The Divine And Demonic Doctor [EN]: Chapter 48

The Divine Doctor of the Demonic World (48)

Three days later.

Sa Mu-sim entered the vast meadow.

He had taken a long detour towards the Jade Gate Pass to avoid clashes with the government troops guarding the Great Wall.

A desolate landscape and dry, dusty winds.

He had been here a few times in the past, so it felt familiar.

Sa Mu-sim used his lightness skill to cross the meadow.

How long had he been running?

Suddenly, he was overcome with a strange feeling.

Sa Mu-sim stopped and looked around, his eyes gleaming with interest.

In the distance, he spotted a group of horsemen riding in from the horizon.

‘Is this also the effect of the Azure Stone Oil?’

He was surprised that he could sense the presence of others from such a distance.

It was impossible for him before.

Sa Mu-sim took out a flag from his chest and waved it.

It was somewhat faded and old, but the falcon emblem spreading its wings was still clear.

“……?”

Confusion appeared on Sa Mu-sim’s face.

The riders, who should have slowed down as they got closer, were spurring their horses on, increasing their speed.

When the distance between them was about fifty yards.

“Heh heh.”

Sa Mu-sim chuckled inwardly, feeling it was absurd.

The blatant hostility emanating from the opponents!

He was able to identify the red collars of the riders belatedly.

‘Blood Cloud Sand!’

Sand of death that brings blood.

Unfortunately, as soon as he entered the meadow, he encountered the infamous bandit group.

Each individual’s martial prowess was comparable to that of the elite generals of the Golden Uniform Guard.

They were notorious for their brutality, plundering and killing not only the Central Plains people but also their own kind.

So much so that they were compared to locust swarms that swept through the meadow without leaving a single blade of grass, the Flying Locusts.

Moreover, their number was known to be hundreds.

But the horsemen in front of him were only about ten.

They seemed to be a vanguard for reconnaissance.

Suddenly, a bitter memory of his entanglement with them a long time ago came to mind.

‘I was really… reckless back then.’

Fifteen years ago.

Sa Mu-sim smiled bitterly as he recalled his first encounter with the Blood Cloud Sand.

Even though the Blood Cloud Sand was notorious in the outer regions, he was confident that he could handle them at the time.

He thought that no matter how skilled they were in swordsmanship and horsemanship, it would be meaningless to him, a martial arts expert.

That was why he rushed at them without hesitation.

But soon, he realized how foolish that decision was.

Generally, horses are easily thought of as mere means of transportation.

Sa Mu-sim also believed so.

But it wasn’t.

A horse was a weapon.

The weight of the horse and rider, combined with the speed of the running horse, was formidable.

He realized that one horseman was more terrifying than facing a decent martial arts expert.

Especially the moment they thrust their spears, it was impossible for him to capture.

He couldn’t possibly follow the trajectory of the spear falling like a hammer from horseback with his eyes.

His experience was sorely lacking, and the opponent’s attacks were difficult to predict.

The power of the horse and rider as one was more destructive than he could have imagined.

Moreover, they were specialized in group battles, like a well-organized army.

In the face of their swift pursuit using horses and their relentless tactics using numbers, even he, a fairly famous expert, had no way to deal with them.

In the end, Sa Mu-sim had to turn his back.

He felt ashamed that he had to run away from the enemy, but it was better than being left as a corpse in the barren wasteland.

Moreover, he was not alone at the time.

He had to live, even for the sake of the young lives that were trailing behind him.

It was fortunate that he found an old castle that was collapsing nearby.

There were still many collapsed walls everywhere, which could be used to hinder the movement of horses.

Sa Mu-sim continued his siege inside until the enemies got tired and retreated on their own.

That’s how several days passed.

No, it felt like it had passed.

In fact, the enemies were so persistent that he couldn’t even tell when the sun rose or set.

Eventually, Sa Mu-sim persevered.

And he was able to fulfill his purpose in coming to the meadow.

He safely handed over the children who had been captured and sold as slaves during the Northern Expedition to their tribe.

The flag he was holding in his hand now was a symbol of that connection.

The flag symbolized Dayan Khan, the chieftain who led the Northern Yuan at the time.

‘But it’s different now than it was then.’

Sa Mu-sim focused his fighting spirit and stared ahead.

At that moment, one horseman from the group of riders charged out with the momentum of a lone rider.

Whoosh.

The spear blade, swung like lightning, brushed past him at a precarious distance and flew towards Sa Mu-sim’s neck.

Sa Mu-sim did not block it but followed it with his eyes until the end.

Unlike in the past, the opponent’s movements and the trajectory of the spear blade were clearly visible.

Having escaped from the Inner Demon and with his internal energy improving by leaps and bounds, his senses had also become sharper.

Thanks to this, he was able to avoid the spear blade by taking half a step back and slightly twisting his upper body at the crucial moment.

“Chawaas!”

The opponent, who had missed his target, immediately cursed and turned his horse around.

On the other hand, Sa Mu-sim, who understood what he said, smiled slightly.

‘The real damn situation starts now.’

Leaving behind the Blood Cloud Sand group laughing loudly in the distance, Sa Mu-sim began to run towards the approaching horseman.

“……!”

The opponent seemed momentarily flustered by Sa Mu-sim’s unexpected response, but soon he showed a vicious look and swung his spear again.

Clang clang clang!

The spear blade, scraping the ground with blue sparks, chased after Sa Mu-sim.

Sa Mu-sim did not avoid it but reached out his hand.

It was a desperate palm strike with all his strength.

Kwaang!

Even though the spear and bare hand collided, an explosion erupted.

At the same time, a fierce shockwave swept around.

The shock that started from his hand and wrist rose heavily to his shoulder, but Sa Mu-sim immediately flew into the thick cloud of dust in front of him.

He saw the horse struggling on the ground and the guy whose leg was pinned underneath, whimpering.

The opponent, who made eye contact with Sa Mu-sim, hurriedly tried to draw his dagger.

But Sa Mu-sim was a little faster.

Paak!

With the momentum of his run, Sa Mu-sim’s knee lifted the opponent’s chin.

With that blow, the opponent lost consciousness and collapsed.

‘That’s why they say Azure Stone Oil, Azure Stone Oil.’

At this moment, Sa Mu-sim could once again realize why martial artists were so eager for elixirs.

It was not for nothing that Azure Stone Oil was called the elixir of the ages.

He could see the clearly different results from the past, when he had been struggling.

‘How many people in this vast Jianghu [the martial world] will see the effects of an elixir like Azure Stone Oil?’

Even experts like Cho Ak-ryang and Beom Gye-wi had never seen it before, so there was nothing more to say.

Gratitude for Dan Ak-seon filled his heart once again.

But at that moment.

‘What’s this?’

Sa Mu-sim, noticing the strange aura flowing around him, looked at the Blood Cloud Sand warrior who had fainted under the horse with an interesting look.

Now that he caught him, he was a fresh-faced young man who seemed to have just come of age.

But the real peculiarity was something else.

The Blood Cloud Sand warriors, who would not have even looked at a hostage in normal times, were panicking and circling around.

‘He seems valuable enough as a hostage.’

He could tell enough just by looking at their pale faces.

At that moment.

Doo doo doo doo.

The sound of hooves shaking the ground was heard.

He turned his head towards the sound and saw horsemen, numbering over two hundred at a glance, running with a hazy cloud of dust in the distance.

Seeing this, the Blood Cloud Sand gnashed their teeth and turned their horses around.

And they rode away in an instant, disappearing from sight.

Sa Mu-sim waved the flag high again towards the horsemen approaching him.

Fortunately, they were not hostile to Sa Mu-sim.

Rather, they were greatly surprised and whispered among themselves, then brought two riderless horses.

One for Sa Mu-sim to ride, and the other for the unconscious Blood Cloud Sand brat.

And he was guided by them to a place.

It was a mobile tent house called ‘Ger’ [Yurt] in their language.

But its scale was enormous.

As Sa Mu-sim got off his horse, a young man with a large build who had been waiting in front of the entrance hugged him tightly.

Sa Mu-sim realized the greatness of time.

The scruffy and skinny child from before had now grown up and was leading his own group.

“What is that guy?”

At the young man’s question, Sa Mu-sim smiled and answered in their language.

“A gift.”

* * *

It was exactly a week later that Sa Mu-sim returned to the Divine Devil Valley.

Sa Mu-sim, who entered the Divine Devil Valley with the bright moon high in the sky as his companion, found Dan Ak-seon waiting for him.

“You’re here?”

Sa Mu-sim also smiled and bowed his head at Dan Ak-seon’s smile, which was brighter than the moon in the sky.

“Were you waiting for me?”

“I was just taking a walk.”

Then, Dan Ak-seon immediately approached Sa Mu-sim and began to check his pulse.

Sa Mu-sim smiled awkwardly at Dan Ak-seon’s appearance.

“I’m fine, so you don’t have to worry.”

“I’m just checking, just in case.”

Dan Ak-seon, who did not find anything unusual, finally said with a relieved expression.

“I’ll reduce my greed.”

“Yes?”

“While Chief Manager was away, I thought a lot. Because I bought elixirs without thinking, our finances have become very difficult, right?”

Dan Ak-seon apologized with a sorry face.

“Although it was necessary for treatment, it is true that my greed was excessive. I will refrain from now on.”

Sa Mu-sim smiled casually and shook his head.

“No. Rather, I feel rewarded by the fact that I can do something for Valley Lord. So don’t worry too much about it.”

“But don’t overdo it too much.”

“Is that what you wanted to say after all?”

Sa Mu-sim’s heart warmed at Dan Ak-seon’s sincere concern.

That alone made it worthwhile to work hard.

“Then rest well.”

“Yes, go in.”

After exchanging greetings, Sa Mu-sim turned around as Dan Ak-seon’s figure completely disappeared into the palace.

At that moment, a chill suddenly ran down his spine.

When he turned his gaze, he saw Beom Gye-wi staring at him from close by, having arrived at some point.

Sa Mu-sim lowered his head, relaxing his vigilance.

“Have you been well?”

“No, not at all.”

“Yes?”

Beom Gye-wi huffed with a wronged expression.

“Because you disappeared, everything from cleaning to laundry, even feeding the pigeons, was all my responsibility.”

“Oh dear, that’s terrible. You’ve suffered.”

“Oh dear? You’ve suffered?”

Beom Gye-wi asked with a dumbfounded look.

“What is it? That detached, monk-like tone?”

“Did I? I apologize if it felt blasphemous. But how did you end up taking on all the chores? If the three of you had divided the work appropriately, it would have been much easier.”

Beom Gye-wi’s face became gloomy.

“I lost in the lottery.”

At this time, Cho Ak-ryang, who appeared from somewhere, smiled and opened his mouth.

“He dug his own grave. He was the one who suggested that the work be concentrated on the first person.”

Cho Ak-ryang ignored the pouting Beom Gye-wi and walked towards Sa Mu-sim.

“Did the trip go well?”

“Fortunately, I was able to handle it safely.”

Sa Mu-sim, nodding his head, took out several flags and letters from his chest.

“These are the emblems symbolizing the most influential tribes in the outer regions and handwritten letters guaranteeing their identity.”

“So those two serve as a pass?”

“The flag with the Khan’s emblem is enough, but the letters are in preparation for any unforeseen circumstances.”

Admiration appeared on Cho Ak-ryang’s face.

“Still, you’re amazing. I knew you had a wide network, but I didn’t know you had exchanges with the foreign tribes of the outer regions.”

Sa Mu-sim smiled awkwardly.

“The child I rescued a long time ago is now leading his own tribe. He is said to be very close to the successor of Dayan Khan, who was the Khan of the Northern Yuan. He recently formed an ‘Anda’ [blood brother relationship] with him.”

“Anda?”

“In their language, it means sworn brothers.”

Then Beom Gye-wi suddenly opened his mouth.

“But you need people to set up a merchant group, right?”

“I already have people in mind. I was going to ask you separately about that issue, Senior.”

“To me?”

Beom Gye-wi, who was tilting his head, exclaimed at Sa Mu-sim’s words that followed.

“Ah! They were there.”

Beom Gye-wi smiled and nodded his head.

“Use them as you please. If those guys resist, tell me.”

“Haha, that won’t happen.”

If they didn’t know, they wouldn’t have known, but very few people could resist him even after experiencing Beom Gye-wi.