Doctor’s Rebirth - Chapter 378

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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 378
The rain continued to fall, growing only more fierce.
Much like Dang-a’s heart.
Soon, Dang-a lifted her gaze from my sleeve and spoke.
“Then I suppose I shall become the Baek-ui Sinryong’s malingering patient.”
“If we’re being precise about it, yes.”
“I won’t forget this kindness. My destined rival.”
At those words, I burst into laughter and, as if in agreement, cracked my knuckles one by one before clenching my fist.
“Hehe, anytime. Bring. It. On.”
Dang-a laughed as if she’d never wept at all, responding to my exaggerated tone.
Thus began the secret shared between us two.
* * *
“Is it truly possible for our Dang-a to return to her right mind? I find it hard to believe.”
To the Dang Family Head’s words, I answered calmly.
“It’s not a complete cure. Rather, there’s a slight separation between her state when wearing the mask and her normal self.”
“Hmm… Is such a thing possible?”
Indeed, the Dang Family Head. Skeptical…
“…So it is the Jegallim Family’s doing. A remarkable technique! So one need only cultivate that mental method.”
…Now he believes.
After all, I had mentioned from the start that there might be no answer, and the Dang Family had surely conducted their own research, and no matter which doctor they brought in, there was no solution—which is how we arrived here.
If Dang-a could improve even slightly from her current state, there was nothing a father wouldn’t do.
“However, I never knew the Hyeolsaeng Nogoe possessed such capability…”
I answered with a composed smile.
“Of course, the Dang Family must have researched the Hyeolsaeng Nogoe just as other great families have.”
After the Jegallim Family suffered their catastrophic destruction.
The martial arts of the Jegallim Family were torn asunder, with countless sects devouring the pieces.
Thus, the Dang Family too must have seized upon the Jegallim Family’s Hyeolsaeng Nogoe, seeking to comprehend its martial principles.
My Master once spoke of this plainly.
-When a great tiger of the mountain dies, its corpse is divided among eagles, flies, and wild dogs. The Jegallim Family once followed such a course.
One of those eagles was likely the Dang Family before my eyes.
‘My Master leaves no debt of gratitude with his disciples.’
Whatever past he carries, whatever thoughts he harbors, whatever resentments he holds—he keeps these hidden from his disciples, seeking only to end them in his own generation.
Yet for some reason, even without knowing the past, I sometimes feel a surge of anger.
“That’s not what I meant. Please don’t misunderstand.”
The current Dang Family provides great assistance to the Baekrin Medical Guild.
Just as my Master settled the debts with the Jegallim Family, the Dang Family Head must have settled the past matter of my Master capturing and torturing him.
Suddenly, I noticed familiar scars on the Dang Family Head’s knuckles.
The kind that form when sharp needles are driven in—scars the Dang Family Head himself could not have inflicted with his own hands.
The marks showed needles inserted to inflict extreme pain while stopping short of madness.
The handiwork of one versed in medicine.
In all of Gangho, only my Master or Hyeolsaeng Nogoe could do such a thing to the Dang Family Head.
Since he doesn’t have three eyes or three nostrils, it must have been my Master’s doing.
‘Remarkable that he’s still alive.’
That’s right. My Master isn’t the type to simply endure either.
With a limited lifespan anyway, he might have kidnapped the young Dang Family Head out of spite, and done some needlework or whatever else to settle old grudges.
‘But….’
What exactly happened before Jin Cheon-hee arrived?
Or rather, what occurred in the past before the novel “Jicheon Cheonma” even began?
My chest felt heavy.
Jin Cheon-hee arranged his expression to be as gentle as possible.
“Please don’t worry. I didn’t mean it in that way either.”
My heart felt as turbulent as if I’d swallowed mud. However, I wasn’t so inexperienced as to let it show on my face.
“I look forward to working with you.”
“Um… There’s one thing I’d like to ask.”
“Hmm?”
“It’s an abrupt question, but what do you think of my Master, Dang Family Head?”
“Heheheh, I was wondering why you didn’t ask sooner. Baek Rin-ui-seon seems reluctant to speak of old times.”
The Dang Family Head rubbed his chin and spoke.
“He was once my enemy, and now we’re in the same boat… mere words aren’t enough. He is a Sleeping Dragon.”
A dragon lying dormant.
Sleeping Dragon was also the courtesy name of Zhuge Liang, the founder of the Jegallga.
The Dang Family Head continued.
“If I only say this much, it might sound insincere. I hope that Sleeping Dragon never rises again. That’s why I don’t deliberately provoke his anger or involve him in major matters. I hope we remain adequate allies.”
The Dang Family Head closed his eyes and briefly recalled the past.
Soon he opened his mouth.
“There’s one thing I’m certain of.”
“What is it?”
“I never want to experience that man in his youth again.”
‘My Master is still young enough… Ah, only in appearance, I see.’
The Dang Family Head added one more thing.
“As the Dang Family Head, I simply hope the Sleeping Dragon remains as he is. But these days, since he’s in front of his disciple, he seems to be maintaining his dignity, so I’m relieved.”
…Jin Cheon-hee couldn’t learn more about what happened during his Master’s youth.
Still, judging by the atmosphere,
‘Roughly speaking, in modern terms, he’s like an annoying rival department head. When he was young, he did some sword dancing and they all got beaten up together. I see.’
Given my Master’s nature, now that a well-behaved new disciple has come along, he’s maintaining his dignity. But if he snaps, he could act like a reckless fool again. When that happens, I’m done for too, so please just exercise restraint and live peacefully?
‘But the problem is this company has no CEO.’
That’s the problem with this Gangho company.
“Well, I’ve been as honest as I can. I’m not sure if this is enough.”
“It’s sufficient.”
“Just understand that I didn’t mean to curse my Master in front of my disciple. It’s simply old stories between those who lived through Gangho back then.”
The Dang Family Head said no more and took a long sip of tea.
“Rain might come again. My joints are aching.”
Of all times, my Master was touching the needle-scarred wound.
“….”
“Please take good care of my Master. I have no wish to experience that calamity twice.”
‘What on earth did my Master do back in those days…?’
Why did I feel chills the more I listened?
* * *
After hearing my Master’s old stories, rather than feeling nostalgic, it felt like I had watched only the ominous prelude of a thriller film.
‘Do other junior disciples from the Gangho feel this way…?’
Looking at the martial arts novels I had seen, there were cases like this….
‘Ah, they do exist. Yes. Cases where the disciple takes the blade meant for the Master because of his temperament.’
Fortunately, I had not received such retribution in place of my Master very often.
That was partly because I myself was strong, and partly because my Master’s so-called dam project was excessively thorough.
‘Right. With hundreds of warriors escorting the disciple, what retribution could there be?’
In the old days, no one knew if my Master would live or die, and after that, I became far too strong and moved freely across all directions.
And now….
I gazed at the sky with enlightened eyes.
‘Even if I wanted to thrust a blade, I’d need the right angle.’
As I returned to the separate building, Dang-a crossed her arms.
“I’ve been waiting! My destined rival! Was it resolved well?”
“It was resolved reasonably well. I will teach you the derivative of Hyeon Won Gong, so master it and pretend to regain consciousness at an appropriate time. Keep the mask well preserved.”
“Hehehehe!”
Dang-a stuck out her tongue and laughed, clearly in good spirits.
“What is this derivative of Hyeon Won Gong?”
“Well, it’s nothing grand. It’s simply a derivative martial art that clears the mind a bit and stabilizes one’s inner energy.”
“I thought you’d teach me something fake.”
“I cannot do that when dealing with the Dang Family Head.”
Dang-a nodded.
She had grown considerably since I first saw her, but her large eyes and plump cheeks remained unchanged.
Perhaps because of that, whenever I saw Dang-a, I always ended up giving her food.
“Is there anything you’d like to eat?”
“Bing xue bing!”
She answered without even taking a breath.
A snack with ice cream inside rice cake—a surprisingly common form of dessert in modern times.
But such snacks did not exist here.
Winter was too cold to eat such things, and summer made obtaining ice as difficult as plucking stars from the sky.
‘Indeed, the Five Elements Divine Art is the wisdom of life.’
In that sense, I always felt that the Five Elements Divine Art was the supreme martial art under heaven.
Warriors fighting is but a moment.
However, one must eat three meals a day, must they not?
With this peculiar approach, I, Jin Cheon-hee, who had been silently reciting the Five Elements Divine Art as supreme under heaven, decided to make bing xue bing for Dang-a.
“By the way, it seems Father is seriously pushing forward with trade between Baekrin Medical Guild and Sichuan Province… Is that true? My destined rival!”
Her voice remained as booming as ever.
The way she spoke with rice cakes stuffed in both cheeks looked exactly like an angry hamster.
“Yes. While establishing a Baekrin Medical Guild branch in Sichuan would be difficult, it seems the exchange will center around the Dang Family’s medical guild.”
“So it’s not merely medicinal herbs being exchanged.”
Surprisingly, she had been studying the duties of a family heir quite diligently.
“Precisely. If logistics increase beyond current levels, trade via the Yangtze River would become the main route, but expanding ships and purchasing ports is no simple matter.”
“Hmm.”
Her eyes gleamed faintly.
“The Dang Family’s medicinal herbs will be traded additionally as well?”
“Yes. The rare herbs that have remained within Sichuan Province until now will circulate more widely through this exchange.”
“And poisons too, then.”
I answered her carefully.
“…That would indeed be the case. Medicine and martial arts mysteriously share common ground, after all.”
“Mm. That’s what the Dang Family is.”
She nodded in agreement.
Where the past had primarily involved material exchange, this time people would be exchanged as well.
For the insular Dang Family, this was quite an unprecedented occurrence.
* * *
Medical exchanges typically last about a month.
Since traveling from Baekrin Medical Guild to Sichuan is no easy feat, one must accomplish as much as possible during the visit.
Moreover, due to the nature of medicine itself, simply sharing knowledge between the two sides was not a simple matter.
Of course, in the past, since these were mere talk-based exchanges, there was a tendency to do things halfheartedly.
Even that had resulted in slight progress in medicine, but now things were different.
‘Guangyi! Guangyiiii!’
‘Save me! Save meeeee!’
‘Please, someone, anyone, let me out of hereeeee!’
It seemed as though letters were visible on the backs of the Sichuan Dang Family doctors.
For some reason, an ominous aura began seeping out from their backs in a murky haze.
The doctors from Baekrin Medical Guild observing this wore expressions of smug satisfaction, yet their eyes too bore dark circles beneath them, much like pandas.
They looked less like living people and more like jiangshi.
The reason for their arrogant demeanor was simple.
Their true thoughts revealed it:
‘Hahaha! Do you finally understand?! The taste of our Baekrin Medical Guild’s research center!’
‘You know the taste of the research center?!’
‘To make such a fuss over merely this—how pathetic! Sichuan Dang Family, I am disappointed in your mettle.’
Indeed, these were specters who had long since grown accustomed to being worn down, becoming one with overwork itself.

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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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