The Divine And Demonic Doctor [EN]: Chapter 7

‘The sunlight is particularly nice today.’

Cho Ak-ryang sat cross-legged on the wooden platform in front of the cottage, lost in thought. The breeze was warm, and the air was crisp.

He couldn’t remember the last time he had enjoyed such pleasant weather.

‘I must have been too preoccupied to notice.’

Cho Ak-ryang reflected on himself, a deeply satisfied smile forming on his face.

His complexion was much improved compared to when they had first arrived.

The same was true for Beom Gye-wi.

Hanging upside down from a large tree beside him, Beom Gye-wi also looked relaxed.

The perpetual bloodshot in his eyes had cleared, now sharp and clear.

Rumble.

The peace of the valley was shattered by a sudden loud noise.

Cho Ak-ryang and Beom Gye-wi turned towards the sound.

“Oh dear. Did she fall again?”

Beom Gye-wi clicked his tongue, and Cho Ak-ryang replied with a smile.

“It’s okay. I just need to apply some medicine.”

Dan Ak-seon quickly got up and began gathering the scattered herbs back into her basket. She hoisted the basket, nearly as big as herself, back onto her shoulders and headed towards the main house.

However, her swaying gait still looked precarious.

As Dan Ak-seon disappeared, Beom Gye-wi spoke up.

“Looks like she’s bleeding?”

“The noise was quite loud. I doubt there’s a place on her that doesn’t hurt.”

Whoosh.

Crimson flames erupted from Beom Gye-wi’s hands.

“What are you going to do?”

“Daring to trip our Dan Doctor! I’m going to burn all those weeds over there to a crisp.”

Cho Ak-ryang clicked his tongue.

“That won’t solve anything.”

“So, you’re just going to watch Dan Doctor fall every day? If I burn all the weeds in this mountain…”

“Tsk, tsk, when will you ever grow up?”

Cho Ak-ryang narrowed his eyes and said.

“Isn’t Dan Doctor getting hurt because she’s trying to find medicinal herbs for us? So, the problem is us, yet you’re taking it out on innocent weeds.”

“That’s…”

Beom Gye-wi scratched his head.

Watching him, Cho Ak-ryang sighed softly.

“Alright. You’re not entirely wrong. We should have some shame.”

“Shame?”

“What does Dan Doctor do all day?”

“Treating us, of course.”

“Besides that?”

“Gathering herbs, pulling weeds, cleaning, cooking… She does everything?”

“So, how can that young body endure it? Even if she doesn’t show it, her body is quite worn out.”

After a moment of contemplation, Cho Ak-ryang made up his mind.

“From now on, let’s have Dan Doctor focus solely on treatment.”

“How do you mean?”

“We’ll take care of everything else besides her medical work.”

“The Blood Demon Venerable pulling weeds and doing laundry?”

“Why are you trying to sneak out of it?”

“I’ve never done anything like that before.”

Cho Ak-ryang gave Beom Gye-wi a look of disdain at his confident attitude.

“Do you think I have? We do it because we have to.”

“Then Cho-hyung can do it all.”

“Alright, I will. If it’s to help our benefactor, what’s a little bit of chores?”

Beom Gye-wi clicked his tongue. He felt like he was the only shameless one.

“Should I just go to the village and grab a few guys to use as laborers?”

Cho Ak-ryang frowned.

“Are you trying to let everyone know we’re here? You want to put Dan Doctor in danger too?”

“That’s… problematic.”

Cho Ak-ryang chuckled.

“You know, it’s true that you live and learn. The infamous Mangsan Choja is actually considering other people’s feelings.”

Eventually, Beom Gye-wi got annoyed.

“Then what do you want me to do!”

“What do you think? We need to divide the work.”

Beom Gye-wi sighed at Cho Ak-ryang’s firm stance.

“But, Cho-hyung.”

“What?”

“How do you clean? What about cooking or washing dishes?”

“Well, that’s…”

Cho Ak-ryang trailed off. He had no experience in those areas either.

“Well… don’t you think we’ll get better as we do it? It can’t be harder than martial arts training, right?”

“I guess.”

The two of them enthusiastically started washing blankets, but they soon ran into difficulties.

Rip!

Just to shake the dust off the blanket, they stretched it with all their might, and the blanket tore to shreds.

Even though he couldn’t use his inner energy, Cho Ak-ryang was still a master.

His body, honed over many years of martial arts training, was far beyond that of ordinary people.

“Why is this so weak?”

Cho Ak-ryang was bewildered.

Crack!

At one side of the valley, a loud noise echoed as a large tree was uprooted and fell over.

“Huh? This was a tree root?”

Beom Gye-wi looked back and forth between the tree root he was holding and the fallen tree.

Startled by the commotion, Dan Ak-seon ran out of the main house.

“What are you two doing?”

Beom Gye-wi grinned and continued what he was doing.

“From now on, Dan Doctor, just focus on medicine. Leave the rest of the chores to us.”

Rip.

“Ahem! How can the fabric be so weak?”

Dan Ak-seon looked at Cho Ak-ryang with a dumbfounded expression.

“You’re shaking out the blanket, right?”

“Yes, that’s right. I’m still clumsy, so it’s not working out very well.”

Tear.

“Please stop. If it tears any more, I won’t be able to sew it back together!”

Dan Ak-seon, who was trying to stop Cho Ak-ryang, froze on the spot. It was because of Beom Gye-wi, who was gleefully plowing the ground.

“Those are medicinal herbs…”

“Huh?”

Beom Gye-wi looked embarrassedly at the medicinal herbs he was holding.

“This? It looks just like any other weed?”

Dan Ak-seon sighed.

“That’s how those herbs look. You have to distinguish them by their smell.”

“Then what should I do with this?”

Beom Gye-wi began to replant the weeds he had pulled out.

Dan Ak-seon shook her head at the sight.

“The ones you’re planting now are weeds.”

Cho Ak-ryang and Beom Gye-wi stopped what they were doing and glanced at Dan Ak-seon. But Dan Ak-seon brushed off their mistake with a smile.

“What does it matter? I was planning to go to the apothecary today anyway. I can just buy blankets and herbs while I’m there.”

With the number of people increasing, they needed more supplies anyway.

“Are you going alone?”

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

“The two of you need to stay hidden.”

“When will you be back?”

“I should be back by evening.”

“It’ll be dangerous traveling at night. There are many wild animals too.”

“It’s okay. I’ll take herbs that predators hate.”

“Still…”

“It’s what I always do.”

At that moment, Beom Gye-wi stepped forward.

“I’ll go with you.”

“The Murim Alliance [a martial arts alliance] is looking for you.”

“I can just disguise myself.”

Cho Ak-ryang became uneasy at Beom Gye-wi’s proactive attitude. At that moment, Beom Gye-wi rubbed his chin and cheeks with his palm.

Fzzzzz.

White smoke rose from between Beom Gye-wi’s palm and his facial skin.

A pungent, acrid smell, like burning animal fur, filled the air.

Beom Gye-wi’s hedgehog-like beard fell off in clumps.

He had used the Samadhi True Fire [a powerful internal energy technique] to burn off all his beard.

“Wow!”

Dan Ak-seon exclaimed at Beom Gye-wi’s unrecognizable appearance. Just the disappearance of his scraggly beard made him look like a different person.

Beom Gye-wi grinned.

“How is it? Can you not recognize me like this?”

Dan Ak-seon nodded.

“Yes. You look totally handsome…”

Beom Gye-wi’s face crumpled at Dan Ak-seon’s next words.

“Like a monk.”

Conversely, Cho Ak-ryang burst out laughing. He knew there was no malice, which made the situation even funnier.

“But are you sure you’re okay with this?”

Dan Ak-seon asked Beom Gye-wi.

“What do you mean?”

“Your beard. You’ll have to grow it out again next time you want to disguise yourself.”

“No problem. It grows back quickly after just one night.”

Cho Ak-ryang snorted.

“Your beard grows so well, but why doesn’t your hair grow?”

“What was that?”

Cho Ak-ryang struggled to suppress his laughter at Beom Gye-wi’s indignant reaction.

“Well, it’s not like I made it up. You do look better without the beard.”

“I wasn’t talking about you. I was talking about Song Ok of Gangseo last time. You look better without the beard.”

Only then did Cho Ak-ryang feel relieved.

Anyone who knew Beom Gye-wi would not recognize him in his current state.

And so, Beom Gye-wi accompanied Dan Ak-seon on her trip to the village.

“I hope nothing happens…”

Cho Ak-ryang muttered as he saw them off.

That afternoon.

The two returned much earlier than expected.

It seemed that the incident Cho Ak-ryang had feared had not occurred, but the problem had arisen from an unexpected source.

The problem was not with Beom Gye-wi, but with Dan Ak-seon.

* * *

Cho Ak-ryang greeted the two who had returned earlier than expected.

“Oh? You’re back early.”

“Yes. Beom Uncle gave me a ride with his lightness skill [a martial art technique that allows one to move swiftly and lightly]!”

Dan Ak-seon, her cheeks flushed red, was very excited.

Beom Gye-wi grinned.

“Tell me anytime. I’ll run you to the outer world if you want!”

“Hehe. Thank you. I’ve always wanted to go there someday.”

Dan Ak-seon had only traveled between Sinma Valley and the nearby villages. So, she had always dreamed of traveling.

Dan Ak-seon jumped off Beom Gye-wi’s shoulder.

Cho Ak-ryang looked at them with a puzzled expression.

“But you don’t have much luggage?”

He had heard that there were many things to buy before they left, but Dan Ak-seon’s luggage was very simple.

“Ah!”

As if she had just remembered, Dan Ak-seon untied the bundle she was carrying.

“Look at this!”

Cho Ak-ryang nodded as he checked the item Dan Ak-seon held out.

“Isn’t this He Shou Wu [a medicinal herb known for its rejuvenating properties]?”

“It’s not just any He Shou Wu. It’s a thousand-year-old He Shou Wu!”

“Oh! That precious thing?”

“I have a close relationship with the apothecary I trade with.”

Dan Ak-seon smiled brightly.

“It will be a great help in your treatment. I’ll go and prepare it quickly.”

No sooner had she finished speaking than Dan Ak-seon ran to the main house with the He Shou Wu.

As Dan Ak-seon disappeared, Cho Ak-ryang looked at Beom Gye-wi.

“So. You couldn’t buy the things you needed?”

Beom Gye-wi nodded.

“How much did that He Shou Wu cost?”

“She put in all the money she had.”

“What?”

“And she still had to borrow money.”

“You just watched her do that?”

Beom Gye-wi grumbled at Cho Ak-ryang’s nagging.

“You’re saying that because you didn’t see Dan Doctor’s happy face.”

“She was happy?”

“She was so happy she didn’t know what to do. She said the treatment would be faster.”

Cho Ak-ryang couldn’t say anything.

“So, because of us?”

Beom Gye-wi looked in the direction Dan Ak-seon had disappeared.

“Do you know what’s really heartbreaking?”

“……?”

“She was looking at the mountain the whole way back. Saying she had to find something like fruit.”

Beom Gye-wi said to Cho Ak-ryang, who was asking the reason with his eyes.

“We don’t even have enough food to eat right now.”

“But you’re so calm.”

“What can I do? It’s enough if Dan Doctor is happy.”

“Are we going to starve tomorrow?”

“I can just go and catch some wild animals.”

“Even if we have food, what about the other things? We don’t even have blankets to cover ourselves with tonight.”

“Just sleep roughly. We used to sleep well even with straw mats swarming with fleas.”

“When was that? And I told you not to talk about that time?”

“Ah, whatever. Anyway, she decided to go again tomorrow to pay for the short He Shou Wu value [the remaining cost of the herb].”

“Do you have money?”

“She said she could sell the valuables in the house.”

Cho Ak-ryang sighed.

“I was uneasy from the moment I sent you with her.”

Beom Gye-wi chuckled.

“That’s because Cho-hyung didn’t see it. Even if Cho-hyung was next to her, you would never have been able to stop her.”

“Well, Dan Doctor is excellent at medicine, but not so bright about the ways of the world.”

“She’s a twelve-year-old kid. What do you expect? And don’t worry about the money. I’ll get it if I need to.”

“From where?”

Cho Ak-ryang frowned, realizing Beom Gye-wi’s thoughts.

“What if you get caught? You want to be branded as a bad guy?”

“I won’t get caught.”

“What if they find out later? What if they find out we ate and bought medicine with that money?”

“I have to make sure they never find out.”

“Is there an eternal secret in the Murim world?”

“Then what do you want me to do?”

“Hoo. Let’s find a way.”