The Divine And Demonic Doctor [EN]: Chapter 256

Divine Doctor of Primacy (256)

Leaving Hwasan and heading towards Muwi.

Cho Ak-ryang and Han Seol-hwa followed Dan Ak-seon, who seemed lost in deep thought, in silence.

After a while.

—I saw it.

Cho Ak-ryang looked puzzled at Han Seol-hwa’s sudden telepathic message.

She sent another telepathic message to him.

—Daecho Jagon [a powerful artifact or weapon].

“……!”

Cho Ak-ryang paused for a moment.

After a while.

—We should prevent troublesome things in advance.

Cho Ak-ryang continued telepathically towards Han Seol-hwa, who was giving him a suspicious look.

—If that thing gets into his hands, he’ll surely make a fuss about fighting properly, right?

—What if he finds out later?

—That won’t happen.

Cho Ak-ryang glanced at Dan Ak-seon, who was walking ahead.

—Doctor Dan doesn’t seem to know that Beop-ryo brought Daecho Jagon. If we keep our mouths shut, how would he know?

Han Seol-hwa gave him a dumbfounded look.

—Are you perhaps afraid of losing?

Cho Ak-ryang jumped up.

—What do you take me for!

It was then.

“Ah!”

Dan Ak-seon stopped walking and exclaimed.

“What’s wrong?”

At Cho Ak-ryang’s question, Dan Ak-seon turned around.

“I’ve been feeling strange. Like I was missing something.”

Cho Ak-ryang, feeling guilty for no reason, smiled awkwardly.

“……Did you know?”

“Did Uncle Cho know too?”

Cho Ak-ryang coughed awkwardly.

Dan Ak-seon nodded towards him.

“Uncle Cho also felt strange, right? Among the family heads who followed Je Gal-yeon to Hwasan, only the head of the Moryong family wasn’t there.”

“Huh?”

“……?”

Cho Ak-ryang, belatedly realizing he had been mistaken, quickly nodded.

“That’s right. Now that you mention it, Moryong Geuk, that guy wasn’t there.”

“It’s strange no matter how I think about it. I thought he would definitely attend since he pushed out the Namgoong family and newly took the place of the Five Great Families. There must be a reason.”

The family heads who followed Je Gal-yeon to visit Hwasan.

For some reason, his absence, which should have been there, kept bothering him.

“I think we need to keep an eye on the Liaoning area.”

Cho Ak-ryang nodded and turned his gaze towards Han Seol-hwa.

Fortunately, Han Seol-hwa no longer mentioned Daecho Jagon.

Thus, the three of them began to walk again.

* * *

Five days after arriving in Muwi.

Dan Ak-seon, who had learned a lot from the martial arts competition in Hwasan, devoted himself to training every day.

The medical clinic was still overflowing with patients, but Pung Jin-sung and Joo Cho-woon were far better than expected.

While he was away in Hwasan, the Divine Doctor Clan had changed its operating method remarkably.

Under the supervision of the two, the doctors subdivided their areas of expertise and took charge of patients.

Thanks to this systematic method, they were able to handle far more patients efficiently than before.

Thanks to that, Dan Ak-seon was able to focus solely on training.

Kwaang!

The moment a dark flash exploded, a large garden stone was crushed as it was, scattering stone powder.

“That’s it, Doctor Dan. It was a great strike with good momentum.”

Following Beom Gye-wi’s praise, Cho Ak-ryang also wore a satisfied smile.

“Joongseok Molchok, Saseok Wihol [Penetrating stone with an arrow, mistaking stone for a tiger].”

“What does that mean?”

“It’s a saying mentioned in the Biography of General Lee in the Records of the Grand Historian [a famous historical text].”

Cho Ak-ryang continued to explain.

“There was a general named Lee Gwang in the old days who was good at archery.”

One day, while walking on a dark night road, a tiger suddenly appeared before his eyes.

Lee Gwang was surprised and shot an arrow.

However, the tiger hit by the arrow did not move, so he approached and saw that it was not a tiger, but a rock that resembled a tiger.

Curious about the arrow stuck in the rock, Lee Gwang shot another arrow.

However, the arrow bounced off every time.

“That is the difference between having a unified thought and not having it. The first arrow contained the unified thought of defeating the tiger, and the later arrows did not have it. And Doctor Dan just did that.”

Beom Gye-wi frowned at Cho Ak-ryang’s lengthy explanation.

“That’s the problem with Brother Cho.”

“What?”

“You can just say you did well, but do you have to show off by using such difficult words?”

“What are you showing off? You’re blaming others for your ignorance, and that’s a big problem.”

Han Seol-hwa looked at the two people, who were invariably growling over trivial matters, with a pathetic look.

It was then that someone approached Dan Ak-seon, who was trying to stop the two.

“Young Lord.”

It was Neung So-mil.

“The Namgoong family head has departed north.”

Dan Ak-seon nodded and gave the next instruction.

“Then, please spread rumors in the border areas through the Shinma Merchant Group. If the Seven Demonic Blades [a group of notorious villains] hear that news, they will come to find the Namgoong family head themselves.”

“I will. But…….”

Neung So-mil hesitated for a moment before cautiously opening his mouth.

“Can he really handle the Seven Demonic Blades?”

“Well, I can’t be sure either.”

Dan Ak-seon turned his head towards Cho Ak-ryang and Beom Gye-wi.

“What do you uncles think?”

“Namgoong Baek is by no means an easy person. It’s not for nothing that he’s called Sword Ancestor Namgoong. No matter how strong No Dan-yang has become, he won’t be able to do anything to him easily.”

At Cho Ak-ryang’s answer, Beom Gye-wi nodded with a nonchalant face.

“That’s right. The divine power he showed before was quite considerable at first glance.”

Namgoong Baek was not just any master to the extent that Beom Gye-wi, who was stingy with praise, readily admitted it.

On the other hand, Han Seol-hwa took a slightly different stance.

“But what if, by any chance, a variable occurs?”

“Variable?”

At Beom Gye-wi’s question, Han Seol-hwa stared at Dan Ak-seon.

“None of us know Namgoong Baek’s true martial prowess. Because we’ve never crossed hands with him. On the other hand, No Dan-yang is…….”

Han Seol-hwa trailed off at Dan Ak-seon’s face, which turned dark in an instant.

However, what she wanted to say had been sufficiently conveyed.

No Dan-yang’s martial arts had greatly improved to the point of killing Lee Rip.

The problem was that Lee Rip’s martial arts were not weak either, even if they were somewhat inferior compared to themselves.

“That doesn’t mean we can lend a hand.”

The other two nodded at Cho Ak-ryang’s words.

Since Namgoong Baek had already declared that he would settle the matter himself, they could not interfere with his actions rashly.

This is because it is a problem directly related to his honor.

“If it’s that problem, there’s a suitable person.”

At Dan Ak-seon’s words that followed, Neung So-mil nodded.

“Chief Escort, Ak Hogeon.”

“Ah! That’s right. So that’s what you meant at the last meeting?”

Dan Ak-seon nodded.

“The Murim Alliance [a martial arts association] will also be watching the movements of the three of you. But they won’t expect Uncle Ak to go there. And if Uncle Ak lends a hand to this and achieves results, the Green Forest [a group of bandits or outlaws] won’t have to be trapped in Muwi anymore.”

If they contribute to dealing with No Dan-yang of the Seven Demonic Blades, who is no different from a public enemy of the Nine Great Sects [prominent martial arts sects], and further break down the Murim Alliance through this, the Green Forest will also gain sufficient justification.

There is no longer any reason to crouch in this Muwi.

“Can you call Chief Escort?”

At Dan Ak-seon’s words, Neung So-mil left the room.

After a while, Ak Ho-gun, guided by Neung So-mil, entered the backyard and grumbled with a dissatisfied face.

“Am I the kind of person who comes when you tell me to come and goes when you tell me to go?”

“It’s time for Chief Escort to step up.”

However, Ak Ho-gun inwardly swallowed at Dan Ak-seon’s explanation.

It had been a long time since he had seen Dan Ak-seon differently, but now he was slightly afraid.

This was because everything was flowing as Dan Ak-seon intended.

Je Gal-yeon, the Seven Demonic Blades, and even himself.

“You must move alone. I’ve already told the Namgoong family head.”

“Okay. I accept.”

Ak Ho-gun nodded.

If the Murim Alliance, a union of noble families, collapses as a result of this incident, it would be a great opportunity for him.

That night.

Ak Ho-gun secretly left Muwi under the cover of darkness.

* * *

A small village located on the outskirts of the northern prairie.

The only inn that provides food and shelter to occasional merchants and wandering tribes was unusually full of guests.

This was because their journey was interrupted by a sudden sandstorm.

The inn, where several rounds of alcohol had already been exchanged, was filled with the voices of drunken people loudly talking.

Thump.

It was then that the inn door opened and a person entered.

Everyone’s eyes were focused on the inn entrance.

Sandstorms poured in through the open door, but no one readily expressed dissatisfaction.

It was because of the chilling gaze of the man with clear bloodstains dried all over his body.

The man, looking around, approached an empty table.

Silence flowed in the hall until the moment he sat down on the chair.

That’s how unusual the man’s energy was.

After a while.

The man suddenly opened his mouth towards the approaching waiter, who was hesitating.

“Bring me dry food. And alcohol too.”

“Um… the payment…….”

At the waiter’s words, the man nonchalantly took out silver from his sleeve and placed it on the table.

The waiter quickly took the silver and brought the alcohol first.

“I will bring the dry food as soon as I finish packing it.”

At the waiter’s words, the man took the bottle and brought it to his mouth without saying a word.

It was when he was emptying the strong liquor in one breath.

Whispering voices from a distant table pierced his ears.

“Come on, come on. Let’s continue the story we were talking about earlier.”

“What story? Ah! That?”

“Yes. They say a famous swordsman from the Central Plains is wandering around here?”

“Is he just famous? He’s said to be the head of the Namgoong family.”

“If he’s the head of the Namgoong family, is he the great hero Namgoong Baek, who cuts hills with one sword and cuts rivers with another?”

No Dan-yang, who was drinking, almost choked.

This was because it was not an easy name to hear in this remote area.

‘Why is that guy here?’

He was wondering for a moment.

The merchants, who were clearly merchants, began to raise their voices again as if nothing had happened.

“I don’t know the reason. But it seems like he’s looking for someone?”

“Ah! If it’s that story, I’ve heard it too. Everyone these days is eagerly waiting to meet that person?”

“They say they give a reward just for answering a few trivial questions, so there’s no choice but to do so.”

“Is that all? They say they always give silver even if you don’t know anything.”

“Damn it! Why can’t I enjoy such a windfall?”

They were excited and chattering, but at some point, they closed their mouths as if it were a lie.

It was because of No Dan-yang, who was opening his mouth with a terrifying murderous intent, who had come closer at some point.

“Where did that guy appear?”

* * *

The site of an old castle that has collapsed and only traces remain.

Namgoong Baek, leaning against the walls that only come up to his waist and avoiding the sandstorm, raised a faint smile.

He quietly gripped the sword he was holding and slowly raised his figure.

A faint figure walking through the sandstorm came into view.

Soon, as the distance between them narrowed, Namgoong Baek was able to confirm the other person’s face.

It was No Dan-yang.

Namgoong Baek, staring at his eyes, which seemed to have a blood-colored haze, slowly opened his mouth.

“Is this all you could run away to?”

As Namgoong Baek took off the bamboo hat and hood to block the sandstorm, No Dan-yang’s face contorted.

“Namgoong Baek……!”

An emotion of undisguised joy arose on his face.

He had been half-doubtful all along as he followed the rumors to this place.

There was no reason for Namgoong Baek, who should be stuck in the Central Plains, to appear in this desolate prairie.

But it didn’t matter now.

The important thing was that the guy he wanted to tear apart and kill was standing in front of him.

“Did you come to see me? Alone?”

No Dan-yang began to chuckle.

“You really don’t know how precious your life is.”

Namgoong Baek, staring at No Dan-yang’s confident expression, opened his mouth.

“I heard you caused a big accident?”

“Ah, that?”

No Dan-yang smiled dismissively as if it were nothing and began to exude a thick murderous intent.

“It’s nothing compared to what’s about to happen.”