The Divine And Demonic Doctor [EN]: Chapter 80

Path to Shaolin Temple.

At the very end of the long line of pilgrims ascending the mountain, Beom Gye-wi was present.

His shoulders were laden with baggage.

He volunteered as a porter to blend in naturally with the pilgrims.

Beom Gye-wi’s already extraordinary physique, combined with the pilgrims’ luggage, made him look like a small mountain in motion.

Beom Gye-wi, glancing at the excited and chattering pilgrims, spotted Cho Ak-ryang far ahead.

—Cho, do we really have to go this far?

Cho Ak-ryang turned his head at Beom Gye-wi’s telepathic message.

—Thanks to this, aren’t we blending in?

Just then, Cho Ak-ryang noticed something.

A long iron staff protruded from among the items Beom Gye-wi was carrying.

The Great Choja Rod, his signature weapon.

—Why don’t you just announce that Beom Gye-wi has arrived?

Even if the monks of Shaolin were clueless about the world, they couldn’t possibly fail to recognize Beom Gye-wi’s identity upon seeing that physique and the Great Choja Rod.

—Ah, this?

Beom Gye-wi casually pulled out the Great Choja Rod and threw it towards the forest.

It seemed like a careless throw, but the Great Choja Rod accurately landed on top of a thick tree.

—I’ll pick it up later.

Having dealt with the potential source of suspicion, the two arrived at the entrance of Shaolin Temple, mingling with the pilgrims.

As if prearranged, they nonchalantly crossed the gates of Shaolin, guided by a welcoming monk.

* * *

Clunk.

The door opened, and Dan Ak-seon, having finished his treatment, appeared.

His complexion was pale, and his whole body was drenched in sweat, as if he had exhausted considerable energy during the overnight treatment.

Han Seol-hwa quickly rushed towards Dan Ak-seon, who was staggering.

Her eyes, supporting Dan Ak-seon, were filled with pity.

Hye-gong Seon-sa wore a slightly surprised expression upon seeing this.

“Is it possible for the Ice Jade Fairy to make such an expression?”

Only then did Beop-yeon recall what Hye-gong Seon-sa had said.

Did he not say that she originally didn’t know how to treat people affably? However, the face she showed towards Dan Ak-seon was so soft and gentle that it was hard to believe she was the same cold Ice Jade Fairy.

Dan Ak-seon smiled brightly at Han Seol-hwa, who was using her sleeve to wipe the sweat from his face.

“I succeeded.”

“I believed you would.”

Dan Ak-seon smiled once more at the firm answer that showed not a hint of doubt.

“Um…”

At that moment, the head monk of the Yakwang Hall cautiously opened his mouth.

“How is the state of the Gyeyulwon Master…?”

“You can go in and see. He has regained consciousness.”

The head monk, wearing a surprised expression, led the monks of the Yakwang Hall into the room.

“Amitabha!” [A Buddhist expression of reverence or gratitude.]

The monks of the Yakwang Hall involuntarily exclaimed upon seeing Beop-ryo, who was sitting in meditation with his eyes faintly open.

He was someone who had shown no improvement despite trying all sorts of methods for nearly a year. Yet, he had opened his eyes like this in just one day!

It would have been impossible without the blessing of the Buddha.

The name of the Yakwang Hall originated from the bodhisattva practice of Yaksa Yeorae (Medicine Buddha), who heals the diseases of all sentient beings and eliminates disasters. To them, Dan Ak-seon felt like a manifestation of Yaksa Yeorae sent by the Buddha.

“He will still be confused. Please help him to slowly recognize the current situation and to rest as much as possible until his body recovers.”

“We will do so. Thank you, Benefactor Dan.”

Beop-seong, the head of the Yakwang Hall, who was truly moved by Dan Ak-seon, bowed with utmost respect.

Beop-yeon, who approached Dan Ak-seon, also grasped his hands with a bright face.

“Thank you, Benefactor Dan. Thanks to you, I was able to shake off my inner demons.”

“I still have a long way to go before following my parents.”

Dan Ak-seon, showing courtesy with words of humility, turned his head and looked at one person.

“Hello. Are you perhaps Hye-gong Seon-sa’s grandfather?”

Hye-gong nodded with a benevolent smile.

“Thank you for bringing back my pitiful disciple, who was trying to devote himself to the Buddha on his own, back to this humble monk.”

Dan Ak-seon was momentarily taken aback by the extremely polite honorifics. But there was something he had to do before that.

He was overcome with sleep as soon as the tension was released.

That was the case even now.

He was forcibly lifting his heavy eyelids, which kept closing.

“I came to see you because I have something to say. I actually have a favor to ask…”

At that moment, Han Seol-hwa interrupted Dan Ak-seon’s words.

“I think resting is the priority.”

“Yes? But…”

Han Seol-hwa turned her head and cast her gaze towards Hye-gong.

In response, Hye-gong nodded.

“Please do so. This time, I will wait.”

Only then, as if relieved, Dan Ak-seon smiled with a tired face. And soon, his head dropped.

Han Seol-hwa embraced Dan Ak-seon, who collapsed, losing consciousness.

“You’ve worked hard.”

Han Seol-hwa, brushing back Dan Ak-seon’s sweat-soaked hair, turned her head and looked at Beop-yeon. The eyes that had held a warm warmth were as cold as ice, as if it had never been there.

“I will escort him.”

Guided by Beop-yeon, the abbot, Han Seol-hwa headed to the residence prepared for the two of them.

* * *

“Huh? Uh-oh?”

Cho Ak-ryang cast a puzzled look at Beom Gye-wi, who was visibly flustered and making strange noises.

—Shh! What are you doing all of a sudden?

At Cho Ak-ryang’s telepathic message, Beom Gye-wi raised his hand and pointed to one place.

Cho Ak-ryang, following Beom Gye-wi’s hand and turning his head, stiffened on the spot with a start.

In the distance, Han Seol-hwa’s figure was visible among a group of monks moving.

“Those damn monks, in the end…!”

Beom Gye-wi growled with a fierce face, discovering Dan Ak-seon, limp in Han Seol-hwa’s arms.

Just as Beom Gye-wi was about to unleash his movements, he made eye contact with Han Seol-hwa.

—Why did you come here?

Cho Ak-ryang and Beom Gye-wi sent telepathic messages to Han Seol-hwa.

—What’s going on? Why is Dan like that?

—Who is it? Who made our Dan like that?

Han Seol-hwa frowned at the sight of the two, who seemed ready to burst into a frenzy at any moment.

—He’s just asleep.

—Really?

—Yes.

Only after receiving confirmation several times did the two finally feel relieved.

Cho Ak-ryang smiled awkwardly, suddenly feeling Han Seol-hwa’s dagger-like gaze.

—Is the work going well?

—If idiots don’t interfere.

And she coldly withdrew her gaze.

—So get lost.

“What was that…?”

Beom Gye-wi flared up, but soon suppressed his rising anger. It wouldn’t be good to cause a commotion, even for Dan Ak-seon’s sake.

“Now that we’ve confirmed that Dan is safe, let’s go back.”

At Cho Ak-ryang’s words, Beom Gye-wi reluctantly nodded.

However, there were places in Gangho [the martial arts world] where entering was easy but leaving was not.

One of the few such places was Shaolin.

* * *

In Igak Jeon [a specific area or building, contextually within Shaolin Temple].

A fierce territorial dispute was underway in the forest surrounding Shaolin Temple.

The laws of nature were not lenient enough to readily allow the intrusion of a wanderer from the outside.

Zzzt!

A squirrel, severely punished by the 텃세 [territoriality or dominance] of the local guardian, ran away along a tree branch.

Then, at some point, its foot slipped.

It had mistakenly stepped on a smooth iron rod instead of rough bark.

Hanging precariously from the end of the iron rod to avoid falling, the squirrel began to struggle to pull itself up again.

The iron rod swayed slightly.

The more the squirrel struggled, the greater the amplitude of the iron rod’s shaking up and down gradually increased.

Then, at one moment.

The iron rod, slipping on the melted snow, crashed to the ground.

Koo-oong!

A heavy impact sound shook the forest.

Almost simultaneously, a young novice monk who was passing nearby appeared.

“Huh? What is this?”

Judging by its appearance, it looked like a flail, but the prickly thorns on the head did not seem suitable for threshing grain.

If he had known that it was Mangsan Choja’s signature weapon, meant to break people’s heads and scrape off their flesh, he would have run away without looking back. However, the young novice monk, who had no experience in Gangho, could not have recognized it.

“I have to find the owner.”

The novice monk, unable to move it alone due to its weight, called a nearby fellow novice. And together, they gathered their strength and began to move the Great Choja Rod with groans.

Thus, the two novice monks disappeared into Shaolin Temple with the Great Choja Rod.

* * *

Pilgrims burned incense, offered flowers, and bowed to the Buddha statue.

It was a devout worship filled with the earnest desire that their harsh lives would improve, relying on the mercy of the Buddha.

At this time, a young monk of the Gong [generation name] generation rushed in hastily.

Without even thinking of wiping the sweat pouring down his pale face, the young monk went straight to the Ryo [generation name] generation monk who was guiding the pilgrims. Then, he whispered something.

‘What’s going on?’

Cho Ak-ryang and Beom Gye-wi noticed that something unusual had happened at the sight of the monk suddenly startled by what he heard.

Sure enough.

“Go straight to Nahan Hall and report this!”

Ryo-un, the head of the reception hall, who gave instructions to the young monk, spoke to the pilgrims.

“An unexpected event has occurred, so please postpone your worship. This humble monk will escort you to a safe place.”

“What’s going on, Monk?”

At someone’s question, Ryo-un replied with a serious face.

“It seems that an uninvited and dangerous guest has visited the temple.”

“Who is it that makes your expression so bad?”

Ryo-un sighed deeply.

“It seems to be a rogue of Gangho called Mangsan Choja.”

At those words, sighs burst out from various places in the pilgrim group.

“Don’t worry. This place is Shaolin, the sacred ground of the Central Plains martial arts world. We will take responsibility for your safety.”

Cho Ak-ryang and Beom Gye-wi exchanged glances.

The situation was turning serious.

—How did they know we were here?

At Beom Gye-wi’s telepathic message, Cho Ak-ryang frowned.

—What did you do?

—Me? I’ve been with you the whole time.

Neither of them had done anything unusual that they would have noticed.

In any case, as the situation was what it was, the two silently followed the guidance of the head of the reception hall. They arrived at a separate annex inside Shaolin Temple that had been prepared separately.

“If you notice anything strange or find someone who resembles Beom Gye-wi, please let us know immediately.”

At the words of the head of the reception hall, one of the pilgrims shouted.

“But we’ve only heard rumors, we don’t know what he looks like.”

Ryo-un nodded and described Beom Gye-wi’s appearance.

“He is seven feet tall and has eyes like a tiger. His physique is reminiscent of an iron tower, so it will be easy to recognize…”

Ryo-un trailed off, staring at one person.

One person who stood out among the pilgrims.

His appearance was exactly the same as the description of Beom Gye-wi he had just given.

Sure enough.

The gazes of the pilgrims also focused on Beom Gye-wi all at once.

—Cho, what should we do? I think I’m being suspected?

—It’s not common to have an appearance like yours.

Beom Gye-wi’s eyes flashed coldly.

—There’s no choice.

—What are you going to do?

—Now that it’s come to this, I’ll have to have a good time before I go.

—This is Shaolin Temple.

—What, are the monks of Shaolin made of iron? If you smash them, they die just the same, right?

—Be careful. Dan is here.

Beom Gye-wi couldn’t insist any longer when Dan Ak-seon was mentioned.

At that time, one of the reception monks following Ryo-un tilted his head.

“But that person doesn’t have a prickly beard. He’s not bald either.”

At those words, Ryo-un nodded.

Only then did the relieved pilgrims heave a sigh of relief. Perhaps because they were innocent Buddhists, they quickly dismissed their suspicions. However, some of the Shaolin monks who had entered for protection did not take their eyes off Beom Gye-wi.

It was strange that someone of a similar build had entered at this time.

—Cho, I think I’m going to get caught soon?

Cho Ak-ryang pondered repeatedly before making a decision.

—I’ll find a way, so stay here and don’t move.

—Huh? What are you going to do?

Cho Ak-ryang did not answer and stepped forward in front of the monks.

“Excuse me, Monk, where is the restroom here?”

Guided by the reception monk, Cho Ak-ryang disappeared.

Left alone, Beom Gye-wi couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable with the gazes focused on him.

‘Let’s be patient. For Dan’s sake.’

Beom Gye-wi could only smile awkwardly.