The Physician of Traditional Medicine Returns from Murim

“What’s your name and age? What do you do for a living?”

“My name is Kim Young-ho. I’m 34 years old and work for a company. I’m on a business trip this time…”

“Yes, Mr. Kim Young-ho, what are your symptoms?”

The doctor asked for the necessary information concisely. Though he interrupted, Kim Young-ho didn’t seem offended and answered.

“My chest feels very tight, huff, huff… My heart is also pounding, and I have a slight headache.”

Kim Young-ho’s pupils trembled, unable to find their place.

“When did it start?”

The doctor’s face hardened at the alarming symptoms. He hadn’t checked the vital signs yet, but the breathing had become quite rough.

“Ah… I felt a bit queasy earlier, but it got worse about 10 minutes ago.”

“You didn’t have these symptoms before?”

“No, this is the first time.”

“ECG!”

After confirming the main symptoms and onset, the doctor immediately looked for an electrocardiogram machine.

“ECG, do we have an ECG?”

A young-looking flight attendant asked with wide eyes. However, the person who appeared to be her superior shook their head.

“It’s not equipped on the aircraft.”

The doctor frowned deeply at the unexpected answer.

“Oh dear.”

“We have a blood pressure monitor and a glucose meter!”

“Bring those, at least.”

Kim Young-ho kept glancing anxiously at the doctor’s expression.

“Is… is it serious? Is there a problem with my heart?”

“I’m not a cardiologist.”

“I see…”

“But I do have some suspicions. Do you have any underlying conditions like hypertension, hyperlipidemia, or angina?”

He shook his head. He was too young to have such chronic diseases.

“How would you describe the pain? Does it feel like your heart is being squeezed?”

“Um, well. It might be like that… No, I don’t think it’s that severe.”

“We can’t do an ECG or blood tests, damn it!”

Kim Young-ho’s eyes wavered even more at the doctor’s irritated words. He looked beyond anxious, almost terrified.

“What, what should I do?”

“Well…”

The doctor crossed his arms and tapped his fingers, seemingly deep in thought. In those few seconds, the patient turned pale.

“Listen carefully.”

After a long pause, the doctor finally spoke.

“I suspect acute myocardial infarction.”

TN: Acute myocardial infarction (AMI), also known as a heart attack, occurs when there is a sudden blockage of a coronary artery, resulting in myocardial necrosis (death of heart muscle tissue). This blockage is typically caused by the rupture of an atherosclerotic plaque, leading to thrombosis (blood clot formation).

“What… what’s that?”

“It’s a condition where the coronary artery is blocked, causing myocardial ischemia and heart failure.”

Kim Young-ho’s breathing became even more rapid at the mention of what was clearly a serious illness.

“If that’s the case, you need to receive reperfusion therapy within the golden time.”

TN: In medical terms, “golden time” (or “golden hour”) refers to the critical period immediately following a traumatic injury, stroke, heart attack, or other medical emergency. During this time, prompt medical treatment is most effective and can significantly improve outcomes, including reducing mortality rates and preventing long-term complications. The term highlights the urgency of providing appropriate care within this crucial window to save lives and improve recovery chances.

“How long is the golden time?”

Someone else cut in. The man who asked had a name tag indicating he was the co-pilot.

“Two hours. Treatment within that time allows for recovery without aftereffects.”

“Huk!”

The patient was on the verge of passing out.

“We’re already almost an hour into the flight.”

“Even if we’re late, we need to go. The sooner the treatment, the fewer the aftereffects.”

“Ah, ugh…”

His face turned ghostly pale. Kim Young-ho looked back and forth between the doctor and the co-pilot before grabbing the co-pilot’s hand.

“Please save me!”

He looked ready to fall to his knees if necessary.

“Please…”

“I’ve brought the blood pressure monitor and glucose meter!”

Just then, the flight attendant arrived with the medical devices she had mentioned earlier.

“Let’s measure them first.”

The co-pilot, who hadn’t been able to make the decision to turn the plane around, spoke up.

The doctor, though reluctant, turned on the devices.

But those two machines couldn’t diagnose a myocardial infarction anyway. With the patient so frightened, even a healthy person’s pulse and blood pressure would read high.

Of course, if we had an ECG, we could have immediately ruled out the most serious suspected condition by distinguishing the specific patterns of a myocardial infarction.

However, there was no point in searching for nonexistent medical equipment at 8,000 meters in the air.

We had to diagnose and treat the patient with the methods available to us.

“Wait, wait a moment. May I check his pulse just once?”

I couldn’t stay quiet any longer and spoke up.

“Ah… you’re a Korean medicine doctor?”

The doctor asked with a frown.

It was obvious he didn’t approve.

This distrustful gaze, it’s been a while, hasn’t it?

After being constantly met with burdensome expectations and called a divine physician, being looked at with suspicion was rather refreshing.

It was practically routine for Western medicine doctors in Korea to disregard Korean medicine doctors, and I looked young on top of that, so what could I expect?

‘Well, it doesn’t matter what he thinks.’

It wasn’t really my concern.

Since I didn’t even have a Korean medicine license yet, I just smiled it off gently.

“Yes. I’m a Korean medicine doctor.”

“In this urgent situation, you want to check his pulse? How dare you butt in without knowing your place…”

“Ah, yes! Pulse! Please do!”

The doctor tried to say something, but Kim Young-ho hurriedly extended his hand. He must have been willing to grasp at any straw.

He hastily unbuttoned his cuff and rolled up his sleeve.

“Please be quiet for a moment.”

Arguing about diagnostic methods would only increase the patient’s anxiety.

I made the doctor shut his mouth and immediately checked the pulse.

“Hmm…”

Ten seconds on the left wrist. Ten seconds on the right wrist. I checked the pulse briefly but sufficiently.

“Is it a fatal illness?”

Kim Young-ho asked cautiously. I must have looked too serious.

“It’s definitely not a zhenzang pulse.”

“Zhen… zang pulse?”

“It’s a pulse that appears right before death, but it has nothing to do with you, so don’t worry.”

I waved my hand dismissively.

I had held the wrists of countless people about to die on the battlefield. The sharp sensation unique to those whose true qi had completely waned. I had tried to save even those who had reached that point, but this person’s pulse was entirely different.

It wasn’t a myocardial infarction either. The pulse was slightly fast, but there was no arrhythmia.

The meaning of this round and slippery pulse was clear.

“Then, then.”

Kim Young-ho tensed up.

The doctor crossed his arms and kept clicking his tongue with an unpleasant expression.

The co-pilot gulped. All the flight attendants and passengers focused their attention on me.

“Phew.”

I sighed. How should I say this to minimize the shock?

“…It seems you have indigestion.”

“P-Pardon?”

I had built up the atmosphere a bit in case I was wrong, but my initial guess was correct.

We had been worrying about life and death just a moment ago, and now this.

“So, you’re saying it’s just simple indigestion?”

The co-pilot asked me again.

“Indigestion? In this situation, we should rightfully…”

I cut off the doctor. I didn’t answer the co-pilot’s question either.

Instead, I asked something that needed to be confirmed.

“What was the last thing you ate?”

“Ah…?”

Kim Young-ho, who had looked like death warmed over until just now, opened his eyes wide. His eyes darted around, and then he clapped his hands as if remembering something.

“Eggs, it was eggs! I bought a sandwich and eggs at the airport, but I ate them in a hurry as the departure time was approaching. The line was so long I couldn’t even drink water!”

“I see, that was it.”

I glanced at the doctor.

“In this situation, shouldn’t we properly check the patient’s history and first rule out common illnesses?”

While it wasn’t wrong to check for serious diseases first given the dangerous symptom of difficulty breathing, there was certainly room for a different approach.

“Ahem!”

Crunch. He gritted his teeth.

Oh dear… Should I have spoken more politely? My bad habits from Murim are showing.

“Let’s have you lie down for a moment.”

I ignored it and had Kim Young-ho lie down.

The space wasn’t ideal, but we made do by spreading out a blanket.

There’s a much more accurate method than pulse diagnosis for indigestion.

“Aaaargh!”

None other than abdominal diagnosis. Simply pressing on the abdomen.

I lifted his suit jacket and lightly pressed on his upper abdomen, causing Kim Young-ho to scream.

“It’s completely blocked.”

I guided Kim Young-ho’s hand to feel the knotted area. Even someone who wasn’t a Korean medicine doctor could easily feel the tension in the rectus abdominis muscle.

“Ah… then…”

Kim Young-ho nodded. His pupils, which had been shaking like an earthquake, were gradually stabilizing.

“I’ll loosen it up for you.”

I said confidently. Since I’ve started, I might as well solve the problem.

“Yes, please.”

Unlike how he had regarded the doctor earlier, Kim Young-ho’s face was now full of trust and relief.

The co-pilot and flight attendants also breathed sighs of relief. The expressions of nearby passengers brightened as well.

“Can you take responsibility?”

Only the doctor who had misdiagnosed asked gruffly.

I narrowed my eyes and stared at him.

Even if there was no ECG machine on board, how could he rule out indigestion?

He seemed like the type to order all sorts of useless tests at his hospital and then send patients home saying there was nothing wrong.

“If it’s indigestion, he’ll feel better within 10 minutes of acupuncture. If he doesn’t improve, we can turn the plane around then.”

“As I said, the golden time for myocardial infarction is only 2 hours.”

He stubbornly clung to his meaningless insistence, even though it should have been clear by now which diagnosis was correct.

“Korean medicine doctor, why don’t you try the acupuncture treatment first?”

The co-pilot interrupted the doctor.

As long as the patient’s life wasn’t in danger, he probably didn’t want to take the risk of turning the plane around.

“Here, needles.”

Hwang Seoyoung handed me some needles. I’m not sure when she had retrieved them from her seat.

‘They’re extremely thin.’

I was surprised anew as I opened the needle package.

After being used to thick needles over 10cm long, holding these hair-thin filiform needles felt a bit awkward.

0.2mm thick and 3cm long. Won’t the stimulation be too weak?

I had spent far more years handling rough needles in the world of martial arts than the few years I had touched needles while attending Korean medicine school.

“Are you going to prick my hand?”

“No. I’ll be inserting needles into your abdomen.”

Well, if they’re too weak, there are ways to work with that.

“Is this your first time getting acupuncture?”

“Ah, yes.”

“I’m honored. I’ll treat you well. Don’t worry, it won’t hurt at all.”

A 0.2mm needle would only cause a slight prick, unlike the thick needles I was used to.

“Take a deep breath in, and out-“

After having the patient take a deep breath, I quickly inserted needles into the main acupoints of the Conception Vessel meridian on the abdomen.

Shangwan, Zhongwan, and Xiawan.

These were the most crucial acupoints for regulating the digestive system, located between the pit of the stomach and the navel. They also happened to be right where Kim Young-ho’s abdomen was tense.

Next, I loosened the Tianshu point next to the navel, and stimulated the Hegu and Taichong points on the hands and feet to promote qi circulation.

And finally, the Zusanli point.

“It doesn’t hurt much, does it?”

“Urp.”

Before the last needle even touched him, Kim Young-ho burped. It was the air trapped in his stomach being released as digestion started.

If it had been long-standing indigestion, different stimulation would have been needed, but Kim Young-ho’s body responded immediately to just a bit of qi circulation.

“It’s loosened up.”

The blockage was cleared. If he just lay down for about 15 to 20 minutes, he would recover naturally. That’s what they’d do at a typical Korean medicine clinic.

“You’re responding well. To make sure, I’ll stimulate a bit more.”

“Yes, yes!”

“This might hurt a little.”

“Huh? What?”

But this just wasn’t satisfying enough.

I almost completely pulled out the needle in the Tianshu point, then quickly reinserted it.

“Ugh!”

“This will loosen things up faster.”

“Huh? Urk! Ack!”

I repeated pulling out and reinserting the needles at each tense spot. I didn’t forget to channel a bit of energy for even faster treatment.

Relentless lifting and thrusting.

At first, Kim Young-ho couldn’t get his bearings, but as it was repeated and he felt his stomach becoming more comfortable, he steadied his breathing and closed his eyes.

“It hurts, but feels good, right?”

“Yes, yes… Ah, my heart’s not pounding anymore!”

“Well, it shouldn’t stop beating entirely.”

Of course, I understood he meant it wasn’t abnormally racing anymore.

“Hehe, let me feel your pulse again.”

It seemed the tightness had completely loosened.

His pale complexion had returned to normal, and his breathing was peaceful. When I checked his abdomen and pulse again, he was much more stable.

“I assume you have antacids on board?”

“Yes, of course! I’ll bring them right away.”

The flight attendant, who had been staring blankly at the treatment process, answered with a start.

“Please bring another blanket too. His clothes look a bit tight, so it would be good to unbutton them.”

“Thank you so much, doctor!”

Kim Young-ho grasped my hand and kept bowing his head.

Having fallen into despair thinking his heart might stop and he might die, he expressed his gratitude as if I were his life savior.

“I’ll be sure to repay you when we get back to Korea.”

I waved my hand dismissively.

He had just had indigestion and felt better after acupuncture.

Though his mind had briefly crossed between life and death due to the doctor’s scare, it wasn’t something that warranted repayment.

“No, it’s fine. It wasn’t anything difficult.”

“Still. May I ask for your contact information?”

“It’s really alright. Just keep lying down a bit longer.”

“Thank you so much…”

Soon the flight attendant brought the antacid, and I got up after confirming that he had swallowed the medicine.

I’ve heard enough about repayment and gratitude in Murim.

“……”

As soon as I turned around, I met eyes with the doctor.

Was he upset about something? He glared at me with an expression like he had eaten something sour.

“It’s fortunate he recovered so easily. Isn’t it?”

“…I suppose.”

When I smiled brightly at him, the doctor’s face grew even more grim.

“Your face looks very red. Since you’ve turned on the blood pressure monitor, why don’t you check your own?”

He tried not to show it, but I could clearly hear the sound of his teeth grinding.

The doctor returned to his seat, fuming.

“Ho ho, that young Korean medicine doctor is quite impressive.”

An old man who had been watching from business class gave me a thumbs up.

“Indeed. Do you have a clinic somewhere? In Seoul perhaps?”

The woman who seemed to be his daughter looked ready to visit.

“Oh, it was nothing.”

I had to be modest once again, secretly bowing my head and twitching my lips.

“That was so cool.”

Even the young flight attendant who had been frantically searching for equipment earlier spoke with a flushed face.

Ah, I’ve surely fulfilled my duty as a doctor by now!

Unable to bear the embarrassment any longer, I fled back to my seat.

“How did you do that?!”

But the fuss wasn’t over.

“What?”

“How did you know?!”

Hwang Seoyoung started bombarding me with questions, slapping my arm.

Ha, there’s quite a long and complicated story behind that, you know?

I soon opened my mouth to speak.