Even Jang Sam, who had once found it all amusing, ended up pitying the new medical disciples.
There was an old saying in the Central Plains:
The most terrifying kind of madman is the one who believes in his own cause.
'Not that Senior Brother is a madman, of course, but… ugh.'
How could they dare think such a thing?
Their senior brother was their savior — the man who had freed them all from the shackles of debt.
'…Unless he paid off our debts just so we couldn't escape and he could work us to death instead?'
That would have been the right answer. But they refused to accept it.
To them, Wi Jicheon was simply pure — too pure, too genius, too selfless. A monster born not from malice, but from too much devotion.
In any case, after enduring his infernal "training," none of them feared the upcoming examination.
A furious Binghak Sama So?
Who cared?
They had already survived something far worse — the hands of a demon.
'…What's with those guys?'
'Creepy.'
The disciples from other houses instinctively avoided the Divine Healer's group, shuddering at their strange calm.
Then the examination began.
"The written test will now commence. You have two hours."
Binghak Sama So's voice was sharp as frost.
The examinees received their test papers — and their faces immediately turned pale.
'What kind of insane questions are these?!'
Explain the reasoning behind the twelve organs not being included among the three hundred fifty-four meridian points.
Describe why the kidneys are considered the source of life, from the perspectives of Kidney Yin and Kidney Yang.
And so on.
'These are topics for scholars and medical theorists, not for an apprentice exam!'
The principles of Yin-Yang and the Five Elements formed the foundation of all medicine.
Just as all things under heaven balanced Yin and Yang within the cycle of the Five Elements, so too did the human body.
But very few of the students here had studied such things deeply.
Why?
Because it was too difficult — and too far removed from the modern medical approach.
Over time, medicine, too, followed trends.
The current dominant school of thought was Symptom Theory — treatment based on visible symptoms.
For example, "If there is phlegm, use Da Chaihu Tang; if the patient has fever and anxiety, use Taohe Chengqi Tang."
It was straightforward and efficient — objective, even.
In contrast, Differential Diagnosis Theory — the old doctrine of identifying the root imbalance behind each illness — depended on the physician's perception. Two doctors could diagnose the same patient differently, and their treatments could vary completely.
The result depended entirely on the doctor's insight and ability.
And that was precisely what made it hard.
In the old days, masters passed down such wisdom to disciples personally. But in this age of lecture halls and mass learning, that kind of deep mentorship had all but vanished.
And so most of the examinees could do nothing but stare helplessly at their papers.
Except for a few.
Scratch!
Pens moved briskly.
Without a hint of hesitation, the disciples of the Divine Healer's House began writing.
'Easier than expected!'
'We studied all this — it's basic at the Divine Healer's House!'
'That question? Senior Brother used to sing it to us like a lullaby while we were half-dead from exhaustion! I cursed him for not letting me rest, but now… I'm sorry for not understanding your deep intentions, Senior Brother!'
Differential Diagnosis Theory — a relic of the past.
In other words, the doctrine that had flourished when the Divine Healer's House reigned supreme.
In fact, it was their house that had spread this theory across the Central Plains in the first place — and they still held onto it faithfully.
'In other words, this entire exam is tailored perfectly to our teachings.'
Wi Jicheon whistled inwardly.
Of course, even his disciples hadn't studied the theory in great depth — only on a surface level.
But that was enough to handle the questions before them.
'These aren't high-level problems anyway.'
Even in his anger, Sama So wouldn't give out completely unreasonable questions.
To him, these were fundamentals every physician should know.
Thump!
The written test ended, and the next rounds began.
The next subject: Herbal Medicine Preparation.
Once again, chaos ensued.
Prepare Zhu Ling Powder (豬苓散).
It was a common formula, used to treat kidney issues.
Everyone knew how to make it.
But there was a catch.
'Wait — where's the Zhu Ling?! The key ingredient is missing!'
There were plenty of other herbs, but the main one was gone.
They were supposed to make Zhu Ling Powder — without Zhu Ling.
"E-esteemed Master Binghak, this… this question seems a little…"
Dan Socheon, head of the Huazhong House, stammered nervously.
"Is there a problem?"
"H-how could apprentices solve something like this? They're not herbal scholars!"
"Has Huazhong House never run out of ingredients before?"
"…Pardon?"
"When patients are pouring in and supplies run short, what do you do? Zhu Ling is a particularly rare herb — what would you do then?"
Dan Socheon fell silent.
His house had never faced such a thing.
They were wealthy; they always kept abundant stock — and they only treated rich patrons anyway.
Shortages were the problem of the poor.
For the Divine Healer's House, however, it was a daily struggle.
They constantly ran out of herbs, so every one of their physicians had learned to improvise substitutes. Even the new disciples had been taught basic replacement methods.
'And this is exactly the kind of question Sama So values most. Wandering physicians often have to work with scarce ingredients.'
In truth, Sama So's philosophy and the Divine Healer's House aligned in many ways.
That was precisely why Wi Jicheon had stolen the exam papers — to make him angry.
The more Sama So fumed and made the test difficult, the more advantageous it became for them.
'If the exam had been normal, we wouldn't have stood out. Every house would have done about the same.'
Now, the Divine Healer's disciples brewed their concoctions with perfect precision.
Even the Iron Horse House managed to fumble their way through — they were used to scarcity too.
But the Huazhong disciples?
They were paralyzed.
'Damn it. These questions only favor those pauper bastards from the Divine Healer's House!'
Dan Ak, the Huazhong heir, ground his teeth.
He had fully expected to take first place — yet now he was staring at failure.
That useless "fool" from the Divine Healer's House was doing better than him!
'Could it be that Wi Jicheon bastard stole the questions? Otherwise, how could that idiot know the answers?!'
His suspicion was born of resentment — and ironically, it was true. But he would never be able to prove it.
'I'll crush them. The title of Earth-Grade House will belong to Huazhong, not to those beggars!'
Wi Jicheon noticed his glare and smirked faintly.
'Cute.'
A brat's petty hostility was hardly worth concern.
'Still, the test's been dull so far. A bit of entertainment won't hurt.'
Besides, he knew Dan Ak was one of those who had bullied Dan Yeo. No guilt required, then.
He flicked his fingers ever so slightly — a move so subtle even Sama So's sharp eyes couldn't detect it.
Had a true master witnessed it, they would have gasped in admiration.
And what did Wi Jicheon do with that magnificent technique?
"!!"
Dan Ak froze mid-glare, locked in place — eyes still fixed on Wi Jicheon.
He had only been glancing at him before, but now his entire body stiffened, completely immobile.
'W-what—?!'
The paralysis lasted only moments — perhaps ten breaths.
But it was long enough.
"You! What are you doing? Are you trying to cheat during the exam?!"
Dan Ak nearly fainted.
"N-no! My body just froze for a second—!!"
"Froze?"
Sama So's eyes went cold.
"What, did a sudden wind strike you? You cheat and then lie about it? You call yourself a physician? From this day forth, you are barred from all examinations for the next five years!"
"I'm innocent!!!"
But his cries fell on deaf ears.
To everyone else, it only made him look more suspicious — maybe even the one who'd stolen the test questions.
"…That one cheated."
Dan Yeo watched him being dragged away, her expression unreadable.
"Looks like divine punishment."
"Pardon?"
"He's just getting what he deserves for all the harm he's done. Don't you think so?"
Hearing the calm voice of her young senior brother, Dan Yeo felt something stir in her chest.
She couldn't say it out loud, but ever since joining the Divine Healer's House, her life had begun to change.
For the first time, she no longer felt trapped in darkness.
Back at Huazhong, her world had been nothing but clouded despair.
But here — for the first time — she could see light.
A future.
And she wasn't the only one who felt that way.
Every one of the new disciples shared the same thought.
Thump!
The Divine Healer's disciples completed their tasks confidently, and the first half of the exam — the theoretical portion — came to an end.
"..."
The other houses fell silent.
The results weren't out yet, but the outcome was already clear.
Everyone could feel it.
Still, they had no idea — the Divine Healer's disciples hadn't even revealed their full power yet.
"Move to the next location. The next segment of the examination will begin immediately — the Medical Cultivation Test."
The Medical Cultivation Test.
At those words, the eyes of the Divine Healer's disciples began to gleam.