'Hmm… this might be bad.'
He had been so busy lately that he'd barely studied—
No, let's be honest. He hadn't studied at all.
'Well, couriers always start running late anyway.'
Wi Jicheon reassured himself with a wry thought.
Truth be told, he didn't expect to fail the Medical Apprenticeship Exam.
Even starting now, he was confident he could pass with a high score.
But that wasn't enough.
'It's not just about getting a high score. Our Divine Healer Clan's disciples must earn the top marks in all of Namyang—by an overwhelming margin.'
Whether the Baekseon Healer House had a hand in the upcoming selection or not, Wi Jicheon couldn't be sure.
But one thing was certain: they wouldn't want the Divine Healer Clan to become an Earth-grade healer family.
'Even if it's not because of the Heavenly Immortal Divine Art, relations between our clan and the Baekseon House have always been bitter.'
The Baekseon Healer House had long claimed the legacy of the "Greatest Healer Under Heaven" as their own—
and dismissed the Divine Healer Clan as impostors.
Their scheming had played no small role in his family's downfall.
'We'll need a perfect score—one so flawless they can't find fault with a single thing.'
Fortunately, the Medical Union wasn't a private tool of the Baekseon House.
Several other Star-grade healer families also held sway there.
If the Divine Healer Clan could demonstrate absolute superiority in every category, no one could object to their promotion.
'So there are three houses competing for Earth-grade status this time.'
Namyang had three Village-grade healer houses in total.
Aside from the Divine Healer Clan, there were two others:
The Iron Horse Healer House and the Blossom Healer House.
The real threat was Blossom.
Iron Horse treated mostly miners from nearby quarries,
while Blossom catered to wealthy landowners outside Namyang City's walls.
Among Village-grade houses, Blossom was by far the most prosperous.
'And honestly, their disciples are far better trained than ours.'
There was a reason for that.
"Let's be honest," Jang Bok said matter-of-factly. "Who'd want to come to the Divine Healer Clan? All they'd get here is endless hardship. Talented apprentices go where they can make real money, not here."
That was the crux of the problem.
The Divine Healer Clan treated the poor.
They saw plenty of patients—but earned almost nothing.
It was grueling work with little reward.
No wonder few young apprentices wanted to join.
Most who came were those turned away elsewhere—
students hoping to learn just enough to leave and earn a living on their own.
'This won't be easy.'
Wi Jicheon frowned.
The Earth-grade evaluation would be based on group scores—
the combined results of all apprentices in the upcoming exam.
Even if he scored perfectly, if the rest failed miserably, it would all be for nothing.
And there was no use motivating them;
if they'd had the aptitude for top scores, they wouldn't have joined this clan in the first place.
As he brooded, Jang Bok clicked his tongue.
"Master Cheon, stop daydreaming and focus! You keep saying you'll study, but when are you actually going to start?"
"Hmph. The courier's finally started to run, so prepare to be amazed."
"Sure, sure. Just remember, the clan head's already in a foul mood. At least you should bring home a good score."
"…Why's Father in a bad mood?"
"Ah—uh, forget I said that! I know nothing! Jang Bok knows nothing!"
Wi Jicheon narrowed his eyes.
Under that pressure, Jang Bok wilted.
"…Fine, I'll tell you. Apparently a bunch of apprentices asked to withdraw from the clan right before the exam."
"What?"
"Blossom Healer House offered them a fortune to transfer."
"!!"
"They just bought a massive estate inside Namyang City. They're relocating from Jinpyeong and need staff. So they're poaching our apprentices to fill their ranks."
Wi Jicheon clenched his fists.
The Blossom House was seizing the same opportunity he was—the power vacuum left by the Southern Heavy House's fall.
'Still, stealing apprentices from another healer house? Shameless.'
And yet… there wasn't much he could do about it.
Strictly speaking, it was also the Divine Healer Clan's fault for being unable to offer better treatment.
Wi Jicheon went straight to his older brother, Wi Jigang.
"Is it true the apprentices are leaving?"
"Yes. All those preparing for the exam say they're going."
Wi Jigang's face was dark with fatigue.
It was understandable.
He was the one who had personally trained those apprentices.
'He must feel betrayed.'
But then, Wi Jigang surprised him.
"I'm sorry, Cheon."
"…Sorry? For what?"
"You were so motivated about the Earth-grade selection, and now this happens."
So it wasn't anger or resentment that clouded his expression—
it was concern.
He was worried his little brother might lose heart.
Of course, he quickly covered it up with a huff.
"I'm just afraid you'll get discouraged and go back to being a useless layabout."
"…You're not very honest, Brother."
"Silence!"
Wi Jigang stood abruptly.
"Anyway, don't worry about this. I'll handle it—whether it means dragging those brats back by their collars or recruiting new ones myself."
"No, I'll—"
"You."
Thwack!
Wi Jigang flicked his brother's forehead.
"Ow—Brother?!"
"Since when does the youngest think he can handle the clan's burdens alone? The Divine Healer Clan isn't yours alone."
"..."
"You focus on your studies. We'll lead the charge on the Earth-grade selection. If you fail the exam, I'll tan your hide myself."
With that, Wi Jigang strode out.
Wi Jicheon rubbed the sore spot on his head.
"…That actually hurts."
He couldn't circulate his qi in front of his brother or toughen his skin with external training, so the flick had genuinely stung.
Just like when they were children.
And yet—
"…This isn't so bad."
Maybe it was the reassuring sight of his brother's back, walking ahead with quiet strength.
A faint smile tugged at his lips.
'That arrogant little brat.'
Wi Jigang snorted as he walked.
He recalled his brother's words from a few days earlier.
"Our Divine Healer Clan must become the greatest under Heaven."
A childish dream.
The kind of thing an eager beginner would say after learning his first martial art.
And yet…
None of them had scolded him.
Because behind those words, they'd heard something sincere.
"The Divine Healer Clan must become stronger—to survive."
'He wasn't wrong. We fell because we were weak.'
Why had the clan sunk so low?
Partly because they failed to adapt to the times.
But that alone didn't explain such complete ruin.
The remnants of their former glory had painted a target on their backs.
Enemies had always circled them like wolves.
They'd been driven from their first home, then the next, five times over—
each time weaker, poorer, more wounded.
Everywhere they went, they were hunted.
And every time, they could do nothing but bleed and run.
Because they had no power.
'How many generations can we last like this? Maybe our line ends with me.'
They never said it aloud,
but everyone in the family carried that same despair.
Then the youngest—the one they'd pitied and scolded for years—had spoken those words.
'How shameful. That should have been my resolve, not his.'
And worse, Wi Jicheon hadn't just talked.
He'd acted.
While his brother and the rest had stood frozen, he'd fought for the family's survival.
Wi Jigang clenched his jaw.
'What are you doing, Wi Jigang? You call yourself the eldest?'
He made up his mind.
This time, he would be the one to step forward.
He wouldn't let his little brother carry the weight alone.
'Wi Jicheon, trust me. Focus on your studies. I'll handle this.'
With a sharp flick of his sleeves, he strode off—
a picture of brotherly resolve.
Except… that resolve didn't get him far.
Despite his confidence, Wi Jigang's attempt to win the apprentices back ended in failure.
"Damn it! Those fools aren't fit to be physicians! Treating patients like bags of silver!"
Wi Jicheon clicked his tongue as he watched his brother fume.
'Well, it was a tall order for him anyway.'
The Dragon of Medicine.
That would one day become Wi Jigang's title—earned after surpassing even the disciples of Heaven- and Star-grade healer families.
His medical skill would be second to none.
But raw skill didn't mean mastery in every field.
'Everyone has their role to play.'
"Don't be discouraged, Brother. Leave this to me—the future head of the Outer Hall."
"The… Outer Hall?"
"Yes. Uncle seems intent on appointing me as its successor. And I think it suits me perfectly."
His father, brother, and sister were all physicians whose talents would be admired across the Central Plains.
Wi Jicheon's job was to give them a stage big enough to shine.
"Besides," he added, "the apprentices leaving isn't necessarily a bad thing."
"What do you mean?"
"Let's be honest. Most of them weren't worth keeping."
The Divine Healer Clan's recruitment standards had fallen so low that nearly anyone could join.
Most were opportunists—people who only wanted to learn fast, earn fast, and leave fast.
He didn't despise them for that.
Greed was only human.
In truth, forcing people to work without fair pay while preaching "honor and compassion" was the greater hypocrisy.
Still—
'If we're to rebuild the Divine Healer Clan, we must change its foundation. We need true disciples—those who will dedicate their lives to this house, not treat it as a stepping stone.'
In short, he needed apprentices who would not just study medicine at the Divine Healer Clan—
but belong to it.