Doctor’s Rebirth - Chapter 260

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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 260
Clang!
I set the ladle down on the pan and spoke.
“Line up, everyone. I’ll serve you one by one!”
Cheese dak-galbi is all about timing.
You have to blow on it and eat it while it’s warm—once the cheese hardens, the flavor is lost.
“Let me go first!”
“No, I’ve been waiting longer than you!”
The escort warriors rushed forward, thrusting their bowls at me.
When the escort leader hastily told them to form a line, they reluctantly exchanged glances and lined up.
And then the escort leader himself presented his bowl first.
“Ahem!”
His face flushed red—at least he had some shame about it.
‘Well, he is the oldest among them.’
In this sword-wielding Confucian realm, age equals rank.
I scooped a generous portion of dak-galbi onto the escort leader’s plate.
As the cheese stretched luxuriously, everyone stared at it as if mesmerized.
“Ooooooh!”
‘Yes. This is irresistible.’
Escort warriors eat more at inns than at home.
And they eat even more when camping under the stars on the road.
Though they’ve tasted all manner of dishes made from every conceivable ingredient, cheese-topped dak-galbi appears to be a first for them.
The escort leader accepted the plate with trembling hands.
“It’s hot, so eat slowly.”
I also added egg soup on top.
“Thank you! I’m truly grateful!”
Strangely, he seems more moved by receiving cheese dak-galbi than by the acupuncture I gave him for his sprained leg.
He quickly found a spot to sit as if the food might blow away, popped the dak-galbi into his mouth, and let out an “Wow!” of wonder like a child.
The way he pulled the stretching cheese into his mouth was almost childlike.
‘Delicious food knows no age.’
After serving cheese dak-galbi to all the escort warriors, I sat down and ate as well.
Yelp!
Squeak, squeak squeak!
“That’s right. I prepared some for you two as well.”
Hwang-gu and Noeji got theirs seasoned with only salt and pepper.
Anything too spicy would be too harsh for their young palates.
Squeak squeak! Squeak!
Yelp, yelp yelp!
‘Indeed, it seems to be a flavor they enjoy as well.’
How delicious it must be—should I have a bite?
The moment I took that first bite….
‘Uoooooh!’
It was different from the dak-galbi I’d eaten in my previous life, but the juicy chicken burst on my tongue behind the crispy skin and sharp spice.
‘Wow, this is definitely me. Truly me!’
I devoured it eagerly while thinking to myself.
‘If I stir-fry rice in the leftover sauce, everyone here would die. Seriously.’
I hadn’t brought dongchimi, but I had managed to pack sesame oil.
If I now cranked up the heat with the fire to add that smoky char, they’d all be shocked.
‘Krhrhrhrhh… I’ll finish this quickly and make it again. I need to get the rice nice and crispy on the bottom.’
Thus, the White-Robed Divine Dragon continued southward, creating yet another legend in the martial world.
* * *
A month had passed.
Just as my Master said, there was no sign of Hyeolseonggyo, and all was peaceful.
I had barely encountered any bandits either.
With the Martial Alliance combing through the mountains like a fine-tooth comb to catch Hyeolseonggyo, they certainly wouldn’t let bandits slide.
Young warriors eager to capture Hyeolseonggyo and raise their names were searching everywhere, but Hyeolseonggyo never showed up—only bandits kept appearing in droves.
‘Oh my, thank you for your hard work tonight.’ ‘Yes yes, it’s wonderful to see the young martial artists searching for Hyeolseonggyo.’ ‘Not at all. They’re working hard lying in ambush on the mountain too.’ ‘Hehehehe, you’re too kind. Then please take care.’ There was no way it would end like that.
The moment they spotted me, they’d think about taking my head to rack up some petty merit.
Venting their frustration over not finding Hyeolseonggyo was just a bonus.
Thanks to this, I hadn’t encountered any proper bandits.
I only came across one group that resembled bandits—slash-and-burn farmers fleeing corrupt officials and cultivating hidden fields.
Since these slash-and-burn farmers hadn’t even learned martial arts, the escort disciples intimidated them by striking trees instead of people.
The farmers withdrew without resistance.
‘They say the Hwa Empire is experiencing one of the finest periods in its history, yet corrupt officials still exist.’
There was no need to send dispatches to the Kings—I was heading directly to handle this myself.
I had memorized the corrupt official’s name well, so I’d have to exchange some pleasant words with him when we met.
Whether he’d later be beaten with a cane, demoted to the countryside, or summoned and executed didn’t concern me.
If you’ve done wrong, you must pay the price.
Thus I arrived in Guangxi Province.
‘If I go left, that would be Yunnan Province.’
I thought of Dang-a.
‘I wonder how that child is doing?’
By now, she should have escaped from that demonic cultivation that wasn’t true demonic cultivation.
The fact that I hadn’t heard rumors of Hyeolpyeon-wang for a while confirmed it.
It was fortunate that the escort company we were parting ways with at this fork in the road was heading to the Dang family.
I wrapped a bar of soap—a special commemorative item from Baek Rin Medical Guild—in mulberry paper.
‘Hmm, this is soap that hasn’t been released for sale yet. I hope she uses it well.’
Counterfeit soap was already circulating in this period.
The new product had to be released. Moreover, it had better fragrance and cleansing power than the previous batch.
I also made sure not to forget to write a brief letter of regards to send along with it.
‘I should try to appear as composed as possible.’
I couldn’t know exactly how much the blanket would cover, but at the very least, I hoped to avoid the disaster of someone fleeing the moment they saw my face.
“The Hyeolpyeon-wang must be quite pleased. Perhaps there’s a romantic interest between you and—”
“…No, that’s not it.”
I firmly cut off the hopeful speculation of the Pyosahyung who was subtly probing whether I had romantic feelings.
Just then, the Pyosahyung beside me jabbed me in the ribs.
“You’re so oblivious. The Hyeolpyeon-wang and Changyonggeom have quite the connection, don’t they? Hehehehe!”
…That’s not it either.
Changyonggeom is ultimately a victim in all this.
One could say he was a sacrificial offering for the elders of the Namgung family to exchange with the Dang family.
The one who truly benefited was not Namgung Un, but his younger sister, Namgung Yeon.
Through her friendship with someone who trusted her completely, she had completely cured her stuttering and gained confidence.
Though not comparable to Dang-a or Namgung Un, she had begun steadily building her martial reputation from the ground up, bringing no shame to the Namgung family.
‘Hmm, the rumors of the martial world are truly meaningless.’
After sending the letter, I parted ways with Pyoguk.
Several more days of travel passed.
The southwestern region of Yunnan and Guangxi provinces.
‘I’ve finally reached the lands beyond the empire.’
The forces beyond the empire are something martial arts novels always cover at least once.
The powers beyond the empire are always depicted as hidden masters, but I hadn’t come here to fight any of them.
I am a doctor, not a martial artist.
My purpose is purely a medical visit.
‘Wow, it’s quite humid here.’
Even after changing into thin clothes, I was drenched in sweat.
‘Eun Wang-ya said she was in a place where the boundaries between Guangxi, Yunnan, and the Dadu Kingdom formed a triangle.’
The trading city of Wannong.
It was the city at the very edge of the empire’s territory.
The surroundings of Wannong were desert, and Wannong itself was built on an oasis where water emerged.
Going west from Wannong, a vast desert stretched out; going south led to jungle regions.
To the east was the Central Plains.
Going north from here was a forested region.
Using this geographical advantage, it had grown into a trading city, and it was said to have quite beautiful scenery.
‘Why would Eun Wang-ya have a regular checkup in such a place? Could this be a conspiracy between my Master and Eun Wang-ya to give me a rest?’
In fact, during the journey here, I had eaten well and played well as if I were sightseeing, doing nothing of particular importance.
My suspicions only deepened.
“Is it Sohyeop’s task to find a merchant caravan heading to Wannong?”
“Ah, yes, that’s right!”
The Unryongpyoguk branch.
I raised my hand suddenly.
A strikingly handsome man with a medicine bag on his back, accompanied by a large dog and a blue-feathered hawk.
“Pardon me, but…”
“If you’re looking for the White-Robed Divine Dragon, then yes!”
I was beginning to grow accustomed to fame.
“Ah! The White-Robed Divine Dragon! What a pleasure! What a pleasure!”
Pyodo, the leader of the Unryongpyoguk, clasped his fists in a grand salute as he spoke.
“I’ve heard rumors that your medical arts and culinary skills have reached divine heights!”
Somehow, my culinary reputation was overshadowing my martial fame.
I was beginning to suspect that perhaps my cooking had surpassed my martial prowess, despite my internal energy spanning three decades of cultivation.
“You flatter me too much. Especially regarding cooking—compared to the master chefs of the martial world, I’m merely at the level of a child playing in the kitchen.”
“No, no. Particularly when it comes to late-night meals, they say no one can match the White-Robed Divine Dragon! The rumor that you fed fifty people in one sitting has stirred the hearts of our Unryongpyoguk members so deeply…”
‘…Why does it seem like he’s more impressed by my cooking than my medical skills…?’
That was indeed the case.
His expression wasn’t one of relief that a doctor was accompanying them.
Rather, it was pure anticipation: ‘Tonight, we’ll have something truly spectacular to eat!’
I was beginning to worry that my entire career was being redirected.
“Haha, more importantly, it’s best if no one falls ill. Should any of the Unryongpyoguk members sustain injuries during the journey, please come to me at any time.”
“That won’t be necessary. Why would the White-Robed Divine Dragon trouble himself? Food is the best medicine. Eat well, and you’ll recover.”
…My suspicion had been correct.
Pyodo asked me a question.
“What ingredients would you prefer? I’ll prepare anything you need.”
Why? Are we throwing a banquet in the middle of the desert?
* * *
“Wow, real camels!”
Thud!
Of course, there weren’t only camels. Horses were being used as well.
Special horseshoes designed by the locals of this region made desert crossing easier. With those horseshoes attached, horses could traverse the desert almost as effectively as camels, or so I’d heard.
Moreover, Pyodo, who walked at the very front of the Unryongpyoguk procession, was a veteran among veterans—someone who could cross the desert with his eyes closed.
‘He’s finding water sources without even a map.’
Usually, when people think of oases in the desert, they imagine a lake in the middle of sand surrounded by mangoes, coconuts, and palm trees. But the oases we encountered during this journey were different.
“We can set up camp here. Martial Arts Disciples, dig where I’ve marked.”
As you dig into the ground, wet sand appears, and digging deeper yields water.
That water is refined and rationed, but it’s never used as drinking water.
There’s a superstition that drinking it carelessly angers the spirit of the desert, bringing illness.
Instead, it’s used for boiling and giving to livestock, or for washing cloth and tools.
If the water we brought was plentiful enough, we’d simply pass by without using it.
This time, we set up camp in front of an oasis where water pooled like a lake.
The emerald-colored water was quite beautiful, though somewhat small.
‘Still, a massive oasis like Wannung must be quite different, right?’
Pyodo came over hastily.
“Just to be safe, I’m telling you—if you drink the water…”
“I understand. Even if I do drink it, I’ll strain it through cloth and make sure to boil it thoroughly before consuming.”
“Good that you understand so well.”
The superstitions of this region remained as strong as ever.
From my perspective as someone acutely aware of how dangerous parasites and microorganisms could be, this superstition didn’t seem entirely wrong.
So I naturally found myself nodding in agreement.

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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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