Doctor’s Rebirth - Chapter 1026

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 1026
A man clutching his belly, laughing in an exaggerated manner.
A handsome young man with a haggard expression and tear moles beneath his eyes.
It was Baekcheon-gun, a man who was Sama Hyeon yet not Sama Hyeon.
Beside him stood a young man with an expressionless, cold face.
He wore short hair, a rarity in the martial world.
His skin was slightly dark, making him resemble someone from the Western Regions like the Saerim Gyoguk, a man of unremarkable appearance.
Was he perhaps only just reaching his early twenties?
In some ways, he was a handsome young man with an icy impression that seemed almost youthful.
Yet standing among corpses and alongside Baekcheon-gun, he was clearly no ordinary person.
“Strong, you say? The Leader himself cannot be killed, so how could I be strong? ♪”
“The Leader is a being beyond the Heavens. Did you truly wish to kill him?”
“And what of you? Hmm? Aren’t you Senior Son Cheon-gun?”
Son Cheon-gun!
He too was one of the Blood Immortal Ten Thousand Soldiers.
Oddly enough, the two of them wore no masks, unlike the other Ten Thousand Soldiers.
“I too wish to kill the Leader, but it is not yet possible.”
“Hmmm~ Truly a scattered household, aren’t you? And yet I find myself drawn to it?”
A family that kills and is killed by one another.
And members who desire to kill their patriarch.
What a thrilling relationship this was. Baekcheon-gun laughed with delight, his fractured self evident in every sound.
Then Baekcheon-gun lowered his hand to the face of the dead Jang Mun-in of the Gonggong Faction and peeled away the skin.
Squelch—
He affixed the cleanly stripped facial skin as a mask and instantly mimicked the man’s manner of speech.
“Monsters deserving of universal condemnation! Our faction cannot stand idle!”
His voice, infused with inner power, resonated through the surroundings with a tingling sensation.
With that alone, he perfectly imitated the man’s speech patterns, gestures, and even the shape of his twisted spine.
Baekcheon-gun was delighted.
Or rather, he appeared to be.
The reason for this correction was simple.
No one could ever know the true nature of this man’s heart.
Then.
Baekcheon-gun kicked a stone from the ground.
Crack!
Something far in the distance was struck and toppled over.
“Ah, the Gaebang’s eyes and ears were so close by? ♪ Well, it’s only natural that our benevolent Daoist of the Gonggong Faction would be friendly with beggars, isn’t it?”
“Are you mocking me?”
“Not at all. Even if the insides are a bit dark, you still pretended to care for the commoners on the surface, didn’t you? Such righteousness! I find it most endearing?”
He killed people, peeled away their skin, mimicked them, and spoke of “love.”
Everyone watching felt their skin crawl, but they deliberately showed no reaction.
Baekcheon-gun before my eyes was more broken than anyone, yet possessed superior strategy beyond compare.
Though it was in the mountains, it was no simple feat to swallow an entire massive sect without a single external witness.
Considering the vast numbers of Daoists comprising the Gonggong Faction, it could be called utterly impossible.
Yet he accomplished it.
“Well then, shall we disguise ourselves?”
Kill the Gonggong Faction and wear their corpses as a disguise.
Thus the Gonggong Faction would enter entirely under the Hyeolseonggyo’s domain.
Jin Cheon-hee. A matter that occurred without the knowledge of the Ilwol Singyeo and the Martial Arts Alliance.
While Jin Cheon-hee enjoyed pleasant times, a blood massacre was unfolding across the vast Gangho.
Son Cheon-gun, who was with him, asked.
“Even if the appearance is that of a Gonggong Faction Daoist, how will you disguise the martial arts?”
Baekcheon-gun spoke.
“Ah, worry not about that. Secret manuals will turn up as we search. And also….”
Baekcheon-gun tapped his own head like a bean.
“…I’ve already memorized it all?”
“?!”
Son Cheon-gun felt the hair on his spine stand on end without realizing it.
* * *
The quarterfinals of the Cooking Tournament had ended.
“The semifinals, the semifinal matches are beginning!”
The Three Scholars’ eyes gleamed.
Though it sounds mad, the Yongbong Jihoe is in no way inferior to the Greatest Cooking Tournament Under Heaven.
This is because while the Yongbong Jihoe makes it seem splendid and grand when martial artists draw their swords and fight, it is ultimately a distant matter.
However, cooking—cooking is different.
The champion’s dishes can be enjoyed by all at the Golden Blood Guest Cup.
Of course, even if the taste isn’t the same since the champion doesn’t make it directly, the fact that it can be enjoyed is something.
That wasn’t all.
‘If I win, I can make one hundred servings right there!’
Of course, limited ingredients like spirit beast meat are unavoidable, but even being substituted with beef or mutton would be quite delicious.
And now those who have reached the semifinals are truly the strongest among the strong!
Daesuksu Geonheon of the Liangpi Noodle House.
Iron Body Housekeeper Eom Suk-su.
Noodle Sword Food Knife Duwak.
And the Blue-Eyed Divine One, Jin Cheon-hee!
These four culinary masters clash against one another, wagering their very souls.
“The interest seems even hotter than the Imperial Palace Great Housekeeper Cooking Tournament that selects the Great Cooking Master of the Yellow Dragon.”
It was exactly as the Three Scholars assessed.
“Still, this match should be easy. Duwak will win.”
“Indeed! With the Great Cooking Master of the Yellow Dragon and even spirit beast brain meat, Duwak is formidable. The opponents are pitiful.”
Everyone predicted Duwak’s victory.
With quiet anticipation that Duwak and I might face each other in the final match.
Had a cooking competition ever been this thrilling before?
A cooking competition using Yoo Ho’s Bingo.
From its very beginning, it could be called a resounding success.
Meanwhile.
“Hehehehe. My palate is being treated well in my twilight years.”
“Now that you mention it, Elder, while I spend my days in leisure, you’re different. How did Euni and Jin manage to send you off?”
“Even a humble servant requires a vacation.”
Ju Wang and the Eunuch General.
The two men looked down while exchanging casual banter.
The special seat created for Ju Wang, and the Eunuch General sitting beside it—this itself was proof of his status as a trusted minister favored by the Emperor.
To actually ‘sit’ beside Ju Wang! What an extraordinary thing it was!
“Elder, you didn’t come here for some other reason, did you?”
“Nothing of the sort.”
The two men conversed in hushed tones.
“…Jin’s ‘ability’—how is it?”
“It has been stabilized.”
She’s restraining it, right? Tell her to be careful not to lose herself.”
“Yes…. However, the power of the Seat is heavy, you see.”
“Eun doesn’t worry me much since she’s flexible, but Jin concerns me. She lacks adaptability.”
The two men exchanged words of unclear meaning.
“Still, it’s better than if the King himself wielded the Seat, is it not?”
“…In the end, that’s how it turned out. Back then, neither I, Eun, nor Jin expected things to become this way. In any case, I’m relieved that both of them are maintaining their sanity.”
“Any power demands its price. When you think about it, it’s strange. The innate abilities passed down to the imperial family don’t typically demand such a price.”
“Right. Headaches, some coughing up blood, and that’s the end of it. But the Seat is different. That demands a proper price.”
“…Perhaps the Emperors are making efforts to endure the final age.”
“I’m grateful there are two of them. If one had to do it alone… ugh…. Just thinking about it is horrifying.”
“And Jin the Prefect has also reduced much of their burden.”
After speaking thus far, the Eunuch General lifted his head.
“Oh, it seems they’re about to begin.”
Muhua shouted loudly.
“Mian Jian Shi Dao Duwak and Iron Divine Housekeeper Eom Suk-su! The semifinals have begun!”
Ding—!
With the sound of the gong, what the two drew from the Bingo was noodles!
Both had drawn noodles.
Ju Wang asked.
“This Iron Divine Housekeeper Eom Suk-su—he’s the one Jin Cheon-hee personally trained, right?”
“Yes. He trained directly under him, saying he would repay his master’s kindness.”
“Is that even a person or a weapon?”
His entire body was composed of steel-like, rippling muscle.
Muhua continued speaking.
“Eom Suk-su, the Iron Divine Housekeeper, is preparing Extreme Cold Pian’er River!”
Pian’er River.
A dish from Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province.
Made with bamboo shoots and julienned pork to create a broth that is truly exquisite in flavor!
And it’s served chilled!
“Mian Jian Shi Dao has presented a dish befitting his name—Cold Beef Knife-Cut Noodles!”
Cold Beef Knife-Cut Noodles.
A dish originating from Shanxi Province.
It’s said that in the past, portions of the Hua Empire’s territory were ruled by nomadic cavalry peoples from the steppes.
The cavalry tribes feared that the Hua Empire’s people, especially the martial artists among them, might stage rebellions, so they banned the use of weapons entirely.
They even required that kitchen knives be temporarily authorized by the government office before use.
But in that era, the government office wasn’t like a modern administrative center or police station—it was a place people rarely had reason to visit.
Who would bother going all the way to the government office to beg for permission to borrow a kitchen knife?
So people searched and searched until they found scraps of metal, then shaved flour dough like planing wood to create noodles.
And that’s how knife-cut noodles were born.
The texture is exceptional and unique—it’s an incredibly popular noodle dish!
“Finished!”
“This one’s complete too!”
Both completed their dishes at an incredible pace.
“Oh, excellent! Shall we go taste them?”
Ju Wang rubbed his hands together in anticipation.
The judges are good like this.
After everyone tasted the dishes, the judges’ scores were given coldly and objectively.
Seeing the results, Muhua’s eyes widened in shock as she muttered quietly, “Is this right? Is this really correct now?”
Once all the judges confirmed with their eyes, she finally lifted her head and declared with inner energy infused in her voice.
“승자는 엄 숙수! 두곽 패——!”
At this, the Three Scholars exclaimed in surprise.
“How can this be! Does this even make sense?”
“Duwak lost!”
“My money, my moneeeey!”
Man Haksa had apparently bet on Duwak.
Duwak ground his teeth and spoke.
“Next time, I will definitely win. Eom Suk-su? I’ll remember this!”
* * *
‘This is madness.’
Duwak, whom everyone had predicted would win the championship, was eliminated, and only Jin Cheon-hee’s cooking disciple remained.
Watching this unfold, I spoke.
“That’s right. Cooking is indeed about physical strength. Muscle is flavor itself.”
Saying this, I gazed down at my own arms.
‘Why don’t I develop muscle like a bodybuilder?’
Those in this Gangho world who could be called boneless typically boasted massive muscles at a level that would require doping on Earth to achieve.
Not to mention my Master, Yeo Ha-ryun, and Cheonwoo, even Sama Hyeon cheering from the audience seats had impressive physiques.
The elaborate robes created an optical illusion, making him appear slender.
If he posted shirtless photos on social media, he’d easily gain hundreds of thousands of followers with those muscles.
Imagine such a man transforming his body through the Thousand Transformations Sword Technique, wrapping himself in delicate pink silk clothing, and rushing forward while crying ‘Gaga~’.
That madman had instantly destroyed Jin Cheon-hee’s marriage prospects.
No respectable family would want to give their daughter to someone with the epithet of a lustful demon.
And on top of that, a man who discards women every time!
But that woman, those women… Ugh, actually there’s only one.
Just a fully muscled boneless person pretending to be delicate.
‘No, even my cooking disciple develops muscle, so why am I like this!’
I do develop muscle. At this level, I could say I have idol-tier abdominal muscles.
But it’s not the kind of muscle that a boneless person has.
Thump!
I retrieved food from the ice storage.
Muhua shouted.
“Geonheon of the Liangpi Noodle House faces off against Baekrin Uiseon Sojakju!”
Roooaaaar!
Everyone screamed amid the heated atmosphere.
The semifinals!
Muhua seemed pleased by the audience’s response and shouted.
“Geonheon of the Liangpi Noodle House has perfected his signature Liangpi noodles! They say it’s far more refreshing than what’s made in his shop, completely making you forget about summer!”
Geonheon spoke.
“My secret technique, Liangpi noodles! Can Sojakju truly win? Besides, it seems you’re one step behind me.”
Han Bing’s Liangpi Noodles!
Refreshingly tart and sweet!
Moreover, since the judges’ stomachs have limits, after eating his dish, they would feel full and find the next food far less appetizing.
And his opponent was a chef who had defeated someone who was once Jin Cheon-hee’s rival!
Even amid the crisis, I remained composed.
“….”
Instead, I glanced at him and thought.
‘Damn, that forearm is thicker than mine before Hyeongyeong.’
Was there some muscle-boosting elixir somewhere in Gangho?
As my martial arts level rose again, my wrists began to ache every time I swung my blade.
If it were Hwagyeong’s martial arts level, my body could endure it, but my body was gradually unable to handle Hyeongyeong’s martial arts.
‘Would another Rebirth of Bone and Flesh solve this? Looking at what I’ve done so far, my body definitely improves compared to before, but it doesn’t seem like my body suddenly transforms into a testosterone-pumping, muscle-building constitution.’
From experiencing it with a non-boneless body, I realized that even the same Rebirth of Bone and Flesh has vastly different efficiency depending on whether the person is boneless or not.
That’s why prestigious major sects keep their eyes wide open recruiting boneless children.
You could call it one of Gangho’s dirty secrets.
‘Jealousy over something so trivial—what good would that do?’
Having thought that far, I pulled something from the ice box.
“Almond tofu! I have completed the almond tofu! Ahahaha, by deliberately removing it last, that was my strategy.”
A dessert shines brightest when served at the proper moment.
Geonheon thought to himself.
‘Indeed, from the Jegallim Family—if this is how it goes, the stronger the seasoning in my dishes, the sweeter the almond tofu will taste as a palate cleanser. Using my own food to make his shine. Is this the advantage of moving last?’
There exists a subtle strategy in cooking too.
Precisely this method of capturing the judges’ palates through the dessert course.
‘I thought him merely a fledgling who had won a single cooking competition before… yet he has already grasped this much.’
Almond tofu.
It bears the name “tofu” because it resembles tofu in appearance, but it is not actually tofu.
Simply put, it is a pudding made from rice and milk.
Apricot kernels, nuts, honey, and sugar are mixed together.
A wildly popular dessert in China and Japan!
So popular that it is sold handmade and readily available at convenience stores.
‘My friend absolutely loves this almond tofu.’
There is one large TRPG-related shop in Tokyo where he goes and eats it all the time.
Occasionally he even direct orders it online and has it shipped to my house.
He sends some coupon, asking me to stamp the number and send it back.
I’m not sure what it is, but the coupon they include seems far more important than the almond tofu itself.
‘Almond tofu is originally eaten warm as a dessert.’
However, in modern times, eating it chilled has become fashionable.
‘Setting the almond tofu would normally require much more time, but I benefited from using ice-generating energy during the preparation.’
Ice-generating energy is my specialty.
I agonized greatly over how much ice-generating energy to use to create a perfect almond tofu.
Thanks to that, I was able to complete an almond tofu that set properly without crumbling.
Geonheon spoke.
“Even so, almond tofu is merely almond tofu. It can never surpass me, Sojakju!”
‘I envy those thick wrists.’
Even amid Geonheon’s provocation, I genuinely envied his wrists.
It was not about cooking.
It was his arrogant attitude—the unwavering confidence that he would win.
Geonheon’s face flushed red as he noticed my gaze.
“You seem very confident. Let us make a wager! If you lose this tournament…”
“…If I lose?”
“Post in the medical records that you lost to this Geonheon, and spread notices throughout the land! If I lose, I shall reveal the secret techniques of my family’s cold noodle dishes!”
“Oh.”
Woooooow!
What I thought was merely a cooking competition had suddenly become something with enormous stakes.
The spectators erupted in excitement, shouting all at once.
“Whoever loses this way will be utterly humiliated!”
“Logically speaking, Ilgwang has lost this round. Liangpiface versus Xingrenzhufu—the weight class difference isn’t that significant, is it?”
“That’s right. Plus, the opponent already crushed Ilgwang’s greatest rival with ease. The skill gap is substantial.”
Geonheon pondered.
‘At this rate, even Ilgwang would have to lower his tail.’
Losing would be utter humiliation. But as a chef, I wanted to break that arrogant pride of his.
I wanted to make him admit, even slightly, that he had a possibility of losing.
A wager of utter humiliation—to make all the martial world know of Jin Cheon-hee’s defeat!
If I lose here, I’ll have to give up the title of one of the Ten Greatest Housekeepers under Heaven!
That’s when Jin Cheon-hee spoke.
“Ou, Liangpiface.”
As he said this, wasn’t he drawing a circle with his finger as if to say he understood?
Wooooooooo!
“Unbelievable, Ilgwang accepted the wager.”
“Does he actually have confidence?”
“But that attitude—he couldn’t possibly show such a reaction without confidence.”
Geonheon was left speechless.
‘Is he in his right mind? Can he really win with just Xingrenzhufu?’
Liangpiface was his life’s masterwork, containing the cooking methods left behind by his parents.
Its weight was as heavy as Mount Tai itself.
How could he possibly compete with that using merely a snack that children enjoy?
Striking a rock with an egg!
‘He’s willing to try even knowing he’ll lose everything?’
Waaaaaaaaaaa–!
Amid the crowd’s roar, the judges’ expressions grew grave.
‘Sojakju. Is he truly…?’
* * *
There were others watching this chaos unfold.
Sama Hyeon and Sama-hye.
The two siblings gripped the tokens they had wagered on Jin Cheon-hee.
“Brother. Is Sojakju really going all out this time?”
“Yeah, that’s right~”
“But brother, why do you look so at ease?”
Sama Hyeon simply smiled.
Seeing his composure, Sama-hye asked in confusion.
“I wagered a month’s salary. How much did you bet?”
“….”
Sama Hyeon whispered the amount into Sama-hye’s ear. The moment she heard the exact sum, she exclaimed.
“No, no, no, no, crazy! That much money on a cooking competition? Really?”
“Yeah~”
Has my brother achieved enlightenment? Why does he just keep smiling like that?
As an astronomical sum threatened to vanish, Sama-hye began screaming like a madwoman.
“은고오오오옹! 이겨라아아아아아—-!”
It wasn’t just Jin Cheon-hee who had placed bets.
The siblings were in the same boat. Especially Sama Hyeon…
“Is it fashionable for sworn brothers these days to practice sati? Why is Eun Gong going to his death while my brother’s fortune dies with him?!”
Living together or dying together!
The tempest of Jeong Bae’s bankruptcy.
With two passengers aboard, the Jin Cheon-hee ship set sail.
“Eun Gong, Eun Gooooong! You must win!”
Sama-hye had lost her mind.

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