Doctor’s Rebirth - Chapter 973

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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 973
While the purification function against harmful energies like demonic and deceptive qi is strong, causing inner strength to accumulate at an ordinary pace.
In terms of stability alone, it reaches the highest level!
It is the inner cultivation method of the Divine Sect’s Orthodox School!
Moreover, when mastered deeply, it forcibly clears the mind.
It’s not quite brainwashing, but just as demonic cultivation affects one’s character, orthodox cultivation also influences the mind.
The head becomes clearer, anger becomes easier to suppress, and one develops greater empathy for others’ suffering.
In other words, the mind is ‘forcibly’ cleared.
After all, if one doesn’t make the effort to clear their mind, one cannot reach higher levels of martial arts!
Originally, Buddhist martial arts were typically like this.
Buddhist martial arts are difficult to master without deeply understanding Buddhist doctrine.
Daoist martial arts also tend toward this, but Buddhist martial arts were especially severe in this regard.
The prime example is Shaolin Temple.
Even a Shaolin Temple abbot who broke his vows only kills for the sake of righteousness or eats meat and drinks alcohol at that level.
Those who truly degenerate to the level of a lust demon cannot recover their former martial prowess because their inner energy becomes turbid—and this is why.
Orthodox cultivation of the Buddhist school.
Of course, even so, there will be some demonic seedlings determined to become true human butchers and spray blood everywhere….
‘Still…? Since it belongs to orthodox cultivation, it at least clears the mind and spirit enough to make one think twice.’
The more one cultivates it, the clearer the mind becomes.
With a cleared spirit, one can observe oneself, and anger becomes even easier to suppress.
The Printing Shop Owner chuckled hollowly while carving the woodblock.
“Not everyone will become a martial master of the rivers and lakes just from reading this, right?”
“That won’t happen. No matter how excellent the scripture is, everyone must still overcome their limits.”
After all, modern people can understand all the theories in this world with just a flick of their fingers, yet not everyone earns a doctorate degree, do they?
The Divine Sect’s Orthodox Scripture is the same.
Even if the Huashan Sect has the Divine Sect’s Orthodox Scripture, only a fixed number become Plum Blossom Sword Masters.
It merely provides a stepping stone to accomplish something, but ultimately, progress depends on one’s own will.
Even though it’s called orthodox cultivation, a loss leader is necessary.
So by mixing in the martial arts from the Imperial Palace Secret Records, achieving the first milestone should be easy.
However, to go beyond that, one must ultimately carve through bone.
“Still, it’s easier to obtain than demonic cultivation… and cheaper. Plus it’s more hygienic than sucking people’s blood, and there are no aftereffects~”
After all, how many people would genuinely decide from the start to suck people’s blood with a clear mind?
Most have the desire to take shortcuts embedded to their core, so eventually they end up going that far anyway.
When the Demonic Sect spreads poison through the rivers and lakes.
‘I will spread the antidote aaaaaa!’
Using this Gutenberg & woodblock printing—a horrifying hybrid that would astound any Earthling—you bastards!
As the demonic cultivation that forcibly makes one crave others’ blood spreads.
Now I release orthodox cultivation that clears the mind the more one practices it.
‘Hmm, the Emperor probably didn’t establish the Imperial Palace Secret Records for this.’
My conscience pricks me a little.
* * *
Nanjing, the great city of Gangso Province.
Once the capital of the empire in ages past, it boasted commercial districts and real estate prices that rivaled the prosperous regions of the modern world.
Within this Nanjing stood one particularly grand bookstore.
A place frequented by scholars of Nanjing pursuing their studies, and patronized by wealthy bibliophiles who delighted in rare and refined texts.
The proprietor himself was a former Hanrim Academy scholar, and the establishment bore the name Yongmun Bookstore.
Yongmun Bookstore.
Named after the Dragon’s Gate of ascension, this establishment dealt in everything precious—from ancient and rare manuscripts to works penned by master calligraphers.
A massive three-story structure, it stood as one of Nanjing’s notable landmarks.
And yet.
In truth, it rarely attracted many customers.
Books in this era were precious commodities, commanding steep prices.
Even a volume handwritten by an obscure scholar, not a master calligrapher, carried a substantial cost.
Books themselves were simply beyond the means of common folk.
A lending library might fare differently.
But this establishment sold only—never lent.
Thus, customers were inevitably scarce.
Yet Yongmun Bookstore, on this day, teemed with people.
No—
It seethed with an almost terrifying throng!
But here lay the peculiarity:
Not a single scholar among them—only martial artists of the rivers and lakes!
Their eyes gleamed with intensity, their temples bulged prominently, and they bore the unmistakable aura of those who had taken lives. They surged through the shop in waves!
The counters overflowed with stacks of identically titled, uniformly bound volumes.
Before them stood clerks hawking the merchandise, their voices ringing out in advertisement.
“Martial arts manuals published by Baekrin Medical Guild! Martial arts manuals! Authentic editions! Divine Skill Absolute Learning!”
Selling martial arts manuals? Divine Skill Absolute Learning!?
A passing martial artist—not among those already queued—suddenly whirled around, bewildered by what he was witnessing.
“They’re selling Divine Skill Absolute Learning at a bookstore?”
Then—
“Published by Baekrin Medical Guild? Baekrin Medical Guild? The one under Cheonhailgwang? No… isn’t that… Mok San of the Golden Blade False Defeat?”
Ha Chan, known as the Wolf Sword Ten Paces, spotted someone he recognized among those waiting in line.
Mok San of the Golden Blade False Defeat.
Gold for the metal, blade for the weapon, false for deception, defeat for ruin.
Why such an epithet?
Because he gilded his blade with gold leaf as he traveled.
Mok San, known to have mastered the peculiar technique called Golden Plating Divine Skill—an inferior derivative of the legendary Golden Divine Skill—was a master of considerable renown among the wandering swordsmen.
A seasoned expert at the peak of mastery, this odd fellow required proximity to gold for his martial arts to flourish.
Some whispered he’d merely gilded his blade due to poverty.
After all, the Golden Divine Skill was the exclusive technique of the Golden Blood Sect Leader, one of the five branches under Hao-mun, the patriarch of the Heterodox Faction.
The martial arts that Mok San had mastered were essentially classified as heterodox techniques.
Still, he had credibility and strength, making him someone who got by reasonably well in the wanderer’s circles.
This Ha Chan fellow, who recognized such a Mok San, also had considerable skill.
Wolf—the character for wolf, blade—the character for sword, and ten steps—the character for ten paces.
His epithet meant he could sever an opponent’s life force within ten paces using wolf-like swordwork.
What he had mastered was a martial art called Wolf-Killing Blade, and it was heterodox technique with a thick killing intent.
That he had spotted Mok San, someone he at least had some acquaintance with among those lined up at Yongmun Bookstore, could perhaps be seen as inevitable.
These were the sorts of people who served as influencers in the martial world.
He approached a bookstore clerk who was calling out to attract customers.
“Excuse me.”
“Welcome, sir!”
“What’s that over there?”
“It’s a martial arts manual called Divine Skill Absolute Learning, sir! And it’s from the Buddhist tradition—they say it’s from the ancient Western Repository of the martial realm!”
The bookstore clerk began spouting off exactly as he’d been trained.
Divine Skill Absolute Learning, and if you mastered it, the danger of falling into demonic possession would decrease, and so on and so forth…
Hearing this, Wolf-Killing Ten Paces Ha Chan’s eyes went wide as saucers.
“Wait. Is that really true?”
“Of course! Jin Cheon-hee, the Soggakju of Baekrin Medical Guild, guaranteed it himself. The annotations are extremely detailed too, so they say it’s easy to learn! Actually, I’m already studying it myself!”
As he said this, he waved his hand, and remarkably, inner energy could be felt!
What!? How does a bookstore clerk have inner power!?
Ha Chan’s eyes bulged like marbles.
“Huh? Really? How much is it?”
“One gold tael.”
“Divine Skill Absolute Learning for one gold tael? It’s pricey, but… give me one.”
“You’ll need to wait in line first…”
The bookstore clerk pointed to the side.
He was about to cut in line, but seeing the martial artists already clamoring, he quietly took his place.
After waiting quite a while, he was able to hand over one gold tael and obtain the martial arts manual in question.
Then he began flipping through it right there.
“Huh… what is this… let me just read it… Whoa!?”
Ha Chan gasped in shock!
“It’s real! This is the real deal!”
Then he looked around.
Everyone who had bought a book was standing there reading with expressions of astonishment.
“How in the world are they printing martial arts manuals with woodblocks?”
Then he came to his senses and dashed off somewhere.
He must be trying to read it carefully in a safe location.
Ha Chan thought the same and began running, even using his lightness technique.
His destination was an inn!
He had to read it in his room!
And so Ha Chan rushed off with the secret manual of the Infinite Lotus Brahma Heart Technique clutched in his hands.
And then.
There were two martial artists watching his figure from a distance.
“Cheonhailgwang. Is this bastard really insane?”
“Isn’t it Cheonhajilgwang?”
“Damn it! What’s the difference!”
Two beggars.
Filthy and grimy, their clothes patched and worn.
However.
At their waists hung weapons called taggubongs, and their belts were fastened with knotted cords.
Beggars of the Gaebang!
“What kind of madman mass-prints and sells divine martial arts manuals? And for just one tael of gold? Has he completely lost his mind?”
“Indeed, Master Bunta. That was genuine, wasn’t it?”
The Gaebang had already obtained and analyzed the secret manual.
Through their analysis, they confirmed it was authentic.
A genuine divine martial arts manual!
While people speak of peak martial arts and ascending martial arts, the truly formidable techniques are all classified as divine martial arts manuals.
Wasn’t the Peerless Heavenly Demon Technique that caused the Bidong incident in the past also a divine martial arts manual?
Whenever a divine martial arts manual appeared, a bloodbath would ensue in the Dosan Sword Forest’s martial world as everyone fought to claim it.
Yet.
He was mass-printing such a divine martial arts manual and selling it for just one tael of gold?
He wasn’t merely insane—he was extraordinarily so.
“Still… didn’t you say this divine martial arts manual has slow progression compared to others?”
“That’s true, but… honestly, this martial technique doesn’t fall far behind the Drunken Eight Qi Technique.”
The Drunken Eight Qi Technique.
The exclusive inner cultivation method of the Gaebang, one of the great factions of the martial world.
Upon mastering it, one could then enter the Gaebang’s divine martial arts manual, the Drunken Eight Immortal Technique.
“So how does this compare to the Drunken Eight Immortal Technique?”
“It falls short of the Drunken Eight Immortal Technique.”
Bundata Master spoke decisively.
His subordinate nodded in agreement.
“Of course, it’s our faction’s pride, after all.”
“However, it’s only slightly inferior to the Drunken Eight Immortal Technique. While the speed of inner energy accumulation and its power are lower, its stability appears superior to the Drunken Eight Immortal Technique.”
“It has its advantages and disadvantages. If the risk of demonic possession is reduced… that alone is worthwhile.”
“True. But to spread something like this so carelessly… what is he thinking?”
To martial artists, martial techniques are their soul, their spirit, their very life.
Divine martial arts manuals are beyond question.
Yet he was scattering them without hesitation.
‘In a way, I wonder if this is satire directed at the current state of the martial world.’
Then another spoke.
“According to information circulating among Baek Rin’s faction, the Demonic Sect is beginning to spread their demonic energy, and this is supposedly a counterattack against that.”
“Is that actually true?”
“That’s what they’re saying… but who knows. We haven’t even gotten confirmation yet that the Demonic Sect is spreading their energy.”
The Demonic Sect’s recent movements have certainly been suspicious.
They’ve become more secretive and sophisticated than before, making it increasingly difficult to gather intelligence.
“Let’s continue collecting information for now.”
“That’s what we should do. So, what should we do about that?”
The question wasn’t whether to let the secret manual be sold.
It was whether the Gaebangdo Members could learn it.
The Bundata Master sighed.
The Gaebang had their own supreme techniques, and the Eight Immortals Palm was one of them.
However, the Gaebangdo Members didn’t obsess over supreme techniques like other sects did.
That’s why the Gaebangdo Members all learned martial arts according to their own preferences.
“If you want to learn it, then learn it. Just know that if you learn that, you might not be able to learn the Eight Immortals Palm later. Keep that in mind.”
Merging heterodox and orthodox energies was ordinarily an extremely difficult task.
Naturally, the probability of being unable to learn the Eight Immortals Palm was high.
“Understood.”
The subordinate answered thus and patted his chest.
He had already secured one secret manual.
* * *
At the same time, at Sadoren.
Sulgye and Bukgung Sansan were troubled.
“The majority of the Heterodox Faction actually practice martial techniques that are neither quite demonic energy nor truly orthodox, but rather something strange in between.”
“Because of that, they grow stronger faster than orthodox practitioners. But in exchange, the danger of deviation is far too great.”
“So it seems they’ve begun to covet the Infinite Lotus Brahma Heart Technique that Ilgwang released.”
“It’s inevitable. It allows them to overcome the limits of their own martial arts and suppress deviation.”
Yet Sulgye, despite using sorcery, grasped the problem with this heart technique immediately like a true master.
‘This is a martial technique that forcibly clears the mind. Or rather, it’s a technique where one has no choice but to strive for clarity to grow stronger.’
Damn it. Ilgwang had thrown a bomb.
“No, seriously? When demonic energy usually runs rampant and the martial world becomes chaotic, you gather the righteous sects to suppress them. Why is this bastard discount-selling orthodox techniques?”
That was it.
The Heterodox Faction had unexpectedly gotten caught in the crossfire of the whale fight.
And in a way no one had predicted.
“Why is the Heterodox Faction’s back getting torn open while those two fight?! You madman!”
The Jegallim Family doesn’t move with just one intention.
Jin Cheon-hee was an excellent member of the Jegallim Family.

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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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