Doctor’s Rebirth - Chapter 190

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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 190
A deep sigh escaped my lungs like a lament.
In a sense, it was a topic that bordered on forbidden—something that should never be spoken. In the silence, everyone remained rigid, unable to utter a single word.
Only Jegalling remained composed.
Watching him, Elder Gwon Je’s sadness was fleeting before a small smile crossed his face.
“…Yes. I lost a disciple in such a manner. I cherished him like an orchid tucked beneath my arm, yet he withered just as easily as an orchid does.”
Because the regret I have yet to shed remains as an obsession.
“That is Gangho. That is what it means to be human. A martial artist must become like weeds. That is a master’s burden.”
“Had I known things would come to this, I would never have permitted him to go to the Mudang Sect.”
The elder deliberately spoke like he was nagging, as if making a joke.
“Is that so? But what can be done? I am already a joint predecessor and master. Kkhahaha!”
In that moment.
A cold chill crystallized around Jegalling.
Whoosh—
His hair suddenly bristled upward as a powerful pressure surged forth.
The doctors, cultivating hermits, and even the martial artists froze in place.
A suffocating pressure as if to wring the heart.
Mudang Gwon-je’s eyes blazed with light.
“You’ve begun to reach the realm of the Heart Technique.”
“Haha. What need is there for words between us? If you so insist on being a joint predecessor, then simply prove you possess martial arts befitting that claim.”
“Oho. Quite angry, aren’t you, White Qilin? I never knew you could rage like this… Well done. Well done indeed.”
Jin Cheon-hee spoke urgently.
“Master… Wait, and Grandfather!”
The eyes of both masters collided. Soon, Mudang Gwon-je spoke first.
“Kkhehehe. I’ve been itching to test myself against you for ages. I cannot express how delighted I am. Do not interfere.”
Jegalling spoke.
“You seem so pleased that I too am delighted. Cheon-hee, I shall borrow a wooden sword to ensure your grandfather doesn’t get hurt. We shall speak again shortly. Rest well now.”
The moment those words ended, the two vanished, leaving afterimages in their wake.
Jin Cheon-hee’s thoughts came to a complete halt, unsure what to do in this suddenly unfolding situation.
Shortly after, a tremendous roar echoed across Mudang Mountain.
크가가가강—!
“Cheonwoo.”
“Yes, brother.”
“I may be mistaken, but it seems like one of the peaks has disappeared?”
“…It appears so to me as well.”
“They said they would spar with a wooden sword and bare fists… right?”
“Yes.”
…
Jin Cheon-hee tore at his hair. Yoo Ho cursed aloud.
Cheonwoo’s mind momentarily departed from his body.
* * *
The two of them returned after three days had passed.
Surprisingly, neither of them appeared to be injured.
“We used wooden swords for that reason. Cheon-hee. And if either of us gets hurt, won’t that just increase the number of people you’ll need to treat?”
Meanwhile, Mudang Gwon-je answered with a vacant expression.
“…Baek Rin is insane. How did such a good child end up with that madman?”
“Please watch your words.”
“Did I say anything wrong!”
Still, after having sparred once, things were better than before.
Better than before.
Jegalling sighed.
“Still, only a master can understand another master’s feelings.”
What conversation had they had?
Jegalling’s expression was heavy. Gwon Je opened his mouth.
“It was nothing special. I merely spoke of the disciples I’ve raised, and whose bodies I’ve personally collected over the years.”
“….”
In the Gangho, a master is like a parent.
That means a disciple is like a child.
The greatest sorrow for a master is the death of a disciple.
It was comparable to the sorrow of losing one’s own child.
The Elder spoke calmly, and that was precisely why it pained Jin Cheon-hee even more.
“It was also the reason I haven’t taken new disciples for so long. That’s all.”
Swords and fists collided, and words and hearts clashed.
There was no calculation or deception in this process.
The way of the Gangho.
Elder Gwon Je continued.
“However, I also empathize with Baek Rin’s feelings. When I first took a disciple, I too didn’t know what to do.”
Time had carved deep furrows into Gwon Je’s face.
He lost disciples. He took new ones, only to lose them again.
He only ever lost.
In the Gangho, a martial artist’s lifespan was never particularly long.
Years spent wrapping them in protection, wrapping them more, wrapping them ever more.
At some point, he realized his disciple had become someone who could do nothing without him.
And he realized this only after that disciple had departed from this world.
“Ironically, only those cast out into the world… only those kinds survived in the end. And then it suddenly occurred to me.”
He brushed his wrinkled cheek.
It was as if he were wiping away traces of tears.
“I too survived in that manner.”
“….”
“Well, honestly, with two spiritual beasts attached and growing like weeds, it’s not as if he’s in danger. Baek Rin worries far too much.”
Jegalling let out a small sigh.
Elder Gwon Je continued speaking.
“I’m saying half measures. Besides, given Seo Baek-ryong’s nature, he’s not the type to wander aimlessly through Gangho. From what I hear, he’s normally cooped up in the Medical Hall obsessed with research, so wouldn’t practical experience be all the more valuable?”
“So you’re saying to cultivate him like a weed.”
“No, it’s half and half. Didn’t I say so? He’s already being protected by two spiritual creatures—what more could you ask for? Those two can’t be bribed. They have no debts in Gangho. They stick with him all day long. That dog Hwang-gu even follows him to the outhouse. What kind of bodyguard does that? Only possible because he’s a dog.”
Woof!
Hwang-gu panted proudly.
“….”
Jegalling stroked Hwang-gu’s head with a troubled expression.
Then he gently patted his beloved disciple’s head as well.
“It’s truly difficult. The human heart. The matter of growth.”
“Master.”
“Cheon-hee. For now… since we’re here, this master will help treat the remaining patients. Let’s discuss this afterward.”
At those words, Jin Cheon-hee nodded.
‘It’s true that my current inner strength alone isn’t enough. If things are like this, I need to move faster than the others.’
There’s someone I need to meet while gathering spiritual medicines.
I can’t know what this “seed of the half-immortal” they speak of is. But as someone who knows the original story, I had to do what I could.
The attempt to touch the Mudang Sect has failed, and the Bloodline Bridge has taken damage.
For a while, they won’t be able to move recklessly, so the opportunity is now.
But I had inwardly given up on persuading my master—it seemed nearly impossible.
I never expected Elder Gwon Je to help with this.
Though he certainly didn’t do it knowingly.
Elder Gwon Je gazed at the two of them with satisfaction.
“It brings back old memories.”
“Still, no alcohol.”
The elder clicked his tongue at Jin Cheon-hee, who immediately objected even as the warmth faded from his expression.
“Really. Both Baek Rin and Baek-ryong—neither of them has any style. No style at all.”
Jin Cheon-hee laughed softly.
He had worried greatly at first, but now he felt genuinely grateful that these two had met.
* * *
The next day.
Elder Gwon Je called for Jin Cheon-hee.
After finishing morning rounds at the Mudang Sect, Jin Cheon-hee headed straight to the hall.
Upon entering, he found Jang Mun-in, Elder Gwon Je, and his master Baek Rin-ui-seon all gathered together.
Jegalling was just finishing taking Jang Mun-in’s pulse.
“You said you managed to get him through the emergency treatment before he fell into deviation into madness?”
“Yes. Fortunately, it was successful.”
Jang Mun-in broke into a hearty laugh.
“They said my breathing had stopped, yet you brought me back to life—I can’t express how shocked I was. Whether it’s the medicine of man or the medicine of immortals.”
This was an era before cardiopulmonary resuscitation had been systematized.
In modern times, it’s basic emergency resuscitation, but in this era, even doctors hadn’t learned such techniques.
Jin Cheon-hee spoke calmly.
“It’s something any person can do. Because it’s the medicine of mankind, I saved a life through mankind’s medicine.”
“My disciple speaks thus. They say excessive humility is discourteous, so I worry.”
Jegalling spoke with a beaming smile across his face.
‘Look! This is my disciple! Look!’ He seemed eager to trumpet it across the heavens.
He spoke of worry, but his true meaning was ‘My disciple possesses humility as well!’
It wasn’t even hidden—such blatant boasting made Jang Mun-in’s head spin.
‘I saw signs of this at the Yongbong Assembly too, but can a person really change this much?’
Jang Mun-in spoke.
“In any case, what’s his condition now?”
“There are lingering aftereffects. The fire illness has risen quite severely, so from here on, this is my domain rather than bone-setting.”
‘Ah, Master called me to teach me this.’
Jin Cheon-hee immediately straightened his posture and listened intently to how Jegalling would proceed.
Jegalling spoke.
“Hee, how would you treat Jang Mun-in?”
As Professor Jegalling posed the question, Intern Jin immediately took Jang Mun-in’s pulse.
“….”
After closing his eyes and conducting a deep qi-pulse diagnosis, Jin Cheon-hee answered.
“His heart demon is fully lodged. While it can be called the root cause of fire illness, treatment won’t be easy.”
“Not easy? Explain.”
Heart demon—in modern terms, it bears some resemblance to stress.
Stress is the root of all ailments, a problem one must manage for a lifetime.
It’s common knowledge that patients with arterial disease or cancer must be especially careful with stress.
Moreover, it’s hardly rare for healthy people to develop illness after extreme stress.
In Gangho, the problem is that it affects not just the body but also the flow of inner strength.
In this world, qi is both what constitutes humanity and is influenced by human emotion.
When this occurs, heart demon takes hold, causing blood vessels to rupture or burst.
It’s common for sudden heart demon to cause one to cough blood and die.
That was what Jang Mun-in nearly experienced.
Jin Cheon-hee spoke.
“Fundamentally speaking, one must accept the past and maintain peace of mind. Then all problems are resolved.”
“….”
At those words, Jang Mun-in’s expression darkened.
Jin Cheon-hee continued.
“But I understand that’s impossible. What Jang Mun-in endured is no different from the pain of one’s own blood killing one’s own parents. No one could forget such a thing.”
“Yes. That’s so. And that’s why dealing with heart demon is extremely difficult.”
Jegalling withdrew an acupuncture needle.
“With acupuncture, I can prevent qi and blood from rupturing or twisting due to heart demon, but complete cure will be impossible.”
“To resolve even this much with mere acupuncture—you’re worthy of being called a physician.”
At those words, Jegalling shook his head.
“There are side effects.”
“What are they?”
“This acupuncture technique restricts the flow of inner strength through the meridians to prevent excessive qi from passing through at once. Therefore, you will only be able to use about eighty percent of your normal capabilities.”
All medical treatments carry side effects.
Especially with such a profound healing method, there could be no avoiding additional consequences.
“I am no fool who doesn’t understand that without this restriction, demonic deviation will strike again within a month.”
“Pathetic.”
Elder Gwon Je clicked his tongue.
Jang Mun-in washed his face with cold water instead of responding.
“It is all due to my own lack of virtue.”
“Did I not tell you? There is no such thing as a virtuous sect leader. If you hold such a position, you must not hesitate to shed blood accordingly.”
“Hehehehe.”
“Is Jeong Gwang’s fate entirely your fault? Do you truly believe things would have changed had you discovered your beloved brother’s true heart sooner?”
“….”
Jang Mun-in’s throat tightened, and he could not bring himself to answer.
Elder Gwon Je spoke.
“You were not the only one who failed to see it. I too was blind to it, as was everyone in the Mudang Sect. So why must you bear this burden alone?”
It was a difficult question.

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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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