Doctor’s Rebirth - Chapter 164

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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 164
“Then I shall proceed with that understanding.”
“Good. By the way, I’ve already informed your Master about the sponsorship funds.”
I’d heard about it in passing, but an astronomical sum was set to arrive.
A portion of this would flow into my own coffers, which I planned to allocate toward the soap business and post-treatment care.
‘Both the Emperor and Ju Wang-ya are remarkably generous. Perhaps it’s the royal blood—their spending is lavish. Thank you. Thank you indeed.’
I made an effort to keep my lips from loosening into a smile. Even the slightest lapse in composure would have me grinning like a fool.
Eun Wang-ya observed my other wrist.
The bracelet Ju Wang-ya had given me—no, the symbol of the Inspector.
She gazed intently at the bracelet that clinked softly on my wrist before speaking thus.
“It is an important token. Guard it well.”
Now one wrist bore the Heavenly Demon bracelet, the other the Imperial bracelet.
Two bracelets adorned me.
One symbolized the Demonic Sect with its black dragon, the other the Imperial House with its golden dragon.
A pair of dragons!
Two items that should never come together, yet here they were at once!
‘If they become cumbersome, I’ll have to wear them both on one wrist.’
“I understand, Your Majesty.”
“Good. I trust you.”
Though weight lay behind those words, they remained merely words of trust, changing nothing.
‘Still, it weighs heavily. The burden of power is far too heavy.’
If my abilities were like Ju Wang-ya’s—capable of shattering mountains and boiling seas—it might be different. But to be burdened with only the sort of thing people shun…
I needed to leave swiftly and return only twice a year.
I hurried down the path.
* * *
I granted the doctors who accompanied me a brief respite.
Since we’d ventured beyond the Medical Hall anyway, I encouraged them to visit their families.
These doctors had lived under constant tension—the King’s surgery, nursing care, herbal remedy preparation.
‘Rest when you can rest.’
Having been ground like grain in the medical system, I understood how precious rest truly was.
After sending them off, my Master spoke.
“Well, for you, that was quite a bit of rest.”
Though the days had been eventful, beyond that I’d spent my time eating, sleeping, and practicing the fundamentals.
Regardless of my state of mind, it had been good rest for my body.
Jegalling and I rode back on horseback.
“It seems you rested well too, Master?”
“The snowy scenery at Ju Wang’s residence was magnificent. And knowing you could rest eased my mind.”
He spoke thus with a gentle smile.
“By the way, Master.”
“Hmm? What is it, Cheon-hee?”
I quietly retrieved what I had secretly made.
It was something I had started creating at Baekrin Uigak and brought all the way to the Ju Wang residence without Master’s knowledge, continuing to work on it there.
“Happy birthday, Master.”
A small wooden box.
Master pulled the reins and stopped his horse.
“Presenting it while on horseback? You lack refinement, my disciple.”
“But the scenery is beautiful here.”
My disciple grinned sheepishly. At that sight, Jegalling ultimately conceded defeat.
“I suppose I’ll need to dismount to open the box.”
We secured our horses and sat beneath a large tree.
Master opened the wooden box.
“Quite an unusual wrapping.”
It was the wrapping method from the world I came from.
“Well, what matters is the thought. If you pull that cord, it should all come undone.”
“Hmm.”
Jegalling untied the cord and unwrapped it. Inside were gloves.
The wrist portion was adorned with jade, making them quite elegant.
Jegalling looked at them with slight surprise, then asked me.
“Did you carve all of this yourself? I can see a qilin pattern in the jade.”
“Yes. Though I’m afraid I didn’t carve it perfectly.”
“No.”
Master shook his head. He started to put his hand inside the gloves but stopped.
“I’m worried the jade might get damaged.”
I was slightly flustered—this was the first time I’d seen Master make such an expression.
“Then you could just fold down the upper part, Master.”
“Even so, I fear it might get damaged.”
Jegalling furrowed his brow as if facing the greatest dilemma of his life, then spoke.
“My Cheon-hee labored so carefully to make this.”
“That’s right.”
“This seems to be my greatest treasure.”
Despite Baekrin Uigak having so many fine swords, Jegalling called this mere creation of jade and leather his greatest treasure.
“If it gets damaged, I’ll make you another pair, Master.”
“I wonder if you’re being truthful. My disciple has been so unfilial, after all.”
“No… I’m serious. Please trust me.”
As I protested, Jegalling let out a soft laugh.
Then he put on the gloves with both hands.
“Do they suit me?”
“Yes! I’m so glad they fit your hands perfectly, Master.”
“Indeed.”
Jegalling gazed at me with a peculiar expression for a long while. I felt a pang of guilt at that look.
‘Ah, I should have made something for Master earlier instead of only preparing things for my younger brothers.’
I hadn’t expected him to be so pleased.
* * *
“What! You’re saying you cured half of it!”
The news arrived sooner than expected.
Upon hearing that I had treated the King’s daughter whom the Emperor personally attended to, Hwaju Uiseon was thrown into upheaval.
“To be precise, we’ve only gotten past the immediate threat to her life, and she’s at a level where she can recover with continued aftercare. It’s not quite a complete cure yet.”
“That is what we call a cure. Don’t be foolish.”
Chief Manager Ma Jin-chu continued irritably.
“Baek Rin-ui-seon wasn’t completely cured either, yet he’s flying about breaking his rivals’ heads, isn’t he?”
“I’ve never heard such a tale of a blood sage….”
“…Sigh. Two herbal shops have now refused to supply Hwaju Uiseon. Does that seem like coincidence to you?”
Herbal shops are places that supply medicinal herbs to medical halls and medical clinics.
While medical halls sometimes directly employ herb gatherers to obtain desired herbs, that only applies to rare specimens. For common ingredients like licorice, kudzu root, and agastache that are frequently used in decoctions, these herbal shops supply them in bulk.
Herb gatherers sell their herbs to the herbal shops.
The herbal shops then clean, dry, and cut the herbs they’ve purchased into portions suitable for pharmaceutical preparation.
Since these are common herbs, the processing isn’t particularly complicated, but supplying such large quantities monthly in bulk is no easy task.
Beyond medical halls and clinics, merchant guilds and escort agencies also purchase in bulk, as their affiliated doctors manufacture medicines for escorts and merchants.
For expensive pharmaceuticals, they have no choice but to rely on medical halls, but for minor trauma salves, making them directly is far more economical.
Two such trading partners had suddenly stopped supplying Hwaju Uiseon.
“Through investigation via Hao-mun and Gaebang, we found no direct connection to Baekrin Uigak.”
“But we did find traces of three merchant guilds making large purchases. They’ve likely signed long-term contracts too. And can’t you see those medicinal materials being funneled to Baekrin Uigak through several intermediaries?”
However, there was no evidence.
It was all the more frustrating because Baek Rin-ui-seon wasn’t the type to handle things so carelessly.
Once he had walked a tightrope between the medical world and the underworld, but as he aged and his health deteriorated further, he had secluded himself, indifferent to whoever took their share beside him.
It felt as though he stood a step removed, observing the world from a distance.
Whether it was ambition for fame or wealth, he seemed to lack desire for life itself.
So I took freely from him.
From the royal family including the Ju Wang household, from the patriarchs of great sects, from renowned merchant guilds.
Baekrin Uigak offered little resistance.
Whether it was indifference or foolishness, I couldn’t tell.
But now.
Having obtained a disciple and recovered his health, he had begun reclaiming what was taken from him, one piece at a time.
Of course, the process was so secretive that I had only suspicions, no proof.
“Now that he’s even cured the King’s daughter….”
“The doctors were told not to reveal which royal family member it was, and even if they knew, they wouldn’t dare speak of it. Isn’t that sufficient?”
“Do you truly believe that? The Emperor knows, the royal family member who received treatment knows, and the Ju Wang knows?”
“….”
I was at a loss for words.
According to the original plan, this wasn’t how it was supposed to go.
Half of the condition was incurable.
Whether the patient died during the destructive technique or after it, the outcome would have favored Hwaju Uigak regardless.
“Do you know what strikes me as most peculiar?”
Chief Manager Ma Jin-chu posed the question, and the other senior doctors shook their heads.
Ma Jin-chu continued.
“Baek Rin has been unnaturally quiet. Normally, that recluse would boast about his disciple in meticulous detail in the medical records, yet for some reason, he’s keeping his mouth shut.”
“That truly is peculiar.”
“Indeed. Which means one of two things: either the patient is a royal personage with more influence than we anticipated, so he’s being cautious with his words.”
Being cautious?
Everyone swallowed hard and fixed their gaze on Ma Jin-chu.
“Or he’s plotting something underhanded against Hwaju Uigak behind the scenes.”
Ma Jin-chu wiped his brow.
“We’ll need to respond accordingly. After all, it’s just two herb shops from the trading guild that have disappeared. Hwaju Uigak has sufficient strength, so there’s nothing to worry about.”
“Should we report this to Hwaju Yakson?”
“I’ll do it myself.”
A venomous glint flashed across the Chief Manager’s eyes.

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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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