Doctor’s Rebirth - Chapter 701

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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 701
As those creatures vanished, the turmoil within the Namgung Family began to settle.
Direct attacks on the Namgung Family’s main residence were uncommon.
Yet history runs deep, and with depth comes incident.
Even if it happens once every three generations, ten generations would see three occurrences.
The Namgung Family’s martial artists quickly rehired carpenters and geomancers.
The restoration of the mechanism formation fell under the responsibility of the Namgung Family’s Wa-ho Hall.
Namgung Cheong-mo.
The man who had once clashed with me over mechanism formations in Bi-dong now took command.
“The situation is worse than I expected.”
“Where on earth did those creatures come from? And some of them didn’t even look human.”
“They must have practiced demonic cultivation and suffered its side effects. The Demonic Sect’s techniques are rife with such abominations.”
“Half human, half tree—I wonder if such a thing exists among the varieties of corpse demons.”
It resembled the demons from stories my grandmother told me as a child.
‘That can’t be. Demonic cultivation produces so many bizarre results; it must be one of those.’
I scratched my head vigorously.
Namgung Cheong-mo spoke.
“In any case, repair everything. Especially ensure that information about the mechanism formation doesn’t leak outside.”
“Yes, Lord of the Wa-ho Hall!”
Everyone obeyed Namgung Cheong-mo’s command.
Destruction is easy; restoration is difficult.
Namgung Cheong-mo sighed.
* * *
The inner chambers of the Namgung Family.
Located in the deepest sanctum of the Namgung Family, it was the safest place within the family and accessible only to the Gaju.
Yet now the Gaju lay unconscious, and crisis had struck.
Using his authority as Minor Sect Leader, Namgung Un had his father brought to rest here.
In the spacious chamber sat Namgung Ban, Namgung Cheong, myself, and Namgung Un.
These four of us surrounded the Gaju’s bedside, and I had spent the night taking his pulse and administering treatment.
As I treated him, I relayed what I had discovered, and my grandfather Namgung Ban’s expression grew grave.
The same was true for Namgung Cheong.
Strangely, only Namgung Un observed the situation with an expressionless face.
“Therefore, I suspect this catastrophe resulted from the combination of demonic cultivation and mercury poisoning.”
“Difficult. Most difficult.”
Namgung Ban exhaled deeply.
Among martial artists wealthy enough to belong to a sect, there was hardly one who didn’t consume elixirs.
Even Namgung Ban himself had consumed them before his rebirth, consuming tonics and medicinal pills like daily sustenance.
‘Yet, with matters having reached this point, I cannot simply disbelieve it.’
Namgung Ban sighed heavily.
“So has the treatment been successful?”
“….”
At those words, the young man before me fell silent for a moment, as if organizing his thoughts.
His blue eyes resembled the cross-section of an iceberg.
After a pause, he parted his lips and delivered his answer.
“I have preserved his life. However, I could not prevent the damage to his dantian, so he will require prolonged recuperation.”
“His martial arts….”
“…He will be able to use martial arts. However, it will be difficult for him to return to his peak condition.”
Namgung Ban exhaled deeply.
“So it comes to that. Still, at least no one died—that is fortunate.”
Jin Cheon-hee spoke.
“It is largely thanks to his robust constitution and the fact that the Namgung Family’s martial arts are inherently safe—truly the way of the righteous. Had he cultivated heterodox techniques or something of similar nature, he would have surely coughed blood at the seventh stage.”
For some reason, Namgung Ban sensed that the young man before him had carefully chosen his words to explain things as simply as possible.
This was evident because, unlike the words he had spoken in his excitement, the terms he now used were all deeply familiar to the Gangho.
“Jin will need extended rest.”
“Yes. Using Baek Rin’s Clear Water, he will require nearly a month of treatment. There may be some variance depending on circumstances, but…martial artists have different metabolisms than ordinary people.”
“How long until he regains consciousness?”
At that question, Namgung Un spoke.
“Grandfather. Even if it is Jin, it is difficult to determine that precisely….”
“…From my pulse diagnosis, approximately one day should be sufficient for him to awaken.”
At those words, Namgung Un’s eyes widened.
Meanwhile, Namgung Ban replied calmly.
“I am grateful. Then I must speak with family for a moment—could you step outside?”
“….”
“I stake my name that this fellow will come to no harm.”
The Gangho Doctor had walked through too much karma.
The old warrior knew this, so he spoke first, and the Gangho Doctor examined him once with those blue eyes.
Why was it? The azure light felt as though it were raking through his very soul.
Soon after, Jin Cheon-hee nodded and rose, offering a respectful bow.
Jin Cheon-hee exchanged a silent nod with Namgung Un before quietly withdrawing.
Creak—
The door closed.
“….”
Silence filled the room.
Namgung Ban gazed at his son for a long while.
“Ha, I never thought the day would come when I envied that Hyeolrin fellow.”
The one invited as a doctor to the Namgung Family was taking charge of matters more proactively than the Namgung Family members themselves.
‘That fellow is probably seeing another patient outside right now.’
According to intelligence, he was sleeping barely one or two hours a day while working.
A situation unworthy of the Namgung Family’s dignity.
Deep wrinkles carved themselves into Namgung Ban’s face.
“What on earth have you lacked? Haven’t I always given you more than what ordinary Sect Members possessed?”
Had losing to the Geomhwang of the Bota Clan been such a humiliation?
Yet, to live as a Warrior, one must learn to accept defeat.
Rather, shouldn’t I be more grateful that I survived despite the loss, that my limbs remained intact?
Soon, Namgung Ban made his decision and reached out to press Namgung Cheol’s Hyeol-do.
“….”
Remarkably, Namgung Cheol’s eyelids quietly opened.
A secret technique of the Namgung Family.
It consumed innate qi to forcibly open the eyes of the unconscious.
Typically used to allow someone to leave final words, when applied to a healthy person it merely causes some pain before subsiding.
However, it consumed the user’s innate qi, making it difficult to employ casually.
Especially for Namgung Ban, who at his age was gradually declining year by year.
Yet he could not bear the weight of this moment and awakened his son.
It meant this situation was grave indeed.
“Fa…ther.”
Gaju Namgung Cheol deduced the situation from the mere facts that no Doctor was present and only his father, Namgung Ban, remained here.
“Foolish child. What have you done to bring this upon us?”
“…I apologize, Father. Un, I have done you a grave disservice.”
“No, Father. It is merely… that misfortune has accumulated upon the main family.”
At those words, Grandfather Namgung Ban waved his hand dismissively.
“Enough of such talk.”
He knew that continuing this way would only amount to coddling this worthless fool.
He held all the power of the Namgung Family as Gaju, yet he had not fulfilled his duty.
As the Elder, this had to be addressed strictly.
“Do you remember what you have done?”
“Yes, Father. There are gaps in my memory, but I recall most of it.”
“Hmm…. Then where did you learn this demonic cultivation?”
The most critical question.
Namgung Cheol’s fate depended on how he had obtained that demonic scripture.
“…I found it in the Family Archives.”
“Is that the truth? If you lie, you must bear the consequences of your words.”
Namgung Cheol nodded.
“I found a martial manual called the Saenggeon Yeokcheon Gong in the Family Archives. I read the restricted contents, but it seemed more like a divine technique or celestial learning rather than demonic cultivation, and I felt no bloodlust whatsoever.”
“I know all the restricted texts in my martial archives… Namgung Jin!”
At that moment, remarkably, a voice came from the ceiling.
“Yes, Sword Master.”
“Go and investigate.”
“Yes!”
After a moment passed, the voice echoed from the ceiling once more.
“I have investigated… but no such book exists anywhere.”
“So… there was nothing?”
“Yes.”
Namgung Ban gazed at his son.
Had he lied?
Yet listening to the boy’s words, they did not seem hastily fabricated on the spot, and more than anything, a father’s instinct whispered that he spoke the truth.
“There is a spy in the main house. Moreover, among those who can access the martial arts repository, there is a spy.”
The Grand Elder gathered the clues and pierced through to that conclusion in an instant.
Had this been the Jegallim Family, they would have advanced one step further, but this much sufficed to uncover the truth.
“Grandfather. That statement means… a spy, you say…?”
“This fool must have briefly displayed the demonic cultivation technique and then concealed it. A demonic scripture never brought in. And even hidden so that it appeared to lack the side effect of craving blood. This is no ordinary matter.”
“Mm…”
Namgung Un exhaled a heavy breath.
“In any case, Cheol.”
“Yes, Father.”
“What will you do now?”
“…”
Heavy silence descended like a blanket over the room.
Both Namgung Ban and Namgung Cheol knew what must be done.
The Namgung Family must be protected.
For that, there was only one thing the Gaju must do.
“I will seal my own dantian.”
“Father! How could you say such a thing!”
Namgung Un cried out with a grave expression, yet Namgung Ban merely stroked his beard and made no attempt to dissuade him.
It was the right answer.
For a warrior to seal his own dantian was truly more cruel than death itself.
If one were asked to choose between living without martial arts or dying, all would choose death, for martial arts were the reason for life, and life itself.
Yet Namgung Cheol, the Gaju of the Namgung Family, gritted his teeth and continued.
“If I seal my own dantian, the eyes of Gangho will turn away. None will call us spies of the Demonic Sect. At least, we will not make enemies of the righteous paths of Gangho.”
“Tsk. Yes. Your words are correct. You’ve regained your senses—your judgment has returned as well.”
“I apologize, Father.”
Namgung Un spoke.
“But the dantian…”
Grandfather Namgung Ban said.
“The Namgung Family can be called righteous. That the Gaju of the Namgung Family learned demonic cultivation means ultimately denying our foundation and dipping our hands into the dark path, and that means no one will ever see us as righteous again.”
“Grandfather.”
“Un. If you are not careful, you too will become a spy of the Demonic Sect.”
“That is…”
“As it is said: those who tie the knot must untie it. If we cannot finish this with our own hands, then others will come to finish it. And when that time comes, it will not end with the blood price of one person.”
Namgung Ban closed his eyes.
Where had it all gone wrong?
As the Grand Elder, I had no knowledge whatsoever of the moment my son first touched demonic cultivation.
Soon after, my father Namgung Cheol spoke.
“The first duty of a Gaju is to protect Gasol. Even if the trunk of a tree snaps, if the roots survive, the tree lives on. You are one of those roots, Un.”
“….”
“A Gaju exists to protect the future generations of the Namgung Family. And if that trunk rots, it must be cut down before the disease spreads.”
Gaju Namgung Cheol closed his mouth as if his resolve had solidified.
Soon after, Namgung Ban spoke.
“Yes. Once you seal your dantian, what do you intend to do?”
“I plan to pass the position of Gaju to Un, and for now, I will handle the management myself. And I must teach that boy.”
The work of allowing new shoots to grow from the roots.
The great tree that is the Namgung Family does not make it a principle to remain unbroken.
A tree can snap in a storm at any time.
Rather, the pride lay in the fact that even if it breaks, new shoots can always grow anew.
The spirit of Namgung must be carried forward.
“Yes. That is the natural way.”
“Yes. This is the best course.”
Grand Elder Namgung Ban spoke.
“Un. Remember this. How the main family was shaken by that filthy traitor. You must find the enemy and resolve this matter.”
In the end, Namgung Un nodded and bowed deeply toward the two pillars of the Namgung Family.
“Your grandson will keep this in mind.”
Suddenly, Namgung Un recalled the gaze of his younger brother Jin as he left the room.
Eyes as cold as glacial ice, yet firm with conviction—a piercing blue.
Then what kind of eyes did he himself possess now?

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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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