Doctor’s Rebirth - Chapter 70

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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 70
“You must be in considerable pain, yet you’re enduring it well. If you cannot go to the Medical Hall, would you be willing to wait until I can summon more Medical Assistants here instead? If we treat you here….”
Grrrrr!
Hwang-gu wrinkled his muzzle fiercely, threatening Jin Cheon-hee.
It was clear—absolutely no summoning more people.
I had anticipated as much. I asked again.
“What if we deliver a message on your behalf?”
Grrr!
Absolutely not.
I spoke with grave seriousness.
“You won’t go to the Medical Hall for treatment, you won’t let me summon Medical Assistants here, and you won’t even allow me to deliver a message. At this rate, you’ll die. And it will be an agonizing death.”
Grrrrr!
Hwang-gu was resolute.
I sighed.
‘Even for a spirit beast, a dog is still a dog. He regards his master as dearer than life itself.’
Why were dogs so devoted to their humans?
Without even knowing what kind of person their master was, dogs became utterly blind in their loyalty.
‘Dogs are truly foolish.’
This ill-tempered dog had already resigned himself to death.
Now, as a doctor, there was only one course of action left.
‘Sigh… I never imagined I’d venture into Gangho for something like this….’
“I’ll administer emergency treatment and then run to Gaebang Buntta. I cannot guarantee the message will arrive, nor can I promise you’ll still be alive when it does. It’s a dog’s death.”
Yelp!
The dog responded.
I bit my lip.
“Fine.”
‘Our Medical Hall is one of the important sects in Gaebang. So Buntta is roughly a three-hour journey on foot from our Medical Hall.’
The calculation was swift. I reached my conclusion immediately.
‘From this mountain, it’s approximately six hours on foot, but using lightness technique, I can barely make it in about two hours. The real problem is transporting this beast itself. In that case….’
I regarded Hwang-gu seriously.
* * *
I poured another bottle of medicinal spirits for disinfection and applied it to a clean cloth. Then I brought it to his wound.
Yelp!
The pain was worse than expected—Hwang-gu tucked his tail between his legs and trembled.
It was remarkable that he didn’t try to flee.
‘I’d like to use acupuncture to seal his meridian points, but I’m not sure how to do it on a dog.’
Like most Medical Halls, while some experimented with human medicines on dogs, there was no separate research into canine meridian pathways.
In the end, I could only apply what I knew.
“First, I’ll begin manual reduction.”
Manual reduction meant aligning bone fragments by hand.
Given that it was a compound fracture, the sooner I acted, the better.
Since the sharp edges of the broken bone fragments could pierce blood vessels or nerves, and damage to soft tissue could trigger embolism.
If shock set in during transport, there would be no turning back.
To prevent that, I planned to realign the bones through manual reduction and secure them with a splint.
‘Ideally, I would have just applied a splint for now and proceeded with manual reduction and external fixation at the Medical Hall….’
But circumstances didn’t allow it.
I spoke to Wang Gak-yeon.
“Keep him still. Not too forcefully, though.”
“Like holding a bowstring?”
“Perhaps?”
Wang Gak-yeon grasped Hwang-gu gently but firmly.
I applied an analgesic-soaked cloth to Hwang-gu’s nose.
Merely smelling it provided significant pain relief. But it was nothing compared to acupressure.
“It’s going to hurt a lot. He might even lose consciousness. This level of anesthetic won’t be enough.”
Growl!
“Are you really going to do this?”
Whimper!
“Damn it, even human patients struggle to endure this, and this is—”
Crack!
Hwang-gu’s muzzle opened wide.
The pain was so intense he couldn’t even whimper properly.
But since he couldn’t thrash about here, Wang Gak-yeon held Hwang-gu gently yet firmly.
After all, she had trained in martial arts far longer than I had.
Hwang-gu’s body remained perfectly still until the bones were properly aligned.
After completing the reduction, I applied the splint and wrapped everything with soft cloth.
‘How tightly should I wrap a dog? Ugh, I’ll just have to go by feel.’
A temporary cast.
After providing emergency treatment to all the wounds to prevent further infection, I retrieved a small wooden box from my robes.
Wang Gak-yeon asked in surprise.
“Don’t tell me… is that Baekrin Divine Elixir?”
“That’s right. It should work well.”
Penicillin was one of the most widely used antibiotics in surgical treatment.
It excelled at treating skin, soft tissue infections, and osteomyelitis.
In the modern world, we struggled with resistance issues, but not here.
“Wow, all the Medical Assistants were buzzing about Baekrin Divine Elixir. They said it was as good as a miracle cure? It’s incredibly rare.”
‘Indeed. Why did penicillin become a miraculous medicine in this world?’
I broke apart the Baekrin Divine Elixir into small pieces.
Dogs had different liver metabolism than humans and weighed less, so the dosage would need to be different from what I’d give a person.
‘This should be enough… right? I’ll give him a small amount first and observe, then administer more if needed.’
I clicked my tongue.
If Hwang-gu had relented and come to the Medical Hall, the first thing I would have done was conduct an antibiotic sensitivity test.
By injecting a trace amount of penicillin diluted in water subcutaneously, then observing for thirty minutes to two hours to see if a rash developed.
The probability was low, but penicillin allergies certainly existed, and dogs could have them too.
‘It’s an emergency, so there’s no helping it.’
The probability of a penicillin allergy versus the probability of death from his current injuries.
There was no comparison.
I placed the Baekrin Divine Pill in front of Hwang-gu.
“Can you eat it yourself, or should I feed you?”
Woof!
Hwang-gu, his pride wounded, snatched it up in one bite.
He didn’t even bother to sniff it first.
‘Well, if he could track Wang Gak-yeon using lightness martial arts through the forest by scent alone, he’d already be more than familiar with the smell of a spiritual medicine.’
“What if it were poison?”
Gulp, gulp.
Hwang-gu swallowed the Baekrin Divine Pill without bothering to respond.
“Ah, that’s something even humans can’t eat, it’s so precious….”
Wang Gak-yeon let out a regretful whimper.
I spoke.
“I couldn’t just let him die.”
‘Besides, this way I can earn goodwill with the Gaebang.’
The oral antibiotic administration was complete. If possible, I wanted to take him to the Medical Hall and
administer
an intravenous injection, but he’s so opposed to it, what can I do.
I spoke.
“I’m sorry, on behalf of humanity.”
Woof?
“You’re a spiritual being, so you can endure for a long time, right? Don’t die before we reach Gaebang Buntta.”
Woof!
With those words, Hwang-gu turned his head away.
All the behaviors Hwang-gu had shown until now were easy for anyone to understand.
But what this gesture meant, neither I nor Wang Gak-yeon could discern this time.
* * *
First, I needed to make something to carry Hwang-gu in.
I fashioned a baby sling from the bag I’d brought.
“I’ll carry him. Gak-yeon, you cover us. Your martial arts are stronger, so you need to protect us.”
Wang Gak-yeon
pulled
the knot tight.
“You think pursuers will come.”
“You think the same thing. That’s why you asked me in secret, isn’t it?”
“That’s right. Well, half right, to be honest. I was careful about being tracked until we arrived here, but there was another person I asked for help besides you—”
This
“An adult.”
“Chief Manager Yoo?”
“Yes. But he didn’t move.”
“Given his personality, he’d hardly budge. I’d be grateful if he at least didn’t mock us for all this fuss over a dog.”
Wang Gak-yeon shook her head.
“No, it wasn’t like that. He was genuinely sympathetic. He said that he’s the only one who can protect the Medical Hall right now, and if he moved, it would go against the Master’s orders. He said that no matter the circumstances, he must stake his life to protect Baekrin Uigak. He spoke very respectfully about it.”
“Respectfully? He wasn’t being sarcastic?”
Jin Cheon-hee suddenly realized something.
‘Could it be that he only treated me with contempt?’
Wang Gak-yeon spoke.
“Instead, he recommended the Busul Dangju. He said, ‘The Busul Dangju happens to be available, and his medical skills are befitting of his position, so he should be of help.'”
The Busul Dangju of Baekrin Uigak.
“Me?”
Suddenly, Jin Cheon-hee realized the inner pocket of his leather bag felt heavy.
Looking inside, he found pills wrapped in paper.
Baekrin Divine Pills, along with various internal injury medicines that Baekrin Uigak took pride in.
All of them should have been stored in precious wooden boxes—why were they packed like this?
‘Could it be…?’
I don’t understand. Didn’t he hate me?
Or did he genuinely take pity on this dog?
Since even Wang Gak-yeon didn’t know what kind of dog it was, there was no way Yoo Ho could know either. At best, all they knew was that it was somehow related to Gaebang.
Wang Gak-yeon spoke.
“Chief Manager Yoo trusted you more than anyone.”
“There must be some ulterior motive.”
“I don’t know what’s between you two. At least when it comes to skill, he trusts you.”
Jin Cheon-hee clicked his tongue.
‘What do I care. When I return, I’ll just have to work harder. But…’
Jin Cheon-hee’s lips set in a firm line.
‘I will definitely save Hwang-gu.’
Woof!
Just before the two children left, Hwang-gu pointed his snout at one spot.
The night-luminous pearl that had been illuminating the earth cave ceiling.
“What? Ah, you’re giving it to us?”
Woof! Arooo!
In confirmation, Hwang-gu wagged his tail.
“You really can’t live without owing people favors, can you?”
In this world without light bulbs or electricity, the price of a night-luminous pearl was beyond measure in gold.
Jin Cheon-hee spoke.
“Fine. I’ll take it. The price of your life.”
Looking more closely, it seemed somewhat larger and brighter than an ordinary night-luminous pearl.
Whatever it was, since it was precious, there was no reason to refuse.
‘By the way, there’s no change, Gaebang Master.’
I swallowed the Heavenly Pine Pill that Gongseon Hyeon gave me without hesitation even once.
Even if the owner asked me to return it, I had no intention of vomiting it back up.
* * *
When I emerged from the Earth Cave, the sun had already set.
Winter nights on the mountain are long and harsh.
Gak-yeon exhaled softly.
White clouds formed and dispersed with her breath.
‘Can I protect them both?’
This was her second real combat.
In her first real combat, she had failed.
Of course, her father, Baekrin Uiseon, and Jin Cheon-hee were all remarkable for their age, but in her own eyes, it was a failure.
She had to protect her own body and also fend off the demonic beasts.
This is why perfectionists suffer.
Without realizing it, they raise their standards, and when they fall short, they torment themselves.
Because of this, she had physically tormented herself through harsh training.
The only happy times for her were when she played with her close friend Jin Cheon-hee and the neighborhood kid.
Otherwise, she devoted herself solely to training.
And now. The moment had come.
The time to protect her friend’s life.
‘I will definitely protect them.’
Jin Cheon-hee asked.
“Do you know the direction?”
“I could navigate this forest with my eyes closed. Do you?”
Jin Cheon-hee calculated the direction by observing the positions of the constellations in the night sky.
“Not as well as you, but if you guide me, I think I can follow along.”
Whimper!
Hwang-gu barked so softly that only the two could barely hear it. Then he pointed his nose in a certain direction.
“Hwang-gu is taking the lead.”
“One Hwang-gu is better than both of us.”
The two children let out a small laugh.
Riding on the cold wind, the tension faded somewhat.
Gak-yeon spoke.
“Cheon-hee. Can you entrust your life to me?”
“Yes. Of course.”
If the answer had hesitated even slightly, would her heart have been more at ease?
The girl tightened her grip on the bow.
“You run. I’ll shoot.”
With those words, Jin Cheon-hee dashed toward the direction Hwang-gu indicated.
Gak-yeon was slightly startled by movements that seemed less like those of a person and more like a precisely crafted weapon.
Her body began to move in pursuit of Jin Cheon-hee.
Her steps were silent and swift, as if treading upon the wind itself.

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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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