Doctor’s Rebirth - Chapter 329

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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 329
Sama Hyeon joined the expedition to the Secret Cavern, but Cheonwoo was excluded. The Mudang Sect had decided to withdraw from this matter.
“My Shifu expressed his displeasure at this entire affair.”
Mudang Gwon-je was not the type to tolerate such situations.
Rather, he would grow irritated, insisting that Cheonwoo focus on properly mastering the Tai Chi Wisdom Sword instead of wasting time on such trivial techniques.
“It’s for the best. Refining the Mudang Sect’s supreme arts should take priority.”
“But the Elders still seem displeased, brother.”
“What can we do? Either we win through martial prowess, or we follow the distribution accordingly.”
In the martial world of Gangho, to overcome the orthodox sects, one needed profound martial mastery to establish legitimacy.
Currently, the Mudang Sect had no Elder capable of suppressing Mudang Gwon-je through martial skill.
Rather, Mudang Gwon-je eagerly awaited challengers.
He needed a justification to subject these fearless young pups to hellish training.
“So you’ll come to Baek Rin’s Medical Guild after this matter concludes?”
“Yes. I received permission for that. In fact, he welcomed it. My Shifu was deeply impressed by your actions this time.”
…It seemed that Gwon-je’s peculiar nature had been stirred by something in Jin Cheon-hee’s deeds.
“I see.”
I exchanged farewells with Cheonwoo and the members of the Mudang Sect.
Mudang Gwon-je merely dismissed me curtly, saying he was busy and that I should leave quickly, then departed abruptly.
Others might have thought him a temperamental and eccentric old man, but my assessment differed.
‘He’s withdrawing first to prevent any madman from claiming I’ve conspired with the orthodox sects.’
Gwon-je was showing consideration so that I wouldn’t face any awkward situations.
Even while claiming to dislike politics.
In the end, he wasn’t completely turning a blind eye.
“So I’m going with you, brother~”
“There shouldn’t be any major dangers, but be careful. Understood?”
“Don’t worry~. I’ve brought various supplies anyway.”
“What did you bring?”
“Antidotes and other necessities?”
“Well done.”
Sama Hyeon was one of the ten people Sulgye had selected, and naturally he was positioned to enter the Secret Cavern with me.
Sama Hyeon grinned at my praise. The expedition team thus formed soon headed toward the entrance of the Secret Cavern.
The entrance to the Secret Cavern appeared as an ordinary cave opening on the surface, but upon entering, a corridor with neatly hewn stone walls appeared.
This was where the true Secret Cavern began.
The moment we stepped inside, the mechanism specialists sent by each faction immediately shouted.
“Stop! We shall serve as your guides from here onward.”
They spoke thus while beginning to tap the walls with something resembling a resonance bell.
* * *
“Sigh, these martial artists are always so impatient… tsk tsk.”
“Do not touch anything carelessly. There are certainly traps present.”
“What do you know of mechanisms!? You could die doing that!”
‘An old fogey. I can smell the stench of an old fogey.’
I observed their actions while thinking such thoughts.
The martial artists wore tired expressions as they watched these mechanism experts.
‘Still, the martial artists aren’t threatening them with brute force or anything. Well, that’s how all social organizations work.’
Social hierarchy was remarkably subtle, and in situations like this, it seemed the martial artists had to tolerate the mechanism experts’ stubbornness.
Watching this curious spectacle, I moved forward. How long had we been walking as the mechanism experts led the way, inspecting here and there?
“A trap! A trap ahead! Everyone halt!”
Sure enough, a section of floor with a subtly different color appeared. One of the mechanism experts drew a small short blade from his waist and opened the floor panel.
Click!
Indeed, a trap had been installed.
“Acidic poison was set here.”
“How vicious! Disarm it carefully.”
The expert, beads of cold sweat forming on his brow, carefully succeeded in disarming the mechanism one by one with the tip of his blade.
I watched this display with considerable admiration.
‘In novels, they’d just break through traps with martial prowess. I suppose that’s what happens when you’re in a hurry. This feels like the martial arts version of archaeological excavation.’
I even recalled Indiana Jones from my childhood.
Come to think of it, I’d never actually read a novel about exploring ancient tombs like this before.
My fascination was short-lived, however.
One hour passed, then two hours.
Two hours meant four hours in modern time. And in that span, we’d only covered a mere twenty paces.
‘What? We spent two hours to clear a distance we could walk in minutes? When are we ever going to finish exploring this tomb?’
That was the reality.
It was moving at the pace of a crawling turtle.
And I, a Korean accustomed to rushing, felt a suffocating frustration threatening to burst forth.
* * *
“Brother, are you bored~?”
“Aren’t you bored?”
“I’m bored, but what can I do~? That’s why I’m training my inner energy in the meantime. I need to make good use of my time~”
“I see. Being a Disciple makes that possible? Still, be careful. You might fall into deviation.”
“Don’t worry~ It’s not like I’m doing this for the first or second time.”
Training inner energy while stationary is called static cultivation, while training inner energy while moving is called dynamic cultivation.
With static cultivation, there exists the danger of deviation sickness occurring if one moves or receives an impact during training, causing one’s vital energy to become twisted.
Therefore, it was common sense to conduct inner energy training only in extremely safe locations.
However, dynamic cultivation involves gathering inner energy while moving or performing specific movements.
The possibility of deviation sickness is lower compared to static cultivation, and some methods are so safe that deviation sickness doesn’t occur at all.
Naturally, where there are advantages, there are disadvantages.
With dynamic cultivation, the speed and amount of inner energy accumulation is considerably inferior compared to static cultivation.
Of course, I was aware of this fact as well.
“Still, be careful. There’s almost nothing absolute in this world.”
“Hmm~. If you say so, I understand~.”
“Well, at this rate, I have no idea how long it’ll take to explore this secret chamber.”
I watched the archaeologists ahead tapping walls and excavating the ground while disarming traps, and I sighed.
Wouldn’t it be better to just blast through with martial arts?
“I heard about this before—apparently, exploring a secret chamber of significant scale usually requires at least a month of excavation.”
“A month?”
“Yeah. A month.”
“Sigh….”
A month?! My rabbit-like second child is waiting at home, and I can’t afford to be held up here for an entire month!
“This won’t do.”
“What are you planning?”
“Just wait and see.”
I stepped forward.
Then one of the mechanism specialists shouted.
“Hey! This area ahead is dangerous! Even if it seems frustrating, this isn’t easy work!”
I sighed at those words.
The Jegalling Family’s mechanisms, no less.
My Master would have scoffed, wondering who this person thought they were speaking to with such presumption.
“I also possess specialized knowledge, so I’d like to contribute.”
I spoke respectfully for now.
“Baek-ui Sinryong. I’m aware that you’re the disciple and junior patriarch of Baek Rin, the direct descendant of the Jegalling Family, but aren’t you a doctor? Are you claiming to have mastered the Jegalling Family’s secret knowledge of mechanisms?”
Then someone stepped forward.
An elderly man with long white whiskers in scholarly fashion. Yet his waist was sturdy and his eyes gleamed with vitality.
At a glance, his martial prowess appeared quite formidable.
“May I inquire of the great hero your esteemed name?”
“I am Namgung Cheong-mo of the Namgung Family. In the martial world, I’m called the Fox Scholar.”
“So you’re the great hero Namgung.”
“Indeed. And few in the martial world are as deeply versed in mechanisms as I am. This isn’t self-praise—it’s the martial world’s assessment. Surely you’re aware that the Namgung Family has studied mechanisms for as long as the Jegalling Family?”
“I’m well aware of that.”
The Namgung Family!
They too possessed considerable expertise in mechanisms.
Not quite on the Jegalling Family’s level, but it’s well-known that when mechanisms are mentioned in the martial world, the Namgung Family ranks among the top five.
‘The Namgung Family’s fame in mechanisms is a setting that appears frequently in many novels. It was the same in Jicheon Cheonma.’
I nodded inwardly at this.
But knowing this didn’t mean I should back down.
If I did, I might end up staying here for over a month.
By chance, the Changryong Sword Namgung Un and his siblings—the future Iron-Blooded Sword Master Namgung Yeon—weren’t involved in this and weren’t present.
If those two were here, conversation would at least be easier, but like this, I’d be forced to trudge along at a snail’s pace for a month.
‘This is shocking and terrifying, you bastards!’
While I grimaced inwardly, I spoke with a faint smile on my face.
“I understand your concerns, great hero Namgung, but my knowledge of mechanisms is hardly shallow. Why not let me give it a try?”
“Knowledge alone is insufficient. Practical experience in the field is equally vital. Surely you understand that it’s impossible to master martial arts through secret manuals alone?”
At Namgung Cheong-mo’s words, the other mechanism experts on either side spoke in unison.
“The Baek-ui Sinryong has become arrogant now that he’s reached Hwagyeong.”
“I wonder if he even has any real field experience.”
“This is exactly why masters shouldn’t be too lenient.”
Clearly provocative remarks. Yet they held truth as well. Their arguments contained no logical flaws.
“Then refrain from interfering and remain silent.”
“It won’t be a hindrance.”
“Sigh… Very well then, come and attempt it yourself.”
Namgung Cheong-mo exhaled a long sigh while shaking his head slowly.
Though he yielded the space, his disdain for me was plainly evident.
I maintained an outward smile while sighing inwardly.
Then I advanced with measured steps.
“Wait! You can’t enter like that! There’s a trap—!”
Thump.
Whirrrrr.
I rolled my foot against the ground.
A peculiar resonance echoed forth, humming ominously. Then I extended my hand.
Fragments of pure white vital force shot forth, obliterating the section containing the trap.
I had located the trap’s position using sound resonance, then destroyed it in a single strike with my vital force!
After disarming the trap, I smiled faintly.
“Now there’s nothing to worry about, is there?”
Everyone froze at the sight of my actions.

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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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