Doctor’s Rebirth - Chapter 1008

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 1008
The two of us departed Qinghai Castle together.
Moving in secrecy, concealing our tracks, we avoided encounters with Gonglun martial artists, heterodox factions, and bandits alike.
Rather than staying at inns, we camped in the wilderness.
“….”
We didn’t engage in deep conversation.
What the two of us already shared was a secret deeper than anything else.
We spoke only of the weather and people.
We exchanged words about the rumors circulating through Gangho.
‘It’s as if the hidden histories from martial arts novels are unfolding before my very eyes.’
In novels, this is always when a sect leader’s past is revealed and he gets stabbed to death, but I could only hope Namgung Un would avoid such a fate.
“Regeneration Art is surprisingly similar to Nourishing Art.”
“Yes, that’s true. But you’re picking it up quickly, Namgung.”
“The main family’s Emperor’s Record technique has similarities, so I grasped the essence easily.”
Rather than waiting for that secret revelation and assassination battle that might never come, I was simply teaching him Regeneration Art in advance.
‘If a blade might one day find his back, then I’ll make sure he survives even with a blade in his back!’
From a Gangho perspective, it seemed somewhat mad.
In any case, if he were to thrust a blade and say, ‘I didn’t know you were the beast who killed my mother!’
Then he could buy time with Regeneration Art, escape, and from a distance attempt dialogue with a Lion’s Roar: ‘Your mother was a spy for the Demonic Sect and harmed countless Namgung clansmen, including your father! I’ll present Ilgwang and Jin Cheon-hee as witnesses!’ Wouldn’t that work?
‘I’ve never seen a martial arts novel play out that way. But in any case, survival is what matters most.’
Normally in Gangho, when a blade finds your back like that, the sect leader simply collapses forward and it’s over.
And then that person becomes an enemy of the sect for murdering the sect leader, spending his life hunted.
I wanted to give Namgung Un time.
Time to speak his truth.
“Martial artists tend to underestimate Regeneration Art far too much.”
“Honestly, it’s better to focus on perfecting a single strike rather than cultivating such things.”
“No matter how skilled one becomes, no one can predict what might happen or how. Once you survive, you can do anything.”
Even if I were Hyeongyeong, the neck is only half a span wide.
If someone you trust stabs you, there’s no escape.
“….”
A flicker of anguish crossed Namgung Un’s eyes.
He’d been taught since childhood that it was better to die with honor than to live in shame.
And that was what Gangho was.
“And Namgung must stay alive to protect Namgung Su. Since Ju Yeong-yeong has ‘disappeared,’ the main family will investigate why she ‘disappeared’—isn’t that something you need to handle? And Elder Tae-sang is rather persistent, isn’t he?”
“How would you, my younger brother, know whether our grandfather is persistent or not?”
“Why wouldn’t I know? The information warfare with the Jegallim Family over interests hasn’t happened just once or twice.”
“….”
Namgung Un couldn’t answer and laughed bitterly.
That was a matter of hidden currents.
And it also meant that Namgung Un hadn’t yet fully inherited the Gaju’s position.
That was indeed the case.
Unlike how the Gaju of the Sichuan Tang Family, Dang-a, taught slowly over time, I had inherited everything abruptly, so it was natural that I moved together with Elder Tae-sang, my grandfather.
‘Namgung Un doesn’t receive all the reports either.’
That said, it wasn’t as though Elder Tae-sang harbored greed for power.
If he had coveted power, he could have simply taken the position of Gaju for himself, and Namgung Un wouldn’t have objected—rather, he would be enjoying his freedom.
‘It’s simply… that he still doesn’t trust me.’
And since Namgung Un was close with Jin Cheon-hee, if Elder Tae-sang learned of the intelligence warfare between Baekrin Uiseon and me, there might be hesitation in the orders he gave later.
Namgung Un was soft-hearted.
A realist, yet with a tender side.
And Jin Cheon-hee was the same.
Jin Cheon-hee had said to me.
“Well, just do your best for the family’s sake. That’s how we can maintain our friendship.”
He wasn’t stabbing me in the back outright, and since this level of covert intelligence work was common enough in the Gangho, Jin Cheon-hee could brush past it coolly.
And I myself prioritized Baekrin Uiseon.
“…It’s a difficult matter, but I understand.”
A man had become Gaju and experienced the darkest side of that position.
This was accomplished entirely by my own choice, and it was a matter where I had to stake my life.
And I alone bore the responsibility for this.
Life is always like that.
No one knows how the decisions made today will return tomorrow, next year, or years hence.
Yet, still.
Jin Cheon-hee smiled brightly.
“You’ll do well, Namgung Hyeong.”
“Thank you for saying so.”
I had to protect Namgung Su.
And I had to prevent the family from fracturing.
A Gaju exists for that purpose.
Sometimes, I had to be prepared to stain my hands with blood.
“Ah, today we have pork stew.”
“Oh, finally escaping the rice porridge?”
“Your recovery speed needs to pick up, Namgung Hyeong.”
Thus the two of us crossed Qinghai Province and arrived in Sichuan Province. Then we came to Yibin and parted ways.
Jin Cheon-hee handed me a letter to send to Bunta of Baekrin Uiseon.
“Cover your face with a mask and enter through the back door. I’ve stamped it with my seal, so the most tight-lipped doctor will come out to see you.”
“But if your face is covered, won’t they not know who you are anyway?”
“It’s just being extra careful.”
“Thank you.”
Jin Cheon-hee gave me a small wink.
This would suffice.
Jin Cheon-hee spoke.
“Next time, be sure to bring the Shadow Guard with you.”
“Grandfather has eyes and ears. Didn’t I say so?”
“…That’s not it. It’s the Gaju’s guard unit. Seize control of the forces and make them truly yours.”
“!”
I looked at Namgung Un.
“I believe that only when you, Namgung, truly attempt to stand alone will Elder Tae-sang step aside.”
“Given Grandfather’s temperament, it seems he won’t easily yield?”
“Overcoming that is the true test of a real Gaju.”
“You’re quite cold-blooded. But… yes…. That’s not wrong.”
I had a strong intuition that Grandfather thought the same way.
Unless he grasped power in his own hands—unless he even attempted such a thing—he would never be a true Gaju.
At least, that’s what Grandfather would think.
“Then I’ll be going.”
“How heartless. Leaving already?”
I laughed softly.
Namgung Un spoke.
“You said the Namgung Family’s archive wants designs of mechanisms or magical artifacts?”
The Namgung Family was strong in mechanical engineering.
Perhaps among the ancestors, someone had left behind something worthwhile.
“Yes. Even something trivial would suffice. And since what I need is information, it doesn’t have to be authentic—a copy will do.”
The Yuanxiang Disc that I possessed.
I was able to find Namgung Un with that disc. Even now, I don’t understand its principle.
“So you’re not asking for the object itself, but for a design—and even just a copy? If that’s the case, it would be easier to deceive Grandfather’s attention. But what if, even after seeing the design, you cannot understand it?”
“Then it’s my own shortcoming, and there’s nothing to be done about it.”
“You still desire strange things. Usually people ask for the object itself.”
“That’s enough of that.”
Then I waved my hand once and began to drift away.
Namgung Un stood in place and watched until I was out of sight.
“Go well.”
The longer a meeting, the better; the quicker a parting, the better.
Especially for secret affairs like this.
The two of us had done nothing.
Nothing had happened.
Nothing should have happened.
After moving away from the guest quarters, I returned Hwang-gu to his normal size and immediately began traveling.
The vast Central Plains swallowed one secret today.
* * *
At the same time, Jegalling.
Instead of the grand hall of the imperial palace, he sat in a small secret garden.
Normally, Jegalling should show respect before the Emperor, but the Emperor didn’t seem to mind, and Jegalling himself appeared indifferent to it.
Jegalling first presented the spirit medicine.
Two vials of it.
The Emperor stared at the medicine bottles as they clicked open, then finally spoke.
“That child made these spirit medicines with her own hands?”
“I humbly report that it is indeed so, Your Majesty.”
His tone was courteous, yet his eyes gleamed with something sharp.
But then again, this man before me had done such things more than once or twice.
If it weren’t for my disciple’s sake, I would never have come this far—and the Emperor knew full well that Jegalling was the type to do anything if it suited his purposes, no matter how cruel.
According to intelligence, the “anything” Jegalling did wasn’t merely about life and death, but rather the kind of “anything” that made one understand what it meant to suffer.
‘Why did that child take such a man as her master…’
Yet, the fact that she had encountered the last heir of the Jegallim Family.
Perhaps this too was simply fate.
After all, she should have died long ago.
“I hear she made rain?”
“I merely added a bit of water, Your Majesty.”
I’ve received reports on this as well. They say she used true energy to boil water and create rain… and that formation still remains in Zhejiang Province to this day.”
“Truly brilliant, Your Majesty.”
“….”
Was he mocking me?
Pung Ha-eun pondered for three seconds.
Why was it that Geum was never around at times like this?
“You’ve done well, Uiguk Baek. I shall bestow rewards upon you and your disciple, Jin Cheon-hee, the Prefect.”
“I am most grateful.”
I shall recognize all of Baekrin as your personal domain. Govern that region well from now on.”
At those words, Jegalling’s expression didn’t change as he bowed respectfully.
“I am deeply grateful for the Emperor’s grace.”
His words and actions clearly expressed gratitude, yet what Pung Ha-eun read was ‘Now that business is concluded, please dismiss me.’
At least it was clear his goal was an early departure. And one thing more.
‘He will absolutely not allow me to meet with his disciple easily.’
By sending his disciple on such a task, he meant I shouldn’t even catch a glimpse of Jin Cheon-hee’s shadow.
It was absurd—wasn’t Jegalling essentially holding his disciple hostage and throwing a tantrum?
Jegalling didn’t say another word.
“….”
It was silent pressure.
“…Withdraw.”
Jegalling bowed deeply and left.
After he had completely departed, Pung Ha-eun sighed.
“That fellow never changes his expression.”
“Isn’t there a reason Hee can’t move an inch?”
“?!”
I was startled and looked over, and Pung Ha-eun sighed heavily, pressing his head with his fingers.
“Why in the world are you only now….”
“…A few officials happened to detain me, so I’m late. Seeing how things are unfolding now, I’m starting to wonder if this is also one of Baek Rin’s schemes?”
That could very well be the case.
A strategy to seize the relatively easier target, Pung Ha-eun, handle the business, and leave early.
“But does it make sense to move officials around like chess pieces just to leave work a bit earlier?”
“…I read their minds, but they’ve never even met Jegalling. It was just that a few documents arrived later than usual… and that….”
“…Exactly timed for a report right now.”
“Right. That’s interesting too, but it means Jegalling knows the movement patterns within the imperial palace.”
“…A warning?”
A warning that he won’t sit idle if my disciple is taken from me.
Since His Majesty the Emperor enjoys scheming, he simply left a warning through schemes in kind.
“And there’s one more thing.”
“Hmm?”
“Don’t you see? From some point on, Jegalling has been extremely cautious about being alone with this Pung Ha-geum. It seems there’s a memory he shouldn’t read.”
“!?”
Pung Ha-eun looked at Pung Ha-geum with surprised eyes.
Pung Ha-geum clicked his tongue slightly.
“How is it that he usually schemes so well, but becomes timid at times like this? What memory could he have that makes him seem to avoid me?”
Then Pung Ha-eun immediately worked out the answer.
“…Given Jegalling’s nature, it must surely be about my disciple. A memory about ‘that child.’ Perhaps it’s related to a secret?”
A secret that must never fall into our hands.
“Right. You’ve grasped it that far. He’ll probably avoid me until he has a definite countermeasure against my ability to read memories. Jegalling’s true nature isn’t that of a commander but a strategist. And a strategist’s priority is knowing the enemy and choosing the terrain.”
“He might even contact the Seven Great Families of the Empire to find a counter to your ability.”
Pung Ha-geum nodded.
“Even so, it wouldn’t be with the Yang Family, who have no interest in politics whatsoever, or the Yuk Family with General Yuk Heon. For now, the Ga Family where Ga Wan is would have the highest probability.”
Everything is to protect my disciple.
Against what?
And what memory does Jegalling have about ‘that child’ anyway?
“For a while, he’ll avoid being alone with me as much as possible. Even if he does meet alone, he’ll keep it brief, do it from a distance, and leave. And each time, I’ll be drowning in inexplicable work floods. A vicious fellow.”
“Of all things, work floods—even the grim reaper wouldn’t pick up that bastard. Still, you must know what it means that Baek Rin as a whole has been recognized as a fief….”
“For that Hyeolrin fellow, such things aren’t particularly important anyway.”
“Tsk. It’s troublesome when the Imperial Advisor is too competent.”
At those words, Eun Wang-ya smiles bitterly.
For now, we succeeded at something absolutely impossible, so we should be satisfied with that.
“Let’s aim for the next opportunity.”
There’s plenty of time.
“Even if Hyeolrin blocks it….”
“…Right. ‘That child’ is steadily coming over to our side.”
His position is rising.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————