Library of Heaven's Path

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

Initially, they thought that the other party might really possess true capability as it was unlikely that a teacher would cause trouble given their esteemed standing. However, after hearing the other party's words, they realized...

They were overthinking it!

To not even know the procedures to the physician examination, the heck was he taking the examination for!?

Suppressing his anger, the guard leader said, "Liu laoshi, since you don't even know the procedure for the physician examination, I think... it is better for you to just drop the matter..."

"Drop the matter?"

Zhang Xuan shook his head, "I don't want to take the examination as well, but you just told me that it is impossible to buy those medicinal herbs if I'm not a physician! Alright, you just have to tell me what is tested on the physician examination, I'll settle the rest!"

The crowd tugged on their hair.

We don't want to bother you either... Just that, don't you think that you are going a little too far, attempting to take the physician examination despite knowing nothing at all?

However, since you are so adamant to shame yourself, we'll wash our hands clean of this matter then...

Displeased, the complexion of the guard leader darkened further. Even so, he still explained the procedures of the examination, "Similar to the examinations of other occupations, the physician examination tests one's theoretical knowledge and practical skills... After you enter the Physician Hall, there will be some specialized personnel to bring you around..."

Hearing those words, the young man nodded, turned around, and walked to the Physician Hall.

"Physician Hu, the one in charge of the Physician Hall, detests this kind of ignorant examinee who banks on sheer luck to pass. That fellow is probably in for a round of misfortune!"

"I thought that teachers will at least conduct themselves with propriety in consideration of their standing. But from the looks of it, it seems like I was expecting too much... To not even know the procedures of the physician examination, how can he possibly pass the examination?"

"Indeed! If it was so easy to become a physician, there wouldn't be just thirty physicians in the entire city!"

...

Seeing how that fellow walked into the Physician Hall despite knowing nothing at all, everyone shook their heads.

The guard leader initially thought that the other party might truly possess true capability. However, upon realizing that the other party was truly ignorant, he felt disdain toward the other party as well.

It was often said that the academy's teachers were respectable and modest. After seeing this teacher, he realized that it was all bullshit!

Have you seen a person who would dare to take the physician examination despite not knowing a single thing at all?

"Alright, Ya Rou xiaojie, we will continue our patrol. See you later..."

Eventually, the guard leader clasped his fist and prepared to leave. But just as he was about to leave, the ground beneath him suddenly shook. A loud chime reverberated within the Physician Guild.

Dong!

It seemed to originate from a huge bell, and under the deafening reverberation, even the ground tremored.

"What's going on?"

"I've got no idea, but it sounds like it came from the Physician Hall!"

"Physician Hall?"

"That seems to be the case..."

...

After hearing the sound, the patients who were lined up for a diagnosis burst into commotion.

In contrast to the confusion of the patients, the guard leader's face turned ghastly pale, and he began to tremble uncontrollably. With a fearful voice, he uttered, "This fellow... it can't be that he barged into the [Wall of Dilemma]..."

"Wall of Dilemma? What's that?"

Ya Rou asked doubtfully.

She was just a front receptionist. While she was roughly aware of the rules surrounding the physician examination, she didn't know the specific tests on the examination.

"The Wall of Dilemma... is a place where the incurable illnesses are recorded... The illnesses that no one in the Physician Guild has been able to cure for the past century!" The guard leader seemed as though he was about to cry.

"The illnesses that no one in the Physician Guild has been able to cure for the past century? Even a 3-star physician like Mu Hong?"

Ya Rou was taken aback.

In their Physician Guild branch, the most skilled physician was 3-star Physician Mu Hong!

If the illnesses that no one could cure were recorded on the wall, didn't that mean that even 3-star Physician Mu Hong was helpless before them as well?

"Indeed..."

The guard leader nodded his head, "Not just him, the physicians in our guild for the past few generations had been unable to do so as well. That's why it is called the Wall of Dilemma..."

"If that's the case, why do you look so worried? Since it's a place where difficult illnesses are recorded, it shouldn't be a problem for him to enter, right?"

Ya Rou was perplexed.

She thought that it was a huge affair. In the end, didn't that teacher just enter the place where difficult illnesses were recorded?

At most, the teacher could just back off after realizing his ignorance. As the guard leader of the Physician Guild, do you really need to be trembling uncontrollably like this over such a small matter?

Ya Rou wasn't the only one, the other guards were bewildered as well.

Their leader had always been a calm person. Taking the encounter from a moment ago as example, even though he was infuriated by the other party's arrogance, he still remained calm and responded to his queries patiently and politely.

Why would someone as calm as him become so nervous upon finding out that the other party had barged into this Wall of Dilemma?

"You all don't know what that place represents..."

Seeing the casual look on everyone's faces, the guard leader shook his head.

"What that place represents?"

"That's right! The Wall of Dilemma is a place... where only the guild leader of each generation is qualified to enter! Entering such a place means to challenge the incumbent guild leader for his position!"

With pale, trembling lips, the guard leader explained.

"Challenging the guild leader… for his position?"

Everyone felt their vision turning dark.

What in the world was going on?

Why would barging into the Wall of Dilemma equate challenging the guild leader?

"Written on the Wall of Dilemma are problems that had stumped the physicians of the guild for a long period of time."

Seeing the doubt in everyone's eyes, the guard leader smiled bitterly and explained, "In order to become the guild leader, one has to possess medical skills far surpassing the others so as to win the respect of the entire guild!"

Everyone nodded.

It was natural that one had to possess skills far surpassing other members to become a guild leader of an occupation!

"Unlike cultivation, the Way of Medicine isn't something that can be quantified. You can't simply gauge a person's medical skills by how long the treatment takes. After all, a complete treatment involves many aspects such as the post-recovery care and checking whether any trauma was inflicted in the process of the treatment... A person might be able to treat a patient within two days, but in the end, he might only be treating the symptoms rather than the root of the problem, thus leaving room for the illness to make a comeback. On the other hand, another physician could take a whole month to treat the same patient but he could be treating the root of the problem instead..."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

The strength of a cultivator could be easily gauged via a fight. But for physicians, it was harder to quantify one's ability. Different physicians had different specializations, and the fastest treatment might not necessarily be the most effective one.

This was even more so when the two physicians were around the same level.

"Thus, the Physician Guild came up with a way to determine if a physician was superior to another—the Wall of Dilemma!"

The guard leader continued, "Recorded on the wall are the most difficult problems the physicians of the guild have faced throughout the years, and only those who intend to challenge the current guild leader would enter its premise. The more problems one solve, the more advanced one's medical skill is deemed to be, and thus, the easier it will be for one to gain the respect of the entire guild! If one couldn't even solve a single problem, it will be taken as that the other party was causing trouble and challenging the guild leader's authority. As such, that person will be punished!"

"This..."

Everyone blinked their eyes as they came to a realization.

It was no wonder why he was so anxious.

Despite knowing nothing at all, the other party barged into the Wall of Dilemma—an action taken as a challenge against guild leader. If he were to fail to solve any of the problems listed, he would be subjected to a severe punishment.

On the other hand, they, who had 'misled' him, might be implicated as well.

"But since the illnesses listed on the Wall of Dilemma are problems that no one in the guild is able to solve, even if he were to answer them wrong... No one should know of it, right?"

After a moment of silence, Ya Rou asked.

Since it was a wall full of questions that no one could solve, no one should be able to say for sure whether a person's answer was right or wrong!

Even if that fellow were to answer randomly, he might just be able to smoke his way through.

"If only it was that simple..."

The guard leader smiled bitterly, "The Wall of Dilemma is a unique Spirit artifact that is linked to the headquarters. If someone challenges the Wall of Dilemma, a 4-star physician on the other side of the wall will check the answer personally. If he deems it to be correct, an orange glow will appear on the wall; if he deems it to be wrong, a red glow will appear instead!"

"Linked to the headquarters?"

"Glow?"

Everyone was stunned.

If that was the case, it was impossible for that Liu laoshi to falsify his results. Given how ignorantly that fellow acted just now, red glows would only appear again and again, and then... it would be the end of them!

"Then that bell is..."

Ya Rou asked.

"That bell informs the entire Physician Guild that someone has triggered the Wall of Dilemma to challenge the guild leader..." At this, the guard leader froze and pointed forward, "We're done for..."

Looking toward where his finger was pointed at, the edges of everyone's mouths twitched.

More than a dozen of the top echelons of the guild were currently walking toward them.

"Guild Leader Mu Hong, 3-star Physician Du Rao, Physician Cheng Feng..."

Every time a name was called, Ya Rou's eyebrows would twitch once.

They were all figures in the upper echelon of the Physician Guild. The chiming of the bell had summoned all of them here!

For someone to challenge him... it was clear how awful the Guild Leader Mu Hong's complexion would be.

"What happened?"

Guild Leader Mu Hong immediately walked to the Physician Hall and asked imposingly.

"Reporting to the guild leader, a person has just entered, and he seems to be challenging... the Wall of Dilemma!" An apprentice who was done diagnosing a patient replied.

He didn't see the situation clearly, but after hearing the bell, he heard a thing or two from the discussions in the surroundings.

"Challenging the Wall of Dilemma?"

Guild Leader Mu Hong's eyebrow twitched.

Someone was eyeing his seat!

"Who is it?"

"I... I didn't get a good look at him. However, he seemed to came from over there so the front receptionist might know something!" The apprentice hesitated for a moment before replying.

"The receptionist? Call those guys over!"

Guild Leader Mu Hong instructed. Ya Rou and the guards had no choice but to walk over with tearful faces.

"Speak, what happened? Who is the one who challenged the Wall of Dilemma?" The guild leader spoke authoritatively.

"Reporting to the guild leader, it's a teacher from Tianwu Academy who goes by the surname of Liu..."

The guard leader trembled in fear, but he mustered his courage and answered.

"A teacher who goes by the surname of Liu?"

Physician Mu Hong blinked, "Why would a teacher enter the Wall of Dilemma?"

"He is here for the physician examination, so we directed him to the Physician Hall... We also have no idea how he managed to enter the Wall of Dilemma..."

The guard leader said with a quivering voice.

"He is here for the physician examination? How many stars is he? To challenge the Wall of Dilemma, is he a 3-star physician? But this doesn't make sense..."

Guild Leader Mu Hong frowned as he contemplated over the matter.

Since the other party dared to challenge the Wall of Dilemma and him, he had to be at least a 3-star physician, but when did... such an incredible physician appear in Tianwu Academy?

"3-star?" The guard leader nearly fainted. "Reporting to the guild leader... he doesn't have a rank yet, and he isn't even an apprentice!"

"He isn't even an apprentice? And yet, he dares to challenge me?" A dark line streaked across Physician Mu Hong's forehead. "Is his medical skills outstanding?"

"Outstanding..." The guard leader cried. "It... it's possible that... he doesn't know medicine at all!"