The Divine And Demonic Doctor [EN]: Chapter 9

The Divine Doctor of Mount Hua (9)

“But there are quite a few, are you sure it’s okay?”

The owner was greatly surprised after checking the various wooden statues loaded on the cart.

“I’m worried if I can sell all of these right away. Items worth five silver taels [a unit of Chinese currency] aren’t sold that often.”

“Should I bring only a few then?”

“No. I’ll buy them all. If I can’t sell them, I can take them to another village and sell them there.”

Just then, someone approached the cart.

It was the owner of the woodcraft shop Dan Ahk-seon had visited first.

“What are you doing! I said I would buy them all!”

Perhaps because he was in a hurry, he bumped into someone while rushing over.

“In the middle of the road, how unlucky…….”

The owner quickly swallowed the curse he was about to utter. He was momentarily intimidated by Beom Gye-wi’s massive physique.

Beom Gye-wi stared at him intently.

He had already heard the entire conversation he had with Dan Ahk-seon.

“Stay away from this store from now on.”

“But this is a shopping district…….”

“Go around the other way. Unless you want your head smashed.”

Beom Gye-wi picked up a stone lying on the roadside and crushed it as it was.

Crack.

Instantly, the stone turned to dust and crumbled.

“……!”

The owner’s face, who had come to argue, turned pale.

He had dealt with all sorts of people while running his business, but the giant before him was on a different level.

A bottomless abyss that he couldn’t even fathom.

He felt as if the darkness of that abyss was opening its mouth towards him.

Thud.

Beom Gye-wi clicked his tongue at the sight of the opponent collapsing on the spot.

“A grown man wetting himself.”

Beom Gye-wi smiled quietly at Dan Ahk-seon.

Dan Ahk-seon, who had successfully made the deal, received the voucher. It was a whopping one hundred and fifty silver taels.

Dan Ahk-seon headed straight to the apothecary [a traditional pharmacy].

“Uncle! I’m here!”

“Oh, you’re her……!”

The apothecary owner was startled to see Beom Gye-wi appearing behind Dan Ahk-seon.

It was the first time in his life he had seen someone so huge.

Dan Ahk-seon whispered softly to Beom Gye-wi.

“He’s a good person, so please treat him well.”

Beom Gye-wi nodded and grinned at the apothecary owner.

The apothecary owner trembled. It was because of a sudden, inexplicable chill.

Dan Ahk-seon handed him the voucher.

“This is for the debt I promised to pay yesterday.”

“Oh? Oh, right.”

“Is the medicinal herb you promised to get for me ready yet?”

“I was wondering when you would come.”

The apothecary owner took out a box from under the table. As soon as the box was opened, a pungent smell filled the room.

Beom Gye-wi frowned.

“You’re paying money for this crap?”

Dan Ahk-seon smiled and replied.

“It’s a medicinal herb that clears blocked blood vessels and helps circulation.”

Dan Ahk-seon looked at the apothecary owner.

“How much is it?”

“Take it instead of the change.”

“What? It’s more expensive than gold of the same weight…….”

“You’re a valued regular at our store.”

Dan Ahk-seon felt something was off.

Even if he was a regular, he was still a merchant.

There must be a reason for taking such a loss.

As Dan Ahk-seon hesitated, the apothecary owner pushed the box towards him.

“Well, it’s out of my hands now, so it’s yours.”

“Oh? Yes……. I’ll use it well.”

He was definitely suspicious, but he couldn’t just refuse it.

In any case, it was a necessary medicinal herb for treating the two people.

“Ahem. Well, I have some business to take care of.”

The apothecary owner, who was watching Beom Gye-wi, disappeared into the building.

Dan Ahk-seon tilted his head at the sight.

“Why? Isn’t it good if you bought it cheap?”

At Beom Gye-wi’s question, Dan Ahk-seon looked towards where the apothecary owner had disappeared.

“Come to think of it, this has happened a few times…….”

“You said he was a good person, right?”

“He’s definitely a good person, but……. Hmm…….”

Dan Ahk-seon still felt uneasy.

* * *

The next morning, Dan Ahk-seon woke up early as usual.

“Haa…….”

Dan Ahk-seon sighed without realizing it.

Normally, he would start his day by opening the window of the two-story building and enjoying the scenery of Shinma Valley.

It was one of the few joys in his monotonous daily life, but he couldn’t do that recently.

It was because of the greatly changed appearance of Shinma Valley.

Dan Ahk-seon left the building and looked around.

And as expected…….

The meadows, which were full of flowers, were messily dug up in various places.

In addition, the clotheslines connecting the trees were full of tattered rags that were hard to recognize.

It was the result of Cho Ahk-ryang and Beom Gye-wi’s efforts.

Dan Ahk-seon missed the charming Shinma Valley of the past.

But he couldn’t just tell them to stop outright.

He didn’t want to pour cold water on their kindness, as they were doing their best.

Dan Ahk-seon headed to the pond to wash his face.

“Huh?”

It was then that he discovered a fish floating on the surface of the water.

He reached out and pulled out the fish.

However, small pieces of cloth came out of the mouth of the dead fish.

It had mistaken the pieces of cloth floating on the water for food. Come to think of it, there were fish carcasses floating all over the pond.

“This won’t do.”

Splash.

Dan Ahk-seon jumped into the pond with a determined look on his face.

While Cho Ahk-ryang was working hard to circulate his Qi [vital energy].

Tap tap.

Someone nudged his knee.

“Brother Cho, wake up.”

It was Beom Gye-wi.

Cho Ahk-ryang opened his eyes and glared at Beom Gye-wi.

As their eyes met, Beom Gye-wi raised his hand and pointed outside the hut.

“Dan Doctor is acting strange.”

“Dan Doctor?”

Beom Gye-wi nodded.

“He suddenly jumped into the pond and is doing something. He’s been coughing since earlier, but he hasn’t come out yet.”

“Why suddenly?”

“If I knew that, would I have come to find Brother Cho?”

Cho Ahk-ryang stepped outside the hut.

It was as Beom Gye-wi had said. Dan Ahk-seon was walking around the pond, picking something up.

“Cough, cough.”

Even coughing with a pale face.

Not only that.

After coming out of the pond and roughly wringing out the water from his wet clothes, he immediately started cleaning.

Cho Ahk-ryang approached Dan Ahk-seon.

“We’ll do the cleaning.”

Dan Ahk-seon forced a smile.

“It’s okay. I’ll just do it. I think it’s better that way.”

Cho Ahk-ryang clicked his tongue.

How could he not know why?

Beom Gye-wi and he had no talent for chores. It was just that Dan Ahk-seon hadn’t said anything, so they had been doing it steadily.

Beom Gye-wi looked puzzled as Cho Ahk-ryang returned.

“Why are you just coming back? You have to persuade him.”

“Persuade him? It’s just a nuisance if we keep doing it anyway.”

“What are you talking about?”

“He doesn’t like our cleaning and laundry skills.”

“Why? Brother Cho and I both worked hard.”

“Yes, that’s the problem.”

Cho Ahk-ryang sighed.

“Originally, those who can’t do it can’t do it even if they work hard.”

Beom Gye-wi also became gloomy at Cho Ahk-ryang’s lament.

“This damn chore is harder than martial arts training.”

After a while.

Beom Gye-wi looked at Dan Ahk-seon with a worried expression.

“Then are we just going to leave him like that? How can he even set needles properly while coughing like that?”

“We’ll have to invite an expert.”

“Wait. I’ll catch one right away.”

Cho Ahk-ryang grabbed Beom Gye-wi, who was about to fly away.

“Not kidnapping, inviting!”

Cho Ahk-ryang continued to explain.

“We need a justification. Something that Dan Doctor can accept.”

“So how?”

“We have to bring someone who needs treatment like us. Someone who is good at cleaning.”

After thinking for a moment, Beom Gye-wi thought of someone.

“How about that guy?”

“Who?”

“You know, that guy who calls himself a Divine Thief (神偸) [a legendary thief] and gilds his face.”

“Ghost Shadow Demon Child (鬼影魔子) [a mysterious figure]?”

Cho Ahk-ryang nodded.

“Certainly, with that guy’s lightness skill, he could finish cleaning in an instant. But does that guy have any pain?”

“Damn it! He seems uselessly healthy!”

Beom Gye-wi mentioned another person.

“Then what about Old Tree Monster? That human also lost one hand.”

“No matter how divine, he can’t grow a missing hand, right?”

Beom Gye-wi got angry.

“Why not! If he’s a divine doctor, he should be able to grow a missing hand!”

“That’s another matter, but would he come willingly if we asked him to?”

“……?”

“Would that guy listen to the person who cut off his wrist?”

“That……, was me?”

Cho Ahk-ryang frowned.

“How can you not even remember what you did?”

Beom Gye-wi shouted frustratingly.

“Damn it! Then what are we supposed to do!”

“Actually, there’s one person I have in mind…….”

“There is?”

“That’s really…….”

Cho Ahk-ryang sighed once again after hesitating.

“Haa……. He’s really perfect…….”

In the end, Beom Gye-wi’s patience reached its limit.

“Who is it! Just tell me! I’ll catch him right away!”

“Ice Jade Fairy (氷玉仙子) [a beautiful and cold woman].”

Beom Gye-wi flinched.

“Who?”

“Han Seol-hwa.”

“That woman who everyone, both righteous and evil, shudders at?”

Cho Ahk-ryang nodded.

“Are you crazy?”

Beom Gye-wi raised his voice.

“Are there no people left that you’re bringing such a crazy woman here?”

“Are you one to talk?”

“It’s different! I sometimes go crazy, but that woman sometimes comes back to her senses!”

Beom Gye-wi shook his head.

“No way! I can’t do it! No, I won’t do it! If you really want to bring her, Brother Cho, go yourself. I won’t stop you from that.”

“I have things to do here.”

“What things to do?”

“I have to make money.”

Beom Gye-wi swallowed hard.

It was an inescapable checkmate.

* * *

After finishing the cleaning, Dan Ahk-seon immediately continued with the rest of his routine.

He started walking around Shinma Valley with a large basket on his back.

It was to collect medicinal herbs that grew in clusters.

Perhaps because he had been in the cold pond for a long time, his complexion was pale and he coughed occasionally.

Even so, he didn’t rest his hands.

When he had filled about half of the basket, Dan Ahk-seon felt a presence and turned his head.

He saw Beom Gye-wi approaching with large strides.

“You never rest.”

Dan Ahk-seon smiled brightly.

“If I move diligently, my body gets warmer.”

He felt so sorry for him. He felt guilty. It seemed like Dan Ahk-seon was suffering more because of them.

“Is that also a medicinal herb?”

Beom Gye-wi pointed to the red flower in Dan Ahk-seon’s hand.

Dan Ahk-seon nodded.

“Yes. It’s called Neungra Flower (綾羅花) [a type of flower]. There’s nothing better for treating pain and fever.”

“Is it good for the body?”

Dan Ahk-seon stopped Beom Gye-wi, who reached out and grabbed the flower.

“You can’t eat it!”

“Why?”

“In order to use it as medicine, it has to go through a difficult preparation process (法製) [a traditional method].”

“What’s that?”

“A process of removing poison.”

“Was it a poisonous plant?”

“Yes. That’s why it’s also called Yeomra Flower (閻邏花) [a flower associated with death].”

Dan Ahk-seon asked Beom Gye-wi.

“Did you have something to say?”

“Ah, right.”

Beom Gye-wi nodded and made a serious expression.

“I’m thinking of going to Heukryong Province [Black Dragon Province].”

“Why there?”

“There’s a patient. But can you treat someone who’s crazy?”

“It depends on the situation. What are the symptoms?”

“Um……. He has a terrible personality, and his actions are even more terrible.”

“It shouldn’t be too difficult. I’m quite used to it now.”

“Hehe. I guess Brother Cho is a bit terrible, right?”

Dan Ahk-seon smiled ambiguously. There was no need to point out the fact in front of the person himself.

“It will take a long time to go all the way to Heukryong Province, right?”

“At most about a month? If I can find him, it won’t take that long.”

“Then give me a few days.”

“Why?”

“I’ll prepare some medicine for Uncle Beom to take. It will definitely help.”

Beom Gye-wi readily nodded.

“Okay. Before that, I’ll have to cut a lot of wood for Brother Cho to use.”

No sooner had he finished speaking than Beom Gye-wi started walking towards the entrance of the valley. Dan Ahk-seon warned him.

“Don’t touch that on the way.”

Beom Gye-wi looked at the pile of stones Dan Ahk-seon was pointing at and asked with a puzzled expression.

“What’s that?”

“It’s a formation set up here.”

“Formation?”

“Yes. It’s currently deactivated, but if you remove the stone placed at the highest point, the formation will be activated immediately. If the formation is activated…….”

Beom Gye-wi smirked.

“Hmph, I can just break that kind of formation, right?”

Dan Ahk-seon smiled bitterly.

“It’s not just a simple formation that obscures the view. And even if it’s possible, don’t do it.”

Beom Gye-wi flinched at Dan Ahk-seon’s next words.

“Because my parents left it for me. I want to preserve it as it is if possible.”

“Okay. I won’t touch it.”

Beom Gye-wi deliberately went around the pile of stones for a long time.