The Physician of Traditional Medicine Returns from Murim

The basketball coach, Kang Cheolkyu, rushed home as soon as practice ended.

Kim Yijin’s recovery over the past few months had reminded him of someone who had been on his mind.

“Honey, I’m home.”

“You’re early today?”

The patient’s name was Yoo Minha, none other than his wife.

The woman Kang Cheolkyu loved most in the world greeted him with a drowsy face, still in her pajamas.

“I couldn’t wait to see you, so I came straight home after work!”

“Shh, speak quietly. Seyoung is sleeping.”

“Oops, sorry, sorry.”

“I haven’t prepared dinner yet, so just rest for a bit.”

Yoo Minha avoided Kang Cheolkyu’s gaze. It seemed as if she was trying to gauge his reaction, though there was no need. He understood perfectly well that taking care of a nearly two-year-old child was no easy task.

Moreover, Yoo Minha was unwell, both physically and mentally.

Though she seemed fine now, hadn’t she been bedridden and moaning in pain just last week? Since their marriage, he had already rushed her to the emergency room twice in the middle of the night.

“Don’t worry about dinner. Let’s eat out today. My mother said she’d watch Seyoung.”

“Really?”

Having been cooped up at home all day, Yoo Minha’s face immediately brightened.

“We have some time before dinner, so let’s stop by a Korean medicine clinic quickly. Get dressed.”

“A Korean medicine clinic? Why suddenly… Did you sprain your foot? Oh, right, you mentioned your back was stiff. Sorry, I forgot. Honey, you go ahead and get treatment. I’ll get ready, drop off Seyoung, and meet you there.”

“No, no. It’s not just for me. I heard about an incredibly skilled practitioner. I was thinking you might want to get some herbal medicine prescribed.”

“Me?”

Yoo Minha tilted her head, looking puzzled.

“But I’m not sick? Shouldn’t we get some for your mother instead?”

“What do you mean you’re not sick? Your face is still pale. Wouldn’t you feel much better if your menstrual cramps were even a little less severe?”

The moment he mentioned menstrual cramps, Yoo Minha’s expression darkened. Contrary to her husband’s good intentions, the mere thought of that pain made her so emotional that the area under her eyes began to tremble.

“Forget it.”

“Honey, I just meant—”

“You don’t need to go that far. I’ll start exercising like you said. I’ll take proper care of the baby, and when she’s a bit older, I’ll look for a job too. Don’t bring this up again!”

Kang Cheolkyu was taken aback by her sudden outburst. He hadn’t expected such a strong reaction.

Though physically robust, his heart was softer than most. He clasped Yoo Minha’s hands tightly, his eyes reddening.

“I’m sorry if it sounded like I was pressuring you. I was just worried.”

It was his mistake; he should have been more careful with his words.

It was natural for Yoo Minha to be sensitive. It had only been six months since she had been forced to resign from the company she had worked at even after giving birth. She had to take sick leave due to severe menstrual cramps during a crucial period.

Even if the world didn’t understand her pain, her husband should have been different. It was a mistake not to have paid more attention.

“…I know. I’m sorry for lashing out. You’re always genuinely concerned about me.”

Yoo Minha quickly bowed her head, recognizing Kang Cheolkyu’s sincere intentions.

Unlike her former coworkers who had told her to just deal with it, and even her parents who suspected she might be faking, none of her friends suffered from menstrual cramps as severe as hers. How hurt she had been when even her closest friend accused her of being overly dramatic about something all women experience!

Her decision to marry Kang Cheolkyu was precisely because he was the only one who truly worried about her and believed her 100%.

Though all the hospitals he had taken her to, the chocolates, health supplements, jade mats, and LED light treatments hadn’t helped at all.

“I absolutely didn’t mean you should work. If my mother finds it difficult to look after Seyoung, I’ll take on a second job to hire a sitter if I have to. You just focus on getting healthy.”

“I’m sorry and grateful. You go to such lengths for me; I don’t know how to face you.”

The couple embraced tightly. Kang Cheolkyu patted Yoo Minha’s back as he spoke.

“You remember Yijin, right? The girl with the injured cruciate ligament I mentioned before. She recovered remarkably well after receiving treatment at a Korean medicine clinic, so I wanted us to go together. We can decide whether to get herbal medicine prescribed after the consultation. Let’s just go and see, okay? It’s my wish.”

With Kang Cheolkyu pleading like this, Yoo Minha couldn’t bring herself to refuse any longer.

She nodded reluctantly.

“Alright. Let’s just go and see.”

◆◇◆◇◆

The moment the couple’s names appeared on the chart, the clinic door opened.

Kang Cheolkyu, 32 years old. Yoo Minha, 30 years old.

After seeing patients for about 20 years, you can roughly gauge their personalities without studying physiognomy.

Kang Cheolkyu, striding in confidently with his broad shoulders, was clearly the straightforward type.

As for Yoo Minha… her face was simply etched with discontent.

The three vertical lines between her eyebrows, her eyes scanning me up and down, and her crossed arms—the trifecta was perfect.

“Hello, Doctor! I heard you treated Yijin very well.”

Sure enough, as soon as he entered the examination room, Kang Cheolkyu bowed deeply at a 90-degree angle.

“Yijin recovered well because she’s healthy. It’s reassuring to know she has such a caring coach.”

“Haha, you’re embarrassing me. Did Yijin mention that I’m her coach?”

“Of course. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

While he blushed and laughed heartily, Yoo Minha watched us with half-lidded eyes.

“I’ll see you one at a time. Kang Cheolkyu-nim, please have a seat. Yoo Minha-nim, please wait on the sofa in the back for a moment.”

“Yes!”

“Alright.”

Both of them nodded.

“You said your back hurts. How long has it been bothering you?”

Kang Cheolkyu furrowed his brow as if recalling the past, then answered.

“It’s been eight days.”

“Can you think of any possible cause? Work or exercise, perhaps?”

“My exercise routine has been the same as usual, but I think I might have slept wrong.”

“Has this happened often?”

“Well, I seem to be getting stiff more frequently lately. Usually, some stretching and light exercise clear it up quickly, but this time it’s lingering. Ah, it’s not too severe, though… To be honest, I came mainly for my wife, but I thought I might as well get treated while I’m here.”

He said, scratching his head.

Is it too much to be reminded of the men from the Hebei Peng family who thought it unmanly to admit pain?

“We’ve tried pain patches, heat therapy, and I even gave him a massage, but it’s not getting better.”

Yoo Minha, who had been sitting, chimed in.

The symptoms seemed slightly more severe than Kang Cheolkyu’s description.

“Let me check the spot.”

I stood up from my chair to examine his painful area.

“Around here… Argh!”

When I applied slight pressure, he let out a scream that could have shaken the clinic.

The location was slightly off from the top three muscles typically affected by stiffness.

Usually, it’s the levator scapulae getting tight and causing neck immobility, or tension in the rhomboid causing pain in the inner part of the shoulder blade. Of course, the trapezius is always a frequent visitor.

But this time, the muscle I touched was the infraspinatus.

It’s one of the four rotator cuff muscles involved in lifting the shoulder, a triangular muscle attached to the infraspinous fossa below the spine of the scapula.

“You didn’t injure yourself around the time it started hurting, did you? Like feeling a sudden twinge while playing basketball?”

“Haha, it’s embarrassing, but I mostly just coach now, rarely demonstrating except on rare occasions. There’s no chance for injury.”

I performed tests to check for rotator cuff damage and examined other muscles, but found no significant issues.

Based on the history of his current condition, it didn’t seem to be an acute injury.

“It appears to be a chronic condition that’s been building up for a while. Have you been carrying anything heavy for extended periods?”

“Not particularly at work…”

At that moment, Yoo Minha interjected casually.

“Honey, could it be from carrying Seyoung every day?”

“Huh?”

“Is that your daughter?”

“Ah, yes.”

“It seems you’ve overexerted yourself a bit due to childcare.”

I was pleased to have found a clue, but Kang Cheolkyu’s expression was far from happy.

“Seyoung is as light as a feather… Besides, I used to be an athlete… Even now, I can lift 400 for my big three…”

“Our daughter weighs 10kg. She’s already 20 months old. I find it hard to carry her now, but he holds her all evening after work.”

“Ah, I see. No matter how strong you are, it’s natural to feel strain if you’re carrying a child for hours every day. The fact that it’s just tension and not worse is thanks to your strong muscles.”

“I see…”

“I’ll treat you well, but from tomorrow, try to take breaks while playing with her before it starts hurting.”

Whatever Kang Cheolkyu’s pride might say, we’d found the cause.

“Tomorrow?”

“Even if the pain disappears today, it’s best to rest for about a day.”

“Will the pain really go away right away?”

Of course.

I unwrapped the acupuncture needles on the desk.

“I’ll relieve it for you now.”

“Are we doing it here?”

Kang Cheolkyu’s eyes widened as I suddenly brandished the needle.

Despite his words, he had already half-removed his top. Muscles worthy of showing off anytime, anywhere, were revealed.

‘Usually, this is done in the treatment room, but today is a special exception.’

While Kang Cheolkyu wouldn’t mind where he received treatment, the goal was to demonstrate in front of the less compliant Yoo Minha.

“This is where it hurts, right?”

“Ow!”

I found the tender point I had identified earlier when gently palpating.

“Oh…?”

I penetrated.

Skin and fascia. I felt the two layers distinctly as I pierced through.

Swish. Swish. Swish.

And with a refreshing sound, I thoroughly disrupted the tangled fibers.

Of course, I didn’t forget to channel energy with each insertion.

While replenishing what’s missing and healing what’s torn requires a lot of inner force, untangling knotted muscles is child’s play.

Whoosh!

The subtle energy I released spread along the muscle fibers.

“Oh!”

“That’s done.”

The sensation of tension disappeared completely from my fingertips.

Hearing it was finished, Kang Cheolkyu tilted his head and tried lifting his arm.

“Already?”

Given that it wasn’t a deep muscle and I mainly stimulated the fascia, it probably wasn’t too painful.

Moreover, he didn’t have to wait with the needles in place as is typical in acupuncture treatments, so his surprise was understandable.

“It doesn’t hurt at all!”

Kang Cheolkyu exclaimed as he rotated his shoulder freely.

“I’ve tried everything, even plastering it with pain patches, but nothing worked!”

“Most pain patches just numb the local area, allowing it to relax on its own while the pain is masked. It’s natural that directly stimulating the muscle is more effective.”

“I see!”

Whether he fully understood my explanation or not, he was clearly overjoyed.

Good for you, yes.

“You don’t have significant pain elsewhere, but I can feel some small knots when I palpate. I’ll loosen everything up, so please go to the treatment room for some acupuncture as well.”

“Alright!”

Stage 1 cleared.

PERFECT!

It’s nothing extraordinary. When you can clearly see where the energy is congested, you’d be a fool not to target it.

“Now, let’s switch places.”

If we were to use a game analogy, Kang Cheolkyu was like a minion you defeat before the boss battle to gain skills and build up your ultimate ability.

Hmm… is it a bit much to call a patient a minion? Perhaps an item supply point?

Anyway, the real challenge is Yoo Minha.

“…Okay.”

I’d succeeded in applying a debuff. The three vertical lines that had been etched between Yoo Minha’s brows of disbelief had reduced to one.

We’ve just reached the point where her defenses are down and damage can be dealt… in other words, where we can have a proper conversation.

“How long have you been experiencing menstrual cramps?”

I asked as cheerfully as possible.

If Yoo Minha is a LV 99 challenging patient, I must be at least LV 99999, right?