The Divine And Demonic Doctor [EN]: Chapter 151

Leaving Daru with a confident stride, 능소밀 [Neng Somil, the protagonist] didn’t look back for a long while.

However, after some time.

As Daru receded into the distance, his pace gradually slowed.

Suddenly, 능소밀 stopped and gazed up at the sky.

The weather was exceptionally clear, and the breeze was refreshing.

“Haa…”

Yet, a sigh involuntarily escaped his lips.

“Looks like I’ll have to rely on my own efforts for a while.”

능소밀 prided himself on having experienced every method of gathering information.

However, 신소방 [Shinsobang, his former information guild] no longer existed, and contacting his subordinates again was a delicate matter.

“There’s always a way.”

A glint appeared in 능소밀’s eyes as he pondered.

‘I heard there was unusually heavy snowfall on 공동산 [Gongdong Mountain] this winter, right?’

Even in decline, a crucian carp is still a crucian carp; he hadn’t become the leader of the information guild 신소방 merely by luck.

An exceptional ability to derive information from simple facts.

That, combined with his determination and confidence to obtain information, made it possible.

That talent and potential shone at that moment.

능소밀 turned his steps toward the largest carpentry workshop in the village.

Typically, once winter passed and the weather warmed, pavilions would be repaired.

Especially after a heavy snowfall, it was almost a given.

There was no way the old, dilapidated pavilions, with their long history, would be unscathed.

Soon, 능소밀 entered the carpentry workshop, where wood shavings flew about.

“Is anyone here?”

After a moment, a gray-haired carpenter emerged from among the piles of stacked lumber.

“How may I help you?”

“Are you the owner here?”

“I am.”

능소밀 grinned and feigned enthusiasm.

“I’m planning to build more warehouses because we’re short on space. Can you send some people right away?”

It wasn’t entirely a lie.

Considering the rapidly growing size of 신마상단 [Shinma Merchant Guild], they would need to expand their warehouses soon anyway.

“What’s the size of the warehouse you’re thinking of?”

At the old carpenter’s question, 능소밀 looked around.

“About the size of this lumber storage? No, maybe a bit bigger?”

The old carpenter, after roughly calculating, nodded.

“In that case, about five carpenters should be enough.”

“I’m in a hurry. Can you send them right away? I won’t lowball you; I’ll pay properly.”

“As it happens, I have some people available, so I’ll send them right away.”

능소밀 wore an expression of surprise.

“Really? Is that possible? I heard this is usually the busiest time of year?”

The old carpenter smiled wryly.

“Normally, it would be the busiest time. But recently, a job was suddenly canceled, so we have some spare hands.”

“Oh! I must be very lucky.”

능소밀 took out a pouch filled with silver coins from his pocket and placed it on the lumber.

Clink.

The old carpenter’s eyes sparkled.

Just from the sound, it was clear it wasn’t a small amount.

“This is an initial payment. If the cost is insufficient, please charge more.”

The old carpenter’s eyes widened as he opened the pouch to check the amount.

Far from being insufficient, he would have to give change.

“Why? Does it seem insufficient?”

At 능소밀’s words, the old carpenter shook his head.

“Actually, this amount is enough to build two warehouses.”

능소밀’s face lit up as he nodded.

“It seems I’ve come to the right place. You seem to be a man of integrity.”

The old carpenter’s face brightened at 능소밀’s words.

“I’ll likely need to build more warehouses and buildings in the future, so I’d like to continue entrusting that work to you.”

“Thank you. I’ll take great care and do the job properly.”

“Haha, no need to mention it. I should be the one thanking you for working with artisans who uphold their principles and conscience. By the way…”

능소밀, having praised the other party to the skies, subtly probed.

“To treat someone like you carelessly, whoever it is must be very rude. What kind of situation is it to cancel a job after commissioning it? It’s a matter of livelihood for someone. Don’t you think?”

“Shh. Lower your voice.”

“…?”

“It’s best not to antagonize them unnecessarily.”

“Them?”

“The 공동파 [Gongdong Sect].”

능소밀 feigned surprise.

“The famous 공동파 would do such a thing? Aren’t they a prestigious orthodox sect?”

The old carpenter sighed.

“I don’t know what happened either. This has never happened before…”

“Did something unusual happen?”

The old carpenter shook his head.

“I don’t know the details. I took the carpenters up there to repair the pavilions, but on the second day, they suddenly stopped the work and told us to go down the mountain. Something must have happened. The sect leader’s expression looked urgent, and they sent away not only us but also all the visiting guests.”

“Guests?”

“I heard they were 속가 문하 [Sokga Munha, affiliated clans], but I don’t know the details. I don’t know anything about that area…”

능소밀’s eyes sparkled for a moment.

‘Come to think of it?’

When winter ends and spring arrives, carpenters aren’t the only ones who visit 공동산.

As traffic had been sparse throughout the winter, 속가 문파 [Sokga Munpa, affiliated clans] visit the main sect as soon as the weather warms.

It was to donate funds.

It was called a donation, but in reality, it was a kind of payment for receiving protection under the name of 공동파.

Leaving the carpentry workshop, 능소밀 immediately began visiting nearby inns.

Bribing the innkeepers with a bit of silver wasn’t too difficult.

Through this, 능소밀 was able to find out which 속가 문파 had stayed at 공동파 when the carpenters withdrew.

In particular, one of them was someone he knew.

‘서담명 [Seo Dam-myeong].’

The head of 등룡표국 [Deungryong Courier Company], one of 공동파’s 속가 courier companies.

능소밀 headed straight for 등룡표국 without delay.

As 능소밀 entered through the wide-open gate, a man who seemed quite experienced among the busy guards stepped forward.

“How may I help you?”

“I’ve come to see the head of the bureau.”

“Did you make an appointment in advance?”

능소밀 smiled and slipped a silver coin into the other man’s sleeve.

“Tell him the 단주 [Danju, leader] of 신마상단 wants to see him.”

At those words, the guard’s eyes widened.

He had heard rumors about 신마상단, which had been expanding rapidly recently.

“Please wait a moment.”

The guard hurriedly disappeared into the inner quarters.

About a quarter of an hour passed.

서담명, accompanied by several guards, appeared.

“I am 서담명, the head of 등룡표국. You were looking for me?”

능소밀, who had been leisurely looking around the courier company with his back turned, slowly turned around.

“It’s been a while, Head 서.”

서담명, startled, quickly hardened his expression.

“What is the meaning of this?”

“What meaning?”

서담명 revealed his displeasure to 능소밀, who looked puzzled.

“The person I intended to meet is not you. Why are you impersonating the 단주 of 신마상단? Do I look like someone with so much time to spare?”

“Oh, you’ve misunderstood.”

“Misunderstood?”

능소밀 approached him with a genial smile.

“I used to run 신소방, but not anymore. The person standing before you is not the head of 신소방, but 능소밀, the 단주 of 신마상단.”

“You’re… the 단주 of 신마상단?”

“If you’re still suspicious, you can send someone to the 감숙 [Gansu] branch to confirm.”

서담명 seemed momentarily speechless, standing blankly for a moment. But soon, he instructed one of the guards to do something.

능소밀 inwardly smiled wryly at the sight of the guard running out of the courier company.

‘Narrow-minded fellow.’

But he didn’t show it outwardly.

He knew better than anyone that this was the kind of person he was.

A typical petty person, timid, suspicious, and maintaining relationships solely based on profit.

He wouldn’t even be able to strut around as the head of a courier company if he didn’t have the reputation of 공동파 behind him.

Moreover, he loved alcohol so much that 능소밀 couldn’t count the number of 기루 [Giru, a type of tavern] they had frequented to build their friendship.

Of course, 능소밀 had to pay for the drinks every time.

Yet, when 능소밀 was arrested by the 무림맹 [Murim Alliance], he turned a blind eye and cut off contact.

It wasn’t that 능소밀 had any human expectations of him, but it was still infuriating.

“By the way, is it okay to reveal your face like this?”

능소밀 burst into a hearty laugh as he met 서담명’s suspicious gaze.

“Haha, what’s there to worry about? Haven’t 공동파 and the other 구대문파 [Gudaemunpa, Nine Great Sects] decided to walk a different path from the 무림맹 already?”

“That’s true, but…”

“Besides, the 맹주 [Maengju, leader] of the 무림맹 has also changed.”

After 남궁백 [Namgung Baek] stepped down from the position of 무림 맹주.

The first thing 제갈연 [Jegal Yeon], who had ascended to the position of acting 맹주, did was to erase 남궁백’s traces from the 무림맹.

He didn’t hesitate to criticize the existing 무림맹 policies as failures and nullified existing issues, including the 백대악인 [Baekdaeagin, Hundred Evildoers] subjugation.

Thanks to this, 능소밀 was able to reveal his identity without hesitation.

At this moment, the guard who had disappeared outside the courier company hurriedly returned and whispered something to 서담명.

Surprise seemed to dawn in 서담명’s eyes.

“Well, well. Let’s go inside and talk. It’s spring, but the wind is still chilly…”

능소밀 smiled back and nodded at 서담명’s much more gentle attitude.

능소밀, guided to the main hall deep inside the inner quarters, sat facing 서담명 across a table.

“So, what brings you here after all this time?”

능소밀 didn’t lose his smile even at 서담명’s shameless question of cutting off contact first.

“신마상단 is slowly gaining its footing, and after achieving some of my goals, I suddenly thought of you, Head 서.”

“Me?”

능소밀 nodded.

“Isn’t it always the case that good people you associated with in good times are always missed?”

서담명 smiled awkwardly, perhaps because those words were unexpected.

“Ahem. That’s right.”

“I was also thinking of discussing business.”

At those words, 서담명 changed his posture.

“Business?”

“As you know, 신마상단 has been expanding its business quite a bit recently.”

“I’ve heard the stories. I knew from the start that your skills were extraordinary. How on earth did you build such a large 상단?”

“I was lucky.”

“How could that be just luck? Tell me. My usual theory is that one should be willing to pay a thousand gold coins for the success story of a great businessman.”

능소밀 smiled slyly and opened his mouth.

“Old sayings are not to be taken lightly. Human affairs are like a 새옹지마 [Saeng-ong-ji-ma, a Korean idiom referring to how fortunes can easily turn to misfortunes and vice versa] for a reason. Now that I’m at this point, I even think that the collapse of 신소방 was a stepping stone for my current success.”

서담명 nodded repeatedly to win 능소밀’s favor.

“I heard you’re trading not only with 새외 [Saeoe, foreign lands] but also with the Western Regions?”

“That’s why I came to see you, Head 서.”

“…?”

“The supply of goods handled by this 상단 is not yet smooth in the border areas of 중원 [Jungwon, Central Plains], let alone the Western Regions. Since the price of the goods is what it is, I can’t carelessly entrust them to peddlers. So, I was looking for a reliable courier company.”

“If it’s goods, could it be?”

As he was also a 무림인 [Murimin, martial artist], he had heard rumors about 신마단 [Shinmadan, Divine Elixir].

In particular, the efficacy of 신마단, which was excellent for both internal and external injuries, had already been sufficiently proven, as the guards were always carrying small and large injuries due to their courier work.

However, there were so many people who wanted it and it was difficult to obtain, so there was a shortage, and now it was difficult to get it even if you added a premium to the original price.

“I heard 신마단 is so effective?”

능소밀 took out a small box from his pocket and held it out, facing 서담명, who tentatively brought up the topic with anticipation.

“See for yourself.”

서담명 opened the wooden box, and inside were nine pills wrapped in beeswax.

“Is this it?”

능소밀 nodded.

“May I examine it?”

“It’s already yours, Head 서, so why do you need permission?”

서담명’s face immediately brightened at those words.

At this moment, a servant cautiously approached and spoke to 서담명.

“A person has arrived outside, saying they’ve come to deliver something.”

“Something?”

능소밀 nodded in place of 서담명, who looked puzzled.

“Ah, let them in.”

“Is it someone from your side?”

능소밀 smiled and nodded.

“Still, shouldn’t we have some alcohol at this meaningful meeting that we’re having after so long?”