The Divine And Demonic Doctor [EN]: Chapter 436

“That damned old geezer!”

Crude curses burst from Sazongak’s mouth.

It was a far cry from the dignified demeanor of a master he had shown until now.

That was how ominous the situation before him was.

A single plum blossom began to sprout amidst the rushing, chilling energy.

The sword-flower (劍華) [a technique where the sword’s energy manifests as a flower], becoming clearer with time, was undoubtedly their ultimate technique, the Plum Blossom Endures the Snow’s Chill (梅忍雪寒), which he had seen several times.

If a branch frozen throughout winter finally bloomed after long endurance, its fragrance would travel ten thousand miles.

Sazongak was not about to allow that to happen.

Once again, Sazongak swung his jet-black fishing rod fiercely.

A net of chilling sword energy, incomparably more terrifying than before, enveloped Jinmyeong Jin-in densely and in layers.

Despite maintaining a considerable distance, an undeniable tension settled in both of their eyes.

Crackle, crackle!

Momentarily, the sunset glow and silver sword energies intertwined, and blue sparks flared up.

Gasps erupted from the Hwasan disciples who had been holding their breaths.

Amidst the blizzard-like sword energy raging over the river,
they had ultimately bloomed a single red plum blossom.

It was then that Jinmyeong Jin-in and Sazongak’s gazes locked in the air.

Without either taking precedence, the two launched themselves toward each other.

Clang!

Even though weapons clashed, a deafening roar that shook the heavens and earth erupted.

Simultaneously, the ship they were standing on shattered completely, scattering in all directions.

At the same time, a waterspout surged, swallowing the wreckage of the ship that was scattering into fragments.

Dense spray, like rain mist, swirled throughout the area.

Beyond it, sharp sounds of metal and short groans leaked out.

And soon, a long silence followed.

“…….”

The Hwasan disciples and the aquatic alliance’s pirates alike held their breaths, awaiting the outcome.

A life-or-death struggle where they had driven each other with formidable power.

Currently, no one could gauge the direction of the result.

It was that much of a battle where anyone could win without it being strange.

After a while.

The hazy spray that had filled the view subsided, and the figures of the two were fully revealed.

“……!”

Joy and sorrow were mixed in both camps.

Thick despair was on the faces of the aquatic alliance’s pirates.

Conversely, bright smiles were hung on the faces of the Hwasan disciples.

Sazongak, standing precariously on the prow of the sinking ship, staggered as if he would collapse at any moment, continuously vomiting black blood.

On the other hand, Jinmyeong Jin-in was aiming his sword at Sazongak, steadfastly guarding his position.

Centered around him, the sunset glow that shook the area carried a deep plum blossom fragrance.

“The subtle fragrance drifts…….”

Someone among the Hwasan disciples burst into exclamation.

It was because they knew that it was the last stance of the Plum Blossom Sword Art, the Plum Blossom Fragrance Travels Ten Thousand Miles (梅花萬里香), that had created such divine skill.

The earth-shattering battle that had surpassed the limits of humans had ultimately ended in Jinmyeong Jin-in’s victory.

It was then.

“Shit, I almost died there.”

A coarse curse burst from Sazongak’s mouth.

Despite soaking his front entirely with dark red blood, Sazongak was grinning.

“How is it? What are your thoughts on facing death?”

“…….”

“Hey, I’m asking you now. Do even the Heavenly Five Sages [referring to the most powerful martial artists] feel fear before death?”

Sazongak’s words were incomprehensible, and Jinmyeong Jin-in remained silent.

The expressions of the Hwasan disciples changed rapidly.

It was then that the red lines, gradually becoming clearer as they hung in the air, entered their eyes.

The Hwasan disciples’ hearts sank as they realized that it was blood flowing down the Four Evil Swords.

The fishing hook was deeply embedded in Jinmyeong Jin-in’s shoulder.

The slender Four Evil Swords connected to its end were wrapped around Jinmyeong Jin-in’s hand holding the sword.

The faces of the Hwasan disciples, belatedly grasping the situation, were filled with urgency.

Despite pouring out all of Hwasan’s ultimate techniques, the one who had ultimately been defeated was Jinmyeong Jin-in.

“Save the Sect Leader!”

As the Hwasan disciples drew their forms, the pirates of the aquatic alliance responded with crossbows as if they had been waiting.

Pee-peep-peeping!

“Keuk!”

“Aaaagh!”

Jinmyeong Jin-in’s gaze sank heavily as he witnessed his disciples collapsing in the air.

The martial world, a monster, was a place that even he, who had lived this long, still found difficult to judge.

Eccentrics and hermits were as common as grains of sand on the riverbank, and hidden masters were so abundant.

Thud, thud.

The amount of blood flowing down the Four Evil Swords gradually began to increase.

Jinmyeong Jin-in, gritting his teeth, drew upon his remaining true energy and poured it all into his sword.

Woo-oong.

From the tip of his sword, which emitted a majestic sword cry, a purple sword energy surged.

“Not a chance.”

The Black Bamboo Pole in Sazongak’s hand seized and tore through the air.

Swish!

It was then that fingers, severed above the space where the Four Evil Swords had passed, floated haphazardly.

“……!”

The eyes of the Hwasan disciples shook violently.

“Sect Leader!”

However, that desperate cry, like a scream, did not reach Jinmyeong Jin-in.

It was because the fishing line, thick with killing intent, had slit his neck as it passed.

Jinmyeong Jin-in’s head floated into the air.

The Hwasan disciples, witnessing this, momentarily forgot even the thought of retaliation and were dumbfounded.

Who could believe that Jinmyeong Jin-in, one of the Heavenly Five Sages and the greatest swordsman of the era, had been defeated by a mere pirate leader and lost his life?

On the other hand, Sazongak was still swallowing the sweet blood rising up his throat, muttering a curse under his breath.

“Damn old man…….”

If he had slipped up even once, the one who would have been swallowed by that river would have been himself, not the opponent.

That was how much of an opponent he was, one who made it impossible to let his guard down even for a moment, and it was a terribly dangerous fight.

Sazongak’s eyes, looking around with a pale face, gleamed coldly.

“Nothing can stop our revenge.”

Sazongak, who had started with that, let out a chilling laugh.

“We offer them as sacrifices to the River God (河伯) [a deity in Chinese mythology] and declare our will to the heavens!”

A terrifying killing intent covered the entire Mangryangtan area.

It was an overwhelming presence and aura that made it hard to breathe just by facing it.

“Those who share my will! Swear in this place with the blood of the enemy!”

As if responding to Sazongak’s cry, the resounding cheers of the pirates filled the surroundings.

The emboldened pirates began their attack on the Hwasan disciples.

The Hwasan disciples, who had been in a state of shock at Jinmyeong Jin-in’s death, were unable to properly respond to their endless waves of attacks and began to collapse helplessly.

The number of corpses increased as time passed.

Red blood, like the plum blossoms symbolizing the Red Cliff, dyed the river red.

* * *

A basin located in a remote part of Xinjiang.

As soon as the sun set, the area was enveloped in pitch-black darkness and silence.

The stars that filled the night sky as if they would pour down at any moment, and a single small bonfire that shone brightly beneath them, swayed in the wind, quietly pushing back the encroaching darkness.

It was then that a person who was breaking off branches and throwing them into the bonfire opened his mouth.

“Before the dream of the spring grass by the pond has even faded, the paulownia leaves in front of the stairs are already making the sound of autumn.”

Choakryang, feeling the unusually cool night air on his skin, especially felt the swiftness of time.

Perhaps that was why.

The old verse he had recited after a long time contained his past sentiments intact.

Meanwhile, Han Seol-hwa, who was sitting opposite him with the bonfire in between, simply raised her eyes and gazed at the night sky without a word.

It was then that the two were melting into the all-too-serene autumn night scenery.

“……!”

Han Seol-hwa’s gaze turned somewhere.

A pavilion located in the center of the desolate basin.

There was a person walking out from inside, with an exterior that looked like it would collapse at any moment, having suffered from over ten years of weathering.

Choakryang and Han Seol-hwa, exchanging glances, slowly nodded their heads.

After Danak Seon had defeated the Heavenly Devil and they had swept away the demons from this sacred ground, the Demonic Cult was no longer the same as before.

They did not dare to rise up again and hid even deeper.

Since then, they had been guarding this place for a time equivalent to an entire decade.

To be precise, they were protecting Danak Seon.

No…….

It would be more accurate to say they were waiting.

And Danak Seon had certainly lived up to their expectations.

A stable aura that had deeply concealed even the domineering energy rippling beyond his eyes.

Choakryang and Han Seol-hwa wore satisfied smiles as they confirmed this.

It was fortunate that what they had been worried about had ended as a simple concern.

That alone was enough.

They could rest assured that the years they had spent guarding this place had not been in vain.

“Uncle Cho, Auntie Han.”

Danak Seon, who had slowly approached, embraced Choakryang and Han Seol-hwa with both arms.

“At this rate, you’ll catch up with Beomga soon.”

Choakryang gave a smile to Danak Seon, who had grown taller in the time he hadn’t seen him.

Danak Seon had already surpassed Choakryang’s height several years ago.

The only flaw was that he looked somewhat thin due to his tall height, but it still suited Danak Seon’s unique atmosphere.

The decade had brought many changes to Danak Seon as well.

The youthful appearance of the innocent boy who used to frown his neat face and smile pleasantly was no longer there.

The gentle atmosphere that reminded one of sunlight had disappeared, and instead, he possessed a sharp gaze and an overwhelming presence.

There was an atmosphere that made people unable to let their guard down, and his eyes and expression held a dignity that was difficult to capture with words alone.

“You’ve worked hard.”

Danak Seon smiled and nodded at Choakryang’s words.

“It’s thanks to you, Uncle and Auntie.”

As if he had belatedly remembered, Danak Seon looked around.

“Did Uncle Beom go to Hainan Island?”

Choakryang chuckled and nodded his head.

“He’s probably busy taking care of his child right now.”

“Was her name Ryeohwa? Come to think of it, she would be exactly ten years old this year.”

Han Seol-hwa smiled and took over the words.

“She’s become the biggest troublemaker in Hainan Island.”

“How could she not, with that bloodline.”

Her mother was Byeokhwa-ryeong, and her father was even Beomgyewi.

Danak Seon, who had lightly laughed, raised his deep eyes and gazed at the night sky.

“The ten years felt so long, but now that I look back, it feels like a fleeting dream.”

Choakryang and Han Seol-hwa closed their mouths with complicated eyes.

It was because they had watched more closely than anyone else what kind of battles Danak Seon had been fighting.

It was after a long time that Danak Seon opened his mouth again.

“Now I can finally return to Muwi.”

Choakryang and Han Seol-hwa stared at Danak Seon with fresh eyes.

Although they were the two who had always seen the changes so closely, Danak Seon, who was standing in front of them now, looked definitely different somewhere.

‘Well, yes.’

Choakryang nodded inwardly.

A seventeen-year-old boy had become a twenty-seven-year-old young man, so if he was still the same as he was in his childhood, that itself would be strange.

However, the reason why he felt sorry nonetheless was because Danak Seon’s eyes looked especially lonely.

* * *

After being declared the Zhili Prefecture [a special administrative region], Muwi continued to develop.

Ten years later, it had grown so much that the saying “a beautiful sight in late autumn (晩秋佳景)” was an understatement, and it was having a significant impact on nearby cities.

At its center were the Shinma Merchant Guild, which already had bases throughout the entire martial world, and the Shinma Medical Clan, which was filled with the most skilled doctors in all of the Central Plains.

It wasn’t just that.

As it played a significant role as a center of trade between the Western Regions and the Central Plains, the entertainment industry also grew significantly due to the wealth concentrated in Muwi.

In the past, it was said that “heaven above, Suzhou and Hangzhou below,” but now Muwi had long since replaced Suzhou and Hangzhou as a city symbolizing wealth and elegance.

As such, the influx of population also increased significantly, and it was always bustling with outsiders flocking from all over the Central Plains.

Therefore, no one found it strange that five martial artists were entering Muwi even now.

“It’s as rumored.”

The old man standing at the head of the group.

The old man, with his head shaved as neatly as a monk and wearing a robe that was all black, slowly opened his mouth.

However, there was no tonsure mark on his forehead.

His eyes were sunken, and his arms and fingers, revealed beneath his sleeves, were also as withered as a mummy.

However, the fierce glint flowing from his eyes contained something so dangerous that it sent shivers down one’s spine just by facing it.

“It would be more than sufficient for the Original Buddha (本佛) [referring to himself] to rule and reside.”

In contrast to his chilling gaze, the old man was curling up a very pleased smile.

His name was Gu Yang-jin.

He was none other than the Ancient Tree Divine Monk (古木神僧), who had long reigned in terror throughout the Blackwood Cliff area.