Episode 97: People on the Edge

Dang Mujin dedicated himself to treating the patients who came to him.

“It’s lupus.”

”…What is that?”

“It’s a disease. Symptoms vary, but it often starts with redness on the nose, cheeks, and fingertips, which then turns purplish. The skin hardens and cracks like a dry field, and over time, it becomes difficult to bend the joints.”

“Oh… My fingers still bend just fine.”

“That’s because your symptoms aren’t severe yet. I’ll prepare a herbal remedy for you. Please come back this evening.”

The illnesses afflicting the people of Nogun Village were different from those of the average person, likely due to their unique living conditions.

The patient he just saw was a young man, which was unusual since lupus typically affects women. If it weren’t for the clinical cases he had studied in medical texts, Dang Mujin might have misdiagnosed it as something else.

Many of the ailments he encountered were ones he had only read about, never seen firsthand. To make matters worse, some patients had been bitten by venomous creatures or had ingested poisonous plants, complicating the diagnosis.

However, treating venomous bites was not as difficult as diagnosing them. As long as the patient’s life wasn’t in immediate danger, expelling the poison usually cured nine out of ten cases.

“This might sting a bit. Please hold still.”

Dang Mujin made a small incision on the young man’s back and gently relaxed his muscles. Using his internal energy, he gathered the poison and extracted it through the wound. After a short rest, the patient’s condition improved noticeably.

Initially, many were skeptical of Dang Mujin. He seemed too young to be a doctor. But he remained unfazed, treating each ailment with care, and within three days, the villagers acknowledged his skills.

“He seems better than the last doctor we had.”

“He’s much younger, but he might become an even greater doctor in time.”

Though the villagers were satisfied as their symptoms subsided, Dang Mujin was not content. He couldn’t find a way to address the most critical issue affecting them.

Blood deficiency. Every single person in Nogun Village, even the renowned Nogun Three Swords, showed signs of it. This condition made it difficult for their bodies to cool down, impaired digestion, and caused cold extremities and frequent muscle cramps. Worse, it often led to other illnesses.

Fortunately, blood deficiency was well-known, and there were many remedies to alleviate its symptoms, like Sipjeondaebo-tang or Gami-gui-pi-tang. But these were not fundamental solutions. Blood deficiency stemmed from hunger. Without enough food, the symptoms would return with the change of seasons.

Hunger was the root problem for the people of Nogun Village.

Dang Mujin explained the situation to the Nogun Three Swords, but they shook their heads.

“We know there’s not enough food. But there’s no way to feed everyone. We can’t farm on Nogun Mountain.”

The mountain’s rugged terrain, lack of rain, and overgrown weeds made farming impossible. Even slash-and-burn agriculture was out of the question.

“Can’t you hunt game or gather fruits? I saw plenty of fruits around.”

“We hunt when we can, but there are too many mouths to feed. And most of the fruits here are inedible. Even fruits that are safe elsewhere have absorbed toxins from the mountain’s poisonous plants.”

Pyochung picked a yellow fruit from a nearby tree. It looked plump and inviting.

“For example, this fruit. It’s safe to eat outside, even children enjoy it. But here, eating one will give you a stomachache for three days, and eating three will cause swelling and dizziness. Many have died from eating these out of desperation.”

When Dang Mujin reached for the fruit, Pyochung handed it to him.

Dang Mujin examined it, wiped it with his hand, and took a big bite. It was sweet and tangy.

Pyochung tried to snatch it back, alarmed.

“I told you it’s poisonous. You’ll suffer tonight.”

Dang Mujin took another bite, unfazed.

“Don’t worry. I’m resistant to poison.”

He sat quietly, feeling the poison slowly spread through his stomach. It was clear that eating too much would harden a normal person’s stomach.

‘This isn’t edible.’

Just as he was about to discard the rest, an idea struck him.

The line between medicine and poison is dosage. A small amount of poison can be medicinal, and too much medicine can be toxic.

This meant that poison could potentially neutralize poison, just like medicine.

‘There might be a way.’

Dang Mujin gathered the most common fruits, roots, and leaves he could find and secluded himself in his hut.

Pyochung watched him with a worried expression.

During the day, the people of Nogun Village scoured the area for food. At night, they lay still to conserve energy.

Because of this, they rarely gathered together.

“Everyone, please come here!”

But today, the Nogun Three Swords went from house to house, calling the villagers to gather. They assembled in front of the Nogun Three Swords’ hut, their faces filled with anticipation.

When the Nogun Three Swords called a gathering, it usually meant food was to be shared.

Perhaps they had raided bandits for supplies, traded for rice or barley, or hunted a large animal like a boar or deer.

Adults gathered with small bowls in hand, and children watched eagerly, their mouths watering.

But today, there was nothing special in front of the Nogun Three Swords’ house. No sacks of grain, no roasting meat. Just the young doctor who had come to the village a few days ago.

The villagers realized what was happening.

They thought they were there to bid farewell to the doctor who had treated them.

Though a bit disappointed, they were grateful and looked at Dang Mujin with appreciation.

But Dang Mujin had something unexpected to say.

“I’ve asked you to gather here to help ease your hunger.”

The promise of food was far more welcome than a farewell. The villagers perked up.

“Nogun Mountain is full of fruit trees and vines. While the terrain is too harsh to provide a full meal, it can help stave off hunger.”

Namgung Myung brought out a table and laid out various fruits. There were yellow fruits from the agave tree, hawthorn berries, hazelnuts, wild strawberries, pomelos, and leaves and roots of unknown plants.

The villagers were disappointed. They knew these fruits well.

An elder spoke up on behalf of the others.

“We know there are many fruits on Nogun Mountain. We’ve heard they’re safe to eat outside. But here, they’re dangerous.”

“I’m here to show you how to eat them safely.”

“What do you mean?”

Dang Mujin held up a bright yellow fruit.

“This fruit’s poison is cold in nature, causing water to accumulate in the stomach and blood to circulate quickly, leading to stomachaches and diarrhea.”

He then picked up a wild strawberry.

“But the poison in this strawberry is the opposite. It’s warm and dry, which can actually treat stomachaches if eaten in moderation. One agave fruit and three strawberries balance each other out.”

Dang Mujin handed an agave fruit and three strawberries to Namgung Myung.

Namgung Myung quickly ate them all. Though he was the test subject, he trusted Dang Mujin completely and showed no concern.

The villagers watched him anxiously.

Many had suffered after eating these fruits out of hunger, and some had even died.

But Namgung Myung seemed perfectly fine, brushing his hands off casually.

Eating those berries won’t make you keel over from poison right away. Yet, the calm confidence on Namgung Myung’s face inspired a strange trust in the villagers.

A few days ago, Tang Mujin had come up with an idea: fighting poison with poison.

Just as the ancient Shen Nong had tasted countless plants on Mount Lu to classify herbs and poisons and document their effects, Tang Mujin had sampled every plant he could find around the village.

He concluded that by using opposing properties, some berries could indeed be consumed safely.

Of course, not every effect aligned perfectly, but it was certainly better than starving and growing weaker by the day.

Tang Mujin continued his explanation, picking up different berries as he spoke.

“When you eat hawthorn berries, take one berry from the privet tree with it. But children should only have one a day, and adults no more than three. Otherwise, you might feel your heart racing and get dizzy.”

“When you eat late white pomelo, steep some clean mistletoe in warm water and drink it together. It will taste more astringent, but at least it won’t harm you.”

“When you eat privet berries, it’s actually beneficial to eat small shoots or roots from the paper mulberry tree with them.”

As Tang Mujin explained, he popped a berry from the table into his mouth, and Namgung Myung, waiting beside him, casually picked up and ate the berries and roots as well.

However, the villagers’ reactions were less than enthusiastic. They trusted Tang Mujin’s skills as a healer, but they also had faith in their own lifelong experiences.

In fact, they trusted their experiences even more. After all, those were hard-earned lessons from days of stomachaches and brushes with death.

The villagers watched Tang Mujin and Namgung Myung with tense expressions.

According to their experiences, everything might seem fine now, but by evening, problems would arise, and by tomorrow noon, they’d be preparing for funerals. Some of the more faint-hearted villagers, having grown fond of Tang Mujin and Namgung Myung, muttered to themselves, “What if… what if…”

But Namgung Myung just shrugged nonchalantly, as if to say, “Trust me.”

Tang Mujin and Namgung Myung didn’t expect the villagers to believe them right away. That’s why they demonstrated in front of everyone. Tang Mujin wrapped up his explanation simply.

“If you’re hungry, just follow what I’ve told you.”

With that, Tang Mujin bowed to the villagers and returned to the hut. Yet, not a single villager moved to gather the berries.

The next morning, without anyone prompting them, the villagers gathered around the hut where Tang Mujin and Namgung Myung were staying.

Most wore expressions of worry, but a few faces showed a glimmer of hopeful anticipation.

It was quite late in the morning when the door finally opened, and the two emerged.

Namgung Myung and Tang Mujin looked no different from the day before. In fact, they seemed even more refreshed, as if they’d had a good night’s sleep.

They weren’t suffering from any fever, hadn’t spent the night running to the outhouse, and weren’t clutching their stomachs in pain.

Only then did the villagers realize.

No one would starve to death anymore.