The Divine And Demonic Doctor [EN]: Chapter 373

The Divine Doctor of Mount Hua (373)

Won Ji-geuk headed straight for the person occupying the head seat.

A middle-aged man dressed in a dark navy robe.

He was the representative of the merchants gathered in this place.

Geum Daeryong, the owner of the Golden Dragon Merchant Guild, once the best merchant guild in the Central Plains, and a tycoon known for earning the most money since Seok Chung, a legendary wealthy man, was the one.

“I am sorry. Distinguished guests of this meeting have taken the trouble to visit, but I have been so busy that I couldn’t even greet you properly.”

Geum Daeryong slowly shook his head at Won Ji-geuk’s jest.

“You don’t have to worry about it. Everyone knows that the busiest person among us is the head of the council.”

“Since you are so generous, I, Won, cannot help but admire Master Geum’s generosity once again.”

“It’s only been delayed by a little over an hour. We were the ones who asked to see you urgently first, so we should be willing to endure this much. I am grateful just for providing this place.”

Won Ji-geuk curled up one side of his mouth at Geum Daeryong’s polite but subtly sarcastic attitude.

“If someone who doesn’t know the situation hears this, they might misunderstand that I have neglected distinguished guests.”

Geum Daeryong was smiling silently, but he didn’t deny it.

Won Ji-geuk made an expression of injustice at this.

“It seems there is a big misunderstanding between us. I told the vice-chairman to go ahead and greet you with all due respect.”

Confusion settled in Geum Daeryong’s eyes.

It was a story they had never heard before.

“Oh dear. Could it be that you haven’t even greeted each other yet?”

Won Ji-geuk smiled and cast his gaze over Geum Daeryong’s shoulder.

Geum Daeryong turned his head following his gaze and paused for a moment.

At first, he thought it was a shadow created by the flickering lights of the oil lamps.

But it wasn’t.

The darkness in front of him seemed to surge once, and then a figure crouching quietly inside slowly rose and walked forward.

A giant old man with long arms reaching down to his knees and hunched shoulders.

He was a giant with shaggy gray hair hanging down haphazardly.

The huge physique, far exceeding the height of an average adult, even made him feel alien.

But what was most unusual was something else.

It was a pair of eyes revealed through his disheveled hair.

Large pupils filling both eyes so much that almost no white was visible.

Moreover, unlike when he was hidden in the darkness, once he revealed himself, an indescribable overwhelming presence filled the entire conference room.

‘Since when?’

Incomprehension arose on the faces of the guild leaders.

They had been in the same space for over an hour and hadn’t realized the other person’s existence.

The problem was that the person had been listening to the slanders they had been sharing.

“Our vice-chairman is very shy, so he is always like this.”

The guild leaders, including Geum Daeryong, belatedly acknowledged Won Ji-geuk’s jest.

“Now that I see it, you are the chairman’s brother.”

“I am late in greeting you.”

“I was wondering inwardly. I was wondering why only one of you came today, since you two always move together.”

The other of the Jongjae Twin Fiends [Jongjae refers to a specific, powerful family or clan, and ‘Twin Fiends’ suggests a duo known for their ruthlessness].

Won Mu-geuk, the vice-chairman of the White Snake Society, looked at the faces of the guild leaders and grinned.

It was a ghastly smile that created an even stranger feeling because he only twisted his lips without any change in expression.

But that was only for a moment.

Thud.

Won Mu-geuk put down the heavy jar he was holding in one hand on the floor.

Then, he began to take handfuls of something contained in the jar and put it in his mouth.

Crunch.

The complexions of the guild leaders, who had been puzzled at first, soon turned pale.

It was because they belatedly realized that what Won Mu-geuk was chewing and swallowing was poison salt (毒鹽) [a deadly concoction synonymous with the White Snake Society], which was synonymous with the White Snake Society.

The pitch-black poisonous salt was terrible to look at.

The sight of him crunching on it without a care in the world aroused a ghastly fear that made people cringe.

Geum Daeryong, who had completely given up the initiative, hurriedly changed the subject.

“I know that the chairman is busier than anyone else, so I won’t waste time. Do you know why we wanted to see the chairman?”

“I was wondering why you wanted to see me. Why did you want to see this Won Mo, who has been reluctant to visit because of external eyes?”

Geum Daeryong frowned at Won Ji-geuk’s blatant pretense.

“I heard that the Black Shadow Squad caused problems.”

At the news that the Black Shadow Squad had been annihilated, they began to mobilize their own information networks to collect related information.

Eventually, they found out that the ones who led the annihilation of the Black Shadow Squad were Dan Ak-seon and the Three Divine Saviors.

The feeling they all felt was twofold.

It was fear and displeasure.

If they traced back the White Snake Society, the power behind the Black Shadow Squad, it would be only a matter of time before they grasped the existence of those who had recently joined hands with the White Snake Society.

And above all, the merchant alliance led by Geum Daeryong had opposed the business led by the Black Shadow Squad from the beginning.

“Was it called Paradise Mountain?”

Geum Daeryong openly expressed his displeasure.

“It was a business that couldn’t be expected from the beginning. That’s why I strongly opposed it, wasn’t it? What’s the difference between being penny-wise and pound-foolish (小貪大失) [focusing on small gains while losing big opportunities] and filling your stomach with thigh flesh to avoid immediate hunger?”

Geum Daeryong raised his voice even more toward Won Ji-geuk, who was wearing a meaningless smile.

“Isn’t it just creating a justification for the Divine Savior Sect to move by doing useless things?”

In fact, Dan Ak-seon and the Three Divine Saviors had been quiet for a while.

But with this incident, rumors were circulating that the Divine Savior Merchant Guild was at the center of it, and information groups in the Central Plains, including the Beggars’ Sect, were starting to scour the Central Plains to find out the truth about the Black Shadow Squad.

Even if it had nothing to do with them directly, as long as the White Snake Society was behind all the incidents, the sparks could fly this way.

It was then that Won Ji-geuk, who had been listening quietly to the rebuke, suddenly opened his mouth.

“I don’t know what else.”

Won Ji-geuk smiled leisurely as if it were nothing.

“There’s no need to make a fuss about such a thing. I’ll take care of it neatly so that you don’t have to worry about it.”

Several guild leaders expressed dissatisfaction with his nonchalant attitude.

“How can you tell us not to worry about it?”

“You shouldn’t have done such a thing in the first place.”

At that moment.

Creak.

Won Mu-geuk, who had been standing in the corner of the conference room like a ghost, moved.

“……!”

“……!”

The complexions of the guild leaders who had been helping Geum Daeryong pressure Won Ji-geuk froze.

Won Mu-geuk slowly reached out his hand as if trying to grab their heads.

The terrifying murderous intent emanating from his jet-black eyes froze their entire bodies.

“Stop.”

Towering.

The guild leaders, who were looking up at the large hand that had stopped just an inch above their heads, turned pale and stepped back.

Won Mu-geuk looked at Won Ji-geuk, who had stopped him, with puzzled eyes.

Won Ji-geuk smiled and opened his mouth to him.

“They are the most grateful people who readily lent us a hand when we were in trouble. So, Vice-Chairman, please calm down. I think they have understood enough.”

Still, Won Ji-geuk’s eyes turned cold at the sight of his brother still glaring at the guild leaders.

“Hey.”

“……!”

Won Mu-geuk flinched and stepped back when he faced his brother’s chilling voice.

Only then did the two guild leaders realize that the terrible pressure that had been pressing down on their entire bodies had disappeared, and they sighed in relief.

It was then that Geum Daeryong, who was the only one who had kept his original position, opened his mouth with a stiff expression.

“I think the chairman is mistaken about something.”

“I will listen carefully (洗耳傾聽) [a polite expression meaning ‘I am all ears’].”

“We are not the chairman’s puppets (傀儡) [meaning they are not controlled or manipulated by him].”

Won Ji-geuk jumped up.

“Oh, my, I’m afraid someone will hear you. What big-hearted person would dare to evaluate you, who move most of the merchants in the Central Plains, like that?”

Geum Daeryong stared at Won Ji-geuk and cast a heavy gaze.

“If that’s the case, I won’t beat around the bush.”

“……?”

“The chairman clearly said that he had a clever plan to defeat the Divine Savior Merchant Guild. That’s why we joined hands with the chairman. So now, keep your promise. If you can do that, I can turn a blind eye to any rudeness like this.”

“Rudeness…….”

As Won Ji-geuk trailed off, a strange light began to flicker in his eyes.

“Don’t you trust me?”

“I trust you. That’s why I’ve been patient until now. So, so that that trust doesn’t waver any more, please bring us the results now.”

After staring at each other in silence for a while.

Won Ji-geuk smiled and nodded.

“I won’t disappoint you.”

“Do you have a separate plan in mind?”

Won Ji-geuk nodded at Geum Daeryong’s question.

“I’m going to throw something very troublesome at them.”

“Troublesome thing?”

“You’ll naturally find out if you watch.”

Won Ji-geuk showed a confident smile to Geum Daeryong, who still couldn’t take his suspicious eyes off him.

“If you know in advance, wouldn’t the fun be reduced later?”

Geum Daeryong, who was about to say something, closed his mouth.

Then, he got up from his seat and left the conference room without saying a word.

A strange smile that seemed to be visible appeared on Won Ji-geuk’s face as he stared at the guild leaders who were following him out.

‘Foolish things.’

They don’t know what kind of monsters they have to deal with.

They had to be prepared to give up everything they had for revenge.

But they weren’t.

They are still caught up in vain delusions and are not properly facing the terrible reality.

The conspiracy that has been cast on them like a tenacious spider web will drag them into a deeper quagmire as they struggle with futile hope.

The smile on Won Ji-geuk’s lips deepened even more.

It was a clear sneer to anyone who saw it.

* * *

Dan Ak-seon and the Three Divine Saviors were running side by side through the deep mountains, using their lightness skills [a martial arts technique that allows practitioners to move with incredible speed and agility].

They had finally found out where the main base of the White Snake Society was located.

The destination was now close at hand.

It was a distance that could be reached by running for about an hour.

It was then that Cho Ak-ryang, who was staring at the front, opened his mouth.

“They won’t back down easily.”

At those words, Dan Ak-seon revealed a stern look.

“We have to stop them even by force.”

Cho Ak-ryang smiled quietly.

“I wanted to hear that.”

Unlike the calm Cho Ak-ryang, Beom Gye-wi was gleeful in an excited voice.

“Finally, I can feel the taste of a proper fight after a long time!”

On the other hand, Han Seol-hwa was still silent.

However, her cold eyes were already filled with a deep murderous intent.

That’s how they confidently headed to the main base of the White Snake Society.

And not long after, a huge cliff that seemed to have been carved out blocked the group.

The place was reminiscent of a huge fortress in itself, with cave dwellings open in various places on the cliff and traps placed around it.

In addition, there were the presences of warriors hiding while concealing their presence.

It was then that the guards watching the surroundings from the high watchtower discovered Dan Ak-seon and his party.

“Gasp!”

The warriors belonging to the White Snake Society, who had gasped for air, hurriedly beat the alarm bell.

Dan Ak-seon was not shaken at all even when faced with the warriors of the White Snake Society pouring out in droves from the cave dwellings located on the cliff.

Cho Ak-ryang and Han Seol-hwa were the same.

They stared at the front with calm eyes.

Only Beom Gye-wi was breathing out hot air with an expectant face.

But the confrontation with them was only for a moment.

It was because one person walked out between the warriors of the White Snake Society, who suddenly parted like a tide.

It was Won Ji-geuk, the head of the White Snake Society.