Doctor’s Rebirth

Chapter 95

Rustle-

“What’s this? More small fry coming to earn a thousand gold taels?”

Jin Cheon-hee clenched his fist.

“Hee-ya. Hahaha, where have you been, deceiving your master?”

Turning around, he saw Zhuge Rin smiling with a chilling expression.

His complexion had worsened since Jin Cheon-hee last saw him, but the aura he exuded was terrifying.

Behind Zhuge Rin stood Yoo Ho, sweating profusely, his face even more haggard than the ailing Zhuge Rin.

‘That bastard Yoo Ho…?’

At that moment, Zhuge Rin’s hand grabbed Jin Cheon-hee’s ear.

“Why is a disciple who was supposed to be in closed-door training outside?”

“It’s not like that, Master!”

“Hahaha, I see. Your internal energy has grown a lot, and your body has become quite strong. Let’s discuss the details inside, shall we?”

Squeeze-

Only then did Jin Cheon-hee realize how terrifying his master’s level was.

Even though he was just grabbed by the ear, it was difficult to break free no matter how hard he struggled.

‘No, his condition seems to have worsened, but where is this strength coming from?’

Woof!

On the other hand, Hwanggu seemed happy, realizing it didn’t have to wait outside.

It wagged its tail enthusiastically while following behind the dragged Jin Cheon-hee.

***

Jin Cheon-hee heard a lifetime’s worth of scolding in one shichen. After lecturing for a while, his master finally sighed.

“I’ve already gathered most of the information. But I want to hear it from your own mouth first.”

Jin Cheon-hee swallowed hard.

At Jin Cheon-hee’s feet, Hwanggu was lying on its back, panting.

Perhaps because it had been given candy, it looked extremely happy.

Not just any candy, but the White Dragon Divine Pill’s candy. The medicinal ingredients in it made Hwanggu even happier.

‘It sure knows what’s good for it…’

Jin Cheon-hee scratched Hwanggu’s belly and began his story.

“First, I assume you’ve guessed that I set out because I needed the Ten-Thousand Fire Carp’s internal core.”

Jin Cheon-hee took out the Ten-Thousand Fire Carp’s internal core from his bundle.

To be precise, it was wrapped in mud like a rice cake, but no one doubted its authenticity given the fire-hot surface and the aura it exuded.

“How did you know it was there?”

Zhuge Rin immediately hit the mark.

Jin Cheon-hee flinched but maintained a calm expression.

“Actually, I know the locations of at least five spirit beasts and seven spirit medicine ingredients.”

This game was already over.

There was no point in lying here.

Jin Cheon-hee added one more thing.

“I cannot tell you how I know this.”

“…”

Wrinkles formed between Zhuge Rin’s eyebrows.

He pressed his temples firmly.

“Right. When I accepted you as my disciple, I promised not to ask about these things anymore.”

That was their agreement. Eventually, Zhuge Rin spoke.

“But I’m curious about this one thing. Catching the Ten-Thousand Fire Carp itself should have been impossible with your original skills. Will you continue to risk your life searching for other spirit beasts in the future?”

“I’ll do anything to save you, Master.”

“Hee-ya. I have little attachment to this world, and nothing is more precious to me than my disciple’s life.”

“I know.”

“…”

Jin Cheon-hee answered resolutely while looking at Zhuge Rin.

Zhuge Rin eventually sent Jin Cheon-hee out.

Jin Cheon-hee bowed deeply to Zhuge Rin and went outside.

Zhuge Rin watched where Jin Cheon-hee had gone for a long time while sipping his tea.

“You look troubled,” Yoo Ho said.

“This disobedient disciple is giving me a headache.”

“Yet you look pleased.”

“Indeed. Where else could one find a disciple so devoted to their master?”

Zhuge Rin felt a small smile forming at the corners of his mouth.

It was a strange feeling. He was angry at the dangerous act, but as a master, he was also happy to see his disciple return having grown even more.

“I think I understand why old eccentrics in the martial world go mad over a single disciple.”

Zhuge Rin muttered while swallowing the bitter tea.

“It’s such a strange feeling. Anger rising from worry, yet also joy and pride.”

Is this the master-disciple bond they speak of in the martial world?

Zhuge Rin was lost in thought.

***

In the martial world, spirit pills and internal cores have very unique properties.

They are liquid, solid, and possess the properties of qi, all at once.

It’s not for nothing that they’re called the flower of martial arts novels.

One could say they’re a mystery that modern science could never solve.

He had been using these spirit pills to make sutures, but this time the goal was to create a kind of fabric to be installed inside the heart.

Jin Cheon-hee used a chisel to break the mud encasing the Ten-Thousand Fire Carp’s internal core.

Clang!

It sounded like breaking pottery.

The heat inside must have been intense.

Indeed, the steaming internal core of the Ten-Thousand Fire Carp was revealed.

The internal core was as massive as the Ten-Thousand Fire Carp’s body.

“Whew… Let’s focus.”

Jin Cheon-hee began to draw out the internal core into long threads using the Metal attribute of the Five-Elemental Divine Technique.

It was a task that required concentration, as one mistake could cause the fire energy imbued in the internal core to dissipate.

“Is there anything I can help with?” asked Yoo Ho, who was standing next to Jin Cheon-hee.

Yoo Ho seemed to be in a good mood at the thought of potentially saving his lord.

“Once I draw this all out into gold threads, follow the design.”

“This really goes inside the body?”

“Yes. Surprisingly so.”

The interesting thing is that items made from spirit pills and internal cores don’t cause rejection when inserted into the human body.

While it’s possible to die from qi deviation after absorbing more internal energy than one can handle, it’s strange that there are no cases of death from what modern medicine would call an immune response.

‘In a way, it’s similar to blood worms.’

The second thing Jin Cheon-hee found fascinating was blood worms.

Despite clearly being parasites, blood worms assimilate themselves by consuming the host’s internal energy.

There’s no medical rejection reaction in this process.

They don’t cause qi deviation during circulation either.

Though one might die if the blood worms burst inside the body from not being fed on time.

‘And the third is bone melting and body transformation.’

Though he had experienced it firsthand, he still couldn’t understand the principle.

The body being reassembled. And even becoming younger or growing.

‘Just as there was science where I came from, here there is qi.’

He prided himself on having adapted well to the martial world by now, but it was still difficult.

Yoo Ho, who was watching from the side, said,

“Your internal energy seems to have become purer? And your endurance has improved too.”

“I underwent bone melting and body transformation.”

Yoo Ho’s eyes widened and then narrowed at Jin Cheon-hee’s sudden statement.

“I thought so. Originally, practicing martial arts leads to rapid muscle and bone growth and increased body size, but young master, you’ve gone too far even for that.”

“I haven’t told Master yet. I will later though.”

“He probably knows. His anger subsided as soon as he saw you.”

Jin Cheon-hee nodded at those words.

“He likely knew when he first saw me.”

“Your facial features haven’t changed much though?”

“Why, have you fallen for me?”

“Hahaha, please put away that disgusting face.”

“Your hatred is only for now, Yoo Ho. Once I finish this, the rest is all your job.”

Jin Cheon-hee said only that much and heightened his concentration again.

To protect his hands from the fire energy of the Ten-Thousand Fire Carp’s internal core, he had to continuously circulate Water qi.

‘Using Ice might disrupt the balance…’

He was determined to finish this even if his hands got somewhat burned.

The smell of burning flesh filled the air.

“Young master, you’re really something.”

“Oh, have you finally fallen for my character?”

“Sigh… And I can’t even kill you.”

Jin Cheon-hee giggled as he burned his own flesh.

If the circulation of Water qi slowed even a little, pain would surge. But Jin Cheon-hee’s expression remained cold.

“This much will heal quickly since I’m young. It’s okay if I’m in a bit of pain. Master’s life is more important.”

“I’m asking seriously, why are you going this far? If the master dies, everything will be yours.”

Sizzle-

The heat-filled gold threads stretched out long.

A long scar formed on Jin Cheon-hee’s finger.

“Well. If the surgery fails, you’ll come to kill me, right?”

“That’s the set procedure, but is there nothing else?”

“Isn’t it natural for a disciple to risk their life to protect the master who taught them martial arts?”

“I know you’re not the type to be bound by such things.”

“…”

Jin Cheon-hee fell into thought.

Why? Why was he going this far to save Zhuge Rin?

After thinking for a while, he answered like this:

“Even if the positions were reversed, he would have done the same. Wasn’t that the intention when he accepted me as a disciple in the first place?”

“That’s right.”

“Then that’s enough. Thinking too deeply about it will just give me a headache.”

Jin Cheon-hee continued to create gold threads. The smell of burning flesh permeated the room.

Jin Cheon-hee said,

“This is good training. To maintain the Water attribute of the Five-Elemental Divine Technique using the meridians throughout the body, you have to concentrate to the limit, right? If I finish this without any mistakes, my skill level might deepen even further.”

Yoo Ho looked at Jin Cheon-hee once with eyes as if looking at a madman.

“What is it, Yoo Ho?”

“I just had the thought that I’d like to take out your brain and examine it.”

“Hahaha, what a joke.”

“I may hate looking at your face, but I really want to see your brain.”

‘This bastard is serious.’

Jin Cheon-hee clicked his tongue and steadily continued his work.

***

Jin Cheon-hee finally succeeded in the primary processing of the Ten-Thousand Fire Carp’s internal core.

Having accomplished the most difficult part, the secondary and tertiary processing would be done by Yoo Ho and the medical pavilion disciples.

Meanwhile, Jin Cheon-hee had shared and trained the medical pavilion disciples on the outline and procedures for Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair (TEVAR).

‘Originally, this should be done with other residents…’

But here, he was alone.

If he failed, the master would die, and Yoo Ho would come to kill Jin Cheon-hee.

Jin Cheon-hee knew well that Yoo Ho would show no mercy when killing him.

He’d probably only deliberate on whether to strangle or twist his neck.

‘I must succeed. I absolutely must succeed.’

After a week of such preparation.

The day of the surgery finally arrived.

***

Early in the morning, Jin Cheon-hee sat in lotus position and sank into meditation.

He wasn’t circulating his internal energy.

He merely ran through the surgery simulation in his head dozens, hundreds of times.

This reminded him of his time as a resident.

Jin Cheon-hee was like this back then too. He was afraid of failing, and even more afraid because he couldn’t trust himself.

For Jin Cheon-hee, who had no family, the only place to return to was the medical department.

‘There was never a second chance.’

It felt like walking on glass.

If this shattered, it was hard to think about what to do next.

Days that felt like there was a hole in his chest.

He had been trying his hardest to fill that with work.

In a way, it might be the heart of a child… wanting people to need him.

Jin Cheon-hee was feeling those emotions again now.