Chapter 25
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 25
Chapter Title: An Unconventional Prescription
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The flow of qi in the acupoint near the heart was faint and irregular.
No. This is within the normal range.
As mentioned before, distinguishing between normal and abnormal is surprisingly difficult.
This is because one must not only clearly know what is abnormal but also understand the range of what is considered normal.
From the perspective of Wi Ji-cheon's insight into qi meridians, which had reached the pinnacle of mastery, this finding was clearly within the normal range.
But theres nothing else that could be the cause.
Then, a thought occurred to him.
Could it be something that isn't a problem now, but could worsen into blood stagnation over time?
He didn't know.
How could he know the future?
Sa Ma So might have truly died from a cause other than illness.
What should I do?
In truth, if he only considered the Medical Examination Ceremony, there was no need to overthink it.
If he answered 'normal' as Sa Ma So intended, he would receive everyone's applause and become the top scorer.
But something felt off.
Sa Ma So is too valuable a person to let die in vain. If he lives, he will surely be a great help to our Medical Immortal Medical House.
No, beyond that, it was a matter of saving a life.
Upon returning to his childhood, Wi Ji-cheon had made two vows.
The first, naturally, was to protect his family.
The second was to atone, even if only in part, for the wrongs he had committed in his past life.
Even if it was for revenge, I shed far too much blood.
He didn't regret killing his enemies in the slightest.
However, the blood Wi Ji-cheon had shed was not only that of his enemies.
Of course, he had tried to shed only the blood of his enemies whenever possible.
But if things had gone as he wished, he would not have become one of the Three Calamities.
His enemies hid in places beyond his reach, and to get to them, Wi Ji-cheon had been forced to spill a great deal of blood.
The strange and extraordinary masters who stepped forward to protect the White Immortal Medical House without knowing the full story. The ordinary warriors of the Martial Alliance who tried to capture him, a public enemy of the martial world.
He had to cut down even these innocent people.
Wi Ji-cheon couldn't possibly think of himself as innocent.
It may be hypocritical of me to think this way, but I want to repent, even just a little.
In truth, Wi Ji-cheon didn't need to become a proper physician to protect his family.
Simply passing the Medical Examination Ceremony would have been enough.
Nevertheless, Wi Ji-cheon had prepared for the examination with all his might, and he intended to continue dedicating himself to treating patients as a physician if circumstances allowed.
It wasn't just to comprehend the ultimate secrets of the Heavenly Immortal Divine Arts.
It was because he wanted to repent for his past mistakes.
In a way, the Ice Crane Sa Ma So is my first patient. I cant give up so easily.
At that moment, a phrase came to mind.
It was something Wi Ji-gang had told him during his hellish training.
-Don't think that just because you're a physician, you know everything and can do everything. Knowing what you can and cannot do is the first step as a physician.
Ah.
Wi Ji-cheon realized what he had been thinking wrong.
As a physician, he was a mere fledgling.
Yet he had been acting as if he were a master at the pinnacle of mastery, even as a physician.
-A person's life is in the hands of heaven; a physician can only do their best.
Right, Ill just do my best within my capabilities.
Sa Ma So said, as if urging him on.
"Is the pulse diagnosis finished?"
"Yes, I will state my diagnosis."
Wi Ji-cheon organized his thoughts for a moment and then spoke.
"My diagnosis is a state of no illness. The floating pulse is shallow, and there is an exterior heat-excess pattern, but since there is no issue with the spleen's transformative function, this cannot be called a disease. Furthermore, while the dryness-heat is excessive, this is an effect of the Yang-Strength Art you practice, sir, so it is also normal. And."
As Wi Ji-cheon's explanation continued, looks of astonishment appeared on everyone's faces.
Not only was it amazing that he was the only one to get the right answer, but the logical process of his differential diagnosis was also perfect.
Who called that boy a failure?
Doesn't he sound like a seasoned physician at this point?
Wi Ji-seon couldn't stop his lips from twitching.
"Ahem. My son is a great roc. He was merely crouching until now to soar even higher. Haha. There's no need to be so envious. If the disciples of your medical houses come to our Medical Immortal Medical House, I will let them receive the teachings of a heavenly physician as much as they want."
There was no doting father quite like him, but the heads of the other medical houses couldn't say a word in rebuttal.
Because it was a perfect victory for the Medical Immortal Medical House.
This Medical Examination Ceremony was truly a festival for the Medical Immortal Medical House alone.
But that wasn't the end of it.
Wi Ji-cheon brought up something unexpected.
"Would it be permissible for this junior scholar to dare offer a prescription to Master Ice Crane?"
"A prescription for a state of no illness?"
"Yes. Is not the greatest treatment to prevent the invasion of malevolent qi by taking precautions before the body's balance is broken?"
"Yes, you are correct. So, what prescription will you give me? You are aware that the same prescription can be nourishing for one patient and poisonous for another, aren't you?"
Sa Ma So asked in anticipation.
Wi Ji-cheon had shown a perfect performance.
Sa Ma So already suspected that Wi Ji-cheon was one blessed by the spirit of the earth.
If a child like that wasn't blessed by the spirit of the earth, then who else could be?
Thus, he was naturally curious about what kind of prescription he would offer.
Hell probably prescribe something related to longevity or medicinal cuisine.
These are prescriptions that physicians give to invigorate a patient's body.
However.
"I recommend that you avoid excessively stimulating the Heart Shu acupoint with yang-strength energy during qi circulation."
"...What do you mean by that?"
Sa Ma So's eyebrow twitched.
He was suddenly pointing out a flaw in his martial arts!
"You must also be aware that the qi and blood near your heart are irregular, sir."
"Of course, I know that. The heart is an ever-changing organ; it's common for its qi and blood to be inconsistent."
"That is true in ordinary cases, but I was concerned that a problem might arise from continuous exposure to the Yang-Strength Art."
"!!"
Wi Ji-cheon bowed his head.
As if he had said something presumptuous.
After all, it was just a guess, not a certainty.
"In the Five Elements, the heart represents the sun. Anything in excess is worse than not enough. I offered this prescription out of concern that a problem might arise in the future."
"......"
A silence fell over the hall.
Everyone watched Sa Ma So anxiously.
Dan So-cheon, the head of the Hwajung Medical House, gloated inwardly, thinking, That little brat is acting so arrogant without knowing his place. Hes going to lose points for this.
However, Sa Ma So was silent not because he was displeased.
He has a point.
The reason he thought so was that he had seen a patient with a similar case in the past.
He was a master who had also practiced a Yang-Strength Art.
He had symptoms around his heart similar to Sa Ma So's, which were strictly within the normal range.
But one day, he died suddenly without any apparent reason.
At the time, they even performed an autopsy to find the cause of death, but nothing was found.
If that guess is correct, then I will owe this child my life.
"How did you come up with such an idea? It's not something you would find in a medical text, is it?"
Wi Ji-cheon wondered how to answer before deciding to be honest.
"I just had a feeling that it might be the case."
"A feeling?"
"...Yes."
Wi Ji-cheon nodded awkwardly.
After all, it meant he had made a guess without any evidence. He would have nothing to say even if Sa Ma So scolded him.
But Sa Ma So was, on the contrary, impressed.
He guessed this through intuition?
When treating actual patients, not all symptoms and causalities align perfectly.
There are many situations where it feels like wandering through a thick fog.
In such times, intuition was the most important thing.
This kind of intuition is cultivated through constant experience with patients. How could a medical student who has just taken the examination possess it?
At that moment, Sa Ma So was certain.
It was certain that Wi Ji-cheon was blessed by the spirit of the earth.
"I will now announce the results of the Medical Examination Ceremony. I, Sa Ma So, declare that the successful candidates of this examination are limited to the students of the Medical Immortal Medical House. Furthermore, as an examiner for the Medical Alliance, I, Sa Ma So, award all disciples of the Medical Immortal Medical House a Gold Medallion."
"!!"
The hall buzzed with murmurs.
Only the Medical Immortal Medical House passed, and every one of them! And with Gold Medallions on top of that!
That wasn't all.
"The top scorer is Wi Ji-cheon of the Medical Immortal Medical House. I will bestow upon Wi Ji-cheon the Supreme Valedictorian Award."
"!!"
Not just the top scorer, but the Supreme Valedictorian Award!
It wasn't just being first place; it was an acknowledgment that Wi Ji-cheon was perfect in every aspect.
And it was given in the name of the Ice Crane Sa Ma So.
This was the moment the name of Physician Wi Ji-cheon first began to spread throughout the world.
A feast was held at the Medical Immortal Medical House.
Everyone got very drunk celebrating the great occasion.
"Khahaha! Gang, did you see it? The face of that bastard from the Dan family, rotting like dirt?"
"Father, please calm down. You've had too much to drink."
"Calm down?! I saw you behind the restroom, shouting, 'That's my little brother!'"
"W-When did I ever do that? I was just looking at the sky and expressing my noble spirit!"
"My brother, excellent."
The disciples were drunk too.
"Did we really pass the Medical Examination Ceremony?"
"We don't have to review the Eldest Brother's lessons, right? Please say yes. It's scary."
"Kuaaak, anything but reviewing. Please spare us, Eldest Brother."
...Somehow, they seemed happier about escaping Wi Ji-cheon's clutches(?) than about passing the examination and becoming apprentice physicians.
Ill be holding special classes from time to time in the future, too. Well, no need to mention that right now.
Just then, his uncle, Wi Ji-mu, approached him, flushed and drunk.
"Our adorable youngest! You're the treasure of our family!"
Wi Ji-mu was acting this way because, as rumors of the examination results spread, various merchant guilds had begun to show a favorable attitude toward the Medical Immortal Medical House.
They had begun to acknowledge the Medical Immortal Medical House's potential and treat them accordingly.
This is just the beginning.
The Medical Examination Ceremony was only one of the criteria for selecting a county-level medical house.
While it was true they had gained a lead over competing medical houses with their overwhelming results, they couldn't relax yet.
"Uncle, are you by any chance interested in land speculation?"
"...Why do you ask all of a sudden?"
"The Medical Immortal Medical House is bound to prosper greatly in the future, and I feel our current location is too small."
The second criterion for selecting a county-level medical house.
Was the scale of the medical house.
It was judged by how many patients it could accommodate.
"Where would we get the money?"
"We can just borrow it, can't we?"
"No, acquiring a new estate isn't cheap. Who would lend us that much money?"
"For now, we just need to get the down payment to secure a contract for the land purchase. We can earn the rest of the balance separately."
He had a way in mind.
"What kind of place is our Medical Immortal Medical House? It's a medical house acknowledged by none other than the esteemed Ice Crane Sa Ma So. If we sell... no, borrow the name of the Ice Crane Sa Ma So, we should be able to get at least the deposit."
"Hey, hey..."
But his uncle's face turned pale.
Puzzled, he turned around.
"Hoho, so you intend to sell my name. A fine idea. A very fine idea indeed."
The Ice Crane Sa Ma So was looking at Wi Ji-cheon with a wide grin.
Damn it.