Doctor’s Rebirth

Chapter 75

Behind the collapsing ice waterfall, a cave revealed itself.

“Hey, old geezer! Are you alive!?”

There wasn’t a single light visible inside the cave. Not even a hint of human presence.

Seol Gyeon shouted again.

“Old geezer!”

Her voice trembled.

Only then did a cough sound from inside.

Cough!

“That troublesome old geezer, making people worry, but his lifeline is tough.”

Jin Cheon-hee lit a fire using fire-absorbing paper.

As the cave interior brightened, an old master sitting in a meditative posture became visible.

The first thing felt was the biting cold.

And the stench.

There was a large sword wound on the old master’s chest.

A blackened trace was visible where blood had flowed and coagulated. And there was an area even blacker than the sword wound.

It was the old master’s arm.

Jin Cheon-hee immediately ran to the old master and took his pulse.

‘There’s not a single healthy part of his body. And frostbite on top of that…’

Winter mountains are harsh.

Almost no internal energy could be felt in the old master’s body.

It seemed that after being hit with the Scattered Qi Poison (Black Blood Mountain Venom) and repelling the enemy, he had tried to maintain his life using what little internal energy remained, but it hadn’t been easy.

From a modern medical perspective, it was incomprehensible how the old master was still alive.

‘To cling to life this long even after being hit with the Scattered Qi Poison.’

Seol Gyeon grumbled on purpose, hiding her joy.

“Old ginger is spicy, old man. Well, you’re not the type to die in a place like this.”

“First, raise the temperature in the cave!”

At Jin Cheon-hee’s order, the doctors who came with the beggars began to move.

Jin Cheon-hee urgently said:

“You must not move the patient under any circumstances.”

70% of the human body is water.

If external shock is applied while this water is frozen inside the cells, the congealed liquid inside the cells destroys them.

The most important manual for frostbite:

Do not move carelessly.

Never apply shock.

These are the basic principles.

At that moment, one of the doctors who came along said:

“How about soaking the frostbitten areas in warm water?”

“How is that possible in this situation? It would take at least a quarter of an hour just to find firewood to make a fire.”

The important thing was to warm the body without moving the patient.

Jin Cheon-hee dusted off his hands.

“It’s okay. There’s no need for that. I’ve mastered the water and fire energies of the Five-Elemental Divine Technique up to the fifth level for times like this. Let’s set up a formation first.”

At Jin Cheon-hee’s words, the doctors’ eyes widened.

“Are you saying it’s possible with water and fire energies, which are opposing and prone to conflict?”

Controlling the energy was more important than the quantity.

‘It’s only possible when learned with little internal energy.’

Human greed is like that. There are things you can only learn when you have little internal energy, and things you can only learn when you have a lot.

But martial artists try to accumulate internal energy first.

The same goes for doctors in the martial world.

This is what happens when you neglect the basics.

Jin Cheon-hee had been constantly combining and conflicting the Five-Elemental Divine Technique since his internal energy was just a speck.

Repeatedly attaching wood and cutting wood.

The oldest doctor asked again:

“I heard that White Dragon Doctor hasn’t been practicing the Five-Elemental Divine Technique for long… is it really possible?”

Jin Cheon-hee nodded.

“It’s possible enough for first aid. But please don’t touch it.”

Basics are important. You shouldn’t neglect even small things.

Senior colleagues say this repeatedly, but young doctors tend to miss it.

They all wanted to learn more glamorous medical techniques. Because the basics are too boring.

On the other hand, Jin Cheon-hee had always practiced the basics of using internal energy as soon as the Five-Elemental Divine Technique took root.

An attempt that could never have been made if he had neglected cutting and attaching stumps even for a day.

Jin Cheon-hee continued:

“Sect Leader mustn’t move either.”

Instead of answering, the Beggar’s Sect Leader let out a small breath. It was a situation where even speaking was difficult.

Jin Cheon-hee took his position behind the Sect Leader, who was sitting cross-legged.

Then he slowly began to send out fire and water energies.

Woong-

First, he moved the heavy and soft water energy.

The water energy flowed sluggishly like ink, following Jin Cheon-hee’s guidance. Then he brought out the light and sharp fire energy.

He didn’t make them confront each other from the start.

He made the fire energy wrap around the water energy in a spiral, like a snake. Then he slowly fused them.

Two opposing energies that should have collided originally moved towards the Sect Leader, fusing at the shoulder according to Jin Cheon-hee’s guidance.

The meridians invaded by cold accepted the Five Elements Divine Energy.

‘The scary part of frostbite comes next.’

If you recklessly push in internal energy, it could collide with the cold and cause internal injuries to the patient.

Jin Cheon-hee slowly but surely thawed each meridian one by one, pushing internal energy inward.

Two hours passed like that.

‘Is he human?’

‘Why isn’t he exhausted?’

Seol Gyeon, anxious, asked the doctors:

“What’s going on? Is he doing well? Why isn’t he moving?”

The doctors said:

“To be honest, we’re not sure. Normally, a quarter of an hour would be the limit…”

The doctors looked at Jin Cheon-hee as if seeing a monster.

Eventually, Jin Cheon-hee opened his eyes.

“Moving on to the next treatment.”

Warmth returned to the old master’s body.

Rapid rewarming method.

It’s a method of thawing frostbitten areas by soaking them in hot water of about 37-42 degrees Celsius. But due to the situation, he resolved it by sending internal energy.

In modern times, you should immediately transport the patient to a hospital while being careful not to move the frostbitten areas at all.

But in this world, there are no cars, asphalt roads, or fire helicopters, and it was impossible given the old master’s condition.

Jin Cheon-hee breathed heavily.

‘I succeeded.’

He felt the old master’s contracted blood vessels and muscles relax as blood flow returned to normal.

But at the same time, blood began to flow from the sword wound the old master had suffered.

‘Acupuncture is perfect for this.’

Jin Cheon-hee bought time by inserting needles into the patient’s meridians.

After tearing off and removing the wet clothes, he wrapped the body in a blanket soaked in hot water. The inside of the cave was as warm as a living room.

It was thanks to the four doctors who came along spreading a fire-generating formation.

On top of that, the Beggar’s Sect disciples covered the cave interior with leather blankets to raise the temperature.

This was due to their diligent work while Jin Cheon-hee was treating the patient.

Seol Gyeon asked:

“Can we move him to the White Dragon Medical Pavilion for treatment?”

Jin Cheon-hee shook his head.

“The external injuries are a problem, but the internal injuries are severe. Even though he’s passed the critical point, there’s a high chance he could die during the move.”

“Ahem…”

“The Sect Leader has three problems. First is the external injury from the assassin, the sword strike reached his intestines. Fortunately, the sword didn’t reach any vital organs.”

“That’s fortunate.”

“He managed to perform emergency hemostasis by sending internal energy, but another problem arose.”

“What’s that?”

“First, to protect the body from cold, it’s basic to send and operate internal energy to the nerve endings. That’s why martial artists can run through snow fields wearing only thin cotton clothes.”

“What are you trying to say, child?”

“He has severe frostbite. He probably has no feeling in his limbs already.”

“But you treated it all, didn’t you? By sending internal energy…”

At those words, Jin Cheon-hee swallowed. There was something he had to say. But it was something he didn’t want to say as a doctor, and something the patient wouldn’t want to hear.

Jin Cheon-hee gritted his teeth.

“Frostbite is scarier than sword wounds.”

Martial artists, no, even modern people are the same.

They underestimate frostbite.

When Napoleon’s army invaded Russia, many soldiers died not from guns and swords, but from frostbite.

Frostbite is classified into four degrees:

First degree, swelling from cold. This is a common symptom that occurs when you don’t dress warmly enough in winter.

Second degree, blisters form and it’s painful. You can try thawing slowly in warm water, but going to the hospital is recommended.

Third degree, black blisters start to form and sensation becomes dull. Don’t rub or try to move it carelessly, go to the hospital immediately.

From here, it’s classified as deep frostbite.

Fourth degree, completely blackened and no sensation is felt. The subcutaneous tissue is damaged.

“The Sect Leader has endured in a fourth-degree frostbite state for several days. It’s already a miracle that he preserved his life.”

Complications are a problem even after treatment.

Nerve tissue is sensitive to temperature.

Just as burn patients continue to feel pain in their scars even after healing, the same is true for frostbite. Sensory abnormalities are a typical aftereffect of frostbite.

Seol Gyeon asked:

“Sword wound and frostbite. What’s the last problem?”

“His qi and blood have become twisted from forcibly circulating his energy. If he’s forced to move a long distance like this, he’ll live the rest of his life as a cripple.”

The cave was filled with silence.

“Is there a treatment method?”

It was a single sentence that Seol Gyeon squeezed out.

“Tell me anything, anything at all. I’ll do whatever is needed, just tell me.”

She didn’t mention virtue or honor.

It was just a simple statement that she would do whatever was needed. But Jin Cheon-hee, knowing the future, knew how heavy these words were.

Jin Cheon-hee shook his head.

“I’ve already prepared what’s needed. What’s needed more is resolve.”

“Resolve?”

“You must give up his right hand and left foot, five fingers and below the ankle.”

Kwaaang!

At those words, she couldn’t hold back and struck the ground.

“Are you saying he should give up living as a martial artist! No, even living as a normal person?”

At that moment, a rusty iron voice sounded. It was the Sect Leader’s voice.

“Seol-ah…”

At that small voice, the fighting spirit spreading from her instantly subsided.

“Old man, are you conscious?”

“Cough, cough. How could I lose consciousness with you shouting like that. You’ve become the Rear Beggar but still can’t set a good example. That’s why people treat you like a dog.”

“You damn old geezer! You’re fine! This quack is saying he’ll cut off your healthy arms and legs, what are you going to do!”

“Mad dog.”

“See, you’re fine! Talking rudely and everything! Yeah! In a bit you’ll smack the back of my head with a thwack again! Yeah!”

“…”

“Why are you silent!”

“When a mad dog barks, what can a person say? Just let it bark. Hehehe!”

The Sect Leader burst into laughter with his wrinkled face.

Eventually, he spoke to Jin Cheon-hee.

“The White Dragon Doctor is indeed a great doctor. To say you can save two out of four limbs that have no sensation. And not just the shoulders, but to save them by cutting off only the ends…”

At those words, all the Beggar’s Sect disciples, including Seol Gyeon, looked at Jin Cheon-hee in surprise.