Doctor’s Rebirth - Chapter 952

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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 952
‘Humans are beasts too—just beasts with better brains.’
I pondered this thought.
As a doctor, I protect humanity, but I don’t believe humans are inherently more spiritually sacred or remarkable than other creatures.
Humans are simply beasts with superior intellect.
Thanks to our expanded brain capacity, we discovered fire, created tools, developed writing, and built vast civilizations—yet this doesn’t make us inherently more virtuous.
Humans are just humans.
Sometimes one must understand the preciousness of a single meal.
Sometimes death comes easier.
When you remember in your bones how much harder it is to give your all each day just for one meal, perhaps then you can truly understand the hearts of common folk.
“Excellent. That’s good to hear.”
“By the way, the Governor has ordered you to return.”
“Ah. Then I should head back.”
* * *
Ju Wang’s residence in Nanjing.
Ju Wang was in the Governor’s audience chamber.
When I offered a brief bow, Ju Wang smiled with satisfaction.
“So you’ve swept away all the ruffians from Gangho?”
“Not entirely. I simply captured and sent over those who were suddenly engaging in all-out warfare with each other.”
“Isn’t that the same thing? Because of you, I now have to expand the prison and deal with all sorts of headaches.”
Ju Wang shook her head in exasperation.
Idleness was her greatest life goal, and these bloody conflicts in Gangho were nothing but a nuisance.
“Well, anyway. You requested information, didn’t you? I just happened to come by and brought it with me.”
In Ju Wang’s hand was an old, worn book.
She waved it as she asked.
“Why on earth did you ask for something like this?”
I briefly explained everything that had happened.
Why I went to the Moshan Sect, and about those using sorcery to make martial artists slaughter each other.
“So I must pursue this culprit.”
“Hmm… Sorcery could do such a thing? I had no idea.”
I scratched my cheek.
“I’ve heard that sorcery’s power has been growing recently.”
“Lang-lang, have you received such a report?”
At Ju Wang’s words, Yu Rang-hu scratched his cheek.
“I haven’t heard of such a report… but I’ll make inquiries with the Moshan Sect.”
“Yes, you should. By the way, Jin Tae-su, how do you know everything? You’re always running around here and there.”
She scratched her legs and tossed the book with a casual gesture.
‘Oh no, this is clearly a precious ancient text.’
I quickly caught the book before it hit the ground.
“Thank you so much!”
“Don’t push yourself too hard. The twins are already worried enough as it is.”
‘Ah, so word of my anger has reached them?’
Well, considering the twins’ information network, it would be stranger if they didn’t know.
“I will keep that in mind.”
Jin Cheon-hee bowed deeply.
Ju Wang gazed at him with worried eyes.
“You’re too righteous, and that concerns me. If there were ten thousand men like you in this world, the Gangho would be at peace.”
“Hahaha.”
* * *
The moment business at Ju Wang’s residence concluded, I departed Nanjing immediately.
Along the way, I suddenly turned to look back and fell into thought.
‘Indeed… the current administration still lacks much. Though the principle of non-interference in martial affairs is important, surely when such large-scale blood incidents occur, the government must do something.’
I believe that no custom stands above human life.
‘The real problem is that guards, patrol sergeants, and podoos can do so little against martial artists.’
Even when the Dongchang or the Geumui Guard intervene, there are limits.
They are fundamentally high-level investigative agencies and elite military forces.
They cannot involve themselves in private martial sect affairs.
‘I need to create a qualified formation that guards, patrol sergeants, and podoos can use.’
And develop martial techniques specifically for government officials.
Of course, existing techniques exist, but they’re not at a level to contend with martial artists.
‘Even now, each sect is honing their martial arts with their lives on the line. Expecting existing government official techniques to keep pace is impossible. And they don’t even receive proper support.’
Becoming a guard doesn’t mean receiving lower-grade spirit stones.
If that were possible, there would be countless wanderers who’d become guards, receive lower-grade spirit stones, and immediately quit.
‘I must work within the resources I have.’
Yet there is one advantage the government has that martial artists lack.
‘Podoos, patrol sergeants, guards—they’re all civil servants.’
While they may lack the deep grudges of the martial world, they do receive monthly salaries.
In other words, if I force them to train, they must comply.
Mandatory martial training!
Create easy, fast, and powerful martial techniques exclusively for government officials.
And force them to learn it as part of their duties!
‘What if there’s a martial technique that grows stronger through infinite repetition of the same movements, even without enlightenment?’
They won’t have spiritual passion anyway.
They don’t have deep grudges, and if they’d harbored great ambitions in childhood, they’d have joined the martial world, not become guards.
But if a person’s body repeats the same movements without soul, doesn’t it eventually become something extraordinary?
Tie the robe, tie it. Tie the belt, tie it.
Tie the robe, belt, ornaments, undergarments—tie them all~
Here in the martial world of tying and tying and tying~ tying tying tying~
I was having ridiculous thoughts.
‘If someone can become a master of rap through a monthly salary, surely guards can at least reach the basics of martial arts through their monthly wages.’
Could I have the guards carry out this task?
‘They don’t need to become extraordinary masters. They just need the minimum martial prowess to form a qualified formation.’
If they could achieve that much, I could protect the commoners better than now.
‘But I’ll need to separate the wheat from the chaff. The treatment of guards, patrol sergeants, and podoos will have to improve.’
Even if it’s minimal martial force learned reluctantly, martial arts are still martial arts.
What if these bastards gain martial arts and run off?
Jin Cheon-hee fell into contemplation.
‘The budget… I’ll need to have a serious discussion with Muyue…’
The sound of Muyue’s flute echoed from afar like an auditory hallucination.
“Good. I need to implement this immediately after this matter is resolved. Even if I can’t do it across all of Gangso Province, I absolutely must handle it in Baekrin.”
Having thought that far, Jin Cheon-hee drew out the Wonhyang-ban from his bosom.
A divine artifact received from the Moshan Sect.
“Come now, Wonhyang-ban. Point me toward those I pursue.”
At that moment, five-colored iridescence swirled from Jin Cheon-hee’s hand, being drawn inward.
Whoosh—
The Wonhyang-ban began pointing toward Anhui Province.
Anhui Province.
In other words, the territory of the Namgung Family!
“They fled toward the Namgung Family… That certainly matches what the intelligence networks of Hao-mun, Gaebang, and the imperial palace reported. Suspicious groups building altars and moving in the direction of the Namgung Family.”
Very well. Let’s go.
Jin Cheon-hee began riding Hwang-gu at full speed.
* * *
The Yangtze River is a terrifyingly long waterway that cuts through the empire, but its width is similar to or slightly broader than the Han River in Korea on Earth.
Of course, some sections have widths several times greater, but most are similar in size to the Han River.
And in those few places with exceptionally wide sections, water pirates were invariably stationed.
There were many places to hide, and it was convenient to scatter and regroup.
The empire constantly tried to suppress these water pirates, but since they were connected with corrupt officials, they would go into hiding the moment they heard a suppression force was being organized.
They never directly confronted the garrison soldiers!
That was the way of survival for these water pirates.
Moreover, water pirates were surprisingly formidable.
Some had hereditary trades of piracy, and quite a few martial artists who committed crimes in Gangho became water or mountain pirates.
There were various reasons why criminals became water or mountain pirates instead of joining the Demonic Cult, Hyeolseonggyo, or Heterodox Factions, but most did so for freedom.
For masters, becoming a water or mountain pirate meant they could eliminate the leader and become the leader themselves!
And the leader of Supo-chae, one of two water pirate strongholds in Anhui Province, was laughing while holding up a bowl brimming with blood.
“Kekekeke. Such a supreme divine technique finally falls into my hands! Hehehehe. With this, I wouldn’t fear even if the Sixteen Greatest Masters of the realm came. No, I could crush their skulls! Isn’t that right?”
“Of course, Great King! With your power, even the Namgung Family Head would kneel before you!”
“That’s right, Great King! The Namgung Family Head is still a green youth. Seize Anhui Province, Great King!”
“Kahahaha! Good. Good. So, are the sacrifices prepared?”
“Yes indeed. We’ve prepared some very fresh two-legged sheep.”
Two-legged sheep.
A term meaning mutton with two legs.
In truth, this word was slang for human flesh.
“Drain the blood and bring it here! I need far more blood for the Heavenly Blood Divine Art!”
“Yes, sir!”
Heo San, the Suro-chae Patriarch.
He gulped down the blood that filled his bowl to the brim.
The Heavenly Blood Divine Art he spoke of was merely a name—in the world, it was known as the Heavenly Blood Demonic Art, a most vile technique!
Inner power accumulated rapidly, and the Heavenly Blood Demonic Qi obtained thereby would infiltrate and consume the true qi of other inner cultivation methods, triggering demonic possession—a terrifying martial art indeed.
However.
The more one cultivated it, the more one’s reason would cloud and one’s temperament would become violent, ultimately leading to self-destruction—a demonic art of that nature!
To think the Suro-chae Patriarch was cultivating such a thing?
That was not all.
Not only Heo San, the Suro-chae Patriarch, but his subordinates, the mountain bandits, all appeared to be cultivating the Heavenly Blood Demonic Art.
It had become a demonic den where they trained by drinking human blood like vampires!
“Great King! Great King! The one who brought the martial manual has arrived!”
“From the sect? Show him in!”
And then.
A group wearing black and white masks entered.
“Great King. I see the whites of your eyes have turned crimson—it seems you have achieved great progress. My congratulations.”
“Hahahaha! All of this is thanks to you! To grant me such a divine art that suits me so perfectly!”
Around Heo San, seated upon the patriarch’s throne, crimson inner force rippled.
It was.
Upper tier even among the Hwagyeong realm!
The way protective inner force arose so naturally was certainly no ordinary ability.
“We of the Heart Soul Ghost Spirit Family, one of the Six Demonic Families of the Ilwol Singyeo, can pierce through the heart and soul, and select martial arts most suited to body and spirit. It is only natural, for our family has served as high priests of the sect for generations.”
“Hmm… Yes. I have heard that before. So what brings you to visit? Was our business not concluded when you delivered the martial manual last time?”
“It is nothing of great import… but there is one who targets the Great King, so I came to inform you.”
“Targets me!? How dare they!”
Rumble, rumble, rumble!
The objects around them trembled from formless qi.
“Do calm yourself. In any case, they would be no match for the Great King. Soon you shall become the Chongchaeju of the Yangtze and Yellow River Suro-chae and conquer Anhui Province—surely one of your stature need not lose composure over such a matter?”
As the voice—neither clearly male nor female—spoke in measured tones, Heo San withdrew his aura and burst into laughter.
“Pahahahaha! Yes, that is right! I shall become the master of Anhui Province and the Chongchaeju—there is no need for me to be angered over such trifles! So then, who dares target this seat?”
“Baekrin Uiseon Sojakju of Gangso Province. Cheonhailgwang Jin Cheon-hee targets the Great King.”
“What!? A mere doctor presuming to—!!”
“Be cautious, Great King. He is nonetheless one who has become among the Sixteen Greatest Masters under Heaven. You must not underestimate him.”
“Should that man come here, this place shall become the tomb of Cheonhailgwang! I shall sever his limbs and drink his blood! The precious medicines he consumed at Baekrin Uiseon will have dissolved into his blood, yes? Hehehehe. My mouth waters at the thought.”
If I could capture him and drink his fresh blood, how much stronger would I become?
“Then, Great King, may you live ten thousand years. Do not forget the alliance with our sect after you have conquered Anhui Province.”
“Of course! How could I forget your service! Hahahaha!”
Thus, the conversation between the two groups came to an end.
As the masked person slipped away from such circumstances, he murmured quietly to himself.
“Cheonhailgwang was said to have reached its limit even in Hwagyeong. I wonder if he can truly defeat Heo San, who has mastered the Seoncheon Hyeolgan Yeokcheon Gong.”
And they disappeared into the darkness aboard a small wooden boat.
This was a trap to shake off my pursuit.
And.
The true face of Gangho revealed to me.
Preparation to germinate the heart demon fragment of Cheonma Divine Art that Cheonma had planted long ago.
“One.”
Then.
A cold and quiet voice echoed across the river in the darkness.
Splash. Splash. Splash.
The sound of footsteps walking upon water.
Meow—
Along with the footsteps came the cry of a cat.
Yet even that sound seemed to dissolve into the darkness itself.
As that presence drew closer, the air grew heavier.
The man counting in the darkness began to appear pale and indistinct.
Like a phantom, as if he had never been there from the beginning.
“W-who are you?”

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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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