Doctor’s Rebirth - Chapter 617

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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 617
Either way, this was a medicine I hadn’t yet conceived of developing.
I was too preoccupied researching urgent antibiotics like penicillin and streptomycin, as well as smallpox vaccination formulas.
Yet despite this, patients with adult-onset diseases continued to exist.
Especially among high-ranking officials who kept collapsing from them.
Of course, there were also cases where insulin was necessary due to congenital conditions, regardless of obesity.
‘How well you’ve grown.’
I couldn’t do everything myself.
Was this what parents felt watching their children strive for independence?
My nose suddenly felt warm.
‘Good. I absolutely must provide budget support for this.’
Wasn’t that why I worked so hard earning money outside?
Being a good superior meant letting my people live without worrying about funds.
I approved the expenses and requested additional reports.
It would take considerable time before commercialization.
And lowering the unit cost after commercialization would be a long marathon, but this was still just the beginning.
And the Gangho political situation report.
‘Currently, the Five Rings Alliance isn’t a massive organization with the kind of solid power base the Martial Arts Alliance or Sadoren possess.’
What was the Martial Arts Alliance?
Ultimately, it was an independent organization operated by funds contributed from each sect.
Because of this, martial artists under the Martial Arts Alliance
learned independent martial techniques.
These were either martial arts from exterminated clans that the Martial Arts Alliance had secured, or newly developed martial arts.
‘In exchange, they had no personal assets. After all, it operated on membership fees. Just like Sadoren.’
Structurally, it resembled the modern UN, though that organization was created to prevent world wars.
This one was also created for the sake of Gangho, but the difference was that individuals were armed groups, so bloodshed occurred every time.
‘What about our Five Rings Alliance?’
The Five Rings Alliance, by contrast, was closer to an alliance of five sects.
Because of this, no separate organizations or permanent institutions like the Martial Arts Alliance existed.
‘If I had to make a comparison, it would be like the Korea-US alliance.’
Of course, in terms of power, the Five Rings Alliance was far smaller than the Martial Arts Alliance…
But the Golden Blood Hall’s involvement had created a strange situation where the Five Rings Alliance had more money.
‘First, the Namgung Family hired a large number of ronin to recruit people.’
Then each sect additionally hired ronin to increase their numbers.
The funds for hiring ronin came from a new form of business venture.
Where did this new business come from?
Baekrin Uiseon!
‘This was the grand blueprint of Master’s Three Divisions of Heaven strategy.’
It was more secular than the Martial Arts Alliance.
Furthermore, speaking rights within the Five Rings Alliance were inevitably determined by each sect’s financial power.
In other words.
‘My Master intends to develop the Baekrin Uiseon to rival even the Golden Blood Hall.’
Of course, there’s no need to crush the Golden Blood Hall.
Fundamentally, the Golden Blood Hall has transformed into a system where capital accumulates as long as peace is maintained.
The Golden Blood Hall must be the one supporting this peace.
‘This is Sama Hyeon’s power at work.’
If I mentioned this to Sama Hyeon, he’d claim the idea came from his older brother, mixing in foreign words unknown to the Central Plains, and would tease me about it.
But no matter how much modern knowledge one possesses, actualizing it is an entirely different level of difficulty.
Just the succession struggle alone was fierce enough that ordinary people wouldn’t dare attempt it.
‘Still… my Master designed things without worrying much about what happens after he and I are gone.’
That’s the weakness of the Five Rings Assembly.
If a worthless successor takes the seat, everything falls apart worthlessly.
The various sects experienced the kindness I created while traveling through regions, and they came to understand the benefits it brought.
It can be said they trust in this and joined because of it.
Otherwise, there would be no reason for them to leave the Martial Arts Alliance and Sadoren, where they were already well-established.
‘Right. My Master only needs peace to be maintained while his disciple is alive. After that, whether future generations fall into chaos or not… he wouldn’t care…’
My Master isn’t a bad person, but he’s not particularly sentimental either.
After suffering so much in his youth, why would he be so fond of these Gangho people?
‘Well then. I should at least solidify the foundation myself.’
The top three revenue sources of the Baekrin Uiseon are the pharmaceutical business, the mirror business, and the intermediate distribution from the Unryongpyoguk incorporated into the Gongseon Family.
These three are the largest.
‘The revenue has truly skyrocketed.’
Especially Hangzhou has grown to an enormous scale by combining the mirror business with intermediate distribution.
Now people from other cities have begun coming to Hangzhou to find work.
In a sense, it’s like rural exodus.
Of course, in a world without railways or buses, they simply walk.
Renting horses is expensive anyway.
And furthermore!
The Baekrin Uiseon was granted Baekrin Prefecture as a fief.
The taxes collected here alone are staggering.
Even after paying taxes to the imperial court, the remaining amount is beyond imagination.
Even major sects cannot earn as much as the taxes from a single prefecture.
For this reason.
The Five Rings Alliance could grease palms with money, recruit martial artists, and inflate their numbers.
-But the martial artists of the Five Rings Alliance ultimately lack substance, don’t they? Where would secret martial techniques like those of the Martial Arts Alliance come from?
Many martial artists say such things.
But the Five Rings Alliance has one more thing.
-Oh my, this person. Do you know what the martial artists of the Practice City are?
-But they’re not as strong as major sect martial artists, are they?
-Still, they’re at least two or three levels above ordinary wanderers. With the Baekrin Uiseon Members assisting them, there’s less chance of death or permanent disability.
—Practical experience might actually be quite abundant.
Recalling a recent conversation I’d overheard among the martial artists, I couldn’t help but smile wryly.
‘Even when it doesn’t seem like it, they all think quickly. I suppose it’s because their livelihoods depend on it.’
Though I hadn’t mentioned it publicly, now that the numbers were in place, we’d reached a point where we no longer fell short of Sadoren or the Martial Arts Alliance.
It had taken only a few weeks to reach this stage—truly an extraordinary situation.
‘Hmm. This is all thanks to Master’s profound foresight. Could Master perhaps be the reincarnation of Jegal Ryang? Or perhaps it’s the genius of the Nine Yin Meridians.’
I wondered if Jegal Ryang might have also possessed the Nine Yin Meridians.
‘Hmm. I’m not sure. If I searched the archives, it might… ah, it probably won’t be there. Master keeps records related to such families separately.’
He would allow me to read them if I wished, but unlike Earth’s Jegal Ryang, the Gangho world’s Jegal Ryang had ascended to immortality.
Seeing that he’d even achieved immortal ascension, I doubted he possessed the Nine Yin Meridians.
After all, to achieve a complete transformation of body and spirit, the three aspects—heart, qi, and body—must harmonize perfectly.
Even if heart and qi were satisfied, the Nine Yin Meridians would make the body problematic.
‘No matter how much genius one possessed, that would be impossible.’
As I was contemplating this,
someone suddenly entered my room.
“You damned disciple. Take this.”
Thump!
Curious about what it was, I caught it—gloves woven from golden silk threads.
They were so thin that light shone through them transparently, like dragonfly wings.
“What is this… what?”
“Put them on.”
It seemed like he’d strike me if I didn’t.
As I put on the gloves, something miraculous happened—my left pinky finger, which had been empty space, suddenly moved.
“Ohhhhh!”
That wasn’t all.
The glove’s fingers had gained the sensation of real fingers.
“Yoo Ho, this is…”
“Try lifting a teacup, if you would.”
The moment I picked up the teacup, I yelped “Ow, hot!” and set it down.
Even though I was wearing gloves, the sensation transmitted through the glove’s surface like my own skin.
It felt as if I weren’t wearing gloves at all.
When I channeled my inner force into it, the glove turned white.
“It changes color too?”
“These are Eungryong’s scales. This is the limit of my skill, but…”
“Wait… I haven’t even asked you yet. Before that, where did I put those Eungryong scales?”
“Didn’t you just stuff them carelessly into your travel bag? Such a precious item.”
“Ohhh! You found them yourself and made this? What’s the principle behind it? Can it be applied to other gloves? This could be a real medical revolution! Yoo Ho!”
As my eyes lit up, Yoo Ho’s eyebrows twitched.
“I’m not sure how you earned Eungryong’s favor, but it’s only possible because of what that material is. Since it can’t be destroyed even by strong force, use it well.”
“Yoo Ho, thank you. I love you!”
With those words, I lunged at Yoo Ho.
Yoo Ho, as if he’d been waiting, drove a knee kick toward my solar plexus.
I deliberately blocked Yoo Ho’s strike with my gloved left hand.
Clang!
My body flew backward, but I confirmed that the gloves absorbed most of the impact.
“Wow! This feels absolutely incredible!”
“This madman… you’re using such a powerful strike as a test?”
I laughed honestly.
“But Yoo Ho is the only one who can truly strike me with full force, so you’re the only one I can test this on.”
“You seem to be mistaken. If I were serious, you would be dead.”
“Either way, Yoo Ho is still the only one who can deliver a blow of this magnitude.”
Whether it was cunning or foolishness.
One thing was certain.
This man had never been in his right mind to begin with.
A man who won’t live a hundred years. There’s no point worrying about him—it only gives me a headache.
Yoo Ho thought that far and spoke.
“Well… that’s enough. The Master is calling.”
“Hehe, thanks. I’ve decided what reward to give you, Yoo Ho.”
Saying so, I repeatedly clenched and unclenched my fists.
It was a remarkable item.
I had only imagined a prosthetic arm, but I never could have conceived of a divine artifact in glove form that protected my entire hand like this.
“I’m truly grateful. I always feel nothing but appreciation toward you, Yoo Ho.”
I spoke with sincerity.
Yoo Ho’s eyebrows twitched slightly.
He seemed about to say something, then closed his mouth. After a moment, he spoke.
“Strange man. Now go see him.”
“This feels like my best day yet, Yoo Ho.”
With that, I walked toward my Master.
Yoo Ho spoke to my departing back.
“…Young master.”
“Hmm?”
“What will you do if the time comes when both you and I become useless?”
“Uh…”
My eyes rolled around.
Hadn’t I just received a tremendous report of new medicine from the research hall today?
This was a pure medicine created by the people of this world through their own efforts, without help from Yoo Ho or me.
I couldn’t say if we could achieve such results next time, but at least we had established a system showing how effort could yield results.
Now humans would continue to attempt, and through those attempts, they would learn from their mistakes.
I spoke.
“Then I should rest well. Build a pavilion somewhere, raise some fish in a pond. With no money worries, I’ll live a leisurely life.”
“You’re afraid of becoming useless, aren’t you?”
“That’s nonsense. I’m human too. Of course I want to rest.”
With that, he deliberately walked away with heavy, thumping footsteps.
‘This bastard Yoo Ho occasionally says the most unexpected things.’
When that day comes, I’ll retire.
Though I doubt it ever will.
Feeling as though something weighed on my shoulders, I turned around, but Yoo Ho was gone.
He’s always like this.
He jabs at something that bothers you, then when you turn to look, he’s disappeared.
‘Thanks for the gloves. You could’ve just beaten me instead.’
Realizing that his strikes no longer work on me, he’s resorted to psychological attacks.
That’s how I arrived at my Master’s study.
After adjusting my medical robes and infusing the Five Elements True Qi into the gloves, I tested them by touching them here and there.
Swish—
Remarkably, they transformed to match my skin perfectly.
‘You wouldn’t even know I was wearing gloves.’
The scales of Eungryong are truly extraordinary.
It’s only natural, having received a fragment of divinity.
I had to admire Yoo Ho’s ingenuity in thinking to extract threads from them to weave these gloves.

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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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