Doctor’s Rebirth - Chapter 86

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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 86
“I understand that the Muhua siblings rendered great service during the treatment of syphilis.”
“Indeed. Mad Dog. Thanks to them, it was the Muhua siblings who leaked information to us that Haowen had discovered Jin Cheon-hee’s movements.”
“They’ve grown considerably. I’ve heard that in heterodox sects, once you fall behind in power, it’s difficult to climb back up.”
“A favorable wind has arrived at just the right moment, so they must seize it. But it won’t be easy. Krkrkr… Fundamentally, those two children’s temperaments don’t suit the heterodox path. That will continually hold them back. Isn’t that so? Mad Dog?”
If the Gaebanmundo was like an alliance of beggars across the realm, then Haowen was where shadowy figures scattered throughout the world united.
The Gaebanmundo was an orthodox sect and had conducted itself as such, which allowed it to operate on a large scale in the light.
Haowen, by contrast, was a heterodox sect deeply connected with criminal organizations, so its power was smaller than the Gaebanmundo, and it was natural for it to operate cautiously in the shadows.
Moreover, the Gaebanmundo possessed the Jeolsae Divine Technique, while Haowen did not.
There existed at least several levels of difference.
However.
That was only in terms of power—in assassination and covert struggle, the situation was different. Haowen was an expert in such matters.
“Have you forgotten that they have advantages over us in covert operations?”
“But they will surely target Jin Cheon-hee because of Ju Wang-ya’s matter. If we let that slide, won’t the Gaebanmundo be accused of ingratitude?”
“I know. Our Gaebanmundo cannot forget kindness.”
Seolgyeon spoke.
“I’m not sure which Gaebanmundo disciples could find that child who’s constantly running, chase after him, deliver a letter, and even provide escort. And they would need to be familiar with the surrounding geography as well.”
Seolgyeon counted off the usable Gaebanmundo disciples one by one on her fingers.
Il-geol watched this with a click of his tongue.
“That’s why you’re still a fledgling Bangju.”
Just then, a dog approached Seolgyeon with a yelp.
It was Hwang-gu.
“My foremost disciple.”
“Aren’t I your foremost disciple?”
“No, Yonseok. Even cold water has its hierarchy. Have you forgotten how many years it’s been since Hwang-gu entered my school? He’s been learning under me since you were taking your first steps.”
Woof! Woof!
“Damn that dog.”
Seolgyeon clicked her tongue.
Pant, pant, pant, pant—
Hwang-gu licked Seolgyeon’s palm.
* * *
Haowen.
After becoming aware of Jin Cheon-hee’s movements, the interior of Haowen became exceedingly complicated.
Muhua quickly wrote her opinion and sent it to the Haowen Master via messenger.
What Muhua desired was only one thing.
Jin Cheon-hee’s safety.
That she had risen to a position where she could write directly to the Haowen Master was fortunate. But it ended there.
Ultimately, it was the Master who made the final decision.
Within the heterodox sects of the strong, whoever grasped power in Haowen could wield both strength and scheming like limbs.
Haowen’s hands extended to prostitution, smuggling, information gathering and manipulation, assassination, and even the dark stain of selling human flesh.
If Gaebanmundo is a gathering place of countless beggars, then Haowen is a collective of countless criminals.
As Muhua, I couldn’t predict what decision its leader would make.
Muyue sat beside me.
“Sister, you must get some rest.”
“Jeonseoggu hasn’t arrived yet.”
“Sister….”
To the two siblings, Jin Cheon-hee was a benefactor sent from heaven. Yet as a human, he still needed to eat and sleep like anyone else.
Upon hearing intelligence about Jin Cheon-hee, I immediately made secret contact with Gaebanmundo and passed along the information.
It was a matter that could cost me my life. But I didn’t hesitate.
Then I sent a lengthy letter detailing how greatly Jin Cheon-hee had benefited Haowen.
After that, I did my best to gather internal intelligence on how things were moving from above.
“Baek Rin-ui-seon’s condition has worsened.”
“We have no way of knowing the exact details, but it’s certain his movements are severely restricted.”
“That’s right. So Seo Baek-ryong must be moving with his life on the line.”
Seo Baek-ryong is Jin Cheon-hee’s alias.
Then a letter arrived.
“Finally…!”
The letter I had been waiting for so long. A member of Haowen brought the letter from the bamboo tube.
I received the letter with trembling hands.
“I hope it brings good news.”
I opened the bamboo tube and read through the letter. Soon my expression twisted strangely.
“Sister, what on earth is written there?”
Instead of answering, I showed the letter to Muyue.
When the hastily written cipher was deciphered, it read like this:
-On the Doctor Seo Baek-ryong, Jin Cheon-hee, a bounty of one thousand gold taels is placed. However, the time limit is one hundred days from today.
After that period, all grievances shall be forgotten.
There was another page attached to the letter.
In cipher written in handwriting that was either terrible or excellent, it read:
-For one hundred days, all actions of the siblings Muhua and Muyue are forbidden. Because I know of Gumyeong Jieun’s kindness, I shall overlook this transgression.
‘He already knew I passed information to Gaebanmundo.’
Normally, this would warrant severing the meridians and sealing the dantian.
For Haowen, this was quite a lenient judgment.
But at the same time, it contained a firm warning.
Do not move again.
“One hundred days… one hundred days….”
Muyue spoke.
“Sister, you have done enough.”
“Muyue.”
“Didn’t you wish to climb to greater heights? One hundred days is enough time to become much stronger.”
I understood immediately what his words meant.
“The Demonic Sect values the strong.”
“The martial world values the strong, Sister. You haven’t even fully integrated the internal energy you gained from Baek Rin’s Divine Elixir.”
“So you’re telling me to sharpen my blade?”
“Yes. Wasn’t it you who always taught me to see reality clearly?”
…
She bit her lip.
After a moment lost in thought, she spoke.
“I’ll enter closed-door cultivation for a time. I entrust matters to you while I’m away.”
“Understood.”
* * *
Jin Cheon-hee rode relentlessly through relay stations without pause.
Those were days when he barely ate, or ate while mounted on his horse.
Only when reaching the fourth relay station did Jin Cheon-hee finally stop to bathe.
Soaking in hot water, he organized his thoughts about what lay ahead.
‘In the novel, the Eternal Flower Lily was mentioned to be in an underground lake beneath Tangshan, east of Nanjing.’
Nanjing lay southwest of the Medical Hall’s main headquarters.
‘I’ll need to cross the Yangtze River along the way.’
Fortunately, there were no water bandits near Nanjing.
Since it was once the capital, many clan members lived there, and the river was well-maintained.
With active trade flowing through, crossing shouldn’t be too difficult.
‘Once I arrive in Nanjing, I could find a guide through the Gaebanmundo…’
Tangshan, east of Nanjing, had long been a place where wealthy merchants, officials, and royalty built their villas.
With beautiful scenery and therapeutic hot springs, it was renowned as a scenic destination.
Up to that point, it was a place where people traveled fairly often.
But like a lamp dark beneath its own stand, the Eternal Flower Lily lay hidden in the underground caves and subterranean lakes below.
This world resembled ancient China but with martial arts—a different realm entirely. The Tangshan Jin Cheon-hee had seen on maps from Earth would surely differ from the Tangshan in the novel.
‘In such a vast place, would there really be a guide to lead me to the deep underground caves?’
Moreover, the description mentioned that as one descended deeper, the geothermal heat would become so intense that ordinary people would struggle to breathe.
In the worst case, Jin Cheon-hee would have to search Tangshan alone, combing through it like lice.
But there was no helping it.
That was when it happened.
Woof! Woof!
“What dog keeps—get out of here!”
A commotion erupted outside.
Jin Cheon-hee hastily dressed and stepped out to find a familiar dog wagging its tail.
Woof!
“Hwang-gu!”
Though the dog didn’t wear the decorative knot leash that symbolized Bangju, Jin Cheon-hee recognized Hwang-gu immediately.
“You know this dog?”
The relay station attendant asked, and Jin Cheon-hee laughed awkwardly.
“Yes. I’m not sure what brings you here.”
Hwang-gu immediately gave me an enthusiastic body slam of greeting.
“How is it you seem even bigger?”
Patter, patter!
Hwang-gu licked my face with his enormous tongue.
As I pushed Hwang-gu away, I noticed a letter tube hanging around his neck.
When I reached for the letter tube, it let out a sharp yelp—yelp!
It meant I should take it.
“This came for me?”
I opened the letter and found a simple message written by Seolgyeon.
Since it wasn’t written in cipher, it was clearly meant for me alone.
I could also sense her confidence that Hwang-gu would never let the letter be stolen from him.
‘That’s right. Hwang-gu is Hwang-gu.’
A spiritual beast who had protected this letter against the Demonic Sects of the entire realm.
The letter stated that Haowen had wagered one thousand gold taels against me, the period was one hundred days, and Haowen had declared this would settle all debts.
After one hundred days passed, all grudges would be buried forever, and all kindness would be erased as well.
By modern standards, it was a peculiar and difficult-to-understand rule.
‘So I need to survive for one hundred days. And one thousand gold taels at that. By modern standards, that’s roughly a billion won? I’m quite expensive, aren’t I?’
How bold.
I stroked Hwang-gu’s head vigorously.
Hwang-gu was too busy licking me to care about anything else.
There was one more thing written in the letter.
It meant that Hwang-gu could serve as my guide wherever I wished to go.
“That’s… that’s possible…?”
Yelp!
“A spiritual-grade messenger dog can do anything? But even humans struggle with finding paths…”
Yelp, yelp, yelp!
Hwang-gu, frustrated, began slapping the ground with his tail.
I spoke to Hwang-gu.
“I’m going to Mount Tang to find the Ten-Thousand-Year Flame Lotus. Can you do it?”
At those words, Hwang-gu puffed out his chest and took the posture of a victor.
Arooooooo!
He even let out a howl.
“You’re saying you can do it?”
Yelp!
“Better than the other guides from Gaebanmundo?”
Hwang-gu gestured earnestly toward me.
Roughly translated, it meant ‘Why would you use anyone else when you have me?’
I didn’t quite believe it, but the other party was Hwang-gu.
The beast who had served as guide through those vast snowy mountains against the Demonic Sect disciples.
Hwang-gu led me along the safest path.
“Good. If I can’t trust you, who can I trust?”
Pant, pant, pant—
Hwang-gu, delighted, licked my face again.
I scratched behind Hwang-gu’s ears affectionately.
* * *
“Killing a disciple of Baek Rin-ui-seon might bring us misfortune…”
“Brother. When have we ever cared about such things?”
“Youngest. We ended up like this precisely because we never cared about such things.”
“So, are you saying you’ll start caring from now on, Second Elder Brother?”
“No. That’s not quite it.”
Three men stood on the mountainside, gazing down at the relay station below.
In their line of sight were a young man and an imposing dog.

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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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