The Divine And Demonic Doctor [EN]: Chapter 495

‘The Divine Doctor of Demonic Arts!’

That name immediately sprang to mind.

Just then, he felt a sharp gaze fixed on him.

Instinctively turning his head, Eunuch Jang met Beom Gyewi’s silent stare.

Beom Gyewi suddenly spoke, breaking the silence.

“Hey, eunuch.”

“……!”

It was a humiliating remark, one he hadn’t heard since joining the Eastern Depot! [The Eastern Depot was a Ming Dynasty secret police and intelligence agency staffed by eunuchs.]

Eunuch Jang trembled with unprecedented anger.

Regardless,

Beom Gyewi continued nonchalantly.

“I was once in a similar situation, so I can understand your feelings a little? They say a widower understands a widow’s heart. Of course, I’m neither a eunuch nor a widower now.”

Eunuch Jang, not only addressed as a eunuch but also suddenly cast as a widower, was utterly speechless.

“So, I’ll make an exception this time. Where is that guy, Beongaengnyong, or whatever his name is?”

Only then did Eunuch Jang realize why Minister Neng was so relaxed.

He had walked into an ambush, facing such powerful masters.

Minister Neng smiled and addressed Eunuch Jang’s silent glare.

“Ah, please don’t misunderstand. The Divine Doctor of Demonic Arts is here at His Majesty’s invitation. Of course, he needed an escort, so he brought Senior Beom, and I simply provided accommodation for the two of them as an acquaintance. Well, it just so happened that the situation turned out like this.”

Minister Neng added mockingly.

“It seems Public Jang doesn’t know where Sajoongak is either. Or did you deliberately ignore the report?”

Minister Neng bowed to Eunuch Jang, who stood pale-faced.

“Then I think we should end our conversation here today. You will surely be very busy from tomorrow. Why don’t you leave the court now?”

“Huh? You’re just going to let me go like this?”

Minister Neng smiled and nodded at Beom Gyewi, who looked puzzled.

“Let him go. He’s already trembling like that… Isn’t it pitiful?”

“Tch.”

Beom Gyewi released Eunuch Jang’s hand with a regretful expression and stepped back.

After glaring at Minister Neng for a moment, Eunuch Jang turned and left without a word.

Minister Neng called out as he walked away.

“The opportunity lasts until tomorrow morning. If you find out where Sajoongak is, my sword might become a little dull.”

Eunuch Jang paused briefly and then disappeared from sight.

“Haa.”

Only when Eunuch Jang’s presence was completely gone did Minister Neng finally sigh in relief, beads of cold sweat forming on his brow.

“I survived thanks to you two.”

“You were acting quite bravely for someone who says that?”

“I was able to be so bold because you two were with me. Haha.”

Dan Akseon nodded, lost in thought for a moment.

“Come to think of it, there’s no guarantee that something similar won’t happen again. It seems like someone needs to protect Uncle Neng.”

Minister Neng’s expression brightened.

“I’m just grateful that you care so much about me. But who…?”

“For the time being, I’ll be staying with you.”

“Oh! I welcome that very much. I would be more than happy if you would.”

Minister Neng couldn’t hide his joy.

However, his face paled instantly at Dan Akseon’s next words.

“But it’s only temporary. If I find out where Sajoongak is, then I’ll have to move on. But don’t worry. Then Uncle Beom or Uncle Cho will protect you in my place.”

“Um… Is that really necessary?”

Minister Neng, meeting Beom Gyewi’s gaze, hurriedly made excuses.

“No, you two already have families… Isn’t it a great waste of manpower for two masters to protect someone insignificant like me? That’s like using a butcher’s knife to kill a chicken. Isn’t that right?”

Beom Gyewi, who had been staring at Minister Neng in amusement, suddenly spoke.

“Why? You don’t like me being next to you? Should I make you like it?”

Minister Neng, startled, forced a pathetic smile and nodded.

“No! I like it very much!”

“Tch. Pretending to be good when you like it.”

Minister Neng, turning his head slightly, wore a tearful expression.

This was the person responsible for shaking the current imperial family.

He was the owner of unprecedented courage, who temporarily subdued the Golden Eagle Guard [A powerful military unit], and furthermore, openly challenged the Eastern Depot.

But even he was just a pitiful figure in front of Beom Gyewi.

* * *

The Imperial Garden, located north of Gonnyeong Palace.

Dan Akseon, summoned to this place by the Emperor, was reverently prostrating himself at a considerable distance.

The Emperor spoke with a friendly smile.

“May I ask you to take my pulse?”

The head of the Imperial Guard, startled, hurriedly bowed his head.

“Your Majesty, I dare to say……”

However, before he could finish, the Emperor raised his hand to stop him.

“If he intends to harm me anyway, who here can stop him?”

Though within the Imperial Palace, he was not ignorant of the situation in Gangho [The martial arts world].

He was already well aware that Sajoongak, who claimed to be the ruler of the Black Road, had been defeated by Dan Akseon.

Of course, he didn’t know what would happen if all the Imperial Guards attacked together, but judging by individual martial arts prowess, it was clear that the most outstanding master present was Dan Akseon.

“Do not disturb my pleasure.”

As soon as the imperial order was given, the Imperial Guards were inwardly burning with anxiety.

As if to reassure them, Dan Akseon offered a gentle smile.

“The commoner Dan Akseon will examine Your Majesty’s health in accordance with your strict orders.”

Dan Akseon approached the Emperor, placed his index and middle fingers on his wrist, and quietly closed his eyes.

He continued to take his pulse silently for a while.

Dan Akseon let out a soft sigh.

“You have heart fire rising.”

“Heart fire rising?”

Dan Akseon smiled wryly at the Emperor’s question.

“It’s a condition commonly called heartburn.”

“Well, that’s understandable.”

The Emperor nodded and looked at Dan Akseon with a slight smile.

“So, what do you think is the cause of that heartburn?”

Dan Akseon hesitated, and the Emperor spoke again with a benevolent expression.

“I’m not trying to blame him. In fact, he’s doing his best for me, so I can’t scold Minister Neng. However, I’m just worried that his method is too extreme.”

“I trust Your Majesty.”

“Me? Not Minister Neng?”

Dan Akseon smiled at the Emperor’s question.

“You’ve had Minister Neng by your side for longer than I have. Of course, Your Majesty knows him better than I do.”

“Hmm……”

The Emperor waited for the next words with a curious look in his eyes.

“And from a doctor’s point of view, I think the rotten part must be cut off, even if it involves pain. If you miss the time to avoid the immediate pain, you will eventually pay a much higher price.”

“Is that so? That’s a very doctor-like answer. But if you cut off too much, side effects can occur, right? For example, if excessive bleeding leads to a situation where it’s better not to have treatment at all?”

“That depends on the doctor’s skill.”

Dan Akseon added.

“But the doctor Your Majesty appointed is a very capable person. In the worst case, there may be aftereffects, but he will not allow the disease to recur.”

The Emperor nodded with a satisfied look.

He was just asking because he needed confirmation and had no intention of interfering with the current situation.

Above all, Minister Neng had always exceeded his expectations, so he had high hopes for what kind of results he would surprise him with this time.

“By the way, I’m more curious about what kind of steps you will take in the future. If you solve the problem of Sajoongak, what are you going to do after that? Do you have any plans?”

As he talked with Dan Akseon, the Emperor felt a slight desire.

The reason why Minister Neng was so eager to leave the court was because of the young man in front of him.

If he invited Dan Akseon to the Imperial Palace as an imperial physician and kept him here, Minister Neng would naturally follow.

However, the Emperor smiled wryly at the unexpected answer he received.

“I want to live as a doctor in Muwi.”

“Do you want to live quietly with ordinary people, not martial artists?”

“I won’t be able to live quietly.”

The Emperor, puzzled, laughed lightly at Dan Akseon’s next words.

“Because the life of a doctor is always fierce.”

“But will the world really let you go?”

Dan Akseon met the Emperor’s gaze with calm eyes.

“It is possible if Your Majesty bestows virtue.”

“……?”

“If the world is peaceful, there is no reason for me, a mere doctor, to wander around Dosangeomrim [A place of chaos and war].”

“In other words, your future actions depend only on me?”

The Emperor pondered Dan Akseon’s words and nodded with a profound look in his eyes.

“Come to think of it, it’s always been like that.”

The Emperor, starting like that, continued with a complicated expression.

“Looking back on your life so far, I think I finally know what you really wanted. Peace is the value you were pursuing.”

Dan Akseon smiled and nodded.

“Isn’t Your Majesty the same as me?”

“Yes. That’s right. Although I am not a wise ruler, what the Emperor wants, even in different eras, is only a peaceful and prosperous age.”

“All the people will want and desire that.”

“In that sense, maybe you resented me?”

Looking back, there were many cases where he stood by and watched the situation for political reasons.

“If you count that, my efforts were insufficient. I have nothing to say even if you resent me.”

“What qualifications do I have to criticize Your Majesty? I’m just asking, relying on Your Majesty’s kind heart.”

“A request……”

The Emperor pondered the meaning of those words for a long time, and then slowly nodded.

“I understand your intentions.”

“It must be hard for Your Majesty too.”

“Huh?”

The Emperor, puzzled by the sudden words, tapped the armrest and burst into laughter at Dan Akseon’s next words.

“Even I, who is responsible for the lives of patients, feel so heavy on my shoulders, so I can’t even fathom the weight of destiny that Your Majesty has to bear, who is responsible for the lives of all the people in the world.”

“Hahahaha. You are the only one who can say that to me.”

The Emperor, who stopped laughing, stared at Dan Akseon.

“I think I know why Minister Neng wants to be by your side so much. Also, the reason why I can’t hold him forever.”

They exchanged smiles for a while.

As if suddenly remembering something, Dan Akseon took something out of his arms.

The Imperial Guards who were guarding the Emperor flinched and surrounded Dan Akseon, but they were troubled by the Emperor’s frown and stepped back again.

“What is that?”

Puzzlement arose in the Emperor’s eyes.

The object Dan Akseon took out.

It was a golden plaque engraved with a pair of sun and moon and cloud patterns surrounding them.

It was the Sinpae [A type of identification plaque] that Eunuch Sarye had given to Dan Akseon with his approval.

“Why are you returning this?”

“I don’t think I can use this Sinpae anymore as of today.”

The Emperor was not a foolish person.

He will no longer be able to move the Jaegi [Assets or resources] belonging to the Eastern Depot?

The meaning was clear.

“Minister Neng has finished preparing to strike the Eastern Depot.”

As expected.

A close aide eunuch who received a report hurriedly reported the situation to the Emperor.

“The Office of the Inspector General has occupied DongAnMun [A gate of the Imperial City] with the Golden Eagle Guard.”

The Emperor let out a soft sigh, and Dan Akseon smiled and spoke.

“Don’t worry. Nothing big will happen today.”

“Not today?”

Dan Akseon nodded at the Emperor’s question.

“Yes. Not today.”