Doctor’s Rebirth - Chapter 574

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 574
Crunch!
Squeak!
Hwang-gu and Noe Jin-i were already making a fuss, demanding why they weren’t getting any.
I hastily gave each of them a piece, then heated the cocoa butter with an alcohol lamp, folded paper into a makeshift plate, and set it in the center of the table.
Yeo Ha-ryun took a bite, drawn by the fragrant aroma.
Crackle—
“This is delicious.”
“Right? Eat plenty. You look like you’ve lost more weight.”
“It’s just your imagination. I’ve actually gotten bigger.”
“No, you’ve grown thin. That’s what happens when you only eat things like grain-avoidance pills. Eat more.”
Yeo Ha-ryun tried to protest but instead continued eating the snacks I offered.
It was delicious.
“Regardless, I know you want peace, but there’s nothing I can do to help. Iron Martial Sect Leader has already handled everything. Even the second task given to me was essentially just a formality. There’s no proper information being passed down. I’m sorry.”
“You have many enemies within the Demonic Sect, so it can’t be helped.”
I had prevented two murders, but that was merely lightening the burden on Jicheon Cheonma’s hands.
From the start, I never expected that creature—whose very emotions differ from humans—to suddenly excel at politics within the Demonic Sect.
No matter how much Ilkana serves as his adjutant, Yeo Ha-ryun is still Yeo Ha-ryun.
Isn’t it natural that a protagonist of martial arts tales is perceived as an alien presence by those around them?
“So, did you find the Hyeolseon Sect—your first task?”
“A large number of Hyeolseon Sect spies were discovered within the Demonic Sect. The Cheonma personally eliminated them.”
Oh, she handled it quite decisively then.
She lives beyond concepts of good and evil, but she doesn’t tolerate betrayal.
“I didn’t expect her to take direct action herself.”
In the records of Jicheon Cheonma, there was certainly mention of the Hyeolseon Sect causing chaos within the Demonic Sect.
That was when the Cheonma had entered seclusion to prepare for her ascension.
Members who should have only emerged after the Cheonma finished everything and began her preparations have been discovered now?
‘Ha, haha. This is… surely because of my influence. Ilkana is alive too…’
The butterfly effect had taken that path.
Yeo Ha-ryun continued speaking.
“And while pursuing the Hyeolseon Sect, we found this place. A considerable number of Hyeolseon Sect members are hiding here.”
“So you found them?”
Sigh—
“Not yet… I haven’t been able to root them out.”
Yeo Ha-ryun answered with a dejected expression.
“The fact that the trail is hard to find means they’re hiding deep, and it also means this place is still safe for now. Don’t worry too much about it.”
“Brother, there’s no need to comfort me.”
“It’s not comfort. In a way, we’ve arrived early before things grow worse.”
“Is that a strategist’s intuition? Or is it one of your peculiar predictions?”
At those words, I looked at Yeo Ha-ryun with slightly surprised eyes.
‘As expected of the protagonist, your intuition is sharp.’
Even so, this is a world within the Jicheon Cheonma, and I was a reader who suddenly entered from outside.
And in the novel I read, you were the protagonist.
How could I change the fact that this world revolves around you?
Jin Cheon-hee deliberately shifted the topic.
“By the way, how do you find the Hyeolseon Sect?”
“The Hyeolseon Sect are fanatical followers who worship Hyeolseon. You just need to find their Hyeolseon True Qi.”
Jin Cheon-hee asked with an exaggerated expression of curiosity.
“Oh? Hyeolseon True Qi, I see. So how do you find that?”
“This creature will find it.”
Yeo Ha-ryun snapped his fingers, and something appeared in the corner of the room.
Meow—
It was a small cat.
A cat that was pitch black from head to tail.
Jin Cheon-hee spoke.
“A spiritual creature?”
“Yes, you guessed right away. It’s Heukseolmyo.”
Woof!
Hwang-gu barked lowly.
‘This fellow didn’t even catch the scent of Heukseolmyo.’
Hwang-gu’s dignity had been taking hits lately.
It meant that Heukseolmyo was no ordinary spiritual creature, but Hwang-gu’s pride seemed wounded nonetheless.
Jin Cheon-hee stroked Hwang-gu’s head.
Heukseolmyo.
One of the most renowned spiritual creatures within the Demonic Sect.
It had appeared in the Jicheon Cheonma as well.
As Yeo Ha-ryun’s pet, it was used for tracking enemies.
Meow?
Heukseolmyo walked over and rubbed its cheek against Jin Cheon-hee’s fingers.
Yeo Ha-ryun spoke.
“That’s strange. It doesn’t follow anyone but me.”
“It probably smells something delicious.”
Woof!
Squeak!
Hwang-gu and Noe Jin-i both voiced their displeasure at Heukseolmyo’s appearance.
“Would you like some dried meat too? I roasted it with Yeolyang Qi.”
Upon offering one, it swallowed it in an instant with rapid gulps.
Growl!
Squeak, squeak!
Once I distributed the dried meat, they seemed even more displeased.
‘Goodness. Look at you two. I feed you delicious food every single day, don’t I?’
These two spiritual creatures were quite greedy.
I handed the jerky to Heukseolmyo and continued speaking.
“How are things at the North Sea Ice Palace these days?”
“There’s an epidemic. Of course, there aren’t many cases yet to say it’s truly spread, and the transmission method is oddly unusual for what they’re calling an epidemic.”
An epidemic?
My eyes widened slightly.
Ha-ryun continued speaking casually.
“Since there aren’t many patients yet, the North Sea Ice Palace isn’t taking it too seriously. They’re implementing countermeasures though.”
“What’s the disease called?”
At my question, Ha-ryun shrugged.
“I’m not sure either. The people here call it ‘Confusion Fever.'”
“Confusion Fever. What are the symptoms?”
At that, Ha-ryun shrugged again.
“I don’t know that much either. They say the patients have been gathered at a treatment center, so why not go take a look?”
“Thank you.”
I stood up abruptly.
I opened the door to head outside. Then I paused briefly, looked up at the ceiling, and greeted someone.
“Ilkana, it’s been a while. I thought about not greeting you since you seemed to be on a mission, but it has been quite some time.”
As if exasperated.
Someone wearing a mask dropped down.
“You noticed after all, Brother.”
“Hwang-gu noticed too.”
Woof!
Ilkana grumbled.
“So Heukseolmyo is better at concealment than me? Ah, that’s a bit of a blow to my pride.”
“Don’t be like that. Here, here!”
I then pulled out something black from my medicine pouch.
It was what people on Earth called chocolate.
“Eat it when your energy drops. Sugar is hard to come by in this region.”
“Thank you.”
“Ha-ryun. You’ve been here, so you haven’t received any yet.”
“Hm?”
I glanced at the snack box.
The last remaining piece.
What was left after sending it to my precious people.
What I had carefully saved to eat during difficult times.
“….”
My hesitation was brief.
“Here, eat this too.”
I walked back to the table and set down the chocolate.
“It will probably arrive by the time I return to the Demonic Sect, but it might spoil, so it’s better to eat it now.”
Since returning to the Demonic Sect means another parting, even if I received it upon arrival, I wouldn’t be able to truly savor it.
Cheon-hee swallowed those words.
“What is this?”
“Something my older brother used to eat back home whenever he craved sweets.”
“It’s quite dark in color.”
“It’s delicious. When Gongseon Yeong tried one, she kept trying to steal more, so I got scolded defending my stash.”
Chocolate stamped with letters of the alphabet.
I had tried to recreate what I ate on Earth, but since the edges never came out quite right, I eventually gave up.
Still, after sharing it with the people I cherished, this martial world began to feel like home.
It’s somewhat embarrassing that I specifically wrote in my letter hoping it would suit their taste, but as expected.
…It’s the lingering attachment of the maker.
‘I hope they enjoyed it. That chocolate. It’s common on Earth, but now only I can make it here.’
Cheon-hee grinned widely.
“Yes. Using the last piece this way is truly the best!”
Did he sense his older brother’s feelings?
Ha-ryun nodded solemnly.
“I’ll enjoy it. Hyeong.”
“Yes.”
With that exchange, he suddenly dashed off like an arrow, as if shaking off the lingering attachment of that final piece.
After watching Cheon-hee’s back for a long while, Ilkana spoke.
“The brothers seem unchanged.”
“….”
At those words, Ha-ryun took a long sip of the liquor.
Once I use my inner energy again, my body will return to being unable to taste.
So in this moment, I must feel the sensation of being alive as intensely as possible.
What sustains humanity is not morality, conscience, or sensitivity—it comes from these trivial sensations: eating, drinking, feeling pain, and smelling.
While Ha-ryun was quietly savoring the liquor his older brother had made, Ilkana asked.
“But Demonic Sect brother, why didn’t you tell your older brother that the Hyeolseon Sect might be behind the plague?”
Ha-ryun answered.
“Whether I tell him or not, my older brother will go treat the patients. And it’s my duty as the younger brother to protect him. Besides, once my older brother treats the patients… the Hyeolseon Sect members will show themselves.”
“…I see.”
“There’s no need to trouble the doctor’s mind with unnecessary words.”
At those words, Ilkana thought.
‘But wouldn’t the older brother Jin Cheon-hee have already sensed it?’
I understand not saying anything out of concern for an older brother who willingly goes to dangerous places and grinds his limbs against blades.
But the problem is that the other person is Cheon-hee.
Even if he seems merely beautiful and straightforward, the occasional insight he displays far transcends that of an ordinary person.
“Well, as long as we can handle it on our end, that would be fortunate. Demonic Sect brother.”
* * *
‘An epidemic becomes dangerous only when you realize it’s already spread too far.’
In the past, the Hyeolseonggyo had attempted to cause an epidemic.
I was truly shocked when I witnessed them spreading cholera by contaminating the water source.
Fortunately, since it wasn’t a disease unique to the martial world, I myself was able to respond.
‘But what if this time it’s a disease unique to the martial world?’
My concern deepened all the more because the patient I had just treated was someone with a severed meridian condition.
Yet knowing the future of the North Sea Ice Palace and King Aisha’s kingdom, I couldn’t remain idle as a doctor.
Standing before the treatment center, I covered my mouth and nose with cloth and put on the gloves I had prepared in advance.
I also made sure to tell Hwang-gu and Noeji to wait at a distance for now.
I couldn’t know whether this disease could infect animals as well.
Around the treatment center, tents of the poor were pitched.
Someone clutches a child and kneels at my feet.
Having grown quite proficient in Aisha’s language by now, I understood what it meant.
“Master, please. We have no food for our child. If you could give us anything, please….”
Fortunately, I had heard that this region had no food shortage thanks to geothermal heat and rainfall, allowing people to farm or catch fish from the enormous lake.
Of course, farming was only possible with crops suited to the cold climate, and most sustenance came from hunting and fishing, but there was supposedly no lack.
Wondering where all that food had gone, I moved my hands quickly and pulled out a small rice porridge container from my pack to hand over.
Clumsy though it was, Aisha’s language tumbled from my lips.
“If you boil this as is, it will become porridge. You should be able to avoid starving to death immediately.”
“Thank you. Thank you so much!”
This place ruled by the North Sea Ice Palace has an unprecedented wealth gap.
Compared to Hangzhou, at least administrators are dispatched there to manage taxes and military provisions, and relief grain is distributed as needed.
And fortunately, the climate there isn’t as harsh as here.
Here, there are barely any poor with all five toes intact.
So many ondol heating systems were imported, yet Yeo Ha-ryun’s residence has none.
I don’t need to ask where they went.
The homes of the North Sea Ice Palace’s martial artists.
They must be laid in the grand guest rooms of those magnificent enormous mansions.
I even heard they built a separate dog room larger than a human house and installed ondol there.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————