Doctor’s Rebirth - Chapter 921
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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 921
Sama Hyeon once said something to me.
-Hyeong, you don’t seem to understand. For the people of Baekrin County, Baekrin Medical Guild holds tremendous significance. They say people live their entire lives from birth to the grave alongside Baekrin Medical Guild. Those elders who experienced the hardships of the old days feel it even more strongly.
People of this era call it a kind of loyalty and righteousness.
One might complain or grow irritated with Baekrin Medical Guild, but actually stabbing them in the back is serious enough to force someone to leave their hometown.
And for good reason—the neighbors on all sides either benefit from Baekrin Medical Guild or work there.
Farmers believe so deeply in Baekrin Medical Guild’s support with irrigation, fertilizer, and agricultural assistance that they think good harvests won’t come without them.
Half of that is true.
I didn’t maintain the water infrastructure for nothing.
‘The problem is that the loyalty meant for the Emperor is flowing toward me instead.’
If the Emperor’s tolerance were even slightly smaller, my head would have rolled.
But fortunately, very fortunately, our Emperor is not a narrow-minded ruler, so he simply lets it be.
Or perhaps he just finds it too convenient.
For instance, even if a cat food dispenser is so convenient that the cat prefers the sound it makes when dispensing food over the sound of its owner’s call.
That doesn’t mean the owner would throw away the machine.
‘It works great. This batch of food has good palatability too.’
That’s all they’d say.
‘From Gold & Silver’s perspective, aren’t I just a cat feeder?’
With automatic cleaning functions, sterilization functions, laundry functions included….
What is this? A god?
An all-purpose AI like that exists?
‘That’s me?’
Anyway, while Golden Blood Hall was expanding its craftsmen using this era’s loyalty and connections.
The Gongseon Family’s Red Jade and Blue Jade workshops were established.
Seeing how companion products—Black Jade, White Jade, Green Jade, and more—are being released one after another, it seems they’re making serious money.
Well, in an era without television, how many entertainment options could there be?
Children might run from one end of the mountain to the other with just a stick, but adults lack that energy.
‘And adults want to play too!’
As the vacant lands in Baekrin County were rapidly filled.
Workshops began appearing in other counties near Baekrin County as well.
A true economic boom!
Thanks to this, Jin Cheon-hee was busy today as well.
My Master Jegalling said that since Baekrin County’s expansion was entirely my fault, I should roll up my sleeves and work.
Merciless self-directed education….
…No, self-directed administration.
As a result, I couldn’t think of anything else, couldn’t run away outside the city, and could only work.
My disciple simply stayed put and worked in silence.
My Master’s skin was improving day by day.
Already possessing jade-white skin originally, lately there’s even a radiance to it.
It’s dazzling.
“Twenty-four hours isn’t enough~ When I’m with work, when our eyes meet~ Twenty-four hours isn’t enough~ I work, and work comes to find me~ Twenty-four hours~ Ooooh~”
And my disciple had lost consciousness from overwork.
“Are you singing another strange song?”
“Work songs are important, you know~”
Yoo Ho gave me a look of exasperation before placing a letter in front of me.
“Ah, it’s encrypted? This one. From the Imperial Palace, right?”
On the surface, it was no different from an ordinary merchant guild’s letter.
“You can tell just by looking at it?”
“It’s a format my old classmate uses frequently.”
“Couldn’t they have changed the cipher?
“Ciphers are a matter of habit. Especially for bureaucrats like these—they might tweak the cipher slightly based on the date, but they rarely change the fundamental method of encryption itself. For that to happen, higher-ups would need to get involved.”
“…?”
“Simply put, if you change the cipher, you’d have to retrain everyone, which wastes both money and time. So they rarely do it unless it’s wartime. And it seems the other side sent this knowing I’d crack it easily anyway. What can you do.”
I spoke with blue eyes, calm and composed.
‘He figured all that out just sitting there?’
Was this really the same madman who’d been squawking that bizarre song just moments ago?
Yoo Ho felt a chill run down his spine.
“You deduced it was from the Imperial Palace based on just that?”
“Yeah. Plus, disguising it as a merchant letter at a time like this means it’s not urgent. But using encryption anyway means it requires some level of secrecy. It’s probably a summons for my regular health examination at the palace.”
Correct.
Did this man have clairvoyance or something?
“Have you already decrypted the message?”
“No, I just had a hunch. But I’m probably right anyway.”
Somewhat unsatisfying.
I immediately decrypted the cipher using the Hyeonwon Jeondan Singeong and spoke again.
“Just as I thought. Oh, come to think of it, the Eunuch General asked me to visit once, but I was too lazy to go.”
Cough.
Then I coughed softly.
“Do you have a cold?”
“Ah, no, no. Just a cough. I checked my own pulse and I’m healthy. It just happens occasionally, very occasionally, like this.”
If I were coughing frequently, I’d investigate further, but it barely happens once every few days.
This level is normal even for healthy people.
I figured my throat was just a bit dry and didn’t think much of it.
Besides, there were too many pressing matters right in front of me.
“….”
Yoo Ho observed me carefully before speaking.
“If you fall ill, my work becomes difficult.”
“Right, I need to stay healthy.”
With that, I rose to my feet.
“I should show this letter to my Master. The regular health examination period has arrived.”
* * *
Strike while the iron is hot, as they say.
In this pyramidal hierarchical society.
Though the Emperor’s letter arrived at a leisurely pace, that was merely the magnanimity of a superior.
If I, Jin Cheon-hee, a subordinate, played around saying “Oh, there’s no rush!” I could end up receiving a beating.
Of course, given both their temperaments, they wouldn’t literally strike my backside, but one must still conduct oneself properly in society.
The next day, I obtained my Master’s permission and departed immediately.
Riding upon Hwang-gu’s back, I moved with remarkable speed!
Wheeeee!
Noeji perched atop Hwang-gu’s head, enjoying himself as always.
We rode on like this for quite some time.
When night fell, it was time to make camp.
‘Every time I camp, I think about how I couldn’t rest so comfortably without Hwang-gu and Noeji.’
Whether assassins were approaching or venomous creatures drawing near.
Or even if a massive mountain tiger were to attack.
There was nothing I needed to worry about.
Moreover, the problem of dropping temperatures at night was solved the moment these two entered the tent.
Living furnaces.
Though in summer, it becomes unbearably difficult.
One would be steamed alive.
I immediately began preparing to make camp.
Since the surroundings were already mountainous, I drew my blade toward the hillside.
Whoooosh.
Internal force surged forth.
The blade carved through the sloped earth as easily as cutting through tofu.
Using Void Grasping, I moved the soil and set up the tent framework in the angular space created.
I covered it with a waterproof tarp to form a roof, then piled earth, leaves, branches, and grass over the top.
‘In the old days, I would have needed to move my hands and feet.’
The martial arts I obtained by crossing death several times grew ever more profound and distant.
Now I had reached a level where I could solve everything through martial arts.
‘A complete instant campsite with camouflage included!’
An ordinary person would have spent at least several hours on such construction work.
But the martial prowess of an absolute master solved it in merely fifteen minutes.
‘Martial arts truly are magnificent!’
Having made camp, I lit a fire and placed stones inside it as I always did.
Once the stones were completely heated, I would place them beneath the tent to use as an instant ondol.
And above the fire, I set a pot and poured water into it.
“These two have such good appetites that I need to prepare something even when camping~”
Noeji was picky about food, but honestly, Hwang-gu would eat anything if offered.
Man’s best friend, the dog.
Looking at human history, dogs have always eaten whatever people gave them.
These days, as human lifespans have increased, so too have dog lifespans, and pet food and treats have proliferated for their health.
But looking at rural dogs, they still get table scraps poured into their bowls.
Of course, I feed Hwang-gu the same food we eat.
Normally, dogs can eat things they shouldn’t without any problem.
‘If he were an ordinary dog, I’d have to filter everything carefully.’
But watching him chew and swallow poisons so deadly that a single bite would kill a human, I gave up trying to think about it.
He actually enjoys toxins.
Noeji even caught venomous snakes somewhere and tore into them like snacks.
‘According to the Medical Assistants, he eats pufferfish too.’
They had procured a rare pufferfish to extract poison from, but he snatched it up and crunched through it bones and all, they said.
He even carefully saved the roe and liver—which are pure deadly poison—for last, as if they were luxury delicacies.
‘What exactly is a spiritual creature?’
How much longer would I have to wait?
The pot bubbled vigorously.
I tossed in dried meat, added various secret seasonings, then threw in dried vegetables.
That alone would make a warm meat broth, but today I was planning to add rice and make dried meat porridge.
“Sometimes you crave these basic, simple flavors, you know?”
Splash splash.
I added rice and stirred with a ladle.
There was no need to taste it.
Thanks to the Hyeonwon Jeondan Singeong, I had added the seasonings and ingredients with precise measurements!
The reason I still taste it is.
‘Because it feels incomplete if I don’t!’
Just as Ki is important in martial arts.
Ki-feeling is important in cooking too.
“Ah, I made this myself, but it really is delicious. Hwang-gu, it smells good, doesn’t it? Right?”
“Woof woof!”
That’s what Hwang-gu says.
“Truly an extraordinary dish. I caught the delicious aroma from such a remote place and came to investigate, and I must say I’m quite surprised! Young friend, might you be willing to share some of this food with me?”
It was a clean and beautiful voice, yet unmistakably belonging to someone not particularly old.
Casual and easygoing, yet brimming with confidence.
But.
My spine went cold and my hair stood on end.
‘I didn’t even sense their presence?’
I rank among the top martial artists in the world—among the ten greatest masters.
Not arrogance or pride, but objective fact.
Recently, I even defeated Taha-pa, a monstrous being presumed to have reached Hyeongyeong’s level.
And yet.
Until I heard the voice, I hadn’t sensed even the slightest presence.
It was no different from having my very life held in the palm of my opponent’s hand.
Had my opponent harbored even a shred of murderous intent, I would have already been dead.
I turned my head toward the direction of the sound.
One corner of the tent.
A figure was already seated there.
Six feet tall.
While tall for a woman, by Gangho standards, she could hardly be called imposing.
In fact, compared to the martial artists I had encountered, her frame seemed quite slender despite her height.
Her proportions were excellent nonetheless.
With an eight-head body ratio and limbs stretched elegantly long.
The problem lay in her appearance.
She looked to be somewhere between eighteen and early twenties.
On Earth, she would have appeared to be a high school graduate.
Or perhaps a college freshman.
Which made it all the more bizarre and unsettling.
‘This person… is absolutely no ordinary individual. Is she from Hyeolseonggyo? Or Cheon Gi-sunhaeng? At this level, calling her Hyeongyeong wouldn’t be an exaggeration….’
Where in the world had such a being emerged from?
“Ha-ha. No need to be so guarded, little brother. I merely emerged into the secular world after a long time and was drawn by such a delicious aroma. By the way, those blue eyes belong to the Jegallim Family, do they not? You managed to escape annihilation quite cleverly.”
The monstrous person laughed with an impudent grin.
I responded to this creature with a somewhat sharp tone.
“We were not annihilated. My Master still lives.”
“Ah. You speak of that child of the Jegallim Family? That one…. Ho. They did not die? How surprising.”
Through the gap at the tent’s entrance.
The monstrous person glanced beyond that opening toward the sky, her expression shifting to one of astonishment.
What exactly had she perceived?
From that vivid expression, I understood one thing.
‘A reader of the Heavenly Mechanism! She has just learned of my Master’s survival through reading the Heavenly Mechanism….’
Was this creature also one of those who read the Heavenly Mechanism in similar fashion?
Even if so, I had heard that such individuals could only perceive things very vaguely, never in detail.
Yet for some reason, she gazed upon the stars of heaven as though reading a newspaper.
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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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