Chapter 63: Catch the Hemorrhoids [1] The time Kanghyeok promised Seong-ryong was only five days.
He even had anemia.
Just in case, he had flipped back the man's eyelid to check, and as expected, it was pale.
It looked like he had bled a tremendous amount because of the hemorrhoids.
That meant there was no way to put it off any longer.
Thanks to that, the schedule was extremely tight.
"Dolseok, are the men ready?"
"Yes. But are you really going to make them take that?"
Dolseok pointed at the decoction Kanghyeok was holding.
Judging only by the smell and color, it looked like an ordinary herbal decoction one could see at any clinic.
But once one knew what was inside, it was anything but ordinary.
"I have to give it to them. It's safe. More than you'd think."
"Isn't that the very stuff that dogs were eating and then dropping dead from until recently?"
As Dolseok said, this was no ordinary decoction.
It was a kind of poison, carefully mixed with toad venom and aconite—the ingredient used in royal poison.
Makbong and Yeoni also knew very well how frightening that medicine was.
"That's exactly why I'm saying it. Please think it over just one more time, young master."
Even fierce Makbong shuddered as he spoke.
Yeoni and Yeoju wore similar expressions.
The only one who looked calm was Kanghyeok.
"No, what's the problem? Even with dogs, they start with half the safe dose. And those bastards would've died anyway."
He pointed at the former bandit gang hauling bundles of straw, unaware of the fate about to descend on them.
They had once been bandits, but now they were nothing more than remarkably diligent servants.
Since he fed them three full meals a day without fail, they even seemed to be gradually developing loyalty.
Especially to Dolseok, they were people too precious to lose.
Because they were doing his work for him.
"What do you mean, they would've died anyway...?"
"Isn't it true? Don't you remember when they were robbing people?"
"That may be true, but they're not like that now."
"Let's just call it even with this. They had Dorikkaes and clubs. I have this medicine."
At first glance, it looked like a fair trade.
The problem was that the Dorikkaes and clubs the bandits had carried had not been threatening at all.
This medicine, on the other hand, was extremely threatening.
Especially to those who had seen dogs die from it.
"I really don't want to deal with corpses..."
"I said you won't have to. They absolutely won't die."
"If that's what you say, young master, then I suppose we have no choice."
Still looking uneasy, Dolseok made a gesture.
Thanks to how well they had been trained in the meantime, a single motion was enough to summon the bandits.
"You called for us?"
Dorikkae came running over with a bright expression.
He had already spent the entire dawn carrying straw, so he was drenched in sweat.
Behind him stood the rest of the men who used to run around waving clubs.
"Ah, you've all worked hard."
"It was nothing. We're only grateful that you took us in like this."
Dorikkae was not their leader for nothing.
His skill with a Dorikkae was terrible, but he certainly knew how to talk.
Because of that, even a smile rose to Kanghyeok's lips.
"Good. That's enough for today. Let's have some medicine now."
"Medicine?"
At the word medicine, Dorikkae's eyes widened.
That was all because of Dolseok's bragging.
By now, he had heard many times that Kanghyeok was a famous divine physician in Suwon.
So if such a doctor was giving him medicine, then it had to be miraculous.
Though not in the way he was expecting.
"Yes. Medicine."
"Only I drink it?"
"Of course not. You all have to try it."
Kanghyeok pointed at the five bowls.
Each held a different dosage. The one on the far right was the strongest, and each bowl to the left grew progressively weaker.
"Thank you."
Without even knowing what kind of medicine it was, he kept bowing his head.
Makbong and Yeoni, who had grown attached to them after beating them so often, turned their heads away.
It seemed they could not bear to watch.
For some reason, it felt as though they were about to start foaming at the mouth and die.
Kanghyeok, on the other hand, showed not a trace of change in expression.
He first brought over one of the men who had once run around with a club and placed him before the bowl on the far left.
"There. Drink this, then lie down over there."
"Lie down?"
"Yes. That way the medicine will circulate better."
In truth, the real purpose was to keep him from suddenly collapsing unconscious and cracking his head.
But as long as the result worked out, the route did not matter, so he smoothly fed him the lie.
One by one, the club bandits began lying down on the daecheong floor.
Last came the grand finale—Dorikkae.
"You get this one."
"Mine looks stronger, doesn't it?"
The smell and color made that much obvious.
It was clearly different from the others.
"You're the leader, aren't you?"
"Thank you."
In reality, it was because he had the biggest build.
But there was no need to say that out loud.
—Gulp, gulp.
Dorikkae shut his eyes and drank the medicine down.
"Ahh."
He even remembered to let out a satisfied exclamation.
Thinking of Wonhyo Daesa and the skull-water story, Kanghyeok laid Dorikkae down on the floor.
Only then did the others, who had been standing far off, come closer.
As expected, Dolseok was the first to speak.
"So... have they all gone?"
"Gone where, you idiot? They just fell asleep."
Then Yeoju replied.
"In the ancient Book of Odes, there are many expressions that compare death to sleep. As Father said, young master, your poetic sense truly is not bad."
"No, I didn't mean it like that."
The Book of Odes, of all things.
He had not even opened that book once.
Kanghyeok shook his head and walked over to the man on the far left.
It had taken some time, but the man was fast asleep.
"He's sleeping well."
"He's even snoring."
Curious, Makbong held a hand in front of the man's nose and mouth.
Warm breath came out, so he did not appear to be dead.
And he was sleeping so deeply that he did not even notice the hand waving in front of him.
"Dolseok."
"Yes, young master."
"Pinch his calf with this."
"After putting him to sleep, now you're waking him up right away?"
What kind of sick hobby was this now?
Dolseok turned to Kanghyeok with a face that plainly said he could not understand it at all.
"You're mouthing off again. Yeoni."
"Ah, yes."
There was a method often used at times like this.
At Kanghyeok's command, Yeoni reflexively lashed out with her foot.
Her kick landed squarely on Dolseok's back.
—Thud.
A heavy impact rang out, followed by a groan that sounded as though half his breath had been knocked away.
"Ugh."
"Pinch him, damn it."
"Yes, yes."
Now obedient, Dolseok rolled up the man's trouser leg.
He was sleeping so deeply that he showed no sign of waking even when handled roughly.
"Now?"
"Yes. Now."
"Yes, young master."
Dolseok looked once more at the tweezers Kanghyeok had handed him.
They were not ordinary tweezers. They had teeth.
If he pinched someone with these, the problem would not be whether they woke up—blood might flow.
"I'm really supposed to use this?"
"Ah, that bastard, he— Makbo—"
"No. I'm doing it."
With a what-the-hell attitude, Dolseok clamped the tweezers onto the man's calf.
"Argh!"
The man, who had been sleeping soundly, jolted upright with a leap.
Yeoju was sketching all of this into a book.
While taking down Kanghyeok's commentary as well.
"As expected, that one was too weak. Next."
"Huh...? Why am I here...?"
The man seemed unable to remember clearly that he had drunk the medicine and fallen asleep.
That was an unexpected effect, and Kanghyeok liked it.
"Oh. Nice. Write this down too—anterograde amnesia."
"What does that mean?"
Yeoju was not the type to delay when she had a question.
That tendency was especially strong when she was recording something in a book.
She wanted to leave behind not even the smallest error.
Since that was exactly what Kanghyeok wanted too, he added a very kind explanation.
"Simply put, it means he doesn't remember anything after drinking the medicine."
"Ah."
While Yeoju wrote down the special note, Makbong showed intense interest.
"He doesn't remember?"
"Yes. After taking the medicine. But why are you asking?"
"No reason. I just think it's fascinating."
He said that with a grin that looked thoroughly lewd and vicious.
Even without asking, it was painfully obvious what he meant to use it for.
"You get along just fine without something like this."
"Huh? Did I say I was going to do anything?"
"It's written all over your face."
"It isn't..."
"Move aside first."
"Yes..."
Kanghyeok shoved the instantly dejected Makbong aside and examined the next man.
Again, he was breathing well and sleeping deeply.
Drool was streaming from the corners of his mouth, making him look even more out of it than the first man.
"Dolseok, pinch this one too."
"Yes."
After doing it once, Dolseok already seemed to have gotten used to it.
"Urgh."
He clamped the tweezers hard onto the man's calf, and the man woke up with a scream.
Unlike before, he could not get up right away, which made him look as though he were still drunk with sleep.
"Good. This one definitely seems stronger, right?"
"Yes, young master."
Yeoju gave a short nod.
All while her hands continued moving nonstop.
Up to the third one, none of them could withstand the tweezers.
The fourth man was a little different, and because of that, even Dolseok looked rather flustered.
"Young master, he's not waking up."
"Really?"
That was a good sign.
Kanghyeok strode over and yanked the man's upper garment off.
"Young master? What are you doing?"
"The calf is a place that hurts a little less by nature."
If he wanted to confirm that the man would not wake even if cut with a knife, he needed a stronger stimulus.
Kanghyeok pressed his large fist firmly into the patient's sternum.
At the same time, the man let out a groan.
"Mmm, mm."
Somehow, the feeling was a little strange.
Kanghyeok was the one hurting him, but it somehow felt as though he were the one being molested.
"Mmm, mm... there..."
Judging by how he still did not wake at once, the drug's effect was extremely good.
That should have made him pleased, but instead, irritation rose for some reason.
"What's wrong with this guy?"
Then Yeoni tilted her head and came closer.
"Ah, this one is a little strange."
"Really?"
"Even normally, he smiles while getting beaten. At first I thought his expressions were just wrong."
"So he enjoys pain?"
It was not impossible.
The world was vast, and there were many perverts in it.
At this rate, I can't tell whether this is accurate or not.
Was there not a saying that a hardworking person could never beat someone who truly enjoyed what he was doing?
The comparison was a little odd, but testing pain response on this man did not seem especially meaningful.
"Forget it. Wake him."
"How do we wake him?"
There were three main ways to bring someone out of anesthesia.
First, use a drug that acts in opposition to the anesthetic.
Rejected.
Even if he wanted to swallow poison and die, there was no such drug here.
Second, wait until the anesthetic wore off on its own.
Rejected too.
It was a safe method, but waiting was bothersome.
Third, give a powerful enough stimulus to force the person awake.
Only then did Kanghyeok nod.
"Hit him somewhere that really hurts, but won't injure him."
"Ah, yes."
Even at that somewhat cruel command, Yeoni obeyed without hesitation.
Without any elaborate preparation, she stuck a saliva-wetted finger straight into his ear.
"Uuuaaargh!"
Apparently the pain was extreme, because the man immediately lurched up from where he lay.
No—he tried to get up.
But his legs gave out beneath him, and he staggered.
"Oh. In case of overdose, it also causes muscle relaxation."
"What does that mean this time?"
"It means the muscles lose their strength."
"Ah."
Yeoju nodded repeatedly as she wrote down the special note.
"So if you put in more than this, he could die."
"Why is that?"
"Because breathing is also something muscles do. If they lose too much strength, then he won't be able to breathe."
"I see. I learn so much by staying with you, young master."
At moments like this, Yeoju looked especially lovely.
Without realizing it, Kanghyeok let out a hearty laugh.
"Haha. Now let's see the last one."
Dorikkae really was sprawled out as though dead.
He looked the most like the anesthetized patients Kanghyeok had seen in the operating room.
The depth is pretty good.
Fortunately, it was not enough to stop his breathing.
That much was obvious from the steady rise and fall of his abdomen.
If his response to pain was also appropriate, then this dose would be the best one.
"Dolseok."
"Yes."
"He's not waking up."
"Good."
Next came the turn of pressing the sternum.
Even under Kanghyeok's brutal fist, Dorikkae showed no sign of waking.
He let out an occasional groan, but it was within an acceptable range.
Good. This should be suitable.
Kanghyeok compared the builds of Ryu Seong-ryong and Dorikkae.
Even at a glance, Ryu Seong-ryong was somewhat smaller.
Then let's go with the dose I used on the fourth man.
He intended to use a local anesthetic as well, so it should be fine.
If he practiced hemorrhoid surgery just a little more, it would be perfect.
"Good. Send word to daegam. Tell him we're almost fully prepared now."
"Yes, young master."
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Read 38 more chapters ahead on NovelDex!
https://noveldex.io/series/doctor-goes-back-to-joseon
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━