Doctor’s Rebirth - Chapter 120

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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 120
Sama Hyeon ran his tongue across his lips.
He tasted blood, metallic and bitter.
The demon lord before him was on an entirely different level from anyone he’d encountered before.
Despite appearances, Sama Hyeon remained remarkably composed.
The man before him didn’t seem like one to make idle threats.
If he said he’d break my limbs, he would. If he said he’d kill my brothers, he would.
‘What a shame~ if only I had more inner strength, it might be worth trying….’
A wretched life. Well, long live it. Long live!
All I could do was laugh.
‘Indeed, good fortune invites calamity. The old saying was never wrong.’
Still, from performing in opera, I knew a few characters.
When good fortune comes, misfortune inevitably follows.
Sama Hyeon mocked himself.
‘Since it’s come to this, I might as well tear off half his face on my way out.’
If mutual destruction was impossible, doing half of it was better than nothing.
“Elder. Come to think of it… that face of yours looks quite nice. Will you give it to me?”
“There’s no helping it. Since you’re thrashing about wanting to die like this… don’t blame me too much.”
Madness surged from deep within Sama Hyeon’s chest.
‘If I have no inner strength, fine. I’ll detonate my innate qi instead~’
It would hurt somewhat, but it seemed like a decent way to die.
Sama Hyeon’s dantian began to convulse.
To see this through to the end, the young man made his resolve.
Then. A voice rang out.
“Hey, you there. Take your hands off my patient’s guardian.”
Clang! – Master, that one’s hard to bite at his vital points. He’s strong.
When Sama Hyeon looked up, Jin Cheon-hee was there.
The demon lord asked.
“What is your relationship to this one?”
At those words, Jin Cheon-hee’s eyes gleamed.
“Attending physician and guardian! He hasn’t finished paying his medical bills yet. So take your hands off.”
Three debts of gratitude.
At those words, Sama Hyeon couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh.
Attending physician and guardian.
Jin Cheon-hee spoke to Sama Hyeon.
“I don’t know what you’re about to do, but don’t do anything dangerous until you’ve paid your medical bills.”
How did he notice?
Was it because of the Jegal Family’s mysterious inner strength? Or perhaps that spirit creature sensed something suspicious.
‘That’s right. I haven’t finished paying the medical bills yet.’
Just how long did that Doctor intend to keep me alive?
Sama Hyeon felt an indescribable emotion toward Jin Cheon-hee.
* * *
At least I managed to prevent Sama Hyeon from causing his innate qi to rampage.
‘Oh, my words worked. Thank goodness.’
As a modern surgeon, I found it remarkable how easily the people of Gangho threw away their lives.
‘If I hadn’t read that novel, this could have ended badly.’
In the original story, there was a description of the Hao Munzhu’s palms turning red when his innate qi rampaged.
Normally, it would be difficult to distinguish between redness from cold and the signs of innate qi rampage.
Moreover, by the time one could tell the difference, the innate qi would already be rampaging, making it too late to save them.
I was able to stop Sama Hyeon partly because I’d read the original novel.
The other half was due to reading the old man’s expression.
In my not-short previous life, I’d seen countless times how humans made situations worse when things were already bad.
Given the circumstances and that I was gradually becoming accustomed to the sensibilities of martial artists as a modern person, I fortunately managed to guess correctly.
‘Even if I’d been wrong, I threw out a safe remark.’
I was grateful that I could use my social skills at times like this, I thought.
‘Now I need to figure out what kind of person this giant in front of me is from the novel…’
Thanks to the Hyeonwon Jeonjdan Divine Art, my thoughts flowed faster and clearer than ever.
The fact that his hands and face were as hard as ancient wood was quite a distinctive feature.
There should have been a description of it somewhere in the novel.
After narrowing down several candidates, I filtered again based on build and age.
Soon, I narrowed my eyes as I reached a conclusion.
“That’s the characteristic of ancient wood demonic arts. Could you be Gokgol Hyeolma?”
“Tsk tsk. You have quite the discerning eye, young one.”
It seemed I was correct.
Gokgol Hyeolma.
A villain who appeared in the novel.
In terms of martial arts fiction villains, he could be considered a mid-tier boss.
He carried out orders under the true bosses like the Munzhu, the Demonic Head, and the Fiend, but he also had underlings of his own.
If I had to describe it, he was a middle manager of the martial world.
I’d rarely seen mid-tier boss villains with good personalities as they served as the limbs of the final bosses.
Such was the plight of middle management.
I’d read descriptions stating that Gokgol Hyeolma’s martial prowess was at the pinnacle level.
At the pinnacle level, he possessed the skills to occupy the position of sect master or dharma protector of a mid-sized faction!
‘Why would someone of that caliber personally come all this way just to capture one child?’
This was why Muhua and Muyue couldn’t move.
In a Confucian nation’s faction, rank was as important as life itself.
And by “as important as life,” I meant literally as important as life.
Still, seeing that there were no other underlings around Gokgol Hyeolma, he seemed to have drawn the line somewhere.
It was the maximum a practical administrator could do.
‘I need to be careful with my words. If I accidentally mention that Muhua and Muyue told me, they could have their dantian sealed and their limbs’ meridians torn.’
I stroked Hwang-gu’s head and gave him a signal.
Woof! – First bark, ask questions later. Master!
I spoke with meaningful intent.
“We cannot ignore the information from Gaebang.”
“Kekeke, so you’re Seo Baek-ryong, traveling with one of Gaebang’s spirit beasts. I’ve heard the rumors.”
Thank you, Hwang-gu.
With a single word, I subtly erased all traces of Muhua and Muyue.
Gokgol Hyeolma spoke.
“So you’re the one who treated this child. Just as the rumors say, Seo Baek-ryong cannot tolerate injustice. However, this is a matter for our sect. Withdraw.”
Gokgol Hyeolma seemed to prefer ending this amicably if possible.
‘Truly a middle manager. He’s maintaining his dignity while delivering his lines perfectly.’
I sensed the depth of Gokgol Hyeolma’s experience.
‘Gokgol Hyeolma belonged to Haowen, didn’t he? I recall reading that when the Gokgol Demonic Sect originally split from the Demonic Sect, they sought refuge with Haowen when their faction fell.’
It was no wonder Muhua and Muyue were in trouble.
‘Internal competition within Haowen.’
In modern terms, Haowen could be described as a cartel formed by the merger of several criminal organizations.
Excluding the smaller mid-tier groups, it could be roughly divided into about five major factions, and I’d heard the competition among them was fierce.
Gokgol Hyeolma clearly belonged to one of these—the Assassination Faction, the faction of assassins and killers.
This was a different faction from the one Muhua and Muyue belonged to, which dealt with brothels, pleasure quarters, and inns.
‘I can hear the sound of sarira emanating from Muhua and Muyue’s bodies.’
A towering middle-management figure from a rival faction, one bearing the epithet ‘Hyeolma’.
Dealing with such a foul-tempered middle manager from another faction was enough to perforate one’s stomach.
“Is this independent action by the Assassination Faction?”
“Hmm. You know quite a bit about our sect. Gaebang… no. Your master Baek Rin may have taught you this. A cunning and ruthless one, like a serpent.”
Indeed, Gangho was vast yet narrow.
We knew each other and acted accordingly.
But if I let an insult to my master pass without response, I wouldn’t be worthy of Gangho.
I made this point as respectfully and firmly as possible.
“Do not carelessly insult my master’s name.”
“Kekekekek. Unusually composed for a child… so I threw a stone to test you. Now you’ve made a properly fitting expression.”
I regarded him with a cold gaze.
Simultaneously, my mind reached a conclusion.
‘He’s noticed from my reaction that I won’t back down.’
In Gangho, insulting one’s master was no different from insulting one’s parents.
Bringing it up deliberately meant one of two things.
‘First, that he’s warning me to fight if I don’t withdraw.’
I placed my hand on the hilt of the Icy Sword.
A cold chill seeped into my palm through the blade.
‘Second, that someone like me is nothing more than a meal to him—a heterodox warning.’
Shing—
I drew the Icy Sword Made of Northern Iron.
I changed the grip, the blade, and the scabbard.
To the eye, it appeared no different from an ordinary sword. Yet the sound it produced was crystalline and pure.
“You intend to stand against me?”
‘He already knows, yet asks again.’
If that were the case, then I, a modern man in this world of martial artists, had to deliver a suitably dramatic line befitting the customs of Gangho.
After all, isn’t Gangho a place where one lives and dies by appearance?
Even in this situation, I hadn’t completely abandoned the possibility of dialogue.
But my opponent was no modern person—he was a Hyeolma of the martial world.
“I am merely an unknown, nameless young child. Should the great Gokgol Hyeolma personally intervene, all the martial artists of Gangho would surely mock you.”
“Do you think I don’t know that? There are simply circumstances beyond my control.”
‘So he’s willing to bear the shame and act anyway. Damn it.’
It seemed those above had ordered him to strike, so he came to strike.
In this case, even I had no answer.
To persuade him, I’d need to persuade whoever stood above Gokgol Hyeolma, but I had no modern communication equipment. And if those above ordered him to strike, then strike he must.
I spoke thus.
“Then what of this? I understand this matter sits poorly with you, Hyeolma. So allow me to fight in his stead instead.”
“You propose a proxy duel for that child?”
“Yes. If I lose, do as you wish. But if I win, then this once, please withdraw.”
After all, it was merely a dignified way of expressing what would happen anyway. Yet as a Hyeolma, he surely wouldn’t want to abduct an unknown young child through brute force.
At my words, the Hyeolma’s expression shifted.
“Though the name Seo Baek-ryong may fall short of Gokgol Hyeolma’s renown, it would surely be better than the dishonor of having fought a small child at my back.”
At those words, Sama Hyeon’s eyes widened.
“Brother…!”
I stopped Sama Hyeon as he tried to rush forward with his injured body.
“Trust me.”
“Do you want to die?”
Sama Hyeon cried out.
“Stop it. Just take me instead! Don’t lay a finger on my brother!”
But Gokgol Hyeolma answered.
“I don’t understand why a child like you would go so far, but fine. I have no desire for such infamy either. Let us have a match.”
I exhaled in relief. Sama Hyeon continued to cry out.
“Take me! Just take me!”
I grabbed Sama Hyeon’s shoulder with one hand.
Then I pulled my facial muscles into a broad smile.
“Do you trust your brother?”
“What…?”
“I’m strong. So trust me and wait.”
I did what I did best.
With an annoyingly confident voice, I ruffled Sama Hyeon’s hair.
Sama Hyeon simply collapsed under Jin Cheon-hee’s touch.
Had he chosen to trust Jin Cheon-hee? Or had he accepted what could not be changed?
“…Don’t die. That bastard is strong.”
“Understood.”
With those words, Jin Cheon-hee turned his back on Sama Hyeon and stood.
A narrow alley.
Two men faced each other.
Jin Cheon-hee leveled the Icy Sword Made of Northern Iron toward him.
‘If my Master had witnessed this, he would have said my choice was correct.’
This was precisely why I had prepared the Eternal Iron Shackles rather than the Eternal Iron Sword.
Giving him a blade would only lead to recklessness anyway.
The calculation was simple—restraint came first.
Besides, with the Icy Sword Made of Northern Iron in hand, adding the Eternal Iron Sword would serve no purpose.
To avoid death, avoiding dangerous actions had to be the highest priority.
Yet Jin Cheon-hee was not one to refrain from such things.

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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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