The Divine And Demonic Doctor [EN]: Chapter 28

“Those bastards, their disguise is disgustingly thorough.”

Cho Ak-ryang chuckled at Bum Gye-wi’s words.

“Still, they’re quite influential within the Black Moon.”

“What are you talking about? They wouldn’t last ten seconds against me.”

“That’s because you’re you. If you were to pick the top hundred experts in the entire Jianghu [the martial arts world], you’d definitely be on the list.”

“Anyway, the fact that they’re here means there’s a high possibility that the Nine Immortality Spirit Leaf is inside that package, right?”

“There might be other treasures as well. There’s no rule that there’s only one package.”

Bum Gye-wi pondered for a moment before looking at Cho Ak-ryang.

“Wouldn’t it be okay to just steal it?”

“Dan Ak-seon would hate that very much.”

“Then what should we do?”

“I have something in mind.”

“Ooh! As expected, Brother Cho!”

Cho Ak-ryang smiled slightly at Bum Gye-wi’s compliment and began to explain his plan.

“The fact that they’re disguised as escorts means they’re planning to seize the package when they get the chance. The moment they reveal their true colors is our opportunity.”

The escorts’ strength alone was not enough to handle the Three Demonic Twin Monsters brothers.

“We intervene at the right time and chase them away. In the meantime, we secretly steal the Nine Immortality Spirit Leaf and hide it.”

Bum Gye-wi exclaimed at Cho Ak-ryang’s explanation.

“Later, the escorts will inspect the package, but they won’t suspect that we, who helped them, stole it. They’ll think the Three Demonic Twin Monsters stole it while running away. And then, after the escort party leaves, we’ll ‘accidentally’ pick up the Nine Immortality Spirit Leaf that the Three Demonic Twin Monsters dropped.”

Dan Ak-seon wouldn’t suspect anything with this plan.

It was then.

“Why don’t we just ask for it?”

Cho Ak-ryang and Bum Gye-wi turned their heads at Han Seol-hwa’s sudden interjection.

At some point, Han Seol-hwa had gotten up and was listening to their conversation.

Her behavior was so natural that it was almost absurd.

“Do you think that makes sense?”

Han Seol-hwa looked at Cho Ak-ryang at Bum Gye-wi’s rebuke.

As expected.

Surprisingly, Cho Ak-ryang nodded with a thoughtful expression.

“That would be good.”

The moment the package fell into the hands of the Three Demonic Twin Monsters, the responsibility would be theirs.

Since they wouldn’t be the ones stealing it, there would be no need to lie to Dan Ak-seon.

“Do you think they’ll give it to us if we ask?”

Cho Ak-ryang and Han Seol-hwa nodded at Bum Gye-wi’s question.

“They’ll hand it over without complaint, right?”

“Especially if the one asking is you.”

Only then did Bum Gye-wi understand and nod his head.

He had forgotten a very obvious fact.

“Ah! That’s right. I was Mangshan Choja [a notorious bandit], wasn’t I?”

Bum Gye-wi smiled as he looked in the direction of the escort party’s campsite.

“Hehe. I’m glad I spared those guys back then. If I had known they would be this useful, I wouldn’t have beaten them up so much.”

At that moment, Han Seol-hwa’s veil fluttered lightly even though there was no wind.

A laugh had unconsciously escaped her lips.

However, when Cho Ak-ryang and Bum Gye-wi’s gazes turned to her, she pretended as if nothing had happened.

Three days passed like that.

“What are those bastards doing? How long are they going to keep testing the waters?”

Bum Gye-wi’s patience was gradually reaching its limit as the Three Demonic Twin Monsters focused solely on escorting, disguised as escorts, for three whole days.

At this rate, they would soon reach a fork in the road.

If their destinations were to diverge, there would be no justification for them to follow.

“I know, right? They’re not usually this cautious.”

Cho Ak-ryang couldn’t shake off his doubts either.

The Three Demonic Twin Monsters he knew were not the type to spend so much time and effort with treasure right in front of them.

“Let’s just ambush them.”

“Hold on. What are you going to say to Dan Ak-seon?”

“Then are you saying we should just keep waiting like this?”

As they couldn’t easily make a decision, a familiar voice interjected.

“Could it be the opposite?”

“The opposite?”

“What if they weren’t hired, but they hired the escorts?”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

“What if they were the ones who commissioned the escort in the first place? And now they’re disguised as escorts to protect it themselves.”

“That’s right! That could be the case. As expected of our Dan Ak-seon… Huh?”

Belatedly, Bum Gye-wi was startled and lowered his head.

Dan Ak-seon, who they thought was asleep, was looking up at him with wide eyes.

“Uh, how long have you been listening?”

“Since ‘What are those bastards doing?'”

“……!”

That meant she had heard everything from the beginning.

Bum Gye-wi, flustered, looked at Cho Ak-ryang. Cho Ak-ryang sighed softly and asked Dan Ak-seon.

“How did you know?”

“How could I not know? We’ve been together for three days.”

Dan Ak-seon said, getting up from the blanket.

“I was curious this morning, so I asked Uncle Bum, and he said those people are very famous villains, right?”

Cho Ak-ryang and Han Seol-hwa glared at Bum Gye-wi, who jumped up in surprise.

“I didn’t say we were going to take back what they stole!”

Han Seol-hwa gave him a look of disdain.

“You just did, now.”

Cho Ak-ryang felt the same way.

“Even stealing requires teamwork.”

Bum Gye-wi wore an aggrieved expression at the criticisms pouring in from all directions.

But that was only for a moment.

Everyone began to gauge Dan Ak-seon’s reaction.

They knew that Dan Ak-seon, as they knew him, would try to stop their plans.

But then, an unexpected thing happened.

“That sounds like a very good plan.”

“……!”

The three of them stared at Dan Ak-seon with surprised eyes at the unexpected answer.

However, Cho Ak-ryang and Bum Gye-wi couldn’t hide their disappointment at Dan Ak-seon’s next words.

They had hoped, but it was as they expected.

“If those people steal the package, we’ll return it to the owner of the package. Then, wouldn’t there be a little room for negotiation?”

“What if they are the ones who hired the escorts?”

Dan Ak-seon wore a troubled expression at Cho Ak-ryang’s question.

“There’s nothing we can do. We’ll have to give up since it’s not something that has no connection with us.”

He said that, but Dan Ak-seon was still staring at the carriage carrying the package with a desperate look.

Cho Ak-ryang, who was watching him, nodded his head.

“Alright. Then let’s first confirm who the client who entrusted the package is.”

“Is there a way?”

Secrecy was the iron rule of escorting.

“Let’s just bring them and ask, what else can we do.”

“Yes?”

Dan Ak-seon couldn’t help but feel bewildered at Bum Gye-wi’s words. It was such an unconventional method of investigation.

But an even more absurd situation followed.

“That’s a good idea.”

Cho Ak-ryang, who they thought would definitely object, readily nodded his head.

Moreover……

“That’s the most certain way.”

Even Han Seol-hwa was agreeing with that opinion.

“If those guys are the owners, things might be easier.”

Cho Ak-ryang, who started by saying that, continued.

“If you’re close, Jianghu people will give you even more precious things than that as gifts.”

“Without any compensation?”

“Didn’t you do that for us?”

“Do you think those people will do that too?”

Cho Ak-ryang, Bum Gye-wi, and Han Seol-hwa exchanged glances and then exchanged meaningful looks.

Cho Ak-ryang smiled and said to Dan Ak-seon.

“Those guys will definitely give it to you. Bum Gye-wi is very close to them.”

Bum Gye-wi also smiled and nodded his head.

“I’m their savior.”

He had only stopped because he was annoyed with killing them, but saving them was saving them, so it wasn’t exactly wrong.

* * *

Around midnight, during the hour of the Rat [11 PM to 1 AM].

The Three Demonic Twin Monsters, Wang Yeom and Wang Gyeol, rose to their feet without either of them saying anything first.

The sounds of insects that had been noisy all night had suddenly stopped.

The two, who had raised their guard to the fullest, looked around. The figures of the escorts, surrounding the carriage carrying the package and standing guard, came into view.

So far, they couldn’t find anything particularly unusual.

But at some point, the two’s gazes simultaneously turned to one place. They had discovered a figure approaching them from beyond the deep darkness.

“See? I told you they were suspicious.”

Wang Yeom nodded his head at Wang Gyeol’s words.

“It doesn’t matter. We’re grateful if they reveal themselves early.”

The scholar and the child they had encountered three days ago, around dusk.

They were definitely from the same group.

In order to prevent any possible incidents, they had placed escorts in charge of reconnaissance in various places. Based on their reports, the two already knew the situation on the other side inside and out.

“But that guy… his vibe is a bit strange?”

Wang Gyeol’s voice was filled with doubt.

Wang Yeom also stared at the other party with a bewildered look.

Instead of secretly approaching under the cover of darkness, he was walking straight towards them.

There were only two cases where someone would reveal their presence so openly.

Either they were confident in their martial arts, or they were fools blinded by greed.

Coincidentally, Bum Gye-wi fit both cases, but the Three Demonic Twin Monsters had not yet realized the identity of their opponent.

Clang.

Wang Yeom and Wang Gyeol secretly grabbed their weapons.

The aura he was giving off was unusual, but he had chosen the wrong opponent.

It was when the distance between them was about one fathom [approximately six feet].

Just as the two were about to make their move.

The other party smiled.

It was a strangely chilling smile.

“Hey, Skinny and Shorty. Long time no see.”

Wang Yeom and Wang Gyeol’s faces contorted.

“Looks like you’ve been doing well? You look great.”

“You crazy bastard!”

Just as Wang Gyeol was about to fly forward, Wang Yeom hurriedly grabbed his brother’s arm.

“What’s wrong?”

Wang Yeom muttered with a pale face at Wang Gyeol’s annoyed question.

“That voice……”

“What?”

“There’s only one guy who calls us that.”

Wang Gyeol’s thick flesh trembled as he belatedly realized something.

“No, way……”

Wang Gyeol muttered with disbelieving eyes.

“Mangshan Choja?”

“Huh? How did you know? I disguised myself properly?”

The Three Demonic Twin Monsters’ faces turned ashen at the answer that came back.

“Shit……”

“Of all people……”

Bum Gye-wi smiled at the two who were in a state of shock.

“Just the two of you, follow me quietly.”

Leaving those words behind, Bum Gye-wi turned around.

“What should we do, hyung [older brother]?”

“Damn it! It’s a curse!”

They wanted to turn around and run away right away. But they couldn’t give up the package, which was as precious as their lives. As they hesitated and hesitated, Bum Gye-wi, who was walking ahead, threw a word.

“Do you want to die?”

The two turned pale at those words.

With expressions that looked like they were about to burst into tears, the two hurriedly chased after Bum Gye-wi.

After a while.

Bum Gye-wi stopped abruptly in a secluded forest far from the main road.

Wang Yeom and Wang Gyeol, who had been following Bum Gye-wi like cows being dragged to the slaughterhouse, also stopped in their tracks.

—Is he really Mangshan Choja?

Wang Yeom nodded faintly at Wang Gyeol’s telepathic message.

—Probably.

Otherwise, this overwhelming presence couldn’t be explained.

—Why is that crazy bastard popping up here?

—How would I know?