Doctor’s Rebirth - Chapter 523

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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 523
When I opened my eyes, I saw a familiar ceiling.
It was the second branch of Baekrin Medical Guild.
How do I know? Because I personally designed every detail of the ceiling.
The peculiar pillars and ceiling structure that would seem strange to any warrior—there’s nowhere else it could be.
‘And it’s a separate building at that.’
This was a place reserved exclusively for imperial family members, the Martial Arts Alliance Leader, and those with many secrets to keep.
There were high-ranking officials who resented not being allowed entry, but this place was created to protect them.
If such important figures were to lie in other locations and their secrets leaked, they could be wiped out in an instant—that’s the nature of Gangho.
This sanctuary was built to protect both physician and patient alike, and I had woven quite intricate formation arrays around it using bamboo.
“Ugh. There’s not a single part of me that doesn’t hurt.”
I unconsciously brought my hand to my left arm, and hmm, how surprising.
Since there was no trace of toxic energy, it seemed I could now control my left arm perfectly.
Looking to the side, Yeo Ha-ryun was meditating in the morning sunlight.
It looked like inner energy cultivation—his hair was gently undulating and swaying despite the absence of any breeze.
It was that strange state the Cheonma had once demonstrated.
Even when she was drinking or tearing into crab meat in sweet and sour sauce, her hair would move like that.
‘I should check my condition first.’
I had released toxic energy against Sip Cheon-gun, and absurdly, I had inhaled some of that very poison myself, but there were no serious symptoms of poisoning.
Because the Five Elements Mutual Destruction Poison had been neutralized to that extent by Oh Dok-mun’s toxin.
‘The pain in my arm has decreased considerably too?’
So suppressing the toxic energy wasn’t the answer—freely releasing it was?
I had understood this in theory, but attempting such a thing with my own body could have cost me my left arm, and if I lost it, while being a warrior would be secondary.
Performing direct surgery as a physician at Buseul Medical Guild would become impossible, so I had hesitated.
In the end, throwing caution to the wind and just doing it turned out to be the right answer.
‘If Master found out, he’d smack the back of my head with a fan.’
My hands were torn somewhat, but fortunately the muscles and bones were unharmed, so it wasn’t a serious injury. The bandaged areas were healing rapidly thanks to the jade stone’s restorative properties.
‘Hmm, it’s better than expected?’
Perhaps because Yeo Ha-ryun had intervened at the critical moment.
Then a heavy wave of energy resonated—whooom—and Yeo Ha-ryun’s eyes opened halfway.
“You’re awake. Hyeong.”
“Yeah. How did you get here?”
“Heukun was someone I’d been wanting to eliminate for a long time anyway. The place where I was on assignment happened to be close to Hangzhou, and you had already brought Heukun to ruin. Was there any reason to hesitate?”
“Heukun is… well. He must be dead then.”
“Are you sad? That the patient you worked so hard to treat met such an end.”
I realized that Yeo Ha-ryun’s tone wasn’t mocking—he was asking out of genuine curiosity.
“Your humanity has worn down even more than before.”
“If you’re referring to Cheon Sal-seong. That’s unavoidable.”
Yeo Ha-ryun said this while looking at me.
Whether I answered or not, he wouldn’t care either way.
“But I need to know whether this matter troubles you or not, so I can adjust my future actions accordingly. I’d appreciate it if you’d answer.”
I see.
Does my brother still remain in this worn consciousness?
That must mean Yeo Ha-ryun still clings to his humanity.
If that’s the case, I should be as honest as possible.
If even a shred of falsehood slips in, this sharp-witted fellow will have to act while carrying that contradiction.
“Well… uh, I’ve learned a lot from this incident, and beating a patient I treated with my own hands is truly… a dog-like thing to do, but after completing the treatment and they’re discharged and…? If I have to accept that they return to their place in Gangho as a beneficiary of my care…? Could you understand that?”
“Mm.”
It would be easier to explain this to a three-year-old child.
It’s like explaining to a blind man that “an apple is red.”
“Yeah. So. If I start worrying about the life and death of every discharged patient, I can’t practice medicine.”
“So you’re saying it doesn’t feel good, but you don’t dwell on it too much?”
“Exactly. Especially with heretical sect patients or demonic cult patients like this time—what can I do about them? If I saved them in that moment, that’s enough. What happens after that is for them to navigate.”
“I see. So you’re fine with it.”
Did that come across clearly?
Yeo Ha-ryun continued speaking.
“After that, thanks to Cheonma ordering the disciples to track down and annihilate Hyeolseonggyo, it became easier to pursue them. I had a hunch you’d be involved somehow, and as expected, I was right.”
“I see.”
“Especially since Hyeolseonggyo members were discovered within the demonic cult, they’re now the top priority for elimination.”
That was the case in the original work too.
Hyeolseonggyo had embedded their forces not just in the heretical and orthodox sects, but even within the demonic cult.
Perhaps that’s why when the time came, they caused chaos from all directions.
And that collided with the dark side of the orthodox faction, resulting in a massive explosion.
-Is this the landscape created by the hypocrites and fanatics of Gangho? How ridiculous.
The original Yeo Ha-ryun held a position like a god of destruction sweeping them all away.
It’s a common pattern that appears when the protagonist is from the demonic cult, but regardless, under Cheon Sal-seong’s authority, he burned away and destroyed all the filthy filth, purifying it all through bloody judgment.
“Then I’ll take my leave, brother.”
“Wait, wait! Why are you leaving in such a hurry?”
The one who would normally try to stay longer whenever the opportunity arose is now trying to leave first?
The reason is obvious.
“Cheon Sal-seong is suffering greatly. You.”
“There’s barely anything left inside me anymore. So it’s better to go where there are no people.”
In other words, he’s leaving because the impulse to kill his brother or cause a bloodbath before him is overwhelming, and he’s afraid he’ll end up committing atrocities like a human butcher.
“Your wrist.”
“Hm?”
“Let me take your pulse.”
At my command, Yeo Ha-ryun finally extended his wrist.
During the pulse diagnosis, Yeo Ha-ryun didn’t say a single word.
To ease the madness of this Cheon Sal-seong protagonist, I need to say something, anything.
If he ends up succumbing to Cheon Sal-seong later and goes around tearing people apart, that would be troublesome.
“What happened to Samjeolchuho?”
“…He left with his younger sister—or rather, his enemy. He said he was going to find Sadoryeonju.”
“Hmm? Sadoryeonju?”
“She had two souls in one body. That’s hardly normal. Ah, and he drove iron nails through all the meridians in his sister’s limbs.”
“Ah, right.”
“He’s placed every restriction reserved for mortal enemies, yet you don’t seem surprised.”
“…That too must be Samjeolchuho’s path.”
“He said through someone that he’d send you something in return soon—a supreme artifact he discovered while tracking his sister. I’m not entirely sure what it is.”
Right. Artifacts, divine treasures, so many they pile up at one’s feet in the demonic sect.
A place where every precious thing under heaven exists, except human lives.
Most warriors would have their eyes gleaming with greed, but this one seems utterly unmoved.
“First priority would be breaking the brainwashing placed on his sister. But breaking it is one problem—what comes after is another.”
“Hmm?”
“The probability of her taking her own life is high. Probably. The sins she’s accumulated must be enormous.”
“If that’s the case, wouldn’t it be right to destroy Hyeolseonggyo together? True atonement lies in vengeance and preventing recurrence.”
That’s what a martial arts protagonist would do.
The classic trope—a protagonist kidnapped by an assassin clan as a child, brainwashed into committing atrocities, then breaking free and seeking revenge against those who made them this way.
‘That’s why he’s the protagonist, Ha-ryun. Most people lose their minds entirely when brainwashing breaks.’
There’s no point explaining this to him anyway.
Yeo Ha-ryun was already being consumed by Cheon Sal-seong, fighting to maintain his sanity.
This one was simply born with the mental fortitude befitting a protagonist.
“Anyway, you’ve grown incredibly strong. Hasn’t it been less than a year?”
“I simply killed those who needed killing. Walking the blood path merely brought me to this point.”
Indeed, Cheon Sal-seong. Does one grow stronger with each life taken?
Before ascending to Hwagyeong’s position, there were few opportunities to stain my hands with blood, but now even the other Soegoojus don’t spare him.
Yeo Ha-ryun himself now wanders through the blood tribulation.
The demonic sect is truly strange—the stronger one becomes, the more blood one must shed.
‘Considering the original timeline, we’ve passed the early stages and are roughly in the middle now. That one enters Hwagyeong, shatters Hyeolseonggyo, and walks the blood path killing the rotten ones of Gangho.’
In the process, many innocents are swept up and die, and Yeo Ha-ryun falls into sorrow, only to be consumed by Cheon Sal-seong again and continue killing.
Such is the life of a martial arts protagonist.
Especially those serious-natured protagonists belonging to the demonic sect live such lives.
‘So I can’t really say anything to Samjeolchuho either.’
The reason I can’t tell Samjeolchuho to abandon his sister is… because I myself cannot abandon either Yeo Ha-ryun or Sama Hyeon.
Especially Yeo Ha-ryun, who regardless of his will must continue to crave blood, bearing the curse of reason numbed by that blood scent for the rest of his life.
“How are you even creating ten Ganghwan simultaneously?”
“Thanks to you. That strange training method proved helpful. Thanks to it, I’ve achieved my current martial prowess.”
‘Oh! My training actually helped! Excellent!’
I was already secretly writing a martial arts manual about this anyway, so this works out well.
After exchanging various stories with Yeo Ha-ryun, it was finally time to broach the main topic, and I carefully brought it up.
“You’ve been eating only Bigyokdan recently, haven’t you? Are you getting enough nutrition?”
“Mm.”
Even Yeo Ha-ryun, the Jicheon Cheonma, subsisted solely on Bigyokdan pills.
Since he claimed everything tasted like sawdust no matter what he ate.
I understood his lack of appetite—after all, he slaughtered people constantly, nearly every other day.
But still, now that Yeo Ha-ryun… kills people… granted, he does kill quite frequently, but compared to the original work, shouldn’t he at least have the capacity to enjoy a meal?
“Mm….”
Yeo Ha-ryun offered no response, merely exhaling his characteristic hum.
“I’ll cook something for you. Just wait a moment….”
“It’s fine, hyeong.”
The hand grasping my sleeve felt oddly urgent.
“What is it?”
Yeo Ha-ryun sighed before opening his mouth.
“I can’t taste anything.”
“What?”
“As Cheon Sal-seong has deepened, this has been the case for some time now… In the end, whether I consume Bigyokdan or noodles makes little difference.”
…So the sawdust taste mentioned in the novel wasn’t a matter of lost appetite—it literally tasted like sawdust.
“…Is that too strange?”
Since I offered no response, he seemed to grow anxious.
“No, no, yes. Yes… That’s right. Cheon Sal-seong is still a poorly researched field even within the Medical Guild. So if you could explain your symptoms clearly, we could allocate budget and time to gather cases like yours and conduct research….”
“…You were flustered, hyeong.”
“Ah….”
Right. I was flustered.
No matter how wretched Cheon Sal-seong is, does it have to rob him of the pleasure of eating?
I’d thought that sawdust taste was merely a metaphor.
Yesterday he personally beheaded a colleague, today he executed a traitor, and I’d assumed it natural that he’d be chewing on Bigyokdan pills.
Honestly, if after all that he were eating duck noodles drizzled with chili oil, he’d be a psychopath, not the protagonist.
“Ah.”
What should I even say.

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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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