The Divine And Demonic Doctor [EN]: Chapter 6

The Divine Doctor of New Demonic Arts (6)

Jangwoo couldn’t understand the situation he was in.

He was clearly lying on a sickbed at the clinic, but when he came to, he was in the mountains.

Moreover, there were two blazing fireballs right in front of his eyes.

“Hiek!”

Belatedly realizing they were human eyes, Jangwoo was horrified and stepped back.

The owner of the blazing eyes.

A burly, bald man with a bristly beard asked in a low voice.

“Where does it hurt?”

“Pardon?”

“Where does it hurt that you went to see a doctor?”

“My wrist hurts…….”

“Anywhere else?”

“No, nothing else. I’m fine except for my wrist.”

“Why?”

“Yes?”

“Why doesn’t anything else hurt!”

“Well, that’s…….”

His heart sank as the already fearsome man frowned.

Then, the bald giant turned his head.

“Where does it hurt for you?”

Only then did Jangwoo realize that there were other people here. They were the people who had been lying on the sickbeds with him.

The old man who received Bumgyewi’s question hurriedly answered.

“It’s just a cold.”

“No, it’s not.”

“Yes?”

“It’s obvious that your condition is serious, isn’t it? Your skin has no elasticity. You have too many age spots. And you’re sweating profusely, too?”

“That’s just because I’m feeling weak…….”

“Tsk!”

Bumgyewi clicked his tongue with a displeased expression and turned his head. The other two people who met his gaze also hurriedly answered.

“It’s just constipation!”

“I just twisted my back!”

They all just wanted to get out of there. But the atmosphere was unusual.

“This is troublesome…….”

Bumgyewi, who was slurring his words, clapped his knee.

“Okay, let’s do this.”

Bumgyewi pointed at each person one by one.

“From now on, your whole body hurts. It hurts as if your insides are twisted and your bones are crushed.”

The crowd showed embarrassment at Bumgyewi’s absurd words.

“Those aren’t our symptoms.”

Bumgyewi smiled.

That terrible smile was worse than not smiling at all.

At Bumgyewi’s Yaksha-like [a fierce, often demonic, figure in Hindu and Buddhist mythology] appearance, one quick-witted man grabbed his stomach.

“I, I really think it hurts that much.”

“That’s it.”

As Bumgyewi was satisfied, the others also began to twist and tremble.

“Don’t worry too much. You’re going to meet someone who will fix you up nicely. You’ll be grateful to me.”

It was then.

“Mister?”

Bumgyewi turned his head at the voice from behind.

Next to a rock about a chapter away.

Dahn Ahk-seon was standing there since who knows when.

“Oh? D, Doctor Dahn!”

Bumgyewi was startled and stood up.

Then, he hurriedly pointed at the people.

“I found these people dying while going down the mountain. So I couldn’t just pass them by…….”

“You came at the right time.”

“Huh?”

“I’ve been waiting.”

Dahn Ahk-seon smiled and approached Bumgyewi.

“I’ll take a look at the patients first. Please wait a moment.”

While Dahn Ahk-seon was examining the patients, Bumgyewi stood in his place with a dazed expression.

‘Waiting? For me?’

For some reason, one corner of his heart felt touched.

‘Come to think of it…….’

No one had welcomed him like this except for his deceased master. It was a feeling he hadn’t felt in a long time.

About two quarters of an hour passed [roughly 30 minutes].

Dahn Ahk-seon diligently moved and treated the patients.

“It’s all done.”

Surprise appeared on the faces of the villagers.

With just a few needles, moxibustion [a traditional Chinese medicine therapy using burning mugwort herb], and touching the painful areas, the symptoms had improved as if by magic.

“You can go back now.”

At Dahn Ahk-seon’s words, the villagers looked at each other with perplexed faces.

Because they didn’t know the way back.

‘Oops!’

Bumgyewi, who belatedly realized the situation, quickly stepped forward.

“I’ll take you there.”

Bumgyewi carried all the villagers at once. Then, he glared and said.

“What are you doing? You have to say thank you, right?”

The villagers hurriedly opened their mouths.

“T, thank you, sir!”

Bumgyewi frowned.

“Not to me.”

“Yes?”

“Did I treat you?”

“Ah!”

The villagers, who belatedly understood Bumgyewi’s intention, bowed to Dahn Ahk-seon.

Only then did Bumgyewi turn around.

It was the moment Bumgyewi was about to fly away.

“Will you come again?”

Bumgyewi grinned.

“Yes, I will.”

Bumgyewi’s figure cut through the air.

“Aaaagh!”

With the screams of the villagers, Bumgyewi’s figure quickly disappeared into the distance.

* * *

Two hours later.

Bumgyewi returned to Shinma Valley.

However, what greeted him was Cho Ahk-ryang’s harsh words. Cho Ahk-ryang, who had heard about the situation, poured out a barrage of scolding.

“Why don’t you just spread the word that we’re here?”

“Hey, they’re not martial artists. How would they recognize me?”

“Are there many masters who look like you in the world! It’s a face that appears in your dreams once you see it!”

Bumgyewi was furious.

“What’s wrong with my face! I was once called the Song Yu [a famous handsome man in Chinese history] of Gangseo. I was known for my looks!”

“Nonsense! Are the people of Gangseo’s eyes all on their butts? Where do you see Song Yu in you? Maybe Zhang Fei [a general known for his fierce appearance in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms].”

As their voices rose, Dahn Ahk-seon dissuaded them.

“Don’t fight. Anyway, they probably don’t even know where this is.”

A master of Bumgyewi’s level had used his lightness skill [a martial art technique that allows one to move swiftly and lightly] to travel for a whole hour. It would not be easy for ordinary people who do not know martial arts to estimate the distance and direction.

Bumgyewi shrugged as Dahn Ahk-seon took his side.

“That’s right. They were half out of their minds when I dropped them off. They probably won’t remember it properly.”

“That’s what you call a mouth…….”

Cho Ahk-ryang soon sighed.

“Forget it. I’d rather die than suffer. Let’s just not talk about it.”

Bumgyewi grinned as Cho Ahk-ryang stepped back. Dahn Ahk-seon, who was watching, said to Bumgyewi.

“Mister, let’s promise each other just one thing.”

“Promise?”

Dahn Ahk-seon nodded to Bumgyewi, who asked back with a puzzled face.

“Let’s not leave this place without permission from now on.”

“I don’t make promises…….”

“I’m worried.”

“Worried……?”

Bumgyewi stared intently at Dahn Ahk-seon.

No selfishness was felt on Dahn Ahk-seon’s face. Only pure concern was filled.

Bumgyewi’s eyes wavered.

He remembered facing the same eyes as her sometime ago.

‘Master…….’

He was the only one who had shown such eyes until now.

Bumgyewi suddenly felt choked up.

It was an emotion he had never felt since he passed away.

The madness gained after learning martial arts.

Since then, he had always been exposed to fear, disgust, or avoiding eyes.

“I promise.”

Cho Ahk-ryang was surprised at Bumgyewi’s words.

Because it was not a word that Bumgyewi, whom he knew, would say. Bumgyewi nodded again.

“I will not leave here without your permission from now on.”

Only then did Dahn Ahk-seon smile brightly.

“Hehe. Thank you.”

Bumgyewi also smiled slightly at Dahn Ahk-seon’s innocent smile.

Beyond Dahn Ahk-seon, Cho Ahk-ryang, who was making an unpleasant expression, caught his eye. He thought he would say something again, but unexpected words came out of Cho Ahk-ryang’s mouth.

“You worked hard.”

“……?”

“It must have been difficult to break that stubbornness.”

Cho Ahk-ryang turned around and went into the wooden house.

“That’s my house?”

Cho Ahk-ryang shouted from inside the wooden house at Bumgyewi’s words.

“Then who told you to destroy the house?”

* * *

The night in the mountains comes early. This is even more true for Shinma Valley, which is surrounded by high cliffs like a folding screen.

As the sun went down, Shinma Valley was soon plunged into darkness.

Between the palace and the wooden house.

The small bonfire in the center was all that illuminated the darkness.

Three people were sitting around the bonfire, and meat was being cooked. Dahn Ahk-seon took out the meat skewered on a branch and handed it to Bumgyewi and Cho Ahk-ryang.

“Please try it. I think it’s all cooked.”

Bumgyewi was delighted and accepted the meat.

“How long has it been since I’ve had meat! You’ve been feeding me only greens every day?”

Dahn Ahk-seon smiled brightly.

“Because it’s a special day.”

“Special day?”

“Bum Uncle came back.”

Bumgyewi, who was about to bring the meat to his mouth, stopped.

After hesitating for a moment, Bumgyewi handed the meat he was holding to Dahn Ahk-seon.

“Huh? Aren’t you going to eat first?”

“I’m fine. Rather, Doctor Dahn…….”

“Yes.”

“Why are you being so nice to us?”

Cho Ahk-ryang’s gaze also turned to Dahn Ahk-seon, wondering inwardly.

“You two are patients. I’m a doctor.”

Dahn Ahk-seon smiled brightly at the two.

“It’s natural to take care of patients.”

Bumgyewi and Cho Ahk-ryang looked at each other.

―Is she just stupid? Isn’t being this kind a problem?

Cho Ahk-ryang frowned at Bumgyewi’s telepathy.

He wanted to say something, but he couldn’t use his internal energy, so he couldn’t even send telepathy.

“Do you think everyone in the world is like you?”

That was all he could do to scold him. Then, Dahn Ahk-seon, who had been lost in thought, opened her mouth.

“There’s one more reason.”

―See?

Bumgyewi, who had sent telepathy to Cho Ahk-ryang, smiled triumphantly.

“You two are my first patients.”

The two could not hide their embarrassment at Dahn Ahk-seon’s words.

“What?”

Bumgyewi’s face contorted.

Cho Ahk-ryang was also embarrassed.

Just looking at her medical skills so far, it was clear that she was at an unusual level. But her first patients.

“Don’t tell me you’re using us as practice targets…….”

Dahn Ahk-seon’s eyes widened.

“No way.”

Dahn Ahk-seon continued to explain to clear up the two people’s misunderstanding.

“The first time I treated a patient was when I was four years old. But that person was my parents’ patient, not my patient.”

Dahn Ahk-seon smiled brightly as she recalled that time.

“At that time, I just put needles and prescribed medicine as my parents taught me. This was the first time I decided on the method and treated them entirely on my own.”

Dahn Ahk-seon smiled shyly.

“I’ve really missed people all this time. I’ve been living alone for a long time since my parents passed away.”

Dahn Ahk-seon’s face clouded over for a moment.

“But then you two came. How could I not treat you well?”

“Geez…….”

Bumgyewi scratched the bridge of his nose.

“I don’t know what to say because you’re smiling while telling a story that you should be crying about.”

“Why cry? How fun is it just to talk to you guys like this.”

Before that innocent smile, Bumgyewi felt his heart loosen without realizing it.

Then, at some point, he was startled.

‘Dangerous.’

A sense of crisis that had been naturally built up over many years of experiencing the martial world.

That instinct sent a warning. That’s how deeply ingrained his vigilance against others was.

But since coming here, his vigilance was collapsing.

This was not just his problem.

He could tell just by looking at Cho Ahk-ryang.

The Blood Demon Venerable, who had reigned as the living terror of the Jianghu [the martial arts world] martial world, was showing such a gentle smile!

How could this be possible.

If a martial artist who knew him was here, he would rub his eyes several times and look again.

It was then.

“Ugh.”

Cho Ahk-ryang frowned.

Then, he was subtly putting down the meat he was tearing off.

“You’re picky about your taste. Just eat it. Meat is all the same.”

Bumgyewi, who had scolded him, took a big bite of the meat. And soon, his brow furrowed as well.

“What is this?”

The outside was burnt, and the inside was not cooked, so the meat was bloody.

Moreover, the seasoning was a mess. Some parts were bland, and some parts were salty. Nevertheless, Dahn Ahk-seon was tearing at the meat with a happy face.

‘She said she was alone in the mountains…….’

Suddenly, he felt sorry for Dahn Ahk-seon.

Cho Ahk-ryang seemed to be thinking similarly, and they smiled bitterly when their eyes met.

―Heaven has allowed that child the best medical skills in the world, but it has taken away her sense of taste.

Cho Ahk-ryang nodded.

“Heaven is always fair.”

Just when he was wondering if Cho Ahk-ryang was agreeing for once, Cho Ahk-ryang smiled and said.

“Just like it gave you the martial arts of the third of the Ten Great Evils and took away your hair.”

“……!”

Bumgyewi threw the meat he was holding at Cho Ahk-ryang.

“Why is the hair story coming out of there! And it’s the second, not the third!”

Cho Ahk-ryang, who had avoided the meat skewer that flew like a hidden weapon, threw his meat at Bumgyewi.

“Well, it’s not just the hair that was taken away.”

Bumgyewi’s eyes, following Cho Ahk-ryang’s gaze, stopped at his crotch.

Clang.

When Bumgyewi was about to pick up the Daechojagon [likely a weapon, context suggests a large staff or club], Dahn Ahk-seon intervened.

“Why are you fighting like children? If you don’t want to eat it, give it to me. I’ll eat it.”

Cho Ahk-ryang and Bumgyewi looked at each other.

They hesitated slightly, but the hesitation was brief. The two began to chew and swallow their meat.

They couldn’t possibly pass this tasteless food on to Dahn Ahk-seon.

One night with a deep moon.

That’s how the night in Shinma Valley deepened.