The Divine And Demonic Doctor [EN]: Chapter 294

The Divine Doctor of Mount Hua (294)

“The fall of the Tang family has left the Chengdu area a lawless land.”

For the Qingcheng Sect, recently displaced from the Nine Great Sects by the Mount Heng Sect, this was a prime opportunity.

The Qingcheng Sect, along with the Tang family and Emei, had previously divided the Sichuan region into three spheres of influence.

With that structure collapsing, Emei was observing the situation, while Qingcheng was actively trying to absorb the commercial rights and territories formerly controlled by the Tang family.

“They must be planning to seek understanding from other sects through this gathering, and to foster friendships with those who brought down the Tang family. They’ll need to justify their actions, too.”

“Ah…”

For the Qingcheng Sect, forging a new relationship with Dan Akseon and his group was essential.

Dan Akseon nodded. Just then, someone shouted,

“Evil Tiger Lord!”

The eyes of the crowd turned in unison.

Dan Akseon saw a speedboat slicing through the waves.

A figure stood at the bow, arms crossed.

It was none other than Evil Tiger Lord, the Chief of the Green Forest [a powerful, independent group of martial artists, often operating outside the law].

As the boat neared the shore, he leaped into the air.

His figure cut through the air and landed gracefully on the pier.

“Long time no see… Huh?”

Evil Tiger Lord, who had been addressing Dan Akseon, showed a hint of embarrassment.

Having been indebted to the Green Forest in the past, Evil Tiger Lord couldn’t refuse Dan Akseon’s invitation.

But he never expected to run into Jin Jo-un here.

‘Tsk.’

His mouth felt bitter.

And Jin Jo-un felt much the same.

In the past, the two had fought for an entire day and night over some incident.

The result was a mutual draw.

Perhaps because of that old animosity, their gazes were far from friendly.

“To think that the esteemed Sect Leader of the Mount Heng Sect would grace this remote place with his presence…”

“Shouldn’t the Chief of the Green Forest be the one who has been out of touch? I’ve heard rumors that you’re diligently recovering your strength since the Martial Alliance’s control has weakened?”

“It’s nothing compared to Mount Heng, which has newly seized a spot among the Nine Great Sects.”

Jin Jo-un and Evil Tiger Lord.

Both showed their displeasure, but they maintained a semblance of courtesy in their words.

“Anyway, congratulations. I heard you’ve been quite active. I heard you personally killed the Seven Fiends Demonic Lord, the *兇獸* [fierce beast] who harmed the Beggars’ Sect Leader. Well, some say it was a fluke, that you just luckily snatched the last bit after the Namgung Family Head had taken him down? Haha, of course, I don’t believe it.”

Evil Tiger Lord’s eyebrows twitched.

“Shouldn’t the Sect Leader be the one who has recovered the lost Wonkong Treasure Sword? I told you repeatedly, didn’t I? That I, Ak Mo, didn’t steal it by scheming. Turns out the light was hidden under a bushel [a Korean idiom meaning the truth was hidden in plain sight]. Hahaha.”

Jin Jo-un’s eyes turned cold.

To bring up the shame of his sect, his most painful sore point!

“Know that I’m only holding back because of Doctor Dan.”

“Hmph! Look who’s talking!”

They wanted to engage in a life-or-death battle, but both suppressed their rising killing intent with superhuman patience.

This was a gathering arranged at Dan Akseon’s invitation.

Since both were greatly indebted to him, they couldn’t help but be mindful of his feelings.

Byok Dae-kyung finally breathed a sigh of relief as the two turned away after glaring at each other.

He had been inwardly anxious, fearing an unsavory incident before the wedding.

But even then, a new ship arrived.

It was a government vessel bearing the flag of the Imperial Court.

Byok Dae-kyung hurried to greet the guests from the government.

Soon after disembarking, the officials looked around, unable to hide their surprise.

“Hehe, this is truly remarkable.”

“Yes? What do you mean…”

Byok Dae-kyung asked the Governor, who was exclaiming in admiration.

The Governor was the head of the Provincial Administration Office, the agency governing a province.

He was a high-ranking official of the second rank.

The Regional Commander, who had come with the Governor, also nodded and marveled.

“Hehe. I have never seen a wedding of such grandeur. Isn’t it all thanks to the virtue the Sect Leader has built up?”

He, too, was the head of the Regional Military Command, the agency overseeing the military affairs of a province, and a high-ranking official of the second rank.

Having had a long-standing relationship with the Hainan Sect, he had personally attended the wedding.

Before arriving, they had thought they were the highest-ranking guests.

But what was this?

Looking around, they saw the leaders of the Nine Great Sects lined up.

And even the Chief of the Green Forest, the leader of the Green Forest Path Under Heaven.

Although they maintained a distance from the martial world in accordance with the principle of non-interference, they were aware of the status these people held.

“…”

Byok Dae-kyung could only smile awkwardly, at a loss for words.

He, too, was still unaware of what was going on.

Then, he felt a strange sensation.

The bustling atmosphere had suddenly quieted.

Puzzled, he turned and saw the figures of the Nine Great Sects’ leaders casting complex gazes somewhere.

Following their gaze, he identified a group disembarking from a ship that had just arrived.

“Gok Un-kyung!”

“What? Gok Un-kyung, the one obsessed with martial arts who wanders the Central Plains?”

“Who else could it be? Why else would his nickname be ‘Chasing Martial Arts Maniac’? I hadn’t seen him for a while…”

“Hmm… Gu Yu-eumso Jang Gok, and even Dokanryong Yu Gwi?”

“Imae-su Yeom Dang is here too.”

“Heo… Harsimdokjo Yeom Gi, Cheonggeumgwisu, and even Dokryungsaneung Jo Maeng-bang and Hyeoleum Nopong Yang Ik-cheon?”

As the masters of the Demonic Path poured out of the ship, gasps of surprise echoed.

The pier had already been filled with tension due to Jin Jo-un and Evil Tiger Lord.

But with the arrival of martial artists from the Demonic Path, the tense atmosphere spread instantly.

Jeongyeon Shinni smiled knowingly.

“It seems they’ve all flocked here since Muwi was declared a forbidden area.”

Jinmyeong Jin-in responded.

“I don’t think we need to worry too much. Surely nothing bad will happen at a wedding ceremony, right?”

The leaders of the Nine Great Sects nodded.

Even if they had an uncomfortable relationship with these people, they would refrain from causing trouble on a special occasion.

In particular, the Demonic Path had been weakened by several suppressions by the Martial Alliance.

As a result, many survivors had been absorbed into the Demonic Cult.

With their power declining, they wouldn’t exert much influence at this gathering.

However, as they got closer, the leaders of the Nine Great Sects had to change their minds.

Unexpectedly, their momentum was unusual.

They were displaying a considerable presence.

The eyes that had been subdued by the Righteous Path had regained their confidence, and their energy was greatly different.

‘What on earth happened in Muwi?’

Jinmyeong Jin-in was amazed.

It was clear that their martial arts had improved.

The thought that they had formed a single force centered around Muwi sent shivers down his spine.

‘With this much power…’

Even Gok Un-kyung and Jang Gok alone were on par with the elders of the Nine Great Sects.

Even compared to the Green Forest, they were not lacking.

In fact, they were the single force with the most masters gathered.

On the other hand, there were those who welcomed the visit of the Muwi Demonic Path people.

They were Jongri-chu and Jang Cheol-u.

“Hehe. Now it’s our turn.”

“We’ll return the humiliation we received.”

“We’ll make them realize what true bullying is.”

There hadn’t been a day when they weren’t tired because those guys had been so wary of them when they visited Muwi with Byeok Hwa-ryeong.

At that moment.

Thwack!

Someone kicked the two in the butt.

“Who dares…”

“Who’s trying to die… Huh? Sect Leader!”

The two turned and paid their respects, startled.

“Don’t think useless thoughts.”

Jongri-chu and Jang Cheol-u wore wronged expressions at Byeok Dae-kyung’s warning.

“But Sect Leader! If you knew what we went through in Muwi…”

“That’s right. If we forget grudges, what kind of martial artists would we be?”

However, Jongri-chu and Jang Cheol-u hurriedly shut their mouths at Byeok Dae-kyung’s words.

“Hwa-ryeong would be so happy to hear that.”

Byeok Dae-kyung clicked his tongue at the two who flinched.

“Behave yourselves, so no one can say anything later.”

“…”

“The answer?”

“…Yes.”

“I’ll keep it in mind…”

Leaving the two who reluctantly nodded, Byeok Dae-kyung continued to watch the scene with a tense look.

The momentum of the Muwi people was unusual.

The Demonic Path people couldn’t possibly have good feelings towards the Righteous Path, including the Nine Great Sects.

Perhaps that was why the killing intent gleaming in their eyes was as sharp as the energy of generals encountering enemies on the battlefield.

Their eyes were filled with so much resentment that they would have killed their opponents several times over if they could kill with their eyes alone.

But this didn’t last long.

“Welcome! We’ve been waiting for you.”

As one person stepped forward, the atmosphere of the Muwi people changed rapidly.

The fierce momentum disappeared, and they bowed with warm smiles as if they had never shown any killing intent.

“We greet Master Gok.”

“Congratulations on your senior’s wedding!”

The way they treated Dan Akseon was extremely respectful.

Jinmyeong Jin-in was dumbfounded.

He knew the wild nature of the Demonic Path people better than anyone, so the scene felt unfamiliar.

‘It was because of that child!’

Jeongyeon Shinni smiled at Jinmyeong Jin-in, who had finally realized who was responsible for their change.

He had reluctantly attended because of Han Seol-hwa’s reputation, so he hadn’t paid much attention to Dan Akseon.

But now, he realized who was leading the atmosphere.

And this was the same for Byeok Dae-kyung.

Not to mention the Sect Leader of the Mount Heng Sect and the Chief of the Green Forest, even the Emei Sect was paying close attention to Dan Akseon’s every move.

The Qingcheng Sect was the same.

Since they had come to seek a new relationship with Dan Akseon, they were looking for an opportunity to arrange a separate meeting.

And of course, Cho Ak-ryang and Han Seol-hwa, who never left Dan Akseon’s side, were no exception.

Looking back, even Beop-ryo of Shaolin had maintained an extremely polite attitude when dealing with Dan Akseon.

Not to mention the Demonic Path people of Muwi.

They were treating Dan Akseon as if they would give him their liver and gall bladder if he asked [a Korean idiom meaning they would give him anything he wanted].

‘Come to think of it…’

Byeok Dae-kyung looked around and was seized by a strange feeling.

There wasn’t a single disturbance in a place where the Righteous and Demonic Paths were gathered.

And there were even people from the government, who had been shunning the martial world.

It was a more bizarre sight than he had ever imagined.

And he couldn’t deny that Dan Akseon was at the center of it.

“Sect Leader! Look over there!”

Someone’s exclamation of astonishment echoed.

Byeok Dae-kyung turned and found Jongri-chu pointing towards the sea with wide eyes.

Byeok Dae-kyung followed his hand and was startled.

A figure approaching rapidly, cutting through the sea, came into view.

A man running like a ray of light, kicking the undulating waves.

It was the amazing divine power of *Muryeokdapsu* (walking on water without power), also known as *Deungpyeongdosu* (crossing water on duckweed) [both terms refer to the ability to walk on water].

Someone cried out.

“It’s Kang Wi-ryong!”

“One of the Five Greats Under Heaven?”

“Jukwang Dogwi [Bamboo Crazy Sword]!”

Exclamations of surprise erupted.

Koo-oong.

Before the commotion could subside, the elderly man placed the large jar he had been carrying on the ground.

It was a huge jar that two people would have to hold together.

The elderly man looked around and grinned.

“All the old fogeys who claim to have a stake in the martial world have gathered here?”