Chapter 164
Chapter 164
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 164
Chapter Title: Judge Exam (5)
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Seoran asked the doctor.
“Is Damcheong suffering from a heart demon too?”
“Yes.”
“Ah, no... What kind of heart demon?”
The doctor peered at the test results and replied.
“It’s presumed to be a type of traumatic heart demon. The cause is most likely that broken left horn. From what you mentioned earlier, the injury happened in the mortal realm. Have you received any treatment since coming to the immortal realm?”
Seoran answered on his behalf.
“No, we just took some medicine and that was it.”
“What medicine?”
“Uh, it was... definitely something with mujogwaecho or whatever in it... They said it was a tonic soup for dragonkin.”
The doctor pondered for a moment before saying.
“It’s not entirely wrong as a prescription. But it’s far too outdated. It’s knowledge from an era when no research had been done on traumatic heart demons. It hasn’t been used in medical practice for over 20,000 years.”
Seoran felt as if she’d been struck by lightning.
Medical knowledge that hadn’t been updated in tens of thousands of years.
It was a thought she’d never even imagined before.
The doctor asked them a few questions.
“After the horn broke, did you become excessively scatterbrained? Trouble concentrating?”
“What about dyslexia? Do letters rotate or do lines of text waver? Does reading small print make your head hurt?”
“Does your head itch frequently? Especially around the base of the left horn. Ah, you’re scratching it unconsciously right now.”
Not a single one missed the mark.
Damcheong gaped in shock.
He looked just like a carp again.
Seoran asked the doctor.
“So all this is because of the broken horn?”
“To be precise, it’s also related to your innate disposition. Do you possess any sensory spirit bones? Or have you cultivated a similar technique?”
“Sensory? Yes, that’s right.”
Damcheong was a spirit bone holder.
The name of her spirit bone was the Void Constitution.
Its primary feature was extremely acute senses.
The doctor nodded and said.
“As I thought. Dragonkin horns are highly sensitive sensory organs. They’re also pathways for qi circulation. Damage to such a vital area affects the entire body. That’s why I asked about spirit bones or techniques.”
“Does heightened sensitivity make the effects worse?”
“Yes, exactly. When a horn breaks, it twists the flow of qi and senses. If senses are amplified by a spirit bone or technique, the symptoms are even more severe. We’d need further detailed tests, but for now, traumatic heart demon seems most likely.”
Damcheong, who had been acting like a carp, spoke up.
“Th-then what kind of heart demon does Seoran have?”
The doctor replied.
“In Ryu Seoran’s case, it’s a species-specific heart demon.”
“Species-specific heart demon?”
“Yes, species-specific heart demon. It’s classified under heart demons, but it can also be viewed as a rare disease unique to half-human, half-dragon hybrids. Just remember it’s extremely rare. The hybrid race itself is so scarce to begin with.”
Seoran, who had been listening quietly, asked.
“Is there a reason you determined it’s species-specific?”
“Of course there is.”
“What is it?”
The doctor rummaged silently through a desk drawer.
Then he pulled out a metal ruler and held it out to Seoran.
Seoran instinctively frowned.
The doctor moved the metal ruler away and said.
“That feeling just now—metal bothers you, right? It’s due to an abnormality in your bio-magnetic field.”
“Oh...”
“Could you put your hand in here? I’ll check your temperature.”
Seoran stuck her hand into the jade toad’s mouth.
The doctor checked the reading and said.
“About average human body temperature.”
“So no issues?”
“Plenty of issues. Humans are warm-blooded, dragons are cold-blooded. Half-human, half-dragon leans toward the latter. Stick this on your forehead.”
Seoran did as instructed and asked.
“Oh, it’s cool. What medicine is this?”
“It’s not medicine; it’s just a cooling pack. By the way, didn’t you notice your temperature was abnormally high? It must have felt like your bodily fluids were boiling.”
“No, I just thought it was excitement...”
The doctor put the jade toad back in the drawer and said.
“A decline in self-judgment is also evident. Has your personality changed drastically lately? Narrowed field of vision, acting more independently?”
Damcheong, sitting beside her, quickly tattled.
“She keeps acting like a lone wolf! She always decides lunch herself! I’m sick of meat rice bowls!”
“Oh, so that’s happened.”
“Yeah, exactly!”
The doctor, having listened carefully to Damcheong’s testimony, said.
“Clearly a state of hyperfocus. Combined with the bio-magnetic abnormality and abnormally high body temperature, these are textbook species-specific heart demon symptoms. It’s a rare disease stemming from the imbalance between dragon and human qi types.”
Seoran asked.
“If it’s a rare disease, is it hard to cure?”
“No? Take the medicine for ten days and you’ll be fine. Rare, but not incurable. Ah, be especially mindful of maintaining your temperature.”
“Ah, yes...”
Afterward, Seoran and Damcheong underwent detailed examinations.
The results confirmed species-specific heart demon and traumatic heart demon.
No anomalies.
Seoran and Damcheong left the clinic.
Each held a bag of medicine dangling from their hand.
Finishing this would mean full recovery.
Seoran stuck a new cooling pack to her forehead and said.
“Damcheong.”
“What?”
“Does the medicine work?”
Damcheong slathered ointment thickly on her horn and replied.
“Oh, my head feels clear!”
“That’s a relief!”
“Yeah!”
A brief silence.
Seoran cautiously said.
“You can quit studying for the exam if you want.”
“Suddenly?”
“You’ve been forcing yourself because of me until now.”
Damcheong thought for a moment before replying.
“Since I’ve started, I’ll give it six years.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, but if I fail this time, I’m done.”
The two returned to Yeongbaekdo.
*****
Ten days later, Seoran’s species-specific heart demon was fully cured.
Her field of vision toward the world widened dramatically.
It felt like removing blinders from a racehorse.
Seoran rushed straight to the administrative office.
She applied to change lectures and get a refund.
Since she’d attended less than two months, there were no fees.
Seoran readjusted the schedules for herself and Damcheong.
It was completely different from when she’d been afflicted.
This new schedule was perfectly Damcheong-friendly.
Seoran explained the new schedule over the fried food lunch special Damcheong had wanted so badly.
“First, I didn’t change your morning lectures. Just like before, take the ‘Note-Taking Mastery’ course. Your dyslexia is better now, right?”
“Yeah, no problems.”
“Good, but don’t push too hard. It could relapse.”
Damcheong, eating giant squid tempura, asked.
“What about afternoon lectures?”
“Ah, the ‘Practical Basics Mastery’ one? I got a full refund. Afternoons, we’ll study written subjects together. Don’t worry if you don’t understand something from the morning lecture. I’ll teach you.”
“And after dinner?”
Seoran clinked her metal chopsticks and said.
“That’s your free time. But no going to Sangcheongdo for fun. Amusement parks once every half-month, afternoons only. Got it?”
“You’ll come with me?”
“Yes, I will.”
Damcheong chewed on the giant squid thoughtfully.
Mornings: lectures. Afternoons: study with Seoran. After that: free time straight through.
Plus amusement parks every half-month.
This seemed totally doable.
Damcheong suddenly grew curious.
“But don’t we need to study practicals?”
“Don’t worry about practicals. Starting a year before the exam is plenty.”
“Why?”
Seoran stared at Damcheong and asked.
“Didn’t you hear a word of the exam strategy explanation in the first lecture?”
“No, it was too complicated...”
“Well, that happens. I’ll explain simply.”
The Judge Exam pass/fail was determined by the average of the first-stage written score and second-stage practical score.
Assuming no subject failures, 45-55 average was passing.
60+ was clear top tier.
Seoran asked.
“Do you know what strategy most examinees take?”
“They study both fairly, right? Since it’s the average that matters. Better to improve weak areas than polish strengths.”
“That makes sense logically. But the Judge Exam is different. Think back to the practical lectures. Wasn’t something odd about them?”
Damcheong said.
“Practical lectures? Guessing objects in barrier boxes, picking liars from lines of cultivators. Felt less like studying, more fun.”
“All training to enhance Dragon Eye detection. For judges, distinguishing truth from lies is as vital as legal knowledge. But as you know, senses for discernment don’t develop overnight.”
“Ah, so focus on written subjects for quick score gains?”
Seoran nodded.
“Yes, exactly. Cultivation advances slowly even after a century, but that much study makes you a legal expert. Most strategies aim for high written scores and minimal practicals.”
“So we do the opposite? Minimal written, high practical?”
“Exactly.”
Damcheong asked, puzzled.
“That’s hard to grasp. Doesn’t that mean we need practical lectures even more?”
“Do you have confidence you can prepare both and avoid failures in the first exam?”
“Ah, indeed...”
Seoran said softly.
“Besides, we have that thing, you know.”
Here, ‘that thing’ meant spirit bones and spirit eyes.
Damcheong the spirit bone holder had Void Constitution.
And Seoran had two spirit eyes: Sky-Piercing Eye and Dragon Eye.
Seoran’s plan was to breeze through the Judge Exam.