Doctor’s Rebirth - Chapter 448

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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 448
What is the Eight Trigrams Formation?
It was a battle formation devised by Shu to face Wei with inferior numbers.
At that time, Shu was vastly disadvantaged compared to Wei in every respect—population, cavalry count, you name it.
Even if both nations fought the same war and suffered identical casualties, Wei could replenish its forces within years, produce equivalent supplies, and field comparable mounted troops.
But Shu could not.
That was ultimately Jegalling’s greatest challenge and his greatest adversary.
‘Eight columns, eight directions, eight formations.’
The soldiers of the Hwa Empire were reasonably well-trained in their own right.
An ordinary foot soldier might not know, but to reach the rank of White Insignia, one had to memorize every flag and drum signal, and their command ability had already been verified.
The squad leaders were seasoned in a different sense.
Those who survived the pitched battles against the Suksin Tribe were promoted to squad leader.
If you cannot hear the drums, you die.
Only those who had internalized it through their bodies survived, and these squad leaders now led the inexperienced reinforcements.
Jegalling commanded the entire signal system of the Hwa Empire like extensions of his own limbs, orchestrating the troops with ease.
For now, this was merely light preliminary practice.
A stretching session before the real war began.
There was no room to learn anything new. I was simply reminding them of what they already knew.
Though it was the Jegallim Family’s greatest weapon, the Eight Trigrams Formation itself was so famous that the enemy soldiers surely knew of it.
Any White Insignia would naturally be familiar with it.
‘If a Three Kingdoms enthusiast saw this sight, their heart would surely swell with grandeur.’
The Eight Trigrams Formation deployed by the last survivor of the Jegallim Family was flawless.
Yet Jegalling, seemingly dissatisfied with something, repositioned a few more small units of about forty-eight soldiers.
That was all.
“You show no dignity of a warrior whatsoever.”
At Eun Wang-ya’s words, I let out a quiet laugh.
“A massive slaughter is about to unfold. There must be a reason my Master gave me such potent medicine.”
Against the 470,000-strong imperial army, the Suksin Tribe’s forces, including supply units, numbered approximately 250,000.
The numbers were certainly fewer, but the problem lay in the fact that the Suksin Tribe possessed greater military strength as a force.
Through several battles, the clashes had inflicted enormous casualties on both sides.
When the Suksin Tribe lost 50,000 soldiers, the imperial army’s numbers dropped by 100,000 in that same period.
Wow, what a mad exchange rate.
Imperial soldiers were cheaper than Suksin helmets!
That Eun Wang-ya didn’t execute me as strategist, general, or anyone else must mean I should bear responsibility for this cursed exchange rate.
Moreover, those who had accumulated experience against the Suksin Tribe were the ones who created this damnable exchange rate.
Generals guarding the Wanong border could be swapped out without issue, but the Suksin Tribe was not a level that greenhorns could withstand.
In the end, I had no choice but to chant like a mantra—trusting in human deep learning, treating this exchange rate as an investment for the future, telling myself I was making an investment, these bastards are learning, deep learning.
“Still, the composure you show isn’t solely due to the medicine’s effects.”
“The Hyeonwon Jeondan Singeong deserves much credit as well.”
“No. It’s your reason that matters.”
Eun Wang-ya observed Jin Cheon-hee with a calm gaze.
“Even in this chaos, you’re watching my Master’s schemes, verifying them, searching for escape routes, and finding openings. All with that small head of yours.”
“That’s quite sudden, Wang-ya.”
At Jin Cheon-hee’s grumbling, Eun Wang-ya let out a soft chuckle.
“Choosing you was indeed the right decision. Within this tangled Eight Trigrams formation, only you can perfectly grasp Jegalling’s true intentions.”
“You’re remarkable as well, Wang-ya, for trusting my Master and entrusting him with so much.”
“Hmm, rather than trust and entrust, it’s more that there’s no one else to entrust.”
“What?”
“People crumble more easily than you’d think. Especially military strategists—they’re fundamentally scholars who’ve tasted ink. The weight of defeat bears heavily upon them.”
Though human lives are said to become mere numbers, they remain human after all, unable to fully escape the burden of guilt.
Eun Wang-ya continued.
“Of course they’re also vulnerable to fatigue. While I said vulnerable, this chaotic warfare has lasted over a month now—truly, an ordinary person’s stamina has long since been exceeded.”
“I see.”
“To such strategists, the name Jegalling is like that of a god. And the expectations placed upon the last heir of the Jegallim Family are equally immense.”
In this situation of catastrophic defeat, they would grasp at anything.
It was an utterly rational faith.
Eun Wang-ya spoke.
“Though I said last, it would be resolved if you were adopted as a son. Why haven’t you become an adopted son?”
“Well… because my Master doesn’t wish it?”
“The relationship between master and disciple is akin to that between father and son, yet this is strange.”
Calling my Master father.
In this Confucian society where ruler, teacher, and father are one, it was no great matter.
I myself had no family. Never had one.
Yet it was difficult. As expected, it was.
Perhaps it was all the more difficult precisely because I’d never had one in my entire life.
So I changed the subject.
“In that sense, Wang-ya. I intend to change our strategy.”
I didn’t want to delve deeper into this conversation.
“I’ll ride Hwang-gu instead of a horse. Hwang-gu.”
Boom!
Hwang-gu released the Shrinking Technique and returned to his original size.
Then the imposing form of a dog—as large as a wolf, or rather now even larger than one—revealed itself.
Pant, pant, pant, pant—
In the past, there had still been a roundness to him, but having eaten spiritual beast meat and spiritual medicine like rice, he now appeared more ferocious than a wild beast.
Except for how he kept trying to place his tiger-like front paws on Jin Cheon-hee’s shoulders.
Massive and ferocious in appearance, yet his actions were unmistakably those of a dog.
To Hwang-gu, my weight meant nothing.
Rather, he seemed pleased to be able to stay closer to his master.
I placed a saddle on Hwang-gu’s back and secured my quiver and bow.
At this sight, my companion was taken aback.
“Being a spirit beast, it will be faster than a horse and capable of running much longer.”
“Deploying your trump card from the start—did you predict the Suksin Tribe’s cavalry would be formidable?”
“Yes. There will be heavy casualties.”
“Even Jegalling cannot escape this inevitability.”
At those words, I furrowed one brow.
“The King commanded me to achieve victory for my Master. Therefore, that takes priority.”
Even if much blood must be spilled.
My gaze turned toward the distant tents.
“You wish to heal, it seems.”
“Soldiering does not suit me. I am a Doctor, Your Majesty.”
“You are my soldier now.”
“Which is why I endure. I understand the gravity of this situation and which side carries greater importance.”
I guard Eun Wang-ya.
My Master activates the Eight Trigrams Formation to defend against the Suksin Tribe’s assault.
The moment they penetrate deep, Eun Wang-ya, having mastered sound techniques, will neutralize a portion of the army through resonance.”
That is how it stands.
The imperial bloodline, descendants of the Three Sovereigns and Boggi, are not merely checks against martial artists or rivals.
Their true power manifests when commanding tens of thousands of soldiers.
When the Emperor passes, they slaughter one another.
Using the armies of their maternal relatives and their own strength to become Emperor, or to survive, or—like Ju Wang—to place someone they trust upon the throne.
Chaos begins this way, and sometimes the continent tears asunder, different nations rising to wage war against each other.
And their power is optimized for such warfare.
When Eun Wang-ya dwells in the imperial palace, he is a scheming sovereign, a terror that manipulates men.
But when he stands upon the wilderness commanding tens of thousands of soldiers, he becomes legend.
[If the King displays his true strength in this war, all in the imperial palace will learn of it. The twin they believed dead lives. Then the question of who is Emperor will arise.]
At my silent transmission, Eun Wang-ya laughed softly.
“How mischievous. I merely asked why you cannot call your Master father, and you repay me with this? Your recklessness remains unchanged.”
Ju Wang is the God of War because her true strength emerges in such conflicts.
Hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands place their faith in her martial prowess.
That faith bolsters the morale of every soldier, leaving them with the message: we will prevail, and some among us will return home.
This is why the Hwa Empire endures.
Even as the Emperor passes and civil war stains the land, ultimately Pung Ha-eun is placed upon the throne.
This is why the empire’s people accept it.
Then, Pung Ha-eun.
Can you become a god?
Can you truly stand as the living god of the empire’s people and repel the foreign invaders?
Can you defend the sacred lands that the Three Sovereigns and Boggi commanded you to protect?
He gazed into my blue eyes as I spoke these words.
Unlike my Master who moves this Eight Trigrams Formation, the blue light remains the same.
“How presumptuous, Doctor. What do you take me for?”
He referred to himself without any pretense, yet none of my classmates showed any sign of confusion.
Hwang-gu seemed slightly taken aback, but maintained composure as if this were routine.
I couldn’t tell if they were simply well-trained individuals or if they already possessed considerable information about this matter.
Eun Wang-ya spoke.
“My sister is the God of War. She is a living Nata and a chariot of fire in motion. Where she treads, only black ash remains. Her power to wield both extreme heat and extreme cold simultaneously is so formidable that anyone who has ever caught her gaze on the battlefield suffers nightmares throughout the night.”
“….”
“However, even that sister is not without flaws. She is a living Nata, not a living Jade Emperor, after all. There is nothing she can do unless she employs some form of body-splitting technique through her hair. She is singular in nature. She cannot become plural.”
“That could be said to be the weakness Lü Bu possessed in the past.”
“It is closer to Xiang Yu’s situation. Woo Mi-in is at his side, is she not? The Prince’s consort is not Cho-seon now, after all.”
At those words, I couldn’t help but let out a quiet laugh.
Ju Wang’s husband was certainly closer to Woo Mi-in than to Cho-seon.
Eun Wang-ya spoke again.
“By contrast, neither I nor Geum can ever become such an existence. We disliked weapons by nature, making it even more so.”
“Then are you saying you are a Jade Emperor, Your Majesty?”
“Temporarily, yes.”
“Where is Geun Du-un?”
“Is he not present?”
He gestured toward the rear with his gaze.
Where my Master stood. And there, the sight of drums being beaten in time with the flags unfolded.
Boom, boom, boom—
After several adjustments, the military command was refined to perfection.
I felt the smooth movements of the Eight Trigrams Formation.
I felt that I myself was one axis of this Eight Trigrams Formation, that I had become that axis.
—The small becomes small, which becomes the great, and the great becomes all under heaven.
It was a pleasure felt only by species that, like ants, formed societies and congregated.
Facing this cursed war, humanity felt a faint pleasure in becoming unified with something vast.
Was it the instinct of a species that formed collectives?
Or was it a threadbare hope and sense of relief that we might survive the slaughter to come?
I asked again.
“Then where is the Ruyi Staff?”
“That too is present here, is it not?”
He looked at me.

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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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