The Divine And Demonic Doctor [EN]: Chapter 188

Divine Physician of the Demonic World (188)

Three months had passed since the Divine Physician of the Demonic World Clinic first opened its doors.

A steady stream of doctors from across the Central Plains came to visit.

The existence of Dan Akseon, who supposedly carried on the legacy of the legendary physicians, the Divine Doctor and the Demonic Doctor, was a source of both curiosity and reverence for them.

Moreover, few doctors could refuse Dan Akseon’s direct invitation, especially when it included detailed clinical records.

Some came hoping to compete with Dan Akseon’s medical skills and perhaps even gain fame by defeating the self-proclaimed Divine Physician of the Demonic World Clinic.

Nevertheless, they all shared one thing in common: a genuine dedication to the art of medicine.

Those who experienced Dan Akseon’s medical skills firsthand often humbled themselves and volunteered to extend their stay at the Divine Physician of the Demonic World Clinic.

With a sufficient number of doctors to share the workload, Dan Akseon no longer had to contend with the overwhelming influx of patients he had faced initially.

And this positive change wasn’t limited to the Divine Physician of the Demonic World Clinic alone.

The same held true for Muwi, the town where the clinic was located.

The atmosphere was palpably different from what it had been before.

It was the Divine Demon Merchant Guild that spearheaded this transformation in Muwi.

More and more people flocked to Muwi.

Patients and their families, those who had left their hometowns in search of work, and even unorthodox martial artists who arrived later all contributed to the town’s burgeoning population.

Thanks to them, the market was perpetually bustling with activity, and the streets teemed with life.

Moreover, the vibrancy wasn’t confined to the market and streets alone.

The outskirts of Muwi, once an empty expanse, were now a hive of construction.

Buildings began to rise one by one, clustered around the existing cloth shop near the village boundary stone.

The carpenters and laborers of Muwi found themselves working tirelessly to keep up with the surge in demand.

Even now, the scene was the same.

“I heard a pharmacy is going to be built here too?”

At the words of a laborer carrying materials, another laborer, who was raising rafters on the pillars, immediately responded.

“Is that the tenth pharmacy already?”

“Well, it’s good for us because there’s plenty of work, and they pay well.”

“It’s all thanks to the Divine Demon Merchant Guild and the Divine Physician of the Demonic World Clinic.”

“The Divine Demon Merchant Guild… Maybe I should learn a Western Region language and try to get a job there?”

“Hey, do you think just anyone can do that? Pine caterpillars live on pine needles [meaning stick to what you know]. Don’t make empty promises and just hold on tight to that line.”

At his colleague’s rebuke, the laborer who was moving materials glanced back with a regretful expression.

A group of people passing behind the construction site caught his eye.

Men with strangely shaped beards and striking blue eyes.

It was a Western Region merchant caravan consisting of about twenty people.

It used to be an unusual sight, but recently, encountering Western Region merchants had become a daily occurrence.

“There’s bound to be another commotion soon.”

“What commotion?”

“Oh, you know, the Divine Demon Merchant Guild and Dokgye Mountain. Didn’t they have a fight last time?”

“Ah, that?”

The two merchant groups, dissatisfied with the allocated amount of goods, had made a bet to concentrate the goods in one place. However, when the promise wasn’t kept, it escalated into a fistfight.

Fortunately, the martial artists who resided in Muwi intervened and suppressed the conflict before it turned into a bloody incident.

The uneducated Western Region red-haired devils, who hadn’t learned the ways of Confucius [referring to a lack of moral education], would occasionally cause such disturbances.

“It’s a relief that there are martial artists here. What would have happened otherwise?”

“Who knows? I was worried at first, but now I don’t have to worry about the security of the village thanks to them… That’s why you never know what will happen in life.”

“But I heard that the merchants are thriving because of them?”

“They spend money like water while they’re here, so it’s no wonder everyone likes them.”

Due to the nature of their long journeys, Western Region merchants didn’t hesitate to spend money on alcohol, food, and entertainment.

All they saw during their travels was the arid desert and desolate plains.

“I wonder if our Doctor Dan is doing okay?”

“Why Doctor Dan?”

“I heard that a lot of patients are flocking to him. Knowing his personality, he wouldn’t turn away anyone, so I’m worried that he might overwork himself and hurt himself.”

“Oh, come on. That’s old news.”

“Have the patients decreased now?”

“No. It’s increased much more.”

“Then isn’t that more worrying?”

“I heard that there are plenty of doctors as well as patients now. So recently, he’s only been taking care of the most serious cases.”

“That’s a relief.”

“Of course. The Divine Physician of the Demonic World Clinic and the Divine Demon Merchant Guild exist thanks to Doctor Dan. If it weren’t for him, when would we have enjoyed such good times like these days?”

It was then that the eyes of the laborers, who had been talking for a while, turned towards the entrance of the village.

It was because of the sudden outburst.

“How dare this dirty old man splash muddy water on me!”

A man in his mid-forties, who looked bad-tempered at a glance, and an old man apologizing profusely in front of him came into the laborers’ view.

“It’s a face I’ve never seen before?”

“Looks like a martial artist?”

“Look at the sword case he’s carrying on his back. Where would people like us use such a big sword?”

“Look at those eyes. I wonder if he’s going to cause trouble.”

While the laborers were worried, the old man kept bowing his head to the man.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know you would suddenly cut in like that…”

“So you’re saying it’s my fault?”

A bitter smile appeared on the man’s face.

“Why? Are you tired of living?”

The old man’s face hardened at the man’s sarcasm.

On the other hand, the smile on the man’s face deepened.

“What? That arrogant look? You’re really an old man who won’t shed tears until you see your coffin [meaning you won’t admit defeat until it’s too late].”

The people around him stepped back as the man’s murderous aura intensified.

The eerie eyes.

The murderous intent radiating from him was palpable.

Yet, the old man did not back down.

“Are you not going to follow the laws of this Muwi?”

“Why should I?”

The man, who smirked, reached behind his back.

Swish.

The large sword that had been concealed in the sword case was now revealed.

It was a unique, oversized pointed sword with a sharp tip.

The old man gasped and sat down on the spot.

The people murmured at the sight.

The man boasted to them as if to show off.

“Take a good look at what happens when you don’t recognize people and talk carelessly.”

The man raised his sword and let out a chilling laugh.

“Don’t worry. I won’t kill you. Instead…”

It was then that the large sword began to descend towards the old man’s shoulder.

“I’ll just take one arm.”

The people’s faces turned pale.

It was like a bolt from the blue.

The old man, caught up in an innocent quarrel, felt the same.

“…!”

The old man closed his eyes tightly, bracing for the impending pain.

But…

Even after a long moment, he didn’t feel any terrible pain.

When he cautiously opened his eyes, he saw the back of another man.

This man was holding the giant pointed sword wielded by the attacker and said, “Go, old man.”

“Tha, thank you.”

The old man belatedly realized that the person who had saved him was the man who had recently opened a cloth shop.

Unlike the old man, who hurriedly fled the scene, the face of the man wielding the giant pointed sword turned red with exertion.

No matter how hard he tried to pull the sword free, it wouldn’t budge.

‘Damn it!’

He had never been so embarrassed.

But the real problem was something else.

It was the man in front of him.

The sheer power of receiving the sharp blade with his bare hands without even flinching was astonishing.

Moreover, the cool, unfathomable depth of his eyes made him feel as if the blood in his whole body was chilling just by facing them.

‘He’s no ordinary man!’

The instinct of a martial artist was screaming warnings.

This was a man with an extremely dangerous aura.

It was then that the opponent suddenly spoke.

“Lightning Sword Wang Deung. Am I right?”

“How did you…?”

The man holding the giant pointed sword smirked.

“It’s not common to see someone with such a conspicuous weapon.”

“Then who are you?”

To Wang Deung’s question, Gok Un-kyung didn’t feel the need to answer.

This was because Wang Deung was an opponent who wouldn’t have even caught his attention when he was wandering around the Central Plains in search of sparring partners.

“I’ll tell you the rules of this Muwi.”

Wang Deung’s eyebrows twitched at Gok Un-kyung’s dismissive attitude.

Regardless, Gok Un-kyung continued to speak.

“No matter what happens, martial artists must not harm ordinary people. This includes directly harming them, threatening them, or making them feel uncomfortable.”

Wang Deung, who was glaring at Gok Un-kyung, gritted his teeth.

At the same time, his other hand went into his pocket and emerged holding a dagger with a bluish glow.

It was clear at a glance that it was coated with a deadly poison.

But then, something unbelievable happened.

Gok Un-kyung, who frowned slightly, stretched out his hand and drew a concentric circle in the air.

The dagger, caught in those two trajectories, miraculously escaped Wang Deung’s grasp and was drawn towards Gok Un-kyung as if by magic.

A technique of disarming a weapon with bare hands that was unbelievable even after witnessing it firsthand.

As his hidden card was so effortlessly neutralized, a look of dismay appeared on Wang Deung’s face.

‘Where the hell did this monster come from?’

After a moment, Wang Deung’s pupils shook violently.

He had once heard a story about a person who used such a unique martial art.

“Could it be you…?”

Wang Deung, who belatedly realized Gok Un-kyung’s identity, shouted in surprise.

“Chu Bi-murang [lit. Jade Wall Demonic Wolf]? Why are you here!”

As if it wasn’t worth answering, Gok Un-kyung pulled the giant pointed sword he was holding with all his might.

Wang Deung, helplessly dragged forward by the terrifying force, gasped.

The indifferent eyes staring at him.

The gaze that touched his face was as chilling as a blade.

The sense of oppression emanating from that gaze contained something terrible that defied explanation.

It was as if he possessed the heat of scorching hell and the cold of freezing hell simultaneously.

“You are banned from entering.”

Crack.

“Cough!”

At the same time as the eerie sound of bone fracture, Wang Deung’s figure was launched into the air.

His side, which was twisted at an unnatural angle as he flew, was deeply sunken.

The ribs had been crushed by the knee strike.

Gok Un-kyung approached Wang Deung, who had been sent flying and crashed like a kite with a broken string.

“Although this place is a haven for fugitives, it is also a land of last hope. The only qualification to enter this place is the determination to let go of your former self.”

As he always did, Gok Un-kyung emotionlessly recited the words he had repeated like a mantra whenever he drove out unorthodox martial artists who showed no willingness to reform.

But those words didn’t reach Wang Deung.

He had already been foaming at the mouth and had fainted long ago.

Gok Un-kyung turned around and returned to the cloth shop, leaving him behind.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

“I’m so relieved to have you here, Gok.”

The villagers who met him greeted him with kindness.

This moment was always the most difficult for Gok Un-kyung.

Because he had been suppressing his emotions and living with an expressionless face for so long, it was difficult for him to smile and return their greetings.

It was then.

“Cloth shop ahjussi [a respectful term for an older man]!”

Gok Un-kyung turned around at the sound of a voice calling him.

He saw a girl running towards the cloth shop.

“Mom told me to get the clothes!”

The girl was gasping for breath.

‘I think she said she’s turning eight this year?’

Gok Un-kyung’s lips slightly turned up as he recalled the girl’s appearance when she had come with her mother and proudly showed off her cute hands.

“Here it is.”

Gok Un-kyung handed over the clothes that the girl’s mother had ordered.

But the girl, who received the clothes, hesitated and lingered in the store.

“Is there a problem?”

At Gok Un-kyung’s question, the girl closed her eyes tightly.

Then, she took out something hidden inside her clothes and handed it to Gok Un-kyung.

It was a boiled duck egg.

The girl smiled shyly and said, “It’s a gift.”

“A gift?”

“Mom said so. She said the cloth shop ahjussi is like a guardian deity who protects our village. She said that bad guys can’t even come close because of you, ahjussi.”

Because he couldn’t refuse the child’s sincerity, Gok Un-kyung accepted the duck egg.

“I’ll enjoy it.”

Bewilderment flickered across Gok Un-kyung’s face, who had always been so stoic.

It was because the girl suddenly reached out and hugged his leg.

“Thank you, ahjussi.”

Gok Un-kyung asked with a dazed expression, “Aren’t you afraid of me?”

“No. You’re only scary to bad guys, ahjussi.”

The girl, who had expressed her goodwill in her own way, left the cloth shop as if she was running away, belatedly embarrassed.

Gok Un-kyung, who was looking at her retreating figure, muttered to himself without realizing it.

“Living like this too…”

A faint smile appeared on his face.

“Isn’t so bad.”