Subscriber of the Gods

Yi Je-ma. (+)^[1]TLN: Yi Je-ma (이제마) was a Korean medicine scholar in Late Joseon period.

Ethan recalled where he had heard that name.

“Ah!”

And he realized.

“Taeyangin!”

Taeyangin, Soyangin, Taeumin, Soeumin. (+)^[2]TLN: These terms are mentioned in Yi Je-ma’s book Dongyi Suse Bowon: Longevity and Life Preservation in Eastern Medicine in 1894.

He was the person who founded Sasang constitutional medicine, which classifies people’s constitutions into four types. (+)^[3]TLN: In that book I mentioned before, there is a classification system which is called Sasang constitutional medicine. This Sasang constitutional medicine divides people into four types based on their biopsychosocial traits: tae-yang (태양); so-yang (소양); tae-eum (태음); and so-eum (소음). Each type consists of a classification of pathology, medicine and hygiene depending on personality, psychological status and organ functionality. You can find more about them here. And if you want to know about Yi Je-ma, here.

-[Collaboration!] How to distinguish and properly treat the four constitutions with guest Yi Je-ma…

“But isn’t this only applicable to humans?”

Ethan pondered for a moment, but his concern was resolved faster than expected.

‘The title was quite long, so I couldn’t see it all.’

At the end of the video title, it was written that it applies to all beings.

-[Applicable to all, whether human or non-human!]

Ethan clicked on the collaboration video without further hesitation. As expected, it was free for premium subscribers.

-Greetings, subscribers. Today’s video is different from others. We have a special guest. This friend here is my long-time junior.

At Heo Jun’s introduction, Yi Je-ma bowed his head slightly.

Yi Je-ma was wearing a stylish gat and hanbok.

-I’m a junior from hundreds of years later. Nice to meet you, I’m Yi Je-ma.

-Mr. Yi Je-ma, today you can actively explain your techniques in this place.

Yi Je-ma nodded and explained about Sasang medicine.

-All life forms in the world can be classified into four types…

-They each have different constitutions…

It was quite lengthy content, but for Ethan, who had seen Heo Jun’s videos before, it was easy to understand.

In short, all life forms have four types of constitutions, and each constitution needs to be treated differently.

-Among you, there might be subscribers who have learned Pulse Diagnosis. For those subscribers, this video will be very helpful. The power of this junior I brought will be imbued directly into Pulse Diagnosis.

Simultaneously with Heo Jun’s words, a notification appeared for Ethan.

-Pulse Diagnosis has been strengthened!

-Pulse Diagnosis penetrates constitutions.

‘Oh.’

Now Pulse Diagnosis could go beyond checking the subject’s condition to suggesting how to treat them.

‘He didn’t bring him to his channel for nothing, did he?’

Yi Je-ma’s Sasang medicine could be seen as an upgrade that could further enhance Heo Jun’s techniques.

-Distinguishing the condition of the subject you’re trying to treat is most important.

With that as an introduction, Yi Je-ma expounded quite a lengthy theory.

It was very difficult content, but for Ethan, who had watched all of Heo Jun’s previous lectures and mastered True Heo’s Acupuncture and True Heo’s Decoction technique, it was easier to grasp than expected.

After Yi Je-ma spoke as if pouring out information, Heo Jun stepped forward.

-Now, then it’s my turn. If you’ve penetrated the constitution with Mr. Yi Je-ma’s Pulse Diagnosis, you should apply acupuncture according to that constitution. I’ve been researching acupuncture tailored to the four constitutions classified by Sasang medicine for quite a long time. If you apply acupuncture according to the constitution identified by Pulse Diagnosis, you can achieve much better results.

Heo Jun hadn’t been idle all this time either.

He had been continuously improving his abilities. To increase subscribers and secure likes, he had to keep developing his skills.

‘And based on those developed abilities, he needs to attract new subscribers again.’

Ethan grinned.

-What is true acupuncture? How should one break the limits of acupuncture? I combined my acupuncture with Sasang medicine to break these limits.

Heo Jun and Je-ma explained in the video how to combine Sasang medicine and acupuncture, and what the effects would be.

-True Heo’s Acupuncture has been strengthened!

-The effect of True Heo’s Acupuncture increases!

‘Amazing.’

Ethan couldn’t help but admire Heo Jun’s explanation.

As expected, a god was a god. To Ethan, Heo’s Acupuncture had seemed flawless.

‘When I obtained True Heo’s Acupuncture, I thought acupuncture was complete.’

But for Heo Jun, who had been handling this needle for countless long years, True Heo’s Acupuncture was not the completion.

‘Limit. It was the limit that couldn’t be surpassed.’

What seemed complete to someone was a limit to another.

That’s why Heo Jun had been preparing to break the limits of acupuncture, and today’s video could be said to be the one that surpasses those limits.

‘Excellent.’

Ethan was greatly inspired by Heo Jun’s continuous efforts to develop.

-Thank you for watching the video so far. I’m not sure how helpful this collaboration video will be to you subscribers, but if you’ve achieved satisfactory results, I’ll continue to collaborate with other excellent individuals in the future.

‘It was extremely good content. Heo Jun didn’t just bring anyone, but collaborated with a guest who could maximize his abilities. If he continues collaborations like this, he can expect an influx of new subscribers through word of mouth from existing subscribers.’

And one more thing.

Ethan left a comment that only Heo Jun could see.

‘If you make shorts, you can maximize the effect. You’ll be able to increase your subscriber count even more.’

It just so happened that Ethan had learned about shorts recently, and he suggested that Heo Jun could increase his subscribers and likes even more with shorts.

‘Come to think of it, this video was free for premium subscribers too.’

He guessed that Heo Jun’s premium subscribers were very few. Maybe he was the only one.

‘I can’t just keep receiving.’

However, he didn’t intend to help Heo Jun unconditionally.

Currently, Heo Jun doesn’t have any merchandise.

Most other gods have merchandise, and Ethan had benefited from that merchandise several times.

‘If I help Heo Jun with these shorts now, I might be able to receive the merchandise he creates in the future for free.’

Perhaps Heo Jun might even sell his exclusive needles as merchandise.

‘Maybe there could be something even more amazing. Like ingredients for legendary medicine.’

If he could receive such things, it would be a great gain for Ethan in exchange for shorts that are relatively easy to make.

‘Plus, it’s a win-win situation for both.’

For Heo Jun, Ethan is nothing short of a savior.

But the same was true for Ethan. If it weren’t for Heo Jun, he would have died long ago without being able to do anything.

Even after watching Heo Jun’s collaboration video, Ethan felt it wasn’t enough.

Originally, he was about to search for the god of medicine in New World.

‘Certainly, Yi Je-ma’s Sasang medicine is not bad. But whether it can definitively cure Tror is uncertain. It will surely help, but…’

There was a possibility it might not be enough.

‘Then I need to find a method that can cure him for sure.’

A more certain treatment method was needed.

Ethan started searching.

-Searching for keyword.

-Keyword: God of Medicine

-The algorithm recommends a god suitable for your current situation.

Rustle-.

-Oriental Divine Physician: Qing Nang No

“Hm?”

Ethan frowned.

‘Oriental Divine Physician? Qing Nang No?’

Including Heo Jun, there were quite a few renowned physicians in the East. But Qing Nang Lao Ren was a name he had never heard before.

“But it doesn’t seem completely unfamiliar.”

Qing Nang No.

Ethan was sure he had seen this word somewhere.

“Ah!”

Ethan immediately opened his inbox.

Even now, Ethan’s inbox was full of letters from numerous gods.

-God of War: Ares [382 messages]

Among them, Ares had sent the most letters.

And below that, there were also letters sent by [Goddess of War: Athena].

“Still, it seems they’re not sending any these days. The God of War Ares would be quite an excellent god. Since I don’t intend to go to war right now, I should check them when the time comes.”

As he scrolled down the list, Ethan’s eyes caught the name he was looking for.

“Indeed, this is where I saw it.”

When it was written as Qing Nang No, he didn’t know who it was, but in the letter in his inbox, this divine physician’s real name was clearly written.

“Hua Tuo.”

The divine physician of the late Han dynasty, famous for treating Guan Yu and Cao Cao.

The identity of Qing Nang No was none other than Hua Tuo.

‘Hua Tuo is quite famous. Since the algorithm recommended him, he must be the perfect god to resolve my current situation.’

The anecdote of scraping out the poison that had seeped into Guan Yu’s bones was a story Ethan knew very well.

So far, the algorithm had never recommended the wrong god to Ethan.

‘I once received a recommendation for Hang Woo when I entered the defense keyword.’

That recommendation had been extremely helpful to Ethan.

“But… what kind of letter was it?”

Hua Tuo’s letter had come during the time when Ethan was famous for his subscription reviews.

-I am Hua Tuo. I would like to have a conversation with you.

Ethan immediately entered Hua Tuo’s channel.

“Hmm.”

Hua Tuo had a rather modest channel compared to what Ethan knew. There were only three videos uploaded, and about 2,000 subscribers.

‘Actually, 2,000 isn’t that few.’

Even Hercules, who was a major god, initially had only 10,000 subscribers.

‘It’s just that the gap in rankings between gods is enormously large.’

Subscribers flock to higher-ranked gods.

‘It only looks modest because my standards have become higher.’

And just because the channel looks modest doesn’t mean the abilities you can gain are modest. Even Heo Jun used to have almost no subscribers.

Ethan immediately subscribed to Hua Tuo’s channel.

-You are subscribing to the Oriental Divine Physician Qing Nang No.

-The required number of likes is ’20’.

‘That’s fortunate. I thought it would take about 30.’

Although he had used up all his likes when subscribing to Cheok Jun-gyeong, he had accumulated quite a few likes since then, so 20 wasn’t too burdensome.

-You have subscribed to Qing Nang No!

After subscribing, Ethan watched one of the videos first.

-[How to Make Medicine to Put in the Blue Bag]

Then, Hua Tuo, with snow-white hair and beard, looking like an immortal, appeared.

-Young one, I am an old man called Hua Tuo. First, I want to thank you for subscribing. Surely you must have a reason for subscribing to this old man. Perhaps it’s to treat someone. If so, choosing this old man was truly the right decision.

‘Oh?’

Ethan was quite surprised after watching the video.

He knew Hua Tuo was a great physician. But he didn’t know in detail how he treated patients.

‘Similar to Heo Jun?’

Acupuncture and decoction.

One difference was that Hua Tuo could perform surgery through a special decoction called mafeisan.

‘The ability to incise and extract.’

Ethan focused on the video.

This was exactly the ability Ethan needed now. To remove the Stigma of Exile deep inside Spirit King Tror’s body, this ability was necessary.

-Now I have reached a level where I no longer need mafeisan. Mafeisan was just a means to reduce pain. Look, young one. The power to open wounds and eliminate their root cause. That is the technique of me, Hua Tuo.

Simultaneously with Hua Tuo’s words, a notification window popped up for Ethan.

-You have learned Hua Tuo’s Surgical Treatment Technique!

-Skill added: Hua Tuo’s Surgical Treatment Technique (S)

‘As expected of the algorithm.’

The more he experienced the algorithm, the more curious he became about what would happen if it was strengthened.

‘If I have a lot of likes left later, I must upgrade it.’

After the video ended.

A reply soon came to the comment he had left.

-[Only subscribed to the right gods] Subscriber, I will grant you a collaboration right. I would like to talk to you in person!

Ethan immediately used the collaboration right Hua Tuo had given. Ethan also intended to receive teachings about Hua Tuo’s surgical technique that he had just learned through the collaboration right.

Whoosh-.

When Ethan opened his eyes, he was in a rather small room.

“Young one, to think I would see you in person like this.”

Hua Tuo, whom he had seen in the video, was sitting cross-legged.

He frowned as soon as he saw Ethan.

“You… have something tremendous inside your body. Huh, how on earth are you alive carrying such a thing?”

“You can see it, I presume.”

Ethan said with a slight smile.

“…I’m sorry, but that’s not something even I can do anything about.”

“It’s alright. This is a problem I have to deal with myself. Still, I’m glad to meet you like this. You sent me a letter, but I checked it too late.”

“No, I’m just so happy that you’ve subscribed to me even now. I’ve directly seen how amazing the achievements you’ve made so far are. So…”

“You don’t need to speak at length, I understand. That desire to rise higher, I subscribed because I want to be part of it.”

Hua Tuo smiled at Ethan’s words.

“I want to show my abilities to more people and help them. My abilities would be of great help to those suffering from incurable diseases.”

“I watched the video. It’s certainly a good ability. Especially that surgical treatment technique, it’s an amazing ability.”

Hua Tuo’s surgical technique didn’t actually involve cutting the body.

In the past, he used to actually cut open the body for treatment, but now Hua Tuo had the power to see through the body without cutting it open, using qi.

“I’ll help you. You’ll be able to get more subscribers and likes than now. In return, please help me too, Lord Hua Tuo.”

“Help, you say. Yes, what kind of help do you need?”

Ethan learned that the abilities of each god create synergy while subscribing to Hang Woo, Hercules, and Cheok Jun-gyeong.

‘Since I’m subscribed to Heo Jun…’

If Heo Jun’s abilities also harmonize well with Hua Tuo’s abilities, it would create tremendous synergy.

“Though modest, I also have techniques to treat patients. Please take a look at them. I want to combine the techniques I have with your abilities to reach a higher level.”

After saying that, Ethan immediately started making a decoction.

Ethan, who made a decoction in an instant, handed it to Hua Tuo.

But Hua Tuo’s expression wasn’t good.

“Lord Hua Tuo?”

“This, this decoction…”

Hua Tuo continued with a trembling voice.

“How on earth did you make this?”

Hua Tuo’s expression was filled with wonder as he said this.

Translator Note:

First, I’m not really knowledgeable about the Romance of Three Kingdom, I just know the major characters. So I don’t really have that much knowledge about Hua Tuo (P.S it’s Hua Tuo not Hutao from Genshin). Joking aside, honestly, I don’t really know what to translate? Hua Tuo’s channel name. The author write it like this: 청낭노 (Qing Nang No). From what I believe, it’s from Hua Tuo’s book which is Qing Nang Shu (青囊書). Probably because of copyright? Or because of the Korean word for Qing Nang Shu is 청낭노. Again, I’m not really sure. For now, I’ll use Qing Nang No as Hua Tuo’s channel name.

If you want to know more about Hua Tuo, you can go ahead to Wikipedia.

• 1. TLN: Yi Je-ma (이제마) was a Korean medicine scholar in Late Joseon period.
• 2. TLN: These terms are mentioned in Yi Je-ma’s book Dongyi Suse Bowon: Longevity and Life Preservation in Eastern Medicine in 1894.
• 3. TLN: In that book I mentioned before, there is a classification system which is called Sasang constitutional medicine. This Sasang constitutional medicine divides people into four types based on their biopsychosocial traits: tae-yang (태양); so-yang (소양); tae-eum (태음); and so-eum (소음). Each type consists of a classification of pathology, medicine and hygiene depending on personality, psychological status and organ functionality. You can find more about them here. And if you want to know about Yi Je-ma, here.

Author's Thoughts

Hi everyone, I've completely translated this novel! So, for those who love this novel and wanted to binge read until the last advanced chapter, you can go to my Patreon "Shop" page. There, I have a product in which you can read them with discounted price (basically you get around free 90 advanced chapters) instead of buying them here with normal price. Thank you for the attention!

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