The Divine And Demonic Doctor [EN]: Chapter 489

Mount Taishan and the Lyuliang Mountains encircle Shanxi Province, a region historically known for its rugged terrain.

Among its peaks, Mount Heng, the Northern Great Mountain of the Five Great Mountains, is famous, but the highest mountain in the area is actually Mount Wutai, a place of mystical scenery.

This is a sacred Buddhist site, long believed to be where the Bodhisattva Manjusri manifested, also known as Mount Qingliang.

The deep valleys and cliffs scattered throughout remain largely untouched by humans.

Yet, a group of individuals was struggling to climb this already treacherous place, which even seasoned herbalists avoided.

About ten men, all concealing their faces with bamboo hats.

They occasionally scanned their surroundings warily, their eyes gleaming with a stern and sharp intensity beneath their hats.

It was evident that they were martial artists possessing a certain level of skill.

Perhaps because of this, they navigated the rough forest paths with relative ease.

However, the situation of the last person following them at the very end of the group was different.

Staggering as if about to collapse at any moment, he seemed to struggle with every step.

Sure enough.

“Hah… hah…”

Eventually, the man stopped.

He threw off his bamboo hat, gasping for breath.

“How much further do we have to go?”

The bamboo-hatted man leading the group stopped and looked back.

“We’re almost there.”

“You said that half an hour ago. And three days ago, too.”

Sajong-ak’s eyes were filled with resentment.

He had been moving non-stop, to the point where he tasted blood in his mouth, but the place prepared for him showed no signs of appearing.

Even now.

With every breath, he could feel a faint, fishy smell of blood deep within his lungs.

It meant that the internal injuries, which had worsened over time, had reached a critical point beyond repair.

Looking at Sajong-ak, Zuo Ci’s eyes flashed with annoyance.

However, he still maintained a relaxed smile on his face.

“The ravine that appears after passing the large old pine tree ahead is our destination. When we arrive there, you will be able to see what we have prepared for you.”

The old pine tree that Zuo Ci pointed to was only about a hundred paces away.

“You had better have prepared it properly. If this arrangement is not to my liking, I will hold you accountable for making me come all this way, starting with your neck.”

A blue light flashed in the eyes of the men escorting Zuo Ci at Sajong-ak’s threatening growl, filled with murderous intent.

Zuo Ci chuckled, stopping his subordinates.

“With that body of yours?”

“I still have enough strength to break your fragile neck.”

“Then use that strength to climb up there. That is the last chance given to you.”

At Zuo Ci’s confident words, Sajong-ak gritted his teeth.

*There must be a reason why he was so confident.*

More than anything, he couldn’t give up after coming this far.

Eventually, Sajong-ak began to move again.

Passing Zuo Ci’s group, he reached the old pine tree, and a cleverly concealed ravine appeared.

The entrance was obliquely crossed, and the old pine tree cleverly concealed the entrance, making it impossible to know of its existence without approaching it closely.

Sajong-ak threw himself into the ravine and moved forward without delay.

After walking about fifty paces, a wide, basin-shaped space at the end of the ravine appeared.

Surprisingly, there was a well-built building inside.

But what was even more surprising was something else.

“Who is that?”

A person chained to the center of the building.

Sajong-ak’s eyes flashed with a strange light as he recognized him.

Zuo Ci, now standing shoulder to shoulder with Sajong-ak, smiled and began to explain.

“This Mount Wutai is not only a sacred site for Central Plains Buddhism but also considered a sacred site by Tibetan lamas. It has been isolated from the influence of the Central Plains for a long time.”

At first, Sajong-ak was puzzled, but he soon realized why Zuo Ci was telling him this.

“This region was annexed by the imperial court after the founding of the Great Ming Dynasty [1368-1644].”

As the region where the Great Wall of China is located, Shanxi was one of the northern border areas.

During the Spring and Autumn [771 to 476 BC] and Warring States periods [475 to 221 BC], it was the center of the Jin state, and after the fall of the Jin dynasty, it was a place where various heroes and nomadic groups were active.

“Because it was difficult for the imperial court to reach this place, the Green Forest [a general term for bandit groups] has long used it as their base.”

It was then that the chained man groaned and raised his head.

“Kugh.”

The pipa bone [collarbone] was pierced by a large iron nail, and thick nails were hammered into his hands, feet, and knees, making it impossible to move, but the man smiled.

“Oh, who is this? Is it not the Fierce Dragon, Chief Sa, who was defeated by the Divine Doctor and then disappeared without a trace?”

“Evil Tiger Army…”

Surprisingly, it was the former leader of the Green Forest, Chongpyo Baja, the Evil Tiger Army.

As bandits and pirates who had been in similar ‘industries’ for a long time, the two were familiar with each other.

“You’re in a terrible state, aren’t you?”

The Evil Tiger Army looked up and down at Sajong-ak, whose appearance was a mess, and raised a bitter smile.

“Well, it’s only natural that the river dared to look down on the Dragon King Shrine [a metaphor for overreaching one’s abilities].”

“What?”

Perhaps it was because he didn’t like those words.

The Evil Tiger Army sneered at Sajong-ak, who twitched his eyebrows.

“Didn’t you know? The Central Plains martial arts world has long been in the hands of one person. It’s just that he doesn’t admit it.”

Sajong-ak could immediately guess who the person the Evil Tiger Army was referring to.

And as expected, that thought was correct.

“That Danak Seon… no, I can’t even call him a child anymore.”

The Evil Tiger Army, who had been chuckling as if something was amusing, stopped laughing and stared at Sajong-ak.

“Anyway, with just a word from the Divine Devil Physician, the Nine Great Sects, who support the orthodox martial arts world, rush over to help him. Not to mention the renowned masters who claim to have some influence in the martial world. And that’s not all. He’s using a man named Neung So-mil to control even the imperial family according to his will. It’s pointless to even mention how he’s dominating the commercial and medical circles of the Central Plains through the Shinma Merchant Group and the Shinma Medical Family.”

“…….”

“The same goes for the masters of the unorthodox factions who wield considerable influence. It’s embarrassing, but it’s no exaggeration to say that even our Green Forest is under his control. Even the barbarians beyond the Great Wall follow him like blood brothers. Isn’t this enough to call him the de facto ruler of the martial world?”

“What are you trying to say?”

At Sajong-ak’s words, spat out as if chewing, the Evil Tiger Army chuckled.

“It means that no matter how much you struggle now, it’s useless. No matter what you do, he’s an opponent you can’t handle.”

“That’s not for you to judge.”

“Is that so?”

Sajong-ak, who had been staring silently at the Evil Tiger Army, turned his head to look at Jwa-ja.

“The arrangement you’ve prepared is to my liking.”

No sooner had he finished speaking than Sajong-ak reached out and grabbed the Evil Tiger Army’s head.

It was immediately after that that a terrifying, bloodshot glint appeared in Sajong-ak’s eyes.

“Kuh-huh!”

A gruesome scream erupted from the Evil Tiger Army’s mouth.

Blue veins bulged on his face in an instant.

The same was true for his eyes, which were red all over from burst capillaries.

Yet, even as his life force rapidly drained away, the Evil Tiger Army was smiling.

“Keu-heu-heu. Seeing you reminds me of someone.”

“Who is it?”

At Sajong-ak’s question, the Evil Tiger Army mentioned a person’s name.

“No Dan-yang.”

“The Seven Severing Devil Lord?” [A notorious figure known for his brutal techniques]

A notorious figure who, along with the Evil Tiger Army, once held a place among the Ten Great Evils.

Even as he took his last breath, the Evil Tiger Army continued to mock Sajong-ak.

“You’ll meet him soon. The place where the likes of us go to die is obvious. I’ll be waiting for you there as well.”

Sajong-ak did not answer.

Even at this moment, he was using the true energy he had absorbed from the Evil Tiger Army to correct his twisted meridians.

Although the Evil Tiger Army did not measure up to the Heavenly Five Absolutes, he was still a master who had ruled the Green Forest for many years.

He possessed internal energy comparable to that of the leaders of the Nine Great Sects.

Soon, Sajong-ak, who had healed all his internal injuries, looked down at the Evil Tiger Army, who had become a cold corpse, with an expressionless face.

It was then that Jwa-ja approached Sajong-ak, who was emitting a fierce glint in his eyes as before.

“It would be good to recuperate here for a while.”

“Are you telling me to wait aimlessly?”

Jwa-ja smiled and shook his head.

“It won’t take that long. We don’t have much time either. We’ll soon find you the next prey.”

Was he satisfied with the sacrifice he had prepared earlier?

Sajong-ak revealed a gleam in his eyes and grinned.

“I look forward to it.”

* * *

Several days had passed since the Beom Gye-wi family visited Shinma Valley.

During her time here, Beom Ryeo-hwa had fallen deeply in love with the charm of Shinma Valley.

The scenery was distinctly different from that of Haenam Island, where she had always been in contact with the sea.

And meeting people she had only heard about in stories was an unparalleled joy for the emotions of a young girl who was just blossoming.

One day, while enjoying pleasant days without even realizing how time was passing, she was momentarily dozing off in her mother’s arms as her mother braided her hair.

Beom Ryeo-hwa suddenly opened her eyes.

Then, she stared blankly at the waterfall before suddenly opening her mouth.

“Mom.”

“Yes?”

“I think I was born well.”

Bewha-ryeong, who was puzzled by the sudden remark, couldn’t help but smile at her daughter’s next words.

“That’s right. When I was born, my maternal grandfather was the Lord of the Haenam Sword Sect, and my father is Mangsan Choja, a master recognized throughout the world. And Mom is the Deputy Lord of the Haenam Sword Sect.”

Beom Ryeo-hwa continued to speak.

“But it didn’t end there. It turns out that my uncle is Blood Demon, one of the Heavenly Five Absolutes, and my aunt is Ice Jade Fairy. Besides, my brother is the Divine Devil Physician. Oh, right! Come to think of it, there’s also someone named Cheon-ui. Well, I’ll have to wait and see if she can become my sister-in-law.”

Bewha-ryeong wore a gentle smile at the sight of her daughter, who was chattering non-stop as if she was very excited.

“Mom feels the same way.”

“Yes?”

“Even now, when I look back, I think giving birth to you was a really excellent decision. It’s the second best thing I’ve done in my life.”

“Huh? Why am I the second? Then what’s the first?”

“Making your dad mine.”

“Phee.”

She pouted her lips with a sulky face for a moment.

Beom Ryeo-hwa smiled brightly and rubbed her cheek against Bewha-ryeong’s face.

“Anyway, thank you for giving birth to me.”

Bewha-ryeong hugged her newly lovely daughter tightly.

“Hehe.”

As Beom Ryeo-hwa was enjoying the warmth in her mother’s arms, a strange light flashed in her eyes.

“Those two are still the same today.”

Bewha-ryeong, following her daughter’s gaze, turned her head and quietly smiled at the sight of Danak Seon and Tak Yeo-sang, who were engrossed in a debate.

“We shouldn’t disturb them, right? The two of them are working hard for our Ryeo-hwa.”

“For me?”

Beom Ryeo-hwa asked cautiously, as if her curiosity had been piqued.

“Then can I go and listen to what they’re talking about? I promise I won’t disturb them. I promise.”

When Bewha-ryeong nodded, Beom Ryeo-hwa ran towards them excitedly.

Then, as she got closer to the two, she muffled her footsteps and approached softly.

Danak Seon, who discovered Beom Ryeo-hwa, smiled and waved his hand.

But even in the midst of that, the conversation with Tak Yeo-sang continued.