Doctor’s Rebirth - Chapter 922
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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 922
“Ah, how delightful! That girl is still alive, you say? Now that’s something to look forward to. If I find her, we might have quite an amusing time together.”
The words came out of nowhere, strange and unsettling.
And the expression on his face was equally grotesque.
He wore the hungry look of someone staring at food.
To speak of a person with such an expression?
“Surely you don’t mean you… consume people?”
“No, younger brother. Have you lost your mind? Why speak such nonsense when fine beef sits before us? For me, martial prowess is appetite itself. Nothing tastes as exquisite as supreme martial arts.”
A monstrous person.
Or perhaps a madman.
I decided to change my line of questioning.
“Do you know my Master?”
“That fellow’s father? Yes, we exchanged words quite often. Greedy fellow that he was—he departed rather suddenly. Tsk, tsk.”
“…!”
“Though I’ve no right to criticize. I myself harbor tremendous greed. It’s caused me no small amount of suffering, I assure you.”
Still, his words remained incomprehensible.
Yet I committed every syllable to memory.
The fragments would gather, forming truth, fact, and information.
“I am Jin Cheon-hee, disciple of Master Jegalling. Might I ask your name?”
“Ho… Not the Jegallga, but the Jin clan? So the Jegallim Family took a disciple from another bloodline? Though I must say, the fact that your celestial aura escapes my sight suggests you’re no ordinary person…”
‘As I thought. He reads celestial auras. And with such direct, penetrating perception!’
“It seems you’ve been away for quite some time. It’s been rather long since my Master took me as his disciple.”
In the Gangho, I was called Cheonhailgwang.
One of the ten greatest masters under heaven.
Quite some time had passed since I earned the title Ilgwang Jin Cheon-hee.
And yet.
Only now did this person seem to learn that Master Jegalling lived.
No one could display such an attitude unless they had been away from the Gangho for a very long time.
‘I wondered if he was lying… but his eye movements and demeanor are far too natural.’
A supreme assassin could conceal all of it, certainly.
But would someone of that caliber bother with such tedious deception?
‘It’s possible. But the probability is low.’
My Hyeonwon Jeondan Singeong had deduced this much.
And from merely a few exchanges of words, I could dimly perceive it.
…This person’s true identity.
But I still lacked sufficient clues.
“Hahaha! That’s right, younger brother. I’ve just returned from a distant place. I thought I would never return, but strangely enough, heaven opened a path for me to come back!”
“A path through heaven?”
Was it merely a figure of speech?
Ordinarily, I would dismiss it as metaphor or poetic language—but had I not just witnessed him gazing at the stars and reading celestial auras?
“That’s right. I’ve walked that path. A most delightful journey indeed. Absolutely! The world still overflows with martial techniques I’ve yet to witness. How could I possibly leave without exploring them?”
‘As I thought. This person is….’
I finally grasped the true identity of my visitor.
And I was inwardly horrified.
A figure so rarely featured even in the annals of Jicheon Cheonma.
That such a person would suddenly appear before my eyes!
I rose and offered a respectful bow.
“You are Mujeon Gwangmubak, the esteemed senior. I am Jin Cheon-hee of the Gangho, and I offer my greetings.”
“Ho?”
Mujeon Gwangmubak!
One of the Three Elites of the realm, and one of the three absolute masters strongest in all the world!
There were even those who claimed that in terms of pure martial mastery alone, he surpassed the other two Elites by a hair’s breadth.
In ages long past.
There existed such legendary tales—nearly mythical in their telling—that when Ma-jon and Mu-jon clashed, mountains vanished and rivers were born.
That such a mythical figure would manifest before me!
‘Cheonma is called Ma-jon…. And this person before me is that very Mu-jon who fought against Cheonma. With this, I have now met two of the Three Elites. In the records of Jicheon Cheonma, they appear only rarely, and at some point they vanish entirely….’
At my reaction, Mujeon Gwangmubak burst into hearty laughter, clearly delighted.
“Hahahaha! You’ve inherited the martial arts of the Jegallim Family quite thoroughly indeed. You found the clue in mere casual words? Remarkable. Truly remarkable. To see through a person in less than a moment, as though possessing eyes that pierce a thousand li!”
“It is but a trivial skill.”
Though his words were praise, cold sweat trickled down the back of my neck.
If she is indeed one of the Three Elites, Mujeon Gwangmubak.
He could sever my head from this distance whenever he wished.
If Cheonma is living Demonic force incarnate, then Mu-jon is living Martial force itself.
A breathing, genuine embodiment of martial wisdom stands before me.
And fortunately, Gwangmubak appeared to be in good spirits.
“No, no. Young brother. You are most excellent indeed. Truly excellent! Yes, this old one is someone the friends of Gangho call the Martial Elite.”
Jicheon Cheonma.
Two were said to have been slain by the shadow master, while one either ascended to the heavens or died of natural causes—the records were unclear.
But now I wonder if those accounts in Jicheon Cheonma are even reliable.
After all, most of that information came through Yeo Ha-ryun’s perspective.
And there was nothing like a big red button in an underwater city in those accounts.
‘Rather than being slain by the shadow master, perhaps he went somewhere, and the shadow master merely feigned his death to inflate his own power?’
Even the phrase “heavenly path” carries weight.
What was certain was that he had been absent from Gangho for a very long time.
Regardless, one thing is definite.
The moment all three Elites vanished, the world began in earnest to grow perilous.
And yet.
Ma-jon still rules from the Demonic Cult.
And Mu-jon, who had hidden himself, now appears here.
I have no information on Seon-jon, but considering it alongside the movements of the Goe-eo-in….
It was hardly an auspicious sign.
“Come now. Don’t be so guarded and stiff with me. Even I don’t concern myself much with the etiquette of Gangho—its rules, norms, and master-disciple relationships.”
“How could anyone conduct themselves carelessly before Senior Noeji? I have no choice but to be cautious.”
Mu-jon was pleased by Jin Cheon-hee’s attitude.
“Heh heh. That might be true for ordinary mortals and common folk. But is my junior brother really the type to concern himself with such things?”
“….”
“From what I can see, you’ve diligently mastered the Hyeonwon Jeondan Singeong and even pioneered the realm of transcendence. Yet here you are, pretending to be so ordinary—it strikes others as quite peculiar.”
‘He saw through the depths of my martial arts at a glance… Truly, he is a Mu-jon!’
I was inwardly startled once more, but maintained an outward composure.
After all, tigers don’t attack when they sense panic in their prey.
I couldn’t afford to show any openings before this colossal beast known as Mu-jon Gwangmubak.
Gwangmubak seemed pleased by my demeanor and let out a soft chuckle.
“Well then. Enough of such tedious formalities. So, this dish of yours—might you share some with me?”
“Of course. Truth be told, I rather enjoy serving my cooking to people. While my dishes may not rank as the finest under heaven, I’m confident they at least place within the top ten.”
This was genuine.
Not mere flattery for a guest—but my true conviction!
Had Jegalling been present, he would have said this:
-Hope, you’re a Kang Ho-in, aren’t you?
But the one sitting here was Mu-jon Gwangmubak.
Gwangmubak reacted entirely differently.
“Ho! You’re saying you rank among the Ten Greatest Housekeepers under heaven?”
He was impressed instead!
Delighted!
He was openly questioning whether a Kang Ho-in could even be compared to the Ten Greatest Housekeepers!
“Indeed. Recently, I competed in cooking against someone said to have inherited the teachings of the Eight Immortals’ Zhongli Quan, and I won. It was a dumpling competition.”
“Oh! You defeated a disciple of the Eight Immortals’ Way from the Zhongli Quan lineage in cooking!? Now that’s truly exciting! Those fellows cultivate both the Way of cooking and the Way of martial arts simultaneously—they’re a discerning bunch.”
Gwangmubak scratched his belly and grinned widely.
“Heh heh. This is something else. On my very first step back into the mortal world, I encounter such a housekeeper. It seems my fortune hasn’t run dry just yet.”
Mu-jon Gwangmubak rubbed his hands together in delight.
To look at him, he seemed like some naive martial artist fresh from the mountains, but beneath that exterior lay a terrifying martial fanatic—a monster that even the Hyeolseon Leader had to be wary of.
‘He’s certainly different from the Cheonma. She’s composed and enigmatic, but he’s bold and utterly unpredictable.’
In the presence of the Cheonma, all the air grows heavy, and one feels as though color drains from the world.
Moreover, being near her makes even breathing difficult; it’s hard to discern what thoughts occupy her mind or what emotions she harbors.
But Mu-jon is the complete opposite.
For Mu-jon, martial arts are like appetite itself.
I could understand why these two had fought so fiercely they leveled mountains.
‘According to the tales, Mu-jon relentlessly challenged the Cheonma, coveting her martial prowess.’
I retrieved a bowl and ladled the porridge to serve to Mu-jon.
Gwangmubak took a spoonful and tasted it, and his expression immediately softened into something almost tearful.
“Ahhhhh. This is…. Truly, one cannot deny this is the finest flavor under heaven! In my centuries of life, I’ve never tasted such exquisite meat porridge! Heheheh! A flavor that calls for the spoon itself! Truly magnificent!”
As I did so, I ate the congee with practiced ease.
Never rushing.
One spoonful, then another.
Savoring each bite.
In the meantime, I ladled congee for Hwang-gu as well and offered a bowl to Noeji.
And of course, I filled my own bowl and ate.
Since Hwang-gu would need a cauldron full just to satisfy his appetite, he was essentially just tasting it.
“Phew. Ah. Excellent. Truly excellent. Very delicious indeed. Young proprietor.”
“We also have dessert, please enjoy.”
I poured a beverage from a gourd flask into a wooden cup and handed it over.
In the process, I used the Bing Gong technique.
Thin ice formed inside, chilling it thoroughly.
“Oh! Dessert as well? What is this?”
“It is omija tea. Mixed with a bit of stone honey, it is quite tart and sweet.”
“Where did you—!”
Gulp, gulp.
The sound of swallowing continued for a while before he finally spoke again.
“Phwoooah! Incredibly delicious! Ahahah! Even the Emperor couldn’t taste something like this! Back in the day, I once stole a meal from the Emperor himself, but this is even better! Krrgh…!”
Mu-jon Gwangmubak praised me while making such outrageous declarations with perfect composure.
“Hehe. How was my appetizer course? The connection technique was quite refined, was it not?”
“Huh!?”
Mu-jon flinched.
Then he laughed loudly once more.
“Hahaha! Indeed. For a housekeeper, cooking is like martial arts. Moreover, the dessert presented after the main course is nothing less than a lethal finishing move connected to the appetizer technique!”
I smiled with practiced hospitality.
“I am delighted you understood so quickly.”
“Indeed, indeed. This old man has been thoroughly defeated. Hahaha!”
With that, he finished the omija tea in one gulp.
Tap.
Setting down the wooden cup, Mu-jon patted his belly and spoke.
“Very good. It has been a long time since this Gwangmubak has been so thoroughly defeated. This is quite something. Having received such hospitality, I cannot simply leave without repaying it.”
“I did not offer the meal in expectation of repayment… but if you wish to offer something, I shall accept gratefully.”
I am not one to refuse a gift.
Besides, Mu-jon seemed thoroughly delighted by my cooking and conversation.
“Ah… this establishment does good business indeed. Not excessive. The skill with which you accept without offending is quite excellent. No, rather, I am in good spirits. A beautiful one like yourself serving meals with wit and charm. At this rate, I shall become a regular customer.”
Mu-jon laughed for a while before adding one more thing.
“Haha. But this old man is not so easily satisfied. So then, shall we see about the payment for this meal?”
Mu-jon Gwangmubak smiled with a hint of mischief.
In that instant.
His hand moved in a blur, approaching like mist or a phantom.
‘An attack!?’
I react in shock.
Like lightning, I sweep the pot from my seated position to overturn it, and in the chaos, I attempt to strike with a burst of force.
But!
Somehow, one of Mu-jon’s hands presses down on the pot.
The other hand that had been approaching now grips my collar.
A bizarre and wondrous technique!
‘What!?’
Whoosh!
My body is flung outside the tent.
I flip myself in mid-air and land on the ground.
In that instant, something the size of millet seeds flies at me from inside the tent at an unimaginable speed—multiple projectiles.
“Hah!”
I draw the Frost Blade with lightning speed and slash through those hidden weapons.
With a thunderous crack, the projectiles split and scatter.
Looking closely, they were small pieces of earth.
And.
In the meantime, Mujeon Gwangmubak walks out of the tent like a leisurely, satisfied tiger.
“To receive martial arts instruction from this one is no exaggeration to call a glory of three lifetimes. Even that Previous Emperor fellow pestered me so much to teach him martial arts. I wouldn’t have agreed if the privilege to view the Imperial Archives hadn’t been the price.”
It seems the Previous Emperor also made efforts to learn martial arts from this Mu-jon.
‘Was it the previous emperor? Or the one before that?’
I only know that Mu-jon is advanced in age, but his exact age remains unknown.
When Gwangmubak made his name in Gangho, he was already like this, and he hasn’t aged since.
Unlike Ma-jon, who started as a fledgling Soegooju and climbed up step by step.
Mu-jon was already complete when he first appeared in Gangho.
And he is one obsessed with martial arts itself more than anyone.
Because of this, it’s difficult to even guess which emperor he served.
Mujeon Gwangmubak grins widely.
“Hehehehe. Little brother. Let me see that martial prowess of yours. Allow this one to take a look!”
Is that so.
Is this the price of the meal.
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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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