The Divine And Demonic Doctor [EN]: Chapter 314

‘Too late!’

Dan Akseon’s heart pounded with urgency as he discovered traces of a significant troop movement.

Black Lightning, sensing its master’s anxiety, increased its speed even further.

How long had they been riding like this?

Reaching the spot where he’d encountered the Golden Dragon Merchant Guild the previous day, Dan Akseon saw the chaotic scene in the distance: torches blazing and weapons glinting in their light.

“……!”

Dan Akseon’s expression hardened.

The metallic clang of weapons, the sounds of battle he expected to hear, were absent.

The meaning was clear: a one-sided massacre by the Blood Cloud Squad.

The battle had ended long ago.

A single trumpet blast cut through the night air.

Simultaneously, the Blood Cloud Squad, which had been sweeping through the area, began a perfectly ordered withdrawal.

They had detected the arrival of reinforcements.

“Do not pursue!”

Even as they watched the Blood Cloud Squad retreat like a receding tide, the warriors of Bayan were helpless.

They could have inflicted casualties by pursuing, but that would mean accepting losses themselves.

Against the cunning Blood Cloud Squad, that was a poor choice.

Not knowing what traps might be lurking, a rash pursuit would only increase their own damage, especially in the darkness of night.

“Ah!”

Dan Akseon, arriving on the scene, let out a sigh of regret.

The Golden Dragon Merchant Guild had fallen far faster than he’d anticipated.

He was speechless at the tragic sight before him.

Only yesterday, they had been so full of life.

Now, only gruesome corpses scattered everywhere and the groans of the wounded filled the air.

He couldn’t afford to remain frozen in shock.

“I’ll start treating the injured! Please let me know if you find anyone in critical condition.”

Dan Akseon dismounted and began to assess the situation.

To save the remaining survivors, he had to administer first aid as quickly as possible.

The first person Dan Akseon noticed was Deng Wiping, the leader of the Golden Dragon Merchant Guild.

Blood gushed from a wound near his chest, as if he had been pierced by a spear.

Dan Akseon quickly approached and began treatment using acupuncture and internal energy.

At the same time, he called out to the others.

“Auntie, Uncle, please help me! I can’t do this alone.”

Among the group, only Cho Akryang and Han Seolhwa had even a superficial knowledge of medicine, and they scattered to tend to the injured.

Just then, Jang Gok stealthily approached Dan Akseon.

With Cho Akryang and Han Seolhwa gone, someone needed to protect him.

A heavy sigh escaped Dan Akseon’s lips.

The injured man he had just begun treating had died before he could do anything substantial.

Jang Gok’s heart grew heavy as he saw Dan Akseon biting his lip.

But only for a moment.

Dan Akseon moved on to another patient.

“Ugh…….”

Dan Akseon turned toward the sound of a pain-filled groan.

Nearby, a wounded man lay covered in blood.

Dan Akseon quickly approached.

“Hmm?”

As he placed his fingers on the man’s pulse, a look of bewilderment crossed Dan Akseon’s face.

He had expected a serious injury, but the flow of true energy [qi or vital energy] was surprisingly normal.

Not only that, but for a moment, the true energy within the man seemed to explode, becoming intensely thick.

The wounded man opened his eyes with a start.

“……!”

Dan Akseon felt a chill in his chest.

The man’s eyes were coldly devoid of warmth, filled with intense killing intent.

A terrifyingly eerie energy shot toward Dan Akseon’s chest.

Clang!

A flash of blue sparks erupted, and a tingling shock traveled up his wrist.

He was fortunate to have instinctively raised Black Dragon to block the attack; otherwise, he would have taken the old man’s sword straight to the chest.

But the attack didn’t end there.

Clatter.

The sword, scraping against Black Dragon like a living snake, lunged for Dan Akseon’s heart.

Startled, Dan Akseon desperately retreated.

The opponent’s sword changed in that instant.

It was an incredibly swift movement, hard to believe it was the same man who had been groaning moments before.

Swoosh.

A chilling pain grazed his chest!

He barely avoided a fatal wound, but blood gushed from the cut on Dan Akseon’s chest.

“Young Master!”

At Jang Gok’s scream, Cho Akryang and Han Seolhwa belatedly realized something was wrong.

“Stop!”

Cho Akryang and Han Seolhwa, who had been some distance away, rushed toward Dan Akseon.

At that moment, the corpses on the floor rose.

‘Turtle Breathing Technique!’

Ten swordsmen attacked.

Each one used the Turtle Breathing Technique [a technique to suppress breathing and heartbeat] so perfectly that even Cho Akryang and Han Seolhwa hadn’t noticed.

They had stopped breathing and their heartbeats, erasing their presence as if they were truly corpses.

And not just one or two, but ten of them!

Cho Akryang belatedly recognized them.

‘The Demonic Cult!’

The demonic energy pouring from their bodies could mean nothing else.

‘Does that mean?’

Cho Akryang’s heart sank.

The face of the old man standing before Dan Akseon was particularly familiar.

“Dark Honored One!”

One of the six absolute masters of the Demonic Cult, a member of the Six Demonic Dignitaries.

Though one had died, leaving only five, even Cho Akryang couldn’t disregard the Dark Honored One.

Cho Akryang and Han Seolhwa unleashed their killing moves against the attackers without hesitation, disregarding their own safety.

“……!”

Horrified by Cho Akryang’s shout, Dan Akseon retreated further from his opponent.

He quickly stopped the bleeding from his chest wound while raising Black Dragon to prepare for the next attack.

Seeing this, Gal Hyeon-sang let out a dry laugh.

“Was I a little too lenient?”

“…….”

“Not bad. To avoid that at this distance.”

A cold glint flashed in Gal Hyeon-sang’s eyes.

“Let’s see if you can avoid this.”

In an instant, Dan Akseon saw the old man disappear.

Only the sword remained.

Dan Akseon did his best to concentrate in the face of overwhelming despair.

He couldn’t shake off the creeping fear.

The difference in skill was too great.

The sword exuded an enormous presence, so much so that he wondered if Cho Akryang would be like this if he held a sword.

Instinctively, Dan Akseon leaned back.

Chik.

He was sure he had defended with Black Dragon, but a sharp pain grazed his shoulder.

A terrifying speed he had never experienced before!

He only realized the opponent had moved after the poisonous sword touched his shoulder.

Dan Akseon’s eyes wavered.

He thought he was maintaining his distance, but for a master of the Dark Honored One’s level, distance was meaningless.

Dan Akseon realized the entire space was under his control.

Dan Akseon’s eyes sank heavily.

The single sword aimed at him.

The terrifying energy emanating from it contained an indescribable threat.

At that moment, a second sword flew in.

Dan Akseon quickly twisted his upper body without stopping the flowing blood.

He didn’t see it; he reacted unconsciously to an instinctive sense.

Tear.

The slender, blood-red rapier grazed Dan Akseon’s thigh.

‘Hmm.’

Gal Hyeon-sang was inwardly impressed by the missed attacks.

‘If I had missed this opportunity, it would have become quite troublesome.’

The martial arts possessed by the boy were unbelievable for his age.

But only until today.

A dark killing intent flickered in Gal Hyeon-sang’s icy eyes.

It was the perfect opportunity to deal with the troublemaker who had disrupted the cult’s plans.

And he wouldn’t miss it.

A reckless fool who didn’t know the terrors of the world.

All he had to do was make a small hole in the brat’s heart.

Gal Hyeon-sang, confident in his victory, continued his attacks.

The air screamed each time the cold blade cut through it.

And each time, blood splattered from Dan Akseon’s body.

But even in the midst of this, Dan Akseon concentrated.

He was at a disadvantage, but there was a way to overcome it.

Just one moment.

He had to find that fleeting gap.

Dan Akseon focused his superhuman concentration on the sword.

At some point, he began to see the opponent beyond the sword.

Chik.

Blood gushed from near Dan Akseon’s shoulder.

Dan Akseon’s eyes flashed coldly as he straightened Black Dragon.

Though it was a thread-like gap, he felt a slight void as the sword extended and retracted.

An extremely small space, barely a gap at all.

Dan Akseon’s figure became a streak of light and rushed toward Gal Hyeon-sang.

A bitter smile appeared on Gal Hyeon-sang’s face.

“I’ve been waiting.”

“……!”

Dan Akseon realized he had been deceived, but he couldn’t retract Black Dragon.

It was too late.

Dan Akseon felt Black Dragon, which he had crammed into the opponent’s gap, cutting through the air.

He felt as if a thick mist had unfolded before his eyes.

It was a completely different swordsmanship from what he had experienced.

The Dark Honored One, who had focused on quick swordplay, had changed his method.

The eerie blood-red mist was an optical illusion created by the overlapping of explosively increased sword blades.

But the destructive power was no illusion.

The densely condensed sword energy had materialized, making it a rising martial art more powerful and destructive than any Dan Akseon had experienced.

Dan Akseon swung Black Dragon to clear away the encroaching mist.

Kwaang!

With a deafening roar, Dan Akseon staggered.

A shock ran through him, feeling like his wrist would break.

“Ugh!”

Dan Akseon spat out a mouthful of blood, realizing death was looming.

He saw no way to escape.

Gal Hyeon-sang thrust his sword at Dan Akseon, who stood blankly with a dumbfounded expression.

Thwack.

“……?”

Gal Hyeon-sang frowned.

Just before the rapier pierced Dan Akseon’s heart, a figure popped out of nowhere, blocking his path.

It was Jang Gok.

“Uncle!”

Jang Gok opened his mouth without looking back at Dan Akseon, who was shouting in surprise.

“Get away…….”

With those words, Jang Gok grabbed the blade that had pierced his chest with both hands.

His palms split open, and blood trickled down the blood-red blade.

“Gu Youyinso, is it [Jang Gok’s alias].”

Gal Hyeon-sang recognized Jang Gok, who had once been a recruitment target.

“A pointless act.”

Gal Hyeon-sang lightly shook off his sword as if annoyed.

Thud.

Jang Gok’s severed fingers fell to the floor.

However, Jang Gok embraced Gal Hyeon-sang’s sword even more deeply with both arms.

“To the Young Master…….”

Jang Gok smiled brightly even as he spat out blood.

“……I won’t let you.”