“Really? Your father Changkwon?”

“Yes, he's there. Please!” said Yoju, bowing to him slightly.

Come to think of it, she followed him for almost one month, drawing his operating process as well as many medicinal herbs. In particular, the pictorial book containing her detailed drawings was a priceless treasure to him.

‘Though I have no manners, I'm not the type of guy who is incapable of kindness.'

He had no reason to reject the mayor's request. Besides, he owed a lot to the mayor.

There circulated a rumor that Kanghyok would be soon called over by the central government as they recognized his eradication of smallpox in Suwon.

If the crackdown on j.a.panese invaders was done successfully, it would be smooth sailing for him.

“Secretary Jungbok.”

“Yes, Dr. Paek.”

“Let me prepare to go with you.”

“Great. I thought you would come. Let me wait here.”

“Okay.”

Kanghyok went to see monk Yujong first.

Yujong was in meditation at the moment, but opened his eyes when Kanghyok approached.

“I think the time has come for us to part.”

“Have you been listening?”

Yujong's meditation place was far from the main temple.

Though Kanghyok tilted his head, Yujong made a quiet smile.

“Once we meet, we have to part someday.”

“That's true…”

“You don't have to worry too much. We will be able to see each other again.”

“Thanks.”

“You're welcome.”

“You don't have to take any more medicine now. Just keep drinking more water.”

It was best to drink lots of water to prevent the occurence of a calcium-related disease.

Some people said that patients with a kidney stone would be cured when they kept drinking lots of beer. That was only half-true.

“Got it. Will do as instructed.”

“Goodbye for now.”

“Wait a moment.” Yujong hurriedly stopped him and gave him a s.h.i.+ny stone.

“Someday, you will find it useful.”

“This stone?”

“Yes.”

“Oh, I see. Thanks.”

Tilting his head to one side, he put the stone in his pocket.

Dolsok, Yoni, Makbong and Yoju were already to go on a journey.

Kanghyok got on a horse, and turned to Dolsok, who was holding the horse by the reins.

“What about the donations?”

“I've spoken with one of the monks at this temple. He said he would send them back to your house today.”

“Good job!”

With a satisfied smile, Kanghyok said to the chief secretary Jungbok, “Let's go now.”

“Sure.”

As the secretary had taken lots of soldiers with him, Kanghyok's entourage could travel safely.

It was not that far from Ansung to Suwon. As the secretary rushed, it didn't take long for them to arrive at their destination.

“Whew! Are you guys alright?”

“Yes, we're fit as a fiddle.”

Yoni was still dynamic, and Yoju, a slow walker, nodded her head.

Obviously, Yoju was more concerned about her father than the pain in her feet.

When Kanghyok looked at her feet, he noticed her socks were stained with a bit of blood.

There was no sense of urgency on the streets of Suwon.

That suggested Otan village was far from downtown Suwon.

Jungbok, who went ahead of him, turned back and said, “We're almost there. The mayor is urgently waiting for you now.”

“Got it.”

Suddenly, Kanghyok imagined that the mayor might ask him for v.i.a.g.r.a pills. He would not do so unless he went crazy, Kanghyok thought.

While he was thinking about this for a moment, they arrived at the destination.

Knocking at the large door of the mayor's house, Jungbok shouted, “Open the door! It's me, Chief Secretary Jungbok. I've brought medic Kanghyok Paek at the mayor's order.”

“Yes, sir!” Soon, the soldiers came out to open the door.

Inside the mayor's headquarters were hundreds of soldiers lined up and armed with spears and bows.

Some of the generals were new to Kanghyok, who seemed to have been dispatched by the central government.

“Oh, you're here!” said the mayor, opening both his arms to welcome Kanghyok.

He introduced one general to Kanghyok. He had a long beard and a stout build. His face featured a long scar, which suggested he was a veteran general.

“This man is the Kanghyok Paek I've talked to you about.”

“Oh, I've heard a lot about you. Nice to meet you. I'm Rip s.h.i.+n, chief advisor to the king.”

Promptly bowing to him, Kanghyok said, “I've heard a lot about you, too. My name is Kanghyok Paek.”

“Hahaha. I like your outspoken style. You're well-built. You look like you're more fit to be a general rather than a medic.”

Rip s.h.i.+n bellowed a hearty laugh, tapping him on the shoulder.

Now, turning to the soldiers, he said, “Listen to me. Dr. Kanghyok Paek here has decided to partic.i.p.ate in the war as your medical doctor. As long as you are not killed, he will save your lives. So, don't worry!”

“Hooray! Hooray!” As soon as Rip s.h.i.+n said that, they yelled out for joy, full of high morale.

When Kanghyok carefully watched the soldiers, most of them looked familiar.

As a result, they might have heard about the rumors about him. Some of them already had come to see him for treatment.

“We have a genius doctor here!”

They were full of high spirits thanks to the recent rumor that he even eradicated smallpox.

“Wow!”

Kanghyok looked down at the medical bag he was holding. It was true that he had most of the ‘operating tools' in it.

‘One or two at the most per day? Or even three?'

Given the remaining stocks of gauze and saps, that would be the maximum patients.

Nonetheless, Kanghyok responded to their exclamations.

Rip s.h.i.+n pounded his sheath on the ground, which silenced them instantly.

They were quite disciplined.

Kanghyok had never seen them training so far.

The mayor was smiling while Rip s.h.i.+n was making a hearty laugh.

“I owe it to you that they've become as disciplined as that,” he said to the general.

In fact, they were about 200, all told, and their weapons were not good enough.

Though they had bows, they didn't have enough arrows.

“Are you going to go out when the cavalry regiment arrives?”

In fact, General s.h.i.+n was famous as a cavalryman. His suppression of the rebellion by Tangae Lee in the northern area earned him a great credit from the central government.

That's why the mayor requested the central government to dispatch General s.h.i.+n.

“Well, I don't need cavalry troops. These soldiers here are enough.”

“I hear the j.a.panese invaders are outnumbering us…”

“I guess they are a ragtag band of invaders. Don't worry.”

But the mayor knitted his brows and said, “Well, our soldiers here don't have any actual fighting experience.”

“Don't worry. We have courageous deputies here. It's the commander, not soldiers that are fighting the war.”

“I trust you, but…”

“Mayor, just leave it to us, the generals. We're leaving right now. The j.a.panese invaders are now ravaging the village.”

That was true.

Never did the mayor antic.i.p.ate that the j.a.panese invaders would reach as far as Kyonggi Province. As he was not well prepared for their sudden attack like this, there were lots of damage done already.

In particular, there was a new village school founded at the mayor's order. And Changkwon Chung, the great Confucian scholar, was dispatched as its founding princ.i.p.al.

If something went wrong, all the students studying Confucian cla.s.sics there might get ma.s.sacred.

“Okay, I trust you.”

“Let's go now.”

It was Kanghyok who was most embarra.s.sed by the unfolding situation.

How come he should go to the battlefield as soon as he arrived here from Chilhangsa Temple?

His jaw dropped when General s.h.i.+n was about to leave.

“Uh…”

“Don't worry too much,” said General s.h.i.+n, tapping him on the shoulder.

And then he stood in the middle of his deputy generals overseeing the soldiers.

They all looked at General s.h.i.+n with twinkling eyes.

Regarded as one of the best generals in Joseon, General s.h.i.+n was reticent.

“Open the door! We're heading to the battlefield.”

At his short order, the soldiers began to move swiftly.

Kanghyok looked at them with an embarra.s.sed look.

“Kanghyok!”

“Yes, secretary.”

“You might have no use for a sword, but just take it.”

Jungbok gave him five swords.

‘Sword….'

He gave one of them to Dolsok, who never used it before.

“Master, give one to me, too,” said Yoni with a strong voice.

“Oh, really?”

“Yes, don't worry. I know how to use this sword.”‘

She then wore the sword at her side skillfully.

Kanghyok felt relieved to see her courageous posture.