Doctor’s Rebirth - Chapter 112

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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 112
As she walked silently down the main street of Hangzhou, many people stepped aside or exchanged light greetings upon seeing her.
It seemed she held considerable respect among the locals.
The way she exchanged pleasantries and passed by was remarkably practiced—a far cry from the clumsy Gong Il-sang, the station master.
‘Now that I think about it, their faces do resemble each other.’
I asked her.
“What is your relationship to Gong Il-sang, the station master?”
At my words, Bundata Master Gong Ban-ha laughed, covering her lips with her sleeve.
“The Gongwon Guard Station is a trade bureau operated by the Gong clan. Gong Il-sang is my younger brother.”
“Your faces are similar, but your temperaments are so different I didn’t realize.”
“He’s only just begun learning the trade, so he’s still quite clumsy. Still, I’m grateful beyond measure that you saved my brother. He’s still lacking in martial skill and trade experience.”
‘Ah. A capable older sister and a still-immature younger brother. Quite the opposite of the Namgung family.’
She seemed quite concerned about her brother, chattering on about him.
She mentioned how he would have been stuck at a desk otherwise, wondering what wind had blown him toward becoming a trade official. She worried whether he was sleeping well on the road.
From the way she asked if he smelled when they met, it seemed she was also concerned about whether he was bathing properly.
“That boy couldn’t enter the Bota Trade Bureau, so he trained for a long time as a disciple under another bureau. But his progress was slow, and I worried endlessly about it.”
Relief was evident in her voice.
It seemed Gong Il-sang had indeed pushed himself too hard in his trade duties.
‘I shouldn’t mention that he was being roughed up by bandits.’
One slip of the tongue would unleash a living hell upon Gong Il-sang.
I spoke with the mindset of an accomplice.
“The mountain terrain is quite treacherous, and with their ambush tactics, there was little that could be done. Even the strongest masters become vulnerable to surprise attacks.”
“That may be true, but… regardless, I’ll have him undergo further training once he returns.”
‘Hmm. My attempt to shield him failed.’
Looking at it positively, if he ventured out with that level of skill and faced the same situation again, it might be better for him to strengthen his abilities now.
That’s what I thought.
‘Come to think of it, the people of the Bota Trade Bureau moved with quite orderly steps.’
Even Gong Ban-ha leading the way had an upright, light gait that was remarkable.
‘True to the saying of “elite few,” their numbers weren’t many, but each one looked strong.’
They were worthy of a bureau that had produced sword masters from each generation.
Finally, the place she guided us to was an inn called the Cheongsang Inn.
“It’s the largest inn in Hangzhou. It’s also operated by the Namgung clan’s merchant house.”
Did she know that the Namgung clan and I had connections?
I realized that the Gongwon Guard Station couldn’t be underestimated.
She spoke.
“Ah, and the cuisine here ranks among the top five in Hangzhou, so you won’t be disappointed. They’re particularly skilled at Dongpo pork.”
She smiled brightly.
Before my eyes stood a massive six-story pavilion.
‘In modern terms, it would be a hotel… but this?’
She went inside, showed her identification token to the server, and handed over some silver.
I left word to treat the Pyoguk’s benefactor with utmost respect.
“Thank you so much.”
I bowed deeply to her. She shook her head at my words.
“Not at all. Saving my brother’s life is a debt far greater than anything I could repay. Oh, and…”
She withdrew a jade token from her robes. It was carved from jade and inscribed with “Gongwon Guard Station.”
“Whenever you need assistance, simply show this token. While we don’t have a large presence in Bunta, we can certainly help you wherever we are.”
* * *
The Cheongsang Inn greeted visitors with an appetizing aroma from the very entrance.
My stomach rumbled audibly—a sign I was in the perfect state to enjoy a delicious meal.
“Welcome!”
Thanks to the tip I’d received from Gong Ban-ha, the server had become noticeably more courteous.
I took my seat at a spacious table as the server guided me.
“I’ll have the braised pork belly, and please choose a couple of your best dishes.”
“Understood! What about wine?”
Braised pork belly pairs perfectly with alcohol. I hesitated before waving my hand.
“Warm tea will be fine.”
“Very good.”
“Oh, and please bring the rice piping hot and piled high.”
“Don’t worry! I’ll bring it fresh from the pot. Say, you’re quite fortunate, sir.”
“How so?”
“We have a performance tonight! Enjoying both the show and our delicacies—there’s no finer pleasure in the world.”
“Excellent!”
My eyes lit up with anticipation.
“Especially paired with our inn’s signature Tianxia Liangzhou wine—the finest taste under heaven…”
“Wine won’t be necessary.”
“Ah, my mouth gets ahead of me.”
The server slapped his own cheeks and hurried away.
Glancing at the prices written on the wall, I saw that the Tianxia Liangzhou wine cost more than all my food combined.
It was the second most expensive wine they offered.
Expensive, yes, but not impossibly so—the kind of price one could justify with determination.
Though my wallet would weep the next day.
‘That was close. I almost got swindled. This is Hangzhou, after all. I nearly bought wine without thinking.’
Indeed, a major city. I would absolutely not fall for such tricks.
I clenched my fists with resolve.
Time passed.
The dishes began arriving at my table one by one.
The moment I saw the plump, glistening braised pork belly, I nearly lost my composure.
‘How different could it be from Earth’s version? Gulp…’
Carefully, I maneuvered my chopsticks to place the braised pork belly atop the freshly cooked mound of rice, then drizzled the savory broth over the grains with my spoon.
In this moment, my mind was as serene as a Buddhist monk observing a vow of silence.
And I inhaled the Dongpo pork along with the rice.
‘Hssss…!’
It was hotter than I expected.
I could have used the Five Elements Divine Art to cool it, but I didn’t want to.
This heat was part of the joy of traveling.
The aroma of freshly cooked rice filled my mouth. Soon, the star of the dish—the Dongpo pork—reached the tip of my tongue.
A tender, chewy texture touched my tongue and molars.
‘Delicious!’
Was it because it was cooked in a cast iron pot?
Or was it because the rice was hand-milled rather than factory-processed?
I couldn’t say for certain, but this was the most delicious thing I’d ever eaten in my entire life.
‘Ugh… tears… tears are coming.’
An overwhelming sense of emotion washed over me—that I had traveled all this way for this very meal.
This time, I wrapped the bok choy around the Dongpo pork and put it in my mouth.
Between the thoroughly braised bok choy, the Dongpo pork melted against my tongue.
I felt myself falling for this texture that was so tender it was almost embarrassing to chew.
I began eagerly devouring the Dongpo pork.
I was happy.
I even felt gratitude toward Namgung Un.
Where had he found such a chef and had them create such food?
‘This is karma. Good karma.’
That was when it happened.
About five children began climbing onto the stage in the center of the inn.
One of the girls among them called out in a clear, ringing voice.
“After the master of Face Changing, Elder Shi, passed away, his direct disciple Sama Hyeon has come here. He will now demonstrate his skills!”
Roooar!
Face Changing.
It refers to a performance where silk masks called face designs are swapped back and forth to tell a story.
Because the movements are so fast it seems like magic, the audience sees the face continuously transforming.
It seemed to be famous in the area, as people were already applauding.
‘No adults, only children performing?’
That was quite remarkable.
I finished one plate of Dongpo pork and ordered another. In the meantime, I began emptying the crayfish dish and cold chicken salad.
The girl spoke.
“The realm of one breath, one transformation!”
The performance began. The children each played instruments.
The girl who had been the announcer quickly moved backstage and began playing the pipa.
It couldn’t be called professional-level playing, but it was enough to set the mood.
And then a young man, said to be Elder Shi’s disciple, took the stage.
A mask painted on silk from that era.
The young man’s mask changed rapidly in rhythm with the music, shifting with each beat.
I focused my perception, trying to discern exactly how the young man was switching his masks.
‘Wow, even with my eyes, it’s quite blurry to follow.’
The Hyeonwon Jeondan Divine Art was a technique that allowed one to comprehend and calculate many things in a short span of time.
If even my eyes couldn’t clearly see the transformations, it meant this young man was quite a master of mask-changing techniques.
‘At that age, he can already do this?’
A child performing tricks for money at an inn couldn’t possibly be from a prestigious family.
Children raised from infancy with proper martial training and spiritual cultivation wouldn’t be made to perform like this.
Which meant this mask-changing skill was purely the boy’s natural talent.
One step, five changes—with each stride, the mask transformed five times.
True to those words, the young man’s mask changed five times with every step he took.
Everyone gasped in admiration at such breathtaking skill.
I applauded as well. I could do so only because Dongpa-yuk hadn’t arrived yet.
Had he been here, I would have been absorbed in cultivation instead.
As I was clapping, I suddenly recalled a passage from the novel “The Heavenly Demon’s Supremacy.”
‘Now that I think about it, wasn’t Hao Munzhu a master of mask-changing?’
The martial art he had mastered was the Thousand Transformation Mask Technique.
This man was so vicious that he didn’t use masks made of material—he used human skin.
Human Skin Mask.
It referred to wearing a mask made from human skin, though in reality, actual human skin was rarely used.
Instead, masks made from pig hide treated with special medicines were employed.
But Hao Munzhu actually used real human facial skin for his disguises.
—That face, I really do want it. Would you mind giving it to me~?
Hao Munzhu also used acupoint strikes, but they were different from those of the Medical Hall.
He used a technique that paralyzed the facial muscles while leaving the victim fully conscious of the pain.
Thus he would peel away the victim’s facial skin and wear it himself.
The victim had to watch, alive and aware, as their own face was stripped away and a demon-like creature wearing their identical face stared down at them.
His grip strength was extraordinary.
Without even using a blade, he would simply tear away another person’s facial skin with his bare hands.
This was one reason why he wasn’t well-described in the novel.
He never revealed his true face.
Of course, I knew Hao Munzhu’s face, but even his own followers couldn’t tell if it was his real face or simply a human skin mask worn by someone else.
Though he had a name, it was uncertain whether that was his true name or an alias.
‘Ah, no… it couldn’t be.’
The young man before my eyes carried none of that sinister quality from the novel.
He simply performed his tricks and genuinely enjoyed the audience’s amazement.
Waaaah—!
After the performance ended, the children thrust a basket toward the crowd to collect money.
People casually tossed in a coin or two.
I fell into contemplation.
“….”
What emerged from my pouch was a substantial silver ingot.
Clink—
The Girl’s eyes widened at the weight of it in her hands.
“Thank you! Thank you so much!”
She quickly scurried away before anyone could snatch it from her.
‘Whether this young man becomes the future Hao Munzhu or not, at least I’ll have done some good.’
If the boy before me truly became the future Hao Munzhu, I could forge a connection of sorts. And even if he didn’t, those children would eat well for a week—that was enough.
I picked up my chopsticks again.
The next serving of Dongpo pork had just arrived.
‘I’m going to demolish this restaurant’s Dongpo pork today.’
My expression grew quite determined.

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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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