Chapter 10
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: Creative Motivation
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A few days later.
Dan Ak-seon visited the town again.
He was there to procure medicinal herbs for Beom Gye-wi, who was about to leave on his journey.
“Huh?”
Opening the box handed to him by the apothecary owner, a man named Im, Dan Ak-seon couldn't hide his surprise.
“You managed to get the Dragon's Life Grass? You said it was completely unavailable...”
“I was lucky.”
“It seems all the luck in the world comes looking for you.”
Dan Ak-seon stared intently at Mr. Im.
Mr. Im did his best to avoid his gaze.
“Sir.”
“Yes?”
“You aren't, by any chance, getting these from the Jinseong Clinic, are you?”
Startled, Mr. Im stammered.
“W-Well...”
Just as he was about to make an excuse, Dan Ak-seon spoke first.
“I don't mind you doing business with the Jinseong Clinic, but please don't get the herbs I request from there. If this happens again, I won't be doing any business with you in the future.”
“Y-Yes. I understand. I'll do as you say.”
Only after receiving a firm promise did Dan Ak-seon leave the apothecary. As always, Beom Gye-wi was waiting for him outside the entrance.
“Did you get what you wanted?”
Dan Ak-seon nodded in response to Beom Gye-wi's question.
“Yes. Now I just need to deliver the wooden statues, and we'll be done.”
Beom Gye-wi turned toward the woodcraft shop.
When Dan Ak-seon entered, the owner, who also had the surname Im, greeted him warmly.
“Welcome.”
“Hello, sir. Are the wooden statues selling well?”
“I can't keep them in stock.”
The popularity of the wooden statues carved by Cho Ak-ryang was immense.
The statues, which emanated a palpable killing intent, were perfect as talismans against evil. Traditionally, people would write the names of Shentu and Yulü on their gates for protection.
However, the cost of these protective charms was not cheap.
This was because cinnabar, the material used for the red ink on the special paper, was expensive.
Thus, for the common folk, Cho Ak-ryang's wooden statues were gaining popularity as an excellent substitute.
“That's a relief. Here are fifty more.”
“Thank you. By the way, do you plan to continue doing business with me?”
“Yes. I do.”
“In that case, I'll pay you more from now on. The profit margin is small, but I can sell a lot of them.”
“Thank you.”
And with that farewell to Mr. Im, their business in town was concluded.
Immediately upon returning to the Divine Demon Valley, Dan Ak-seon headed straight for the pavilion. A short while later, he gathered his acupuncture kit and went to Cho Ak-ryang's hut.
Cho Ak-ryang greeted Dan Ak-seon with a gentle gaze.
“Has it been that long already?”
Dan Ak-seon replied with a slightly apologetic look.
“Today's treatment might be a little difficult.”
Cho Ak-ryang felt a sense of foreboding.
And just as he feared.
“Today, we're doing it my mother's way.”
“…!”
Cho Ak-ryang's gaze wavered. And for good reason—unlike the Divine Physician's acupuncture, the Demonic Physician's was excruciatingly painful.
“You're not scared, are you?”
Cho Ak-ryang flinched.
“Of course not. Who do you think I am?”
Cho Ak-ryang blustered.
But once the needling began, he was screaming internally.
He struggled to maintain his composure, but cold sweat poured down his face like rain.
The pain was that agonizing.
“Hmm...”
It was then that Dan Ak-seon let out a strange hum.
“What? Is there a problem?”
Dan Ak-seon looked troubled.
“Your head is supposed to be getting hot, but the heat isn't rising.”
“Didn't you say last time that we were following the principle of 'water up, fire down'—keeping the head cool and the area below the heart warm?”
“In your case, your water energy is depleted. In other words, your kidney energy is weak, so your qi circulation isn't smooth. That's why we need to intentionally draw heat up to your head. Then, using the needles, we'll force that heat downward to induce qi circulation.”
Only then did Cho Ak-ryang understand Dan Ak-seon's intention.
He meant to treat the injury by artificially manipulating the rise and fall of true qi.
“But it's not easy to maintain a state of 'heat above, cold below'.”
Just then, Beom Gye-wi barged into the hut.
Cho Ak-ryang frowned.
“Get out. Can't you see I'm in the middle of a treatment?”
Beom Gye-wi retorted brusquely to Cho Ak-ryang's rebuke.
“Seriously? I stopped by to say goodbye before leaving, and you slam the door in my face?”
“Where are you going?”
“You told me to bring back that crazy bitch!”
“Watch your mouth. Physician Dan is right here.”
“Hmph! A man should live as he is. I don't want to live deceitfully like you, Brother Cho.”
“Deceitful? Me?”
“Your words and actions are completely different when Physician Dan is around versus when he's not.”
Just a few exchanged words were enough to make Cho Ak-ryang's blood boil.
“Can't you get rid of him? He at least listens to you, Physician Dan.”
“Just a moment.”
A peculiar light gleamed in Dan Ak-seon's eyes.
The rising energy he felt through the needles was gradually intensifying.
“Mr. Beom, please have a seat over there.”
“Huh? Why?”
Though he didn't know why, Beom Gye-wi obediently followed Dan Ak-seon's instruction.
Having seated Beom Gye-wi across from Cho Ak-ryang, Dan Ak-seon instructed the two.
“Could you please look at each other?”
Cho Ak-ryang scowled.
Being face to face with Beom Gye-wi at such close range made him inexplicably furious.
“Heh heh.”
Beom Gye-wi, on the other hand, started grinning.
Seeing Cho Ak-ryang's discomfort put him in a good mood for some reason. At that moment, Dan Ak-seon exclaimed.
“It's working! The heat is gathering in your head!”
“Just from looking at his face?”
Dan Ak-seon nodded at Cho Ak-ryang's question.
“The heart's fire energy is heavily influenced by emotions. Like when you fall in love, or when you get angry.”
Beom Gye-wi was horrified by those words.
“No wonder! When I carried him on my back before, he kept rubbing against me!”
“What kind of crazy talk is that! It's because I'm angry!”
“Why are you angry?”
“That's... a good question. Why?”
Cho Ak-ryang was flustered. He himself had never really thought about the reason.
“All done.”
Just then, Dan Ak-seon removed the needles and asked.
“How do you feel?”
After checking his condition for a moment, Cho Ak-ryang nodded.
“My body definitely feels much lighter than before. But...”
“But?”
“I feel like crap.”
Dan Ak-seon smiled faintly and looked at Beom Gye-wi.
“Are you leaving now?”
“Yeah, I was about to.”
“Then please wait a moment. Now that I have the ingredients, I can make the pills quickly.”
Gathering his acupuncture kit, Dan Ak-seon ran toward the pavilion.
Returning a short while later, Dan Ak-seon handed a small box to Beom Gye-wi.
“Take one every three days before you circulate your qi. As long as there are no special problems, this should be enough for two months.”
Dan Ak-seon hesitated for a moment before adding.
“If you happen to get injured and bleed, take two pills immediately.”
“Got it.”
As Beom Gye-wi turned to leave, Dan Ak-seon asked.
“What did I just say?”
“Huh?”
“The instructions I just gave you. Please repeat them.”
“Uh... Take one ball every three days, and bleed before circulating my qi, right?”
Standing beside them, Cho Ak-ryang shook his head.
“I wonder if it's okay to send a guy like that out on his own.”
Just then, Dan Ak-seon took a neatly folded piece of paper from his robes and handed it to Beom Gye-wi.
“I wrote down the instructions, just in case. Check them every day.”
“Heh heh. Should've just done that from the start.”
Looking a bit sheepish himself, Beom Gye-wi chuckled. Then, he shot off.
“I'll be sure to bring that woman back!”
Beom Gye-wi's voice faded into the distance in an instant.
* * *
It was the third day since Beom Gye-wi had left the Divine Demon Valley.
Dan Ak-seon gazed at the large tree. It was the spot where Beom Gye-wi always used to hang upside down.
“I wonder if he's doing okay? I'm worried.”
They say you don't notice someone's presence until they're gone, and Beom Gye-wi's absence was felt more keenly than expected.
This was especially true on days like today, after returning from town.
It wasn't just his own feelings; Beom Gye-wi's absence had brought an unexpected problem.
The effectiveness of Cho Ak-ryang's treatment had noticeably declined.
The artificial raising and lowering of true qi using the 'heat above, cold below' method was inevitably influenced by one's psychological state.
But without Beom Gye-wi, there was little to make him angry.
Faced with this unforeseen problem, Cho Ak-ryang himself began to grow impatient.
“I hope he gets a little better today...”
Picking up his acupuncture kit, Dan Ak-seon headed for Cho Ak-ryang's hut. Cho Ak-ryang was in the middle of the valley, carving a large log.
“Sir, what are you doing?”
Cho Ak-ryang lifted the chisel and mallet he was holding.
“As you can see, I'm carving a wooden statue.”
“Don't overexert yourself.”
“I'm fine. This much doesn't even make me break a sweat anymore.”
“May I watch?”
“Of course. But don't get too close; it's dangerous.”
Once Dan Ak-seon found a spot, Cho Ak-ryang resumed his work.
*Thwack! Thwack!*
The chisel and mallet in Cho Ak-ryang's hands moved without rest. With each strike, wood chips flew in all directions.
A short while later.
The log gradually began to take on a distinct shape. Only then did Dan Ak-seon realize it was a life-sized statue.
Having roughed out the general shape, Cho Ak-ryang swapped his chisel and mallet for a small carving knife.
And then he began carving in earnest.
His hand movements were incomparably faster and more delicate than before. In an instant, a pile of wood dust formed around Cho Ak-ryang.
Watching him, Dan Ak-seon let out a gasp of admiration.
“Wow! It looks just like him.”
The wooden statue, brought to life perfectly by Cho Ak-ryang's hands.
It was none other than Beom Gye-wi.
The swaggering posture, the crooked smile, and even the eyes that radiated killing intent.
It was so vivid it looked alive.
Dan Ak-seon smiled faintly.
“You must miss him a lot. You two were always bickering when he was here.”
At that moment, Cho Ak-ryang approached the statue.
“Ptui!”
Cho Ak-ryang spat at the statue.
“I think we can start the treatment now. Just looking at that bastard's face makes my blood boil.”
Dan Ak-seon let out a wry laugh.
“Is that why you made it?”
On one hand, it was absurd; on the other, it felt rather amazing.
In the end, Cho Ak-ryang had found a way to continue his treatment. Fortunately, his efforts paid off.
“It's working.”
The energy flowing through the needles felt much more vigorous.
After the treatment, Cho Ak-ryang began his qi circulation as usual. Leaving him to it, Dan Ak-seon stood up.
It was time to prepare a meal.
A short while later.
Dan Ak-seon presented a basket to Cho Ak-ryang.
“From today on, this will be your meal.”
Cho Ak-ryang frowned as he examined the contents of the basket.
“This is a meal? To me, it just looks like raw grass.”
Dan Ak-seon smiled quietly.
“That's why I prepared a cooked dish as well.”
Dan Ak-seon took out a bowl that was in the basket.
Opening the lid just to check, Cho Ak-ryang was inwardly dumbfounded. The bowl contained a watery broth with nothing but a single dried flower floating in it.
Looking closely, it resembled the *neungrahwa* flowers blooming at the valley entrance.
“You don't usually call processed herbs a 'cooked meal', do you?”
Dan Ak-seon replied nonchalantly to Cho Ak-ryang's question.
“What's the difference? It's all steaming, drying, boiling, and cooking anyway.”
“...”
Cho Ak-ryang stared blankly at Dan Ak-seon.
'I should have known from the way he grilled the meat last time...'
He was truly, absurdly untalented when it came to cooking.
Just then, Dan Ak-seon spoke.
“You said you wanted to recover quickly, didn't you? There's nothing better than this for treating blood stasis and protecting your qi meridians.”
Though reluctant, Cho Ak-ryang picked up an herb and brought it to his mouth.
As he chewed the herb, Cho Ak-ryang's face contorted.
“This... is incredibly bitter.”
It was on a level that was nearly impossible to swallow.
No matter how effective it was for treating internal injuries, even he couldn't help but hesitate at the nauseatingly foul taste that defied common sense.
At that moment, Dan Ak-seon casually stepped aside.
Simultaneously, the wooden statue of Beom Gye-wi, grinning detestably, came into Cho Ak-ryang's view.
Dan Ak-seon smiled faintly.
“Try eating while looking at that.”
With that one sentence, the look in Cho Ak-ryang's eyes changed. A sudden surge of anger and fighting spirit welled up inside him.
“Just you wait, you bastard. Once I recover my martial arts...”
Cho Ak-ryang swallowed the herb he was chewing.
His face twisted in agony, but each time, he looked at Beom Gye-wi's statue and hardened his resolve.
In that moment, he understood better than anyone the heart of King Goujian of Yue, who licked a gallbladder while plotting his revenge. Having personally experienced the meaning of 'enduring hardship for vengeance,' Cho Ak-ryang looked at Dan Ak-seon.
“I'll have to leave for a while soon.”
“Where are you going?”
“To gather some news.”
Cho Ak-ryang continued to explain.
“I need to keep track of what those bastards from the Martial Alliance are up to.”
“Your presence here might be revealed to them.”
“You don't have to worry about that. I have my ways.”
“How many days will you be gone?”
“Five days should be enough.”
Dan Ak-seon nodded.
“Then I'd better prepare some medicine for you in advance.”
“Thank you.”
With that, Cho Ak-ryang resumed his meal of medicinal herbs.