The Divine And Demonic Doctor [EN]: Chapter 108

The Divine Doctor of the Demonic World (108)

“It’s because of the hats the Taoists wear.”

Yun Jung-san explained, demonstrating as he spoke.

“To wear a Taoist hat or crown, you have to tie your hair back like this. That way, it doesn’t fall off. This makes the eyes slant upwards and the forehead show, so from the side, it can look long like a horse’s head.”

Dan-ak-seon nodded.

“I see.”

“Still, it’s best not to say such things in front of others.”

Depending on the person, they might take it as an insult, and a fight could break out.

That’s how much effort and trouble went into properly arranging one’s attire.

“That’s the only thing I envy about So-bang.”

A beggar who wears rags their whole life has no reason to care about their appearance.

As Yun Jung-san’s explanation grew longer, Bang So-bang quickly changed the subject.

“Alright, alright, listen up. What good is being incredibly strong in martial arts? If you’re careless, you’ll be killed by a stray blade from behind in the world of Kangho [the martial arts world].”

“You can just train to block attacks from behind.”

Bang So-bang clicked his tongue at Dan-ak-seon’s words.

“Tsk. That’s not what I mean.”

Bang So-bang pointed at Dan-ak-seon and Yun Jung-san with his finger.

“You guys are too naive! Too gullible! That’s the real problem.”

“I guess.”

Dan-ak-seon readily admitted.

“The uncles said so too.”

“Uncles? Those masters who are teaching you martial arts?”

“They’re not masters, but they said so anyway.”

On the other hand, Yun Jung-san firmly shook his head.

“I can’t accept that. Fairness and justice are the basic principles of our Wudang [a famous Taoist martial arts sect].”

“Ugh, you blockhead.”

Bang So-bang, frustrated, thumped his chest and then nodded with a determined expression.

“Fine. I’ll show you directly. How defenseless you guys are right now.”

Bang So-bang held out his hand to the two.

“Give me three coins each.”

Dan-ak-seon, who had plenty of money, took out the coins and handed them to Bang So-bang.

Bang So-bang divided them back, one coin each, and then pointed to a place.

“See that dumpling shop over there? Go buy dumplings, one at a time.”

The three boys went to the dumpling shop at different times.

“Okay, give them to me.”

At Bang So-bang’s words, Dan-ak-seon handed over the dumplings.

“Huh?”

Yun Jung-san looked embarrassed.

That was because Dan-ak-seon handed over two dumplings.

On the other hand, he had only received one dumpling.

“Tsk, tsk, I knew it.”

Bang So-bang held out his hand.

Dan-ak-seon and Yun Jung-san’s eyes widened. Bang So-bang had three dumplings in his hand.

Bang So-bang boasted.

“See? This is the difference between you and me.”

“How did you do that?”

At Yun Jung-san’s question, Bang So-bang explained the situation in detail.

“Even if they give three, the shop owner still makes a profit. They can’t rip off someone who knows that. On the other hand, if you don’t know the ways of the world like you guys, you’ll get ripped off with your eyes open.”

Yun Jung-san nodded with a troubled face.

“I see.”

Dan-ak-seon looked at Bang So-bang with amazement.

“How do you know all this?”

“Believe it or not, I’ve been a beggar for ten years. If you want to compare, I’ve built up a beggar career as much as you’ve been a doctor.”

“And?”

“What do you mean, ‘and’? Do you think beggars don’t know a lot for no reason? The only thing you need to survive on the streets is to be observant.”

“Wow! Amazing.”

“What’s so amazing about this? It’s basic.”

Bang So-bang smiled contentedly, puffing out his chest.

It was then.

“Little Beggar Bro!”

At the sound of someone calling him, Bang So-bang turned his head.

A beggar waving at him from afar came into view.

It was a young beggar who looked three or four years younger than Bang So-bang.

“The Head Beggar is looking for you.”

“What? Why?”

“I don’t know. He just told me to find you.”

Bang So-bang sighed deeply and said goodbye to Dan-ak-seon and Yun Jung-san.

“I’m leaving first. See you tomorrow.”

Then he ran like the wind and disappeared around the corner.

“I should go back too.”

At Yun Jung-san’s words, Dan-ak-seon looked sad.

“You’ll come out again tomorrow, right?”

“Of course.”

“Okay. See you tomorrow.”

As they were saying goodbye.

“Huh?”

Dan-ak-seon, belatedly realizing something, looked around.

“But where are our dumplings?”

“So-bang took them all.”

“Ah……!”

No wonder he ran off so quickly.

As Bang So-bang said, it was the price of being defenseless.

* * *

Lee Rip, walking into the village shoulder to shoulder with Hong Jeok-mun, frowned at the beggars who came out to greet him.

“Why don’t you just spread the news all over town? Beggars should be like beggars, existing without being noticed. How many times have I told you that?”

There was a figure running towards Lee Rip, who was clicking his tongue in displeasure.

It was Bang So-bang.

“You’ve arrived, Master!”

Lee Rip looked down at Bang So-bang with a dumbfounded expression.

A young beggar he had never seen before was calling him master, which was quite embarrassing. But he was still grinning in the midst of this.

As the saying goes, you can’t spit on a smiling face, Lee Rip chuckled in disbelief.

“When did you take on a disciple without me knowing?”

When it was just the two of them, they spoke casually, but now that there were ears listening, Hong Jeok-mun spoke respectfully to Lee Rip.

Bang So-bang brazenly replied to Hong Jeok-mun’s joke.

“He will be my master someday.”

Lee Rip and Hong Jeok-mun were dumbfounded and laughed when Gu Ryeop-gae (Dog Hunter Beggar) [a title or nickname], Ha Woon, who was in charge of the Hyangju [regional leader] position in this Gyunhyeon and led the nearby beggars, grabbed Bang So-bang’s head.

“You’ve barely escaped being a White-Clothed Beggar and only have one knot, how dare you!”

Basically, the Beggar Clan’s disciples tied a short rope around their waist.

This was to indicate their position within the Beggar Clan according to the number of knots attached.

Apprentice disciples with no knots at all were called White-Clothed Beggars, and only when they became formal disciples of the Beggar Clan were they allowed to have knots.

Generally, ordinary Beggar Clan disciples had one to four knots depending on the years they had entrusted themselves to the clan.

Hyangju Gu Ryeop-gae had five knots.

Above him, the Buntaju [sub-regional leader], who oversaw the entire area, had six knots, the Dangju [area leader], who commanded the Buntaju, had seven, and Hong Jeok-mun, who was an elder, had eight knots.

And finally, the Bangju [clan leader] had nine knots.

He was the sole owner of the Nine-Knot Cord, also known as the Yongdubangju (Dragon Head Clan Leader) [another name for the clan leader].

Yet, Bang So-bang didn’t bat an eye even when facing the Bangju.

He wasn’t even intimidated by Ha Woon’s gaze, who was worthy of the title of dog hunter.

“I heard you went to Qingcheng, did things go well?”

Lee Rip looked bewildered at Bang So-bang’s question.

Ha Woon sighed and lowered his head.

“I’m sorry. This guy has a very light sleep and is good at eavesdropping…….”

Hong Jeok-mun burst out laughing at those words.

“Ah! I heard there’s a remarkable person called Little Beggar here, is that you?”

Bang So-bang nodded as if he had been waiting for it.

“Of course. I am the true beggar (乞物) [a pun using the characters for ‘beggar’ which can also mean ‘something requested’].”

Even in the midst of this, Bang So-bang cleverly responded with a pun.

Lee Rip, who had been carefully observing Bang So-bang, had a gleam in his eyes.

‘This guy…… is quite something?’

His eyes were full of energy.

The energy flowing through his body was also quite extraordinary.

Hong Jeok-mun also noticed this and approached Bang So-bang with a surprised expression.

“Hehe. It tickles.”

“Hold still, you rascal.”

Hong Jeok-mun touched Bang So-bang’s body here and there, and asked in bewilderment.

“What is this guy?”

“What’s wrong?”

At Lee Rip’s question, Hong Jeok-mun sent a telepathic message with a dumbfounded expression.

―The balance between his qi [life force] and muscles is unbelievably perfect? His internal energy is also solid for his age.

“Really?”

Lee Rip, surprised, grabbed Bang So-bang’s pulse and poured in his true energy.

“……!”

A subtle surprise appeared on Lee Rip’s face.

Indeed, as Hong Jeok-mun said, he had achieved remarkable accomplishments for his age.

“Master?”

Lee Rip, belatedly regaining his senses, smiled bitterly at Bang So-bang, who was staring up at him.

“What were we talking about?”

“You asked if things went well in Qingcheng.”

Lee Rip sighed.

“Well, it was a complete mess.”

“Oh dear.”

Hong Jeok-mun snickered.

How much would he know to sigh along with them?

At that time, Lee Rip asked Hyangju Ha Woon.

“What happened to the matter I asked you about back then?”

“Are you referring to the order to search for the whereabouts of Shinui’s son?”

When Lee Rip nodded, Ha Woon smiled bitterly and pointed to Bang So-bang.

“It seems it would be faster to ask him about that.”

“……?”

Ha Woon sent a telepathic message to Lee Rip, who was puzzled.

―They became friends before I knew it. I didn’t mention it separately because I was worried about causing problems.

“Hehe.”

Lee Rip looked at Bang So-bang with a strange look.

The more he looked at him, the more he liked him.

“I heard you made a new friend recently?”

“Huh? How did you know?”

Lee Rip burst out laughing at Bang So-bang’s surprised appearance.

“You rascal. I am the Bangju of the Beggar Clan.”

Lee Rip said to Bang So-bang, who was admiring and nodding.

“May I ask you to guide that friend?”

Bang So-bang pondered something for a moment and then nodded.

“Of course. Follow me.”

As he walked behind Bang So-bang, Lee Rip suddenly frowned.

“Thinking about it, I’m getting angry.”

Lee Rip grumbled to Hong Jeok-mun, who was puzzled.

“No, seriously. You’re going around to each sect to get their approval, right? Then I should have been the first one to receive it, shouldn’t I? Why, you met me in Muwi before the journey started.”

“Maybe he didn’t like the Bangju.”

Hong Jeok-mun, who had been using formal language in public places where people gathered, was now using a casual tone as soon as they were alone.

“Don’t tell me our Beggar Clan isn’t on that list of approvals? Isn’t this a disregard for our Beggar Clan?”

Hong Jeok-mun snickered.

“That’s not the Beggar Clan being ignored, it’s the Bangju.”

Just as Lee Rip was about to get angry and say something.

“Huh?”

Hong Jeok-mun pointed to a place in surprise.

“That guy……. Isn’t that the kid we were looking for?”

Lee Rip, following Hong Jeok-mun’s hand, found Dan-ak-seon walking from afar.

“Good. I should ask him directly this time.”

It was also at that moment that Dan-ak-seon’s gaze turned this way.