The Divine And Demonic Doctor [EN]: Chapter 56

“So it really was a fortuitous encounter!”

Neng Xiaomi exclaimed after finishing her Qi [life energy] circulation.

She checked the level of internal energy filling her dantian [energy center] several times, hardly believing it.

“To catch up to my previous internal energy in just one month….”

She couldn’t hide her surprise when suddenly,

Peeeeeep!

The sound of a flute pierced her eardrums.

It was fortunate that her Qi circulation had ended; otherwise, her concentration would have been shattered by the loud noise.

Neng Xiaomi came out of the cabin, frowning, and saw Cho Ak-ryang stepping outside. Soon after, Beom Gye-wi and Han Seol-hwa also appeared.

All of them wore unpleasant expressions, their brows furrowed.

Only Dan Ak-seon was strolling around the valley with a calm expression.

“What on earth is going on?”

Dan Ak-seon smiled and replied to Beom Gye-wi’s question.

“The Chief is practicing the flute.”

“Why all of a sudden?”

“He said he wanted to take up a hobby, so I recommended it.”

“This is unbearable to listen to.”

Neng Xiaomi nodded in agreement.

The melody, reminiscent of a ghost’s wail, was that violent and bizarre.

She wondered how such a sound could come from a flute.

It was comparable to sonic attacks.

To make matters worse, he even started humming a tune.

“Travelers do not look back. If they look back, all traces are erased, and memories are like a maze. Only the winds and clouds surge on the edge of the Snow Province, leading back to the world. Therefore, travelers, though you may not have overcome evil, if you have obtained medicine and heart, go to the ailing world and suffer.”

Han Seol-hwa, unable to bear it, stuffed cotton in her ears.

The flute playing was one thing, but his singing was just as terrible.

Eventually, Beom Gye-wi burst out.

“Can’t you stop it? Do you live here alone?”

His booming voice shook the air.

After a moment, Sa Mum-sim appeared with an embarrassed smile.

“Haha, I’m sorry. I got carried away.”

It was hard to get angry at a smiling face, and that was exactly the situation.

Since he apologized so readily, Beom Gye-wi felt awkward.

At that moment, Cho Ak-ryang spoke.

“Is that a passage from the Classic of Mountains and Seas [an ancient Chinese text]?”

Sa Mum-sim nodded.

“Yes. I added a melody to the last verse.”

“But why the Classic of Mountains and Seas? It’s just a geographical record of myths.”

“I found it lying around in the storage. It seems to have come along when I bought supplies at the market last time. As you know, all the books here are medical texts.”

“True.”

If he had made a song out of the stiff medical texts, it would have been even more bizarre.

“Anyway, keep it down.”

“I will be careful.”

Beom Gye-wi grumbled, watching Sa Mum-sim walk away humming.

“He’s really changed since he came back from the brink of death. He’s always grinning; I wonder what’s so good.”

On the other hand, Neng Xiaomi stared blankly at the sky.

It wasn’t intentional, just a simple coincidence, but the passage from the Classic of Mountains and Seas that Sa Mum-sim recited kept overlapping with her current situation.

‘Travelers do not look back.’

Neng Xiaomi repeated it several times in her mind and then nodded.

Isn’t that what life is all about?

“The Merit Woman and the Darkness Woman are always together.”

She recalled the words written in the Nirvana Sutra [a Buddhist scripture], Chapter on Holy Conduct.

The Merit Woman is a benevolent goddess who brings wealth, health, and happiness, while the Darkness Woman is a malevolent goddess who brings misfortune and disaster.

But those sisters always go together.

She came to this Valley of the Divine Devil because of an unfortunate event, but now it has turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

Cho Ak-ryang, who had been watching her from afar, frowned.

“What’s wrong with her again? Is it a side effect of her internal energy cultivation?”

“That’s unlikely.”

Beom Gye-wi denied firmly and then tilted his head.

“Is the energy here bad? Why does everyone become strange when they come here?”

“Weren’t you and your sister always strange to begin with?”

“I don’t want to hear that from you, Cho.”

Han Seol-hwa shook her head, as if tired of the two bickering as usual, and turned away.

* * *

Two months had already passed since Neng Xiaomi came to the Valley of the Divine Devil.

The season had changed, and the weather had become quite chilly, allowing her to enjoy the autumn scenery of mountains covered in red leaves.

Neng Xiaomi soon realized the reason for the bustling atmosphere in the Valley of the Divine Devil from morning.

‘Ah, was it today?’

It was the day the merchant group, promoted by Sa Mum-sim, was embarking on its first journey.

After a while, Sa Mum-sim, who had packed his luggage, said goodbye to the others.

“Does the Chief really have to go himself?”

Sa Mum-sim smiled slightly at Dan Ak-seon’s regretful expression.

“It’s the first trading trip, after all.”

A master was needed to prepare for any possible dangers.

Besides, no one was more familiar with the grasslands than him.

“According to the information, the brat I captured was the successor of the Blood Cloud Stronghold leader. A tribe with close ties to me has taken him hostage and is negotiating with the Blood Cloud Stronghold.”

Thanks to this, the safety of some trade routes had been secured, but one could never be sure.

The Blood Cloud Stronghold could break its promise at any time.

“Please be careful. Make sure to take this with you.”

Since Sa Mum-sim had to leave for a long journey, Dan Ak-seon gave him a box of pills as emergency medicine.

“I will use them sparingly.”

Dan Ak-seon shook his head at Sa Mum-sim’s words.

“Use them as soon as you need them. I can always make more pills.”

Sa Mum-sim smiled and nodded.

“I will keep that in mind.”

Sa Mum-sim said goodbye to Cho Ak-ryang, Beom Gye-wi, and Han Seol-hwa in turn, loaded his luggage onto the cart, and left the Valley of the Divine Devil.

Neng Xiaomi saw him off.

“Go on in.”

“Brother….”

Neng Xiaomi looked at Sa Mum-sim with affectionate eyes.

Only two months.

It was a short time, but they had grown fond of each other and had become close enough to share their innermost thoughts.

It was natural that the two had become close.

They were the only ones in the Valley of the Divine Devil who were of similar age.

“Have a safe trip.”

“Thank you. Please take good care of the Valley Lord and the three seniors while I’m gone.”

Then, as if suddenly remembering something, Sa Mum-sim made one more request.

“If you have time, please visit the Yi Clan in the village from time to time.”

“Don’t worry. I will take good care of them, as well as the pigeons you cherish so much.”

“Haha, thank you. I will repay you handsomely later.”

“Repay me! I only wish for your safe return.”

“Then take care.”

After saying goodbye, Sa Mum-sim walked away.

Neng Xiaomi stayed there until Sa Mum-sim was out of sight and then returned to the Valley of the Divine Devil.

But she sensed an atmosphere that was different from usual.

The three people surrounding Dan Ak-seon were giving off extremely serious vibes.

“Let’s start martial arts training from today.”

Dan Ak-seon nodded at Cho Ak-ryang’s words.

“Yes!”

Since it had been promised long ago, Dan Ak-seon nodded without hesitation.

The other two, including Cho Ak-ryang, surrounded Dan Ak-seon in a 품 [triangular] formation, keeping a slight distance.

It was to provide protection.

As the three watched, Dan Ak-seon sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and focused on the incantation.

Neng Xiaomi couldn’t hide her bewilderment at the sight.

“Didn’t you say that this is your first time training in internal energy…?”

There was no guiding process to lead the true energy directly, and even the incantation of internal energy was not mentioned.

Even she herself had received help from Cho Ak-ryang and Beom Gye-wi when she first learned the Divine Transformation Skill.

Beom Gye-wi said bluntly.

“Dan is the one who created Divine Transformation Skill. Although we played a role, Dan understands the skill the most.”

Cho Ak-ryang nodded.

“He understands blood points and meridians [energy channels], so adding advice would only increase distractions.”

“……!”

Neng Xiaomi looked at Dan Ak-seon with surprised eyes.

At that moment, Dan Ak-seon opened his closed eyes and exclaimed.

“Ah! I almost forgot.”

“What is it?”

Dan Ak-seon smiled at Cho Ak-ryang’s question.

“I forgot something.”

Then he ran to his residence and brought something.

Cho Ak-ryang looked puzzled when he realized it was a pill wrapped in beeswax.

Dan Ak-seon removed the beeswax and put the pill in his mouth, and a pungent fragrance spread around.

It was a familiar scent that he had often encountered.

“Isn’t that a Health Pill?”

Dan Ak-seon smiled and nodded.

“My father made it a long time ago.”

“The Divine Doctor?”

“Yes. He prepared it for when I would learn martial arts someday.”

Surprise flashed in Cho Ak-ryang’s eyes.

“He already made arrangements.”

“Yes. So it’s even more special to me.”

Dan Ak-seon said that and closed his eyes again.

And began to circulate Qi according to the incantation.

A stream of clear energy that awakened in the dantian began to move through the limbs and hundreds of bones.

At first, it was weak, but soon it absorbed the energy of the pill that had been circulating through the blood vessels in the body and began to increase its power.

Dan Ak-seon felt more and more comfortable as time passed.

The true energy moving along the meridians.

The energy of the pill contained within it felt warm.

Was it because he had taken the pill made by his father?

Suddenly, he remembered something from his childhood.

―In the future, if you ever train in internal energy, be sure to take this and start.

He replied to his father, who was making the promise several times.

‘I want to become a doctor like Mom and Dad.’

To that, his mother said.

―Oh, why bother? Being a doctor is not worth it. It’s just hard and annoying.

―Well, if you want to do it, you can do it. But it’s good to have some martial arts skills. In the end, you can’t do this job unless you have the stamina.

His mother flared up at those words.

―Is this guy crazy? After all that suffering, what? I’m against it. At least our child should live like a human being.

―The kid wants to do it! If he wants to do it, he should do it. Our son can do whatever he wants! Except for marriage.

―What? This man! Is that something to say in front of the child?

Realizing that the atmosphere was getting serious, his father quickly continued.

―Meeting a woman like your mother is that difficult. So that’s what I meant by giving up. This father used up all his remaining luck to marry your mother.

His mother’s face quickly turned red, as if she had never been angry.

―So I can’t expect any luck in the future.

His father, avoiding his mother’s eyes, quietly sighed.

Dan Ak-seon was happy and sad at the familiar sight he had encountered after a long time.

Cho Ak-ryang’s heart sank.

It was because Dan Ak-seon, who had already entered a state of emptiness and nothingness, smiled faintly.

Beom Gye-wi and Han Seol-hwa felt the same.

Surprised, they rushed to Dan Ak-seon.

Cho Ak-ryang carefully examined Dan Ak-seon and then sighed with relief.

Fortunately, there seemed to be no particular problem.

“Is he dreaming of swimming in a sea of elixir?”

Everyone else thought that Beom Gye-wi’s words made sense.