Doctor’s Rebirth

Chapter 24

After Jin Cheon-hee left, Yoo Ho entered the room with a nonchalant face.

“Should I open the window for a moment?”

“It’s fine. A servant just did it a moment ago.”

Even though they made a sealed stove, they still needed to ventilate occasionally. But it was incomparable to before.

Zhuge Rin lay down on the bed.

“It feels like I’m in a hot spring. Thanks to my disciple, I’ll be able to sleep comfortably for the first time in a long while.”

“How are your energy meridians?”

“Hmm.”

Energy meridians.

People grow and live through these energy meridians.

Having to live with blocked meridians from birth is called a meridian deficiency.

He had been fighting against the Nine Yin Meridian Obstruction, said to be the most vicious among them. Originally, he shouldn’t have been able to use martial arts.

It was a miracle that he had reached such a high level of martial arts, even among the top in the martial world.

It was the result of fiercely researching the Nine Yin Meridian Obstruction in an attempt to live a little longer.

People call him ‘Medical Immortal’ with reverence.

A being called an immortal, beyond even a divine doctor.

“I only knew how to make spirit pills, I never even thought about the housing aspect. I really studied in vain. To think it could be this warm.”

“It wasn’t a doctor’s job. Moreover, the blueprint Jin Cheon-hee drew was quite sophisticated. It wasn’t a technique used here.”

“I heard it’s close to something from the Western Continent.”

“It has a Western Continent feel, but strictly speaking, it’s not from there. It seems to be a more advanced form.”

Zhuge Rin nodded.

“Of course, whose disciple is he?”

“Indeed. The disciple of the master everyone boasts about in their carrier birds.”

The medical pavilion receives many carrier birds. But Zhuge Rin had started boasting about his disciple in each one of them.

At those words, Zhuge Rin coughed dryly.

“Ahem…”

“Do you think I don’t know about the disciple boasting you wrote in the regular carrier bird to be sent next week? Soon, there will be an uproar in the martial world about who this Jin Cheon-hee is.”

Before that, rumors will spread that the world-renowned Divine Doctor Baek Rin has become completely doting after taking in one disciple.

Yoo Ho decided to leave that part out.

Zhuge Rin said:

“I didn’t boast that much.”

-Medical Immortal’s disciple Jin Cheon-hee has developed a new stove manufacturing method. This is for his master, and it is expected that his devotion will reach the heavens and lead to a quick recovery!

‘Oh my, what recovery, it’s only just beginning.’

Even Yoo Ho, watching the master’s doting, blushed.

The regular communication from the medical pavilion is like an academic journal in modern terms.

Its purpose is to reveal and convey new treatment methods and new diseases.

What will the local doctors think when they receive this carrier bird?

‘Well, everyone has been having a hard time until now.’

The pavilion master already had a limited life expectancy, so the medical pavilion couldn’t be at ease.

It was a very good thing that this atmosphere, where even breathing was difficult, had changed.

“But, but this change in a person is too much even if it’s too much.”

“That’s enough, close the door and leave! I’m going to sleep.”

“I’m going.”

Yoo Ho extinguished the incense and went outside.

“Have a good night.”

“You too. Ah, yes, prepare some dried persimmons for tomorrow. Our Hee seems to be tired of eating the same sweets.”

“…”

At those words, Yoo Ho decided to cancel his thoughts.

This isn’t just doting.

This is mega-doting.

“Why don’t you just carry him in your pocket?”

“Are you perhaps jealous of the child?”

“Who’s jealous!”

Yoo Ho grumbled and then said:

“Then sleep well.”

“Yes. Today I have no pain anywhere, it’s really good.”

Not long after, his breathing became regular.

A deep sleep after a long time.

It was a treasure that couldn’t be bought even with a thousand gold pieces.

Yoo Ho closed the door very carefully. Then he ordered the other servants to move more quietly tonight.

***

The next day.

“The founder of our family is Zhuge Liang, later generations also called him Master Kongming. Master Kongming compiled battle formations, mechanical battle arrays, and medical techniques, which were further developed by later generations to reach where we are today.”

Jin Cheon-hee nodded.

Zhuge Rin continued:

“Originally, I should have taken you in as an adopted son to continue the lineage, but changing the surname given by parents isn’t an easy thing. Now, I wonder if that’s so important, so I took you as a disciple.”

Master Zhuge Rin and Jin Cheon-hee were sitting alone in a building tucked away in a corner of the medical pavilion, talking.

There was no furniture, and the floor was covered with wooden flooring.

There was only one very small window, and a brazier in the corner.

Master Zhuge Rin said this was the Qi Cultivation Room. A space isolated from the outside for martial artists belonging to the medical pavilion to cultivate their inner power.

While listening to the explanation in such a place, Jin Cheon-hee had an odd thought.

‘No, my Jin surname is from the orphanage…’

It wouldn’t matter if he became Zhuge Cheon-hee instead of Jin Cheon-hee.

‘And having Zhuge in front somehow makes it sound more impressive?’

Master added a word:

“And I’m already doting now, but Yoo Ho was in an uproar saying how much worse it would be if you came as an adopted son. In the future, if you want, you can use the name ‘Zhuge’. Don’t worry, Yoo Ho and all the members of the medical pavilion will be witnesses.”

Jin Cheon-hee realized that the ‘future’ mentioned here didn’t simply mean after he grew up.

It meant after Zhuge Rin’s own death.

Jin Cheon-hee felt almost crushed by the weight of those words.

‘It’s heavy.’

Master had postponed death but inwardly wasn’t considering a complete cure.

To show complete hope, he would need to acquire that level of skill, Jin Cheon-hee clenched his small fist with determination.

Master continued speaking:

“The foundation of our family’s technique is a mind method that activates the brain. It enhances memory and speeds up thinking. The activated brain liberates the body’s senses. This is also possible.”

Master turned his body and flicked his finger. Then a striking sound was heard from the acupoints of a wooden mannequin far away.

“Pelvic Pressure (Geomyo) acupoint.”

Thud-

“Glabellar (Cheonung) acupoint.”

Thud-

“Abdominal Pressure (Okdang) acupoint.”

It was amazing. To hit the body’s acupoints with just a finger flick without even seeing them.

What was more amazing was that this time, it didn’t penetrate, but accurately hit only the surface of the wooden mannequin.

Last time, it penetrated rocks and trees, but this time it was touching only the surface without causing any damage.

That was an extremely difficult thing to do.

It was like the principle that while it’s possible to increase the firepower of a gun, it’s impossible to precisely control its firepower.

‘Is that possible?’

Seeing the surprised Jin Cheon-hee, Zhuge Rin said:

“It’s amazing. Usually, children would ask why I didn’t penetrate the mannequin like last time, why it’s so weak.”

“It’s because your power control is perfect. You didn’t even damage the paint drawn on the wooden mannequin.”

“Hahaha, you’re sharp.”

Zhuge Rin continued:

“Our family has thus achieved more than ordinary martial artists by using the brain. That’s why our arrogance was the family’s downfall. Don’t worry, you won’t learn like that. You’ll learn better than any of the Zhuge family’s predecessors have learned.”

He vaguely spoke about and passed over the destruction of the Zhuge family.

Sensing the pain in that, Jin Cheon-hee pretended not to know and asked:

“Is the Zhuge family’s martial art centered on finger flicking?”

“Hahaha, this is just play. To explain simply, the strongest martial power is demonstrated using swords and fans.”

“Fans?”

Come to think of it, in dramas and such, Zhuge Liang always used a crane feather fan.

“Of course, this is just on the surface, if you go deeper, you can handle a thousand weapons and battle formations. That’s the fearsome aspect of our family.”

It was fascinating.

‘Can you handle all weapons, even ones you’ve never seen before? Is that possible?’

But the master before him seemed more than capable of it.

Jin Cheon-hee innocently asked:

“Can I become the world’s greatest too?”

“Yes. If you learn our family’s martial arts to the end, becoming the world’s greatest is possible.”

Master spoke calmly as if asking about something obvious.

Then he asked:

“Do you want to become the world’s greatest?”

‘If I become the world’s greatest, it seems like Little Heavenly Demon will come to kill me…’

To become the Demonic Sect Leader, one must prove that their martial arts are unparalleled in the world.

So, from the time they’re a young cult leader, they go around picking fights with various people in the martial world and trying to take their heads.

It’s the same in this novel.

‘Yeo Ha-ryoon goes to take the head of the world’s greatest. If I become the world’s greatest, that bastard will come for my head. That bastard blessed with the protagonist’s buff and the Heaven-Killing Star…’

Jin Cheon-hee asked:

“Master, what’s good about becoming the world’s greatest?”

“Hmm. Well…”

When asked like that, even Master was at a loss for words.

Asking what’s good about being the world’s greatest is like questioning the reason countless martial artists train until their bones break.

“It’s not like you get a trophy or a plaque, right?”

“Honor and admiration would come.”

“Isn’t your honor already high, Master?”

That’s true too. No matter how lofty the reason attached, the essence of the sword doesn’t change.

To reach that point inevitably leads to creating a sea of blood.

Martial arts are ultimately like two sides of a coin.

That’s why it’s rare for martial artists to live peacefully until old age and quietly pass away.

On the other hand, there’s the world’s greatest doctor. Saving people is the main job.

In the martial world, having an average life expectancy of 70 was a great thing.

There are rarely cases of completely rejuvenating the body, but because they cultivate just enough martial arts necessary as a doctor, they have few minor illnesses and are generally healthy in their later years.

When it’s time to die, it’s common for family, grandchildren, disciples, and close friends to gather and keep vigil.

Given the nature of doctors in the martial world, they’re not lacking in money, so even if they’re not rich, they’re not poor either.

“If you become the world’s greatest, you’ll gain power that no one else can enjoy.”

“Everyone tries to look good to you because if they offend you, they’ll be done for sooner or later, right?”

That was true too.

Zhuge Rin asked:

“So what do you want to become, Hee-ya?”

“I don’t need to be the world’s greatest.”

“Then?”

“I want to become the world’s greatest doctor. Like you, Master.”

Thump-

That was shocking even for Divine Doctor Baek Rin, renowned throughout the world.

Zhuge Rin, as if he had lost his reason, vigorously patted Jin Cheon-hee’s head.

“Oh my, you cute thing! How can there be such a cute one! Everything you say is just so lovely.”

In the Zhuge family, while they had seen countless people wanting to become the world’s greatest, Jin Cheon-hee was the first to say he wanted to become the world’s greatest doctor.

Zhuge Rin thought this was fate.

‘This boy is a doctor sent by heaven!’

Meanwhile, Jin Cheon-hee thought:

‘Right. To live long, I should be a doctor. Even though Little Heavenly Demon is the Demonic Sect Leader, I’ve never seen a protagonist kill a doctor in the novel. They might kidnap and brainwash, but still. And…’

What if the world’s greatest was the world’s greatest doctor?

It was a distant story, but somehow just imagining it made his heart race.

‘Hmm. Yes, let’s give it a try.’

It wouldn’t be easy. But this was his second life.

He wanted to see where his limits were. He wanted to try everything he could do.

‘And Master. I’ll definitely cure you.’

It was the first warmth he had received.

He never thought a day would come when he would receive such warmth from another person without any purpose.

He couldn’t let him go in vain. He wanted to repay the kindness.

That was the chivalry of Jin Cheon-hee as a human.