The Divine And Demonic Doctor [EN]: Chapter 295

The appearance of Kang Wiryong brought a hush to the hall. The Heavenly Five, figures of legend said to be the strongest in the world, were now almost fully assembled, with only Yeon Ok-sang, the Moon Spirit Palace Lord, absent.

Dan Ak-seon was taken aback. He’d always considered Beom Gye-wi the tallest man he’d ever encountered.

Yet, Kang Wiryong was every bit as tall, though strikingly thin. Unlike Beom Gye-wi’s robust build, Kang Wiryong seemed almost gaunt, his large hands and feet giving the impression he was balancing a great weight at the end of long, spindly limbs.

Despite his unusual physique, it was clear he was a formidable master. Carrying a large jar on his back while executing the Lightness Skill [a martial arts technique focused on agility and minimizing weight] of Deungpyeong Doseu, landing without a sound, spoke volumes.

Kang Wiryong’s wandering gaze finally settled on Cho Ak-ryang.

“Oh! Who have we here?” he boomed, approaching Cho Ak-ryang with a delighted expression. “Have you been well, Brother Cho?”

Cho Ak-ryang’s eyes turned glacial.

“Do you have a death wish?”

“Keuheuh! That spirit! The Blood Demon Lord lives!” Even Cho Ak-ryang’s palpable murderous intent didn’t faze Kang Wiryong.

“No, is it really so hard to call me ‘hyung’ [older brother]? Who was it that ran away after losing the bet?”

“If that’s your wish, I’ll grant it.”

“Oh! Really?”

“In front of your memorial tablet next year.”

Kang Wiryong studied Cho Ak-ryang for a moment, then chuckled. “Geez, you’re so grim you kill the mood. Forget it. I don’t like it anymore. It’s bad enough getting old, but it’s even more awful to be calling each other ‘hyung’ and ‘dongsaeng’ [younger brother] when we’re all old farts.”

Kang Wiryong’s gaze shifted to Han Seol-hwa, standing beside Cho Ak-ryang.

“By the way, who is this beautiful woman?” He looked back and forth between Cho Ak-ryang and Han Seol-hwa, a grin spreading across his face. “As expected of the Flowerly Young Master from his younger days, old habits die hard? How on earth did you manage to seduce such a beauty?”

Before the words were even fully out of his mouth, Han Seol-hwa’s eyes turned to chips of ice.

*Jjaeng!*

“Ike!” Kang Wiryong yelped, snapping his head back.

An ice blade materialized in front of him, grazing his cheek.

“…”

A chill ran down Kang Wiryong’s spine. He was lucky to have sensed the danger and reacted in time; otherwise, that would have been the end of him. He didn’t even bother wiping away the blood trickling down his face, blinking in stunned disbelief.

Then, Kang Wiryong exclaimed, “Ah! Who is so beautiful, I wondered, but it’s the Ice Jade Fairy, Miss Han, whom I’ve only heard rumors about for so long? Wow, you really can’t trust rumors. Rumors in the Jianghu [the martial arts world] are often exaggerated, but this is so understated it’s practically modest. What’s the use of saying ‘sinking fish and falling geese’ or ‘closing moon and shaming flowers’? If Xi Shi, Wang Zhaojun, Diaochan, and Yang Guifei [four famous beauties of ancient China] were here, they’d be ashamed and throw themselves into the sea!”

Sim-eo (沉魚) refers to the fish that forgot to swim and sank into the water when they saw Xi Shi washing a handkerchief in the stream, and Nak-an (落雁) refers to a flock of geese that forgot to flap their wings and fell to the ground when they heard Wang Zhaojun’s *geomungo* [a traditional Korean stringed instrument] sound.

Similarly, Pye-wol (閉月) and Su-hwa (羞花) also originated from anecdotes: the moon hid itself behind the clouds at the sight of Diaochan’s beauty as she admired the moon in the backyard, and the shamrock plant curled its petals at the sight of Yang Guifei’s beauty as she touched the flowers in the garden.

In short, he meant that no beauty in history could compare to Han Seol-hwa.

At Kang Wiryong’s flattery, Han Seol-hwa’s icy gaze softened ever so slightly.

Cho Ak-ryang was inwardly dumbfounded. ‘Even as they get older, women are still women?’ Come to think of it, only Dan Ak-seon called her “auntie”; no one else dared to refer to her as “Miss.”

Just then.

“Yo, you came?” Beom Gye-wi approached, and Kang Wiryong grinned, patting the liquor jar on his back.

“Yes, I have arrived. This is a gift for your wedding.”

“Hmph… What gift? You’re just handing it over because you lost the bet.”

Dan Ak-seon was once again struck by Kang Wiryong’s height. Standing next to Beom Gye-wi, the two men were nearly identical in stature.

Beom Gye-wi naturally reached for the liquor jar.

In a flash, Kang Wiryong’s hand shot out, knocking Beom Gye-wi’s hand away.

“Not yet.”

“What?”

“There are still three days until the wedding is over.”

A period that felt both long and short.

But one thing was certain: anything could happen. The bet wasn’t over yet.

“Are you going to interfere?”

“Hmph! What do you take me for? I’m always fair when it comes to bets.”

Beom Gye-wi stared silently at Kang Wiryong. Sure enough…

“Oops.” Kang Wiryong, leaning against the liquor jar, suddenly staggered.

The oiled paper seal was torn off, and some of the liquor spilled out. An incredibly rich fragrance filled the air.

It was like honey, like the scent of a thousand flowers… a sweet yet refreshing aroma.

Almost everyone unconsciously turned their gaze to the liquor jar, captivated by the scent.

*Glug.*

Kang Wiryong surveyed the crowd, many of whom were visibly swallowing their saliva, and sternly warned, “Once the wedding is over, this Peach Blossom Spring belongs to Beom Gye-wi. But until then, it’s my property, so anyone who touches this liquor will pay for it with their life.”

He said the words, but Kang Wiryong made no move to reseal the jar.

Cho Ak-ryang chuckled. The slight removal of the seal had been intentional. There was no way a master of his caliber would make such a clumsy mistake.

Dan Ak-seon sighed softly. “Why are all people with great martial arts skills like children?”

“Huh?” Cho Ak-ryang, feeling a twinge of guilt, cleared his throat. “Don’t worry. I’ll keep an eye on him so he can’t play any tricks.”

“You said he’s someone who makes fair bets and accepts the results cleanly, but it doesn’t seem to be the case.”

“He doesn’t usually cross the line. But when a bet is involved, he changes. As I said, he’s crazy about bets.”

“Hmm…” Dan Ak-seon stared intently at Kang Wiryong and nodded. “I can’t help it. I’ll take care of it.”

“How?”

“You said he’s crazy about bets, so I’m going to use that.”

Cho Ak-ryang frowned. “Don’t. He’s a guy who’s far from common sense in the first place.”

“It’s okay. I’m good at handling people like that.”

“I know. You’re certainly good at handling people like th… Huh?” Cho Ak-ryang trailed off, a strange feeling creeping over him.

Listening to it, something felt off. When you think about it, Han Seol-hwa and Beom Gye-wi were also people who were far from ordinary common sense.

The problem was whether he might be included in that category.

But his pride wouldn’t allow him to ask. He didn’t want to be lumped in with the other two, even if it was just a possibility.

In the meantime, Dan Ak-seon was already approaching Kang Wiryong.

Watching Dan Ak-seon’s receding figure, Cho Ak-ryang muttered to himself, “…Could it be me?”

Cho Ak-ryang, repeating his mutterings, suddenly felt a strange gaze and turned his head.

As their eyes met, Han Seol-hwa spoke. “Still, he’s better than that idiot.”

“…?”

“At least he’s aware of it.”

“…!”

Cho Ak-ryang was inwardly dumbfounded. He wouldn’t have minded if it were someone else, but she was the last person who should be saying that.

But he couldn’t waste time with a pointless argument. Stopping Dan Ak-seon was the priority now.

But Dan Ak-seon was a little faster.

“Hello. Are you the Great Warrior Kang Wiryong, known as Jugwang Dogwi [a title implying immense strength and imposing presence]?”

“Huh? That’s right, but?” Kang Wiryong looked down at the audacious little boy who wasn’t intimidated at all, even in front of one of the Heavenly Five, as if he were curious.

Dan Ak-seon smiled and said, “Thank you for accepting the invitation.”

“Invitation? You invited me?”

“You received an invitation in the name of Shinma Euiga [Divine Devil’s Righteous Alliance], right?”

“That’s right, but?”

“I’m in charge of that place.”

Kang Wiryong asked back, surprised, “Are you saying you’re Shinma Uiseon [Divine Devil Doctor]?”

“Yes. I’m Dan Ak-seon.”

“Really? You’re the child that the Divine Devil Doctor got late in life?” Seeing Kang Wiryong asking for confirmation several times, Dan Ak-seon could guess that he was quite ignorant of the rumors circulating in the Jianghu.

“Yes, they are my parents.”

At those words, Kang Wiryong revealed his curiosity. “So? What business does the famous Shinma Uiseon have with me?”

“Of course, there must be something I want to say, right?”

“…?”

Kang Wiryong, puzzled, was momentarily taken aback by Dan Ak-seon’s next words.

“I’m telling you politely, don’t even think about interfering with this wedding.”

“Is that… a warning?”

“No. Let’s just say it’s advice for now.”

Kang Wiryong chuckled dryly and lowered his head to meet Dan Ak-seon’s gaze. “Do you know what that means?”

Kang Wiryong’s aura shifted in an instant. The lanky man who had been giving off a sly smile vanished, replaced by a master with an extremely dangerous look in his eyes, confidently holding one of the Heavenly Five positions.

However, Dan Ak-seon met Kang Wiryong’s gaze with unwavering eyes.

“Of course.”

A strange light flashed in Kang Wiryong’s eyes. How many people would be able to face his fully exposed aura head-on like this?

Moreover, the opponent was still a greenhorn whose blood hadn’t even dried yet.

At this point, he couldn’t help but be intrigued.

“Are you daring to stop me?”

“Of course. It’s a joyous occasion, so there shouldn’t be any trouble.”

“How?”

Dan Ak-seon smiled brightly. “I heard you like to bet.”

“…?”

Kang Wiryong was momentarily puzzled as to why he was bringing up a story that everyone knew, but at Dan Ak-seon’s next words, he chuckled in disbelief.

“Would you like to make a bet with me?”

“What?” Kang Wiryong wore a dumbfounded expression. He had never expected the boy in front of him to suddenly propose a bet.

No matter how much he liked to bet, he didn’t just bet with anyone. At least, he had only faced those who were on par with him or, at the very least, had a high reputation in the Jianghu.

But then, an unexpected thing happened.

“What? No! Doctor Dan!”

“That’s right! Don’t deal with a crazy bastard like that!” Kang Wiryong’s eyes narrowed at the sight of Cho Ak-ryang and Beom Gye-wi hurriedly stepping forward to stop Dan Ak-seon.

‘Look at this?’ He was also a person who had navigated the Sword and Saber Forest [a metaphor for the dangerous and competitive martial arts world] for many years.

He was a man who wouldn’t fall behind when it came to reading the room.

‘Was the rumor true?’ In order to make good liquor, the most important thing was clear water.

That’s why he had been deeply secluded in the remote mountains and valleys for many years. However, he had to go back and forth to the village to get ingredients from time to time, and in the process, he picked up some rumors.

At first, he dismissed it as absurd nonsense. He didn’t know Han Seol-hwa well because he had never met her, but he knew Cho Ak-ryang and Beom Gye-wi’s personalities very well.

The rumor that those two never left the side of the doctor named Shinma Uiseon and cherished him terribly was simply absurd.

But now it seemed that the rumor was not false. Moreover, that wasn’t all.

When he looked around, most of the people in the hall were showing hostility towards him. Starting with Jin Myeong-jin-in of Hwasan, Jeongyeon-sinni of Emei, and Jin Jo-un of Hengshan.

Even the gazes of most of the righteous and evil figures, including Ak Ho-gun, the chief leader of the Green Forest [a group of bandits or outlaws], were fixed on him, flashing sharply.

Kang Wiryong finally realized that all the surrounding atmosphere and flow were focused on Dan Ak-seon, with their displeased eyes.

It was proof that the little brat in front of him occupied a significant position in this place.

He was not one to pass up such a golden opportunity.

Kang Wiryong decided to take the bait. Before anyone else could interfere, Kang Wiryong quickly opened his mouth.

“Alright, I’ll play along. What’s the betting subject?”