CLS-Chapter 479

Chapter 479:

Jang-il pinched his nose.

‘I just can’t get used to this.’

You might say, what’s a beggar doing being sensitive to bad smells, but even Jang-il couldn’t help this.

Though Jang-il was accustomed to all sorts of foul odors in the world, he could never get used to the scent of these medicinal herbs no matter how often he smelled them.

Jang-il glanced around slightly.

‘It’s not so much that I dislike the smell of medicinal herbs…’

He disliked the place where the smell of medicinal herbs wafted from. This was always a place full of patients. It was a clinic where the suffering and sick came, after all.

Of course, as a beggar, Jang-il couldn’t casually visit such a place just because he was having a hard time.

Moreover, there was another reason he had to frown and cover his nose.

“Wei Yan-ho.”

“Yeah.”

“…It reeks of corpses.”

“It does.”

The stench of rotting corpses was wafting from inside.

He already knew the fact that the bodies of those afflicted by demonic arts rotted while still alive, but when he visited last time, it didn’t smell this bad. This meant it had gotten worse in the meantime.

‘This is troublesome.’

He hadn’t heard any reports of casualties from the Medical Hall. He had been paying attention since it was fairly important information. That meant all those currently emitting this corpse stench were still living patients.

‘I feel like I’ve become trash.’

Zhuge Mun-in said what Jang-il couldn’t bring himself to voice.

“This is problematic. Being tormented by such injuries while not dying isn’t necessarily something to be happy about. It takes manpower to care for the wounded, and it creates obstacles when changing battlefields.”

“Who doesn’t know that, you bastard?”

“A beggar knows that? Well, I suppose wandering around here and there, you’d pick up some things.”

“Where does this bookworm get off acting like he knows everything?”

“Foolish one. You should know that truth lies within books. The teachings of the sages are contained within them—would a beggar like you understand that?”

“Oh, is that so? So despite reading those books, you still can’t defeat a single clan and you’re in this state? Then the books are excellent, but you people just aren’t up to the level to fully absorb those books, is that it?”

“What? This beggar bastard?”

“How dare a mere scholar!”

Wei Yan-ho clicked his tongue and looked at both of them.

“Do you want to do this here too? A person should know when and where is appropriate.”

“…Huh.”

“Wow…”

Jang-il and Zhuge Mun-in stared at Wei Yan-ho with wide eyes. Even correct words are received differently depending on who says them. It was a valid point, but there probably wasn’t a single person who would want to hear such words from Wei Yan-ho.

“What?”

“…Nothing.”

“It’s nothing.”

But no one pointed this out. After all, pointing things out is done with the intention of correcting someone’s wrongdoings by telling them about their mistakes, or at least to induce some shame in the other person.

But Wei Yan-ho wouldn’t change, nor would he feel shame. So pointing it out would be meaningless.

“Tsk, a person should have some common sense.”

Everyone looked at Wei Yan-ho with dumbfounded expressions.

“What?”

“…I said it’s nothing.”

“Nothing… nothing at all.”

As Wei Yan-ho snorted and went inside, everyone shook their heads and followed behind him.

Those who recognized Wei Yan-ho rushed inside to find the Medical Director. Before long, the Medical Director came running out breathlessly.

“Have you arrived?”

“Hello?”

“…I know it’s a customary greeting, but it’s difficult to answer that.”

“Mm, I suppose so.”

Just from the stench flowing out from inside, one could imagine how much these people were suffering.

“How is the situation?”

“It’s the worst.”

He hadn’t expected a good answer, but it was still too blunt a response. It probably meant he didn’t have the luxury to speak in roundabout ways. You could tell just by looking at the Medical Director’s face.

Shadows cast over his face with deep fatigue showing through.

“Mm, I don’t know what to say to you.”

Offering empty words could actually be an insult to the other person. Perhaps this person might be the busiest and most struggling person in all the world right now.

“Even just your words are appreciated.”

Wei Yan-ho nodded. The other person’s tone was so polite it was somewhat burdensome, but telling this person to speak casually now would actually add to his burden.

You could tell just by looking at the Medical Hall staff who didn’t dare approach Wei Yan-ho’s vicinity and were glancing from a distance.

“Could I take a look at the patients?”

“It’s not difficult. However…”

“However?”

The Medical Director cleared his throat and continued.

“It won’t be pleasant to see. As the situation has worsened further…”

“It can’t be helped.”

Wei Yan-ho spoke with an unusually stern expression.

“Anyway, there are things I need to check, so I think I need to take a look.”

“Yes. Then this way.”

As the Medical Director led the way, Wei Yan-ho’s group followed behind him without a word.

“I don’t think it was this way last time?”

At Wei Yan-ho’s words, the Medical Director wore a bitter smile.

“We moved them to a deeper location.”

“Doesn’t that create problems for treating the patients?”

“There are such aspects, but there are also advantages. First, since other patients don’t get mixed in, the assigned physicians can focus only on them. Moreover, there’s the advantage that other patients don’t get unnecessarily terrified.”

“Hmm…”

As displeasure appeared in Wei Yan-ho’s eyes, the Medical Director elaborated.

“The Tang Family has a reputation for being closed off, but in reality, that’s not the case. While it’s true that we’re more closed off compared to other families, we actually have open aspects as well. The Medical Hall is one such place. There are famous physicians in the castle town as well, but since the Tang Family is renowned for medical arts, there are many who want to receive treatment at the Tang Family. That’s why the Tang Family opens the Medical Hall to civilians.”

“Oh?”

Wei Yan-ho tilted his head.

“There are many people who want to receive treatment at the Tang Family?”

“That’s right.”

“That’s quite interesting. In my opinion… mm, never mind.”

“It’s fine.”

The Medical Director smiled gently.

“Because that’s how the Tang Family appears throughout the Central Plains. Masters of poison and hidden weapons.”

“I didn’t mean it in a bad way.”

“I know that too. In fact, while such rumors exist, there are also rumors that our medical skills are excellent, aren’t there?”

“That’s true.”

“In Sichuan, fear and antipathy toward the Tang Family is relatively less. After all, we’re people who see each other’s faces regularly, and there’s a familiarity as the sect representing the region. Moreover, there haven’t been people who got poisoned while receiving treatment at the Tang Family. Since such rumors don’t circulate, everyone feels at ease, don’t they?”

“Mm, that would be the case.”

Wei Yan-ho nodded.

In fact, aside from the uncomfortable aspects due to poison, there weren’t many clinics as trustworthy as the Tang Family.

“But it’s somewhat unexpected.”

“What is?”

“Last time and this time too, looking at the people coming and going outside, they didn’t seem particularly wealthy.”

The Medical Director smiled.

“Wealthy people have many clinics they can go to, so they don’t need to come specifically to the Tang Family. The Tang Family provides medical care to people without money. We’re not particularly people who thirst for money either.”

“Don’t most physicians usually crave money?”

“…Since we’re members of the Tang Family, we have immunity to various poisons.”

“Oho?”

Wei Yan-ho looked at the Medical Director with a look of fresh interest.

“You don’t need to look at me like that. The Tang Family has always been that way.”

“What?”

“Speaking of plants, medicinal herbs and elixirs are the most precious plants, and edible plants are middle-grade plants. Weeds that are utterly useless can at least become compost or fertilizer, but poisonous plants have no use. The Tang Family is a place that gathers, studies, and improves those useless poisonous plants.”

“Hmm…”

“Just as there are no useless plants in the world, there are no useless people. Distinguishing people by their wealth or status is ridiculous. When you practice medicine, you come to understand. Whether it’s someone who rules the world or an ignorant person who tills the soil, there’s no difference in their bodies. Medicine is the art of healing people, the work of saving lives. So how could we discriminate between people?”

“Mm…”

Wei Yan-ho nodded.

It was sound reasoning.

Though it was textbook reasoning, the reason these words didn’t sound like mere common platitudes was probably because the Medical Director’s words contained conviction born from experience.

“But most physicians in the world care about money, don’t they?”

“Where in the world are there people who don’t care about money?”

“…There wouldn’t be any, would there?”

“Everyone cares about money. Yet the reason physicians have a particularly bad impression is… other work can simply not be done if you don’t have money, but sick people must somehow pay money and receive treatment. Not all physicians are bad. Sometimes it’s just unavoidable.”

This was something he couldn’t agree with at all.

“Ey, still…”

“And physicians are changing too. I don’t know if you’ve heard the news…”

“Yes?”

“The Seongsu Clinic that reopened in Hubei is expanding branches and treating poor people.”

“…Oh, is that so?”

His mouth felt tingly.

But he decided to keep his mouth shut for now. If he brought it up carelessly, he’d end up having to drink with this person.

“Not only do they treat people for money that most people wouldn’t feel much burden paying, but they even lend money to some people.”

Wei Yan-ho’s eyes trembled.

A combination of usury and medicine.

These bastards, what the hell are they doing?

The cunning Chief Steward’s face came to mind.

“I’m asking because I’m curious if you might know…”

“Yes?”

“Is it doing well there?”

“The rumors are widespread. I heard they’ve already opened more than ten branches. Since it’s rare for a clinic to expand at such a meteoric pace, everyone’s curious about who’s behind it.”

“Behind it?”

“Yes. No matter how well medical practice goes, gathering that many physicians and opening branches requires enormous amounts of money. Everyone’s curious about where such money is coming from.”

“…Ah, that would be the case.”

The one behind it was right here.

Wei Yan-ho’s eyes trembled slightly.

‘It’s not like I did anything in particular…’

It’s just that the people gathered around him are a bit strange. Looking back, Jin So-ah wasn’t exactly an ordinary person either.

“Anyway, it’s something to welcome that more clinics are appearing that do their best for patients.”

“…That’s not necessarily the case.”

“Excuse me? What do you mean by that?”

“There are people who really do their best for patients… people who do their utmost without any hope of reward.”

“Are you saying there are such people?”

“Yes, there are.”

Wei Yan-ho clicked his tongue.

‘Frighteningly so.’

Recalling Jin Ye-ran’s face, Wei Yan-ho shook his head.

‘Come to think of it, how is she doing?’

“Here we are.”

“Ah, yes.”

Wei Yan-ho raised his head to look at the pavilion in front of him.