The Divine And Demonic Doctor [EN]: Chapter 60

The Inspector’s, the bamboo hat-wearing man, attitude became even more respectful toward the old man who drew the line.

“Aren’t we the only two here? Please, dispense with the formalities.”

“Don’t you think your current attire is too rude to say such a thing?”

“Ah!”

The middle-aged man, belatedly removing the bamboo hat, bowed to the old man once more.

“I apologize. I’ve been living like this for so long that it feels like a part of me now…”

The old man’s gaze softened slightly at the middle-aged man’s polite apology.

Not missing this, Baek Woon-hwi continued.

“Although I am currently under the care of the Murim Alliance [a coalition of martial arts clans], I have never forgotten my roots. I am a member of the Hundred Swords Clan until I die. My becoming an Inspector of the Murim Alliance is also for the revival of the clan…”

“And yet, you ignored your own father’s death?”

The old man’s tone changed from polite to blunt.

“There was no other way.”

Baek Woon-hwi smiled bitterly and met the gaze of Baek Cheon-in, the elder of the Hundred Swords Clan and Baek Woon-hwi’s uncle.

“The circumstances at the time were too unfavorable for us. Regardless of the intention, it is a clear fact that Father had contact with the Demonic side [referring to unorthodox or evil martial arts factions], and the Alliance tenaciously dug into that.”

“You!”

“Thanks to that, I was able to secure a key position in the Murim Alliance, wasn’t I? As a condition for smoothing over mutual misunderstandings.”

“Did you call me here to boast about your success by selling your father’s life and honor?”

“Of course not.”

Baek Woon-hwi’s gaze did not waver despite the sharp criticism.

“I thought it was about time, so I asked to see you.”

“…?”

“Our Hundred Swords Clan can’t just keep taking on odd jobs under Namgoong Baek’s orders forever, can we?”

In that moment, a glint flashed in Baek Cheon-in’s eyes.

“What do you mean?”

“Just as you heard. It means that the time has come for the clan to prepare for a new leap forward.”

Baek Cheon-in stared at Baek Woon-hwi with sharp eyes.

It was an intense gaze filled with the will to uncover every last bit of his inner thoughts.

“You’ve been rolling around with cunning foxes and sly snakes, and now you’re no different.”

Baek Cheon-in reluctantly nodded at Baek Woon-hwi’s composure and poise despite the sharp criticism.

“Alright. I’ll listen. But if you spout nonsense…”

“Of course, I wouldn’t have brought you all the way to this remote place for nothing.”

Baek Woon-hwi, cutting him off, immediately got to the point.

“There is a son of Shin-ui [a legendary healer] in this place, Muwi.”

Baek Cheon-in’s eyes widened.

“Shin-ui had a son?”

“Yes.”

“Even so, I’ve been hearing rumors about Shin-ui’s descendant lately…”

Baek Cheon-in cast a suspicious glance.

“How can you be sure?”

“There have been a few incidents.”

Baek Woon-hwi paused for a moment before continuing.

“Recently, there was an accident where all the members of the Pasa Squad stationed here were swept away by a fire.”

“A fire? Just that?”

Baek Woon-hwi slyly curled up the corners of his lips at his uncle’s growing interest.

“It wasn’t an accidental fire.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“I was the one who investigated the scene at the time.”

Even if he generously believed that all the Pasa Squad members were drunk and swept away by the fire, the origin of the fire was too scattered.

The liquor jars rolling around everywhere were also strange; looking at the dark soot inside, it was clear that it was the residue of burnt sugar.

In other words, there was evidence that the alcohol had boiled and evaporated.

If they had drunk enough to get drunk, why was there soot in most of the liquor jars?

“Someone killed them and disguised it as a fire accident.”

“How audacious.”

Baek Cheon-in shook his head with a look of disgust.

Who in the current Murim would dare to openly provoke the Murim Alliance like this?

“Is that incident related to Shin-ui’s son?”

Baek Woon-hwi nodded.

“Before the accident, the person in charge of leading the Pasa Squad at the time sent me a message.”

It said that a child related to the head of the Jinseong Family, Poong Jin-sung, had treated a Demonic person who had been ordered to be killed, and that he was being detained for investigation.

“You’ve heard the rumors that Poong Jin-sung treated Namgoong Baek’s daughter, haven’t you?”

Baek Cheon-in nodded.

“There were about four doctors with her at the time, and the description of one of them is similar to the child I was reported about.”

“That means…”

Baek Woon-hwi’s eyes gleamed.

“Right now, my brother is only embracing the glory of the past and is content with the present, and he is afraid to move forward. If the Clan Lord is like that, it will be difficult for the clan to even have the strength to promote revival.”

Baek Cheon-in frowned.

It was a statement that could easily cause a big misunderstanding. But it wasn’t a misunderstanding.

“I want to make the clan a clan that not only the Five Great Families but also the Nine Great Sects cannot ignore.”

“That means…”

Baek Cheon-in, finally realizing Baek Woon-hwi’s true intentions, trailed off in embarrassment.

“Please become the Clan Lord.”

“…!”

“Isn’t it ridiculous that the position of Clan Lord is determined by the will of the deceased? If that’s the case, it should have been called the Family Head, not the Clan Lord. The clan is no longer just the Baek family’s, is it?”

“…”

“That’s why I wasn’t attached to the position of Clan Lord from the beginning. I’m not qualified for it in the first place.”

“…Do you really think so?”

Baek Woon-hwi nodded, confirming Baek Cheon-in’s wavering eyes.

“In the current situation, only those with the courage to move forward can seize the opportunity. I think you are the most qualified person for that.”

Baek Cheon-in stared at Baek Woon-hwi in silence for a long time.

The person who was most dissatisfied with the current state of the Hundred Swords Clan was Baek Cheon-in himself.

Moreover, the fact that his younger brother was pushed aside and became the Clan Lord remained an indelible disgrace.

‘Can I trust him?’

Baek Woon-hwi’s words were enough to shake his heart, but his doubts had been too great to accept them readily.

“Do you have a separate plan?”

In the end, he asked as if testing him, without giving a definite answer.

“If we can secure the Divine Water Elixir [a mythical healing potion], the future of the Hundred Swords Clan will be as good as guaranteed.”

“The problem is Shin-ui’s son.”

“I have a separate plan for that problem.”

“Are you going to secure him and then persuade him?”

“That’s the best option, but…”

Baek Cheon-in nodded.

“Yes. Sometimes sacrifices are necessary for the sake of the greater good.”

The value of the Divine Water Elixir, which once shook the Murim world, is more than enough.

“But there’s a problem.”

Baek Cheon-in was startled by Baek Woon-hwi’s next words.

“The Ice Jade Fairy is with that child.”

“The Ice Jade Fairy?”

Baek Cheon-in asked with a deep frown.

“Is that monster still alive?”

“Namgoong Baek confirmed it himself…, so it must be true. Time hasn’t touched her at all; she hasn’t aged at all.”

Baek Woon-hwi inwardly gloated at Baek Cheon-in’s 불안하게 흔들리는 눈빛에 Baek Woon-hwi가 내심 고소를 머금었다. [Baek Woon-hwi secretly savored Baek Cheon-in’s 불안하게 흔들리는 눈빛에].

“But I have a plan, so you don’t have to worry too much.”

“I’m not afraid of her!”

Baek Cheon-in shouted, flustered.

“I know. The important thing is that the child is here in Muwi, and there is a way to deal with the Ice Jade Fairy, isn’t there?”

Baek Cheon-in asked with a stern expression.

“What is your plan?”

Although he was inwardly displeased with his attitude, Baek Woon-hwi didn’t bother to show his emotions on his face.

“It’s not that difficult.”

“…?”

“Because there are those who will do our work for us.”

Baek Cheon-in, still unaware and puzzled, exclaimed at Baek Woon-hwi’s next words.

“Aren’t there guys who hate the Divine Water Elixir?”

“You’re talking about Jangnakbang [a criminal organization].”

Baek Woon-hwi nodded.

“They’ll be coming here soon. They’re the kind of people who will do anything for their purpose, so they’ll definitely cause quite a stir.”

“Will they be able to do it? What if they fail?”

Baek Woon-hwi quietly smiled and added.

“If once doesn’t work, try twice; if twice doesn’t work, try three times, four times. Just keep shaking them.”

* * *

Deep darkness enveloped the surroundings in the early hours of the Inshi period [3:00-5:00 AM].

Taking advantage of the deep silence, a group of people entered Muwi.

Their number, all wrapped in black night clothes, was exactly thirty.

Their movements, hiding their presence as much as possible and melting into the darkness, were extremely secretive and cautious.

“Hyung-nim [term of respect for an older brother or senior], is Shin-ui’s son really here?”

At the question from a member of the group walking shoulder to shoulder, the black-clad man at the head nodded.

“It’s reliable information.”

A chilling murderous intent emanated from the eyes of the black-clad man who had asked the first question.

“Finally, we can avenge our big brother!”

“Yes. It’s a bit of a shame that it’s not Shin-ui himself, but it’s definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

“But will Shin-ui’s son have the Divine Water Elixir?”

“Even if a rich man goes bankrupt, his influence lasts for three generations, doesn’t it? There must be something worth salvaging. We have to find out the recipe, at the very least.”

“I heard he’s just a kid who hasn’t even dried the blood on his head yet. How difficult can it be to get that brat to talk?”

The black-clad man at the head exuded a thick murderous aura.

“I still shudder when I think about how our leader, big brother, died.”

At those words, a flash of lightning flickered in the eyes of the black-clad men lined up.

For twenty years, they had been sharpening their swords for revenge.

At one time, Jangnakbang, where they belonged, wielded absolute influence based in the Shanxi area.

The center of the Northern Demonic Murim.

However, with the death of the leader, Ak Young-san, its power began to decline rapidly.

Moreover, to make matters worse, it was being pushed back by the expansion of the Murim Alliance, which represented the orthodox Murim, and was now rapidly collapsing.

“All of this is because of that guy called Shin-ui!”

At the time when it was enjoying its heyday, claiming to be the overlord of the Shanxi region, Jangnakbang was so powerful that even the Nine Great Sects could not easily touch it.

Then, due to some incident, it became entangled with the Beggars’ Sect, and a minor misunderstanding gradually grew into a sword fight.

Blood called for blood, and resentment begat more resentment.

Jangnakbang poured a lot of effort into wiping out all the beggars in the Shanxi area, but the Beggars’ Sect’s potential did not end there either.

The masters of the Beggars’ Sect, scattered throughout the Central Plains, gathered and fought again, and there was no end to the bloodshed in various parts of Shanxi.

In the end, Ak Young-san, the leader of Jangnakbang, and the young leader of the Beggars’ Sect agreed to decide everything with a one-on-one match between the two.

The duel between the two was truly a gamble.

After a tremendous fight that shook the heavens and turned the earth upside down, the two reached a situation of mutual destruction.

That’s when Shin-ui appeared.

The members of Jangnakbang, witnessing Shin-ui’s medical skills that saved the dying beggar leader, begged Shin-ui to save their leader’s life.

Shin-ui, who initially refused, saying that he had used up the only Divine Water Elixir and that there was no way to save him, broke the principle of only treating orthodox figures because their pleas were so earnest, and treated Ak Young-san.

However, Ak Young-san could not open his eyes.

As a result, for a long time, Jangnakbang had been reduced to the status of any minor gang.

“It’s clear that he didn’t treat him on purpose!”

Jangnakbang had not forgotten the resentment at that time.

Moreover, if they could secure the Divine Water Elixir, wouldn’t Jangnakbang be able to spread its wings of ambition once again!

The black-clad man at the head, Ak Young-gi, ordered the group.

“Deal with it as quickly and secretly as possible so as not to be caught by the Murim Alliance. You must never leave any traces.”

Ak Young-gi said to his subordinates, who nodded in response.

“Move without making any mistakes.”

Then, the black-clad man who had spoken first headed to one place with a group of people.

The place where he arrived, leading about ten black-clad men, was a medicinal herb shop located at the end of the marketplace alley.

“Is this the place?”