Doctor’s Rebirth - Chapter 860

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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 860
“You speak in a foreign tongue. Yes, as I thought. *Cough cough*.”
“How did you recognize that?”
The brothers hadn’t even introduced themselves yet.
“I created this Blood Layer Five-Gate Pavilion together with those who understand the heavenly secrets. A man like me can accomplish quite a few things simply by sitting still. Using that, I can recognize my blood relatives. My bloodline is special, after all.”
He spoke those unforgettable words with calm indifference.
The Sama clan’s bloodline is special?
“And yet my blood relatives have trained their bodies so intensely… What manner of linguistic paradox is this?”
And he grew melancholic.
The three brothers watched the sickly, handsome young scholar before them fall into sadness, and simultaneously thought:
‘So what are you saying?’
‘What exactly are you trying to tell us?’
‘Ancestor, what are you asking me to do?’
Jin Cheon-hee asked.
“Are you perhaps a member of the Sama clan who served Wei during the Three Kingdoms era?”
“*Cough cough*. Indeed. By the way… you’ve studied history quite thoroughly, haven’t you? You’re different from the common blockheads of Gangho. *Cough*.”
“There aren’t many who don’t know of the Three Kingdoms period… well, yes.”
Jin Cheon-hee glanced to the side for a moment.
Cheonwoo.
He trained martial arts under the Mudang Faction and read Daoist scriptures, so he knew little of history.
Sama Hyeon.
This fellow’s expertise lay in business, assassination, and intelligence work.
He might know history or might not.
Such was the consequence of a world without public education.
People knew famous historical anecdotes and legends at best, but nothing beyond that.
Unless one studied formally at an academy, there was no opportunity to learn history.
Moreover, with literacy rates in this era exceeding ninety percent illiteracy, how many people could possibly know history?
‘Besides, history is always written from the victor’s perspective.’
The few historical records one could obtain were all from the Hwa Empire.
Most were created from the perspective of the Poong clan.
“However, even so, my clan has likely fallen into decline by now, with members scattered to the four winds. That is why it is so remarkable that my blood relatives have come to this place.”
‘Come to think of it, there are countless people bearing the Sama surname, yet I’ve never seen any with significant power in Gangho.’
Among those with the Sama surname, some have entered official positions.
There’s Sama, the Acupuncture Guild Master of Baekrin Medical Guild.
That’s about it?
If the Sama clan had formed a group and established themselves as a major family, Sama Hyeon wouldn’t be living like this.
Jin Cheon-hee was thinking thus when something suddenly occurred to him.
Sama Sega.
There is no Sama Sega in Gangho currently.
Though many bear the Sama surname, none have formed enough power to be called a major family.
There might be some estate called Jeong Gajang somewhere, with the family name placed prominently like those from the peach wine-making region.
But I’ve never heard of any faction large enough to make a name for itself in Gangho.
“Was my family really that distinguished?”
“Your ancestors served Cao Cao during the Three Kingdoms era and were skilled enough to match wits with Zhuge Liang himself.”
At my words, Sama Hyeon’s expression shifted to exaggerated surprise, while Scholar Sama Jin nodded in acknowledgment.
“You’ve studied history remarkably well. Under whose tutelage do you serve?”
“I am Jin Cheon-hee, a disciple of the Jegallim Family.”
“I suspected as much from that gaze… So you truly possess the Hyeonwon Jeondan Singeong. To see someone other than the Jegallim practice that cursed martial art… Has the Jegallim Family been wiped out?”
Displeasure flickered across my eyes.
“Absolutely not.”
My response was curt.
“I see, I see… It seems I misspoke. Yes, let’s stop the small talk. The trial on this third floor is about testing yourselves against me and my divine techniques. You are already within the Six Paths Three Strategies Formation that I created…”
Crack! Boom!
The moment Sama Jin continued speaking, flames erupted from all directions while explosions tore through multiple points within the stone chamber.
“What!?”
“I’ve broken it.”
And there I stood, gazing at Sama Jin with cold eyes as blue as ice.
“Just as martial techniques have evolved over time, so too have formations.”
‘Wow. My brother’s furious.’
As Sama Hyeon observed this anew.
“Ah, how unjust. All my careful preparations reduced to ash in a mere instant…”
He left behind a grudge toward the Jegallim Family.
Regardless, I regarded him with eyes that said ‘So what?’
Sama Jin’s form crumbled to dust and vanished.
“Come. Let us proceed.”
What kind of ancestor was that, anyway?
Sama Hyeon thought, but quickly dismissed the notion.
He didn’t even observe ancestral rites for his parents, let alone distant forebears.
‘Heh, so I really am a member of the Sama clan after all.’
Sama Hyeon had never trusted his parents.
It wasn’t uncommon for people to change their names when settling in a village after doing rough work outside.
Sama Hyeon let out a small, bitter laugh.
Now the party headed toward the fourth floor.
* * *
“Welcome, challengers. I am Geom Gwi, the eldest of the Five Sword, Blade, Pole, and Spear Demons!”
“I am the second, Do Gwi!”
“We are five as one and one as five! I am Geuk Gwi!”
“It matters not how many of you there are. I, Chang Gwi, shall face you all. Come at me together!”
“You must defeat all of us, including myself Gon Gwi, to proceed to the next floor!”
Five twins stood before them.
Quintuplets!
And what’s more astounding—they each wield different weapons.
Just like their titles, they grasp five weapons: sword, saber, spear, staff, and halberd.
“No matter how I look at it….”
“Five of them will form the formation, brother?”
“You say it doesn’t matter how many of you there are… but you outnumber us!”
The three brothers are at a loss for words.
Yet this is undoubtedly another trial of the Blood Tower Five Gates.
It’s obvious that if they don’t overcome this group battle rule being forced upon them, they won’t be able to descend either.
Just as the three-versus-five blood battle was about to commence….
Crack! Crunch!
The moment the life-or-death duel began, Sama Hyeon seized the staff wielder and snapped him like a twig, hurling him away.
One of the formation’s members collapsed in an instant!
In that moment, my Taeul Danseonseobeop pierces through Geuk Gwi’s brow at lightning speed.
“Third! Fifth!”
The one wielding the sword cries out.
Cheonwoo approaches and extends his hand.
Chang Gwi rushes to the side of the first sword wielder, who has gone pale with shock, and strikes with his palm.
But in that fleeting instant, Cheonwoo withdraws his hand and instantly delivers a strike to Chang Gwi’s solar plexus.
A technique without form from the Taegeuk school!
With a bang, Chang Gwi is sent flying and crashes down.
Three of the five have vanished in an instant.
“Argh! You bastards!”
And then.
The remaining two are swiftly dealt with as well.
They crumble to dust and disappear.
Now the torch has transformed into an enormous ball of flame.
“Somehow it feels like the first Eon Jeon-mu was the strongest.”
“….”
Cheonwoo mutters while gazing at the brightened flames.
“It’s a matter of compatibility. In truth, under normal circumstances, these wouldn’t be foes we could fell so easily. Besides, while they appear human, they were all Geumgang-class demons.”
Geumgang-class.
Demons that could easily ignore sword energy.
“Then this is the final floor.”
The three advanced toward the final floor.
* * *
The Blood Tower Five Gates, they called it.
So naturally, the next floor would be the last.
Thus the three sworn brothers advanced with heightened vigilance.
So far, there had been no mechanical traps worthy of the name, but who could say?
There could be traps below as well.
But.
When they descended the stairs and arrived at the lowest level.
There were no traps, yet something alien greeted the three of us.
First, gears and mechanical devices whose purpose I could not fathom were moving all around, their reason for operation a complete mystery.
Moreover, countless pipes were affixed to the walls, occasionally releasing steam with a hissing sound.
‘This feels exactly like stepping into a steampunk world… Wasn’t Eon-gwon supposed to be a corpse specialist? Why suddenly something like this….’
“So you’ve finally made it here. Welcome.”
Eon-gwon Gaju stood against one wall of this bizarre space.
Behind him sat a single urn, from which black vapor continuously poured forth.
“Hehe. Not a single one of you bearing serious wounds—it seems you broke through quite smoothly. Impressive. Truly impressive.”
Eon-gwon burst into admiration.
Though all his schemes were being dismantled, there was genuine sincerity in his laughter rather than anger.
An eerie atmosphere that ordinary people could never comprehend.
At his appearance, my expression turned cold.
“Eon-gwon Gaju. Why are you doing this? Thousands upon thousands of commoners turned into corpses. And everyone within Eon-gwon was not alive, draining the life force from all the people living throughout Jinju City. Colluding with Hyeolseonggyo—what exactly are you trying to achieve with such actions?”
A plain question, neither sarcastic nor cynical.
Putting people to sleep and stealing their life force.
Turning the dead into corpses.
It didn’t seem to be merely targeting martial artists, nor had he purchased the families of all these people with money.
If that were the case, surely someone would have noticed something amiss within Eon-gwon.
Could he be planning to consume an entire city and stage a rebellion?
Or was he attempting a massive human sacrifice to become a Corpse Immortal?
I could not know. I could not know, but.
Despite my grave tone, Eon-gwon Gaju merely stroked his beard, his expression serene.
Truly a bizarre sight.
“Hmm. First… I’d like to say that some of this is a misunderstanding.”
“A misunderstanding?”
At those words, Eon-gwon’s corpse-like face twisted into a smile.
Truly the smile of the deceased.
As is often the case with humans who encounter horror tales.
An ordinary person witnessing this would have suffered nightmares for the rest of their life.
“Hyeolseonggyo colluding with the main family? Nonsense. Isn’t the main family an upright and righteous faction? How could you view the main family, which has endured for over a thousand years, in such a way?”
Madness.
Yet this was unexpected.
“They did make unilateral contact with us several times. They sent a few secret messengers. But we never joined hands with them.”
“Then you’re saying all of this was Eon-gwon’s independent action?”
“That’s right. But the main family didn’t want to do such things either. Would you believe me if I said it was an accident?”
“….”
I fell silent for a moment.
That’s when Cheonwoo stepped forward.
“Eon Gaju. How can the massacre of commoners be called an accident?”
“Don’t put it that way. This was beyond my control.”
Eon-gwon released his grip on his beard as he spoke.
“Our family’s history descends from Gal Hong, who became an immortal. Our ancestor was Gal Hong’s disciple.”
“I’m not particularly interested in your family history~”
Sama Hyeon interjected sarcastically.
Then Eon-gwon Gaju waved his hand and continued.
“There’s a reason, so hear me out. Where was I… Ah yes. Gal Hong had many disciples and left behind numerous secret techniques. Among those countless disciples, our ancestor was one who showed great interest in sorcery rather than alchemy—specifically, the old sorcerous arts.”
“….”
I gave Sama Hyeon a subtle glance.
Let’s see what he’s trying to say.
‘He’s gathering information~’
Even a madman’s words contain clues.
Usually we’d just kill them since their ravings are hard to decipher, but not this time.
Sama Hyeon nodded in agreement.
‘My brother can do that.’
Ignoring the silent exchange between the two brothers, Eon-gwon Gaju continued.
“Yes. After our ancestor founded the family, he is said to have lived for approximately two hundred years. Isn’t that remarkable?”
“Ho, two hundred years? That’s quite extraordinary.”
I played along with his words.
Even if he hadn’t truly become an immortal, it was still an astonishing feat.
Two hundred years in an age where the average lifespan barely exceeded thirty.
Unless one discovered a method to artificially reverse aging like Hyeolsaeng Nogoe, or drank an elixir of immortality like Tugoe, such a thing wasn’t ordinary.
“Before our ancestor passed, he wished for our bloodline to continue flourishing. So he created this place. The Hyeolcheung Omun Gwan was built for this purpose. A relic that exists to protect our family when it faces crisis. That is what this place is.”
Upon hearing those words, I could roughly grasp what had happened.
It was a leap in logic, but a plausible hypothesis came to mind.
“Then the draining of life force from the citizens outside must be a function of this Hyeolcheung Omun Gwan. To gather vast amounts of life force. If that’s the case… could it be that the opening of this Hyeolcheung Omun Gwan was an accident?”
“Truly a disciple of Hyeolrin Gwangssal. You’ve hit the mark. It was an accident. This place, which should never have moved, moved nonetheless…”
Hehehehe. Eon-gwon laughed.
And he began his story again.
“On the first day. When the first bell rang, all the family members who hadn’t learned our martial arts were instantly killed and had their life force drained, becoming corpses. It was hell.”
He walked on, chuckling.
“When the second bell rang, even those who had learned martial arts collapsed and coughed blood. When the third bell rang, not a single living soul remained within Eon-gwon, including myself. Do you know what that means?”
“….”
When I didn’t answer readily, Eon-gwon muttered.
“Your mind has already reached the answer. But you’re afraid to speak it. You’re quite interesting. Strong yet soft, soft yet strong.”
Soon Eon-gwon spoke in a cheerful voice.
“We all became corpses with our hun and baek completely intact. How could this not be shocking and agonizing!”
Corpses with hun and baek completely preserved!?
Amid everyone’s shock, I asked.
“You’re saying Gae Pa Josa installed such a mad contraption?”
I suddenly recalled the words of Sama Mwesigi, who had just died.
-This Hyeolcheong Omun Gate was created by me together with those who understand the heavenly secrets. Even someone like me can accomplish quite a few things while sitting still.
To protect Jin Ju-eonga?
Really?

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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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