The Divine And Demonic Doctor [EN]: Chapter 41

The Divine Doctor of the Demonic World (41)

Cho Ak-ryang, upon returning to the detached residence, shared his meeting with Sa Mu-shim with the group.

“If that guy joins us, it’ll be a great help. At least, we won’t have to worry about money.”

“Like our parents who relied on Uncle Poong?”

“Doctor Poong is amazing, we know that from experience, but it’s hard to compare him to Sa Mu-shim in terms of financial power.”

Cho Ak-ryang wasn’t one to easily praise others. That’s why Dan Ak-seon became even more curious.

“What kind of person is he?”

Beom Gye-wi answered.

“A real money-grubber. What else would you call the boss of all money-grubbers?”

Cho Ak-ryang added an explanation.

“He’s ruined more than five merchant guilds. Gambling dens, brothels, battlefields—it’s hard to even count.”

“That’s incredible.”

“But he has his principles. He doesn’t touch individuals. And he doesn’t use the money he earns for himself.”

“Then what for?”

“Orphans who lost their parents in the fights of martial artists. He supported those kids until they became adults. He’s helped over a thousand kids.”

Dan Ak-seon was genuinely impressed.

“He’s an amazing person.”

Beom Gye-wi shook his head.

“He is. Sometimes I don’t understand why he became a villain.”

“How many people has he killed? He’s definitely a bad guy.”

After saying that, Cho Ak-ryang turned to Dan Ak-seon and asked.

“I’d like to ask Doctor Dan’s opinion at this point. If Doctor Dan is against it, I won’t force him to come.”

Dan Ak-seon readily nodded.

“He’s much better than a hypocrite who’s different on the inside and out.”

“But there’s one problem.”

“A problem?”

“I heard he suffered a Mana Deviation [a condition where one’s internal energy goes awry]. At this rate, he won’t last more than three months.”

Dan Ak-seon smiled.

“That’s not a big problem. If it’s a Mana Deviation that still allows him to move, I can cure it.”

Furthermore, Dan Ak-seon also suggested a solution to obtain the wooden box.

“Once the treatment is complete, I’ll ask for the wooden box he’s looking for.”

“As a treatment fee?”

“Yes.”

Cho Ak-ryang hesitated for a moment.

A Death-Exempting Iron Certificate [a token granting immunity from execution, often used metaphorically for something extremely valuable], or an elixir, or wealth.

Namgung Baek, with his strong pride, would surely grant whatever was requested. However, he didn’t want to trade such a good opportunity for just a wooden box.

Perhaps this thought wasn’t just Cho Ak-ryang’s personal opinion, as Beom Gye-wi, who was beside him, also chimed in.

“You can just take the wooden box. You should ask for something bigger as a treatment fee.”

“Just take it?”

“There are many ways. Doctor Dan, leave it to us.”

Dan Ak-seon guessed what they were thinking.

“I don’t want you guys taking unnecessary risks. And don’t be too stingy. It’s about gaining a person.”

“Still, is it really necessary to go that far?”

“Do as Master Gokju says.”

Poong Jin-sung, who had been listening to the conversation from the side, quietly smiled and opened his mouth.

“I’ll get it within reasonable bounds.”

Poong Jin-sung winked.

“Alright.”

Cho Ak-ryang chuckled and nodded. He had already witnessed Poong Jin-sung extorting elixirs from the Martial Alliance.

“Then we should focus on the treatment. If we just treat the patient, everything will be resolved.”

And four days passed.

* * *

Namgung Baek hurriedly rose from his chair in the Supreme Council Hall.

His face showed urgency as he approached the old man who was just entering Hyeonjeong Hall, Dan Ri-ungpoong, the chief manager of the Namgung Clan.

“Did you get it?”

“Yes…”

It was an answer that felt somewhat unsettling, but Namgung Baek was relieved nonetheless. The chief manager handed Namgung Baek a small porcelain bottle with a wax-sealed lid.

As he carefully received it, Namgung Baek belatedly felt a strange sensation.

The chief manager’s expression was too dark.

“What’s wrong? Is there something wrong with this Gongcheong Petroleum [a rare and valuable medicinal oil]?”

“No. I’ve already confirmed that it’s of the highest quality.”

“Then why do you look like that?”

The chief manager looked at Namgung Baek silently before letting out a long sigh.

“My abilities are insufficient, and I have caused disgrace to the clan.”

“What are you talking about?”

Namgung Baek couldn’t help but be puzzled.

He knew better than anyone that the old man before him had dedicated his entire life to serving the clan.

“As you know, Gongcheong Petroleum is a very difficult item to obtain.”

“And?”

“As such, there is no market price. The owner sets the price. I was told to obtain it by any means, so I brought it, but the resulting expenditure is truly enormous.”

“It’s alright. No one will hold the chief manager responsible.”

It was common for the chief manager to complain about money. But when the old chief manager sighed again, Namgung Baek began to feel uneasy.

“How much did you spend to make you like this?”

“To put it bluntly, I have incurred a massive debt due to the purchase of Gongcheong Petroleum.”

“Debt? Did you just say debt?”

Dan Ri-ungpoong wore a distressed expression towards Namgung Baek, who had a hard time believing it.

“There wasn’t enough time to properly negotiate the price, and I was competing with someone else who also wanted to obtain Gongcheong Petroleum. Moreover, the clan’s finances were already faltering due to the elixirs we had purchased earlier…”

Dan Ri-ungpoong hesitated for a while before adding.

“This foolish old man added his personal wealth, but it was still not enough to handle it…”

Namgung Baek had a very bitter taste in his mouth.

He felt even more pain because he knew that the old chief manager had dedicated his life to the clan.

“Has our family ever been in debt before…?”

Dan Ri-ungpoong replied tactlessly to Namgung Baek’s mutterings.

“This is the first time in five hundred years.”

“Hmm…”

Namgung Baek eventually let out a groan.

* * *

“Hoo…”

Cho Ak-ryang, after exhaling a long breath, slowly opened his closed eyes.

In that instant, a deep, intense light emanated from his eyes. It was an aura that had never been seen before, powerful enough to overwhelm those around him.

Han Seol-hwa and Beom Gye-wi, who had been holding Cho Ak-ryang’s pulse points, released their hands and stepped back.

Cho Ak-ryang conveyed his gratitude to the two with his eyes.

“How do you feel?”

Cho Ak-ryang quietly smiled at Dan Ak-seon’s question.

“Perfect.”

That one word was enough.

Dan Ak-seon smiled brightly and nodded.

“We’ve finally completed it. With this, all preparations are complete.”

Poong Jin-sung was slightly taken aback by Dan Ak-seon’s actions of starting to pack up the bedding.

“Are you going to start right away?”

“There’s no reason to wait.”

Poong Jin-sung turned around and moved his lips without making a sound.

‘Gongcheong Petroleum.’

Cho Ak-ryang immediately understood the meaning.

The other elixirs had arrived, but the Gongcheong Petroleum had not yet arrived. If the treatment was completed without receiving the Gongcheong Petroleum, the justification for receiving it would disappear.

“Ahem! Ah, I’m tired. Did I overdo it?”

Beom Gye-wi, who received Han Seol-hwa’s telepathic message, suddenly yawned exaggeratedly.

“Ah! I didn’t think about you two. Get some sleep first. We’ll do the treatment after that.”

In fact, through repeated practice, Han Seol-hwa and Beom Gye-wi had perfectly mastered the method of circulating their true energy, so they didn’t expend as much mental energy as they did at first.

“Master Gokju, you should also get some rest. Shouldn’t the doctor also bring their mind and body to the best condition before treating the patient?”

“I’m fine. I have other things to do while you two recover.”

Dan Ak-seon took out writing tools and began to record the treatment methods.

About two hours passed.

—Cho hyung [older brother/term of respect]! How long do I have to sleep?

Cho Ak-ryang, who turned his head at the sudden telepathic message, met the gaze of Beom Gye-wi, who was slightly squinting.

—Close your eyes! What if you get caught?

—Oh! Cho hyung. Can you use telepathy now?

—Because I’ve recovered my internal energy.

It was then.

“Uncle Beom must have been very tired. It’s past the time he should be waking up.”

Beom Gye-wi quickly closed his eyes at Dan Ak-seon’s voice.

—I feel like I’m going to die of boredom!

Cho Ak-ryang turned his head and ignored Beom Gye-wi. Then, Beom Gye-wi sent a telepathic message to Han Seol-hwa.

—Witch! Do something!

—Stop whining, it’s unsightly.

At this moment, a voice was heard from outside the detached residence.

“The Alliance Leader has asked if it is permissible for him to visit.”

It was a Martial Alliance warrior who was in charge of delivering messages and running errands between the detached residence and the outside.

Beom Gye-wi opened his eyes wide.

“Tell him to come in quickly!”

Only after speaking did Beom Gye-wi realize that all eyes in the room were on him.

Beom Gye-wi awkwardly stretched, rolling his eyes around.

“Ah! I slept well.”

Cho Ak-ryang and Han Seol-hwa shook their heads at the sight.

A moment later.

Namgung Baek, who entered the detached residence, handed Dan Ak-seon the small porcelain bottle.

“I tried my best, but this is all I could get.”

Dan Ak-seon opened the porcelain bottle, checked the contents, and nodded with a smile.

“This is enough.”

“Is treatment possible now?”

“Yes, I was about to start in a little while.”

Namgung Baek, with a face hardened with tension, opened his mouth.

“Is there any way I can know in advance how you will treat him?”

Dan Ak-seon began to speak as if it were nothing special.

“First, I plan to combine acupuncture with the Wihwa Qigong Therapy.”

Puzzlement appeared in Namgung Baek’s eyes. It was an unfamiliar treatment method that he had never heard of.

“Wihwa Qigong Therapy?”

Poong Jin-sung stepped forward.

“Please understand that I cannot explain in detail as it is Master Gokju’s secret technique. But I can confidently say that it is the best internal energy treatment method in existence.”

Namgung Baek nodded at Poong Jin-sung’s guarantee. There was no other way but to believe him now.

“Would you like to meet your daughter?”

Namgung Baek cautiously asked at Dan Ak-seon’s words.

“Is that alright?”

“She’ll wake up in a little while, so do so. But once the treatment begins, no one should enter this room. No matter what happens.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

Dan Ak-seon and his group gave Namgung Baek some time to talk with Namgung Hyang.

“Looking at him like that, he’s just an ordinary father…”

Cho Ak-ryang and Beom Gye-wi each added a word to Poong Jin-sung’s words.

“Everyone’s like that. The emperor, the demon boss of Mount Giryeon. They’re all infinitely weak in front of their own blood.”

“That’s right. That’s why doctors are the best. Everyone becomes nice in front of the doctor.”

At this time, Poong Jin-sung suddenly remembered something and asked Dan Ak-seon.

“By the way, is there a reason why you named it Wihwa Qigong Therapy?”

Dan Ak-seon smiled and looked at Beom Gye-wi and Han Seol-hwa.

“I took one letter from each of your names. Because it’s a treatment method that can only be done with the two of you.”

Beom Gye-wi’s shoulders were filled with strength at those words.

Han Seol-hwa also didn’t show it, but the slight smile on her lips clearly showed her satisfaction.

A moment later, the door to the detached residence opened and Namgung Baek walked out.

His face, which had been hardened with tension, was now considerably softer. He had gained even more trust in Dan Ak-seon and his group through his conversation with his daughter.

“I am eagerly awaiting good news. Please…”

Dan Ak-seon nodded with a smile towards Namgung Baek, who bowed his head and couldn’t continue speaking.

“I will do my best to deliver the news you are waiting for.”