Chapter 23
Chapter 23
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: True Heart
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The rules of the Seven Star Path Challenge were incredibly simple.
It was a team battle rather than individual matches, with each side fielding seven members.
Then, stone tablets numbered from one to seven were placed in the positions of the Big Dipper to form the Seven Star Path.
This Seven Star Path served as a kind of stepping pattern.
By stepping through each position using the Seven Star Steps—a set of seven movements—and then returning in reverse order via the same footwork, one succeeded.
The seven team members took turns sequentially until someone failed.
"The key is picking up the stars on the way back."
"Stars?"
"See those guys over there? Those seven will toss stones onto the Seven Star Path, but only one infused with inner energy. We have to pick up just that one from the seven stones on the path. Grabbing a different one counts as failure too."
"But if they miss and any stone falls off the path—called a 'fallen star'—then we can grab any stone and succeed."
The girl Seonhu, whom Seonye had mistaken for Wi Sowol, added in a soft voice.
"Picking one up is mandatory, then."
"Yeah. The problem is they can interfere too."
"Right. No direct contact allowed, but they can emit energy waves to trick us or whip up gusts to disrupt our steps."
Seonhu shot Seonye a strange look for her awkward mix of formal and informal speech, but Seonye ignored it.
Wi Sowol, the actual target of that speech, didn't mind at all.
'It's a kind of offense and defense.'
Stepping on the path was defense, tossing stones was offense.
The challenge lay in calmly navigating the Seven Star Steps amid disruptions and returning.
'More than a simple game—it's footwork training prepped for real combat.'
Sparring always followed set forms to some degree.
Honestly, even the oldest here, senior disciple Seonye, was barely fifteen.
Kids this age focused on unleashing their own techniques during spars, rarely using counters against opponents' arts.
So this game trained disruption tactics and responses.
'Mount Hua Sect leans practical among the Nine Great Sects. Makes sense.'
Sects like Hainan, collaborating with military against pirates, or Jurchen-fighting Jipyeong in the wilds would outdo Mount Hua in raw combat focus.
"And the end is crucial."
"How so?"
"The stone you pick up gets tossed back onto the path, claiming positions for our side."
"The team claiming more positions wins."
Tossing after success didn't count as individual pass or fail.
Not scoring was failure enough, but they avoided labeling it as such for a reason.
"If all seven succeed in sequence, it's Seven Stars Linked— instant win."
"Claiming all seven positions even once is Seven Stars Formation—victory."
"Can you steal positions back?"
"The side with more stars on it takes it. Even if they snag Fourth Star Heaven Pivot, toss two more on and it's ours."
Picked-up stones seemed specially marked.
After each round, all stars reset, so displacing theirs was impossible.
Preventing cutthroat competition, perhaps.
"Seven rounds total. Seven people could toss up to forty-nine stars, so think carefully about steals."
"Tying to leave positions neutral is a solid strategy too."
Pretty strategic.
Aims to build teamwork, tactical sequencing.
"But I don't know Seven Star Steps."
She actually did.
Wi Sowol could grasp basic footwork like Seven Star Steps just by watching.
Mastering true essences took effort, but mimicking? One glance sufficed.
'Mimic it, and Mount Hua won't sit idle.'
No repeating past life's mistakes.
No need to ape Seven Star Steps anyway.
"It's fine! You don't have to use Seven Star Steps exactly—just step on the positions. It'll feel awkward since it's tuned to their footwork, but..."
As Seonye explained, the boys opposite urged to start.
"Hurry up!"
"One of the junior sisters' side has a new face—is that okay?"
"Probably a lay disciple. We dragged Jinchung along last time too."
Hmm.
Boys versus girls competition?
'Perfect timing.'
We did that too.
Wi Sowol unwittingly realized why she hadn't left.
'Back when we were kids.'
Mixed boy-girl beggar brats.
Family, yet kids kept odd distances between sexes.
But beggar kids stuck together, fought to never abandon one.
Played together, laughed, fought... then hugged asleep.
'The one who taught us that game...'
As Wi Sowol unearthed buried memories,
"Let's start! Uh, Sowol? Sowol junior?"
"...Call me casually."
"Got it! Sowol, we go first? Watch close and follow at the end?"
What a nostalgic sight.
Boys and girls romping, laughter echoing.
Wi Sowol closed her eyes.
Darkness brightened slowly.
Racing back hills foraging, returning empty-handed to beg village meals.
Leaf-cut kids chattered at Bang Elder's apothecary; he scolded but bandaged carefully.
Kids' voices stirred longing, restored faded memories' colors.
Seonye succeeded; Seonhu followed second.
Boys strained energy bursts; steps mixed sighs and cheers.
Girls failed; boys' turn. Girls huddled plotting tosses.
Girls tossed, boys stepped; girls laughed, then boys cheered.
Wi Sowol watched quietly.
'I taught them that game.'
She created the beggar kids' group play.
No—not quite.
'I learned it too.'
From whom?
'Probably...'
My mother.
A faint, foam-like memory from toddler days, long forgotten, bubbled up.
Then—
"Argh!"
Crack and scream rang together.
No time for reminiscing.
Wi Sowol sensed instantly—sharper than the victim, perhaps.
'Broken.'
Mount Hua cursed?
Fractures galore.
Compared to Yoojin's compound where bone tore flesh, this boy had the mildest break.
"S-Seon-dae!"
"Quick, fetch the masters!"
Mount Hua disciple style: amid shock, they recalled protocol.
Straighten posture, lay flat, call adults.
Unsatisfying to Wi Sowol.
"Move."
She pushed boys aside, squatted before Seondae, the freshly broken third-gen disciple.
"Pain scale: worst ever ten, mildest one. Rate it."
"Eight... about."
"Simple fracture."
No need for pulse; cracking sound told her. Confirmation best.
Wi Sowol gently gripped his ankle.
"T-Touch will—"
"It's fine. I'm a physician."
Disciple or not.
Declaring physician quelled protests. She channeled Great White Light True Qi into his ankle.
Cold yin energy seeped in; pain eased, face relaxed.
"Whoa... no pain..."
"Meridians constricted. Not healed."
Cold slowed blood, stemmed bleeding, swelling.
En route here, absorbing Weird Physician's teachings, Wi Sowol gauged her yin energy's medical uses.
"I'll set the bone, splint it. No training like some fool—bedrest a month. Lying Meditation fine."
Sitting strained ankle; supine qi circulation aided recovery.
Crunch—
"Argh—no, it doesn't hurt?"
Bone aligned; screamed preemptively, but painless. Boy mumbled awkwardly.
"Pressure points sealed. No pain awhile. Sensation dulled—don't move."
Dazed Haze Hand enabled local anesthesia.
Her qi saturating helped; mere points without could be shaken off by circulation.
"Done. Another doc might prescribe herbs, needles—skip needles. Just dulls pain, no real effect."
"R-Really?"
Boy eyed Wi Sowol—peer-aged—doubtfully, but one watching adult differed.
"Young daoist's hands masterful. Just two-tenths shy; may this old monk supplement?"
Descending Lotus Peak.
Weird Physician's steps heavy.
His face gloomily furrowed.
Why?
Hadn't he awaited this day?
Backed by giant like Mount Hua, erase those scum from the world?
Someone said: enlighten morning, die evening fine.
Weird Physician felt same.
Finish longed-for revenge morning, close eyes evening—enough.
Now? Unsure.
Could he gladly die evening after morning revenge?
'Why now...'
Merely under two months together.
Taught much.
Unforgetting Heart Method, Dazed Haze Hand—his creations.
Lifetime medical breakthroughs.
Overqualified disciple Wi Sowol absorbed day-night ceaselessly.
Yet more to teach.
Surgery lessons just begun.
'Raising disciples—gentleman's joy?'
No gentleman—this devil unwittingly addicted.
Jang Rok, trailing a step behind, asked.
"Thinking of the young miss?"
"......"
"My life belongs to you, Physician. I'll follow you."
"...Not Sowol?"
"If you command as master, she'll obey."
Jang Rok—once Seven Kills—said.
"But hope you don't."
Perhaps Weird Physician longed for those words himself.
"...Awaited this day."
Weird Physician spoke.
Not for Jang Rok.
For himself.
"Enemies mighty, I lowly. All I could do: gather allies awaiting vengeance."
Post-Wu Medical Academy, met countless.
Refused aid, gave it—repay now.
"Achieve goals, end revenge, die willing."
Not sole reason for physician path.
Other motives.
But roaming as physician solely pure medical pursuit? Lie.
Youthful days towing Jong Yeom guard, keeping dangerous Seven Kills close—all for today.
"Regrets formed."
Wi Sowol sole formal disciple; fragments taught others.
Regular ties to Six Great Physicians preserved his art.
No regrets... supposed to be.
Had to be.
'World's greatest? Craved that title, Yu-seung?'
Inevitable.
It was a dream.
Not his... sister's.
A girl voicing his forgotten sister's dream.
For sister, he discarded name, took Legacy—Ma Yu Seung, Weird Physician. Rejecting her? Impossible from start.
"Live as physician... take medical exams."
Weird Physician saw Wu exams there.
Dissatisfied, fled; no exam regret.
"Wait... send Sowol to Wu Medical Academy."
"Surgery though..."
"Seeing Divine Physician not bad."
Disciple would outgrow someday.
His teachings max one year—then fledgling phoenix seeks new paths, soars.
Comforted thus, but true heart differed.
Returning Huasun Hermitage, glimpsed disciple by chance.
And beside her.
"Business with my disciple?"
Weird Physician couldn't endure.
"Medicine King."
I'll teach her myself.