Doctor’s Rebirth - Chapter 224

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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 224
As the martial competition ended and I descended amid tremendous cheers, Sama Hyeon was already waiting for me.
“Jackpot! We made serious money, brother~”
The hall was filled with voices calling out Seo Baek-ryong’s name.
“But your martial reputation has risen so much that the odds will probably drop next time, won’t they?”
“Disappointed?”
“Not a chance. We won so spectacularly—there’s no way I’d be disappointed~ Though I am worried about small-time troublemakers trying to attach themselves to us.”
Sama Hyeon grinned wickedly.
A high martial reputation meant that more people would seek to exploit it.
Sama Hyeon’s concern was hardly unreasonable.
“Don’t worry.”
“If anyone bothers you, just tell me. I’ll dispose of them using heterodox methods.”
From his expression, it didn’t seem like he meant legal methods. I felt a chill.
Seeing my serious expression, Sama Hyeon answered.
“Don’t worry, brother. The Hyeolseonggyo is officially legitimate. If we ever really need to deal with those small-time troublemakers, I’ll use unofficial methods.”
Did he mean burying them secretly in the mountains?
‘Truly the heterodox path.’
People really do need to follow their aptitudes.
If he had gone to the orthodox sects, it would have been a tragedy for both Sama Hyeon himself and the orthodox sects.
“Next match, prepare~!”
Following the referee’s voice, the warriors methodically cleared the competition grounds.
It wouldn’t take long.
Normally, clearing the grounds meant wiping away blood, but not a drop had been spilled in this match.
The only tedious part was retrieving the iron pellets.
I quickly deployed my Forbidden Qi and Brain Qi.
Rotating the Brain Qi like spinning a coil, I temporarily created magnetism.
Then, recalling the hellish training where I had sorted white and brown rice through mid-air manipulation, I began controlling my energy with precision.
Uuuuung—
The sword of the warrior standing beside me trembled for a moment.
The iron pellets began returning to my hand one by one.
Like watching a video in reverse, the spectators momentarily went slack-jawed.
Even the warriors clearing the grounds froze in shock.
Chiiirrrp—
“One more left.”
Even the last one farthest away.
Tack—
All the iron pellets were sucked into my sleeve.
“….”
Just as I thought the burden of cleaning up after the match would be significantly reduced, cheers erupted—far louder than before.
Uwaaaaaa!
“Did you see that? That was Seo Baek-ryong!”
“Is it even possible to perform vacuum absorption on such a massive scale all at once!”
“Now that I think about it, there’s hardly any information about Seo Baek-ryong’s actual martial prowess!”
Seo Baek-ryong, Seo Baek-ryong, Seo Baek-ryong!
Amid the thunderous cheers, Sama Hyeon spoke.
“Brother, you’d be quite good at opera too.”
Only then did I suddenly realize what he meant.
‘Ah, was my showmanship a bit excessive?’
Retrieving each iron pellet one by one was already a monumental task, so I only did it with the intention of cleaning up the mess I’d created myself.
When I imagined how it must have looked to others, my face flushed with embarrassment.
‘Ah… I’m no different from those other rising martial artists.’
I like standing out.
I want to be admired and gain attention for no good reason.
I even put on airs to make my martial reputation seem impressive.
“Brother. Why, why are you like that?”
“…No, it’s nothing. Just leave me alone for a moment.”
I curled up like a bear for a brief moment.
‘At my age, this is foolish. Truly foolish…’
Unaware of my inner turmoil, the spectators continued to cheer for Seo Baek-ryong, and I could hear his followers multiplying in number.
* * *
The next match was between Yeo Ha-ryun and Ha Buk-paeng-ga’s Peng Cheon-sik!
The participation of an envoy from the Ilwol Divine Sect, moreover from the Demonic Sect, was an uncommon occurrence in the martial world.
‘I’ve heard that before the Ilwol Divine Sect was called the Demonic Sect, there was a time when it was just like any ordinary faction.’
However, that was an incomparably distant past compared to when Shaolin Temple detected the Hyeolseonggyo—a far more ancient history.
Now, to the righteous sects, the Demonic Sect was an evil faction, and in some respects, even worse than evil factions.
“During the last drought, it was the Ilwol Divine Sect that distributed relief grain.”
“But still, how can the Demonic Sect even participate?”
“Those madmen are famous for kidnapping people! Be careful not to be brainwashed!”
What the Demonic Sect actually is varies depending on the martial arts novel.
In some stories, they’re depicted as merely a tyrannical faction that reveres strength, while in others, they’re portrayed as a sanctuary for villains who cannot coexist under the same sky.
In some novels, they’re even depicted as a group that helps the poor by standing against corrupt officials.
‘From a reader’s perspective, it ultimately seems to depend on which side the protagonist stands on…’
If the Demonic Sect is the protagonist’s enemy, they must be villainous; if otherwise, they must be a faction with grievances.
In The Supreme Heavenly Demon, the Demonic Sect possesses both faces.
Before the protagonist takes power, they are demonic; after the protagonist seizes control, they transform into tyranny.
Yet the path they walk remains stained with blood all the same.
While reading, I often felt pity for Yeo Ha-ryun.
“The betting odds for the Demonic Sect keep dropping, don’t they?”
“Damn it, who keeps betting money on the Demonic Sect?”
Those with silver and those with grudges betting on the Demonic Sect.
Regardless of the stated purpose of goodwill, the fact that all these elements are intertwined remains unchanged.
Crunch—
A warrior seated somewhere in the back rows ground his teeth while glaring at the Demonic Sect.
The sound was so unsettling that even a warrior who had reached enlightenment felt their nerves sharpen in response.
Sama Hyeon spoke in a languid tone.
“I can’t fathom what the Cheonma is thinking~ One wrong move and every warrior here could be slaughtered, yet she sends an envoy anyway. Does she not care if she dies~?”
“….”
Yeo Ha-ryun stood quietly atop the platform.
Still without a trace of vitality or breath, standing in perfect silence.
His black martial robes and mask were equally dark, creating the illusion that a shadow itself had donned human garments and taken form.
‘The killing intent unique to the Heavenly Slaughter Star is no longer revealed outwardly.’
The impulse for slaughter remained unchanged, yet he had reached a realm where he no longer displayed it to the world.
How many brushes with death had he crossed to reach that point?
Jin Cheon-hee answered.
“Perhaps he has something to rely on.”
Because he was the ‘protagonist.’
The ‘protagonist’ of a martial arts tale makes the impossible possible without hesitation.
The ‘protagonist’ brings about events that should never occur, and dances within them.
Jin Cheon-hee believed in Yeo Ha-ryun.
He had read his inner nature through books, and had witnessed the stories that might have been his future.
‘There is no one but Yeo Ha-ryun who could accomplish such an impossible task.’
Sama Hyeon noticed his older brother’s gaze fixed upon Yeo Ha-ryun.
An expression filled with unwavering trust.
Why was that? What made this man so special?
Sama Hyeon threw out a thought.
“…Or perhaps there is something that must be done, even at the cost of death.”
At those words, Jin Cheon-hee nodded.
“Yes. Still, that one will be fine.”
The Demonic Sect had come to the Yongbong Assembly for a friendly match.
The ‘protagonist’ was the existence that made situations no one could have imagined possible.
He would surely survive even within this killing intent.
Jin Cheon-hee harbored not a shred of doubt.
Sama Hyeon only grew more curious about where such trust originated.
Even the Golden Blood Method of Haowen could provide only fragmentary information about the Demonic Sect, and Sama Hyeon possessed no information about Yeo Ha-ryun whatsoever.
“Brother, I wagered on Peng Cheon-sik~”
“What?”
Jin Cheon-hee looked at him with eyes that seemed to say ‘you’re throwing that money away?’
Sama Hyeon answered readily.
“I know it’s money I can afford to lose. But surely I’m allowed this much indulgence?”
“Well, when you’re even having handkerchiefs made from white silk….”
Jin Cheon-hee nodded.
“Ah~ I wanted to put in more, but no matter how I thought about it, I couldn’t bring myself to throw good money after bad.”
“That’s true.”
Jin Cheon-hee answered without a shred of doubt.
What exactly was Yeo Ha-ryun to him?
Sama Hyeon felt a curious wariness stir within him.
“Demonic Sect Goodwill Envoy versus Ha Buk-paeng-ga’s Peng Cheon-sik! Begin!”
Yeo Ha-ryun didn’t reveal his name, only introducing himself as a goodwill envoy.
Even if asked, he would use an alias anyway—a reasonable compromise.
The two men exchanged light fist salutes and took their stances.
“Hah!”
Or rather, only Peng Cheon-sik took his stance.
“….”
Yeo Ha-ryun simply stood at ease with his hands clasped behind his back. At the sight, Jin Cheon-hee’s fists clenched tightly.
‘Yes, that’s it. That’s how a martial arts novel’s Demonic Sect protagonist should be!’
Without even assuming a fighting stance, standing there leisurely as if to say you’re merely a novice so I’ll let you have the first move—wasn’t that what a true protagonist should do?
In that sense, Yeo Ha-ryun was precisely the embodiment of the Demonic Sect protagonist that martial arts enthusiast Jin Cheon-hee had imagined.
Taking this posture as provocation, Peng Cheon-sik immediately unleashed the Oho Blade Technique toward Yeo Ha-ryun.
“Die!”
In that instant, as Yeo Ha-ryun took a single step forward with his hands still clasped behind his back, an overwhelming pressure descended.
Crunch, crunch, crunch—
‘Could it be the Heavenly Demon’s Sovereign Pressure?!’
Jin Cheon-hee’s eyes widened. The martial technique itself wasn’t the issue.
The Heavenly Demon’s Sovereign Pressure was a symbolic martial art.
A technique that actively employed formless qi.
‘If he’s mastered the Heavenly Demon’s Sovereign Pressure, that means he’s already mastered the Heavenly Demon Divine Art… Has he already become a sect leader?’
The Void Seizing Technique was a prime example of using formless qi.
Explanations of formless qi varied slightly across different martial arts novels, but for a modern middle-aged man who had read them continuously since the days of vertical writing,
it seemed not unlike the “Force” wielded by Master Yo-da from Star Wars.
When Master Yo-da used the Force to lift objects or pressure people, it bore similarities to how formless qi was depicted in martial arts novels.
Particularly, the Heavenly Demon’s Sovereign Pressure used formless qi to apply pressure to an opponent’s body, restricting their movement.
If the gap in power was great enough, it alone could induce cardiac arrest.
‘However, at the supreme pinnacle, this technique produces less than half its normal power.’
That’s how difficult and finicky the Heavenly Demon’s Sovereign Pressure was, even famous within the Demonic Sect.
Yet only Yeo Ha-ryun could manage it.
What unlocked it was precisely the aptitude of the Heavenly Killing Star.
According to the Supreme Heavenly Demon, those bearing the Heavenly Killing Star become madmen nine times out of ten due to the murderous intent to kill.
Of course, that’s dangerous, but it alone doesn’t classify one as a public enemy of the martial world.
There are already countless numbers of those who went mad from improperly learning demonic arts and wandered about, only to be killed by a blind blade.
What’s more terrifying is the innate genius that the Heavenly Killing Star possesses.
‘Once I enter combat, the power of Cheonsal-seong awakens even further. That awakened enlightenment allows me to wield the power of a realm beyond the current wall. This is the truly terrifying ability of Cheonsal-seong!’
At the Peak realm, one could wield the power of the Super-Peak realm that comes next.
At Super-Peak, one could wield the power of the Flame realm.
Unconditionally, the power of the next stage manifests.
That was the true terror of Cheonsal-seong, the killing ghost bestowed by heaven.
And now, Yeo Ha-ryun was displaying that very form.

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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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