Chapter 15
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: A Crisis of Disciples
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Uh, hmm. Is this going to be alright?
Ive been so busy, I've barely studied... no, I couldn't study!
Relax. A true champion always starts late.
To be honest, I never thought Id fail the Medical Examination Ceremony.
Even if I started now, I was confident I could pass with a high score.
The problem was, just any high score wouldnt be enough.
Our disciples from the Medical Immortal Medical House have to get the highest scores among all the medical houses in Nanyang. And by an overwhelming margin.
As Ive said, I dont know whether or not the White Immortal Medical House had a hand in this decision.
In any case, the White Immortal Medical House won't want us to be selected as a Province-grade medical house.
Even without the secret of the Heavenly Immortal Divine Arts, our houses have never been on good terms.
The White Immortal Medical House claims to be the true successor to the legacy of the World's Greatest Medical House.
They even call us impostors.
The schemes of the White Immortal Medical House played a huge part in our familys decline.
We have to score so perfectly in every category that the White Immortal Medical House cant find a single thing to complain about.
Fortunately, the Medical Alliance isn't the private property of the White Immortal Medical House.
There are plenty of other influential Star-grade houses besides them.
So, if we perform perfectly in every category, leaving no room for disagreement, we should be able to secure our selection as a Province-grade medical house.
So its a competition between three houses, including ours.
There are three Village-grade medical houses in Nanyang. Besides us, there are these two.
Iron Horse Medical House
Central Flower Medical House
Of the two, the Central Flower Medical House was the real threat.
The Iron Horse Medical House primarily treats local mine workers, whereas the Central Flower Medical House caters to the influential figures on the outskirts of Nanyang.
Among the Village-grade houses, the Central Flower Medical House was considered the finest.
Honestly, their disciples are far more skilled as well.
There was a reason for this.
Honestly, who would want to come to the Medical Immortal Medical House? It's nothing but grueling work. The truly talented apprentices never come here.
Jang Bok said, as if stating the obvious.
Yes, that was the problem with our house.
The Medical Immortal Medical House primarily treats the poor.
We see a lot of patients, but we don't make much money.
In other words, its all work and no pay.
It was a house that apprentices avoided.
Many of our apprentices were those who couldn't get in anywhere else, and most of them just wanted to learn the basics and leave to make money.
This isnt going to be easy.
Wi Ji-cheon looked troubled.
The selection for a Province-grade house was based on a collective scorethe sum of the apprentices results.
Even if I got a high score by myself, it would all be for nothing if the other apprentices scores were a mess.
Could our hopeless apprentices really achieve such high scores?
Encouraging them won't work. If they had the talent to get high scores with just a little push, they wouldn't have come to our house in the first place.
As Wi Ji-cheon was lost in thought, Jang Bok chided him.
Young Master, please stop daydreaming and focus. You keep saying youll study, but when are you actually going to start?
Ahem. The racehorse has finally started to run. All thats left is for everyone to be amazed.
Yes, yes. The House Lord is already troubled enough. You should at least get a good score, Young Master.
Why is Father troubled?
Hic! My big mouth. It's nothing! I don't know a thing! Jang Bok knows nothing!
Under Wi Ji-cheons piercing gaze, Jang Bok cautiously spoke.
Actually, a large number of apprentices, the ones about to take the Medical Examination Ceremony, have requested to leave the house.
All of a sudden?
Well the Central Flower Medical House apparently spent a fortune to poach them.
!!
I heard the Central Flower Medical House bought a large estate inside Nanyangs walls. Theyre planning to expand, moving from their current location in nearby Jinpyeong into the city, and theyre poaching our apprentices to fill their ranks.
Wi Ji-cheon clenched his fists.
The Central Flower Medical House was also going all out, trying not to miss the opportunity created by the fall of the Namjung House.
Still, to poach apprentices from another house. They have no sense of professional courtesy.
But this was a difficult problem to protest.
If you had to assign blame, our house was also at fault for not treating them better.
Wi Ji-cheon went to find his brother, Wi Ji-gang.
Is it true that many of the apprentices are leaving?
Yes. All the apprentices who were about to take the Medical Examination Ceremony have said theyre leaving.
Wi Ji-gang looked grim.
Of course he did.
He was the one in charge of training the young apprentices.
Its only natural hed feel betrayed.
But then, Wi Ji-gang said something unexpected.
Im sorry.
What?
You were so motivated for the Province-grade house selection, and now this happens.
Wi Ji-gang wasnt grim because he was disappointed in the apprentices who left.
He was worried that his youngest brother, Wi Ji-cheon, would lose heart.
Of course, Wi Ji-gang snorted, as if to say, Dont misunderstand.
I was just worried youd get discouraged and go back to being a good-for-nothing freeloader.
Such a dishonest brother
Quiet!
Wi Ji-gang rose from his seat.
Anyway, you dont worry about it. Ill handle this somehow. Whether I have to beg the departed apprentices to return or recruit new ones on short notice.
No, Ill
You.
Thwack!
Wi Ji-gang suddenly rapped him on the head.
Brother?
Who do you think you are, the youngest, trying to shoulder all the familys burdens by yourself? The Medical Immortal Medical House doesn't belong to you alone.
This Province-grade selection youre dreaming ofwell take the lead. You just focus on studying for the examination. If you fail, Ill tan your hide.
With that, Wi Ji-gang stormed out.
Left alone, Wi Ji-cheon rubbed the spot on his head.
That hurts.
He couldnt very well circulate his demonic energy in front of his brother, and it wasnt like hed trained his body in external arts, so the rap on the head actually stung.
Just like when his brother used to hit him when they were children.
And yet.
This is kind of nice.
Perhaps because his brothers retreating back looked somewhat dependable, a small smile crept onto his face.
That arrogant little punk.
Wi Ji-gang let out a short, sharp laugh.
He recalled what his little brother had said recently.
-Our Medical Immortal Medical House must become the greatest medical house in the world.
A foolish, childish dream.
Wasnt it on the same level as a child first learning martial arts declaring, Im going to be the best in the world!?
But no one in the family could bring themselves to rebuke him, because they could see the genuine concern for their house behind his words.
-The Medical Immortal Medical House must become stronger. To survive.
Hes not entirely wrong. Our family fell this far precisely because we lacked power.
The reason the Medical Immortal Medical House had fallen into such a state?
Misreading the changing times was part of it, yes.
But that alone wouldnt have sent us plummeting to the very bottom.
Was it the lingering shadow of our past glory? The Medical Immortal Medical House always had many enemies.
So much so that after being driven from our original home, we were forced to relocate five times over the generations.
Everywhere we went, we became a target. Each time our enemies attacked, we bled helplessly and were driven away, until we finally ended up in this pathetic state.
All because we lacked strength.
How many more generations can our house last? It might just fade into history during my lifetime.
Though no one said it aloud, everyone in the family harbored a sense of helplessness.
And then the youngest, the one always treated as the family failure, was the one to say it.
How shameful. As the eldest, I should have been the one to lead the way.
Whats more, my little brother didnt just make empty promises.
He worked his fingers to the bone to solve the crises facing our house.
While I, and the rest of the family, stood by helplessly.
It was humiliating.
What are you doing, Wi Ji-gang? How can you call yourself the eldest son of this house?
Wi Ji-gang made a firm resolve.
From now on, he would step up.
He wouldnt let his little brother carry such a heavy burden any longer.
Wi Ji-cheon, you just trust me and focus on your studies. Your big brother will solve this problem.
Fwoosh!!
Wi Ji-gang strode forward, his sleeves billowing.
The very picture of a dependable eldest brother.
Dependable, my ass.
Despite his dignified departure, Wi Ji-gang failed to persuade the apprentices to return.
Damn it! Those bastards dont deserve to be physicians! They see patients as nothing but money!
Wi Ji-cheon clicked his tongue as he watched Wi Ji-gang fuming.
It was always going to be a difficult task for him.
Medical Dragon.
It was the title Wi Ji-gang would one day earn.
A title he earned by surpassing the apprentices of renowned Heaven- and Star-grade houses, which spoke volumes about his medical prowess.
However, being a brilliant physician didnt necessarily make one skilled in other areas.
Everyone has their own role to play.
Dont be too discouraged. As the next general manager, Ill take care of this.
Next general manager?
Yes. It seems Uncle intends to make me the heir to the Outer Hall. I think the duties of the Outer Hall would suit me well, too.
Father, my brother, my sister.
They possess medical skills renowned throughout the Central Plains.
Wi Ji-cheon planned to build the foundation that would allow his family to showcase their talents across the entire continent.
And this mass desertion of apprentices isnt necessarily a bad thing.
What do you mean?
Honestly, the apprentices we had werent exactly the cream of the crop, were they?
The Medical Immortal Medical House was so short-staffed that the bar for entry was incredibly low.
It attracted a lot of riffraff who just wanted a crash course in medicine before leaving to make a quick profit.
Im not blaming them for their intentions.
Its only natural for people to want to make money.
In fact, forcing someone to serve out of passion and goodwill without proper compensation is far more malicious.
However,
If the Medical Immortal Medical House is to be reborn, we need to change the very nature of our apprentices. We need to recruit true apprentices who will dedicate their lives to this house, not just treat it as a stepping stone.
In other words, we needed to find apprentices who would be loyal to the Medical Immortal Medical House.