Chapter 192
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 192
Chapter Title: Choco's Treatment and Pre-Exam Calm
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I entered Kim Ijin's house with her.
Her father, who had been resting at home, welcomed me warmly despite the sudden visit.
And when he heard the situation explained, he reacted exactly like her mother—surprisingly spot-on.
"Oh dear, you didn't even realize it was hurt all this time...! I'm sorry!"
He thanked me profusely for treating Ijin, then fussed over missing Choco's injured knee.
Only after that commotion did I finally get a chance to treat Choco.
"Choco, the doctor's not trying to hurt you~! She's just putting in these needles to make you better, okay?"
- Arrrf!
The poor thing wasn't some spirit beast; there was no way it understood words.
Unlike with humans, the biggest challenge in treating animals was creating the right conditions to even insert the needles.
Who wouldn't feel threatened by a needle coming straight at them?
They howl, try to bolt—it was no small feat.
If I'd brought Cheongsol along, maybe we could've communicated?
As it was, I'd have to hold it down by force and get it over with.
"Someone hold it steady so we can treat it quick."
"Oh, I'll hold her!"
Kim Ijin scooped Choco up from behind and hugged her tight.
- Arrf!
"I'm not gonna hurt you. This'll make your knee better."
Her words were gentle, but her tone was firm.
That warning edge to her voice was pretty...
'...?!'
Her energy shifted ever so slightly?
Choco went perfectly still right away.
"There we go."
"Ooh~ Choco always listens to Ijin best."
"Ready for the needles now?"
Kim Ijin and her family might not have realized it, but animals with keen senses could pick up on their owner's changes.
Either way, better strike while she was calm and get it done fast.
"Yes. Right here—the points correspond to human acupoints, where treatment spots form similarly."
Dog acupoints didn't match humans exactly, but there were plenty of correspondences.
Most quadrupedal mammals were the same.
Map the front legs to arms, hind legs to legs, and done.
Since it was a hind leg injury, the knee points worked just fine as-is.
Inner Knee, Outer Knee, Xuehai, Fengshi, Yanglingquan, Yinlingquan, Zusanli, and so on...
I swiftly inserted needles at spots around the knee, targeting the damaged ligaments and muscles.
"!~!!~!"
If she'd barked and thrashed, I'd have jumped in to help hold her—but luckily, Choco barely reacted.
Whether spooked by Ijin's warning or startled by the quick needles, who knew.
"Just leave them in for twenty minutes?"
As if she'd stay still that long.
"No, I'll stimulate and remove them one by one."
Twenty minutes of retention was standard after insertion, but letting an animal wander with needles in was risky.
Vet clinics specializing in animals probably had tricks or tools to keep them calm, but I preferred quick stimulation and removal.
Speed was key.
Shuuuk, shuuuk. Ting-.
Twist once, flick for stimulation.
Paaat!
I pulled all the needles out at once.
"Try walking now."
Did she understand, or had she been dying to move while held?
The moment Ijin let go, Choco started trotting around.
"Wow, you really are a miracle worker."
"All better already?"
Ijin's parents were stunned.
Choco seemed amazed at her pain-free knee too, hopping about.
"No hopping...!"
At my words, Ijin quickly scooped her up again.
"Alright, alright, enough. This just took care of the pain for now. Ligaments take much longer to heal fully."
In Ijin's case, her Heavenly Martial Body let her recover at absurd speeds, but normal cruciate ligament treatment took months.
Plus, that area had few pain receptors anyway—once the muscles improved, it was easy to ignore.
Just because Choco listened to Ijin didn't mean she had her healing powers too.
"Make sure she finishes treatment at the vet. If they say a splint's needed, do it—and keep her resting as much as possible."
Ijin held Choco tight and nodded.
"Best to carry her to bed tonight and keep her from wandering?"
"Exactly. Rest is the foundation of ligament care. It'll feel confining, but tough it out."
I gave Choco a final pat and stood to leave.
"Leaving already?"
She'd sleep well now, but proper treatment came in the morning.
I had my own work tomorrow!
"Thank you so much for coming and treating her."
"Let's meet again sometime."
"Come over for a meal at our place! Ijin's been such a bother with all the trouble..."
"Haha, thank you."
I exchanged light farewells with Ijin's parents.
"Invite me again sometime."
Ijin gave a casual nod.
Aah—wrapping up the home invite favorability event too? Her greed knew no bounds.
A few days after Kim Ijin returned to her team.
"Director, could you make me some Qingxin Pills?"
Seol Yuhee asked.
I'd prepared Tongmyeong Decoction or Gongjindan as needed for mental fatigue.
Qingxin Pills already? The date... Whoa, CSAT was right around the corner?
Wow, I'd been so focused on the season that I hadn't noticed.
"Of course! How about taking the day off today to focus on studying?"
"I'm good. I like keeping my routine intact. Thursday's my day off anyway, so I asked In-ah to cover for me the day before."
Working right up to two days before CSAT?
"The day before or the day after, I can cover if you change your mind—just let me know even morning-of."
Jin Minjeong chimed in worriedly from where she'd been listening.
Full shifts except the day before and day-of? That'd be tough.
"Keeps my mind off the pressure when I'm busy working."
"Hmm... Fair enough. Could be."
I had to respect her choice, right?
I nodded.
"Why Qingxin Pills, though? Badly rattled?"
They weren't a one-size-fits-all for big exams or interviews.
Originally an emergency remedy for strokes and such brain nerve issues.
Of course, beyond boosting cerebral blood flow, it regulated the central nervous system, lowered blood pressure, and more—now used in modern times for broader cases.
Great for insomnia from palpitations and anxiety, or extreme sustained tension.
But on CSAT day?
Not something I'd blanket-recommend.
Even I tried it before a June mock from the evaluation institute—skipped it on actual CSAT day.
For highly anxious folks, it'd calm to just-right levels, but for unflappable types like me? Pointless.
Vaguely recalled starting the test without that slight flutter—felt off, ended up hazy instead.
No major side effects like knocking out, but not pleasant.
'Ah, that other time was great.'
Much more high-stakes than any test... After my kidnapping ordeal and release, Master's Qingxin Pill worked wonders.
All tension melted away, drifting straight to sleep.
Anyway, my personal experience wasn't stellar, so I was cautious prescribing them.
Always checked the pulse for clear tension, and for big days, urged trying multiples beforehand despite the cost.
"Yes, Director."
Seol Yuhee nodded softly.
"Since November, my heart's been racing all day. Fine when focused on work or studying, but sit with the book and stray thoughts for a second—bam, I feel it pounding. Feels like it'll burst."
Huh? Textbook symptoms for Cow Bezoar Sedative Pills.
Settles overactive heart contractions, dilates vessels to drop pressure, activates parasympathetic nerves—perfect for tachycardia.
"Let me check your pulse."
Way better than back then: choppy, slow, sunken to where you'd doubt if the person was alive.
But now? Abnormally rapid, bounding pops.
"Gonna prescribe. Start tonight. If it makes you drowsy, we'll adjust tomorrow."
Needed treatment now.
"That okay?"
"Better adapt to a stable state beforehand for the test. Sudden calm from constant pounding would feel weirder."
"Thank you!"
"I'll tell Teacher Juhee right away."
I wrote up the prescription immediately.
Cow Bezoar Sedative Pills were more famous than Gongjindan or Gyeongokgo.
Often prepped in advance for frequent requests, but with time, tailored to symptoms.
'Tch, too bad we can't use cinnabar.'
Donguibogam called for 29 ingredients in the original, but modern standards banned several.
Bezoar from cattle gallstones? Rare as hen's teeth.
Musk? Obtainable, but triple gold price.
Rhinoceros horn? Poaching ban, off-limits.
And cinnabar... mercury.
They knew the risks back then, used a "water float" method: grind fine, mix water, skim the floaters after mercury sank.
Not 100% safe. Now, swapped for safer plants.
Sigh. The purified cinnabar from Sichuan Tang labs was potent stuff.
"Thank you, Director. Feels like I can breathe now."
Luckily, even this milder variant sans minerals worked well for her.
Effects in under an hour—pulse check showed marked improvement.
"Pulse settled quick. Keep this up, you're golden."
"Hoo, I try not to tense up... but can't help it. Not like failing dooms me— just wanna give my all, so why the shakes?"
"Everyone shakes before CSAT."
No need for self-recrimination!
"Tell a mind not to think elephant, and boom—elephant. 'Don't tense,' and tension spikes."
"Ah, exactly!"
She said work was fine, so forcing "no tension" might burden more.
"Tension's fine. You've prepped—you'll do great."
"...Yeah. I've studied hard. No regrets there."
Wow, amazing she could say that.
"You've worked hard. Hang in to the end."
I patted her back, gave her hand a squeeze.
Meant to channel energy for calm, but no need—she was already good.
Seol Yuhee placed a hand on her chest, feeling the beat.
After starting the Cow Bezoar Sedative Pills, it was definitely different.
Heart felt like bursting whenever she thought of the date.
Studying, it'd race—deep breaths galore.
'Whew!'
The pills? Those thoughts barely surfaced.
Test looming, pounding, all forgotten—pure focus on study.
Spotty November insomnia? Gone.
CSAT eve: deep, dreamless ten-hour sleep, refreshed dawn.
'Guess can't help it on the day.'
Effects not kicked in yet? Mild flutters en route to the center.
'Inhale, fighting!'
Calmed tackling confident Korean problems.
Next period.
Math, her nemesis all season, hit brutally hard—dizzying.
'Director said tension's okay. Even if nervous, even if tough problems, it's fine. Push through!'
Recalling her rock-solid director, the clinic's cozy bustle—peace settled.
Seol Yuhee shook off distractions, back to problems.
One by one, grinding through.
'Ugh, whatever now!'
Like practice mocks.
Forgot it was CSAT hall, lost in the zone.
A few unknowns, but math's end brought relief.
English, social studies flowed smoothly.
'Huh?'
Effects worn off?
Fine during test, but...
Exiting the hall, heart raced again.
'Did I nail everything but math?'
No more pills.
This pounding? Not so bad.
"No total blanks?"
Sure, maybe mistakes.
Overconfident wrong concepts.
Still, still...
"...!"
Estimated scoring done, Seol Yuhee let out a silent scream.