Chapter 32
Chapter 32
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Shadow Pavilion
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This exam was the first one ever held by the Murim Alliance, so there were no past questions to reference.
Unlike the Luoyang Medical Hall exam, where one could at least infer the flow, this was a complete blank slate.
Yuseong took the exam paper and quickly skimmed through it.
Scanning it first to gauge the difficulty and allocate time appropriately was a valid strategy in its own right.
'Most of the questions focus on treating internal and external injuries of martial artists. That's not too hard. But there are also questions on rare diseases one might see only once or twice in a lifetime mixed in. Are these for differentiation? They don't seem practical at all. Who the hell came up with these?'
Yuseong sighed as he looked at those questions.
There were some diseases he knew, but several whose treatments he had no clue about.
Given that they were on the exam, they must exist in Central Plains medicine, so he suspected they were sourced from consultations with veteran physicians of deep repute.
'Then naturally, the Yang Physician would know more than me?'
Yuseong subtly glanced sideways to check the Yang Physician's demeanor.
The partitions were well set up, making it impossible to peek at a neighbor's paper anyway.
Not just Yuseong—others were sighing too, with many openly turning their heads.
Yuseong had assumed the Yang Physician was tackling the problems confidently.
"..."
But he discovered the Yang Physician twisting his face grotesquely and tearing at his hair.
'That's weird. Why is he suffering? Are there that many hard questions?'
If the conditions were similar, it was worth a shot.
Yuseong turned his gaze back to the exam paper. He needed to solidly answer the other questions first, then worry about the unknown diseases.
Some had different names but resembled real-world illnesses, so he hoped he could infer treatments.
With written and practical sections weighted equally, every question was precious.
Yuseong soon began unleashing his terrifying focus.
***
Commonly known as the Yang Physician, Yang Jihyeon revered his master, the Divine Physician.
The Divine Physician had taken him in as an orphan after a plague swept through his village in childhood and taught him both basic martial arts and medicine.
His goal was to achieve the highest renown, second only to his master.
He harbored no ambition to surpass his sky-like master.
Though he did aspire to become the head of the Divine Physician School once his master retired from active duty.
With such goals in mind, even after leaving his master's side to live at the Luoyang Medical Hall, he avoided other interests and devoted himself solely to medicine.
But then.
The momentum of the young physician Baek Yuseong, who had joined the medical hall, was extraordinary.
From his first day of practice, he showed astonishing prowess and rapidly built up a base of regular patients with frightening speed.
He even successfully treated a few patients the Yang Physician couldn't cure.
Medicine was so vast, and Yuseong might have his own secrets, so the Yang Physician grudgingly accepted it.
But by the time the incident with Jo Physician wrapped up, Yuseong had grown to threaten his own reputation.
With surrounding evaluations turning serious, the Yang Physician was inwardly curious about Baek Yuseong's skills.
Just then, the Murim Alliance's Medical Pavilion announced an exam to select its physicians.
The most outstanding one would claim the position.
It was the honorable role the Yang Physician desired, and Baek Yuseong had entered too.
'Distinguishing skill in medicine isn't easy, but this exam format would reveal who was superior.'
He thought they could now fairly compete on skill alone.
But.
'What the hell is going on...!'
The Yang Physician had also skimmed through the entire exam paper upon receiving it.
The same strategy as Yuseong.
And he spotted the high-difficulty questions on rare diseases.
'These are...!'
He was greatly shocked.
A few days prior, a patient had casually handed him a booklet he claimed to have obtained by chance.
It contained treatments for diseases his master only knew by name—or not at all—making it a priceless treasure.
The treatments were so advanced, it seemed like a compilation of secret techniques from various veteran physicians.
As someone walking the path of medicine, learning new knowledge naturally thrilled him.
He studied the booklet diligently and achieved some results.
That was all fine.
Until those exact questions appeared on the Murim Alliance Medical Pavilion physician selection exam, with only minor wording changes.
"..."
If he took the exam as is, it would amount to cheating.
But ignoring those questions might derail his plan to elevate his master's honor.
'By recent reputation, my edge over the White-Clothed Physician is only in the written section. Excluding those questions, the overall difficulty matches the Luoyang Medical Hall exam, so the White-Clothed Physician could handle it well enough.'
That meant.
The inaugural Medical Pavilion Leader position might hinge on his choice.
The Yang Physician fell into deep anguish.
***
Jegal Yeongyeong processed the reports with practiced ease while casting her gaze far out the window.
Toward the venue where the Medical Pavilion physician exam was underway.
Even with her exceptional eyesight, the people looked like tiny ants, offering no clue to the atmosphere.
'Is the White-Clothed Physician doing well?'
She was worried about Yuseong deep down.
Though she trusted his skills, there were unsettling factors.
In discussions on how to conduct the Murim Alliance Medical Pavilion exam, Elder Moyong Rim had spoken up forcefully.
"This is for selecting physicians for the Murim Alliance's warriors. To choose the best, we must set the highest difficulty."
It made sense.
"Practical skills matter, of course, but the selectee might become the Medical Pavilion Leader someday, overseeing many physicians. It's a role needing broad and deep medical knowledge too. We can't ignore the written portion, so let's make it fifty-fifty between written and practical."
That logic held too.
Not just others—even Jegal Yeongyeong had to agree.
But.
'The problem is that the one suggesting it is Elder Moyong Rim.'
Coincidentally, the person tasked with creating the questions was close to Elder Moyong Rim.
In fact, excluding the elected Alliance Leader, Moyong Rim was among the most influential figures.
'If Elder Moyong Rim weren't so petty, I wouldn't worry like this. He's making people suspicious for no reason.'
Grumbling, she rose from her seat.
To soothe her troubled mind with a stroll around the Murim Alliance grounds.
As she exchanged greetings with those who recognized her, her steps led past several halls toward the Shadow Pavilion.
"Hurry!"
Suddenly, three warriors burst out from the Shadow Pavilion.
One carried a limp figure on his back, while another led the way, clearing a path.
The carried man's limbs dangled slackly, his face pitch-black—an ominous sight at a glance.
Jegal Yeongyeong swiftly deployed her lightness skill to catch up.
"What's going on?"
"Chief Strategist! My comrade's been poisoned! We need to get him to the Luoyang Medical Hall!"
The Shadow Pavilion handled various intelligence operations, where agents often faced death or injury if exposed.
Something had evidently happened again, but to Jegal Yeongyeong, heading to the Luoyang Medical Hall was pointless.
It was a bit distant, and they lacked exceptional experts right now.
"That way won't help! Head to the Medical Pavilion side. Follow me!"
As far as Jegal Yeongyeong knew, the Luoyang Medical Hall's top and second-best physicians were taking the Medical Pavilion exam.
"W-Wait—"
The Shadow Pavilion warriors, about to protest, turned to follow her lead.
They reached the Medical Pavilion just as the written exam was followed by the practical one wrapping up.
"Everyone, good work. We'll announce results right after grading, so please wait a moment!"
After the practical exam ended.
Yuseong couldn't hide his disappointment.
He had expected the practical to involve treating actual patients.
That was his strongest area.
But the actual format was entirely different.
'A simulated exam where you diagnose a set illness via inquiry and explain the treatment process?'
In that setup, he couldn't claim to heal without aftereffects using his Healing skill.
Regrettably, he had to apply standard known diagnostic and treatment methods.
'This is no joke. It couldn't be, but it feels like someone targeted me. The structure nullified all my strengths. I got the practical right, at least, but the written will decide it.'
The Yang Physician's brighter-than-ever expression heightened Yuseong's anxiety.
There was the fallback of aiming for the next exam, but if Jegal Yeongyeong looked dejected and said 'I'm disappointed'...
'It'd hurt.'
***
The Shadow Pavilion warrior realized why Jegal Yeongyeong had directed them here.
His comrade's dire state had blinded him to the situation.
Had they gone to the medical hall as usual, they might have missed the Yang Physician, their goal.
"Yang Physician! You're here! Please check my comrade! He's poisoned and unconscious!"
With the carried man, four people appeared, causing the waiting physicians to buzz in surprise.
The called Yang Physician hurried forward.
"You lot! Let me see first!"
The Yang Physician laid the man from the familiar warrior's back on the ground.
His blackened face and bulging veins screamed poisoning.
"Did you hear what poison it was?"
"No. He lost consciousness right after arriving at the Alliance, so we couldn't get anything. We gave him a general antidote on the way, but no effect. Please save him!"
"Let me take a look."
The Yang Physician unpacked his ever-present bundle and rummaged inside.
"Let me see too! Poisons are my specialty!"
In a gathering of numerous physicians.
Those confident in poisons surged forward, surrounding the patient.
Yet even they couldn't devise a clear solution upon inspection.
Poisons were easy to administer but far harder to antidote without knowing the type.
Even if identified, lacking the right herbs left no options.
"I left my kit behind... If I had my secret antidote, this poison would be nothing..."
"Fix that bravado of yours."
Yuseong tried to approach for a look but was blocked by the encircling crowd.
"What's happening?!"
Murim Alliance elders rushed over.
Jegal Yeongyeong and the Shadow Pavilion warriors had stirred up dust racing through the grounds, so reports reached the higher-ups.
One Shadow Pavilion warrior quickly reported.
"My comrade was poisoned. With all these physicians here, we sought help."
"A Murim Alliance warrior poisoned near the Alliance? Who the hell did it?"
"That's not the priority now, is it? Can you antidote it?"
While the Shadow Pavilion warrior spoke with the elders.
Amid the chaos, Jegal Yeongyeong sought out who she deemed the most skilled physician.
"White-Clothed Physician, please help."
"Yes, let me take a look."
"Everyone, make way! The White-Clothed Physician's coming through!"
She cleared a path ahead.
"The White-Clothed Physician..."
"Isn't he the most famous one lately? If you're not confident, step aside!"
The crowd parted, and Baek Yuseong walked through.
The Yang Physician had tried various drugs on the warrior, but no improvement.
'His condition looks worse than that assassin who bit a poison pill before.'