The Divine And Demonic Doctor [EN]: Chapter 39

“Whew, let’s rest for a bit.”

Dan Ahk-seon sighed as he pulled the last needle from Cho Ahk-ryang’s body. At the same time, Han Seol-hwa and Beom Gye-wi released Cho Ahk-ryang’s arms.

Both of them looked like they had been through a tough battle.

“It’s not as easy as I thought.”

At Han Seol-hwa’s words, Beom Gye-wi nodded with a weary expression.

“Such delicate work doesn’t suit me.”

Dan Ahk-seon tried to soothe the two of them with a forced smile.

“It’s about saving someone’s life. It can’t be easy.”

Han Seol-hwa examined Dan Ahk-seon’s face and clicked her tongue briefly, knowing that Dan Ahk-seon was the one who had the hardest time among them.

“You need to take care of yourself first.”

Having exhausted a considerable amount of mental energy, Dan Ahk-seon’s face was pale and covered in cold sweat. Dark shadows were cast under his eyes, and his lips were dry and parched.

“There’s not much time. We need to complete the treatment within at least a few days. The patient won’t be able to hold on any longer than that.”

Dan Ahk-seon’s voice was filled with firm determination.

The two were looking at Dan Ahk-seon with pity when it happened.

“Ah, that’s good!”

Cho Ahk-ryang exclaimed as he opened his eyes.

In response, Han Seol-hwa and Beom Gye-wi’s eyes turned fierce. Seeing Cho Ahk-ryang, who seemed to be living in a different world all alone, made them feel angry for no reason.

“Does it seem to be working?”

At Dan Ahk-seon’s question, Cho Ahk-ryang lightly stretched his body and nodded.

“In this state, I feel like I could turn this place into a wasteland and still have energy left!”

Extreme Yang and Extreme Yin.

The treatment using the two extreme internal energies far exceeded Cho Ahk-ryang’s expectations.

The organs and viscera, including the bones and muscles.

It felt like the meridians and nerves throughout his body were returning to their proper places. The flow of true energy was also smoother than ever before.

“Someone’s slaving away, and you’re living the good life?”

Cho Ahk-ryang smiled at the sharp voice directed at him.

“You should blame your healthy selves.”

“What?”

“Or wish you were as sick as I am?”

Han Seol-hwa and Beom Gye-wi fell silent because they didn’t want that.

At that moment, Poong Jin-sung came in with the herbal medicine.

“I decocted [boiled down] the Guji Immortal Herb according to your instructions.”

“Thank you for your trouble.”

Dan Ahk-seon received the herbal medicine and tasted it with the tip of his little finger.

“As expected, Uncle Poong’s medicinal skills are the best.”

At Dan Ahk-seon’s praise, Poong Jin-sung responded with a humble smile.

“You need to drink it and immediately circulate your energy. Don’t try to force it into your dantian [energy center]; focus on spreading it throughout your body. Pay attention to spreading it evenly to the ends of your smallest meridians.”

Cho Ahk-ryang, who received the herbal medicine from Dan Ahk-seon, smiled awkwardly.

“Haha, how can I eat this precious thing alone?”

Feeling a sudden tingling in the back of his head, Cho Ahk-ryang glanced back.

Cho Ahk-ryang smiled at the two devils who were glaring at him with murderous eyes and drank the herbal medicine straight down. Then, he immediately sat down and began to circulate his energy.

Beom Gye-wi, who had been staring at him, suddenly opened his mouth.

“Doctor Dan.”

“Yes?”

“Is Brother Cho much better now?”

“Of course.”

“Then, can I hit him just once? Just enough not to kill him.”

“Aren’t you wasting the effort you put into treating him?”

At Dan Ahk-seon’s dissuasion, Beom Gye-wi hesitated for a moment before sighing and giving up.

“The effect is amazing.”

Poong Jin-sung exclaimed as he looked at Cho Ahk-ryang’s face, which had noticeably regained its color.

“It’s a truly innovative treatment method. Only Master Gok can create such a method.”

“I’m also surprised. And I didn’t do it alone.”

Dan Ahk-seon gave credit to the two people who were still glaring at Cho Ahk-ryang.

“Because only those two in the world can do it.”

Poong Jin-sung nodded in agreement.

“It’s clear that an unprecedented treatment method in the history of the Murim [martial arts world] has been born.”

Dan Ahk-seon smiled brightly at the two of them.

“We did it.”

“Is Brother Cho excluded from that ‘we’?”

“Of course. That guy didn’t do anything.”

At that moment, Han Seol-hwa quickly reached out and caught Dan Ahk-seon, who was collapsing.

Poong Jin-sung hurriedly took Dan Ahk-seon’s pulse.

“It’s exhaustion. You seem to have overdone it.”

Beom Gye-wi looked at the unconscious Dan Ahk-seon with pity.

“Doctor Dan should have taken that herbal medicine.”

Han Seol-hwa raised her hand and wiped the sweat flowing down Dan Ahk-seon’s face.

“You’re trying so hard… We must save him.”

At those words, Beom Gye-wi and Poong Jin-sung nodded with firm determination.

That afternoon.

Dan Ahk-seon, who had emptied the herbal medicine given by Poong Jin-sung in one gulp, opened his mouth with a smile.

“The herbal medicine that Uncle makes strangely tastes sweet.”

“I’m glad to hear that. When the medicine takes effect, don’t try to resist it and get a good night’s sleep.”

“Yes, I will.”

Beom Gye-wi, who had been listening to the two people’s conversation, quietly approached.

He was curious about the fact that the medicine was sweet.

Beom Gye-wi took the remaining medicine on the bottom of the bowl with his finger and brought it to his mouth, frowning.

“I think Doctor Dan is going crazy. How can this be sweet?”

“Is that so? If you savor it, it’s sweet…”

“Why would you savor medicine? First of all, that’s…”

Beom Gye-wi couldn’t continue speaking. Dan Ahk-seon had already closed his eyes and fallen asleep.

Poong Jin-sung, who had been looking down at Dan Ahk-seon for a while, belatedly began to clean up the bowl and the medicinal ingredients scattered here and there.

“Patriarch Poong is the busiest.”

Poong Jin-sung gave a bewildered expression at Beom Gye-wi’s praise, which was hard to come by.

But soon, he smiled quietly.

“Thank you for recognizing it.”

At this time, Cho Ahk-ryang, who had finished circulating his energy in one corner of the room, slowly opened his eyes.

“Hoo.”

A stable power could be felt from his long exhalation.

“You’ve gotten much better.”

At Poong Jin-sung’s words, Cho Ahk-ryang smiled sheepishly.

“Thank you. It’s all thanks to Patriarch Poong’s efforts.”

Cho Ahk-ryang was in a much better condition than when he first came to the Divine Devil Valley.

The person who felt this more than anyone else was Cho Ahk-ryang himself.

Even Dan Ahk-seon and Poong Jin-sung were amazed at his recovery speed.

“But Brother Cho.”

“Huh?”

“Why aren’t you greeting me?”

Cho Ahk-ryang smiled faintly.

“Thank you, then.”

Then, he conveyed his gratitude to Han Seol-hwa as well.

“Thank you too, Sister Han.”

“Only with words?”

Cho Ahk-ryang accepted even her usual cold attitude with a smile.

Because he was so grateful to the two of them.

“If we use the medicinal ingredients we get from the Murim Alliance in the future, the recovery will be even faster. The same goes for the other two.”

Cho Ahk-ryang looked at the sleeping Dan Ahk-seon.

“That’s right. Doctor Dan wouldn’t spare the medicinal ingredients, given his personality.”

Poong Jin-sung smiled bitterly.

Cho Ahk-ryang, who guessed his thoughts from Poong Jin-sung’s expression, hesitated for a moment before opening his mouth.

“Did the Divine Doctor and the Devil Doctor do that too?”

“They were even worse.”

“Were you able to maintain the household even then?”

“That’s why I volunteered to be the chief manager.”

Poong Jin-sung shook his head, recalling those days.

“The two of them fought so much over the distribution of medicinal ingredients… In the end, they agreed to entrust all matters related to the operation of the valley to me. At least after that, they never argued over operational issues. However…”

“However?”

“I was dying in the middle. The pressure from both sides was enormous.”

“You… you’ve suffered a lot.”

“It was definitely like that back then, but now I only miss it.”

It was then.

“That’s not bad?”

Beom Gye-wi looked at Han Seol-hwa with sparkling eyes. The two of them had become much closer recently.

“Let’s get a chief manager too!”

Beom Gye-wi continued to explain to the indifferent Han Seol-hwa.

“We’ll entrust all the valley’s management rights to the chief manager. Then we don’t have to get angry with Doctor Dan. Even if we resent someone, we’ll resent the chief manager.”

“Do you have someone in mind?”

The three people’s gazes naturally turned to Poong Jin-sung.

In response, Poong Jin-sung smiled slightly and shook his head.

“If Master Gok allows it, I will definitely do it. But he will never allow it.”

Beom Gye-wi opened his mouth with a disappointed expression.

“Ah, isn’t there anyone good at calculating money? I’d go and catch them right away if I saw them.”

In an instant, one person came to Cho Ahk-ryang’s mind.

“There is one guy.”

“Who?”

“We met him recently.”

“Ah! That money-grubber?”

Beom Gye-wi nodded.

“That guy would be perfect. But how do we find him?”

Cho Ahk-ryang began to ponder something for a moment, because there might be a way.

“I’m going to get some fresh air.”

“You’ll wear out the doorstep. Where are you going so often? Did you pick up a woman without me knowing?”

“I’m just taking a walk to clear my head.”

“Tch, living the good life. We’re exhausted thanks to whom?”

Cho Ahk-ryang smiled and went outside, and Han Seol-hwa threw a jab at Beom Gye-wi.

“Does that look like he’s just going for a walk?”

“Then?”

“Have you forgotten where this is?”

“Where else would it be? The Murim Alliance…”

Beom Gye-wi made a surprised expression as he remembered something.

“He’s checking it out in advance in preparation for the next time we invade? Then I can’t be left out.”

Han Seol-hwa stopped Beom Gye-wi, who was excitedly trying to go outside.

“The idiot should just stay here.”

“What?”

“There’s something more important than that.”

With those words, Han Seol-hwa held out her hand.

Beom Gye-wi stared at her hand and asked with suspicious eyes.

“Why are you suddenly like this?”

“Hold it.”

“If it’s a confession, I’ll politely decline. I told you before, but I’m not interested in you…”

Beom Gye-wi hurriedly shut his mouth.

Because he felt the cloud of murderous intent rising over Han Seol-hwa’s shoulder.

“Why are you getting so angry over something like that? You can get rejected in life!”

Unconcealable annoyance surged above Han Seol-hwa’s eyes.

“We need to practice. Are you going to keep letting Doctor Dan collapse like that every time?”

“What? Was that it? You should have said so earlier.”

The key to the treatment using the two people’s internal energy was each other’s breathing. Only by achieving perfect balance and harmony could the treatment time be shortened and the effect be doubled.

As the two people put their hands together and began to circulate their energy, Poong Jin-sung quietly smiled and looked at the sleeping Dan Ahk-seon.

‘I’m glad you met good people.’

Dan Ahk-seon was overflowing with good fortune when it came to people, if nothing else.

* * *

‘So this is the structure.’

Cho Ahk-ryang, who was looking around the inside of the Murim Alliance as if taking a walk, thoroughly memorized the layout and structure of the buildings, as well as the location of the garden trees, including the pond and rocks.

Fortunately, most of the Murim Alliance warriors who came and went knew him, so they didn’t pay much attention to him.

After walking like that for a while, Cho Ahk-ryang stopped walking at some point.

The face of a person entering the Murim Alliance entrance was familiar to him.

‘That bastard?’

A thick murderous aura spewed out above Cho Ahk-ryang’s eyes.

A turncoat from the Demonic Sect whom he didn’t even want to talk to.

It was No Dan-yang, once called the Seven Fiends, who was in that place.

He had met him several times in Gangho [the martial arts world], and Cho Ahk-ryang’s feelings for No Dan-yang were not that bad. There were a few questionable points, but who among the villains didn’t have such points?

Rather, looking at some of the things he had done, he thought that he had quite a few similarities with himself.

He was a man whose martial arts were decent and whose words had stubbornness and strength, so he couldn’t believe it when he first heard that he had surrendered to the Murim Alliance.

But he was directly leading the Pasa Unit.

He wanted to break his neck on the spot, but Cho Ahk-ryang tried to suppress his anger.