The Divine And Demonic Doctor [EN]: Chapter 443

The Great War (1)

“The movements of those bandits are unusual. It’s fortunate that they’re still wary of the Imperial Court. To stop them, someone has to hold the line here.”

The head merchant, who had delivered the letter, looked at Neng Somil with respectful eyes.

*If only the court had more officials like him, the world would be a much better place.*

“By the way, did he say he was unwell?”

“Excuse me?”

“I mean Doctor Dan.”

“Ah! Yes. When I saw him recently, he seemed fine.”

“That’s a relief. A truly fortunate thing.”

Neng Somil’s face brightened.

He knew very well why Dan Akseon had been lying low in the Divine Land [a region or area] for over a decade.

That’s why he had been more anxious than anyone else.

The worst-case scenario he had considered countless times.

It was a great relief that his worries were unfounded.

“Hmm?”

Suddenly, Neng Somil tilted his head.

“What’s wrong?”

The head merchant couldn’t help but feel puzzled by Neng Somil’s intense gaze.

Neng Somil cast a displeased look at him.

“It’s true that the Shinma Merchant Guild’s discipline has become lax these days.”

“What do you mean?”

“Hasn’t he already come close?”

“No way…”

“Yes. That no way.”

Neng Somil jumped up.

It was to welcome Dan Akseon.

Neng Somil, like Dan Akseon, had mastered the Wihwa Divine Art [a special martial art].

However, unlike Dan Akseon, he could not directly use it for healing, and its power as a martial art was also weaker.

However, his unique Wihwa Divine Art, which had evolved in a different form, possessed its own unique abilities.

He could sense Dan Akseon’s presence from about ten miles away.

In addition, he could communicate with animals and had the ability to sense and understand people’s emotions.

This was why he could easily deal with the seasoned ministers.

He could judge the truth through emotional fluctuations, so he easily seized the initiative in conversations.

Dan Akseon, who had examined him, once said that his upper dantian [energy center in the body] was particularly developed compared to others.

He added that it seemed to be a characteristic that had manifested due to the influence of his life, as he had led an information organization for many years.

Of course, there were exceptions.

It was useless against masters who far surpassed his level.

For example, the Shinma Three Venerables were like that.

“What can we do? Unlike us, whose means of transportation are limited to land routes because the Suro Alliance has blocked the waterways, Doctor Dan has mastered martial arts and is not restricted…”

The head merchant, who had hurriedly opened his mouth to clear up the misunderstanding, trailed off.

Neng Somil had already disappeared from sight.

* * *

“Try some of this too.”

Dan Akseon gave an awkward smile at Neng Somil’s natural gesture of picking up food and placing it on his plate.

Neng Somil had made a fuss about how thin he had become as soon as they met and then suddenly dragged him to an inn.

To make matters worse, he was filleting fish and handing it to him as if he were a child.

The problem was that Dan Akseon’s height had already surpassed Neng Somil’s.

Moreover, Neng Somil had not changed out of his official robes because he had rushed over.

It was only natural that the attention of many people passing through the inn was drawn to the two of them.

The sight of a person who was clearly a high-ranking official of the court treating someone so warmly aroused great curiosity.

“Uncle, you should eat too.”

“Haha. I’m full just watching you.”

Neng Somil laughed heartily, then belatedly remembered something and raised his hand to call a waiter.

“Bring us a roast duck too.”

“Are you going to order more here?”

Dan Akseon asked in surprise.

Already, the table was full of all sorts of delicacies.

“You liked roast duck, didn’t you? Especially since you’ve come all the way here, you must try Peking duck.”

“Thank you. I’ll enjoy it.”

Dan Akseon was grateful that Neng Somil remembered even such small details, so he couldn’t refuse.

Dan Akseon nodded as he savored each dish.

As expected, the capital was the capital.

As the center of the Central Plains [a region in China], where people and culture gathered, the variety of food was diverse and the taste was exceptional.

As they continued their meal.

Dan Akseon suddenly felt strange and looked up.

It was then that his eyes met Neng Somil’s, who was staring at him intently with an extremely complex expression.

“Why are you making that face?”

“It’s nothing. But…”

“But?”

“It just makes me realize how much time has passed.”

He could hardly believe that the Dan Akseon he had always remembered and the grown-up young man of today were the same person.

That’s how contrasting his current appearance was to the past.

Not only his appearance but especially his aura.

The gentle and tender nature that was like a spring haze.

The boy who was so often tearful and pitiful no longer existed in reality.

“When did you become such an adult?”

Neng Somil continued with a mix of regret and joy.

“I might have to find you a suitable marriage partner soon. In fact, at twenty-seven, it wouldn’t be strange to have a family already. Well, I don’t think we need to step in, do we?”

Dan Akseon had been receiving marriage proposals ever since his reputation had grown and the title of Shinma Divine Doctor had become known in the Central Plains.

Fame, wealth, and influence in the Central Plains martial arts world.

With such a near-perfect appearance added to that, there was no way parents with daughters of marriageable age would remain silent.

“Matchmakers will be coming from all over soon…”

Neng Somil, who had spoken without thinking, belatedly realized his mistake.

*What an idiot!*

He had been so happy that he had overlooked one fact.

To remedy his mistake, Neng Somil shouted at the waiter.

“Bring us Kung Pao Chicken and Shredded Beef in Chili Sauce!”

Neng Somil, who had ordered new dishes, smiled awkwardly.

“You must try these two dishes. Unlike other places, they have a special taste here.”

“It’s okay.”

“Yes?”

“You don’t have to try so hard.”

Dan Akseon smiled quietly and met Neng Somil’s gaze.

“How is Princess Yeongsun doing?”

“That, that’s…”

Neng Somil, who had a troubled look, let out a soft sigh.

“She married a long time ago.”

Neng Somil, who felt sorry for no reason even though it wasn’t his fault, stirred the food in front of him and added.

“She waited for about three years. But you know, she is the eldest princess of the Imperial family. Due to the Imperial family’s etiquette, she couldn’t postpone it any longer.”

“I see.”

Dan Akseon smiled bitterly.

He didn’t feel particularly disappointed or heartbroken.

From the beginning, they had never developed their relationship enough to harbor affectionate feelings for each other.

But it was true that he had once had a crush on her.

And it was also true that he felt sorry and pitiful after hearing that she had waited for him for three years.

“By the way, I’m impressed with Uncle Neng’s decision.”

Dan Akseon changed the subject.

Aside from anything else, he felt the need to change the topic because of Neng Somil, who was looking at him with such affectionate eyes.

“You’ve deployed troops along the Yangtze River to protect the people? That must be why you’re staying in the Imperial Palace, which you hate so much.”

“You understand!”

Neng Somil nodded with a determined look.

“Once I get rid of that Chongchaeju of the Yangtze River Waterway Alliance, that Beonga Ryong or whatever, I’ll leave without any regrets. Now that Master Gokju has broken his long seclusion and returned, I just have to wait for the day I can return to Muwi, right?”

“As a matter of fact, I was looking into things related to him.”

“You must never underestimate him. Especially, you must never fight on the water. Since even the head of the Hwasan Sect [a famous martial arts sect] fell at his hands, you should consider him a master comparable to the Heavenly Five Uniques [the five strongest martial artists].”

“But why didn’t you ask for help from Uncle Beom?”

Unlike Cho Akryang and Han Seolhwa, who were always by his side, Beom Gyewi mostly stayed in Hainan [an island in China].

Knowing his personality, if Neng Somil had asked for help, he would have grumbled but reluctantly come running.

“Well… um, that’s…”

Neng Somil avoided Dan Akseon’s gaze.

“Senior Beom has to protect his family above all else. Besides, the river water won’t be able to invade the Yongwang Shrine [a shrine dedicated to the Dragon King] for the time being.”

“Is that the only reason?”

“Actually…”

Neng Somil, who was at a loss for where to look, finally sighed and confessed.

“Actually, before I came to the Imperial Palace, Senior Beom often came to Muwi. Every time, he caused so much trouble…”

Neng Somil pressed his throbbing temples with his thumb as if he had a headache just thinking about it.

“I realized one thing at that time.”

Neng Somil leaned towards Dan Akseon and whispered softly, looking around to make sure no words were leaked.

“A runaway Mangsang Choja [a crazy person] is scarier than a Heavenly Demon.”

Dan Akseon’s absence, who was the only one who could control Beom Gyewi.

In addition, Cho Akryang and Han Seolhwa, who could put the brakes on him, were also gone, so Beom Gyewi roamed the Jianghu [the martial arts world] like a fish in water.

Of course, he no longer lost his mind when he saw blood like in the past.

But that was the problem.

Originally, Beom Gyewi had been aware of his own problems and had lived avoiding people as much as possible.

But now that he had overcome this, there was nothing to hold him back.

But would his personality change?

Still, Beom Gyewi was Beom Gyewi.

It wasn’t for nothing that he carried the ominous title of Mangsang Choja.

“He himself has a free spirit that is not bound by the rules of the human world.”

Wherever his footsteps reached, disasters close to natural disasters followed.

Moreover, he was solely responsible for cleaning up the aftermath of the accidents.

“In fact, I came to the Imperial Palace partly to escape from him.”

“You’ve been through a lot.”

Dan Akseon, who recalled the hardships Neng Somil had gone through, offered his sincere condolences.

He didn’t know when he was young, but now that he thought about it, Beom Gyewi was by no means an easy person to deal with.

It was then that Neng Somil’s expression became serious.

“And in fact, there is another reason why I couldn’t entrust the handling of the Four Evil Dragons to Senior Beom.”

Neng Somil sighed with a heavy look.

“As I said before, there is a case where even the head of the Hwasan Sect, one of the Heavenly Five Uniques, was defeated by him.”

Neng Somil, who would jump out of bed even in his sleep at the mere mention of the name Beom Gyewi, actually had a special affection for Beom Gyewi.

What if something happened to Beom Gyewi…

Neng Somil shook his head as if he didn’t want to think about it.

At this time, Dan Akseon quietly opened his mouth.

“I couldn’t believe it when I first heard the news.”

Dan Akseon had seen Jin Myeongjin’s martial arts up close several times before.

Through this, he realized that the position of the Heavenly Five Uniques, who were said to be the strongest in the world, was by no means an empty name.

That he had lost his life so futilely.

Neng Somil’s expression became even more serious.

“There is an even bigger problem now.”

Dan Akseon realized the seriousness of the situation at Neng Somil’s explanation that followed.

“Beonga Ryong Sajoongak. Three years have passed since he won the life-and-death battle with Jin Myeongjin. Taking that victory as a starting point, he has been uniting the evil factions and is now on the verge of creating the Sado Alliance [evil alliance], centered on the Yangtze River Waterway Alliance. Not only the figures from the evil factions who did not participate in the last Demonic Sect subjugation but also the small and medium-sized sects that had been neutral until now are rushing to gather under Sajoongak.”

“Neutral sects? Why?”

“That’s… it’s been noisy in many ways.”

The last battle with the Demonic Sect in Shinji also caused great damage to the Nine Great Sects.

For the small and medium-sized sects that had been holding their breath under the power of the Nine Great Sects for a long time, this was an opportunity that would never come again.

They poured out all the grievances they had accumulated while being suppressed by the Nine Great Sects.

“Fierce competition over various business interests has been taking place all over the Central Plains.”