The Divine And Demonic Doctor [EN]: Chapter 120

Sinma’s Medical Book (120)

Dan Akseon addressed Jin Jo-un and the elders, who wore puzzled expressions.

“Even if Mount Heng’s martial arts demand such immense internal energy, could it truly surpass Shaolin or Wudang? Or even the flamboyant Mount Hua, with its emphasis on showmanship?”

They were momentarily silenced.

“The real issue lies elsewhere.”

To solidify his theory, Dan Akseon posed another question.

“Among the past leaders and elders of the Mount Heng Sect, have any lived past the age of seventy?”

Jin Jo-un, after a moment of contemplation, shook his head.

“There was one, a century ago, but none since then…”

“Then, what about among the general disciples?”

“……!”

Jin Jo-un’s eyes widened.

Several individuals immediately sprang to mind.

Dan Akseon, sensing the implication from his expression, nodded.

“I see.”

Dan Akseon sought the agreement of Jin Jo-un and the elders.

“We must investigate the training chamber of Unjin Hermitage.”

And they were taken aback by Dan Akseon’s subsequent statement.

“Something within that training chamber is shortening your lifespans.”

Jin Jo-un’s eyes darted back and forth, reflecting his shock.

He had never entertained such a notion.

Then, a question surfaced in his mind.

Unjin Hermitage was constructed approximately a century ago.

It was also renowned as a historically significant site, personally designed and founded by Hyeonglyeon Seong, the Wind and Cloud Divine Sword, for his disciples.

The second greatest swordsman Mount Heng Sect had ever produced, after Ha Won-il, the founder.

That was Hyeonglyeon Seong.

‘Why would someone who cherished and loved Mount Heng more than anyone…’

No matter how hard he pondered, he couldn’t fathom the reason.

How much time elapsed in this manner?

Jin Jo-un sought the elders’ approval.

He had finally resolved to concede to Dan Akseon’s request.

However, Yang Il-so vehemently opposed it until the very end.

“Opening the training chamber to outsiders defies the founder’s will. It is also an act that severely undermines the tradition of the Mount Heng Sect!”

“The history of Unjin Hermitage spans only a century, at best.”

Despite Jin Jo-un’s earnest entreaties, Yang Il-so remained opposed, his face flushed with anger.

“You’d have to cut off my head first. Unless I’m dead, I can never accept it! I would rather die here than violate the founder’s will and disgrace it!”

Jin Jo-un glared at Yang Il-so.

After a moment.

“I, Jin Jo-un, the seventy-second leader of the Mount Heng Sect, command…”

As soon as those words were uttered, all the Mount Heng disciples prostrated themselves on the spot.

“All disciples of Mount Heng obey the leader’s command!”

When Jin Jo-un invoked the Sect Leader’s Decree, Yang Il-so reluctantly knelt as well.

Staring at him, Jin Jo-un continued with a cold demeanor.

“As of today, Yang Il-so, an elder of the Mount Heng Sect, is relieved of his position as elder.”

“Sect Leader!”

Yang Il-so couldn’t conceal his bewilderment at the sudden dismissal.

He never imagined that Jin Jo-un would go to such lengths.

“Do you realize? You are now on the verge of committing the crime of deceiving the master and destroying the ancestors!”

The crime of deceiving the teacher and tarnishing the reputation of the sect.

More precisely, it was the crime of insulting the elders of the sect.

Regardless of the sect, the most heinous offense was deceiving the master and destroying the ancestors.

“Deceiving the master and destroying the ancestors? Did you just accuse me of deceiving the master and destroying the ancestors?”

Jin Jo-un’s eyes blazed.

“What you have been doing to me, the sect leader, is a blatant case of deceiving the master and destroying the ancestors.”

Despite Jin Jo-un’s stern rebuke, Yang Il-so remained obstinate.

“Nothing can intimidate me. I will never open the training chamber!”

Jin Jo-un turned to Dan Akseon and gave him a troubled look.

At this rate, there was no way to access Yang Il-so’s training chamber.

The formations installed in each training chamber were similar, but the methods of activation were entirely different.

That was why even the sect leader couldn’t enter or exit another elder’s training chamber without their explicit permission.

Dan Akseon quietly smiled and nodded.

“It’s alright. Let’s examine the training chambers of the others first.”

Since all the elders except Yang Il-so had agreed, Dan Akseon proceeded to Unjin Hermitage under Jin Jo-un’s guidance.

He had become the first outsider to venture into the forbidden area of the Mount Heng Sect.

Dan Akseon first entered Jin Jo-un’s training chamber.

Jin Jo-un personally manipulated the formation within and explained it in detail.

The same held true for the training chambers of the other elders.

After inspecting the formations of all the training chambers except for Yang Il-so’s, Dan Akseon began to piece something together, his eyes gleaming.

“As I suspected…”

Dan Akseon’s face lit up.

Then he raised his hand and pointed to a specific location.

“May I enter there?”

Jin Jo-un turned his head to where Dan Akseon was pointing and smiled wryly.

Because Dan Akseon was indicating Yang Il-so’s training chamber.

Jin Jo-un cast one last glance at Yang Il-so.

Yang Il-so, at the behest of Yi Rip, the leader of the Beggars’ Union, had also accompanied them to this place.

Yang Il-so coldly smiled and glared at Dan Akseon.

“Go ahead and try if you dare. But I will never open that place myself.”

“Thank you for your permission.”

“When did I give…”

Yang Il-so’s words trailed off.

Because Dan Akseon had taken a step towards his training chamber.

‘Foolish!’

The ultimate formation of Unjin Hermitage was not a killing formation [殺陣, a formation designed to kill] aimed at taking lives.

It was a type of illusionary formation that confused the senses of intruders and shattered their spirits.

But there was a reason why it was called the ultimate formation.

Without knowing the correct method, it was impossible to break through, and escape was equally impossible.

Once inside, one would wander aimlessly until death, unless someone intervened.

But an unexpected event unfolded.

Dan Akseon, who initially appeared slightly perplexed, surveyed the surroundings and then calmly began to calculate something.

‘That’s!’

Jin Jo-un’s eyes widened as he carefully observed Dan Akseon’s movements.

It was because of Dan Akseon’s hand, which was pointing at his remaining fingers with his thumb, as if he were counting sword techniques.

And that sequence was familiar.

‘Cheongpung Sword Technique [淸風劍訣, Clear Wind Sword Technique]?’

How could Dan Akseon know the Mount Heng Sect’s unique sword technique?

Although it was a basic sword technique, it had never been divulged to outsiders, as far as he knew.

Jin Jo-un turned to Yi Rip with a bewildered expression.

But Yi Rip was simply wearing an inscrutable expression.

‘It’s not the Beggars’ Union.’

The more he considered it, the less he understood the situation.

It was then.

Dan Akseon began to move.

And there was no hesitation in his steps.

“How on earth!”

Yang Il-so exclaimed, his face etched with disbelief.

It was because of Dan Akseon’s movements, traversing an exact path without even a fraction of an inch of deviation.

He didn’t know what method he employed, but Dan Akseon perfectly understood the formation of the training chamber.

Then, at some point, Dan Akseon’s figure vanished into the training chamber.

“No!”

Yang Il-so hastily attempted to leap into the training chamber.

But he found himself unable to move.

Because someone was standing in his path.

It was Hong Jeok-mun.

He was no longer the beggar who exchanged frivolous jokes with the leader.

He was the master who dominated the era, the Quick Hand Yeoui.

“……!”

Just then, a chilling voice pierced his ears.

“If you so much as twitch a finger, I will gladly use my hands as well.”

A cold gaze devoid of warmth.

The terrifying fighting spirit swirling fiercely within was simply overwhelming.

Yang Il-so froze on the spot, petrified by the intense pressure.

It was then that Dan Akseon reappeared.

But he looked quite different from before.

When he entered the training chamber, he was empty-handed, but now he was holding something.

It was a sword.

“……!”

An expression of astonishment spread across Jin Jo-un’s face.

The divine artifact of the founding ancestor that he had been so diligently searching for.

It was unmistakably the Wongong Treasure Sword.

“Is this the sword you were looking for?”

Jin Jo-un received the sword that Dan Akseon offered, his hands trembling.

“Ah!”

An exclamation escaped Jin Jo-un’s lips after directly confirming the Wongong Treasure Sword.

But it was short-lived.

The joy of recovering the lost divine object was only fleeting.

Jin Jo-un’s gaze shifted to Yang Il-so.

It was a colder and heavier gaze than ever before, completely devoid of warmth.

Yang Il-so’s face, meeting that gaze, had already turned as pale as wax.

“I, I don’t know anything!”

Then he screamed, unable to mask his trembling eyes.

“This is a conspiracy! They’re trying to frame me!”

Yi Rip coldly chuckled.

“Humph! What do we lack that we would need to plot against the likes of you?”

Yang Il-so, rebuked by Yi Rip, abruptly charged towards Jin Jo-un.

The other three elders swiftly intercepted him.

Then Yang Il-so knelt on the spot.

He crawled on his knees towards Jin Jo-un and clutched at his pants.

“Sect Leader! No, brother! Please believe me! All of this is a conspiracy to divide our brotherhood!”

However, Jin Jo-un’s gaze fixed on Yang Il-so remained coldly frozen.

A conspiracy…

It was preposterous.

Where could he have concealed a sword in that small frame?

Even if he had, there was no way he wouldn’t have noticed.

“So that’s why?”

Jin Jo-un let out a hollow laugh.

Yang Il-so, wearing a puzzled expression, trembled at Jin Jo-un’s subsequent words.

“Did you feel like you had already become the sect leader yourself because you possessed this?”

Jin Jo-un’s eyes were filled with contempt.

The man before him was no longer an elder of the Mount Heng Sect, nor his brother.

He was merely a criminal who had committed a grave offense that could never be erased from the sect’s history.

Yang Il-so, staring up at Jin Jo-un with a blank face, began to see a strange light flickering in his eyes.

“It was originally mine!”

Yang Il-so suddenly began screaming like a madman.

“I, the eldest brother, should have become the sect leader! The Wongong Treasure Sword too! The secrets within were originally meant for me!”

“Brother… You’ve finally…”

Jin Jo-un, unable to finish his sentence, bit his lip.

His voice was laced with unconcealed pain.

Within it, there was a profound sense of regret and resentment towards Yang Il-so.

Dan Akseon sighed at the scene.

“Perhaps the secrets aren’t hidden within the Wongong Treasure Sword.”

The crowd nodded.

Jin Jo-un had already stated this directly.

As a result, Yang Il-so had sacrificed his conscience and pride for empty temptations and futile greed.

However, the crowd couldn’t help but be surprised at Dan Akseon’s next words.

“I know where the secrets are.”

Dan Akseon raised his hand and pointed towards the training chamber.

“Each formation within that place is actually linked to a mental cultivation technique. They divided one mental cultivation technique into the form of formations. That’s why the flow of true energy has been unbalanced while entering and leaving those formations. Because they would have continued to operate an incomplete mental cultivation technique to break through the formations.”

Dan Akseon’s explanation continued.

“The only safe path to navigate within the formation was the one that mirrored the flow of true energy.”

“That means…”

Dan Akseon nodded towards Jin Jo-un, who was too surprised to finish his sentence.

“It means that if all five of you had combined your strength from the beginning, shared the solutions, and researched together, you could have obtained one perfect mental cultivation technique.”

“……!”

“It seems that the person who created this place made such arrangements from the very beginning.”

Jin Jo-un, who had been standing blankly for a while as if in shock, finally spoke after a long pause.

“Once scattered clouds will eventually gather into one again.”

That was the origin of the name Unjin Hermitage.

Jin Jo-un sighed.

Wind and Cloud Divine Sword, Hyeonglyeon Seong.

He belatedly recalled the reason why he had created this place.

He had five disciples, and the rivalry among the brothers for the position of the next sect leader was intense.

So he made these arrangements so that they could unite their minds and combine their strength.

But his wish was never realized.

As a result, Hyeonglyeon Seong, who had made a name for himself as the greatest master under the heavens, also lost the divine skills and secrets of the Mount Heng Sect that he had mastered.