The Divine And Demonic Doctor [EN]: Chapter 304

Divine Doctor of Primacy (304)

When Muwi and his party, led by Neung So-mil, arrived at Gayokgwan, they were greeted by someone.

A group displaying strict military discipline.

Leading them was Yoo Gyeok General Si Jo-gyeong, the person in charge of Gayokgwan.

“Welcome.”

Si Jo-gyeong greeted Neung So-mil with a much more respectful attitude than before.

Considering the importance of this matter, the Emperor had promoted Neung So-mil’s rank by one level, and he was now promoted to Gyeongryeok (經歷) of Jongyukpum [a mid-level administrative position].

However, Si Jo-gyeong had to treat Neung So-mil with importance, not just because of his rank.

Despite the opposition of those great ministers, his amazing eloquence in obtaining the Emperor’s permission was astonishing even when he thought about it again.

Moreover, he was now in the same boat as himself.

Since his success depended on him, he had to cooperate to the fullest.

“Hmm?”

Si Jo-gyeong frowned slightly as he checked the group following Neung So-mil.

His expression clearly showed that he was not happy with something.

Having devoted his life to the military, he was not as good at hiding his emotions as the old and cunning ministers of the Imperial Palace.

“I thought… the advance party would be larger.”

Neung So-mil smiled and replied.

“This isn’t the advance party, it’s the main force.”

Discomfort settled on Si Jo-gyeong’s face.

“The main force? You’re saying you’re going to strike the Blood Cloud Squad with this few people?”

As Si Jo-gyeong looked doubtful, a person walked out from behind the group.

It was Han Seol-hwa.

“How long do we have to wait?”

“……!”

Si Jo-gyeong’s eyes widened even more.

He had never imagined that a woman would be included in the subjugation force.

Moreover, such beauty!

It was a beauty so outstanding that even a stone reclining Buddha would be surprised and sit up straight.

At that moment, Si Jo-gyeong suddenly felt all the hairs on his body stand on end as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

“Kuk!”

He belatedly realized that it was due to the aura emanating from the woman in front of him, but his insides were already greatly shaken.

Staggering with a pale complexion, he couldn’t help but be shocked.

Having been in the military, he had seen quite a few so-called masters.

But the presence of the woman in front of him had an overwhelming something that could not be compared to anyone else.

At this time, a person subtly stepped forward to block between Si Jo-gyeong and Han Seol-hwa.

“Hold on, Han. He’s on our side for now.”

As the pressure that had been pressing down on his whole body disappeared as if washed away, Si Jo-gyeong was finally able to catch his breath.

And soon he was shocked in another sense.

‘That guy is a monster no less than that woman!’

A gaze with a depth that could not be fathomed.

It was so bright that the word ‘Hyeong-an (炯眼) [bright eyes]’ was meaningless.

Moreover, the aura of the opponent was far beyond that of a human.

A chilling figure just by facing him.

Only then was Si Jo-gyeong able to confirm the members of the subjugation force.

None of them were ordinary.

It was then that Neung So-mil smiled and opened his mouth.

“There’s nothing to worry about. It’s more than enough power.”

Si Jo-gyeong nodded, acknowledging his mistake in judging rashly.

“Then come inside.”

Si Jo-gyeong, who had become more polite, volunteered to guide them himself.

The warriors of Muwi, who followed him, couldn’t help but admire the scale of Gayokgwan, which they were experiencing for the first time.

After passing Guancheon (九眼泉) [Nine-Eye Spring], a large pond that was once used as a moat, they entered the outer castle entrance and saw the fortress and roof of the inner castle, which were built in several layers.

The pointed eaves soared as if flying towards the sky.

After passing the training grounds and lodgings for the soldiers working in the outposts, they entered the inner castle and saw the densely packed parapets and watchtowers.

As they entered through the east gate, another inner castle appeared.

After passing through the gate with the sign “Cheonhajeil Woonggwan (天下第一雄關) [The Greatest Fortress Under Heaven]”, another large gate with the inscription “Gwanghwamun (光化門) [Gate of Radiant Transformation]” appeared.

Once they passed this place, the full-fledged grasslands would unfold.

“Open it!”

At Si Jo-gyeong’s order, several oxen began to pull the rope.

Geugeugeuk.

The Gwanghwamun connected to the rope made a heavy sound.

It took a long time for the door to open completely because of how heavy it was.

“It’s really an amazing scale. I can’t believe people built this building with their own strength.”

Si Jo-gyeong looked puzzled at Dan Ak-seon’s exclamation.

She looked too young to be投入 [invested] into the Blood Cloud Squad subjugation mission.

It was then that Dan Ak-seon tilted her head as she examined the fortress.

“The material of the lower and upper parts of the fortress seems to be different?”

Si Jo-gyeong explained the reason.

“The lower part, which can be said to be the foundation, is made of three layers of neat stone. And on top of that, we built a Panchuk Toseong (版築土城) [rammed earth fortress] to build the current iron fortress.”

“Panchuk Toseong?”

“It’s made by mixing Hwangto (yellow soil) with rice straw and glutinous rice paste, tamping it into a mold, hardening it, and then stacking it layer by layer.”

Dan Ak-seon was finally able to understand why the upper part of the fortress was yellowish.

However, she frowned without realizing it at the following explanation.

“According to the legend passed down through oral tradition, after building the Toseong, if an arrow was shot from a certain distance and the arrowhead was stuck, the soldier who built the Toseong was beheaded. So the soldiers did their best to consolidate the fortress. That’s why it’s so strong even after a long time.”

Dan Ak-seon shook her head.

She was horrified just thinking about how many lives were sacrificed in the process.

There was indeed a reason why so many sad legends were passed down in connection with the construction of the Great Wall.

Teoong.

Soon, Gwanghwamun opened wide with a roar.

Dan Ak-seon, who went out of Gayokgwan with her party, exclaimed.

The endless vast grasslands immediately caught her eye.

So far and wide that it is said to be endless, Ilmangmuje (一望無際) [boundless expanse].

The vast grasslands, where all directions were wide open, were so vast that the word was meaningless.

Moreover, when she looked south, a mountain range covered with eternal snow stretched out as if to cover the sky.

It was the Giryeonsan (祁連山) [Qilian Mountains], which was connected to the Cheonsansan Mountains [Tian Shan Mountains].

She was distracted by the scenery of the great nature unfolding before her eyes for a while.

Dan Ak-seon opened her mouth to Si Jo-gyeong.

“Then, would you give me the information that the military has collected?”

“Hmm?”

Discomfort settled on Si Jo-gyeong’s face.

Of course, it was information that he had promised to provide from the beginning.

However, this was confidential information that only the person in charge of the subjugation force could access.

Neung So-mil opened his mouth to the embarrassed Si Jo-gyeong.

“She is the person in charge of leading this subjugation force.”

“……!”

Surprised, Si Jo-gyeong blinked his eyes.

He couldn’t believe that the child, who he thought was just a worker doing trivial tasks like running errands, was in charge of this.

However, judging from the expressions of Neung So-mil and the others, it was clear that it was not a simple joke.

“He, here it is.”

Si Jo-gyeong took out a sealed letter and handed it to Dan Ak-seon.

“Thank you.”

Dan Ak-seon, who smiled and put the documents in her arms, said to her party.

“Everyone, keep in mind. Safety is the top priority. If you encounter a dangerous situation, never try to solve it alone.”

“Yes. Gokju-nim [Young Miss]!”

Han Seol-hwa and Cho Ak-ryang nodded with a smile.

And Si Jo-gyeong was still dazed by the polite attitude of the warriors who answered politely.

He couldn’t believe that the person leading these monsters was just a child like that.

Neung So-mil clasped his fists and bowed his head.

“I hope everyone returns safely.”

“I’ll be back.”

With Neung So-mil’s farewell, Dan Ak-seon and her party rode on the military horses provided by Si Jo-gyeong.

How long had they been moving after leaving Gayokgwan?

Kuoong.

With the sound of the gate closing in the distance, Dan Ak-seon opened her mouth.

“Is riding a horse always this difficult?”

Dan Ak-seon, who was holding the reins and shaking precariously on the saddle.

Cho Ak-ryang smiled as he checked her appearance and opened his mouth.

“Put your weight on the feet on the stirrups (鐙子) [dēng zi] and try to think that you are sitting on an invisible chair. Then you’ll get used to it quickly.”

As soon as he finished speaking, voices complaining here and there erupted.

“Hey? You son of a b*tch? Why aren’t you walking straight?”

“Whoa whoa! Not that way!”

Cho Ak-ryang looked around and sighed softly.

Dan Ak-seon was not the only one who had no experience with horses.

But surprisingly, Han Seol-hwa was riding the horse quite skillfully.

But soon he realized the reason and smiled bitterly.

“Why don’t you just carry the horse and run.”

The horse hesitated and moved stiffly.

The moment he saw the white frost falling under his hooves, he could guess why the horse riding Han Seol-hwa was so frightened.

“…….”

Han Seol-hwa tried to ignore Cho Ak-ryang’s gaze as if she couldn’t hear him.

She was also embarrassed that she was pouring a lot of internal energy into just riding a horse.

* * *

After seeing off Dan Ak-seon and his party, Neung So-mil returned to Muwi and sought support measures in preparation for any possible situation.

He formed a reserve force so that additional troops could be投入 [deployed] if necessary, while constantly checking additional supplies and emergency contact networks.

Because the situation was changing rapidly, he could not predict what problems might arise unexpectedly.

While he was working to establish a perfect cooperation system with the Shinma Merchant Group, nearby Wiso, and the Jeongpa, including the Beggars’ Union.

An unexpected person approached him.

“Would you like a drink? Good liquor has arrived from the Joo-ru overlooking the Twin Pagoda Temple.”

The place where Yeongjo Temple, called Twin Pagoda Temple, was located was Taewon, the capital of Shanxi Province.

It was an ancient city with a history of two thousand years, but it had a different meaning for Neung So-mil.

That was because the Shanxi branch of Black Dot, which had built a long-term cooperative relationship, was located there.

The fact that liquor came from there meant that they wanted to meet at Black Dot.

Neung So-mil immediately went to Muwi’s Giru, which was operating as a secret contact point for Black Dot.

After passing through the sign called Ihwaru, he went inside and a man in his 30s guided him to the inner garden.

“I’m sorry for calling you so suddenly.”

The person waiting in the inner garden greeted Neung So-mil politely as soon as he saw him.

“No. I was thirsty.”

Go Byeok-un, a man in his fifties who disguised himself as the director, smiled and offered him a seat.

“But who is this person?”

Neung So-mil sat down and asked cautiously because another person was sitting next to Go Byeok-un.

“I had to invite you to this place to introduce this person. From now on, this person will help Grandmaster Neung instead of me.”

Suspicion arose in Neung So-mil’s eyes.

“Are you dying? Why all of a sudden when you’re doing so well?”

“I can’t tell you the details because it’s an internal matter of our organization. Please understand….”

“Hmm. That’s a shame. I’ve grown fond of you over the years.”

His expression was gentle, but the reality was not.

Go Byeok-un, why wouldn’t he know that it contained criticism of Black Dot for replacing the person in charge without his consent?

“I’m sorry. But this person’s ability is far superior to mine, so he will be able to assist Grandmaster Neung much more easily than now.”

“Hoo, you know quite a bit?”

“Yes? What do you mean….”

Go Byeok-un, who was wondering, paused at Neung So-mil’s next words.

“Isn’t Black Dot a thorough point organization?”

“……!”

“In other words, it sounds like that person is your superior.”

At this time, the man who had been silently guarding his seat stepped forward instead of the embarrassed him.

Was he in his mid-thirties?

He looked weak at first glance, but the sharpness felt in his eyes was unusual.