Chapter 99

Sadoon.

"U, we can save Baek-hwa, right? Right?"

Sister, who had overheard my conversation with the Medicine King and realized something was moving quickly, asked with eyes full of anticipation.

However, we didn't know how quickly the Medicine King's medicine would take effect, nor how much damage Baek-hwa's red blood cells had sustained.

In the end, we couldn't be sure if Baek-hwa would survive or not.

I placed my hand on sister's shoulder, looked into her eyes, and replied with a serious expression.

"We will do our best, but we cannot be certain of the outcome. Please brace yourself."

"Kuaaaaaa..."

Sister, tears streaming down her face, was heart-wrenching, but there was nothing I could do.

If I gave her false hope and she ended up hitting me with a flurry of punches like the Medicine King in the morning, it wouldn't be good. The Medicine King, being a martial arts expert, wouldn't mind, but my ribs would be shattered. I had to caution her not to have too much hope.

Falling while squatting isn't painful, but falling from a height can cause significant damage.

If I said, "Of course, trust us," and Baek-hwa died, sister would surely cry out, "You said you would save him!"

If she then infused her punches with inner energy, I would end up as a bloody mess.

In a world where only martial artists live, one must be cautious to survive as a weakling.

This is why, in my past life, doctors never gave definitive answers about a patient's condition when they were hospitalized, and medical dramas often portrayed it this way. Patient's family members can be more terrifying than expected.

"Come, come, it will be fine."

"Yes, if Master Gagah had not saved my dying father, he wouldn't have made such a statement. Please stop grieving and..."

Sister had been crying so pitifully that Yeong-yeong and my wife comforted her.

Soon after, the Medicine King spat into his palm and began rolling something in it, presumably making the restorative pill.

I wondered why he spat into his palm, but such unhygienic practices were common in Zhongyuan.

Anyway, after a while, the Medicine King made a pill, divided it into eight pieces, and placed one piece in Baek-hwa's mouth.

The pill seemed to dissolve and disappear in Baek-hwa's mouth.

After confirming that the pill had completely disappeared, the Medicine King asked for my help.

"Let's move the patient to the room together."

"Move the dog to the room?"

Despite the blood in his urine and the strong smell, the Medicine King suggested moving him without hesitation.

I replied with a surprised voice, thinking that no matter how much I liked dogs, they were still dogs, and he angrily responded.

"Ah, dog? It's a patient!"

After half a year of treating dogs, the Medicine King had become a dog lover, almost a dog grandpa.

***

It seemed that the Medicine King's restorative pill was effective, as Baek-hwa, who had been on the verge of death, managed to survive for two days.

Lying on the floor, gasping for breath...

Duk-gu, who had become close to Baek-hwa, followed him into the room and kept licking his face, while Baek-hwa's owner, Sister Maeng-hui, stayed by his side, gently pouring water into his mouth.

But today marks the second day.

Sister Maeng-hui, who hadn't slept or eaten for two days, was a source of concern, so I squatted next to Baek-hwa and gently asked her.

"Sister Maeng-hui, please get some rest. Have a meal. You haven't eaten anything for two days, right?"

But Sister Maeng-hui, who was squatting next to Baek-hwa, didn't budge. I signaled to my wife and Yeong-yeong, who had followed me in, as I had promised.

Nodding at my signal, the two of them supported Sister Maeng-hui from both sides and said,

"If you keep this up, Sister Maeng-hui will be the one to die first. To take care of Baek-hwa, you need to be healthy. Come, let's go have a meal first."

"Yes, come on, get up."

"But, but Baek-hwa..."

We sent Sister Maeng-hui home with my wife and Yeong-yeong, and I went outside to get some fresh air. The Medicine King, who had gone to educate the villagers, came running with a troubled look.

"You need to help me."

"Excuse me?!"

The Medicine King had gone out to inform the villagers about foods they shouldn't feed their dogs.

I found it strange that the education session had ended so early and asked,

"Why is that?"

With a red and flushed face, the Medicine King replied,

"Ah, those guys refused to listen to the fraud..."

The Medicine King was being mocked at the Beast Palace.

***

"Duk-gu, take good care of Baek-hwa. I'll be back in a moment, got it?"

-Woof!

Since I had given Baek-hwa his morning medicine and there was nothing more I could do for him, I decided to go with the Medicine King to prevent another dog, or rather, another patient, from falling ill.

With the help of the Medicine King and the Beast Palace's lord, we gathered the villagers to educate them about vegetables they shouldn't feed their dogs.

"Garlic chives (韭菜), green onions (蔥), garlic (大蒜), onions (洋蔥), and wild garlic (山蒜) must never be fed to dogs. If you think about it, those who lost their dogs probably remember that they suddenly fell ill and died a day or two after eating these."

"Is that true? So the dogs died because of that?"

"Yes, I learned this because I love dogs and have raised them. I lost three dogs trying to figure this out."

"Three dogs! Young Hero, that must have been a great shock."

"Thinking about it, what Young Hero said seems right. Our Jin-ee must have died from eating onions!"

"Wow... to teach us this so freely."

"A benevolent person from Zhongyuan!"

"To discover something the old fraud couldn't in half a year... The Beast Clan owes you a great debt."

People doubted the Medicine King's words but believed mine without hesitation.

"But why don't they believe me after living together for half a year..."

"A person who raises dogs wouldn't lie about their lives, right?!"

The Medicine King grumbled, but there was nothing I could do.

This was a society where a single dog could make a difference.

Moreover, the Medicine King and I had fundamental differences in appearance, not just in ability.

'The Medicine King, with his catfish whiskers and slightly sly appearance...'

A likable face is helpful anywhere.

However, the Medicine King wasn't always seen as a fraud.

His reputation soared vertically after he gave us the restorative pills he made.

People were skeptical about the medicine's effectiveness, but I vouched for it, saying it was safe to feed Baek-hwa, and the Medicine King shed his disgrace.

Some people still looked uneasy, but no one called him a fraud outright anymore.

After educating the Beast Palace people about foods they shouldn't feed their dogs, they brought a cow from somewhere, slaughtered it on the spot, and started a feast.

The feast continued until evening.

"Young Hero Cheong-un, please have more."

"No, thank you. Sister Maeng-hui's Baek-hwa is still sick, so I need to check on him."

"Oh, in that case, I should go check on him too."

"Please enjoy the food and drink a bit more. Since we gave him the medicine this morning, I can check on him alone."

"Should I?"

The Medicine King, delighted by the drinks offered, was in high spirits, so I decided to go check on Baek-hwa first.

I had left Duk-gu and Baek-hwa alone for too long.

After eating the elaborate dinner prepared by the grateful villagers, I returned, but the Medicine King's residence was still dark.

My wife and Yeong-yeong must have been taking good care of Sister Maeng-hui.

In case they returned late, I decided to light the lanterns outside the house.

-Huff huff

I found a fire starter in the kitchen of the Medicine King's residence, lit two lanterns, and hung them at the door entrance. I then lit a lamp and entered the room.

-Huff huff huff huff

The sound of rapid breathing and panting, and a sense of hot air.

'Could his condition have worsened?'

"Duk-gu, have you been taking good care of Baek-hwa?"

I asked Duk-gu, who was in the room, but only heard panting.

-Huff huff huff huff

'What is this?'

Feeling something strange, I walked into the dark room, lamp in hand, and saw Duk-gu in a corner.

He was right next to Baek-hwa, licking his face, but for some reason, Duk-gu was standing.

When I shone the lamp on Baek-hwa, he was nowhere to be seen.

"What? Where did he go?"

Surprised, I shone the lamp around and saw that Baek-hwa, looking much better, was standing behind Duk-gu.

"Wow! Baek-hwa, you're up... Duk-gu, you little rascal!"

Startled by the sight of the two dogs, I almost dropped the lamp, but just then, a voice came from outside.

"Old Master, are you inside?"

"Master Gagah, we're here."

Hearing my wife and Yeong-yeong's voices, I knew Sister Maeng-hui must have come too.

I rushed outside and stood at the door, addressing the three women.

"Y-you're here? Wife. Yeong-yeong, are you here too? Sister Maeng-hui, are you here?"

"Yes, we're here. Old Master, we brought some food. Let's have a meal together."

"R-really? T-thank you."

My wife had brought food in a basket, and I nodded. Then, Sister Maeng-hui's voice came from beside me.

"Can you, move aside?"

Sister Maeng-hui was looking up at me, already holding the doorknob.

Desperately trying to block her, I said,

"Sister Maeng-hui, I have something to say. C-can you spare a moment?"

"Let me see Baek-hwa first, then we can talk."

"C-can we talk first? It won't take long..."

Trying to prevent her from entering the room, I was thwarted by Yeong-yeong, who said,

"Why are you blocking the door? It looks like you don't want us to enter."

'Yeong-yeong! Please! Be more subtle! This isn't right!'

Startled by Yeong-yeong's words, I saw Sister Maeng-hui's eyes widen.

She grabbed my shoulder, trembling, and swayed.

"I, I'm fine. I'm fine. Move aside. Whatever happened beyond the door, I'm fine. Move aside. I'm prepared."

"B-but, Sister. The preparation depends on the situation..."

I didn't know how much preparation she had, but the scene inside the room would surely shock her.

I was already extremely flustered, and I couldn't imagine what the three of them would think if they entered.

"Old Master, we'll go in together, so don't worry."

My wife, who was also encouraging her, nodded.

My wife, who usually understood me, didn't seem to get it this time and nodded, saying,

"We'll be there with you."

"Right. Cheer up."

"I'm fine. I'm prepared."

In the end, Sister Maeng-hui slowly pushed me aside, and Yeong-yeong took the lamp from my hand, and the three of them entered the room.

"!"

"!"

"!"

Then, silence.

After a short while, the three women, with bright red faces, walked out and sat down in a daze next to me.

Looking at the moon, I asked,

"Doesn't it seem like he's very healthy now?"

The three women, still in a daze, nodded vigorously.

"Let's leave them be for a while..."

Again, they nodded at my suggestion.

'Duk-gu, you lucky dog... What should I call Sister now? Sadoon?'

Even a dog sadoon is still a sadoon.

"U, we can save Baek-hwa, right? Right?"

Sister, who had overheard my conversation with the Medicine King and realized something was moving quickly, asked with eyes full of anticipation.

However, we didn't know how quickly the Medicine King's medicine would take effect, nor how much damage Baek-hwa's red blood cells had sustained.

In the end, we couldn't be sure if Baek-hwa would survive or not.

I placed my hand on sister's shoulder, looked into her eyes, and replied with a serious expression.

"We will do our best, but we cannot be certain of the outcome. Please brace yourself."

"Kuaaaaaa..."

Sister, tears streaming down her face, was heart-wrenching, but there was nothing I could do.

If I gave her false hope and she ended up hitting me with a flurry of punches like the Medicine King in the morning, it wouldn't be good. The Medicine King, being a martial arts expert, wouldn't mind, but my ribs would be shattered. I had to caution her not to have too much hope.

Falling while squatting isn't painful, but falling from a height can cause significant damage.

If I said, "Of course, trust us," and Baek-hwa died, sister would surely cry out, "You said you would save him!"

If she then infused her punches with inner energy, I would end up as a bloody mess.

In a world where only martial artists live, one must be cautious to survive as a weakling.

This is why, in my past life, doctors never gave definitive answers about a patient's condition when they were hospitalized, and medical dramas often portrayed it this way. Patient's family members can be more terrifying than expected.

"Come, come, it will be fine."

"Yes, if Master Gagah had not saved my dying father, he wouldn't have made such a statement. Please stop grieving and..."

Sister had been crying so pitifully that Yeong-yeong and my wife comforted her.

Soon after, the Medicine King spat into his palm and began rolling something in it, presumably making the restorative pill.

I wondered why he spat into his palm, but such unhygienic practices were common in Zhongyuan.

Anyway, after a while, the Medicine King made a pill, divided it into eight pieces, and placed one piece in Baek-hwa's mouth.

The pill seemed to dissolve and disappear in Baek-hwa's mouth.

After confirming that the pill had completely disappeared, the Medicine King asked for my help.

"Let's move the patient to the room together."

"Move the dog to the room?"

Despite the blood in his urine and the strong smell, the Medicine King suggested moving him without hesitation.

I replied with a surprised voice, thinking that no matter how much I liked dogs, they were still dogs, and he angrily responded.

"Ah, dog? It's a patient!"

After half a year of treating dogs, the Medicine King had become a dog lover, almost a dog grandpa.

***

It seemed that the Medicine King's restorative pill was effective, as Baek-hwa, who had been on the verge of death, managed to survive for two days.

Lying on the floor, gasping for breath...

Duk-gu, who had become close to Baek-hwa, followed him into the room and kept licking his face, while Baek-hwa's owner, Sister Maeng-hui, stayed by his side, gently pouring water into his mouth.

But today marks the second day.

Sister Maeng-hui, who hadn't slept or eaten for two days, was a source of concern, so I squatted next to Baek-hwa and gently asked her.

"Sister Maeng-hui, please get some rest. Have a meal. You haven't eaten anything for two days, right?"

But Sister Maeng-hui, who was squatting next to Baek-hwa, didn't budge. I signaled to my wife and Yeong-yeong, who had followed me in, as I had promised.

Nodding at my signal, the two of them supported Sister Maeng-hui from both sides and said,

"If you keep this up, Sister Maeng-hui will be the one to die first. To take care of Baek-hwa, you need to be healthy. Come, let's go have a meal first."

"Yes, come on, get up."

"But, but Baek-hwa..."

We sent Sister Maeng-hui home with my wife and Yeong-yeong, and I went outside to get some fresh air. The Medicine King, who had gone to educate the villagers, came running with a troubled look.

"You need to help me."

"Excuse me?!"

The Medicine King had gone out to inform the villagers about foods they shouldn't feed their dogs.

I found it strange that the education session had ended so early and asked,

"Why is that?"

With a red and flushed face, the Medicine King replied,

"Ah, those guys refused to listen to the fraud..."

The Medicine King was being mocked at the Beast Palace.

***

"Duk-gu, take good care of Baek-hwa. I'll be back in a moment, got it?"

-Woof!

Since I had given Baek-hwa his morning medicine and there was nothing more I could do for him, I decided to go with the Medicine King to prevent another dog, or rather, another patient, from falling ill.

With the help of the Medicine King and the Beast Palace's lord, we gathered the villagers to educate them about vegetables they shouldn't feed their dogs.

"Garlic chives (韭菜), green onions (蔥), garlic (大蒜), onions (洋蔥), and wild garlic (山蒜) must never be fed to dogs. If you think about it, those who lost their dogs probably remember that they suddenly fell ill and died a day or two after eating these."

"Is that true? So the dogs died because of that?"

"Yes, I learned this because I love dogs and have raised them. I lost three dogs trying to figure this out."

"Three dogs! Young Hero, that must have been a great shock."

"Thinking about it, what Young Hero said seems right. Our Jin-ee must have died from eating onions!"

"Wow... to teach us this so freely."

"A benevolent person from Zhongyuan!"

"To discover something the old fraud couldn't in half a year... The Beast Clan owes you a great debt."

People doubted the Medicine King's words but believed mine without hesitation.

"But why don't they believe me after living together for half a year..."

"A person who raises dogs wouldn't lie about their lives, right?!"

The Medicine King grumbled, but there was nothing I could do.

This was a society where a single dog could make a difference.

Moreover, the Medicine King and I had fundamental differences in