Chapter 14
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: A New Opportunity
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After daybreak, the Nanyang government office was in an uproar.
An assassination in the prison?!
This was something even the most reckless fiend wouldn't dare to commit lightly.
It was a blatant disregard for the authority of the government office.
This wasn't something that could be smoothed over with a bribe.
It wasn't me! Who the hell did this?!
Geum Yeo-hwi protested frantically, but given his past deeds, no one believed him.
Everyone turned their backs on the Namjung Medical House.
The flow of patients came to a screeching halt.
After all, no matter how famous, no one wanted to be treated by a medical house that had committed murder.
It was the downfall of the second-ranked Earth-grade medical house in Nanyang.
To think the Namjung Medical House would end up like this.
Evening at the Medical Immortal Medical House.
The whole family had gathered for a meal for the first time in a while.
It's just their karma coming back to them. Ji-cheon did a great job this time.
Wi Ji-mu praised Wi Ji-cheon.
Adoration dripped from Wi Ji-mu's eyes.
His gaze seemed to say, To think this kid was such a treasure?!
Not only were we able to secure the coptis by having those cornered Namjung bastards accept all of Ji-cheon's demands, but we also made a huge profit. With this, we won't have to worry about money for a while. I never imagined Ji-cheon had such a talent.
Wi Ji-mu forgot to even move his chopsticks as he endlessly showered Wi Ji-cheon with praise.
He was always slacking off and never studying, but it turns out he was a hidden dragon. My nephew, a hidden dragon?!
Uncle, please calm down.
Wi Ji-cheon glanced at his father, trying to read his expression.
His uncle was the type to be overjoyed as long as money was coming in, so he didn't care what methods Wi Ji-cheon used.
But his father, Wi Ji-gang, was different.
As one could tell at a glance, he had a stubborn side.
He might reprimand me for what I did. It was a bit extreme.
Of course, he hadn't told his family about assassinating Eun So-wi in prison.
Even without that, the things Wi Ji-cheon had done this time, like hoarding and inciting the beggars, were quite radical.
Clack!
Wi Ji-seon put down his chopsticks.
The room fell silent.
Everyone watched Wi Ji-seon, trying to gauge his mood.
Wi Ji-seon's expression was grim, making it hard to tell what he was thinking.
Brother! Ji-cheon is a hidden dragon.
It is fortunate that we were able to secure the coptis.
This meat side dish is also thanks to Ji-cheon.
The family members each took Wi Ji-cheon's side.
However, Wi Ji-seon's expression only hardened.
He suddenly said something unexpected.
I offer my thanks to the great warrior, Jang Sam. If not for you, Ji-cheon would have been in grave danger.
!!
Jang Sam found himself unexpectedly having dinner with the Medical Immortal House's family.
Wi Ji-seon had insisted on inviting him, calling him the savior who had protected Ji-cheon.
Wi Ji-seon let out a long sigh.
I'm proud of what Ji-cheon has done. How could I not be? Because this father of his is lacking, the boy had to struggle so much for the sake of the family.
But it was too dangerous. When I think about what those ruthless villains who would send an assassin to a prison might have done to Ji-cheon, I can't sleep at night.
A solemn mood fell over everyone.
In their excitement, they had overlooked the grave danger their youngest had been in.
Only one person, Jang Sam, struggled to keep a straight face.
Are they all blind?
The sight of them getting all sentimental over that monster was just absurd.
Wi Ji-cheon's bright, shy expression was utterly detestable.
That kid isn't just strong in martial arts. To bring down the once-mighty Namjung Medical House in an instant he's a true demon!
Unaware of Jang Sam's inner thoughts, Wi Ji-seon continued.
His voice was thick with worry and love for his youngest son.
Ji-cheon, promise me. Promise you won't do anything this dangerous again.
I'm sorry, but I can't make that promise.
You?
Everyone was taken aback by the unexpected answer.
Wi Ji-cheon looked his father straight in the eye.
It's about time I shared my plan with everyone.
Father, how many more times do you think something like this will happen to the Medical Immortal House? Do you think this will be the last time?
That is
Wi Ji-seon couldn't answer.
If the Namjung Medical House falls, another one will just take its place. As long as our Medical Immortal House is no ordinary medical house, this is an unavoidable fate.
It wasn't just because of the Heavenly Immortal Divine Arts.
This was the era of great medical houses.
The number of physicians had increased dramatically, meaning the competition had become that much fiercer.
It wouldn't matter if the Medical Immortal House were just some run-of-the-mill establishment.
But the Medical Immortal House was exceptional.
Although it was in the past, and most have forgotten, the underlying strength of what was once the World's Greatest Medical House couldn't just disappear.
An awl in a sack.
The Medical Immortal House would continue to distinguish itself, and as it did, it would inevitably draw the scrutiny of others.
In my past life, even without my intervention, the Medical Immortal House naturally gained fame through word of mouth and became the top Earth-grade medical house in Nanyang.
Of course, the path to get there was not a smooth one.
The young Wi Ji-cheon didn't know the details, but he remembered there had been many hardships.
While his father, brother, sister, and uncle struggled to overcome those trials, Wi Ji-cheon had been of no help at all.
In the end, when everyone had reached their limit, the White Immortal Medical House approached and began to extend its evil clutches.
It was the beginning of the end.
This time will be different.
Our Medical Immortal House must become stronger. So strong that no one can dare to touch us. Earth-grade, Star-grade, Heaven-grade. No, we must become the World's Greatest Medical House and reign supreme over the world.
Everyone fell silent.
Haha, the World's Greatest Medical House, you say.
I believe it's entirely possible. With our Medical Immortal House's medical arts and the skills of Father, Brother, and Sister.
And because you have me.
However, no one could take Wi Ji-cheon's words seriously.
It was only natural.
The idea was too far removed from reality.
But, even so.
The World's Greatest Medical House. Those words do make one's heart race.
In the present day, the White Immortal Medical House was considered the true successor to the lineage of the once World's Greatest Medical House.
Even the members of the Medical Immortal House had only a faint sense of being descendants of the World's Greatest Medical House.
It was natural.
The gap between the World's Greatest Medical House and a small clinic in a corner of town was just too vast.
Still, wouldn't every member of the Medical Immortal House have dreamed of it at least once?
Reclaiming their past glory.
Of course, it was just a fantasy.
A fantasy that felt empty when compared to reality. One they would quickly shake their heads at and forget.
But now, their youngest had brought up that very fantasy-like dream.
Well, at Ji-cheon's age, it is a time for dreaming. He's just a boy who has reached the age of learning (15), after all.
They all nodded in understanding.
However, there was a part of Wi Ji-cheon's opinion they agreed with.
Even if we don't become the World's Greatest Medical House, it's true that the Medical Immortal House must become stronger. Otherwise, we'll keep getting swept up in storms like this.
The hardship they just endured because of the Namjung Medical House was something they wouldn't have faced if they were stronger.
The problem was how.
Just then, Wi Ji-cheon spoke.
First, we need to become an Earth-grade medical house.
Just as a newborn can't become an absolute master overnight, there are steps to everything.
That's not an easy task. To become an Earth-grade medical house, we ultimately need to attract wealthy clients like martial artists to our doors.
It wasn't that Wi Ji-seon was stubbornly against treating the wealthy.
Why would he dislike earning much more money for the same treatment?
The reason the Medical Immortal House only treated poor patients wasn't by choice, but simply because wealthy people didn't come.
Wealthy people don't easily switch the physicians they frequent.
That was true until now. But the situation has changed. The Namjung Medical House has fallen.
!!
We need to seize that opening.
Not long after Wi Ji-cheon said that.
Astonishing news arrived.
It was news that the Medical Alliance was revoking the Namjung Medical House's Earth-grade status.
The medical community of Nanyang began to stir.
There are many organizations in the martial world.
The most famous is the Martial Alliance, founded with the Nine Sects and One Union as its core.
Besides that, there was the Noble Families' Alliance, led by the Ten Great Families, and the Evil Factions' Alliance, formed by the Unorthodox Factions.
It wasn't just martial artists who formed organizations.
The Nine Provinces' Association, formed primarily by merchants, was a prime example.
Medical houses also had an organization.
It was the Medical Alliance.
The Medical Alliance moved faster than I expected.
The Medical Alliance is a group that represents the rights and interests of physicians.
At the same time, it also served to regulate physicians when they caused problems.
It was the Medical Alliance that created the qualification exam known as the Medical Examination Ceremony to prevent the proliferation of quacks.
One of the powerful tools the Medical Alliance used to control medical houses was the ranking system.
The Medical Alliance had the authority to decide the ranks of medical houses, which were classified as Heaven, Star, Earth, and Village.
If a house caused an unforgivable scandal, its rank would be demoted.
A demotion in rank would be a fatal blow to a medical house's reputation.
This was especially true for higher-ranked medical houses, whose main clients were the wealthy.
Would the wealthy visit a medical house that had suffered the disgrace of a demotion?
Thus, losing rank could lead to a swift and utter collapse.
Of course, the decision to change a rank isn't made lightly. But the incident the Namjung Medical House caused was just that problematic. The Medical Alliance must have taken it seriously.
However, there was one thing that bothered him.
The White Immortal Medical House wasn't involved, was it?
The family with the most powerful influence in the Medical Alliance is the Heaven-grade White Immortal Medical House.
For reference, there are only five Heaven-grade medical houses in the entire Central Plains.
The others are as follows.
Sichuan Tang Clan
Heavenly Peak Medical House
Evil Alliance Medical House
Demonic Sect Medical House
The Sichuan Tang Clan is one of the Ten Great Families, the Heavenly Peak Medical House is under the direct control of the Martial Alliance, the Evil Alliance Medical House is under the Evil Factions' Alliance, and the Demonic Sect Medical House belongs to the Demonic Cult.
Therefore, the Heaven-grade medical house with the strongest influence over the Medical Alliance was the White Immortal Medical House.
No, that's an excessive worry. Now is not the time for the White Immortal Medical House to intervene. It's highly likely they don't even know about the existence of the Heavenly Immortal Divine Arts yet.
That wasn't the important part.
Wi Ji-cheon focused on another part of the official notice.
-Announcement for the Selection of a New Earth-Grade Medical House in Nanyang.
This meant they were selecting a new medical house to become an Earth-grade house in place of Namjung!
If we're selected as an Earth-grade medical house, we'll be able to expand the family's influence in an instant.
However, there was a problem.
Wi Ji-cheon's expression soured.
Selection to reflect the Medical Examination Ceremony scores of the house's disciples?
For reference, while he'd been dawdling, the Medical Examination Ceremony was now less than two months away.
So, what was Wi Ji-cheon's current state of study?
He was the very picture of a lounging cheetah.