The Divine And Demonic Doctor [EN]: Chapter 438

It was then.

“Chief.”

So Jeok-san turned his head at the voice calling him.

The moment he saw the approaching member of the merchant guild, So Jeok-san frowned without realizing it.

Aside from the dried bloodstains on his front and hands, he immediately sensed that something big had happened just by looking at the man’s pale face and trembling eyes.

“What’s going on?”

“That’s…”

The merchant guild member hesitated to answer and bowed his head.

“Blacksmith Jo has passed away.”

So Jeok-san was startled.

“Iron Wrist Ice Bladder, you mean that friend?”

“We rushed him to the Divine Devil Physician’s residence as quickly as possible, but it was too late. I’m sorry.”

“What on earth is going on…”

So Jeok-san trailed off and turned his gaze to Gu Yang-jin.

He had a strong feeling that there was a connection between the sudden accident and Gu Yang-jin’s sudden appearance.

Sure enough.

Gu Yang-jin, who had apparently overheard their conversation, twisted his lips into a smile.

“Was that guy Iron Wrist Ice Bladder?”

“Are you saying you did this?”

Gu Yang-jin smirked.

“He dared to lecture this Buddha on the rules of No-Wei [a region or organization], so I personally gave him a lesson. But to think he couldn’t even withstand that much, the title of Iron Wrist Ice Bladder is wasted on him.”

So Jeok-san had been trying to hide his discomfort with a perfunctory smile.

His expression had already hardened.

Jo Myeong, the Iron Wrist Ice Bladder, was a member of the Demonic Sect who had entrusted himself here after No-Wei was declared forbidden.

Moreover, he was more sincere about No-Wei than anyone else, having even participated in the subjugation of the Demonic Sect.

After the subjugation of the Demonic Sect, many members of the Demonic Sect left No-Wei.

No-Wei was no longer forbidden, and the distinction between good and evil had become blurred after the subjugation of the Demonic Sect, so the Orthodox Sect no longer oppressed the Demonic Sect warriors as they had in the past.

To their hometowns, or to pioneer new destinies.

The Demonic Sect members, freed from restrictions, left No-Wei each with their own reasons.

Nevertheless, some remained here in No-Wei until the end.

Jo Myeong was one of them.

He made full use of his specialty, metallurgy, and settled here.

He opened a blacksmith shop that made farming tools.

Moreover, he was about the same age as himself, so they would greet each other warmly when they ran into each other.

‘A bloodbath is about to break out.’

It was right after that that he realized the unusual atmosphere around him.

Before he knew it, the Demonic Sect masters of No-Wei were gathering towards the Divine Devil Merchant Guild.

He was not the only one who had heard the news of Jo Myeong’s death.

As they had shared life and death together, the sense of kinship and solidarity they felt for each other was incomparable to any other sect.

In addition, most of them were survivors who had experienced the last battle in Shinji, so their solidarity was second to none.

However, Gu Yang-jin was still calm, even though he could not possibly be unaware of their gazes towards him.

He was that confident.

On the other hand, So Jeok-san’s heart grew heavy.

Compared to when No-Wei was forbidden in the past, the number of masters remaining here was significantly smaller.

Moreover, even Joo Gwang-do-gwi Kang Wi-ryong, who had been staying here for a while, had left a few years ago after passing on all the manufacturing methods of the Peach Blossom Land.

Above all, Gu Yang-jin was a difficult old madman to deal with.

He had lost an arm to Beom Gye-wi in the past and moved his base to Heukmoga, but he would still have been named one of the Ten Evils if he had remained in the Central Plains.

In particular, his famous martial arts, Skull Divine Art and Wind and Thunder Palm, were considered to be top-notch.

The absence of a master who could overwhelm Gu Yang-jin and his gang at once added to So Jeok-san’s burden.

It seemed that he could somehow defeat them if he poured in all the power of No-Wei, but he wanted to avoid the sacrifices that would occur in the process as much as possible.

After a moment, So Jeok-san, who had been wearing a complicated expression, spoke again.

He wanted to gauge the atmosphere and buy time by listening to the story.

“Since you’ve come to collect a debt, I have to ask. How do you want to settle the debt?”

Gu Yang-jin still smiled leisurely.

“That’s for the debtor to know, isn’t it?”

“…”

“How about handing over the entire Divine Devil Merchant Guild to me?”

So Jeok-san gave him a dumbfounded look at the absurd suggestion.

“Why don’t you just tell me to die with a knife in my mouth?”

Gu Yang-jin glared at So Jeok-san with murderous intent.

However, So Jeok-san did not back down.

Although his face was pale, he endured unexpectedly.

Gu Yang-jin’s eyes flashed with admiration for his strong spirit.

“Then I’ll make a small concession. I’ll settle for handing over the business rights in Shandong and Jiangxi [regions in China].”

“Absolutely not.”

At So Jeok-san’s firm refusal, Gu Yang-jin released the hand he had been holding behind his back and unleashed a thick murderous aura.

“It seems we need to narrow our differences. Let’s find a compromise in a quiet place.”

However, the masters of No-Wei reacted to Gu Yang-jin’s murderous aura first.

They all stepped forward and surrounded Gu Yang-jin and his party.

Gu Yang-jin gave a bitter smile and looked around.

“This is a legitimate revenge to appease my disciple’s resentment. Those who are not involved, get out of here. Don’t blame this Buddha for being merciless if you dare to interfere without permission.”

However, the Demonic Sect members of No-Wei did not back down even in the face of the murderous threat.

Rather, their eyes grew even more intense as they narrowed the distance, and an even denser and more gruesome murderous aura rose above Gu Yang-jin’s eyes.

“Heh heh. They’re the kind of people who only shed tears when they see a coffin.”

Gu Yang-jin raised his energy with a sinister laugh, and the surrounding atmosphere stirred.

At that moment.

“Originally, these kinds of things should be resolved between the parties involved.”

A man jumped in and opened his mouth.

“Sir Sa!”

So Jeok-san was delighted at the appearance of an ally who was worthy of being called a master.

Sa Mu-sim nodded to So Jeok-san and said to Gu Yang-jin.

“I killed your nephew. So if you want to take revenge, you’ll have to face me.”

Gu Yang-jin stared at Sa Mu-sim, gauging his level of martial arts, and nodded with a slight smile.

“Are you Sujeongwi [likely a title or affiliation]?”

“That’s right. I am Sa Mu-sim.”

“I was going to meet you anyway.”

Gu Yang-jin reached out his hand and shouted.

“Shall we see if your skills match your arrogance?”

Rumble.

The surrounding air seemed to ripple for a moment, and then a powerful force accompanied by thunder struck Sa Mu-sim’s chest.

At the same time, Sa Mu-sim moved, emitting a cold light.

In his hand, he was already holding his unique weapon, a long iron ruler.

Tsu-tsu-tsut.

The fierce energy emanating from the iron ruler filled the entire front.

“…!”.

It was right after that that a sense of bewilderment appeared in Sa Mu-sim’s eyes.

Even after witnessing the extremely grim net of sword energy, Gu Yang-jin thrust his hand into it without the slightest hesitation.

And it wasn’t long before he realized why.

Clang!

Even though a weapon and a bare hand collided, a cold metallic sound rang out.

‘An artificial hand!’

Belatedly, Sa Mu-sim recalled that Gu Yang-jin had lost a hand in his battle with Beom Gye-wi in the past.

But by the time he realized this, the iron ruler had already been firmly grasped by Gu Yang-jin’s artificial hand.

It was then that an eerie and sinister force pierced his side.

Inevitably, Sa Mu-sim let go of the iron ruler and stepped back.

However, Gu Yang-jin was not one to allow this.

As if he would not let go of the victory he had once seized, he closed the distance even more and swung his sleeves fiercely.

Kwakwakwa!

The waves of energy, stacked one after another, crashed in like a tsunami, and Sa Mu-sim, with nowhere to escape, gritted his teeth and thrust out his palms in retaliation.

Jjeo-eong!

With a shock that shook the air, Sa Mu-sim’s feet dug into the dirt floor.

Then, he slid back, carving a deep groove into the floor.

“…”

Sa Mu-sim’s expression turned grave.

His level of martial arts was not that low.

But he was about half a step behind the renegade monk in front of him.

The majestic energy that emanated from his withered, twig-like body was unbelievable.

If he had the iron ruler, he might have been able to hold his own, but he couldn’t guarantee how long he could last with his bare hands.

But the real problem was something else.

The moment Gu Yang-jin made a move, the other four who followed him also began to move.

“Chief So, be careful…!”

Gu Yang-jin’s subordinates rushed towards So Jeok-san.

Sa Mu-sim, who discovered this, shouted in a hurry and then closed his mouth.

Gu Yang-jin, who had already closed the distance, was spewing out his unique sinister energy with a gruesome smile.

“Keuk!”.

A suppressed groan escaped from Sa Mu-sim’s mouth.

The opponent’s sinister penetrating force.

The accumulated damage was shaking his insides and disrupting his blood and energy.

Then, at one moment.

“…!”.

Sa Mu-sim’s eyes wavered.

He finally caught sight of So Jeok-san being captured by the enemies.

That was a mistake.

In a battle between masters, a disturbance of the mind inevitably leads to an irreversible defeat.

A bitter liquid seemed to gather in his mouth, and before he knew it, blood was flowing out of his lips.

And by the time he realized this, he had already lost his balance, swept away by a wave of immense hidden energy.

‘Damn it!’

Sa Mu-sim swallowed a curse, but the situation was already irreversible.

Gu Yang-jin was closing in.

Even though the opponent’s movement was as simple as lightly flicking his sleeves forward, Sa Mu-sim’s face turned pale.

In that desperate moment.

Something happened that no one in the arena expected.

Suddenly, Gu Yang-jin was startled and shouted at his subordinates.

“Behind you!”.

The man who had been grabbing So Jeok-san by the collar turned around in a hurry.

But by then, someone had already completely taken over his rear.

Kwajik.

It was then that something black mercilessly slammed into his side.

“Keuheok!”.

The man spewed out a waterfall of blood from his mouth and flew away, crashing into a nearby wall.

Gu Yang-jin, who witnessed the scene right in front of him, as well as So Jeok-san and Sa Mu-sim, could not help but be amazed.

In particular, the shock that Sa Mu-sim felt was indescribable.

‘A master!’

He was a master comparable to the Three Divine Devils.

And…

This was just the beginning.

Three streaks of black ink that tore through the air.

The chilling sounds of bone fractures and impacts that followed captivated the eyes and ears of the crowd.

Just like Gu Yang-jin’s subordinate who had been knocked away first, none of the other three were able to properly block the black flashes that exploded before their eyes.

“…!”.

Alarm took hold in Gu Yang-jin’s eyes.

It wasn’t because of the sight of his subordinates being knocked away without even screaming.

The problem was that they were lying sprawled out and not thinking of getting up.

Even if it wasn’t Diamond Body, the Skull Divine Art was a protective skill that couldn’t be scratched by ordinary sword energy.

All of them had practiced the Skull Divine Art for many years, and even if they weren’t at his level, they had already achieved considerable success.

But they couldn’t withstand a single blow and fell into a state of helplessness.

A cold silence descended around them.

No one in the arena opened their mouths.

Gu Yang-jin, Sa Mu-sim, and So Jeok-san also couldn’t close their gaping mouths at the sight that unfolded before their eyes.

Belatedly, they realized that the person who had burst into the arena was a young man with a tall stature, but they couldn’t guess his identity at all.

At most, he was in his mid-twenties and used a black ink staff as a weapon.

‘There’s someone of this level of martial arts in the world at that age?’

He had never heard of such a story.

It was as if a master from a previous generation had undergone Rejuvenation [a concept of regaining youth or vitality].

It was an absurd assumption, but otherwise, it was an impossible feat to explain.

It was then that the young man raised his eyes and looked at Gu Yang-jin.

“…!”.

Gu Yang-jin’s chest tightened.

He couldn’t properly see the young man’s features because he had thick black hair hanging down.

But he could tell that the cold eyes that were revealed through it and the presence that naturally flowed out had already brought the entire area under his control.