Doctor’s Rebirth - Chapter 389
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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 389
After creating individual treatment spaces where patients could be isolated,
Sama Hyeon and the martial artists of Baekrin Uiseon moved about together, drawing water and boiling it.
-Do you understand, Hyeon-a? When you boil water, all the microscopic bacteria that cause plague are killed. So make sure to boil it and have everyone bathe in it. Got it?
The instructions did not end there.
-And take out the medical alcohol we brought, spray it around, then pour the boiled water over everything to clean the entire village. Use the soap we brought generously. It’s to kill the bacteria. Or to neutralize it like an antidote.
Sama Hyeon held deep respect and admiration for Jin Cheon-hee as both his benefactor and medical mentor.
Not only was he his savior in matters of life, but wasn’t he also a pioneer who had guided him toward the realm of Hwagyeong?
Because of this, he had consistently read medical texts, and since his younger sister Sama-hye worked at the main branch of Baekrin Uiseon, he knew somewhat more about medicine than ordinary martial artists.
Therefore, he understood the existence of bacteria and was quite well-versed in the concepts of disinfection and sterilization.
But he listened obediently to Jin Cheon-hee’s explanations as if hearing them for the first time before taking action.
He had already grown close with the martial artists of Baekrin Uiseon.
There was no problem working on disinfection with them and cleaning the village with the boiled water alongside the residents.
But a problem arose when it came time to have them bathe.
“We already bathe daily. So what is the reason we must bathe in boiled water?”
The residents resisted.
* * *
‘This is why people don’t understand when you just talk to them~ What should I do? Should I make an example of one or two of them~?’
Sama Hyeon thought to himself.
Before his eyes stood the village residents.
Their faces bore fear, but also grievance and anger.
“You people of the Middle Kingdom have a saying… ‘daily bathing thrice’—we bathe every day. Yet now you say we must bathe in boiled water going forward. What is the reason for this?”
The one who stepped forward as their representative was a middle-aged man with some martial training.
Sama Hyeon recalled from a corner of his mind that he had introduced himself as the Village Chief’s Son.
And beside Sama Hyeon, Lim Un-hyeon, the vice-chief and shaman, approached and whispered softly into his ear.
“They’re not trying to boil us to death, are they?”
“What if we incur the god’s wrath?”
“Didn’t we go against what the shaman said? What do they know!”
“Should we even trust these Middle Kingdom bastards in the first place?”
These were the voices of the village residents from behind.
A thick smile began to frost across Sama Hyeon’s face.
“Really~ I feel sick every time I see this kind of thing~”
Strangely enough, it was quite common for those who had been discriminated against to discriminate against others in turn.
The rich beat the poor, and the poor beat those even poorer than themselves.
And when they reached a point where they could be no poorer, they beat young children and the elderly among those of equal status.
The more desperate humans become, the more they reveal their baseness, and that is never rational.
‘Oh Dok-mun from Yunnan, who was discriminated against within the empire, discriminates among his own people, and the most discriminated clan of all curses at me from behind, calling me a Middle Kingdom man~’
Having lived at the bottom, he had witnessed such things constantly.
“Chief. You know well that this is human nature, don’t you?”
Though she was the vice-chief, she spoke informally with him when they were alone like this, as she was his shaman.
Sama Hyeon had no particular thoughts about that.
“Well, it’s just that feeling of coming home, you know? Right, Saje?”
Saje had grown up witnessing the depths of human nature from childhood, just like Sama Hyeon. That’s why the two of them understood each other.
She answered calmly.
“I don’t know. Living in the heterodox sect, there’s nothing to complain about. We’re rolling along similarly anyway.”
“Maybe so~ I’m still trying to live decently though~”
“As if.”
Lim Un-hyeon scoffed.
“So. What are you going to do? It’s a task from that medical brother you’re always bragging about?”
“Hmm~. I need to think about this a bit~”
Sama Hyeon pondered.
My medical brother Jin Cheon-hee is someone for whom ‘consideration’ comes naturally.
He doesn’t compromise on treating illness, yet he still tries to ‘consider’ the other person’s circumstances.
Unless absolutely necessary, he never resorted to violent methods.
Even if the other person was someone ‘despicable’.
If they were an ordinary person without martial skills and didn’t attack Jin Cheon-hee first, my brother would ultimately choose righteousness.
‘That’s the part I respect, but~ it’s a bit difficult in situations like this~’
How could he get them to bathe? Then a sudden idea struck him.
“You said you were the Village Chief’s son~?”
Sama Hyeon opened his mouth toward the Village Chief’s son.
“I am.”
“This is all~ for your sake, and if you don’t trust us like that, we feel hurt too. You understand? This is all out of goodwill.”
“I’m not sure, but… don’t you think leaving us alone is what’s best for us? Even if we avoid the god’s wrath, I don’t think we’ll be able to live well going forward.”
“Huh? What. Were you already worried about that kind of thing~?”
“I have to take responsibility for the village.”
“So that’s why you’ve got some backbone~ good, good. Someone with backbone. I like that.”
When Sama Hyeon narrowed his eyes, goosebumps suddenly rose on the Village Chief’s son’s back for some reason.
Clearly a handsome nobleman with a brilliant appearance, looking like a good person on the surface, yet something—fear—stimulated his instincts.
Watching the Village Chief’s son like that, Sama Hyeon thought lazily.
‘This~ isn’t simple selfishness~ should I call it paternalism~.’
The Village Chief’s son.
Sama Hyeon understood what he was worried about.
‘That makes it even more repulsive.’
They think it’s a problem even if the disease is cured.
What would happen if the god’s wrath were actually healed?
Would Oh Dok-mun leave them alone?
They’re already worried about that.
Because of that, they’re hoping their own families and friends will die.
If they cooperate with Oh Dok-mun’s work as one of the leaders, they’ll have a way to survive.
Someone needs to discriminate against for their position, so he won’t kill the entire village.
To survive.
Of course, not everyone thinks this way.
‘But… how many actually share that conviction?’
No. Perhaps only the Village Chief’s Son harbors such calculations.
The villagers behind him might simply fear something they believe in, feel anxious, and wish to use others as sacrifices.
‘Either way… it’s revolting.’
Sama Hyeon narrowed his eyes and smiled.
“Then wait a moment. I’ll show you why you must bathe in ‘boiled water.'”
Sama Hyeon decided to proceed Jin Cheon-hee’s way. And shortly after.
The villagers began crying out as they returned.
* * *
“Is… is this real!?”
“It was… poison!?”
“You said it’s something called germs!”
“How is this different from poison!?”
After explaining the situation to Jin Cheon-hee, he brought out a primitive microscope.
And showed the problematic ‘germs’ directly.
“See? As the saying goes, seeing once is better than hearing a hundred times. We’ve prepared everything so you can all see. Now do you understand? Your cold water is teeming with these creatures. They enter your body and cause this.”
In truth, Sama Hyeon wasn’t certain whether these were actually disease-causing germs.
They could be different bacteria, but seeing them is what matters, isn’t it?
“This… this can’t be.”
The Village Chief’s Son seemed deeply shocked.
“Who… who poisoned us…?”
“I’m telling you, it’s not poison.”
Was it due to Yunnan’s characteristics?
Though not a Warrior, the villagers seemed quite familiar with poison.
But according to Sama Hyeon’s knowledge, this was not poison.
Just as he was about to explain, a hand pressed on his shoulder.
“I’ll explain from here.”
Jin Cheon-hee appeared, looking somewhat weary.
“Oh? You finished treating patients already?”
“Yeah. All done. Except for a few over there.”
“Don’t overexert yourself. If hyeong falls ill, things get complicated.”
“I’m fine enough to care for patients. Don’t worry. I’ve even gained some insights.”
‘That’s not what I was worried about…’
Sama Hyeon couldn’t voice his true thoughts and watched Jin Cheon-hee’s retreating figure as he walked toward the Village Chief’s Son.
‘So he’s the Village Chief’s Son. His father might die from this epidemic, yet he remains so composed. He’s got nerves of steel.’
Revolting, yet his calculations are clean. I like that.
Faction and morality matter little anyway.
Quietly adding the name to his talent roster, Sama Hyeon observed what would unfold next.
* * *
What I did was explain, explain, and explain again.
I also arranged for healthy people to take turns observing the primitive microscope.
As a result.
The people understood far more quickly than they would have from mere words alone.
That this was a natural disease, and that these tiny living creatures called bacteria had caused it.
Once I had gone to such lengths, the atmosphere shifted entirely.
Unlike the calculation of the Village Chief’s Son that Sama Hyeon had sensed, the residents began to show concern for whether their families and loved ones might survive.
Watching them, I reflected.
‘How pure they are. Yet equally savage….’
I told them that treatment was only just beginning, then turned my steps back to caring for the patients.
“Hyeong, you’ve worked hard~.”
“Hard work? Well, now that things are settled, you should be departing too.”
What I meant by departure was nothing complicated.
Procuring supplies from the Geumhyeol Banghouse. That’s what I meant.
After all, the Geumhyeol Banghouse had come along with business in mind in this Yunnan Province. The party consisted of merely six people.
Moreover, the commander was Sama Hyeon.
So Sama Hyeon had to return to the Geumhyeol Banghouse to bring supplies and bring along warriors and personnel as well.
“No. I was planning to have subordinates handle that. I’m staying.”
“That’s acceptable?”
“What could be wrong with it?”
“Hmm….”
I couldn’t determine whether this was the proper procedure or not.
How could I make a judgment without first understanding how the Hao-mun operates?
“Besides. As you well know, the speed at which Oh Dok-mun’s warriors assemble will be faster than the arrival of supplies and personnel.”
“Yes. I’m aware.”
I nodded.
My eyes were already gleaming with a blue light.
“What do you think, Hyeong? Will the Shaman come to attack?”
“I’ve only seen him once, and only for an instant, so it’s difficult to grasp much. But.”
“But?”
“Somehow, amid this mad group, that one strikes me as being cold and rational.”
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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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