Doctor’s Rebirth - Chapter 977

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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 977
053. Like Striking Stone in a Drought
Perhaps that’s what life truly is.
‘Fist-fist-fist-fist-fist9999fist-fist…fist9999999fist…99fist999999….’
Living as things come, patching things together with improvisation here and there, and before you know it, that becomes your ‘life’.
So life is just like my grandmother’s socks.
‘The Demonic Sect’s conspiracy has been crushed. Hooray!’
The reactions of those around me were somewhat—or rather, quite—strange, but from my perspective, wasn’t that a good thing?
There’s no need for us to live stabbing swords at each other on such a beautiful, peaceful day.
Once you get caught up in a blood massacre, doesn’t it drive the doctors mad?
And this incident in particular….
‘Far too many civilians are getting caught up in it.’
Among the demonic arts, the Hyeolma technique in particular required the blood of commoners—and I mean actual blood, not metaphorically—so the damage was bound to grow beyond control.
But once I resolved that simply (?) the peace began to return.
Isn’t that fortunate?
Occasionally demonic scripture is discovered, and our guards are desperately pursuing the perpetrators, but honestly, I wonder what more we could ask for.
As long as you don’t see such wicked, seditious texts while walking the main roads in broad daylight, and don’t recite strange incantations at night, you won’t encounter them.
So we thoroughly separate the shadows from the light.
And we beat down the shadows whenever they appear.
‘And we extract money quite well too.’
We’re confiscating all their assets as well, so Baek Rin’s pockets are getting quite full.
The only thing that bothers me.
Yeo Ha-ryun returned to the main sect and there’s been no word since.
‘Still, he should be living well enough….’
Ever since fighting alongside Yeo Ha-ryun last time, I’ve somehow developed this conviction that this fellow will never die against ‘people’.
By people, I mean ordinary humans, excluding those creatures with tentacles or gills.
Of course, even if it’s a gilled creature like that Goe-eo-in chieftain Taha-pa we saw last time, Yeo Ha-ryun would probably win.
And that Hyeolseon Gyoju isn’t human either, so he should be excluded originally… but then, what about Yeo Ha-ryun now?
If it’s Yeo Ha-ryun who has gained enlightenment and begun to perceive his inner landscape….
-Smile. That irritating smile is just right.
Suddenly, the voices of the Hyeolseon Gyoju and my ‘Senior’ overlap.
‘Ah, damn it….’
As my mood suddenly plummeted, I shook my head to clear it.
Thinking about it is meaningless.
I thought I’d forgotten it well by now, but somehow it crawled back out of my head.
‘Right. I guess I’m just bored.’
I immediately went out to do something else.
It was summer.
I was spending peaceful—written as peace, but if others did this they could die from overwork—days at the Medical Guild.
Birds chirped, and the scent of flowers was subtle.
The weather was somewhat hot… quite hot, actually….
As I went about my days like this.
An imperial envoy arrived at the palace.
After exchanging lengthy and tedious formalities, with the envoy responding in kind, the conclusion was inevitable.
“Long live the Emperor, long live, long live ten thousand years!”
In this age, was not the Emperor the Son of Heaven born by the heavens themselves?
With these soulless wishes for eternal prosperity, we finally moved to the main matter.
The envoy—that is, the eunuch—tensed his abdomen and spoke in a loud voice.
“By imperial decree to Jin Cheon-hee, disciple of Uiguk Baek Jegalling and governor of Baek Rin County: proceed to the Four Southeastern Provinces and resolve the drought!”
‘Huh? What?’
A drought?
A drooooooought?
I had never considered this.
But there is no ‘no’ to an imperial decree.
The answer is predetermined, so you must speak it.
“I am overwhelmed by Your Majesty’s grace. I, Jin Cheon-hee, accept the imperial decree and shall resolve the drought!”
As I performed the proper bow, the eunuch folded the imperial edict and returned to a respectful posture.
‘Wow, the Eunuch General really does drill them hard.’
Looking at the calluses built up on his palms, this eunuch appeared to be a master of palm techniques.
How many human skulls had been crushed by those palms?
Yet, on the surface, he appeared no different from any ordinary eunuch one might see.
I could only pray that this eunuch never donned black robes.
The moment he did, it would be like Pipi eating the moon stone and becoming Pipsi.
The eunuch would transform into a Dongchang operative.
‘He might even be one of the Dongchang operatives I encountered when capturing the Goe-eo-in.’
That is what makes the Dongchang so terrifying.
When wearing official robes, they are the Emperor’s servants, but the moment they don black garments, they become the Emperor’s assassins.
I do not even know who is who among those I command.
Moreover, the empire’s Dongchang operatives are elite—there is no official who does not know that each one is both a killing machine and a human listening device.
The eunuch with calloused palms smiled warmly.
His affable smile resembled that of a neighborhood steamed bun shop owner.
Come to think of it, even a massive grizzly bear must have soft paws.
Though those front paws can still crush a human skull.
He spoke.
“A severe drought has struck the Four Southeastern Provinces. Much time has passed since the drought began in earnest, and the people fall deeper into misery with each passing day. His Majesty commands that Governor Jin resolve this matter.”
The Four Southeastern Provinces.
This refers to four regions: Jiangxi, Guangdong, Fujian, and Zhejiang.
They were areas concentrated in the southeastern portion of the empire.
“What efforts are the governors of those regions making….”
“Of course, the governors are making efforts as well, but… they are rather old-fashioned individuals….”
He spoke in roundabout terms, but his meaning was unmistakable.
Those incompetent fools can’t even handle a drought!
You go and fix it!
“…I see. I would have thought that those officials would know that land better….”
I also asked gently, but to the unspoken question of ‘Why can’t we just let them handle their own territory?’
“Of course that would be possible, but it seems the Emperor has other thoughts. And since he has issued this edict, is this not an honor?”
The eunuch Grizzly Bear responded with ‘If the Emperor commands it, we must obey. What else can we do?’
Damn it.
So this was the price for mobilizing the Imperial Guard to catch that demonic cultivator last time.
‘He collects his debts with the precision of a blade. I wonder what price he’ll demand for using me this time?’
The drought mentioned by the Jicheon Cheonma was now beginning to engulf the entire empire in earnest.
My Baek Rin Army had been preparing for this drought since my days as governor of Baek Rin County, so we could manage, but other regions would face different circumstances.
“…I see. I should be grateful.”
Damn that Emperor.
I’ll make sure to present him with an expensive bill for this work.
The eunuch spoke.
“The materials are here. For this matter alone, you will hold the authority of the Doeosa within the southeastern provinces.”
“The Doeosa!?”
What is the Doeosa?
It is the director position of the Dochalyeon, the empire’s highest inspection bureau.
In other words, the head of the Dochalyeon!
‘Is the Emperor in his right mind? Why is he giving that to me?’
One of the highest official positions at rank 2, no less.
No.
‘He’s giving me the authority of the Doeosa, the director of the Dochalyeon, even if only temporarily? Governors would tremble before even a Cheomdeosa, which is two ranks below…?’
The Dochalyeon is an inspection agency.
It falls under the Ministry of Personnel.
Simply put, above the Doeosa, the director of the Dochalyeon, there are only the Minister of Personnel and the Emperor.
However.
While that is its nominal affiliation, the Imperial Guard actually operates the Dochalyeon.
The Dongchang is a secret intelligence and inspection agency, so its nature is somewhat different.
When the Dochalyeon throws an inspection punch, mountains won’t split and seas won’t part, but government offices can be destroyed at the city level, and officials can be beaten and exiled.
In this hierarchical age, that is a greater miracle than splitting mountains and parting seas.
Even a Cheomdeosa, rank 4 of the Dochalyeon, is enough to make governors tremble.
For reference, the governor’s position was called a Jumok in ancient times, and ranks as rank 3.
Then.
A Cheomdeosa of rank 4 shouldn’t be able to do much against a governor of rank 3, but….
Inspection agencies possessed power greater than their nominal rank.
Even a governor could not help but feel tense before a Cheomdeosa.
In fact, the inspection tablet I received was precisely such a tablet of authority equal to or exceeding that of a Cheomdeosa!
‘Of course, if a Governor has sufficiently powerful backing, it might be possible to push back….’
But for that, one would need to present an absolutely staggering bribe to someone of extraordinarily high rank.
The eunuch spoke.
“Among the Governors, there are certainly those who are stubborn…. His Majesty wishes to conserve time.”
Translation.
[Don’t have time to coax the obstinate ones—just squeeze them hard and then handle the drought.]
I let out a sigh.
‘His Majesty… you’re being unreasonable.’
It seemed His Majesty was now upgrading me from an automatic food dispenser to an automatic water dispenser.
‘Nandong Province is four times the size of Korea. How in the world does he expect me to resolve a drought across such a vast territory!’
Is a drought something simple?
Your Majesty, do you think droughts are easy?
What exactly do these people take me for?
Do they see me as some magical club that spills forth gold, water, and grain with every swing?
But reason firmly gripped the steering wheel and produced the next response.
“Very well. I understand.”
“I wish you good fortune.”
The eunuch spoke thus and departed.
The amusing part was that he offered a farewell as if I were a military officer heading off to war.
Even I could see how absurd it was, so he must have felt it too.
* * *
After sending the eunuch out, I spent time in conversation with my Master.
My Master listened quietly to my words, then swallowed his tea.
Slurp—
Savoring the warm tea’s fragrance, he continued.
“If you disregard the means and methods, it should be possible.”
“Means and methods…?”
“In the past, on the island where you had the Water-Breaking Sect, didn’t you use formation techniques to make the river ripple? If you apply that principle, it should be feasible.”
“…I briefly considered that as well, but the required area is so absurdly vast that it exceeds this disciple’s capabilities.”
What I had done then was merely to make a single small island and its surrounding waters ripple.
But now, to resolve a drought across a territory four times the size of Korea—it was an entirely different scale.
“Indeed… If it were that simple, His Majesty would have done it long ago.”
“Yes….”
I became dispirited, my expression growing gloomy.
My Master, savoring the sight of my dejected face with amusement, then spoke.
“Then how about this—shall your Master lend you aid?”
“Ah… Master?”
Do you know shamanism too? No…. Come to think of it, my Master is the greatest master of formation techniques in all of Gangho.
If my Master were to assist with formation techniques, the range could be vastly expanded.
“Normally, even if it were possible, it would be something one should not do. But now that the Heavenly Secrets have been torn asunder, it should be feasible.”
My Master muttered something incomprehensible to anyone else, then spoke.
“Come to think of it, it’s been quite a while since my disciple and I took a proper outing together. The first time, we were too busy dealing with the northern barbarians.”
The Suksin Tribe battle.
“I suspect you’re the only person in the world who would describe that as an ‘outing.’ But will your schedule permit it?”
I ask, glancing at the mountain of documents piled behind my Master.
“Ha ha. Medical Guild matters are… Yoo Ho!”
Clap!
As my Master claps his hands, Yoo Ho emerges from the shadows.
“Yes, Master. What do you need?”
There’s no space for him to hide, yet he appears from nowhere. Truly remarkable.
“Yoo Ho, handle my affairs in my stead.”
“Pardon?”
“I must take Hee on an outing, so I’ll need you to manage my duties from now on.”
“….”
Thus my Master resolved one matter with casual ease.
Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he added one more thing.
“Oh, and pack my travel supplies in advance.”
“….”
“While you’re at it, include some refreshments as well.”
Things that Hee enjoys.
“….”
I sensed killing intent emanating from Yoo Ho as he looked at me.
‘What? Why? What?’
This isn’t my fault. It’s this man’s doing!

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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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