The Divine And Demonic Doctor [EN]: Chapter 27

The Divine Doctor of Mount Hua (27)

“Not just like a dog, but better than a dog….”

Beom Gyewi, who had been bristling, flinched.

It was because of the sharp murderous intent that flew in from somewhere. He turned his head and saw Han Seolhwa staring intently at him, having arrived unnoticed.

It was then that Dan Akseon’s exclamation was heard.

“It tastes really great!”

Turning his head to look, Dan Akseon was munching on angelica leaves in his hand.

“Really like a d….”

Beom Gyewi, who had inadvertently opened his mouth, hurriedly swallowed his words.

Cho Akryang and Han Seolhwa’s eyes had become even more ferocious.

On the other hand, Dan Akseon seemed to be having so much fun, he started picking angelica leaves with excitement.

Beom Gyewi watched him for a long time before suddenly opening his mouth.

“But Cho, is this okay with us?”

“What do you mean?”

“Shouldn’t we be able to travel this distance in just one day? If we keep dawdling like this, we’ll be slower than a woman walking with a baby in her arms.”

“What does it matter? Isn’t this good in its own way?”

“I guess so.”

Beom Gyewi nodded, watching Dan Akseon running around with amusement.

“It’s quiet and peaceful, but… strangely, it’s not boring.”

As if agreeing with Beom Gyewi’s words, Cho Akryang and Han Seolhwa silently watched Dan Akseon.

At that moment, Dan Akseon lay flat on the ground.

And he began to sniff and rummage through the bushes. It seemed he had caught the scent of some other medicinal herb.

“Really a dog….”

Cho Akryang, who had inadvertently opened his mouth, hurriedly closed it. However, Beom Gyewi, who was nearby, wore a knowing smile.

Beom Gyewi turned his head and looked at Han Seolhwa.

“Well, try denying it.”

“……”

Han Seolhwa kept her mouth shut.

It was because she couldn’t bring herself to deny it.

“Come this way!”

Before they knew it, Dan Akseon’s voice was heard from the bushes far away.

The three pushed through the dense thickets and moved forward. And before long, they found Dan Akseon.

He was next to a small, concave spring that looked like it belonged in a landscape painting.

Even though it was not far from the main road, there were no traces of human footsteps.

Moreover, the spring water was clear and clean.

It was pristine water with a quality rarely found in the Central Plains [a common setting for wuxia stories, referring to the central region of China].

“Let’s have dinner here.”

At Dan Akseon’s words, the three nodded and took their places by the spring.

Beom Gyewi jumped up as he watched Dan Akseon washing angelica leaves in the flowing spring water.

“Still, we can’t just have a meal of greens on a trip.”

Beom Gyewi opened his mouth as if asking for permission, meeting Dan Akseon’s gaze.

“We need strength to go a long way. We need to eat some meat to get strength.”

“Are you going to catch another rabbit?”

At Cho Akryang’s words, Dan Akseon flinched.

“Wh, what are you talking about! I have vowed never to eat rabbits again for the rest of my life!”

Beom Gyewi watched Dan Akseon carefully.

“Don’t worry. Not a rabbit, but something else. I’ll catch something delicious and sturdy.”

Leaving those words behind, Beom Gyewi disappeared into the mountains.

Then Han Seolhwa also got up from her seat.

“Where are you going?”

At Dan Akseon’s question, Han Seolhwa nodded silently.

Then, she took a basket and went in the opposite direction from where Beom Gyewi had disappeared.

“Shall we start preparing?”

Cho Akryang went around and gathered dry grass and branches, piling them up neatly.

Then he took out a fire starter from his pocket.

Opening the lid and blowing air into it a few times, the end of the paper rolled up and placed in the bamboo tube quickly caught fire.

Cho Akryang tilted the fire starter towards the dry grass.

The rough spark of dry grass transferred to the branches, completing the bonfire.

And before long, Beom Gyewi returned with a large wild boar slung over his shoulders.

“Hahaha! How is it? Isn’t it very substantial?”

“Wow!”

This wasn’t just substantial, it was so big that you could believe it was a bear.

Thump!

Beom Gyewi, who threw the wild boar on the ground, puffed out his chest.

“Meat is pork after all!”

Han Seolhwa, who had returned in the meantime, also placed fruits and mushrooms filling the basket on the ground.

From her expression and eyes, it was clear that she was proud of herself.

But this did not last long.

It was because Dan Akseon shouted in surprise.

“Auntie! Those are poisonous mushrooms!”

Han Seolhwa, who was picking up mushrooms, stopped.

At that sight, Beom Gyewi burst into laughter as if to show off.

Han Seolhwa glared at Beom Gyewi before picking out the mushrooms in the basket and throwing them away.

It didn’t matter if there were no mushrooms.

There were still many other things in the basket.

But this time, Dan Akseon shook his head.

“Those fruits are unripe….”

Whoosh.

Han Seolhwa, who threw the picked-up fruit far away, picked up another fruit and looked at Dan Akseon.

Dan Akseon gave a troubled smile.

“That’s a fruit that people can’t eat.”

Han Seolhwa, who was quietly looking down at the basket, asked Dan Akseon.

“Is there anything edible among these?”

“Um… no.”

Thud!

Han Seolhwa, who had lost face, kicked the basket away nervously and turned her body towards the forest.

Dan Akseon grabbed her.

“Aren’t you going to eat?”

“……”

“Don’t be like that, let’s eat together.”

As Dan Akseon grabbed her sleeve and pulled, Han Seolhwa reluctantly sat down. In the meantime, Cho Akryang butchered the wild boar that Beom Gyewi had caught.

After skillfully draining the blood, removing the skin and internal organs, he picked out only the delicious parts and skewered them on branches.

Han Seolhwa received this and grilled the meat, while Beom Gyewi retrieved their wagon from the main road and moved it all the way here.

After a while, when the meat was cooked, the four began to eat.

The unique smoky scent of the bonfire complemented the gamey smell, and with the addition of angelica leaves, it was a delicacy in itself.

After finishing their satisfying meal, a dim darkness began to settle around them.

“It’s late today, so we’ll have to camp here.”

Cho Akryang took out a tent to avoid the night dew from the wagon and set it up.

It was then that Han Seolhwa grabbed Dan Akseon’s hand and pulled him towards the bonfire.

At the moment when Dan Akseon was wondering what was going on.

Whoosh.

Suddenly, a bone-chillingly harsh cold wave swept through the area.

“What are you doing!”

Beom Gyewi roared and glared at Han Seolhwa.

Cho Akryang was the same.

On the heads and shoulders of the two people who were suddenly swept away by the terrifying cold, there was white frost.

Han Seolhwa silently pointed to the ground with her finger.

“……?”

After being puzzled for a while.

Cho Akryang and Beom Gyewi soon noticed frozen mosquitoes lying on the ground.

Dan Akseon, who belatedly realized the situation, smiled at Han Seolhwa.

“Thank you.”

On the other hand, the eyes of the two people who were suddenly caught off guard were not so kind.

Cho Akryang, who was sticking close to the bonfire to melt his frozen body, grumbled lowly.

“Can’t you tell us about this in advance?”

Beom Gyewi nodded and glared at Han Seolhwa.

“I’m saying. Why don’t you say anything after I’ve fixed you? Are you doing this on purpose? To trick us.”

Cho Akryang, who thought it was reasonable, cast a suspicious look at Han Seolhwa.

Regardless of whether they did or not.

Han Seolhwa ignored them and prepared a place for Dan Akseon to lie down.

It was the best location around the bonfire.

At this time, Dan Akseon, who noticed something, stared at one place.

“It looks like there are other people camping besides us.”

In the distance, a faintly flickering light came into view.

The three turned their heads and looked at the place Dan Akseon was pointing to. It was in the direction of the main road, far away from their campsite.

Cho Akryang smiled.

“Now that we’ve finished eating, shall we take a night stroll to digest?”

At Cho Akryang’s suggestion, Dan Akseon nodded.

He was very curious to see how other people were camping.

“It’s dark, so be careful and follow me. Watch your step.”

Cho Akryang began to walk ahead, pushing through the bushes. Dan Akseon also followed Cho Akryang, relying on the moonlight.

How long had they walked like that?

As they gradually approached the main road, a wagon parked on the side of the road came into view.

It was a huge wagon led by four horses, and about a dozen people in the same uniform were standing guard around the wagon.

The bonfires, which they thought were one, were actually four.

However, what caught Dan Akseon’s attention was something else.

It was the colorful flag fluttering on the wagon.

Cho Akryang smiled as he watched Dan Akseon staring at the flag for a long time.

“That’s a transport flag.”

“A transport flag?”

“It’s the flag that a transport guild puts up when transporting goods.”

Dan Akseon looked at the flag and the guards with interest.

Then, for a moment, he made eye contact with one of the guards standing guard around the wagon.

In an instant, the guard’s eyes changed.

He looked like he was about to blow the whistle in his hand at any moment. Dan Akseon was taken aback by the clearly felt hostility.

“I think they don’t like us?”

“They can’t be happy about uninvited guests they meet during transport.”

“Is it always like that?”

“Since security is directly related to the safety of the goods and the guards, the guards basically dislike their movements being exposed. Besides, isn’t it night? Their vigilance is bound to increase.”

“Then let’s go back now.”

But Dan Akseon’s expression was strange.

He tilted his head a few times, but kept turning his gaze towards the guards.

Cho Akryang asked.

“Why are you doing that?”

“There’s a scent of precious spiritual medicine… Oh?”

Dan Akseon, who was talking, hurriedly turned his head. And he stared intently at the transport wagon. He saw the head guard opening the packaging of the wagon and checking the contents.

“This is….”

Dan Akseon’s eyes sparkled.

“It’s the scent of Guji Seonyeopcho [Nine Joint Immortal Leaf Herb].”

“Guji Seonyeopcho?”

Cho Akryang had also heard of it somewhere.

It was a spiritual herb known to potentially make one a god simply by consuming it, as it contained the energy of extreme yang [positive, active energy in traditional Chinese medicine].

Along with Cheoneum Seolryeongwa [Thousand Sound Snow Spirit Fruit], called the purification of yin energy [negative, passive energy in traditional Chinese medicine], it was a spiritual medicine that martial artists would dream of.

Unlike Cheoneum Seolryeongwa, which blooms once every thousand years in the snowy mountains, Guji Seonyeopcho was known to grow in the sulfurous zone of Hongsan [Red Mountain], where lava boils.

“You can smell that scent even from this far away?”

Even after asking, Cho Akryang chuckled inwardly.

Hadn’t he directly experienced Dan Akseon’s amazing sense of smell in finding medicinal herbs just half a day ago?

All the way back to the campsite, Dan Akseon looked back several times with regretful eyes.

“Shall we ask the owner of those goods to sell us just the Guji Seonyeopcho?”

Dan Akseon soon sighed, licking his lips.

“I guess not? Not only is the price high, but the guards wouldn’t trade the goods at will without the client’s permission.”

Cho Akryang felt sorry for Dan Akseon, who had become sullen.

Cho Akryang observed the guards with a serious look.

Then, he suddenly felt a sense of recognition.

It was because the faces of two of the guards were particularly familiar.

‘Oh? Those guys?’

Cho Akryang soon remembered the faces of the two.

They were acquaintances after all.

‘Wait a minute? That means….’

It seemed like there might be a way.

* * *

Late in the evening, Cho Akryang quietly opened his eyes. Beom Gyewi, who was lying on one side, also got up groggily.

“Are you sure those two guards that Cho saw earlier are them?”

At Beom Gyewi’s question, Cho Akryang nodded.

“The Three Shameless Devils. It’s definitely them.”

They were twin brothers with the Wang surname, each using the names Yeomja and Gyeolja, with single-character given names.

However, the twins’ appearances were polar opposites, making the term ‘twins’ seem inappropriate.

Wang Yeom was very tall with a skinny body, giving the impression of a swaying branch, while Wang Gyeol, on the other hand, was short at five feet and had an obese physique of over two hundred pounds, making him look like a large ball bouncing around at first glance.

However, despite their contrasting appearances, the two had one thing in common.

That was that they possessed all the typical characteristics of shameless ruffians.

Lack of face [thick-skinned], lack of shame, lack of awareness.

That was why martial artists were wary and afraid of them, calling them the Three Shameless Devils.