Doctor’s Rebirth - Chapter 529

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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 529
Thus, the talented scholars hired by order of Magistrate Ilgwang arrived at my alternate world.
“Senior, what in the world is this?”
“Ah, you don’t know? This is called a chart. The Magistrate sometimes calls it a ‘graph’ as well. With this, we can increase our work efficiency.”
“Good heavens, is this really a graph…?”
“If you can’t master it, I’ll issue you a specialized shovel. Newcomer.”
“A specialized shovel?”
“Indeed. A tool for driving into the ground, stepping on it, and digging with all your might. Depending on how you assemble it, you can even use it as a pickaxe.”
“Why would I ever use such a shovel, Senior?”
“For moving mountains. Once you fail to master the graph, you’ll find out soon enough.”
“This is absurd! I mastered the Thousand Character Classic at five, learned the Elementary Learning and the Four Books at eight, and am proficient in ritual studies—a Central Plains prodigy!”
“Congratulations, Newcomer. You’re the weakest among us.”
My senior mastered the Thousand Character Classic at four and learned the Elementary Learning at seven.
The senior at the next desk was the same, and even those digging the back mountain with shovels were no different.
For them to accept this monthly salary, they were all geniuses praised since childhood in their own villages.
Kwaaaaaang!
A thunderous sound echoed from the back mountain.
Looking in surprise, my senior spoke calmly.
“The Magistrate is currently piercing through the mountain with sword energy. The civil engineering seniors will handle the cleanup now.”
My senior spoke.
“Welcome to Ilgwang’s alternate world, Newcomer.”
So if I master that graph thing, I won’t have to do that, right?
“By the way, Newcomer. Have you learned arithmetic?”
“Isn’t that a lowly discipline that only street merchants learn?”
For some reason, my seniors burst into laughter at those words.
“…Congratulations. The civil engineering department will have a new friend.”
The newcomer couldn’t understand what they meant. Then again.
Kwaaaaaang!
“The Magistrate is really demolishing everything thoroughly.”
“But I heard Ilgwang had reached the realm of Hwagyeong—why on earth would he use such formidable martial arts just to break rocks?”
“…”
Kwang, kwaaaaaang!
My seniors spoke.
“Ilgwang is just that kind of person. You’ll get used to it.”
“He’s the type who masters the Thousand Character Classic at five and learns the Elementary Learning and Four Books at eight, yet doesn’t know arithmetic—and that’s why he puts a shovel in your hands and assigns you to the civil engineering department.”
“No… what… this is insane… why would he do this to such a talented person like me? How could he?”
Kuguguguung!
Again, the sound of Ilgwang pushing a mountain echoes from afar.
Suddenly, an elderly woman stopped her work and clasped her hands in prayer toward the direction of the sound.
“Wait, why are you praying toward Ilgwang? He’s just demolishing a rocky mountain with martial arts—why does everyone respect him so much?”
“Talented individuals are emerging from the Civil Engineering Department. Talented individuals indeed. Since you’re heading to Civil Engineering anyway, memorize contour lines before you go.”
“What are contour lines?”
That was Ilgwang’s separate world.
Those with rigid minds could not survive.
The seniors looked at this new recruit with expressions of deep pity for some reason.
“At least eat a hearty meal beforehand.”
“…?”
“You prepared comfortable shoes, didn’t you? If not, I can lend you some.”
“…?”
“Bamboo rice balls are sold just ahead, so make sure to bring some with you.”
* * *
In a world without television or YouTube, wasn’t the greatest entertainment a magistrate’s trial and an executioner’s sword dance?
Of course, there wasn’t the kind of excitement of dancing while debating whether to strike, as in Joseon, but they did deliver a clean execution with a massive axe in one blow.
In that sense, the Hwa Empire was somewhat… medieval European.
Instead of executing the former magistrate, I sent him to labor and bound him with ropes for a ceremonial procession around the village.
Thus, the acting magistrate’s approval rating soared to the heavens.
Since I was doing it anyway, I decided to put on a proper show and emptied the warehouse—rice and gold came pouring out.
In short, it was money earned through illegal loan sharking.
The commoners had to borrow money from the magistrate to pay the harsh taxes, but strangely, the amount of taxes the state said to collect differed from what was actually collected.
This was evidence that not only the magistrate but also the previous magistrate had profited, so I found the magistrate’s secret ledger and added testimony from the commoners who had paid, then sent it all toward the imperial palace.
The commoners who had already taken their own lives… had no remaining family, so their neighbors did it for them.
Your Majesty? No, that’s not it.
If I sent anything more in that direction, it would cause troublesome complications, so I sent it toward Han I-jeong, Minister of the Imperial Household.
‘I hope this small ball I’ve launched bursts beautifully and puts on a brilliant fireworks display.’
Thinking of a festival of dreams and hope with fireworks, I sent it off.
That said, it wasn’t just the magistrate and the former magistrate who did this.
The inspector who passed through here probably profited too, and I need to check if the one who appointed the magistrate sold his position.
If I set the fire properly, they’ll all board the express train to the afterlife in a chain.
To begin with, the lands around Jiangsu Province are quite decent.
Though the land itself is small in size, the alluvial soil created by the Yangtze River makes most of Jiangsu Province fertile land.
And this fertile land produces an enormous rice harvest.
Moreover, it’s adjacent to the sea, making maritime trade convenient, and it’s also adjacent to rivers, so goods can be transported that way as well.
There are many tidal flats, so there are plenty of clams and crabs.
From such land, even if it’s only two thousand households near the Baekrin Medical Guild, the income that could be collected would be substantial.
My Master went to a hot spring region in the mountains to commit fewer murders and preserve his health, but as a medical guild, he still needed to function, so perhaps he didn’t choose the Jiangsu region.
Leaving such magnificent land undeveloped and lying fallow is truly the sin of a person from another world.
I came all the way to this other world—why wouldn’t I develop it?
Build roads! Create land!
Kuagwagwagwang–!
Wave the magistrate’s staff a bit at the officials who look at me like I’m insane!
Crash, crash-crash-crash!
“Gasp—Ilgwang… I’ve only heard rumors. He’s actually cutting mountains with a sword!?”
“But why on earth is he using such precious sword energy to break rocks?”
“He says it’s to create a road, but there’s the Yangtze River—why go through the trouble of building a road…?”
Listen here, you foolish officials. More roads are always better.
Besides, every summer the Yangtze overflows and flooding becomes severe. We must begin water control projects now to prepare.
‘These limestone and granite I’m breaking now will be essential for water management.’
I’m not trying to leave behind some grand achievement like the legendary sage-kings of old.
Simply put, to prevent people, cattle, and horses from being swept away in floods, water control is absolutely necessary, and these stones I’m breaking will serve that vital purpose.
‘I’ve studied modern construction methods.’
If I grind this limestone and mix it with sand, it becomes excellent cement.
And if I add volcanic ash as well?
That’s the Greco-Roman construction method.
Fortunately, Baekrin Medical Guild’s main headquarters is in a volcanic region, so volcanic ash is easy to obtain.
“Why is Ilgwang deliberately cutting the cliff face into such neat chunks?”
“He says it makes them easier to transport.”
“Is that also why the felled trees are arranged horizontally?”
“By using the cut logs as wheels and rolling those cut rocks downward, it requires fewer workers, or so he says.”
Crash-crash-crash-crash!
Water control—!!
Civil engineering aaaaaa!!
“Why are they wearing those yellow wooden helmets on their heads?”
“Safety first, he insisted. Do you see the green cross mark?”
The talented scholars all gripped their equipment and stared in a daze.
“Just how… strong is he?”
“I’ve heard Kang Ho-in are strong, but at this level, he wouldn’t fall behind the imperial family’s abilities.”
“Rather, I’ve heard that Ilgwang is unusually strong.”
The talented scholars sighed deeply while taking in the sight of Ilgwang’s actions.
‘These people will eventually manage the region in my stead.’
The number of talented scholars I requested was twenty-two in total.
I plan to call for more later, but for now, twenty-two.
Seolgyeon questioned why I needed so many, but that’s wishful thinking—some of them won’t be able to endure it.
The salary is generous and Baekrin Medical Guild’s medical benefits are certainly advantages.
Besides, they were unemployed.
After resting for so long, they wrote poems criticizing the Emperor, lamented the Hwa Empire ruled by treacherous officials through metaphors of loaches and crows.
As mere scholars, they submitted memorials and sent them up.
As time passes while unemployed like that, they’ll want to do something.
Since Gaebangjoo personally conducted the character assessment, they won’t waver even if hardship strikes.
However, they must learn arithmetic they’ll never need in their lifetime, master surveying techniques.
And they must learn contour lines and such—there’s a mountain of things to learn before they even start?
On top of that, those with poor grades are dragged to construction sites where they must witness firsthand how the Magistrate pushes mountains and carves roads, and they have to haul stones as well?
It’s madness.
‘But it’s necessary.’
If one only buries themselves in books, they’ll only see civil engineering and water management on paper.
They’ll likely never learn whether the boulders being hauled are granite or limestone, or whether the trees are maples or pines.
And they won’t understand what’s convenient, or how things flow when someone deliberately embezzles in the middle of the process.
All corruption happens that way.
‘So someone has to learn.’
For now, Baekrin County—which was renamed this time since it’s the fief granted to Baekrin Medical Guild—needs about three Magistrates.
The remaining people will assist Baekrin County and Baekrin Medical Guild.
How many of them will endure?
I hope at least one more survives.
“Hey, our little Magistrate, when are you going to feed me?”
It was Seolgyeon.
“You still haven’t left?”
“Damn. A beggar’s heart goes where a beggar pleases. Kekeke.”
She laughed in her rough manner and tapped my back repeatedly.
“In that sense, I’d like to beg for the lunch that Baek Seon-gwang provides.”
It doesn’t seem like she just stopped by to get a free meal—there’s clearly some other real reason.
I decided to make time for her.
* * *
“Kekeke, anyway, I’ve finished all my business in Gangso Province, so I should head back now.”
She waved the spoon she’d been using to eat the soup.
Seolgyeon tang splattered everywhere, but I remained composed.
Considering her mad temperament, I should be grateful she wasn’t eating with her bare hands.
The only reason she was even pretending to use a spoon was because she was in front of me, a doctor who was terribly sensitive about cleanliness.
“So you came to see my face one last time.”
“Yeah. A blood incident erupted down in that area, so I was passing through.”
“A major eruption?”
“About five sects clashed over a spirit medicine. It’s absolute chaos. Two heterodox sects and three orthodox sects all got involved—it’s like a war. Kekeke.”
Through Yeo Ha-ryun, I already knew something had happened.
But hearing the details, it seems to be growing bigger than expected.
“What are Sadoren and the Martial Arts Alliance doing…?”
“They tried to mediate but failed, I hear. Eventually, fearing it would escalate into a righteous-versus-evil war, both Maeng and Ryeon withdrew. Neither side is getting involved at all, apparently.”
“Then it will become even more fierce.”
“Exactly. Two of the five are already nearly annihilated. It’s possible their lineage as sects may be completely severed.”

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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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