Chapter 6
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: A Promise and the First Patients
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Jang-u couldn't make sense of the situation.
He was sure he had been lying in a bed at the clinic, but when he came to his senses, he was in the middle of a mountain.
And right before his eyes, two blazing fireballs were floating in the air.
“Gah!”
Realizing belatedly that they were a person's eyes, Jang-u scrambled back in terror.
The owner of the blazing eyes.
A hulking, bald man with a bristly beard asked in a low voice.
“What ails you?”
“Pardon?”
“I asked what was wrong with you that made you seek a physician.”
“My wrist hurts…”
“Anywhere else?”
“Uh, no. Everything’s fine except for my wrist.”
“Why?”
“Excuse me?”
“Why doesn't anywhere else hurt!”
“W-Well…”
The man, already fearsome-looking, scowled, and Jang-u’s heart dropped.
Just then, the bald giant turned his head.
“What about you? What ails you?”
Only then did Jang-u realize there were other people here. They were the ones who had been lying in the beds with him.
The old man, questioned by Beom Gye-wi, answered hastily.
“It’s just a common cold.”
“No, it’s not.”
“Pardon?”
“I can tell your condition is serious just by looking. Your skin has no elasticity. Too many age spots. And you’re breaking out in a cold sweat.”
“That’s just from lack of energy…”
“Tsk!”
Beom Gye-wi clicked his tongue with a displeased expression and turned his head. The other two men, meeting his gaze, also answered in a hurry.
“It’s just constipation!”
“I just tweaked my back, that’s all!”
All of them wanted nothing more than to get out of this place. But the atmosphere was ominous.
“This is problematic…”
Beom Gye-wi trailed off, then slapped his knee.
“Alright, let’s do this.”
Beom Gye-wi pointed to each person in turn.
“From now on, your entire bodies ache. It hurts as if your insides are twisted and your bones are being crushed.”
The men showed their bewilderment at Beom Gye-wi’s absurd declaration.
“But those aren’t our symptoms.”
Beom Gye-wi smiled.
It was a terrible smile, one that would have been better had he not smiled at all.
At Beom Gye-wi's demonic appearance, a quick-witted man clutched his stomach.
“I-I think it really does hurt that much.”
“That’s it.”
As Beom Gye-wi showed his satisfaction, the others also began to twist and tremble.
“Don’t you worry. You’re about to meet someone who will fix you up perfectly. You’ll be thanking me.”
It was as he said this.
“Mister?”
A voice from behind made Beom Gye-wi turn his head.
Beside a rock about ten feet away.
Dan Ak-seon was standing there, though no one knew since when.
“Huh? D-Doctor Dan!”
Beom Gye-wi shot to his feet, startled.
He then hurriedly pointed at the people.
“I was on my way down the mountain when I found these people on the verge of death! I couldn't just pass them by…”
“You’ve come at a good time.”
“Hmm?”
“I’ve been waiting for you.”
Dan Ak-seon smiled and approached Beom Gye-wi.
“First, let me examine the patients. Please wait a moment.”
While Dan Ak-seon examined the patients, Beom Gye-wi stood frozen in place with a blank expression.
‘Waiting? For me?’
For some reason, a corner of his heart felt a twinge.
‘Come to think of it…’
Other than his late master, no one had ever welcomed him like this. It was a feeling he hadn't experienced in a very long time.
About half an hour passed.
Dan Ak-seon moved diligently, treating the patients.
“All done.”
Looks of astonishment appeared on the villagers' faces.
With just a few needles, some moxibustion, and a gentle touch on the afflicted areas, their symptoms had improved as if by magic.
“You can go back now.”
At Dan Ak-seon's words, the villagers looked at each other with troubled faces.
They didn't know the way back.
‘Oh, no!’
Realizing the situation too late, Beom Gye-wi quickly stepped forward.
“I’ll take you.”
Beom Gye-wi hoisted the villagers onto his shoulders all at once. Then, he glared and said.
“What are you doing? You should thank him, shouldn’t you?”
The villagers hastily opened their mouths.
“Th-Thank you, sir!”
Beom Gye-wi frowned.
“Not me.”
“Pardon?”
“Did I treat you?”
“Ah!”
Finally understanding Beom Gye-wi’s intention, the villagers bowed to Dan Ak-seon.
Only then did Beom Gye-wi turn around.
He was just about to launch himself into the air.
“You will come back, won’t you?”
Beom Gye-wi grinned.
“Yes, I will.”
Beom Gye-wi’s figure cut through the air.
“Aaaah!”
Along with the villagers' screams, Beom Gye-wi's form quickly disappeared into the distance.
* * *
Four hours later.
Beom Gye-wi returned to the Divine Demon Valley.
However, he was greeted by Cho Ak-ryang's harsh words. Having heard what had happened, Cho Ak-ryang let loose a barrage of criticism.
“Why don't you just go around telling everyone we’re here?”
“Come on, they’re not martial artists. How would they recognize me?”
“Is it common for masters to look like you! That’s a face that would appear in nightmares after a single glance!”
Beom Gye-wi bristled.
“What’s wrong with my face! I was once called the Song Ok of Jiangxi. I was known for my looks!”
“Nonsense! Do the people of Jiangxi have eyes on their backsides? How are you Song Ok? More like Zhang Fei.”
As their voices rose, Dan Ak-seon intervened.
“Please don’t fight. They probably don’t even know where this place is.”
A master of Beom Gye-wi's caliber had traveled for a full two hours using his movement arts. It would be difficult for an ordinary person with no knowledge of martial arts to gauge the distance and direction.
With Dan Ak-seon taking his side, Beom Gye-wi shrugged his shoulders.
“That's right. They were half dazed when I dropped them off. They probably won't remember anything clearly.”
“To think that mouth of yours can still speak…”
Cho Ak-ryang finally let out a sigh.
“Fine. It’s better than suffering. Let’s just drop it.”
As Cho Ak-ryang backed down, Beom Gye-wi grinned. Watching this, Dan Ak-seon spoke to Beom Gye-wi.
“Mister, let’s make a promise.”
“A promise?”
Dan Ak-seon nodded at the questioning look on Beom Gye-wi’s face.
“From now on, you won’t leave this place without permission.”
“I don’t really do promises…”
“It’s because I’m worried.”
“You’re… worried?”
Beom Gye-wi stared intently at Dan Ak-seon.
There was no trace of any ulterior motive on Dan Ak-seon’s face. It was filled only with pure concern.
Beom Gye-wi’s gaze wavered.
A memory of meeting a similar gaze once before came to mind.
‘Master…’
In all his life, his master was the only one who had ever looked at him that way.
Beom Gye-wi suddenly felt a lump in his throat.
It was an emotion he hadn't felt once since his master passed away.
The madness that came after learning martial arts.
Since then, he had only ever been met with eyes of fear, disgust, or avoidance.
“I promise.”
At Beom Gye-wi's words, Cho Ak-ryang was startled.
Those were not words he ever expected from the Beom Gye-wi he knew. Beom Gye-wi nodded again.
“From now on, I will not leave this place without your permission.”
Only then did Dan Ak-seon smile brightly.
“Hehe. Thank you.”
At Dan Ak-seon’s innocent smile, Beom Gye-wi couldn't help but smile faintly himself.
Beyond Dan Ak-seon, he saw Cho Ak-ryang with a displeased expression. He expected another lecture, but surprisingly different words came from Cho Ak-ryang’s mouth.
“Good work.”
“…?”
“It must have been hard to break that stubbornness of his.”
Cho Ak-ryang turned and strode into the hut.
“Hey, that’s my house.”
From inside the hut, Cho Ak-ryang yelled back at Beom Gye-wi's words.
“Then who told you to destroy your own house?”
* * *
Night comes early in the mountains. This was even more true for the Divine Demon Valley, which was enclosed by towering cliffs like a folding screen.
As the sun set, the Divine Demon Valley was quickly enveloped in darkness.
Between the main building and the hut.
A small campfire in the center was all that illuminated the darkness.
Three people were sitting around the campfire, where meat was cooking. Dan Ak-seon took the meat skewered on a branch and offered it to Beom Gye-wi and Cho Ak-ryang.
“Try some. I think it’s cooked.”
Beom Gye-wi’s face lit up as he took the meat.
“How long has it been since I’ve had meat! You’ve been feeding me nothing but greens.”
Dan Ak-seon smiled gently.
“It’s a special day.”
“A special day?”
“Mister Beom came back.”
Beom Gye-wi, who was about to bring the meat to his mouth, paused.
After a moment of thought, Beom Gye-wi offered the meat he was holding to Dan Ak-seon.
“Oh? Aren’t you going to eat first?”
“I’m fine. More importantly, Doctor Dan…”
“Yes.”
“Why are you being so good to us?”
Apparently curious as well, Cho Ak-ryang’s gaze also turned to Dan Ak-seon.
“You’re both patients. And I’m a physician.”
Dan Ak-seon smiled brightly at the two of them.
“It’s only natural to take care of patients.”
Beom Gye-wi and Cho Ak-ryang looked at each other.
—Is he just a fool? Being this nice has to be a problem, right?
At Beom Gye-wi’s telepathic message, Cho Ak-ryang frowned.
He wanted to retort with a sharp remark, but he couldn’t use his internal energy, so he couldn’t send a telepathic message either.
“Do you think everyone in the world is like you?”
That was the most he could muster as a rebuke. Just then, Dan Ak-seon, who had been lost in thought, spoke up.
“There is one more reason.”
—See?
Beom Gye-wi sent a telepathic message to Cho Ak-ryang and smiled triumphantly.
“You two are my first patients.”
The two men were utterly baffled by Dan Ak-seon’s words.
“What?”
Beom Gye-wi’s face contorted.
Cho Ak-ryang was just as bewildered.
From his medical skills so far, it was clear he was at an extraordinary level. But to say they were his first patients.
“Don’t tell me you were using us as practice…”
Dan Ak-seon’s eyes widened.
“Of course not.”
To clear up their misunderstanding, Dan Ak-seon continued to explain.
“The first time I treated a patient was when I was four years old. But that person was my parents’ patient, not mine.”
Recalling that time, Dan Ak-seon smiled gently.
“Back then, I just placed the needles and prescribed medicine as my parents taught me. This is the first time I’ve decided on the treatment method and administered it entirely on my own.”
Dan Ak-seon grinned.
“I’ve really missed people. I’ve been alone for a long time since my parents passed away.”
Dan Ak-seon’s expression clouded over for a moment.
“But then, you two came. How could I not treat you well?”
“Well, now…”
Beom Gye-wi scratched the bridge of his nose.
“You say a story that should be told with tears with a smile, so I don’t know what to say.”
“Why would I cry? Just talking with you two like this is so much fun.”
Faced with that innocent smile, Beom Gye-wi felt his guard unknowingly letting down.
Then, at some point, he was startled.
‘This is dangerous.’
The sense of danger he had naturally accumulated over many years in the martial world.
His instincts were sending him a warning. That was how deeply ingrained Beom Gye-wi's wariness of others was.
But since coming here, that wariness had been crumbling.
This wasn’t just his problem.
One only had to look at Cho Ak-ryang to know.
The Blood Hand Honored One, who reigned as a living terror in the martial world, with such a gentle smile!
How could such a thing be possible?
If any martial artist who knew him were here, they would have rubbed their eyes and looked again several times at the sight.
It was then.
“Ugh.”
Cho Ak-ryang frowned.
Then, he nonchalantly put down the piece of meat he was eating.
“Such a picky eater. Just eat it. Meat is meat.”
Beom Gye-wi, after tossing a barb, took a large bite of the meat. And soon, his brow furrowed as well.
“What is this?”
The outside was burnt, but the inside was raw and dripping with blood.
On top of that, the seasoning was a mess. Some parts were bland, others were salty as brine. Yet, Dan Ak-seon was eating the meat with a happy expression.
‘He said he was alone in the mountains…’
Suddenly, he felt a pang of pity for Dan Ak-seon.
Cho Ak-ryang seemed to be thinking something similar, as they exchanged bitter smiles when their eyes met.
—Heaven granted that boy the greatest medical skills in the world, but it took away his sense of taste.
Cho Ak-ryang nodded.
“Heaven is always fair.”
Wondering why Cho Ak-ryang was agreeing for once, Beom Gye-wi was taken aback when Cho Ak-ryang grinned and said.
“Just like how it gave you the martial arts of the third-ranked of the Ten Great Villains and took away your hair.”
“…!”
Beom Gye-wi threw the piece of meat he was holding at Cho Ak-ryang.
“Why are you bringing up my hair! And it’s second-ranked, not third!”
Dodging the meat skewer that flew like a hidden weapon, Cho Ak-ryang threw his own piece of meat at Beom Gye-wi.
“Well, hair isn’t the only thing it took away.”
Following Cho Ak-ryang’s gaze, Beom Gye-wi’s eyes lowered and stopped at his own groin.
Clank.
Just as Beom Gye-wi was about to pick up his Great Thistle Cudgel, Dan Ak-seon intervened.
“Why are you two fighting like children? If you don’t want to eat it, give it to me. I’ll eat it.”
Cho Ak-ryang and Beom Gye-wi looked at each other.
There was a slight hesitation, but it was brief. The two began to chew and swallow their meat with determination.
They couldn't bring themselves to pass this tasteless food onto Dan Ak-seon.
On a certain moonlit night.
The night in the Divine Demon Valley deepened.