Doctor’s Rebirth - Chapter 176

After Immortal Myeong Gil left, Jin Cheonhee turned to Cheon-woo and asked, “Are you alright?”

“Of course. I’m even grateful. But he’s so scary when teaching, I’m worried if you’ll be able to endure it, brother.”

Contrary to expectations, Cheon-woo seemed more concerned about whether Jin Cheonhee would collapse under the pressure.

“Don’t worry. I’m strong.”

“That’s a relief then.”

‘Whatever it is, it can’t be worse than Yoo Ho’s beatings,’ Jin Cheonhee thought to himself.

Zhuge Rin had trained him with affection, but Yoo Ho had done so with hatred. Jin Cheonhee had already experienced the depths of hellish training. His endurance for pain was stronger than anyone’s.

“What do you want to eat?”

“You should rest too, brother.”

“No, no, Wudang’s food isn’t to my taste, so I’m making my own anyway. I’ll cook for both of us.”

Cheon-woo’s appetite was also improving along with Jin Cheonhee’s culinary skills.

“I’ll help, brother.”

“You’ve already helped with the cleanup. You did a great job yesterday too.”

“Still, I’ll help with the finishing touches at least.”

Cheon-woo said this while nodding his head, as if he had made some big decision.

“You need to eat a lot too, brother. You’re too thin.”

“…I think anyone would look thin next to you.”

With his enormous height and muscular build, plus the eye patch, Jin Cheonhee was constantly surprised living with Cheon-woo every day. It should have become familiar by now, but it wasn’t easy.

***

On the second day, Jin Cheonhee learned Wudang’s basic martial arts.

“Taiji Fist^[1], Minor Clarity Qi Technique^[2], Minor Clarity Sword^[3], and Cloud-Stepping Gait^[4]. Both lay disciples and direct disciples learn these as the basics. They’re the common martial arts. After that, lay disciples are allowed to learn intermediate arts like Pure Yang Technique^[5] and Minor Clarity Divine Technique^[6].”

“I see.”

“It’s quite troublesome to teach these to you, who already have a solid foundation in the Zhuge Clan’s basic martial arts and internal energy that won’t lose to anyone. But do you know why I’m still teaching you?”

“……”

Jin Cheonhee didn’t ponder for long.

“Is it because I need to do this to fully understand and utilize the Dual Mind-Intention Technique?”

Immortal Myeong Gil clapped his hands in delight at Jin Cheonhee’s words.

“Correct! Correct! As expected, a smart one is different. How did you come to that conclusion?”

He calmly answered the question.

“If we compare the martial veins to a tree, I think the Dual Mind-Intention Technique can be likened to its fruit. I believe that to understand how the fruit grows, one must know the roots.”

“Right you are! You understand. Even if you learn this right away, your martial arts won’t immediately improve. However, it will help in mastering the Dual Mind-Intention Technique.”

‘I’ll be able to save more patients,’ Jin Cheonhee thought.

It would be an understatement to say how helpful the Dual Mind-Intention Technique had been in surgeries. His heart raced at the thought of being able to save more patients.

“Hmm? You don’t seem as excited as a martial artist would be.”

Old ginger is indeed spicier. Immortal Myeong Gil had intuitively grasped the reason for Jin Cheonhee’s joy.

Jin Cheonhee didn’t hide it.

“I’m thinking about new treatment methods.”

“My, my… to think of using the Dual Mind-Intention Technique to heal people, you truly are a born physician.”

Jin Cheonhee just smiled.

“I don’t know how I ended up with such a fellow as a joint personal disciple, but… good. From now on, I’ll demonstrate, so watch carefully. Cheon-woo.”

“Yes, Master.”

Cheon-woo stepped forward two paces.

“Show me your demonstration.”

Cheon-woo didn’t draw his sword. What he showed was his fist technique. It was Taiji Fist.

With a solemn expression, Cheon-woo began to perform the Taiji Fist, often ridiculed as a mere exercise for the elderly and children.

Yin and yang intertwined, forming the Taiji symbol.

Human emotions – joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure – were in harmony.

The principle of “the soft overcoming the hard” flowed slowly but surely from the tips of Cheon-woo’s fists.

‘Strange… it looks like a fist that couldn’t even tear a leaf… yet why does it captivate my attention so?’

Jin Cheonhee wondered what was different between the Taiji Fist he had seen before and the one Cheon-woo was performing now.

Though he couldn’t understand it, Jin Cheonhee continued to watch intently.

Eventually, the Taiji Fist began to transform into the Cloud-Stepping Gait and then the Minor Clarity Sword.

The gentleness of the Taiji Fist became the Cloud-Stepping Gait, and its clarity became the Minor Clarity Sword.

Jin Cheonhee observed every single movement without missing anything.

“……”

By the time the demonstration was finally over, the sun had begun to set.

“This disciple have finally finished.”

“You’ve improved much since last time.”

“I’m glad. I had been pondering over the parts you corrected before, Master.”

It seemed Cheon-woo had made some progress as well. His refreshed expression made even the onlookers feel good.

“Then, can you follow along?”

Jin Cheonhee pointed at himself.

“Me? The Taiji Fist?”

“All the movements from start to finish. Are you going to keep pretending you can’t do it when you’re perfectly capable with your Profound Origin Heaven and Earth Divine Technique?”

At those words, Jin Cheonhee scratched his head and stood before Cheon-woo and Immortal Myeong Gil.

“Uh… you’ll scold me if I make mistakes, right?”

“Of course I’ll scold you. That’s why you’re learning. Besides, I’m quite a strict teacher, so you should be prepared.”

The image of Cheon-woo’s battered state from last night came to mind. For someone of his build to end up like a rag, it must have been no ordinary ordeal.

‘Well, I’m used to hellish training. And…’

Something came to mind while watching Cheon-woo’s movements.

Jin Cheonhee grinned cheekily.

‘Well, Grandfather took me in as a disciple. He’ll probably tolerate this much on his own.’

Jin Cheonhee decided to push forward with his characteristic shameless attitude.

He then assumed the initial stance of the Taiji Fist.

“Huh?”

Cheon-woo’s eyes widened slightly in surprise.

It was similar to Cheon-woo’s stance, yet different.

It was like a mirror image.

This meant that while the movements were identical, the left and right were reversed.

“Hmm……”

Immortal Myeong Gil seemed to be contemplating whether to scold him severely or not.

“Let’s see how you do first. If you can’t do it, know that you’ll be punished!”

Whether he was deliberately teasing or not would be clear once they saw.

***

Jin Cheonhee continued with the Taiji Fist.

The movements embodying the principles of yin and yang, and the soft overcoming the hard, continued in circular motions.

The strange thing was that sometimes a movement was omitted or added.

Despite this, the footwork and hand techniques flowed smoothly without getting tangled, like water.

‘A Taiji Fist I’ve never seen before…’

If you asked a Wudang person if this was Taiji Fist, they would say yes. However, if you asked if it was truly Taiji Fist, they would be at a loss for words.

Cheon-woo focused his eye power on one eye to scrutinize Jin Cheonhee.

Among Wudang’s disciples, Cheon-woo was the best at handling and sensing internal energy.

‘Ah…!’

The method of using internal energy was different.

Jin Cheonhee had absorbed the principles of Taiji Fist and understood how to use them, but he was applying them in his own way.

“Cheon-woo. What does that look like to you?”

“It looks like he’s performing Taiji Fist using the Five Elements, Master.”

“A genius is indeed a genius. You figured that out with just one eye?”

Immortal Myeong Gil was delighted with Cheon-woo’s talent.

For a disciple who had received a Taoist name to have such talent was extremely pleasing as a Wudang Taoist. Moreover, his temperament was also well-suited for life as a martial artist, which made him even more appealing.

“You’re too kind.”

“Nonsense. Who else could guess at a glance that he’s using the Five Elements for Taiji Fist? Even Sect Leader Jeong would need to ponder for a while. You intuited it immediately, didn’t you?”

“…I don’t know what to say.”

“Kukukukuk. You speak politely even when you don’t really think that way. Good. That’s necessary. To survive in this rotten Wudang, you need to be able to engage in that level of conversation.”

Jin Cheonhee’s performance now moved from Taiji Fist to the next. It wasn’t the Cloud-Stepping Gait.

It was the Minor Clarity Sword.

He skipped the Cloud-Stepping Gait and went straight to the Minor Clarity Sword.

Seureu-reung-

Despite it being a wooden sword, it made a clear sound.

Even without conscious effort, water energy seeped into the wooden sword.

Water corresponded to the yin of Taiji.

It matched the principles of the Minor Clarity Sword. However, it was water energy.

Once again, as movements were added or omitted, the Minor Clarity Sword began to flow like water.

Suddenly, Cheon-woo asked, “If I’m a genius, what is senior brother, Master?”

“He’s an oddball talent. A swordsman should demonstrate martial prowess through swordsmanship and naturally be ruthless. He’s not a child with outstanding sword talent. Look. Does it seem like he could kill someone with such clear energy surrounding him?”

Cheon-woo shook his head at those words.

“It seems like he could cut trees or rocks, but somehow I can’t imagine him killing people.”

“That’s what’s strange. He clearly understood the principles by watching your movements and was able to adapt them to his own style. But he’s not using the sword to kill people.”

“Is it because of his medical skills?”

At Cheon-woo’s words, Immortal Myeong Gil burst into laughter, dumbfounded.

“I’m starting to think it might be true that he’s learning the Dual Mind-Intention Technique for medical purposes. I thought it was a joke.”

Jin Cheonhee’s sword traced the Taiji symbol in winding motions. Fire energy brushed past water energy, forming an arc.

It was yang.

Once again, rather than imagining slashing someone, only images of cutting trees or grass and cauterizing wounds with fire came to mind.

“How can it not be frightening when the sword energy is so vivid?”

“It looks like he’s practiced for ten years.”

“Indeed. He gained enlightenment of the Way by reading Taoist classics, memorized your demonstration with the Profound Origin Heaven and Earth Divine Technique, and created his own annotated version. Tsk tsk tsk.”

After clicking his tongue a few times, he grumbled.

“This is why everyone is wary of the Zhuge Clan.”

Finally, Jin Cheonhee completed all the forms.

Jin Cheonhee’s half-closed eyes slowly opened. A blue light of enlightenment flashed across his retinas.

It seemed he had achieved some small realization.

“A genius and an oddball talent. My waist is going to break.”

Immortal Myeong Gil patted his waist a few times as if to show off, then said:

“Still, keep practicing the basics diligently. That’s how you’ll be able to approach the profound meaning of the Dual Mind-Intention Technique.”

Jin Cheonhee’s eyes widened at those words.

“Hmmm……”

“I’m saying I’ll acknowledge that Taiji Fist that doesn’t look like Taiji Fist and that Minor Clarity Sword that doesn’t look like Minor Clarity Sword. You were doing the Cloud-Stepping Gait from the beginning.”

“Yes, yes!”

“I don’t know how the White Dragon taught you. It’s already becoming overwhelming.”

Saying this, he turned around.

“By the way, let me have some of your food too. I’m still your master, shouldn’t I get to eat what you’re making?”

“What about the dining hall…?”

“You cook better. Even those spiritual beasts that follow you only eat what you make.”

Woof woof! – Master, food! Are you making food?

Peep, peep! – If you need anything, just say so quickly. I’ll catch everything for you!

And so, another person addicted to Jin Cheonhee’s cooking was added.

Immortal Myeong Gil said, “And you should teach them something worth learning too.”

“Can you teach spiritual beasts as well?”

“What’s there that can’t be done? Just think of fists as front paws or wings. Whatever the form, as long as you beat them well, it’ll work out, won’t it?”

Is that possible?

Immortal Myeong Gil was indeed an eccentric.