Chapter 49
Chapter 49
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: 49. Medical Pavilion Leader
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Jegal Yeongyeong showing up at the Medical Pavilion wasn't anything unusual.
While Yuseong briefly exchanged greetings with Nangong Yurin, it had become time for consultations.
"All done, so please come this way."
Yuseong led Jegal Yeongyeong into the consultation room.
There was something they needed to discuss together regarding the holy water.
Nangong Yurin stared wordlessly at the two disappearing into the room.
'Is it possible the Chief Strategist dislikes me?'
Her sharp gaze had sparked such thoughts, but upon second reflection, the Chief Strategist's eyes had always been keen.
There was no reason she would hold a grudge just because Nangong Yurin had kept a personal matter private.
They had only met twice to begin with.
Nangong Yurin quietly took up her post at the perimeter.
It wasn't an all-day duty, and standing watch for just a short while each day wasn't much of a burden.
But originally, she had no intention of joining the Alliance at all, so she hadn't planned to sign up for anything.
However.
Seeing how everyone eagerly volunteered for other duties but no one stepped up for Medical Pavilion watch, she found herself plunged into deep hesitation for a brief moment.
'If the Medical Pavilion Leader finds out no one—not even me—volunteered for the watch, he might feel slighted. After all, I'm the one who asked him to treat my brother.'
She couldn't very well ignore the goodwill the Pavilion Leader had shown her first, when they were hardly close.
That was why Nangong Yurin had volunteered for Medical Pavilion watch.
She even convinced herself that protecting Yuseong from potential assassins would help in treating her brother.
***
Jegal Yeongyeong entered the consultation room and lowered her voice slightly.
There was no benefit to their current conversation leaking outside.
"You mentioned holy water. If it's made with divine arts, wouldn't spirit water be a better name?"
She brought it up with a serious expression, which deflated Yuseong's enthusiasm a bit, but this was one point he wouldn't yield.
"Spirit water is a bit... Please call it holy water."
The original name was holy water anyway, and it had a nice ring to it—he had no desire to change it.
"Hmm, that's a shame."
"Anyway, have you tried using it?"
Jegal Yeongyeong pulled a small vial from her sleeve.
She had been too busy to visit the Medical Pavilion for several days, but yesterday she had picked up more holy water.
This morning, she had resumed studying the *Comprehensive Analysis of Celestial Divination Formations* and given the holy water a try.
Yuseong took the holy water and shook it lightly.
It looked like about two-thirds of the original amount remained.
"After drinking around a third of it, my headache completely went away. Is that how I should report it?"
"Yes, exactly. Now I can gauge its general effects."
Yuseong nodded vigorously.
Jegal Yeongyeong's face soured.
"Gauge the effects...? Wait, is this some kind of experiment on me—"
"Come to think of it, your hair looks softer today."
"Pardon? What?"
Jegal Yeongyeong, who had been about to accuse him of using her as a test subject, was thrown off.
Yuseong, who almost never complimented appearances, had suddenly praised her hair.
'No one else noticed, but how did he know I washed it with that Western Regions import yesterday? He must have been watching me closely. He notices even this.'
Her irritation from earlier that morning—when she saw Yuseong and Nangong Yurin whispering what seemed like secrets—melted away.
Jegal Yeongyeong fiddled absentmindedly with the ends of her hair, twisting them around her finger.
"If I was mistaken, my apologies."
"Tch, you saw right. Is it that obvious?"
"...A little."
What did Yuseong know about a woman's hair?
He had just thrown out anything to defuse the crisis, and it had landed perfectly.
In any case, the atmosphere in the consultation room softened, as if spring had arrived.
With her eyes and voice equally gentler, Jegal Yeongyeong continued.
"Anyway, you said you can't make much holy water each day, right? So save it. I can just come every day for treatment anyway."
Their thinking aligned perfectly.
If she had demanded daily supplies after experiencing its convenience, it would have put him in a tough spot.
"Understood."
"By the way, you've heard about expanding the Medical Pavilion's physicians, right? From the Deputy Strategist?"
"Yes, though I heard the method is still under discussion. Probably another exam like last time?"
"It's been decided. Since I'm here about the holy water, I'll tell you now. We're hiring two more physicians. Will that be enough?"
"Of course. With me, that'll make three—plenty."
"That's a relief. So, we've decided to give you full authority over selecting those two. Anyone in mind?"
"You're letting me choose? The Medical Pavilion physicians?"
"Yes. We concluded it's best for the formal Medical Pavilion Leader to make the picks. Better to work with people you get along with, right?"
Handing him authority over hiring two Murim Alliance physicians was impressive enough, but what was this about a formal Medical Pavilion Leader?
It differed from the initial discussion.
Per Elder Moyong Rim's suggestion, they had planned to start as interim leader and go through one more step later.
"Wasn't the formal position after expanding the physicians and another review?"
"I was always in favor of you picking the physicians you need from the start. I pushed that opinion again this time. Well, you can guess the reason—no objections this round. So you'll be the formal Medical Pavilion Leader soon. Congratulations in advance."
For Yuseong, who had briefly tasted the sweetness of top rank, it was nothing but good news.
With the Medical Pavilion staff on his side and the Chief Strategist helping, he could run it to his liking.
'If I hire reliable people, I could build a system to step away from the Pavilion for months?'
Unaware of the bold scheme Yuseong was nailing into her chest, Jegal Yeongyeong continued excitedly.
"Tell me the two physicians you want, and we'll thoroughly check if there are any issues. No rush if you haven't decided yet."
Hearing this, Yuseong figured they must have vetted him too.
Even if not at first, the Deputy Strategist incident would have prompted at least a background check on his origins.
He was a little curious how much people knew about him.
'Probably something like, a fool who challenged the Peak Realm wall, lost his martial arts, and got kicked out of his family?'
Since Yuseong hadn't shared it, few knew he had once been a Peak Realm expert.
A past that could be seen as foolish or pitiable.
Fortunately, Jegal Yeongyeong gazed at him with eyes full of goodwill.
'Thanks. Lucky break.'
Now he had to decide on the two new Medical Pavilion physicians.
He could take his time, but someone came to mind immediately.
The first person flashing through Yuseong's head was, naturally,
'Cha Physician.'
...?
'No, wait a minute!'
Yuseong shook his head vigorously.
Jegal Yeongyeong gave him a strange look, but Yuseong panicked at how Cha Physician had come to mind before Yang Physician.
His gaze unconsciously drifted to the inkstone he used.
Atop the high-end inkstone, elegantly carved with a dragon, elegant calligraphy read:
[One-Needle Divine Physician]
The grandiose moniker now called by many.
Yuseong secretly liked it and used it conveniently.
And that was.
'A gift from Cha Physician when we met separately not long ago.'
Yuseong had to admit it.
He had somehow been ensnared by the man's persistence.
'I lose.'
He shared his decision with Jegal Yeongyeong, who awaited his answer.
"I'm thinking Yang Physician and Cha Physician from Luoyang Medical Hall."
"Got it. Cha Physician must be skilled too?"
"From Luoyang Medical Hall, so... But for Cha Physician, I'll conduct a personal exam and make the final call. That alright?"
"Of course. We'll prioritize your opinion on Medical Pavilion operations."
Their discussion dragged on longer than their usual quick headache treatments and exchanges of divination and math books.
Now he needed to clear out for the next patient.
The moment Jegal Yeongyeong stepped out of the consultation room.
Her eyes immediately met those of the woman guarding the front.
Nangong Yurin.
Four years younger, with a background that didn't yield an inch.
Comparing families alone: Nangong Family, upper seat among the Five Great Families, versus third-place Zhuge Family.
Moreover, the Murim Alliance Chief Strategist position wasn't eternal, while Nangong Yurin had a strong shot at becoming family head someday.
With her brother set to inherit the Zhuge Family, even background scores were nearly even.
And her looks?
Nangong Yurin was a beauty with big eyes.
'Men like young and innocent girls, or so they say...'
Recalling her own sharp eyes brought an inexplicable sense of defeat.
***
With Murim Academy senior students deployed on duties, certain Murim Alliance areas became accessible to them.
The route Yuseong took to meet Cha Physician passed through one such area.
En route, Yuseong ran into someone he had no desire to see head-on.
The feeling seemed mutual.
Paeng Jisan passed by, his face twisted in disgust.
***
The next day, Dao King Paeng Heonmu visited the Medical Pavilion with a grave expression.
As a patient.