At the break of dawn, Dan Ak-seon hurried to find Beom Gye-wi.
In the meantime, another small hut had been added, which was Beom Gye-wi's dwelling made of intertwined logs.
Hanging upside down from the eaves of the place was Beom Gye-wi.
Seeing this, Dan Ak-seon quietly smiled.
Cho Ak-ryang and Beom Gye-wi.
Fortunately, both had been obedient to Dan Ak-seon's instructions and hadn't caused any trouble.
Sensing a presence, Beom Gye-wi's eyes suddenly opened.
His bloodshot eyes emitted a chilling, terrifying light.
Dan Ak-seon greeted him.
"Did you sleep well?"
Beom Gye-wi's brow twitched.
"I'm dying from the stinging. My eyes are itching so bad it's driving me crazy."
Beom Gye-wi rolled his eyes and gestured toward his head.
"How much longer do I have to stay like this?"
Instead of answering, Dan Ak-seon approached Beom Gye-wi.
On top of Beom Gye-wi's shiny head, numerous acupuncture needles were densely embedded. Dan Ak-seon pulled out one that was particularly darkened.
Pop!
From the spot where the needle was removed, blood gushed out.
It was thick, foul-smelling dead blood.
After a while, the blood flowing from Beom Gye-wi's head turned bright red, and Dan Ak-seon inserted a new needle into the spot as if plugging it up.
"How do you feel now?"
Beom Gye-wi's face brightened.
"My mind has never been this clear in my entire life!"
The ferocious aura he once had had completely disappeared, replaced with only a peaceful smile on his face.
"Stay for just half a moment longer before coming down."
"One more period of time. No, I could stay for a whole day."
"Don't push yourself too hard. Enduring longer isn't always a good thing."
Beom Gye-wi nodded obediently.
"Understood. But when will my lower body be fixed?"
Without answering, Dan Ak-seon raised a finger and pointed to a spot.
"...!"
Following his finger, Beom Gye-wi's gaze shifted, and his eyes widened. It was only then that he noticed his lower body, which had been bulging up.
"Oh!"
Beom Gye-wi, filled with joy, exclaimed excitedly at Dan Ak-seon.
"Thank you, Doctor Dan. Really, thank you!"
With a gentle smile, Dan Ak-seon then made his way to Cho Ak-ryang's quarters.
Cho Ak-ryang was seated on his bed, calmly practicing deep breathing exercises. Noticing the visibly improved complexion of Cho Ak-ryang, Dan Ak-seon nodded.
"You've improved a lot."
Cho Ak-ryang slowly opened his eyes.
"All thanks to your hard work, Doctor Dan."
"Starting today, light walks should be fine. But don't leave the valley."
Dan Ak-seon added a few more cautions.
"Don't exert yourself too much. If you feel short of breath or dizzy, rest immediately. Never push yourself."
"I will keep that in mind."
After finishing his morning routine and returning to the pavilion, Dan Ak-seon headed straight to the second floor.
It was a room he used as both a bedroom and a study.
Dan Ak-seon walked to the bookshelves positioned on either side of the entrance and pulled out two books. One was the *Divine Medical Records: Important Principles*, and the other was the *Records of Life and Death: Core Techniques*.
Dan Ak-seon carefully compared the two texts.
Whenever he noticed a blank space, he picked up his brush and filled it in.
These were the extensive clinical treatment records left by his parents during their lifetime.
Summarizing, subdividing, and compiling these records had long become part of Dan Ak-seon's daily routine.
He was deeply immersed in his writing when it happened.
Boom!
A tremendous shock shook the entire building.
Dan Ak-seon frowned.
His brush wobbled, causing ink to splatter across the pages of the books.
He grabbed a cloth and carefully dabbed the ink stains...
Boom!
Once again, a thunderous roar shook the ground.
“……”
Dan Ak-seon closed his books and stood up.
As soon as he stepped outside the pavilion, the first thing that caught his eye was the small hut where Cho Ak-ryang had stayed.
It was half collapsed, half blown away.
He approached to assess the situation, but a deafening voice tore through the air.
“You fraud!”
It was the voice of Beom Gye-wi.
Cho Ak-ryang immediately retorted.
"You ungrateful bastard!"
"Ungrateful? What gratitude? You just coaxed me because you needed my money!"
Beom Gye-wi shouted back even louder.
"Introducing me to Doctor Dan was you paying me back for the help I gave you 20 years ago!"
"I already repaid you by saving your life. If I hadn’t tipped you off that the Murim Alliance was looking for you, you'd have been ambushed without even knowing what hit you! Introducing you to Doctor Dan was a completely separate matter."
"I paid for all my medical expenses, didn’t I? For that much money, any other doctor would have risked their life to treat me!"
"If you're so confident, why don't you try finding another doctor!"
"Hmph! Do you think I won’t?"
Seething with anger, Beom Gye-wi turned his back and stormed off.
At that moment, he ran straight into Dan Ak-seon.
"Are you really leaving?"
The worried expression on Dan Ak-seon's face made Beom Gye-wi hesitate.
But he had already taken a stand. After making such a fuss, wouldn't backing down now be utterly disgraceful?
"I’ll come back once that guy’s dead!"
Perhaps it was because he had gotten too worked up.
Fwoosh!
The saliva that shot out of his mouth flew like a dart and lodged itself into the half-collapsed rafters of the old hut, as if it were a hidden weapon.
"Wait a moment, sir."
Dan Ak-seon quickly went to the pavilion and returned with something in hand. He held it out to Beom Gye-wi.
"I’ll return this to you."
It was the note* that Beom Gye-wi had brought. (T/N: It's translated as some kind of note or slip, but in this context it's probably money.)
"Enough. Use that for the repair costs of the hut. That little bit of money, what's so important about it?"
"But still, you need money if you're going to get treated by another doctor."
Looking at the note that Dan Ak-seon handed over, Beom Gye-wi gave him a puzzled look.
"What's this?"
Not only was there a note, but also a small pouch containing a medicinal pill.
"Take this if your mind starts to get hazy. It'll help clear your head."
Dan Ak-seon said with a concerned expression.
"But do you really have to go? The Murim Alliance is looking for you..."
"Hmph! It's them, not me, who should be worried. I'll kill every last one of them the moment I see them!"
Just then, Cho Ak-ryang interrupted.
"It's not too late even now. Just stay quietly here."
Cho Ak-ryang tried to dissuade him, but it was like pouring oil on a fire.
"Hmph! For whose sake?"
With a cold laugh, Beom Gye-wi immediately took off.
In an instant, he turned into a small dot and disappeared from sight, leaving Dan Ak-seon to sigh deeply.
Cho Ak-ryang shook his head in disapproval.
"Phew. That temper of his."
"But why did you fight? You seemed close enough to save each other's lives."
"Well..."
For once, Cho Ak-ryang showed an awkward expression.
"If it's hard to talk about, you don't have to."
"No, it's not that. It's just a bit embarrassing."
Cho Ak-ryang laughed sheepishly.
"In truth, there's a hierarchy among us. It's not something we decided, but rather something that the gossipers ranked. That's why we're called the Ten Great Evils."
"And?"
"As I said, I'm the head. That rascal Beom Gye-wi is ranked third, but he keeps insisting he's second."
"So?"
Cho Ak-ryang's face turned red.
"That's all."
"Sorry?"
"That's it..."
"Is that really something to fight about?"
Cho Ak-ryang awkwardly turned his head to avoid Dan Ak-seon's gaze.
"Whenever I get involved with that guy, things always get tangled up strangely."
Dan Ak-seon looked at Cho Ak-ryang quietly.
It was clear that Cho Ak-ryang was very different when alone compared to when he was with Beom Gye-wi.
"Alright, I understand. But still, we should wait a little longer in case he comes back."
"Him? Don't be ridiculous. You must not know him well."
Cho Ak-ryang continued speaking.
"Even if you tell him he's on the wrong path, he'll stubbornly insist he's right and spend three days wandering before he comes back. His stubbornness is unmatched in the martial world."
"Even so," Dan Ak-seon said with a smile, "That's only because no one is waiting for him. If there are, how can he not return?"
***
At the tail end of the midnight hour, the night deepened.
Pushing through the thick darkness, Beom Gye-wi suddenly clutched his head as a wave of pain surged through it.
"Ugh... Damn it! Why is this happening again?"
During his treatment, his mind had always been clear, and for a brief moment, he had forgotten about it.
The pain he was feeling now was the familiar part of his daily life, something he'd always carried with him.
"I shouldn't have gotten treated."
Having experienced a fully clear mind, the recurring headache was now even harder to endure.
"Could it be...?"
Beom Gye-wi lowered his head and looked down.
As expected, there was no response.
Just this morning, the thing that had radiated such strong energy wasn't moving an inch.
"..."
Beom Gye-wi was at a loss for words.
The sense of loss was so overwhelming that he had no desire to do anything else.
But then.
A foul, acrid stench suddenly filled his nostrils.
"...?"
As he turned his head in confusion, his eyes locked with a pair of bright yellow ones.
It was a tiger.
And not just any tiger, but one so massive it was called the "Master of the Mountain." In the brief moment he'd been distracted, it had approached dangerously close.
"Roaaar!"
The thunderous roar of the tiger shook the cold night sky.
Whether it mattered or not, Beom Gye-wi swung his massive club and shattered the tiger's head.
In that moment, blood splattered across Beom Gye-wi's face.
Wiping the blood off his face, Beom Gye-wi hesitated. His vision began to redden.
“Ugh...”
A suppressed groan escaped from Beom Gye-wi's mouth.
“Graaaah!”
His madness surged.
Beom Gye-wi began swinging his club wildly.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
The terrifying sound of impact repeatedly shattered the silence of the night.
How much time had passed?
The enormous tiger was no longer recognizable.
It had been beaten and crushed until it was nothing more than a bloody pulp.
Even then, his rage had not subsided. Beom Gye-wi scanned his surroundings with bloodshot eyes.
Then, he hurled his body into the darkness.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Explosions echoed from all corners of the mountain.
Beom Gye-wi, consumed by his madness, was a disaster incarnate.
He began to destroy everything in his sight.
***
The next morning.
When Beom Gye-wi came to his senses, a deep sense of emptiness washed over him.
The scene before him was like a painting of hell. The towering trees had been smashed like straw, and the ruined forest was littered with the blood-soaked bodies of animals.
“Damn it!”
He was fed up.
How much had he suffered to avoid a situation like this? But this wasn’t something that could be resolved with sheer willpower.
Once again, he sensed the metallic scent of blood tickling his nose.
That scent of blood caused his madness to stir again.
“Aaaargh!”
Beom Gye-wi let out a scream.
Just as his madness was about to flare up again...
―This will help.
Dan Ak-seon's words flashed through his mind.
When he searched his pockets, he found the pill Dan Ak-seon had given him before leaving Shinmagok.
Beom Gye-wi hastily chewed and swallowed the pill.
As if by magic, his madness subsided.
Now, only two pills remained.
Of course, this was only a temporary solution. Without borrowing Dan Ak-seon’s ability, he couldn’t free himself from this accursed curse.
“For now, I need to wash up.”
Washing off the stench of blood on his body was the priority.
***
Wang Jeong Medical House, located in Sakju, Shanxi Province.
Since the first patriarch had established it here, the medical house had been passed down through three generations. The current patriarch, Wang Seok-pil, was also renowned as a skilled doctor.
For that reason, patients were already flooding in from dawn today.
The four prepared hospital beds were already full.
Wang Seok-pil let out a sigh.
He had skipped lunch to tend to the patients, but there was no sign of them decreasing.
Still, what could he do?
He had no choice but to treat them as best as he could.
"So, what brings you here?"
As soon as Wang Seok-pil asked the question, the patients in the beds all responded at once.
"These days, I’ve been having trouble with bowel movements..."
"I sprained my wrist while working."
"I keep coughing and breaking out in cold sweats."
After confirming the symptoms through their responses, Wang Seok-pil's expression brightened a bit.
It wasn’t a particularly difficult set of treatments.
Just as Wang Seok-pil turned around to write the prescriptions—
Whoosh!
A fierce gust of wind suddenly blew in from somewhere.
"Ahhh!"
Amid the thick dust and the flying prescriptions, people's screams erupted. The sudden gust that swept through the clinic disappeared just as abruptly as it had appeared.
The problem was, it wasn’t just the wind that had vanished.
All the patients lying in the beds had completely disappeared too.
