Doctor’s Rebirth - Chapter 170

“Hahaha.”

Cheon-woo’s laughter rang out. He stepped forward, raising his arm as if to shield Jin Cheonhee.

“Brother. You’re a guest, aren’t you? You don’t need to do something like this when you haven’t even rested from your journey. Right?”

In response, Senior Brother Cheong Yeong spoke first.

“Of course. But for young martial artists like us, opportunities to witness martial arts from other prestigious sects are rare. Moreover, it’s the martial arts of the Zhuge Clan that nearly disappeared. We don’t want to miss this chance.”

Nearly disappeared.

Though he tried to phrase it politely, it was clumsy in a way typical of martial artists.

No, he might have said it intentionally. If it was intentional, it was clear.

‘It’s provocation.’

Jin Cheonhee grasped Cheong Yeong’s intention.

But why were they acting like this?

He thought it might be because of the remains he was carrying on his back. While Jin Cheonhee’s thoughts were flowing, Cheon-woo spoke gently:

“Then why don’t you have a match with me instead? I can do that much, can’t I?”

At those words, the Wudang Sect senior brothers flinched and exchanged glances.

‘Judging by that reaction, it seems Cheon-woo’s martial prowess is considerable.’

Although he had entered Wudang Sect thanks to Zhuge Rin’s favor, from the perspective of the existing disciples, it was like a rolling stone displacing a fixed one.

Despite this, the fact that they didn’t immediately get angry and instead looked cautious suggested that Cheon-woo was quite skilled.

Cheon-woo smiled and said:

“Leave our brother alone, Senior Brothers.”

He put emphasis on the words “Senior Brothers.”

“No, it’s fine, Cheon-woo.”

Jin Cheonhee pulled Cheon-woo back.

“Brother?”

“I’d like to witness Wudang Sect’s martial arts too. An exchange between young martial artists is good, isn’t it?”

Jin Cheonhee was also curious about what their true intentions were.

***

While heading to the training ground, he heard the gist of the situation from Cheon-woo through sound transmission.

First, although Cheon-woo and Cheong Yeong were different in age, they had received their Taoist names in the same generation.

While Jin Cheonhee had found it regrettable, Wudang Sect was a prestigious sect in the martial world.

Although settings vary slightly between martial arts novels, it’s common that they don’t give Taoist names to just anyone who wants one.

Initially, they make them undergo training, and when a child shows promise, they accept them as Taoists and give them a Taoist name, using the first character to distinguish generations.

The fact that it has similarities to family genealogy shows how this is still a Confucian society that lives by the sword.

Cheon-woo had received his Taoist name early, surpassing his age.

Cheong Yeong had entered as a Taoist in the same year.

While Cheon-woo called him “Senior Brother” and outwardly showed respect, Cheong Yeong’s limbs had already been broken once by Cheon-woo’s sword.

[So they’re part of the faction of a Taoist named Jeong Gwang?]

[Yes. Elder Jeong Gwang can be considered the current power holder. He’s better at politics than swordsmanship.]

Since the old-school martial arts novels, generations are typically continued in 20-year units.

This is because a 30-year-old martial artist would take in and raise a child around 10 years old, passing down the lineage.

In new-school martial arts novels, this aspect is sometimes simplified, but “Supreme Heavenly Demon” follows the old-school generation system.

‘After the “Jeong” (正) generation, there might be one or two other generations in between. Then comes the “Cheon” (天) generation.’

Since the “Jeong” generation had risen to the positions of sect leader and current elders, the generation directly cultivating martial artists would be the middle generation between “Jeong” and “Cheon”.

Just three generations already span 60 years.

[I see.]

[Hmm… Brother, you’re essentially White Dragon’s direct disciple and the Junior Pavilion Master, so in terms of generation, you could be considered similar to my master’s generation, but for them to provoke like this, it seems there must be some ulterior motive.]

Moreover, this generation system isn’t only applied within their own sect but also used in interactions with other sects.

It’s not for nothing that it’s similar to a family tree. Just as elders count on their fingers saying, “Your generation character is ‘Jeong’? So what generation are you… Ah, you’re the 32nd generation of that family, right?”, they’re doing the same thing here.

Unorthodox sects don’t have this, but orthodox sects place great importance on roots, so this culture is even more firmly established.

It’s still hard to adapt from a modern person’s perspective.

As Jin Cheonhee was Zhuge Rin’s first direct disciple, his generation was similar to martial artists in their 40s or 50s when looking at the generation system.

‘It’s good to enter with half an advantage in whatever you do… but it’s a bit confusing for a modern person.’

Even this Cheon-woo brat had already done the generation calculations, showing he had become a proper orthodox sect member.

[What about the martial prowess of this Taoist named Jeong Gwang?]

[I know he can’t use one of his arms. I heard he lost it in place of the sect leader, but it’s such an old story that even I don’t know much…]

‘Now I understand a bit about how the organization works.’

Having finished his assessment, Jin Cheonhee abruptly asked:

[Then they must have looked into whether that arm could be restored a lot.]

[Yes. All the famous physicians said it was impossible. Even the Bloodborne Elder Eccentric showed interest and attacked, but she left clicking her tongue saying she couldn’t fix it. It’s quite a famous incident because there were many witnesses.]

Cheon-woo continued:

[Oh, come to think of it, they said it might be possible if they obtained the Dual Mind-Intention Technique.]

‘A nervous system problem? Even I couldn’t fix that.’

If he didn’t know about the Dual Mind-Intention Technique, it would be one thing, but now that he knew, Jin Cheonhee immediately understood what the Bloodborne Elder Eccentric had been talking about.

When it came to medical matters, Jin Cheonhee and Bloodborne Elder Eccentric got along very well.

[It’s better than having three arms.]

Jin Cheonhee said this as a form of consolation.

[Elder Jeong Gwang would probably think that’s better.]

He seems to have quite an unusual personality.

‘Elder Jeong Gwang who desperately wants the Dual Mind-Intention Technique. Taoist Cheong Yeong who’s part of his faction…’

All the puzzle pieces roughly fit together.

‘Hmm. Should I beat them up first?’

Didn’t Master say? Power makes everything easier.

This is the Zhuge Rin-style answer.

He would probably crack Cheong Yeong’s skull at the level of provocation, see who comes running, and crack their skull too.

As he keeps cracking skulls, there comes a time when they need to spill the beans, and while Master isn’t bad at talking, if he finds it bothersome to use his head, he’d crack that guy’s skull too.

Indeed.

Master was from the Zhuge Clan and was known as a snake-like figure in the martial world with an intellectual image, but he also possessed a comparable level of barbarism.

And that had been fully passed down to Jin Cheonhee.

At the training ground, Cheong Yeong and Jin Cheonhee faced each other.

“How shall we set the rules?”

“Let’s say the one who surrenders loses.”

Up to this point, it was ordinary.

“Hmm. Alright. And the swords…?”

“I’ve heard Little White Dragon’s martial prowess is considerable. How about real swords?”

“…”

Normally, sparring would be done with wooden swords. At the mention of real swords, Jin Cheonhee immediately realized.

‘You intend to settle this. And there’s only one reason for doing so.’

[Brother. Should I step in?]

Anger was laced in Cheon-woo’s sound transmission.

[It’s fine.]

[Brother.]

[Let them do as they please.]

Since his brother insisted, Cheon-woo couldn’t do anything.

Jin Cheonhee continued:

“Even if you say real swords, I don’t have a sword. At the weapon-surrendering ground…”

“Ah. Then I’ll lend you one of ours.”

At Cheong Yeong’s chin gesture, a martial artist from the “Cheon” generation threw a sword.

The funny thing was, normally when passing a sword, it’s polite to hand it over in its scabbard, but they were throwing it with the bare blade.

[Brother. Those bastards are trying to provoke you…]

Jin Cheonhee used the Wind Cloud Technique to catch the sword as if sucking it into his sleeve.

Everyone swallowed hard at his grace.

[What?]

[It’s nothing, Brother.]

[Bland fellow.]

Jin Cheonhee spun the sword around once.

‘As expected of a Wudang sword, the balance is good. The elasticity is decent too. Judging by the composition, is it an alloy? It’s a good sword for channeling the Dual Mind-Intention Technique.’

After grasping the sword’s structure, he was quite pleased. It was the heart of a science major.

Jin Cheonhee said:

“Then let’s begin.”

At that moment, Cheong Yeong moved first.

The first to strike wins!

From the first move, a sword strike imbued with the subtleties of Taiji flew towards him.

Technique

Wudang Eighteen Swords!

‘It’s a killing move.’

Clang!

Jin Cheonhee immediately read the killing intent thickly coating the sword.

‘Ah, as expected. These guys are curious about whether I’ve learned the Dual Mind-Intention Technique. To find out, they need to corner me. Even if I die… Well. Right. They could retrieve the deceased’s remains in my medicine chest and eat up the secret manual too.’

Clang clang clang-

He deflected the sword strike using the principle of “the soft can overcome the hard.”

The funny thing was that he deflected Cheong Yeong’s full-power strike as easily as adding a drop of liquor to liquor or water to water, without showing any sign of fatigue.

‘It’s really strange, isn’t it? You’re from Wudang. And it’s Wudang’s secret manual, but you can’t learn it, so you’re in this state… truly…’

Truly rotten.

The interest faded from Jin Cheonhee’s eyes.

The deceased had to exchange his secret manual for his journey home.

His resentment at dying away from home, leaving behind his home on Mount Wudang, must have been intense. Jin Cheonhee still remembered every word written on the floor.

It was the cry of a Taoist.

Death was not beautiful.

Death was not clean.

In the last moments of life, unable to return to where he belonged, he staked everything.

The Dual Mind-Intention Technique.

Even Jin Cheonhee was reluctant for it to be passed on to those unworthy of learning it.

On the other hand, Cheong Yeong was flustered.

‘This…! Could the rumors be true? I thought it was nonsensical for a physician who hasn’t learned martial arts for long to be so strong…’

In this world without electronic devices, most martial world news spreads based on rumors.

It’s hard to believe what you haven’t seen.

And most of them are mixed with exaggeration.

But the moment their swords clashed, Cheong Yeong felt as if he had hit a huge wall.

Clang, clang!

As they crossed swords again and again, Cheong Yeong couldn’t grasp Jin Cheonhee’s martial prowess at all.

Humans are emotional beings, and one’s state of mind is naturally reflected in their swordplay.

However, Jin Cheonhee’s sword contained no thoughts, not even the slightest anger.

Jin Cheonhee rejected Cheong Yeong.

Cheong Yeong couldn’t even touch Jin Cheonhee with the tip of his sword.

It was a terrible humiliation.

‘No. This can’t be. Somehow, I must find traces of the Dual Mind-Intention Technique.’

At that moment, Jin Cheonhee laid out some bait.

“This is a bit boring as it is. What do you say? How about the other two join in?”

It was a proposal that shouldn’t be accepted. Clear provocation. If they lost after this, they couldn’t bear the dishonor.

But Cheong Yeong’s desperation blinded him.

“We’ll learn from you. Come on, guys!”