Doctor’s Rebirth - Chapter 565

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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 565
The Prince served tea to the two of them. However, his movements were painfully slow.
“My apologies. If I move too quickly, my body overheats again.”
“Would it not be acceptable for me to pour instead?”
The Prince answered Jin Cheon-hee’s suggestion.
“That won’t do. How could I neglect the doctor treating my body?”
Most royalty would simply order their attendants, but this Prince deliberately insisted on pouring the tea himself—a remarkably unpretentious nature.
Glug, glug…
Following the Prince’s sluggish movements, the tea water rose into the cup with equal slowness.
Watching this sloth-like slow motion, Gongseon Yeong pretended to drop something and bent down beneath the table.
Yawn…
Jin Cheon-hee caught her stifling a yawn down there.
“Here’s your tea.”
With that, he slowly, very slowly sipped the cold water again.
“Since childhood, heat has coursed through my body, causing me to suffer from countless ailments. When I was exposed to cold, my condition improved, so from then on I wore thin clothing. But at some point, the heat began building more and more intensely, until now I can barely leave this ice chamber.”
“I see.”
“Eventually, it reached the point where stepping outside this room with the ice formations became unbearable.”
“Hmm…”
“Just so you know, even if you feel drowsy, stay awake. If you fall asleep in this room, you’ll freeze to death.”
Gongseon Yeong was startled and began slapping her own cheeks repeatedly.
“May I take your pulse now?”
“Is this the true qi pulse diagnosis that some doctors in the Hwa Empire can use?”
“I plan to begin the full examination tomorrow. For now, I simply wish to observe the basics.”
“Very well.”
He extended his wrist to Jin Cheon-hee again.
Slowly, very slowly.
Jin Cheon-hee waited until his wrist arrived, then took his pulse.
“…”
After taking the pulse for a long while, Jin Cheon-hee reflected.
‘Haha, this damned Gangho world that defies the laws of physics… Cursed… haha…’
My Master’s Nine Yin Absolute Meridians somehow emit cold qi from the body.
There’s no way to explain this through physics, of course.
All I can do is force-fit an explanation using yin-yang and five elements theory.
The opposite—Nine Yang Absolute Meridians—similarly emit heat from the body for some reason.
How would I know why?
I simply have to accept it as a martial arts illness.
‘Normally, a human body temperature of forty degrees should be dangerous…’
At least he’s cultivated ice techniques to drain the heat.
Modern science has no answer for this situation.
In ancient times, I would have lost my mind, but now I’m a martial arts doctor. Well, when in Gangho, follow Gangho’s rules, as they say.
‘First, let me recall the Seven Yang Severed Meridian that Master treated in the past. I have records of how it was treated then, and I’ve heard the details from Master as well.’
Though Yin Severed Meridian and Yang Severed Meridian sound similar in name, the treatment methods are completely different.
That’s why Master could treat Seven Yang Severed Meridian but couldn’t treat Nine Yang Severed Meridian.
Master used Ice Yin Herb, a spirit herb with extreme yin energy, to induce the Hundred Meridian Cleansing and an ‘incomplete’ Bone Replacement Rebirth.
It was merely an induction—the final step was left to the will of heaven.
Fortunately, heaven’s favor touched him then, allowing the patient to transform into a Yang Constitution.
General Ryu Heon of the Imperial Army.
He was able to become one of the Empire’s Seven Great Generals thanks to Master’s treatment back then.
However, Nine Yang Severed Meridian is radiating heat several times more intense than the Seven Yang Severed Meridian that Master treated.
The temperature in this room is already at minus ten degrees; if one must remain naked just to maintain that temperature, I don’t even want to imagine how high body temperature could rise if stepping outside.
‘…This is something no human can endure.’
Still, whether it’s the effect of Nine Yang Severed Meridian or not, the bone structure itself is remarkably magnificent.
Just looking at it, the yang energy radiating outward feels intensely warm.
“When winter comes, I can still go outside, but from spring onward, I stay here.”
He slowly swallows cold water with ice floating in it.
“Yet I’m the heir to the Aisha Kingdom, so it’s impossible to inherit the kingdom like this. I’d rather hand it over to another brother, but one is addicted to gambling and the other to opium, so it’s hopeless. Our mother really made a mess of raising children.”
Woof?
Hwang-gu barked softly as if feeling wronged.
Jin Cheon-hee stroked Hwang-gu’s forehead and continued speaking.
“So you’re also assisting with state affairs from this room.”
“I only help a bit with taxation records—I’m not sure if this qualifies as ‘assisting,’ but that’s roughly it. If I move my body too much, I get too hot, so I verify the tax ledgers through mental calculation.”
…Impressive.
Whether one could call it genius or not was uncertain, but as a prince, he was doing his best with a body that couldn’t produce efficiency better than a sloth.
“That’s remarkable talent.”
“Well… that’s only natural, isn’t it? After all, it’s said that those afflicted with severed meridians have short lifespans but abundant talent. Your Master is the one who overcame it through genius, not me—I’m just extending my life by squandering the resources my mother provides within the palace.”
Rather than a prince, he seemed like the wealthy son of a rich family in town, but looking carefully, he was subtly lowering himself and elevating the Doctor’s master.
He knew that Jin Cheon-hee held his lifeline in his hands.
‘Knowing who I am means the investigation was already complete before arriving here.’
When the Emperor urgently dispatched Jin Cheon-hee as a spy, he said he was sending a doctor to treat the severed meridian, but I understand he didn’t reveal exactly who it was.
Yet knowing anyway suggested it was likely learned when first stopping at an inn.
Which meant he was already commanding the eyes and ears of the kingdom.
Having such power while still elevating Master and subtly lowering himself?
Gongseon Yeong spoke.
[Hey, he’s a good person. I heard the First Prince has many retainers following him—seems like that’s why.]
[…Uh… sister…. Uh….]
The words that came up his throat were that sister shouldn’t be running a business.
In any case, Jin Cheon-hee simply did his own work.
Whether Gongseon Hyeon would eventually hand over part of the business to Gongseon Yeong and uproot the Gongseon Family’s foundation was not the Doctor’s concern.
“I understand. However… my Master has treated Seven Yang Severed Meridian in the past, but there are differences with Nine Yang Severed Meridian, so it seems we’ll need time to investigate various aspects.”
“Your Master treated Nine Yin Severed Meridian, and wasn’t the final treatment done by you?”
“It’s not a complete cure. It’s more akin to symptomatic treatment. Moreover, yin and yang qi differ in nature, so some doctors classify them as the same illness at first glance, but that’s not entirely accurate.”
The Prince nodded at my words.
“I see. That’s actually reassuring.”
* * *
‘Wow, it’s been ages since I’ve encountered a Gangho illness that modern science can’t touch at all.’
Smallpox, parasites, typhoid fever, cholera, fractures, brain tumors—weren’t they all ultimately earthly diseases?
They were problems I could solve with modern knowledge if I applied myself.
But this was a disease born from the very bones of the Gangho world.
Starting the next day, I continuously examined the Prince’s body using pulse diagnosis to understand his Nine Yang Severed Meridians.
“I understand the pulse reading, but why are you taking blood?”
“It’s my lingering attachment, Your Highness.”
Right, I can’t abandon modern science. I should try whatever I can.
I began by conversing with my patient.
“It appears you’ve mastered the Ice White Divine Technique from the North Sea Ice Palace, Your Highness.”
“It was the most suitable method to suppress the immediate heat, so I learned it desperately.”
Indeed, there was considerable icy cold qi accumulated in his dantian.
Of course, due to the heat, the icy cold qi—or rather, I should call it lukewarm cold qi.
‘He likely avoided falling into demonic cultivation deviation because he underwent the Eight Extraordinary Meridians training early in childhood and maintained it rigorously.’
Though he explained he only discovered his constitution in childhood, he probably realized it much earlier.
‘I can’t believe everything a patient tells me, but….’
There’s no need to go as far as asking Han Yi-jeong or Yu Rang-hu.
Especially in cases of imperial family members or heirs of great families, they must conceal their family’s secret histories, so they inevitably obscure the truth—and discerning such lies is a doctor’s essential skill.
The current situation before me was relatively minor in comparison.
I quickly corrected the timeline of the patient’s symptom manifestation.
Based on the patient’s history, he must have learned the Ice White Divine Technique much earlier.
Likely, they began preparing to teach him the technique from infancy.
“It’s somewhat embarrassing to say myself, but the Aisha Kingdom isn’t exactly a minor power in the north, is it? As a result, we’ve gathered all those possessing extreme yin cold qi. This massive ice crystal is particularly the fruit of those efforts.”
“Yes. I’ve never seen one this large before.”
“Indeed. We obtained it from the North Sea Ice Palace. The Palace Master graciously consented.”
So the Prince had essentially been accepted as a disciple of the North Sea Ice Palace.
‘The North Sea Ice Palace and the Aisha Kingdom are practically in the same boat.’
Which means the Prince’s condition will determine the North Sea Ice Palace’s standing going forward.
“Besides the ice crystal in the center of the room, we have others.”
“I intend to use one of them.”
“Hmm? Are you going to use acupuncture again? Let me say in advance—our Aisha Kingdom holds negative views on acupuncture.”
“Is that so?”
“This is a matter of religious principle, so I ask for your understanding.”
It seems he’s driving home this point because my Master’s Nine Yin Severed Meridians were ultimately resolved through acupuncture.
To speak such words before treatment meant he’d rather die as he is than undergo acupuncture.
‘Religion. Yes. Religion is… important.’
Jin Cheon-hee fell into deep thought.
“….”
Had I not already experienced how crucial religion was in Oh Dok-mun?
Especially for the people of this era, the divine is everything.
Humans become immortals, and through offerings, the god of Hyeolseonggyo grants divine power.
A world where even evil spirits exist as gods.
In a world where the constellations shift when a person dies, I, a modern person, felt a peculiar sense of distance.
But.
“…I understand. I’ll do my best to treat him without destroying his faith.”
“Oh! Is that even possible!”
I did have a Plan B. Merely a Plan B, though.
From the perspective of a modern person, it made no sense to throw away one’s life for such reasons… but I decided not to dwell on it too deeply.
I was not a philosopher, merely a doctor.
In the end, there was only one answer, wasn’t there?
‘After all, I can’t just let a person die.’
* * *
Five days passed like that.
“No, why won’t he accept the blessing? I don’t understand this local religion at all.”
“….”
“I thought he was a clever fellow, but he’s completely stubborn.”
Gongseon Yeong grumbled.
“It may not be simply a matter of belief, but a political one. If the prince believes the blessing is something profane, then accepting it would make him appear profane as well. That would naturally cause him to fall in the line of succession.”
“You said one of his brothers gambles and another uses opium?”
“Yes. If that’s true, the Aisha Kingdom will cause its people to suffer in the next generation.”
Gongseon Yeong scratched her head vigorously.
“Ugh. Why must royal families be so complicated?”
‘The great families are no different. It’s just that until now, Gongseon Hyeon, the Black Ice Poison Dragon, handled everything behind the scenes, so my sister Gongseon Yeong never knew.’
In the end, nothing was ever simple.

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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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