I Became the Oriental Doctor for Divine Beasts - Chapter 64

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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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A physician for the Divine Beasts
#64
Ma Yun-sang studied his biological father for a moment.
His jawline had softened with age, his belly beginning to protrude.
Yet his eyes still gleamed with that same viscous, damp intensity.
“Sit.”
He pushed a glass toward Yun-sang.
“Your old man’s pouring—you ought to have a drink.”
Yun-sang glanced down at the glass for a moment, then declined quietly.
“I’m in the middle of focused training.”
The man let out a breathy laugh.
He tilted the glass to his lips, one corner of his mouth curving upward.
“Don’t worry about it. From now on, you can drink as much as you like without losing your edge. You might even improve—through Evil Magic.”
……
Yun-sang’s brow furrowed slightly.
But in the end, he picked up the glass and drained it in one go.
Gulp.
The warm burn of alcohol spread down his throat.
The man smiled with satisfaction.
“That’s more like it.”
The two exchanged several more rounds.
As time passed, the man’s speech grew looser, slurred with drink.
Yun-sang set down his glass and asked in an even tone.
“The Fallen… no, the Foreseer organization. How is it structured? Who should I impress?”
The man’s eyes flickered with interest.
His mouth curved upward in satisfaction.
“Ah, yes. That’s what I like to hear.”
He swirled the glass as he spoke.
“Beneath the Leader, there are three—the Left Wing, the Center Wing, and the Right Wing. All of them Divine Beasts of tremendous strength.”
“How strong?”
“The three Wings each came from a different lineage—rats, horses, snakes. Not even all of a single lineage combined could defeat them.”
The man set down his glass with a heavy clink.
“And the Leader? All twelve Divine Beasts—every one—couldn’t defeat him.”
Yun-sang’s pupils dilated minutely.
“……To that extent?”
“That’s right.”
The man laughed with unbridled pride.
He leaned forward and whispered.
“Which means in this war, the Purifier and the other nine Divine Beasts don’t stand a chance.”
……
“You still don’t understand how powerful a tool Evil Magic is. It can do things that Divine Spirit Qi never could.”
The man chuckled darkly.
“Besides, Evil Magic draws from human negative emotion. We turn that into Corrupting Qi and use it—the supply is endless.”
Seeing that Yun-sang was listening intently, the intoxicated man’s excitement grew, and he pressed on.
“The heir of the Won clan didn’t die in an accident either. We killed him and staged it as one.”
……!
Yun-sang’s eyes widened.
Thoroughly drunk, he sprawled his arms wide and cackled.
“The last patriarch, Won Young-ok, is old. The next one is just a brat. Now the Divine Beasts won’t even have a proper Spiritual Creature.”
He raised his glass.
“Do you see? The tide of war has already turned in our favor.”
……
Yun-sang lowered his head briefly, then lifted his gaze. He asked slowly.
“Then, the secret of the world you mentioned, Father. What is the goal of the Foreseer?”
“That is—”
The man leaned forward.
Yun-sang naturally inclined as well, holding his breath.
But in that very moment.
The man suddenly straightened his spine and narrowed his eyes.
“You’ll learn that in time.”
……
“First, you must prove your loyalty to me.”
“Loyalty?”
Yun-sang’s eyes narrowed.
The man tapped irregularly on the table with one finger.
“The Purifier. Bring that woman to me.”
His eyes flashed.
Yun-sang clenched his teeth, then opened his mouth.
“What are you planning to do?”
“Ha. That’s not your concern. After tomorrow’s training, make up some excuse and bring her out.”
Yun-sang’s fists tightened.
After a brief silence, he spoke.
“……I understand.”
Beneath the table.
The veins on the back of Yun-sang’s hand stood out like cords.
* * *
That night.
In a quiet workshop lit by only a few lamps.
Thanks to my nagging, Patriarch Won Young-ok and Won Jun were sleeping soundly every night now.
But as for me.
“Hah. Here I am, staying up all night.”
I exhaled a short sigh.
But there was no helping it.
‘Time is running out.’
I had to catch the culprit before this camp ended.
I looked at the cup sitting on the table—a sample of the Blue Beverage I’d taken from Yun-sang’s water bottle.
I’d already handed most of it over to Baek Eun-ho for chemical analysis.
What remained was just a tiny last bit.
Since I had no idea how long the analysis would take, it would be faster to estimate the herbal ingredients myself with what I had.
I carefully touched the beverage to the tip of my tongue.
Then I savored the taste thoughtfully.
“If the flavor is like this……”
With my eyes closed, I slowly rolled the lingering aftertaste across the tip of my tongue.
“There’s licorice sweetness first, then a hint of cinnamon coming through afterward……”
I rested my chin on my fingers and tilted my head.
Laypeople assume all Korean herbal medicine tastes bitter, but in reality, flavors vary wildly by ingredient.
For example: licorice is sweet, cornelian cherry is sour, coptis is so bitter it makes your tongue burn.
“But licorice and cinnamon are both tonics. Even if you took some, your performance should improve—it shouldn’t fall apart.”
Yet Yun-sang’s form had only deteriorated.
So what else was mixed in?
This time, concentrating harder, I tasted the last remaining drop.
And in that instant.
……!
My eyes flew open.
Very subtly, so faint you’d miss it if you weren’t paying attention—but the tip of my tongue had gone numb.
“An herb that causes numbness?”
If so, the list of herbal candidates shrank dramatically.
A few names flashed through my mind.
“Pinellia, Arisaema, Asiasarum… and.”
When I recalled one more ingredient, goosebumps erupted across my forearms without my meaning to.
A murmur slipped from my lips.
“Could it really be……?”
That was when.
Knock, knock.
At the sound of knocking, I looked up sharply.
“Who is it?”
“It’s me.”
It was Baek Eun-ho.
“What brings you by at this hour?”
I opened the door, and he slipped inside.
Then he clicked his tongue softly and cast his gaze at the table.
“Still haven’t slept?”
“But I’ve almost figured it out, thanks to you.”
I held up the cup as I spoke.
“The herbal ingredient mixed into Ma Yun-sang’s beverage. I think I know what it is.”
Eun-ho’s eyebrows shot up.
“Really? What ingredient?”
“Aconite.”
“……Aconite?”
At his brief echo, I nodded.
“Yes. When I tasted the beverage, my tongue went slightly numb. That numbness is characteristic of aconite-family herbs—caused by a toxic compound called aconitine.”
“Wait—did you say toxic?”
Eun-ho’s brow furrowed.
I continued my explanation.
“Aconite is excellent at drawing out vital energy and improving circulation—it strengthens Yang Qi. But it’s also highly toxic.”
“How toxic?”
“In large doses, it causes cardiac arrhythmia and respiratory paralysis—fatal. That’s why it was used as an ingredient in poison in ancient times.”
“Poison, you say……”
Eun-ho’s expression grew grave.
I waved my hand quickly.
“No, no—at this concentration level, it’s not lethal. But instead—”
I narrowed my eyes as I continued.
“It’s potent enough to affect the nervous system.”
“Affect the nervous system?”
“That’s why Yun-sang’s form fell apart. His timing kept getting off, fine motor control failed, and he kept stumbling without knowing why.”
I nodded with certainty.
The more I spoke, the more the high of solving the puzzle built within me.
“The reason the hospital found nothing is simple too. He only drank the beverage during training, in a weak concentration. By the time he got to the hospital, the drug had worn off, so the tests came back normal. But as soon as training resumed, he’d fall apart again. It makes him look like a player with inconsistent form, which is exactly the plan. A player you can’t trust. Eventually benched from the starting lineup. The culprit has to be Son Byung-su, Yun-sang’s rival! Somewhere, he obtained aconite and secretly mixed it into Yun-sang’s drink.”
I finished my rapid deduction and caught my breath.
The more I thought about it, the more certain it seemed.
But Eun-ho’s reaction was lukewarm.
He tilted his head slightly to one side.
“But Ko, didn’t you just say the numbness was extremely subtle? Can that concentration really have such an effect? Especially on a Divine Beast like Yun-sang?”
“That is……”
I faltered slightly, my momentum breaking.
The heat that had rushed to my head began to cool, and reason gradually returned.
Eun-ho’s objection had merit.
……
I pursed my lips and finally nodded glumly.
“You’re right. At this concentration, it’s not enough.”
There was still a puzzle piece I hadn’t found.

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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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