The Divine And Demonic Doctor [EN]: Chapter 30

신마의선 (30)

Cho Ak-ryang and Han Seol-hwa nodded.

As they took their seats, the gazes of the people turned back to the entrance.

It was then that someone entered through the first-floor entrance.

He appeared to be in his mid-forties.

The man exuded an eerie aura with his pale face and dark shadows under his eyes.

“Huh? That guy?”

Cho Ak-ryang, who turned his head towards the entrance at Bum Gye-wi’s words, showed a glint in his eyes.

He, too, recognized the man.

“Do you know him?”

At Dan Ak-seon’s question, Cho Ak-ryang nodded.

“He’s a very famous money-grubber in this world.”

“A money-grubber?”

“His name is Sa Mu-shim. Everyone who has dealt with him shudders at his stinginess. So much so that his moniker is ‘Lord of Hoarded Wealth’ (守錢鬼爺) [a derogatory term for an extremely miserly person].”

Bum Gye-wi added an explanation.

“His obsession with money is no joke. And he’s so stingy with spending it, even you can’t compare, Brother Cho.”

Cho Ak-ryang glared at Bum Gye-wi.

“I’m just frugal.”

At those words, Han Seol-hwa’s veil fluttered.

Seeing this, Cho Ak-ryang’s eyebrows twitched.

He couldn’t see her expression because of the veil, but she was clearly scoffing.

And sure enough.

“It’s a virtue for the rich to be frugal, but if a pauper is frugal….”

Bum Gye-wi immediately picked up Han Seol-hwa’s words and echoed.

“It’s just pathetic.”

“You guys?”

They were truly sincere when it came to tearing each other down, if nothing else.

At that moment, Sa Mu-shim, who was entering Howon Restaurant, paused and looked around.

He, too, sensed something was amiss.

Sa Mu-shim turned around and went back out the way he came.

It was then that the people who filled the first floor all unleashed their movements.

“Damn it!”

“Track him down!”

They chased after Sa Mu-shim and quickly disappeared like a receding tide.

In an instant, the inside of Howon Restaurant was empty, with only Dan Ak-seon’s group and five other guests remaining.

“Was that the guy the Murim Alliance [a righteous martial arts alliance] was waiting for?”

At Bum Gye-wi’s words, Cho Ak-ryang expressed doubt.

“Really? He’s a figure from the Demonic Faction, but there’s no real reason for the Murim Alliance to be after him, is there?”

At that moment, they overheard a conversation between the other guests.

“Isn’t that the Lord of Hoarded Wealth?”

“So that’s why Naju has been so turbulent these past few days.”

“I heard that all the Pasadan [a type of martial arts enforcement squad] from the surrounding area have gathered to catch him.”

“The Murim Alliance?”

“Didn’t you know? The Murim Alliance recently declared the extermination of the Hundred Great Evils, didn’t they?”

Cho Ak-ryang and Bum Gye-wi exchanged glances.

The Sa Mu-shim they knew certainly possessed martial skills at the higher echelons of the Black Faction [a term for unorthodox or evil martial arts groups].

But forcing Sa Mu-shim into the Hundred Great Evils instead of the many other villains was quite a stretch. It was clear that there was a reason for his obsession with money.

“That Sa Mu-shim, he’s a decent guy, even if he’s a bit ruthless, isn’t he? I heard he’s saved over a thousand orphans?”

At that moment, the waiter brought the food they had ordered.

“Wow!”

Dan Ak-seon repeatedly exclaimed in admiration at the feast of splendid dishes laid out on the table.

True to its reputation, each of the dishes was a delicacy among delicacies.

The Open Water Cabbage (開水白菜) [a delicate cabbage soup], made with cabbage, had a clear and refreshing broth, and the Chicken Shreds with Sesame Sauce (樂山棒棒鷄) [a Sichuan dish of shredded chicken in sesame sauce], made with chicken, and the Beef Braised in Chili Sauce (牛肉編絲) [a spicy beef dish], with thinly shredded meat drizzled with sauce, also boasted excellent flavors.

Yet, Cho Ak-ryang and Bum Gye-wi only fiddled with their chopsticks, barely touching the food.

Belatedly noticing this, Dan Ak-seon looked at the two with a puzzled expression.

“Are you feeling unwell?”

“Huh? No, I just don’t have much of an appetite.”

At Cho Ak-ryang’s words, Bum Gye-wi subtly pulled out his chair.

“I’ll go to the restroom for a bit.”

Above Cho Ak-ryang’s eyes, a strange light flickered.

“Then I should take a walk.”

The two men, who had risen from their seats, left Howon Restaurant side by side.

Just in time, they ran into Poong Jin-sung, who was heading this way, at the entrance.

“Have you already finished your meal?”

At Poong Jin-sung’s question, Cho Ak-ryang trailed off.

“We have some business to take care of.”

Poong Jin-sung, who was observing Cho Ak-ryang and Bum Gye-wi’s expressions, let out a soft sigh. The quick-witted man couldn’t have missed the murderous intent in their eyes.

“Please be careful not to reveal your identities.”

At Poong Jin-sung’s request, Bum Gye-wi nodded.

“That won’t happen.”

The reason Bum Gye-wi was so confident was simple.

Dead men tell no tales (死者無言).

Because the dead cannot speak.

* * *

“Hah, hah!”

Sa Mu-shim gasped for breath.

His stamina had long since reached its limit, and his entire body felt as heavy as waterlogged cotton. His mouth tasted sweet, but escaping the Pasadan’s inescapable net was still a distant prospect.

Clang!

Sa Mu-shim wielded his signature weapon, the iron ruler (鐵尺) [a short, blunt weapon], to deflect a sword flying towards him.

Thwack.

But at that moment, a secretly approaching throwing knife grazed his side.

“Kuh……!”

A suppressed groan leaked out from between Sa Mu-shim’s clenched teeth. Fortunately, the wound wasn’t deep, but the real problem was elsewhere.

The cumulative effect of these constantly accruing minor and major injuries was finally starting to catch up with him.

Cho Ak-ryang, who was watching the scene from afar, clicked his tongue briefly.

“Tsk, tsk, trying so hard, trying so hard.”

He was putting up quite a fight, but he couldn’t withstand the Pasadan, who were swarming him like a pack of wolves.

Eventually, Sa Mu-shim’s figure, kneeling and collapsing under the relentless, multi-layered wave of attacks that surrounded him, came into view.

A Pasadan member approached Sa Mu-shim and raised his sword high.

But his sword did not strike Sa Mu-shim.

Thud.

Bum Gye-wi, who had suddenly appeared in front of Sa Mu-shim, caught the falling sword.

Bum Gye-wi slammed his fist into the face of the surprised opponent.

Thwack!

The Pasadan member, who had dropped his sword, floated into the air and flew for a long time.

Thud.

The Pasadan member, who had collapsed to the ground, convulsed once and then slumped.

His face was caved in so much that it was unrecognizable.

He was instantly killed without a doubt.

“……!”

A cold silence descended around them.

No one in the area opened their mouths.

In particular, the shock that Sa Mu-shim felt was beyond words.

Having personally experienced the Pasadan’s attacks, he knew their strength better than anyone. But the giant who had suddenly intervened had easily killed one of them as if twisting a chicken’s neck.

He could only be astonished by that overwhelming martial prowess.

At that moment, Bum Gye-wi put down Cho Ak-ryang, whom he had been carrying on his back, and instructed.

“Remember what Doctor Dan told you about not using internal energy.”

“What internal energy would I use against those guys.”

The Pasadan members, feeling clearly disregarded by the two men’s attitude, unleashed their killing intent.

At that moment, a man walked out from among them.

He was a middle-aged man in his late forties with a square face and a sturdy build.

“I am Paeng Mu-wi, the leader of the three squads of the Pasadan, under the command of the Alliance.”

Bum Gye-wi turned his head and looked at the middle-aged man who had identified himself as Paeng Mu-wi.

At that moment, Paeng Mu-wi’s heart sank.

It was because of the chilling gaze of the eerie giant, which gave him a spooky feeling just by looking at him.

It was truly an overwhelming presence.

“Who might you esteemed individuals be?”

Normally, the proper procedure would be to ask the reason for interfering with the Murim Alliance’s affairs and, depending on the answer, issue a warning and demand responsibility. But in the face of the opponent’s presence, he couldn’t bring himself to say those words.

“You seem to be of the Paeng family lineage.”

“That is correct.”

At Cho Ak-ryang’s words, Paeng Mu-wi nodded.

The prestigious family of the Wayist sect [a Taoist sect], which reigned as the overlord of the Hebei region.

His dignified attitude reflected the pride of someone who carried on that family name. But before long, his eyes wavered.

It was because of the scholar standing before him.

At first, he felt that he was just cold-eyed, but other than that, he was no different from an ordinary person.

However, that was just a first impression, and he soon realized that the pressure emanating from his entire body was completely dominating the surroundings.

It was like a mountain, or like an ocean, of stability.

‘Where did these monsters come from!’

And not just one, but two of them.

Paeng Mu-wi’s mind was complicated by the sudden appearance of unexpected masters.

But then.

An unforeseen event occurred that no one had anticipated.

Without any orders being given, the Pasadan members rushed towards the two men.

Paeng Mu-wi’s face contorted.

“No!”

He shouted belatedly, but it didn’t reach the Pasadan members. It was as if they were possessed by something.

Paeng Mu-wi belatedly realized something.

‘Could it be…….’

Without realizing it, everyone here had been gripped by fear.

That was why they had instinctively rushed in like moths drawn to a flame.

It was then that the giant man’s hand moved.

The blurry shadow of his hand seemed to draw a large arc in the air, and then that chilling trajectory overlapped with his subordinates.

“Cough.”

“Cough!”

Cries of agony erupted from here and there!

After that, a cloud of blood mist spewed out.

The cold-eyed scholar also picked up a sword rolling on the floor and walked into the midst of the Pasadan members.

Then he swung the sword in his hand.

It was an extremely simple motion, stabbing forward and slashing up and down.

But the result was not simple.

Each time the sword, imbued with killing intent, drew a milky white arc, someone’s neck was invariably caught on the tip of the sword.

“……!”

There wasn’t even a scream.

Just three breaths.

That was the time it took for all the Pasadan, except for Paeng Mu-wi, to be annihilated.

“W-who the hell are you people?”

Paeng Mu-wi felt a sense of despair at the sound of his voice trembling without his knowledge.

He prided himself on having spent most of his life in the thick of battle.

His martial arts were also good enough to be proud of. But this was the first time this had happened.

Bum Gye-wi replaced his answer by approaching Paeng Mu-wi.

Even that alone made Paeng Mu-wi’s breath catch in his throat.

A feeling of an invisible force gripping his heart.

He could feel the shadow of death looming before him, inescapable by any means.

Paeng Mu-wi gritted his teeth.

If he couldn’t avoid death, he had to at least accomplish the purpose for which he had come here.

Whoosh.

Paeng Mu-wi suddenly turned and swung his sword at Sa Mu-shim.

Whoosh!

A streak of fierce sword energy tore through the air with a chilling sound.

“……!”

Sa Mu-shim’s complexion turned pale as he faced it.

There was no time to react.

The cumulative injuries from fighting the Pasadan were a factor, but he was also greatly flustered by the intrusion of the strange men.

Sa Mu-shim closed his eyes tightly.

But that fierce sword energy did not harm Sa Mu-shim.

Because a man had blocked Sa Mu-shim.

It was Cho Ak-ryang.

The fierce sword energy that had rushed in instantly dissipated into nothingness.

Following Cho Ak-ryang’s hand, which was pressing down and grabbing at a strange angle, the sword energy gradually disintegrated and eventually disappeared without a trace.

“Ha…….”

Paeng Mu-wi was dumbfounded.

It was a ghostly skill that was hard to believe even when the person who had unleashed the sword energy was watching.

How many people in the current Jianghu [the martial arts world] could disintegrate sword energy with their bare hands?

Paeng Mu-wi completely lost his will to fight.

‘Monster!’

No other words came to mind.

In front of the icy gaze staring at him, no amount of determination or resolve was of any use.

“Brother Cho! I told you not to use internal energy!”

“Heh!”

Paeng Mu-wi, who had been standing there in a daze, gasped.

When he came to his senses, the giant man was already within striking distance.

Paeng Mu-wi hurriedly raised his sword.

Clang.

The broadsword, made of high-quality steel, was broken off far too easily.

Thud!

“Cough!”

Conversely, the opponent’s hand was too simply embedded in his chest.

Deep despair rose above Paeng Mu-wi’s eyes.

The hand blade (手刀) [a strike using the edge of the hand] that had broken through his sternum (胸骨) [breastbone] was already an irreversible fatal wound. But as if that wasn’t enough, the opponent’s hand blade began to dig in further.

Crack.

The hand blade, which had crushed his heart and other organs, went straight through Paeng Mu-wi’s back and out the other side.