Chapter 31
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: The Betrayer of Xi'an
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Chapter 31
Xi'an, the ancient capital of a thousand years.
It was a city famous for many things, its history as long as its renown.
It was the most prosperous metropolis in Shaanxi Province, and a city near which the Mount Hua Sect and Zhongnan Sect, two of the Nine Sects, One Union, were based. Many other factions also had their roots there.
But it wasn't just martial arts sects.
As a gateway to the Northwest region and Sichuan, countless merchant guilds flourished, and the volume of trade was immense.
As such a city, Xi'an was home to several influential medical houses.
One of them was the Wisdom Moon Medical House.
The Wisdom Moon Medical House was not considered the best in Xi'an.
After all, Xi'an was home to a Star-rank medical house. The Wisdom Moon Medical House was an Earth-rank one.
However, the Wisdom Moon Medical House possessed a unique and unrivaled specialty that even Star-rank houses couldn't ignore: Corpse Diagnostics.
With the dawn of the era of Great Medical Houses, numerous medical houses had sprung up, and some developed their own unique characteristics.
One of these was Corpse Diagnostics, the practice of examining corpses to determine the cause of death.
As a large metropolis, Xi'an saw its share of crimes.
The Wisdom Moon Medical House played a significant role in identifying the causes of death for victims and helping to catch the culprits.
Therefore, whenever a murder occurred in Xi'an, the constabulary and martial arts sects always sought out the Wisdom Moon Medical House.
The case of the "Murderous Ghost of Xi'an" was no different.
Ji San, the eldest young master of the Wisdom Moon Medical House, explained the results of his forensic diagnosis to the martial artists pursuing the Murderous Ghost.
"The Murderous Ghost of Xi'an will have a small frame, a long neck, and a mouth like a crow's beak."
"You can tell all that?"
"Of course. A victim's body holds a wealth of information. With our Wisdom Moon Medical House's Corpse Diagnostics, we can not only identify the culprit's appearance but also predict their future actions."
"Incredible!"
As Cheong Song, a grand disciple of the third generation of the Mount Hua Sect, let out a cry of admiration, Ji San wore a smug expression.
This is simple for me, Ji San, the Little Soul-Chaser.
Ji San was a young physician with immense pride.
He believed his medical skills were on par with, if not superior to, the disciples of Star-rank medical houses.
He was especially confident that his skills in Corpse Diagnostics were the best among his peers in the entire Central Plains.
Wi Ji-gang, the eldest son of the Medical Immortal Medical House? Don't make me laugh. To think they'd compare me to some guy from a village clinic.
Ji San was often compared to Wi Ji-gang of the Medical Immortal Medical House.
The Medical Immortal Medical House's name still held some weight among physicians, and although Nanyang and Xi'an were in different administrative districts, they weren't far from each other.
Being compared to someone from a mere Village-rank medical house was utterly infuriating.
The Medical Immortal Medical House was a thing of the past!
He had recently heard a rumor that the Ice Crane, Sa Ma So, had highly acknowledged the youngest son of the Medical Immortal Medical House, but Ji San had merely scoffed.
Their youngest is not even worth my attention. The Ice Crane, Sa Ma So? I don't know why they praise such an eccentric as one of the Ten Phoenixes.
Ji San did not acknowledge the Ice Crane, Sa Ma So.
This was because he had once been severely reprimanded by him.
You call yourself a physician? You haven't even mastered the basics!
A stubborn old eccentric who can't recognize true talent. There's no way such an oddball would have judged by any proper standard.
Shaking off the unpleasant thought, Ji San spoke with confidence.
"Everyone, do not worry. Now that I, Ji San, the Little Soul-Chaser, have begun the pursuit, the Murderous Ghost of Xi'an is nothing but a rat in a trap."
But was it a jinx?
Contrary to his confident declaration, the Murderous Ghost's trail was not easily found.
As days passed, Ji San grew anxious.
The martial artists pursuing the Murderous Ghost were just as anxious.
I need to catch this fiend quickly.
Cheong Song, the grand disciple of Mount Hua, looked troubled.
If they failed to catch the culprit, it would be a disgrace to the Mount Hua Sect.
Just then, a face came to mind.
The face of a boy he had met recently, his eyes filled with a spiritual light.
Curiosity led him to ask around, and he discovered the boy was indeed extraordinary.
A genius who had received the acknowledgment of none other than the Ice Crane, Sa Ma So, at the Medical Examination Ceremony!
"Physician Ji San, do you happen to know a medical student named Wi Ji-cheon from the Medical Immortal Medical House?"
"...Why do you ask?"
"I heard he is so talented that he won first place at the Medical Examination Ceremony. I thought he might be of some help in tracking the culprit."
"...That young medical student?"
Oops.
Cheong Song realized his words had wounded Ji San's pride.
"Master Cheong Song, as a senior in the martial world, you may not be aware, but not all Medical Examination Ceremonies are the same. The Nanyang Medical Examination Ceremony is just a gathering of Village-rank medical houses."
Medical Examination Ceremonies were held among neighboring medical houses.
However, as time went on, the more prestigious medical houses refused to hold ceremonies with the ones below them.
It was a sentiment of, How dare you presume to stand in the same place as us?
This was why disciples from Earth-rank medical houses had not participated in the recent Nanyang Medical Examination Ceremony.
Disciples from Earth-rank houses held their own ceremonies, as did those from Star-rank houses.
Given these circumstances, the scale of the ceremony one passed was crucial in evaluating a physician.
"It's laughable to boast about winning first place in a place like the Nanyang Medical Examination Ceremony, which isn't even an Earth-rank ceremony like the ones in Henan or Shaanxi."
"...I see."
Cheong Song couldn't bring himself to say anything more.
He was just frustrated.
Physician Ji San is all talk. I don't trust him. Can he really catch the culprit?
There was something else that worried Cheong Song.
What if the Blood Cult is behind the Murderous Ghost of Xi'an?
If so, the Blood Cult must have a different, true objective.
The nights in Xi'an are dark.
Cheong Song sighed.
The clear, spiritually bright eyes of Wi Ji-cheon came to his mind again.
For some reason, he felt that boy could help resolve this situation.
He had no proof, but it was a Daoist's intuition.
Aaargh! Is everyone blind?! Why cant anyone see through that demons true nature?!
There was a reason Jang Sam was tearing his hair out again.
"You're here to see the master?"
"Yes, I came because of a connection from the previous generation. The master of the Seo Family Manor and my father were like sworn brothers."
"Alright, I understand. Come in. I'll inform the master. Please wait in the tea room."
The Seo Family Manor was an astonishingly large estate.
It seemed the family was wealthy enough to be ranked among the top ten richest in Xi'an, if not the very wealthiest.
As such, the security at the main gate was tight, yet they had been completely taken in by a few words from Wi Ji-cheon and let him inside.
If I had said I was here to see the master of the Seo Family Manor, they would have drawn their swords on me without a second thought. Damn this world that only cares about looks.
However, Jang Sam was mistaken.
While Wi Ji-cheon did have a gentle and kind appearance, it wasn't his looks alone that charmed people.
It was the effect of the Life-Giving Heart Method he had recently begun to practice.
The impression one gave off changed depending on the heart method they cultivated.
Those who practiced demonic arts exuded an aura of unease and fear, while those who practiced domineering martial arts gave off a sense of pressure. Similarly, practicing a pure heart method caused one's eyes to fill with a spiritual light.
There was a reason people showed respect to the masters of Daoist or Buddhist sects.
In terms of purity, the Life-Giving Heart Method surpasses even the heart methods of Shaolin or Wudang.
That was why everyone was so easily fooled (?) by Wi Ji-cheon.
Just looking at him inspired boundless trust.
If its this effective at the first stage, I wonder what it will be like when the Life-Giving Heart Method reaches the second or third stage. I could become a professional demagogue.
It wouldn't be a bad thing.
This too could become a weapon.
It wasn't a joke; as the power of the Medical Immortal Medical House grew in the future, 'political skill' would become important, and this would be a great help.
In any case, thanks to this, Wi Ji-cheon was able to meet the master of the Seo Family Manor without difficulty.
"...You're from the Medical Immortal Medical House?"
The master, Seo Ho, was a portly middle-aged man.
His sharp gaze suggested he was not to be trifled with.
If he were an ordinary man, he wouldn't have been able to grow the Seo Family Manor to this extent.
Building the wealth of the Seo Family Manor with embezzled funds was a testament to Seo Ho's ability.
In other words, Seo Ho was a man of both greed and competence.
"Yes, I am Wi Ji-cheon of the Medical Immortal Medical House. It is an honor to meet you, Uncle Seo Ho."
"Uncle?"
"I heard that as my father's close friend, you doted on me like a nephew when I was young. So, you are my uncle."
"......"
Seo Ho's face hardened.
There was indeed such a past.
A past that he himself had brought to an end.
What is he planning by coming here?
Was he here to collect on an old debt?
He couldn't be unaware that it was impossible, could he?
Or did he have some other scheme?
The boy's clear, deep eyes only added to his confusion.
"Cut the nonsense. What do you want? For your information, if you've come for the money from the past, you've wasted your time. I have no intention of giving a single coin to the Medical Immortal Medical House."
"I did not come for money."
Wi Ji-cheon shook his head.
Actually, money was his objective, but he knew the man would never hand it over willingly.
He had arranged this troublesome meeting for another reason.
"I came because I wanted to ask you something. Uncle, back then, did you truly consider my father a friend?"
"!!"
Seo Ho's face stiffened.
In the past, when Wi Ji-cheon was a child.
The adults of the Medical Immortal Medical House often spoke of Seo Ho.
Wi Ji-mu would erupt in fiery anger whenever he was drunk, and each time, Wi Ji-seon would shake his head and calm him down.
That's enough. Don't speak of it anymore. It was all my fault for lacking virtue.
Whenever he said that, Wi Ji-seon's face was filled with bitterness.
The loss of money was one thing, but the wound from being betrayed by a trusted friend was deeper.
That was why he was curious.
Did Seo Ho ever consider his father a friend?
If there was even a shred of remorse in Seo Ho's heart, perhaps Wi Ji-cheon's future actions might change, just a little.
But.
"Not at all. I never once considered that idiotic blockhead a friend."
"......"
"He lives like that because he doesn't know how the world works. You'd do well to keep your wits about you if you want to survive in this harsh world."
Jang Sam sucked in a breath and studied Wi Ji-cheon's face.
Wi Ji-cheon was still smiling.
No, his smile seemed to have deepened slightly.
Chillingly so.
"I see. I have heard your words well, Lord Seo."