The Divine And Demonic Doctor [EN]: Chapter 3

“Anyway…….”

Cho Ak-ryang changed the subject.

“Why can’t I see your parents?”

Even with his outstanding medical skills, Dan Ak-seon was still just a child. Cho Ak-ryang was puzzled as to why the boy was living alone deep in the mountains.

He hadn’t had a chance to ask until now.

However, Cho Ak-ryang immediately regretted his question as he watched Dan Ak-seon’s expression darken.

“They passed away.”

“Oh dear! What happened…….”

Cho Ak-ryang quickly stopped himself.

He felt he had blundered. The bright, cheerful child was now consumed by sorrow.

That sight alone made him feel guilty.

An awkward silence descended.

Time passed. Dan Ak-seon, who had been silently continuing the treatment, put the needles back in their box.

“I’ll be back, then.”

Dan Ak-seon left the wooden house.

Only after Dan Ak-seon was completely out of sight did Cho Ak-ryang sigh and berate himself.

“Not only am I shameless, but I’m also clueless.”

The Blood Demon Venerable, one of the Five Supreme Masters, was deeply affected by the young doctor’s change in mood.

* * *

Dan Ak-seon walked through the marketplace and into an alley lined with old shops.

He was headed to a shabby herbal medicine shop at the end of the alley.

It was a shop he had frequented for a long time.

“Hello, Mister.”

Dan Ak-seon greeted as he entered.

“Oh? Who is this?”

A middle-aged man grinding medicinal herbs with a mortar and pestle greeted Dan Ak-seon with a delighted expression.

“Welcome, Doctor Dan.”

“Have you been well?”

“Haha, thanks to you, I’ve been well. And you?”

The owner of the herbal medicine shop treated Dan Ak-seon with respect.

“So-so.”

Dan Ak-seon took out the medicinal herbs he had brought and placed them on the table. The owner of the herbal medicine shop nodded approvingly.

“The quality is excellent as always. As promised, I’ll give you an extra 10% from now on.”

“Thank you. Please give me medicinal herbs instead of money.”

The herbal medicine shop owner looked embarrassed as he received the list from Dan Ak-seon.

“Realgar [Arsenic sulfide] and Orpiment [another arsenic sulfide], and even Musk [a strong-smelling substance secreted by the musk deer]?”

“Is it difficult?”

“I can manage the others, but Musk will be hard to get. These days, Musk is worth more than its weight in gold.”

“Is it very expensive?”

“Until a few months ago, it was worth its weight in gold, but now you can’t even get a whiff of it for that price.”

The owner of the herbal medicine shop smiled wryly.

“How about using Bezoar [a mass found in the digestive system of animals, formerly believed to have medicinal properties] instead of Musk? You should get a similar effect.”

Dan Ak-seon shook his head.

“It won’t achieve the effect I need. Could you please look into it, even a little? I’ll find the money somehow.”

“Is that so? I understand. I’ll ask around, but don’t get your hopes up.”

“Thank you.”

“Thank you? I should be thanking you. Most of the precious herbs sold in my shop come from you…….”

The owner of the herbal medicine shop gestured to one side.

“The Realgar and Orpiment are over there. Go take a look. You’re going to pick them yourself anyway, right?”

“Yes!”

Dan Ak-seon answered cheerfully and went to the drawers where the medicinal herbs were stored.

The owner of the herbal medicine shop watched him with a contented smile.

“You always seem to like that spot.”

“Yes. It reminds me of my mom and dad.”

Dan Ak-seon carefully examined the medicinal herbs and began gathering what he needed.

Just then, people entered the herbal medicine shop.

“Is this the doctor’s place in this village?”

The owner of the herbal medicine shop paused.

All three men, including the one who asked the question, were carrying swords.

He answered cautiously.

“It’s not really a doctor’s place, just a herbal medicine shop. As you can see, it’s a poor village…….”

A man who had been looking around the shop spoke up.

“Have you seen any strangers recently?”

“Strangers?”

“They’re probably quite badly injured.”

“No one like that has come here.”

“Is that so? Is there a doctor or physician nearby?”

“A physician…….”

The owner of the herbal medicine shop glanced at Dan Ak-seon. The men’s gazes followed his.

The owner of the herbal medicine shop suddenly shouted.

“Is that rascal at it again? Hey, you little brat! Those are for sale! They’re not your toys!”

He belatedly realized his mistake.

The men radiated an ominous energy.

Fortunately, his quick thinking seemed to have worked, and the men’s interest in Dan Ak-seon faded.

He was too young.

They probably just saw a neighborhood kid playing around.

The man looked at the owner of the herbal medicine shop again.

“If you see a stranger or hear any rumors, contact the inn. You’ll be handsomely rewarded. But if you hide anything…….”

The man trailed off.

The owner of the herbal medicine shop, feeling the chilling aura, turned pale.

“Remember, that man is an unparalleled villain. Anyone who helps him will be treated the same way.”

“Ye, yes, sir. I will do as you say.”

The owner of the herbal medicine shop nodded, sweating profusely at the threat.

A moment later, the martial artists left the herbal medicine shop.

Dan Ak-seon watched them go and muttered softly.

“Anyone who messes with ordinary people is a bad person.”

Making such an open threat to someone who hadn’t even learned martial arts was despicable.

It was the opposite of Cho Ak-ryang’s behavior.

As Dan Ak-seon gathered the medicinal herbs and stood up, the owner said,

“You saw what happened. The village atmosphere is unsettling these days, so be careful.”

“Thank you for your concern.”

“No, no. It’s nothing to worry about.”

The owner of the herbal medicine shop escorted Dan Ak-seon to the door.

“Be careful. Don’t get caught up in unnecessary things.”

After returning to the Divine Demon Valley, Dan Ak-seon went straight to the wooden house where Cho Ak-ryang was staying.

After explaining what had happened in the village, Dan Ak-seon asked,

“Did they come to find you?”

“They probably did.”

Cho Ak-ryang nodded.

“They won’t rest until they confirm I’m dead.”

“Who are those people?”

“Probably the Murim Alliance [a coalition of martial arts clans] guys.”

Cho Ak-ryang answered calmly.

“They announced a while ago that they would capture and kill me and a few others.”

It had been four months since they declared the subjugation of the Ten Great Evils [infamous villains in the martial arts world]. It was an annual event, so he thought they would come up with some justification and wrap it up, but this time was different.

He never imagined that the Lord of the Arhat Hall [a Buddhist temple], the head of the Tang family [a family known for their use of poison and hidden weapons], and the elder of the Namgung Clan [a prestigious martial arts clan] would get involved. He never thought they would deploy all the core experts of the Murim Alliance to kill him.

“The others won’t be safe either.”

Even he, as the leader of the Ten Great Evils and one of the Five Supreme Masters [the most powerful martial artists], was in this state. What could he say about the others?

“Mom always said, ‘Murim people never change.'”

Cho Ak-ryang looked apologetically at Dan Ak-seon, who was sighing.

“Anyway, you’ve been put in a difficult position because of me.”

Dan Ak-seon smiled and shook his head.

“Don’t worry. It’ll be hard for them to find this place. There’s a formation at the entrance.”

“Are you saying you’ll keep risking your safety because of me?”

“The treatment isn’t over yet. I have to treat you until you can move on your own.”

“Is there a reason why you have to do that?”

“Because no one else can treat you.”

“Ah…….”

Cho Ak-ryang nodded. It was true. Remembering something, he looked at Dan Ak-seon.

“Would it be okay if I brought one more person here?”

“Is that person also a patient?”

A strange expression crossed Cho Ak-ryang’s face.

“If you call him a patient, then he’s a patient. If you only consider the symptoms, he’s probably worse than me.”

“What are the symptoms?”

“He has a mania of going crazy when he sees blood.”

Dan Ak-seon’s eyes sparkled.

“Really? That’s a very interesting case.”

“Why do you like it so much?”

“First, the symptoms are unique. I’d like to see him in person, if possible.”

“But there’s a problem.”

Cho Ak-ryang looked troubled, puzzling Dan Ak-seon.

“That guy is also one of the Ten Great Evils.”

“Like you?”

“He’s different from me. In many ways…….”

Dan Ak-seon answered nonchalantly.

“I don’t care. Bring him.”

Cho Ak-ryang’s expression brightened.

“Are you sure? If I bring him, the medicine expenses will be covered. He has quite a few valuable things in his hideout.”

“That’s killing two birds with one stone. Where do I find him?”

Cho Ak-ryang waved his hand.

“I’ll bring him.”

“Many people are looking for you.”

“I have to go. No one else can persuade him.”

Cho Ak-ryang explained.

“Besides, I can’t put you in any more danger.”

“Are you sure you’ll be okay?”

Cho Ak-ryang felt a warmth in his heart.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be back in ten days. But…….”

Cho Ak-ryang hesitated, then spoke with a troubled expression.

“I’ll tell you in advance, besides the mania, that guy is a bit unique.”

“Can he be as unique as my parents?”

Cho Ak-ryang burst into laughter.

“Haha. You’re right. I was worried for nothing. I’ll be right back.”

As he spoke, Dan Ak-seon grabbed Cho Ak-ryang, who was getting up.

“Wait a minute.”

Dan Ak-seon quickly went to his residence and returned.

“Take this if you feel dizzy.”

Cho Ak-ryang took the medicine and nodded.

“Don’t worry. His hideout isn’t far, so I’ll be back within ten days.”

With those words, Cho Ak-ryang left the wooden house.

He couldn’t use his inner energy [internal energy used by martial artists], but just being able to walk was a blessing.

If he hadn’t met Dan Ak-seon, even this would have been impossible.

After walking for a while and leaving the Divine Demon Valley, Cho Ak-ryang stopped and looked back.

In the distance, he could see Dan Ak-seon waving.

It was a warmth he hadn’t felt in a long time.

Five days after leaving the Divine Demon Valley, Cho Ak-ryang was wandering deep in the mountains.

A valley filled with sharp rocks like swords placed upside down, befitting the name Geomdan Mountain [Sword Peak Mountain]. A fiercely raging rapid created whirlpools.

A misstep would mean being swept away and torn to pieces.

“Hoo.”

Cho Ak-ryang gasped for breath.

If his inner energy was restored, this would be nothing, but now his stamina was worse than a villager’s.

He had no time to rest. It was only a matter of time before the Murim Alliance found this place. Fortunately, there were no signs of them yet, but the eyes and ears of Cheonidan [likely a spy network], their intelligence organization, would soon find him.

Cho Ak-ryang went deeper into the valley.

Time passed.

The scenery changed.

Instead of sharp rocks, a wide gravel field appeared.

A terrain that had been artificially changed with tremendous force.

‘His temper is still the same.’

Cho Ak-ryang sat on a flat, broken rock and opened the liquor bottle he had brought. The pungent aroma of alcohol filled the valley.

Koo-oong!

Not long after, a man landed next to the rock with a heavy thud.

At the same time, a chilling sound tore through the air.

Swoosh.

“It’s me.”