The Divine And Demonic Doctor [EN]: Chapter 267

The Divine Doctor (267)

“What do you mean by that?”

“False accusations related to treason carry a heavy penalty.”

Wi Il-rip cast an incredulous look at Wang Sa-jin, who paused.

“Let’s say there were indeed seditious movements related to treason. Do you truly not understand what that means?”

Wang Sa-jin’s face turned pale at Wi Il-rip’s words.

“This means that the Magistrate has failed to govern the people. Isn’t that what he brought upon himself?”

“……!”

That was true.

Even if one were a Jinshi [a successful candidate in the imperial examinations], it was difficult to rise to high-ranking provincial positions such as Jedok [military commander], Sunmu [pacification commissioner], Hakjeong [education commissioner], Ancharsa [investigating censor], or Pojeongsa [police commissioner] without good fortune in officialdom.

Once labeled as incompetent, it would follow him for life.

It was no different from throwing away his chances of success.

Far from being promoted, he would likely spend his life wandering in unimportant posts, eventually dying of endemic diseases in remote borderlands like Yunnan or Hainan.

“Then what should I do?”

“Why are you asking me that? I am not the one who governs this place.”

“Find a way! As an official who has served in the military for a long time…….”

“Ha.”

Wi Il-rip scoffed briefly and glared at Wang Sa-jin with a serious expression.

“Are we your private soldiers?”

As Wi Il-rip stared intently, Wang Sa-jin belatedly realized his mistake.

The other party was a Senior Fifth Rank official.

In contrast, he was only a Junior Seventh Rank official.

Putting aside the ranks, mutual respect was only maintained because neither had the authority to command the other.

The local administration was generally divided into the Seungseon Pojeongsa [administrative and police commissioner], an administrative body, the Dojihwisa [military commander], which oversaw military affairs, and the Jehyeong Ancharsa [judicial inspector], which was in charge of inspection and justice.

These three institutions held independent positions.

Therefore, they only treated each other with courtesy, and one could never raise their voice to the other.

Wi Il-rip cast a pitiful look at Wang Sa-jin.

“So that’s why. Now I understand why the Taoist priest ordered me to confirm it myself.”

Wi Il-rip clicked his tongue briefly and took something out of his pocket, handing it to Wang Sa-jin.

Wang Sa-jin, taken aback, received it and couldn’t help but be puzzled by the signature written at the end of the tightly sealed letter.

“How do you have this person’s letter……?”

The signature read ‘Sukda(叔大).’ This was the pen name of his teacher, his only connection.

“I don’t know the details as it was delivered through an express messenger. He said you would know if it was a reply to the previous letter.”

“Ah!”

Wang Sa-jin was overjoyed and carefully tore open the sealed letter.

Some time ago, he had sent a letter to his teacher, who was the Gamseung (監丞) [Vice Director] of the Gukjagam (國子監) [National Academy], a key position in the central government, informing him of the situation here and asking for help.

However, after confirming the contents of the letter, Wang Sa-jin’s face turned ashen.

The contents of the letter were that shocking.

—As soon as you confirm this letter, rush to Shinma Medical Center and apologize! If your foolishness brings harm to me, I will definitely have you exiled to a remote area and never allow you to set foot in the Central Plains again!

After reading the entire letter, Wang Sa-jin murmured with a blank face.

“How is that brat under the protection of a Grand Scholar (大學士) [Daegaksa, a high-ranking official in the royal court]?”

Although his rank was only Senior Fifth Rank, the Grand Scholar, who was the head of the cabinet, was in charge of assisting the emperor and coordinating the power struggles of major administrative organizations.

He was one of the core power holders in the central political arena.

However, the letter stated that the Grand Scholar had directly warned his teacher.

Moreover, it added that he had barely managed to stop the Dochalwon (都察院) [Office of the Inspector General] from launching an inspection.

At this point, Wang Sa-jin couldn’t come to his senses.

“What on earth is that guy’s identity?”

But what was clear was that he had poked a sleeping tiger.

Wi Il-rip clicked his tongue at Wang Sa-jin, who was standing there with a dazed expression.

“It seems that resolving this matter depends solely on your decision.”

Wi Il-rip was inwardly dumbfounded.

‘How can someone who is at least a Jinshi be so slow to grasp the situation?’

Originally, he was not someone who would spend his life as a local official.

If he simply maintained his position, he would be called to the Hanlin Academy [a prestigious research institute] at the appropriate time.

There, he would write official documents such as the emperor’s edicts or diplomatic correspondence, and after accumulating years of experience, he would build connections as a supervisor of local civil service examinations, and then be appointed to key positions. That was the typical path to success.

But from the very beginning, he was ruining his own future.

He couldn’t understand it at all.

“Look here, Magistrate.”

“……?”

“What should I report when I return?”

At Wi Il-rip’s question, Wang Sa-jin sighed deeply.

“It was my mistake…….”

“Are you sure?”

Wi Il-rip sternly warned Wang Sa-jin, who nodded weakly.

“This kind of thing must never happen again.”

With those words, Wi Il-rip turned around.

Wang Sa-jin, standing blankly and looking up at the sky, opened his mouth after a long time.

“I made a very big mistake.”

Wang Sa-jin said to Noh Woo-sam.

“Call Doctor Dan.”

“Magistrate…….”

“No. I must go.”

Wang Sa-jin hurriedly left the government office.

Only after letting go of everything did he feel like the fog in front of his eyes was clearing.

Wang Sa-jin, not riding a horse but walking slowly, arrived at Shinma Medical Center and was surprised by the crowd of patients.

He had heard about it, but seeing it with his own eyes was a different feeling.

At this time, A-du, who was in charge of receiving patients, approached Wang Sa-jin, who was standing blankly in front of the clinic.

“How may I help you?”

“I came to see Doctor Dan…….”

“Where does it hurt?”

“I didn’t come because I’m sick…….”

Wang Sa-jin trailed off, unable to bring himself to say that he had come to apologize.

But then.

“Huh?”

Nung So-mil, who happened to be passing by, noticed Wang Sa-jin and approached him.

“What brings the Magistrate here? I believe the ledgers you requested have already been sent to the government office?”

Wang Sa-jin sighed.

The ledgers he had ordered had indeed arrived at the government office the next day.

However, there were not enough people to examine and verify the massive amount of ledgers, which filled two carts.

“I came to apologize…….”

“Pardon? What did you say?”

“I came to apologize to Doctor Dan!”

Nung So-mil smiled slightly and nodded.

“You’ll have to wait a bit to see Doctor Dan. He’s currently treating a critically ill patient.”

“How long will I have to wait?”

“About twenty hours?”

Disappointment flashed in Wang Sa-jin’s eyes.

“Then I’ll come again tomorrow……. No, the day after tomorrow.”

The smile on Nung So-mil’s face deepened at Wang Sa-jin’s words.

“You’ll probably have to wait even longer then?”

Only then did Wang Sa-jin realize that Nung So-mil was deliberately doing this to make him suffer.

But what could he do?

All of this was his fault.

“I’ll wait. So please just let him know that I’ve come.”

Nung So-mil nodded and pulled A-du into the clinic.

“Why did you do that? Master Gok is currently practicing martial arts with an old woman.”

“Tenfold.”

“Yes?”

“Anyone who disrespects Doctor Dan will have it returned tenfold, whatever it is. That guy made Doctor Dan wait for two hours.”

“Ah!”

“I’ll take responsibility, so don’t let the doctor know that he’s here. I have urgent business to attend to at the merchant guild.”

Nung So-mil disappeared in a flash, leaving A-du nodding behind him.

“Ah!”

Disappointment leaked from A-du’s mouth immediately after that.

Two people were strolling towards the entrance.

It was because he had discovered Cho Ak-ryang and Beom Gye-wi.

A-du hurriedly started running somewhere at the sight of the two men exuding a dangerous aura.

Meanwhile, Wang Sa-jin, who was waiting alone for Dan Ak-seon, felt very uncomfortable, as if sitting on thorns, due to the unkind gazes of the people pouring down on him.

But knowing that this was also his share to bear, he stood upright and kept his place.

How long had it been?

“What? Why is this bastard loitering around here?”

Wang Sa-jin, who was wondering why the surroundings suddenly became dark, was startled and turned around.

As expected.

The giant ogre he had seen ten days ago was glaring at him as if he would devour him.

Moreover, an old man with sharp eyes, whose gaze alone made his heart chill, was with him.

He was someone who looked extraordinary at a glance.

But the opponent, who had been silently glaring at him, slightly raised a smile.

“What’s so special about a patient visiting a clinic?”

“What are you talking about? A patient?”

“A sick mind brings greater disaster than a sick body because it makes not only oneself but also others unhappy, like an epidemic.”

“That’s right. He’s a patient.”

Wang Sa-jin hurriedly waved his hand.

“Wait, wait. I think there’s been a misunderstanding…….”

Wang Sa-jin widened his eyes in embarrassment.

Suddenly, his solar plexus felt a sting, and he couldn’t speak.

Even his whole body stiffened, and he couldn’t even move a finger.

“If you come to the clinic, you have to get treatment, right?”

Beom Gye-wi, who had already approached, grabbed Wang Sa-jin’s pulse.

“This is treatment. Others pay money to receive it.”

“……!”

Wang Sa-jin widened his eyes as if they would tear.

Suddenly, something hot began to run through his body.

But the pain was so terrible that even he, who prided himself on his writing skills, could not describe it in words.

It felt like molten iron was stirring all over his body.

Even so, he, the person involved, couldn’t even scream.

Beom Gye-wi was already a master of internal energy at the level of a Great Grandmaster.

He knew better than anyone how to manipulate his energy to make the other person feel the greatest pain.

Just as even the best medicine can become poison if misused, treatment methods can also become the ultimate means of torture if used differently.

How much time had passed?

Beom Gye-wi withdrew his internal energy and stepped back just before Wang Sa-jin fainted.

Cho Ak-ryang approached Wang Sa-jin, who was pale and breathing heavily.

Then, he lightly flicked his finger to release the blocked blood points.

“Are you upset?”

Wang Sa-jin tried to say something but closed his mouth.

Cho Ak-ryang gave him a cold smile.

“Non-interference of the government in martial affairs.”

“……?”

“We just broke that unwritten rule.”

At those words, Beom Gye-wi flared up.

“Brother Cho, I just treated him, okay?”

“Do we need to hide our true intentions?”

“I guess not. You’re right.”

As Beom Gye-wi agreed, Cho Ak-ryang’s gaze returned to Wang Sa-jin.

“What are you going to do now?”

A dignified gaze and a confident voice.

Wang Sa-jin could not dare to meet his gaze and lowered his head.

* * *

A-du arrived at the place where Dan Ak-seon and Han Seol-hwa were chatting over tea.

“You’ve become accustomed to loading Qi [vital energy]. If you become a little more proficient, you can use it for defense as well as offense.”

“I still don’t quite get it. I don’t know what it feels like to create a protective shield.”

“You’ll get used to it gradually. Don’t rush too much. Qi cultivation is like a double-edged sword, and mistakes can lead to internal injuries. Therefore, the key is to maintain composure in any situation.”

“Yes. I’ll keep that in mind.”

Then, Dan Ak-seon, who suddenly felt a presence, turned his head.

Dan Ak-seon smiled and waved his hand as he discovered A-du running in a hurry.

“Brother A-du. Welcome.”

A-du greeted Dan Ak-seon and Han Seol-hwa and explained the situation that had just happened in detail.

“Is that so?”

Dan Ak-seon sighed and inadvertently got up from his seat.

A-du also tried to turn his body to match him, but suddenly Dan Ak-seon stopped in his place.

Dan Ak-seon, leaving A-du unable to hide his confusion, thought about something for a moment.

“Thank you for letting me know, Brother A-du. I’ll go later.”

Dan Ak-seon, who sat back in his seat, leisurely lifted his teacup.

“I’m busy right now because I’m having a very important conversation.”