Doctor’s Rebirth - Chapter 917

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

Chapter 917
Clang clang! Thump thump! Thump thump!
A small stage had been set up in front of the tavern, and musicians were performing.
It was smaller than the opening event for Baekrin Uiseon, but a rare sight for a restaurant opening in such a small town.
‘Strictly speaking, we’re just reopening after closing, but…’
Still, I pretended it was a grand opening.
Wasn’t that all part of the strategy?
Indeed, the townspeople had flocked here like clouds.
Word had already spread far and wide.
Cheonhailgwang Jin Cheon-hee had personally taught and renovated this restaurant, and it was having a grand reopening!
That’s why everyone had gathered here.
“Baekrin Tavern Bunta, what’s that?”
“I heard this one is different.”
“Hmm, I wonder what it is. Besides, that tavern used to be delicious long ago, but it wasn’t good recently, so I haven’t been in ages.”
“I heard the son inherited it and the business failed.”
The passersby nodded at those words.
“A common tale of the martial world.”
“A common tavern story of the martial world.”
While people chattered among themselves, several individuals sat upon the stage.
Then someone spoke with inner energy infused in their voice.
-The master of Pien-a-cheon and Baek-ja-yuk, Elder Eom! Suk-su Eom was the eldest son of that Elder Eom, yet it seems he did not properly inherit the skill, earning harsh criticism for being tasteless!
Wooooooah!
A Maedamja who had been paid in advance.
Dressed in flashy clothes, he had already climbed onto the platform and was working the crowd.
A Maedamja who had even mastered inner energy—truly a high-class professional of the martial world.
Among other Maedamjas, he commanded a particularly high price.
‘I barely managed to secure him with help from the Golden Blood Hall.’
This was all thanks to Hyeon.
This precious talent now shouted with inner energy infused.
-Now then, to showcase that newly reborn culinary skill to all of you, this gathering has been arranged! To properly evaluate that taste, distinguished guests from this region have also come, so please welcome them with applause!
Having been well-compensated, the Maedamja poured forth his inner energy without restraint.
Money truly was the best.
-A gourmet in this town who prides himself on understanding taste best! Gwak Jangja!
“I shall evaluate it fairly.”
Ooooooh! The crowd cheered.
-Those famous for hearing rumors fastest in the martial world. The Three Scholars of the martial world!
“We shall evaluate the taste from a martial world perspective.”
“We shall also observe the principles of martial arts and technique.”
“But if sincerity is lacking, that would be a problem. Heart and intent are what truly matter!”
The three scholars were spouting what sounded like impressive nonsense.
—Upon hearing it was delicious, one of the Ten Greatest Masters under Heaven herself graced us with her presence! Wuying Touguai!
“Hmm. When such matters arise, I cannot help but come.”
She had originally intended to steal a taste, but found herself unexpectedly invited as a judge.
—And the Patriarch of Baekrin Uiseon has personally arrived!
“…I look forward to the flavor.”
Thus the judges’ introductions concluded, and now it was time for the tasting to begin.
Jin Cheon-hee watched nervously.
Being someone who knew his master’s palate well.
I had confidence.
However, this was not a dish I had created, but one made by Housekeeper Eom!
‘Indeed…. Will it be able to capture Master’s palate?’
My master was, how should I say it.
Despite his dignified words and bearing, his actions—to put it kindly—harbored a certain wildness.
With his mouth he says, “Ho, truly remarkable martial prowess. I have learned much from observing you,” offering praise.
Yet his actions involve stomping on the heads of other sect elders like they were clay.
One cannot judge by his words alone.
This matter was no different.
He had spoken politely of looking forward to the flavor.
But he might take one bite—no, half a bite—no, a quarter of a quarter bite and hurl his chopsticks away.
‘And those chopsticks would split the wall like tofu.’
In contrast, Wuying Touguai maintained proper etiquette with every bite.
‘Theft aside—she doesn’t maintain etiquette there, but there’s nothing here worth stealing anyway.’
How long had we waited.
Once enough people had gathered, at last the white pork and thin noodles were brought out.
—Ooooh! The dishes have arrived! Already such a wonderful aroma!
And everyone began to taste.
“Mm!? This flavor!?”
At that moment.
Wuying Touguai spoke first.
—Ooh! Wuying Touguai is offering her taste evaluation!
“The noodles….”
“The noodles?”
“They are dancing in my mouth! As if alive!”
Kuoooooo!
An illusion bloomed as if the noodles behind Touguai had surged up like a dragon.
—Ooh! A very high evaluation indeed!
The Maedamja reacted with great enthusiasm and passion alongside her.
With both arms, he wriggled to depict an ascending dragon.
At that moment, Gwak Jangja opened his mouth.
“Kwaaaack!”
What? What is this pig-slaughtering nonsense?
“It’s pork! The vitality of the pig is alive and rampaging inside my mouth!”
Woooooah!
All the spectators watching erupted in cheers.
-What an ingenious flavor evaluation!
“These two dishes. They’re just like Guming Jeolcho!”
“Like one of the Divine Martial Techniques!?”
“The harmony of yin and yang is perfect!”
-High praise has come from the Three Scholars!
Everyone was in an uproar.
However.
For some reason.
At some point, everyone fell silent.
Without any agreement, the sheer pressure alone suppressed the atmosphere, making it difficult to utter a single word.
In a silence so profound that even a falling needle could be heard.
Jegalling was still eating.
Quietly, yet with grace. He continued to eat.
A strange tension.
Sweat began to form on my palms, and Suk-su Eom watched Jegalling with anxious eyes.
Tap.
And Jegalling set down his chopsticks.
‘The food? Is there any left? Did he finish it all? How was it?’
My eyes turned to the bowl.
The food was.
Completely empty!
Excellent!
I clenched my fist tightly!
And Jegalling’s mouth opened.
“It was delicious.”
Just one sentence!
Yet those few words touched everyone’s hearts.
-Ooooh! Jegalling the Uigakju has said it was delicious!
Woooooah!
At that moment, several people in the front row clutched their chests and collapsed.
“Gasp, gasp!”
The Maedamja spoke.
-The housekeepers from other inns who came to watch are clutching their chests and collapsing! These are all the people who received harsh criticism from him, aren’t they!?
The surrounding people nodded in agreement.
They were the very housekeepers whose hearts had been pierced by his characteristic sharp tongue when I had explored restaurants with Jegalling in the past!
-Baekrin’s greatest housekeeper has been born here!
Ruthless.
The fallen housekeepers glared at the Maedamja with fierce eyes, but what could they do?
The Maedamja was someone who did exactly what he was paid to do.
“Let me taste it too!”
“Open for business already!”
“Open the inn doors! How long will you just keep showing us?!”
People began clamoring over each other.
And the other fallen housekeepers, clutching their chests, also began to speak one by one.
It was absolute chaos!
“Let’s see just how delicious that noodle dish is!”
“Damn it! What makes it better than ours?!”
The entire crowd was a cauldron of fervor!
In the midst of it all, I clasped my hands together, my blue eyes gleaming with sacred brilliance.
“Master, I’ve done it! I’ve completed the Ten Great Housekeepers of the Realm (feat. Weapons of Slaughter) in your stead!”
At this, Suk-su Eom embraced me joyfully.
“Thank you. Thank you. Eun Gong! How can I ever repay this kindness!”
The moment Suk-su Eom, overjoyed, lifted me up and bounced once.
CRASH!
The platform shattered.
The platform broke like straw using only external martial force?
Seeing this, a dumbfounded craftsman spoke.
“That’s incredibly expensive granite flooring, isn’t it?”
What madman builds a temporary platform out of granite instead of wood?
However, I had done it.
I couldn’t possibly place my master on a mere wooden platform.
“Did you just break it with internal energy?”
“No. It was clearly shattered by pure muscle strength alone!”
“Ohhhhh! A new master has appeared in Gangho!”
And so.
The event ended without incident.
Suk-su Eom suddenly gained a reputation.
Rumors spread of a vicious martial master who once defeated a hundred assassins through muscle alone, now retired and cooking in his hometown—a hidden expert.
No one could possibly imagine he was the same man who once worked as a merchant here.
The before and after difference was that stark.
Those fearsome muscles were a world apart from his powerless days of old.
Though the inn and housekeeper shared the same name, no one except close acquaintances could recognize him.
‘Hmm, yes. No one will pick a fight with him now, so it’s worked out well.’
I was satisfied.
* * *
“Hehe. That child has grown so much. I’m grateful you helped him with just a single meal.”
The Wrinkled Old Man smiled warmly.
Once a magnificent innkeeper who had saved my master’s life, now merely an elderly man bent over a walking stick.
Even his once-impressive physique had withered with the passage of time.
Eom Nosa.
The man who had once shown Jegalling kindness and shared warmth toward others.
Yet his gaze remained as warm as ever.
And his bearing was still as resolute as before.
One could see how stubbornly this Elder had lived as a righteous man.
“That single meal was more precious to me than gold. I’m uncertain whether I’ve truly repaid such kindness.”
“It is sufficient. More than sufficient. My worry over my son kept me from even closing my eyes in peace. How could I say the debt remains unpaid when you’ve resolved this?”
Tears glistened in the Elder’s eyes.
“Thank you. Truly. I’m grateful. This old man has received such help because of that one meal—I feel as though I’m the one who’s been blessed, not the other way around.”
The elderly man laughed as he watched his son distributing small portions of food to the people.
A free tasting event, they called it.
Once people experienced such flavors, customers would naturally flock to the establishment afterward—he nodded at this reasoning.
‘At first, I worried whether those who received kindness might think they had the right to demand free meals.’
Looking at those intimidating muscles, no one harbored such thoughts.
Everyone took exactly one sample and entered the shop.
“Please teach me martial arts! I wish to take you as my master!”
“Kahahaha! So you’re the famous Eom Suksu! Let me test just how remarkable your skills are!”
Boom-crash-crash-crash!
Disciples interested in cooking weren’t coming, but those with eyes on martial arts were gathering instead.
Indeed.
Eom Suksu’s career compass was spinning in unexpected directions.
But this mattered little to those gathered here.
The elderly man thanked Jin Cheon-hee once more.
“Thank you. Truly. You’ve done more than help him become independent as a housekeeper—you’ve helped him stand as a proper adult.”
“Not at all.”
Jin Cheon-hee modestly shook his head.
Watching this, Jegalling raised his fan to cover his mouth.
Behind the fan, his lips curved into a subtle smile.
Repaying past kindness was both difficult and frightening.
There was no guarantee that past connections would remain as they were in those memories.
‘That is the difficulty of grace.’
In Gangho, kindness was not easily repaid despite gratitude.
Sometimes grace transformed into resentment in Gangho as well.
Yet Eom Nosa remained as stubborn as before, but with a warm heart.
That was what mattered.
“Live long, Eom Nosa.”
Jegalling spoke with sincerity.
Today was April 1st.
The day when one thread of grace in Gangho found its proper place.
Steaming broth and white noodles.
Jin Cheon-hee took a bite of the dish prepared by Suk-su Eom and spoke thus.
“Yoo Ho, come here and try this!”
At that fragrance, even the legendary Yoo Ho could not refuse, or so the tale goes.
Slurrrp—
Good taste, good aroma, good fortune.
And good memories.

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