Chapter 112
The Sichuan branch of the Black Plaque Star, right after Cheon Woojin left.
In this place where rough Unorthodox Path martial artists resided, only one hall was decorated in an elegant atmosphere.
In fact, the renovation of this hall was a recent affair, because the physician called the Divine Doctor had threatened that he had no intention of staying for even a moment unless it was decorated to his taste.
The Black Plaque Star immediately decorated the hall according to the Divine Doctor's wishes.
Such was his fame in the martial world of that time.
In a martial world where sword fights broke out daily, the existence of a physician was originally precious. How much more so for a Divine Doctor who was said to be able to persuade King Yama to bring a dead person back to this world.
Anyway, in that quiet room, there was a person lying down, wrapped from head to toe in white bandages.
He was a man with a physique twice as thick as an average adult male, and thin, large needles were stuck all over his large torso.
"There we go."
The Divine Doctor, who had inserted the one hundred and thirty-fourth large needle, wiped away a drop of sweat.
Around him were Ma Yongseok, a few martial artists who had come to watch, and a dozen or so physicians, but the Divine Doctor did not lose his concentration, as if he could only see the patient.
Suddenly, Ma Yongseok asked.
"Uh, Divine Doctor. Do you normally insert this many?"
In Ma Yongseok's view, the Divine Doctor's acupuncture was closer to a martial arts ultimate technique than medicine. The current appearance of the Black Tortoise Unit Commander was as if he had been swarmed by the martial artists of the Tang family.
The Divine Doctor clicked his tongue.
"Basically, the large needles are inserted into the acupoints where the ki meridians are completely damaged or on the verge of being severed. For a normal patient, I wouldn't have even used half of these large needles."
Ma Yongseok swallowed hard.
He had only placed needles in the damaged areas. But the number of those needles exceeded a hundred. In that case, wasn't it a level where all the ki meridians in his entire body were torn to shreds?
He knew that the Black Tortoise Unit Commander's condition was serious, but he hadn't known it was to this extent.
"...How on earth is he still alive?"
"It seems he still has a reason to remain in this world."
The Divine Doctor said nonchalantly as he washed his hands in a basin.
Ma Yongseok looked intently at the Black Tortoise Unit Commander with somehow strange eyes.
Twitch.
In an instant, Ma Yongseok's eyes widened like lanterns.
"E-elder! The Black Tortoise Unit Commander just moved his finger."
"Nonsense. Even if he were an iron golem made of iron, it would still be a while before he wakes up..."
The Divine Doctor's words were cut short.
The Black Tortoise Unit Commander had opened his eyes. He even sat up. Thanks to that, the needles stuck in his body fell off and rolled on the floor.
A metallic sound flowed from his mouth, which had woken up after several days.
"Tang Bicheon, you bastard, how dare you touch my subordinate..."
Cheol Jiak suddenly stopped talking and looked around.
He had clearly closed his eyes while rushing to block the Poison King's ultimate technique. He had thought that even he, with his good endurance, would have no choice but to die.
But, he had opened his eyes in an unfamiliar landscape and among unfamiliar people.
And the smell of decoction that grazed the tip of his nose...
Cheol Jiak's eyes gradually widened. He had seen something like this in the righteous warrior novels he always read when he had no missions. The protagonist who awakens anew in a stranger's body with the memories of a past life.
Such novels were popular these days. Commonly called regression, possession, and reincarnation.
"Don't tell me I..."
"Black Tortoise Unit Commander, I had heard rumors that your body was sturdy, but you truly exceed my expectations."
The Divine Doctor said, clicking his tongue.
Thanks to that, Cheol Jiak, who had awakened from his delusion, made a somehow disappointed face but asked in a polite tone.
"Did the physician save me?"
"Then did that bear-like fellow save you?"
The Divine Doctor suddenly pointed at Ma Yongseok. At that, Ma Yongseok scratched his head as if embarrassed.
Cheol Jiak got up from his seat. Since he hadn't fully recovered yet, a terrible pain came from his entire body. Nevertheless, he had to do what he had to do.
Cheol Jiak, who had managed to get up, cupped his fists towards the Divine Doctor with a polite attitude.
"Elder, thank you. I will definitely repay this grace. May I ask for your esteemed name?"
"Pyeonbaek."
"Yes, Physician Pyeon. First, after I return to the Alliance, I will definitely..."
In an instant, Cheol Jiak sat down on the floor with a thud.
It wasn't just because his wounds hadn't fully healed, but because he had remembered that the physician named Pyeonbaek was the Divine Doctor of the martial world.
"D-Divine Doctor?"
"What do you mean, return? You'll have to be observed here for at least seven days."
"Yes? But..."
"Since I've been in medicine, there hasn't been a single person I couldn't save. Naturally, you, whom I have treated, must also be so. Don't tell me you're going to openly tarnish my reputation?"
Cheol Jiak made a troubled face.
Although he was a Divine Doctor who had come here at the invitation of the Unorthodox Path, he was a physician respected by all of the Orthodox, Unorthodox, and Demonic factions.
Above all, he was the physician who had saved his life.
He couldn't possibly take the Divine Doctor's words lightly.
"It'll take about seven days for your subordinate to return anyway."
"Subordinate...?"
As Cheol Jiak tilted his head, the Divine Doctor and Ma Yongseok explained everything from the story of Cheon Woojin carrying him on his back, to bringing the Spirit Deer Pill from the Green Forest, to heading to the Black Plaque Star's main headquarters.
Cheol Jiak's heart became even heavier.
He had owed the youngest one again. Moreover, a debt of life.
Soon, Cheol Jiak's gaze sank low. According to their explanation, it would take time for Woojin to return.
If he had to stay here during that time anyway...
"By any chance, would it be alright if I trained?"
Cheol Jiak asked politely.
Although it was his own body, since there was a physician who had saved his life, it was only right to ask for permission before overworking his body.
The Divine Doctor looked at such a Cheol Jiak with narrowed eyes.
Unlike other physicians, the Divine Doctor knew the physiology of a martial artist well. In his view, Cheol Jiak was the type to develop a sickness of the mind if he were prevented from training.
Also, a sickness of the mind was bound to lead to the body.
Although it was a purely medical judgment, the Divine Doctor spoke in a generous tone, as if he were doing him a great favor.
"What are you worried about when I am here? Do the best training you can. Even if you get a glimpse of the afterlife while doing so, I will go and bring you back."
Cheol Jiak made a moved expression.
Originally, external arts that focused on endurance and strength, like Cheol Jiak's, were bound to be broken, bent, torn, and injured during the training process.
But to have the Divine Doctor, one of the three great physicians in the world, say that, how reassuring it was.
The Divine Doctor also felt good watching Cheol Jiak go out to the front yard with lightened steps.
Of course, it didn't take long for him to regret his words.
* * *
The first night of the seven days.
Cheol Jiak sat on the training ground floor with his tattered body.
Thanks to training in the front yard of the hall where the Divine Doctor was staying, he was able to push his body to its limits as if he had two lives.
Just as he was feeling somewhat satisfied.
"Hmm..."
At the sound of a displeased sigh from the side, Cheol Jiak turned his head.
A sturdy man with a physique similar to his own was standing in a corner of the training ground.
'He said he was the Young Star Lord's guard.'
Just as Ma Yongseok had looked at Cheol Jiak, Cheol Jiak also noticed that the opponent was a martial artist of a similar type to himself.
Although it was uncomfortable to show his training to an Unorthodox Path martial artist, and a martial artist similar to himself at that, there was no other choice as this was the Black Plaque Star.
On the second day of training.
Ma Yongseok, who had only sighed the day before, this time said in a low voice as if in passing.
"That's not how you do it."
"..."
Cheol Jiak, who was sitting on the floor with a thud, sent a displeased gaze at Ma Yongseok. At that, Ma Yongseok flinched and hurried away.
However, this was only the beginning.
On the third day, it was, 'Can't you push it a little more?'.
On the fourth day, it was, 'Ahem! If you just lower your center of gravity a little more, you'll surely be able to climb a new step.'
After four days of unsolicited advice, Cheol Jiak finally couldn't stand it and asked bluntly.
"If you know so well, why don't you show me yourself?"
Cheol Jiak had expressed his dissatisfaction, but Ma Yongseok smiled brightly, as if he had been waiting for this moment.
"Ahem, shall I?"
The approaching Ma Yongseok slightly lowered his posture and then offered one shoulder to Cheol Jiak.
"They often say that offense is the best defense, don't they? But, that's half wrong. It's a story for strange people like our Young Star Lord or your Alliance Member Cheon. People like me or the commander should aim to become infinitely sturdy."
Saying so, Ma Yongseok patted the shoulder he had offered, as if telling him to hit it once.
Cheol Jiak, thinking that it was a good opportunity since he had been annoyed for several days, struck Ma Yongseok's shoulder. Of course, apart from being annoyed, since he was the one who had provided the environment for him to train, he did it to an extent that wouldn't injure him.
However, the result was completely different from Cheol Jiak's expectation.
Jjeo-eong-!
A loud noise erupted as a human fist and shoulder collided.
Cheol Jiak was greatly surprised by the hardness he felt from his fist.
It felt like hitting an iron lump.
Ma Yongseok said triumphantly.
"You see. It's similar to the commander's martial arts, but isn't it much sturdier?"
Cheol Jiak's expression became serious.
With the blow just now, it became certain that Ma Yongseok was a master at least one level above him.
A person with a similar physique, who had learned similar martial arts, was giving him a lesson on martial arts.
This was something that, as a martial artist, he had no choice but to be humble about, regardless of ideology, age, or seniority.
Ma Yongseok, pleased with his changed attitude, continued his explanation.
His own training method, the principle of muscle damage and recovery, and the method of incorporating internal arts in the process to construct a different level of skin and muscle.
Also, the intensity of training that had to be followed to achieve all of this.
Cheol Jiak could not hide his surprise.
He had thought that he also did more ignorant and radical training than most martial artists, but Ma Yongseok was on a different level.
In Cheol Jiak's opinion, Ma Yongseok's training method was nothing short of hell.
At that sight, Ma Yongseok smiled gently.
"That's right. You can't endure it with an ordinary mental strength. But, I knew when I saw the commander's physical condition when he first came here. That a man who could exert that much mental strength to protect his subordinates would also be able to handle my training method."
"..."
Cheol Jiak made a strange expression.
As a commander of the Martial Alliance, was it alright to be happy about the recognition of an Unorthodox Path martial artist? Apart from that question, he could not deny that his heart was filled with joy right now.
"To be honest, I felt a sense of kinship beyond respect. Just as the commander did, I am also a person who has protected others my whole life. The problem is that the one I have to protect is stronger than me."
It was a feeling of having an identity crisis as a guard.
At Ma Yongseok's words, Cheol Jiak, for the first time, extremely sympathized. He had also felt the same way when he saw Cheon Woojin.
"It's humiliating. I also have doubts about my own value. I also felt a sense of self-loathing, wondering what my lifelong training was for."
Cheol Jiak brought up words he had never said to anyone.
Was it because they had learned similar martial arts and were in a similar situation?
Somehow, looking at Ma Yongseok, he felt a comfortable feeling that was hard to describe in words.
"Commander, but what can we do? Both you and I are the type who don't know any tricks. We have to train to the point where others point fingers and click their tongues, calling us ignorant. I can't think of any other way."
Cheol Jiak felt those words touch his heart and stick. It was because they were no different from the thoughts he usually had.
"Will you train with me until Alliance Member Cheon returns?"
At Ma Yongseok's proposal, Cheol Jiak nodded.
And so, the hellish training of the two who were so alike began.
* * *
"Aah! Those damn guys! They're doing that training again, again!"
The Divine Doctor let out a sigh as he looked at the two in the front yard.
He had coolly told them to train as much as they wanted, but he hadn't known that they would throw their lives away several times a day like that.
As a result, the Divine Doctor also had no choice but to practice his medicine as if his life depended on it.
As the Divine Doctor let out a roar, the Poisonous Hand, who had subtly approached, said.
"But isn't it a good sight? A young martial artist should have that kind of flavor. Kids these days..."
"What do you mean, a good sight! They're getting more and more brazen, so now they just come and lie down without a word. They're telling me to treat them on my own."
"Then you, the Divine Doctor, are also good at fixing them."
As the Poisonous Hand said with a sly smile, the Divine Doctor's neatly trimmed beard trembled.
"Of course! That Black Tortoise Unit Commander is a patient I treated myself. If I let him die, my reputation will be tarnished, so how can I just leave him be?"
"Tsk, tsk, those two are using your desire for fame."
As the Poisonous Hand continued to be cheeky, the Divine Doctor suddenly picked up the large needle next to him.
"If you're going to keep scratching my insides, get the hell out! I was a fool to think that the Poison King's older brother would be somewhat reasonable."
Originally, poison and medicine were a fine line apart.
For that reason, the Tang family was well-versed in medicine, and the Divine Doctor also had a considerable connection with the Tang family.
That was probably the reason why the Demonic Doctor, a disciple of the Dark Heavenly Son, had targeted and approached the Tang family first.
At the mention of the Poison King, the Poisonous Hand, who had only been smiling slyly, suddenly said in a serious tone.
"That Poison King fellow. I saw him this time, and his dementia is really severe. You can't cure that either, can you?"
"In my ignorant youth, I tried a few times. But I only learned that it was not in the human domain."
The Poisonous Hand nodded.
He also knew that dementia could not be cured by human medicine.
However, there was another reason why he had brought this up.
"But, as I thought about it carefully, in the end, isn't dementia also a kind of demon in the head?"
"Well, that's right."
"Then what if we burn the demon with poison?"
"Would something like that be possible?"
The Divine Doctor snorted. In essence, a demon was a formless energy. How could one burn it with poison?
No, even if such a thing were possible, the idea of putting poison in a person's head was itself unrealistic. At that point, it would be a matter of life, not dementia.
At the Divine Doctor's question, the Poisonous Hand said in a low voice.
"Is there anything that is impossible with the poison of the Tang family?"
"Well. If the Poison King had said that, I might have had some faith..."
"I am also a master of poison arts, no less than him!"
Although the Poisonous Hand shouted as if having a fit, the Divine Doctor just looked at him with still suspicious eyes.
And so, the two bickered and chattered for a long time. Since their ages and interests were similar, they also had a side where they got along well.
In the middle, they pulled over writing materials and wrote something densely together, and they even laid out all sorts of medicinal herbs and had a debate.
Before they knew it, dawn had broken, and both of them had become so engrossed that they had consumed a great deal of mental energy, and their faces were gaunt.
After chattering all night, seeing the brightly shining sunlight made them feel somewhat nauseous.
However, it was not a meaningless endeavor.
The conclusion of the all-night conversation was surprising.
'In theory, it is possible.'
It was to put a very small amount of deadly poison in a tangible energy and send it carefully to its destination.
However, to burn only the problem area precisely without injuring the surroundings while infusing the energy into the body was close to the realm of a god.
A martial artist with that level of ki control ability would not exceed three or four in an era. Moreover, among them, there were no martial artists who could handle poison.
The Divine Doctor asked casually.
"Are you really going to do it?"
"I have to. He's my younger brother, after all."
"You're not on such good terms with the Poison King, are you? Huh, don't tell me you're going to kill him on this occasion?"
"Don't talk nonsense. In fact, I have hated him. No, until a few days ago, I hated him every day. But, my thoughts have changed this time. Do you know what he said when I told the half-mad guy that I was his older brother, the Poisonous Hand?"
"..."
"A guy who wasn't in his right mind said that. That the Poisonous Hand is a proper martial artist of the Tang family. To be honest, I was surprised. That he would think that..."
Snore.
"You crazy bastard!"
The Divine Doctor had fallen asleep while sitting.
The Poisonous Hand, while making a bewildered face, laid the Divine Doctor down.
In any case, the conversation he had with him all night was truly amazing. He could realize anew why the martial world praised this brazen old man as a Divine Doctor.
The Poisonous Hand looked at the sleeping Divine Doctor and muttered to himself in a low voice.
"In fact, I know one person who can do such an unrealistic thing. I was surprised at that time too.”
(End of Chapter)