Doctor’s Rebirth - Chapter 354

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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 354
‘Sigh… I told him to exercise restraint, and yet… well, if the protagonist actually listened to others, he wouldn’t be a martial arts novel protagonist, would he?’
I wish he’d at least pretend to be blind and play dumb.
I never expected him to jump straight into the Heavenly Demon Scripture from the start.
‘If the Hyeolseonggyo hadn’t existed, I would’ve become a public enemy of the martial world.’
At least Sama Hyeon had the Dragon-Phoenix Assembly to use as an excuse for face-saving.
Instead, my Master would become truly annoyed, and he’d start treating my junior disciples like pests even more than he does now.
Troublesome fellows who tarnish their master’s reputation.
Sama Hyeon and Cheonwoo, who suddenly found themselves sharing collective responsibility, would feel quite wronged.
‘But… it was the only way to end that situation with minimal time and minimal effort.’
I hesitated, while Yeo Ha-ryun simply moved forward.
That was the style of the protagonist Yeo Ha-ryun.
The Jicheon Cheonma incarnate.
As a martial arts novel fan, my heart swelled with excitement, but at the same time, cleanup was still reality.
‘Namgung Un will inevitably develop kidney stones soon anyway.’
No matter how much I lectured this man, he had no choice but to remain dependent on Baekrin Uiseon.
I understood what elegance meant to a martial artist, and perhaps I even understood that it could be more precious than life itself…
I had now accepted that Namgung Un would sooner take his own life than quit drinking.
‘In modern times, wouldn’t this be called alcoholism?’
My identity as a doctor and my identity as a martial arts novel fan were grappling with each other.
‘No, this is elegance. A martial artist’s love of alcohol is a virtue…’
‘Ah, but… even so, just because someone is a martial artist doesn’t mean they won’t develop cirrhosis in their later years. Just look at Namgung Un with his kidney stones…’
‘But… stabbing each other in the belly with swords isn’t exactly healthy to begin with…, is it?’
My doctor’s identity had begun to question the very foundations of martial arts.
Stop. Just stop.
Namgung Un was destined to visit Baekrin Uiseon for the rest of his life anyway.
It was time for the Gaju to understand this as well.
For Namgung Un to truly recover, he would need to abstain from alcohol—something that was impossible.
Having thought that far, I suddenly shouted.
“Everyone! What are you doing in front of a patient!”
Strangely enough.
That voice struck the eardrums of the others, but had no effect whatsoever on the patient, Tugoe’s Granddaughter Gong Yu-bing.
An application of the Hexagonal Transmission Sound technique.
Originally an advanced transmission technique that made sounds echo from all directions to hide the speaker’s location,
but having mastered the Chil Ma Geum sound technique, I could apply it in this way as well.
Watching my perfect control of sound transmission, the faces of the Namgung Family warriors turned pale.
‘So he’s reached that level.’
Martial technique and sound technique were similar yet fundamentally different at their roots.
‘One couldn’t perform such techniques without gaining enlightenment about it and establishing it within oneself.’
Among the flustered warriors, Namgung Un spoke calmly.
“Hmm, hmm. Little Brother Jin’s internal energy cultivation is quite impressive. That said, we can’t be doing such things in front of a patient. Come now, uncles, let’s step outside.”
“Un, you bastard! You should help the Gaebangjoo too… ugh.”
“Come now, let’s go, uncles. That fellow isn’t called mad for nothing. Let’s not make this bigger than it needs to be and let him work.”
Namgung Un clamped his hand over one of the Twin Dragon Swords’ mouths and dragged him out, while the remaining elder followed behind with a displeased expression.
Watching how well the other one listened, I thought Namgung Un must be quite close with them, and I turned my attention to the others.
“That’s all. Everyone out.”
Soon after.
Everyone from the Namgung Family, down to the servants, had left.
Only Tugoe and Yeo Ha-ryun remained in the room.
I considered sending Yeo Ha-ryun out as well, but decided against it.
No matter how unavoidable it was that the Namgung Family and Baekrin Medical Guild were in the same boat.
If I left the Little Heavenly Demon of the Demonic Cult, whose identity was half-exposed, outside, there was no telling what kind of trouble might arise.
And so.
I began to concentrate.
‘As expected….’
How long had I maintained the same posture?
I soon discovered what Tugoe’s Granddaughter’s illness was.
I was able to tell immediately because I had been holding her wrist and infusing my true energy to probe the illness since earlier.
‘It is acute renal failure. I suspected as much….’
Acute renal failure.
Acute renal failure is a disease that occurs when there is an abnormality in kidney function.
The kidneys are originally organs that process the body’s waste, but when their function becomes abnormal, hyperazotemia occurs in the blood, and body fluids and electrolytes become imbalanced.
The reason is simple.
The kidneys filter waste and expel it through urine.
In a normal person, the amount of blood filtered by the kidneys in a single day is a staggering 180 liters.
An enormous quantity, one could say.
Therefore, the moment kidney function becomes abnormal, the volume of urine decreases.
Waste that should be expelled through urine is not discharged, causing uremia, and various complications begin in an instant.
This is why without rapid treatment, death occurs.
‘The mortality rate is as high as 75%.’
If treated early, the survival rate increases, but according to medical reports, statistics show that approximately 5% of patients develop permanent kidney function impairment.
In crude terms, it means the kidneys have failed.
It means the kidney function doesn’t merely decline—it loses function entirely.
One must rely on hospitals for the rest of one’s life.
Since the kidneys cannot filter waste, someone must filter it instead.
In the modern world, dialysis treatment exists.
But in this medieval martial world, acute renal failure is a disease one must die from.
Without Earth’s technology, there was no way to save them.
Even with such knowledge, acute renal failure often ends in permanent functional impairment.
This acute renal failure, being such a dangerous disease, has multiple causes for its occurrence, with most cases resulting from complex reasons.
That’s why finding the true cause and reason is the shortcut to treating this illness.
However.
In the case of the girl standing before me right now, I had already predicted the cause.
‘Poison… it must be from poison.’
I sometimes think about this while reading martial arts novels.
Whenever I see a scene where a martial artist poisoned by toxins eats an antidote and recovers, I wonder: ‘But doesn’t this put strain on the liver and kidneys?’
Those with high martial prowess have different metabolic rates than ordinary people.
Demonic cultivation versus normal martial arts, heterodox techniques, and varying characteristics depending on the five elements or yin-yang principles.
Generally, they’re stronger, faster, and more efficient.
Which means in some cases, there’s a real possibility they could deteriorate even more rapidly.
So occasionally you see martial artists who’ve been poisoned for a year, or even up to ten years—I’m not sure if they’re truly fine.
Moreover, Tugoe’s granddaughter is just an ordinary commoner.
Her kidneys have already suffered severe damage from chronic poison that has no antidote made by Hyeolseonggyo.
Though the Poison Sovereign’s mysterious and wondrous ability detoxified the poison, kidneys already damaged cannot possibly function properly.
‘This is a state that can’t be resolved with medicine, nor with moxibustion or acupuncture.’
Both medicine and poison are broken down and filtered by the liver and kidneys.
But if those kidneys are already compromised, giving the patient any medicine recklessly puts their life in danger.
Think of it like pouring more miso paste into a strainer already full of miso.
The miso would overflow.
In the worst case, the strainer itself could tear.
Kidneys already damaged and torn won’t return to normal, even if no more poison enters.
That’s why on Earth, patients suffering from kidney disease would sometimes drink concentrated extracts without consulting their doctors and end up rushing to the hospital.
‘When you have to consult with a doctor even about nutritional supplements, there’s no point in seeking out Yakson either.’
I suppose the only silver lining is that this is a martial arts world?
Gong Yu-bing’s life is being prolonged by the power of hermits—the supreme energy for extending life—but her kidneys haven’t been healed.
It’s like continuously pouring water into a cracked jar.
This is exactly the same as it was with the previous Gaebangjoo and Gak-yeon.
Even though treatment is impossible, she’s somehow prolonging her life until her inner energy is completely exhausted.
Without solving the fundamental cause, there’s no solution.
That’s why I prayed before meeting Tugoe.
At least… that I could save the kidneys. That the kidney function wasn’t completely dead.
‘Fortunately… thanks to the inner energy, there are no complications. With the electrolyte imbalance, immunity should be severely weakened and infection should be occurring normally…’
Gangho is a world of savagery.
Even among doctors, there are those who point fingers at my actions as obsessive-compulsive, and generally there are no disinfectants, no soap, no running water.
That infection didn’t occur even while being carried by Tugoe during travel could only be explained as the blessing of inner energy.
‘Inner power truly is supreme.’
Thinking this, I carefully infused my inner energy into the kidneys, checking their condition.
‘Please… please…’
Even a little.
Let that function still be alive.
Then no matter what… I’ll find a way to make it work.
Sweat beaded on my forehead. Just for a moment.
‘There is one.’
A smile of relief bloomed across my face.
‘Not yet. She hasn’t completely died.’
The human body is miraculous.
The kidneys and liver—up to a certain point, they don’t completely lose function.
Once lost, they cannot be restored, but strangely, if that function still lives, treatment is possible.
‘From here on, it’s a race against time.’
“Patient Namgung Un outside the door, you!”
“Did you call for me, younger brother?”
Creak!
Namgung Un opened the door and entered.
It seemed he hadn’t left but had been lingering outside.
“What happened to the medical equipment I asked Baekrin Uiseon’s Muho Bunta to bring?”
“It should be on its way.”
“Good. Tell them to bring it here immediately. I’ll prepare everything on my end.”
“Will you be treating her here?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm, I see. But keep the drinking matter a secret from Father, will you?”
‘This man really…’
I glared at him with fierce eyes.
At that burning gaze, Namgung Un yelped and bolted out the door.
In the brief moment I exhaled, the door opened again and Namgung Un rushed back in.
Wait, why is he coming back right after leaving?
“The people you called for have arrived.”
“Have them come here at once.”
I began my work.

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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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