The Genius Doctor of the Mount Hua Sect - Chapter 14

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Huashan Sect Prodigy Physician — Chapter 14

“The Baekgum Sect has delivered a Challenge Letter?”
“Sect Leader, is that truly the case!?”
“Those bastards…….”
At the sect leader’s announcement, the disciples murmured in shock.
Baek Hyun was equally taken aback.
The Baekgum Sect.
He hadn’t expected them to openly declare war like this.
‘This is quite unexpected.’
He’d known they coveted Huashan’s position, but he hadn’t anticipated such a brazen move.
“Sect Leader, you mentioned a Challenge Letter — what exactly does it entail?”
Chung In, who had managed to maintain his composure, asked in a measured voice.
The Inner Sect Disciples, who had been chattering loudly, fell silent and waited for Yun Am’s response.
Yun Am exhaled heavily and withdrew a letter from his robes, holding it up for all to see.
“This is it.”
“This is…….”
“They’re proposing a Martial Exchange Event so the disciples of Baekgum can interact with ours. Participants must be twenty years old or younger — which means only Inner Sect Disciples are eligible.”
“How contemptible!”
“They deliberately avoided facing the Plum Blossom Swordmasters.”
“Sect Leader, surely you won’t accept such an absurd proposal?”
“I’m inclined to accept it. If we refuse here, it could give them the impression we’re backing down.”
Yun Am spoke with a grave expression settling over his features.
The disciples swallowed hard in response; the grim resolve etched on his face was unmistakable.
Baek Jin, who had been listening quietly, spoke in respectful tones.
“Then we must absolutely win for the honor of Huashan.”
“Yes. But it won’t be easy. That person is with Baekgum.”
“That person?”
“Seol Tae Jin. A late-stage prodigy who reached the First-class level at a young age. He’s the leader of Baekgum’s Inner Sect Disciples and their elder martial brother.”
“……!”
Everyone listening gasped.
A talent acclaimed as First-class, and not yet twenty? It made sense now why Baekgum had such confidence in making this proposal.
By comparison, Baek Jin, the leader of Huashan’s Inner Sect Disciples, had only recently begun to escape the latter stages of Second-class.
“There are other capable disciples among them as well. In fact, one of them was once accepted into Huashan as a disciple, but left us five years ago following that incident.”
“You’re referring to Ju Hyung Tae?”
“Indeed.”
Word had spread among the Inner Sect Disciples, and teeth were grinding in various corners of the hall.
‘I think I’ve seen him before in Baek Hyun’s memories.’
When a former brother became an enemy, it was certain to weigh heavily on their hearts.
“This is why you must win without fail. For the honor of the Huashan Sect!”
It was Chung Ho, an Inner Sect Disciple and member of the Plum Blossom Swordmaster, who stepped forward with a fierce gleam in his eyes.
“We cannot lose to trash like the Baekgum Sect! Let us show them the true strength of Huashan!”
“Yes!”
Everyone responded with passion, rallying to his call.
After all, those who remained in Huashan since that incident five years ago either had deep roots here or nowhere else to go.
With so many in that position, the Huashan Sect meant far more than just a martial faction.
It was home.
‘And the Baekgum Sect has just publicly declared their intention to humiliate that home.’
Given such circumstances, the outrage among both first and second-generation disciples was entirely justified.
‘I’m furious, so I can only imagine how the others must feel.’
While Baek Hyun was thinking this way, the sect leader spoke again.
“Take this, all of you.”
Yun Am had brought a box to the Inner Sect Disciples and opened it before them.
“This is……!”
Baek Jin cried out in amazement upon seeing the contents.
The others reacted the same way.
The moment the box opened, a fragrance of plum blossoms wafted through the air.
These were Xiaomeihua Dan, manufactured by Baek Hyun — and it appeared that most of what had been produced so far had been brought here.

“Your youngest disciple, Baek Hyun, has created something called the Xiaomeihua Dan. From now on, all of you Inner Sect Disciples are to take one.”
“Really? You’re giving these to us?”
“Yes. You are the future of this sect.”
Of course, the fact that the Xiaomeihua Dan could be made with nothing but materials—making it a low-grade Spiritual Medicine—had played no small part in the decision.
But even low-grade Spiritual Medicine was Spiritual Medicine.
The Inner Sect Disciples, who had rarely encountered such things, felt their faces flush with excitement.
Baek Hyun approached the sect leader and cupped his fist in salute.
“Sect Leader, I’m grateful for your decision. I’ll make sure to produce the rest for everyone as materials become available.”
“Good. I’m counting on you. I must say, it’s a relief to have you here.”
Yun Am smiled warmly at those words.
He meant them sincerely.
Without Baek Hyun, how could they have possibly produced so much Spiritual Medicine?
‘It would have been impossible.’
Even though they knew the formula, no one dared attempt it—not with expensive materials at stake.
It was only occasionally mentioned during Elder Council meetings as something they might try someday.
But no one had ever truly taken up the task.
They lacked the expertise and had no desire to bear the responsibility.
‘Yet Baek Hyun solved every single problem.’
He had not only created a flawless Spiritual Medicine on his first attempt but had also resolved their chronic shortage of materials immediately.
Small wonder, then, that as sect leader Yun Am had found himself grateful more times than he could count.
Yun Am, gazing at Baek Hyun with unmistakable pleasure, clapped his hands together.
“Very well. Everyone take what you’ve been given, and let’s move on to special training. It’s time we showed those Baekgum Sect bastards what we’re made of.”
“Yes!”
The Inner Sect Disciples’ voices rang out in unison.
From that day forward, Huashan Sect threw itself into intensive training to defeat Baekgum Sect.
And ten days later.
The promised day of the Martial Exchange Event arrived.

* * *

The sky on the day of the Martial Exchange Event was perfectly clear, without a single cloud.
Goak Hyung, the sect master of Baekgum Sect, climbed the rugged Huashan peaks with a sinister grin spreading across his face.
“We’ll be there soon. I can see the Huashan Mountain Gate ahead.”
He spoke to his disciples, who marched in formation behind him.
Goak Hyung’s expression brimmed with unshakeable confidence.
“Win decisively. Show those arrogant Huashan fools that Hwaam County has a new master now. Do you understand?!”
“Yes!”
The Baekgum Sect disciples responded in a thunderous chorus to his forceful words.
Satisfied, Goak Hyung flashed a smile and strode purposefully toward the Huashan Mountain Gate.
There were already people waiting for him.
“Welcome to Huashan Sect.”
It was Yun Gyung, an elder of Huashan Sect.
Behind Yun Gyung, the Inner Sect Disciples of Huashan Sect stood in formation, their eyes sharp and piercing as they regarded the newcomers from Baekgum Sect.
It was a challenge of sorts, but Goak Hyung dismissed it with a scoff.
He was not a man to be intimidated by the glares of mere youths, and besides, he had expected no warm welcome.
“Where is your sect leader? Why have you come instead?”
“The sect leader is occupied with pressing matters.”
“I see. And those behind you are the disciples who’ll be fighting today? Heh heh…….”
Goak Hyung let out a peculiar laugh.
From what he could sense, their overall strength was firmly in the Second-class range.
It was natural enough given their age, but Baekgum Sect had disciples of the same years wielding swords at the First-class level and beyond.
In other words, there was a fundamental gap in their abilities.
And more than that…….
‘All my disciples took Huoqi Dan before we arrived here.’
Huoqi Dan was a stimulant that induced a state of awakening, allowing one to exert power beyond their normal capabilities while the drug’s effects lasted.
It was the trump card he had prepared.
In any match below the First-class level, there was a considerable difference between those who had taken such elixirs and those who hadn’t. Of course, discovery would be a serious matter…….
‘As long as no one finds out, it doesn’t matter.’
With that thought, he swept his gaze across the Huashan Inner Sect Disciples.
But then.
“…….”
An odd gaze caught his attention.
Goak Hyung traced it and locked eyes with a young man watching him.
At first glance, there was nothing particularly striking about him.
A well-defined face, handsome enough—and perhaps a pallor to his complexion that suggested frailty, but nothing more.
‘What’s this?’
Yet something felt off.
Everyone else looked at him with undisguised hostility, but this boy’s gaze alone had seized his attention in an inexplicable way.
A predator’s stare, cold and focused on prey.
‘Am I really this unsettled by the gaze of a mere inner sect disciple?’
He was keyed up, his senses sharpened by adrenaline—that had to be it.
Goak Hyung dismissed the thought with a shrug and turned his attention back to Yun Gyung.
“Where will the martial exchange take place?”
“We’ve settled on Dolin Plain. It’s spacious enough to accommodate a crowd.”
“Excellent. Have many spectators arrived?”
“Those interested in this matter climbed Huashan before you did. They’re waiting for your arrival now.”
“Then we mustn’t keep them waiting any longer.”
Goak Hyung spoke with absolute confidence, and Yun Gyung answered with a resigned sigh and a nod.
“Follow me. I’ll guide you to Dolin Plain.”
Yun Gyung turned and led his inner sect disciples ahead.
Goak Hyung grinned and fell into step behind them.
They soon arrived at the vast space known as Dolin Plain.
“The Baekgum Sect!”
“Wahhhhh!”
“It’s finally beginning!”
Spectators who had come early to Huashan cried out in excitement.
The arrival of the Baekgum Sect meant the exchange event between the two sects was about to commence.
Yun Gyung led Goak Hyung and his disciples to their prepared seats, then approached the waiting Yun Am and bowed.
“Sect Master, everything is ready.”
“Good.”
Yun Am nodded and took his place atop the training grounds prepared on Dolin Plain, standing tall.
He surveyed the gathered crowd and spoke.
“We now begin the Martial Exchange Event between the Huashan Sect and the Baekgum Sect.”
His grave voice resonated across the plain.
“Wahhhhh!”
A tremendous roar, thick with anticipation, shook through the Huashan Sect’s grounds.

* * *

The inner sect disciples of Huashan watched their opponents silently from the spectator seats, taking their measure.
Assessing, calculating.
The Baekgum disciples reciprocated, their faces twisted with hostility as they stared back.
The air was thick with the weight of their conviction: they had to surpass Huashan.
“They look pretty ordinary to me, honestly.”
Lee Chung Woon spoke then, his tone playful as he tried to lighten the mood.
But Baek Jin swiftly reproved him.
“Don’t lower your guard. Until we know their full strength, we fight with everything we have.”
“Of course we will. I just mean we shouldn’t be so tense about it. Right, Baek Hyun?”
“Yes, that’s… true.”
“Hmm? That’s an odd answer. What’s wrong? Is something off?”
“A little.”
Baek Hyun narrowed his eyes as he spoke.
‘What’s wrong with them?’
Something about the Baekgum disciples’ condition struck him as wrong.
‘Dilated pupils, bloodshot eyes. I could attribute it to nerves, but…….’
Their breathing was rough, their faces flushed, their energy wild—as if they might burst into fury at any moment.
And that wasn’t all.
Thick veins bulged prominently along their necks and temples. Not just one or two—all of them.
‘They’ve taken something. A temporary boost to their strength—some kind of medicine.’
Baek Hyun grasped it instantly. He turned to regard Goak Hyung with a peculiar expression. Should he expose this now?
‘No, no.’
If he revealed it, the match would be halted and chaos would erupt.
But there was no clear evidence that they’d used an awakening agent. He could explain the symptoms himself, but whether people would believe him was another matter entirely.
‘My reputation isn’t high enough yet, after all.’
The Baekgum Sect would deny it, and worse, they’d likely turn the tables and accuse Baek Hyun of making false accusations. That would create a real mess.
‘Well, for now it’s best to wait and see. Besides, we’ve taken Spiritual Medicine ourselves not long ago.’
Either way, both sides were pulling out all the stops to win. Baek Hyun let out a quiet laugh and looked at the still-tense inner disciples.
“Senior Baek Jin, give me your hand.”
“Huh? Ugh!”
When Baek Hyun pressed firmly on the Neiguan Acupoint on his palm, Baek Jin let out a groan.
He winced in pain for a moment, but his expression quickly shifted to surprise.
Baek Hyun smiled as he explained.
“You’re feeling calmer, yes? The Neiguan Acupoint eases heart palpitations, anxiety, and nausea.”
“Ah, I see. Yes, I do feel noticeably calmer.”
“Compose yourself mentally. It goes the same for the other senior disciples.”
“Junior! Could you do the same thing for me that you did for Senior Baek Jin?”
“I’m asking too!”
Apparently they’d been quite tense, for they began eagerly extending their wrists to Baek Hyun.
Baek Hyun pressed the Neiguan and Shenmen Acupoints of each, settling their anxiety.
Their expressions grew visibly lighter.
While they were doing this,
“Let the first representatives from both sides step forward.”
From the arena came the Master’s voice, signaling that the Martial Exchange Event was ready to begin.
The inner disciples’ eyes reflexively turned toward someone.
The first competitor to step forward was crucial, and they’d already decided who it would be.
“Then I’ll crush them all and come back!”
A woman, fists clenched tight, smiled with fierce determination.
Yu Chung Ah strode purposefully toward the arena.
The Martial Exchange Event had officially begun.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————