Chapter 37
Chapter 37
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: 37. Succession Struggle
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The man appeared a few years older than So-ok and had quite a refined appearance.
So-ok stepped forward to introduce Yuseong.
"Senior Brother, this is the man who passed the Murim Alliance Medical Pavilion exam this time—"
"Who doesn't know that? Don't you know no one should be allowed in when the Leader is in that state?"
"There were no symptoms until he suddenly had a seizure during the conversation. Blocking the way now is pointless. And I asked the White-Clothed Physician here to treat him, so please step aside."
So-ok requested that he make way, but the man called Senior Brother did not budge.
"How do you plan to treat an old man who's lost his mind due to senility?"
"I saw a possibility, so I intended to give it a try."
"Even the White-Clothed Physician can't treat something that's not an illness. Stop wasting your time and go back."
The man refused to listen at all.
"It could be an illness—"
So-ok stopped Yuseong.
"We'll have to head back for today, White-Clothed Physician. The seizure won't last much longer, so I'll ask you again then."
"Understood."
So-ok helped Yuseong back into the carriage.
"Could this be the House of Revelry?"
"...No need to hide it. Yes, that's right. We're the House of Revelry. The Leader doesn't show it when meeting outsiders, so I didn't mention it."
Yuseong nodded.
Courtesans, merchants, sects.
Putting those three together gave him a rough idea.
The merchants likely meant information brokers.
The House of Revelry was a sect made up of people in lowly professions like courtesans, errand boys, coachmen, pickpockets, and gamblers.
Its founding purpose was to protect them, processing and selling the information they gathered—a faction between the righteous and demonic paths.
So-ok seemed to be a disciple of the House of Revelry Leader.
"You don't seem to get along with that Senior Brother. Treating the Leader right away will be difficult."
"It's not like that. The Leader will regain his senses soon, so I'll contact you again. He won't be able to stop you then."
"Understood. In two days, it's my day off— you'll gather the people from the slums then, right?"
"Yes, I'll take care of that."
***
The next day, Yuseong finally had a meal with Jegal Yeongyeong.
"I thought for sure the White-Clothed Physician would pass. Congratulations again."
"Thank you. But it was a very close call with Physician Yang. He's an impressive man too."
"I don't know. To me, the White-Clothed Physician is a better physician than even the Divine Physician."
Receiving such blind trust was quite enjoyable.
Yuseong smiled contentedly.
"I'll work even harder from now on so you won't suffer from headaches anymore."
"I'll hold you to that. And my headache treatment—was it with divine arts, right?"
"Yes."
Jegal Yeongyeong came from a family that passed down the Comprehensive Analysis of Celestial Divination Formations, which she believed involved some mystical power, so she easily accepted the existence of divine arts.
It made Yuseong seem even more extraordinary.
According to his explanation, only Yuseong could treat her.
'I absolutely can't let him go. Learning the second formation is taking much longer than the first. Without the White-Clothed Physician, I'd probably stop at just the second one.'
After talking about Yuseong's passing the Medical Pavilion exam and his treatment using divine arts, the topic shifted to yesterday's events.
"Did you meet the owner of Luoyang Medical Hall?"
"Yes, I did yesterday. The Chief Strategist knew he was the House of Revelry Leader, right?"
"That's right. He's a huge help to the Murim Alliance. As you know, the information the House of Revelry gets is different from the Beggars' Sect's.
I've met him a few times before, but he stopped his public activities a few years ago, so I was curious about how he was doing."
Jegal Yeongyeong seemed completely unaware of the House of Revelry Leader's condition.
They were blocking information from leaking out, so she had no way of knowing.
Naturally, Yuseong kept the secret as well.
"He seemed like a good man. I could feel how much he cares for his disciples."
He had dragged his sick body to meet Yuseong personally to request treatment for the courtesans.
Yuseong liked people like him who took good care of their own.
"You're right. He is a good man. In the past, the House of Revelry would sell information to anyone righteous or demonic if it paid, but Leader Jeongyeon is much friendlier toward the righteous factions."
"It would be good if Leader Jeongyeon stayed in that position for a long time."
"Yeah. Their succession issue is a bit complicated, but I hope it gets resolved well."
"Succession... Is it okay to tell me about that? Isn't it confidential?"
Jegal Yeongyeong smiled faintly.
"You're not interested in Murim affairs, White-Clothed Physician. Most Murim people in Luoyang know about it. People on other floors here might be talking about it right now."
"I see."
The only ones around Yuseong who would share such stories were Jegal Yeongyeong or Physician Cha.
Physician Cha didn't talk much about Murim matters, so Yuseong, who hadn't paid attention, wouldn't know.
"But how did you know about this place? The food's delicious."
"I've been here a few times with Physician Cha."
Yuseong only knew one tavern, so he naturally brought Jegal Yeongyeong here.
Yuseong thought of So-ok and the man she called her Senior Brother.
'That Senior Brother seemed like a bad sort.'
Even by local common sense, where dementia was seen not as a disease but as age-related decline, blocking Yuseong from even trying a treatment was wrong.
It wasn't what a disciple should do.
'Maybe he has some ulterior motive. Succession struggle, huh? Hope nothing bad happens to So-ok.'
As Yuseong pondered briefly, Jegal Yeongyeong's voice reached his ears.
"You're not focusing on me right now—who are you thinking about?"
"No one. Just how delicious the food is."
"Suspicious..."
Jegal Yeongyeong eyed him suspiciously, but Yuseong pretended not to notice as he picked up his chopsticks and sampled various dishes.
***
A few days later, it was Yuseong's day off.
The day before, So-ok had sent word that someone would pick him up, so Yuseong went to the meeting spot and waited.
Now, he didn't need to go all the way to the dangerous slums; he could just treat patients at the place the House of Revelry had prepared.
They had agreed to bring the slum dwellers there for treatment.
While waiting for the carriage, Yuseong watched the people passing by.
Ordinary shoppers and various Murim folk. Nothing out of the ordinary.
However.
"You're late. Something wrong?"
Even after a long wait, So-ok didn't show.
If she couldn't come herself, she would have sent someone else, but no one came for Yuseong.
'She doesn't seem like someone who would break a promise easily. This is weird. Should I just go to the slums myself today?'
Just as he was about to give up and leave.
A man cautiously emerged from an alley between shops.
"Mr. Yuseong."
Turning around, it was the coachman who always brought So-ok.
He was on foot without the carriage, but Yuseong clearly remembered his face.
"Ah, you're late. Didn't So-ok come?"
The coachman's expression was poor, but Yuseong thought it was because of the delay.
But there was another reason.
"Mr. Yuseong, please help our So-ok. She's in a tough spot because of Bang Hyeok right now."
"Bang Hyeok..."
"Ah, So-ok's Senior Brother."
It seemed the House of Revelry's succession issues had erupted into an incident.
"Please tell me the details."
***
After Yuseong left, So-ok thought the House of Revelry Leader Jeongyeon would regain his senses soon.
She even hoped he might return to his old self.
Hadn't the incredibly skilled physician Yuseong said it might not be senility?
Her Senior Brother, who was her rival, had interfered perhaps to find fault, but once Jeongyeon recovered, she could invite Yuseong back for treatment.
But something strange happened.
Usually, when Jeongyeon had a seizure, he regained his senses not long after.
He wouldn't remember what happened during it, but he'd lament after hearing about it later.
This time, after the seizure, Jeongyeon passed out and hadn't woken for days.
"Has he still not woken?"
"Yes, he's still asleep."
"It's never been this long before. Strange. Report to me the moment he wakes."
After asking the maids to care for Jeongyeon well, So-ok handled her promised tasks with Yuseong.
Identifying slum dwellers needing treatment and assigning carriages.
Adjusting schedules for courtesans with strange illnesses so they could be treated on Yuseong's day off.
Managing medicine supplies too.
While personally handling these matters, So-ok received a summons from the House of Revelry elders.
"So-ok, you let an outsider see the Leader in his senile state?"
"The Leader invited the White-Clothed Physician himself and met with him, so I had no choice. But the White-Clothed Physician suggested it might be an illness, not senility."
Her Senior Brother, among the elders, interjected.
"We can't trust what your junior sister says. Didn't the Leader pass out after your visit and still hasn't woken? This has never happened before. How could that be unless you pulled some trick?"
So-ok sensed something was wrong.
She hadn't done anything. It was just Jeongyeon having a seizure as usual while talking with Yuseong.
'A trap. Senior Brother did something. He wouldn't tamper with Master, would he?'
She realized the situation, but it was too late.
She was surrounded by her Senior Brother's people.
"We'll investigate thoroughly, so stay put. If anything happens to the Leader, you won't get away with it."
The current House of Revelry Leader was Jeongyeon, who favored getting along with the righteous factions even at some cost.
But the elders were split into two factions.
Those aligned with Jeongyeon and So-ok.
Others who wanted to maximize profits by selling information to anyone, righteous or demonic, if it paid.
Senior Brother Bang Hyeok was with the latter.
Though So-ok was the Leader's personally favored successor, her Senior Brother had strong support from half the elders.
And now.
Taking advantage of Jeongyeon's senility, her Senior Brother seemed to have made his move.
A majority of the elders suspected So-ok and wanted her investigated.
In the end, So-ok was imprisoned without much resistance.
'Trouble. Senior Brother will fabricate crimes if there are none.'
The coachman who always attended So-ok nearby saw this and quietly slipped away.
***
The coachman, who served So-ok directly as her confidant, explained the situation.
Yuseong asked.
"If it's rescuing So-ok, shouldn't we request warriors from the Murim Alliance? How can I, a physician, help?"
"Well... The Murim Alliance won't move. They don't interfere in other sects' internal conflicts as a principle."
Unless the House of Revelry requested it directly, the Murim Alliance had no justification to intervene.
The coachman continued.
"We're asking the physician to treat our Leader. So-ok requested it personally. If the Leader wakes, we can get through this crisis."
It made sense.
If Yuseong could treat Jeongyeon, So-ok might clear her name.
'If the Murim Alliance can't step in, I'm the only one who can help them now.'
Moreover, the coachman's final words piqued Yuseong's interest.
"Please help. The Leader is respected by countless House of Revelry members. If you do, we'll never forget your grace, White-Clothed Physician."
How many House of Revelry members were there?
A rich aroma of divine power wafted toward him.