Doctor’s Rebirth

Chapter 63

White Dragon Medical Pavilion, which was supposed to gradually decline and have its lineage cut off after Zhuge Rin’s death, scattering its members, began to pulse with new life.

On the other hand, it was clear that Hwaju Medical Pavilion now harbored a grudge against White Dragon Medical Pavilion that went beyond mere competition.

However, this wasn’t very important to either Jin Cheon-hee or Zhuge Rin.

***

“Grandmother.”

“Yes… that’s right.”

“Did I come too late? I’m sorry.”

Jin Cheon-hee apologized to the nameless grandmother who had injured her knee.

“I promised to help you go down, but I’ve only come now.”

Whether a doctor or a physician, it was always the same.

It wasn’t the physician who set the schedule, but the patient. After treating the patient and having a confrontation with the patient’s guardian (Wangya), a considerable amount of time had passed.

It couldn’t be helped. Still, there were many people in the medical pavilion.

It was a matter that could have been handled by someone else in Jin Cheon-hee’s place.

He had asked someone else to help and then forgotten about it. But then he learned that the grandmother hadn’t left and was waiting for Jin Cheon-hee at the Bamboo Forest Hall.

When he belatedly went to the Bamboo Forest Hall, the grandmother was there. And beside her was the bundle of cloth, just as it had been when she first came, in the same shape.

Jin Cheon-hee’s heart grew heavy seeing that no one had touched it.

‘Did her grandchild not come? Or did they come and leave without even eating?’

At times like this, not asking is a form of consideration.

Jin Cheon-hee put on a nonchalant expression. Then the grandmother said,

“Want to eat?”

“What? Me?”

“Yes. Don’t worry, it hasn’t gone bad yet. And bring that master of yours too.”

She spoke as if calling for the worst scoundrel in the world.

Something seemed a bit odd, but Jin Cheon-hee thought,

‘Does she think her grandchild is struggling because of my master?’

As he hesitated, wondering what to do, the door opened.

Creaaak-

It was Zhuge Rin.

The grandmother grinned at Zhuge Rin.

“I thought it was a dog, but it’s a tiger. Speak of the devil and he shall appear.”

“I’m sorry for keeping you waiting, Elder.”

Huh? The two acted as if they had known each other for a long time.

Jin Cheon-hee looked back and forth between them in surprise.

Zhuge Rin said,

“Please stop testing my disciple now. Haven’t you observed enough?”

Test?

“What do you mean, Master?”

At that moment, the old woman burst into laughter.

It wasn’t the voice of an old woman like before.

It was a young and lively voice, yet somehow dignified.

Crack-crack-

The sound of bones twisting could be heard.

The old woman’s arm bent strangely and then rotated once.

Her skeleton gradually straightened, and the wrinkles on her skin began to smooth out. Her snow-white hair turned light brown.

“Yes, White Dragon child. Thanks to you, this old monster had a good show.”

She brushed her bangs back.

Jin Cheon-hee stepped back towards his master in surprise. He even took a stance ready to fight if necessary.

“Who are you?”

“Hmm, you were so attentive when I was an old woman, but now you look like you might use martial arts. Have you heard of the Bloodborne Elder Eccentric, little one?”

The Bloodborne Elder Eccentric!

The head of Dark Palace Medical Pavilion, one of the Three Great Medical Pavilions.

Known as a ‘devil’ in the martial arts world for her bizarre behavior.

A master of the Muscle Contraction Technique, she always changes her appearance.

It’s ambiguous in the martial arts world whether they’re male or female… but Jin Cheon-hee knew from reading the novel.

‘She’s a woman.’

In battle, she uses the Muscle Contraction Technique to transform into a body similar to a giant gorilla, fitting the expression ‘monster’ perfectly.

She is obsessed with surgical techniques and believes she can resurrect the dead through surgery.

She ‘treats’ patients in a way similar yet different from Jin Cheon-hee.

The problem was that her ‘treatment’ was bizarre.

-Isn’t it fine to become stronger even if you have six fingers? You wanted to overcome a wall, so it’s done.

In the past, she had cured a patient with qi deviation in the novel. She even upgraded them a step further.

The problem was that she had attached an extra finger.

And that was done without the patient’s consent.

-Two eyes weren’t enough, so I gave you three. This body is optimal for your martial arts. Look! Aren’t cow eyes charming?

Using some unknown method, she had attached cow eyes.

It certainly complemented the weaknesses in the martial arts. But it meant living a life being cursed as a monster. However, that wasn’t her concern.

To begin with, she… ‘cures’ her victims after knocking them out and kidnapping them.

Only the Bloodborne Elder Eccentric knows how she will cure them.

What’s even more terrifying is that the Bloodborne Elder Eccentric has achieved the Half-Way to Immortality state.

When an elder of an evil sect learned this fact, he screamed.

-That crazy monster has achieved Half-Way to Immortality?! Even the heavens are heartless!

Papapapa!

With those words, he lost consciousness to her leg techniques and was dragged away to be ‘treated’.

The evil sect elder no longer suffered from tuberculosis.

He was completely cured, in a sense. Instead, he gained an extra nostril as a bonus.

She does cure thoroughly. She does cure.

Even incurable diseases that no one else can treat, she succeeds in curing with a decent probability, if not 100%.

The problem was that her goodwill was something ordinary people couldn’t understand.

Jin Cheon-hee recalled the novel’s contents and thought,

‘I’m not sick anywhere, surely she hasn’t come to target me?’

His opponent was a Half-Way to Immortality mad scientist.

Jin Cheon-hee’s mind raced.

‘At this point in the novel, it’s a time when the Bloodborne Elder Eccentric rarely goes out to kidnap and treat martial artists herself…’

People in the martial arts world thought,

The Bloodborne Elder Eccentric’s extreme treatments had decreased a bit.

As she aged, wasn’t it time for her to prepare for ascension and enjoy life leisurely like other Half-Way to Immortality masters?

But Jin Cheon-hee knew from reading the novel.

‘This is when she’s deeply absorbed in creating jiangshi.’

In the past, she was a public enemy of the martial arts world.

The reason it’s past tense is because the situation changed over time.

There had been orders to hunt her down, but martial artists were defeated by her power and forcibly ‘treated’ for their injuries multiple times.

During that time, about 50 years passed, and the grudges became blurred.

Now, she has created Dark Palace Medical Pavilion and deals with the demonic sects and evil sects.

Dark Palace Medical Pavilion’s treatments are fast-acting and relatively cheap, but the downside is that there are side effects.

However, the big advantage is that they can obtain various materials used for demonic arts and evil arts that regular medical pavilions would never handle, and can assist with the procedures.

Moreover.

Dark Palace Medical Pavilion sometimes succeeded in treating what the other two medical pavilions couldn’t.

In the process, one might die or end up worse than dead, but it was a sliver of hope nonetheless.

It was incomprehensible why such a being would appear in the guise of an old woman to test him.

The Bloodborne Elder Eccentric said,

“Don’t worry. I made a promise with White Dragon.”

“A promise?”

“I agreed not to cause trouble in that White Dragon medical pavilion.”

Jin Cheon-hee looked at his master.

Zhuge Rin sighed.

“A long time ago, Bloodborne Elder was very interested in my illness. She wanted to forcibly treat me, but I resisted. We agreed to fight for 50 exchanges, and if I lost, I would willingly become Bloodborne Elder’s patient. Conversely, if I won, she would no longer cause trouble in this medical pavilion.”

To withstand 50 exchanges against a Half-Way to Immortality master was unthinkable.

The Bloodborne Elder Eccentric chuckled.

“That child endured far too easily. With a body afflicted by the most severe of the Nine Yin Meridian Obstruction, to face a Half-Way to Immortality master and end with just a few hairs cut…”

The master said to Jin Cheon-hee as if it were natural,

“Listen well, Hee-ya. When one reaches the pinnacle of our sect’s martial arts, they can become the strongest under heaven.”

“Even at a time like this, you’re enthusiastic about teaching your disciple, White Dragon.”

“I have to do it whenever I get the chance, Bloodborne Elder.”

They called each other by their aliases, not their real names.

The Bloodborne Elder Eccentric unwrapped the cloth bundle.

“The Spring’s Beginning is when yin and yang change, and the years connect. I wonder if you’ll have the courage to eat the food I made, White Dragon.”

At those words, Zhuge Rin sighed.

“Bloodborne Elder, you always keep your promises as if they were your life, don’t you?”

“Yes. You know well.”

***

Surprisingly, the food made by the Bloodborne Elder Eccentric was ordinary holiday dishes for the Spring’s Beginning.

Moreover, it was delicious.

Whether she had used her inner energy to keep it warm or not, the food was still hot.

Jin Cheon-hee moved his chopsticks to take a bite, then continued eating.

She watched him with a pleased expression.

“I heard that White Dragon Medical Pavilion was using unheard-of surgical techniques, so how could I not come to see? Your skill in treating my knee was quite good.”

“I see.”

The master looked at Jin Cheon-hee with a pleased expression and replied.

“Even in our Dark Palace Medical Pavilion, it’s rare to find someone with hands as swift and accurate as that child. And on top of that, ideas that others couldn’t think of.”

She scrutinized Jin Cheon-hee’s face carefully.

Jin Cheon-hee deliberately fixed his gaze on the food, avoiding eye contact.

“And Wangya Ju came, right?”

“Yes. If she hadn’t been preoccupied with the consort, the wartime Wangya Ju would surely have caught me.”

“I see. Did you see the treatment?”

“I used a technique to borrow the eyes of one of the medical pavilion staff. Thanks to that, I could watch well. Hmm… he treated the patient with an approach I hadn’t thought of. Cutting off the damaged part first to restore the flesh.”

She must be referring to debridement.

It’s one of the basic emergency surgical procedures on Earth.

Jin Cheon-hee replied,

“Cutting out the contaminated area makes recovery faster.”

If the muscle becomes a breeding ground for bacteria, recovery becomes even slower.

Inflammation worsens, only leading to complications like sepsis and occlusion. That’s why it’s cut out.

“I see. So you promote healing by cutting away. Quite an interesting concept.”

She laughed for a while, seemingly interested. Then she said this:

“I like you more and more. In Dark Palace Medical Pavilion, my…”

At that moment, the master grasped her shoulder. Then he smiled brightly.

“No.”

“What?”

“No.”

He’s refusing before she even gets to the main point, whatever it is that’s not allowed.

“I haven’t even finished speaking yet, and you’re doing this?”

“Hahaha, absolutely not.”

But the Bloodborne Elder Eccentric wasn’t one to stop at that.

She immediately said,

“Hey! Won’t you become my disciple? If you become my disciple, Dark Palace Medical Pavilion will be yours in the future, and you’ll be able to grasp and shake the darkness of the world.”

“…”

Jin Cheon-hee dropped the fried lotus root he was holding with his chopsticks.

Plop.

“What?”

“Become my disciple. I can give you much more than that White Dragon fellow.”

The Bloodborne Elder Eccentric was desperate.

Jin Cheon-hee was a prodigy who could not only fully inherit her legacy but develop it even further.

“Your field is also surgical techniques, isn’t it? Dark Palace Medical Pavilion, which specializes in surgery, will suit you much better than White Dragon Medical Pavilion, which mainly uses acupuncture and moxibustion.”