The Divine And Demonic Doctor [EN]: Chapter 387

Dan Ahk-seon was silenced by Namgung-ho’s resolute and chilling demeanor.

Namgung-ho turned to the Azure Sky Swordsmen, who were lined up nearby.

“You are to stay here and protect Hyang-i.”

The Azure Sky Swordsmen hesitated, unsure about defying his command. Namgung-ho’s gaze hardened.

“That is an order.”

“Understood!”

As Namgung-ho prepared to leave alone, Dan Ahk-seon quickly intervened.

“You need to start treatment immediately.”

Namgung-ho had reached a point where even opium couldn’t fully suppress the pain.

It was almost a miracle he was maintaining his sanity despite the large doses he was taking.

His willpower was extraordinary, but there was no telling how long it would last.

Now that the opium was losing its effectiveness, the excruciating pain would inevitably break his spirit.

“As I said, this is none of your concern. I will take care of my own body.”

Annoyed by the repeated interruptions, Namgung-ho openly expressed his displeasure.

Seeing this, Namgung Hyang stepped between them.

“Brother, please listen to Doctor Dan. It’s not too late.”

She glanced at Dan Ahk-seon and hesitated before continuing.

“Doctor Dan has experience treating patients in similar conditions.”

She avoided directly mentioning inner demons, but Dan Ahk-seon understood her meaning.

However, Namgung-ho remained unmoved.

“Are you telling me to give up on revenge?”

“Father already bore all the past grudges. He didn’t want revenge like this.”

Despite Namgung Hyang’s pleas, Namgung-ho’s expression didn’t change.

In the end, Namgung Hyang cast a desperate look at Dan Ahk-seon.

Dan Ahk-seon sighed softly.

He stepped forward, blocking Namgung-ho’s path.

If Namgung-ho continued like this, death was inevitable.

‘It’s not a method I particularly prefer…’

Dan Ahk-seon felt indebted to Namgung Baek.

He remembered the insights Namgung Baek had shared in the past.

Without them, he wouldn’t be where he was today.

He couldn’t stand by and watch Namgung-ho march to his death.

A strange light flickered in Namgung-ho’s eyes.

Then, Namgung-ho, who had been silently staring at the Black Dragon [a sword imbued with divine power] held in Dan Ahk-seon’s hand, suddenly spoke.

“I see. You’ve obtained it as well.”

“……?”

Making eye contact with the puzzled Dan Ahk-seon, Namgung-ho murmured.

“The sword is the heart, I am the sword. Will becomes the sword…”

A maxim encapsulating the essence of martial arts.

A strange glow flickered in Namgung-ho’s eyes as he recited it.

“Where the heart goes, the sword has already arrived, so there is nothing it cannot cut.”

Dan Ahk-seon felt a chill run down his spine.

“Yesterday and today, the rooster crows and the stars are in their place, one as a friend and one as a bamboo staff, simply moving forward.”

Namgung-ho grinned.

“But it seems I have come closer to the true meaning.”

Dan Ahk-seon was confused.

The blazing light in Namgung-ho’s eyes was unsettling.

Even though it was the same maxim he remembered, he couldn’t shake the feeling that Namgung-ho’s version was somehow distorted.

Moreover….

‘Emperor Sword Style.’

The Namgung Family’s unique sword technique, which he had experienced once through Namgung Baek.

That unique sword energy flowed through Namgung-ho’s entire body.

Namgung-ho didn’t have a sword in his hand, but it was definitely there.

However, it felt distinctly different from Namgung Baek’s.

Instead of the oppressive feeling of facing a mountain, it was replaced by a terribly sinister killing intent.

Even Dan Ahk-seon felt a chill from the strong smell of blood emanating from within.

Above all, he sensed a strong will that wouldn’t hesitate to swing his sword if he continued to block him.

Dan Ahk-seon tightened his grip on the Black Dragon.

The Black Dragon, filled with the Divine Power of Harmony.

The patterns covering the surface became clearer, and the majestic power emanating from within pushed back the surrounding sword energy.

It was then.

“Stop.”

Cho Ahk-ryang, who had been watching the situation, stopped Dan Ahk-seon.

“His cause is just. Now that he has declared revenge with his own will, we cannot stop him.”

It would be different if he were rampaging while intoxicated with opium, but as long as he was lucid, even Dan Ahk-seon had no justification to force him.

“But many people will die this way. He himself will surely not be able to avoid death.”

Cho Ahk-ryang shook his head silently.

Frustrated, Dan Ahk-seon bit his lip.

Namgung-ho turned to Dan Ahk-seon.

“If there were cultists in front of you, what would Doctor Dan do? Would you turn back because my condition is bad?”

Namgung-ho smiled slightly, as if he knew Dan Ahk-seon couldn’t answer.

“I am the same as you. I have already made up my mind, so do not interfere with me any further.”

Dan Ahk-seon lowered the Black Dragon and sighed.

He realized he couldn’t hold him back any longer.

But he couldn’t help but say this.

“Please think about it one last time. You can no longer obtain opium. The Black Shadow Unit is gone, and the Green Forest [a region known for opium cultivation] will no longer cultivate poppies.”

At those words, Namgung-ho tilted his head.

“The one who sold me opium was not the Black Shadow Unit but Black Dot [a criminal organization]. A plain man with nothing particularly special about him.”

Dan Ahk-seon was taken aback.

“What are you talking about? If you didn’t buy it through the Black Shadow Unit, how did the imperial family know about it?”

“I don’t know either. Nor do I care. More than anything…”

Namgung-ho hesitated for a moment before smiling bitterly.

“I no longer need opium. This will all be over soon.”

As Namgung-ho prepared to leave, he bowed to Dan Ahk-seon as if remembering something.

“Thank you again for saving my sister.”

Dan Ahk-seon cast a pitiful gaze at Namgung-ho’s retreating figure.

Namgung Hyang stared at Dan Ahk-seon with mournful eyes, but Cho Ahk-ryang shook his head firmly.

“Don’t you already know? This is, after all, a matter between families. Outsiders have no right to interfere.”

Namgung Hyang led the Azure Sky Swordsmen away.

They left the now-desolate tomb of the Hwangbo Family.

Dan Ahk-seon, witnessing this, clenched his fist in helplessness.

“Is there really no way to help… no, to save them?”

“If you interfere, you will be joining their revenge. You will bear the karma and all the enemies of the Namgung Family. This will cause a chaos that cannot be compared to what has happened so far. Can you bear it all?”

“……”

Dan Ahk-seon couldn’t answer.

And fifteen days later.

A tragic news arrived.

The current head of the Namgung Family, Namgung-ho.

He died valiantly, exchanging his life for the lives of fifty elite members of the Zhuge Family.

* * *

Throughout Namgung-ho’s funeral, the Namgung Family did not receive any outside guests.

Regardless of past issues, the Namgung Family was one of the Five Great Families that formed a pillar of the Orthodox Faction [a major political and martial arts alliance].

Each Orthodox Sect sent mourners, but none could cross the threshold of the Namgung Family.

Dan Ahk-seon was no exception.

He visited to express his condolences but was politely turned away at the gate.

Nevertheless, the beggars of the Beggars’ Sect [an information-gathering organization] gathered around the Namgung Family, expressing their deepest condolences with mournful cries.

Thanks to this, those who held grudges due to Namgung-ho’s actions couldn’t approach easily.

An inn in Anhui, not far from the Namgung Family.

Cho Ahk-ryang, accompanied by a member of the Beggars’ Sect, went straight up the stairs to the second floor.

Dan Ahk-seon, who had been staring gloomily at the cold tea, greeted them.

“What happened?”

At Dan Ahk-seon’s question, Gu Hwa-ja, who had come with Cho Ahk-ryang, shook his head with a sigh.

“We’ve looked everywhere, but the man Namgung-ho mentioned has disappeared. We couldn’t find any trace of such a person in either Black Dot or the Black Shadow Unit. And as you said, we contacted the officials who interrogated the remnants of the Black Shadow Unit, and they seemed greatly embarrassed. They said he was clearly in custody, but he vanished like mist.”

Dan Ahk-seon’s gaze grew heavy.

The man affiliated with Black Dot who Namgung-ho had bought opium from was proving elusive.

The fact that he had identified himself as being affiliated with the Black Shadow Unit during interrogation bothered him.

“This is a sketch from the government. The only place we haven’t investigated yet is the White Lotus Society [a secretive and often rebellious organization].”

Dan Ahk-seon nodded at Gu Hwa-ja’s words.

At the time Namgung-ho purchased the opium, the Black Shadow Unit was acting under the instructions of the White Lotus Society.

“Are you sure that person isn’t affiliated with Black Dot?”

Cho Ahk-ryang answered in place of Gu Hwa-ja.

“I went and asked myself. He didn’t seem to be lying.”

Dan Ahk-seon sighed.

No matter how influential Black Dot was, they wouldn’t dare to give false information to Cho Ahk-ryang.

Considering their friendly relationship, there was no reason to suspect them.

But no matter how he thought about it, it was hard to believe that someone like Namgung-ho would have made a mistake.

Now that he was dead, there was no way to ascertain the specific circumstances.

“What’s certain is that opium was delivered to the Namgung Family. The only place that could trade that much was the Black Shadow Unit. It doesn’t make sense that the higher-ups weren’t informed when contacting the Namgung Family.”

Even if others didn’t know, the leader of the White Lotus Society, the mastermind behind the Black Shadow Unit, would have certainly received a report.

Cho Ahk-ryang nodded in agreement.

“If the Black Shadow Unit was involved in that transaction, they must have obtained permission from the White Lotus Society.”

“Even if we go and interrogate them directly, they won’t tell us the truth, right?”

“That’s right. There’s no direct evidence. And even if there is, they can just admit that they allowed it. They’ve already washed their hands of the opium-related issues and drawn a line, so there’s no justification to pursue it further.”

Dan Ahk-seon, who had been contemplating something, made up his mind.

“Something still feels off. I need to properly investigate the White Lotus Society. If I were the leader of the White Lotus Society, I wouldn’t see the need to risk contacting the Namgung Family. There must be some other reason.”

Just as he was lost in thought, someone approached the table.

“Ah!”

Dan Ahk-seon, recognizing the person, got up with a delighted expression.

It was Dan Ri-ungpung, the chief manager he had met at the Namgung Family some time ago.

“The young lady asked me to deliver this.”

Dan Ahk-seon’s eyes trembled slightly as he received the medicine bottle Namgung-ho had been holding.

“Please tell her thank you.”

As the old chief manager nodded and turned around, Dan Ahk-seon said.

“I sincerely express my condolences for your family’s misfortune.”

Unconcealable regret was evident in the eyes of Dan Ri-ungpung, who returned the greeting.

Three generations of heads he had served.

He seemed to resent his cruel fate of having to oversee all of their funerals.