Chapter 97
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 97
Chapter Title: Direct Disciple of the Lightning Holy Hand
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"How dare a mere clinic owner act so brazenly. Do you think claiming the overly grand title of Divine Physician makes you someone in the martial world?"
The greatsword of the Nine-Fingered Ghost King, Heuk Ja-ryang, flashed.
"Or do you think the Lightning Poison Hand will come rescue you all the way out here?"
"……."
I didn't respond.
Judging by how he'd kept me alive so far, he had no intention of killing me. But there was no need to unnecessarily provoke the heart of this unorthodox fiend.
It had already been three days since the Nine-Fingered Ghost King had kidnapped me and locked me up.
My martial arts were sealed, my hands and feet bound. Whenever he didn't like the look in my eyes, he'd take out his anger on me, but I had no way to resist.
Of course, with my street-level martial arts picked up here and there, I wouldn't stand a chance against him anyway.
'If I'd known it would come to this, I should've learned some demonic arts from Lady Heavenly Demon.'
It was a meaningless what-if.
If I'd accepted that offer, I never would've survived the Martial Alliance's prison.
Fate and connections were truly harsh.
I'd thought I'd forged a good bond with the Lightning Poison Hand, Dang Seorim, who had protected me back at the alliance.
Who knew it would turn into such a curse of good fortune.
After falling into the murim world and scraping by to survive, I'd thought I hadn't earned anyone's grudge.
How could I end up caught in someone else's vendetta like this?
From the way he kept ranting about his fingers, it seemed like Dang Seorim had cut them off long ago.
'Will he really come to save me?'
Honestly, I wasn't sure.
Even before the false accusation of being a Demonic Cultist at the Martial Alliance, we'd exchanged visits as physician and patient.
And after he helped get me released, Dang Seorim visited me quite frequently.
But would he really dive into an obvious trap in an unorthodox den for someone like me, who was only somewhat close?
If he didn't come... then I—.
Boooom!
A massive explosion rang out at that moment.
The iron door split in half and crashed to the floor.
And Dang Seorim's figure appeared.
"Lightning Poison Hand?"
The Nine-Fingered Ghost King was utterly shocked. Even though he'd been the one to lure him here.
"Your underlings should be swarming outside!"
He couldn't believe someone had broken through the trap and reached this place.
"Ambush them!"
Was he scolding his own men for getting ambushed after kidnapping me? It was utterly ridiculous.
Unlike the Nine-Fingered Ghost King, whose life hung by a thread, I felt completely at ease the moment I saw Dang Seorim's face.
The Ghost King hadn't even sensed his approach until he was right in front of him.
As expected of one of the Ten Great Experts from one of the Five Great Families—clearly a different league.
"Do you think a few ants scurrying about can block a true hero's path?"
Dang Seorim smirked.
I gaped, entranced by his chilling gaze.
"Are you alright?"
By the time I snapped out of it, the Nine-Fingered Ghost King's throat was already pierced by a flying dagger.
"Y-Yes."
"Tch, your qi and blood are all messed up."
Dang Seorim untied the ropes binding me and checked my condition.
Without even taking my pulse, he noticed how the Ghost King had twisted my qi and blood while sealing my martial arts.
"……I'm sorry. I dragged the Divine Physician into my personal grudge."
Dang Seorim looked down at me with deeply sorrowful eyes.
He took my hand and slowly channeled his energy into me. For someone like me who hadn't properly learned martial arts, it was my first experience with such a technique.
As I breathed heavily and absorbed the energy,
Dang Seorim's eyes suddenly changed.
And he spoke.
"Come to the Tang Family."
"Pardon...?"
"I can't protect you like this."
A recruitment offer?
If it was for me as a physician, I'd received plenty. From the Heavenly Demon who'd spread my fame, to the merchants and clan heads I'd treated—they all asked me to be their personal doctor.
"If you come to the Tang Family, I'll protect you from all the threats in the world."
I shook my head, as always.
"What I want is the power to protect myself."
I didn't want to affiliate with anyone. I hated how that would make their enemies my enemies.
Part of me wanted to cut ties with Dang Seorim, erase the name Divine Physician, and hide somewhere new.
"In that case, I'll give you everything I have... except the poison arts."
"......You're saying you'll teach me the Tang Family's martial arts?"
"Gladly."
But Dang Seorim's offer was special.
The demonic arts the Heavenly Demon offered weren't even the Heavenly Demon Divine Arts.
The Martial Alliance Leader had only promised a few escorts.
But Dang Seorim offered to hand over everything he'd achieved as a warrior and as a physician.
"Alright. I'll follow you."
That day, I became the Lightning Holy Hand Dang Seorim's one and only direct disciple.
"But how did you find me so quickly? Just like the Ghost King said, his unorthodox goons were everywhere outside."
"Do you think my senses couldn't locate even the Divine Physician?"
"True enough."
"......No matter where you are, I'll come find you. From now on, too."
Flicker. My eyes opened.
Why was I dreaming of the old days? Ever since opening the clinic and getting busy, I hadn't had much time to think, let alone reminisce.
Talking about hair loss patients and memories with my staff must've brought my master into my dreams after all this time.
"Ugh!"
A wave of goosebumps shot up my arms, making me shudder.
Being kidnapped by an unorthodox thug—that was the kind of trauma that could give anyone PTSD.
After that ordeal tied to my master's vendetta, I gave up wandering as a physician and joined the Tang Family's medical hall.
In truth, as a physician, I'd taught him plenty too. We exchanged our respective strengths, you could say.
But since I'd learned martial arts and become the top expert of the Tang Family's one and only direct disciple, I treated him with utmost respect as my master to avoid needless rumors.
Swish.
I twirled my green-tinted hair.
Unfortunately, it wasn't dye. Even if I dyed it black, the lustrous green would sprout from the roots in no time.
Apparently, during the process of unsealing me, some of his inner energy mixed in with a lingering poison?
Since I couldn't handle poison arts, I just left it as my master had sealed it away.
Well, thanks to all that inner energy he passed on, my recovery was swift, and I picked up martial arts relatively easily. A bit of green hair was nothing compared to that. At least it wasn't turning white.
I hadn't learned poison arts, but I'd mastered flying daggers and hidden weapons—everything except the secret techniques passed only to the young master, which even my master hadn't inherited.
And after a decade or so, I'd risen to the ranks of experts, becoming untouchable by anyone except inhuman figures like the Heavenly Demon or the Martial Alliance Leader.
......Though the Soul Return Great Law had wiped it all away.
"Ah~! 'I'll come find you no matter where you are!' What the heck is taking so long?"
Come to think of it, didn't he have nothing to do back at the medical hall anyway? All the patients were handled by the disciples I'd raised.
The self-proclaimed Lightning Poison Hand, who insisted on being called the Lightning Holy Hand—Dang Seorim.
Though "self-proclaimed" applies to the latter, since I gave him that title.
A genius in poison arts and the Tang Family's top expert, yet he despised poison and wanted to live as a physician. A peculiar man.
But once I started handling everything at the medical hall, he stopped meddling and just lounged around daily.
It's a shame, really.
With how busy I am, if I could drag him here, he'd be so useful!
I couldn't have him treat patients due to licensing issues... but he could assist, handle decoctions—what a dream.
Then again, the guy sulked and didn't even see me off when I left, so no chance.
In modern times, decoctions just mean weighing herbs and tossing them in a machine, so anyone could do it.
But I'd inherited my master's weird stubbornness about sincerity being key, so hiring part-timers never sat right with me.
Even at the medical hall, I never let maids do it—only direct disciples training to be physicians.
I wanted to set up an off-site decoction room like I once mentioned to Park Sunyun, but I don't have time to inspect the herbs myself.
If only someone reliable dropped out of the sky to handle it...
I'd cut back on consultations and expanded branches, yet patients keep pouring in—who knows why.
"Ugh, whatever! Time for games!"
Worries for tomorrow.
It's a holiday—time to play.
That unsettling dream wasted my whole morning.
I hurriedly booted up the computer and logged into Murim Online.
I'd barely played after handing over the alliance leader position, but since the Tang Family class updated, I'd been grinding an alt diligently.
Whoosh! Shoooosh!
Throwing flying daggers.
Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!
Smashing treasure chests.
Groooar!
Before I knew it, time flew by beating up Demonic Cultists.
Around evening,
"Yeowon, can you talk?"
A call from Hwang Sanghun. Rare indeed.
He handled all major and minor issues on my days off.
He avoided contacting me for anything minor so I could rest fully on holidays.
"Yeah. Just chilling. What's up?"
I answered hurriedly.
"A junior wants to interview you, but there's no manual for this. Send her back tomorrow? Or just refuse?"
......Interview? What's this about?
"Junior from our school?"
"Yeah. Fourth-year undergrad at Korea University's Korean Medicine Department."
Showing up unannounced for an interview?
Even back in school, when I begged seniors for ride-alongs, I'd scheduled ahead.
Junior? If only I had manpower I could put to work right away—but a student?
Where'd she hear about me? The Hyun Jumi case?
Absurd... but honestly, it didn't feel bad.
My lips twitched upward involuntarily.
"I'll head over now. Have her wait. Good thing she didn't come tomorrow—I'd be swamped with patients."
"Got it. Take your time."
I logged off the game and changed clothes.
"Hello! I'm Lee Areum from the school newspaper club!"
The student who introduced herself as Lee Areum bowed at a perfect ninety degrees.
Somehow... refreshing? Or cliché to the point of freshness.
Like a bobbed-hair, glasses-wearing newspaper club character straight out of a manga.
I'd been half annoyed, half curious about coming in on a holiday.
But seeing this cute student radiating pure innocence, the annoyance melted away.
"Haha, yes. You want to interview me? For the school paper?"
"If you'll allow it! I came on the off chance, but thank you so much for making time right away!"
I nodded.
"How'd you hear about me?"
"Professor Lee Minseok talks about you all the time. I just had to meet you! Acupuncture, herbs, counseling, management—you're the all-around perfect senior who can do it all!"
Lee Areum clasped her hands, her face flushing red.
"How does Professor Lee even know all that...?"
What the hell is he telling clueless students?
Looks like I need to interrogate this one.