By now, it was almost completely dark. Mu Lin removed the silver needles and handed them to the nurses beside him for sterilization. Although his spiritual energy had not been significantly depleted during the lengthy treatment, the patient’s meridians were tightly knotted and required careful adjustment and guidance, which consumed a great deal of mental energy. Therefore, Mu Lin now felt somewhat tired.
“Use mung beans, chrysanthemum flowers, and smilax root to prepare a decoction, and give it to the patient in three doses tomorrow,” Mu Lin instructed the physicians behind him.
“Teacher! Isn’t this the Qingdu Decoction? But do we really need such a high dosage?” one of the physicians asked.
“Yes! The patient has accumulated lead in his body for a long time. Only by combining acupuncture with herbal medicine can we quickly remove the lead from his system.
“Today, I have already cleared some of the lead deposited in the meridians through acupuncture, but most of the lead accumulated in the internal organs must be excreted through urine and feces. Normally, natural excretion would be the best option, but we don’t have that kind of time. The patient’s constitution can still tolerate this high dosage, so you don’t need to worry about his body being unable to handle it.
“Besides, I’ve also given him some medicine to strengthen his body. We simply don’t have more time. Only by quickly removing the lead from his system can we completely cure his neuritis.
By this time, it was almost completely dark. Mu Lin removed the silver needles and handed them to the nurse beside him for sterilization. After such a long period of treatment, although his true essence hadn’t been significantly depleted, the intricate entanglement of the patient’s meridians had required meticulous care and guidance, which had taken a considerable mental toll. As a result, Mu Lin now felt somewhat fatigued.
“Green beans, Hangzhou white chrysanthemum, smilax glabra… Boil these into a medicinal decoction and administer it to the patient in three doses tomorrow,” Mu Lin instructed the physician behind him.
“Teacher! This must be the Detoxification Decoction, but isn’t the dosage a bit too strong?” one of the physicians asked.
“Yes! The patient has accumulated lead in his body for a long time. Only by combining acupuncture with herbal medicine can we quickly eliminate it. Today, I’ve already cleared some of the lead deposits from his meridians, but most of the lead remains in his internal organs and must be excreted through urine and feces. Naturally, gradual excretion would be the best approach, but we don’t have that much time. The patient’s current constitution can still withstand such a strong dosage, so there’s no need to worry about his body being unable to handle it.
“Moreover, I’ve also given him some medicine to strengthen his constitution. Besides, we don’t have any more time to spare. Only by rapidly removing the lead from his body can we fully cure his neuritis.
“Once the patient wakes up later, the few of you will be responsible for taking him to the restroom. After cleaning him up, administer antibiotics at the standard dosage. Tomorrow, we’ll continue with another day of treatment like this, and the day after, we’ll start him on a high-dose antibiotic regimen. With one more day, the patient should fully recover.” With that, Mu Lin left the ward.
The patient had already taken the Peiyuan Pill, which naturally induced the expulsion of bodily waste. Combined with Mu Lin’s afternoon-long efforts to nourish his internal organs, unblock his meridians, and clear the accumulated lead, the patient had even more toxins to expel.
When the acupuncturists escorted the patient to the restroom, the stench that emanated from the ward was so overpowering that even the notary staff outside the room could hardly bear it—let alone those inside the restroom.
Since some of the clinic’s nursing staff were already married, they had followed Mu Lin’s instructions and returned to their respective homes. With insufficient personnel, Mu Lin had no choice but to assign these tasks to the unmarried doctors. Now, for the sake of the clinic’s reputation and their future learning opportunities, they had no choice but to endure the pungent stench, inwardly lamenting why they hadn’t married earlier—otherwise, they too could be at home with their families instead of suffering through this ordeal.
Eventually, even the patient himself could hardly stand the smell. “Damn it! My God! Is this stench coming from me? Please, give me a gas mask! Or just let me out of this damned room! Otherwise, I’ll die from the fumes before my illness is even cured!”
“A gas mask? We’d love one too!” The doctors in the room chuckled bitterly. Under normal circumstances, they could have driven to a store to buy one, but now, they couldn’t even step outside. The clinic was surrounded by a dense crowd of supporters, and anyone who tried to leave would be bombarded with questions about the clinic’s current situation.
By midnight, the foul odor had spread beyond the clinic, forcing those inside to cover their noses with whatever they could find. The people closest to the clinic were the first to notice the stench, followed by more and more bystanders. Some panicked, fearing a poison gas attack, and began shouting in alarm, causing a brief commotion. However, when no one collapsed from the smell, the crowd gradually calmed down.
But the stench only grew stronger, eventually becoming so unbearable that the crowd outside fled in droves. No one had expected that the clinic’s days-long predicament would be resolved so effortlessly.
When Mu Lin received the report from the clinic staff, he was initially skeptical. But when he looked out the window and saw the streets completely deserted, he finally believed it. He mused to himself that if he had known earlier, he should have stationed Xiao Laipi in New York—just one “gas bomb” would have spared the clinic from being besieged by well-meaning supporters for so long.
The next day, Mu Lin arrived in the ward right on schedule. Although the patient’s face was still slightly contorted, his complexion had improved from its previous leaden pallor to a healthier, rosier hue. Mu Lin carefully checked his pulse and found it strong and steady, nearly indistinguishable from that of a healthy person.
From his medicine box, Mu Lin retrieved a set of ordinary silver needles. Today, his priority was to treat the patient’s facial paralysis before continuing the detoxification process.
Seeing that the needles Mu Lin had taken out were smaller than the ones from the previous day, the patient felt a surge of fear. But knowing this was necessary for his recovery, he steeled himself and remained seated.
“Relax! There’s no need to be so tense. I can assure you, while these needles may look long, they won’t cause much pain—far less than a regular injection,” Mu Lin reassured him with a smile, subtly infusing his voice with a soothing effect. Only when the patient was fully relaxed could the treatment for facial paralysis achieve optimal results.
Once the patient had calmed down, Mu Lin began inserting needles into key acupoints: Taiyang, Dicang, Hegu, Yangbai, and Yingxiang. The physicians behind him watched intently, knowing these techniques weren’t found in textbooks nor taught by their mentors. This time, Mu Lin didn’t use his true essence—having treated numerous cases of facial paralysis during his travels in China, he had ample experience.
An hour later, Mu Lin removed the needles, and the patient’s face gradually began to regain its normal appearance. Though not yet fully restored, it was no longer the grotesque, twisted visage from before.
A nurse handed the patient a mirror. Staring at his gradually normalizing reflection, tears streamed down his face as he murmured,
“Thank God, praise God! You’ve sent such a skilled doctor to this world. It’s only by Your mercy that I’ve been restored! Thank God! Praise God!”
Originally, after taking the Yuan-replenishing pill, the body needed to expel waste. Combined with Mu Lin spending the entire afternoon warming and nourishing the patient’s internal organs, unblocking meridians, and clearing lead deposits, the patient had even more waste to expel.
When the acupuncturists finally took the patient into the restroom, the stench emanating from the ward made even the staff outside, who were performing their official duties, nearly unable to bear it—let alone those inside the restroom.
Since part of the clinic’s medical staff were already married, they had returned home according to Mu Lin’s instructions. With insufficient personnel, Mu Lin had no choice but to assign the unmarried doctors to take care of these tasks. Now, for the clinic’s reputation and their own future learning, they could only endure the pungent stench with all their might, inwardly lamenting why they hadn’t married sooner. If they had, they would now be at home with their families, instead of being stuck here, tortured by the patient’s foul odor.
Eventually, the stench inside the room became almost unbearable even for the patient himself.
“Damn it! My God! Is this smell really coming from me? Please, someone give me a gas mask! Or let me leave this cursed room! Otherwise, I might die from the stench before my illness is even cured!”
“A gas mask! We wish we had one too!” The doctors inside the room could only bitterly laugh. Normally, they could have driven to a store to buy one, but right now, they couldn’t even get out! The clinic was surrounded by a dense crowd of supporters, and anyone who tried to leave would be stopped and interrogated about the clinic’s current situation.
During the night, the stench from the clinic gradually spread outward. People inside the clinic started frantically searching for anything to cover their mouths and noses. First, those closest to the clinic caught the smell, followed by more and more people. Some feared it was a gas attack and began shouting in panic, causing a commotion. However, after waiting a while and no one collapsed from the odor, the crowd gradually calmed down. But the stench kept growing stronger and stronger, until eventually, the people outside could no longer endure it and fled in droves. No one had expected that the clinic’s troubles over the past few days would be so easily resolved.
When Mu Lin received the report from the clinic staff, he was somewhat skeptical. But when he walked to the window and looked outside, the streets were indeed completely empty, confirming that such a thing had actually happened. Thinking to himself, he mused that if he had known this would happen, he should have placed Xiao Laipi in New York—then, releasing just one gas bomb would have prevented the clinic from being surrounded by concerned citizens for such a long time.
The next day, Mu Lin arrived at the ward on time. Although the patient’s face still showed signs of facial paralysis, his complexion had changed from a leaden white to a slightly rosy hue. Mu Lin carefully checked his pulse and found it strong and steady—almost indistinguishable from that of a healthy person.
Mu Lin took out a set of regular silver needles from the medicine box beside him. Today, he would first treat the patient’s facial paralysis and then continue with the detoxification.
Seeing that the needles Mu Lin took out today were smaller than yesterday’s, the patient felt fear but knew it was necessary for his treatment. He gritted his teeth and sat still, enduring the anxiety.
“There’s absolutely no need to be so tense! Let me tell you, although these needles might look long, they won’t hurt much when inserted—much easier than regular injections,” Mu Lin smiled gently, reassuring the patient. His voice subtly carried a soothing quality, for only when the patient was fully relaxed could the treatment for facial paralysis achieve effective results.
Once Mu Lin saw that the patient had mostly relaxed, he began inserting needles into acupoints such as Taiyang, Dicang, Hegu, Yangbai, and Yingxiang. The physicians behind Mu Lin watched his technique with intense focus—this was something not found in textbooks, nor had their teachers ever taught them. This time, Mu Lin did not use his spiritual energy, as treating facial paralysis was something he had mastered through extensive practice during his travels across China.
An hour later, Mu Lin removed the needles, and the patient’s face gradually began to recover. Although not yet completely normal, it was no longer twisted and distorted like before.
The nurse brought a mirror for the patient. Looking at his gradually normalizing face in the mirror, tears streamed down the patient’s cheeks as he murmured:
“Thank God, praise God! You have sent such a skilled doctor to this world, and it is entirely through your mercy that I have recovered. Thank God! Praise God!”
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