Martial Kim has experience as a doctor, having travelled the lands of the Jade Empire and had tackled many strange medical cases here, there, and back again. Granted, he was no divine healer who can raise the dead or cleanse the world of plagues, but he has been well known for finding the root of poisons and toxins and develop means to counter them.
However, never in his life had he ever played the role of a patient...or, a test monkey for the sake of medical breakthroughs for that matter.
“Blehgghbg—Aaghg!--Balbrbhbk!?”
“K-Kim calm down. I-it’s just a Popsicle stick! You’re not choking! B-bear with it a bit longer!”
One trial...
“AAAGH! MY EYES! MY EYES!”
“R-relax! Relax! It’s just a penlight! He’s just checking your pupils!”
...After another...
“WH-WHAT IS THIS MAN SHOVING INTO MY EAR! GET IT OUT!”
“Ho-hold on! It’s just a otoscope! I-it will be over in a—OW OW OW! STOP CRUSHING MY ARMS!”
...And another.
“P-Professor...W-why are you about to put me in a coffin!? Wh-why is it making suspicious noises!?”
“It’s called an MRI and it does that. Now hold still PLEASE!”
Time, after time, after time, after time.
Sigh. Even if Martial Kim made the right choice to seek help, little did he expect he would be punished from it from head to toe. It can’t be helped and no one is to blame for this torment – he lives in a world where he never existed until a few days ago.
So it was obvious he had zero health records, zero baseline, zero body check. So might as well do all it all at once while he is here.
“Professor, this doctor. Why is he not heating the acupuncture needle to sterilize?”
“It’s an injection. He already swabbed your arm to sterilize it. Now hold still. It’s just a mosquito bite, you won’t feel a—DO NOT JUDO FLIP THE DOCTOR!”
Ladies and gentlemen who hates injections, avert your eyes and cover your ears. For Martial Kim’s scream was enough to blow out the eardrums of heaven and earth!
--- WHAT DID I DO IN MY PAST LIFE, TO DESERVE THIS PUNISHMENT!? AAAAAAAH!
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“...”
“...”
“...Are you...still mad Kim?”
“No professor. Of course not.”
“You say that, but I can still hear the grinding of your teeth.”
Martial Kim was well versed in the art of etiquette and manners, so of course he would not be direct with what he was truly feeling (not to mention it was a matter of face!). But even a prim and proper gentlemen has the right to be petty and passive aggressive at the best of times – especially what the young master has been through.
--- If I had known these ‘test’ were like this, I would have baptism by lightning than be poked around like some animal!
Fortunately, Professor Stone was an understanding man. So what better way to cheer up an angry martial artist, than to drive him to a place for food and drink.
“Trust me, Kim,” Prof. Stone tried to avoid glancing at the glare in the rear view mirror, “I know a cozy little cafe that sells the best coffee. Made with freshly ground beans and stirred with skimmed milk, nothing like the powder stuff the police station serves in a cafeteria. You’ll love it.”
“.......”
“...You-you’re not gonna judo throw me out the window, right?”
“.......”
“... You know what let’s just park riiiight over here. Just for safety sake.”
Although Prof. Stone’s sedan was well insured, he didn’t want to leave anything to chance – he WAS essentially carrying a ticking time bomb—er martial cultivator. The second he put his vehicle in parking, he and his friend stepped out of the vehicle to have a face to face chat.
Well face to face, but the forensic chemist only got the side profile of the young master.
“Listen, Kim.”
“I am fine.”
“Then look me in the eye and say it again.”
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.
“I mean no offence professor, and I know you mean well – but how dare those people call themselves doctors and physicians! They lacked any empathy, any sympathy, no human emotions! Why, they did not even bother to look me in eye despite my severe condition! What is wrong with your doctors in this town? In this era!?”
“C-calm down. Calm down. They’re probably jaded from the fact they see what, 20, 30, 50 patients a day? And not to mention the absurd amount of paperwork and—”
“Unacceptable! I know a physician in a small town who treats nearly a hundred people a day, be it local or travellers, and always remembers their names. Caring, kind, polite! And let us not forget those torture tools they used on me!”
“Kim!” Prof. Stone snapped, but surrendered with a weak smile, “Times are different. Everything is electronic and digitized. Medical practices have changed from apothecaries, mortar, and pestle, for the better. Now doctors in hospitals can save more than thousands of people per day. And better recovery rates than the dark ages.”
“.......”
“You have absolutely no idea what electronic or digitized means, do you?”
“Professor. Please do not make up such ridiculous names at a time like this.”
“Ever heard of wi-fi?”
“What does marrying a wife have to do with medical standards!?”
Sigh. Prof. Stone got more than he bargained for in being a Good Samaritan himself. In his line of work he has dealt with all kinds of people, within the police station and the criminals they arrest. But never had he met someone more stubborn than Martial Kim – he was like an ox! So the forensic chemist kept thinking, what was the best way to warm the young master into modern society.
Alas, this wasn’t as easy as adjusting a new fish in a fish tank. So he had to use a lot of brain power to solve this problem. But like any other human being, the brain can only go so far without a shot of coffee.
“Okay how about this,” Prof. Stone proposed, “You and I get a drink and we’ll talk it over. Heck, I’ll explain to you the advancement of medicine from the medieval ages to the 21st century. I feel you would be interested in the many leaps and bound that has helped humanity live a more comfortable and longer lifestyle.”
“Are you sure about that, professor?”
“What do you mean?”
“You praise technology like gods, yet have you looked around you. Everyone has their heads down, looking at those glowing stones in their hands. Wherever I go, there is always loneliness in the tightest of crowd. Power of isolation triumphing over the spirit of community. Just look at this city, so grand and splendid but no one is admiring the artistry and the...........................”
“...Kim?...Earth to Kim?...Oh god, did you have a stroke? Speak to me man!”
Calm down everyone, the young master didn’t blow a brain vessel. Rather, he trailed off as he heard something. He had trained his ear to pick up certain sounds no matter how noisy the environment was. He even closed his eyes to extend his focus from the conversation, into the streets, and to connect to the ambient world around him.
“Professor. Do you hear that?”
“More teeth grinding, other than that—Kim wait! Come back! Where are you going!?”
Was Martial Kim fed up with the argument? Or he had something important to do?
Oh wait, what was that falling from the sky? It’s about to land on top of someone in the street! Martial Kim kicked off into the air, flying over to catch it!
“Oh sh—KIM!” Prof. Stone may have seen one or two high flying kung fu movies before, them and their wire-fu. Even now, he believed the ghost trap used on the Chief Commission was done by some elaborate wire play – but never did he expect the young master to lift off higher than a pole vaulter on sheer willpower!
CATCH! Good work Martial Kim! Right out of the air like a fleeting swallow!...Wait, is that a—
--- A brick? Where did this come from?
“Kim!” Prof. Stone shouted, “Incoming! More above!”
“What!?” Martial Kim gasped as he noticed several more bricks raining down from him. No time to think, he must act!
The young master used his inner energy to flip up into the sky, catching, swatting, and drop kicking various bricks from hitting anyone in the room. Sometimes he would sweep some civilians out of the way and hide under covers and shed.
One of them got so scared, they bolted across the street like a spooked deer!
HONK! HONK! Watch out for that car!
“Brace yourself!” Martial Kim swooped and slapped a palm of inner energy into the one person, launching them flying off the street. But there was no time for him to leap away from a car – especially when it was faster than a horse carriage!
HONK! HONK! SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH! Oh gods, can’t look! Can’t look!
“...KIM!” Prof. Stone raced over and checked the front. Any blood?...No. Any dents on the front of the car...no? A corpse under the— “OH SWEET JESUS!”
“Professor,” Martial Kim greeted nonchalantly, despite being stuck under a murderous car, “Is everyone alright?”
“Is everyone—Are YOU alright?”
“Yes...Why, did I do something wrong again? Why the foul mood?”
“Sorry, not used to talking to people under a car—Come on and get out from there! It’s dangerous!”
Prof. Stone yanked Martial Kim from under the vehicle, the latter covered in dirt and some oil grease. It seemed Martial Kim noticed, he touched the black stains on his face and gave it a sniff—Eeeew...
--- What is this black substance? So oily in between my fingers. This scent reminds me of the same oil used in explosive clay balls deployed by assassins. Or, even resources Fire Monkey Gang use for their flame weapon tactics. Uuugh, it is not coming off.
Better question, what was going on? Why are there bricks falling from the sky out of the blue?
“An accident?”
“An accident?”
Sometimes, one would believe Martial Kim and Prof. Stone were reincarnated twins. Clearly they both suspect the same thing.
“I don’t see any construction going on.” Prof. Stone uttered under his breath, “Neither did a truck drop any bricks along the way.”
“Even if the buildings in this area seems old,” Martial Kim noted, “they are not degraded in a way to start wilting like flower pedals.”
“Actually, Kim, look. The colour of these bricks, are completely different than the buildings in this street.”
“Indeed, professor. And if my eyes do not deceive me, these bricks look oddly new compare to our surroundings.”
It didn’t take long for the reincarnated twins reach the same conclusion.
“This is no accident.”
“This is no accident.”
Who could have done this? What was the motive? Who was it meant for? Little did the two realized, this very case would spark a series of adventures that would push their trust in one another to its absolute limit!
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