The Divine And Demonic Doctor [EN]: Chapter 248

Jegeol-yeon flinched under Beom Gye-wi’s sharp glare.

Even the heads of other clans seemed affected.

Just facing his ice-cold gaze felt like their entire bodies were being sliced apart.

The murderous intent that Cho Ak-ryang and Beom Gye-wi exuded was terrifying.

Among them, only Moryong-geuk, the head of the Moryong Clan, maintained a relaxed smile and calmly met their gazes.

Meanwhile, Dan Ak-seon collapsed once more beside Irip’s body.

Tears welled up in Hong Jeok-mun’s eyes as he watched Dan Ak-seon silently weeping.

How much time had passed?

Staggering to his feet, Dan Ak-seon bowed to Irip.

Then, he stood there like a stone statue for a long time.

Hong Jeok-mun spoke to Dan Ak-seon.

“There is something to show you.”

Hong Jeok-mun removed the plain cloth covering Irip’s body.

“There is no one else I can ask but you.”

Dan Ak-seon bit his lip.

He knew what Hong Jeok-mun was asking.

He was asking for an autopsy.

Hong Jeok-mun’s heart was heavy, but there was no other way.

It was not easy to find a doctor as experienced and perceptive as Dan Ak-seon.

Moreover, he was the only doctor he could fully trust.

Steeling his heart, Dan Ak-seon began to examine Irip’s body in detail.

“……!”

Dan Ak-seon gritted his teeth at the gruesome marks on Irip’s body.

The direct cause of Irip’s death was strangulation.

Both arms and leg bones were shattered.

The tendons and muscles were also cut and tangled.

The perpetrator had neutralized Irip in such a brutal way before strangling him to death.

Dan Ak-seon could not help but be furious at the perpetrator’s cruelty.

Continuing the autopsy, Dan Ak-seon sighed.

“It’s Demonic Art.”

“Can you guess who the culprit is?”

Instead of answering, Dan Ak-seon examined Irip’s body more closely.

Then, he noticed something strange.

It was Irip’s left hand, clenched as if gripping something.

Hong Jeok-mun, who noticed this, sighed.

“I tried, but I couldn’t open it. How aggrieved he must have been…….”

Dan Ak-seon tried to open Irip’s fist, but it was not easy because it had already stiffened due to rigor mortis [the stiffening of muscles after death].

Hong Jeok-mun, watching the scene, opened his mouth with a pitiful expression.

“Doctor Dan has come, Chief. Doctor Dan, whom the Chief liked so much……. The person holding the Chief’s hand now is Doctor Dan.”

Dan Ak-seon also spoke to Irip as if to soothe him.

“It’s me, Chief.”

Of course, there was no reply.

Still, Dan Ak-seon continued to speak.

“Thank you…… for everything. I will not forget the Chief’s kindness to me……. So now, let go of everything and rest in peace.”

Tears streamed down Dan Ak-seon’s cheeks and fell onto Irip’s fist.

And he slowly massaged Irip’s fist repeatedly, as if trying to comfort him.

Without forcing it.

As time passed, Irip’s fist, which had been as hard as a stone, slowly began to open.

Hong Jeok-mun, watching this, tried hard to hold back his tears.

“He must have been waiting for you so badly.”

Unlike Hong Jeok-mun, who was unable to continue speaking because his throat was choked with emotion, Dan Ak-seon could not hide his surprise for other reasons.

“This is?”

Hong Jeok-mun quickly approached, noticing Dan Ak-seon’s unusual expression.

“What is it?”

“He left a clue.”

Dan Ak-seon pointed to Irip’s palm.

Hong Jeok-mun was startled when he checked Irip’s palm.

Realizing that he could not avoid death at the last moment, Irip had carved a clue on his palm that could be used to deduce the identity of the perpetrator.

He tore his skin with his fingernails…….

Afterward, he clenched his fist to hide the traces so that the opponent would not notice.

“Like the Chief…… until the end.”

Dan Ak-seon and Hong Jeok-mun checked the letters left on Irip’s palm.

Seven (七).

At that moment, Dan Ak-seon could sense who the culprit was.

“Please call Uncle Cho.”

Hong Jeok-mun nodded.

Hong Jeok-mun, who was heading out, gave a complicated smile.

“Thank you, and I’m sorry.”

“No. It’s about the Chief, after all.”

“The Chief once said something like this.”

“What did he say?”

Hong Jeok-mun’s eyes became distant.

“That you are the hope of the Murim [martial arts world].”

Shortly after, Cho Ak-ryang, who followed Hong Jeok-mun in, frowned.

It was because of the traces of Demonic Art engraved on Irip’s body.

And he had seen such traces before.

“It’s Blood Demon Energy.”

Seven Severing Demon Lord No Dan-yang.

He was the culprit who killed Irip.

After finishing the autopsy, Hong Jeok-mun immediately announced the identity of the culprit.

“If it’s the Seven Severing Demon Lord, isn’t he one of the Ten Evils [infamous villains]?”

The gazes of the crowd naturally turned to Cho Ak-ryang and Beom Gye-wi.

Because they were also among the Ten Evils.

On the other hand, Hong Jeok-mun stared intently at Jegeol-yeon.

He had already heard about the circumstances that No Dan-yang was related to Jegeol-yeon.

Yet, Jegeol-yeon calmly accepted Hong Jeok-mun’s gaze.

“Does the young lady know anything about this?”

At Hong Jeok-mun’s question, Jegeol-yeon feigned difficulty.

However, Hong Jeok-mun could sense it.

It was not a genuinely flustered or surprised expression.

It was clearly a deliberate act with a purpose.

As expected.

“I don’t know how to say this…….”

Jegeol-yeon, who vaguely trailed off, looked around at the crowd and opened her mouth.

“We all know who is most closely related to the Seven Severing Demon Lord, don’t we?”

With those words, Jegeol-yeon turned her head towards one place.

Following her gaze, the eyes of the crowd naturally turned to one place as well.

A young man, who looked like Namgung-baek’s son at a glance with his handsome features and serious demeanor, stopped.

It was Namgung-ho, the young lord of the Namgung Clan.

Because Namgung-baek had entered secluded training, he was acting as the temporary head of the clan, and therefore attended this event in place of his father.

The crowd buzzed.

“Come to think of it, he led the Murim Alliance’s Evil Extermination Unit.”

Although it had been disbanded, the Evil Extermination Unit was notorious in the past.

Namgung-ho, who was flustered, glared at Jegeol-yeon with angry eyes.

He realized that Jegeol-yeon was trying to shift the blame to his father.

“What do you mean by that?”

At Namgung-ho’s question, Jegeol-yeon calmly replied.

“The person closest to the Seven Severing Demon Lord was the former Murim Alliance Lord.”

“Are you trying to link our clan with the culprit now? The fact that he and my father had a falling out is known to the entire Murim, isn’t it?”

Jegeol-yeon scoffed at Namgung-ho, who was getting agitated.

“Does the young lord know why No Dan-yang followed the orders of the former Murim Alliance Lord and led the Evil Extermination Unit?”

“That’s…….”

Namgung-ho hesitated and stopped talking with a troubled expression.

He also knew the truth from his father, but he was reluctant to mention it in public.

On the other hand, the crowd waited for Jegeol-yeon’s words with curious eyes.

They had long been curious about why No Dan-yang, who was one of the Ten Evils, became affiliated with the Murim Alliance and hunted down the heretics.

“Namgung Dae-hyeop [a title of respect], who was the former Murim Alliance Lord, made a deal with No Dan-yang using the spoils he had obtained during the Righteous-Demonic War.”

Expressions of shock appeared on the faces of the crowd.

Conversely, Namgung-ho’s face turned pale.

Taking advantage of the momentum, Jegeol-yeon asked Hong Jeok-mun.

“Since you performed the autopsy, you must have identified the martial art used by the culprit who killed the Chief, right?”

Hong Jeok-mun nodded.

“It was Blood Demon Energy.”

“How coincidental. The Demonic Sect’s secret manual that Namgung Dae-hyeop promised to trade with No Dan-yang was the Blood Demon Scripture, which contained Blood Demon Energy.”

“Is that true?”

When some of the crowd asked, Jegeol-yeon nodded.

“Is there any reason for me to make up a lie when the matter can be easily clarified by confirming with Namgung Dae-hyeop? Just looking at the expression of the young lord standing over there, you can tell the truth of my words, can’t you?”

The crowd realized that Jegeol-yeon’s words were true from Namgung-ho’s inability to refute and his blushing face.

“Ah! And one more thing. There is something I would like to say on this occasion.”

At Jegeol-yeon’s next words, the already agitated atmosphere in the hall began to stir greatly.

“Demonic Sect’s secret manuals are circulating in the Central Plains.”

Jegeol-yeon added an explanation to the surprised crowd.

“This has been going on for over ten years. The Murim Alliance and I have been watching a certain scheme related to this for a long time.”

The face of Gwangjin Dojang, the leader of the Kunlun Sect, hardened.

Demonic Sect’s secret manuals were spreading in the Central Plains without them knowing!

He had been glaring at the Gilyeonsan Mountains with his eyes wide open, but this was like being hit in the back of the head while his eyes were open.

“Is that true?”

At Gwangjin Dojang’s question, Jegeol-yeon nodded.

“There must be people who have suddenly gone missing from each sect, right?”

Jegeol-yeon did not miss the fleeting embarrassment on the faces of some sect leaders.

“Most of them have probably converted to the Demonic Sect.”

At that shocking statement, everyone was speechless with astonishment.

Jegeol-yeon’s gaze turned to Hong Jeok-mun at that moment.

“The Beggars’ Sect must be guessing as well, right? Or am I wrong?”

Hong Jeok-mun had no choice but to nod.

“The Chief was already investigating it.”

“If that’s the case, I can guess the culprit’s intention. It’s probably to destroy the evidence. He must have wanted to prevent this conspiracy from becoming public.”

Jegeol-yeon, who had once again succeeded in drawing the atmosphere in the hall to her side, threw meaningful words at Namgung-ho.

“But everything has its order. First of all, I think it is a priority to thoroughly investigate the relationship between Namgung Dae-hyeop and the Seven Severing Demon Lord. What do you think? Let’s arrange a separate meeting later.”

It was then that Dan Ak-seon, who had been watching the situation silently, opened his mouth.

“If the story is over, can we mourn the deceased Chief from now on?”

Dan Ak-seon, who was dissatisfied with Jegeol-yeon’s actions, spoke. However, Jegeol-yeon was not at all flustered and retorted.

“Come to think of it, there was a place that needed investigation the most. The Green Forest, who fell into Demonic Art Deviation. We missed the mention of him, who is staying in Muwi. The one whom the Murim Alliance politely requested, but the young doctor there refused to hand over.”

With just a few words, Jegeol-yeon naturally made the crowd’s attention turn to Dan Ak-seon.

“Why are you protecting someone who has mastered Demonic Art?”

At Jegeol-yeon’s question, Dan Ak-seon answered confidently.

“It’s natural for me, as a doctor, to treat patients. Moreover, it’s not just the Murim Alliance that is investigating this matter. We have already been conducting our own investigation independently.”

“An independent investigation?”

“Because I don’t trust the former Murim Alliance. You haven’t shown anything so far, so why should I follow the Murim Alliance’s demands?”

Jegeol-yeon seemed momentarily flustered at Dan Ak-seon’s retort, but she soon regained her composure.

“It’s because of the uniqueness of Muwi. Now that the Chief has passed away, this is no longer just a problem for a few. A huge conspiracy that encompasses the entire Murim is underway. But is it possible to investigate it in Muwi? In that forbidden place where righteous people cannot enter?”

Jegeol-yeon looked at Dan Ak-seon with a sneer.