The Divine And Demonic Doctor [EN]: Chapter 435

Ships rocked violently in the rough currents.

The sounds of clashing weapons and shouts mingled chaotically amidst them.

“Saje!”

“No!”

It was then that someone’s desperate cry shook the cold air.

And, leaving that behind, a figure sprayed blood as they fell from the ship.

Splash.

With a towering splash, someone was swept away by the fierce current, struggling.

To save him, the Hwasan Sect disciples hurriedly threw ropes.

However, this place was Songhyeoptan (Startled Gorge Shoal), the swiftest current among the many tributaries of the Yangtze River. [Songhyeoptan is known for its dangerous, rapid waters.]

It was notorious for its fierce currents, with winding valleys and a sudden narrowing of the waterway, concentrating the water flow.

This is why it was called Mangnyangtan (Goblin Shoal), said to be haunted by water ghosts. [Mangnyangtan is a place believed to be haunted by spirits due to its treacherous waters.]

As expected.

The Hwasan Sect disciple, swallowed by the waves, soon disappeared beneath the surface with a flash of yellowish spray.

However, he wasn’t the only one swallowed by the writhing currents.

Thud, thud, thud.

Though drowned out by the roar of the water crashing against the cliffs, the terrible screams of dying men echoed throughout the river.

All of those figures wore the *supis* (water skin) symbolizing the Yangtze River Water Bandits. [*Supis* are waterproof garments traditionally worn by river workers and bandits.]

Swallowed by the currents and swept away, they soon collided with the sharp rocks exposed throughout the river.

And soon, they turned into corpses, their limbs crushed and mangled.

And that was why crimson blood was spreading throughout the yellow river.

At that moment.

A half-destroyed ship floated precariously on the violently churning currents.

Two people were facing each other on it.

Perhaps in his late forties.

Jang Han, with a gruesome knife scar starting from one side of his forehead, crossing his brow, and continuing to his opposite jaw.

Cold Water flowing under the Iceberg.

Jang Han, exuding a chilling aura like the frigid Iceberg Shoal, was displaying a formidable presence befitting his massive physique.

Opposite him, an old Taoist with white hair reaching his chest, possessing the bearing of an immortal, was holding a sword.

His hair, which had been neatly tied up under his Taoist hat, was now wildly scattered in the wind, and blood was flowing from his mouth.

However, the dignity he possessed remained unshaken.

He was none other than Jin Myungjin, one of the Five Supreme Masters and the head of the Hwasan Sect, known as the Hwasan Divine Sword.

After glaring at each other for a moment.

Jang Han slightly twisted his lips upward.

“So, the famed Hwasan Sect is nothing special? Did you really think you could handle me with just this? You weren’t relying on the beggars you brought along, were you…?”

The man.

Sa Jong-ak, the Overturning River Dragon (*飜江龍*) who had recently united the Yangtze River Water Bandits and taken the position of Supreme Chieftain, let out a sneering laugh. [The Overturning River Dragon is a title suggesting immense power and control over the river.]

“Ah! Is that it? You thought that as one of the Five Supreme Masters, you could easily take my head whenever you wanted. Is that right?”

Jin Myungjin did not respond to Sa Jong-ak’s taunts.

He was already struggling to control his internal injuries.

The man before him was by no means an easy opponent.

‘Where did this monster suddenly come from?’

He had heard rumors about the newly emerging master who had recently risen to prominence.

As is often the case with rumors in the martial world, they tend to be exaggerated and inflated as they pass from person to person.

However, after actually exchanging blows with the subject of those rumors, the rumors seemed rather understated.

That was how formidable he was.

Jin Myungjin, barely managing to control his raging energy, raised his calm eyes and stared at Sa Jong-ak.

“Now that the martial world has finally become one, are you trying to incite division again? How could I overlook that?”

“Ridiculous. Are you saying that now that you’ve dealt with the Demonic Sect, we should just forget the grudges of the past?”

“What?”

“Hwasan Sect must have lent a hand when Namgung Baek founded the Martial Alliance, right?”

At Sa Jong-ak’s words, Jin Myungjin’s face hardened gravely.

“What was the first thing they did after the Martial Alliance was founded?”

“…….”

“Are you senile or something? Answer if you have a mouth.”

There was no way Jin Myungjin wouldn’t know.

Under the banner of Destroying Evil and Promoting Justice, the first force the Martial Alliance targeted was the river bandits operating around Wuhan.

Wuhan was originally a strategic point where the Yangtze River and the Han River, two massive waterways, converged.

It connected Shanghai and Chongqing to the east and west, and Beijing and Guangzhou to the north and south via waterways.

This was why it had been called the Thoroughfare of Nine Provinces (九省通衢) since ancient times, as it was said to connect to nine provinces. [The Thoroughfare of Nine Provinces signifies Wuhan’s historical importance as a central hub for trade and transportation.]

This was also why Namgung Baek, the first leader of the Martial Alliance, established the foundation of the Martial Alliance in Wuhan, rather than in Anhui, the base of the Namgung Clan.

It was easy to gather information quickly, and it was possible to respond effectively to problems arising in various parts of the Central Plains through the rapid dispatch of manpower.

Of course, the Yangtze River Water Alliance would not stand idly by.

They immediately protested and blocked the waterways.

Given the nature of Wuhan, where commerce had developed through waterways, they judged that if trade was cut off, the common people would resent the Martial Alliance, which was the cause of the situation.

They judged that the orthodox sects, unlike themselves, who could not ignore public opinion, would have no choice but to surrender.

However, Namgung Baek responded to their show of force with a hard-line stance.

He went even further and responded with even greater force.

Namgung Baek mobilized elite masters, mainly from the Nine Great Sects, and crushed the Sea God Clan, which served as the center of the Yangtze River Water Alliance.

The casualties of the Yangtze River Water Alliance as a result were countless.

The river bandits, who suffered enormous damage, eventually had no choice but to withdraw from Wuhan.

And at the time of dismantling the Yangtze River Water Alliance, Hwasan also fulfilled its role as a member of the Martial Alliance.

‘Is that karma finally coming back?’

In response to the sigh he let out with a sigh, Sa Jong-ak responded by gathering his internal energy.

“This is just revenge for the brothers who died back then.”

“…….”

“Demonic Sect? What a joke. To me, you are the real Demonic Sect.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Sa Jong-ak threw a punch at Jin Myungjin.

“So stop talking and die!”

Rumble.

A powerful force accompanied by thunder crushed the bow of the ship and rushed towards Jin Myungjin.

It was then that the sword in Jin Myungjin’s hand bloomed into a splendid red plum blossom.

The Violet Mist True Qi (紫霞眞氣), Hwasan’s unique mental cultivation technique. [Violet Mist True Qi is a signature internal energy cultivation method of the Hwasan Sect.]

And along with it, the Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Swordplay, which prides itself on being the greatest sword sect in the world, revealed its true power.

Seeing his fist force disintegrate piece by piece, a dark aura settled over Sa Jong-ak’s eyes.

He knew better than anyone that each and every one of the red plum blossoms that filled his vision and poured down like shooting stars was the essence of materialized sword energy, so Sa Jong-ak could not easily approach.

The faces of the Hwasan disciples scattered throughout the area lit up at Jin Myungjin’s martial prowess, which overwhelmed the surroundings with dazzling swordsmanship.

Conversely, the faces of Sa Jong-ak’s subordinates turned pale.

The swordplay unfolded from the tip of Jin Myungjin’s sword was so terrifying.

However, Sa Jong-ak calmly jumped into the shadow of the storm-like red plum blossoms.

The light of the red plum blossoms, which mixed the changes of Fallen Blossom Shadow Sound to the stroke of Falling Plum Rain, instantly swallowed Sa Jong-ak.

“Alliance Leader!”

“Supreme Chieftain!”

Exclamations of astonishment erupted from the mouths of the bandits who witnessed this.

The technique of Starfall Sealing, which offered no room to escape.

He looked so precarious in front of it, as if he would soon turn into a cloud of blood mist and be torn to shreds.

Unless a person’s body was made of copper skin and iron bones (銅皮徹骨), there was no way they could withstand such terrifying sword energy and remain unscathed. [Copper skin and iron bones refer to a body that has been trained to be incredibly tough and resilient.]

Clang, clang, clang!

It was right after that that sharp sounds erupted one after another from within the red mist created by the red plum blossoms.

A noise that made one frown, like scraping an iron wall with a sharp chisel.

At the same time, the red plum blossoms that had been filling the sky were shattering into pieces, scattering with red afterimages.

And Sa Jong-ak reappeared in the midst of it.

In his hand, he now held a long, black weapon.

Sa Jong-ak had finally drawn his unique weapon, the Black Bamboo Pole (烏竹竿). [The Black Bamboo Pole is a versatile weapon that can be used as a staff, whip, or fishing rod.]

It could be used as a long staff in itself, but it was also a unique weapon that could be used as a whip at times, or to create unconventional changes using a fishing line and a sharp hook attached to the end.

“Ouch, that’s spicy. So spicy. That old man’s sword, who’s about to die, is so vicious.”

Unlike his jesting, Sa Jong-ak’s eyes were fixed on Jin Myungjin, gleaming sharply.

The space within ten feet of him was already completely under his control.

Crack.

A subtle cracking sound that tore through the air.

At the same time, the flashes of light twinkling in the air were the afterimages created by the fishing line.

The faces of the Hwasan disciples turned pale as they realized the identity of the blue aura that flowed around the long fishing line, which was sharper than any weapon in itself.

They realized that it was sword energy.

It was difficult enough to infuse sword energy into a four-foot sword, but to flow true energy into an entire fishing line that was ten feet long!

Even Jin Myungjin could not help but admire the divine power of the pinnacle of energy manifestation (理氣生形). [Energy manifestation refers to the ability to materialize and control one’s internal energy to create physical effects.]

But that was only for a moment.

Jin Myungjin moved his sword again.

The moment his sword touched a point in the air.

Flash!

The shadow of the luxuriant red plum blossoms once again surrounded Sa Jong-ak.

A wave of red sword shadows like the sunset glow.

It was the seventeenth form of the Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Swordplay, Plum Shadow Creates River (梅影造河). [Plum Shadow Creates River is a powerful sword technique that creates a swirling vortex of plum blossom-shaped sword energy.]

The splendid and vivid red plum blossoms soon surrounded and pressured Sa Jong-ak’s entire body like a thick mist.

However, Sa Jong-ak remained calm even in the vortex of sword flowers.

Then, he responded by casually waving his fishing rod.

It was not a great divine skill in itself.

At first glance, it was an extremely ordinary movement, like a fisherman casting a fishing line.

However, when that ordinary movement was unfolded through his hands, it was no longer ordinary.

Because he was so easily brushing away the red plum blossoms that were surrounding him from all directions.

The red plum blossoms shattered and scattered in the air with that simple movement.

Conversely, Jin Myungjin’s gaze became even heavier.

The fact that he could wield such delicate silk, which fluttered in the wind, so freely, was proof that his unique skill was not to be taken lightly.

Not only that.

Swoosh!

Now he was mixing in counterattacks as well.

The fishing line, which was already too thin to be seen with the naked eye, tore through the air, making it impossible to grasp with the naked eye.

A chilling aura that dug through the gaps in the disintegrated red plum blossoms.

Jin Myungjin, who hurriedly distanced himself, swung his sleeves fiercely forward.

Rumble.

The force of the Violet Mist True Qi, accompanied by a subtle rumble, covered the area with sunset.

However…….

“……!”

Jin Myungjin’s heart sank for a moment.

The most outstanding life-saving skill he could unleash.

The majestic force of the Violet Mist True Qi, woven together, was being torn apart silently by Sa Jong-ak’s gesture.

Jin Myungjin poured all his true energy into his sword.

Crack, crack, crack!

With sharp explosions erupting from all sides, the red plum blossoms shattered into pieces.

The sharp aura that started from the fishing rod in Sa Jong-ak’s hand.

Jin Myungjin was startled to realize that it had already reached his eyes.

But Jin Myungjin calmly extended his sword forward.

It was a slower and clumsier movement than before.

However, Sa Jong-ak frowned at this.

Because he witnessed an indescribable amount of pressure writhing at the tip of that sword.