Chapter Eight: I'm Just A Freshman
Michael turned to the elders. "Is there any way to check if there's someone else taking the examination?" He asked with a slight frown.
"You suspect that Simon is not the one who induced the green glow?" Elder Kelvin asked, seeing through the young man's thoughts. The latter nodded.
"The green glow is a legend. It's not something an ignorant person like him can induce. Even the principal didn't induce a green glow during all his examinations." Michael harrumphed. At the same time, he couldn't help but wonder if he was wrong. Maybe Simon really managed to induce the green glow. But as the thought formed, he shook his head. That couldn't be possible. If it was, he'd just revoke his identity as a student of the Sanctum of Physicians, and serve as Simon's servant.
While the spectators were arguing wildly outside, Simon was within the exam room, looking at a golden sculpture with a little shake of his head. The examination room—or better still, a wide hall with different books laid down on a table alongside inscriptions on the wall—had an upright and warm feel to it, making anyone who stepped into it swiftly enter a calm state of mind. This state of mind was known as The State Of None. It meant that one would focus only on what they wanted to. This was the perfect state of mind for every physician.
"You want me to teach you medicine?" Simon asked the golden sculpture. He had a bizarre look on his face. At the same time, he was lamenting on how hard it was to stay low-key.
The golden sculpture bowed. "Yes, Master," he replied, excitement written over his stone face. Twenty minutes ago, the young man had walked in to challenge the examination. Thinking about what happened made him almost want to bow his head in shame. Aiyaaa.
Maybe he should follow this talented Master in order to learn medicine. Oh. That won't do. He was just a sculpture.
Simon nodded. "I can teach you. Prepare." He instructed. The sculpture waved his hand, and an ancient simulator geared around, creating an illusion of some sort.
"I'm ready." The sculpture smiled. A patient was lying within the illusion, her eyes tightly shut, her skin ashen and sick-looking. Her lips were more blue than red, her hands frail.
"Alright. This patient is afflicted with Cease-breath venom from the Seven-fanged venomous snake found in dangerous terrains." Simon swiftly deduced. A flamelike mark on his forehead glowed, as he tapped into his powers as a God. However, due to the sculpture's low level of cultivation, he couldn't see it of course.
"Y-you are able to tell what she's afflicted with, with just a gaze?" If he had real teeth, he was sure they'd be clattering in shock. He'd thought that no matter how talented this new Master of his was, he'd take at least fifty minutes or an hour to deduce the kind of illness the lady was plagued with. After all, no one in the Sanctum, including the current principal, had been able to solve the case. The golden sculpture was in fact the guardian of the academy, and he'd been relaxing and trying to read a bit to brush up his knowledge, when a young lad interrupted him. Before he could lash out, the lad had activated the examination meant for only the Sages of the academy—the level four physician examination—and began answering them.
What was shocking was that he actually cleared the examination, and even induced the green glow! Shocked beyond words, he'd immediately acknowledged the young man and requested for his help in furthering his knowledge.
"Of course. Is there anything unusual about that?" Simon waved his hand nonchalantly.
The golden sculpture shook his head. "Please go on, Master." He requested with a polite bow.
Simon went on. "In order to solve the affliction, all you need to do is focus on her lower abdomen, and channel your Qi without making any contact. Then seal off her hearing with your Qi, and jolt her shoulders." He finished off.
The golden sculpture frowned. "But Master, the lower abdomen isn't known for harboring the venom of a poisoned person. Wouldn't directing the Qi there block her veins?"
Simon chuckled. "You'll know why, once you give it a try." He shrugged.
The golden sculpture nodded and went over to the lady lying in the illusion, then focused on treating her just like Simon instructed. The lady jolted, her body shaking violently. Then she went limp all of a sudden. The sculpture's mouth twitched.
"Is she dead?" He asked hesitantly.
"Dead? She's not. Direct your Qi towards her fingers and withdraw it almost immediately." He instructed. The sculpture hesitated for a moment, but did it anyway. Astonishingly, just as he was about to withdraw his Qi, a black smoke sprang from her fingers towards his body, but suddenly vanished without a trace.
"That was the venom!" The sculpture's body shook. He turned to Simon in order to ask for an explanation.
"W-what happened just now, Master?" He asked. He was a guardian of the academy. That went to say he harnessed the knowledge that far surpassed that of even the current principal, needless to say the disciples. Yet, he was unable to make sense of what just happened. He'd never seen a venom that possessed such sentience before. Even though it'd been an illusion, he'd still felt the eerie sensation from it before it disappeared.
"Before I answer your question, can you tell me one of the characteristics of the Seven-fanged snake?" He asked calmly.
The golden sculpture thought about it for a moment. "It's known for its ability to camouflage, and inject its venom into unsuspecting individuals." He responded.
Simon nodded in agreement. "You forgot one thing. The Seven-fanged snake can't easily camouflage itself without being cunning. It's super cunny and wary that this particular characteristic of it has spread to even its venom. Earlier on when I instructed you to direct your Qi towards the lady's lower abdomen, the venom sensed your intention to treat the lady, and should've moved to her shoulders—the second safe place to hide. However, when you sealed off her hearing, it panicked, wondering if you were trying to lure it out. Hence, it decided to rattle the lady's body, and make her go into a death-like state. The finger is distinctly connected to the shoulders in every cultivator's body. When you directed your Qi towards her fingers, its panic went into full mode, and it decided to poison you instead. However, by swiftly retracting your Qi, it was nullified by the cultivator's energy in the area, hence its dissipation." He explained.
The sculpture's eyes widened in shock. "There's such a way as well?" His mouth was so wide that eggs could be stuffed into them at that moment. His eyes cleared as the efficient method unraveled in his mind. "I see." He muttered. He commended himself once more for acknowledging the young man as his Master.
"For solving this young lady's illness, you've automatically been promoted to a level four physician. Congratulations, Master." He smiled.
Simon was taken aback. "Level four? What do you mean?" Wasn't he here to take the level one exam? When did it suddenly become level four? If that was so, wasn't the exam too…shabby?
Seeing the weird look on his Master's face, the golden sculpture frowned. "Is there anything wrong, Master?" He asked carefully. He handed a staff with four black stars gleaming on its surface to Simon. The staff was made of gold, and it had a dignified aura to it, signifying the owner's position.
Simon was silent for a moment then he shook his head. "No, no, there isn't."
The sculpture nodded, then he continued. "As a level four physician with the merits of one thousand, you're qualified to become the principal of the academy." He announced with a wide smile.
"Principal?" A constipated look appeared on Simon's face.
"Of course. Merits means that you've helped in finding the solution to an illness that even the predecessors couldn't solve." He explained.
"Oh. But the school has a principal already, doesn't it?" He questioned with a slight frown.
"Yes. But here at the Sanctum Of Physicians, every principal is chosen based on merits. The current principal only has twenty merits. There'd be no resistance if I personally appoint you." The sculpture quickly explained. He was a bit nervous that his master would turn down the offer.
"The principal has only twenty, while I currently possess one thousand?" Simon choked out. He could see his plan of staying low-key going down the drain. He clasped his forehead. Aiyaaaa.
"That reminds me, Master. Are you a First Elder, or a Core Elder? Since you were here to take the level four examination, you should be a Core Elder right?" He asked, beaming with a bright smile.
"First Elder? Core Elder? Ah, I'm none of those." Simon clarified.
"You're not? Then–" the sculpture paused.
"Ahh," an embarrassed look covered Simon's face.
"I'm just a freshman at the academy. I arrived today. I came here to take the level one physician examination."
The sculpture's body trembled, almost like he'd been afflicted with stroke. "Y-y-you are what?"