Doctor’s Rebirth - Chapter 202

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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 202
‘I was just marveling at how much money the Mudang Sect possessed… and now this… *sigh*. These heterodox bastards, earning their filthy wealth and crafting handkerchiefs from such precious materials.’
Calculating how many Baek Rin pills I could buy with the cost of this cloth, I felt my chest tighten with longing.
“Come to think of it, I heard rumors that the heterodox sects were invited to this Yongbong Assembly. Seems it was true.”
“Yeah. The heterodox faction leaders are wondering what’s going on too. I came here representing my master, the Golden King~ I’m not particularly interested, but I’d love it if there were opportunities to make some money.”
“Opportunities to make money?”
“Brother. You have no idea how much the orthodox sects rely on the shadows for their dirty work, do you~?”
‘I know. I know all too well.’
The orthodox sects are ultimately made of people, after all.
No matter how much they move under the banner of righteousness, they’ll always need a place to handle the things they can’t speak of publicly.
“Well, it’s unfortunate about the Mudang Sect, but the fact that you managed to stop them is quite remarkable. I heard you were involved in that.”
So he already knew.
Sama Hyeon continued speaking.
“What do you think your body is? Because of you, this girl has soaked her pillow with tears every night~”
He mimicked the girl’s voice from earlier as he spoke.
Jin Cheon-hee felt goosebumps prickle across his skin.
“Ah, brother’s frozen up again.”
“I told you not to do that.”
“Hehe. But it’s so fun watching brother get all serious~”
Sama Hyeon’s build wasn’t quite as massive as Cheonwoo’s, but still well above average.
A dark-skinned man.
The kind of man who could grab someone’s head right in front of him and crush it with nothing but grip strength—when such a man joked around like this, there was no choice but to take it seriously.
“I’m saying this because I’m worried you won’t live a full lifespan. What do you think you are? One of the Three Elites approaching the Celestial Ascension? Even the Three Elites would die young if they lived like you~”
“….”
Jin Cheon-hee turned his gaze away and let out a small sigh.
Sama Hyeon watched his brother’s profile with narrowed eyes.
Soon, Sama Hyeon pulled something from his pocket.
It was folded cloth.
So thin that it expanded in size each time it was unfolded—it was almost terrifying.
“What is this?”
“Heavenly Silkworm Silk.”
*Cough…*
“…If you’re going to cough, wipe it with the handkerchief I gave you.”
Jin Cheon-hee quickly covered his mouth.
He couldn’t possibly do that to Heavenly Silkworm Silk.
He’d use his sleeve instead.
“Even though it’s this thin, it’s quite substantial in volume, and since it was woven by a skilled craftsman, it’s remarkably durable~”
“…What are you trying to do with this?”
“Make me some gloves. As you know, my martial arts require constant use of my hands, right? I’m confident in tearing and crushing things, but if my beautiful hands get damaged, how tragic would that be?”
He was calling his own hands beautiful with complete sincerity.
Yet his attitude was so confident that Jin Cheon-hee found himself answering without thinking, “Yes. Your hands are quite beautiful.”
This was a miracle.
The hippocampus in Jin Cheon-hee’s brain was vividly replaying how the original Sama Hyeon had flayed human faces.
“And what’s left is gloves for you, brother.”
“…You’re giving me Heavenly Silkworm Cloth? A martial arts secret manual?”
I was afraid to even ask how he obtained this.
The person before me was a black dot. A black dot.
Still, I had to ask what I needed to ask.
“How did you get this? Even the imperial family can’t obtain Heavenly Silkworm Cloth.”
“A friend of a friend gave it to me~”
…When I had previously asked Samjeolchuho how he obtained information about the Mudang Sect so quickly and in such detail, he had also answered that “a friend of a friend” told him.
What exactly was a “friend of a friend” in the heterodox sects?
“….”
“There’s no blood debt attached to it, so don’t worry. Brother~ I laundered it cleanly without any complications.”
I decided not to ask how exactly he had “laundered” it.
Sama Hyeon spoke.
“With this, I can protect my beautiful hands and also protect your precious hands together. Hands for surgery are important, right~? Aren’t they?”
Hands for surgery were important.
It was true for any work, but the more difficult the surgery, the more sensitive the fingertip sensation needed to be.
A patient’s life could hang in the balance because of that single thing.
At those words, Jin Cheon-hee looked down at the back of his hands.
Scars still remained on the backs of his hands. And the wrist injured during the last blood assassin incident still ached when it rained.
‘He’s making it impossible to refuse.’
I don’t refuse anything given to me.
I had intended to accept it anyway, but Sama Hyeon was more meticulous than I expected.
‘Just how thoroughly did this bastard investigate?’
In any case, my weakness was indeed my hands.
Gloves made from Heavenly Silkworm Cloth were the perfect tool to address that.
* * *
I folded the Heavenly Silkworm Cloth again and tucked it into my robe.
The cloth was so thin that I couldn’t even feel it in my robe.
‘How will I make gloves from this?’
No matter how much Heavenly Silkworm Cloth resisted blades and deflected sword energy, it was still cloth woven from warp and weft threads.
It seemed I could thread a needle through those gaps and sew it.
The problem was how to cut the cloth to make gloves.
If I asked Sama Hyeon, he would have the masters of the heterodox sects cut it for me, but I didn’t want to rely on him that far.
‘At minimum, a sword master’s strength.’
If it came to that, I could ask Master.
Given Master’s personality, if his disciple said he was going to wear Heavenly Silkworm Cloth gloves, he would come running barefoot.
Having thought that far, the two of them stepped outside.
Now that we’ve caught up on old stories, it’s time to enjoy some good food.
“Brother, the best way here is to pick several street dishes and sample them all.”
“Is that so?”
“Of course~ These street stalls are quite famous. We just need to find a decent table and eat there.”
“Which ones do you think would be good?”
At my words, Sama Hyeon began rattling off the stalls rapidly.
“The spicy raw meat dish is best from Cheonsan Stall. The lily bulb soup is from Sasa Stall. For skewered grilled items, Sungsung Stall and Manbaek Stall are the finest. The noodles at Chungchang Stall are famous for their knife-cut variety.”
“How do you know so much?”
“Brother, haha, these stalls don’t pay taxes. They’re not even registered with the Gwana.”
I see. So they don’t pay taxes.
If that were the case, it was obvious that some of Geumhyeolbang’s funds and personnel were invested here as well.
“Still, they maintain quite strict hygiene standards, right? Our Master places such importance on food.”
What exactly is the Golden King?
What kind of person does he do?
The more I hear, the less I understand this man.
‘Still, I’m so grateful that our Sama Hyeon thinks so well of us.’
Growing up under the Golden King was far safer and more advantageous than growing up under some strange horse master.
A place where money accumulates just by breathing.
You could live carelessly if you wanted.
As Sama Hyeon walked with me, he bought food from the stalls and analyzed their sales while eating.
“Oh, they’re using expensive chicken here. Where do they source it from? But if they’re selling at this price, the margin would be decent… right?”
Or he would say things like this.
“Brother, that spot right there is the best location in the Martial Arts Alliance. Any stall that lasts a year there can build an inn in Luoyang with those earnings.”
“Then wouldn’t everyone want to do it?”
“Exactly. That’s why location fees exist. It’s a kind of stall rent, and even for the same type of stall, that spot costs more than a small restaurant.”
“If you’re paying that much in location fees, you’d better sell well.”
“Right. You have to make up the loss, so you have to sell desperately. If it’s not tasty, you’ll go under within a month. That’s why many of our associates take out large loans.”
That sounds terrifying.
“What happens if they can’t repay? Are they sold as slaves?”
At my words, Sama Hyeon laughed with a snicker.
“There were times like that, but once slavery was abolished by imperial law, it’s no longer enough to repay loans that way.”
I never expected to hear of our twin majesties’ achievements here.
“Then what?”
“Usually they were sent to salt fields, mines, or labor work. Not slaves, but lives remarkably similar to slavery… with contracts like that.”
“Isn’t that illegal?”
“It’s not illegal, more like… skirting the law. Hahaha, brother, we’re talking about dangerous things. Geumhyeolbang doesn’t commit illegal acts. Officially, that is.”
That word “officially” at the end is quite bothersome.
“You speak as if you’re talking about ancient history. How is it these days?”
“I suddenly felt it was a waste, you know? Think about it—cooking and receiving payment for selling food requires tremendous talent and skill, brother. Should such remarkable people really have to work in fishing and mining industries that don’t suit their aptitudes…?”
He certainly has a talent for speaking of quasi-legal slavery so eloquently.
“So?”
“This time, we proposed sending them to inns and street stalls that we’ve prepared on our side. We’ll teach them skills there. And I’m not just talking about improving cooking methods—it includes managing the shop, arranging interior fixtures, and even selecting dish colors. That sort of thing.”
“You’re letting them earn money?”
“Well… we’re having them repay their debts through their labor. Isn’t it obvious that this would be more profitable for us?”
After hearing the detailed explanation from Sama Hyeon, I realized this was a concept even modern people were familiar with.
‘A… a chain store system?’
Since this was the Central Plains, human rights were somewhat lacking regardless, but still—if done well, there was considerable potential for them to repay their debts and even earn additional money on the side. That was quite novel.
“The food supply distribution can be handled by the Sangdan under Heukjeom and Pyoguk~ Since there’s hope of debt reduction, our debtors will work themselves to death without being told~ And throughout the process, there’s no violence, kidnapping, coercion, or injury—it’s peaceful~ How wonderful. Management costs go down.”
I see. If they were sold as slaves or sent to salt fields or mines, they would definitely try to escape, so at least one person would be needed for surveillance and management.
It would have to be someone trained in martial arts, and they’d need to patrol the three regions.
Still, slaves would definitely escape at the first opportunity, and the guards would have to rush after escaped slaves, so what of the opportunity costs lost in the process?
And if either the guards or slaves got injured, productivity would suffer.
I thought about it.
‘Hmm… long live the Emperor who abolished slavery.’
Or rather, the Emperors, plural. Since they’re twin rulers.
Sama Hyeon spoke.
“After coming here and examining Heukjeom, I couldn’t understand it. There’s something sweeter than drugs—so why would anyone resort to that?”
“What is it?”
“Hope. Humans are creatures who will thrust their hands into a furnace for just one hope—the hope that things will improve.”
And so a modern-style chain store system began in the Central Plains.
Common people actually started appearing who repaid their debts and took ownership of the shops themselves.
Sama Hyeon had Geumhyeolbang actively publicize the successful, profitable shops to other chain store debtors.
They woke up at dawn of their own accord and worked.
Something that would never happen in salt fields or mines.
They worked for their children and parents they had to support, and they racked their brains to sell more.
In the original work, Sama Hyeon set the world on fire.
He pondered how to make this world even more miserable, killed thousands of humans without batting an eye.
And he laughed, saying that only death brought peace in this hellish life.
‘I bound that Sama Hyeon with a contract—saving my brother’s life and repaying three debts of gratitude.’
Unintentionally, I even risked my life for Sama Hyeon.
And that changed many things.

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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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