominated by members of the Divine Physician Room (Sin-ui-bang), who have monopolized the core positions for generations, have they not? I understand they wielded immense leverage even during the founding and naming of the Divine Physician Hall.”

“…….”

Those associated with the Divine Physician Room naturally established a stronghold within the Divine Physician Hall, constantly promoting and protecting one another to cement their authority. Regardless of how diligently Sama-jeong exerted himself, he could never hope to integrate into their circle. From the start, it was an impossible match; he could never find common ground with individuals who equated medical expertise with financial leverage.

‘This reality only reinforces just how remarkable my former master truly was.’

Calming his temper slightly, Sama-jeong spoke again.

“Because I refused to network with them or frequent the entertainment houses, choosing instead to exhaust my personal funds to provide medical care to the impoverished, it was inevitable that I would earn their displeasure.”

He released the pent-up indignation he had kept buried for so long, letting his words drift away into the quietly falling snow.

“In their eyes, I was a rogue element who treated just anyone, thereby cheapening the prestige of medicine.”

“Hmm… so it was that dispute that resulted in your banishment to the Medical Hall?”

Sama-jeong gave a slow, deliberate shake of his head.

“No, that was not the cause. The issue arose because I formulated a specific medicinal pill intended for the incoming Academy applicants.”

“Are you referring to the Righteous Heart Pill (Jeong-sim-dan)?”

“…You are aware of its existence?”

“Indeed. Seeing as I consumed one myself.”

The tension in the corners of Sama-jeong’s eyes eased slightly.

“What was your assessment of it?”

“It was exceptional.”

Exceptional, he called it. Sama-jeong, briefly reflecting on past events, let out a self-deprecating smirk.

“There is no need to flatter me. As I mentioned moments ago, there is nothing of value you can extract from me.”

He couldn’t quite identify the reason, but before he knew it, he was openly sharing the grievances he had kept hidden from the world with the young student standing right before him.

“When weighed against the precious herbs utilized and the immense labor required for its creation, the actual medicinal outcome was considered trivial. I faced disciplinary action as a direct result of that endeavor.”

“For someone enduring disciplinary measures, you appear to be living quite comfortably.”

Sama-jeong took a slow, sweeping look across the courtyard. To the eye, the accumulated snow seemed peaceful and inviting. Yet, he knew all too well how freezing it would be the moment one actually stepped into it.

“…Is it not possible for a location that appears to be a cozy haven to one observer to feel like an oppressive cage to another?”

“Is that how it feels?”

So-un-Jin pondered the statement for a brief moment before nodding in agreement.

“From my perspective, Hall Master, the error in judgment was entirely yours.”

“…What exactly do you mean by that?”

“I am speaking of your relief work (guhyul). Look at it from their viewpoint: you took the medical knowledge they acquired at an exorbitant cost and distributed it for next to nothing. To them, would you not appear to be a massive hypocrite?”

Sama-jeong’s eyebrows knit together fiercely.

“Are you truly blind to the sheer volume of people losing their lives just beyond these walls simply because they lack the means to buy a single dose of medicine? What of the individuals forced to amputate frozen limbs every time a heavy winter storm hits? Are you naught but a swordsman who knows only how to brandish a blade for slaughter?”

As the words poured out, a flush of anger crept up his neck. He confronted So-un-Jin with all the accumulated resentment he had harbored over the years.

“The art of healing is meant to serve all of humanity. If its sole purpose is to cater to those possessing wealth, lineage, and authority, then what justification is there for medicine to advance at all! Given that even the most powerful will eventually stripped of their influence, one might as well callously end their lives when that day arrives!”

As the echoes of his outburst faded into the surroundings, a heavy quiet settled over them once more. Sama-jeong, breathing heavily as his temper cooled, realized he had allowed his emotions to carry him away unnecessarily. So-un-Jin had remained entirely unperturbed, calmly sipping his tea without a single flicker of emotion on his face.

“If those are your genuine convictions, then you have no business remaining within the Murim Alliance, do you?”

“…….”

“You ought to walk out to the public plazas this instant and begin saving lives.”

In that precise instant, Sama-jeong recognized that he had walked straight into a logical trap of his own making, utterly contradicted by his own passionate declarations. Observing the silent, stunned healer, So-un-Jin let out a meaningful smile.

“It appears the freezing climate makes such an endeavor rather inconvenient.”

“…….”

Flush with embarrassment, Sama-jeong abruptly rose to his feet.

“Very well. It is exactly as you say; I am merely a man of empty words, a hypocrite. Does that admission satisfy you? If you have had your amusement, I must ask you to depart.”

Despite the explicit dismissal, So-un-Jin remained seated, casually twirling the rim of his teacup.

“I have not yet delivered the primary message I came to share.”

“What could you possibly have left to say to me in a situation like this?”

“It is precisely because of your current circumstances that my proposition carries weight.”

“Then speak it plainly and be brief.”

Sama-jeong demanded, fighting to keep his volatile temper under control. His sole desire at this moment was to remove this bothersome youth from his presence as swiftly as possible…

“How would you feel about aligning yourself with the Tae-eul-mun?”

“What?”

Sama-jeong blinked, wondering if his ears were playing tricks on him. His expression was a perfect picture of absolute bewilderment.

To begin with, finding the Divine Physician of Heavenly Mysteries (Cheon-myo-sin-ui) stationed here at the Academy was entirely unforeseen. Upon discovering that his presence here was tied directly to the Righteous Heart Pill (Jeong-sim-dan) I had ingested in the past, the missing components of the puzzle finally began to align in my mind.

‘Because in the future, despite all the desperate pleas and entreaties of the Murim Alliance, he steadfastly refused to manufacture the Righteous Heart Pill for them.’

The Divine Physician of Heavenly Mysteries, who had functioned within the Murim Alliance for a duration, inexplicably severed ties with the organization—arguably the premier institution for any healer—and vanished into ordinary society. It took a full decade before his name achieved legendary status once again. That turning point arrived when martial artists who had utilized his Righteous Heart Pill began successfully recovering from Qi Deviation entirely through their own resources. From that point onward, Sama-jeong was venerated with the moniker “Divine Physician of Heavenly Mysteries,” yet he steadfastly declined to produce the medicine for the elite. Even when prominent organizations and affluent clans arrived at his doorstep offering mountains of wealth, he refused to yield. Those ten intervening years had provided ample opportunity for Sama-jeong to cultivate a deep-seated animosity toward the Murim Alliance.

“Hahaha… Hahahahahat!”

Sama-jeong unleashed a booming laugh that lasted for quite a while. Well now, did my proposition strike him as that comical? I hadn’t realized I possessed such a knack for comedy, honestly.

“Heh…”

His laughter gradually subsided, his shoulders finally ceasing their shaking, as he fixed his gaze on me to query.

“You expect me to relocate to the Tae-eul-mun?”

“Indeed.”

“Are you aware of the sheer level of prestige and privilege afforded to the medical experts within the Murim Alliance?”

“I am well aware that they enter at the minimum level of the seventh rank and command a financial compensation far exceeding that of standard martial artists.”

As I provided the answer without a moment’s hesitation, the mocking grin on his face intensified.

“And despite possessing that knowledge, you are suggesting that someone in my position should migrate to the Tae-eul-mun?”

“Our coffers are quite substantial, and our reputation is entirely respectable.”

“Heh… it seems we are entirely incapable of understanding one another. I must ask you to leave. Simply conversing with you is giving me a migraine.”

The sole reason I had deliberately stoked his anger was to verify whether his present mindset mirrored that of the legendary Divine Physician of Heavenly Mysteries I recalled from my previous existence. If his dedication to philanthropy and tending to the destitute had only manifested after his expulsion from the Murim Alliance, then no inducement I offered at this juncture would ever convince him to join me.

‘Fortunately, it appears this altruistic nature was ingrained in his character from the very start.’

If that held true, securing his cooperation would not be an impossible task. Ultimately, an individual who cannot be swayed by monetary wealth will always be driven by an entirely different motivation.

“I will establish a fully funded independent medical practice for your exclusive use. While managing your responsibilities for our Tae-eul-mun, you will be granted complete freedom to administer charitable medical care simultaneously. The Tae-eul-mun will assume absolute responsibility for all associated expenses.”

A visible flinch passed over him.

Sama-jeong, who had been on the verge of walking away entirely, paused and lowered himself back into his seat. Precisely as I anticipated, he took the bait without delay. Excellent.

“Do you truly expect me to buy into such an empty declaration?”

“For what reason do you deem it an empty declaration?”

“Because it represents a commitment that is fundamentally challenging to uphold over time.”

“…….”

Why must this middle-aged man be so incredibly untrusting? Then again, dealing with someone this cautious made him infinitely more dependable than a person who would greedily leap at the offer.

“It costs nothing to offer grand, idealistic speeches. However, when the moment arrives to actually disperse funds on individuals who offer absolutely zero return on investment, human psychology invariably views it as an unnecessary drain on resources.”

“That is a fair point.”

“And yet you expect me to uproot my life for the Tae-eul-mun based solely on a few verbal assurances?”

Faced with his lingering skepticism, I reached into my garments and pulled out the text I had meticulously prepared for this moment.

“Would this suffice to alter your perspective?”

“What exactly is that?”

“You witnessed my intervention when I administered aid to Yayul-geuk previously, did you not?”

“…….”

His features instantly froze. In truth, I never approach a high-stakes negotiation or leverage scenario without possessing an absolute ace up my sleeve. The audible sound of him gulping in anticipation filled the quiet space. Didn’t I mention that he was already hooked? I calmly revealed the true nature of the text in my hands.

“This is the definitive medical manual detailing that very methodology.”

In short order, Sama-jeong snatched the volume, his hands trembling with visible excitement as he turned the pages. It represented one of the three core segments into which the Record of Ten Thousand Herbs (Man-cho-bo-rok) had been categorized. He began devouring the contents of the Record of Ten Thousand Herbs with absolute fixation, completely oblivious to my presence right across from him.

“Th-this cannot be…”

“It is. It contains the comprehensive records I compiled concerning therapeutic treatments that can be successfully executed utilizing readily available, low-cost botanical ingredients.”

“…….”

“It is formally recognized as the Record of Ten Thousand Herbs.”

Sama-jeong, his fingers flying through the pages with a look of pure exhilaration, suddenly paused and looked up at me with a serious expression.

“You intend to… hand this over to me?”

“Yes. Should you desire them, the subsequent volumes will be yours as well.”

“To what end?”

I gave a casual shrug of my shoulders.

“Consider it the signing bonus for securing your talents for the Tae-eul-mun.”

“…….”

Sama-jeong fixed an intense, uncomprehending stare on me.

“This… this text defies belief. If even a fraction of the principles outlined within these pages can be verified, it will completely revolutionize the entire medical paradigm of the Jianghu.”

My thoughts exactly. It was likely for this very reason that the Murim Alliance kept this knowledge heavily suppressed, terrified of the massive upheaval it would cause. Yet, what value does an advanced medical technique hold if it is kept under lock and key instead of being deployed to save lives? Furthermore, if it is destined to be utterly wiped out during the upcoming catastrophic conflict between the forces of Justice and Evil, keeping it hidden is nothing short of hoarding valuable resources until they rot. I looked directly into Sama-jeong’s eyes.

“That, Doctor, is precisely the mission you are meant to fulfill.”

“…Is it truly permissible for someone like me to utilize this knowledge?”

“Indubitably. I am transferring ownership to you for that exact purpose. However, you must ensure that its contents are disseminated to the public gradually and with extreme caution. If you were to unveil everything simultaneously, institutions like the Divine Physician Room or the Tang Family would undoubtedly launch a fierce retaliation.”

Sama-jeong pressed his lips together in a tight line, remaining silent for a long interval. Eventually, he posed a hesitant question.

“In return for granting me this treasure, your sole demand is that I assume the role of an official healer for the Tae-eul-mun?”

Oh come now, as if I would limit myself to just that.

“There is a secondary condition.”

Sama-jeong’s face blanked, genuinely unable to guess my intent.

“The unique medicine that ultimately caused your falling out with the Divine Physician Hall, Doctor. You remember it well, don’t you?”

“Hmm?”

I locked eyes with him and flashed a bright, cheerful grin.

“I require you to commence mass production of that specific pill.”

The moment the words left my mouth, Sama-jeong’s face twisted into an expression of absolute shock. Oh, why look so terrified?

“The Righteous Heart Pill. I found its efficacy to be absolutely top-tier.”

So, let’s get those manufacturing lines running non-stop.