Behind the collapsing icefall, a cave revealed itself.
"Hey, old man! Are you still alive?" Inside the cave, there was no light, not even a trace of human presence.
Seolgyeon shouted again, "Old man!" His voice trembled.
Finally, a coughing sound echoed from within. Cough! "You wretched old man, making people worry like this, yet your life thread is stubbornly holding on."
She hurriedly stepped inside.
Jin Cheon-hee lit a fire using a firestarter.
As the interior of the cave brightened, an elderly man sitting in a meditative posture came into view.
The first thing that struck them was the chilling cold, followed by a foul stench.
A large sword wound was visible on the old man's chest.
The blood had dried and turned black, leaving a dark stain.
There was another area, even darker than the sword wound—his arm.
Jin Cheon-hei immediately rushed to the old man and checked his pulse.
"There's no part of his body that's unharmed. On top of that, he has frostbite..."
The winter mountains are merciless.
The old man's body showed almost no trace of internal energy.
It seemed he had fought off enemies after being poisoned by mountain toxins, then used whatever little internal energy he had left to sustain his life, but it hadn't been easy.
From a modern medical perspective, it was baffling how the old man had managed to stay alive this long.
"Even after being poisoned by mountain toxins, he's clung to life for so long..."
Seolgyeon, hiding her joy, deliberately grumbled, "Old ginger is indeed spicy, old man. Well, you're not the type to die in a place like this."
"First, raise the temperature inside the cave!" At Jin Cheon-hei's command, the physicians who had come with them began to move.
Jin Cheon-hei urgently added, "Under no circumstances should the patient be moved."
Seventy percent of the human body is water.
If this water freezes within the cells and external shock is applied, the frozen liquid inside the cells can destroy them.
The most important rule in treating frostbite: do not move the patient carelessly, and absolutely avoid any shock.
One of the physicians who had come along asked, "What about soaking the frostbitten areas in warm water?"
"How is that possible in this situation? Just finding firewood to keep the fire going will take hours."
For now, it was crucial to warm the patient without moving him.
Jin Cheon-hei clapped his hands.
"It's fine. There's no need for that. I've trained in the Five Elements Divine Technique up to the fifth level for situations like this. Let's set up the healing array first."
The physicians' eyes widened at Jin Cheon-hei's words.
"The Water and Fire energies are opposing forces and prone to conflict. Are you saying it's possible to control them?"
The key wasn't the amount of internal energy but the method of controlling it.
"It's something you can only learn when your internal energy is weak."
Human greed works that way.
There are things you can only learn when your internal energy is weak, and things you can only learn when it's abundant.
But martial artists always prioritize accumulating internal energy first.
Even the physicians in the martial world are no different.
Neglecting the basics leads to problems.
Jin Cheon-hei had been combining and clashing the Five Elements Divine Technique since his internal energy was as small as a grain of millet.
He repeated the process of connecting and disconnecting the energies, like cutting and rejoining wood.
The oldest physician asked, "I heard Physician Baekryong hasn't been practicing the Five Elements Divine Technique for long... Is it really possible?"
Jin Cheon-hei nodded.
"It's possible enough for emergency treatment. But please don't interfere."
The basics are important.
Even the smallest things shouldn't be neglected.
Senior physicians often emphasize this, but young physicians tend to overlook it.
They all want to learn more glamorous medical techniques because the basics are too boring.
In contrast, Jin Cheon-hei had always practiced the basics of manipulating internal energy alongside mastering the Five Elements Divine Technique.
If he had neglected even a single day of cutting and rejoining the roots, he wouldn't have been able to attempt this.
Jin Cheon-hei continued, "Sect Leader, you mustn't move either."
Instead of answering, the Sect Leader let out a small breath.
Speaking was difficult in his condition.
Jin Cheon-hei sat behind the cross-legged Sect Leader and began slowly sending out Water and Fire energies.
First, he moved the heavy, soft Water energy.
Guided by Jin Cheon-hei, the Water energy flowed sluggishly like ink.
Then, he brought out the light, sharp Fire energy.
He didn't let the two clash immediately.
Instead, he made the Fire energy spiral around the Water energy like a snake, slowly merging them.
Under Jin Cheon-hei's guidance, the two opposing energies fused at the shoulders and moved toward the Sect Leader.
The meridians invaded by cold began to accept the Five Elements energy.
"The real danger of frostbite comes after this."
If he pushed the internal energy too roughly, it could clash with the cold and cause internal injuries to the patient.
Jin Cheon-hei slowly but surely thawed the meridians one by one, pushing the internal energy inward.
Two hours passed.
"Is he even human?" "Why isn't he collapsing from exhaustion?" Seolgyeon, feeling uneasy, asked the physicians, "What's going on? Is he doing well? Why isn't he moving?"
The physicians replied, "We're not sure. Normally, this would be the limit after an hour..."
They looked at Jin Cheon-hei as if he were a monster.
Eventually, Jin Cheon-hei opened his eyes.
"Let's move on to the next step."
Warmth had returned to the old man's body.
Rapid Rewarming Technique.
This method involves soaking frostbitten areas in hot water at around 37-42 degrees Celsius to thaw them.
But since the situation didn't allow for that, Jin Cheon-hei used his internal energy to achieve the same result.
In modern times, frostbitten areas must not be moved, and the patient should be immediately transported to a hospital.
But in this world, there were no cars, asphalt roads, or rescue helicopters, and given the old man's condition, it was impossible.
Jin Cheon-hei took a deep breath.
"Success."
He felt the old man's constricted blood vessels and muscles relax as blood flow returned to normal.
But at the same time, blood began to flow from the old man's wounds.
"Acupuncture is perfect here."
Jin Cheon-hei inserted needles into the patient's meridians to buy time.
He tore off the wet clothes and wrapped the body in a blanket soaked in hot water.
The cave was now as warm as a living room, thanks to the four physicians who had set up a fire array.
The disciples of the Sect had also covered the interior with leather blankets to raise the temperature.
They had moved diligently while Jin Cheon-hei performed the treatment.
Seolgae asked, "Can we move him to Baekrin's Cliff for further treatment?"
Jin Cheon-hei shook his head.
"The external injuries are a problem, but the internal injuries are severe. Even if he survives this critical moment, there's a high chance he won't make it during the move."
"Cough..."
"Sect Leader, you have three issues. First, the external injury from the chest wound—the sword strike reached your intestines. Fortunately, it didn't reach any major organs."
"That's a relief."
"You managed to stop the bleeding by sending internal energy, but another problem has arisen."
"What is it?" "First, to protect your body from the cold, you need to send internal energy to the nerve endings and circulate it. That's why martial artists can run through snowy fields wearing only thin cotton clothes."
"What are you trying to say, child?" "You have severe frostbite. You've already lost sensation in your limbs."
"But you treated it, didn't you? By sending internal energy..."
At those words, Jin Cheon-hei swallowed hard.
There was something he needed to say, but as a doctor, he didn't want to say it, and as a patient, the Sect Leader wouldn't want to hear it.
Jin Cheon-hei clenched his teeth.
"Frostbite is scarier than wounds."
Martial artists, and even modern people, underestimate frostbite.
During Napoleon's invasion of Russia, many soldiers died not from swords or guns, but from frostbite.
Frostbite is classified into four degrees.
First degree: swelling from the cold.
This is a common symptom in winter if you don't dress warmly.
Second degree: blisters and pain.
You can slowly thaw it in hot water, but it's recommended to go to the hospital.
Third degree: black blisters and numbness.
Do not rub or move it, and go to the hospital immediately.
From this point, it's classified as deep frostbite.
Fourth degree: completely blackened with no sensation.
The subcutaneous tissue is damaged.
"Sect Leader, you've been in a fourth-degree frostbite state for several days. It's already a miracle that you're still alive."
Even after treatment, complications are a problem.
Nerve tissue is sensitive to temperature.
Just as burn patients continue to feel pain after healing, frostbite is the same.
Sensory abnormalities are a common aftereffect of frostbite.
Seolgae asked, "The wound and frostbite. What's the last problem?" "You twisted your qi and blood from overusing your internal energy. If you force yourself to move a long distance now, you'll live the rest of your life as an invalid."
The cave fell into silence.
"Is there a way to treat it?" Seolgae squeezed out the words.
"Anything, just tell me. Whatever it takes, I'll do it. Just tell me."
She didn't mention wealth or honor.
It was a simple statement that she would do whatever was necessary.
But Jin Cheon-hei, who knew the future, understood how heavy those words were.
Jin Cheon-hei shook his head.
"I've already prepared what's needed. What's needed more is resolve."
"Resolve?" "You'll have to give up your right hand, left foot, five fingers, and the area below your ankle."
Bang! At those words, she couldn't hold back and slammed the ground.
"Are you telling me to give up living as a martial artist? No, even living as an ordinary person?"
Then, a rusty metal sound echoed.
It was the Sect Leader's voice.
"Seol-ah..."
At the small voice, the killing intent radiating from her instantly subsided.
"Old man, are you awake?" "Cough, cough. How could I not wake up with all that shouting? You're setting a bad example for the juniors. No wonder people treat you like a dog."
"You wretched old man! You're fine! This quack is saying he's going to cut off your perfectly fine limbs, what should I do!" "Crazy dog."
"Look, you're fine! You're even talking! Hmph! In a bit, you'll smack the back of my head again! Hmph!" "......"
"Why aren't you saying anything!" "What can I say when a crazy dog is barking? Just let it bark. Hehehe!" The Sect Leader burst into laughter, his wrinkles crinkling.
Then, he turned to Jin Cheon-hei.
"Physician Baekryong, you truly are a renowned physician. To save two out of four limbs that have lost all sensation... And not just the shoulders, but only cutting off the ends to save them..."
At those words, Seolgae and all the disciples of the Sect looked at Jin Cheon-hei in astonishment.