Doctor’s Rebirth - Chapter 484

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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 484
My days fell into a rhythm: managing the relief center by day, administering beatings by night.
The results were undeniable—the black path factions in Hangzhou began losing their roots one by one.
Those extorting protection money grew increasingly wary of Baekrin Medical Guild’s gaze, and criminal organizations began relocating their operations.
However.
Three organizations survived: the Gambling Faction, which operated gambling as their primary business; the Gold Loan House, which dealt in usury; and the direct subordinate sects of Haomun’s Red Pavilion.
‘If the Gambling Faction had been running rigged games, I would have crushed them. But they’re surprisingly fair about it.’
According to what Gaebang had discreetly investigated, that was the case.
Losing is luck, and winning is luck.
In this era, gambling isn’t illegal, so I had no justification to strike them down.
The same applied to the Gold Loan House.
Had there been evidence of document forgery or fraud, I would have rushed in and beaten them mercilessly. But where such crimes didn’t exist, I had no choice but to leave them alone.
‘By modern standards it would be illegal, but here it’s lawful, so it’s ambiguous.’
Because of this, completely eradicating the black path was impossible.
Still, pruning them back was well within Baekrin Medical Guild’s power.
In the end, only about three black path factions remained.
As for those who went completely underground, there was no way to know—but if I saw them, I’d beat them!
Now there were roughly eight sects in Hangzhou.
‘Three evil sects and five righteous ones, I suppose.’
The wealth I accumulated through this purge was staggering.
I stared at the mountains of silver coins piling up, my eyes wavering.
‘So… this is why people walk the black path.’
The temptation was more than sweet—living as a black path criminal guaranteed you’d never starve.
‘If I could just live the black path life for ten years and achieve financial independence… three generations could live comfortably off the proceeds.’
Of course, most warriors in Gangho, regardless of righteous or evil path, die to a blind blade when they first venture out.
But if one could survive.
If one could live long enough to achieve financial independence. What then…?
Money is a powerful motivator that dominates most of human life.
I found myself sighing for some reason.
“What’s wrong, Hyeong?”
“Looking at all this silver, I realized the black path in Gangho will never die out.”
“If there are good people, there must be bad people too. If there are righteous warriors, there must be evil warriors on the other side. Isn’t that the balance of yin and yang?”
“Hmm… I suppose so.”
It reminds me of Light Side and Dark Side from modern times.
But maintaining the righteous path requires fighting desperately every single day, while evil can loaf around comfortably and still be efficient. The world really is unfair.
“I’ve certainly made many enemies in Gangho.”
I clicked my tongue.
Was this what my Master wanted?
For me to face the black path directly. For his disciple to escape illusions and truly see how Gangho operates.
I wouldn’t know unless my Master answered directly.
However, I learned much while laying the foundation for Baekrin Uiseon.
“What should I feed the children tomorrow?”
I had gathered quite a few orphans this way.
Showing them genuine culinary delights was a small pleasure.
Since I myself had rather simple tastes like the children, it was all the more enjoyable.
That’s when Man Seon entered the barracks.
“Minor Sect Leader, someone from Haomun has come to see you.”
So they’ve finally arrived.
‘Well, considering the chaos I’ve caused, it’s surprising they took this long.’
* * *
Three people had come from Haomun.
All of them were formidable masters who had reached Hwagyeong.
Sensing their powerful auras, Cheonwoo felt his back muscles stiffen involuntarily.
‘Every single one of them is a powerhouse.’
Man Seon felt the same.
She tightened her grip on the fishing rod in her hand.
These were different from the rabble she’d fought before. These opponents were the real deal.
[Minor Sect Leader, I have fought countless enemies over the years. In that process, I’ve battled both the righteous and the wicked.]
[I see.]
[You should be cautious. The ones before us are those who have crossed the line of death countless times. As you well know, even among those at Hwagyeong, there are vast differences in level. They are….]
I cut off Man Seon’s words.
[…surely those who have claimed at least a thousand lives.]
The man in the center cupped his fist in salute.
“Greetings, Minor Sect Leader. I am Amhyeol, Bumun-ju of the Osalji Faction.”
The Osalji Faction, an assassination division of Haomun.
They were assassins who accepted contracts to kill people.
It was the Osalji Faction that had sent people to kidnap Sama Hyeon in the past.
The assassins sent by the Osalji Faction had been incredibly strong.
Strong enough that I had to risk my life.
‘Gokgol Hyeolma was formidable. And this man is far stronger than that Hyeolma from back then.’
As the Bumun-ju of the Osalji Faction, he likely spent far more time killing people than eating.
‘So that’s how I managed to protect Sama Hyeon against such a force back then.’
Back then, I had struggled against just Gokgol Hyeolma alone, yet now I had grown enough that their Bumun-ju came personally.
“Pleased to meet you, Bumun-ju Amhyeol. I am Jin Cheon-hee, Minor Sect Leader of Baekrin Uiseon. And who is this beside you?”
“This is Geumchisan, Bumun-ju of the Gambling Faction.”
“Pleased to meet you. And the last person?”
The master standing on the right answered with both hands tucked inside his sleeves.
“You need only know that I am a master invited by Haomun.”
“I see.”
So he wouldn’t reveal his name.
It doesn’t really matter. After all, there’s only one reason a master of this caliber would come seeking me out on their own.
“It doesn’t seem like you’ve come because you’re ill.”
At those words, Amhyeol of the Osalji Faction spoke.
“We’re not here to chat leisurely over refreshments. Let’s get to the point—if you can defeat all three of us, you may do as you wish with Hangju.”
“And if I lose?”
I let out a short laugh at that.
“Do you think you’ll still be alive?”
“There’s no need to assume death is inevitable, is there?”
At my response, Amhyeol reluctantly answered.
“If you somehow survive, then Baekrin Medical Guild will withdraw from Hangju entirely. Not a single person remaining, not even the smaller medical clinics.”
“I see.”
I gazed up at the sky.
A single bird soared leisurely across it.
Was it a stork, a white heron, or perhaps a crane?
There was a certain serenity befitting such a clear day.
Soon I lowered my gaze and looked at them again.
“We have some delicious refreshments prepared. If you’d like, I can also serve some wine.”
“Minor Sect Leader… I can’t stomach eating anything while looking at people I despise. I’d appreciate it if you’d at least show some mercy by sending only the three of us without your subordinates.”
“Still, isn’t it too early in the morning? Why not have breakfast before we fight? We have potato rice that’s quite delicious, and the side dishes are—”
Amhyeol cut me off irritably.
“…Can’t you just shut up? Do you think I came all this way to eat some rice?”
“….”
As the three masters emanated killing intent, Cheonwoo couldn’t hold back.
“Hyeong, let me handle this.”
He looked ready to grab one of them and beat them to a pulp right then and there.
I raised my hand to stop Cheonwoo.
“Don’t do that, Cheonwoo. This is my affair regardless. It’s a debt I created, a karma I’ve made.”
I sighed.
“Yes, I understand. This matters more than refreshments or potatoes. Such is the way of Gangho.”
Must blood be spilled?
I asked one final time.
“At the very least, I don’t wish for the children we’ve recently taken in to witness human bloodshed. Would it be possible to move to a different location? I’m asking you.”
“Once we’ve already met, there’s no turning back. We’ve heard well of the strange deeds the Veiled Madman has committed. How could we know what tricks you might employ while we’re relocating?”
“I promise we won’t—”
Kwaaaang!
Amhyeol, whose patience had reached its limit, struck the ground with his palm technique.
It wasn’t even a proper structure—just a tent in a slum relief center.
With just Amhyeol’s palm strike, several tents collapsed.
It was devastating power.
But before anyone could even process it, chaos erupted all around.
“Aaaahhhhh!”
“Mother, mother!”
The patients who could move fled, while those with mobility issues simply collapsed where they stood.
The children didn’t scream—they merely curled their bodies inward.
For them, adult violence was familiar.
Resistance changed nothing, so the instinct of orphans in the slums was to surrender their bodies and choose the path of lesser blows.
The relief center transformed into hell in an instant.
I exhaled slowly.
“Man Seon, clear the surroundings.”
“Understood!”
“Cheonwoo, you protect the children.”
“Hyeong… will you be alright?”
Cheonwoo noticed that my expression hadn’t changed.
This was unusual.
It also meant I was furious.
‘But no matter how strong Hyeong is, dealing with these three would be impossible…?’
I spoke.
“Cheonwoo, you listen to me, understand?”
“…”
Cheonwoo’s jaw clenched, grinding his teeth.
I said.
“At least don’t let them see what comes next. These children have already suffered enough—if they witness this, they won’t sleep for days.”
Even in this moment, I worried about the trauma the children would endure.
In truth, it was a luxury of concern.
As long as reality didn’t change, it was like bailing out the ocean with a ladle.
That’s what living in Hangzhou meant.
They’d already witnessed skulls being crushed, and some children had done it themselves.
One child had already killed someone in that process.
That adult had exploited him and broken his arm.
But the child would remember that day even after becoming an adult.
How bright the moon was, how he’d pierced another person.
The gaze of others can be faced in daylight.
But when the sun sets and one is left alone, another gaze opens its eyes.
Today’s self witnesses yesterday’s self.
Could this child ever sleep well again?
I stared at the torn tent for a moment, then spoke.
“…We can rebuild this. It’s fine.”
Everyone from the Medical Guild was watching me.
If I showed hesitation now, even the children who came trusting me would become more afraid.
“Hmm.”
I deliberately drew in a deep breath and straightened my back.
Like a beast fluffing its fur before facing an enemy.
The Doctor was accustomed to falling and picking himself up from the ground.
“Things are merely things. I can rebuild them, remake them. It’ll be annoying, certainly.”
Once the second branch of Baekrin Medical Guild was completed, even if it was crude now, it wouldn’t crumble before a master’s true strike.
When that time came, I would find a way through it.
Cheonwoo watched his hyeong’s back.
His hyeong was considerably shorter than him.
The loose green cotton robes were convenient to put on and take off, but not ideal for martial combat.
Yet his hyeong made no move to change into martial garments.
‘He intends to shed blood and then remove them.’
From that sight, Cheonwoo understood what his hyeong was thinking.
‘My hyeong plans to fight them this morning and return to the relief center this afternoon.’
After all, once blood and saliva stained the clothes, they would need changing.
He wouldn’t treat patients in such garments.
‘He’s mad… absolutely mad.’
Realizing this much, I could only laugh at the absurdity.
Why did I receive salvation from such a hyeong, and why did I seek to repay him?
By the standards of Gangho, he was anything but normal.
Yet I could neither abandon nor surpass following such a hyeong.
Like a magnet, even now this man naturally drew people to him.

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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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