Doctor’s Rebirth - Chapter 983

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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 983
Forced Rest
I had returned to the Medical Guild and needed to take several days of rest.
‘Perhaps jumping straight back to work wasn’t the best idea after all.’
Since they’d completely barred me from even approaching the research hall, there was genuinely nothing for me to do.
They’d even forbidden me from entering the kitchen.
With everything blocked off like this, knowing my disciple’s temperament, he was clearly convinced I’d hole myself up in the kitchen and produce some extraordinary meals.
I sat blankly on the wooden veranda, gazing at the falling rain.
Though this region favored chairs, as a Korean, I found it far more pleasant to sit this way on the veranda, feeling the rain against my skin.
‘It’s been a while since we’ve had rain.’
It might even be evidence of victory in the struggle of qi against the heavens.
The separate quarters where I stayed were designated for the Minor Sect Leader, with beautiful ornamental trees spread throughout.
It had always been beautiful, but after Yoo Ho personally reworked it, it became even more so.
Countless flowers bloomed regardless of weather or season.
The strange freshness was almost surreal to behold.
‘I was told that no one without permission can enter my quarters now.’
There had always been some formation arrays in place originally.
And Yoo Ho would be able to detect any spy who tried to enter.
Yet despite that, my Master had further strengthened the defenses.
—Hope, you’re disrupting the heavenly patterns like this, so why do you expect to live carelessly? Remember that those who wish to kill you stretch from the depths of the sea to the vault of heaven.
So it seemed that while I was away for an extended period, my Master had separately ordered Yoo Ho to renovate the quarters.
‘He never wastes a moment.’
Baek Rin-ui-seon’s meticulousness was enough to make one’s jaw drop.
‘Still, it would be nice if he’d at least mention it beforehand.’
There’s a reason the other Clan Elders sometimes make expressions of dread when looking at my Master.
Even I was startled when I returned to find the landscape of my home had changed unexpectedly.
My Master truly does seem to have somewhat controlling tendencies.
Especially since he watched his family and relatives die helplessly as a child, this aspect is all the more pronounced.
And then in his later years, the disciple he gained was already a body that had died several times over, with no way of knowing how many more deaths await—fate is truly cruel.
‘Though I’m hardly one to say such things.’
Still.
‘The garden is truly beautiful.’
I gazed blankly at the hydrangeas blooming in the corner, then closed my eyes.
Fragrance rose from the earth.
It meant the bacteria in the soil had begun their activity upon meeting water.
Though humans have degenerated olfactory senses, they say this particular scent is still detected remarkably well.
That’s likely because humanity has cultivated the earth for so long.
‘Such a pleasant aroma….’
I’d loved this scent since childhood.
Especially when the soil was dry and then soaked by rain, it released an even more beautiful fragrance.
And so I gazed at the rain, and gazed, and gazed….
I witnessed the raindrops falling ever more slowly.
Was it because of the Hyeonwon Jeondan Singeong?
Or was it because both my body and mind were entirely focused on the rain?
I could not say.
Yet the falling raindrops began to slow to an almost complete halt.
“….”
This scene I now beheld began to etch itself deep within my eyes.
‘An awakening…is this it.’
I found myself wanting to remember this fragrance eternally.
The scent of hydrangeas drenched in rain.
Finally, the moment those raindrops that seemed to hover eternally fell to the earth, all things began to flow once more in their natural time.
‘My inner landscape has changed somewhat.’
Indeed.
Rest was necessary after all.
If one labored ceaselessly until worn away, it was only natural that one’s inner landscape would follow suit.
A hydrangea bloomed within my chest.
The flower that those elders who had read a little literature in their youth called the purple sun flower.
‘Yeo Ha-ryun was right. I am not yet complete.’
Upon this inner landscape drawing ever closer to death, a flower bearing the essence of summer had bloomed.
Still the opposite of an ideal realm, yet even so.
If I could become a little more compassionate, that would suffice, I thought.
In that moment.
Jin Cheon-hee extended his hand.
“…!”
It appeared as a single sphere of force, yet it was composed of countless minute force currents gathered together.
Each of these minute force currents shattered stone, evaporated water, and annihilated life.
Together they formed a single hydrangea in bloom.
‘Still drawing close to death, I see.’
Each of the dozens of force spheres embodied a different one of the Five Elements.
Fire, water, wood, metal, earth.
The attributes derived from these five.
Thunder, ice, wind….
Hydra—the word that enters the scientific name of the hydrangea.
Force spheres of differing elements were born, converging and gathering in a single palm.
It was unmistakably the hydra of mythology.
Thus a single sphere of force contained both the positive and negative in their entirety, and by unifying these martial arts into one, it represented the very pinnacle of martial mastery.
‘If I were to develop my martial arts further based on this awakening?’
A distant realm.
The moment of reaching the place all martial artists desire.
‘No. Not yet…. I’m still not ready.’
I abandon the pursuit of perfecting myself.
Leaving room for enlightenment, I dismantle the Gangwhan one by one.
The water technique capable of obliterating the entire Baekrin Medical Guild rises and scatters from my palm once more.
I clench my fist and completely annihilate the Gangwhan.
Vanish.
Pop!
It disappears completely, leaving only the small sound of a balloon bursting.
The architect of this grand martial art’s illusory disappearance now sits with knees drawn up, leaning against the eaves pillar, gazing at the rain.
A pathetic and miserable figure.
My eyes differed from the fierce gaze of a martial artist.
Eyes that trembled continuously, filled with anxiety.
No one would believe such a person had reached such a martial art.
‘If I perfect myself with the mental state I just reached…. Yes. Even the Three Elites would not be inferior in martial prowess.’
It is the ultimate destruction itself, death scattered across the world.
Where that transcendent technique passes, not a single blade of grass will ever grow again.
What could possibly be gained from a place where ‘death’ has been scattered?
‘…Not yet.’
The Doctor does not submit the answer.
Something was still lacking.
With such an answer, I could never reach the ideal that Jin Cheon-hee desired.
‘It feels like I’ve become Edward Scissorhands.’
Even if someone wanted to hold my hand, all I could do with these hands is wound them.
I drift further from my Master’s mental state.
Encountering even the martial art that would be the foundation of perfect death.
Yet it still isn’t complete.
‘Hope’ remains,
Waiting for a single rapeseed flower to bloom upon this martial art.
Whoooosh—
The raindrops grow increasingly fierce.
I closed my eyes.
“….”
Perhaps because I had just counted one mental state and gained enlightenment.
Fatigue washed over me and I fell asleep right there.
When I opened my eyes, a blanket covered me.
Who had covered me?
A newly created formation.
There were not many who could enter my separate quarters without permission.
Click—
Something caught on my fingertip.
Roasted rice cakes and tea.
Yoo Ho’s handiwork.
‘That’s right. My mental landscape still isn’t complete.’
The Doctor felt the presence of family.
* * *
After several days of rest, the rain gradually subsided.
“Good. The period my Master commanded has ended, so let’s get moving!”
Jin Cheon-hee immediately rushed off to meet Ju Wang, the Governor of Gangso Province.
The reason for visiting was simple.
To forcibly issue orders to the Gangso Province Patrol Bureau.
The Patrol Constabulary Office.
Or as it was called, the Patrol Bureau—a law enforcement organization with a completely different character from the garrison soldiers.
They were like the police of the Hwa Empire, and their administrative authority rested with each province’s Governor.
In terms of hierarchy, they were affiliated with the Golden Guard, and positions up to Patrol Officer were formal ranks, but Patrol Sergeants and Patrol Guards under them were treated as officials.
Formal ranks had grades like rank 8 or junior rank 8, while officials had none—that was the key distinction.
‘From a commoner’s perspective, what difference would there be between an official and a staff member?’
But from the perspective of the powerful and great families, there was quite a significant difference.
And.
The head of the Gangso Province Patrol Bureau held the title of Patrol Captain, and while their position was treated as equal to a Magistrate, their actual power was somewhat less.
Because the Patrol Captain was an administrative position.
For example, the Patrol Officers and Patrol Sergeants in Baekrin County’s Patrol Station—a subordinate organization of the Patrol Bureau with one in each county—often took orders from judges under the Magistrate.
For this reason, the Patrol Captain’s orders were rarely followed, and their authority was actually diminished.
‘If I compared it to Earth, it would be like a police station chief not listening to the police commissioner and instead obeying a local judge… but this martial world is fundamentally different from Earth, so there’s no helping it.’
In any case.
Jin Cheon-hee obtained the Governor Ju Wang’s permission immediately and had the Patrol Officers throughout Gangso Province summoned sequentially.
Calling them all would create a security gap, so only about a fifth were summoned.
And.
What awaited them was… a special training ground for Patrol Officers established in Yeonmu City.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Patrol Officers. I am Jin Cheon-hee, Magistrate of Gangso Province’s Boheon Byeolga and recently appointed to the position of Gangso Province Training Byeolga.”
* * *
Speeches were somewhat tedious, but an occasion like this felt incomplete without one.
Moreover, in this ancient Confucian society of sword-wielding martial artists that bore no comparison to modern times, if a task began without a speech at all.
‘Does this fellow even intend to be serious about this?’ people would question his sincerity.
Jin Cheon-hee gathered his resolve.
“Recently, martial artists from various places caused chaos, people died, and the laws of the Hwa Empire fell to the ground!”
First, he opened with a shocking incident everyone remembered.
“Harm to commoners is harm to the government. And when the government suffers harm, it brings disgrace upon the Emperor…”
He spoke of how grave this matter was.
‘They’ll all listen with bored expressions. After all, it’s something everyone already knows.’
As he thought this, he observed.
“What’s this? Why are they all…. Their eyes?”
Something felt off.
Everyone’s eyes were sparkling with light.
Why were the Patrol Officers, who should have been drowning in apathy and boredom, looking at me with such patriotic fervor?
I continued speaking.
“Therefore, from now on, all martial artists in Gangso Province will be under strict control, and to achieve this, everyone belonging to the Patrol Bureau will be required to undergo mandatory martial arts training as a crucial part of their official duties!”
Uoooooooh!
The response was better than I expected.
I had no idea.
‘The martial arts performance I bought for just one silver tael was absolutely incredible!’
‘Oh, is he going to teach us something even more amazing directly?’
‘In the martial arts city, you have to pay to attend lectures, but as a Patrol Officer, I get to listen for free!’
Direct lectures from an absolute master who personally authored the Divine Art Scripture. And it’s free!
It was an opportunity that might come once in a lifetime, if ever.
Of course, not everyone was enthusiastic.
‘Training is now part of my duties…?’
Either way, this just means more work.
Typically, a Patrol Officer works from sunrise to sunset with no clear concept of working hours.
Of course, there’s also a night shift, and those officers live as if they work from sunset to sunrise.
When the bell tower rings, it signals the change of shift, but even then, they don’t keep strict work hours like in the modern world.
And even in modern Earth, companies don’t really respect quitting time either.
Anyway, kindly informing them that they must train in martial arts for one hour every day during their shift meant those who disliked it had no choice!
One of them raised his hand.
Normally, asking questions while the Magistrate—who is like heaven itself—is speaking would be unthinkable.
However, in my Baekrin County, it was possible.
I, the Magistrate, had taught them directly to do so.
The Patrol Officer asked.
“What happens if we refuse?”
“Dismissal… no. Removal from office.”
Removal from office!
Everyone’s eyes widened.
‘The Magistrate has been ruling us quite gently compared to other places…. But immediate removal from office?’
I hadn’t expected him to be this stern.
I thought to myself.
‘With the end times approaching, if the garrison becomes negligent, many commoners will die.’
At minimum, I must maintain the capability to suppress crazed martial artists like last time.
Isn’t that why they receive salaries in the first place?
“The Governor has approved this matter, so there’s no room for choice. However, there will be performance evaluations. If your martial arts level rises quickly, you’ll receive special bonuses. If your martial arts achievement falls below a certain standard? Your monthly salary will be reduced, and in severe cases, you’ll be demoted.”
“Ugh!”
Many Patrol Officers who didn’t know this fact let out groans.
“Alright then. For the next two months, I’ll teach you all the martial techniques you’ll practice for the rest of your lives.”
I clenched my fist and raised it toward the sky with a shout.
“Everyone, fighting!”
“?”
Realizing I’d misspoken, I shouted again.
This time, I infused it with inner energy and bellowed with force.
“다들 힘내자아아앗—-!!”
Waaaaaah!
Only then did cheers erupt.
‘Hmm, the body reconstruction project begins.’
Suddenly, I recalled April Fools’ Day when I had turned a single housekeeper into a master. Cooking is about stamina. Then patrol officers need stamina even more!
‘I’ll outfit every single one of them with new muscles from head to toe.’
Body reconstruction!
My eyes gleamed with brilliant intensity, but the patrol officers had no idea what future awaited them.
‘Usually with things like this, you just do it properly at first and then slack off a bit later. Right?’
‘For now, just do what we’re told and go along with the rhythm.’
The patrol officers exchanged knowing glances.
‘It’s one thing if it’s just regular training, but actual martial arts practice with real intent?’
This was unprecedented.
Though admittedly, something like this did happen occasionally whenever a new magistrate took office.
‘There’s nothing strange about it. Usually they just do a bit of public demonstration and then, after writing a report to their superiors, things settle down appropriately.’
Baekrin County Officials Martial Arts Training Commences.
The seasoned patrol officers with experience were confident they could slack off.
‘Realistically, does it make sense to teach all the patrol officers martial arts and then have them pursue bandits and horse thieves?’
That’s why the principle of “officials don’t intervene in martial affairs” exists. It’s impossible in reality.
Most thought the same way.
Because that was ‘common sense’.

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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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