Doctor’s Rebirth - Chapter 159

After completing all preparations, they entered the operating room.

His Imperial Highness Eun finished the prescribed pre-surgery procedures, drank the prepared decoction, received acupuncture and point pressure, and fell asleep.

Only one thing remained: he was still wearing the mask on his face, but as long as Jin Cheonhee and White Dragon were there, no one would touch that mask.

The medical pavilion members perfectly executed their assigned positions.

Jin Cheonhee was impressed to see them swiftly carrying out the disinfection before the laparotomy.

‘They used to be so clumsy before.’

He couldn’t help but smile, remembering the first surgery at White Dragon Medical Pavilion.

When treating Wang Gak-yeon, everyone was anxious.

They were even more so because they couldn’t be sure if what they knew was correct.

This was similar to Earth. Patients don’t wait just because physicians aren’t prepared.

Whether the physician is a novice or not, patients are brought in.

Those novices from back then have now grown into physicians capable of performing surgery.

Feeling proud, Jin Cheonhee said:

“Oh, everyone’s looking sharp now.”

He stood before the patient with an almost irritatingly confident demeanor.

“As you know, this surgery isn’t particularly difficult. However, the problem is that there could be variables. Hmm. Moreover, it’s problematic that the patient’s stomach and intestines were damaged from the start.”

Since nearly being poisoned, his weakened stomach and intestines frequently developed inflammation.

Although it was somehow suppressed with medicine and acupuncture, it couldn’t be completely guaranteed.

“Well. Let’s do what humans can do. We’ll leave the rest to heaven.”

Humans aren’t gods, but they have two legs to move forward.

Jin Cheonhee decided to do human work again today with these legs.

Thus, he cut open His Imperial Highness’s abdomen.

“Laparotomy.”

***

Jin Cheonhee was able to find the tumor immediately.

Cancer masses had settled in the left descending colon.

A situation where malignant and benign tumors coexisted.

‘He must have suffered a lot until now.’

It’s hard to imagine how painful it must have been for His Imperial Highness Eun.

Jin Cheonhee steeled himself and moved on to the next judgment.

‘The biggest problem is that we can’t tell if it has invaded the lymph nodes in the current situation.’

It’s impossible to confirm that with the naked eye.

Even a malignant mass as small as a pencil dot would take root and grow again if it spread elsewhere.

Just like mushroom spores.

Suddenly, he remembered using fire qi to find the location of inflammation when performing debridement on Imperial Prince Consort Yoo-rang’s leg in the past.

‘Maybe I could find malignant tumors in a similar way…?’

It requires direct contact with the tumor, so it’s only possible during surgery, but if we could determine the stage right there, wouldn’t it be helpful?

‘It would have been impossible in the past.’

Even just a year ago, this level was unimaginable. But with the current extremely refined level, wouldn’t such minute detection be possible?

‘Although it’s a different level of difficulty from detecting inflammation…’

He immediately reached out his hand and sent out his qi.

Manual manipulation is suitable for tumors.

Originally, water qi is more difficult to use than fire qi in these situations.

But the opponent is a dense mass without a capsule.

He attempted pulse diagnosis by sending water-nature qi.

“…”

Wondering what was happening, Master looked at his disciple. However, he watched what Jin Cheonhee was doing without asking a single question.

Because he knew his disciple wouldn’t do this without reason.

Eventually, Jin Cheonhee removed his hand.

‘It seems to have spread a little to the ascending colon, but there’s no distant metastasis? It looks like T1~2.’

T stands for Tumor.

In simple terms, it’s a state with a good prognosis, around stage 1 to mid-stage 2.

Since it was Jin Cheonhee’s first time doing this, he couldn’t be certain.

He could know for sure later by experimenting on pigs or cows.

However, the sensation felt through pulse diagnosis was similar to when performing debridement.

He felt the water-nature qi pierce through the serous membrane, move along the tumor, and stop at a certain point.

“You’ve realized something.”

“I can’t be sure.”

“You look happy.”

“If my realization is correct, the patient can live longer.”

Jin Cheonhee, removing his hand, said:

“Left hemicolectomy.”

It’s a method of resecting the colon in an ‘L’ shape and reattaching it.

Malignant tumors are different from benign ones. They need to be cut out as widely as possible.

All the medical pavilion members focused intently on Jin Cheonhee and Zhuge Rin.

‘I heard that cancer was incurable, but is it possible now?’

A series of processes of cutting, cleaning, and suturing again.

The top priority is to preserve the continuity of the intestine, helping the patient continue living even if part of the intestine is resected.

Zhuge Rin continued to assist, matching Jin Cheonhee’s movements.

He maintained the formation and kept handing over what Jin Cheonhee needed.

“Would you like to try the suturing this time, Master?”

“Hmm. Honestly, I think I’m better at suturing than you.”

Jin Cheonhee smiled slightly at Zhuge Rin’s joke.

“Of course. You’re my master, after all.”

With those words, the master and disciple focused again.

***

The Emperor dreamed.

It was a dream of his mother passing away.

Feng Ha-eun and Feng Hae-geum.

One could control actions with words, and the other could read and manipulate memories through touch.

After their abilities were revealed, all the princes, princesses, and their maternal families did everything to kill the two.

What would happen if either of them ascended to the throne?

Mother grasped Haeun’s hand.

“From now on, the prince has died with this mother.”

Spitting black blood, the empress dowager said:

“Feng Ha-eun has died after sharing a poisoned cup with this mother. Do you understand?”

“Mother…”

“Eun-ah. Don’t speak anymore.”

Feng Juha wasn’t there.

She was fighting a life-and-death battle far away. It was a plot that unfolded while the God of War was away.

“So at least one of you must escape. If you hide in this mother’s coffin, it won’t be difficult to leave this vast imperial palace.”

Saying this, with her last breath, mother knocked over the candlestick.

The oil-soaked blanket spread quickly.

The brothers screamed.

Feng Ha-eun grabbed his brother. His brother’s whole body, struggling, was covered in bruises and scratch marks.

She said one of them should leave the imperial city.

There was only one coffin, and even for a mother, it was impossible for both to leave.

Because someone had to ensure this coffin could leave the imperial city.

Haeun and Haegeum, who would leave?

The two looked at each other.

The decision didn’t take long.

Mother’s coffin was mother’s.

Conveniently, the burned corpse mother had prepared in advance could be either Haeun or Haegeum.

The two children decided to become each other.

Let’s create a perfect alibi.

While one engages in political maneuvering, the other will assassinate.

Let at least one of us survive until the end to stop this.

As the flames burned everything, the twins’ rationality began to burn as well.

But that wasn’t enough. They needed one more person.

Three people make a tiger (三人成虎).

If three people conspire, they can create a tiger that didn’t exist.

With just the power of two, it’s difficult to make an existing person disappear.

In the deep mire where it’s impossible to discern right from wrong.

Someone needed to be able to control the two.

That’s when Feng Juha hurriedly returned upon hearing the news of the empress dowager’s death.

And when the brother she thought was dead appeared alive, she cried and threw a punch.

Fortunately, she must have controlled her strength as he didn’t die. Though it was painful enough to feel like dying.

Feng Juha was the only person who wasn’t crazy in this crazy imperial palace.

She was also the only imperial family member immune to the two’s abilities.

It wasn’t that difficult to persuade a sane person to do crazy things.

With the deceased’s last words and will, and the wearisome bond of blood, even a normal person could be turned into a clown.

What the twins wagered was their lives.

It was a pact that she could behead them and take the throne herself if she was ever displeased.

The three people were thus completed.

Now it was time to create a tiger.

***

The dream went further back, further into the past.

A very long time ago.

When the previous emperor was still alive and before the three children had awakened their powers.

Feng Ha-eun never wanted to become emperor. The same was true for Feng Hae-geum.

Unlike their boisterous sister, the two loved reading books and watching the falling rain.

When they came together, nothing could compare.

On rainy days, they would sit in a room with a beautiful view, leaning against the wall and reading books.

The type didn’t matter.

Mother ate peaches.

After eating, her face would turn red and she would have difficulty breathing, but others kept feeding mother peaches like that.

It wasn’t poisoning, just ordinary peaches, so there was no breach of etiquette.

The foolish maids just kept bringing them.

Why did the maids like peaches so much, they even put them in dumplings, and even after severe caning, it didn’t stop.

‘That’s what the imperial palace is like.’

Mother said this while stroking the two twins.

‘If I gain power, will the maids’ memory improve?’

‘Power doesn’t mean physical strength. It’s the power to draw in and create people. Yes. Perhaps if that happens, the maids’ memory will improve.’

At that time, the previous emperor was still alive and the three children hadn’t awakened their powers.

Feng Ha-eun and Feng Hae-geum desperately wanted to leave this imperial palace.

When the two children felt depressed, they always read books about the martial arts world.

They seemed free.

They seemed to have no hesitation in crossing mountains and rivers in one step to achieve what they believed was right.

The abilities of the imperial family and martial arts are completely different.

Both have formidable power, but one is passed down through bloodlines, while the other is determined by effort and aptitude.

Both required some degree of luck, that much was the same.

Yet, they couldn’t understand why they had become so different.

Haeun said:

‘Someday, we’ll leave the imperial city and go to the martial arts world.’

‘What about our abilities?’

‘We might not awaken them. Then we might be able to live like ordinary people.’

It was an innocent age when they believed such things.

‘Later, we’ll secretly infiltrate the imperial palace and cut down all the peach trees.’

‘Ah. That sounds good. Let’s slice them all with this sword.’

‘Everyone will be in an uproar, right?’

‘Yes. It will be chaos. Then it’s okay if the maids’ memory stays bad. There won’t be any peaches anyway.’

The twins hated peaches.

If asked to choose a fruit that should disappear from this world, they would undoubtedly choose peaches.

That’s what a powerless empress dowager was like.

The sound of rain filled the room.

The occasional sound of wind chimes was comforting.

The two twins continued reading their books.

Knowledge was delicious. No matter what kind of knowledge it was.

Reading indiscriminately allowed them to forget reality.

The children who escaped into books pondered how to get rid of peaches on a rainy island.

At that time, they thought it would last a lifetime.