Doctor’s Rebirth - Chapter 796
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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 796
I stretched as I spoke.
Sama Hyeon asked.
“What are you going to do, Hyeong?”
“What do you mean?”
Sama Hyeon pressed further.
“Will you continue? There are still corrupt officials on the list to deal with.”
“We have to handle them. I’ve already drawn my sword.”
“What about assassins? If they’re hired by the higher-ups, even Hwang-gu might struggle?”
I raised my thumb decisively.
“I trust only you.”
“Hehe… I’m honored by such trust, truly grateful.”
Sama Hyeon spoke in an exaggerated courtly manner, clenching and unclenching his fists.
I said.
“We’ve come this far—it’s either my death or theirs. Retreat itself is no longer an option.”
Is this also the Emperor’s scheme?
I don’t know.
Yet the plans that were drawn so crudely at first, like a young child’s sketch, are now beginning to show their true shape.
But first.
‘It’s true that everything unfolded so naturally that there was no choice involved.’
Since I took on this task, I would have certainly found the drugs.
Even if troublesome things like this followed afterward.
‘This is less like Go and more like Western chess.’
In chess terms, a pawn.
Never able to move backward.
The same applies to Sama Hyeon.
With me committed, Sama Hyeon has no way to escape.
He would do anything to protect the pawn.
Sama Hyeon’s movement is that of a knight.
Literally a knight, moving unpredictably in all directions.
Other pieces must wait for the pawn to move and clear the way, but only the knight can move immediately on the first turn.
The only piece besides the pawn that can move right away.
That’s why whoever controls this board moved the knight—Sama Hyeon—first. Then came the pawn—me.
Ju Wang-ya must be the queen.
She’s merely positioned in the starting formation without moving yet. But a queen’s presence is remarkable even in stillness.
‘Yu Rang-hu would be a bishop or rook serving such a queen.’
And second.
‘Even having come this far, I still can’t see the complete picture.’
The flaws in the plan are visible.
Whoever brought me this far isn’t operating without a plan—they’re moving from places I cannot see.
‘Is it the Emperor? Or could it be related to Master going to the Imperial Capital?’
At this point, the possibility of it being someone from the Heterodox Faction wasn’t low.
It’s hard to be certain, but even the Hyeolseonggyo would find it realistically difficult to involve themselves to this extent.
For that to happen, the Emperor would have to be connected to the Hyeolseonggyo.
Jin Cheon-hee asked.
“Hyeon-a, do you think Master is involved in this?”
At those words, Sama Hyeon drew out the silk of imagination.
The threads and weft she had reasoned while conversing with Hao Munzhu Hong Ryu, and those patterns.
“Yes, in some way or another. I smell that kind of scent in the picture being drawn right now.”
This was something she could smell like a beast.
“Even so, the Emperor would have prepared the paints for the design. After all, the canvas itself is the Emperor’s land~”
At Sama Hyeon’s words, Jin Cheon-hee thought.
‘That’s true. When the picture is completed, the Emperor gains the most.’
Sama Hyeon continued.
“Well, there’s no evidence~”
Anything related to Hyeolrin Gwangssal is always like that.
Evidence never remains. That’s why his enemies walk through hell.
Knowing that, many sought the Jegallim Family.
There’s no talent equal to them in both internal affairs and planning.
However, the Jegallim Family chooses their people. They never share wisdom for money.
Master is the same way.
Unless there’s something that clearly appeals to his interests, he wouldn’t get involved.
“….”
Jin Cheon-hee closed his mouth.
A mind possessing the Hyeonwon Jeondan Singeong.
Yet the reason he couldn’t be completely certain was because he couldn’t gauge how far this crude, crooked landscape—drawn like a young child’s picture—would ultimately go.
Still, fortunately, very fortunately, he could see who the opposing piece was.
‘If things go well, one of the Imperial Eight Families could fall.’
The Imperial Eight Families versus the Emperor.
If even one were removed, the balance that the Hwa Empire maintained in tension would shatter completely.
‘Quite a cunning move.’
I don’t know how much Master is involved.
Even so, those Emperor’s Twins wouldn’t be the type to completely hand over the brush to someone else.
Master is the same way.
Thinking that far, the scale became so massive my heart felt like it would shrivel.
‘Ugh, my stomach hurts. Still, I shouldn’t be certain yet.’
Jin Cheon-hee decided to keep possibilities open until the final piece fell into place.
Just a pawn before the mountain of drugs, moving forward.
Ilgwang knows no such thing as retreating.
That was a story the world knew.
* * *
It was mealtime.
Unless the situation was dire, I made sure to eat all three meals heartily.
As my cultivation realm deepened, each battle consumed proportionally more energy.
Just now, Sama Hyeon had handled everything, so there hadn’t been significant caloric expenditure, but who knew?
What about the future?
The two of us headed to the most famous inn in the area. The crowd meant a long wait.
Normally, using my reputation to cut in line wouldn’t have been difficult, but I didn’t do that and simply waited for about half a double hour.
Only after half a double hour passed could I finally sit at a table in the inn.
“Brother, your eyes are still glowing blue?”
Until now, they’d only glowed blue while working, and I’d rest them occasionally, but ever since leaving Yu Rang-hu’s office, they’ve remained blue continuously.
“There’s a lot to calculate.”
It seemed I’d jumped into an enormous game, so I couldn’t afford to relax.
It was rather amusing.
Determining the direction of the Empire—truly a pivotal moment in history, one might say.
I’d imagined something like what appears in films: hundreds of thousands of soldiers clashing, or perhaps a revolution erupting, or the masses rising in rebellion—some dramatic sequence.
‘I never imagined this would happen while investigating embezzled taxes in my own front yard.’
No matter how I thought about it, the Emperor seemed to have known beforehand.
Or perhaps it was related to Master being in the capital.
‘No, why would they entrust me with such a momentous historical turning point? You lunatics!’
As I waited for the server while contemplating this, someone called out to me.
“Jin, my friend!”
Hmm? A familiar voice.
I turned my head and saw Namgung Un walking in from the entrance.
Sama Hyeon also regarded Namgung Un with an intrigued expression.
That’s right. Namgung Un, who should be at the Namgung Family compound in Anhui Province, had just walked into this inn?
Namgung Un spoke.
“It’s been a while, Jin! And this person here… could you be the renowned Gwang Myeon-hori, Sama the Mun-ju?”
The two of us knew each other.
Though we weren’t frequent acquaintances, we’d crossed paths occasionally while handling matters related to the Dragon Phoenix Gathering and the Five Wheels Assembly.
“I pay my respects to the Sword Saint Namgung. What a fortunate coincidence~”
The two exchanged courtesies, and Namgung Un promptly joined our table.
I asked.
“What brings you to these parts?”
“Well, I’d like to say I came just to visit your neighborhood without any particular reason, but your Master, Baekrin Uiseon Jegallim, sent me a letter.”
“Master sent a letter?”
“Through the Black Sword… ahem… the Mun, Yeo Ha-ryun.”
‘Master wouldn’t send it through Yeo Ha-ryun instead of Cheonwoo. That makes no sense.’
And Yeo Ha-ryun actually delivered it?
To Master, wasn’t Yeo Ha-ryun like a cockroach?
If I’m being honest, I dislike Cheon Sal-seong and Yeo Ha-ryun even more than Sama Hyeon, who spread rumors of being a color demon to the disciples and completely ruined my marriage prospects.
In fact, from Yeo Ha-ryun’s perspective, Master isn’t exactly someone he holds in high regard either.
Why would I entrust a letter to someone like that when I could just use Pyo Guk? Why?
And didn’t Yeo Ha-ryun return to work for the Demonic Cult just now?
He crossed the entire continent from the Ten Thousand Great Mountains?
‘Even if he happened to deliver it while on some mission… this doesn’t make sense. Master asking Yeo Ha-ryun to run an errand? Yeo Ha-ryun receiving an errand from Master?’
Jin Cheon-hee questioned further.
“Are you certain it was sent by Master?”
“Well, the one who gave me the letter was the Black Sword… ahem… Yeo Ha-ryun of the Demonic Cult, that’s for sure. And given his nature, he’s not the type to go around spouting lies. He’d rather draw his blade and settle things with life or death… ahem… if he were going to do anything.”
Namgung Un coughed deliberately, letting his words trail off.
That… was also a fair point.
Given Ha-ryun’s personality, rather than forge a fake letter from Baek Rin-ui-seon whom he already dislikes, he’d sooner march in and create a mini Kang Hwan instead.
‘It’s real? No. But is it really real?’
Jin Cheon-hee asked.
“Is it not a request or debt repayment, but rather a ‘commission’?”
“Oh? How did you know? It’s precisely in the form of a commission letter. We found it strange too. The Baekrin Medical Guild has its own military forces, so why would they specifically commission the Namgung Family?”
Namgung Un’s throat felt parched just thinking about it, so he took a sip of tea.
Then he continued speaking.
“And it wasn’t even through Pyo Guk, but why would they directly commission a family? It’s like demanding a farmer make side dishes for you.
“Exactly.”
“If you want side dishes, you shouldn’t commission a farm. You should go to a tavern like this. And the letter itself was strangely crude.”
“….”
I couldn’t figure out what was happening or how.
It was unlike Master’s methods, and the approach itself was quite humiliating(?)
In crude terms, it really damaged his dignity.
‘No, he brought Ju Wang-ya along, set up the perfect stage, manipulated me like a god controlling people, placed me at a historical turning point, made me discover the drugs so coolly that I couldn’t even escape, and created this situation where I’m fighting with these kids…’
Jin Cheon-hee’s eyes rolled around.
The thoughts continued.
‘That Master asked Yeo Ha-ryun to send a humiliating commission letter?’
But the Emperor was the same.
He sent a ‘commission’ letter to the Heterodox Faction.
‘Wow… I… feel like I’ve been bewitched.’
“Hyeong. Let’s eat first. We can think after we eat~”
Sama Hyeon gazed at Jin Cheon-hee steadily with his violet eyes.
Probably the younger brother was thinking the same thing the older brother was thinking.
Even Namgung Un, who didn’t know the full situation, nodded at those words.
“Let’s hear the detailed story after we eat. I’m getting hungry from searching for you. Hey, Server!”
At Namgung Un’s gesture, the server approached.
Just as he was about to place an order, the server naturally drew a short blade from his sleeve without any killing intent and stabbed forward.
Shing!
His face still wore a smile, and his demeanor was utterly unremarkable.
Only the short blade in his hand pierced forward like something from another reality.
‘Oh, he thrust it in off-beat?’
Martial arts and dance share a certain kinship in their essence.
Every attack possessed its own rhythm—breathing, preparatory movements, and individual timing.
The server had completely erased his killing intent and unique rhythm, simply thrusting the blade forward without thought.
The fortunate part was that I continued circulating the Hyeonwon Jeondan Singeong without pause.
Within that endlessly slowed perception, I caught the short blade with just two fingers.
As I blocked the first strike, Sama Hyeon’s hand shot out as if he’d been waiting, seizing the server’s throat and shaking it lightly.
With a dull thud, the server’s body collapsed.
Thump!
Namgung Un cried out in alarm.
“What is this! An assassin?!”
I checked the server’s pulse.
“Oh, he’s still alive? Hyeon-a.”
“Yeah~ You don’t really like killing people anyway. Plus there’s a lot we need to ask him. But next time I might have trouble controlling my strength?”
Sama Hyeon tilted his head to the side as he spoke.
Whoosh!
A hidden projectile flew in and embedded itself in the wall with a thud.
“F-fight!”
“Kang Ho-in are clashing!”
“Flee! Everyone flee!”
As people screamed, several assassins hurled themselves toward our group.
Namgung Un finally drew his sword.
The three of us stood back-to-back against one another.
I spoke cheerfully.
“Let’s each deflect the projectiles. You all know how, right? Is there anyone among us who can’t?”
“Namgung seems like he was raised too delicately to manage it~ right, brother?”
“That’s quite harsh!”
Namgung Un’s Naelyong Sword unfolded into a sword barrier.
In an instant, he deflected dozens of projectiles with remarkable ease.
“It’s strange to say, but you really are quite wealthy, Namgung.”
I spoke with a slight pout, deflecting the incoming projectiles with my Bing Jeong Sword.
“What’s wrong with the Naelyong Sword? By that logic, your Bing Jeong Sword is also a divine weapon, isn’t it?”
“Ah, well, I don’t usually like to waste inner energy deflecting projectiles with a sword barrier. You definitely took a vitality elixir, didn’t you? I’m certain of it.”
Namgung Un chuckled as he watched me pout.
“You’re one to talk, hoarding so much inner energy like that.”
Sama Hyeon spoke.
“We’ve probably deflected all the projectiles by now, so the assassins will come at us directly soon~ brother~”
“How do you know that?”
“That’s their typical pattern.”
Hyeon’s side business was assassination. And he was among the very best at it.
As expected.
In that moment, over a dozen assassins began charging forward.
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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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