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Chapter 20
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“Seems you’re feeling some discomfort. Let me help relieve it quickly,” Lee Seon said, as if he had been waiting.
“Can you reduce the swelling in my foot?”
Lee Seon rummaged through his bundle and pulled something out.
“I happen to have just the thing.”
It was a blue gourd bottle.
“Does anyone have a large bowl or something similar here?”
Glancing around, he pointed to a spot.
“Something about that size would be perfect.”
Everyone looked at each other, hesitating to make the first move.
Yoo Yeong-mok glanced around and brought a large bowl himself.
“Will this do?”
“Perfect.”
Lee Seon carefully tilted the gourd bottle over it.
A small, transparent drop formed at the mouth of the bottle and dropped into the water.
Then he tossed in some dried herbs, breaking a twig to stir it.
His casual stirring made a few people chuckle under their breath.
After a few swirls, Lee Seon tossed the twig to the ground.
“This mixture should help reduce the swelling in your foot.”
With confidence, Lee Seon offered the concoction, which didn’t look particularly special.
Just a bowl full of water with a single drop of dew and some unknown herbs thrown in.
“Is that supposed to be medicine?”
The other guards shook their heads, clearly sceptical.
After all, medicine they knew took hours to prepare.
Not just water mixed with some herbs.
Even Yoo Yeong-mok had similar doubts, though he hid it well.
“This is a type of medicine I haven’t seen before. Did you make it yourself?”
Lee Seon gave a mysterious smile.
“Of course. You saw me make it just now.”
Yoo Yeong-mok was half-convinced, half-sceptical.
Could something like this really reduce the swelling in his foot?
With all the accumulated fatigue, even putting his swollen feet into his shoes had become painful.
If it could reduce the swelling, moving would be much easier.
It didn’t take long for Yoo Yeong-mok to decide.
If it turned out to be fake, he would lose nothing, and if it worked, all the better.
He took off his shoe and glanced at Lee Seon.
Lee Seon was watching him intently with that familiar smile, his bright eyes fixed on him.
“…Why are you looking at me like that?”
It was the first time Yoo Yeong-mok had ever received such an intense gaze—especially from a man.
“A doctor must focus on his patient, after all.”
It was the right answer, but there was something indescribably unsettling about it.
Still, since he claimed to be upholding the virtues of a doctor, Yoo Yeong-mok couldn’t object.
“It’s not that I don’t trust you; I’m just curious. Could you tell me what’s in it?”
Before taking on his role as a guard, Yoo Yeong-mok had managed various supplies for the Yoo Family Escort Bureau.
He knew the names and effects of most medicinal herbs.
If there was anything unusual, he would recognize it.
Lee Seon gave a sly smile and deflected the question.
He’s not actually poisoned it, right?
The thought made Yoo Yeong-mok briefly want to retract his agreement.
He felt an inexplicable sense of danger.
But as the leader of this group, he couldn’t just back down with everyone watching.
Why did I volunteer to try this?
He shut his eyes tight.
“…Do I just rub it on?”
“Exactly.”
His deepening smile only heightened Yoo Yeong-mok’s unease.
Well, surely my foot won’t rot or anything.
Yoo Yeong-mok reached his hand into the bowl to scoop up the liquid.
But his hand was stopped midway.
“Other people will use this too, so please don’t put your hand in it. It could lessen the effectiveness.”
Though he was smiling, Lee Seon’s tone was firm.
“I should have thought of that.”
Yoo Yeong-mok admitted his mistake.
“But if you’re offering treatment, could you please put that sword away?”
Lee Seon looked at the sword that was now pointed at him.
“Who dares to touch someone without permission?”
Ga-jin growled.
She wasn’t pleased with this situation at all.
If it weren’t for Yoo Yeong-mok, she would have kicked him out right away.
Lee Seon nonchalantly grasped the blade with his hand.
“No matter how distinguished they are, to a doctor, they are just a patient.”
Their eyes met in mid-air with an icy glare.
Splash.
It was Yoo Yeong-mok who broke the tension by dipping the solution and applying it to his foot.
Ga-jin’s face hardened, while a smile spread across Lee Seon’s face.
Releasing the blade, Lee Seon moved closer to Yoo Yeong-mok.
“How does it feel?”
Yoo Yeong-mok looked astonished by the cooling sensation.
“It feels like dipping my foot in a winter stream. Cool and cold.”
It was strange because the water hadn’t been stored in a cold place, yet it felt refreshing.
“If that’s how you feel, it’s working.”
Yoo Yeong-mok stared at his foot in amazement.
It wasn’t just a refreshing feeling; the swelling had noticeably gone down.
The pain had also eased, and Yoo Yeong-mok’s eyes widened in astonishment.
“It’s really much better!”
He seemed truly grateful.
For such a simple remedy to have this effect…
Lee Seon stood up briefly, looked around, and brought over an armful of something.
“What’s that?”
“If we leave it as is, it’ll only be cool for a while. The remedy won’t fully absorb into the sole. This is to make sure it stays.”
It was a large leaf, big enough to wrap around his entire foot.
Lee Seon skilfully wrapped Yoo Yeong-mok’s foot with the leaf.
“After one night, the swelling should completely subside.”
By now, all eyes around him were focused here.
Even though they pretended otherwise, all the other guards were paying close attention.
Everyone had endured the hardships of long-distance travel.
“Would it be possible for you to do that for us, too?”
“Of course.”
Lee Seon gestured toward the bowl beside him.
“Scoop some of the solution here and apply it to your feet.”
At that, everyone rushed forward eagerly.
But Lee Seon reached out and stopped them.
“Sigh, please don’t crowd like this.”
Lee Seon pointed in front of him.
“One line, please.”
**
Everyone was amazed.
“Could this be real?”
For guards, foot pain was nearly chronic.
Applying medicine while resting would bring true relief.
But guards roamed the world for a living.
Even if they applied medicine and rested, the pain would inevitably return during travel.
No matter how experienced the guards were, they couldn’t escape the pain entirely.
They could only bear it and endure.
But here, a young man had suddenly appeared and solved their troubles in an instant.
“Could it be that your nickname is the Divine Doctor?”
One of the guards asked seriously.
Lee Seon frowned slightly.
“It’s troubling for you to say that.”
Hahaha!
Everyone around them burst into laughter.
The Divine Doctor was a widely known figure among martial artists.
Not only martial artists but even commoners praised his medical skills, so it was no wonder his reputation was sky-high.
Everyone knew that such a young person couldn’t possibly be the Divine Doctor.
It was a testament to how impressed they were with this young man’s abilities.
The title of Divine Doctor was a dream for many physicians, a high compliment indeed.
But they overlooked one thing: Lee Seon, unlike other physicians, wasn’t seeking that praise.
No, seriously, that’s not what I want.
Lee Seon forced a smile.
“How many years apart do you think that old man and I are?”
It was a title he didn’t even want to hear as a joke.
At that moment, Yoo Yeong-mok approached him cautiously.
“Would it be alright if I took a bit of this solution with me?”
“No.”
Lee Seon shook his head firmly.
“I gave you the exact amount. If you use too much, it could have the opposite effect.”
“Don’t worry; it’s not for me.”
“Who are you giving it to?”
At this, Yoo Yeong-mok’s face turned red.
Judging by his reaction, it was obvious he intended to give it to someone.
In fact, the only person here who hadn’t accepted the solution was Ga-jin.
The reactions of everyone else had already proven its effectiveness.
Yet, it was easy to guess why she hadn’t taken it.
Given their initial confrontation and her pride, it made sense that she’d feel uncomfortable accepting it.
“Take it.”
When Lee Seon agreed readily, Yoo Yeong-mok bowed his head.
No doubt he had realized whom this solution was meant for.
Yet, this young man was still willing to hand it over, so who could claim to be a doctor if not him?
“To be honest, I didn’t fully trust you at first.”
“I knew that.”
Yoo Yeong-mok sighed.
“In this line of work, you see all kinds of people. I apologize for misunderstanding you.”
“Do you trust me now?”
“How could I not?”
Yoo Yeong-mok laughed heartily.
“Actually, I worried that you might be a quack.”
Flinch.
“I even suspected you might’ve added poison to the solution.”
Flinch, flinch.
“…There isn’t, right?”
Lee Seon smiled gently.
“As if I’d add poison.”
But he didn’t explicitly deny adding poison.
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