Doctor’s Rebirth - Chapter 837

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

Chapter 837
047. Who Is the Grand Master of Dumplings?
We decided to return to our original destination village last, after the other volunteer groups had finished their rounds.
At this point, I’ve essentially toured all of Jiangsu Province.
In the process, I’ve also managed to address the medical issues of commoners in mountainous regions and remote villages all at once.
Of course, this alone isn’t enough, and patients will continue to emerge, but that’s work that should be entrusted to the region’s medical professionals.
Furthermore.
Even in villages with small populations.
I’ve already sent a proposal to Ju Wang, the Governor of Jiangsu Province, to station doctors there.
It’s essentially a health center concept.
Of course, no doctor would willingly work at such a health center, but since this world isn’t Earth, a solution exists.
‘Kehehehe, I can arrange contracts where doctors work at the health center for a mandatory number of years in exchange for medical training.’
Given the extreme illiteracy rate, learning formal medicine is something poor commoners could never even dream of, let alone reading and writing.
And naturally, acquiring such knowledge requires money.
Money for tuition, and time for apprenticeship.
Even after spending both, if the master is an odd character, that’s where it ends.
But if the Governor of Jiangsu Province takes direct action, it might be possible in this era’s way.
‘After their service, they can enter any medical clinic they wish. If they want to establish their own, that’s fine too.’
This increases the number of doctors and establishes basic public health.
For poor commoners, becoming a doctor means less worry about making a living.
Sama Hyeon, who heard this plan, said:
“What if they run off halfway through their training and become quacks?”
“…You’re right. Hearing you say that makes me realize reality isn’t so simple.”
“Yeah. There are guys like that. I taught them everything about running an inn and secret recipes, and they’d flee in the dead of night.”
“So what do you do?”
“Catch them and beat them. If they’ve gotten that far, they’re people who borrowed money from the Golden Blood Hall and didn’t repay it.”
I see.
Sama Hyeon doesn’t forgive those who default on debts.
Jin Cheon-hee asked:
“What about the Mudang Faction?”
“Well. We don’t teach inn management like Sama does. Instead….”
His eyes rolled around, and then, as if remembering something, he spoke.
“If someone learns the sect’s secret techniques and flees to walk the dark path, we sever their meridians and seal their dantian.”
…That’s brutal.
I suppose that’s natural in a world without human rights.
“W-well… um…. Let me think about whether a non-violent method might be possible.”
“If Ju Wang-ya gets involved, you can just use military orders.”
“Military orders?”
“Yeah. Doctors in the military are military physicians. You cultivate them as military physicians, have them serve at that health center you mentioned, and if they desert midway, you can punish them under military law.”
“…Military law regarding desertion must be quite severe, right? If it were wartime, they’d have their heads cut off. Since it’s peacetime now, they’d receive a beating.”
“It’s a beating with a cane. Gaga~ at least it’s better than getting hit by me, right?”
Cheonwoo, standing beside me, added his own comment.
“That’s right, hyeong. Besides, it’s better than having your limbs crippled.”
In the lawless Gangho, military orders somehow seemed more humane than human rights.
“Let me think about it for now.”
As I was walking, Cheonwoo kept following me for some reason.
Sama Hyeon spoke up.
“Third Prince, why do you insist on coming along? I’m escort enough~”
“I thought I’d do some training. Jang Mun-in has already given his permission.”
Cheonwoo.
He was accompanying me.
The reason Cheonwoo was following wasn’t anything else.
He came to learn martial arts that didn’t exist in the Mudang Faction.
‘I heard Cheonwoo also distinguished himself in the Jeongsa Grand Tournament.’
It was also the occasion when the epithet “King of Authority” became widely known throughout Gangho.
The feat of guarding the memorial tablet alone for 49 days during Gwon Je’s forty-ninth day memorial and fighting the Abbot is certainly remarkable, but it doesn’t draw as much attention as the Jeongsa Grand Tournament.
It was said that a new epithet was born there: “One of the Sixteen Greatest Masters Under Heaven.”
“Sixteen, not the ten greatest? The number doesn’t quite add up, does it? It would make more sense if it were twenty.”
Professor Jin was accustomed to the decimal system.
Even the duodecimal system would do.
Sama Hyeon spoke.
“Ah~ that? It’s actually nothing special. Six names were added to the Ten Greatest Masters Under Heaven. After the Jeongsa Grand Tournament, Gangho now has the Three Elites, the Second Rank, Ilgwang, the Two Monstrous Persons, and the Eight Kings.”
“Eight Kings?”
Sama Hyeon nodded.
“The Three Elites have always remained unchanged as they always do. Seon-jon, Ma-jon, and Mu-jon—these three. Now there’s Sulgye and Geomje. Geomje is the Abbot. Geomhwang and Geomje mean essentially the same thing anyway. Ilgwang is you, as you know, hyeong.”
“Right. I’d be Ilgwang. But calling them Ilje, Ilhwang, and Ilgwang separately seemed odd, so they just call me Second Rank?”
“It’s been that way from before. And I guess calling you Emperor seemed a bit much to the Gangho enthusiasts.”
Saying so, he grumbled that the Emperor title would actually suit my hyeong well too.
“The Two Monstrous Persons are Wuying Tugoe and Hyeolsaeng Nogoe?”
“Yes. And the Eight Kings are the problem. Cheonwoo hyeong became one of those Kings. The King of Authority.”
Among the Kings, Dang-a, the Hyeolpyeon-wang, would naturally be included.
‘But somehow Dang-a’s poison techniques are becoming more widely known than her poison itself. Is the Sichuan Tang Family okay with that?’
While I was thinking that, Cheonwoo spoke.
“Though the epithet ‘King of Authority’ has become widely known, I myself felt my limitations. So I came to receive training from you, hyeong.”
“Ooh, I’m delighted! I’ll create a special course just for you, Cheonwoo!”
Saying so, I hummed a cheerful tune.
* * *
When I arrived at the Medical Guild, neither my Master nor Yoo Ho were present.
Since Mu-wol was there, I asked him.
“Ah, I believe they went to a meeting for the Five Rings Association schedule.”
“Hmm, that’s true. Master must be quite busy, what with also serving as the chairman of the Five Wheels Conference.”
Jin Cheon-hee nodded in agreement.
Just as he was thinking this, Mu-wol grabbed hold of him.
“I heard about it. You bypassed the proper procedures and used the Revised Grand Technique, didn’t you?”
At those words, Jin Cheon-hee instinctively shrank back.
“That is… well… I didn’t… rather… there was someone willing to cover the medical expenses, so…”
A Revised Grand Technique of that caliber would normally require consultation with Mu-wol.
But knowing that following proper procedures would mean the treatment would fall through, I had pushed ahead anyway.
Then came an unexpected response from Mu-wol’s lips.
“…You did well.”
“Pardon?”
“I said you did well. Eun Gong.”
At this unexpected praise, Jin Cheon-hee’s eyes widened, and Mu-wol continued.
“If the Baekrin Medical Guild had only treated wealthy martial artists, my sister and I would already be dead and turned to dust. The fact that I work here at the Baekrin Medical Guild is ultimately because you help the commoners. So…”
Mu-wol bowed deeply to his lord.
“I shall continue to serve the path you walk, Eun Gong.”
Not with a sword, but with a brush.
It was a form of repayment different from that of ordinary martial artists, but in Mu-wol’s eyes, what the man before him needed was not a blade but books and an abacus.
For the doctor standing before him was one who, despite possessing boundless martial prowess, fumbled helplessly when unable to save people.
At this, Jin Cheon-hee let out a small laugh.
“That’s right. I could only come this far because Chief Manager Mu-wol supported me. If we had no money, if there were no doctors willing to follow us, I could have accomplished nothing.”
This too was karma and causality.
“This village doctor hopes to become someone of whom you need not be ashamed, Chief Manager.”
Mu-wol smiled.
“You are already a person more admirable than anyone, Eun Gong.”
* * *
At the same moment.
Upon the seas of the Central Plains.
Gongseon Hyeon, the Gaju of the Gongseon Family, laughed coldly from atop a ship.
And beside her stood her younger brother, Gongseon Yeong.
She who always laughed brightly without a single blemish, with a hearty wa-ha-ha.
Yet this time, her expression was fierce.
Similarly, all the Gongseon Family warriors surrounding Gongseon Yeong stood with hardened faces.
Around the Gongseon Family, several ships floated—first, the Gongseon Family’s merchant vessels and escort ships.
And pirate ships surrounded them in an encircling formation.
However, it mattered not.
The Gongseon Family was no longer one to suffer at the hands of mere pirates.
Moreover, the Black Ice Poison Dragon Gongseon Hyeon, who had always remained at the main residence, had come out personally with her younger brother—what could this mean?
As Gongseon Hyeon raised her hand, the drum beats changed.
Boom, boom-boom, boom, boom!
Following the drum signal, the Gongseon merchant fleet’s ships turned their bows in unison, changing direction.
Crash!
The ram of the ship struck the pirate vessel head-on first.
Gongseon Hyeon’s pitch-black command flag sent the next signal.
Boom boom boom! Boom boom boom!
In time with the signal, the Gongseon Family Warriors drew their blades in formation.
Following Gaju Gongseon Hyeon’s signal, they began to systematically slaughter the pirates.
Though she lacked talent in martial arts, her gift for arranging formations and attacking enemies surpassed anyone else’s.
As expected.
In less than half an hour, the Gongseon Family Warriors began overwhelming the pirates with devastating force.
“Truly a magnificent sight.”
A warrior watching from the watchtower unconsciously clicked his tongue in admiration.
And rightfully so.
Those before their eyes were pirates, but—
“The wind direction is changing. Prepare the fire formation!”
At Gongseon Hyeon’s command, the tide of battle surged like waves once more.
Just as the Namgung Family’s swordplay contained techniques imbued with lightning, the Gongseon swordplay had varieties infused with flame.
Though a formation difficult to maintain alone, it became possible when all moved together.
Whoosh!
The blade energy rippled as if it contained fire itself.
Strangely, the ship never caught fire, and the energy swept away only the enemies before them with precision.
Screeeech!
The pirates were not human.
Corpses and monstrous beings.
I had never heard of pirates using corpses.
And monstrous beings on top of that!
Before their eyes were half-human, half-fish creatures with scales protruding from their skin, attacking the Gongseon Family Warriors.
The Black Ice Poison Dragon, Gongseon Hyeon, observed this calmly.
“Just as the Society Leader said.”
The Five Rings Society Leader.
“Baek Rin-ui-seon? Cheon Hee’s Master?”
At her younger sister Gongseon Yeong’s words, the expression of elder sister Gongseon Hyeon froze like ice.
“Yes. That man. He warned me of this situation and taught me countermeasures—without them, we would have faced great disaster. He told us that many of the pirates were in league with the Hyeolseon Sect and to be cautious. He called those things ‘Goe-eo-in.'”
Gongseon Yeong furrowed her brow.
“I haven’t seen anything exactly like that, but I’ve seen something similar before, sister.”
“At the North Sea Ice Palace?”
“Yes. With Cheon Hee. Though he’s not a little one anymore.”
Recalling Jin Cheon-hee, younger sister Gongseon Yeong smiled softly.
It had been difficult, but still rewarding work.
Most things done alongside Jin Cheon-hee were like that.
Sister Gongseon Hyeon spoke.
“Then it’s all the more certain that this is the work of those Hyeolseon Sect bastards. Since they can’t operate within the Empire, they’re conducting their schemes beyond its borders.”
Goe-eo-in.
Creatures mixed in among the pirates.
These beings, with their bizarre fish-like forms, could breathe underwater.
And their physical strength far surpassed that of ordinary humans.
Even more troublesome since they attacked ships from beneath the water’s surface.
But that was all.
On land, they couldn’t stand against martial artists who had trained in the martial arts.
‘The problem is how to draw these creatures out of the water.’
They knew they would lose if they came ashore, so they wouldn’t engage in such a disadvantageous fight.
They would attack the ships thoroughly from within the water.
However, there was one who knew the answer—Jegalling, the leader of the Five Wheels Society.
From the start, he had already grasped the very existence of the Goe-eo-in and had devised countermeasures.
‘Truly terrifying speed.’
Goosebumps rose on the back of Gongseon Hyeon’s hand.
As a fellow strategist, Jegalling was absolutely someone she didn’t want to face.
Yet she couldn’t afford to be afraid.
Because Baek Rin-ui-seon’s brilliantly clear strategy was keeping all of the Gongseon Family alive.
‘What kind of person is Jin Cheon-hee, serving such a man as his master?’
Gongseon Hyeon sighed and recalled the strategy Jegalling had mentioned.

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