Doctor’s Rebirth - Chapter 198

“Just?”

“I’ve also heard that Little White Dragon’s cooking skills are top-notch. However, I’m a bit surprised that it’s more modest than I expected.”

At this blatant complaint about the food, his younger sister looked at him with eyes that said, ‘Has this bastard gone mad?’

From that expression, Jin Cheonhee realized.

‘They’re real siblings.’

Their father, Hwangbo Jungheon, also looked at his son with a bewildered face.

Complaining about food given by others is not proper etiquette, whether on Earth or in the martial world.

Especially when it’s not even actually bad-tasting.

The Hwangbo Clan members were engaged in a fierce battle over the few remaining lamb ribs.

In short, it was an outright provocation.

A determined will to throw a rock into the mellow atmosphere.

Jin Cheonhee quickly replied.

“I’m glad that Master, Great Hero Hwangbo, and Young Hero Mu-ah are satisfied. If ingredients are available later, I’d like to serve a dish that would satisfy Young Hero Mu-hwi as well.”

A novice’s provocation.

Instead of anger, what worried him was his sister’s look that said, ‘You damn bastard. If you’re going to pick a fight, at least give me that rib!’

‘….’

After a moment, even in this atmosphere, Hwangbo Mu-ah swiftly reached out and snatched two of her brother’s ribs, placing them on her own plate.

She even used what seemed to be a gold-grabbing technique, moving at an odd angle with astonishing speed.

Her brother, Hwangbo Mu-hwi, glared at his sister once before turning back to Jin Cheonhee with intense eyes.

“I’ve heard a lot about Little White Dragon’s reputation. I wonder if your sword is as sharp as your tongue.”

At that moment, Hwangbo Mu-ah pilfered her brother’s third rib.

‘…!’

Hwangbo Mu-hwi’s face was crumbling into powder.

His father, Hwangbo Jungheon’s pupils shook as if an earthquake had occurred.

Watching this situation, Jin Cheonhee recalled.

‘Ah, this feeling. It’s familiar!’

Indeed.

It was the same feeling as Tang-ah… Tang-ah during her stormy adolescence.

‘I see. Although the degree may vary, parents in all martial world families are struggling with raising their children.’

The age when blood boils.

Martial arts are boiling along with hormones.

And Jin Cheonhee was playing the role of “master’s friend’s disciple.”

To young martial artists, Jin Cheonhee must look like a treasure goblin.

He could feel their desire to immediately go and crack his skull, then boast to the martial world about defeating Little White Dragon.

‘This is what young martial artists are like….’

There was a reason why elders from various sects would nod and say, “He’s unlike today’s young martial artists,” whenever they saw Jin Cheonhee.

‘Ah. So this is the vigor of youth….’

“Mu-hwi.”

“Father, it’s fine. I’m saying this because I’ve long known Little White Dragon’s reputation and have taken a liking to him.”

Liking.

If the liking one has for a treasure goblin can be called liking, then it’s liking.

Jin Cheonhee wondered.

Whether Hwangbo Jungheon had gone through a similar phase when he was young, like Hwangbo Mu-hwi.

Jin Cheonhee glanced at his master.

The master was watching the situation, covering his mouth with his fan.

It was obvious that he was enjoying this.

‘At times like this, he’s unexpectedly mean-spirited.’

Based on the sense Jin Cheonhee had developed from his social experiences, it seemed the master was having a mental conversation with the family head, Hwangbo Jungheon.

Jin Cheonhee responded calmly.

“I’m flattered that you hold me in such high regard. What would you like me to do, Young Hero?”

“Well, in the martial world, isn’t exchange ultimately about sharing goodwill through martial arts?”

Saying this, he clenched his fingers one by one, making a fist with a cracking sound.

Feeling a pressure that seemed to make space-time crumple, Jin Cheonhee quickly sent a mental message to Zhuge Rin.

[Um… Master. What should I do?]

[What else? Do as you please.]

Is there a need to answer so elegantly when he’s essentially saying to crack his skull?

Unaware that Jin Cheonhee was communicating mentally with his master, Hwangbo Mu-hwi continued.

“I’m curious if your martial arts are as excellent as your eloquence. I’d like to see your martial arts, if you don’t mind?”

“We have the Dragon Phoenix Gathering coming up, don’t we?”

In response to Jin Cheonhee’s answer, Hwangbo Mu-hwi replied as if he had said something nonsensical.

“What are you talking about? If you, Little White Dragon, get eliminated in the preliminaries, I won’t have a chance to see your skills, will I?”

Hwangbo Mu-hwi used his provocation skill again.

Jin Cheonhee desperately called out to his master.

[Master…?]

[….]

Zhuge Rin didn’t answer. He just watched, casually fanning himself.

‘Ha… Master’s personality is really…’

Since his master was behaving this way, this disciple decided to learn a thing or two.

‘He said to do as I please, so I will.’

The master would take care of the aftermath.

If he didn’t like it, he could have sent one more mental message to his disciple, couldn’t he?

[Master. Just tell me this. Should I send him to the Dragon Phoenix Gathering? Or not?]

He was asking whether to limit it to within three weeks of recovery or not.

Surprisingly, this time an answer came.

[For the sake of Typhoon Fist’s face, let’s send him to the Dragon Phoenix Gathering. We should save his dignity.]

‘Ah, I see. So this is how the earlier flattery to Master is being repaid…’

From the beginning, he was someone who had gained favor by smoothly moving his tongue with praises for the disciple.

The master was pleased.

This joy was something rarely tasted at the White Dragon Medical Pavilion.

It was truly a wild joy.

The flattery from the medical pavilion members feels a bit different, probably because he’s in the position of the top authority figure in the White Dragon Medical Pavilion.

In terms of joy, it’s like farm-raised joy.

Of course, it tastes good, but it feels like it might have a bit of… self-interest.

In contrast, this was wild praise obtained from an unexpected encounter!

Of course, he understood Hwangbo Jungheon’s intention to maintain good relations with the White Dragon Medical Pavilion, but it’s natural that this would be more pleasing than the flattery offered by medical pavilion members to their chairman.

‘Alright. I’ll limit it to within three weeks of recovery!’

The journey back in the carriage for recuperation might be a bit less stylish, but it’ll be good medicine for youthful vigor.

“Alright. Let’s duel.”

At those words, Hwangbo Mu-hwi exhaled through his nose.

Jin Cheonhee quickly added.

“Let’s finish eating first.”

Due to Hwangbo Mu-hwi’s provocation, Jin Cheonhee hadn’t even finished the meal he had prepared.

‘Ah… the ribs have gone cold. The egg drop soup has cooled too.’

He could reheat it with fire-generating techniques, but it’s like microwaving already grilled meat.

The meat becomes tough.

It doesn’t taste the same.

“Understood. Please let me know when you’ve finished your meal.”

Only then did Hwangbo Mu-hwi act like a well-mannered young master.

Jin Cheonhee thought as he ate the cold fried rice.

‘The butter… ha… it tastes congealed because it’s cold. It’s most delicious when freshly made… ha….’

Even this level would be considered quite tasty by others.

But from the perspective of the one who made it, it’s inevitable to feel disappointed.

He could meet people challenging him like this every day, whether at Wudang or here.

But food doesn’t wait.

A meal by the campfire.

Camping.

This warm atmosphere.

Even the smell of burning firewood and the crackling sound!

Isn’t this something that can only be tasted here and now?

Jin Cheonhee’s heart ached.

A grudge against the meal… welled up.

Sadness. And a bit of anger.

And a memorial for the cooled lamb ribs.

‘I said I’d limit it to within three weeks of recovery, but I didn’t say I’d do it painlessly.’

***

‘Let’s see… so what was the Hwangbo Clan’s martial arts like again….’

Jin Cheonhee recalled what he knew about the Hwangbo Clan while eating.

There were descriptions from the original work, but his master Zhuge Rin had also taught him a lot.

-Hee-ya. The Hwangbo Clan’s martial arts are tyrannical and heavy because they utilize their strong physiques. They’ve developed internal energy and martial arts to focus even more on this. The most representative of these is the Lightning God Fist.

‘I remember.’

-The Lightning God Fist gathers and uses thunder energy. Not only does actual lightning occur in both hands, but it also has the ability to terrifyingly amplify pure physical strength, making its physical destructive power hard to match in the martial world.

Thunder. In some ways, it might remind one of the Black Thunder Blood Devil he fought earlier, but that was demonic arts.

This could be considered orthodox, righteous martial arts.

-Shall I give you an example? If you were to compete in strength with someone who has the Lightning God Fist, assuming the same level of cultivation, you would inevitably lose. Compared to other sects’ martial arts, it has a higher strength amplification rate, and with the added power of thunder energy, it’s even more so.

Of course, in true Zhuge Clan fashion, the master immediately provided a method to counter it.

-Therefore, when facing the Lightning God Fist, it’s common to counter with speed or technique. Its slowness and straightforward attack paths are its weaknesses. Of course, if you’re overwhelmingly stronger, you don’t necessarily need to do this.

‘Good. Then…’

Jin Cheonhee finished his meal. He drank some water and stood up.

His opponent was already emitting intense beams of light from his eyes.

“I apologize for keeping you waiting. Shall we begin?”

“Gladly.”

The two faced each other in a suitable open space.

“Wow!”

“A duel in a place like this, what a luxury!”

Isn’t watching a fight the best spectacle?

In this era without phones or YouTube, watching a fight is truly a big fun guaranteed content.

After this fight ends, being able to talk about witnessing it while drinking for the next 10 years is the best reward.

It’s an opportunity for someone with a bit of a silver tongue to become the idol of the taverns.

If either of them becomes one of the top experts in the world in the future, you can milk it for another 30 years by saying, “I knew them when they were young! I personally witnessed the duel between the Hwangbo Clan and the White Dragon Medical Pavilion!”

It’s the best content in this era with few entertainment options.

Both the medical pavilion members and the Hwangbo Clan martial artists excitedly took their places around the edges of the open space.

The master and Hwangbo Jungheon sat on stumps, chatting, and behind them, the younger sister Hwangbo Mu-ah was watching her brother with cold eyes.

‘Oh boy, you crazy bastard…’

Hwangbo Mu-hwi also glared back at his younger sister.

‘What the hell… Why are you glaring at me like that?’

‘Is it that hard to just please Dad a bit? You’re dead now. I’m going to tell Mom about this.’

‘Go ahead and tell. You little bitch. Make sure you also tell her that I won.’

They didn’t exchange mental messages.

The time they spent together allowed them to communicate with just their eyes. And the history of their incessant fighting under one roof had brought them to a level where they could curse at each other with just their eyes.

Jin Cheonhee thought.

‘Hmm… It’s different from the Namgoong Clan. Is it because of the larger age gap in the Namgoong Clan?’

Twins born on the same day.

He had heard that they would fight even over a single piece of meat.

Suddenly, his eyes met with Hwangbo Mu-ah’s.

Mu-ah smiled brightly at Jin Cheonhee.

“I wish you success, Young Hero.”

Then she shot another glare at her brother.

‘I’ll make sure to tell Mom about you getting your ass kicked. Watch closely.’