Doctor’s Rebirth - Chapter 214
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
Chapter 214
The two of them made their way toward the main arena of the Yongbong Assembly, where the preliminary matches were unfolding.
A perfect square stage with each side measuring exactly thirty zhang.
Colorful flags were planted around the stage’s perimeter, and at each corner stood circular formations inscribed with bizarre characters.
Within one of these formations sat a person—someone who looked as though they had literally written “I am a formation master” on their forehead—in meditation posture, muttering something incessantly.
“So that must be the formation master I’ve only heard about.”
“You’ve never seen one before?”
“Never seen one who was both non-hostile and in such robust health. Quite vigorous, aren’t they?”
Sama Hyeon decided not to ask what that meant.
After all, there was no reason for a non-patient to ever visit Baekrin Uigak’s main headquarters for hospitalization, and if not that, then the formation masters he’d encountered were the ones he’d met during bloody battles on Mudang Mountain.
Thus, Sama Hyeon came to understand one melancholic reality.
“Without those people, the stage would be completely destroyed in a single match, so there’s no helping it, right?”
“That’s true.”
Formation masters.
They do far more than simply guide the lost, assist in architectural designs, or conduct rituals.
Depending on the martial arts tales, they appear in works that reinforce terrain itself, and in this manner, they also appear in works that protect martial tournaments.
“Theoretically, they say the stage can withstand even powerful strikes as long as those four hold the formation.”
“That’s reassuring.”
I had experienced firsthand on Mudang Mountain just how terrifying formation techniques could be.
Constraining corpses and summoning mist throughout the entire Mudang Sect—experiences that no book could fully convey.
I am currently writing a separate book about the insights I gained from that encounter.
“Oh, you wouldn’t have heard since you were sleeping, but apparently the Demonic Sect is also participating in the Yongbong Assembly this time.”
“What?”
“An envoy came, and the Alliance approved it too? Things that seemed impossible are happening all at once, so the lower ranks are in complete chaos.”
“….”
“The Martial Arts Alliance only approved the request, but the Demonic Sect sent the envoy first, didn’t they? The envoys they send could all die. Yet they did it anyway, and it’s actually happening. Everyone at the top levels is going mad trying to figure out what they’re thinking.”
What subordinates can see are merely the few stones visible on the board before their eyes.
Even those of elder rank cannot see the entire board.
They simply labor to interpret what each move before them might mean.
‘Then who could possibly see the entire board? The Martial Arts Alliance Leader?’
If one climbed to that height, would they finally be able to take in this entire massive vortex?
But if that were not the case.
If even they could not see the whole picture….
‘Then only the one who arranged this board could see it all….’
So then, who had arranged this board?
Before my eyes, the sixth match was just concluding.
A masked person in black clothing stood motionless against an opponent wielding a massive axe.
Silence.
It was strange. The black-clothed person took no martial stance whatsoever, simply standing there.
This peculiar sense of discord kept drawing my gaze.
Only then did I understand why my gaze kept returning to him.
The man was not breathing.
No, humans cannot exist without air, so he must be breathing.
Yet his breathing technique was so peculiar that not only ordinary people but even fellow warriors would struggle to notice it.
Wearing human flesh like an inanimate object made his appearance all the more uncanny.
That sense of wrongness—unable to pinpoint exactly what was amiss—only deepened the unsettling feeling.
“Die, you Demonic Sect bastard!”
The opponent had a youthful face, yet stood eight feet tall—a giant of a man.
Sama Hyeon spoke upon seeing him.
“Ah, so it’s the Hyeolbu from the Hyeolbu Sect. Despite his youth, he’s already advancing toward the pinnacle realm, or so I’ve heard.”
“Wow, that’s no joke. Impressive indeed.”line>
“Heterodox sects grow quickly. This age is when they develop most rapidly. Though by thirty, he’ll start suffering the consequences.”
“Safa grows fast naturally. That age is when she’s growing well. Later when she gets to thirty, things will get tough.”
Sama Hyeon spoke as though discussing someone else’s affairs.
The Hyeolbu swung his massive axe toward the Black-Clothed Person.
The destructive force generated by such a giant was tremendous.
An axe as enormous as the giant’s body cleaved the air, brimming with killing intent.
That was unmistakably a killing strike!
Though killing strikes are forbidden in martial contests, what distinguishes a killing strike from an ordinary one?
Humans are creatures of emotion.
Heightened instinct within blood combat awakens the muscles.
Crash!
Astonishingly, the Black-Clothed Person caught the axe blade with his bare hands.
He could have deflected it or dodged, yet he caught it head-on.
“Pathetic.”
I realized he did this to inflict complete humiliation upon his opponent.
The man’s form vanished.
“One.”
At that number, I understood who he was.
Boom!
What appeared next was the eight-foot giant driven into the ground, with the Black-Clothed Person’s foot pressing down on his head.
“You’re not even worth two.”
Crack—
With the sound of something breaking wrongly, the giant lost consciousness.
‘He didn’t kill him.’
He merely pressed a vital point that shouldn’t be compressed, rendering him unconscious.
The way he pressed it with his foot showed his temperament remained unchanged.
The Masked Person soon lifted his head and looked toward me.
[It’s been a while, brother.]
Yeo Ha-ryun sent a transmission, suppressing killing intent that had grown more refined and more vicious than before.
Suppressing a more skillful and more vicious will to live than before.
A time when he was suffering greatly from the Heavenly Slaughter Sickness.
Jin Cheon-hee answered calmly.
[Do we need to send that patient you’re standing on to the emergency room? No, never mind. Let me take your pulse.]
A person driven mad by overwork was a terrifying thing indeed.
* * *
Had he been aware of my presence here from the beginning?
There were no major injuries in Ward Six.
“Thank you. Really, thank you. You’re the treasure of the Medical Hall.”
Jin Cheon-hee patted his younger brother’s shoulder firmly after their long separation.
“What on earth happened? Brother, your eyes don’t look right…?”
“What’s wrong with my eyes? Sama Hyeon was saying the same thing.”
At those words, Yeo Ha-ryun and Sama Hyeon spoke simultaneously.
“Eyes that have risen from hell.”
“Eyes that have rolled through hell.”
‘Hmm, the expressions differ, but the meaning is the same.’
Yeo Ha-ryun and Sama Hyeon spoke at the same time, then looked at each other.
Sama Hyeon was the first to laugh.
“Brother, who is this person~? You two seem close.”
At those words, I couldn’t bring myself to answer, ‘He’s my older brother in the Demonic Sect~’
In the past, Yeo Ha-ryun had once said this to my junior brothers and sisters.
-If you meet me directly in the future and don’t waver, and have enough martial power to protect your brother, then I’ll grant permission at that time.
-That’s right. I don’t even ask you to defeat me. I’ll concede three exchanges—if you can tear even the hem of my robe, I’ll allow you to become your brother’s shield of benevolence.
Yeo Ha-ryun released his killing intent in waves.
It was the grand prelude to the ‘Selection Tournament for the Greatest Medical Sibling Under Heaven. Subtitle: Die if You Want to Be a Younger Brother.’
The very thing Jin Cheon-hee wanted to postpone as long as possible.
Suddenly, a group wearing Mudang Sect robes appeared in the distance.
Fortunately, they seemed to be occupied with something and hadn’t noticed me.
Jin Cheon-hee quickly stepped backward.
‘Could everyone really have gathered at the Yongbong Assembly?’
Thus Sama Hyeon, Cheonwoo, and Yeo Ha-ryun.
I realized that these three had entered the Yongbong Assembly together.
I already knew from the bracket that the Demonic Sect was entering after the Orthodox Sects.
And now the Demonic Sect was also participating.
In this insane situation, Jin Cheon-hee’s mind raced desperately.
But it was Sama Hyeon who struck first.
“Nice to meet you~ I’m Sama Hyeon, your brother’s medical sibling. Who is Sohyeop~?”
“….”
Yeo Ha-ryun’s neck turned with a grinding sound to face Jin Cheon-hee.
Though he wore a mask, I could almost see the gleam in his eyes behind it.
‘Ah… that burns.’
At that moment, the Martial Arts Alliance warrior serving as judge shouted.
“Group 7, Group 7 take the stage!”
‘Damn it. Of all times….’
When I didn’t ascend, the judge shouted again.
“If you don’t take the stage by the time limit, I’ll mark it as a forfeit!”
“I’ll finish this quickly and come back, so you two need to get along while I’m gone. Got it? You have to get along at least until I return!”
I gripped both my younger brothers’ shoulders firmly and shouted.
The Heterodox Sects and the Demonic Sect.
What would become of Gangho’s peace?
I turned back to look at the two of them several times as I climbed toward the stage.
Sama Hyeon waved his hand cheerfully toward me.
“Brother, do your best~!”
“Yeah.”
“So I really am the only true ‘medical brother,’ right?”
“….”
He’d caught on.
From Yeo Ha-ryun’s reaction alone, Sama Hyeon had figured it out.
Who his opponent was.
‘This is bad. This is bad. This is bad….’
And with that foul-tempered Sama Hyeon’s personality, he wouldn’t be getting along peacefully with him, and in any case, Yeo Ha-ryun would subject him to some kind of durability test.
* * *
Group 7 preliminary match.
The stage was quite spacious—about the size of a training ground.
The smell of roasted lamb skewers wafted through the air. Looking up, I saw spectators gathered around the arena, each holding food in their hands.
Even warriors with swords at their waists were eating lamb skewers with great enthusiasm.
‘Right. Good entertainment deserves good food.’
The preliminary matches were incredibly popular.
Especially since the preliminaries weren’t one-on-one duels, but group melees!
That’s what made it fun to watch.
Since admission tickets were sold for money, protective formations were even installed around the arena to prevent most attacks from leaving the combat zone.
‘No wonder all the merchants are rushing in with eyes gleaming.’
Sure enough, seeing a merchant in robes labeled “Sungsung Street Stall” selling lamb skewers, I became convinced that the Geumhyeol Faction’s business organization was also getting a cut here.
After all, street stalls don’t pay taxes.
‘And what kind of stall owner wears a sword at their waist?’
In this world, warriors who had cultivated inner energy were premium labor.
Such a warrior wouldn’t personally run a stall grilling and selling lamb skewers, so with high probability, they were being paid some kind of part-time wages(?) by a Heterodox Sect warrior to sell them.
‘They’re paying him to do that? A warrior with such pride?’
It had to be Sama Hyeon. Only that bastard would order something like this.
The subordinate would have to comply unless he wanted his skull physically cracked.
In the corner, gambling had broken out over who would win.
“Seo Baek-ryong! Is there anyone else placing bets on Seo Baek-ryong!?”
Indeed, regardless of right or wrong, everyone had gathered with the determination to make a profit however they could!
The Yongbong Assembly was hardly without reason called the flower of martial arts fiction.
Though the scale varied slightly from work to work, the Yongbong Assembly was always portrayed as Gangho’s grandest event.
Jin Cheon-hee leaped onto the martial stage.
Including myself, seven of us had ascended.
‘Let me see what we have here….’
I habitually circulated the Hyeonwon Jeondan Singeong to survey my surroundings.
Activating the Hyeonwon Jeondan Singeong before combat to sharpen one’s mental acuity had become second nature to me as a warrior.
‘According to the bracket, there are none from the Eight Great Sects or Four Major Families. Yet there are two here with formidable auras.’
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————