I Became the Oriental Doctor for Divine Beasts - Chapter 49
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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I had become the physician to the divine beasts.
#49
A short while later, they arrived at their destination.
A spacious chamber situated at the heart of the White Tiger Estate.
People had taken their seats around a long table.
“Has everyone arrived?”
Their identities were, excluding the Rat, Snake, and Horse clans,
the family heads and heirs of the remaining nine great houses.
At the head of the table sat the estate’s master and patriarch of the Tiger clan, Chairman Baek Ho-joong.
Directly beside him sat a man with a cold, sharp expression, Baek Eun-ho, his back perfectly straight.
“I wish I could ask how you’ve all been, but…”
Chairman Baek opened his mouth as his gaze swept slowly around the room.
“These are troubling times.”
A heavy silence fell over the table.
All faces had darkened.
“Then let us begin the emergency session.”
The chairman continued.
“Today’s agenda is to assess the current situation, review the recent movements of the Fallen, and share all information we’ve gathered so far regarding the connection between them and the criminal organization known as the ‘Black Lotus Society.'”
Just then, a kind-faced middle-aged man with distinct double eyelids and large eyes bowed respectfully.
“Chairman Baek, on behalf of the divine beasts, I thank you for all your efforts.”
“Not at all, Patriarch of the Ox clan.”
The chairman shook his head.
“Representative is too grand a title. I merely happened to take on the role of bringing the divine beasts together. All of us are equals, after all.”
At that, the Ox patriarch’s face creased slightly.
“Precisely. And that’s why the Fallen have truly overstepped. We should all stand as equals in protecting the world, yet they attack other divine beasts to steal their vital essence, and claim they’ll build a ‘new world’ for themselves alone with that power.”
“They’ve lost their minds!”
“Madmen, the lot of them!”
Heated exclamations erupted across the room.
Chairman Baek raised his hand to calm the atmosphere.
“However—”
His voice grew firmer.
“We divine beasts have also received extraordinary good news: the last direct descendant of the Cat clan… has survived.”
In that instant, the air in the room shifted.
“The Cat clan?”
“The Purifier…!”
“So it was true after all!”
Light flooded into faces that had been dark moments before.
Then a young man with platinum blonde long hair and several piercings, striking in appearance, rose from his seat.
“Greetings. I am Won Jun, heir of the Monkey clan.”
After a brief introduction, he posed a question.
“Is it true? That the Purifier has already healed several divine beasts and has gathered substantial information about the Fallen?”
This time, instead of the chairman, Baek Eun-ho spoke.
“It is true. First, when our father, Chairman Baek, was attacked by the Fallen, had his vital essence stolen, and fell gravely ill, the Purifier aided his recovery.”
A subtle stir rippled across the table.
“And Ma Yoon-sang, who broke from the Horse clan and declared neutrality—we healed the side effects of his cursed art experiments. In that process, we brought over this moderate to our side and obtained meaningful information.”
Then actor Yang Si-heon raised his hand and testified.
“I too was cured of chronic insomnia by the Purifier. Since then, my prophetic dreams have resumed with steady clarity.”
Detective Jin Do-gyeong immediately added her account.
“In my case, thanks to the Purifier, my shoulder injury was healed. As a result, I was able to return to the field swiftly and apprehend the perpetrator.”
Baek Eun-ho spoke again.
“Beyond that, through records left by the Purifier’s mother, we’ve confirmed crucial information: the connection between the Fallen and the Black Lotus Society, and that the source of corrupt essence originates from human desire and negative emotion.”
The conference hall began to buzz with activity.
“Remarkable…”
“We’ve barely known of the Purifier’s existence for two months, yet we’ve learned more than we gathered in ten years of divine beast warfare.”
“If she possesses this much ability, is she truly not the reincarnation of Seol Un-hwa?”
“She’ll surely become our core asset!”
Just as hope began to bloom—
“Ha.”
A short, low laugh cut through the air.
All eyes turned to a middle-aged woman with her dark hair elegantly pinned up, sitting with her arms crossed.
She was strikingly beautiful.
Her black hair held a subtle blue-green shimmer in the light, and her eyes were a deep, dark cyan like the ocean depths.
“Core asset.”
Her voice was measured yet coldly subdued.
“A half-blooded divine beast tainted with human blood. Even the vaunted Tiger clan failed to protect a single divine beast in the past—and you ask us to trust a mutt?”
Baek Eun-ho stiffened slightly.
Chairman Baek issued a stern warning.
“Dragon Patriarch. Mind your words.”
But she did not relent.
“Divine beasts must hold their own against divine beasts. A half-blooded creature like this might flee or betray us when things grow dire. Do not place such excessive faith in the Purifier.”
“From the perspective of a craftsperson, I would say…”
Won Jun, the Monkey clan heir, slowly raised his hand.
“Spiritual artifacts respond most effectively to the vital essence of pure-blooded divine beasts. When human blood is mixed in, efficiency drops and artifact stability deteriorates.”
While not overtly stated, it was a veiled endorsement of the Dragon Patriarch’s position.
“Hmm… now that I hear it, the Dragon Patriarch does make a point.”
“How can we wholeheartedly support a divine beast who isn’t even pure-blooded?”
“But what choice do we have? Without the Purifier now, there’s no other way forward, is there? You Dragon faction just talk and talk from the sidelines.”
“Excuse me? Did you just finish speaking?”
The murmuring within the conference hall gradually escalated into open dispute between the divine beasts.
Just as the argument grew heated,
“Ahem. I also have something to say.”
Jin Do-gyeong cleared her throat to shift the mood, her voice cutting in.
“There’s something I must report to this assembly. You’ve all surely heard of the recent robbery spree in Eunpyeong District?”
With all eyes upon her, she made a shocking declaration.
“During our investigation of the apprehended criminals, we confirmed they were low-level operatives of the ‘Black Lotus Society.'”
“Truly?!”
“Then that means—!”
“Yes.”
Jin Do-gyeong nodded gravely.
“They were not mere criminals—the Fallen were backing them. We’ve confirmed that they used cursed arts to help evade CCTV surveillance.”
Chairman Baek murmured low.
“The Fallen… aided human crime?”
“Correct.”
Jin Do-gyeong stated flatly.
“In exchange, they likely extracted intense dark emotions and desires from the criminals to produce corrupt essence for their cursed arts.”
The Ox patriarch, the kind-faced middle-aged man, spoke as if summarizing.
“So. The Fallen steal vital essence from divine beasts to eliminate rivals and approach divine power, while they generate corrupt essence from humans for their cursed arts.”
Jin Do-gyeong nodded.
“Yes, that appears to be the two-pronged approach. Currently, using the robbery suspects as leads, we’re tracing upstream to establish direct connection between the Black Lotus Society and the Fallen.”
Chairman Baek slowly surveyed the room, his gaze lingering especially long on the Dragon Patriarch.
“You’ve all heard, then. Therefore, the existence of the Purifier, Go Yeon-hee, who can restore vital essence and purify corrupt essence, is indeed the linchpin of this divine beast war.”
The Dragon Patriarch and several others still wore displeased expressions, but among the rest of the divine beasts in the hall, a natural consensus began to form.
“Indeed…”
“The sole heir of the Cat clan, and with such purifying power—she is certainly the critical key.”
“I suppose. Even a pebble washed ashore glimmers for a moment.”
The Dragon Patriarch conceded a step, yet added coldly,
“But in time, true nature reveals itself. Whether what we’ve found is truly a pearl, or merely a stone.”
Her eyes, deep as the ocean, swept slowly across the conference hall.
An awkward silence hung in the air.
Baek Eun-ho broke the silence and turned to the Monkey clan heir, Won Jun.
“So then, can you reinforce the Purifier’s cat’s eye pendant?”
A troubled look crossed Won Jun’s face.
“Well, if that’s the assembly’s consensus, then naturally I should agree to it, but…”
“Is there a problem?”
“Our clan head—my grandmother—hasn’t been in good health recently.”
The conference hall stirred.
“What do you mean?”
“The Monkey clan handles all spiritual artifact crafting!”
“If the patriarch steps back from the front lines without a proper heir in place—”
“Shh. People will hear.”
Someone cautioned quietly.
Won Jun bit his lip.
Baek Eun-ho asked again, as if unaware of the commotion.
“Does the Monkey Patriarch have some special illness?”
“Not exactly. It’s simply… her strength and focus have noticeably waned. She herself says it’s time to retire due to age.”
Chairman Baek nodded.
“So that’s why she didn’t attend today’s meeting.”
After a brief silence,
“I understand the situation is difficult, but…”
Chairman Baek spoke again, this time with greater care.
“Would it still be possible to attempt the reinforcement of the cat’s eye pendant? The enhancement of the Purifier’s abilities is directly tied to all our safety.”
Won Jun hesitated a moment before nodding.
“Yes. Please bring the item to our workshop. I’ll speak to the Patriarch directly.”
And thus—
the meeting concluded, leaving behind a heavy aftertaste.
* * *
A dark, old-fashioned office.
As a subordinate standing before the desk finished his report, the Fallen leader’s eyes grew coldly narrow.
“What did you say?”
A low, chilling voice seeped from between his lips.
“Go Yeon-hee… interfered again?”
“Yes.”
The subordinate answered heavily, his head bowed.
“Two low-level operatives of the Black Lotus Society were arrested by a Dog clan divine beast detective. Go Yeon-hee was deeply involved in that operation.”
The leader’s lips twisted in displeasure.
“Tsk.”
The sound of his tongue clicking echoed clearly in the quiet room.
“The Black Lotus Society exposing itself to divine beasts. In ten years, this has never happened once.”
He drummed his fingers slowly on the desk, then raised his head with a chilling gaze.
“Sever the useless tail. It must never climb higher.”
“Understood.”
“So then.”
The leader continued.
“How is the operation proceeding?”
“Direct targeting of Go Yeon-hee is difficult.”
The subordinate reported calmly.
“The White Cat Sect itself is enveloped in barriers, and appears to have powerful perception-blocking in place so the Fallen cannot sense it. Within, cursed arts would likely be neutralized.”
The leader’s eyes grew even colder.
The subordinate continued.
“Moreover, Tiger Group security personnel maintain constant vigilance around the perimeter, and Baek Eun-ho stays attached closely, keeping watch. A frontal assault would incur too great a loss.”
……
The leader sat with hands clasped, lost in thought.
“Then you’re suggesting we use a different approach.”
“Yes.”
The subordinate nodded.
“We intend to target the ‘people around’ Go Yeon-hee.”
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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