Doctor’s Rebirth - Chapter 991

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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 991
Namgung Un spoke.
“Now, now, why not calm your anger and have a drink at the inn instead?”
“I heard the Namgung Family Head gave up drinking.”
“Haha, I may have quit, but the locals here drink their local brew. If I were to have a cup, everyone would surely flock to hear of the Moyong Clan’s great master’s exploits.”
He said this while patting my shoulder.
Though he couldn’t join me in drinking, it was his way of encouraging me to go and enjoy a pleasant encounter.
With the Namgung Family Head personally arranging this, even Moyong Clan couldn’t remain angry and nodded in agreement.
“I understand. I shall heed the Namgung Family Head’s words.”
Watching this, Sama-hye whispered to me.
“As a family head, he lacks quite a bit of dignity, yet he handles matters well, doesn’t he? Truly, Pink….”
Sama-hye, my disciple who had learned my speech patterns in strange ways.
I, her master, replied.
“Unlike the previous family head who would lead his guards around and clear his throat pompously, Namgung Hyeong is… well, that’s why the elders complain often, but conversely, he’s incredibly popular with the younger martial artists.”
Even the Gonggong Faction’s dojo expressed gratitude to Namgung Un.
“Thank you, Namgung Family Head. Thanks to you, we’ve saved our lives. We’ve incurred a great debt.”
“It was merely a few words exchanged—nothing more. If that saves the Gonggong Faction, then I’ve made a profitable deal.”
He said this with a playful laugh.
“Hahaha, I can never match the Namgung Family Head. I shall never forget this kindness for the rest of my life.”
Namgung Un laughed heartily and sent off the Gonggong Faction’s hermit.
Next came another matter.
“I know a place more delicious than the inn I just recommended. Would you care to go there? I deliberately saved this recommendation.”
“Oh, which place is that?”
He naturally arranged it so the two martial artists wouldn’t encounter each other again.
That’s when I interjected.
“If you don’t mind, I believe I can treat the wound on your thigh.”
“Oh, Jin’s younger brother? How did you come to be here?”
Only then did Namgung Un recognize me and asked in surprise.
“That’s what I should ask. Namgung Hyeong, why are you here away from the family?”
“Business came up, and I was heading to the Sichuan Tang Family. What about you?”
“I also have business to attend to….”
It was remarkable.
Both of us were heading to the Sichuan Tang Family due to business.
Namgung Un crossed his arms and nodded.
“Well, what a coincidence.”
* * *
I provided emergency treatment to the injured Gonggong Faction hermit and instructed him to head to a nearby medical clinic.
I left word that the inn could wait until later.
The Gonggong Faction hermit expressed his gratitude and departed.
The three of us then headed to the inn we had reserved beforehand for a meal.
As soon as Namgung Un settled into his seat, he spoke.
“Oh. So this beauty is Sama’s younger brother’s sister!”
“Sama’s younger brother?”
“Namgung has this peculiar habit—he wants to call everyone younger than him ‘younger brother.'”
“I see… And what about those older than him?”
“He insists on calling them ‘older brother’ and practically forces it on them…”
“Huh…?”
“No, wait! Why are you making me sound like some monstrous person! I do look at people and adjust accordingly!”
Sama-hye covered her mouth with her sleeve and laughed, then offered a light bow.
“Sama-hye, Deputy Patriarch of Baekrin Medical Guild, pays respects to Patriarch Namgung.”
“My goodness, I wasn’t even thinking of a formal greeting. Sama, as you know, I’m Namgung Un, serving as Patriarch of the Namgung Family, but please call me informally.”
“I shall call you Namgung the Great Sohyeop.”
“That’s too much. Just call me Namgung Sohyeop.”
Interestingly, Namgung Un did not ask Sama-hye to call him “older brother.”
I pondered this.
‘Surprisingly, he draws a clear line between men and women.’
In this rigid Confucian society, he was being cautious—if he had her call him “older brother,” unmarried Sama-hye might become the subject of gossip.
‘He seems carefree, yet he’s sharp about these things.’
And there was one more thing.
Behind Sama-hye stood Sama Hyeon.
If rumors spread that he had forced his sister to call him “older brother,” Sama Hyeon would never let it slide.
After all, he would do literally ‘anything’ for Hye-a.
Whether he calculated all the way to that point or not, I couldn’t say, but at least as a patriarch, he maintained clear boundaries—and that impressed me.
I asked.
“What brings you to the Sichuan Tang Family, Namgung?”
“I have some personal business to attend to. The details are confidential, though.”
Confidential, is it?
My eyes gleamed blue.
I had a suspicion about what it might be.
Namgung Un spoke cheerfully.
“Then how about we share a cup to celebrate this fortunate meeting?”
Clink!
A good connection, a good night.
* * *
For the first time in a while, I could rest in an inn rather than on a boat.
All the physicians from Baekrin Medical Guild took rooms with cheerful expressions, while Namgung Un and I secured a room at the highest level of the inn.
The reason was simple.
‘A patriarch like Namgung would certainly attract assassins.’
Better to stay at the top so assassins would come through the roof on their own, rather than risk the physicians getting caught in the middle.
After unpacking and scratching Hwang-gu and Noeji, Namgung Un opened his mouth.
“You seem to have guessed why I’m heading to the Sichuan Tang Family.”
“…I don’t know. It simply appears that Namgung has his reasons.”
“You’re trying to overlook it while knowing the truth.”
“I’m merely being cautious to avoid getting caught up in family matters.”
“….”
That response was answer enough.
At my words, Namgung Un patted my shoulder.
“To perceive that much—truly worthy of being my younger brother Jin. Do you despise me?”
“…What would there be to despise? I’m no sage, merely someone struggling to survive. I simply hope your affairs resolve well.”
Those words were sincere.
I don’t despise Namgung Un.
Having experienced countless matters within the Medical Guild, don’t I already understand how the Gangho operates?
My naive days are long past.
And I understand that Namgung Un is agonizing to find ‘realistic’ solutions in this world where blades run rampant.
‘By modern standards, all my sworn brothers are murderers. My Master is a murderer, Dang-a whom I’ll soon meet is a murderer, enemies and allies alike are all murderers. My hands too… are no longer clean.’
Kill or be killed.
To survive in the whirlpool of the Medical Guild, one must draw a blade and fight.
In such a world, I have no intention of preaching righteousness alone.
I lack the qualifications for it.
I simply wish to walk the path I believe is most right in that moment.
“After the battle with the Demonic Sect, you once told me something. That you would grant me one request.”
“…Yes, I did.”
“Does that promise still hold?”
“….”
I close my eyes.
“…Not everything, but to some extent, yes. I intend to honor it.”
Yeo Ha-ryun’s debt was my debt as well.
To one who risked their life protecting my younger brother, such repayment is due.
That is the grace of the Gangho.
“That’s all I need.”
Namgung Un grinned widely.
He seemed delighted that I was on his side.
* * *
The group continued forward aboard the boat.
Since the Yangtze River extended to Sichuan Province, we could arrive there after several days of sailing.
Yibin in Sichuan Province.
A port on the Yangtze River located in the southern reaches of Sichuan Province.
To reach where the Sichuan Tang Family was located, we needed to travel several more days by land.
We unloaded the carriage from the boat and brought down the luggage.
Since the boat belonged to the Baekrin Medical Guild, we decided to leave it moored at the port.
I’ll need it again on the way back.
After unloading everything, I tried to head toward the Sichuan Tang Family, but I came to a halt.
The moment I disembarked, I found myself face to face with patients.
“No… the epidemic has spread this far?”
At one corner of the harbor.
In the shadowy area, there were no tents—just a single cloth spread out, and patients lying upon it.
The patients vomited while lying down, leaving the surroundings in disarray, and I could see figures who appeared to be doctors moving about with white cloth wrapped around their mouths.
I hurriedly met with the local doctors and heard their account.
After listening to their explanation, I reflected.
‘The doctors classified patients by disease, but the two they couldn’t classify until the very end were yellow fever and malaria. Fortunately, they said doctors capable of pulse diagnosis arrived and separated them.’
Yellow fever and malaria present similar symptoms on the surface, making them extremely difficult to distinguish.
Fortunately, this world has qi, so if there’s a doctor capable of pulse diagnosis, differentiation is possible.
If the symptoms appear to be yellow fever but pulse diagnosis reveals the conception vessel point, it’s classified as malaria.
This was similar to when I took the pulse of the Saeoe prince—parasitic infections often trigger the conception vessel point.
This is how malaria is differentiated in the Central Plains.
‘There is essentially no method to treat yellow fever.’
Not with current technology, and even in the modern era of the future, yellow fever treatment is extraordinarily difficult.
However, symptomatic treatment was possible.
Intravenous fluids and antipyretics—that’s about it.
The greatest problem is acute renal failure, and there is a method where a doctor stays with the patient and forcibly sustains their life through qi, but even then, full recovery is extremely rare.
Beyond that, there’s nothing but prayer that the patient recovers before the condition becomes severe.
All one can do is pray the patient recovers before reaching critical condition.
‘The mosquitoes that transmit yellow fever primarily inhabit South Africa and Central/South America… yet they live here in the Central Plains as well.’
I had noticed potatoes and tomatoes when they first arrived on this continent.
If beneficial crops grow, then naturally harmful things grow as well.
The world doesn’t contain only things convenient for humans.
And then there was the next one.
‘Malaria.’
A contagious disease transmitted by mosquitoes.
Humanity took preventive medication orally in advance to guard against it.
Nations recommend taking it before traveling to malaria-risk countries, and it’s generally wise to heed the advice.
Usually one begins taking it several days before traveling to the destination and must continue according to the schedule the doctor prescribes.
Strictly speaking, it’s a different form from a vaccine.
If one stops taking it, after some time it simply returns to normal.
‘There is a cure, but if one misses the timing, death is possible.’
On modern Earth, the mortality rate for severe malaria is approximately 10%.
Even with treatment, the mortality rate can rise significantly depending on the patient’s age, medical history, and physical condition.
Some scholars have argued that half of all humanity died from malaria.
Today, that’s considered an exaggeration, and the more prevailing view is that perhaps 10% to 20% died from it.
‘Even 10 to 20% of all humanity is frankly an astronomical number.’
And surprisingly, many people in modern times are still dying from malaria.
It is humanity’s ancient nemesis, with records dating back to the age of Egypt.
I went pale for a moment, then regained my composure.
And I issued orders.
“We’ll begin treatment here and move forward. Send word to the Sichuan Tang Family from the Baekrin Group that we’re conducting treatment activities at the medical pavilion. Sama Dangju, set up tents and equipment in the open space outside the medical pavilion. I’ll go to the administrative office to obtain permission. What will you do, Namgung?”
“I’ll help you here. I’ve learned enough qi healing to manage that much.”
In a world without oxygen masks or dialysis machines, qi healing is virtually the only lifeline.
“Hmm… now that I think about it, you mentioned learning medicine before. If you can manage even the basics, it would be helpful… I’m counting on you.”
The Soggakju’s command falls.
Then the Sang Ui-won, the middle-ranked physicians, and the medical assistants all began moving swiftly.
“Come now, quickly, set up the formation first.”
“All physicians from the nursing division, assemble!”
“Research division medical assistants, gather for now!”
Like nerves responding to the brain’s command, everyone moved in perfect unison.
Their speed was such that one might call it military-like.
Within that chaos, I began coordinating everyone.
Namgung Un clicked his tongue at the sight.
‘Even the warriors of the great families aren’t this perfectly synchronized…’
How could physicians, who were essentially commoners, move with such precision?
Each movement as if they had practiced it dozens, hundreds of times.
Every single action had a system behind it.
‘Even though it’s physician’s work, if I do this carelessly, I’ll get an earful from Jin.’
He had no intention of being treated like baggage.
Namgung Un also began moving to carry whatever he could.
The sight of his martial warrior’s body carrying multiple loads was impressive in itself, and all the physicians watching clicked their tongues.
“To move in one trip what should require a cargo cart, without even using inner energy. Truly remarkable.”
“We heard you’re a close friend of our Soggakju, and you’re certainly dependable.”
Then, Sama-hye muttered softly.
“Truly pink.”
“Hmm?”
Though he couldn’t understand what it meant, Namgung Un accepted it as praise.
‘It must be a term for a heroic wanderer.’
Pink.
The word that started from me passed through Sama-hye and reached Namgung Un.
Namgung Un memorized that word.
‘It must surely mean a great hero who is both strong and magnanimous.’
It was the moment the word “pink” began spreading throughout the Central Plains.

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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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