Chapter 112
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 112
Chapter Title: A Remarkable Recovery
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Seol Yuhee opened her eyes.
It felt like waking from a very deep sleep.
She rubbed her eyes and brushed back her hair.
Of course, a hundred years hadn't passed, so her hair was the same length, and the place wasn't some forest but the clinic... a bed?
Huh?
Why was she here? What time was it?
Seol Yuhee reflexively reached into her pocket, but her phone wasn't there.
She bolted upright and pulled back the curtain. There, on one wall of the treatment room, hung a clock.
The hands pointed to already 4 p.m.
The moment she registered the time, she also remembered how she'd dozed off.
Around 10 a.m., she'd squeezed in a quick consultation during a brief lull, and now six whole hours had vanished?
"Oh my god, Director. I'm truly sorry! I had no idea I'd actually fall asleep!"
Seol Yuhee jumped in shock and looked for the director.
This was insane. She must be losing it. How could she have actually fallen asleep on the job?
Her body only ever shut down against her will when the pain was overwhelming, but that hadn't happened once since she started treatment here.
She'd been meticulous about managing her condition to avoid burdening her workplace, so how could this happen?
She hadn't even realized how bad she felt until the director checked her pulse. It was dizzying.
"Director, we're short 1.6 grams of musk. Did you use it?"
"Yes, I needed it for something... But how on earth did you know it was exactly 1.6 grams?"
"I was checking for Gongjin Dan and noticed it was different from yesterday, so I reweighed it. I thought someone had snuck a taste."
Rushing into the treatment room, she found the director chatting with Instructor An Juhee.
"Ah, sorry."
"I just needed enough for one pill. Yuhee, it's fine—come on in!"
"It's too much for just one pill..."
One pill?
Seol Yuhee recalled the slightly large pill she'd swallowed before nodding off.
Could the director have made it specially for her? And Instructor An Juhee had just mentioned musk.
"Gasp, did you use precious ingredients because of me?"
Seol Yuhee startled.
She didn't know the exact cost, but she knew it was incredibly—extremely—expensive.
The clinic's Gongjin Dan prescriptions were tiered by musk content: Wonbang Gongjin Dan, Bansahyang Gongjin Dan, and Mokhyang Gongjin Dan.
"Oh, don't worry about it. I used it because it was necessary. Come sit here for a moment."
The director waved her over, sat her in a chair, and took her wrist.
"I'm so sorry for not taking better care of myself. I'll pull myself together and work harder. And from now on, at least let me pay for treatment..."
"Your pulse is definitely steadier now. How are you feeling?"
Director Han Yeowon cut off the talk of fees and asked about her condition.
Still reeling from the shock of falling asleep, Seol Yuhee finally took stock of herself.
"Huh?"
The feverish heat in her head right after taking the medicine had vanished completely.
And the chills that came from even the slightest draft were gone too.
Was it just her imagination?
The treatment room seemed brighter, the world sharper.
"No headache, right? And less sensitive to the cold?"
Even the director's voice rang out loud and clear.
"Somehow sounds feel louder. My vision's clearer too."
"Oh? Your eyes and ears are sharper now?"
"...Does 1.6 grams of musk improve hearing too?"
While the director listened intently, the herbalist smirked, clearly thinking Seol Yuhee was exaggerating.
But her fingertips... her fingertips...
They weren't cold?!
Incredibly, they were warm.
They'd improved since starting treatment—no longer icy like before—but never this warm.
Even after hot showers or electric blankets, they'd cool after ten minutes.
Now, a gentle warmth spread to her fingertips and toes, enveloping her.
"I feel reborn. The fog lifted, my hands and feet are warm. And my head, my stomach—no, blockages everywhere have cleared right up. I didn't even know they were blocked until now...!"
"Whoa, really that dramatic?"
Instructor An Juhee grabbed Seol Yuhee's hand in wonder.
But not knowing her original state, she just tilted her head.
"That's a relief."
Unlike her, the director smiled as if he'd expected it.
"Was your Raynaud's always that severe? You prepared it yourself for Instructor Seol? What else besides musk? Wonbang... no, you said it was all in one pill? Twenty times the dose?"
"No, no. Yuhee, you need to head home and rest, so stop pestering her!"
"I'm fine. I feel cured enough to get back to work."
"No. You need to rest today. Go home now. Eat something nice, bundle up, and sleep soundly."
Seol Yuhee truly felt fine, but the director insisted she rest today, repeating it several times.
"At least no more worries now. It must've been the Mingxian phenomenon—the apparent worsening just before full recovery."
"Mingxian phenomenon? You mean I'm almost fully recovered?"
"It's darkest before dawn. After being bad for so long, it flared up intensely right before improving. Your pulse says you're essentially cured, so we'll stop the meds this month and monitor."
"Thank you... thank you so much."
She stumbled out in a daze.
What just happened?
She was cured. A clean bill of health?
Well, no official diagnosis, so not "cured" per se... but her cold constitution improved? This suddenly?
Just this morning, she'd come to work normally, and hearing she was in bad shape felt like the sky falling.
Was she dreaming?
Maybe she'd collapsed that morning and was still asleep...
Whoosh.
Her hair fluttered in the autumn breeze.
It felt good.
Just this morning, the weather had been chilly, and any cold touch had been agony.
Now, she was perfectly fine.
Dazed, but good.
So good.
Tears pricked her eyes for some reason.
She couldn't contain the overwhelming surge in her chest.
"Hoo... ha!"
Seol Yuhee faced forward and ran.
She wanted to unleash the energy bursting from her body.
'Woooah!'
Cheering silently, she sprinted down the sidewalk.
Thanks to her improved stamina from exercise, or because she was healed...
Seol Yuhee ran joyfully all the way home.
Whew, that was a scare!
I'd used some musk to tame the snake's inner core, but who knew she'd notice right away?
I tried to handle it quietly, but An Juhee kept asking what I'd done, making me sweat.
Anyway, thanks to the inner core, Seol Yuhee's blocked meridians were safely resolved.
The endless yin energy clogging her channels had balanced with yang and settled in her dantian.
I burned away all the poison mixed in the core.
For a martial artist, it'd be a stroke of fortune near a qi awakening, but since she'd only learned basic breathing exercises, it'd just restore her health.
Even that was remarkable.
No more minor ailments, and she'd gain resistance to physical and mental stressors.
With her diligence, nothing would hold her back anymore.
I wrapped up the day's work with satisfaction.
The other staff were startled by her collapse but covered her patients since it was a slow day.
Time to close up—
"Director, Professor Lee Juhyeok from Sowon General Hospital's Hematology-Oncology calling. Should I connect?"
Just ten minutes before quitting time, the phone rang.
"Yes, I'll take it. You go home first."
"Sure thing~! Great work today!"
"You too."
With billing done, I sent the staff home first and picked up.
Professor Lee wouldn't drag on the call.
He was a middle-aged doctor who'd retired from the university hospital and moved to Sowon General, heading their Hematology-Oncology Department 1.
Even with our MOU, general hospitals and clinics don't collaborate much.
We occasionally send for tests, but why would they refer to a small clinic?
The agreement started because Surgeon Park Younggil sent private patients, and for those needing Korean medicine, they preferred established herbal hospitals.
Still, a few doctors occasionally referred to me, including Professor Lee.
Unlike Department 2's Chief Seong Chanmi, with whom we'd never interacted, he sent patients now and then.
After one dramatic acupuncture success, he'd even call to discuss cases.
It wasn't the usual formal referral letter saying "please diagnose and treat expertly."
"Hello, Professor Lee here. How've you been?"
"Hello, Professor. Thanks to your concern, I'm always well. What brings you calling today?"
"Same as usual. A patient on chemo. Stage 3 colon cancer, four cycles of Zelboraf. Could you take a look? Dizziness isn't controlled, severe anorexia and lethargy—he's losing the will to fight."
As Professor Lee said, his referrals were always similar: chemo patients beyond his management.
Chemo, especially chemical, destroys cancer and healthy cells alike, causing severe side effects.
The classic image: bald, wearing a cap, emaciated.
If surgery removes all cancer like Yoon Hanbyeol's case, no chemo needed—lucky.
Newer targeted or immunotherapy have fewer side effects, but chemical chemo is often essential.
His patients were those hit hardest by side effects, hoping for Korean medicine.
"Of course."
I couldn't save everyone, so each call weighed on me, but I accepted to do what I could.
"Great. Can you spare time tomorrow? I'll bring him myself."
Huh?
Professor Lee coming personally...?
I could tell from our calls he cared deeply for patients, but he'd never come himself.
"Anything special about this patient?"
I asked, tensing slightly.
"No, no. He's a friend of mine. Should've called me direct instead of going to Korea University Hospital first... Argh! Details tomorrow. Sorry to call at quitting time."
Probably not a unique condition if the attending was escorting.
Turned out the patient was his acquaintance.
"No problem at all. Have a good evening—see you tomorrow."
I hung up after pleasantries.
He seemed eager to talk, but tomorrow would do.
Finally meeting Professor Lee in person.