The Divine And Demonic Doctor [EN]: Chapter 240

The Divine Doctor of Primacy (241)

“Young Lord!”

Dahn Ahk-seon, who was making his rounds with the physicians, looked puzzled.

It was Ah-doo, rushing towards him and calling out.

It was rare to see the usually composed Ah-doo so agitated.

However, Dahn Ahk-seon’s face brightened at Ah-doo’s next words.

“The Honored One has returned!”

Dahn Ahk-seon turned to the physicians.

“How many patients are left?”

Joo Cho-woon smiled gently and replied.

“There are three more, but none are in critical condition. We can manage the rounds ourselves, so it won’t be a problem if Doctor Dahn is absent.”

“Then, I’ll leave it to you.”

Joo Cho-woon watched Dahn Ahk-seon hurry away, a satisfied expression on his face.

He knew better than anyone how special the relationship between Han Seol-hwa and Dahn Ahk-seon was, and how much Dahn Ahk-seon had worried while she was away.

“Now, let’s continue the rounds.”

Joo Cho-woon walked ahead in place of Dahn Ahk-seon, and the other physicians quickly followed.

Dahn Ahk-seon asked Ah-doo where Han Seol-hwa was and rushed to her residence.

He found Han Seol-hwa sitting at a tea table, quietly drinking tea. Dahn Ahk-seon hurried towards her.

“Auntie!”

But Dahn Ahk-seon suddenly stopped.

As he got closer, Han Seol-hwa abruptly raised her hand to stop him.

Then, a telepathic message suddenly entered his mind.

—Don’t come closer.

“Auntie?”

Han Seol-hwa sighed softly, her face expressionless, as she looked at the puzzled Dahn Ahk-seon.

—You reek.

“Reek? Of what?”

To Dahn Ahk-seon’s question, Han Seol-hwa replied again telepathically.

—The scent of blood ingrained in your body hasn’t faded.

Dahn Ahk-seon’s eyes wavered.

He belatedly realized what she meant.

Although she had no expression, he could clearly sense the complex emotions in her eyes.

Dahn Ahk-seon forced a smile and shook his head.

“It’s okay. I’m a doctor. I’m used to the smell of blood.”

Despite Han Seol-hwa’s warning, Dahn Ahk-seon approached her without hesitation.

Han Seol-hwa was flustered and tried to step back, but Dahn Ahk-seon reached out and hugged her tightly.

“……!”

Unlike the startled Han Seol-hwa, Dahn Ahk-seon tilted his head.

“That’s strange? I don’t smell blood. I only smell your usual fragrance.”

—The usual fragrance?

“Yes. Like night-blooming cereus [a flower that blooms at night] blooming in the cold snow… a cool and clear fragrance.”

Night-blooming cereus originally grows in warm regions and cannot bloom on snow.

Nevertheless, he couldn’t think of a better way to describe it.

At that moment, Han Seol-hwa’s eyes flickered slightly.

—It’s true.

“Yes?”

—The scent of blood has disappeared.

Han Seol-hwa was bewildered.

The fishy smell of blood that had stubbornly clung to her since leaving the Bukhae Ice Palace [Northern Sea Ice Palace] had disappeared as if it were a lie.

‘Is it because of this child?’

Dahn Ahk-seon, who was hugging her and looking up at her.

Faced with eyes filled with infinite trust and affection, Han Seol-hwa suddenly felt a surge of loneliness.

She wanted to smile back at him, but she couldn’t.

—Thank you.

“I’m the one who’s grateful. Thank you for returning safely.”

Dahn Ahk-seon, who was gazing at Han Seol-hwa’s face, tilted his head.

Han Seol-hwa would usually have given him a faint, soft smile by now.

But there was still no change in her expression.

“Auntie?”

—I’m listening.

“Why do you keep using telepathy…….”

Dahn Ahk-seon’s eyes widened in an instant as his words trailed off.

“Could it be……?”

—I’m sorry.

“Did you return to the same state as before?”

To Dahn Ahk-seon’s surprised question, Han Seol-hwa gave a bitter look.

—It seems to be because I took back the Ice Crystal.

“Ice Crystal?”

Han Seol-hwa briefly explained what she had experienced in the Bukhae Ice Palace.

And as she had promised Dahn Ahk-seon before leaving, she also mentioned the grudges between the Bukhae Ice Palace and herself.

Dahn Ahk-seon couldn’t hide his surprise as he listened to Han Seol-hwa’s telepathic message.

After a while.

Dahn Ahk-seon opened his mouth with a complicated look.

“So, the Ice Crystal is the source that sustains Auntie’s life? And to keep that Ice Crystal inside, you were constantly consuming a significant portion of your inner strength?”

—Similar.

Facing two of the Six Demonic Sovereigns at once was a difficult task even for her.

So, she had no choice but to release the Ice Crystal.

That was the only way to use all of her inner strength.

Even after finishing the fight with them and taking back the Ice Crystal, she didn’t feel any particular signs of abnormality.

The ominous sign came shortly after leaving the Bukhae Ice Palace.

Was it because she had consumed too much inner strength?

At some point, she felt the energy of the Ice Crystal becoming stronger than the inner strength that controlled and managed it.

Along with that, the senses throughout her body began to weaken noticeably.

—There have been similar cases in the past.

Throughout the return journey, Han Seol-hwa did her best to suppress the energy of the Ice Crystal.

But in the end, she couldn’t prevent herself from returning to the state she was in before meeting Dahn Ahk-seon.

It was a long time before Dahn Ahk-seon, who had been deep in thought, carefully opened his mouth.

“Do you remember what I said when I first examined Auntie?”

—……?

“I said that I suspected Auntie had probably reached the Yeonsinhwanheo stage [a high level of Taoist cultivation] a long time ago.”

It was only an assumption, and Dahn Ahk-seon wasn’t sure either.

He had never experienced any similar cases.

But there was no other possible explanation.

Because of the internal coldness that would have killed an ordinary person long ago.

A phenomenon only possible when one has transcended the limitations of the physical body.

“I know why the Yeonsinhwanheo state is so unstable.”

It was because she had not fully gone through the order of Yeonjunghwagi (鍊精化氣) [Refining Essence into Qi], Yeongihwashin (鍊氣化神) [Refining Qi into Spirit], and Yeonsinhwanheo (鍊神還虛) [Refining Spirit into Emptiness] spoken of in the Taoist Yeongipa [Taoist school of thought].

Yeonjunghwagi is the process of accumulating energy by training the jeong (精) [essence], that is, the innate vitality, Seoncheonjigi (先天之氣) [pre-heaven qi].

Based on this, cultivating the shin (神) [spirit] is Yeongihwashin, and training the shin to reach the ultimate state is Yeonsinhwanheo.

It is truly a realm of transcendence beyond the limitations of the physical body.

Since one is not confined to the limits of the body, one does not age or die.

It is a transformation into a literally immortal being.

It was a concept similar to the so-called ascension to immortality (登仙) [becoming a celestial being], where one leaves the physical body and becomes a god.

“The problem is that it’s unstable. I think the reason is probably because of the Ice Crystal.”

—Will I be able to find my voice again?

Although she had no expression, Dahn Ahk-seon could feel the sense of loss she felt.

One only knows what is truly precious after losing it.

For her, it was her voice.

“I’ll have to take your pulse first.”

Han Seol-hwa willingly rolled up her sleeve and held out her wrist.

Dahn Ahk-seon carefully examined her for a long time and frowned without realizing it.

“Multiple fractures… and the internal injuries were serious too.”

The only good thing was that she had improved considerably now.

At best, it seemed that she could completely recover from the effects of the injury with about half a month of recuperation.

As for Dahn Ahk-seon, he could only vaguely guess that this was also due to the effect of the Ice Crystal.

It was then.

“Tch, already here? The good times are over.”

Bum Gye-wi grumbled as he crossed the Winter Gate, followed by Cho Ahk-ryang.

“Seeing you return sooner than expected, it seems you’ve gained something.”

The faces of the two, who had entered without much thought, were filled with bewilderment.

It was because Dahn Ahk-seon’s expression was serious.

Bum Gye-wi, looking back and forth between Dahn Ahk-seon and Han Seol-hwa, suddenly opened his mouth.

“What’s wrong? Doctor Dahn. Is the witch dying of some disease?”

Bum Gye-wi’s face contorted the moment after.

“You shut up! Who are you to tell me what to do!”

Cho Ahk-ryang wore a dumbfounded expression at Bum Gye-wi’s sudden outburst.

“Why are you making a fuss by yourself?”

“The witch told me to shut up.”

“What?”

“……?”

Bum Gye-wi blinked in embarrassment at Cho Ahk-ryang’s still clueless expression.

But before long, Bum Gye-wi realized the situation and glared at Han Seol-hwa.

“Do you feel good making a fool of me? Are you happy? Why the sudden telepathy? Telepathy is…….”

Dahn Ahk-seon sighed softly at Bum Gye-wi, who was growling with murderous intent.

“Auntie is currently unable to speak.”

Cho Ahk-ryang asked in surprise.

“Unable to speak?”

Dahn Ahk-seon explained Han Seol-hwa’s situation to the two of them.

“Oh dear…….”

Unlike Cho Ahk-ryang, who couldn’t help but feel sorry, Bum Gye-wi snorted.

“Humph! Serves you right! Now I don’t have to listen to that annoying voice.”

Bum Gye-wi, who was sneering, frowned and covered his ears with both hands.

“Ugh…….”

Bum Gye-wi soon made a tearful face.

Cho Ahk-ryang smiled bitterly at the sight.

It wasn’t difficult to guess the situation.

If it couldn’t be heard by covering the ears, it wasn’t telepathy.

Bum Gye-wi, who couldn’t come to his senses from the continuous telepathic messages, eventually surrendered.

“Stop it! Stop! I’ll keep my mouth shut now, so please stop!”

Bum Gye-wi, panting roughly, turned his head away from Han Seol-hwa.

On the other hand, Cho Ahk-ryang sighed heavily.

“It’s a situation that reminds me of that time.”

“That time?”

To Dahn Ahk-seon’s question, Cho Ahk-ryang replied.

“I’m talking about when I first met Han Noona [term of endearment for an older sister or female friend].”

“Could you tell me in detail?”

Cho Ahk-ryang cast his gaze towards Han Seol-hwa as if he was in trouble.

Dahn Ahk-seon asked again.

“I want to know the situation at the time accurately. For Auntie’s treatment.”

How could Cho Ahk-ryang not know Dahn Ahk-seon’s feelings of wanting to grasp at straws?

However, it was difficult for him to mention it himself, as it was not his story but Han Seol-hwa’s.

At this time, Han Seol-hwa silently nodded towards Cho Ahk-ryang.

“I can’t help it.”

Cho Ahk-ryang smiled bitterly once and recalled an old memory.

“I first met Han Noona not long after I started the Cheongsan Bloodshed [a period of intense fighting] for the revenge of my master. At that time, the Central Plains was full of guys trying to kill me. That’s how notorious I was.”

Like moths flying into a fire, masters of the righteous sects rushed in almost every day.

Even the great Cho Ahk-ryang began to feel weary of the endless cycle of blood.

This was also why he decided to leave the Central Plains for a while.

While continuing his journey aimlessly, wherever his feet led him.

He met Han Seol-hwa in a cave he had entered to avoid a sudden blizzard.

“At first, I thought she was a frozen corpse.”

Han Seol-hwa was sitting still, leaning against the cave wall.

Her face was pale without a trace of blood, and she had none of the warmth a living person should have.

He felt sorry for her, having died alone in a place where people didn’t visit.

So, he decided to bury her nearby when the snow stopped.

But when he got closer, he felt a faint breath that continued like a thread.

“I belatedly realized she was alive and began to inject her with true energy.”