"...?"
Why am I standing in a place like this right now?
Heo Cham stood in the middle of the training ground and thought so.
Swish-.
And in front of Heo Cham, Cheon Myeong had been moving with incomprehensible gestures since a while ago.
At first glance, it looked as if he were warming up in his spot, but what Heo Cham couldn't understand was why Cheon Myeong was warming up now.
And in a training ground like this... Heo Cham finally spoke carefully with an anxious voice.
"Excuse me... Young Master."
"What?"
"What on earth have you been doing since a while ago...?"
"What do you mean, what? I'm warming up."
Was that really it?
Heo Cham couldn't help but be dumbfounded upon hearing the answer.
"You should warm up too."
At that moment, Cheon Myeong said to Heo Cham while continuing to move his body.
"...?"
Why was Cheon Myeong telling him to warm up?
Not only could he not understand the reason why Cheon Myeong was warming up now, but Heo Cham also couldn't understand why he had to warm up too.
Still, since Cheon Myeong had said so, Heo Cham began to move his body lightly.
"..."
And one person watching that from a distance.
Jong Seojun had also come to the training ground with the two.
'How on earth is Young Master Cheon Myeong planning to treat that patient's illness?'
Jong Seojun had followed him because he was curious about that.
What kind of miracle would Cheon Myeong show this time? That could be said to be a pure curiosity as a doctor.
'Let's watch carefully.'
Although it is said that learning does not discriminate against the opponent, one is bound to gain more from an opponent who one thinks is more outstanding than oneself.
Since Jong Seojun already thought that Cheon Myeong was above him in terms of medical skills, he was naturally watching Cheon Myeong with a learning attitude.
"This should be enough."
"..."
"Now, are you ready?"
At that moment, Cheon Myeong stopped his movements and asked Heo Cham.
If he was asking if he was ready in the sense that his body was warmed up, Heo Cham's answer could be yes, but before that, Heo Cham was still in a state where he did not know what would happen next.
Therefore, Heo Cham somehow could not easily answer that question.
"W-what do you mean by ready?"
"What do you mean, what? Ready for treatment."
"Treatment..."
"From now on, we will proceed with the treatment to return your left arm to normal."
Yes, he had briefly forgotten because he was standing in a training ground, but he had come here for the treatment of his left arm.
"By the way... are you perhaps planning to do the treatment, Young Master?"
"Yeah."
"..."
"Why? You don't trust me?"
"N-no! Of course, I trust you!"
Unlike what he had said, a sense of distrust towards Cheon Myeong seemed to be felt on Heo Cham's face.
Well, since he was saying that he would personally conduct the treatment, leaving Jong Seojun aside, such distrust was bound to arise.
In this place now, it could be said that only Jong Seojun trusted Cheon Myeong.
"Then let's begin."
After saying that, Cheon Myeong walked closer to Heo Cham.
'Is it finally starting?'
Squeeze-.
Jong Seojun's two fists clenched without him realizing it.
What kind of amazing method would Cheon Myeong use to treat Heo Cham?
In order to capture that historical moment in his two eyes without missing anything, Jong Seojun focused even more and looked at Cheon Myeong.
Thump-.
First, Cheon Myeong stopped in front of Heo Cham.
'He stops in front of the patient and raises his right hand. Then...'
Thwack-.
'He strikes the patient's face with his raised right hand.'
...Huh?
For a moment, Jong Seojun thought he had seen it wrong, so he rubbed his two eyes with his hands and looked at that side again.
Heo Cham, who was lying on the floor with his left cheek swollen.
Seeing that, Jong Seojun could know that the sight he had just seen was not something he had seen wrong.
'W-what is it...?'
Is there a treatment method in the world that involves hitting the patient?
Of course, in medicine, there is something called shock therapy, which treats by giving a shock to the patient.
However, that is to obtain a therapeutic effect by giving only a shock that does not burden the patient, and knocking a patient down by throwing a punch like that is not called shock therapy.
"..."
Seeing the fallen Heo Cham, it seemed that he had not been hit lightly.
The red and swollen left cheek was the most certain proof of that.
"Get up."
"Ugh..."
"It's going to hurt a little, so keep your wits about you so you don't faint."
Cheon Myeong said that and grabbed Heo Cham by the collar and forced him to stand up.
Heo Cham seemed to be already dazed, and as Cheon Myeong lifted him, he stood up from his spot powerlessly like a paper doll.
Thwack, thwack, thwack-.
And the beating that followed.
Cheon Myeong's fists were no longer aimed at Heo Cham's face, but that by no means meant that it was okay.
"Uh..."
At the one-sided beating unfolding in front of his eyes, Jong Seojun stood in his spot for a moment as if he had lost his words.
'Treatment... is that treatment?'
Yes, it could be that he had not properly understood that treatment because he was still inexperienced.
Since there was a part he had not understood when he had treated the Blood Demon Disease, could it be the same this time?
Jong Seojun thought so and tried to understand that treatment process a little more.
"..."
Treatment, my ass. No matter how he looked at it, it looked like nothing more than beating the patient.
For a doctor, who should be treating the patient, to be harming the patient instead.
Of course, Cheon Myeong was not in a position to be called a doctor like Jong Seojun, but since he thought that he was now treating Heo Cham from the position of a doctor, Jong Seojun could no longer stand still.
"Young Master!"
Jong Seojun, who was shouting and running towards Cheon Myeong. And as soon as he got closer, he grabbed Cheon Myeong's right arm without a moment to hesitate.
"..."
As he suddenly felt someone grab his right arm, Cheon Myeong stopped his movements and turned his head.
"What's the matter all of a sudden?"
Cheon Myeong, who was asking with a calm face.
Jong Seojun still said while holding Cheon Myeong's arm.
"What on earth are you doing right now!"
"What do you mean, what? As you well know, I'm in the middle of treatment."
"T-treatment?"
"Yes, if it's not an important matter, would you mind not disturbing me?"
"..."
Jong Seojun looked at Cheon Myeong and Heo Cham alternately with a face that didn't know what to do.
Heo Cham's figure, hanging limply, held by Cheon Myeong's left hand.
At that moment, a faint voice came out of Heo Cham's mouth as if he were squeezing out his strength.
"H-help me..."
"...!"
A desperate voice from the patient's mouth.
As a doctor, Jong Seojun could by no means ignore that voice.
"Young Master! Look at that patient!"
"..."
"Isn't he already dying? But I can't understand why you are calling this treatment, Young Master!"
Jong Seojun revealed his conviction to Cheon Myeong.
No matter how much Cheon Myeong was his benefactor, Jong Seojun had no choice but to side with the patient who was dying in front of his eyes.
"Jong Seojun, in this world, it is generally impossible to obtain something without paying a price."
"..."
"You also know that this guy's illness cannot be treated with a simple method, right?"
"That's true, but..."
"To you, it may seem like I'm simply beating this guy, but I'm also doing this with a plan."
As Cheon Myeong said that with a serious face, Jong Seojun also had no choice but to calm his excitement.
Towards such a Jong Seojun, Cheon Myeong continued to speak.
"Do you think this is easy for me?"
"..."
"I'm also very uncomfortable and sad. But I can't stop. Do you know why?"
At that moment, a tear flowed from Cheon Myeong's eye.
Seeing the tear flowing down his cheek, Jong Seojun couldn't help but be startled for a moment.
"It's all to treat this guy!"
"..."
"If I stop here now, it will be comfortable for the moment. But the patient will have to live with his uncomfortable left arm."
"Young Master..."
"Trust me. I'm not beating him to kill him right now, but to save the patient."
As Cheon Myeong said that, Jong Seojun looked as if he had received a great shock, as if he had realized something.
'There can be no lie in those tears.'
Why couldn't he trust Cheon Myeong? There was no way that Cheon Myeong would try to kill the patient.
Wasn't it none other than Cheon Myeong who had brought his son, who was suffering from the Blood Demon Disease, out into the world?
A person who can shed tears for a patient would never do anything that would harm the patient.
"I'm sorry, Young Master!"
"..."
"I doubted you for a moment! Please punish me for daring to doubt you, Young Master!"
Jong Seojun said that and prostrated on the floor, begging Cheon Myeong for forgiveness.
Cheon Myeong silently looked down at such a Jong Seojun. And he opened his mouth with a low voice.
"It's okay. You were just upholding your conviction as a doctor."
"..."
"Rather, it would be my fault for making you have such a doubt without saying anything."
"Young Master..."
Jong Seojun raised his head with a face filled with emotion.
Towards such a Jong Seojun, Cheon Myeong showed a smile.
"Can you trust me from now on and just watch quietly?"
"Of course!"
At the same time as the answer, Jong Seojun stood up from his spot.
"I will stand over there and quietly observe your medical skills, Young Master."
With those words, Jong Seojun moved away from Cheon Myeong.
"D-don't go..."
Heo Cham, who was extending his right hand with a desperate face towards the departing Jong Seojun.
However, Heo Cham's voice could not reach Jong Seojun, and instead, a chilling voice was heard from in front of Heo Cham.
"What? Help you?"
"..."
"When did I say I would kill you?"
Heo Cham turned his head to the side where the chilling voice was heard.
Cheon Myeong, who was looking at this side with a face as cold as his voice.
To the point where it was hard to believe that he had shed tears before, Cheon Myeong's eyes were now dry.
"It seems that the words that you trust me were all lies."
"I-it's a misunderstanding...!"
"A misunderstanding? What's a misunderstanding?"
"I of course trust you, Young Master!"
Heo Cham, who had come to his senses, desperately said that to Cheon Myeong.
Grin-.
At that moment, the corners of his mouth went up.
As soon as he discovered that, Heo Cham could realize that he had made a slip of the tongue.
"Then I can take it as you mean to continue receiving the treatment, right?"
"O... of course."
It was too late to retract his statement now.
In the end, Heo Cham had no choice but to say that to Cheon Myeong, holding back his tears.
"It's okay. I don't plan to beat you to death."
Does that mean he plans to beat him to the brink of death?
For a moment, Heo Cham had that thought, but he could not bring his question out of his mouth.
He could only say this.
"...Please be gentle."
Grin-.
Cheon Myeong, who answered with a fresh smile.
The training ground was instantly filled with Heo Cham's screams.
(End of Chapter)