Doctor’s Rebirth - Chapter 249

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

Chapter 249
“Hope. Let us discuss something more practical for a moment.”
At my Master’s words, I immediately straightened my posture.
From here on, this would no longer be a conversation between Master and disciple, but between Patriarch and Sub-patriarch.
“Baek Rin Medical Guild’s annual revenue ranks around thirtieth in the world. If we begin mass-producing and selling Baek Rin Divine Pills—or rather, Baek Rin Pills—we may well become one of the top ten richest magnates in the realm.”
I had named the mass-produced version of Baek Rin Divine Pills simply “Baek Rin Pills.”
Since their efficacy fell short of the original formula, I omitted the character for “Divine,” yet in martial arts terms, there existed no finer medicine for internal injuries.
What was once monopolized by the great families had now become affordable for ordinary commoners willing to make the investment.
Considering the medical standards of this world, it could be called nothing short of revolutionary.
I heard that Hwaju Medical Guild was mounting fierce resistance and had begun serious interference.
‘Well, it seems my Master is handling it skillfully enough.’
The moment Baek Rin Pills entered the market, Baek Rin Medical Guild would seize enormous wealth, and we would cross an irreversible river with Hwaju Yakson.
That was something I had already resolved to face.
I nodded in acknowledgment.
“Top ten richest magnates—that’s quite a story. Who ranks above us?”
“Hahaha, if we measure by sheer wealth, it would likely be Ilwol Singyeo. Though a single organization, it would hardly be an exaggeration to call them a nation unto themselves. While they don’t rival the entire imperial treasury, they match the budgets of the border kingdoms surrounding the empire.”
“Wow…”
So the Supreme Cheonma Yeo Ha-ryun truly possessed immense wealth.
Until now, all I had witnessed were scenes of him crushing skulls, so I hadn’t truly grasped just how rich he was.
The current Cheonma I had met before my eyes wore plain robes without a single ornament.
‘…But if he possessed such wealth, why was the Demonic Cult so miserable?’
As a modern person, my thoughts naturally drifted in that direction.
‘If Yeo Ha-ryun became the richest man in the world starting from Supreme Cheonma, why was he still unhappy?’
Was the karmic debt of the martial world heavier than the seat of the world’s greatest magnate?
‘Couldn’t he have simply thrown money at resolving his karmic debts? Compensation, consolation payments—things like that exist!’
The thinking of martial artists was incomprehensible.
No, why did his comrades die off without lasting even a chapter when he possessed such wealth?
Why did Yeo Ha-ryun declare, “The Cheonma is ultimately a path of solitude built upon blood. How could I have turned away from it?” and then kill his betraying comrade within half a chapter?
In the original work, comrades died the moment you learned their names, while the villains who fought alongside or against Yeo Ha-ryun became far more familiar.
‘Right. I know. Supreme Cheonma isn’t modern-style martial arts fiction. That’s why I loved it.’
That was the sentiment of a reader consuming a novel,
but now that it had become reality, my thoughts were different.
‘Still, with all that wealth, couldn’t he have found some happiness?’
Was this too the fate of a martial arts protagonist…something like that?
“Hope. Your expression is strange.”
“…I was merely contemplating the absurdities of the martial world.”
“…”
My Master knew better than anyone that I was somewhat more eccentric than others.
It was only natural that Jegalling continued speaking calmly about such a disciple.
“Next would be the Golden King and the Mangyeong Trading Company. The Mangyeong Trading Company belongs to Kyeong. Its history is said to predate even the empire itself.”
“That’s quite impressive.”
“If Mangyeong Trading Company handles the legitimate operations, then the Golden King oversees everything in the gray area between legal and illegal. We call this the light and shadow of the Empire.”
“Officially, the Golden King only deals with legitimate matters, correct?”
“That’s right. Officially, at least.”
My Master spoke thus while his gaze settled on the White Dragon Armor I wore.
Had we relied solely on legitimate methods, it would have been impossible to save the Heavenly Silkworm Sect to such an extent.
“Beyond that, there are numerous other sects and clans. Originally, Baek Rin’s Medical Guild would have possessed roughly the fiftieth to sixtieth rank in terms of wealth. I simply neglected much of it because I had little attachment to life until now.”
‘…Without even managing it, we’re at that level, Master?’
I forced the words down my throat.
“I see…”
“It’s thanks to you. That I can now think about the future. Regardless, money left alone serves no purpose. One must use it wisely for power to grow. The cultivation of the Gungwi Unit is merely one aspect of this.”
My Master was preparing many things, both visible and invisible to my eyes.
The fact that he brought up the Gungwi Unit at this moment was deliberate.
He understood that despite all I had endured, my nature remained fundamentally different from that of martial artists, so he mentioned it beforehand.
‘I’m merely a doctor. Not a dreamer.’
In this world where people die like flies, I don’t harbor grand ideals.
Whenever a problem could be solved by diminishing myself, I have always done so.
Yet such problems are exceedingly rare.
Even now, within the Doshan Sword Forest, people kill people to survive.
“It’s fine, Master. And thank you for telling me.”
Did he understand what I meant by those words?
My Master nodded.
“It’s nothing. Possessing even one thing that others lack allows one to stand out.”
I became curious about my Master’s true objective.
When I asked, my Master answered calmly.
“The greatest goal would be to grow our power to the point where we can simultaneously contend with three of the Nine Great Sects. And if we forge alliances through strategic coalitions based on mutual interests…”
“…”
My Master’s fan slowly created a breeze.
“We could control a substantial portion of the martial world. Moreover, thanks to Ju Wang’s assistance, we’ve already established considerable connections with the government. It will become much easier.”
The principle that government and martial arts remain separate is an exception when it comes to operating a trading company.
Though many corruptions have been purged thanks to the current Emperor, that merely means the larger corruptions have been eliminated.
The transparency of government offices in this era differs greatly from modern concepts.
One must still maintain good relations with the government to operate a trading company and consolidate power.
It’s quite common for prestigious families receiving hereditary salaries from the imperial palace during festivals to send gifts to martial sects, or vice versa.
Though recent imperial laws are strict and maintain certain standards, relationships forged through personal connections and marriage ties don’t easily disappear.
‘Even a three-year-old in this world knows this.’
That’s why Hwaju Medical Guild tried so desperately to serve Ju Wang.
Ju Wang’s departure meant that countless connections following him would turn their backs as well.
‘And my Master isn’t someone who concerns himself with means and methods.’
A slight chill ran down my spine.
‘Could it be that a single mastermind is being born to manipulate the martial world from the shadows?’
Perhaps my Master read my thoughts. He spoke with decisive clarity.
“Hope, this is the level of power required to deal with Hyeolseonggyo.”
A collective that no single sect could oppose. Besides, even if my Master became a shadow manipulator after this was finished, he would never use that power for personal gain—only to protect his disciple.
After all, wasn’t he someone who lived with such austere discipline that observers would call him almost painfully ascetic, indulging in none of life’s pleasures?
I nodded in agreement.
“Um… Master, I’d like to add something to your plan?”
My Master quietly observed as a blue light flickered rapidly across my disciple’s retinas.
If Hyeonwon Jeondan Singeong was becoming this visibly clear, it meant the technique was approaching mastery.
It was deeply gratifying that my only true peer was following in my footsteps.
“Good. You’ve always amazed me. What else would you suggest?”
“I’d like to draw in unaffiliated martial artists—those who belong to neither the dark nor the light path. And make money doing it.”
The martial world typically divides itself into the dark and light paths.
Most major events in the martial world revolve around these two factions, and when they collide, bloodshed erupts.
But from my perspective as a modern person, there actually seemed to be far more ambiguous gray figures—those with feet in both camps or belonging to neither.
Gungwi, Samjeolchuho, and even Wang Gak-yeon all walked the middle ground between dark and light.
Only a tiny fraction of these people rose to become masters; most made their living as bodyguards for escort services or merchant caravans.
They earned compensation that common farmers could never grasp, but their lives were equally fleeting.
Considering the average income of martial artists, they represented the lower tier of society.
To truly earn substantial wealth, gathering these numerous gray figures proved more advantageous than relying on a handful of powerful noble families.
‘How could I draw them in?’
That initial thought branched into countless others, eventually reaching a single conclusion.
“Hmm? Tell me your method.”
My Master’s eyes took on a playful gleam—the first time in ages he’d shown such curiosity about my plans.
“Unaffiliated martial artists… in other words, most of the wanderers and martial artists in the world actually suffer from information asymmetry.”
“Information asymmetry? That’s an interesting term.”
“For instance, cultivation methods. They’ve learned martial arts, but they don’t know systematic, safe ways to train.”
It was simple, really.
In the modern era, you could simply turn on any video platform and find information on three-minute stretching routines or ten-minute strength training exercises.
Whether you actually do it depends on your willpower, but the point is—without information, you simply can’t accomplish anything.
This extends far beyond mere exercise; now millions of students attend internet lecture broadcasts for entrance exams and civil service tests.
From a modern person’s perspective, the martial world is a nexus of information asymmetry.
Despite the existence of martial arts—something almost like cheating—achieving proper mastery without a genuine master’s guidance is nearly impossible.
And then there’s this: people train without understanding at first, but right before reaching mastery, they suddenly realize… ‘Oh no, I’ve been misunderstanding my foundation energy from the start. My dantian…’ and they fall into deviation, cough blood at the seventh stage, and die. This happens constantly.
If it happens in some remote mountain cave, the body is never recovered later.
Wild beasts would never pass up such a valuable protein source.
‘That’s precisely why renowned sects exist.’
Divine techniques and martial arts boasting history and tradition!
Systematic training methods and Central Plains curricula to properly master them!
As I explained these things, my Master nodded in understanding.
“That’s a fair point. So what?”

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