Doctor’s Rebirth - Chapter 36

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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 36
“Whether it’s due to his constitution or some heart ailment, he said his body has lost the ability to taste.”
“Even snacks now….”
“Yes. He eats snacks saying they taste delicious. It’s because of you, Young Master. But if you’re not by his side, he’ll return to his original state.”
Pain resonated in Yoo Ho’s voice.
“How I die doesn’t matter to me. I thought if my master lived a long life, then I would have fulfilled my duty as a loyal servant. But now…I’m not so sure.”
“You’re saying you’ll save him?”
“I’ll only say that I’ll watch over him.”
Yoo Ho said that much, then turned his back.
“Do you know what emotion it’s called when you feel resentment, gratitude, joy, and murderous intent all at once?”
Withered bamboo leaves obscured my vision. And after they passed, Yoo Ho was already gone.
It was a movement so swift that even ghosts would be startled.
I realized that he had reached a higher realm than I had imagined.
And my Master as well was not merely what was revealed in the novel.
Toward the empty space, I murmured softly.
Carrying the profound words from the novel.
“…Affliction. That’s what it’s called.”
Then I sat there and slowly began to circulate my qi and regulate my breathing.
Until Gungwi’s enlightenment came to an end.
* * *
His enlightenment ended three hours later.
During that time, I had been cultivating the Five Elements Spiritual Cultivation. I was quite surprised at how much purer the qi was compared to what I normally gathered from nature.
While I was immersed in the state of perfect absorption, the winds of Breaking Evil continued to gather toward me.
Breaking Evil.
Literally meaning “to break the wicked,” it refers to a form of refutation used in Buddhism.
By breaking and breaking continuously, one eventually reaches the truth of emptiness.
The Breaking Evil Divine Art was the same.
To reach enlightenment, one must continuously empty and destroy the wickedness within oneself.
‘That’s what makes martial arts so interesting in wuxia.’
Buddhism forbids killing, yet despite this, its martial arts are exceptional, and in countless righteous battles, one’s hands become stained with blood to save the common people.
Taoism is no different.
One cannot kill people to become an immortal.
Rather, this path too must distance itself from killing like Buddhism. Yet despite this, its martial arts are profound, and ultimately one becomes entangled in matters of the sect and grudges, drawing their sword.
‘Even if called evil, both emphasize the preciousness of life clearly, yet despite this, such is the way of humanity.’
I loved this contradiction.
Countless masters who learned the secret teachings of Buddhism and Taoism have agonized over this problem.
I also loved the scenes where this contradiction is exploited to provoke and finally make a Taoist draw their sword.
-Infinite Buddha, alas, because of you I shall break the precept of non-killing and stain my hands with blood!
It’s a line that appears at least once when reading wuxia novels. I really love it.
‘To struggle is to be human, and because there are no right answers, wuxia is endlessly entertaining.’
I found Gungwi fascinating—he who had mastered Buddhist teachings, yet inevitably became a villain nonetheless.
His anguish captivated me. His rage captivated me.
The bitter end of a stubborn, unbreakable karmic bond.
Even his wretched conclusion was beautiful.
‘Uncle, I’ve read well. I think I’ve paid the price of admission.’
The wind gradually subsided.
Jin Cheon-hee sensed that his Five Elements Spiritual Cultivation had reached the third tier.
Water essence and metal essence, wood essence—these had been refined through treating trees and people. But earth essence and fire essence proved far more difficult than expected.
Wind essence was originally something that should only be handled from the third tier of the Five Elements Spiritual Cultivation onward.
The Five Elements are water, wood, fire, earth, and metal.
Wind is not among them.
Wind essence is a subsequent attribute created by combining fire essence, wood essence, and water essence according to specific formulas.
Under normal circumstances, it would have been impossible for me to accumulate wind essence.
‘So this is what they mean by a low-level player catching a ride on a high-level’s bus.’
Jin Cheon-hee gathered his qi.
‘Thanks for the ride, Uncle.’
My Master would be astounded if he saw this. He would rejoice as though he possessed the entire world.
Jin Cheon-hee thought this and slowly opened his eyes.
Gungwi’s body, suspended in the sky, gradually descended to the ground.
His hair, weathered white by time, now gleamed with its original color.
That was not all. The aged skin had regained its elasticity.
‘Uncle Gungwi… how did you become so young?’
Though he had already possessed an appearance worthy of being called youthful middle-aged, after his enlightenment he now bore the vitality and refined beauty of someone in their late twenties to early thirties.
‘His innate true qi has been restored, and his original true qi has returned as well. Beyond imagination. Truly, the weeds are the best villains!’
Not only was everything replenished, but he had ascended to a realm higher than his original state.
Even after settling to the ground, he kept his eyes closed for a moment, organizing what he had comprehended. After gathering all those sensations, he slowly opened his eyes.
Deep and profound
—
was the light in his gaze.
Jin Cheon-hee cupped his fist in salute.
“Congratulations.”
“Thanks to Sohyeop, this humble one has reached the Enlightenment Realm.”
Enlightenment Realm!
Jin Cheon-hee’s eyes widened.
It was the realm all martial artists desperately desired, yet fewer than thirty martial artists across the entire Central Plains were known to have reached it.
‘Already Enlightenment Realm? I thought merely healing the damage to his innate essence would be fortunate enough…!’
In that moment, Gungwi knelt on one knee before Jin Cheon-hee.
“I remember that in my darkest hour, only Sohyeop extended a hand to me. I have received a debt of gratitude so profound that even my daughter’s life would struggle to repay it, and yet I have now reached the realm I have yearned for my entire life. I understand that there is nothing I possess that could repay this kindness.”
Jin Cheon-hee swallowed hard.
‘Here it comes!’
My fingertips trembled with a subtle vibration—the telltale sign of Gungwi preparing his final strike, the touch of a master craftsman.
There was only one thing to say in a moment like this. But my opponent was Gungwi, someone who had rolled through the Gangho long enough to know every trick. I couldn’t afford to be careless.
‘Humility? No. The reaction that should come from me in this situation is…’
I grabbed Gungwi’s arm.
“Sir, please get up. I don’t understand why you’re doing this.”
‘Confusion. That’s what I should show.’
Gungwi spoke.
“Benefactor, if there is anything you desire, please tell me. I shall repay you even if it takes a lifetime.”
The form of address had changed from Sohyeop to Benefactor.
For Gungwi, this was an extraordinarily significant shift.
I shook my head.
“The Medical Guild has already received the treatment fee through my Master. I simply wanted to see your cultivation method…”
“That is not so. Benefactor, please tell me what you truly wish.”
I spoke again.
“Even if you say that, I…”
My shoulders trembled. I looked like a flustered child.
At that sight, Gungwi’s heart wavered.
‘He saved his daughter with extraordinary power and elevated me to enlightenment, yet he is still just a child. How foolish I have been.’
In my appearance, he saw his own daughter, Gak-yeon.
His resolve came swiftly and heavily. He spoke.
“Though I am inadequate, I wish to serve by your side with loyalty for the rest of my life, repaying even a hundredth of this debt. Will you permit me?”
My face flushed innocently.
“Ah, well… actually, I was planning to recommend to my Master that you work at the Medical Guild. If you’re there, your martial arts problems would be solved, and since it involves distributing medicinal herbs and medical supplies, it would be safer than other work. Oh! And the compensation is quite good.”
Gungwi would also be moving patients covered in the filth of the Gangho’s underworld, but I left that part unsaid. Gungwi spoke.
“Ah, so that’s why you wanted to observe my martial arts.”
I nodded.
“Yes.”
At that, Gungwi’s eyes trembled slightly.
‘To think someone could be so pure and possess such depth of heart.’
Gungwi spoke.
“I wish to serve you with genuine loyalty. It is not merely about repaying a debt. I am simply deeply moved by your virtue and compassion.”
I smiled shyly.
“If you say so, I understand. Though I am lacking, I ask for your continued support.”
“With all my loyalty!”
“Haha, that’s embarrassing. Please spare me that.”
I laughed purely, thinking to myself.
‘Master, I’ve successfully
recruited Gungwi to the Medical Guild after reforming him through the Flame Realm. His daughter Wang Gak-yeon also came with all twelve meridians opened. It’s a two-for-one deal.’
I got caught/busted.
“My daughter Wang Gak-yeon also came with all her meridians opened, so it’s one plus one.”
I told Gungwi that we should return together. At the same time, I thought to myself.
‘The Demon Sect’s weakness is the Shattering Evil Divine Technique. It’s not called “Shattering Evil” for nothing.’
There’s a reason the Demon Lord has struggled against this old man.
The foundation of the Shattering Evil Divine Technique lies in destroying all that is wicked.
‘I must keep the Medical Guild safe during the coming war between the Demon Sect’s subsidiary leaders.’
Soon, Little Demon Lord Yeo Ha-ryun will ascend to become a subsidiary leader, and the Heavenly Demon Blood Path will begin—a war where the subsidiary leaders kill and are killed by one another.
How many orthodox factions, heterodox factions, and medical guilds will be swept up in that chaos.
‘I will protect my people.’
Preparations were proceeding smoothly.
* * *
After returning to the Medical Guild, Gungwi had a long private conversation with Master.
In the meantime, I returned to my quarters and began slowly circulating the feng qi I had just obtained, making it truly my own.
At the normal pace, it would have taken half a year to reach the third stage of the Five Elements Spiritual Cultivation.
Since I had elevated it all at once, side effects were inevitable.
To completely settle it as my own, I had to be even more careful and put in corresponding effort.
I recalled the incantations of the feng qi I had learned beforehand and continued my cultivation.
‘The Five Elements Spiritual Cultivation really is good for the mind. In the past, I would have forgotten something after hearing it once, but now I recall the incantations I heard yesterday with perfect clarity. And while cultivating like this, I can even think of other things.’
The Jegal Family’s foundation is terrifying.
On the other hand, I became curious about the fierce beast that drove the Jegal Family to complete annihilation in a single blow.
‘The novel only mentioned that revenge was achieved.’
Master is said to be remarkable, but he’s a supporting character who disappears from illness early on.
He doesn’t have the screen time of characters like Gungwi or Gongseon Hyeon, who consistently trouble the Demon Lord.
‘And Yoo Ho, a supporting character of a supporting character, has even less screen time.’
Life is truly fascinating.
In the novel, though merely a supporting character meant to highlight the protagonist, in reality, he too is a person with his own life.
It’s simply that screen time is mercilessly deleted depending on how entangled one becomes with the protagonist.
‘Master once mentioned in passing that Yoo Ho’s body cannot cultivate the Five Elements Spiritual Cultivation.’
He said it during a meeting before the surgery.
‘Is he learning a different martial art instead?’
A type of martial art that can manipulate human blood and bodily fluids. Not something an orthodox faction would use—typically demonic cultivation.
The interesting thing about this demonic cultivation is that the more one practices it, the more one’s mind becomes clouded and murderous intent surges.
Little Demon Lord will interlock with the power of his Heavenly Slaughter nature, creating an even more intense blood path, and only when he ascends to the position of Demon Sect leader will he finally be able to completely control his murderous intent.

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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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