Doctor’s Rebirth - Chapter 703

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 703
Clack—
Rather than answer, I set down my cup and filled an empty one with the astringent tea that Namgung Un had been drinking.
Then I drank it all in one continuous gulp without pause.
“Ugh.”
“I’ve never seen anyone drink something that bitter all at once before.”
“It’s more bitter than I expected.”
I furrowed my brow, and then spoke.
“It’s strange. Even after drinking this tea, I still don’t find Gangho distasteful.”
“Your actions are exactly like mine.”
Namgung Un filled his own cup generously with the bitter tea.
“By the way, from now on—should I call this person your older brother?”
“I’ll take that back if you drink alcohol, Namgung. Older brother.”
“Cough. That… that’s…”
I laughed softly and added one more thing.
“By the way, it would be good to strengthen your foundation. Chaos may arrive soon.”
“Is that also thanks to the Jegallim Family’s mysterious divination?”
I shook my head at those words.
Instead, I simply uttered something unrelated.
“…The moonlight is quite bright tonight.”
I lifted my blue eyes and gazed at the moon.
For a moment, Namgung Un felt the urge to seize this fellow and extract all the thoughts hidden within.
‘But that’s not something I should do.’
Ilgwang wouldn’t be called Ilgwang for nothing.
It was Ilgwang precisely because ordinary people could not comprehend it.
Having thought that far, Namgung Un sipped the astringent tea.
Slurp—
The moon was bright, and Gangho remained Gangho.
He craved alcohol.
* * *
“Mother. Is Father okay now?”
“You should say Father.”
“Father. Yes.”
The child murmured softly.
He decided on his own that since he was no longer a child, he should use more mature language.
“The Gaju is fine. Don’t worry. Jin Sogakju treated him well.”
“Oh! That cool older brother?!”
“You should call him Sogakju.”
At those words, the child murmured and puffed out his cheeks.
“But I want to call him older brother….”
Her cuteness made Mother laugh for quite some time.
“Then I’ll leave it to you.”
“Yes! I understand!”
Young Man Namgung Su said this and scurried away.
Leaving the house at night was dangerous, but this was within the Namgung Family compound, was it not?
The Namgung Family was so vast that one could fairly call it a village unto itself.
When night fell, the servants lit lanterns throughout.
Even the desolate gardens were illuminated.
Every corner shone brightly and safely, with no shadows to be found.
It was truly a fortress.
This place was Namgung Castle.
She gazed up at the sky. It was a beautiful moon.
Ju Yeong-yeong.
As the third wife of the Namgung Family, also called Lady Ju, she was famous for her gentle temperament.
The complete opposite of the strong-willed Lady Wiji.
Her nature—like water mixed with water, like wine mixed with wine—harmonized well even with Lady Wiji, the second wife.
Her influence within the family seemed both present and absent.
Yet she gazed at the moon with a prolonged smile.
In her hands was an old book.
Its edges were worn from being read many times over.
Thunk—
She tossed the book into the brazier.
Crackle, crackle—
The flames eagerly consumed the pages.
Ju Yeong-yeong thought the sight was quite beautiful.
“Oh, I should have sent some refreshments to Su.”
She tapped her own head as if just remembering.
“This married life is truly difficult~ No matter how much I do, I can’t seem to get used to it.”
She smiled gently with an innocent expression.
Thus, the single book in the brazier was completely erased.
Life creates reverse heaven work.
“I wonder if it’s not too late even now.”
She hastily gathered a bundle and rushed after her son Namgung Su.
She intended to deliver delicious refreshments to Baekrin Uiseon Sojakju, who had suffered greatly in this matter.
Since he was fond of children, he would surely be delighted.
* * *
The matter at the Namgung Family had concluded.
Jin Cheon-hee received an enormous amount of gifts from the Namgung Family.
Of course, half was gratitude, and the other half was hush money.
And since Namgung Un had become the Gaju, he now had reason to treat his friend Jin Cheon-hee with proper respect.
Thanks to that, I carried the expensive and small items myself and arranged for the rest to be sent through a courier service, but even so, my hands were quite full.
Parting with them wasn’t particularly difficult.
Yet the voices of the children asking me to visit again somehow kept weighing on my mind.
“I suppose I’ll have to visit them again sometime.”
Before I knew it, I’d even made a pinky promise.
It was because Namgung Su had cried so earnestly.
‘The Gangho I’m imagining….’
The conversation I’d had with Namgung Un the previous day came to mind.
As I climbed the mountain, I suddenly turned to look back.
Even though I’d climbed quite high, the Namgung Family compound was still visible.
Large and small buildings packed tightly within a massive stone wall.
It resembled a single enormous cell unto itself.
And didn’t it look like something on the verge of eruption?
‘It’s not an observation one could make about just any gathered settlement.’
The family itself seemed like a living organism.
‘Gangho. Gangho….’
I murmured softly to myself and resumed walking.
‘The Demonic Cult.’
I would need to contact Yeo Ha-ryun soon.
* * *
The moment I returned to Baekrin Uiseon, I completed my ablutions and immediately sought out my Master.
“Ah, the Patriarch is said to be in the newly constructed building.”
“A new building?”
Given the sheer scale of Baekrin Uiseon, construction, demolition, and repairs were constant undertakings.
However, it was rare for new buildings to be erected without my approval.
When I went to check, the plaque read:
[Culinary Research Hall]
“Hmm?”
And remarkably, standing before the research hall was a wooden qilin statue that my Master had carved as a hobby long ago.
The qilin sculpture, which he’d carved in one go without any trial and error, bore no paint, yet it seemed as though a legendary qilin from ancient tales was breathing before me.
It was characteristic of my Master that even a mere statue could emanate such overwhelming presence….
‘Hmm.’
However, its presence here carried a different meaning within Baekrin Uiseon.
‘Ah…. So this place is exclusively my Master’s, meaning I shouldn’t enter.’
Wasn’t it said that tigers mark their territory by scratching their claws on trees and rocks?
This was roughly similar.
My Master was marking his territory as well.
And everyone refrained from entering because none of them wished to die.
No one valued personal space as much as the Patriarch of Baekrin Uiseon.
‘Still, I should enter.’
Still, a disciple must enter.
Because I am a disciple.
As I stepped inside, steam rose up with a whoosh.
“You’ve arrived, Hope.”
“You recognized me immediately, Master.”
“The Chief Manager just left after handling some business, so it could only be you. I was thinking it was about time you returned.”
My Master was unusually wearing an apron like those worn by Gangho housekeepers, kneading dough with both hands.
As those massive hands worked the flour, the dough came together with rhythmic thuds—no machine needed.
Quite magnificent!
“It doesn’t seem like you’re researching medicinal cuisine… What dough is this?”
My Master tore off a piece of the dough he’d made and tossed it with a snap.
The dough infused with internal force stretched out thin as paper.
‘Ohhh!’
My eyes lit up in astonishment.
“Now that I think about it, there’s something I should pass down to you soon.”
“A martial technique?”
I tilted my head, wondering if it might be a cooking-related martial art.
My Master laughed, observing the expression of his disciple—the smartest, the most foolish, and the most mad person in this world.
“Ha ha ha, how could it be? This is something I learned long ago but have never actually practiced myself.”
“That is… Ah… Could it be!”
I immediately realized what my Master was trying to make.
“Indeed. The pride of the main house. The secret transmission of Gae Pa Josa. Dumplings.”
‘Dumplings!’
Those dumplings said to have been created by Zhuge Liang!
“The culinary secrets of dumplings are something every member of the Jegallim Family must learn. Though they’ve been refined and refined again through the generations.”
‘That’s right! When it comes to dumplings, it’s the Jegallim Family!’
I clenched my fists tightly.
That was it. Dumplings meant the Jegallga!
In fact, the inns operated by the Jegallim Family in the past served dumplings as their signature dishes.
From xiaolongbao to military dumplings, there was a variety, and their taste was known to be exquisite.
“Today I’m making them again to teach you the golden ratio pork and chive steamed dumplings.”
“Let me help too, Master!”
Saliva was already gathering in my mouth.
To taste dumplings passed down through the Jegallim Family.
This was truly a dream event that anyone who enjoyed the Three Kingdoms would be delighted about!
“Of course. You’ll learn while helping.”
I quickly changed into different clothes.
As a cooking assistant, my disciple was quite a good partner.
That one instinctively knew how to make delicious food. In short, he had a natural touch.
“This is nice because even if we mess up, no one dies from it.”
I sometimes even mutter such insane things.
It must have been quite the burden.
Jegalling pondered this.
As we kneaded together, I shared everything that had happened so far.
What I had seen and heard at the Namgung Family, and what I had deduced through my own reasoning.
The inferences drawn by the Jegallim Family’s strategist.
My disciple was casually discussing stories that other sects would pay a fortune to hear, all while kneading dough.
“In that sense, I think iron ore prices will rise.”
“Does that mean the Namgung Family is preparing for war?”
An odd question.
But I knew this was a trap my Master had set. One wrong answer would hurt.
“Well, rather than that, it seems the entire Gangho will be on edge. If the Namgung Family suffered such a blow, there’s a high probability that spies have infiltrated their own clan as well. And conversely…”
“…If they don’t believe the Namgung Family’s claims, they’ll have to be wary of them, so they’ll prepare accordingly.”
Correct.
Jegalling was satisfied with my reasoning.
“Should we buy up iron ore in advance? I’d like to use the profits to expand our purchases of medicinal herbs.”
If the Kang Ho-in were to start a blood conflict, I would use those profits to produce more medicine.
‘And those medicines will go to the commoners first.’
I laughed wickedly, as if I were truly evil—kekekek.
‘A good kid.’
I was profiting from the Kang Ho-in and building a foundation.
My Master chuckled softly.
“It’s famous throughout Gangho that the Deputy Patriarch of Hwaju Medical Institute received treatment from the Sojakju of Baekrin Uiseon. Thanks to that, we were able to establish dealings with a major medicinal herb merchant.”
“Oh, that’s unexpected! The response came back so quickly!”
“That’s how great the reputation Baekrin Uiseon had accumulated was. For that merchant, this incident was merely the final drop of water.”
To make water overflow from a cup, the cup must first be filled to the brim.
Silver coins—the cup. Reputation—the water.
And the incident became a drop, allowing Baekrin Uiseon to acquire a major merchant house.
“Since it’s a place with many rare medicinal herbs, you should be satisfied.”
“I should give the Research Division a heads-up in advance.”
I patted the dough down firmly.
“Still, the Namgung Family will remain strong.”
“Yes. Honestly, in that situation, destroying the Gaju’s dantian rather than hiding it—even if it’s allowed by family law, it’s not easy, is it?”
“That’s true.”
“Is that the spirit of a great family? Protecting each other across generations?”
“…”
At those words, Jegalling fell into thought for a moment.
“I’m not sure. I don’t know much about the spirit of great families. I’m not that kind of person.”
Human emotions were always difficult for Jegalling.
Calculation and understanding were never the same thing.
Sometimes I wondered if the world would be simpler if it were connected only through silver and debt.
If everyone simply killed and died by the blade.
If it were easier to stab at one another until only a single swordmaster remained.
Jegalling hated his father. He hated the Jegallim Family.
At the same time, he had to repay that debt of silver and resentment.
In the place where the incense had burned away completely.
Jegalling understands hatred. He understands pain as well.
They had been his long companions since childhood, after all.
Yet those alone do not make a person whole.
A human is merely human. Not a malevolent spirit.
Even now, it is difficult for Jegalling to truly understand the human heart.
He merely observes his disciple laugh and cry, inferring emotions and contemplating them.
Gradually, the emotions he grasped in this way began to accumulate.
Yet knowing something and becoming one with it entirely are different matters.
He knows this is strange.
But when has he ever lived gazing at the same place as another?
In hellish agony, the genius twisted and contorted, until finally becoming something that transcended humanity itself.
Now there is no returning to human sensibility. Nor is there reason to.
Like the pure white smoke of incense, Jegalling’s hair had taken on that same color.
“Your spirit still doesn’t understand, I see. But I wish to give you a taste of it nonetheless.”
Is this too a form of paternal love?
Jegalling ponders this.
But there is one thing he knows for certain.
This desire to build a pavilion for this one, to feed him dumplings—this is undoubtedly the heart of a Gaju.
‘Someday, you will be able to carry forward the taste of the Jegallim Family with your own hands.’
This is what Jegalling believes.
And so he began to teach Jin Cheon-hee how to make dumplings.
It was a form of succession.
As the Sega evolved and transformed into the Medical Guild, changing and advancing toward the future.
It was a kind of differentiation.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————