Doctor’s Rebirth - Chapter 654

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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 654
“I am Seon Geon, a Flying General, summoned by Jin Cheon-hee, the Censor-Inspector of the Golden Robes Guard.”
His eyes were sharp and piercing, his build robust and sturdy.
His inner energy was considerable—he had clearly cultivated his martial prowess well.
Yet I found myself more intrigued by his name and position than his appearance.
‘Seon? Could he be from the Seon clan?’
Seon Uk. Also known as Seon Mun-yak.
A tragic figure who served Cao Cao during the Three Kingdoms era and became the foremost contributor to establishing the Kingdom of Wei, only to later fall from favor and take his own life.
It seemed the Seon lineage had not yet been extinguished.
Though his official position was hardly impressive.
A Flying General was technically a general, but the lowest rank of general one could hold.
In modern Earth terms, equivalent to a squad leader.
In administrative hierarchy, somewhat below the Magistrate level.
“Pleased to meet you, General Seon. Please, sit here.”
Seon Geon approached and took the seat across from me.
[Brother, impressive~ Even the general is nervous~]
[The power of the Golden Robes Guard Censor’s authority. One wrong move and even the Governor could lose his head.]
[Wow~! Brother, your fortune is overflowing. The Emperor will squeeze you dry like a wrung-out cloth.]
This fool was saying truly terrifying things!
[I need to escape. I’m already busy just establishing public health. I don’t have time for administrative work.]
[Brother. The fact that you’re spouting words like ‘public health’ means you’re already in too deep~?]
After exchanging a few jests through sound transmission, I began speaking earnestly with the Military Officer.
“Do you know how heterodox cultists are supposed to be handled?”
“All residents from the heterodox cult’s origin area are to be evacuated, the region burned, and then both cultists and civilians are to be thoroughly identified. However, since distinguishing between cultists and civilians is nearly impossible, the convention is to execute everyone.”
At Seon Geon’s words, delivered without a single blink, my head began to spin.
Of course, I had read the military manuals on heterodox cult suppression during my work here, so I was aware of this.
But seeing a man so determined to carry out such measures made me feel dizzy.
Yet I endured it through the Hyeonwon Jeondan Singeong.
“Of course, that is to prevent complications later, but couldn’t a commander also use discretion to properly guide and provide relief to the people?”
“Certainly. However, please consider that distinguishing cultists is impossible.”
Kill everyone so there are no problems later and my career doesn’t get ruined.
That was the gist of it.
Yet this was likely the common understanding of this era.
On the other hand.
‘True, conducting benevolent governance is no joke when dealing with demonic energy, heterodox energy, and human sacrifice.’
I understood.
A furrow formed between my brows.
“….”
Then I made my decision.
“I will take responsibility. Proceed with identification and then securing order. Preventing any innocent deaths must be the absolute priority. Do you understand?”
“I obey your command!”
After exchanging a few more words with Seon Geon, I sent him out.
Sama Hyeon spoke.
[I thought you’d wipe them all out?]
[…I know I’m being soft. I know, but….]
Deep shadows fell across my brow.
Sama Hyeon gazed at it quietly before opening his mouth.
Not through telepathy, but with his voice.
“If the Emperor wanted them all exterminated, he would have given separate orders already. He knows the full situation, doesn’t he?”
“….”
“And who knows? If he doesn’t like how you handle things, he might never ask you to do something like this again.”
“…That would be nice.”
Only then did my expression brighten slightly.
This was the kind of man he was.
“Why did you do it that way? As a doctor?”
“Just thought of you.”
“Huh?”
At those words, Sama Hyeon’s eyes widened slightly.
“Not Hye-a, but the other children you took responsibility for. Are they doing well?”
At that, Sama Hyeon burst into genuine laughter.
“Yep~ They’re doing great. Some started working under me~ And one of them suddenly decided to inherit the will of Ilgwang and became a housekeeper~”
“What? Not medicine?”
“Hye-a’s the one doing that. Besides, being a doctor isn’t something you can just decide to do. We’re the types who get drowsy just reading books.”
“But we light up when looking at ledgers with money flowing through them.”
“That’s that, this is this! Anyway, they’re all doing well~ Sure, some got killed by a blind swordsman’s strike, but that’s the Gangho, so what can you do. But why suddenly ask?”
I answered.
“If we do nothing, most of the people in Doyeon Village will die. Those who didn’t know it was truly the Hyeolseonggyo, those who were struggling so hard they didn’t even realize something was wrong—they’ll all die too. Same with those whose disabilities or illnesses made it hard to even move.”
-Of course! I had no idea it was connected to the Hyeolseonggyo! Something felt off, so I only took it once and never again!
Sama Hyeon spoke.
“They could be lying.”
“Right. So we need to investigate. I’ll be involved too…. Could I ask you to help as well?”
Sama Hyeon read between the lines.
“Before we met you, we were murderers and thieves. We didn’t even know it was wrong. We sold opium too.”
“That’s because you were young.”
“Right. Because we were young. But… as we grew older, we would have done worse, not better. That’s how people’s lives are. They don’t change easily.”
“….”
“If I had been here in Doyeon Village back then, feeding Hye-a and the children, I don’t think I would have made choices any better than these people. I probably would have eaten the second pill and died.”
Sama Hyeon closed his eyes.
Then he answered like this.
“What you said about believing in human potential. I think I understand it a little now. That’s why you give them a chance.”
“Of course, there will be a lengthy investigation.”
“But at the same time, if there’s even one innocent person, I’ll make sure they don’t die.”
“Yes. It’s an infinitely lenient decision.”
“But it’s better than exterminating the entire bloodline. Though honestly, extermination would be more administratively convenient.”
Sama Hyeon organized his thoughts.
Then he rose to his feet.
“I’m going to work myself to death~”
“I’m sorry. Is there anything you’d like to eat?”
“Chicken. Something spicy. Or fried.”
Both were bad for the stomach.
They made you gain weight, were spicy, salty, and everything was so stimulating.
But they were good for the mind—my soul food, Jin Cheon-hee style.
* * *
While handling matters in Doyeon-dong, I also researched the world’s most delicious chicken.
By “researched,” I mean I spent all my time frying chicken.
With so much work piling up, sometimes I only managed to fry two meals or even just one, but in any case, I created a wide variety of chicken dishes.
Fried chicken, garlic chicken, seasoned chicken, baked chicken, Gangho-style honey butter chicken!
Even seeing me fry strawberry-flavored and apple-flavored chicken, Sama Hyeon clicked his tongue.
“Hyeong. Do people actually eat this? Why waste such precious chicken?”
“Wait and see. Sometimes we must create forbidden dishes for the sake of human progress.”
In that process, I created a new Central Plains-style chicken glaze.
“I’ve felt this for a while, but the Central Plains housekeeper is quite skilled. If only the refrigeration technology were better so the ingredients stayed fresher, but their knife work is impeccable.”
With just a square-shaped Chinese cleaver, they cut bones, peel cucumbers, julienne vegetables, and even chop boiled radish.
I was even astonished watching them work flour dough with a Chinese cleaver.
The people here simply weren’t raised as weakly as in modern times.
In this world without vegetable slicers, mixers, air fryers, or dough machines, all you could rely on were human legs and forearms.
Even commoners naturally walked three villages over to the marketplace and wielded Chinese cleavers and massive woks all day long.
They even hand-pulled noodles while single-handedly running the entire kitchen.
Yet their precision was such that they carved egg rolls into honeycomb patterns.
Sama Hyeon asked.
“What if we deboned it completely before frying?”
“Right. We’d have more than enough. Then the person eating it could enjoy just the meat without any bones, right?”
At those words, Sama Hyeon fell into thought.
“There’s a problem, Hyeong.”
“What is it?”
“If we do that, the chicken looks smaller, so the portion appears relatively meager.”
“But the actual amount you eat is the same, right?”
“But the visible portion looks small, doesn’t it? Of course, wealthy young masters would still seek it out. The Imperial Palace does it that way.”
There are already many similar dishes in the Central Plains.
Gongbo Chicken.
It’s a dish made by dicing chicken and frying it with nuts, vegetables, and a spicy sauce.
It’s different from Korean dak-gangjeong, but this version is delicious too.
There are many other dishes where you fry just the chicken meat, but they’re expensive.
Moreover, the dak-gangjeong I make requires large amounts of sugar and malt syrup—the malt syrup is secondary, but sugar comes from sugarcane.
On this world’s Eastern Continent, sugarcane, tomatoes, potatoes, corn, and chili peppers grow naturally, but since the principle of boiling sugarcane to make sugar is similar, people have to be ground up to make it.
In short, it’s a luxury food.
“This is ultimately a dish that would come from an expensive inn.”
“What if we fry potatoes like crazy? Besides, the Baekrin Medical Guild just succeeded in breeding a new variety of potato that’s perfect for frying.”
“Hmm. Wouldn’t it be better to make that our main focus?”
I cook just to satisfy my own palate, but whenever I’m with Sama Hyeon, the conversation inevitably turns to business.
I’m researching the world’s most delicious chicken to treat myself, while Sama Hyeon is already thinking about how to sell it.
“Can’t we just eat it ourselves first and think about it later?”
At my words, Sama Hyeon picked up a piece of dak-gangjeong and took a bite.
Crunch—
Hot juices flowed out from inside.
Since it was freshly fried, he might have burned his tongue, but Sama Hyeon didn’t stop and kept eating.
“Hyeong, can’t I just eat all of this?”
“How are you going to eat all of this?”
“Tch.”
“If you finish all of this, I’ll make you oil tteokbokki too.”
“Ohhhhh!”
Sama Hyeon’s eyes sparkled.
For stress relief, meat, fried food, and dessert are the holy trinity.
The bad friends of the food world.
Sama Hyeon responded to my words.
“Heterodox Faction friends are always the most fun.”
“But if you get too close, they become the kind of Heterodox Faction friends you shouldn’t be close to?”
Sama Hyeon answered that.
“How many people in Gangho actually gain weight? Even eating three meals a day is a luxury. Warriors all want to eat well because of their training.”
That’s true.
Even Cheonwoo from the Daoist sect, who mainly practices vegetarianism, eats an enormous amount like an elephant just to maintain his weight.
The same goes for me.
In modern terms, everyone moves their bodies more than professional athletes.
If food intake decreases, weight drops immediately, and with that level of training, there’s no fat left to lose—muscle wastes away instead.
‘It’s not like we eat fried food for all three meals. Well, strangely enough, even those who do eat fried food for all three meals seem fine.’
When you learn martial arts, you fundamentally learn cultivation techniques, and from sunrise to sunset, you swing your sword.
Because of this, there’s almost no lifestyle disease.
Even when aged, strangely, everyone’s joints don’t wear down—the sect elders’ knees move very smoothly and flexibly.
One of the reasons why, despite discovering insulin at the Baekrin Medical Guild research center, only I am cheering.
In any case, in this world governed by yin-yang and five elements, martial arts and inner energy are supreme.
‘That is, if the Elder can survive first.’
Average lifespan: thirty years.
Diseases of affluence were not the concern.
The blind blade was the true threat.

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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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