Doctor’s Rebirth - Chapter 92

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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 92
“Just as I suspected. I’m relieved to confirm that the rumors are not mere fabrications.”
“What rumors are circulating?”
I hesitated slightly at the question before responding.
“The epithet ‘Seo Baek-ryong’ carries meanings beyond merely the dragon—it also signifies white, virtue, and refinement.”
I felt embarrassed.
I spoke with a flushed face.
“Even so, there’s nothing I’ve done to deserve such praise.”
“Not at all. I merely wished to express my gratitude. Yesterday, you corrected my eldest brother’s back with tuina massage, and he said he felt like he might actually live.”
He expressed his thanks to me in this manner.
A patient’s recovery was always deeply rewarding.
“By the way, how is Samseong’s condition?”
“He’s resting after receiving emergency treatment from the doctor. The pain is so severe that he can’t even cry out—he just keeps losing consciousness and collapsing from exhaustion repeatedly.”
When testicles are shattered, even acupuncture becomes difficult.
I learned this today through emergency surgery. I needled the pressure points the medical texts prescribed, but the pain only diminished rather than disappeared entirely.
Moreover, even if the pain lessened, the agony of having one testicle completely destroyed remained unchanged.
“If fortune favors him, we might be able to preserve the other one.”
In exchange for saving one testicle, I secured Samseong’s loyalty.
Of course, it wasn’t mere verbal loyalty.
We drew up a contract and sealed it with a blank signature. Literally blank.
A blank page with only the contract header and no content below.
I would fill in the terms myself later. Yet they didn’t hesitate at all.
I was quite surprised by how deep the brotherhood among the three ran.
They were willing to affix their seals to a blank contract just to save Samseong’s remaining testicle.
I came to understand how weighty sworn brotherhood was in the Gangho.
‘I see. Sworn brotherhood means if one person is ruined, they all can be ruined together.’
Yeo Ha-ryun was formidable.
As the protagonist, he would survive to the very end. But if Yeo Ha-ryun went around smashing skulls left and right, the consequences would reach me as well.
‘Managing this mad dog with the heavenly killer nature is going to be quite the task.’
I considered writing a letter once we reached the port.
I knew the locations of several Makyeo Buntta branches disguised as merchant guilds.
Sending it to one of them would likely reach its destination.
‘Hwang-gu handled it surprisingly cleanly(?), so the treatment itself was manageable.’
I had done everything humanly possible. Now Samseong’s remaining testicle would be decided by heaven and earth.
Meanwhile.
In the distance, a massive and magnificent city began to come into view.
Nanjing.
Once the capital of the Hua Empire, it became known as the southern capital after the court relocated northward.
A city of history and tradition, resplendent and grand in scale, entered my field of vision.
‘Good. No problems so far. Now all that remains is capturing the Eternal Flame Serpent.’
Jin Cheon-hee’s eyes gleamed with light.
* * *
The boat finally arrived at Nanjing. The port of Nanjing was certainly vast and magnificent, with merchants transferring goods from various vessels.
The stench of fish, the aroma of dried medicinal herbs, and the scent of spices mingled together.
I left Samseong and the Bearded Middle-Aged Man to wait on the boat. Once the mission was complete, we would need to return.
By then, we’d be traveling against the river’s current, so the journey upstream would be far more arduous than this.
‘Fortunately, the wind direction should be favorable, and that might just be our salvation.’
I wrote out a medicinal prescription for Samseong, whose consciousness still wavered in and out.
Once I found a medical clinic affiliated with Baekrin Uigak nearby, they would prepare a decoction suited to Samseong’s condition.
Woof, woof woof woof woof!
Local dogs from Nanjing swarmed around Hwang-gu.
Hwang-gu strutted about, barking at them several times with pride.
“Can you find what I’m looking for?”
Woof!
“Should we go now?”
Hwang-gu shook his head at my words.
Whine.
“Then when? Tomorrow?”
At my words, Hwang-gu barked toward the surrounding dogs.
As Hwang-gu barked, the dogs looked at each other as if conversing, and eventually barked toward a flat-nosed dog at the very back of the group.
Woof! Woof woof!
The flat-nosed dog wagged its tail.
Soon, Hwang-gu gave me a short, low bark in response.
Arf!
“So we’re departing tomorrow?”
Then he nodded like a person would.
Woof! Arf!
“Understood.”
The moment my words ended, Hwang-gu led the port dog and began dashing toward Tangshan.
He was conducting a search.
‘So this is what it takes to serve as Bangju’s messenger dog. Or is Hwang-gu simply exceptionally gifted as a spirit beast?’
Though fascinated, I turned my steps toward a nearby inn.
Once night fell, Hwang-gu would return on his own.
* * *
I ate duck noodles at the inn.
‘The server recommended it, so I tried it—it’s incredibly delicious.’
From the clear broth came both the rich, intense flavor of duck and the fragrance of medicinal herbs simultaneously.
I emptied three bowls of duck noodles.
After sleeping contentedly and waking, Hwang-gu was sitting at the head of my bed, looking down at me.
Woof!
“Leave right now?”
Woof, woof!
Hwang-gu wagged his tail and quickly guided me toward the entrance.
I had pre-ordered sliced duck from the server, packed it into my travel bag, and set off.
Since I’d prepared provisions for Hwang-gu as well, the mountain path wouldn’t be boring.
‘I suppose you could say I travel to eat.’
Though I came because of my Master, I still made sure to sample the local specialties.
Upon entering Tangshan, Hwang-gu guided me not toward the villas where the prestigious clans gathered, but into untamed wilderness where no paths connected.
Woof!
“This route is perfect for an ambush.”
Bark, bark! Woof!
“You think so too? But we still have to go?”
Pant, pant, pant.
“Right. You make a good point. We can’t abandon our plans just because of maggots. Besides, I’ve been wanting more real combat experience anyway. This works out perfectly.”
I followed Hwang-gu and changed direction.
Since I needed to conserve my inner energy, I used lightness technique but moved as gently as possible.
How much deeper had I ventured along the sheer cliff face when I suddenly sensed presences?
‘Hmm. As expected, they’re following. By the feel of it… five? Six?’
The fact that they were noticeable even while moving at this pace meant their skills were transparent, so I wasn’t particularly worried.
Whine?
Hwang-gu asked through brief movements whether I wanted to beat them down or keep going until the end.
“Why delay? Let’s do this!”
I grabbed the tree in front of me and pulled.
Using the wood element of the Five Elements Divine Technique, the tree bent like a bowstring without breaking.
I felt the solid tension beneath my hands.
“Having longer limbs really is convenient!”
Saying so, I released the tension.
Snap!
The tree’s recoil sent my body flying backward.
The ones pursuing me panicked.
“Oh, this time you even brought masked people?”
I struck first. As I rebounded backward, I grabbed the ambusher’s shoulders and twisted them both ways.
Crack!
The ambusher’s body spun around as if caught in a washing machine.
“I won’t kill you, but accept half-paralysis as the price. I’ll just keep you alive.”
“Bastard!”
Another masked person scattered throwing stars at me.
My body curved to evade. The first masked person with broken shoulders took the projectiles instead.
Splat, splat, splat!
“Hey, the Three Killers are known for their brotherhood, but why are you like this? Seems like you’re not that close after all?”
In that instant, Hwang-gu bit the groin of the masked person who had scattered throwing stars.
Crack!
“…!”
This masked person also couldn’t even scream properly and slowly collapsed forward.
Hwang-gu didn’t release his bite even though the man had lost his will to fight.
“So Hwang-gu wants to make sure he sends at least one of them off properly.”
Crunch!
Judging by the angle, this time both sides are ruptured.
That is, unless Hwang-gu’s fatal wound somehow doesn’t kill him.
The third and fourth masked persons swung their swords at me.
Killing intent-laden sword strikes!
Without thinking, I furrowed my brow slightly. Then I kicked a stone from the ground, infusing it with wind energy—specifically the subtlety of speed.
Thud!
The stone embedded itself directly in the solar plexus.
In an instant, pain disrupted his breathing. In that gap, I struck his throat lightly.
“Hack!”
“You won’t be able to breathe for a minute, so don’t strain yourself.”
Then I grabbed his wrist and twisted it the opposite way.
Crack!
“Gasp, ugh-gasp!”
“If you want to hold a spoon for eating, find a doctor skilled in bone-setting techniques. That is, if you can make it down this mountain.”
From the pain, he dropped his sword. I caught it.
The fourth and fifth masked persons unleashed sword strikes.
Normally, I would have raised my sword to block the sword path.
But instead of blocking with my sword, I leaned my body to the side and struck the blade with my elbow.
Crack.
“Aaaaagh!”
“Hmm. Judging by the sensation of breaking, you won’t be able to hold a spoon with your right hand anymore.”
As I said that, I struck the fifth man’s jaw with the flat of the blade.
Smack!
“From now on, you’ll only eat porridge.”
His jaw twisted in an unnatural direction.
Thus I knocked down all five masked persons.
Each was missing or had broken something, and one might even die, but that was ultimately a matter of the team’s internal conflict.
Whether the one judged by Hwang-gu’s fangs lived or died would be Hwang-gu’s decision, so it was something I couldn’t know.
“Phew, I didn’t kill anyone today either. I’m really amazing. Even the Buddha would be pleased with me and seat me at his right hand.”
Low groans and whimpers—
Leaving those cries behind, I spoke.
“If you find a good doctor, you should be able to live with minimal aftereffects.”
That was right. I had let them live. Let them live….
Yet for some reason, those assassins on the receiving end found it far more brutal than battles where sword energy scattered in torrents.
Most could accept death, but few could accept becoming a cripple.
“Hwang-gu, let’s go! Drop that.”
Clang!
Only then did Hwang-gu release his grip.
Once again, the space between his legs was drenched. Fortunately, the man had cultivated external energy, so he remained alive.
Emergency treatment with three acupuncture points was sufficient.
I offered a prayer for the man’s peaceful rest.
* * *
After disposing of a few more assassins we encountered along the way, we arrived at the entrance to the underground cave.
It was a low cave in the depths of the earth with an entrance so narrow that ordinary people would find it nearly impossible to locate.
‘Wow, I don’t think I could have found this without Hwang-gu.’
No matter how familiar one was with the geography of this place, no human guide could ever discover such a location.
Before entering the cave, I heightened my inner sight and surveyed the surroundings.
‘They’ve stopped pursuing me.’
Perhaps they had learned of my martial prowess.
Perhaps they had realized that touching me meant only receiving mercy.
No one dared approach me anymore.
‘It seems they’ve concluded that a thousand gold coins isn’t worth the loss.’
I crouched down and peered at the ground beneath my feet.

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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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