Chapter 276: Where Does Conflict Come From (1)
Thud!
The sound of the Crazy Dragon Axe striking the ground was as threatening as always.
Even if he had not specifically intended to threaten him, the weapon itself possessed a tremendous overbearing pressure. Ga Yeok-so flinched without realizing it.
Yeon Ho-jeong tilted his head.
“The Medical God Society?”
“That is correct.”
“A physician alliance, something like that?”
“It seems you have heard of it.”
“Of course I have heard of it.”
Yeon Ho-jeong did not bother to speak in a roundabout way.
“I heard there is a group controlling the distribution of medicinal herbs to prevent the Divine Maiden of the Western Regions from receiving them. They called it a physician alliance or something, so its name was the Medical God Society?”
Ga Yeok-so’s eyes deepened.
“So you knew.”
“I didn’t know the name.”
“That is correct. The Medical God Society is spread throughout the Central Plains, and it is a group that provides a lot of support to those who have inherited the medical lineage of the Central Plains.”
Ga Yeok-so let out a rough breath.
Woooong.
A faint qi wave flowed out from Yeon Ho-jeong’s body.
Because of the Crazy Dragon Axe’s Slow Sword training, both his muscular strength and internal energy consumption were considerable. As the true qi he normally controlled perfectly leaked out without his knowledge, the fierce, fire-like qi wave naturally turned into an overbearing pressure and shook Ga Yeok-so’s spirit.
“To explain about the Medical God Society…”
“Before that.”
“Yes?”
Yeon Ho-jeong spoke with a smile.
“Even though you are a physician, you seem to be well-informed about the affairs of the Central Plains, and if you have a long career, you must have encountered many martial artists.”
“……?”
“You do not seem like someone who would be unaware that secretly peeking at a martial artist’s training is a great discourtesy.”
“Ah! I am sorry. For that part, I offer my apologies first.”
“Your apology is a bit late.”
“I could not speak to you first as it seemed I would be a needless disturbance. I do not know if the Tiger General will believe me, but I had my head turned away, so please appease your anger.”
Yeon Ho-jeong let out a smirk.
“Right, let’s say that’s the case. In truth, I don’t particularly want to know about the Medical God Society or whatever it is. The important thing is why a person whose name I don’t even know came to find me, isn’t that right?”
Ga Yeok-so spoke calmly.
“I was going to tell you about that part, but I thought it was a priority to ease the Tiger General’s wariness first. This is also my negligence, I apologize.”
He was coming out with a considerably low posture.
However, Yeon Ho-jeong did not waver. Although he shouldn’t hold prejudice, he already knew what the Medical God Society had done. It was an opponent difficult to have goodwill toward.
“Enough with the explanations. Yes, what business brings you to me?”
Ga Yeok-so smacked his lips.
‘I heard that the Green Mountain Tiger General’s temperament was like fire, and indeed, the rumors of the Jianghu were not false.’
The word’fire-like’ wouldn’t just mean being hot-tempered.
He was honest and straightforward. He hated speaking in a roundabout way and wanted to get quickly to the main point.
That was exactly Yeon Ho-jeong. Ga Yeok-so could guess the opponent’s personality to some extent.
“I will speak directly. Could you perhaps briefly set aside your escort of the Divine Maiden of the Western Regions?”
Yeon Ho-jeong smirked.
“Leave.”
“Commander Yeon.”
“Since you said you came from a physician alliance, I thought you were going to give me some good spirit elixir. Please leave now.”
Ga Yeok-so quickly continued speaking.
“It is for the Central Plains.”
“Hmm?”
“For the Central Plains, she must disappear. To speak accurately, she must not go to the Murim Alliance and experience a winning streak.”
“Why is that?”
“The medical skills she learned are an incomparably wicked study. In terms of martial arts, it is no different from the demonic arts of the Unorthodox.”
“Why? Does the Divine Maiden of the Western Regions turn people into Jiangshi, or poison patients with drugs?”
Ga Yeok-so let out a sigh.
“I do not mean it like that.”
“Then why on earth are you so anxious to devour her?”
“Her medical skills are bringing tremendous chaos to the medical lineage of the Central Plains. So far, the Medical God Society has suppressed her presence, but if she were to establish a great reputation in the Murim Alliance, truly massive…”
“She’s bringing great chaos to the medical lineage of the Central Plains? Just by having a slightly different medical skill?”
“Commander Yeon. Please listen to my words. The medical skill she learned is an evil path. I do not know what the great heroes of the Murim would think, but rashly applying a knife to a patient’s body causes tremendous aftereffects.”
“Aftereffects? One can scrape out a boil with a knife, are you saying the aftereffects of that are huge?”
“Applying a knife does not mean that.”
“Chest opening?”
Surprise arose on Ga Yeok-so’s face.
“Do you know of the chest opening surgery?”
“I happened to hear of it by chance. When a patient’s condition worsens excessively and cannot be treated with just medicine and acupuncture, I heard they remove the malignant tumor causing the disease through chest opening surgery.”
“That’s surprising. I cannot help but admire Commander Yeon’s knowledge and discernment.”
“Save the lip service.”
“Yes, the Divine Maiden of the Western Regions is a master of chest opening surgery. And it is a bit awkward to say this, but chest opening surgery is a medical skill accompanied by severe aftereffects, a method strictly forbidden by the medical lineage of the Central Plains.”
Yeon Ho-jeong furrowed his brows.
“Look here, Physician Ga.”
“Yes.”
“Enough with this chest opening surgery and the medical lineage of the Central Plains. It will be hard for me, who hasn’t professionally studied medical skills, to immediately understand it anyway, and it doesn’t seem like the situation to be listening to such explanations.”
“Commander Yeon.”
“I will say it clearly. Our mission is to escort the Divine Maiden of the Western Regions and bring her safely to the Murim Alliance. That mission must be completed no matter what happens.”
“……”
“Give up the escort of the Divine Maiden of the Western Regions? Is that something to say in front of me right now?”
Ga Yeok-so’s face hardened.
“I understand that Commander Yeon is getting angry. But since you say you will not listen to my words any further, it is a difficult situation to explain that part.”
“I am angry, but I will not take it out on you.”
It was quite a spine-chilling remark. If the number one rising star under heaven took out his anger, one would surely see blood, even without knowing exactly how.
“Even if the situation was urgent, you were excessively rude. If you really wanted that, you should have gone to the Murim Alliance, not me.”
“……”
“However, since you must also have your own stance, let’s end this conversation here. Please leave now. I will not say anything more.”
Ga Yeok-so shook his head.
“I cannot do that.”
“Then you can keep standing there. I am leaving.”
“Commander Yeon.”
Yeon Ho-jeong, who slung the Crazy Dragon Axe over his shoulder, strode away toward his residence. His intention of not wanting to deal with Ga Yeok-so any longer fully oozed out.
Ga Yeok-so, who was quietly watching Yeon Ho-jeong’s back, spoke.
“We must impose sanctions on that witch.”
Yeon Ho-jeong did not stop walking.
Ga Yeok-so continued speaking.
“We cannot leave such a dangerous existence alone. And we have absolutely no thought of confronting Commander Yeon, let alone the Murim Alliance.”
Step.
Yeon Ho-jeong stopped walking.
He, who had been standing still, looked up at the sky and let out a sigh.
“Good grief, even when I try to pass it over nicely, always.”
“……?”
Yeon Ho-jeong lowered the Crazy Dragon Axe.
Bang!
The blade of the Crazy Dragon Axe drove a chi deep into the ground. Ga Yeok-so flinched without realizing it.
Yeon Ho-jeong opened his mouth.
“Muk Bi.”
Srrrk.
Before anyone knew it, Muk Bi appeared next to Yeon Ho-jeong.
That wasn’t all. All the group members who had been resting each revealed themselves one by one from the darkness.
Ga Yeok-so was startled. He couldn’t even tell how long they had been standing there despite seeing it with his eyes.
Yeon Ho-jeong spoke in a cold voice.
“You know where the Beggars’ Gang branch is, right?”
“Yes.”
“Go and tell the branch leader. From this time on, the Medical God Society is behind all the suppression inflicted upon the Divine Maiden of the Western Regions, let alone those aiming for her life.”
Ga Yeok-so was startled.
“Commander Yeon!”
“And deliver this as well. That the Medical God Society is an organization that can touch the Murim Alliance at any time. Tell them that they must thoroughly investigate all information regarding the Medical God Society to prepare for any unforeseen circumstances.”
Ga Yeok-so’s face turned pale.
“Commander Yeon! What on earth do you mean by that?”
Yeon Ho-jeong turned his body.
Srrrk.
At the same time, Muk Bi disappeared. She had left for the Beggars’ Gang branch.
Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes sank coolly.
“Look here, Physician Ga.”
“……”
“You’re telling me to stop the escort? That you’ll impose sanctions on the Divine Maiden of the Western Regions? Those words sound like you’re going to kill her.”
“……!”
“Isn’t saving people’s lives your job? Did you learn that acupuncture and pharmacy to kill people?”
Ga Yeok-so bit his lip.
“This has nothing to do with my karma. This is thoroughly for the Central Plains…!”
“Is it for the Central Plains, or for the legitimacy of the medical lineage of the Central Plains?”
“……!!”
“If it is the former, try explaining it properly. If she can spread a serious plague or has learned an incomparably wicked demonic art, I will thoroughly investigate it. But if it is the latter…”
Rumble.
The Crazy Dragon Axe stuck in the ground created a long furrow.
Murderous intent lingered in Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes as he aimed the Crazy Dragon Axe at Ga Yeok-so.
“From this time onward, the Medical God Society will become the enemy of the Murim Alliance.”
Ga Yeok-so swallowed his saliva.
“Commander Yeon. You seem to have misunderstood something, but the Medical God Society will never the Murim Alliance…”
“I saw a person who approached an escort carrying out the orders of the Murim Alliance and laid out sweet talk that the escort target was a witch and someone who had to die.”
“Commander Yeon!”
“If it ended there, I could have thought a dog barked and ignored it. But what? You have absolutely no thought of confronting the Murim Alliance?”
The corners of Yeon Ho-jeong’s mouth went up.
“I thought we lived in different worlds, but I didn’t know the Medical God Society was a Murim group. If so, I cannot just stay still. You are trying to take the life of an innocent woman, and as a commander belonging to the Murim Alliance, the incarnation of chivalry and righteousness, isn’t it something I shouldn’t just overlook.”
“……!!”
Yeon Ho-jeong, who was blankly glaring at Ga Yeok-so, turned his head and looked at Murong Yu.
“Commander Murong. What should we do with this fellow? Should I blow off his head right here?”
Murong Yu’s face was also terrifyingly hardened.
“Hold back, Commander Yeon.”
“Must I hold back? You heard everything, didn’t you? If that person’s words are true, not only him but the group he belongs to itself is a pack of murderers.”
“Commander Yeon. Hold back for now.”
Yeon Ho-jeong glared at Ga Yeok-so again.
Ga Yeok-so’s face was now pale white. Seeing him clench his fists while biting his lip even amidst this, his audacity was worth acknowledging at least.
Murong Yu spoke.
“Did you say Physician Ga?”
“……”
“Your words possessed no persuasive power whatsoever. Naturally, there was no logic, and you only committed a heap of discourtesies.”
“……”
“I will say it clearly. Just as Commander Yeon said, if any kind of harm is inflicted upon the Divine Maiden of the Western Regions from this time onward, we will consider the Medical God Society as the mastermind.”
“That is!”
“It might be one thing if it was just the Evil-Annihilating Army Commander alone, but if the Demon-Sweeping Army Commander joins in as well, the Honored Guests of the Alliance will also unconditionally make a move. If that happens, the Medical Medical God Society will also suffer quite a headache.”
Murong Yu smiled coolly.
“Until we go, you guys protect the Divine Maiden of the Western Regions. If she wants something, grant it all. You are controlling the distribution of medicinal herbs? If you do not give her the medicinal herbs within two days, we will also accept that as a provocation toward our Alliance.”
“……!!”
“What are you doing? Do you think you have a lot of time?”