Doctor’s Rebirth - Chapter 432

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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 432
“So you want to become a Hyeongyeong-level warrior and stop the war?”
“Yes.”
“If that were possible, the Seonjon would have already done it.”
“You mean one of the Three Elites?”
“Indeed. The Mujon’s whereabouts are unknown, but the Seonjon’s residence is actually well-known. Haven’t you heard of it?”
“Yes. Mount Tai. He resides at the Altar of Heaven, correct?”
Mount Tai.
This mountain in Shandong Province is considered the foremost among the Five Sacred Mountains of the Central Plains.
The ancient phrase “Mount Tai and the Big Dipper” originated from this mountain, and Qin Shi Huang, the emperor of the first unified empire of Qin, once established the Altar of Heaven here and performed the Feng and Shan sacrificial rites.
Since then.
The Altar of Heaven remained, and it continued to be used for the Feng and Shan ceremonies even as dynasties changed.
Naturally, the Altar of Heaven is managed by the state, and Mount Tai as a whole is practically forbidden. The state maintains strict control over it.
That the Seonjon resides on such a mountain, and that the empire permits it, suggests some kind of agreement exists between them.
The Mount Tai Sect is also located at the foot of Mount Tai, after all.
“In any case, the Seonjon was a warrior who performed many virtuous deeds in the past. And he has a record of stopping great wars with his power.”
“But now he doesn’t… Or rather, he can’t, is that it?”
“I suspect that upon reaching Hyeongyeong, certain restrictions emerge.”
“The Cheonma also mentioned preparing things that must be done before ascending, and said that due to causality, many things cannot be done.”
“Indeed.”
So it seems that while an individual can use a mini nuclear bomb through Gangho as Yeo Ha-ryun once did, upon reaching the level where one can use a proper nuclear bomb, some restriction appears.
‘Then what exactly is Hyeongyeong?’
Hyeongyeong.
Looking at the dictionary definition alone, it’s the realm after Hwagyeong.
The realm where one is reborn as a true immortal, and possesses infinite inner energy to use Ganggi as freely as water.
You can see this just from the half-Hyeongyeong Asura Blood River Monster and Oh Dok-mun, who became half-Hyeongyeong and fell into demonic cultivation.
Left alone, they were at a level where they could open the gates of hell in the mortal realm.
‘If I’d been even slightly slower, the Yunnan region would have become a sea of poison.’
The place where I fought that sect leader had already become barren earth where not a single blade of grass could grow.
If I hadn’t stopped them quickly, they would have become a living calamity until their inner energy was exhausted.
What if such beings had been in their right minds and could use profound martial techniques?
From that point on, armies become meaningless.
Human lives would become mere numbers.
My Master said.
“So don’t harbor such absurd thoughts of becoming Hyeongyeong to stop war. It’s ultimately pointless.”
“I understand.”
I answered thus and fell into thought.
‘Is there truly no way to stop the war…?’
* * *
Still, unlike Earth’s history, the two Kings of this martial world are quite capable, and the Hwa Empire has excellent generals including Prince Ju-wang.
So… the nation didn’t collapse until Cheonma took the throne.
Of course, it was absolutely terrible.
Many people died.
Eventually, neighbors exchanged their children and boiled them to eat just to avoid starving to death.
The fact that this fertile land had reached such a state meant that the war started by the Suksin Tribe combined with the chaos created by the Hyeolseonggyo had driven the situation completely mad.
‘Even if I became a military commander, I don’t think I could prevent this situation.’
The military here is barely maintaining the front lines through trial and error.
How wonderful it would be if I could change the tide of battle by offering a few pieces of advice as if I were some expert, saying “This is the privilege of an Earthling!”
‘If my major were history, it might be possible.’
I learned military strategy from the Jegallim Family, but if anyone should go, it would be better for my Master to go.
I’m not a warrior, and I have zero practical experience actually commanding armies.
‘And… to be honest… my current state makes it difficult to view the war itself objectively.’
I can’t even pretend to ignore it anymore.
This is real war.
Soldiers’ lives aren’t so cheap that a PTSD patient should step forward with grand strategies.
I couldn’t guarantee how far I could endure before breaking down.
‘That’s right. I decided to value myself a bit more.’
My promise with my Master was what bound me.
It would be more helpful to mobilize my primary strength—medicine—to treat wounded commanders and help them return to the front lines.
After all, it was medicine that ultimately saved Eun Wang-ya, who should have died in the original history, and Prince Ju-wang, who should have retired to the countryside.
Moreover, quite a few commanders who should have died survived thanks to Baekrin Uiseon’s medical skills.
‘Even though I’m not a history major, healing people is my specialty. Thank goodness.’
But that relief was short-lived.
‘If Eun Wang-ya recommends my Master, then I become the Medical Guild Patriarch? Ah… that’s… I hate that too…’
Finally, I had entered the initial stage of an ordinary citizen experiencing war.
When someone was conscripted, who would fill their place?
Who would tend the crops, and who would feed the livestock?
What would happen to the manure?
I was applying those same worries directly to the Medical Guild.
As I sat there, spending golden hours of rest in anxiety and pain, word came that a visitor had arrived.
“Cheonwoo? Jin Cheon-woo?!”
I rushed outside barefoot and found a man with a massive frame wearing an eye patch.
“No, Cheonwoo. Why did you come here?!”
At my words, Cheonwoo let out a soft laugh.
“The Mudang Sect received a conscription order too.”
“No… but still. You… do you know where this is…?”
“If not me, then someone else would have come anyway. I don’t have a family, so it’s fine.”
At those words, my eyes widened.
“No, Cheonwoo. Don’t say things like that. I’m here, aren’t I?”
“You’re here too, hyeong.”
“That’s… ugh. Medical personnel are always conscripted first, after all.”
I pressed my forehead repeatedly.
Then a voice rang out.
“Look at him trying to get his brother to say ‘Why don’t you have family? I’m your family, aren’t I?’~”
Cheonwoo’s brow furrowed slightly.
There stood Sama Hyeon, dressed in black clothes different from his usual attire.
“Oh, brother. You seem to be in better shape than expected. Is it because Baek Rin-ui-seon is by your side?”
“No… How did you get here?”
“The Geum Blood Method sect naturally had to be conscripted too. We’re always a mature faction that obeys the law.”
‘So he came because he can’t break the law, even though he bends it.’
Sama Hyeon spoke.
“And I volunteered because my brother is here.”
Information travels fast, doesn’t it?
* * *
The three of us eventually moved to another location and continued our conversation.
What I learned during our talk was
that both of them, unlike me, had been assigned to the special mobile unit.
“I expected Cheonwoo to go that route, but I thought you’d be filtered out as a supply soldier, Hyeon. Guess not?”
“Given my background, it would’ve been appropriate, but apparently they decided otherwise because my martial arts are specialized in ambush tactics.”
Crunch—
Sama Hyeon slowly clenched his fist, making the sound deliberate.
Since I’d already witnessed firsthand what those hands could do, I deliberately averted my gaze.
“Anyway, have you two learned any self-defense or external martial arts?”
“The basics, yes.”
“Same here. Just the fundamentals. But isn’t dodging and blocking the priority first?”
That’s how it’s usually taught… and it’s the right approach.
When an enemy attacks, the principle is to first redirect their force through offense-defense unity and counter, or if that fails, block, or use footwork to occupy a favorable defensive position and evade entirely.
Using your body to block is inferior to those methods.
If you take something like an Internal Crushing Fist, no matter how solidly you’ve trained external martial arts, your internal organs can rupture.
I exhaled deeply.
‘The Suksin Tribe really does seem like specialists in volley fire no matter how I look at it. Can we actually handle them using conventional Gangho methods?’
War and Gangho must be different, right…?
“Um… What about protective armor?”
“I’m wearing the Cheonjam Silk inner garment you made for me. I’ve reinforced it further by wrapping silver thread around it.”
“Same here, brother. I’m wearing what you sent me, and it’s serving me well.”
In the past, I obtained the Cheonjam-ui from the Dragon Phoenix Society, which could activate protective barriers, and through research, I recreated it roughly as Cheonjam Silk.
But that’s only partially possible at best—it falls far short compared to actual Cheonjam Silk.
It will wear down before an arrow barrage, and among the archery techniques they use, many are Spirit Arrow types that utilize internal force. Even if I block the arrow rain, if I can’t stop the Spirit Arrows, it’s over.
“Still, let’s at least learn some basic self-defense techniques before we go. Really simple stuff—if you reach Hwagyeong’s level, your body will adapt after just a few practice sessions.”
I have one martial art I obtained from the imperial palace archives.
Iron Dragon Scale.
An ascending martial technique that specializes in handling protective energy, infusing qi into clothing to temporarily transform it into armor.
A more efficient martial art than ordinary protective energy techniques.
Cheonwoo suddenly asked.
“Then if you use it with Cheonjam-ui, the effect would be doubled, wouldn’t it?”
“Exactly. It’s best to wear three layers of clothing underneath. They can be thin, so it doesn’t matter.”
“Three layers~?”
“Why three layers, Hyeong?”
I pulled out the remaining bandages as a test.
Even thin bandages tear easily if a warrior applies just a little force.
I tore the bandages and layered three pieces together.
“They still flutter the same~?”
“They don’t look that strong.”
The two of them knew better than anyone how weak bandages were.
Any warrior had experienced bandages tearing from a careless movement, splitting right down the middle.
Even when being careful, sometimes too much force would slip in. That’s why the doctors put so much effort into wrapping bandages properly.
With bandages like these, it would be difficult to block even a single arrow, let alone a rain of them.
I recalled the incantation of the Iron Dragon Scale and gently infused my inner energy into the bandages.
Crack—
The bandages became stiff like tree bark.
“Cheonwoo, could you throw one of those arrows over there?”
“Uh… Why is there a Suksin tribe arrow quiver here?”
“A patient brought the whole thing as proof of survival. But after receiving treatment, they forgot about it and left anyway.”
“People really do change when they go in and come out of the outhouse~”
At Sama Hyeon’s words, Cheonwoo frowned slightly.
“Watch your tongue in front of Hyeong.”
“Hyeong, you don’t mind this kind of talk, right~?”
I answered.
“Just throw the arrow already.”
If I took sides with one of them, it would turn into an emotional dispute.
These two became sworn brothers to repay a debt of gratitude to me, not because they were naturally close to each other.
I treated the two of them like children.
Cheonwoo threw the arrow with all his strength.
Though not shot from a bow, a Hwakyeong master threw it like a dart, so the force was quite considerable.
Thunk!
Only the first layer pierced through, and it was stopped at the second layer.
“Again.”
Thunk—!
He threw it with even more force this time.
This time it pierced through two layers but didn’t even reach the third.
“Now, let me channel the same amount of true energy into this single bandage as I did into those three.”
I infused protective energy using the Heavenly Dragon Scale.
My two younger brothers concentrated their vision on the internal energy and confirmed that the protective energy was sufficiently present in the same quantity as before.
“Go ahead, throw it again.”
Bang—!
It pierced through far too easily.
At this sight, Cheonwoo tilted his head in confusion.
“This is strange. I put the internal energy meant for three bandages all at once, so why does it still pierce through?”
“Hmm…. Strange indeed, isn’t it? What about you, Hyeon? Do you understand?”
Sama Hyeon pondered before speaking.
“Please tell us, Gaga~”
At his wheedling tone, both Jin Cheon-hee and Cheonwoo wore cold expressions.
Cheonwoo asked.
“Brother, was he always like this? Is he insane?”
“Well…. I won’t answer that.”

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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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