Doctor’s Rebirth - Chapter 196

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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 196
Yoo Ho would remain behind to protect and manage the Medical Guild.
This was a decision both Yoo Ho and I agreed upon.
“Yoo Ho must protect the Research Hall, Master!”
“I have no desire to travel with that young master, sir.”
It was rare for the two of them to align so perfectly.
Jegalling and I would travel together, along with two of the four branch patriarchs.
Five Senior Doctors, ten Middle-Aged Doctors, and twenty Junior Doctors would accompany us.
Jegalling, who had always traveled by carriage before,
now that his health had been restored, decided to ride horseback alongside his disciple.
Conversing while riding together was one of Jegalling’s few remaining pleasures.
“The Martial Alliance naturally has affiliated Doctors, but strictly speaking, they don’t belong to the Martial Alliance itself.”
“That’s surprising.”
“Nearly all of the finest Doctors under heaven belong to one of the Three Great Medical Guilds, with smaller medical establishments scattered below them.”
I nodded, and Jegalling smiled faintly at my response.
“It’s curious, really.”
“Sir?”
“You know obscure knowledge that no one else does, yet sometimes you’re ignorant of common sense that even a three-year-old child would know.”
At those words, I felt a pang of embarrassment and looked away.
“Haha…”
“Well, the journey isn’t boring for me, so there’s some amusement in it. Though I must say, it does pique my curiosity at times.”
Clop, clop.
The two horses moved forward in synchronized rhythm.
“I suppose my worldly knowledge can be rather lacking at times.”
“Hmm, I see. Well, such people exist in this world.”
Jegalling said no more on the matter.
‘Phew, my heart nearly stopped.’
Though we had agreed to let it pass, sometimes when Master caught me off guard like this, I would feel a jolt of panic.
Lately, I’ve even begun to suspect he deliberately pokes at me this way just to tease his disciple.
And indeed, wasn’t the corner of his mouth rising as he watched my flustered expression?
‘I’m not a three-year-old child. Master! Good heavens.’
They say even an eighty-year-old master becomes a child before his disciple, but his teasing technique is simply excessive.
Jegalling continued.
“In any case, the most skilled Doctors in all the land are ultimately those from the Three Great Medical Guilds, and among them, those dispatched to the Martial Alliance are the Doctors who work for the Martial Alliance.”
“Then the Black Heaven Medical Guild must dispatch Doctors to the demonic sects and the Demonic Cult.”
“Exactly. You grasp things so quickly, yet why don’t you know common sense that even a three-year-old would understand?”
…He’s definitely teasing me. This is it!
A flash of certainty strikes me. But there’s no way to defend myself.
Jegalling spoke to his sulking disciple.
“Well, I only taught you the intimate secrets of the martial world, not such common knowledge everyone knows. Besides, personnel transfers are the patriarch’s prerogative, so you wouldn’t be involved anyway.”
“…I suppose so.”
“Right. It’s understandable you wouldn’t know. Your master understands.”
Slowly, my disciple began to feel as though I were losing my mind.
I wished he would stop teasing me.
“In any case, both Baek Rin Medical Guild and Hwaju Medical Guild dispatch their doctors to the Gangho Alliance. The Gangho Alliance’s Medical Department is essentially where doctors from these two guilds go to work.”
“…It seems like there would be factional conflicts?”
“You’ve guessed well. Yes, the factional disputes are quite significant.”
Even in the medical world, factions formed based on academic backgrounds.
Where Jin Cheon-hee was stationed was relatively harmonious, but in some places, much depended on which medical school one graduated from.
Wherever people gather, it’s always the same.
Perhaps it’s an instinct of groups—people want to unite with those who share common ground.
‘Whether I like it or not, it’s unavoidable.’
Jegalling continued speaking.
“That’s why the current director of the Gangho Alliance’s Medical Department is an unusual person who belongs to neither faction. Hwang Dal-ji, a former Imperial Palace physician, retired from public service and took the position of Medical Department director.”
palace
“A man named Hwang Dal-ji, who came from a medical background, retired from public service and became the head of a medical clinic.”
“If he’s from the Imperial Palace, he must have considerable political influence.”
“Indeed. Those people you saw at the Ju Wang residence are nothing compared to him. He rose to that position in the Imperial Palace itself, not merely the royal residence.”
My master continued.
Hwang Dal-ji was originally a one-man transmission doctor and successor of the mysterious Shinui School, a martial faction. For reasons unknown, he devoted himself to the Imperial Palace, rose swiftly as an imperial physician, and eventually left to become the director of the Gangho Alliance’s Medical Department.
‘What an overstuffed character this is. Since he’s not even mentioned in the Supreme Heavenly Demon, he must die within a few years?’
Looking at just the introduction, he has the feel of a protagonist from a medical martial arts novel.
‘If he just dies and I regress, that would be perfect.’
Perhaps around twenty volumes would be appropriate.
Jin Cheon-hee thought to myself.
Observing my disciple’s expression, Jegalling burst into laughter.
“You’re thinking of something absurd again, aren’t you?”
“Ah, is it that obvious?”
“I haven’t been with you for just a year or two. I can see through that much easily.”
“I see.”
Jin Cheon-hee rubbed my cheeks. Jegalling continued.
“Still, events and incidents occur so frequently at martial tournaments like the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering that they’re severely understaffed. That’s why they’ve been requesting assistance from either Baek Rin Medical Guild or Hwaju Medical Guild.”
“And it seems this year they’ve made a request to Baek Rin Medical Guild again.”
“Our guild excels with trauma patients. The fields differ from Hwaju Medical Guild, where medicine takes priority. Moreover….”
“Moreover…?”
“It appears the imperial physicians from the Ju Wang residence praised Baek Rin Medical Guild’s branch department tremendously.”
Medical exchange between the Ju Wang residence and Baek Rin Medical Guild.
In truth, it was closer to a medical training program where the imperial physicians came to learn, but they called it an exchange to preserve their dignity.
The connection thus formed continued to support Baek Rin Medical Guild.
“It’s a good thing. But it’s also troublesome.”
Rather than expanding the Medical Guild under Baek Rin, my Master simply sighs, preferring to spend time with his disciple.
“Still, you’re receiving a fair amount of funds from the Martial Alliance, aren’t you? And the dispatch fees must be quite substantial too.”
“Mm. We do receive quite a bit from that.”
Yet his expression doesn’t brighten.
He truly wants to spend time with his disciple.
Wouldn’t it be nice to just live by putting delicious food in the disciple’s mouth?
Ignoring Jegalling’s expression, I asked him a question.
“By the way, how is the Martial Alliance actually operated?”
“We have our own business operations. We also receive financial support from various sects. After all, the Martial Alliance is ultimately a confederation.”
“Do we contribute as well?”
“Though we’re called a martial sect, since medicine is our true calling rather than martial prowess, we receive compensation and provide medical support instead of paying contributions. Of course, we can do this because we only engage in medical-related businesses and don’t involve ourselves in other disputes over interests in Gangho.”
I nodded in understanding.
“I see.”
“Those in Gangho… in other words, if you disregard the distinction between the righteous and unrighteous paths and look purely at the essence, they’re nothing but sword-wielding ruffians. After all, the sword is ultimately power.”
My Master continued speaking leisurely, holding the reins.
“Using that power, they control escort services, mines, and the production and sale of goods based on lands that yield special products. The sects and noble families of Gangho are the ones who hold these things. You already know this well, don’t you?”
“Master, even if my common knowledge is somewhat lacking, surely I wouldn’t be ignorant of that…”
“Hahaha. But one can never be certain. You might truly not know.”
That’s too much.
This disciple, despite having some rough edges, is no fool.
Jegalling continued.
“Because of these interests, they fight each other. And as that happens, emotions become involved, and malice and hatred accumulate. Add justifications, schemes, and conspiracies on top of that—what do you think happens?”
“That’s the current state of Gangho.”
“Exactly. That’s why conflicts in Gangho never cease.”
Clop, clop.
Following the sound of hoofbeats, a chill swept in from beyond the horizon.
The wind that began at sunset brushed through my hair and passed by.
Jegalling gazed at his disciple as if admiring him, then continued speaking.
“And now, those who completely disregard the laws of the empire and seek to harm others for profit are beginning to overflow.”
“The evil sects.”
Starting from the Changjiang Water Bandits and the Eighteen Green Forest Gangs, then the Black Spots, Salt Smugglers, Drug Dealers…
Strictly speaking, they’re all illegal.
“The essence of earning money with a sword is the same. That’s why they’re those of Gangho. But when you think about it, perhaps the distinction between the righteous and unrighteous paths ultimately comes down to whether one adheres to imperial law or not.”
It was a different perspective.
“Not based on justification and righteousness?”
“Even the evil sects have their justifications. And they have their own righteousness too. Of course, ordinary people cannot understand it. But isn’t it up to them to decide whether their justification is true and their righteousness is correct?”
I nodded.
“It’s complicated.”
“Complicated yet simple.”
Jegalling waved his hand toward his disciple.
“The reason our Medical Guild remains quiet, unlike other martial sects, is precisely because we are a medical organization. First, it’s because we don’t encroach upon others’ interests.”
“And the second reason?”
“As you’ve likely guessed, if someone falls out of our favor, we simply won’t treat them if they’re injured or fall ill. That’s the second reason.”
…It was quite a pragmatic reason.
“Master, but what about Cheongok and Binu from before? Will they be alright?”
“Those didn’t exist before, did they? We lack justification to intervene in such matters. Of course, there will be those who covet them and try to meddle in the future. But I’m not an easy opponent to deal with.”
Master chuckled with ease.
Strangely, the Elders knew what Master did whenever he turned his back.
The Patriarch of the Mudang Sect and Elder Gwon Je also knew.
Only his disciple remained ignorant of it.
“Anyway, I think this pleasant conversation about common knowledge is enough. If you’re to inherit the Medical Guild someday, shouldn’t you know these things in advance? You should know more than a three-year-old child, at least.”
“….”
At those words, Jin Cheon-hee’s face flushed red.
Master savored his disciple’s embarrassment before speaking.
“This matter of the Martial Alliance’s Dragon-Phoenix Conference will be quite useful in broadening your perspective.”
It was a rather meaningful statement.
Until now, I hadn’t met many martial artists of my own generation despite my skills and position.
Normally, by my age, one would associate with successors from other sects, form connections and factions, or travel the Gangho together—that was the standard path.
However, except for patients who came to the Medical Guild and Namgung Un, Namgung Yeon, and Dang-a, I had never formed such connections with peers.
In essence, I had been confined.
I myself was reasonably satisfied with my research life, but it wasn’t normal.
‘Well, the people I’ve built connections with are all elderly Elders… and the Patriarch….’
All of them were senior to me.
My genealogy was twisted in quite a peculiar way.
“I hope to meet many good friends through this opportunity.”
Wasn’t this also the romance of martial arts novels?
I swelled my chest with anticipation.
Since the Martial Alliance was located in Zhengzhou in Henan Province, we departed from Baek Rin Medical Guild’s main headquarters heading northwest by land.
The journey would take approximately fifteen days.
We brought plenty of carriages to accommodate sleeping outdoors, and Guards from the Medical Guild accompanied us as well.
Even Gungwi joined us on this journey.
During this travel.
As we crossed the mountains, night fell upon us.

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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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