The Physician of the Inn
The small wooden puppet vanished before sunrise.
Tang Mujin dismantled the small wooden puppet, broke its parts one by one, buried them deep into the ground, and then set them all aflame with the transferred ember of the Fire Manipulator.
Though he had invested no small amount of time to make this wooden puppet, he felt no regret. After all, he had accomplished his intended purpose perfectly.
The Precept Head returned to his usual expressionless face the moment he entered Shaolin.
And as always, he maintained his blunt silence. What had happened in the little clearing of Xiaoshifeng became a secret shared by only three people. Now, not even evidence of it remained.
***
On the day Tang Mujin and Goiyi left Shaolin, countless monks gathered to send them off.
The ones most reluctant were cheongjin, head of the Chubo Hall, and cheongbok, heir of the Evil-Mouth lineage. cheongbok, having grasped a clue to the next realm through the wooden puppet, expressed his gratitude to Tang Mujin as though to a benefactor.
"If this humble monk's help is ever needed, please speak anytime, Benefactor Tang."
"There won't be any need for such a thing, so don't worry."
By contrast, cheongjin was calm. Yet he neatly prepared bundles of goods and medicinal ingredients that would help Tang Mujin and Goiyi on their journey. A fitting gesture of repayment for him.
While the monk Manlik looked at Goiyi with a worried face, the Precept Head approached Tang Mujin and spoke.
"Benefactor Tang. May you reach the sea."
Tang Mujin lightly gave his thanks.
"May you firmly hold your place."
Then Tang Mujin and Goiyi departed from Shaolin. Their life there had been long enough that it felt strangely similar to the day they had left their home in Chengdu.
**
Before even a quarter of an hour had passed after leaving Shaolin, Tang Mujin came across a familiar face. Dan Seolyeong was leaning against a small tree.
"You came to see me off?"
"No. I'm coming with you."
"…Huh?"
"I said I'm going with you. I'm so sick of Mount Songshan that I have to leave."
Dan Seolyeong laughed with genuine relief. It was a good look on her.
But there was a problem: she had made the decision to go together entirely on her own.
"…Do you even know where I'm going?"
"Didn't you say you came from Chengdu, Sichuan Province?"
"That's right."
"Then I'll go to Sichuan too. They say at Dujiangyan there are dozens, even hundreds of waterwheels, right?"
"That's true. But Sichuan is much farther than you think."
"So what? Do you not want me to come along?"
Of course that wasn't it. Tang Mujin gave an awkward smile, and behind him came a whistle. Goiyi.
"You snuck out for overnight stays day after day, and now you're dripping with sweet honey."
"That's not it, don't get the wrong idea."
Tang Mujin quickly denied it, but Goiyi smirked with a sly grin, as if believing the two had already built a Great Wall between them.
"Deny too strongly and you'll only earn resentment later. Don't be pathetic—take responsibility proudly."
Dan Seolyeong frowned at Goiyi, then asked Tang Mujin,
"Who's that guy?"
"Hmm… a companion."
"Since when? And until where?"
"We met in Sichuan and started traveling together. We'll probably keep moving together from here on out."
Dan Seolyeong's expression was full of disappointment.
***
Goiyi teased her, saying it wasn't too late to turn back now.
But Dan Seolyeong could not return. The moment she decided to follow Tang Mujin, she had decisively sold off all her belongings with her characteristic boldness—even her greatest asset, the cooking pot. She had no intention of going back.
Still, though he teased her relentlessly, Goiyi showed subtle care.
Compared to when he had traveled with Hong Geolgae, his pace was slower now. And even though it was still early evening, he didn't pass through the village—they stopped instead.
Not because she was a woman. He simply seemed unwilling to make a new companion sleep on the roadside. Or maybe he just wanted a drink at an inn.
"Let's rest here today."
On the third day since leaving Shaolin, they arrived at a village. It wasn't big, but it had everything.
Perhaps because of the merchants passing through, there were three inns, each with its own stable.
As the group passed by the stables, mules and donkeys poked their heads out curiously to watch them.
They entered the least crowded inn and ordered food: simple fare for their number, one dish as a drinking snack, and a bottle of liquor—all chosen to suit Goiyi's taste.
Yet despite the small number of guests, the food came out slowly. Normally, in inns along the road, noodles or dumplings would be served almost instantly.
Curious, Tang Mujin peeked into the kitchen.
The man who had come outside earlier to take their order was also cooking everything himself. And judging by his skillful movements, he seemed to be the inn's original cook.
"This isn't the kind of inn that should be run by just one person."
The three sat quietly, holding their hungry stomachs. Goiyi's smile had vanished; hunger always made him quiet and irritable.
"Sorry for the delay."
The cook finally served a bowl of noodles, two plates of fried rice, and the liquor Goiyi had ordered. Enough to stave off hunger, though the drinking dish would come later.
The three brightened and began eating. Though the service was slow, the flavor surpassed that of most inns. Tang Mujin finished quickly while glancing around the kitchen.
At last, the drinking dish arrived. Goiyi raised his cup, while Dan Seolyeong, looking disinterested, picked pieces from Goiyi's dish one by one.
No one else came into the inn after them.
The cook finally sat at a table a little distance away, wiping sweat from his forehead as if taking his first real break. Tang Mujin asked,
"Are you the owner of this inn?"
"Eh? Ah, yes, I am."
"It looks like you're working alone. Don't you need help?"
The man's skill with food but overwork gnawed at Tang Mujin's mind. With one or two helpers, even at the cost of wages, things would be much easier.
The innkeeper sighed.
"I usually work with my younger brother, but he hasn't been well, so he hasn't come out for the past couple days. I've been spinning like a top ever since."
"What's wrong with him?"
"He broke out in cold sweats, then his body swelled all over. I went to check on him yesterday, but he seemed worse."
Cold sweat and edema—common symptoms, but not to be taken lightly.
Even if they looked similar, some cases could be brushed off, while others could threaten life.
"Did you call for a physician? Edema should never be ignored."
"There isn't one in this village. The doctor passed away last spring of old age."
"Then what do the sick do?"
"They grit their teeth and endure. Sometimes the doctor from the neighboring village visits for a day or two, but that's all."
Tang Mujin didn't hesitate long.
"In that case, may I examine him?"
At this, Dan Seolyeong, who had been sneaking pieces of Goiyi's food, poked Tang Mujin in the side with a worried look.
"Why?"
"Wouldn't it be better to wait for the doctor from the next village? A quack kills people, you know. What if something goes wrong since you're not a real physician?"
"I am a physician."
Dan Seolyeong stared at Tang Mujin. It sounded like a joke, but his face was so serious it was confusing.
Tang Mujin suddenly realized he hadn't spoken much about himself with her until now.
Their conversations had mostly been Dan Seolyeong talking, while he listened. He liked listening more than speaking, and she, who had lived in the mountains, had longed for someone to listen.
"…Weren't you a carpenter?"
"The Carpenter, or the Physician"
"I can work as a carpenter, but this is my real profession. The Tang family of Chengdu has been physicians for generations. Naturally, I studied medicine as well."
Yet Dan Seolyeong's expression remained full of doubt. Tang Mujin pulled out a slim needle case from his robe and opened the lid.
Seeing the rows of fine needles packed inside, she finally realized he wasn't joking.
The innkeeper's face brightened at the sight of the needle case as well.
Fortunately, Tang Mujin's group had been the inn's last guests that evening. The innkeeper, now anxious, rose from his seat.
"Could you come with me right now?"
"Of course."
Goiyi waved them off as if to say, Go on, quickly. The remaining three left the inn.
Led by the innkeeper, they arrived at a house where a man lay sweating profusely, clearly in poor condition.
Though startled at first by the strangers, he relaxed when he recognized the innkeeper who followed behind them. His body was weak, but thankfully his mind was still clear.
"…Are you a physician?"
"I am. I happened to pass through."
"Hoo… hoo… What… what illness is this?"
"That, we'll have to find out."
Tang Mujin examined the patient.
The man's whole body was swollen, and his pulse—though rapid—was weak and irregular. His breathing was labored; even a few words left him gasping. Clearly, his heart was burdened.
"I'll ask you a few questions. Do you have headaches?"
"No."
"Is your mouth dry, or your tongue burning?"
"No, not that either."
As the patient kept answering no, the innkeeper's face grew uneasy.
He had assumed a skilled physician could diagnose illness at a glance. But that was only possible with rare or unusual symptoms.
While asking questions, Tang Mujin brushed his hand lightly over the patient's body. Despite his sickness, the touch made the man flinch slightly—it still tickled.
Tang Mujin continued,
"And your urination? Much less than usual, I'd guess."
"Correct. I… passed urine once yesterday. Hoo… But none today."
"Did the color change?"
"I don't think so."
So, not brown or red.
There are many causes for difficulty urinating—heat trapped in the bladder, damp-heat, kidney yin deficiency, failure of qi transformation, and more.
"No, no need to overcomplicate it."
Since no physician had seen him yet, it was more likely a common ailment.
Tang Mujin shifted his hand to the man's abdomen and pressed here and there. The upper abdomen tensed or tickled under pressure, but the lower abdomen showed no response at all.
"Loss of sensation in the lower abdomen."
A familiar condition. Tang Mujin sighed in relief.
"If he'd gone on like this for two or three more days, his life would've been in danger. Fortunately, it's neither rare nor hard to treat. Recovery will be quick."
The innkeeper cautiously asked,
"Then… needles will do?"
Clearly, the needle case had left a deep impression.
Tang Mujin kneaded the man's arms and legs as he answered,
"No, this isn't something needles can cure. Please fetch some honey and salt from the inn."
A simple inn might only sell noodles and dumplings, but one that served full meals usually kept honey.
"And Seolyeong, could you fetch my pack from the inn?"
"Uh… sure."
Dan Seolyeong and the innkeeper hurried off.
While they were gone, Tang Mujin continued massaging the man's limbs. Soon they returned with the items he had asked for.
From his pack, Tang Mujin drew out medicinal herbs: prepared rehmannia root, cornelian cherry, tree peony bark, poria, alisma, cinnamon bark—even aconite.
Seeing this, Dan Seolyeong finally set aside her doubts. She had suspected him of being a half-baked quack.
The innkeeper's eyes bulged.
"Will you boil a decoction? We don't have a medicine pot. Can I lend you a cooking pot?"
"No need. I won't be making a decoction, but an Eight-Ingredient Pill."
Tang Mujin ground the herbs into fine powder, placed them in a wooden bowl, and mixed in plenty of honey.
The sticky mass he rolled into small pellets—dark, rough, and irregular. They looked more like goat droppings than medicine.
But appearance didn't matter.
In no time, Tang Mujin had made more than a hundred and fifty pills. He washed his hands in a water jar outside and returned.
"These are larger than usual Eight-Ingredient Pills. Take twenty at a time, with salted water or warm wine. For now, take one dose immediately. Starting tomorrow, take one each morning and evening."
"And when they're gone?"
"This isn't a lingering disease. Within two hours or so you'll feel a reaction. By tomorrow, you should be able to move around again."
The innkeeper looked doubtful.
Could a half-dead man really recover just from swallowing a handful of pills? In his common sense, serious illness took a long time to heal, and only light ailments passed quickly.
But there was no one else to trust. He fed his younger brother the pills with salted water.
"Uuugh…"
The patient groaned faintly.
Tang Mujin continued massaging his limbs. Helping circulation spread the medicine faster and relieved the agitation in his chest.
Before long, the patient slipped into sleep.
After about half an hour, he suddenly drew a deep breath—sshhk—and exhaled slowly and steadily—haaaah.
Such breathing would have been impossible earlier when he was gasping for air.
His breath soon grew calm, and his cold sweat ceased.
For Tang Mujin, this was nothing unusual, but to the others it was wondrous.
The innkeeper gaped. Dan Seolyeong silently marveled at his side.
Rising, Tang Mujin spoke,
"Change his sweat-soaked clothes and keep him warm. By tomorrow morning, he'll be much improved."
"Ah… thank you, my lord! Please, come back to the inn—I'll cook a proper meal to repay you."
"No need. Close up shop today and look after your brother."
"Understood."
The innkeeper bowed repeatedly as he saw Tang Mujin off.
Tang Mujin could already guess what would happen the next day.
And indeed, his prediction was right. By midday, patients were already flocking to the inn.