The Best Solution Is a Man Obsessed with Herbs

'Wait... you couldn't hear?'

Gong Chayoung was in shock. Over the past six months, she had been treating Village Head Bae Eundong, and she had never once heard a mention of hearing issues, nor had she ever noticed a thing. On top of that, he’d been in a major accident?

It seemed she wasn't the only one surprised; Village Head Bae looked flustered as he demanded, "Who told you that! Was it someone from Baejae-ri? Or don't tell me... was it Park Chunsik?"

Kyungwoo shook his head. "Please, calm down. It came up during the diagnosis."

"You can tell that just from the pulse?"

"You have a habit of turning your body slightly to the left when you talk. And when you get angry, don't you raise your voice even louder to hide the fact that you can't hear the other person well?"

"...You're right."

'Why couldn't I see that?' Chayoung felt dejected. According to her mentor, he had discovered the hearing loss purely through mangjin (visual diagnosis). She had the same two eyes, so why had she missed it?

But how did he know about the accident?

"I checked your pulse, and it didn't feel like the gradual hearing loss that comes with aging. In Oriental medicine, the ears are the organs most directly connected to one's vital energy. If your vital energy was so depleted that it affected your hearing, there must have been a major incident to cause it."

"That's truly miraculous... I see why everyone calls you a master."

Only then did Village Head Bae open up. "That... I was in a major car accident in Chungju ten months ago."

"What kind of surgery did you have?"

"I had an exploratory laparotomy for a ruptured intestine. They said they cut out over ten centimeters of it."

"And you experienced sudden sensorineural hearing loss after that surgery?"

At those words, Chayoung finally let out a sigh. 'Sudden sensorineural hearing loss...!'

"Yeah... they told me I had to treat it quickly, so I got those steroid shots or whatever. But only about thirty percent came back... it didn't improve beyond that. Even now, this ear feels stuffed."

"Why haven't you worn a hearing aid?"

"Am I some old man sitting in the back room? Why would I wear a hearing aid already! None of my friends are wearing them yet."

Losing one's hearing is a symbol of aging. To some, a hearing aid isn't just a tool for assistance; it’s an admission that they have truly become an old person. Village Head Bae, who was already hyper-aware of others' gazes, clearly couldn't bring himself to accept that fact. He must have desperately hidden his hearing loss from those around him after being discharged.

In that process, the frustration of not hearing well led to anger, and to hide the fact that he hadn't heard properly, he would blame others and lash out—a vicious cycle that made his personality increasingly prickly.

"So... can it really be cured?"

"It would have been better if we had started sooner, but it will be much better than it is now."

Gradual hearing loss is physiological. But hearing loss that drops sharply due to an accident is pathological. Of course, the regeneration of auditory cells is limited, and there was nothing to be done about the parts where the auditory nerves had already been damaged over time...

But they were still alive. The flow of the meridians.

Swoosh—

Village Head Bae, blinking as if he couldn't believe it, reached out and grabbed Kyungwoo’s hand. With teary eyes, he pleaded, "Then... please, fix it, Doctor. Please...!"

Chayoung’s heart sank. Whether they were prickly or rude, there was no one who could resist the person who could heal them. A single rope hanging over a cliff—that was what a doctor was to a patient.

The causes are diverse, most commonly viral, autoimmune, or circulatory. But in the case of an elderly patient immediately following surgery, it could be diagnosed as a rapid depletion of vital energy and a decline in the function of the Foot Shaoyang Gallbladder Meridian.

Treatment required Boshingobon (nourishing the kidneys and consolidating the foundation) as a base, combined with Cheonghyeolsopung (clearing blood and dispelling wind) and Tongrakgaegyu (opening the meridians and orifices).

Kyungwoo examined the area around Village Head Bae’s right ear and asked Chayoung, "What are the three essential acupoints in front of the ear for treating tinnitus or hearing loss?"

"Yimen, Tinggong, and Tinghui!" Chayoung answered, tense. She hadn't been this nervous even when following professors on rounds during her internship.

"If you had come early on, reinforcing the stagnant meridian flow would have been enough, but that won't work now. We have to strike and wake up the meridians and collaterals that have hardened in this lethargic state."

Chayoung asked, as if spellbound, "How can you wake them up?"

"Deqi (obtaining the qi) and thermal stimulation. Miyoung, prepare the warm needle."

"Yes, Director!"

There was a rustling sound behind them, and Kyungwoo picked up the needles. He spoke to Village Head Bae in a soothing tone. "The facial area has a high concentration of sensory nerves, so the needles will sting a bit. Please bear with it."

"Yes, yes, Doctor. If I can just hear well again, what wouldn't I be able to bear?" Village Head Bae had become as docile as a puppy.

Kyungwoo inserted the needles. Paaat— Ssuuu—

One had to approach the acupoints around sensory organs with extreme caution. The three points located on the nerve pathway in front of the ear, unprotected by the skull, required delicate handling. As he placed the three needles in a row, Kyungwoo seemed to be in a state of deep focus, untouched by anything in his surroundings. It even looked reverent.

Chayoung watched, holding her breath. When Kyungwoo gripped the three needles that had reached deep into the points and began to rotate them, Village Head Bae let out a groan through gritted teeth. "Ugh..."

"You're doing well."

His voice was low and comforting. Unlike his usual blunt tone, he encouraged the patient gently while pouring his geukseong (extreme energy) to the limit.

'This must be quite painful.' She felt a chill thinking about practicing these spots on herself tonight, but she shook off the distracting thoughts as Kyungwoo finished the procedure with intense concentration.

"All ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠done. The hard part is almost over."

There were still spots left to needle, but compared to the ones he had just performed, they would be a breeze. Village Head Bae, still looking dazed, nodded with teary eyes. Kyungwoo placed a few more needles on the gallbladder and kidney meridian points on his legs before finally beginning the warm needle therapy.

"Torch."

"Here."

Kyungwoo wrapped mugwort in white paper, creating something resembling a short cigarette, and attached it to the handle of the needle inserted in the ear. Click— As he lit it, the scent of moxa began to rise.

When you light moxa attached to a needle, the heat slowly warms the metal, conducting it deep into the internal acupoints. Chayoung, who had been watching the entire technique in a daze, finally couldn't hold back anymore.

"Um... Senior. That, um..."

"Speak."

"Could I touch the needles you've placed just once? I want to feel the sensation..."

"Mr. Bae Eundong, would that be alright?"

"Ye-yes..." Village Head Bae, unable to open his mouth because of the needle near his jaw joint, gave his permission.

"Go ahead and touch it. You'll need to perform this procedure yourself in the future, so study it well."

"Yes? Me?"

Kyungwoo ignored the flustered Chayoung and explained to Village Head Bae, "You'll need intensive treatment for a while, but as you know from today, my needles have a strong stimulus, so it's too much to do every day."

"Yes."

"Get your needles at the local health center every day, and come see me only twice a week. The doctor here is also very skilled with needles. You understand?"

"...Yes."

At that moment, Chayoung felt a lump in her throat. 'He's just being polite... but he said I'm good with needles...!' Just yesterday, she had been told point-blank that she couldn't needle, yet he was protecting her pride in front of a patient. 'Let's do well. This time, I will truly be of help to the patient.'

Chayoung carefully touched the needle placed in front of the ear. Zzzzt— It felt as if an electric current had passed through. At the same time, she realized for the first time what the needle sensation felt like when it hit the perfect spot, and she went blank.

Seeing that expression, Kyungwoo smiled with satisfaction. 'Has she been accepted as a disciple?' The request to touch the needle meant she wanted to learn his technique. The moment she asked, Kyungwoo decided to pass on the mysteries of Gamtong (Pain Resonance) to her.

And... it seemed they were faintly connected. It wasn't enough to be called a supernatural ability, but it was the feeling of, 'So this is what a proper meridian sensation feels like!' Seeing her captivated expression, Kyungwoo felt his own heart flutter. 'Slave, welcome!'

The diligent Chayoung even volunteered for data research after the treatment ended. "I was thinking of researching cases on hearing loss treatment. Should I compile them and send them to you?"

"Sure. Can you collect the raw data and send it before you leave today?"

"Today... before 6 PM...?"

At that moment, Chayoung had a bad feeling, but she let it slide, carried away by the dopamine of the sensation she had just felt. "Understood! I might not be able to organize it perfectly, but..."

"I said raw data. Oh, and the fastest way to practice needling is on your own body."

"On my own body..."

"I still do it every day. Until the 'accurate meridian sensation' comes."

"You still do it...! I'll try it too!"

It was the moment a brilliant graduate student was born.

* * *

After the treatment, Village Head Bae emerged with a much brighter expression. Park Miyoung asked proudly, "Village Head, how are you feeling?"

"Something... feels good. I think I can hear a little better than before."

Kyungwoo, who had appeared from his office, chimed in. "This won't work with needles alone. Stimulating the ear was to get the meridian flow moving, but since your vital energy was depleted so suddenly, you need to replenish it with medicine."

"Herbal medicine? If you tell me to eat it, I'll eat it! Should I pay now?"

A gold Rolex watch flashed on Bae Eundong’s wrist. He was a wealthy man in the countryside. He could be stingy when he wanted to be, but if he thought something was worth the money, he was the type to pull out bundles ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of cash hidden in the ceiling without hesitation!

"It's not a matter of money, but the herbs..."

"What's wrong with the herbs? Use the best ones. I've got the money."

Kyungwoo had been training his Yak-seong Gam-eung (Herb Property Resonance) by touching herbs whenever he had a break during treatment. Recently, he had realized that one could not infuse more geukseong than the limit of the herb's inherent quality. In other words, the herb had to be of high quality to hold more energy, and he could infuse more if he had experienced the top-tier version of that herb.

For example, perhaps because he had experienced wild ginseng, he could infuse far more energy into ginseng than other herbs... but the state of the Goji berries and Cornus fruit, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠essential for nourishing the kidneys and essence, did not meet his standards.

-Is there nothing better?

-As China has become more prosperous, top-tier herbs are often consumed domestically, so they aren't what they used to be. I am bringing ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠you the best I can possibly find, Director.

Even President Han Yuseong was complaining. Of course, Goji berries and Cornus fruit were grown domestically, but the highest quality recognized in Oriental medicine were the Ningxia Goji produced in the Ningxia region of China and the Cornus fruit from Sichuan. The promotional claims of networks that used only domestic herbs were, in fact, just a charade. Many herbs couldn't even be grown in the Korean climate to begin with.

"It's not something you can just get by paying money... Just wait a moment. I'll see what I can do."

'The best solution here is a man obsessed with herbs.'

Kyungwoo returned to his office and made a phone call. Ring—

[Hello.]

"Hey, Kkachi."

[What? Who is this... Ah, damn it, is that you, Hyun Kyungwoo?]

"You deleted my number?"

[I never saved it in the first place, you idiot.]

"Well, debtors always try to avoid the people they owe."

[When did I ever owe you—]

"Pay up what you lost in the bet."

[Haa, how long are you going to keep milking that?]"

"I'm coming to your clinic after work tomorrow. You don't have any plans, right?"

[What? Hey, what are you—]"

"Don't close the door. Just wait for me."

Click—

Kyungwoo hung up and smiled. The person on the other end was Kim Dong-hyeok, the former president of the Woo-myung University Herb Research Society and his arch-rival from the Kyung-hyun University Acupuncture Academic Conference.

'I'm going to strip your treasure vault bare.'