The Divine And Demonic Doctor [EN]: Chapter 316

Divine Doctor of Primacy (316)

A cylindrical object, about the length of a finger.

At first glance, its purpose was hard to discern.

The material, carved from ivory, was unique, but offered no immediate clues.

No other distinguishing features were apparent.

Click.

“Ah!”

A gasp escaped Dan Akseon’s lips.

Just to be thorough, he’d been turning it over and over, until the end cap finally popped open.

Revealing an empty interior.

“Just a simple storage case, then.”

A hint of disappointment flickered across Dan Akseon’s face.

He’d secretly hoped for something more significant, considering it belonged to someone of Amjon’s stature.

Dan Akseon carefully extracted a rolled-up piece of paper from inside.

Unfurled, it was about the size of his palm.

A blank white sheet, devoid of any markings.

Cho Akryang, after receiving it from Dan Akseon and scrutinizing it, tilted his head in puzzlement.

“I can’t detect anything particularly unusual.”

He tried wetting a corner and holding it to the light, but it remained stubbornly ordinary paper.

Dan Akseon’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

“It’s so unremarkable, it’s almost *too* unremarkable… This has to be deliberate.”

Cho Akryang, initially puzzled, nodded as Dan Akseon elaborated.

“It’s odd. Someone who carries only the bare essentials, including concealed weapons, wouldn’t carry something like this without a reason. It must have some hidden purpose.”

It was a logical point.

Dan Akseon brought the paper to his nose, inhaling deeply.

Not satisfied, he tore off a tiny piece, placed it in his mouth, and tasted it.

After a moment, Cho Akryang noticed a subtle shift in Dan Akseon’s expression.

“What is it?”

“It’s not just plain paper. It’s been treated with something… medicinal. I can detect a faint medicinal scent.”

Dan Akseon, still pondering, retrieved his portable writing set and began to write on the paper.

However, after a considerable time, no changes were visible.

‘There has to be more to it…’

If high-ranking members of the Demonic Sect were exchanging messages, confidentiality would be paramount.

Security measures would undoubtedly be in place to protect the information from prying eyes.

With that in mind, Dan Akseon began to re-examine the storage case.

‘Wait a minute…’

There was one thing he hadn’t checked yet.

Dan Akseon brought the storage case to his nose, sniffing carefully.

“……!”

As he suspected.

He detected a scent distinctly different from that of the paper.

Especially the lid, which he’d initially dismissed, emitted a particularly strong odor.

It was the metallic tang characteristic of mineral-based medicinal ingredients.

After manipulating the lid and applying pressure for a while…

Tok tok.

A gleam appeared in Dan Akseon’s eyes as he tapped the lid.

He realized there was a hidden, double-layered compartment inside.

It was then that he noticed the fine powder clinging to his finger.

A minuscule amount, easily missed without close scrutiny.

Dan Akseon touched it to his tongue, then nodded.

‘Phosphorus (燐), sulfur (黃)… and mercury (水銀)?’

There seemed to be a few other components, but he couldn’t identify them precisely with just his senses of taste and smell.

Dan Akseon began to seriously consider the possibilities.

His eyes sharpened as he contemplated the potential reactions these ingredients could trigger.

Dan Akseon carefully shook the lid of the storage case over the paper he held.

Immediately, the paper began to change.

The area where he had applied water turned a dark, blood-red color.

It was an intense, unsettling hue.

Dan Akseon quickly dabbed water on his finger and wrote letters on the paper.

The water evaporated rapidly, leaving no visible trace.

But when he sprinkled the fine powder from the lid over it, the letters he’d written with water became clearly visible.

“I knew it.”

Dan Akseon held out the paper.

“This is a type of sensitized paper (感應紙) [paper treated to react to specific substances].”

A paper treated with a special process to react under certain conditions.

Though invisible to the naked eye, specific ingredients coated on the paper react with water, triggering a change, and then interact with the powder hidden in the storage case to change color.

Suddenly, the paper Dan Akseon held crumbled and disintegrated.

It was designed to do so from the start.

Intended for complete destruction after use, leaving no trace behind.

“We should keep this discovery to ourselves for now. It could be a valuable asset at a critical moment.”

There were five sheets of paper in the storage case.

Having used one to decipher its purpose, four remained.

“You figured it out quickly.”

Dan Akseon smiled sheepishly at Cho Akryang’s praise.

“It was nothing. Anyone would have realized it with enough focus and thought.”

Dan Akseon answered casually, but Cho Akryang shook his head inwardly.

If a high-ranking Demonic Sect official heard that, they’d be dumbfounded.

‘Sensitized paper, huh?’

He could easily imagine the Demonic Sect’s efforts to create a secure means of communication.

But Dan Akseon had uncovered it and completely neutralized it.

This was no small feat.

Yet, the person who accomplished it didn’t seem to grasp the magnitude of his achievement.

Cho Akryang chuckled and nodded.

Just as they were finishing their conversation…

The grassland warriors patrolling the area rode back in haste.

Cho Akryang’s expression tightened as he saw them shouting urgently.

They weren’t far from the Blood Cloud Squad’s main base.

Perhaps the retreating forces had regrouped and returned.

But he visibly relaxed at Dan Akseon’s next words.

“They’re saying Myeong cavalry is approaching?”

After the battle, he’d requested reinforcements from Gayokguan and Anmungwan to manage the aftermath.

It was a precaution against a potential Blood Cloud Squad counterattack.

“But why is the atmosphere so tense?”

Cho Akryang looked around, a puzzled expression on his face.

The grassland warriors, previously on high alert, abruptly stopped what they were doing and began mounting their horses.

He couldn’t miss the deep-seated fear and anxiety in their eyes as they quickly formed ranks.

“It’s understandable. These people seem to have deeply ingrained, unpleasant memories of the Central Plains army.”

Cho Akryang nodded at Dan Akseon’s explanation.

There was a valid reason for the grassland tribes’ apprehension.

Several northern expeditions had been launched since the founding of the Myeong Dynasty, after driving out the Yuan [Mongol dynasty].

To them, the regular army stationed beyond the Great Wall was perhaps as terrifying as the Blood Cloud Squad.

At that moment, Dan Akseon called out to the grassland warriors.

“Don’t worry. The troops arriving are allies, here to support us.”

As Dan Akseon reassured the tribesmen, the approaching army came into view.

But the force numbered over seven hundred, by estimate.

Dan Akseon was taken aback by the scale, which far exceeded his expectations.

It was as if half the garrison had been mobilized.

Furthermore, the face of the commanding officer was unfamiliar.

“Ah!”

Dan Akseon realized he was the commander who had departed from Anmungwan.

He’d contacted both Gayokguan and Anmungwan simultaneously, but Anmungwan, being geographically closer, had arrived first.

“I am Yang Hongseo of Anmungwan.”

The commander, identifying himself as Yang Hongseo, approached Dan Akseon directly.

“Are you the person in charge here?”

He appeared to be in his mid-thirties.

He possessed an arrogant demeanor and expression.

Judging by his direct question, he was likely aware of the situation to some extent.

But his expression as he surveyed the scene indicated his displeasure.

Since the Geumryong Merchant Guild party had passed through Anmungwan, he bore some responsibility for the incident.

Moreover, the extent of the damage would undoubtedly lead to reprimands.

That unpleasant feeling was evident in his eyes and tone.

“I require an explanation of what transpired here.”

Cho Akryang’s eyes turned cold at his tone, as if addressing a subordinate.

“He is a physician who has been tirelessly treating the wounded. You can hear the details from the survivors of the Geumryong Merchant Guild.”

Yang Hongseo smirked.

“Your Central Plains language is quite fluent for a barbarian.”

“……!”

“Oh, or perhaps not? My apologies. It’s difficult to distinguish, given your association with barbarians.”

Setting aside the insult directed at himself, Cho Akryang’s eyes flashed with anger at Yang Hongseo’s blatant disparagement of the grassland tribes.

Despite their different ethnicities, they were comrades who had faced death together.

He wouldn’t tolerate such insults.

What fueled his anger further was the sight of the grassland warriors biting their lips, suppressing their rage at the offensive words.

They understood the Central Plains language well enough.

Especially those who had lived as slaves in the Central Plains with Bayan couldn’t have missed the derogatory term.

They were not ones to let such things pass, especially when it came to matters of honor.

But they were holding back, knowing their families’ lives were tied to the Central Plains beyond Gayokguan.

They couldn’t risk antagonizing a Central Plains general for fear of endangering their loved ones.

Cho Akryang was enraged because he understood this better than anyone.

Oblivious, Yang Hongseo continued with an arrogant air.

“I will choose who I listen to. Now, answer me. What happened here?”

At those words, Cho Akryang unexpectedly burst into laughter.

It was a chilling smile that would have sent anyone familiar with him running.

Unfortunately, Yang Hongseo was a military man.

He dismissed stories about the Five Great Masters of the World as mere rumors.

Besides, he had hundreds of cavalrymen at his back.

Cho Akryang strode forward.

Suddenly, Yang Hongseo’s horse reared up, its front hooves pawing the air.

“Ugh!”

Yang Hongseo, startled, grabbed the reins, but the horse rolled its eyes and became even more agitated.

Thud.

“Kugh!”

Yang Hongseo’s face, having fallen from his horse, turned as red as if burning coal dust had been thrown on it.

There was no greater humiliation.

Especially in front of his own men!

Yang Hongseo, belatedly noticing Cho Akryang looking down at him, flinched and froze.

Cho Akryang’s eyes were colder than ever.

He belatedly sensed the murderous intent emanating from him.

“A-are you daring to harm an official?”

A terrifying murderous intent that defied description.

Yang Hongseo, confronted with this, stuttered involuntarily.

Even if he was a martial artist, he was still a subject of the Emperor.

He never imagined someone would openly display hostility towards him, a commander acting under the Emperor’s strict orders.

Above all, he had never encountered a master like Cho Akryang, making this a complete shock.

Just then, someone walked towards Cho Akryang.

“Let’s do it together.”

It was Han Seolhwa.

Yang Hongseo’s face paled, initially confused by her words.

Her eyes, standing shoulder to shoulder with Cho Akryang and glaring at him…

Beyond that, the abyss was opening its mouth, ready to swallow him whole.