Doctor’s Rebirth - Chapter 155

“It’s fine since Master is here.”

Jin Cheonhee had left Yoo Ho at the medical pavilion.

Not for any other reason, but because if Yoo Ho were to move as well, there would be no one to cultivate the actinomycetes in the White Dragon Medical Pavilion’s lab.

Although actinomycetes don’t grow on love alone, they do grow with labor, so one had to maintain constant temperature and humidity, tending to them with a farmer’s heart.

“You really intend to fill a thousand culture dishes, don’t you, Hee?”

“Yes. I’m extremely concerned about it.”

It was the heart of a farmer who had abandoned his field work.

‘Ah, I wonder if Yoo Ho is doing well. I hope he doesn’t forget to maintain the sterile conditions in the morning because he’s busy. How’s the cultivation state? Are the assistant physicians being put to good use?’

Streptomycin, in a different sense from penicillin, is made by grinding people.

Even with Yoo Ho and Jin Cheonhee, and Master helping, it’s far from enough. They need to bring in the imperial physicians to help with the cultivation farming.

After putting in effort day by day each season, one crazed imperial physician performed a ritual in front of the lab.

It was like the abundance ritual that farmers perform before planting rice in spring, hoping for a good harvest. They prayed for only the desired bacteria to grow well.

Jin Cheonhee didn’t believe in shamanism on Earth, but he knows that shamanism actually exists in this world. So he participated earnestly.

Thus, Jin Cheonhee and one crazed imperial physician prepared the ritual.

The assistant physicians under that imperial physician also participated in the ritual with quite serious expressions.

With Yoo Ho joining in, driven by the sole desire to escape this labor hell, Jin Cheonhee’s lab came to perform the abundance ritual every spring with desperate hearts.

The words that the overworked Jin Cheonhee spoke in his delirium at that time were quite a sight.

‘Hahaha! On Earth, it took over 20 years of full-time research with twenty people to discover streptomycin, but how long will it take us! Hehehehe!’

The medical pavilion members couldn’t understand what the delirious Jin Cheonhee was saying, but they could at least understand that it took over 20 years for the discovery.

…They wanted to leave this hell.

However, if they endured here for a few years with their eyes shut tight, they could become the head of a local branch.

They might even have a chance at becoming a imperial physician.

People get sick, be they royalty or martial artists, and everyone needs physicians.

In a world where one might fail the imperial exams even after ten years of trying, here was a promise that working like oxen for a few years could lead to an official position.

Jin Cheonhee began farming each season with his beloved lab slaves.

Only God would know whether this would lead to a great discovery for humanity or just be a futile labor of endless hell.

They couldn’t even complain.

Among them, the one grinding himself the most was none other than Jin Cheonhee himself.

Since Jin Cheonhee’s home was the medical pavilion, he had no vacations and didn’t count holidays.

Every day, he made rounds like a machine, cared for patients, and farmed (?) in the lab.

He wrote medical treatises, which he called papers, and in his spare time, he did hellish training.

Their Professor Jin was not human.

In fact, this period of coming to Wangya Ju’s mansion on royal command could be said to be the most free time he’d had recently.

Thus liberated, Jin Cheonhee trembled with anxiety like a house-elf who had received socks.

“Master, Yoo Ho is doing well, right?”

“Hmm. I’m sure he is.”

“My actinomycetes are being cultivated well, right?”

“They’re growing with love, I’m sure.”

“The temperature…”

“They’re checking it constantly as you instructed, so don’t worry. More importantly, there are some nice refreshments here. Why don’t you try some?”

Master quickly placed some refreshments on the table.

“I’ve also brewed some warm tea.”

“But Master…”

“Hee-ya. Wangya Ju’s mansion is famous for its delicious refreshments. Won’t you eat? They’ll get cold.”

Only then did the unworthy disciple reluctantly sit in front of his master.

But worry still seeped through his expression, so Zhuge Rin picked up a refreshment and put it in Jin Cheonhee’s mouth.

“…It’s delicious.”

With some sugar intake, the disciple’s expression brightened a bit.

Zhuge Rin contentedly observed Jin Cheonhee’s expression as if appreciating a work of art.

“Try this one too.”

“I’ve never seen honey strands made like this before.”

“Wangya Ju’s chef is famous.”

Since Wangya Ju is so fond of refined pleasures, she’s tasted all the delicacies in the world.

Naturally, the chef chosen by such a Wangya Ju would have unparalleled skills.

“And this seems like it would go really well with alcohol, doesn’t it?”

“Why do you think so?”

Jin Cheonhee nodded at those words.

They’re more suitable as drinking snacks than refreshments, but they’re still delicious.

Jin Cheonhee quickly devoured all the refreshments like that.

“I want to research this recipe and make it at the medical pavilion later!”

“You’ll die doing that, Hee-ya. Even if you’re a genius, you’ll die living like that.”

“Come on, you’re the genius, Master. I’m just above average or talented at best.”

“Then you’ll die even faster.”

Zhuge Rin worried about Jin Cheonhee’s death from overwork.

“Now that you’ve finished eating, I heard plum blossoms have bloomed in the back garden. Shall we go see them together?”

“Plum blossoms?”

Master nodded at those words.

“Then, did you come all this way to work? There’s nothing to work on here, right?”

It was a fair point. Jin Cheonhee finally realized Zhuge Rin’s intention.

‘You want your disciple to take a breather since we’ve come all this way.’

The fact that they were doing this under royal command at Wangya Ju’s mansion made it truly absurd.

However, it was true that he had been working desperately up until now.

[Master, what do you think will happen from here on?]

[I think it will take at least three days for His Imperial Highness Eun to make a decision.]

[Why is that?]

[Well… It’s not a logical judgment. It would be more accurate to call it an experiential intuition.]

[I see.]

[But if I had to find a reason… When such situations arise, royalty must prepare for what might happen if things go wrong. His Imperial Highness Eun is a very cautious person, so he probably doesn’t have many people he can be open with. That point will hinder his decision. Three days is actually a quick estimate.]

To become a medical immortal in the martial world, this level of experience and insight is necessary, Jin Cheonhee thought.

‘If this were Earth, we’d set the surgery date right away.’

It doesn’t make sense to hesitate about surgery when cancer has been discovered.

Unless it’s a terminal state where everything is already over and we’re doing hospice care, but this isn’t such a situation, and surgery is needed immediately.

[I hope you won’t try to persuade him forcefully. Even if it’s said that there are no empty spaces in the vast martial world, there’s no one who can fill your empty space.]

Sincerity was embedded in Master’s sound transmission.

Jin Cheonhee calmly responded to his master’s concern.

[Don’t worry, Master. I absolutely cannot die until my research is complete.]

He wanted to successfully complete the research and gift a beautiful paper to the 19 slaves, excluding Yoo Ho.

Not just for simple tuberculosis treatment, but the potential applications of streptomycin were endless. If successful, it would enable saving many more lives.

For some reason, Master chuckled softly at Jin Cheonhee’s response.

[Yes. That’s a very you-like answer.]

Jin Cheonhee enjoyed the refreshments like that and went to view the plum blossoms with his master.

Befitting Wangya Ju’s garden that favors red, red plum blossoms bloomed in profusion.

“Wangya Ju’s mansion’s plum blossoms are famous for blooming early and lasting long.”

“They really are.”

Jin Cheonhee said this while holding a teacup with both hands.

He had grown to like the taste of tea here so much that he had started carrying around a large teacup and drinking from it.

The plum blossoms blooming amidst the snow were a spectacular sight.

Their deep fragrance filled the back garden.

How long had they been strolling through the back garden like this?

Wangya Ju walked towards them.

“I’m glad you enjoyed the back garden.”

Jin Cheonhee gave a small bow.

“White Dragon, may I borrow your disciple for a bit?”

At those words, Zhuge Rin reluctantly nodded.

“How could I refuse when Your Highness asks?”

“Hahaha, don’t be so sharp. I’m not stealing your disciple.”

Saying that, she led Jin Cheonhee away.

***

“If treated, can he really live for a year?”

After leading him to a pavilion, Wangya Ju first asked Jin Cheonhee that.

Until recently, Wangya Ju too had been in a state of giving up. That’s why she had told him not to risk his life trying to treat it and to take care of himself first.

However, now that there was a way to survive, it was true that her heart was wavering.

Jin Cheonhee detailed everything he knew.

“…I see. So that’s how it is. By the way, you’re truly amazing. I had heard that Little White Dragon’s medical skills had reached a divine level, but to this extent…”

Wangya Ju continued speaking while holding her forehead.

“Even the imperial physicians and Medicine Sage Hwaju… well, I never expected anything from that guy, but for all the renowned physicians to give up on a disease that Little White Dragon might be able to cure. Hehehehe.”

Wangya Ju burst into empty laughter like that and after laughing for a while, she said this:

“Honestly, I still covet you. No wonder White Dragon is so sharp. What power holder in the world wouldn’t covet a treasure like you?”

Wangya Ju’s praise made even his face flush.

“You flatter me.”

“What flattery! I’m so envious of White Dragon. Envious. If I had discovered you when you were young, I would never have let you go. What heavenly luck allowed him to win your heart?”

Wangya Ju didn’t stop her admiration.

And she didn’t hide her jealousy towards White Dragon either.

“Is there anything you need? Money, honor, power, I’ll give you anything in my name!”

“It’s alright.”

“That ‘White Dragon Child Patient Support Foundation’ or whatever. Doesn’t that require quite a lot of funding? Isn’t treating children like pouring money into a bottomless pit? I heard you’re expanding its scale recently too.”

She even knows that much.

I knew Wangya Ju had been keeping a keen eye on news about me, but I didn’t know it was to this extent.

When Jin Cheonhee showed a bit of surprise, Wangya Ju said:

“More people than you think are paying attention to your every move. I’m not the only one who knows this fact. It’s not strange, is it?”

They say a monarch has no shame.

Wangya Ju has always been the type to do whatever she wants without shame.

Jin Cheonhee sighed.

“I won’t tell Master that you tried to recruit me again.”

After saying that, he added one more sly remark.

“I won’t join the royal mansion, but if you’re offering sponsorship money, I’d be grateful.”

Jin Cheonhee wasn’t one to refuse money being offered.

“I knew you’d answer like that anyway. Well, even if you don’t tell him, White Dragon has probably already noticed. He’s always been famous in the martial world for his keen perception.”

It’s ambiguous whether that’s an insult or a compliment. For now, since the other party is His Imperial Highness, I decided to take it as a compliment.

“Hahaha. You flatter me.”

“Sigh, it can’t be helped. Then how about this?”