Doctor’s Rebirth - Chapter 447

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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 447
“I’m glad I ran into you, hyeong~ Really glad~ Thanks to you, I’ve gotten stronger.”
“The back alleys of Hangzhou are frightening, aren’t they?”
“Well, that’s just for me. Even though Hye-a grew up in the same back alleys, she’s not like that~”
At those words, I spoke up bluntly.
“Why do you seem to think Hye-a is a different person from you?”
“Huh?”
“You’re willing to stake your life for her as your younger sister, yet somehow you don’t seem to have faith in her.”
“Of course not. How could I? Not after everything she suffered.”
“Hmm….”
I began to understand why Sama Hyeon and Sama-hye were different from the Hwangbo siblings.
Even though she had become healthy, cheerful, and developed her own dreams, to Sama Hyeon, Sama-hye would always be his sickly younger sister.
Having gone through such times, it was understandable in a way.
But it was also true that from Sama-hye’s perspective, it was disappointing.
“Sama-hye is strong. Trust her a little. You’re her older brother.”
“I do trust her. She’s stronger than me~”
‘But your actions don’t match your words.’
Well, perhaps this was unavoidable.
The urge to nag again was probably just the meddling of an adult.
‘Let it go, let it go.’
I forcibly suppressed the old-fashioned part of myself.
This was a problem the two of them needed to resolve.
I could only hope that someday Sama Hyeon would come to see Hye-a as someone he could trust and rely on.
‘Well, even if it doesn’t work out, that’s just how it is.’
For a young child to care for a sickly sibling every day was no small feat.
And to forcibly feed a sibling who begged to be allowed to die from the agony of illness, to procure opium and burn it for them—that was something no sane person could do.
If I were to advise the Hwangbo siblings to rely on each other, they would probably look at me with tired eyes and say, ‘I’d sooner rely on the silk carp we keep at home than on that bastard.’
‘If such siblings exist, then those siblings exist too.’
…Still, I wish he would at least acknowledge that Sama-hye was disappointed deep down.
With that thought, I changed the subject.
“As long as you’re eating well, that’s enough.”
“What are you thinking about, hyeong?”
“How we might stop this war, or if we can’t stop it, how we can at least reduce our side’s casualties…. Things like that.”
“Whatever you’re thinking, take care of your body first.”
“Yeah. Don’t worry.”
As I said this, I gazed at the ceiling.
Watching my blue eyes flicker, Sama Hyeon thought to himself.
‘Is that hyeong going to get himself hurt again?’
* * *
My Master tested the pipe several times and said it was fine.
“The speed at which the smoke enters is quite acceptable, and being a mystical object, its body is harder than most blades, so this would be better. Moreover, since inner energy accumulates through the tube as if practicing breathing techniques, it should become a quasi-divine artifact.”
Truly, the ways of the demonic sects.
They pick up such things on the road and casually hand them over.
‘Though I must admit, cigarettes are more convenient…’
This pipe has more style, so the elders of the family often show it off when they smoke.
‘Hmm… This does give off the air of a martial world master.’
From my perspective as someone who has encountered countless masters in the martial world, half of what makes a master is their bearing.
Even those who aren’t masters all guard their dignity like a sword.
They live and die by their image.
Some literally die because their image isn’t maintained.
Even when there’s an easy way to win, they deliberately give up the first move, or sometimes even five moves to look impressive, and end up being carried to the Medical Guild.
‘And then I have to treat their injuries again.’
They suddenly bite their tongues and attempt suicide because their image was tarnished or they brought shame to their sect.
‘And then I have to stop them and talk them down again.’
Since this image is connected to face and honor, in the martial world, reputation is more precious than life itself.
Spin, spin, spin—
I twirled the pipe stem like a pencil.
The middle-aged man watching me intently spoke.
“Where did you get that?”
“Hmm? You mean the pipe?”
“Yes.”
“Smoking is prohibited inside the Medical Guild. I don’t smoke near the barracks either.”
“Don’t worry, I’m aware of that. Hahaha!”
‘I’ll quit once I’m on the battlefield anyway.’
This never happened with cigarettes, so it must be the style of a martial world master.
Alcohol and pipes.
Both are bad for health.
‘Well, they don’t know the circumstances.’
Now the castle was entering serious preparations for the military campaign.
My body had recovered considerably, and Prince Ju-wang as well…
“This is the work of a master craftsman. It’s rare to find someone capable of making such a fine piece. Impressive.”
Prince Ju-wang, who once enjoyed such refinements in his youth, recognized the quality of the object immediately.
“I’m only smoking it medicinally for now.”
“Hmm, is it because of the heart demon?”
His intuition is truly uncanny.
“That… is similar.”
“What a pity. It suits you quite well.”
Eun Wang-ya, standing beside him, added a comment.
“Is secondhand smoke acceptable?”
“It’s not. But bear with it. War is worse for your health anyway.”
I laid down my cards. At the sight of this, Eun Wang-ya let out a soft chuckle.
“How uncharacteristically shameless of you—it seems this heart demon is an inescapable problem for you as well.”
“….”
It was a matter of life and death.
I chose not to answer unnecessarily.
“I simply made a promise with my Master.”
Prince Ju-wang nodded.
“I see. Indeed, my recovery to this extent is thanks to your medical skill and shamanic arts.”
“Shamanic arts are merely a temporary method to boost recovery—not something to be used frequently.”
“Still, recovering this much within the timeframe is thanks to you. What I learned in Wanong has proven quite beneficial to me.”
All around, the sound of drums and the clanging of weapons being moved echoed loudly.
Would I die today? I thought it unlikely.
‘My hands… they’re not trembling.’
It seemed my Master had changed the formula.
Had he anticipated that the coming war would deeply gnaw at his disciple’s heart?
‘I can’t even care for my own body—I’m unfit to be a doctor.’
Even as I mocked myself quietly, I knew I had to endure, so my eyes grew serious once more.
‘I won’t suffer grave injuries. Or if that proves impossible, I’ll return alive.’
My Master regretted not being able to go with me.
I had earnestly dissuaded him due to concerns about his heart, and besides, he was now shouldering one pillar of our strategy, so he couldn’t move.
Still.
‘Hmm, my Master doesn’t realize how reassuring his mere presence is.’
Simply knowing that someone stood behind me to support me brought far greater peace of mind.
‘Ah, so that’s it. Humans are truly this simple.’
A blue sky stretched across the wilderness.
Were the black specks visible across the endless horizon the enemy?
I belonged to the main force, not the special mobile unit.
Protecting Eun Wang-ya.
That was my most important duty.
‘Will the Shadow be deployed only as a last resort?’
When the artillery fire came then, the Shadow had not appeared.
I had no way of knowing whether he was waiting until the last moment or had been sent on another mission.
Of course, Eun Wang-ya was not the sort to tell me such things.
Using the Jegallga’s Cheongi Miribu at its peak, I did my utmost to protect and transport him.
That was my greatest duty.
Of course, I was not alone.
Whoosh!
Five more masters from the Imperial Palace’s dispatch, all my former classmates, followed along.
The masters from the Imperial Palace all wore masks and said nothing.
Their presence felt slightly different from the Shadow I had seen then.
They were simply quiet and silent. Unlike those shadows from before, they didn’t carry that uncanny sense of being something other than human.
‘Are they highly trained?’
Eun Wang-ya spoke casually.
“One of them is an absolute master of Hwagyeong, and the remaining four are transcendent masters. I hope they won’t have to suffer too much.”
This man remained composed as if he were merely out for leisure, even in this situation.
‘So this is the kind of person who becomes Emperor.’
The ordinary Jin Cheon-hee was maintaining consciousness by borrowing even medicinal energy, and I felt envious—a little, or rather, quite a lot.
First, Eun Wang-ya and Jin Cheon-hee each mounted their war horses.
Hwang-gu decided to walk alongside the horse.
If the worst came to pass, they would place Eun Wang-ya on Hwang-gu’s back while Jin Cheon-hee would flee using light steps, or alternatively, Jin Cheon-hee would carry Eun Wang-ya on his back while Hwang-gu provided cover.
Both options had their merits and drawbacks, so I would have to assess the situation as it unfolded.
Boom, boom-boom, boom—
Following the drum beat, the formations divided.
Watching the moving formations, Jin Cheon-hee immediately understood.
‘Ah, this is the Eight Trigram Formation.’
One of the Jegallga family’s signature formations, and historical records tell of how Sima Yi greatly admired Zhuge Liang’s Eight Trigram Formation.
If the Eight Trigram Formation could be constructed perfectly, even a smaller force could exploit gaps in the enemy cavalry.
However, perfection itself meant precision, which was an extremely difficult task.
The strategists hadn’t avoided it out of ignorance.
‘My Master must have recommended it for good reason.’
First, the forces divided into three groups.
Watching this, Jin Cheon-hee grasped my Master’s intent.
‘This many soldiers moving together would actually hinder strategy and tactics. The enemy is cavalry-centered archers. The more we bunch together, the easier we become to encircle and annihilate.’
That had been the Imperial Army’s downfall until now.
Right now, my Master must be observing the battlefield from a distance.
Yet somehow, the disciple could sense what expression my Master would be wearing.
‘First, he’d be covering his mouth with a fan. Like a child holding a toy, he’d be contemplating what formation to deploy.’
This moment was purely a time as a military strategist.
He was someone who converted soldiers’ lives into numbers.
A person carrying the true blood of the Jegallga family, unlike Jin Cheon-hee myself.
‘First army 150,000, second army 170,000, third army perhaps 150,000? The middle force of 170,000 would be the central army and main force. The supply unit would be optimally organized at around 50,000. But he would have arranged for them to follow from as far back as possible.’
Whoosh—
Smoke rose in perfect order above the pipe stem.
Observing the moving forces, riding the current of thought, the disciple reads the Master’s heart.
‘The Doctor is technically attached to the unit, but strictly speaking, belongs to the supply division. This isn’t an era like World War II where medics follow close behind. That would only be possible once roads are properly established.’
Treatment begins only after battle ends.
‘I am part of the main force.’
The army undulates.
Beneath the general commander, countless officers, commanders of thousands, commanders of hundreds, and commanders of tens each received their orders and moved according to formation.
‘Ah, it can be called the Eight Trigram Formation, but it’s not purely the Eight Trigram Formation as is, Master…. This is….’
Dawn breaks azure across the wilderness.
Those were the eyes of the Jegallga Family’s last and only heir.
Baek Rin-ui-seon’s eyes.

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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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