Doctor’s Rebirth - Chapter 890

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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 890
Sama Hyeon spoke.
“The labor exchange handles all sorts of personnel transactions. There’s everything from server positions at other inns to tenant farming work, hiring guards, rehiring housekeepers, finding servants with professional training, martial arts instruction, tutoring, and even arranging positions for favors…”
Cheonwoo asked in disbelief.
“Tutoring? The labor exchange did that sort of thing?”
Cheonwoo himself had worked briefly at a labor exchange in the past, but he’d never seen tutoring services offered.
“You only visit labor exchanges frequented by martial artists, hyung, so you wouldn’t know the details of commoner affairs~”
“I see.”
Cheonwoo nodded readily.
Jin Cheon-hee spoke.
“I think I understand what you’re saying. It exists to collect information brought in by commoner employees working in various places?”
“Right. You’re sharp as always, hyung. That’s part of it, and they make good money too. Even if it’s a labor exchange for commoners, it’s still a distribution business and an intermediary service, right? They make quite a bit~ And gain influence too.”
“I see. Now that you mention it, this Qinglou Pavilion must be making a fortune.”
While conversing, I’d observed the place from the corner of my eye as we entered—it was an extraordinarily lavish seven-story structure.
Just then, a guard came rushing toward the three of us.
‘An armed guard, not a server.’
It seemed they’d finally recognized the Golden Blood Hall uniform.
“Are you from the Golden Blood Hall?”
Sama Hyeon produced a token as if he’d been waiting for this moment.
“I’m an inspector from the Golden Blood Hall. I’d like to stay here for a few days—would it be possible to meet the branch manager? There should be prior notice.”
Since it was a heterodox faction, inspectors often used aliases.
One could easily be stabbed to death if an inspection went wrong and created enemies.
It wasn’t rare for them to track down identities, seize families, and use them as leverage.
Because of this, inspectors often came wearing disguises.
That’s why! The inspector’s token was so important.
The guard examined the Golden Blood Hall inspector’s token carefully and confirmed it was genuine, not a forgery.
“The craftsmanship of this wave pattern is something only Golden Blood Hall artisans could replicate. I understand. Please follow me.”
[Wave pattern craftsmanship?]
Jin Cheon-hee sent a silent transmission to Sama Hyeon.
Sama Hyeon nodded.
[Only a select few artisans belonging to the Golden Blood Hall can create wave patterns on the surface. It’s not made through craftsmanship—the pattern forms during the tempering process. It’s nearly impossible to forge.]
Fascinating.
I’d seen something similar in a documentary about sword-making before, but it seemed there were artisans here capable of the same technique.
Jin Cheon-hee’s group followed the guard deeper inside.
The pavilion consisted of seven stories in total, and each floor was quite spacious.
The three of us were guided to the fifth floor.
Upon entering a moderately-sized room, an expensive fragrance typically used only in bird sanctuaries wafted through the air.
There were red silk curtains, carvings of coral, and cranes soaring upward carved in relief on the ceiling.
‘Wow, they really spent a fortune here.’
And what about the view?
I opened the wide window, and the surroundings came into clear view below.
Beneath my feet, tile-roofed houses stretched in an unbroken line all the way to the horizon.
As I gazed at the sight, I opened my mouth.
“There are quite a few auxiliary buildings around the main hall.”
“The auxiliary buildings are for lodging guests. Sometimes performers give recitals at dawn. Connoisseurs who enjoy such things even stay overnight waiting for them.”
It was extraordinary.
“Is it expensive?”
“Yeah. Very expensive. And on days when famous performers come, the auxiliary buildings practically burn through half a house’s worth of wealth.”
Like a legend(?), even if not a whole house in a single double-hour, one could squander half a house’s wealth in a single night’s stay.
Truly extravagant beyond measure.
“Only the wealthiest would come here.”
“Usually, yes. But there are also martial artists from the Gangho who come—not necessarily the extremely wealthy, but those who want to experience a night here at least once before they die.”
“Connoisseurs obsessed with refinement.”
“That’s about right.”
In the past, music was the exclusive domain of the wealthy.
Unless there was a performance at some marketplace, if one simply wanted to listen to music at a time of their choosing…
One had to either invite musicians or go to a performance venue themselves, so ultimately it came down to money.
‘I suppose that’s how art has always been throughout human history.’
The wealthy patronized artists, and artists composed pieces or created paintings for those with means.
Some did street performances or sold genre paintings, but in an era without advanced printing and communication, ultimately the arts belonged to the wealthy.
‘I’ve heard that even in modern times, musicals and operas cost a fortune if you really want to experience them properly.’
Among my patients in the past, there was one with only a short time left to live.
Modern science could not save them.
The estimated time remaining was roughly half a year.
That person, contemplating how to spend their remaining time, watched plays every single day.
They watched operas, watched musicals.
They rarely watched films.
When I asked why, they said:
‘Films repeat everything identically. But theater exists only in that moment. That air, that sound, that intonation, even the smallest mistakes—once they pass, you can never see them again.’
‘Isn’t that exactly like a person’s life? We think our days repeat, but they don’t.’
‘We’re actually living and dying every single day.’
‘That’s what life was.’
That person lived well beyond the expected half year, living another full year before passing.
No matter how much one loves performances, could you really spend your entire fortune?
Could ticket prices alone account for it all? I thought—but they answered proudly that they had spent it all wisely, so not to worry.
…There was such a patient.
I spoke.
“Whether that warrior burns through an entire house or half a house in a single night, that one night holds that much value for them.”
“Huh, that’s unexpected. I thought you’d say something like, ‘What a waste. Couldn’t that money be used for so much more?’ in that stubborn tone of yours.”
Sama Hyeon mimicked his hyung’s gruff voice.
“I used to think the same way. But it turned out differently.”
The value of life differs from person to person.
That patient indulged in the hobbies they’d put off for so long, and after their mobility became limited, they stayed home for a while.
Then one day, I heard through the grapevine that they had passed away suddenly.
Their family wept while laughing, calling it a good death.
They joked and grumbled that while they hadn’t expected an inheritance anyway, at least the patient had spent everything wisely.
But the memories of attending performances together remained eternal instead of an inheritance.
Now when they think of that person, they said the air of the performance hall comes to mind first.
That distinctive smell—dark yet somewhat dense.
Just then, the sound of an instrument being played drifted from somewhere.
‘Ah, this is practice.’
A single phrase was being repeated continuously.
Checking the wrong parts, plucking the strings again, this time plucking faster.
Then plucking slowly to compare which felt better, testing both approaches.
Competition at the Pleasure House was fierce.
This place could be called a battlefield for performers.
In the midst of this.
A presence was felt.
The branch manager of Qinglu appeared with two guards.
All three were women—the two guards were exceptionally tall, appearing to be over eight feet, while the branch manager in the middle had a remarkably small frame.
Her head was a full size smaller than ordinary people.
Instead, her fingertips, especially the thumb and ring finger, bore deep calluses, and the curved shape of her nails showed traces of once having played the zither.
“It’s a pleasure to meet the Golden Blood Hall inspector. I’m Wol Ryeong-hwa, the branch manager here.”
Wol Ryeong-hwa.
A stage name commonly used by performers.
From the calluses on her fingertips to her stage name, it meant she had risen to branch manager from her origins as a performer.
It must have taken extraordinary effort.
Sama Hyeon cupped his fist casually.
“I’m just someone from the Golden Blood Hall.”
He openly states an alias.
Yet she, accustomed to such matters, moves on.
“This isn’t the regular inspection period, I believe… This is quite sudden.”
More than anything, she seems annoyed by the inspection.
“It’s a special audit. Rather than an audit, actually… I’ve come to investigate recent occurrences along the coastline.”
Jin Cheon-hee is surprised in a different way.
‘Hyeon’s accent is completely different now.’
No matter how many times I see it, I can’t get used to it.
It’s not even a theatrical tone—just one shift in speech pattern and he’s become a completely different person.
The branch manager spoke.
“You’re talking about the Goe-eo-in.”
“Yes. The Golden Blood Hall, to which I belong, and the five factions to which the main branch belongs. And all five wheels above them are interested in this matter. You’re aware of this, aren’t you?”
Five wheels—he must be referring to the Five Rings Society.
“Indeed. However, I hadn’t expected you to come here before we could submit our report.”
Sama Hyeon answered cheerfully.
“Ah, does that mean there’s something here worth finding? Excellent. Splendid. Oh, and just so you know, I didn’t pinpoint this location based on separate intelligence documents?”
Suddenly, I realized this manner of speaking resembled Baekcheon-gun’s.
Even though Sama Hyeon had never seen Baekcheon-gun before.
‘The fact that even the mannerisms are alike… does that mean they share the same roots?’
And what Sama Hyeon said first was a remark meant to dispel the branch manager’s suspicions.
‘The branch manager must be wondering if Hao-mun has established a separate intelligence organization in Qingdao. If so, it could threaten his position.’
With just a single exchange, Sama Hyeon and I had seen through each other’s true intentions.
Cheonwoo, on the other hand… I couldn’t tell.
He was just smiling.
Even if he understood, he was the type to pretend otherwise.
Sama Hyeon spoke.
“Through various process of elimination and combining the information we’ve gathered so far, I believe there are connections to the Goe-eo-in in this location. That’s why we’ve come to investigate… but what information have you obtained, branch manager?”
Sama Hyeon was saying, in a roundabout way, that he knew what you suspected, but that it was none of his concern.
If he didn’t provide information, it was clear things would become difficult.
The branch manager let out a small sigh.
“I’ll organize and provide it shortly. For now, I’ll guide you to a separate quarters… please stay there.”
* * *
The following night.
After receiving the report from the branch manager, I fell deep into thought.
Meanwhile, Sama Hyeon was laughing like a madman after reading the report.
Cheonwoo had finished reading the report and was now reading other documents he’d received.
They were documents the Mudang Faction had separately sent to Cheonwoo.
All three of us were reclining in comfortable positions.
There were no watching eyes around, and we knew that maintaining constant vigilance in such a place would only waste our energy.
Sama Hyeon spoke.
“This reminds me of that old mushroom incident?”
“Mushroom?”
When Cheonwoo asked, Sama Hyeon answered.
“Ah, you don’t remember, Cheonwoo? Our memories with the eldest brother. A mem. O. Ry.”
“Uh… Hyeon-a. Before you misunderstand, let me say this—people don’t usually recall mushrooms growing from a human body as a fond memory. They call it a nightmare.”
Despite my words, Sama Hyeon stubbornly insisted it was a cherished memory.
Still, he didn’t forget to tell Cheonwoo what had happened back then.
While Sama Hyeon explained to Cheonwoo, I turned through the report, lost in thought.
‘Hmm, according to the branch manager’s report, there are three suspicious matters.’
First, three local gentry who were known to have incurable diseases, and eight wealthy families who, while not incurable, were suffering from serious illnesses and were in danger.
All of them had made complete recoveries.
However, their temperaments became volatile, and some of them developed different tastes in food.
They used to enjoy vegetable dishes quite a bit, but these days they crave meat so intensely.
Those who already liked meat simply continue to like meat as before.
And Oh Dae-dokja, who had become impotent from an accident, regained his sexual function, and his wife became pregnant.
Cheonwoo suddenly asked a question.
“If that’s truly the Hyeolseonggyo’s side effect, they’re asking for nothing more than enhanced virility in return? That would make sense if they were saving a dying life, but…”
“Ah, Cheonwoo hyung~ You’re a swordsman so you wouldn’t know, but wealthy men value their virility just as much as their lives. Right, hyung?”
Suddenly, I recalled several wealthy merchants who had come to the Medical Guild with heavy purses, begging for a way to perform at night.
At the same time, I remembered a certain spiritual creature whose testicles I had crushed, rendering him physically impotent.
“Hmm. Well. To be honest, I don’t quite understand it myself. But still… when you’re young, you don’t really know. That… as you get older, it might become more desperate. It’s not just about whether you have a need for virility at night or not. If you’re wealthy, you have money and time rotting away anyway. If that doesn’t solve it, you go mad.”
Phew, phew—I’d explained everything I could.
‘Beyond this, I don’t know either. I’ve never been a wealthy man like that!’
I am rich, but still!
With so much time, I’ve never really experienced leisure, have I?
And from the start, I’m a lifelong virgin whose cells in that department have already died, leaving only vestigial organs.
In my past life too, I only aged, but never truly became an adult in the real sense.
When I came home, old robot figurines greeted me instead of a daughter or son.
‘I’m embarrassed about collecting these things, so I can’t openly admit it to others.’
When I was young, it was considered a major flaw for a man to collect such toys even as an adult.
On TV, there’s always a scene of a foolish uncle playing with children’s toys like this, getting his back slapped by his grandmother.
Times have changed a lot these days, but still, doing this at my age seems foolish, so I didn’t talk about it openly.
What my house looks like.
In the corner stands a Steel Man Han Jeong diorama and a green dwarf from the Star Wars series, and I’ve even hung an expensive lightsaber model on the wall.
I bought a large TV because I wanted to play games on a big screen.
‘But in the end, I don’t have time for it.’
Later, I didn’t even have the stamina for it.
That was it.
Even past fifty, even if people call me professor.
The core of me is just a child in an adult’s body.
In truth, there’s much more I don’t know.
Building a Death Star out of Lego without instructions would be easier.
Cheonwoo asked the hyung who was sweating profusely in explanation.
“What? They sell their souls to the Hyeolseonggyo for just that?”
At the swordsman’s innocent question, I squeezed my eyes shut.

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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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