In the martial world, honor and reputation were worth staking one’s life on.

Countless warriors would rather fight to the death than endure an insult.

“Demanding that we hand over our patient is an affront to the White Dragon Medical Pavilion. Does the Yangtze Waterway Faction truly intend to tarnish our honor and defile the spirit of our Medical Pavilion?” Jin Cheonhee declared.

His words carried a clear message:

Demand our patient, and we’ll fight to the end!

When honor and reputation were invoked to this degree, it was tantamount to a warning to back off.

“Hmph… Quite the silver tongue… So, you’re refusing to hand her over?” Hae Yeong-do growled.

“Yes. If you press further, neither the Yangtze Waterway Faction nor any of its affiliates will receive treatment from the White Dragon Medical Pavilion,” Jin Cheonhee replied.

“What did you say?” Hae Yeong-do roared.

“You threaten us to surrender a patient, violating the Medical Pavilion’s code. We have no choice but to respond this way,” Jin Cheonhee said calmly.

“Damn it, what the hell!” Hae Yeong-do’s face twisted into a ferocious snarl.

A thick wave of killing intent began to emanate from him.

But it didn’t reach Jin Cheonhee.

Wang Chae-baek, the Phantom Archer, had unleashed the aura of the Divine Bow of Destruction, pushing back Hae Yeong-do’s force.

The situation grew tense, and the thoughts of those around them grew tangled.

“You’re supposed to adhere to the non-killing oath, aren’t you? Is this allowed?” Hae Yeong-do taunted.

“We prioritize the lives of our patients. Suppose you were injured and being treated here, and a mob demanded we hand you over. Should we comply?” Jin Cheonhee countered.

“No, that’s…” Hae Yeong-do faltered.

Jin Cheonhee pressed on.

“Or is it that it’s fine for others but not for you? What a cowardly mindset.”

If Hae Yeong-do agreed to such a precedent, he’d never be safe in any Medical Pavilion if injured.

But denying it would deeply wound his pride.

Ironically, even unorthodox warriors hated being called cowardly.

Cornered, Hae Yeong-do chose a third path.

“Fuck this! You’re calling me a cowardly rat, you bastard? Die!” he roared, charging forward.

His temper’s not just hot… No, he’s attacking to avoid being branded a despicable coward. Not a bad move.

Despite the urgency, Jin Cheonhee, operating the Profound Origin Heaven and Earth Divine Technique, saw the cold calculation in Hae Yeong-do’s eyes.

Hae Yeong-do lifted his thick broadsword from his shoulder, slashing downward with the force to cleave in two.

The power was beyond imagination!

Though not infused with sword qi, the strike clearly held enough might to split boulders.

But Jin Cheonhee’s side had a Transformation Realm master too.

Once a persistent villain tormenting Yeo Ha-ryoon in the original novel, Wang Chae-baek was now the Vice Leader of the White Dragon Medical Pavilion’s Martial Force Hall.

Ping! Ping! Ping! Ping! Ping!

A sound like snapping air rang out as multiple arrows flew.

Wang Chae-baek had drawn his bow, firing five invisible arrows of qi.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Five explosive blasts echoed as Hae Yeong-do staggered back.

He’d deflected the Formless Arrows with his broadsword, but their force was so overwhelming that he was pushed back.

“Know your place, pirate scum. To dare raise a hand against our Minor Pavilion Master… You’ll pay for that crime with your head,” Wang Chae-baek declared.

The crowd swallowed hard.

Hae Yeong-do, the Saber King.

No one had ever dismissed him for being unorthodox.

His title carried undeniable weight.

Even among Transformation Realm masters, the Ten Great Masters were considered a cut above.

To force such a figure to retreat meant Wang Chae-baek, previously lesser-known, was a peerless master in his own right!

Amid this, a calm voice rang out.

“Benefactor Wang’s prowess is extraordinary. This humble monk will withdraw if Benefactor Gong promises to return our temple’s sacred treasure,” said Won Jin, Master of the Arhat Hall.

His words, representing Shaolin, complicated everyone’s expressions.

“Master Won Jin, are you saying you’ll let Thieving Phantom go?” someone asked.

“Amitabha. How could this humble monk not see the White Dragon Medical Pavilion’s virtuous deeds reaching the heavens? Their words align with reason, so I merely follow,” Won Jin replied.

Perhaps because of his unexpected statement, Hwangbo Sun, cloaked in the veneer of a righteous faction, was momentarily speechless.

Though his expression didn’t change, he was likely scrambling for a retort.

At that moment, Hae Yeong-do snapped.

“You bastard!” he roared, his single eye bloodshot, likely from the influence of the evil art he’d mastered.

A dark crimson aura surged from his broadsword.

“Die for real this time!”

His blade unleashed a wave of red, engulfing Jin Cheonhee.

“Stand back, Vice Leader Wang,” Jin Cheonhee transmitted.

Then, he stepped forward.

I can’t let Ha-ryoon show himself with so many people here. And I can’t be underestimated. I need to step up and win overwhelmingly.

His sole desire was simple: for people to save people.

Yet, why was it so difficult? The physician didn’t know.

He knew only one thing.

In the sword-filled forest of the martial world, medical knowledge alone couldn’t save lives.

So, Jin Cheonhee took a step forward.

His first action was to extend his hand.

The Profound Origin Heaven and Earth Divine Technique surged to its peak.

His formidable mental strength, honed in the Transformation Realm, supported him.

The abilities gained from the Dragon’s Jewel elevated his mind beyond human limits.

The world changed.

He perceived and calculated the flow of air.

The flow of qi was detected and controlled.

The opponent’s muscles were analyzed and predicted.

Everything was discerned within Jin Cheonhee’s small mind.

A miraculous state never before reached in the Hua Empire.

A product of chance, opportunity, effort, and near-mad obsession.

If it needed a name, Jin Cheonhee would call it:

Realm of Martial Mind – Human Righteousness Transcendence Arts[1].

He saw the movement of bones, skin, and muscles.

He understood what the man intended.

His thoughts, flashing like lightning, branched out, analyzing every habit, even reading the true killing intent.

So that’s it.

Jin Cheonhee extended his hand.

His speed was just a fraction faster than the descending broadsword.

His hand struck the blade’s side.

In that fleeting moment, an explosion of the Five Elements Annihilation erupted from his hand.

Kaboom!

The blast and shockwave pushed the broadsword aside, but Hae Yeong-do, with a composed expression, raised his foot for a second attack.

Yet, it was within Jin Cheonhee’s predictions.

The hand that struck the blade, carrying the recoil, flipped and unleashed its force downward.

Bang!

The palm force struck Hae Yeong-do’s knee before his foot could fully rise, contorting his face in pain.

In that moment, Jin Cheonhee took a second step, extending his other hand—the one that hadn’t struck the blade.

Thwack!

It hit Hae Yeong-do’s ear.

The qi-infused strike shook his cochlea, causing him to stagger momentarily.

No matter how skilled in qi arts, no one could withstand a disrupted inner ear. As he stumbled, Jin Cheonhee’s compassionate hand reached him.

Crack. Crunch. Thud-thud.

Dislocated jaw. Dislocated shoulders. Sealed acupoints.

In an instant.

Hae Yeong-do, the Saber King, was utterly neutralized head-on by Jin Cheonhee, newly ranked among the Eleven Great Masters.

Neutralized, but not killed.

Even this life had to continue.

Even if it meant atoning for past sins.

That, too, was life.

Colder than Buddhist mercy, yet warmer than Legalist philosophy.

Death was no escape.

A person’s karma had to be cleansed in their lifetime.

That was Jin Cheonhee’s Realm of Martial Mind Transcendence Arts.

Human Righteousness.

“Urgh…” Hae Yeong-do groaned.

“Next patient?” Jin Cheonhee said, scanning the crowd.

A profound silence pressed down on the scene.

No one had expected such an overwhelming spectacle.

Shock.

Astonishment.

The sensation electrified the crowd, leaving them trembling as if struck by lightning.

“Waaaaaaah!”

“Minor Pavilion Master! Minor Pavilion Master!”

Stomp! Stomp! Stomp! Stomp!

The White Dragon Medical Pavilion’s martial warriors stomped in unison, the rhythm so powerful it felt like an earthquake.

“White-Robed Divine Dragon! White-Robed Divine Dragon! White-Robed Divine Dragon! Waaaaaaah!”

The pavilion’s morale soared, piercing the heavens.

The Yangtze Waterway Faction’s warriors looked pale, and the others were no different.

Jin Cheonhee raised his hand.

Like magic, silence fell.

“Next patient, please,” he said.

No one responded.

***

“Amitabha. Then this humble monk will trust Benefactor Jin’s words and take my leave.”

“I’ll ensure it’s returned, so you needn’t worry.”

“Such kindness… I’m grateful for your future consideration.”

After this exchange, Won Jin, Master of the Arhat Hall, politely withdrew with the Shaolin monks.

Though their numbers were the smallest, the monks were arguably the strongest force, so their departure significantly eased the tension.

“I’ll take my leave as well. I’d like to have a private talk with Minor Pavilion Master Jin sometime.”

“Safe travels.”

Hwangbo Sun, the Bearskin Fox of the Hwangbo Clan, also retreated willingly.

After the two righteous factions left, what of the remaining unorthodox factions?

“We just came a long way for some group treatment. White-Robed Divine Dragon… No, I heard the Little Divine Doctor is busy, so we hoped to catch a glimpse from afar…”

Woo Shin, Life-Ending Spear, groveled, rubbing his hands, and actually received treatment for hemorrhoids.

Jin Cheonhee suspected it was due to an unsanitary environment.

Hae Yeong-do, his dislocated bones reset, retreated with his men, swearing never to harm the White Dragon Medical Pavilion again.

Chu Kwang, Monstrous Strength Blood Axe, challenged Jin Cheonhee to a spar out of competitive spirit, only to end up in the same state as Hae Yeong-do, treated, and sent back.

Ultimately, this incident sent shockwaves through the martial world.