The Divine And Demonic Doctor [EN]: Chapter 397

“(……!)”

Yoon Bong’s eyes widened, his pupils shaking.

The person Han Seol-hwa brought was none other than Yoon Heum, his adopted son.

“How dare you spout such lies, thinking you’re untouchable!”

Yoon Bong, who had roared at Dan Ak-seon, threw himself to the ground before the Emperor.

“Your Majesty! This man is surely in league with those treacherous individuals! Punish these traitors who dare to poison Your Majesty’s mind with honeyed words, and make an example of them!”

The Emperor turned his gaze to Dan Ak-seon.

“You claimed you had a way to reveal the truth to Us, did you not?”

Dan Ak-seon nodded.

“The way to prove my innocence here is quite simple.”

Dan Ak-seon walked directly to Eunuch Sa Rye.

He briefly took Sa Rye’s pulse, holding his wrist.

Dan Ak-seon smiled and looked at Yoon Bong.

“May I examine Grand Eunuch Yoon’s pulse as well? I only wish to see if he has dabbled in demonic arts, just as I checked the Grand Eunuch’s.”

“……!”

Yoon Bong visibly flinched.

Dan Ak-seon smiled, pressing on. “It’s a simple check.”

Yoon Bong glared at Dan Ak-seon, his face paling.

After a tense moment.

“You!”

With a thunderous roar, Yoon Bong lashed out, thrusting a palm towards Dan Ak-seon.

However, Dan Ak-seon, anticipating the attack, was ready.

He swiftly dodged the palm strike, closing the distance between himself and Yoon Bong.

Yoon Bong spun around, attempting to create space.

But Han Seol-hwa was already there, blocking his path.

*Crack.*

With a wave of Han Seol-hwa’s sleeve, pure white frost enveloped Yoon Bong’s body.

The intense cold seeped into his meridians [energy channels], freezing them solid.

“Your Majesty, may we examine the documents Yoon Bong has authored here?”

The Emperor nodded, and eunuchs quickly brought forth a stack of documents.

Dan Ak-seon retrieved the responsive paper [a type of paper that reacts to specific ink] from his chest, the one Ga Du-dal possessed.

He also produced the responsive paper that belonged to the leader of the Black Night Bee assassins, who had ambushed him in the grasslands.

After comparing the two responsive papers with the documents Yoon Bong had written, he nodded.

“You were the leader of the Demonic Sect.”

The handwriting matched perfectly; there was no denying it.

Dan Ak-seon fixed his gaze on Yoon Bong and Yoon Heum.

“It seems we need to have a rather lengthy conversation. There are many things I wish to hear from you both.”

* * *

A dimly lit prison cell.

The flickering lamplight cast eerie, dancing shadows across the stone walls.

Dan Ak-seon faced Yoon Bong, who was already bruised and battered from the Eastern Depot’s interrogation [the Eastern Depot was the Ming dynasty’s secret police].

Even Dan Ak-seon had to acknowledge Yoon Bong’s formidable will and determination.

To think that someone who had served as a military strategist for the Demonic Sect would castrate himself and become a eunuch to infiltrate the Imperial Palace.

That was what made his identity so difficult to uncover.

By hiding within the Imperial Palace, he had remained outside the surveillance network of the martial world.

Dan Ak-seon met Yoon Bong’s gaze and spoke softly.

“You entrusted the role of strategist to your son.”

Dan Ak-seon had already extracted a great deal of information from Yoon Heum.

Yoon Heum was far more weak-willed than he had anticipated.

It hadn’t taken long for the interrogation experts of the Eastern Depot to break him; he was soon weeping and begging for death.

Yoon Bong smirked at Dan Ak-seon’s words.

“Are you referring to that fool who ruined everything at the last moment? He’s just an adopted son, of no blood relation to me. If you think you can break me by using him, you are mistaken.”

Yoon Bong, confined to the Imperial Palace, needed someone to act on his behalf externally.

He had given his adopted son, Yoon Heum, the title of strategist and pushed him to the forefront.

“It seems you are not so different from him.”

Dan Ak-seon continued his questioning, his eyes fixed on Yoon Bong, who was grinding his teeth.

“Why did you devise such a troublesome and complicated scheme? Someone like you could have assassinated His Majesty at any time.”

As a close eunuch permitted near the Emperor, his position within the Eunuch Bureau was quite high.

Moreover, with his martial arts prowess, he could have assassinated the Emperor whenever he chose.

He had been orchestrating chaos in the Central Plains [the heartland of Chinese civilization].

Dan Ak-seon struggled to understand why he had let so many opportunities pass.

Then, unexpectedly, Yoon Bong began to speak.

“Do you think I haven’t attempted such things?”

“……?”

“Assassinating the Emperor is nothing. I have already succeeded once before.”

“Could it be…?”

Yoon Bong smiled, his face smeared with blood.

Dan Ak-seon clicked his tongue.

“The death of the former Emperor was planned.”

It was no wonder that the Emperor had died so suspiciously, falling into the water during a boat ride.

Dan Ak-seon was even more puzzled.

“But why?”

Yoon Bong surprisingly confessed willingly.

“Because it was ineffective.”

Contrary to their intentions, it had not triggered political chaos.

Before the Imperial family could even begin to fight for the throne, the current Eunuch Sa Rye had moved swiftly to secure the succession.

Before Yoon Bong could act, the succession was completed quickly and efficiently.

Dan Ak-seon suddenly understood.

“You were the one who targeted the Queen Dowager and her son before they ascended to the throne.”

When that failed, he must have changed his tactics.

The reason he had been biding his time, aiming for Eunuch Sa Rye’s position, was also due to this.

If he could seize the position of Eunuch Sa Rye, who directly handled the Emperor’s edicts, he could create chaos at any time.

“Heh…”

Yoon Bong looked up at Dan Ak-seon, a chilling laugh escaping his lips.

“Ask something other than such trivial questions. Isn’t there something else you truly wish to know? For example…”

Yoon Bong trailed off, a meaningful smile playing on his lips.

“Like the death of your parents.”

“……!”

Dan Ak-seon’s expression hardened.

Yoon Bong, seeing that his provocation had struck a nerve, chuckled and added.

“No matter where you search in the Central Plains, you will never find your parents’ remains. Their bodies were torn to pieces, leaving nothing whole. And to make matters worse, they disappeared into the bellies of wild animals.”

Yoon Bong’s twisted smile faltered, and his mouth snapped shut.

Dan Ak-seon’s eyes were chilling.

He noticed the dark needle concealed in Dan Ak-seon’s hand.

A resolute determination flickered in Yoon Bong’s eyes.

“Ten Thousand Demons Hold Up, Looking Up to the World!” [A Demonic Sect battle cry]

Yoon Bong shouted, his voice echoing through the cell, and glared at Dan Ak-seon.

“My usefulness is at an end! Before the terror and despair that will soon return, you will pay the price for your arrogance with blood and tears! You foolish morons of the Central Plains…”

Yoon Bong’s words were cut short.

*Thud.*

The large needle in Dan Ak-seon’s hand pierced his Baihui point [a vital pressure point] near the crown of his head.

He trembled and convulsed as if struck by lightning.

The venomous focus in Yoon Bong’s eyes faded, replaced by a vacant stare.

Dan Ak-seon took something from his chest and unfolded it before Yoon Bong’s eyes.

It was the folding fans that Ga Du-dal and Yoo Gi-jin had possessed.

“Is this painting a map?”

When Yoon Bong nodded, Dan Ak-seon continued.

“Where does this map lead?”

“…The Sacred Land.”

Dan Ak-seon, unfamiliar with the term, asked.

“What is the Sacred Land?”

“Where the mysteries of our sect reside… Where the Heavenly Demon opens his eyes…”

“Why did Yoo Gi-jin possess such an important item?”

“His mission was to recover the folding fans… And to verify their authenticity, it was unavoidable…”

Dan Ak-seon understood the reason for Yoon Bong’s stammering explanation.

To delay the Demonic Sect’s pursuit, Ga Du-dal had devised a plan.

He had scattered numerous folding fans with fake paintings throughout the martial world.

As a result, Yoo Gi-jin had mobilized the Black Spot to recover them indiscriminately, and he had been forced to carry the remaining fans to determine their authenticity.

In a way, he had successfully tricked the Demonic Sect.

Moreover, unintentionally, he had contributed to the peace of the martial world by wasting their manpower and time.

Then,

Yoon Bong suddenly began to shake violently.

He foamed at the mouth, and his eyes rolled back, revealing only the whites.

Realizing that time was running out, Dan Ak-seon asked the crucial question.

“When will the Demonic Sect re-emerge?”

“No later than next year… The preparations are complete.”

“What is the Demonic Sect’s strength?”

“A thousand elite demons… Six squads of the Iron Soul Youma Army [Demonic Army], each with a hundred members, and the Six Demonic Lords…”

Dan Ak-seon inquired further, and Yoon Bong revealed everything he knew.

Then, a doubt arose in Dan Ak-seon’s mind.

One of the most important figures in the Demonic Sect’s forces was missing.

“Has the Heavenly Demon, who was injured on Mount Giriyeon, recovered?”

Unlike his previous willingness to answer, Yoon Bong hesitated.

“Answer me. Has the Heavenly Demon fully recovered?”

When Dan Ak-seon pressed him, Yoon Bong replied in a trembling voice.

“The previous Heavenly Demon…”

A strange light flickered in Dan Ak-seon’s eyes.

‘Previous? Does that mean…?’

As he suspected.

“…Passed away.”

“……!”

Dan Ak-seon was shocked and momentarily speechless.

After a moment,

“How did he die?”

“By Shin-ui and Ma-ui… By those two…”

Tears welled up in Dan Ak-seon’s eyes.

He had expected it to some extent, but facing the truth brought a fresh wave of sadness.

Dan Ak-seon spoke in a trembling voice.

“Then who is the current Heavenly Demon? What is his level of martial arts?”

“…I don’t know. I have never met him in person.”

Yoon Bong, who had been expressionless, smiled slyly.

“But I heard that the current Heavenly Demon will rewrite the history of our sect itself.”

Yoon Bong’s slurred voice suddenly became clear.

Dan Ak-seon grew anxious.

He knew it was a sign of Hoegwangbanjo [a phenomenon where a dying person experiences a sudden burst of energy], burning the last of his life force.

Realizing that time was running out, Dan Ak-seon asked the final question.

“Shin-ui and Ma-ui are…”

Dan Ak-seon trailed off, biting his lip until it bled.

At the last moment, he changed the question.

“Tell me about the Demonic Sect’s invasion plan.”

“We are…”

Yoon Bong confessed everything he knew, holding nothing back.

As he listened, Dan Ak-seon silently shed tears.

* * *

The next day, Dan Ak-seon once again had an audience with the Emperor in the Royal Garden, Dohwawon.

“If you say you want nothing this time as well, you will face Our wrath.”

“Yes?”

Dan Ak-seon, flustered by the Emperor’s threat, calmed his surprise at the Emperor’s subsequent laughter.

“You are the first to make Us so shameless. We owe you a great debt.”

“I simply did what was necessary.”

“It is always the same answer.”

The Emperor suddenly noticed that Dan Ak-seon’s demeanor had changed significantly in just one day.

“Tell Us if you ever need Our strength. We will support you without reservation.”

As Dan Ak-seon was about to leave Dohwawon after his audience with the Emperor,

A person quietly approached him.

It was the old eunuch, cleared of suspicion and reinstated as Eunuch Sa Rye.

“Take this.”

He handed something to Dan Ak-seon.

Dan Ak-seon, taking it, tilted his head.

“What is this?”