CLS-Chapter 60

Chapter 60

“Please tell him that Father would like to meet him once.”

“I will do so.”

“Then.”

Moon Eun-ji left the room, and Wi San-ho quietly watched the door she had exited through before sitting down at the dining table.

Looking at the dining table that was already half-devastated, Wi San-ho let out a sigh. The beggar sitting across from him was patting his bulging, bloated belly.

“Why aren’t you eating?”

“I am eating.”

They had only exchanged a few words, but in that brief time, how frantically must he have stuffed food into his mouth to finish his meal?

Well, that’s why he’s a beggar.

“Are you eating the food, or drinking it?”

“Heheng! If a beggar brat sits around leisurely eating his meal, it’s the perfect way to get his bowl smashed.”

Wi San-ho gave a bitter smile.

The Beggar’s Sect was a martial sect, yet also a sect of beggars. Since they too needed funds, they maintained their own businesses like typical martial sects and engaged in information trading through their independent intelligence network.

However, since they accepted countless beggars as disciples—so many they were called the “Hundred Thousand Beggars”—they were always short on money.

Even though someone like Jang-il would be considered a key figure in the Beggar’s Sect, his appearance was exactly that of a neighborhood beggar who hadn’t eaten for days.

‘Not bad.’

If the beggars started caring about appearances, the leadership might be able to live comfortably, but then the absolute majority of the Beggar’s Sect—the Mukkeolgae (Unbound Beggars)—would starve.

So Jang-il’s current appearance was something to praise, not criticize for lacking dignity.

“Speaking of which, you… did you contact home?”

“Home?”

“The Guangdong Wei Family.”

Wi San-ho shook his head.

“No, not yet.”

“Tsk tsk, Wi Yan-ho sent a letter home, so by now the household must be in chaos, yet you’re so indifferent.”

“Then they might be coming this way.”

Wi San-ho ate his food as if it were no big deal. Watching Wi San-ho like this, Jang-il beat his chest as if frustrated.

The person who had gone wild with fury over his younger brother’s matter was now showing little concern for his family, which was both frustrating and absurd.

“Aren’t you worried about your family who must be shocked?”

“They’re people who would rather have Yan-ho found even a day sooner. They’re probably frantically searching for Yan-ho right now too.”

“Is that so?”

For Wi San-ho, who knew well that his parents were traveling the world searching for Wi Yan-ho, finding Wi Yan-ho as quickly as possible was the priority. Only then would his parents’ hearts be at ease.

Wi San-ho finished his meal and lay down on his bed.

Jang-il, lying on the adjacent bed, asked casually.

“What will you do when you meet him?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, since you haven’t seen each other in a long time, you might hug him… things like that.”

Wi San-ho seemed to think for a moment before speaking.

“I’ll have to hit him.”

“Hm?”

“I won’t be able to calm down unless I hit him once.”

“Kuk kuk kuk, there’s going to be chaos with the brothers fighting. But I wonder if you’ll be able to hit him.”

“What do you mean?”

“Didn’t I tell you? Your brother is incredibly strong.”

Wi San-ho smiled.

“Yes, so I’ll have to hit him even more.”

Wi San-ho could already see Wi Yan-ho’s blunt, defiant responses in his mind’s eye.

***

When the patients who had come to the clinic reached a somewhat stable condition, Jin So-ah finally found time to think about other matters.

Jin So-ah came outside late at night after confirming that the patients had fallen asleep. Perhaps due to being busy with work, the workers were also hardly visible. After pacing around as if troubled, Jin So-ah soon seemed to make up his mind and knocked on the door of the room where Wi Yan-ho was lying.

“Are you sleeping?”

Jin So-ah opened the door and entered without even waiting for an answer.

Upon entering the room, he saw Wi Yan-ho still lying on the floor like a dead person.

The sight of him lying there sleeping with his belly exposed, not long after eating, truly looked like someone without a single worry in the world.

“Are you sleeping?”

“Yeah.”

“…”

Jin So-ah controlled his blood pressure, which was rising to his head, with deep breathing. If he took this person’s behavior seriously, he would become a patient rather than a physician.

“You are sleeping.”

“That’s what I said.”

Jin So-ah reached into his robes and pulled out a well-polished golden needle.

‘Would it hurt a lot if I stab him with this?’

Jin So-ah was even thinking of using the sacred golden needle as a weapon. If his late father had known, he would have foamed at the mouth and collapsed.

“If you’re not sleeping by any chance…”

“I said I’m sleeping.”

“It doesn’t seem like you’re sleeping…”

“I don’t know how someone who can’t trust people’s words manages to be a physician.”

Jin So-ah tightened his grip on the golden needle.

‘Where was the bloodletting point again?’

Jin So-ah’s eyes focused on the Baihui acupoint in the center of Wi Yan-ho’s greasy, shiny head. If he pressed it down gently by just one chi, Wi Yan-ho would have to meet the King of Hell and beg forgiveness for all his laziness.

Jin So-ah, desperately suppressing his first-ever murderous impulse, spoke again in a serious manner.

“There’s something I’d like to discuss with you.”

“For me to leave?”

“That’s not it. There’s something I’d like to consult you about.”

Wi Yan-ho slightly raised his head.

“With me?”

“Who else is here besides Master Wi?”

Wi Yan-ho stared blankly at Jin So-ah for a long time. Various suspicions crossed his face, which soon filled with pity.

“You want to consult with me?”

“Yes.”

Wi Yan-ho thought he had experienced all sorts of strange things since coming to Sacred Hand Hall. For the first time in his life, he had received excessive treatment, and now there was even someone who wanted to consult with him.

If Wi Jeong-han and Baek Mu-han had known this fact, they would have shed tears of joy.

However, Wi Yan-ho was someone who knew his place and limits better than anyone.

He never believed himself to be a trustworthy consultation partner. If so, the result was obvious.

Wi Yan-ho spoke cautiously.

“Don’t you have any friends?”

Crack.

The sound of Jin So-ah grinding his teeth leaked through his lips.

Wi Yan-ho smiled awkwardly.

“Ah, sorry. I guess I hit a sore spot.”

Jin So-ah grabbed his thigh and suppressed his anger with a trembling face.

Wi Yan-ho could see his body shaking.

‘I shouldn’t ask kids who don’t have friends if they have friends…’

Wi Yan-ho was filled with self-blame.

“That’s not it. I have something I want to ask Master Wi, who has seen much more of the world than I have.”

Wi Yan-ho answered nonchalantly.

“I haven’t seen much.”

“Still, you must have seen more than me, right?”

“I was only at home until I was twelve, then spent five years in a cave, and came out a couple of months ago to come here.”

“…”

Jin So-ah stood up weakly.

He felt so pathetic for trying to consult with Wi Yan-ho that he wanted to bite his tongue and die.

“Still, I’ll listen to what you have to say.”

Jin So-ah stared at Wi Yan-ho with vacant eyes before sitting down on the floor weakly.

“So, what is it?”

Jin So-ah smacked his lips as if he found this unreliable, but then opened his mouth with the attitude that he had nothing to lose.

“What do you think is the problem with our clinic right now?”

“Problem?”

“I mean, what do you think our problem is from the perspective of an outsider like Master Wi?”

Wi Yan-ho propped his chin and frowned. After pondering for a long time, Wi Yan-ho shook his head as if he had no idea.

“That’s too difficult a question.”

“Are there no problems?”

“No. There are so many that’s the problem. I can’t figure out which is the most serious problem and where to start fixing things.”

“There are that many?”

Wi Yan-ho looked at Jin So-ah as if asking what kind of question that was. Jin So-ah hung his head at Wi Yan-ho’s sly gaze.

“Well, there would be many.”

“Cheer up. That’s how the world is.”

“Then what do you think is the most important thing in running a clinic?”

Wi Yan-ho answered listlessly as if there was nothing to think about.

“Money.”

“Pardon?”

“Money, I said money.”

“Isn’t medical skill the most important thing in a clinic, with money being a secondary issue?”

“You can hire physicians with money.”

“Still, wouldn’t the skill of the hired physician be the issue?”

“You can hire skilled physicians.”

Jin So-ah was about to rebut Wi Yan-ho’s unhesitating words but closed his mouth.

Wi Yan-ho struck at Jin So-ah’s weak point.

“Honestly, don’t you think so too?”

“…”

Jin So-ah couldn’t answer.

Wi Yan-ho clicked his tongue.

Jin So-ah rebutted as if he couldn’t accept it.

“I learned from my late father that medical skill is the art of benevolence.”

“That’s right.”

“Medical skill is the art of saving lives. To say that money is the most important thing in practicing such an art…”

Wi Yan-ho turned his head to the side and clicked his tongue.

“So in your view, does this clinic without money seem to be running well?”

“That’s…”

“If you continue to practice medicine without charging money from people who can’t afford it, you might be able to save people for about one more year.”

Jin So-ah nodded.

“If you charge money, you could save people until you die, right?”

Jin So-ah’s eyes trembled.

“Looking at it, there are people who think not charging money to treat people is something great, but how many could you cure that way? Just a few hundred people. If you treat people for money your whole life, would a few hundred people be the problem? You could save thousands, tens of thousands.”

“That’s true.”

“Treating people who can’t pay at a loss should be done within the limits of maintaining the clinic. If you just give away everything like now, do you think something will be resolved? I bet you think the people you’ve treated are incredibly grateful to you, but if you go bankrupt, they’ll just click their tongues once and say, ‘Those people were really good people,’ and that’s the end of it.”

Jin So-ah’s face reddened.

“That’s not true. Those people were truly grateful!”

“Of course they’re grateful. Naturally they’re grateful. You’re treating them without charging money. I’d be grateful too. So among those people, how many actually went without food and clothing to make money to pay you back?”

“…”

“Of course they’re grateful in their hearts. There are probably many people who think they must pay you back when they succeed later. The problem is when that success will come.”

Jin So-ah couldn’t rebute.

“If they were truly grateful, they’d save money by cutting back on food right now, regardless of success or anything else. But how many people like that are there?”

Wi Yan-ho’s words were sharp.

However, Jin So-ah couldn’t argue with Wi Yan-ho’s words at all.

“Do you think other people charge money for treatment because they’re conscienceless and only care about money? You seem to think you’re performing some great good deed, but absolutely not. Good deeds that pull out the foundation may be moving at the time, but later they’re just foolish acts. In twenty years, few people will even remember that Sacred Hand Hall existed.”

Wi Yan-ho’s words became daggers that pierced Jin So-ah’s heart.

He wanted to say it wasn’t true, but Jin So-ah knew it would turn out as Wi Yan-ho said.

“But medical skill is…”

At Jin So-ah’s words, unable to let go of his regret, Wi Yan-ho snorted.

“You need something to eat and live on for there to be medical skill. If I’m about to starve to death right now, what medical skill is there?”

Wi Yan-ho’s rebuke hammered into Jin So-ah’s ears.