Chapter 26
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: The Geo Spirit Star's Blessing
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Wi Ji-cheon's senses were currently at the peak level. Yet, the boisterous atmosphere of the feast kept him from noticing the approach.
"Greetings, Elder Ice Crane. About what I was just saying..."
"It's quite alright. You're not trying to satisfy your own greed, but seeking funds for your patients, are you not? If my humble reputation can be of any assistance, I would be delighted."
An unexpectedly favorable reaction.
Normally, Ice Crane Sa Ma-so wasn't a generous man, but he was already looking at Wi Ji-cheon through rose-colored glasses.
Gazing at Wi Ji-cheon with satisfaction, Sa Ma-so spoke.
"I have something to say. Could you spare me a moment?"
They headed to a secluded back mountain.
"What is it you wanted to say?"
"Do you know about the Geo Spirit Star?"
"I've heard of it. Isn't it the star known as the Medical Star?"
Wi Ji-cheon tilted his head.
Reaching the Transcendent Realm didn't automatically grant one knowledge of astronomy. That required dedicated, specialized study.
He knew just as much as the average martial artist.
"The Geo Spirit Star has risen here in Nanyang. The reason I came as an examiner this time was to find the one blessed by its protection."
Wi Ji-cheon's eyes widened slightly in surprise.
"Does that mean, perhaps?"
"Yes. I am certain that you are the one blessed by the Geo Spirit Star."
What kind of ridiculous nonsense is this?
If it were the Blood Demon Star, maybe, but the blessing of the Medical Star?
"I believe you're mistaken. There's no way I could have received the Medical Star's blessing..."
"Your unbelievable genius. Especially your intuition that surpasses experience. It cannot be explained unless you have received the blessing of the Geo Spirit Star."
In truth, it wasn't genius, but the enlightenment he had gained as an absolute master in his past life, but he couldn't explain that.
"Could it be that someone who reads the heavens has misread the heavenly signs? Someone like me..."
"Haha. Humble, too. For the one blessed by the Geo Spirit Star to be so upright in character, the future of the medical world is bright indeed."
Wi Ji-cheon fell silent, unable to argue further.
I'm really not that person. The Geo Spirit Star doesn't have any distinct, visible signs, so I can't even prove that I'm not. Ugh.
In the case of something like the Heaven-Killing Star, you could tell at a glance that they carried a dense killing intent in their soul.
The Geo Spirit Star? It had no such thing.
One could only guess based on circumstantial evidence.
The one born with the Geo Spirit Star is said to save all people under heaven with medicine, or so they say?
Sa Ma-so said something similar.
"Whether you were truly born with the Geo Spirit Star will naturally be revealed with time. Those born with it are destined to become a Medical Saint."
That will absolutely never happen.
Wi Ji-cheon inwardly swallowed a derisive laugh.
He, who was the Fiend Demon, becoming a Medical Saint in this life?
Of course, it was true that he had decided to walk the path of a physician. However, Wi Ji-cheon's primary goal was to protect his family, even if it meant becoming a demon of slaughter.
He didn't know how much blood he would have to shed for his family in the future, yet here he was being called a saint of medicine.
Absolutely not.
I'll just let it be. It's a misunderstanding that will naturally fade with time anyway.
However, Sa Ma-so brought up an unexpected topic.
"Be careful from now on."
"Pardon?"
"The more you grow as a physician, the more you will be swept up in great tempests. I worry that if you're not careful, the light of the Geo Spirit Star might be extinguished before it even has a chance to bloom."
Wi Ji-cheon realized this wasn't just a conventional piece of advice.
"Is this perhaps because of the White Immortal Medical House?"
"!!"
From Sa Ma-so's startled reaction, Wi Ji-cheon knew his guess was correct.
If someone blessed by the Geo Spirit Star were to appear, the White Immortal Medical House would see them as the greatest nuisance.
The current medical world lay at the feet of the White Immortal Medical House.
This didn't mean the White Immortal Medical House was the World's Greatest Medical House.
After all, the prestige of the other Heaven-ranked medical houses was no less than that of the White Immortal Medical House.
However, as mentioned before, the other Heaven-ranked houses focused on their own domains, so it was the White Immortal Medical House that exerted the most significant influence over the medical world.
But then, something completely unfamiliar came from Sa Ma-so's lips.
"Have you perhaps heard anything about the Anti-Heaven Society?"
"...The Anti-Heaven Society, you say?"
Sa Ma-so looked as though he had just made a slip of the tongue.
What? I've never heard of this group before.
Before his life as the Fiend Demon ended, he had never even heard a similar name.
"Haa, it's probably best you know about it. I don't know their true nature either. All I know is that they are a group that joins hands with powerful families of the Medical Alliance, including the White Immortal Medical House, to manipulate the world as they please."
"That sort of thing? What power does a medical house have?"
On the contrary, they do.
Medical houses, especially those with great renown, can exert enormous influence over people.
Wi Ji-cheon, in particular, could think of a few incidents that might be related.
About five years after the Medical Immortal Medical House was annihilated. A great, unknown plague spread. At that time, for the achievement of identifying and ending the plague, the White Immortal Medical House became the undisputed World's Greatest Medical House.
The White Immortal Medical House wasn't the only one who benefited.
Several Star-ranked medical houses that cooperated with them also saw their power expand greatly.
Above all.
The prestige of the Martial Alliance and the Noble Families' Alliance also grew immensely. To the point where they could ignore the authority of the Imperial Court.
Of course, it was a stretch to conclude that the epidemic back then was the work of the Anti-Heaven Society Sa Ma-so mentioned based solely on this.
After all, it was revealed that the epidemic at the time was the work of the Blood Cult.
The rise in prestige of the Martial Alliance and the Noble Families' Alliance was simply because they had stepped up in place of the Imperial Court, which had neglected the epidemic.
However, something still bothered him.
The true mastermind behind the annihilation of our Medical Immortal Medical House. Could they be connected to this group called the Anti-Heaven Society?
It was just an intuition, with no evidence to back it up.
Nevertheless, Wi Ji-cheon felt he had to investigate the Anti-Heaven Society.
He might be able to find a clue about his hidden enemies.
"Thank you for telling me."
"And I have something for you."
It was a book with the title 'Life-Giving Heart Method'.
Wi Ji-cheon's eyes widened in surprise.
"This is... surely not?"
"Yes, it is the exclusive heart method of the previous Medical Saint, Lord Danmun Song-baek. I came upon it through a chance encounter."
"!!"
As mentioned before, 'Medical Saint' is an honorific title given not simply to a physician with outstanding medical skills, but to one who has achieved great, saint-like accomplishments.
In other words, it is a glorious title even more difficult to obtain than 'Divine Doctor'.
The previous Medical Saint, Danmun Song-baek, had a peculiar trait: he had also reached a formidable level in martial arts.
He was even called the Living Venerable and was considered one of the strongest masters of his time.
The Living Venerable was especially famous for his pure internal energy. It was said he could overwhelm other absolute masters with his internal energy alone.
Although it was unknown what heart method the Living Venerable had practiced, everyone was certain of one thing.
That the Living Venerable's heart method was the greatest in the world.
It was surely a divine art that was in no way inferior to the Divine Arts of the Heavenly Demon, or the divine arts of Wudang or Shaolin.
I was just wondering which orthodox heart method I should learn.
The Heavenly Immortal Divine Arts is merely a means to drastically increase the efficiency of controlling and circulating ki; it is not a heart method in itself.
In his previous life, he had practiced the Demonic Path's Blood-Shattering True Arts alongside the Heavenly Immortal Divine Arts to become the Fiend Demon.
If I were to combine the Living Venerable's divine art with the Heavenly Immortal Divine Arts and practice them?
Wi Ji-cheon swallowed hard.
The expression 'greatest divine art under heaven' would no longer be an exaggeration.
"But, Master, why did you not practice the Living Venerable's heart method yourself?"
"I tried, but I lacked the aptitude."
Wi Ji-cheon wore a puzzled expression.
Sa Ma-so was by no means someone who lacked aptitude for martial arts.
Had he focused on martial arts, he would have reached at least the peak level, no, perhaps even the transcendent peak.
"You know that the previous Medical Saint, the Living Venerable, was also blessed by the Geo Spirit Star, right? The Life-Giving Heart Method can only be properly mastered by one who has received the Geo Spirit Star's blessing."
"!!"
"To be precise, with each advancement in the heart method's stages, one needs an enlightenment about 'giving life'. For me, that is an insurmountable wall."
Wi Ji-cheon found it even harder to understand.
Ice Crane Sa Ma-so lacking enlightenment about giving life?
"They prattle on about the Ten Peaks or the world's famous doctors, but it's all just empty reputation. I am nothing more than an insignificant mortal. I am merely doing my best in my given role. It is those like you, born with a heavenly mandate, who can save and change the world."
"......"
No, I keep telling you, I'm not that person.
In reality, Wi Ji-cheonwho not only had not received the Geo Spirit Star's blessing but was also a former heinous demonic leader and now just a fledgling apprentice physicianwore a bewildered expression.
Unaware of Wi Ji-cheon's inner thoughts, Sa Ma-so smiled contentedly and said,
"I shall take my leave now. I look forward to when we meet again. O, future Medical Saint."
Fwaat!
Sa Ma-so vanished, and Wi Ji-cheon frowned as he looked down at the Life-Giving Heart Method.
It felt like he had acquired something troublesome.
It's too valuable to throw away.
This was the conclusion Wi Ji-cheon reached after parting with Sa Ma-so and examining the Life-Giving Heart Method in detail.
This is a divine art incomparable to the likes of the Blood-Shattering True Arts I practiced in my past life.
In this life, Wi Ji-cheon planned to practice both orthodox and demonic martial arts.
With the power of the Heavenly Immortal Divine Arts, it was possible to pursue both paths simultaneously without conflict.
The only problem was how long it would take to master the orthodox martial arts.
As for demonic arts, since he had walked that path before, he could probably regain his former prowess in about five years.
But what about orthodox martial arts?
Even with his experience of becoming an absolute master as a demon, it would take a much longer time.
If I learn the Life-Giving Heart Method, I'll be able to drastically reduce that time. It's that incredible of a divine art.
Another advantage was that the Life-Giving Heart Method didn't clash with other orthodox heart methods, so if it didn't work out, he could give up midway and learn a different one.
I needed to build up my orthodox internal energy quickly anyway, so this is perfect.
Wi Ji-cheon thought about the future.
Now that the Medical Examination Ceremony was over, the next task was to expand the Medical Immortal Medical House.
Frankly, the current Medical Immortal Medical House was too small and poorly equipped.
Expansion was necessary, both for the selection of Earth-ranked medical houses and for the future when patients would be overflowing.
I need to go make some money.