The Divine And Demonic Doctor [EN]: Chapter 8

The Divine Doctor of the Demonic World (8)

Dan Akseon was up late in his room, the lights still on.

“Is Doctor Dan there?”

Dan Akseon, who had been grinding medicinal herbs in a mortar, was startled by Cho Akryang’s sudden visit and stood up.

“Oh? What brings you here at this hour?”

“One might ask the same of Doctor Dan. What are you working so hard on so late?”

“I was thinking of making some pills.”

“To raise money for the Fleeceflower Root?”

“Pills fetch a better price than raw herbs.”

It was clear at a glance that Dan Akseon was exhausted. Yet, he smiled brightly without a hint of darkness.

Seeing this, Cho Akryang made up his mind.

“Don’t worry about the money. I’ll take care of it from now on.”

“Pardon? How?”

“I have a way. So, Doctor Dan, get some rest.”

Cho Akryang left the residence and went straight to Beom Gyewi.

“Get me a log. A good quality one.”

Beom Gyewi frowned.

“Coming to me in the middle of the night with such a request? What do you need a log for?”

“I need to make money. Doctor Dan can’t keep losing sleep like this.”

“Selling wood won’t amount to much…”

“We’ll make it expensive and then sell it.”

“How… Oh!”

Beom Gyewi, who had been questioning him, belatedly realized the reason and exclaimed.

“Cho, you have an extraordinary talent!”

A talent that made Cho Akryang as famous as his martial arts.

It was his carving skill, which had reached an astonishing level. It was also a hobby that greatly contributed to enhancing Cho Akryang’s notoriety in the Jianghu [the martial arts world].

Cho Akryang would carve and collect the figures of righteous martial artists he had killed.

Naturally, the righteous sects couldn’t help but detest him.

However, regardless of such reputation, no one doubted his artistic skill itself.

A short while later.

Cho Akryang and Beom Gyewi visited Dan Akseon’s residence.

“This should earn you some living expenses.”

Thud.

Cho Akryang placed what he had brought on the table.

It was a statue of Guan Yu [a famous Chinese general later deified], about a foot tall.

“Wow!”

Dan Akseon exclaimed without realizing it.

The lifelike expression and dynamic movement, and the vividness that made it seem as if he would rush onto the battlefield at any moment.

Everything was perfectly expressed in the wooden statue.

Seeing Dan Akseon’s reaction, Cho Akryang shrugged his shoulders.

“Once my inner energy is restored, I can carve stone as well.”

If he could properly utilize his true energy, the limitations of the material itself would disappear.

He could even work with jade, marble, or even iron.

“Did you make this yourself? People would line up to buy something like this!”

Cho Akryang and Beom Gyewi looked at each other and smiled contentedly.

“By any chance, can you make something other than Guan Yu statues?”

“Of course. But why?”

“I was thinking that there are Guan Yu shrines everywhere, so Guan Yu statues might not sell well.”

Cho Akryang nodded.

Now that he heard it, it made sense. There was no reason to look for a small Guan Yu statue when there were magnificent ones already available.

“If possible, please make something that people would want to buy.”

“No problem.”

Cho Akryang confidently stepped outside.

Beom Gyewi also excitedly followed behind him.

And then, after another moment.

Cho Akryang, who had returned to the residence, placed five wooden statues on the table.

This time, they were Buddhist statues.

“Wow… Huh?”

Dan Akseon, who had been exclaiming, stared blankly at the Buddhist statues.

After a moment.

“These are Buddhist statues, right?”

Cho Akryang nodded at Dan Akseon’s question.

“I chose the most popular ones to make. From the left, they are Maitreya Buddha [the future Buddha], Bhaisajyaguru [the Medicine Buddha], Avalokiteśvara [the Bodhisattva of compassion, also known as Guanyin], Manjushri [the Bodhisattva of wisdom], and Samantabhadra [the Bodhisattva of practice and meditation].”

“They don’t look like the Buddhist statues I know?”

The form was perfect.

The problem was that nowhere could one find the feeling of great compassion and radiant righteousness.

Each and every one of them had a fiercely grim impression.

It would be understandable for Guan Yu, who had spent his life on the battlefield, but it was an atmosphere that did not suit the spirit of Buddhism, which pursues altruism based on compassion.

“That can’t be? I perfectly recreated them?”

“They’re too scary. I don’t think anyone would want to buy these Buddhist statues.”

Dan Akseon offered a smile at Cho Akryang’s serious expression.

“Can you carve something cute, like a baby or a child statue?”

“Wait a moment.”

Cho Akryang left the residence once again and returned exactly a moment later. Dan Akseon, who had been staring intently at the wooden statue he had placed down, sighed.

“How can you make a baby look so murderous?”

“Why? It’s perfect, isn’t it?”

“It looks perfect to me too!”

Beom Gyewi chimed in, perhaps feeling uneasy about the situation. However, Dan Akseon firmly shook his head.

“We can’t sell this to people.”

Just looking at it made him feel like his lifespan was being shortened.

How could anyone bring such an ominous object into their home?

“I guess there’s no choice.”

At the sight of the two men’s dissatisfied gazes, Dan Akseon reluctantly cleared the table.

“Please sit there and close your eyes.”

Dan Akseon quietly smiled at the two men, who were wearing puzzled expressions.

“It is the doctor’s role to heal not only the ailments of the body but also those of the mind.”

At those words, Cho Akryang and Beom Gyewi sat cross-legged in their spots.

“Concentrate on my words from now on.”

The two men nodded with their eyes closed.

“The place where you are sitting is a meadow where a gentle breeze is blowing.”

Cho Akryang and Beom Gyewi’s expressions softened.

Just listening to Dan Akseon’s voice made their minds calm.

“The vast meadow is filled with beautiful flowers everywhere.”

“……”

“……”

“A butterfly that flew in from somewhere has briefly landed on your shoulder.”

Thwack! Thwack!

Cho Akryang and Beom Gyewi simultaneously struck their own shoulders.

“……Don’t kill the butterfly.”

“……”

“……”

“Let’s try again.”

This time, he tried changing the atmosphere.

“It’s early dawn. The refreshing air feels incredibly pleasant. Somewhere, you can hear the sound of cool stream water.”

The two men’s expressions became much more relaxed.

“You are slowly climbing the mountain as if taking a stroll. And there, in the distance, you can see a secluded hermitage.”

“……”

“……”

“There is no one inside the quiet hermitage. Only a kindly smiling monk is sitting alone on the platform. Can you see him too?”

“He, he’s smiling!”

“That’s right! I can see him too!”

Dan Akseon smiled gently.

Fortunately, it seemed like he had succeeded this time.

But at that moment.

“That bastard is mocking us! That damn bald-headed bastard! That’s why I hate those hairless bastards!”

“I’ll pluck out those eyes and use them as my third testicle…”

Dan Akseon sighed.

“Stop!”

The two men opened their eyes and looked around.

“Where did that bastard go?”

“Right? Did he run away in the meantime?”

Dan Akseon shook his head from side to side.

“Make dragon or tiger statues instead. Buddhist statues won’t work.”

“Are you giving up on treating us now?”

Dan Akseon smiled bitterly at Cho Akryang’s question.

“It’s not that I’m giving up… It’s just that psychological treatment originally takes time.”

Dan Akseon was steeling his wavering will without the two men knowing.

The next morning.

In the dense forest, a cart was flying above the towering treetops.

“Wow!”

Beom Gyewi chuckled at the sight of Dan Akseon exclaiming.

“Are you enjoying it that much?”

“Yes! It feels like I’m flying in the sky!”

Beom Gyewi basked in pride.

He had wondered where he would ever use the Supernatural Flight skill, but he was glad he had learned it.

There was no better martial art for playing with a child.

“I’m this good!”

“You’re awesome! You’re the best!”

Dan Akseon gave him a thumbs up.

The cart was loaded with wooden statues carved by Cho Akryang, and Beom Gyewi was lightly carrying the cart with one hand. Beom Gyewi quickly descended the mountain and set the cart down at the entrance of the village.

“You’re amazing. If I had pulled the cart by myself, it would have taken me half a day.”

“This much is enough for just a moment.”

Beom Gyewi took out a headband from the cart and wrapped it around his head.

“Wow! You look like a different person.”

Beom Gyewi grinned at the continuous praise.

“Shall we go then?”

Beom Gyewi smiled and entered the village.

“But how are we going to sell these?”

“I have an idea.”

Dan Akseon, who had been smiling, raised his hand and pointed to a place.

“Please stop in front of there.”

The place where the two arrived was a woodworking shop that sold furniture and various ornaments.

“Please wait here for a moment.”

Dan Akseon took a dragon statue from the cart and hid it in his arms.

And then he went straight into the shop.

“Welcome…”

The craft shop owner’s voice, which had been welcoming, lost its strength at the sight of the young Dan Akseon.

“Hello, sir.”

Dan Akseon replied with a smile to the owner’s lukewarm response.

“What’s the matter?”

The owner frowned as he scanned Dan Akseon up and down. At a glance, his clothes looked shabby.

Dan Akseon ignored his gaze and went inside the shop.

“Don’t touch the expensive items carelessly.”

Dan Akseon pointed to a wooden statue instead of answering.

“How much does something like this cost?”

“Five silver taels [a unit of currency].”

Dan Akseon was startled.

“Is it that expensive?”

The owner replied indifferently.

“Looking at your appearance, I can give it to you for four taels.”

Even though Dan Akseon didn’t know much about the world, it was obvious that he was being ripped off.

“Can’t you do three taels?”

“You’re not going to buy it anyway, so just leave. Don’t bother people for no reason.”

“What if I really buy it? Would you give it to me for three taels?”

“Alright, fine. I’ll give it to you for three taels. Do you have the money?”

Dan Akseon took out the dragon statue instead of money and showed it.

“I’ll buy it with the money from selling this. How much would you give me for this?”

The owner, his eyes wide, jumped up. It was clear at a glance that it was no ordinary item.

“W, where did you get this?”

“I have fifty of them.”

The craft shop owner’s eyes widened even more.

“There are fifty of them in the cart outside, and if you are willing to buy them, I can continue to make them for you in the future.”

“I’ll buy them! All of them!”

“How much?”

“……”

The owner was silent for a moment.

However, even in that short moment, Dan Akseon did not miss the light of greed that flashed across his eyes.

“One silver tael!”

“Only one tael?”

“Only? That’s the price I’m giving you because it’s my shop. You won’t get this price anywhere else.”

Dan Akseon smiled and bowed his head.

“I understand. Goodbye.”

As Dan Akseon put the wooden statue back in his arms, a look of bewilderment crossed the owner’s face.

“You’re not going to sell it?”

“No. You’re offering such an absurd price. I would feel sorry to the person who made this if I sold it at that price.”

“W, wait a moment!”

While the owner was flustered, Dan Akseon left the shop.

And this time, he headed to another woodworking shop. It was smaller than the first shop, but it was clean and well-organized.

The owner’s impression also seemed good.

“Welcome.”

Moreover, he even greeted Dan Akseon, whom he was seeing for the first time, in a friendly manner.

Dan Akseon pointed to the same item he had seen in the first shop.

“How much does something like this cost?”

“That’s a bit expensive. I have to charge two silver taels.”

It was the same item, but the price difference was very large compared to the first shop.

“Can’t you give me a discount?”

The owner showed a troubled expression.

“I’m not selling it to make a big profit…”

He pointed to another wooden statue.

“How about something like that? The price is a little cheaper, but the quality is not much lower.”

Dan Akseon, who smiled gently, showed the dragon statue.

“How much would you give me for something like this?”

“Heo…!”

The owner, who had been examining the wooden statue, let out a soft exclamation. Then he began to examine the wooden statue carefully.

“I should get at least five silver taels for this…”

“What if I sell it?”

“I need to make a profit too, so I can buy it for three taels.”

It was a much better deal than the first shop.

Of course, if he looked around more, he might be able to find a shop that would sell it for a better price. But he trusted this owner.