Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
As he was returning to his cottage, he received a phone call—it was Zhou Xiong. He and his son had arrived at Lianshan County. He wanted to know when was a good time for him to see his son regarding his illness.
Wang Yao hesitated momentarily before asking, “Where are you staying? I will come to you.”
Zhou Xiong told him the address. They agreed to meet on the afternoon of the next day. This time, it would be the first Wang Yao made a house call.
I wonder what strange illness the child is stricken with.
The next day, after ending his work routine and breathing exercises, Wang Yao informed his family and drove the car to Lianshan County. Zhou Xiong and his son had chosen a familiar location to meet Wang Yao—Shenghua Hotel. He had visited this place more than once.
When Wang Yao arrived, Zhou Xiong was already waiting outside. In one of the hotel rooms, Wang Yao met with Zhou Xiong’s son, an emaciated child who looked no older than seven or eight years old. His body was skinny; his face was sallow and his eyes lacked alertness.
“Kang, address Mr. Wang.”
“Hi, Mr. Wang.” The child’s voice was faint and lifeless.
Although Wang Yao had yet to learn the “looking” method of diagnosis, he was able to deduce that the child’s constitution was weak. The child’s voice was also feeble and lacked stamina and vigor. He listened to the child’s breath; it was short and hurried, an indication that a lung that was not functioning well. He further observed that the child’s breath had an acidic odor. This revealed that his abdomen and intestines were ill functioned; he was suffering from indigestion.
Although the heater was switched on in the hotel room and the room was warm, the child was wearing a quilted jacket and gloves. It was obvious that he feared the cold.
“What illness does your son have?” Wang Yao turned to ask Zhou Xiong.
Zhou Xiong did not speak. He walked in front of the child, gently took off his gloves and revealed the child’s left hand to Wang Yao. It was emaciated and skinny like a twig, almost like a chicken claw and was very dry. It looked like fissures on cracked earth and had no life. Subsequently, Zhou Xiong took off his son’s jacket and rolled up his sleeve. The child’s left arm looked similar—skinny and dry.
What?
Wang Yao had not seen this illness before—it was unheard of.
Mission: Gain the recognition of 100 patients or family members within 100 days. This cannot be repeated.
Reward for success: One medical skill point, one formula, and one bag of herbal seeds.
Punishment for failure: Reduce three random attributes by half.
He received a notification from the magic pharmacist system at that moment.
A hundred days, a hundred people’s recognition.
This was not an easy task. Even with the patients’ family members, he would have to see a lot of patients. Fortunately, this time the system did not restrict him from voluntarily making house calls.
“Doctor Wang, will you take a look?” Zhou Xiang asked upon seeing Wang Yao wordlessly staring at his son’s arm.
“Let me first take his pulse.”
Wang Yao sat down and took the child’s pulse by placing his fingers on the small wrist. He could feel a faint pulse, unlike a typical seven or eight-year-old child’s pulse. Children of this age would typically be full of energy and this would be reflected in their pulse. However, this child’s pulse was the opposite—it was weak. There was an indication of organ failure and the scariest thing was that from the pulse condition, it was as though the child’s arm did not exist. Upon touching it, the arm felt colder than the usual body temperature.
“When did he become ill?”
“Three years ago.”
Three years ago? Wang Yao frowned. He lightly touched the child’s left arm.
“Do you feel anything?”
“Yes.”
“Is it painful?”
“No.”
Good that he feels something. Upon examination, Wang Yao had a general understanding of the child’s illness.
The channels and collaterals in the left arm were blocked. His muscles had atrophied and there was considerable damage to the skin. For the past three years, in order to treat his illness, the child was subject to dozens of treatments and had taken multiple medications. These medications may have helped, however, they also had undesirable side effects ultimately causing great damage to the child’s intestines. A child in his growing years would already have weaker organs than an adult and would be unable to withstand the long-term side effects of medications. The child’s intestines would also have been unable to absorb nutrients as well as an adult. These factors, together with the illness resulted in a vicious, downward spiral for the child.
This was not an easy illness to treat!
Looking at the child, Wang Yao knew that he had suffered greatly, both physically and mentally, which were far beyond what a child of his age could withstand. It was fortunate that the child was able to persevere till now.
“Doctor Wang, how’s my son’s illness?” Zhou Xiang prompted. Originally, he did not want to rush him, but was unable to resist after seeing Wang Yao remain silent for some time.
“Give me some time to go back and think about this before I reply you,” Wang Yao replied.
The child’s illness was not merely related to his left arm. It was a combination of a few other illnesses. As to how to treat it and what medicine to use, Wang Yao needed to make a comprehensive plan. He needed to return home and think carefully. He was unable to come to a conclusion at once.
“This is my son’s laboratory results, proof of diagnosis and medical records.”
Wang Yao took a glance at them. These were copies; it was obvious Zhou Xiang had meticulously prepared them.
“Can I bring these back for further review?”
“Of course,” Zhou Xiang responded.
“Okay.”
After the diagnosis, Wang Yao did not stay long. He spoke a few words to the child named Zhou Wukang and left the hotel, returning to the village.
He went up to Nanshan hill and started to analyze the child’s illness till night fell.
“It’s night already; how time flies!” he said as he glanced at the window.
He went home for dinner. While on the way home and while eating, he was constantly thinking about the child’s illness.
At night in his cottage, he continued to read up on the child’s past treatment process and the laboratory reports and made his own notes as well.
The next day, apart from tending to his herbal field and exercising his Qi, Wang Yao focused his energy on analyzing the child’s illness. This persisted for two days.
Gradually, he came up with a plan. First, treat the symptoms, and then treat the source of the illness. First, let the child’s energy recover. Then, treat the digestive problems and issues with the other organs. Next, focus on treating his blocked channels and collaterals and the potentially untreatable arm. This was his treatment plan after reading the child’s treatment and medical records and after multiple days of consideration.
“Okay, let’s do this.”
With the plan decided, it would require the treatment to be actually performed to be able to determine whether it would succeed and what stage it would get to.
