Doctor’s Rebirth - Chapter 379

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 379
Moreover, the results of that process were remarkably excellent.
A potent antiparasitic agent!
At this level, it might even temporarily paralyze Godo, a Gangho fantasy parasite!
In the past, as a surgeon, I had never possessed particularly strong abilities in pharmaceutical development.
However, upon arriving in this Doshan Geomrim martial world, through various fortuitous encounters, grueling martial cultivation, and an obsession bordering on madness, I was somehow managing to push forward.
Of course, if I spoke such words aloud, the medical staff at the research pavilion would cough blood, but in any case, I was managing to advance in a field that wasn’t even my specialty.
Thanks to this medical exchange, I was developing new medicines by borrowing knowledge from the Tang Family, who could be called the foremost experts(?) in this field.
“Sigh, I’m concerned about side effects… but at least we’ve found something. That’s fortunate.”
“…It’s better than having your organs torn out and eaten by Godo, leaving holes, or having your intestines melt and dying. Hehehehe. Isn’t it better than having a master who learned medicine every time paralyze it with acupuncture and then extract it?”
I recalled the moment when I extracted it from Yeo Ha-ryun’s body.
“Well, depending on Godo, there’s also the method of paralyzing it with ice techniques… but there aren’t many doctors who can use it.”
“From here on, it all depends on the hands of the White-Robed Divine Dragon, wouldn’t you say?”
I nodded.
In the current state, even if we killed Godo, we couldn’t guarantee the body’s safety.
Actually administering it would be difficult.
But since we’ve completed the essential part, perhaps this is enough.
A fellow who once went to a pharmaceutical company said this.
‘Drug development is drudgery. It’s luck and drudgery.’
He said it with a hollow expression.
Usually, drug development goes through discovery and development.
These two stages.
What the Tang Family did this time was this discovery phase.
In modern pharmaceutical company planning departments, it’s also called ‘discovery’.
It means identifying the cause of a disease and then finding a substance capable of treating it.
In modern times, you must conceptualize the material structure and create it by mixing those structures.
Usually, even that alone is an extremely painful process taking years, with a high possibility of failure midway.
Once you’ve made it, you then need to see if this drug is effective and safe.
Throughout human history, the process of developing new drugs has been remarkably similar everywhere and everywhen.
99% grueling labor and 1% luck.
Success rate of 0.01%.
In modern times, it’s said this process could improve somewhat with technological advances like artificial intelligence.
But according to those in the field, since AI isn’t as smart as one would think, no matter how much technology advances, people’s mental breakdown remains the same—or so I’ve heard.
Still, in the modern era where I came from, countless clinical trials were conducted to compile statistics, and based on that data, drugs eventually became commercialized.
But in Gangho.
‘Kekeke, do you truly wish to live? If you take this medicine, perhaps your life might be saved. However, even if that happens, you might become a cripple for life. Are you prepared for this? Young one. Kahahahaha!’ —some mad Elder simply throws it at you and leaves.
From a modern perspective, this is a clear violation of pharmaceutical law.
‘Five years or less imprisonment and a fine of fifty million won or less, perhaps.’
The Elder would face judgment under pharmaceutical law.
‘…’
First, I decided to uphold at least the basic conscience of a medical practitioner, even if I couldn’t meet modern standards.
I planned to return to Baekrin Medical Guild, test for side effects, explore whether stability could be improved, and investigate if refinements were possible through acupuncture or manipulation therapy.
“Please trust me! I will absolutely complete this!”
“Oho! Truly the White-Robed Divine Dragon! I look forward to it!”
Having completed all my tasks, I left the Tang Family of Sichuan with an incomparably joyful expression.
Watching me depart, Sama Hyeon reflected.
‘Hmm, I’ve never seen my brother smile so brightly before~?’
Since he hadn’t witnessed the birth of streptomycin, the second creation made with Yoo Ho, this was his assessment—but it was true that I was genuinely happy.
“Brother, you’re that pleased?”
“Yes. New discoveries are always enjoyable. Even when exhausted, finding something like this feels like a long-standing blockage suddenly clearing.”
“A discovery of that magnitude~?”
At those words, I answered with a wry smile.
“I’ve only discovered the core principle so far… but if I can proceed step by step as expected and commercialize it, I could save many lives.”
“Even without you?”
To that, I still answered with the same expression.
“Yes, from the start I’m ensuring it can continue even without me. Medicine must ultimately benefit the unspecified masses. The road ahead is long, though.”
Somehow, it was hard to imagine.
Suddenly, I scratched my head.
“Still, I’m not approaching this with some grand cause. I’m simply doing it because what I’m doing right now is genuinely fun.”
Then I asked with a surprised expression.
“Does that seem strange to you?”
“Well, there are people who enjoy killing itself, so the opposite can exist too. What matters is that sense of accomplishment from actually doing it, right?”
“Exactly.”
“Then we’re good.”
I was surprised at how easily he understood.
Meanwhile, Sama Hyeon could readily agree with my words.
‘I still get sudden urges to tear people’s faces apart, so the opposite can certainly exist too.’
If he knew how addictive the sensation of crushing skulls was, he’d surely be appalled.
It didn’t matter.
After all, Sama Hyeon wouldn’t tell me about that.
And he wouldn’t actually go down that path.
When Sama-hye asked him to kill her, he’d vaguely imagined such a future.
Now our group was heading toward Yunnan Province, in the southeastern region of Sichuan.
Taking a boat from Sichuan Province would reach Yunnan, and it grew increasingly humid the further we went.
Sichuan itself had a unique climate ideal for growing toxic plants, but Yunnan Province was truly a blessed environment abundant with jungles and marshlands.
Because of this, Yunnan Province had clans and sects dealing with poisons established there since ancient times, besides the Tang Family of Sichuan.
Most of them operated as units of the same province and clan like the Tang Family, and were extremely insular.
Among them was the most powerful sect that firmly controlled all of Yunnan Province—the Oh Dok-mun.
Our group was now heading toward Oh Dok-mun.
‘Master instructed me to bring Oh Dok-mun to our side.’
At that moment, Hwang-gu let out a low bark—”Woof!”—and rose to his feet.
“Hmm? Are we being followed?”
Whine?
Hwang-gu, who had been on alert, tilted his head in confusion.
“Did I misread the scent?”
Whimper—
Hwang-gu plopped back down on his haunches with a soft thud.
Sama Hyeon asked.
“So even Hwang-gu makes mistakes sometimes?”
“Sure. Humans make mistakes too, so why would a spirit beast always be accurate? Even he slips up occasionally.”
Woof!
Hwang-gu wagged his tail enthusiastically in agreement.
“Want a snack?”
Woof, woof!
I pulled dried meat from my sleeve.
In that moment, a dark silhouette watching the boat from a distance—barely visible to the naked eye—vanished without a trace.
* * *
“I knew it was a jungle, but this is brutal. Absolutely stifling.”
Sama Hyeon fanned himself vigorously inside the carriage.
We had disembarked and were now traveling overland.
The region was hot and humid enough for tropical fruits to grow, with towering mountains scattered throughout, making the climate utterly unpredictable.
That’s why the old saying goes: “One mountain holds four seasons; ten li away, the weather changes”—a single peak experiences all four seasons, and the climate shifts entirely within ten li.
“Still, it would be easier if there were inns scattered about.”
“From here on, outsiders aren’t welcomed, so there are no inns.”
Though technically part of the Middle Kingdom, administrative authority doesn’t extend here.
Most of these regions remain underdeveloped.
‘And to be honest, the Middle Kingdom brought some of this upon themselves.’
Yunnan and Chengdu are still referred to as part of the Middle Kingdom, but other regions within the borders are dismissed as “outside territories” and neglected.
Humans discriminate based on academic and blood ties, so why wouldn’t they discriminate by region?
Since the Previous Emperor’s time, it wasn’t just dialect-based discrimination—there was always administrative and bureaucratic discrimination as well.
Even if the Emperor changed and imperial policy shifted, those people wouldn’t suddenly grow fond of Middle Kingdom folk.
‘This isn’t something that gets resolved in a year or two.’
Sama Hyeon continued.
“Actually, their identity is stronger as tribes than by surname.”
“I’ve heard they call themselves things like Tiger Tribe, Feathered-Insect Tribe, Poison-Limb Tribe, Snake Tribe, Crimson Bear Tribe, Black Dragon Tribe, and so on.”
“Right. Clan law takes precedence over imperial law. Their martial arts are also quite unique—physical characteristics become pronounced depending on the techniques they practice.”
“Are they demonic or curse-based arts?”
At that, Sama Hyeon frowned slightly.
“If I had to classify them, they’re closer to heterodox than orthodox… but from what I understand, they’re relatively safe when their own clan members practice them. Conversely, if outsiders try to learn them, it’s dangerous.”
“Hmm. They really are insular, aren’t they?”
“Exactly. That’s why Oh Dok-mun requires at least someone of our Geumhyeol Gaebang’s caliber to even open their doors. And then there’s Baekrin Medical Guild.”
At those words, I shook my head ambiguously.
“Their sudden cooperation this time is unprecedented. If you consider other regions, or even compare them to the Tang Family, we tend to be rather exclusionary on our end.”
Having said that, I circulated the Ice Palm technique.
Even that alone caused the surrounding temperature to drop slightly.
Sama Hyeon’s expression, which had been on the verge of wilting from the heat, eased a little.
“An invitation from Oh Dok-mun is ultimately an invitation from all of Yunnan Province. Since Oh Dok-mun is essentially a coalition of clans. I heard the current Sect Master of Oh Dok-mun belongs to the Feathered Insect Clan. Perhaps because his mother comes from a different clan, he’s relatively more open-minded. And I heard he obtained the position of Sect Master through a Poison Skill duel.”
At that, I asked with a serious expression.
“A death match?”
“Yes. A death match. But unlike the Gangho, if you lose, you definitely die. Even if you lose your will to fight and surrender, they execute you.”
‘So that’s the law of Yunnan.’
I instantly understood why Oh Dok-mun had fallen into the evil sects.
Sama Hyeon spoke as if singing.
“Usually they use martial arts that control threads attached to flying blades~ but the real weapon is poison~ they command venomous creatures like snakes, scorpions, and spiders, and if you can’t dodge the flying blades, you get hit by those instead~”
“That sounds terrifying.”
“The Oh Dok Divine Technique is their supreme martial art, but the weapons they use are varied~ though the problem is they rarely use swords or sabers.”
“They don’t match well with poison skills, it seems.”
“Right. They use bows, poison needle cannons, flying blades, crescent blades, and flutes. Speaking of which, remember that guy we caught together in a fight before?”
“Yo Cheon-gun?”
“Yeah, but it’s a secret. There’s speculation within the Martial Alliance that ‘Yo Cheon-gun might not be from Oh Dok-mun…’~”
“…!”
It must be quite confidential information, yet somehow he managed to find out.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————