Doctor’s Rebirth - Chapter 978

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

Chapter 978
My Master did not bring the Baekrin Group’s people along this time.
My Master, myself, Hwang-gu, and Noeji.
Two people and two animals departing together.
Given the urgent situation, Hwang-gu pulled the carriage at a gallop.
It was a reinforced iron carriage originally designed for the Suksin Tribe, further modified with the Namgung Family’s mechanical engineering, making it comfortable even when Hwang-gu ran at full speed.
Inside the carriage, my Master quietly read a book.
An ordinary person would have felt dizzy, but my Master was anything but ordinary—only the soft sound of turning pages filled the space.
Glancing over, I saw it was a language even I didn’t recognize.
It appeared to be one of those rare ancient texts that couldn’t be purchased even with money.
Suddenly, my Master asked.
“You carry quite a lot of luggage.”
“No one knows what might happen, so I prepare accordingly.”
“…That must be rather inconvenient.”
In fantasy or game-fantasy or hunter novels, one could stuff items into a “dimensional pouch” and carry them easily, but this was the Gangho world—no such conveniences existed here.
To obtain something of that caliber, one would need what was called a dharma treasure.
Even then, Jang Mun-in of the Moshan Sect would never produce such a treasure—it would have to be among the greatest martial secrets of the realm.
‘If rumors of such an item existed, wouldn’t the Gangho have descended into bloodshed?’
Sigh… I wanted one. A space-compression pouch.
So we first headed to Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang Province.
Hangzhou was itself a great trading port, an entertainment district, and a tourist city.
‘And it was also the provincial capital.’
Moreover, Hangzhou bordered the Zhejiang River, which gave the region its name, and possessed the famous West Lake, renowned for its beauty.
‘Therefore, it wasn’t truly lacking in water.’
If this place ever ran dry, wouldn’t that truly be the end of days?
However.
“That’s only true for Hangzhou and the towns attached to Zhejiang Province with this great river. Other regions are experiencing a terrible drought, I hear.”
“Indeed. Even the fairly large rivers within Zhejiang Province have seen their water levels reduced by half. The smaller streams have dried up entirely, they say.”
At this rate, crops would wither, and when winter came, countless people would freeze and starve to death.
Thus I arrived in Hangzhou.
Hangzhou held many connections with me.
The waterworks construction and operating rights here belonged to the Baekrin Medical Guild.
Moreover, it was here I had met Sama Hyeon and Sama-hye.
My Master, surveying the lake, spoke thus.
“The water level is certainly not what it once was.”
Looking at the rippling lake water far below the bridge, it was easy to tell.
“Indeed. Could this perhaps be someone’s curse or something like that?”
Once bitten by a snake, twice shy of a rope.
Since Baek Rin had suffered terribly from a curse before, I suspected that first.
“That’s unlikely. It’s merely a weather anomaly.”
That was true.
Without curses or talk of apocalyptic doom, humans could simply die because the rain didn’t fall enough.
Nature itself.
It was a powerful destiny, and sometimes it became an enemy one had to struggle against.
I gazed up at the noon sky and spoke.
“Sigh… Life is really tough, isn’t it?”
“Did such things not occur in the future you know of?”
“…They did happen.”
Among the contents of the Jicheon Cheonma.
There were descriptions of a nationwide great drought and people searching for water.
Without water, a terrible famine came, and people died of starvation in droves.
Later, they searched for tree roots and grass roots, but even that wasn’t enough to fill their hunger.
Bandits swarmed, and people died.
Even those who called themselves righteous acted like the heterodox—a true hell of the mortal world.
‘Thank heavens Baek Rin was safe….’
It was thanks to all the preparations made until then.
However, by common sense, the civil engineering projects I had undertaken back then were madness.
In the end, the nature of bureaucratic organizational society operated the same way in this Gangho world.
In other regions, they naturally did things as they always had, so the matter grew larger.
‘Hmm, I even submitted a memorial regarding drought preparedness, but it was rejected.’
Word spread that Jin Tae-su was embezzling taxes for personal gain, and sure enough, the court ministers opposed it.
If I had said, ‘I have knowledge of the future! A drought will surely come soon!’
‘Even the scholars who read the heavens don’t say such things—how would Jin Tae-su know this!’, ‘Surely he’s deceiving the Emperor!’, ‘Nooo! Is he now wielding his three-inch tongue at court, relying on that appearance and position!’ and other historical drama medleys would have begun.
Even if they believed me, who knows what the Emperor Brothers might do if they got their hands on me.
I couldn’t let my guard down just because things were going well.
There were many who trembled when thinking of what those men had done to ascend to the throne.
Now they were floundering in waves of arduous duties while being called the Previous Emperor, but originally they were those who didn’t choose means or methods to eliminate rivals.
Everyone knew how terribly they had killed the Gaju of the Miga family, one of the Imperial Eight Families.
Surprisingly, that was just the tip of the iceberg.
Since ascending to the throne, they were living very virtuously.
Thinking of their past deeds, they were capable of breaking their brother’s legs and imprisoning him just to extract prophecies for the empire.
Or they could apply strong brainwashing to make him believe, ‘I was originally crippled and blind, and I cannot leave this palace,’ and continuously drain information from him for life.
Officials speculated that the Emperor’s ability might not have distance restrictions.
If the target went far away, perhaps the ability would be released.
If that were true, I would be brainwashed and unable to leave the palace for life.
Fortunately, Emperor Geum-wang could not read memories from this Earth.
-Tsk. It’s strangely difficult to read your memories.
Something he had said in the past.
Still, he seemed to read some of my inner thoughts. But that alone couldn’t touch my true secrets.
Perhaps it was because it collided with my special ability.
‘Yet why does he trust me so implicitly?’
Shouldn’t someone who can’t read memories be more suspicious? And yet our Pung Ha-geum has not withdrawn his trust.
It seems he knows something about this body’s childhood, and I wonder if that’s connected to this.
‘Besides, from here on it enters the realm of foresight….’
Still, I’m grateful I can at least protect the people in my embrace.
In any case, I told Master everything I knew, and he stroked his chin, lost in thought.
“Hmm…. Then this must be something that was going to happen regardless. Even if the Heavenly Mandate was torn, does the flow after it proceed as scheduled?”
“At this point, it seems like the Heavenly Mandate is wishing for the world’s destruction.”
I can even sense malice directed at humanity.
“Does not all creation and destruction have an end? If the world’s annihilation is written in the order of Heaven’s principles, then that would be correct.”
“…Such Heavenly Mandate. I will operate on it and fix it myself.”
Jegalling chuckled softly, watching his disciple puff out his cheeks with determination.
“Ho. Now you’re openly defying even the Heavenly Mandate. Keep up that spirit.”
He speaks as if discussing someone else’s affairs.
* * *
The two priests continued their conversation as they made their way to the Governor.
When I produced the Doosa’s tablet, the soldier recognized it and trembled violently.
“Y-y-yes, I’ll escort you at once!”
‘My, my. I wasn’t even thinking of devouring him, yet he’s so frightened.’
The soldier rushed off, and soon a voice from far away called to bring us in immediately.
The Governor’s voice trembled quite noticeably as well.
It couldn’t be helped.
A Doosa is rank 2. Higher rank than a Governor.
And the Zhejiang Province Governor had met me a few times before and knew that I enjoyed the Emperor’s favor.
As we entered, the Governor immediately bowed respectfully to me.
“I receive Doosa Jin Cheon-hee. And this person is…?”
“My Master, and one who holds the title of Uiguk Baek.”
Master spoke.
“I greet the Governor. I am Jegalling, a physician holding the position of Uiguk Baek.”
The Governor’s eyes widened like saucers.
‘The greatest physician under heaven, Jegalling! No. What brings him here….’
The Governor knew of Jegalling as well.
Not merely a martial master of the Gangho, but one with tremendous connections in the political sphere!
Once counted among the Three Greatest Physicians of the Land, but now some even called him the greatest physician under heaven.
The Baekrin Medical Guild’s influence had grown that immense.
And he truly possessed medical skills worthy of being called the greatest physician under heaven.
Recently, there were many rumors that he was more renowned than the Hwaju Medical Institute for spirit medicines.
Namely.
Mass production of spirit medicines!
The Baekrin Medical Guild provided spirit medicines at half the price of other medical guilds.
And the quantity was considerable too, selling steadily across the board.
All of this was because I, Jin Cheon-hee, had been resolving various incidents.
In exchange, I received land and created vast cultivation grounds for medicinal spirits and spiritual herbs using the Jin Method—that was the true reason for all this prosperity.
“I, I greet Uiguk Baek.”
‘Why is he so nervous?’
The Governor, sensitive to power dynamics, treated Jegalling with utmost respect.
The Governor spoke.
“I had heard that Jin Cheon-hee the Royal Inspector would be coming, but I never expected Uiguk Baek to accompany him….”
“It is hardly unusual for a Master to assist his disciple’s work, is it not?”
‘…Well, I suppose not?’
Did a Master really need to come along to help with official duties…?
In that moment, the Governor thought.
‘Parents don’t follow their children to their workplaces, so why is the Master coming along?’
And there was one more thing.
‘You’re a Doctor, after all….’
And if I add one more thing, a martial arts master of the Gangho.
‘What exactly are you planning…?’
But the Governor hadn’t become Governor by drawing lots either.
If he carelessly uttered something strange here, his career path would be thoroughly blocked later.
The Baek Rin-ui-seon standing before his eyes was someone with both the character and capability to do exactly that.
“Indeed, it is so. A Master assisting his disciple is only natural, is it not? Hahahaha! I asked something unnecessary.”
No, something felt off. Now that he’d said it, it felt even more off.
But let’s consider it settled.
The Governor spoke.
“Then I shall be grateful for your great assistance!”
* * *
The Governor immediately summoned his deputy and explained the situation.
From what I could sense, the Governor was assigning tasks to his deputy rather than handling the actual work himself.
And when that deputy brought the documents, they were disappointingly thin.
“This is all there is?”
I, Jin Cheon-hee, found my voice rising without realizing it.
Compared to the volume of documents Baek Rin had, the difference was like Mount Tai versus a sheet of paper.
The deputy held a rank of roughly ninth grade.
When I, a Royal Inspector of second grade, said something, he could only play dead—that was the situation.
“R, Royal Inspector! This is truly all of it! I swear upon my life…!”
“I’m not scolding you, so please calm down.”
Huff, huff.
I quickly calmed the panicking deputy, who was even hyperventilating from shock.
Had he been a Gangho master, he would have coughed blood and fallen into demonic possession right then.
But my Master remained composed.
“Hahaha. Hope, everyone does it this way. You’re the one being excessive from the start.”
“Is that so? Lately, whenever I see the garrison headquarters, I wonder if they need to hire more people….”
“If that corrupt official actually cared for the people’s welfare to that degree, it would truly be wonderful.”
Hearing himself called a corrupt official to his face, Gaga could only sweat profusely in cold dread.
The two priests had grasped the entirety of those thin documents in less than a quarter hour.
Meanwhile, Gaga stood motionless, feeling as though he were being tortured the entire time.
Now it was Jin Cheon-hee’s turn to voice his assessment.
“This is…. a complete catastrophe. I never imagined they’d do absolutely nothing.”
“They say drought is heaven’s punishment. What could the Governor possibly do from the start?”
“Still, he could conduct public works to prepare water management infrastructure in advance.”
“Would he?”
“Or redirect water from water-rich regions to water-scarce areas….”
“He won’t even consider it.”
“Sigh….”
Jin Cheon-hee tore at his hair in frustration.
Just looking at the ledgers alone, there were already signs of manipulation—they had clearly gone to great lengths to conceal evidence of their plundering.
As a result, portions of the ledgers had been erased, making them even thinner.
‘Now I understand why the Emperor doesn’t trust his officials.’
My Master asked.
“So. How do you plan to resolve this?”
“Well, Zhejiang still has abundant water resources. I’ll need to dig irrigation channels to the surrounding regions.”
“But wouldn’t that take years, even then?”
That was true enough.
Since ancient times, they say public works must be planned for a decade ahead.
Jin Cheon-hee spoke.
“Of course, if done conventionally, that would be the case. And Master….”
“Yes. Go ahead and speak.”
“This matter is urgent and involves saving lives, so I’ll speak to you with resolve.”
“Ho, what is it then?”
“….”
Jin Cheon-hee closed his eyes, then opened them wide.
In those blue eyes, determination shone like stars.
“Master. You’ll need to do manual labor with me!”
“Hmm?”
“Manual labor! Manual labor! Let’s do hard labor together!”
“?!”
Jegalling had never heard such a proposal in his entire life.
“Hahaha, you might as well ask me to behead the Cheonma instead, Hope.”
“Beheading the Cheonma is less important than the urgent manual labor right now! Master!”
Jin Cheon-hee’s eyes blazed with intensity.
Hard. Work. Labor.
He would end up begging his Master, Hyeolrin Gwangssal, and Baek Rin-ui-seon for it.
In his disciple’s eyes, it was written like this.
Un. Filial. Dis. Respect.
In short, an unfilial son.

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