Doctor’s Rebirth

“People who takes such things as this for granted are rare. Woon Ji-sang, I think I should stay here to treat the patients. What would you like me to do? It’s very urgent and it seems difficult to transport them at least until some treatment is done.”

“The Cloud Dragon Escort Bureau will not abandon its comrades. We will have half of us wait here with you, so please, take care of the injured. I will repay this favor when I return.”

Woon Ji-sang after saying this, turned and faced Jin Cheon-hee.

“And you, young one. I don’t know who you are, but I will make sure to repay this favor to you also.”

He hugged Jin Cheon-hee deeply. It was hilarious to see a man over two meters tall, and built like a bear, hugging a small child, but no one laughed.

That was The Cloud Dragon Escort Bureau’s favor, and there was no one in Gangho who didn’t know what it meant.

Woon Ji-sang walked away after that. Twenty-two people came, twelve left, and ten remained. Jin Cheon-hee looked at them thoughtfully.

‘The Cloud Dragon Escort Bureau, Baek Rin Eui-seon, and speaking and understanding an unfamiliar language so naturally. It seems that I have really entered the world of my novel. Haha, it’s so absurd…’

Jin Cheon-hee didn’t show it, but his energy was drained. Eventually, his legs started to tremble, and he sat down.

‘Oh? What’s happening to my legs?’

He couldn’t put any strength into his legs no matter how hard he tried. Then his hands began to tremble. Only then did he realize the state he was in.

‘It’s just muscle spasms from being so tensed. Yes, I pushed myself too hard all day today.’

He had been under constant tension and had repeatedly subjected a child’s body to strenuous activities. It was quite common for a novice surgeon to experience muscle spasms like this after a long surgery.

He sat down for a moment and took a deep breath. The trembling stopped, and in the distance, he saw a large, sturdy tent being built, different from the makeshift tent he had built.

The tent had an embroidery representing the Cloud Dragon Escort Bureau.

‘Am I alive…?’

Only then did Jin Cheon-hee realize, with perfect clarity, that he was indeed alive.

“I am alive…”

Jin Cheon-hee muttered, looking at the edge of the sun disappearing completely.

****

“You pushed yourself too hard, Master. You didn’t have to come all the way here…”

A handsome man resembling a fox spoke to Jae-Gal Rin.

The place where Jae-Gal Rin lay was inside a carriage. The carriage was unique and different from the usual carriages

The carriage itself was spacious, and on one side, there was even a fireplace installed. Wood kept burning continuously in there.

A kettle was placed on the fireplace, and the water inside was boiling vigorously. The Fox man sat up and opened the lid of the kettle, then grabbed a towel and put it inside.

Without even blinking, he took out the towel from the boiling water and wrung it out to the right amount before covering Jae-Gal Rin’s face with it.

Before the hot towel was placed on his face, his face looked extremely pale, like a dead person.

If Jin Cheon-hee had seen it, he would have exclaimed, “It’s just like the carriage in the novel! It’s Baek Rin Eui-seon’s moving rest and treatment carriage!”

And, it was worth it. The interior of the carriage was a rectangular space, but it was fairly spacious, appearing to be about 4 pyeong(13.2m2 or 142ft2). The carriage door was on the right wall of the carriage, a long couch was installed along the left wall of the carriage.

It was designed for Baek Rin Eui-seon to lie down and rest comfortably.

“It can’t be helped. I owe a lot to the Cloud Dragon Escort Bureau. And since I saved his younger brother today, it’s a fair repayment.”

“Dam Ja-Gang, you mean?”

“That’s right. It’s a pity about the deaths of other people…but it’s hard to compare with a brother’s death.”

“So, with this, you’ve repaid your debt to the Cloud Dragon Escort Bureau.”

“If you want to call it that, then yes.”

Looking at Jae-Gal Rin, who was still covered with a hot towel, the beautiful man just sighed.

“Still, you’ve pushed yourself too hard. Really…you know that controlling groans and pulses isn’t easy.”

“I know, but what can I do? When my family’s ancestral home was in trouble, it was the leader of the Cloud Dragon Escort Bureau who hid me. If I disregard his request, I won’t be able to live with myself.”

“Hmm…the master is really…”

The fox-like man, whose name was Yoo Ho, reached out again with a sympathetic look in his eyes and retrieved the towel. Then he dipped it back into the hot water and placed it back on Jae-Gal Rin’s face.

“There’s not much time left. If I, who was meant to die sooner, have lived past the age of 40, I would live a long time.”

“Why are you saying that knowing that I don’t like it?”

With an expression of disgust, Yoo Ho asked as he covered Jae-Gal Rin with a towel.

“I suddenly want to take on a disciple.”

“Master…”

“That’s right. I originally planned not to leave any sucessor, but my heart was moved.”

“Is the child worth it?”

Jae-Gal Rin nodded slightly.

“I want to talk to the child tomorrow. Can you prepare for that?”

Yoo Ho bit his lip but soon nodded.

“I’ll do as you command. But…”

“I know. Raising a disciple is not an easy task, and it will probably shorten my lifespan.”

“Then why do you want to do it?”

Yoo-ho grumbled as he put the towel back into the kettle.

“That kid is worth the trouble.”

“Sigh, I’m ignorant and don’t really know. I’ll be satisfied as long as master lives for a long time…That’s all.”

“Yeah, I know your heart.”

Jae-gal Rin faintly smiled. But Yoo Ho knew that when he had that expression, he would never give up his stubbornness.

‘Why does he go to such lengths for this child? Baek Rin Eui-seon, the best doctor in the world.’

His heart trembled.

Yoo Ho hoped that the child, who may or may not know of this sacrifice, would realize that this was not an easy opportunity.

****

The scent of herbs filled the air. It was a fragrance that Jin Cheon-hee often smelt in the market when he was younger. He groaned as he tried to get up.

“Please lie down.”

Jin Cheon-hee, who was writhing in pain, opened his eyelids at the low voice.

In front of him was Baek Rin Eui-seon and numerous officials. It was a ridiculous sight to see them surrounding a skinny child, but everyone’s expression was serious.

‘Wow… This… His gaze is so intense…’

Jin Cheon-hee felt cold sweat forming.

Inside a building, there were several beds around. Among them, a boy (presumably The future Demon King, Yeo Ha-ryun) whom Jin Cheon-hee had treated was lying down in one of them.

‘Where did the other two go?’

As he looked at them, Jin Cheon-hee cautiously asked.

“Where is this…?”

“One of the buildings that belong to the Cloud Dragon Escort Bureau. You slept through the transfer, so we left you here since you weren’t completely unconscious.”

Jin Cheon-hee looked at the person closest to him, who was speaking.

A very beautiful man who had tied back his silver sparkling hair.

‘Wow, he really looks like a celebrity up close. But is Baek Rin Eui-seon younger or older than me?’

As a Confucian man of Korea, Jin Cheon-hee compared his age to Baek Rin Eui-seon but gave up. He was a child in appearance anyway, and it would be ridiculous for him to complain about the age difference.

‘Anyway, even to a child like me, he speaks politely. He is quite a person.’

Since he was young, Jin Cheon-hee had always been fascinated with martial arts novels, which often featured characters who didn’t speak politely to those younger than them.

A person who could be called a sage and a doctor.

He was a man with many secrets and was not an easily disposable person as a result.

He briefly recounted what happened while Jin Cheon-hee was unconscious.

Baek Rin Eui-seon finished the treatment himself, but he explained that if it weren’t for Jin Cheon-hee’s initial intervention, they could have all died.

In other words, it wasn’t an exaggeration to say that Jin Cheon-hee saved the lives of the patients. There would be no major side effects, and they would repay him with gratitude, not just the Cloud Dragon Escort Bureau but also the Gongson family.

“Uh… Gongson?”

“Yes. Do you remember the soldier with a sword on her waist that you saved?”

“Ah, yes.”

One child, one middle-aged man, and one young woman.

“She was a Gongson’s daughter, who was doing the duties of a registration officer in the Cloud Dragon Escort Bureau. And if it weren’t for you, she might have…”

Baek Rin Eui-seon’s words trailed off, but everyone understood what he meant.

Upon hearing this, Jin Cheon-hee became somewhat dazed.

‘Gongson family. It must be a family that is introduced later. I saved her because I wanted to save someone who was dying… But is she the daughter of an important bloodline of the Gongson family? She must not a regular member since they are willing to repay me this much.’

Perhaps because the novel was so long, or because he was in a dazed state.

He had to think for a while before his memories began to come back to him.

As far as Jin Cheon-hee knew, they were a group made up of the same bloodline. However, depending on whether they were direct or collateral bloodlines, they were naturally treated differently.

It was a common story in martial arts novels. No, it was a common story in reality as well.

After finishing his thoughts, Jin Cheon-hee slowly got up. Even though he was in pain, he thought he should stand up and talk.

Then a man next to him helped him up by holding onto his body. When he glanced at him, he saw that he was a handsome man with clear eyes.

‘Isn’t he Yoo Ho, the secretary who serves Baek Rin Eui-seon?’

He thought this to himself because Yoo Ho’s eyes were not a common one.

Standing up completely with his help, Jin Cheon-hee looked at Baek Rin Eui-seon.

“No. I just helped with my mediocre skills. I am just happy to have been able to help.”

‘It’s hard to understand everything yet, but for now, it’s better to be polite.’

Jin Cheon-hee thought this way and acted seriously. And Baek Rin Eui-seon’s eyes sparkled at such sight.

Jin Cheon-hee didn’t notice it

****

Baek Rin Eui-seon said,

“First, it’s internal medicine. Gongson family sent it to repay the favor.”

SFX; CLACK

He opened the lid of the wooden box.

The redwood was carved with a pine tree, which symbolized the Gongson family, but it was unknown to Jin Cheon-hee.

As soon as he opened the lid, the room was filled with a refreshing scent. It was like walking in a pine forest early in the morning.

Everyone except Jin Cheon-hee let out a gasp in an instant.

“Baek Song-hwan!”

It was a special medicinal pill made by gathering pine needles that grew from a pine tree that had been alive for over a hundred years, and it contained the life force of the hundred-year-old pine tree.

Although it was not as high-class as Cheon Song-dan made with the vital energy of a thousand-year-old pine tree, Baek Song-hwan alone was a tremendous medicinal pill.

It was even more valuable because it not only had the effect of internal medicine but also enhanced the user’s inner strength.

Translator’s Note:
1. Baek Rin Eui-seon(백린의선) and Jae-Gal Rin(재갈린), is the same character and I plan to use both names in the course of this novel.(I just need to clarify this to avoid future confusion.)

2. “Pyeong” (평) is a unit of measurement used in Korea for area. It is equivalent to 3.3058m2 or approximately 35.583ft2.