Chapter 175: Chapter 48

Samyongdang.

They called him Preceptor Samyong.

No matter how ignorant Kanghyon was about history, he had definitely heard of that name.

He never heard of the name Yujong, though.

“Oh, Preceptor Samyong…”

“I’m not a preceptor.”

“Gee, you’re not yet called Preceptor Samyong.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Yujong was staring at him, who was blinking his eyes.

Kanghyok felt strange as he noticed some mysterious vigor in his two eyes.

He even felt as if all the legendary tales about this great monk in Joseon could be really true.

‘No, I should refrain from thinking about him too far ahead.’

In fact, Yujong was not yet widely known as Preceptor Samyong at this particular time.

“Oh, I just called you Preceptor Samyong as I was so deeply touched by your preaching.”

“I’m flattered by that. Please stand up, mayor and the chief priest.”

“Yes, yes.”

The mayor raised himself as if he was much obliged by Yujong’s mention of his name.

He would not even bow down to the king as he did before Yujong.

“This is my great honor. I think I have to offer a lot more money from now on.”

“You shouldn’t necessarily do so.”

After bowing politely to him once more, the mayor got out of the temple hurriedly.

When he opened the door, there were many people, including Makbong and Yoni, who were listening to what they’re talking about inside the room.

They paid more attention because they overheard something like ‘a living Buddha,’ ‘Buddha’ and ‘sari’ while Kanghyok and others were talking inside.

The chief priest now stood before them, holding the stone taken from Yujong’s salivary gland.

“This came out of monk Yujong’s body.”

It was white, but it shone more brilliantly in the warm sun.

‘Isn’t it sari?’

With a suspicious eye, Kanghyok looked at Yujong.

He was not an ordinary monk, but a great one who would be known as Preceptor Samyong later.

‘No, it’s not. It’s just a salivary gland stone.’

In Kanghyok’s mind, there could be no other name for it.

Nonetheless, they reacted far differently.

“Oh my god!” screamed someone.

“Buddha!” someone bowed down, exclaiming in admiration.

With a satisfied smile, the chief priest announced, “This precious nobleman took it out from monk Yujong’s body.”

The priest pointed at Kanghyok this time.

Their reaction was as much intense.

“Wow, he is the precious man!”

Kanghyok found himself turned into a precious doctor who treated a living Buddha.

The rumor spread quickly, adding to his already high reputation.

And that was the talk of the town anywhere on the market streets.

“Did you hear monk Yujong’s preaching?”

“Of course, I did.”

“I hear it is none other than Dr. Paek who treated the monk.”

“I heard that sari came out of Paek’s body, too.”

“You bet. I think that’s why Dr. Paek could eradicate smallpox.”

“Smallpox?”

“Didn’t you know that? I heard he had a great fight with the smallpox god in Mt. Kwanggyo.”

To them, Kanghoyk was already a miraculous doctor. Some even began to call him a godly doctor, to which nobody complained.

As he became more and more famous, he received more donations and gifts.

“Let me take a look… This one was sent by the mayor of Kwachon, and this one by the mayor of Juksan, and that one by the mayor of Yangsung…”

Even up till now, Dolsok was still busy sorting out the donations.

“Where do you want me to carry this?” Dolsok asked, sweating out as he carried a sack of rice on his back.

“Donate it to the temple.”

“Yes, master.”

Usually, he would have raised objections to his order, but this time he was obedient. There were simply too many sacks of rice now.

“Where is the master?” asked Makbong, while carrying a bundle of fur.

Putting down the sack, Dolsok answered, “I heard him say that he would go out with Yoni to practice traditional martial arts taekgyon.”

“Really?”

If any stranger looked at that scene, he might get angry because Kanghyok was enjoying a great time while his subordinates were toiling hard.

But they didn’t complain at all because all the goods they were carrying on the cart belonged to them. Actually, Kanghyok gave all the donations such as rice, fur, silk and salt to Yoni, Dolsok and Makbong.

“I think I can teach him better,” said Makbong.

“Hey, I know you were soundly beaten by Yoni in the morning,” said Dolsok.

“Not at all. I just missed my step and fell,” Makbong talked back.

Makbong raised his fist, but didn’t wield it.

Dolsok was his drinking friend during the night everyday.

But for his service at the temple, Makbong would have spent more time at the widows’ village every night. While Makbong was missing those days, Dolsok was busy, moving around with the goods.

In the meantime, Kanghyok and Yoni were in the midst of practicing taekgyon.

“You’re moving so fast, Yoni!”

“That’s why I’m a tightroper, sir.”

Though Kanghyok tried his best to run away from her, he was quickly caught by her.

She hit him on the back hard.

“Ouch!”

“Are you alright? I hit it gently.”

“It hurts!”

He didn’t exaggerate the pain.

Yoni was a master of taekgyon, to say the least.

“Let me take a look,” said Yoni, removing Kanghyok’s outer jacket.

“How is it?”

“Oh, it’s black and blue here.”

“I told you! It still hurts.”

“What shall I do?”

“Hey, I’m a beginner, Yoni. Don’t hit me that hard.”

“Do you want me to apply something here?”

“I wonder if there is any ointment available.”

In modern Korea, it would be a quick fix with any ointment, but here in Joseon, it’s not available.

That’s the real issue.

“Let me have some icy water here.”

“Yes, master.”

Yoni went down to a nearby mountain stream and soaked her sleeves in it.

“How about now?”

“It’s pretty icy.”

“Do you feel better?”

“Oh, yes.”

When you’re wounded, keep the wound cool.

That’s the basic of the basics on the treatment of bruises.

While he was taking a break like that, Dolsok came running to him, gasping for breath.

At that moment, Yoni was pressing on the bruisy spot of Kanghyok’s back with her cold sleeves.

Though Dolsok noticed that, he couldn’t say anything.

“What’s up?” asked Kanghyok.

“Oh my god…”

“Tell me what happened.” Though Kanghyok replied in a rough voice, he instantly felt something bad happened.

Dolsok barely began to open his mouth, “In the village of Otan…”

“Try to speak slowly.”

“There was a big commotion in that village…”

“What are you talking about?”

In Kanghyok’s eyes, there was a big chaos going on in that village.

Yoni suddenly looked gloomy, too.

Otan village belonged to Suwon.

She asked in an urgent tone, “What happened there?”

“Well, Japanese invaders….”

Kanghyok could not figure out what’s going on now.

According to his memory, Imjinwaeran, or the Japanese invasion of Joseon had yet to happen.

Japanese soldiers invading Kyonggi Province at this time?

“Japanese invaders?”

“Yes, master. Japanese invaders.”

“Did they come as far as here?”

Dolsok pounded on his chest at Kanghyok’s absurd response.

“Master, this temple, Chijangsa, was rebuilt after it was burnt down by Japanese invaders.”

“Really?”

Kanghyok remembered that it was renovated during the reign of King Chungjong.

“Do we have to escape now, Dolsok?”

“No, master. Why are we running when the Japanese invaders have already reached Otan village?”

“Oh, it’s far from here. Why are you making such a fuss now?”

“I heard that the mayor is soon leading the army to crack down on them. And he dispatched a messenger to ask you to help him with the war efforts.”

“Oh my god… Where is he now?”

“He’s waiting at the temple now.”

Dolsok and Yoni quickly walked down a mountain road, with Kanghyok following them slowly.

‘How can I reject his request for help?’

There were many excuses that flashed into his mind.

Firstly, he was the eldest son of the Paek family.

Second, he was taking care of Preceptor Samyong at the moment.

‘Let me cite two excuses.’

While he was turning it over in his mind, they arrived at the temple. The man who greeted them was familiar to Kanghyok. His name was Jongbok Lee, chief secretary to the mayor.

“Oh, you’ve just arrived.”

“It’s been a while, sir.”

“Nice to see you. Let me put it simply as it’s urgent now. The mayor has asked you for help as a medic.”

“Medic? But I’m not good at treating injuries.”

That was a white lie, of course. More than half of the medical supplies in the bag were operating tools. Besides, it was already well known in Suwon that Kanghyok treated Soonsin Lee’s broken leg.

Taking Kanghyok’s response as his humility, Jungbok said with a smile, “I know there is no greater doctor than you.”

Obviously, Jungbok would not simply step back.

While Kanghyok was trying to make another excuse, someone pulled on his sleeves gently.

It was Yoju.

“Why?”

“Can I speak with you for a moment?”

As Yoju has never acted like this, Kanghyok moved back a bit and asked, “What’s up?”

“I heard that the mayor is asking for your help with respect to the matter of the Japanese invaders, right?”

“Yes.”

“I know I’m asking you a shameless favor, but would you go there to help him?”

It was indeed a shameless favor, with no particular reason.

“Why?”

“My father… that’s the very place where my father went to assume the responsibility of the principal of a new village school.”