Crown Prince Sells Medicine

 I Next

Suppress the emotions.

Revive reason.

The person lying in front of him isn’t the emperor. He’s just a patient. First, save him. Focus only on that thought.

Raciel cracked his eyes open a bit. His head felt cool, his touch remained calm. The skill he had perfected wasn’t a matter of contemplation, but a refined instinct.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

He inserted the needle. The first point he targeted was the emperor’s “Shengmen” point.

“Ah!”

The surprised sound of the attendant echoed. It made sense. The Shengmen point is just below the eye. It’s located by feeling the bony edge beneath the center of the eyeball. He had inserted a large needle into it.

‘First, I need to regulate the movement of Qi in this area.’

This point, known as Shengmen, serves as the starting point of the Stomach Meridian of the Foot-Yangming channel, also called Wei Zu Yang Ming Zhi Mai. In simpler terms, it’s a landmark that indicates the beginning of a meridian.

So, it must be managed from this point, especially in critical patients. He was about to deliberately alter the Qi flow. The rest of the meridian needed to be prepared by signaling the Qi from the starting point. If not, and if you manipulate the most crucial meridian of a weak patient right away?

‘It’d be a disaster, like sprinting a 100-meter race and downing a bowl of ramen with pork belly right after waking up, or slamming the gas pedal to the red zone immediately after starting a car in the middle of winter, damaging the engine.’

Ultimately, the entire meridian gets disturbed. The Qi flow within the meridian becomes erratic and unstable. What happens next?

‘It’s chaos. No matter how accurately you position the needles, it’s pointless. Once Qi becomes disrupted, it’s impossible to artificially control it until it naturally stabilizes.’

In other words, the intended impact of acupuncture, which artificially governs meridian flow, is nullified. It merely turns into torment, needling a patient who’s already unwell. Raciel took a deliberate breath, steadying himself.

Slowly, deeply.

Inhale five times.

Exhale five times.

He waited until the Qi shift through Shengmen propagated along the Stomach Meridian of the Foot-Yangming, preparing the entire meridian. Then he began the actual needling. Next, he aimed for a point a finger’s width beneath Shengmen, called “Sibai.”

Thud!

Beneath the eyeball. Where the protruding bone slightly recedes. The needle went 2 fen deep into the infraorbital foramen of the emperor. Raciel’s hand didn’t halt there.

Thud! Thud!

He also needled the “Juli” on the outer corner of the eye wrinkle, the “Dikuang” beside the mouth, and the “Daying” and “Jialiao” on the lower jaw. With pinpoint precision, he inserted the needles precisely. His sole objective was to regulate the blood flow to the site of the clot in the emperor’s brain, the anterior inferior cerebellar artery.

‘I must regulate the blood flow heading there.’

Too much blood flow all at once must be avoided. If the clot were to suddenly dissolve, an excessive amount of blood would rush into the already injured stroke area.

‘Then you’d get reperfusion injury. It could even worsen the situation. The blood-brain barrier is already severely damaged due to the prolonged lack of blood supply. If the blood suddenly surges in, that area will definitely rupture, spreading uncontrollably like a dam breaking.’

That would be the end.

The concern wouldn’t be about after-effects. It would be about preserving life. Raciel absolutely didn’t want to confront this worst-case scenario.

‘So this process must be meticulous.’

Thud! Thud!

Mind focused.

Eyes relaxed.

Fingertips precise.

He needled the “Xia Guan” below the cheekbone’s edge. And the “Tou Wei” right above the hairline on the forehead. He observed the changes using the meridian scanning option.

Thanks to that, he saw it.

Zzzzzz…!

The mana of the stimulated meridian responded. It reacted, pulsed, creating a small ripple.

The ripple flowed along the Stomach Meridian of Foot-Yangming, reaching the “Ren Ying” point near the carotid artery in the neck. The ripple that entered Ren Ying hit the carotid artery, interfering with the blood flow.

The blood flow slowed a bit.

The heartbeat followed suit.

‘I’ve achieved it.’

Raciel clenched his fist. The blood flow seemed to have decreased by around 20%.

‘Good. Zanetics’ freezing magic is just right. Hypothermia is maintained at a safe level. I’ve successfully managed the blood flow too. There’s hope.’

He had done what he could. He had tried his best. Maybe there’s a glimmer of hope now.

‘So be it.’

He wished sincerely. He had done everything he could. To avoid reperfusion injury, he employed hypothermia treatment and acupuncture, and administered Minotaur Clear Heart Pill to dissolve the clot. The rest was up to fate and the emperor’s vitality.

Just like the moments of that day he wished to forget.

“……”

Raciel forcibly pushed down the resurfacing fragments of memories. Since that time, he had been at the emperor’s side.

From morning to afternoon. Until the sun waned and the moon ascended. In the quiet space where everyone was kept at bay, he vigilantly monitored the emperor’s condition.

To ensure the blood flow didn’t become excessive. To prevent bedsores from forming on the emperor’s body. In case any signs of change appeared or a critical situation emerged. With a worried heart and an anxious mind, he strained to not miss a single breath.

And so, at midnight, it rained. In the early dawn, thunder and lightning roared. He dozed in the soft morning light, jolting awake suddenly, looking swiftly at the emperor and releasing a sigh of relief. It had been a lengthy and silent struggle and battle.

But Raciel didn’t give up. Even when fatigue numbed him, he vowed to endure a little longer.

Every time, old memories resurfaced, like his father’s face lying in the ICU. Back then, he had stayed up all night, hoping his father might wake up and smile as if nothing had happened. Then, he would ask for his allowance, just like always.

He had wished for that, watching and praying. Yet, it was in vain. Eventually, his father didn’t open his eyes, nor smile, nor crack a silly joke.

Initially, he was too shocked to cry. That feeling lingered throughout the three-day mourning period. It all felt surreal. Then, after the cremation, when he received the wooden box containing his father’s ashes.

The box felt warm, surprisingly so. He hadn’t prepared himself for that moment. Suddenly, like a child, he broke down into tears.

“……”

He despised that. He never wanted to experience it again. Every time fatigue gripped his body, sleepiness tried to engulf him, or consciousness threatened to fade, he made a vow to himself, a harsh promise.

He brushed off his body’s signals of distress and ignored the concerns and admonitions of those around him. He simply endured, and endured some more.

Finally, morning arrived.

Once more, the sun ascended.

Illuminating the noon brilliantly.

Until it dipped beneath the western horizon.

The first sign of the emperor’s recovery became apparent as the crescent moon danced with unfamiliar constellations in the early dawn.

“Uhm……”

Suddenly, a peculiar sound reached his ears. Raciel, who had been napping, jolted awake. Initially, he thought he might have misheard. But he hadn’t.

“Uh, uhm……”

“What?”

Raciel snapped to full attention. He swiftly sat up. At that moment, he could see it.

‘It’s done.’

Through meridian scanning, he witnessed the world of blood vessels. The clot that had obstructed the emperor’s brain was gone. The surrounding tissues? No additional damage was evident. He had managed to prevent reperfusion injury nearly entirely.

As if confirming it, the emperor’s visage began to transform. The face that had contorted due to paralyzed muscles. The crumpled expression. The pallor. They were reverting to their original state.

Slowly, assuredly.

Like a glimmer of hope breaking through.

Unfolding step by step.

Much like the smile he once bore. Like the laughter he once elicited. Gradually, it transformed into a peaceful countenance. Soon, his eyes began to crack open faintly.

“……”

For a brief moment, the emperor pondered.

Where am I? Why do I feel so drained? The questions suddenly floated into his mind. However, simultaneously, he sensed the answers. Through the Core technique, he could vaguely grasp what had transpired.

It was indeed an odd sensation. A hazy consciousness and blurred vision. A world enshrouded in mist. People around him mere silhouettes. Yet among them, one figure stood out vividly.

The person who held his hand with both of his. A delicate child who seemed as if the world’s weight could crumble him at any instant. His son, the one who had caused him concern all his life.

It was Raciel.

“……”

It was him.

He saved him today.

He knew it when he felt his touch and warmth. He realized it when their gazes met. Until the moment he opened his eyes, he had been ensnared in a nightmare.

It had all been a dark snowfield.

Lost within that snowfield.

It was overpowering.

It was terror-inducing.

And then, there was a moment.

Someone stood beside him. They had approached through the dark snowfield, silently, gently, guarding him.

Throughout morning, afternoon, sunsets, moonrises, midnight rains, thunder at dawn, clear light of dawn, and sunsets once again, they stood beside him.

Thanks to their unwavering presence, he hadn’t surrendered. He managed to break free from the suffocating despair of that snowfield. Ultimately, he opened his eyes and arrived at this very moment. He finally understood. The person beside him was Raciel. His eldest son, who had often been a source of concern, extended his hand and pulled him up.

“……”

He didn’t know the how, but he felt that something had transpired.

Hence, he felt gratitude.

Regret.

And a sense of shame.

He could faintly grasp what his son had done for him. It was both astonishing and humbling. He had evolved into a much better person than he had believed, yet he seemed to be the only one unaware of that fact.

Such a realization was painfully humbling.

“… Thank you”

Looking at his son with barely opened eyes, he added strength to their joined hands. It was a weak gesture, but it was his way of conveying his emotions.

“It’s alright. Don’t strain yourself. Just rest.”

Raciel’s gentle voice. Upon hearing it, his heart eased, and at last, the emperor felt a tranquil sense of relief. Gradually, he succumbed to a peaceful slumber.

“Huu.”

A sigh of relief escaped Raciel’s lips. He released the emperor’s hand and brushed away the goosebumps that had formed.

‘…I’m not your son.’

But the expression in his eyes and the curve of his smile seemed to regard him as the dearest person in the world. That’s what triggered the goosebumps. He forced a smile.

‘I feel inexplicably guilty. But… the tender smile of the old man lying on the sickbed. I detest it, I detest it. Eeek.’

Don’t dwell on it; it might haunt your dreams. Focus on the satisfaction of successfully rescuing the emperor.

With a renewed determination, Raciel rose to his feet and beckoned the attendant with a dry voice. He conveyed that the crisis was over and the emperor needed rest, then swiftly departed. Truthfully, he wished to escape that place as soon as possible.

Still tingling with goosebumps and shivers, haunted by the decade-old remorse.

‘…’

If only he had rushed a bit faster that day. If only he had picked up the call slightly sooner that day. If only he had arrived on schedule that day. If only he hadn’t been delayed in reaching out to grasp his father’s hand. If only he could have bid him farewell on his final journey.

“….Ha.”

He couldn’t bear it any longer.

He dashed into the corridor.

He looked upward, glaring at the ceiling for an extended while. Strangely, the tip of his nose began to sting. In a hallway adorned with ceiling and walls, oddly enough, raindrops descended.

Undoubtedly, it was a peculiar occurrence.

(To be Continued)

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