Doctor’s Rebirth - Chapter 813

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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 813
I continued overseeing the construction with considerable fanfare. Sama Hyeon and Namgung Un maintained their escort duties throughout.
“It’s true that assassin attacks have decreased significantly since then.”
“These matters come down to whether the one paying gets caught first or the one carrying out the deed dies first.”
“You can’t expect loyalty from assassins, but isn’t this a bit too shallow?”
Sama Hyeon spoke.
“You shouldn’t think about it from a Righteous Faction perspective, Great Master Namgung. These people are simply trying to make a living.”
At those words, Namgung Un rubbed his chin.
“It’s strange. So many people die for mere money, and the Gangho becomes so chaotic because of it.”
I answered.
“While honor is certainly important in the Gangho, money is equally so. People simply avoided mentioning it, considering it vulgar. But in truth, money is often more important than honor.”
What is money, after all?
Namgung Un fell into deep contemplation for a long time.
* * *
One hundred thousand workers was tremendous power.
In merely three months, the slums of Namgyeong were completely cleared and transformed into a multi-family housing district, with clean water and sewage systems laid out smoothly across all of Namgyeong and its surrounding areas.
Of course, wastewater treatment facilities were fully equipped as well.
‘But this is only the beginning.’
My true goal was to install water and sewage systems in every place throughout Jiangsu Province that could be called at least a small town.
Of course, I couldn’t install them in modern fashion. Even Namgyeong couldn’t manage that.
The goal was simply to prevent people from having to walk to wells when they needed water, and to protect against contamination from assassins or epidemics.
‘To prevent mass cholera outbreaks, continuous maintenance is necessary….’
Even though we had kept maintenance in mind from the initial design, it remained work that required constant repair.
Public sanitation was ultimately that sort of thing.
‘If I can manage to install it even in villages below small towns, that would be ideal….’
Having plenty of money was truly wonderful.
It made possible what one thought impossible.
‘With the current administrative capacity, I think I can establish just the basic framework myself and entrust the rest to others.’
When administrative capacity met budget, it was like putting sails in the wind.
And there was one more thing.
Public bathhouses were also being constructed.
Thanks to Muyue’s assistance, public bathhouses began being installed throughout Namgyeong.
Of course, if these public bathhouses were mismanaged, they could become an express train to large-scale waterborne epidemics, making them a double-edged sword.
Fortunately, by order of Ju Wang-ya, soap began being forcibly distributed.
It wasn’t simply about washing.
Of course, washing was better than not washing, but soap was necessary to truly achieve public sanitation.
‘Hehehehe… just imagining it makes me happy.’
Administrative work derived its importance from this sense of accomplishment.
In this pyramidal Confucian hierarchical society, hadn’t I taken the developmental dictatorship tech tree?
Watching people transform and improve right before my eyes was genuinely addictive for those in power.
“Ah, isn’t that because you’re my older brother~?”
Sama Hyeon said this.
“No, it’s not. Anyone with ambition would love something like this, wouldn’t they?”
Sama Hyeon thought to himself.
‘How many madmen out there actually harbor ambitions for public health in the first place?’
But I was happy.
While working, I suddenly let out an “Ah!” sound.
It wasn’t a sound of displeasure or surprise.
Relief, and happiness.
“So the work is all finished?”
Namgung Un asked.
I stamped the final document and stretched luxuriously.
“Yes, it is.”
“Then shouldn’t we raise a toast on a day like this? I know a decent inn….”
At that moment, I immediately pinched Namgung Un’s belly.
“Ughhhh….”
“You need to quit drinking. Namgung. Don’t you hate hearing yourself called ‘hyeong’ anymore?”
“…Ah, no. Listen here. It’s been a long time since I quit drinking, but surely just one cup on a day like this is fine! It’s a celebration.”
“That’s enough! Just quit!”
At my sharp retort, Namgung Un made a pitiful expression.
“It won’t work on me. Absolutely not.”
“You’re being too harsh.”
“No, only when you get kidney stones in some remote mountain valley with no doctor around will you remember my advice.”
“Tsk.”
At my words, Namgung Un clicked his tongue.
Sama Hyeon smiled faintly watching the two of us.
There were hardships along the way, but it was still an enjoyable request.
With the work finished, Namgung Un decided to return home.
He would go back to the main family and discuss various matters with the Grand Elder.
Ever since the previous Patriarch, Namgung Cheol, learned forbidden techniques and received the punishment of sealing his dantian, Namgung Un’s shoulders had grown heavy.
For Namgung Un, his father was still someone he would spend at least another thirty years with.
He wasn’t mentally prepared to be a Patriarch, yet he had suddenly inherited the position.
Even with his grandfather, the Grand Elder, providing support, it was still difficult.
It had been a long time since Namgung Un wore such a refreshed expression.
“This ‘request’ was quite educational. Things went well.”
“You learned a lot from this work?”
When I widened my eyes, Namgung Un burst into hearty laughter.
“How often does a Patriarch get an experience like this?”
The Namgung Family Head wearing night clothes, scaling someone else’s walls, fighting thousands of assassins.
‘And on top of that, we exchanged names with masters from both sides before the battle ended.’
Typically, one of the two must die for it to end.
Namgung Un spoke.
“I came to realize that life has many different paths. And I understood that I don’t necessarily need to become a Gaju exactly like my father.”
“….”
My eyes widened slightly before I smiled softly.
“That’s fortunate, Namgung. I’m glad to hear it.”
“Indeed, Jin. I’m grateful for that too.”
The two of us faced each other. Parting is always bittersweet.
Yet Namgung Un’s expression looked somehow refreshed, making it difficult to ask him to stay longer.
‘Yes. That settles it.’
It seemed Namgung Un’s brief wandering had come to an end.
This scoundrel was actually such a model student that no one around him had noticed, but wasn’t it even harder for such a person to find answers?
Moreover, given Namgung Un’s position, finding those answers would have been even more distant.
A brief yet long encounter.
At the end of his journey, he returned with enlightenment.
It was a treasure more precious than anything else, and it would welcome a more mature Gaju in the future.
It was also a blessing for the Namgung Family.
* * *
After Namgung Un departed, Sama Hyeon headed to Baekrin Uisaek with me.
“Aren’t you going back?”
“For now I’m thinking of staying by your side as a guard~ Both Hao Munzhu and Master have agreed, so don’t worry~”
“You have so much work to do. How can you manage that?”
“It seems Gaga doesn’t know, but the Heterodox Faction makes money by colluding with officials~ Who do you think processes all the dirty money they’ve hidden away~”
“I know that much. It shows up in the ledgers.”
It was amusing—on the surface, the Righteous Faction, which had made more advances into military circles, seemed closer to the government, but when you dug deeper, they were even more entangled with the Heterodox Faction.
Bribery, embezzlement, information gathering, even contract killings.
‘Korea in the old days had its share of absurd situations where they employed organized crime too.’
From the mad era when they discussed the future over drinks in rooms to the times when they used gangsters to disperse labor strikes and sometimes beat people to death with wooden clubs.
Amusingly, organized crime appeared frequently throughout modern Korean history.
Viewing it through the lens of Gangho, I realized people were all the same.
The same was true in other countries—foreign politicians were caught receiving money from yakuza, triads, and the mafia for election campaigns. It was a mess.
Add in cult religions too, and well, this was exactly like the martial world planet.
Moreover, this was a world where transportation and communication hadn’t developed.
An era where most of the population couldn’t read.
It was natural, if anything.
‘In such circumstances, humans still manage to live with integrity.’
The investigation revealed that even in such situations, there were officials who steadfastly pursued their convictions.
And many of them ended up being demoted or retiring to the countryside.
“So the Heterodox Faction’s income will decrease now?”
“For a while, yes. But no one thinks it will disappear. If just the Emperor changes, it could start again, and if the current Emperor neglects governance, they’ll flourish once more. From the beginning, the Medical Guild itself….”
“That’s right. It belongs to Ga Wan of the Imperial Eight Families. They’ve already built connections there, watching each other’s backs, and once they take office, those relationships will continue. That’s what factions and conspirators are.”
Still, the firm chain of the Imperial Eight Families had finally been broken.
Now the test would be how cleanly those positions could be filled.
If I failed to properly select people and promoted the wrong ones, the Imperial Seven Families would simply become the Imperial Eight Families again.
‘Well, I’m not worried about that part.’
Who was Emperor Geum-wang?
Someone who could read and manipulate people’s memories.
Hadn’t the three of us built imperial authority without even notable in-laws and come this far?
I felt certain they would manage well.
‘If they ask me not to recruit talent, I’ll make sure no trouble breaks out in my own yard.’
I didn’t even hope for true peace across the land.
I simply wished for peace at least within the reach of these hands.
“Shouldn’t you work even harder at times like this? The Heterodox Faction must be in chaos too.”
“What are you saying? If I went out to work on the front lines in the middle of all this, both my Master and Hao Munzhu would catch flak. So I need to stay very far away, very, very far away. I should just wait until this situation wraps up and the rumors die down a bit.”
‘Ah… I see.’
Like an idol who caused a scandal, this world also needed a period of self-reflection.
“Once I rebuild connections in the bureaucracy and they’re properly established, you’ll call for me then, won’t you?”
Sama Hyeon actually looked pleased.
When I thought about it, calling it an extended escort was really just a vacation.
Plus, when I returned to Baekrin Uisaek, I could meet my younger sister Sama-hye too.
“Then that works for me. I had plenty to teach you anyway.”
“Internal energy cultivation?”
“Yes, that too.”
“That strange game like fitting puzzle pieces together?”
“Hmm… We could do that if necessary, but anyway.”
Now that Sama Hyeon’s achievement in the Heavenly Blade Sword Manual had grown, something to support it was needed.
He wasn’t the type to easily lose himself, but still, the fact that he tried to follow Yeo Ha-ryun, who was a Heavenly Killing Star, was concerning.
‘His achievements are too high for his age. That’s the problem.’
Sama Hyeon didn’t fully understand how talented he was.
Thus the two of us arrived at Baekrin Uisaek.
When I arrived, the medical professionals came out to greet me warmly.
“Soggakju has arrived!”
“Oh my, everyone come inside. There’s so much work to do, why did so many of you come out?”
What I had accomplished reached the ears of Baekrin Uisaek’s physicians.
Especially the physicians from Namgyeong welcomed me as if greeting a distinguished guest.
“We were worried we’d forget what Soggakju looks like, so we came out. Please don’t misunderstand.”
“Really, you should just say you’re glad to see me. Come on.”
They grumbled back and forth, but the gifts exchanged were sincere.
“It seems Master and Chief Manager Yu haven’t returned yet.”
“Oh my. Don’t even mention it. They’ve been on that business trip so long, I’ve already forgotten what their faces look like.”
Wahahahaha!
The medical staff burst into laughter with hearty amusement.
After exchanging such brief pleasantries, they dispersed to attend to their respective patients.
I headed to my quarters with Sama Hyeon.
“My entire body aches from the journey. Let me unpack and get something delicious to eat.”
As I was patting my shoulders, Sama-hye heard that I had returned and entered the room.
“Eun Gong! Wow, it’s been so long. Did you have a good trip? And look, Hyeong is here again. How long has it been since we last met and you’re back already~ Is it because of Eun Gong?”
Sama Hyeon responded.
“Hye-a. What are you talking about?”
“What do you mean ‘what am I talking about’? You came three days ago and spent two days with me, then left yesterday.”
…!?
My eyes widened. However, Sama Hyeon’s expression remained unchanged.
“Ah, I see. Yes. Right. I came back because something came up.”
His composure was flawless, both in expression and tone.
Sama Hyeon acted with particular care to prevent such confusion from reaching Sama-hye.
His performance was so natural that even his own sister was deceived and nodded in agreement.
“Right, right. Well then, I need to get to my patients. Hyeong, I’ll see you in a bit~”
With those words, Sama-hye hurried out.
The Sama Hyeon that Sama-hye met was not the real Sama Hyeon.
It was so natural that calling it mere acting would be an understatement—even his own sister couldn’t tell the difference.
Sama Hyeon smiled brightly.
“How strange this is~ Who dared to impersonate me?”
….
I stared at Sama Hyeon’s back with a grave expression.
Hell itself had come and gone.

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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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