Doctor’s Rebirth - Chapter 111

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 111
I arrived at the city with the Pyoguk members, the wounded, and the bandits bound in rope.
Thanks to turning the bandits over to the magistrate’s office, I received a modest reward.
Before I could give my real name when asked, the Pyosa accompanying me proudly declared, “I am Seo Baek-ryong!”
For some reason, simply traveling with me seemed to fill him with pride as he puffed out his chest.
“Seo Baek-ryong. You’re truly Seo Baek-ryong? The disciple of the Medical Sage from Baekrin Uigak…?”
The constables’ eyes rolled about as if they were about to present me to some high-ranking official. If I ended up caring for the bodies of such exalted nobles, there would be no end to it.
My Master had once told me something.
-Say you’re busy. Hee-ya. You must absolutely say you’re busy.
There’s no high-ranking noble who would refuse a doctor.
And the disciple of one of the Three Greatest Divine Physicians under Heaven?
There’s no way you’d escape within this week.
After entertaining them with lavish feasts, you’d end up taking the pulse of relatives eight degrees removed.
I spoke immediately.
“I have urgent business to attend to.”
“B-but….”
“I’ll gladly accept the travel expenses. Farewell!”
In a flash, I used Heavenly Foresight to escape swiftly.
The constables’ mouths fell open as if a ghost had come and gone.
The Pyosa noticed as well and, leaving the constables with “Then we’ll be on our way too!”, they chased after me.
Pyo Du Gong Il-sang spoke.
“Are you truly leaving like this?”
“I believe I’ve done all I can.”
At those words, Gong Il-sang scratched his spiky head vigorously.
“My younger brother seems to have made a mistake. I’m truly sorry.”
“Not at all. I would have left soon anyway.”
Gong Il-sang’s face flushed red.
“Though the Benefactor said it was fine, my heart remains uneasy. You mentioned heading to Hangzhou—would you be willing to stop by our Pyoguk if it’s convenient? We’ll certainly prepare proper lodging for the Benefactor.”
“….”
When I didn’t answer, Gong Il-sang hastily continued.
“It troubles my heart to let you go like this. There’s… ah, a renowned inn in Hangzhou, and I’ll have them reserve the finest bedroom for you.”
A renowned inn in Hangzhou.
Regardless of other things, the prospect of a fine restaurant was quite appealing.
As someone from the modern era, I’m quite the gourmet. In the old days, I could simply check my phone to know which places were renowned and what their ratings were, but here I had to rely solely on intuition.
As a result, I’d experienced several bitter failures.
‘A fine restaurant. A fine restaurant is… important.’
For me, it was an important matter that determined the quality of my day.
Moreover, Hangzhou’s specialty was Dongpo pork.
Just thinking of the rich soy sauce aroma and the tender, succulent meat made my mouth water.
“I understand.”
If I fail to find a good restaurant by the time I reach Hangzhou, I’ll regret it for years to come.
I resolved then and there that I would taste Hangzhou’s finest Dongpo pork no matter what.
Gong Il-sang then produced another pouch of silver from his pocket.
“This is travel compensation. I’ve felt uneasy about providing only medical fees before.”
“That is….”
“I would be grateful if you would accept it, Silver Artisan.”
As I accepted the pouch, I came to a realization.
‘Pyoguk… they certainly earn considerable coin.’
Perhaps it was because they risked their lives.
Even a small Pyoguk like this could afford such generous compensation.
I didn’t refuse the money they offered.
“Thank you.”
This would supplement my delicious meal nicely.
* * *
Hangzhou.
It lay at the end of the winding Yangtze River, where it touched the sea.
Since the Grand Canal was constructed during the Sui Dynasty, it had flourished continuously as the center of commerce.
On Earth, Marco Polo had described it in his Travels.
Below the massive lower reaches of the Yangtze, pavilions stretched endlessly.
The scents of octopus, lard, and soy sauce drifted through the market streets.
“Wow.”
Hangzhou itself was a commercial district, a tourist district, and an entertainment district all at once.
Where there was light, there was shadow—smuggling flourished here, and it was where Haowen’s influence was most deeply entrenched.
The Yangtze River pirates operated here as well.
While heterodox sects held the upper hand overall, orthodox factions were not without presence.
The Namgung Clan of Anhui constantly sought to expand their influence here, and Botha Sword Gate, located in Zhushan County, also fell within this region.
In other words, Hangzhou and Zhejiang Province maintained a tense balance of power between heterodox sects like Haowen and the Yangtze River pirates, and orthodox factions like the Namgung Clan and Botha Sword Gate.
Where money gathered, both orthodox and heterodox sects could sustain their influence indefinitely.
‘I benefited from studying such power structures in advance under my Master, but this place held considerable weight in the novel as well.’
It was where the Hao Munzhu and Yeo Ha-ryun would meet.
In this Hangzhou, the Hao Munzhu resided.
As the leader of the criminal sect known as Haowen, the Hao Munzhu rarely revealed his face to outsiders.
Yet he would eventually encounter Yeo Ha-ryun and bring a massive incident to its conclusion.
Which itself became the beginning of another incident.
‘Even so, that’s still 15 to 20 years in the future.’
It wasn’t explicitly stated, but given that these events occurred after Yeo Ha-ryun became the Heavenly Demon, I estimated it would be roughly 15 to 20 years from now.
‘By now, the Hao Munzhu would still be a little brat. He was described as quite young.’
It was hard to believe that such a vicious and cruel bastard was just a child.
That guy was so ruthless he’d partner with snakes without hesitation.
‘I have no way of knowing whether that bastard is even in Hangzhou at this age.’
The future Hao Munzhu was in Hangzhou, but whether the past Hao Munzhu was also there remained unknown to me.
Even in the novel’s descriptions, there was no account of what circumstances had driven him to become such a villain.
He was a antagonist shrouded in mystery across many aspects.
‘The novel’s content I’ve seen depicts a future fifteen to twenty years from now, so the present must be quite different.’
According to what my Master taught me, Hangzhou is currently dominated by four sects working in near-perfect cooperation.
The Anwhui Trading House—a sect and merchant enterprise founded by relatives of the Namgung clan.
The Heavenly Pavilion—directly established and managed by Haowen.
The Bopta Delivery Service—founded by a lay disciple of the Bopta Sword Sect.
The Equator Sect—backed by the Yangtze River Water Bandits.
These four establishments are the true centers of Hangzhou’s power.
‘It’s complicated. Is the Bopta Delivery Service where I need to go?’
The Gongun Delivery Service, where Gong Il-sang operates, maintains an alliance with the Bopta Delivery Service—essentially, the larger Bopta Delivery Service subcontracts work to Gongun.
Both founders were lay disciples who came from the Bopta Sect, and I understand that the distribution of profits favors the Bopta Delivery Service.
Since they were fellow disciples who once shared the same pot of rice, the Bopta Delivery Service supports the smaller Gongun Delivery Service.
A form of mutual aid in their own way.
‘Even though they’re competitors, they certainly have broad hearts.’
In Gangho, the bond of fellow disciples carries a depth of meaning that modern people cannot comprehend, making such things possible.
‘Watching something like this makes my blood boil.’
Romance is a beautiful thing.
I smiled wryly.
* * *
The Bopta Delivery Service was so large that finding it posed no difficulty.
Even at this very moment, countless delivery packages and people were flowing in and out.
‘Since I need to go to Zhushan County anyway and will need to board a boat, it’s best to receive the Delivery Service’s assistance.’
As I entered through the large gate, a Gak Pyosa approached me.
“For requests, you must go through that entrance.”
Oops, it seemed I had entered through the back gate where the couriers passed.
I pulled out the token hanging beneath my sleeve and showed it to him.
“I’ve come to see the people from the Gongun Delivery Service.”
A silver token from the Baekrin Medical Guild.
Upon seeing my name, he spoke in surprise.
“Ah! You’re Seo Baek-ryong? We received word from the Gongun Delivery Service! You’re quite young, I must say.”
It seemed word of me had already spread throughout the Bopta Delivery Service.
“Seo Baek-ryong has arrived!”
At his shout, couriers came rushing down from the upper floors—people wearing the garb of the Gongun Delivery Service, not the Bopta.
So they were indeed renting space here.
Yet it was remarkable to see that even among the couriers, they addressed each other as senior and junior.
“I am Gong Ban-ha, Master of the Gongun Delivery Service. I am delighted to meet the great hero Seo Baek-ryong.”
Gong Ban-ha was a woman with a gentle impression, and true to her status as a lay disciple of the Bopta Sect, she wore a long sword at her waist.
Though her attire was more worn than that of the Bopta Delivery Service, the aura she emanated was that of the righteous path.
“Shall I show you inside? You’re a benefactor of Gong Un Pyoguk, so we should receive you as an honored guest.”
Though Gong Un Pyoguk was poorer than Bota Pyoguk, not a single Pyosa among its members wore their clothes carelessly.
I shook my head.
“If I accept such hospitality, I’d feel too indebted. It’s fine, really.”
“Please don’t say that. If we don’t repay kindness properly, the fellow travelers of Gangho will mock us!”
This person seemed determined to escort me inside no matter what.
“I really mean it. The truth is, this is my first time in Hangzhou, and I wanted to stay at an inn with good food.”
I finally revealed my true colors.
Good restaurants.
What could be more important than that when traveling?
Of course, the food served in the Pyoguk’s guest hall wouldn’t be bad, but I really wanted to eat freshly prepared dishes from an inn’s kitchen.
Especially Dongpo pork!
Freshly steamed warm Dongpo pork served over rice—that’s true culinary perfection!
I didn’t want to miss that opportunity. I was desperate.
“Ah! I see. My apologies, benefactor. I made a mistake. Understood. I’ve already received word to arrange a decent inn for you. Is there anything else I can help you with?”
Bundata Master Gong Ban-ha was quick to read the situation.
Normally, she would have brought tea and food, and deliberately slowed her pace to take advantage of the opportunity for a free pulse diagnosis from the next divine physician. But she didn’t.
“I’m heading to Zhushan Island to personally collect rare medicinal herbs. I’d like to request passage by boat. I’ll provide adequate compensation, so I’d appreciate the fastest available passage.”
At my words, she shook her head.
“Compensation? That’s out of the question! Wait a moment, Gak Pyosa!”
Gak Pyosa hurried over and whispered something in her ear.
Soon after, she nodded.
“There’s a boat heading to Bota Mountain on Zhushan Island in three days. I’ll arrange a spot for you. Can you wait until then?”
Three days.
I had expected about a week, so I didn’t think it would happen this quickly.
‘It seems she’s forcing the arrangements somehow…’
I wasn’t one to ignore kindness offered to me.
“Thank you.”
“Then, great hero, would you follow me? I’ll arrange a suitable room at an inn for you.”
I didn’t expect Bundata Master to guide me personally.
I scratched my cheek.
“If you just tell me the location, I can find my own way there.”
“The streets of Hangzhou are complicated and numerous—outsiders often lose their way. If I let you go like this, my heart would be uneasy. Please allow me to do at least this much.”
At those words, I glanced at her.
Her intention to gain my favor through this gesture was obvious, but there seemed to be no other malice behind it.
“Understood. I’ll follow you.”
“Then I’ll take the liberty of leading the way.”
She walked a step ahead of me.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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