The Divine And Demonic Doctor [EN]: Chapter 132

The Divine Doctor of New Demonic Arts (132)

“Huh? It’s not fake?”

While Beom Gye-wi wore a puzzled expression, Physician Ga and Cho Ak-ryang, along with Han Seol-hwa, entered.

“Didn’t you say a moment ago that you didn’t make it?”

Cho Ak-ryang’s question caused Dan Ak-seon to tilt his head.

“That’s right. Why do they call this the Divine Demonic Pill?”

Dan Ak-seon tasted the contents of the vial once more and nodded.

“I’m sure of it. No matter how I look at it, this is definitely a Boyang Pill [a tonic for strengthening ‘yang’ energy in traditional Chinese medicine].”

Dan Ak-seon turned to the physician, who still stood there with a bewildered expression.

“Where did you get this medicine?”

The physician from Hong’s Clinic asked back with a dazed look.

“You can tell the authenticity of the medicine just by tasting it?”

“Because I made it.”

Still, the physician from Hong’s Clinic couldn’t shake off his doubts.

That was because the number of people who could manufacture such an excellent medicine could be counted on one hand, even if you searched the entire world.

Even he, who had devoted his entire life to medicine, couldn’t imitate it.

How many months had he spent all night analyzing the composition of this medicine?

Dan Ak-seon smiled wryly and listed the ingredients of the Boyang Pill.

“It contains kudzu root, lacquer, agastache, and Chinese chives. It also contains platycodon, angelica, and peach kernels.”

The physician’s eyes sparkled.

“Peach kernels? But peach seeds are poisonous and can cause abdominal pain, right?”

“Of course, you have to go through a detoxification process. I used the method of roasting it in hot lime with turmeric. And later, I combined Kochia scoparia and scallion to draw up the warm energy.”

“Scallion, scallion… I see. The lingering sweet taste must have come from the dried scallion root. Certainly, that method would maximize the effect without the medicinal energies clashing.”

The physician, impressed, nodded and asked a few more questions.

Each time, Dan Ak-seon answered without hesitation.

And after a while…

“…….”

The physician’s lips only twitched, like a mute who had eaten honey.

His pupils, widened and shaking, couldn’t seem to find their place.

It was beyond astonishment, simply dumbfounded.

In fact, the shock he felt could not be explained in any words.

The medical skill of the boy in front of him far surpassed his own level.

“Are you really the son of the Divine Doctor?”

At this point, he had no choice but to believe.

When Dan Ak-seon nodded, the physician sighed as if the ground was sinking.

He realized that with his skills, he could never create a medicine with the same effect as the Divine Demonic Pill, even if he died and came back to life.

The head of the Jinseong Physician Clan, about whom rumors were rampant among physicians recently.

It seemed that only someone of that level, to whom even the imperial physicians of the royal court would ask for teachings, could dare to compare.

“I got it from the Divine Demonic Merchant Guild.”

“The Divine Demonic Merchant Guild?”

The physician nodded at Dan Ak-seon’s question.

“Was it about three months ago? A man who introduced himself as the leader of that place visited here and handed over the medicine. I used it because there was an urgent patient at the time, and it was so surprisingly effective that I have been ordering it ever since.”

Dan Ak-seon, who had been tilting his head, exclaimed at the physician’s explanation.

“Was he about forty years old? A gaunt face with weasel-like, narrow eyes.”

“Ah!”

Dan Ak-seon asked back.

“By any chance, did his surname happen to be 능 (Neung) [pronounced ‘Neung’], and did he use the characters 소 (So) [pronounced ‘So’] and 밀 (Mil) [pronounced ‘Mil’] for his given name?”

“I don’t remember exactly, but it’s certain that he used the surname 능 (Neung). But he hasn’t come back since that day. Different men bring the Divine Demonic Pill here every time.”

Dan Ak-seon finally understood what was going on.

“A weasel face? That’s definitely Neung So-mil!”

At Cho Ak-ryang’s words, intense murderous intent poured from Beom Gye-wi’s eyes.

“What? That bastard is selling things under Doctor Dan’s name?”

Cho Ak-ryang frowned at Beom Gye-wi, who looked like he would run to the Divine Demonic Valley at any moment.

“It’s not that… it seems that the Divine Demonic Merchant Guild is being run by Chief Sa.”

“What! Even Sa Mu-sim is involved? I’ll get those guys…!”

Cho Ak-ryang sighed.

“Forget it, never mind.”

Dan Ak-seon smiled and explained instead.

“It seems they took the name of the merchant guild from the Divine Demonic Valley.”

The first thing Sa Mu-sim asked Dan Ak-seon to do as soon as he took over as chief was to manufacture Boyang Pills.

The basic effects of Boyang Pills were similar to those of the Divine Holy Pill, but they were manufactured with common medicinal ingredients instead of expensive ones, making them relatively inexpensive.

However, it was so superior that it could not be compared to the existing pills traded through physicians.

“Before leaving, Chief asked me if he could use the medicinal ingredients in the warehouse to manufacture Boyang Pills in large quantities. So I told him the manufacturing method.”

In retrospect, this incident was a farce caused by his own negligence.

That was because he had been wandering the Jianghu [the martial arts world] because of the joint letter and had not been able to contact the Divine Demonic Valley.

Dan Ak-seon bowed to the physician from Hong’s Clinic.

“I’m sorry for taking up your time. You can continue to sell the Divine Demonic Pill.”

Dan Ak-seon left the clinic, leaving behind the physician who was nodding with a dazed face.

“Huh? Where’s Uncle Beom?”

Dan Ak-seon turned his head inside when Beom Gye-wi didn’t follow.

“I did it because I loved you. Do you understand?”

“Yes?”

“Okay, okay. Just stay still.”

Beom Gye-wi, patting the man who was holding his head, was smiling brightly. It was his expression of apology, but the fear that smile gave was no different from when he was holding his head.

“I, I’m okay now.”

“Huh? Really?”

“Yes!”

“No. I can make your internal organs warm for three months and ten days. Wait.”

The man’s pupils shook as Beom Gye-wi raised his hot right hand.

“I’m really okay!”

“Huh? Well, if you refuse that much. Okay.”

Only then did Beom Gye-wi wave his hand and leave the clinic.

When he came to his side, Dan Ak-seon started walking again.

“Chief Sa is amazing as expected. I heard that he was going to run a merchant guild, but I didn’t know he had already advanced this far.”

Beom Gye-wi and Cho Ak-ryang nodded.

“He’s not called a money-grubber for nothing.”

“The fact that he has advanced as far as Sichuan means that he is already distributing the Divine Demonic Pill in other regions as well.”

Dan Ak-seon could feel the speed of time anew.

“In just three months, it will be a year since we left the Divine Demonic Valley.”

Time, which had flowed so slowly when he was only going back and forth between the Divine Demonic Valley and the village, was now passing by so quickly that it was startling.

“I wonder if they are both doing well?”

Dan Ak-seon was in a good mood at the news and activities of the two people he had come across by chance.

“I have to work harder too. Even for the sake of the two who are working so hard.”

* * *

Meanwhile.

At the same time, in Wuwei, Neung So-mil and Sa Mu-sim were walking through a dark back alley.

After walking for a while and arriving at their destination, So Jeok-san, who had been waiting for the two, bowed deeply.

“Have you arrived?”

“Are the preparations complete?”

Even at Neung So-mil’s prickly tone, So Jeok-san answered politely.

“Perfect.”

Sa Mu-sim smiled and patted So Jeok-san’s shoulder.

“Thank you. You’re always suffering because of us.”

“No. Rather, we are grateful for your kindness.”

Sa Mu-sim and Neung So-mil smiled quietly at So Jeok-san’s sincere expression.

Even Neung So-mil, who was initially reluctant to entrust the merchant guild’s work to the back alley gangsters, now thought differently. Yi’s Unit, led by So Jeok-san, was doing better than their expectations.

Having escaped from Sunui’s gang, which had been wandering the back alleys, it had long since firmly established itself as the main axis of the Divine Demonic Merchant Guild.

“Let’s go in.”

Guided by So Jeok-san, Sa Mu-sim and Neung So-mil entered a shabby thatched house. The interior, where sunlight did not enter, was filled with musty dust and stale odors.

So Jeok-san approached the inner wall and pressed one spot on the wall.

Gurrung.

With a heavy sound, an entrance leading to the basement below the wall appeared.

The three men descended the stairs, relying on faint oil lamps.

At the end of the stairs, there was a huge space that was hard to believe existed under such a shabby thatched house.

However, it was completely opposite to the upper floor.

The interior, filled with a subtle medicinal scent, was brightly lit.

Not only that, but also choppers for cutting medicinal ingredients, medicinal pots, and refining furnaces.

Facilities for manufacturing pills were properly equipped.

“Are these the guys?”

At Neung So-mil’s question, So Jeok-san nodded.

The men were busily moving around the basement, concentrating on manufacturing pills.

The number alone exceeded thirty.

“Yes. They were originally making aphrodisiacs, so their skills are certain.”

“You’ve weeded out the ones to weed out, right?”

“Of course.”

In fact, most of them were people who had been captured by the Black Dragon Society and lived like slaves.

So Jeok-san absorbed the Black Dragon Society, guaranteed them freedom, and provided them with new jobs and wages.

Then, at Sa Mu-sim’s request, they were summoned again this time.

“They are more skilled at making pills than most doctors.”

“You explained the rules well, right?”

“Yes.”

To maintain thorough secrecy, dialogue was prohibited inside the basement.

If necessary, they could only communicate through the manager belonging to Yi’s Unit who resided here.

In addition, the manufacturing method of the Divine Demonic Pill was thoroughly divided so that one person could not know all the processes.

At this time, several people politely bowed their heads towards Sa Mu-sim and Neung So-mil.

They were managers belonging to Yi’s Unit who had neatly dressed themselves.

Now reborn as members of the Divine Demonic Merchant Guild, they could no longer find the appearance of back alley gangsters from anywhere.

“Attention!”

At Neung So-mil’s thunderous voice, everyone’s attention was focused on him.

“From now on, you will be making medicine that saves people, not medicine that kills people. Also, as long as you are faithful, we will never kick you out first, and we will guarantee fair compensation and rights according to the contents written in the contract that we specified in advance and shared.”

At those words, the men exchanged glances with each other.

Some smiled brightly, but most had a strong air of doubt.

That was because they had been exploited and tormented by the Black Dragon Society for so long.

Sa Mu-sim gave them an even more benevolent smile.

“Please trust us. I, too, once lived a life of suspicion like you, but after meeting Valley Master, I came to see the world differently.”

“…….”

“Even if it’s difficult right now, I hope that you will become like that someday. Me and this friend will also work harder, so please continue to help us in the future.”

After speaking, Sa Mu-sim bowed politely to them. Neung So-mil was embarrassed, but soon followed Sa Mu-sim and bowed.

So Jeok-san also quickly followed the two.

Bewilderment arose on the faces of the men gathered in the medicine room.

They had never imagined that So Jeok-san, the leader of Yi’s Unit, and the two people above him would show them such courtesy first.

“W, well, thank you.”

One of the men bowed his head with a flustered face.

Starting with this, the men rushed to bow their heads in a hurry.

“Thank you!”

“We will do our best!”

“We will never forget this grace!”

The expressions and voices of the men, filled with agitated emotions, contained a hot sincerity.

After a while, servants began to carry liquor and food through the stairs connected to the upper floor.

The men cheered at the feast of all kinds of delicacies that they would not normally have access to.

Although they were young, the servants were also formal members of Yi’s Unit.

Therefore, there was no fear that the secret here would leak out.

Suddenly, Sa Mu-sim stared intently at one of the servants.

Neung So-mil wore a puzzled expression at the sight.

“Why are you doing that? Brother.”

“Ah, it’s nothing.”

Sa Mu-sim smiled quietly and pointed to the servant.

“Looking at that child reminds me of Valley Master. I wonder how much he has grown by now?”

Only then did Neung So-mil smile following Sa Mu-sim.

“When he left the Divine Demonic Valley, he was about the height of that child, so wouldn’t he have grown at least one head taller by now? The rate at which children grow is so fast.”

“That’s right.”

A hint of longing flashed over Sa Mu-sim’s eyes as he nodded.

“I miss Valley Master.”

“Me too. I hope he returns safely.”

Neung So-mil’s eyes also deepened together.