Chapter 96
Chapter 96
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 96
Chapter Title: The Mad Physician Departs
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He stared fixedly at Hyeok Mulin.
And after gazing at him for only a moment, a glint appeared in his eyes as he slowly parted his lips.
"You seem to know everything. I didn't tell a soul about my destination."
The Three Thousand Physicians' Grand Debate.
The Divine Physician, the Demonic Physician, and the Mad Physician—three healers whose medical prowess had reached the realm of immortals.
Every ten years, these three gathered to compete in a grand medical showdown using their respective arts to determine a victor.
Yet since ascending to the ranks of the Three Thousand Physicians, the Mad Physician had never once emerged victorious against them.
Thus, he had entered the Thousand-Year Jade Prison to hone his skills and train freely.
And Hyeok Mulin knew from his past life that he had secluded himself here in defeat, which was why he had sought him out.
This place was perfect for experimenting with medicine.
It was teeming with flawed martial artists, and no one would stop you if you killed a few.
"The Three Thousand Physicians' Grand Debate isn't far off, is it? That must be the only reason you'd refuse."
"You're right. With the debate looming, I have no time to look elsewhere."
Hmph.
Hyeok Mulin's lips curved faintly at those words.
"If that's your thinking, you should follow me all the more."
"What do you mean by that?"
"You already know it deep down. That you can't beat the Divine Physician or the Demonic Physician like this."
"...That's a rather unpleasant thing to say."
The Mad Physician responded with a displeased expression to Hyeok Mulin's provocative words.
But deep inside, he knew it too.
He could never surpass them this way.
To claim victory in the Three Thousand Physicians' Grand Debate after repeated defeats, he needed some new breakthrough.
"The answer lies within you already."
Hyeok Mulin spoke with conviction in his voice.
"Conventional medicine might not surpass the Divine or Demonic Physicians. But you can manipulate souls, can't you? You're the only healer in the world who can blend medicine with sorcery."
Taken aback by Hyeok Mulin's sincerity, he fell silent for a moment before speaking.
"I've never used the Ghost Soul Cult's sorcery on a living person. I have no idea what reaction it might provoke."
As the Mad Physician shared his honest thoughts, Hyeok Mulin immediately replied.
"You have to try anyway. Only you—not the Divine Physician or the Demonic Physician—can heal those whose souls have been erased."
At last, the Mad Physician understood what he had said earlier.
No matter if you brought a hundred or a thousand physicians, healing someone whose soul was erased was impossible.
In this vast world, he alone could treat such a patient.
"And that will be your path forward too. If you succeed in combining Ghost Soul Cult sorcery with medicine, you'll witness sights you've never seen before."
"......"
The Mad Physician closed his eyes and pondered deeply.
It was a sudden proposal, but with the Three Thousand Physicians' Grand Debate approaching, he too felt stagnant.
But could leaving the island for a new challenge really yield positive results as easily as it sounded?
As the Mad Physician continued to deliberate, Hyeok Mulin turned away.
"I'll wait below until tomorrow. If you change your mind, come find me."
A night of contemplation deepened behind Hyeok Mulin as he departed abruptly.
Descending from the peak, Hyeok Mulin reunited with familiar faces.
Ibijah and Mok Yangil had been waiting for him at the base.
"I said you could wait here, but you came all this way."
"What if you needed our help? We followed to lend a hand, even if just a little."
"And yet you came down unscathed."
Mok Yangil continued with a puzzled look.
"You didn't run into anyone up there?"
"No, I did."
"Oh? So it was the person you were looking for?"
Mok Yangil swallowed hard, his face tense as he asked.
Hyeok Mulin's lips curved slightly in response.
"Yes."
"Ooooh—!"
He had finally found him.
All the hardships of scouring the island like rats hadn't been in vain.
Mok Yangil let out a relieved breath, his face brightening.
"How'd it go? Did you get what you wanted?"
"I don't know."
"Hm? What do you...?"
Mok Yangil tilted his head at Hyeok Mulin's ambiguous answer.
"But in just one day, everything will be decided."
"Understood."
Mok Yangil nodded and scouted a nearby spot to camp.
After a simple meal, the night passed, and they waited once more at the base of Geukja Peak.
"...He's here."
Hyeok Mulin nodded as he spotted the Mad Physician descending from the summit like a falling leaf.
It was the outcome he had anticipated—no, been certain of.
He wouldn't be able to refuse the offer in the end.
Yet his appearance was somewhat peculiar.
Despite the hut being filled with all sorts of medical tools, he descended empty-handed, carrying nothing.
For a martial artist, it was akin to leaving one's weapon behind.
But.
'That's just like him.'
Setting off on a long journey without a single piece of luggage suited the Mad Physician's carefree nature perfectly.
As he reached the bottom, Hyeok Mulin approached and said,
"Welcome."
"Looking forward to working with you."
Reunited after just a day, they exchanged a brief glance that conveyed all their understanding.
"Do you know how to leave the island?"
Hyeok Mulin smirked, as if there was no need to ask.
"You already know the way, don't you?"
"...True enough."
The Mad Physician had considered an exit when entering the Thousand-Year Jade Prison, so he naturally knew an escape route.
He had always been fated to leave soon for the Three Thousand Physicians' Grand Debate anyway.
As they exchanged casual words, Ibijah and Mok Yangil followed behind.
Seeing the strangely attired man, they gave Hyeok Mulin ambiguous looks, as if on the verge of realization.
"Is that him?"
"Yes."
"Who the hell is he that you went to such lengths?"
Hyeok Mulin answered their question flatly, without emotion.
"The Mad Physician."
But the two men's reactions were anything but indifferent.
"The Mad... Physician?!"
"Wh-what, the Mad Physician?!"
Ibijah kept blinking in disbelief, while Mok Yangil clapped a hand over his mouth in shock.
As they stood there dumbfounded like scarecrows, Hyeok Mulin spoke.
"I'm leaving the island with him now."
"Leaving this place...?"
A mix of complex emotions flickered in their eyes at his declaration.
Hyeok Mulin glanced at Ibijah before asking him directly.
"You haven't finished your revenge yet, have you?"
"No."
"Then what will you do with the rest of your life?"
"I..."
Ibijah's throat tightened for a moment.
He had nothing to say.
With his revenge complete, what was there to do on this cramped island?
He had deliberately become a public enemy to enter the Thousand-Year Jade Prison and face the Tyrant Lord.
Now that vengeance was fulfilled, he had no purpose left.
As time passed with no reply, Hyeok Mulin tossed out casually,
"If you have nothing to do, you can come along."
"...!"
Ibijah whipped his head up, staring at Hyeok Mulin as if to confirm his sincerity.
Hyeok Mulin's gaze held no hesitation.
In that instant, Ibijah's lips moved on their own.
"I'll follow."
Hyeok Mulin let out a hollow chuckle at the swift acceptance.
"Do you even know where we're going?"
"Of course not. But from watching you this whole time, I'm sure I won't regret it."
Hmph. A guy with senses as sharp as his skills.
With one more companion added, Hyeok Mulin smiled faintly.
As their conversation wrapped up, Mok Yangil, who had been watching from the side, pointed to himself with a voice laced with curiosity and hurt.
"Why not ask me? It feels unfair."
"You have to stay here anyway, don't you?"
"...!"
Mok Yangil froze at Hyeok Mulin's meaningful words.
Soon after, he grinned broadly and shrugged.
"True, but seeing off a friend is no issue. Come on, let's get going. Where to?"
"Follow me."
They moved eastward along the coast, following the Mad Physician who led the way.
Having lived atop Geukja Peak for so long, the Mad Physician sensed the changed atmosphere on the island during their trek and asked,
"Has something happened on the island lately? It feels quieter than before."
"No big difference, but the Spirit Island Tyrant Kings are gone."
"Them? How?"
The Mad Physician tilted his head in surprise.
"Their leader handed over his fortress, so I tinkered with his dantian a bit. Was there someone here who could take him down?"
So the Tyrant Lord's lower dantian had indeed been restored by him.
It matched Hyeok Mulin's prediction exactly.
"They kept getting in the way, so I dealt with them."
"...I forgot about you. That makes perfect sense."
The Mad Physician looked at Hyeok Mulin with an "of course" expression.
Hyeok Mulin added,
"The Heavenly Net Escape Society is still focused on fleeing the island. And the splintered remnants of the Spirit Island Tyrant Kings are clashing with the small groups that were gearing up against them in skirmishes large and small."
"These people sure keep busy on such a tiny island."
They chatted lightly about the island's situation as they pressed eastward.
A few days later.
As the lake finally came into view, the Mad Physician retrieved a small boat he had hidden nearby.
It was just big enough for three or four people.
Ibijah eyed it skeptically and asked the Mad Physician,
"You sure this is seaworthy?"
He nodded confidently.
"The eastern waters are calm anyway. The only trouble is dodging the navy and dispelling the formation."
After a quick meal, they waited until the moon reached its zenith.
And when the moment arrived.
"It's the hour of the rat. Time to go."
Knowing this was when the eastern naval guards changed shifts, the Mad Physician headed to the water's edge.
The Mad Physician and Ibijah launched the boat and boarded.
But as Hyeok Mulin followed close behind.
"Wait!"
Mok Yangil's call halted his steps.
Hyeok Mulin turned and approached Mok Yangil, who had come to see them off on the shore.
Standing face-to-face without a word, they exchanged gazes filled with emotion.
Mok Yangil spoke first.
"How long have you known?"
"From the start."
Mok Yangil.
Like Hyeok Mulin, his lower dantian was completely undamaged.
But unlike Hyeok Mulin, who had sneaked in secretly, he was a Murim Alliance spy tasked with infiltrating and reporting every detail of the internal situation.
"Sorry, but this will go up the chain."
Though their bond was brief, it was deeper than any before. Mok Yangil wouldn't block Hyeok Mulin's escape.
But he gave advance warning that his position required the report.
"It's fine. Do as you must."
Hyeok Mulin replied nonchalantly.
He hadn't revealed his identity anyway, and he'd received far more help from Mok Yangil.
Mok Yangil smirked as if expecting that, then smiled bitterly.
"I'll miss seeing you train every morning for a while."
His face was filled with genuine regret.
Hyeok Mulin tossed something to him.
Catching it mid-air, Mok Yangil looked down at his hand in confusion.
"...demon?"
It was a simple wooden plaque engraved with "demon".
The script was a bit unique, but it was made of common wood.
Puzzled by the meaning, Mok Yangil looked up, but Hyeok Mulin was already turning toward the boat.
As he departed, Hyeok Mulin raised one hand lightly and said,
"If you ever lose your way, bring that to Singang. I'll make a spot for you."
Mok Yangil stared blankly at his retreating figure.
With his final farewell, Hyeok Mulin boarded the boat and said,
"Let's depart."
Ibijah rowed, and the boat began to move slowly forward.
The speed picked up, and soon the island shrank to the size of a fingernail in the distance.
Unlike the west, the eastern waters had no fierce currents or whirlpools.
And at this hour, no patrolling navy was about, so the boat simply crossed the tranquil lake.
Then.
Thud.
Suddenly, the boat stopped.
"...?"
Ibijah rowed harder in confusion, but it wouldn't budge.
It felt like an invisible barrier was blocking their path.
When Ibijah shot an arrow, a wall-like veil surrounding the air glowed blue, revealing itself.
The Mad Physician placed a hand on Ibijah's shoulder and rose slowly.
"No need to strain. A formation blocks the way ahead."
He closed his eyes, raising his hand with index and middle fingers joined.
As he slowly chanted the incantation, ominous crimson demonic energy surged fiercely from his body.
Kugugugu—
The clouds in the dim sky parted like gaping maws, and the still lake began to tremble.
What he uttered was no ordinary formation or spell.
Words poured endlessly from his mouth.
"Urk...!"
Ibijah, watching the spectacle, suddenly clutched his ears.
Kikikikiki—
Gigigigi—
Gogogogo—
Countless vengeful spirits swirled above their heads like a vortex, then unleashed wails beyond human language that pierced their ears.
The Mad Physician's chant accelerated, and the spirits spun faster.
And as blood trickled from Ibijah's nose and ears.
"Azure Lake epochs deep abyss profound mechanism unseal reverse flow reverse turn captive release!"
⟨ Lake Formation Shatter ⟩
His eyes blazed fiercely as he finished the incantation.
The amassed spirits charged the formation ahead in unison.
Dudududu—!
The waters churned violently as the sky shook.
The spirits vanished upon colliding with the formation, but cracks began to spiderweb across the barrier.
And finally.
Kwagwagwang!
It shattered completely, scattering into the world like mist.
The Mad Physician hadn't dispelled the formation.
He had forcibly shattered it.
He sat back down lightly and said impassively,
"Now, let's set off again."
The formation was gone, and nothing blocked their path anymore.
From beside a subtly smiling Hyeok Mulin, Ibijah—unable to hide his awe at the otherworldly sight—resumed rowing.
The freed boat glided leisurely across the lake, leaving the Thousand-Year Jade Prison behind.