The Divine And Demonic Doctor [EN]: Chapter 182

The innkeeper tilted his head, seemingly unfamiliar with the term, so the waiter quickly elaborated.

“You haven’t heard the rumors yet, I see. Not long ago, a disciple of the Divine Doctor opened a clinic in Muwei, not far from here.”

“Divine Doctor…? Are you talking about Seongsu Divine Doctor?”

“Yes, sir. Thanks to his outstanding skills, he’s being called the ‘Medical Immortal.’ Because of him, the inns in Muwei are bursting with customers these days.”

The waiter rummaged through his pockets and pulled something out.

He proudly displayed a small pill wrapped in beeswax, grinning broadly.

“I managed to get my hands on this a few days ago after much effort. This is the rumored ‘Divine Demonic Pill,’ a miraculous medicine.”

Joo Chowoon frowned at the words.

“Are you talking about that pill that supposedly prevents illness for a month without any side effects?”

“Ah, you recognize it right away. But that’s not all! It not only relieves fatigue but also nourishes the Qi [vital energy] and blood, and it’s excellent for treating external wounds. They say if you crush it, apply it to a wound, and sleep, new flesh will grow overnight.”

“Such nonsense…”

Joo Chowoon clicked his tongue with a displeased look.

He had dedicated his life to medicine, unlike ignorant commoners.

He was neither foolish nor gullible enough to believe such absurd stories.

“To scam people with medicine…”

That, above all else, was an injustice he could not overlook.

The waiter jumped up in surprise.

“A scam? Everyone who’s taken the Divine Demonic Pill praises it as nothing short of a miracle drug!”

“Have you taken it yourself?”

“Goodness, how could I recklessly take such a precious thing at any time? I have to save it for emergencies.”

Joo Chowoon stared at the waiter silently before taking out three ten-nyang bills [currency] from his pocket and handing them to him.

“Then sell me that Divine Demonic Pill.”

The waiter’s eyes widened.

Although it had become quite difficult to obtain, this amount of money was enough to buy an extra Divine Demonic Pill even with a premium.

The waiter didn’t miss the opportunity to make some extra money.

Joo Chowoon, having received the Divine Demonic Pill, unwrapped the beeswax.

He intended to expose the true nature of the Divine Demonic Pill right then and there.

As a doctor, he couldn’t stand by and watch fake medicine being sold.

But…

“Hmm?”

The moment he unwrapped the beeswax, a subtle fragrance wafted out, causing Joo Chowoon to pause.

He crushed the Divine Demonic Pill, took a small piece, and brought it to his mouth.

He closed his eyes and swirled it around in his mouth for a moment to check the taste.

“…!”

Joo Chowoon opened his eyes sharply and said to Joo Jangmyung,

“As soon as the wind dies down, let’s go to that Divine Medical Clinic.”

“So suddenly?”

Joo Chowoon nodded, confirming the refreshing energy that lingered in his mouth several times.

“I must meet the doctor who created this medicine.”

A strange heat began to flicker across Joo Chowoon’s weary face.

* * *

The Divine Medical Clinic had been open for a month.

The number of patients visiting the clinic had increased exponentially.

Thanks to this, not only Dan Ahkseon but also the young doctors dispatched from the Jinseong Medical Center, as well as Cho Ahkryang and Beom Gyewi, were spending their days in a dizzying rush.

“What? Beijing? Why did you crawl all the way here from there? Are there no doctors there? There are imperial physicians, and their disciples are everywhere, aren’t there?”

The patient receiving treatment wore a bitter smile at Beom Gyewi’s nagging.

“People like us can’t even dare to see those people.”

“What? Is our Dan Doctor easy to see? I’ll…!”

Beom Gyewi turned his gaze elsewhere, leaving the patient, who had shrunk back in fear.

“Where are you from? What? Yunnan? You’ll die coming all the way here. Why didn’t you just go somewhere and get treated? It’s a miracle you made it here alive with that body.”

Cho Ahkryang finally spoke up at Beom Gyewi’s grumbling and complaining.

“Enough. You’ll scare the patients.”

Beom Gyewi retorted at Cho Ahkryang’s nagging.

“No, Cho Hyung [term of respect]! Can you say that after seeing this?”

Cho Ahkryang sighed as he looked at the line of patients that Beom Gyewi was pointing to.

They had only treated and sent back about half of them, and there were still so many left.

At this rate, they wouldn’t have enough time even if they stayed up all night treating patients.

“What can we do? At least we’re better than Dan Doctor, aren’t we?”

Unlike them, who had to examine patients with relatively minor symptoms, Dan Ahkseon was focused on critically ill patients.

That required an immense amount of concentration and mental energy.

“How did this happen?”

Beom Gyewi wore a distressed expression.

On the other hand, Cho Ahkryang had already heard the details from Neung Somil, so it wasn’t difficult for him to guess the reason.

There was a good reason why they were flocking here from afar.

It was because of the Divine Medical Clinic’s principle of treating patients first, regardless of their status.

For ordinary people and the poor who couldn’t even dream of crossing the threshold of high-end clinics, this place was their only hope.

Especially since meeting Dan Ahkseon had been a distant dream in the past.

Even if he was famous in the Jianghu [martial arts world], he was like a star in the sky.

But now, that star had descended to the human world and brazenly opened a clinic.

Of course, people would flock to it.

“Still, I’m worried about Dan Doctor…”

At Beom Gyewi’s words, Cho Ahkryang turned his head toward Dan Ahkseon.

As expected.

Seeing Dan Ahkseon’s dark circles and pale complexion, concern filled Cho Ahkryang’s eyes.

No matter how much he relied on his inner energy, physical and mental strength were separate issues.

It seemed that his mental strength had already reached its limit due to the continuous treatment of patients without rest.

Han Seolhwa suddenly felt her face stinging.

When she turned her head, she could see the worried gazes of Cho Ahkryang and Beom Gyewi.

—Do something, witch. At this rate, our Dan Doctor will collapse!

Han Seolhwa frowned at Beom Gyewi’s telepathic message.

—Whose fault is this?

Beom Gyewi couldn’t press Han Seolhwa any further because of his past deeds.

However, regardless of that, Han Seolhwa was also thinking that she should stop Dan Ahkseon at this point.

Han Seolhwa stopped Dan Ahkseon, who had just finished treating a patient and was about to receive the next one.

“Stop here for today.”

“How can I do that? There are still patients left.”

Han Seolhwa sighed softly at Dan Ahkseon’s stubbornness.

“To say that when you yourself are in a bad condition. Wouldn’t it be absurd if a doctor who should be treating patients collapses in front of them? I think your hands are shaking a little now.”

Dan Ahkseon smiled bitterly and asked Adoo,

“Adoo Hyung [term of respect], how many patients are left?”

“There are still over a hundred left just for you, Master.”

“Ah…”

Dan Ahkseon sighed with a tired expression.

Adoo approached Dan Ahkseon.

“Please stop here for today.”

“But still…”

“You’re already exhausted. The patients you need to take care of all have serious illnesses. If you make a mistake because of this, wouldn’t that be more dangerous? I think your hands are shaking a little now.”

Perhaps Adoo’s sincere persuasion worked.

Eventually, Dan Ahkseon reluctantly nodded.

“Then let’s stop here for today.”

Han Seolhwa nodded to Adoo.

—You’re better than me.

Adoo smiled at Han Seolhwa’s telepathic message and conveyed Dan Ahkseon’s words to Cho Ahkryang, Beom Gyewi, and the three doctors from the Jinseong Medical Center.

“Good thinking.”

Han Seolhwa patted Dan Ahkseon with a gentle voice.

“If you don’t rest, the people here can’t rest either.”

“Yes…”

Han Seolhwa shook her head at Dan Ahkseon’s somewhat sullen appearance.

Adoo quickly sent the patients back, lest Dan Ahkseon change his mind.

“I’m sorry. We’ll stop the treatment here today. The doctor is too tired. I’ll give you number tickets, so please visit again tomorrow. Those with number tickets will be treated first.”

At those words, people expressed their disappointment.

However, no one got angry or showed resentment.

They knew better than anyone that they would have to bear the loss if something happened to the doctor.

And more than anything, they had come to appreciate Dan Ahkseon’s actions more than anyone else.

“What to do? It’s all because of us…”

“Please take good care of the doctor.”

“Well, it’s not like we’ve only been sick for a day or two. We’ve been suffering for over ten years, so can’t we wait a day?”

The patients turned away, each worried about Dan Ahkseon.

Adoo, who had seen off the patients, was barely able to close the door of the Divine Medical Clinic.

But before closing the door at the end.

‘That person came yesterday too, didn’t he?’

One person in particular caught his eye.

He was carrying a large A-frame carrier [backpack] on his back with a child on it, so it was impossible to forget him even if he wanted to.

‘He’s late again today.’

The 50 number tickets given to seriously ill patients had run out just before that man.

Only 50 people could be sure of getting treatment tomorrow, so he couldn’t give out any more.

Adoo cast a pitiful gaze at the child on the A-frame carrier.

‘He looks very sick….’

Adoo couldn’t help but feel sorry as he watched the middle-aged man turn away with a sigh.

‘The number of patients needs to decrease quickly.’

However, Dan Ahkseon’s health was Adoo’s priority.

Leaving his pity behind, Adoo closed the gate.

It was already late at night when the moon was in the middle of the sky.

He was barely able to finish the day’s work like that.

* * *

The next morning.

Adoo sighed as he looked at the line that had formed since dawn.

Just thinking about the difficult journey that awaited him today made him feel dizzy.

Nevertheless, he opened the door early because their complexions were all so pale.

How hard must it be for them to line up and wait since the early hours of the morning?

Moreover, the dawn wind was still cold.

“At this rate, even those who weren’t sick will get sick.”

Adoo, who noticed some people coughing in the cold wind, shouted to the patients.

“The treatment will be given according to the number tickets I gave you yesterday, so those with later numbers can warm up at Daru [tea house/rest stop].”

“What if someone cuts in line?”

Adoo smiled and replied to someone’s concern.

“Don’t worry. I remember not only the numbers but also the faces of the patients. If someone cuts in line or is different from the person I gave the number ticket to, their treatment order will be pushed back.”

“Do you really remember us all?”

“I have a good memory. Of course, it’s a trivial skill compared to the people here. So don’t worry and go rest.”

With that, Adoo left only about a hundred people and sent everyone else back.

Of course, the seriously ill patients were Dan Ahkseon’s responsibility, but other than them, there weren’t as many as he thought.

It was enough for Cho Ahkryang, Beom Gyewi, and the three doctors from the Jinseong Medical Center to handle.

But after the patients left, a man approached Adoo.

“Ah!”

A short exclamation escaped from Adoo’s mouth.

It was the man with the A-frame carrier he had seen last at the end of the day before.

He had come earlier than yesterday, but it was still not certain whether he would be able to receive treatment today.

Moreover, the child in the A-frame carrier was wrapped in a thick blanket.

‘He’s always late because of that child.’

It seemed that it was not easy to come out in the early morning because of the cold wind.

Even now, his gaze toward the A-frame carrier was full of worry.

Eventually, Adoo approached the man and told him the situation.

“You may not be able to receive treatment today either.”

Joo Chowoon stubbornly opened his mouth at Adoo’s explanation.

“I’ll wait.”

“Yes? But…”

“It’s my fault for being late, so there’s nothing I can do, right? Other patients’ time is just as precious.”

Joo Chowoon cast a pitiful gaze at his son on the A-frame carrier.

Adoo looked up at the child on the A-frame carrier, shivering and fighting the cold.

“Please wait a moment.”

Adoo ran inside the clinic and reappeared after a while.

“Hold this.”

Adoo handed Joo Jangmyung something wrapped in cloth.

It was when Joo Jangmyung was wondering about the warmth spreading inside his palm.

“Do you use heated stones instead of directly using fire when making Dan pills [medicinal pills]?”

Adoo was startled by Joo Chowoon’s words.

“Huh? How did you know?”