âAh, Soonsin Lee,â Kanghyok repeated that name.
âIf he is 28, he is like my elder brother. Wait a moment. Soonsin Lee? That famous admiral Soonsin Lee?â Kanghyokâs eyes opened wide with surprise.
âAre you sure your name Soonsin Lee?â
âYes, it is. Why are you so surprised?â
âMaster, let me get some sleep.â
Dolsok, who had his sleep interrupted by Kanghyok, murmured with a disgruntled look.
Tak!
Lightly slapping Dolsok on the back of his neck, Kanghyok continued, âOh my god, Soonsin Lee. Is it true that I have come to treat Soonsin Lee?â
âI wonder if you have got confused with someone else. Iâm no one.â Rather puzzled, Soonsin looked at Kanghyok.
In fact, Soonsin Lee, at this point in his life, was not that famous.
âI get it now. Thatâs why he looked so special,â thought Kanghyok.
He showed incredible patience and mental strength that could hardly be found in a human being. Given his strong disposition, itâs pretty understandable that Soonsin Lee destroyed the mighty Japanese Armada with only 12 military vessels.
Kanghyok looked at Soonsin in admiration. Then, he suddenly felt that he should not get too excited.
âIf I make a big fuss about him, he might change.â
That would mean big trouble.
The whole history of modern Korea could be shaken with the emergence of a different Soonsin.
âUm... itâs nothing. But nobody can stand this kind of surgery like you. Anyway, have some sleep. If you feel uncomfortable, you have to let me know.â
âGot it.â
Kanghyok lay down after confirming that Soonsin went to sleep.
Soonsin fell asleep soon just like those with extraordinary endurance. Though he underwent surgery a moment ago, it looked like he didnât feel pain.
âWow, I canât believe this! Soonsin Lee is sleeping beside me now.â
Kanghyok couldnât sleep.
Just imagine some great man lying down right beside you. If you donât feel touched at all, thatâs very strange of you.
âWait a minute. Am I now in the period of King Sonjo in old Korea (Joseon)? I hope I wonât go through Japanâs invasion of Joseon in 1592.â
As someone who used to live a peaceful modern Korea, he just felt it so regrettable that he had come to Joseon. It felt dreadful to think that he would have to undergo that notorious Korea-Japan war in 1592.
âNo, I still have some time left. Let me find out any way to go back to modern Korea. Oh, let me first help Soonsin rehab.â
What a great honor! He had the honor of treating him and helping him through rehab.
âLet me hit the sack first.â
It had been a tiring day for him.
He fell into a sound sleep quickly.
Rubbing his eyes, Kanghyok woke up.
Instead of having the basin ready for his masterâs wash in the morning, Dolsok was looking at the yard with a worried look.
âPlease stop that nobleman. He just wouldnât listen to me.â
âUgh? What the heck?â
âLook at that man.â
âOh my... What is he doing now? Damn...â
Kanghyok was about to use foul language but stopped right away when he noticed Soonsin Lee in the yard.
âHe deserves my blame.â
Thinking mischievously, Kanghyok came out of his room and shouted at him, âExcuse me, but what the heck are you doing, sir?â
âOh, Iâm wielding my sword.â
âI see,â said Kanghyok, stooping slightly. He could not believe that nobleman was Soonsin because he just casually replied.
âNo, you shouldnât do this.â He underwent surgery just yesterday.
Shaking his head, Kanghyok said, âWhat if the wounds on your calf reopened again if you moved around like that? Come into the room right now!â
âI know my leg was hurt, but my arms are just okay.â
As expected, he truly was a great man in history. Even though what he said was utter nonsense, it was logically right.
âI told you so,â said Dolsok.
âYou should have stopped him,â
âHow can I stop him when he didnât listen to you?â
That was true.
Tilting his head to one side, Kanghyok went out to the yard. No matter how great a general Soonsin was, he had to listen to the doctor. Kanghyok cautiously tapped him on the shoulder.
Soonsin was brandishing the sword again.
âHey, brother. Would you stop it? You might hit me.â
âWhy are you bothering me like this?â
âIâve just told you. The wounds on your calf will break apart again if you keep doing this.â
âI know my body more than anybody else.â
âDidnât you know you were in such a severe condition last evening?â
âThatâs why I came to see you.â
âOh, yeah, you are something else!â Kanghyok uttered an exclamation before his brain caught up to his mouth.
âOh my god, master!â
âWhatâs wrong?â
âLook at that bleeding on his calf.â
âWhat? Where? I knew it!â
With such a thick calf, the wounds on it were opened. After all, he had been swinging his sword for a while.
The dressing around it was getting stained with red blood.
âNow, stop it immediately and come back to the room. I have to stitch it up again.â
âBy cracky!â As if he was embarrassed, Soonsin went into the room, putting up with the pain. He stretched his leg silently.
Fortunately, the wounds did not break open that much.
âDolsok, give me that bag.â
âYes, master.â
He searched through the bag. Fortunately, all the expendables that he used up yesterday were refilled like before.
âWhat a relief!â
No matter how famous he was, Kanghyok would be treated no more than a quack without this bag.
âGive me your leg.â
âGot it.â
Kanghyok heavily wiped off the wounds with disinfectant.
âYou can be stubborn on something, but not this one. What if this wounds here breal open again?â
âIâm sorry,â he said politely.
âIt will hurt a bit.â
âGot it.
âHey, Dolsok! Hold it now.â
âYes, master.â
Kanghyon now wrongly vented his anger on Dolsok.
âDone. You have to follow my instructions for one week.â
âSure, let me promise.â
âIâll trust you this time.â
Kanghyok bound his calf again with dressing.
After that, he just sat on the floor, hardly moving.
Knock, knock.
âGo and tell the patient that weâre closed today.â
âYes, master.â Dolsok was so happy to hear that. He went out to the door excitedly and then came back with a letter.
âMaster, it is a letter from the mayor.â
âReally? I wonder why he didnât come in person.â
âNo idea. Please read it.â
Then Kanghyok opened it casually. It wasnât a long letter, but he could make nothing of it.
âOh my god...â
Though he learned some Chinese characters when he was in a calligraphy club in college, he couldnât read the letter dotted with Chinese characters.
He knew Dolsok was much more ignorant than he was.
âWhat should I do? Can I ask brother Soonsin to read it for me?â
Kanghyok was a doctor anyway, who was in a position to ask his patient to do something on the excuse of treatment.
Soonsin was in meditation at the moment.
âBrother Soonsin?â
âWhatâs up?â
âHow did the treatment go? I need to check your condition. Is it okay?â
âNo problem.â
Kanghyok handed the mayorâs letter to Soonsin.
âPlease read it aloud for me.â
âIsnât this addressed to you?â
âI know it as I have already read it. So, it doesnât matter.â
âUmm....â After thinking it over for a moment, he nodded. He had no reason not to read it to Kanghyok.
âGot it. This is what it says: âDear Kang, how are you? Soonsin came to see you yesterday, and I wonder how the treatment went. As I told you, there is a party this afternoon, so let me hear more about your treatment of Soonsin there. Oh, donât forget to bring me the Viagra pill when you come.â Thatâs it. Enough?â
Kanghyok forgot the party was this afternoon.
He sprang to his feet and put on an overcoat, saying, âGood job! As you read it, Iâm going to go to the party.â
âSure.â Soonsin was really nice, replying so coolly.
âDolsok, take good care of brother Soonsin.â
âAre you going there alone? You donât know where the partyâs taking place.â
Indeed, Kanghyok was bad with directions.
It was impossible that he could find his way into Mt. Paldal, where the party was set to happen.
âIâm going to stop by a village bar and take a member of the acrobatic team there with me.â
âWhy donât you ask those servants to take care of this nobleman?â Dolsok looked askance at Soonsin, who was back in meditation.
But Kanghyok was adamant this time. âYouâre the most competent at treating people here except for me. They merely handed ticket numbers to the patients. How can they take care of him?â
âGot it, sir. Please come back as soon as possible.â
âSure. I donât think the mayor will hold me up long as I have to see patients.â
âYes, master.â
âI took out common medical tools here, so use them if need be.â
âYes, yes.â
Leaving Dolsok behind, Kanghyok came out of the examination room.
âI guess itâs right there.â
To the best of Kanghyokâs memory, the acrobatic team was staying at the inn.
Only those important members like Pyonsu, Yoni and Makbong stayed there. It seemed that the other members were staying at private houses in return for helping with their odd jobs.
Kanghyok opened the door when the barmaid came running to him.
âWelcome, master!â
As he once treated her disjointed leg, she was very kind to him.
Waving to her, he said, âAre Orumsani and Makbong here?â
âOf course, they are. Let me call them.â
âThanks.â
A little later, Yoni came out. It seemed Makbong was out already.
âMaster, how come youâre here?â
âAre you alone here?â
âYes, master.â
Kanghyok scratched his beard gently, thinking, âIâm afraid Iâm going to the party with a woman...â
The party was hosted by the mayor. This meant that there were already pretty women at the party. Kanghyok was determined to enjoy the liberty of touching womenâs bosoms this time.
âBut I canât go there alone.â
What if he got lost on his way to the party?
Aside from his personal embarrassment, it would be a disgrace to his name for the rest of his life.
âDamn it. Let me ask Yoni to stay away from me.â