The Divine And Demonic Doctor [EN]: Chapter 282

Divine Physician of the Demonic Realm (282)

‘How did he know?’

Cho Ak-ryang was speechless with embarrassment when his eyes met someone standing outside the door.

It was Han Seol-hwa, looking at him with a pitiful gaze.

“……!”

Only then did Cho Ak-ryang realize everything, and he shot her a resentful look.

However, Han Seol-hwa simply snorted and turned away, disappearing.

Cho Ak-ryang sighed and opened his mouth to address Beom Gye-wi.

“Actually…….”

“Hyung [Older Brother] Cho! This joke is too much!”

“Huh?”

“Even if you’re jealous of my relationship with Doctor Dan, how can someone of the Blood Demon Venerable’s stature act so petty?”

Cho Ak-ryang was puzzled by his words, but he frowned deeply at Beom Gye-wi’s next statement.

“Well, I understand how you feel. I mean, when I wield the Great Chaos Mace, it’s pretty cool, right? Seeing that, Doctor Dan will definitely want to learn it, and that means she’ll want to spend more time with me. Of course, Hyung Cho wouldn’t like that.”

The Great Chaos Mace, a flail-like weapon with spikes jutting out in all directions.

Cho Ak-ryang unconsciously frowned as he imagined Dan Ak-seon wielding such a gruesome weapon.

“Where does that unfounded confidence come from?”

“Hmph! Your expression says it all.”

“Doctor Dan already has the Dark Dragon! Besides, the Great Chaos Mace is too big for her to use! No one but you can wield it!”

“Then why did you hide it?”

“That’s…….”

Cho Ak-ryang was momentarily speechless.

‘I have no choice.’

Cho Ak-ryang decided to respond shamelessly.

He had no choice but to deny it.

Considering how much he had been messing with him, it was a tit-for-tat situation, so there was no need to feel guilty.

“I didn’t hide it; I lost it.”

“Where did you lose it?”

“There’s an abandoned temple called Daeamsa north of Gaebongbu. Near the collapsed Inwang Gate there.”

“I’ll go find it, so stay put.”

Beom Gye-wi, who was about to leave, tilted his head.

“But you said you lost it?”

“That’s right.”

“Then how do you know the location?”

“It can happen.”

Cho Ak-ryang spoke with a serious look, like someone facing a life-or-death decision.

“Sometimes, inexplicable and mysterious things happen in the world that are beyond human comprehension. Just look at you. How many martial artists in the world would readily believe that you and Hwa-ryeong are married? Even I still can’t believe it.”

Beom Gye-wi stood there, pondering for a moment, then nodded.

“I guess…… Hyung Cho is smart, so it’s possible.”

“Huh?”

Cho Ak-ryang was taken aback that his far-fetched excuse had worked so easily.

As Beom Gye-wi was about to leave the room, Cho Ak-ryang asked.

“But why are you suddenly looking for the Great Chaos Mace? You’ve been quiet until now.”

“We’re going to have to fight those Demonic Cult bastards soon. I want to make sure they’re dealt with properly. It hurts more when you get hit with the Great Chaos Mace.”

Watching Beom Gye-wi’s retreating figure, Cho Ak-ryang sighed once more.

‘The good times are over.’

He was sure his body would start itching as soon as he held the Great Chaos Mace.

There was a high possibility that he would be provoked to settle their unfinished score.

‘I need to loosen up my body against those guys first.’

A flash of light flickered in Cho Ak-ryang’s eyes as he thought of the Sichuan Tang Clan.

He also needed to settle some old scores.

He didn’t know how they would respond, but based on their past actions, they would definitely be different from the Namgung Clan or the Shaolin Temple.

Since Dan Ak-seon had entrusted everything to his methods, there was no need to endure any longer.

They had already been given enough opportunities and time to apologize.

* * *

A few days later.

Dan Ak-seon, who was seeing Cho Ak-ryang off as he set out alone, gave him a worried look.

“Are you really going to be alright?”

“I must go alone. Only then can I elicit their honest reaction.”

Dan Ak-seon sighed softly.

“I’ve decided to follow your plan for this, so I’ll trust you and leave it to you.”

Cho Ak-ryang smiled and nodded.

“There’s nothing to worry about. Haven’t I already made thorough preparations? In half a day, I’ll be able to see how they’ll react.”

“Okay.”

Just as Cho Ak-ryang was about to turn around, Beom Gye-wi opened his mouth with a suspicious expression.

“This is making me uneasy. You’re not going to get beaten up again where no one can see, are you?”

“What, you?”

Beom Gye-wi grinned at the flustered Cho Ak-ryang.

“Don’t worry. I’ll save you again if that happens.”

Despite Cho Ak-ryang’s fierce glare, Beom Gye-wi slung the Great Chaos Mace over his shoulder.

“Don’t feel burdened. It’s only natural for the chief of the Ten Evils to take care of his subordinates.”

With only themselves and the Evil Tiger Corps remaining of the Ten Evils.

Cho Ak-ryang felt like his energy was being drained even before he encountered the Tang Clan.

“……Fine, you’re so great.”

Cho Ak-ryang, who had scolded Beom Gye-wi, slowly turned around.

“But there won’t be any share left for you.”

With those words, Cho Ak-ryang soared away.

Beom Gye-wi chuckled as he watched Cho Ak-ryang disappear into a small dot in an instant.

“He’s just embarrassed.”

Han Seol-hwa shook her head, utterly speechless at Beom Gye-wi’s words, which Cho Ak-ryang would have flown into a rage if he had heard.

* * *

The Tang Clan Manor, located in Gaixian, Sichuan Province.

Among the magnificent and splendid buildings that lined the area, there was one particularly plain-looking cottage.

This made the building stand out even more.

It was the Hyeonjung Pavilion.

It was the office of the current Clan Lord and the place where all major affairs of the Tang Clan were discussed and decided.

This was due to the symbolism of the Hyeonjung Pavilion.

It was the first place where Tang Jeong, the first Clan Lord of the Tang Clan, laid the foundation and erected the pillars.

It was no exaggeration to say that all the prosperity enjoyed by the Tang Clan began with him, so the Hyeonjung Pavilion held a special meaning for everyone with the Tang surname.

This was why they did not carelessly touch a single wooden nail or a single straw thatch on the roof of the Hyeonjung Pavilion.

It was to honor and never forget Tang Jeong, the first Clan Lord.

As such, it symbolized the history and authority of the Tang Clan.

A large circular table was located in the center of the Hyeonjung Pavilion.

A middle-aged man with sharp eyes, sitting at the head of the table, frowned at the report from his subordinate.

“As you instructed, Tang-ryeong is currently confined to the secret cave where the poisons are stored.”

“His resentment towards me must be great.”

At the words of Tang Gok, the current Clan Lord, Tang Jong-ho, who held the position of Chief of External Affairs, chuckled.

“He brought it upon himself, so who would he dare blame? He should be grateful that he’s still alive.”

“I hear the elders are still petitioning?”

“They are shameless old men who demand something else as soon as you give them one thing. If we release Tang-ryeong from his confinement as they say, they will surely petition to restore his position as the Lord of the Tang Clan Manor.”

Deep lines were etched between Tang Gok’s eyebrows.

‘How could that foolish bloodline be any different?’

Thinking of his foolish nephew, who had followed in his father’s footsteps, made his blood boil.

What good were the Martial Alliance and the Five Great Clans?

‘The clan comes first above all else…….’

Cheonsuamje Tang Pyeong, the previous Clan Lord.

He was his only brother before being the legitimate heir of the clan, so he had done his best to support and assist him.

However, he had been swayed by the Martial Alliance and made the worst possible move.

That was to provoke the Blood Demon Venerable.

Even after a combined attack, he had lost his life.

To make matters worse, even the poisons and hidden weapons that were being secretly researched had fallen into the hands of the Blood Demon Venerable.

‘I shouldn’t have trusted the Martial Alliance.’

At first, he had believed the Martial Alliance’s announcement that Cho Ak-ryang was dead.

And he had believed that all the secrets would be buried as they were, which was the root of the problem.

Then, unexpected news had arrived.

The Qingcheng Sect, which had reigned as the overlord of Sichuan along with them, had suddenly been submerged in blood.

By carrying out a bloody revenge on the Qingcheng Sect, Cho Ak-ryang had flaunted his continued existence.

And this had plunged the Tang Clan into internal strife.

The Tang Clan of Poison.

It was a word that symbolized the Tang Clan’s tenacity in thoroughly avenging those involved in the death of their blood relatives.

In a way, it was only natural that a fiery public opinion had begun to rise within the Tang Clan.

Centered around the elders who had followed his older brother, the previous Clan Lord, the argument that they should repay the blood debt had begun to gain momentum.

It was also true that the infamy they had built up over generations had become the armor that protected the current Tang Clan.

However, now was not the right time.

It was because of the young physician called the Divine Physician of the Demonic Realm.

Then and now, most of the Tang Clan’s income depended on the distribution of medicinal herbs.

Since they were basically a place that dealt with poison, they also had excellent detoxification abilities.

The medicinal herbs that the Tang Clan mainly traded in were mostly poisonous.

Pinellia and Arisaema were representative examples.

They were dangerous medicinal herbs that could cause severe abdominal pain and mucosal bleeding, and in severe cases, even death due to respiratory failure.

Poria and Aconitum were also the same.

As they possessed such deadly poisons that they were even used as ingredients for poison, they had to undergo a rigorous processing process before being used as medicinal herbs.

Roasting, preparation, treatment, processing, management, trimming, etc.

After undergoing various methods of preparation, the poison in the medicinal herbs was completely removed before being sold on the market.

The demand for medicinal herbs that had been prepared through the Tang Clan was enormous, and it was no exaggeration to say that it was the foundation that supported the Tang Clan’s economy.

Therefore, they had to be mindful of the eyes of the medical community, who were their main customers.

The problem was that the young boy, the descendant of the Divine and Demonic Physicians, had absolute support in the medical community.

Given that the close relationship between Dan Ak-seon and Cho Ak-ryang was known, attacking him was no different from strangling the Tang Clan’s own neck.

In addition, there was Mangsang Choja and Bingok Seonja [Ice Valley Hermit]…….

If it was just Cho Ak-ryang alone, it might be manageable, but if Beom Gye-wi, who was known to be relentless once he started causing trouble, and Han Seol-hwa, who had a deep bond with the Mount Hua Sect Leader, joined forces, then they would have to worry about the immediate destruction of their clan.

“Foolish bastard.”

His nephew, who had been given the position of Lord of the Tang Clan Manor in order to appease the forces that supported his older brother, the previous Clan Lord, had acted without knowing his place and had ended up being played by Je Gal-yeon’s foolish schemes.

Thinking of Tang-ryeong, who had not only failed to retrieve the hidden weapons and poisons that had fallen into the hands of the Blood Demon Venerable but had also been robbed of the Tang Clan’s treasure, the Blood Detoxification Wine, made him want to beat him to death right away.

Tang Jong-ho carefully opened his mouth.

“There’s nothing we can do about what’s already happened, is there? Now is the time to catch our breath. There’s no guarantee that our clan won’t follow in the footsteps of the Murong Clan.”

“How far along is the process of placing our people in key positions within the clan?”

“We have already completed the personnel assignments for about 90% of the positions, according to your wishes.”

Tang Gok finally showed a satisfied look at Tang Jong-ho’s answer.

“The time is not far off when we will have to clean up the noisy old men who are only good at talking.”

Cutting off the bloodline that had brought indelible disgrace to the clan could be postponed until later.

Now more than ever, they had to move solely for the benefit of the clan.

No matter how despicable and ruthless it was, he was prepared to endure any humiliation for the sake of the clan.

It was then.

“Father, this is your son, Tang-jin.”

Tang Gok wore a puzzled expression at his son’s voice, which was filled with urgency.

There was no reason for him, who had succeeded Tang-ryeong as the new Lord of the Tang Clan Manor, to visit the Hyeonjung Pavilion at this hour.

Tang Gok nodded, and Tang Jong-ho politely bowed and stepped back.