Doctor’s Rebirth - Chapter 190

A deep sigh escaped, becoming a lingering regret.

In a way, it was close to an unspeakable topic. In the silence, everyone froze, unable to utter a single word.

Only Zhuge Rin remained calm.

Looking at him, Fist Emperor’s sadness was brief, and he smiled faintly.

“…Yes. That’s how I lost my disciple. I cherished him like an orchid, keeping him close, but he withered easily like an orchid.”

Because the regret he hadn’t been able to shed remained as an obsession.

“That’s the martial world. That’s what people are. Martial artists must become weeds. That’s a master’s job.”

“If I had known things would turn out like this, I wouldn’t have allowed him to go to Wudang.”

The elder deliberately nagged as if joking.

“Really? But what can you do? I’m already a joint master, after all. Kuhahahaha!”

At that moment.

Cold qi condensed around Zhuge Rin.

Whoosh-

His hair suddenly puffed up, and a strong pressure swept in.

The doctors, training disciples, and even the martial artists froze.

A strong pressure that seemed to constrict the heart.

The Wudang Fist Emperor’s eyes shone.

“You’ve started to reach Realm of the Mind Sword.”

“Haha. What need is there for words between us? If you claim to be a joint master, you just need to prove you have the martial arts to match.”

“Oho. You’re extremely angry. White Dragon. I didn’t know you could get this angry… Good. That’s good.”

Jin Cheonhee quickly said.

“Master… Wait, and Grandfather!”

The eyes of the Two Emperors clashed. Eventually, the Wudang Fist Emperor spoke first.

“Kukuku. I’ve been itching to fight you for a while, I can’t tell you how happy I am. Don’t interfere.”

Zhuge Rin said.

“I’m truly glad you’re so happy. Hee-ya, I’ll borrow a wooden sword so as not to hurt the elder, so I’ll see you in a bit. Stay in bed.”

As soon as those words ended, the two disappeared, leaving afterimages.

Jin Cheonhee’s thoughts stopped, not knowing what to do in this sudden situation.

A while later, a thunderous sound echoed through Wudang Mountain.

Boom—!

“Cheon-woo.”

“Yes, Brother.”

“I might be imagining things, but it seems like one of the peaks is missing?”

“…It looks that way to me too.”

“They said they were going to spar… with a wooden sword and bare hands, right?”

“Yes.”

“…”

Jin Cheonhee tore at his hair, and Yoo Ho spat out curses.

Cheon-woo’s mind briefly left his body.

***

The two returned like that after three quarters of an hour had passed.

Surprisingly, they didn’t seem to be injured.

“It’s because we used wooden swords, Hee-ya. And if either of us got hurt, you’d have more people to treat, wouldn’t you?”

On the other hand, the Wudang Fist Emperor answered with a haggard expression.

“…The White Dragon is a madman. How did such a kind child end up with a guy like that.”

“Please watch your words.”

“Did I say anything wrong!”

Still, perhaps because they had fought it out, it was better than at first.

Better than at first.

Zhuge Rin sighed.

“But only a master can understand a master’s feelings.”

What conversation did they have?

Zhuge Rin’s expression was heavy. Fist Emperor opened his mouth.

“It wasn’t much. I just talked about the disciples I had raised, and whose bodies I had collected with my own hands.”

“…”

In the martial world, a master is like a parent.

That means a disciple is like a child.

The greatest sorrow for a master is the death of a disciple.

It could be compared to the sorrow of losing one’s own child.

The elder continued calmly. Jin Cheonhee found that even more heartbreaking.

“It’s also why I hadn’t taken a new disciple for a long time. That’s all.”

Swords and fists collided, words and hearts clashed.

There was no calculation or deception in this process.

The way of the martial world.

Elder Fist Emperor continued.

“However, I also empathize with White Dragon’s feelings. When I got my first disciple, I didn’t know what to do either.”

Deep furrows of time etched Fist Emperor’s face.

He lost disciples. He took new ones, only to lose them again.

He kept losing them.

From the start, the lifespan of martial artists in the martial world wasn’t very long.

Time spent protecting, protecting more, and protecting even more.

At some point, he realized that his disciple had become someone who couldn’t do anything without him.

And when he realized this, it was after that disciple had left this world.

“Funnily enough, only the ones I threw into the world… only those survived in the end. Then I suddenly remembered.”

He stroked his wrinkled cheek.

The gesture seemed almost like wiping away tear stains.

“I too had survived that way.”

“…”

“Well, honestly, with two spiritual beasts attached, it’s not like he’s growing like a wild weed. White Dragon worries too much.”

Zhuge Rin let out a small sigh.

Fist Emperor continued.

“Let’s do it halfway. It’s not like Little White Dragon’s nature is to wander the martial world endlessly anyway. From what I’ve heard, he usually stays cooped up in the medical pavilion, obsessed with research, so practical experience is even more precious, isn’t it?”

“You’re saying we should raise him like a weed.”

“No, half and half. I said, didn’t I? What more do you want when he’s even got two spiritual beasts guarding him? They can’t be bribed. They have no grudges in the martial world. They stick with him all day. That Hwanggu even follows him to the toilet. What guard lives like that! It’s only possible because it’s a dog.”

Woof!

Hwanggu panted proudly.

“…”

Zhuge Rin stroked Hwanggu’s head with an anguished expression.

Then he stroked his beloved disciple’s head as well.

“It’s so difficult. The human heart. Growth.”

“Master.”

“Hee-ya. For now… since I’m here, this master will help treat the remaining patients. Let’s talk after that.”

Jin Cheonhee nodded at those words.

‘It’s true that my current internal energy is insufficient. In this situation, I need to move faster than the others.’

While gathering spiritual medicines, there was also someone he needed to meet.

He didn’t know what they meant by the “seed of half-immortality.” However, as someone who knew the original story, he had to do what he could.

With the attempt to meddle with Wudang Sect failing and the Blood Immortal Sect taking a hit.

They wouldn’t move rashly for a while, so this was the only chance.

But he had inwardly given up on the nearly impossible task of persuading his master.

Who knew Elder Fist Emperor would help with that.

Of course, he probably didn’t do it knowingly.

Elder Fist Emperor looked at the two of them with satisfaction.

“It reminds me of old times.”

“Still, no alcohol.”

The elder clicked his tongue at Jin Cheonhee, who immediately tackled the satisfied mood.

“Really. Neither White Dragon nor you have any sense of style. Style.”

Jin Cheonhee smiled softly.

At first, he had been very worried, but now he thought it was fortunate that the two had met.

***

The next day.

Elder Fist Emperor called for Jin Cheonhee.

Jin Cheonhee finished his morning rounds at Wudang Sect and headed straight for the hall.

Inside, the Sect Leader, Elder Fist Emperor, and his master White Dragon were all together.

Zhuge Rin was just taking the Sect Leader’s pulse.

“You said you saved him with emergency treatment when he was about to fall into qi deviation?”

“Yes. Fortunately, it was successful.”

The Sect Leader laughed heartily.

“They said my breath had stopped, so I can’t tell you how surprised I was to hear I had been revived. I don’t know if that’s human medicine or immortal medicine.”

This is an era where CPR hasn’t been systematized yet.

While it’s basic emergency resuscitation in modern times, in this era, no doctor had learned it.

Jin Cheonhee spoke calmly.

“It’s something humans can do. It’s human medicine that saved a human.”

“That’s how my disciple speaks. They say excessive modesty is rude, so I’m really worried.”

Zhuge Rin said with a face full of proud smiles.

He looked like he wanted to shout to the world, ‘Look! This is my disciple! Look!’

While saying he was worried, his inner thoughts were actually, ‘My disciple is even modest!’

The Sect Leader’s head spun at this blatant boasting that could hardly be called inner thoughts.

‘He showed signs of this at the Dragon Phoenix Gathering too, but how can a person change this much?’

The Sect Leader said.

“Anyway, what’s his condition now?”

“There are aftereffects. With severe emotional distress as well, from here on it’s more my field than bone-setting.”

‘Ah, Master called me to teach me.’

Jin Cheonhee immediately straightened his posture and listened intently to how Zhuge Rin would treat him.

Zhuge Rin said.

“Hee-ya, what should be done to treat the Sect Leader?”

When Divine Doctor Zhuge asked, Jin Cheonhee immediately took the Sect Leader’s pulse.

“…”

After closing his eyes and taking a deep qi pulse diagnosis, Jin Cheonhee answered.

“He’s in a state filled with mind demons. It can be said to be the cause of his emotional illness, but it won’t be easy to treat.”

“Not easy? Explain.”

Mind demons. It has some aspects in common with modern stress.

Stress is the root of all diseases and a lifelong issue to deal with.

It’s common knowledge that patients with arterial diseases or cancer need to be especially careful of stress.

Even healthy people often develop illnesses after extreme stress.

The problem in the martial world is that it affects not only illness but also the flow of internal energy.

In this world, qi is both what constitutes humans and is affected by human emotions.

In this case, it becomes mind demons, causing meridians to break or burst.

It’s also common for people to die vomiting blood due to sudden mind demons.

That’s what the Sect Leader nearly experienced.

Jin Cheonhee said.

“Fundamentally speaking, it would be accepting the past and putting the mind at ease. That would solve everything.”

“…”

At those words, the Sect Leader’s expression darkened.

Jin Cheonhee continued.

“But I know that’s impossible. What the Sect Leader experienced is no different from the pain of having one’s own blood kin kill one’s parents. No one could forget that.”

“Yes. That’s right. That’s why dealing with mind demons is extremely difficult.”

Zhuge Rin took out his acupuncture case.

“Acupuncture can prevent qi and blood from bursting or twisting due to mind demons, but a complete cure is impossible.”

“To say you can resolve it with mere acupuncture, that alone is worthy of being called an Immortal Doctor.”

At those words, Zhuge Rin shook his head.

“There are side effects.”

“What are they?”

“This acupuncture technique limits a large amount of internal energy from passing through the meridians at once. So you’ll only be able to use about 80% of your usual ability.”

All medical treatments have side effects.

Especially with such a major treatment, there were bound to be other side effects.

“If I don’t do this, I’m not a fool who doesn’t know that qi deviation will come again within a month.”

“Foolish thing.”

Elder Fist Emperor clicked his tongue.

The Sect Leader rubbed his face dryly instead of answering.

“It’s all because of my lack of virtue.”

“Didn’t I tell you? There’s no such thing as a kind sect leader. If you’ve held such a position, you shouldn’t hesitate to shed that much blood.”

“Hehehehehe.”

“Do you think Jeong Gwang’s matter is all your fault? I’m asking if you think anything would have been different if you had noticed your beloved junior’s true feelings earlier.”

“…”

The Sect Leader’s throat choked up, and he couldn’t bring himself to answer.

Elder Fist Emperor said.

“You weren’t the only one who didn’t notice. I was the same, and so was everyone in Wudang. So there’s no need to bear the burden alone, is there?”

It was a difficult problem.