Chapter 45:

“Um!”

While on patrol, Yan Qiu suddenly felt a familiar restlessness.

“Are you okay?” his partner inquired. “Let’s see, it’s almost time for your monthly episode.”

“I suppose,” Yan Qiu replied, trying to calm himself. “I’ll ask the captain for three days off to rest.”

“Be careful on your way home,” the partner cautioned.

“Don’t worry, I won’t die,” Yan Qiu deliberately replied in a light-hearted tone. “Close the door at home, stock up, get some sleep, and I’ll wake up feeling like a hero.”

Yan Qiu, a three-star officer, unfortunately suffered from a mental illness, causing him to lose clarity of mind every month.

Fortunately, his symptoms were relatively mild, often resolving after a day of rest at home.

During these episodes, he was always confused, with little recollection afterward. Whether he had just slept or suffered an episode, he himself wasn’t entirely sure.

Whenever he felt unwell, he promptly reported in sick. After resting, he’d return to duty, and that was his simple coping method.

“I’ve been taking sick leave for over a year, so I’m used to it,” Yan Qiu changed the subject. “I’m more worried about my battle pet’s condition, it’s been looking increasingly listless.”

“Have you taken it to the veterinary hospital?” his concerned companion asked.

“I did, the doctor diagnosed it and prescribed medication, but it didn’t work,” Yan Qiu said, feeling extremely frustrated. “Medical expenses are already expensive, and the prescription turned out to be useless, it feels like a waste of points.”

“Ah, your luck is just too terrible.”

Before the companion could offer further comfort, the captain walked over and interrupted their conversation. “Yan Qiu, you’ll rest this afternoon and take your three-star black panther battle pet to see the doctor.”

Yan Qiu’s heart sank, and he exclaimed, “Sir, I’m not seriously ill. I just need to rest at home, no need to go to the medical center specifically.”

The captain replied with an assertive tone, “You’re just taking the battle pet along.”

Yan Qiu: ???

Confused, he heard the captain emphasize, “Here’s the address, you must go, it’s an order.”

“Okay,” Yan Qiu reluctantly agreed.

***

Thirty minutes later.

Yan Qiu set off with his three-star black panther battle pet, as instructed by the captain.

As they walked, he felt something wasn’t right—East District was a low-end residential area, so there should have been many people around. Why was it so deserted? Most of the houses were empty, and it took a while for any residents or passersby to appear.

Before Yan Qiu could figure things out, he had already reached his destination.

“Name?” NPC Doctor Xia stood at the door and inquired.

“Yan Qiu.”

Doctor Xia checked the records, glanced at the three-star black panther next to Yan Qiu, and nodded, “You may come in.”

As Yan Qiu’s gaze scanned the area, he noticed the substantial area occupied by the fence, and there were quite a few people inside. He had no idea when a battle pet hospital had popped up in the East District. He had never heard of it before.

As his eyes roamed around, he silently added in his mind, “Not even a name yet.”

“Follow me.” After verifying the visitor’s information, Doctor Xia led the way.

Before long, the two entered a bamboo house.

“This is Doctor Yun Shan.” Doctor Xia introduced them. “And this is Yan Qiu, an officer.”

Yun Shan caught sight of the black panther and beckoned it over, “Come here, let me have a good look at you.”

The black panther’s fur was sleek and shiny, looking well cared for. It was a bit thin in body size, but overall impressive.

However, that was no issue. When it came to others’ battle pets, getting a good look was like hitting the jackpot!

“Doctor, this kid is reclusive and may not be willing to cooperate…”

Before Yan Qiu could finish his sentence, he saw his battle pet gallop over to Yun Shan and lie down, eager to be inspected.

All that talk about being reclusive, afraid of people, and unwilling to cooperate didn’t apply here.

Looking at that behavior, it seemed like it couldn’t wait to be examined.

Yan Qiu: “…”

Could this be the prowess of a top-tier doctor? Even on a first meeting, they could quickly bond with other people’s battle pets?

Yun Shan conducted a detailed examination of the black panther. After a moment, she said, “It was previously injured, and the injury has not healed. Over time, the condition has worsened.”

“Can you treat it?” Yan Qiu asked.

“Yes,” Yun Shan replied, then got up to prepare the medicine in the kitchen.

Yan Qiu quietly asked Doctor Xia, “With so many people in the hospital, why does the doctor personally handle it?”

Doctor Xia chuckled, “This is a manor, not just any battle pet hospital.”

“As for Doctor Yun Shan—”

“Her medicine preparation is effective, so she usually prefers to handle it herself.”

Yan Qiu became increasingly perplexed, “I’m from the patrol team. Our captain asked me to bring my battle pet here for treatment. So, this isn’t a battle pet hospital after all?”

Doctor Xia replied, “Doctor Yun Shan is skilled and agreed to help the patrol team upon request.”

Upon hearing this, Yan Qiu was even more surprised. Treating the entire patrol team? It seemed he wasn’t the only one summoned here.

“I can see you’re completely bewildered,” Doctor Xia said. “Her name is Yun Shan. Don’t you know who she is?”

Yan Qiu replied, “…Should I?”

Doctor Xia was dumbfounded, “Don’t you use the premium Purple Grass Ointment?”

“Of course. I’m a loyal customer of the Red Maple Pharmacy’s premium Purple Grass Ointment!” Yan Qiu responded.

Doctor Xia continued, “Do you know about the Concentration Incense?”

“I do. Because of it, everyone’s more active at the trading market than at home,” Yan Qiu said, with a hint of bitterness, seemingly recalling some painful experiences.

“Then how come you don’t know Yun Shan?” Doctor Xia was puzzled.

“I frequently use the premium Purple Grass Ointment and rush to the trading market every day to buy the Concentration Incense. Why do I have to know her?” Yan Qiu grumbled.

“Because the premium Purple Grass Ointment is a formula improved by Yun Shan, later sold to the Red Maple Pharmacy,” Doctor Xia explained.

“The Concentration Incense is handmade by her, and she puts it up for sale at the trading market. When purchased, you can even see the maker’s name.”

“She also cured the patients during the plague outbreak.”

Yan Qiu: “…”

So, it was her.

Bowing to a superior.

Blaming his forgetful nature for not remembering her name.

***

Twenty minutes later, Yun Shan returned with two bowls of medicine.

“One is for you,” she said, handing a bowl to Yan Qiu. “It’s a calming potion.”

The other bowl was for the black panther, “This is a healing medicine for it.”

Upon learning that Yun Shan was the creator of the premium Purple Grass Ointment and Concentration Incense, Yan Qiu’s confidence soared. Without a second thought, he drank the potion in one go.

Whether it was psychological or not, as he drank it, the violent emotions instantly dissipated. His mindset gradually calmed, as if returning to work wouldn’t be an issue.

Yan Qiu was silently astonished.

In the past, during a mental illness episode, he would typically need to rest at home for 2-3 days.

On the first day, there was a constant surge of agitation and a desire to kill, with fluctuating states. Whenever he noticed the signs of an episode, he would immediately take sick leave and rest at home, never forcing himself to keep going.

On the second day, his condition worsened, and in severe cases, he might lose control of his rationality. Usually, he would lock himself in, shut himself in the house, and sleep deeply, waiting for the episode to pass.

By the third day, after the worst had passed, he would feel lethargic and weak. If his condition was better and he had enough money, he’d take leave. If his condition was worse and his savings were running low, he’d grit his teeth and return to work early.

Since falling ill, his episodes had been extremely consistent, without exception. How could a bowl of medicine make him feel so much better, as if he had fully recovered?

“Am I cured?” Although mental illness was acknowledged as incurable, if Yun Shan intervened, Yan Qiu was willing to believe that miracles existed in this world.

“No, it’s just temporarily suppressed,” Yun Shan ruthlessly shattered his illusion.

Yan Qiu didn’t know if he felt disappointed or relieved, his emotions were complicated.

However, he quickly composed himself. Being able to suppress the illness was better than having no solution at all. If it couldn’t be cured now, maybe there would be a chance in the future?

But the next moment, he heard Yun Shan say, “In your case, it’ll take 7-10 days.”

Yan Qiu turned, hardly able to believe it, “Drinking for 7-10 days will lead to a complete recovery?”

“Yes,” Yun Shan replied, “after all, your symptoms are mild.”

Yan Qiu suddenly became excited.

Suffering from a mental illness had to be reported voluntarily. People with milder conditions like him were somewhat restricted, but it wasn’t too troublesome. It was more challenging for those with severe conditions, there were many regulations and the stronger one’s abilities, the stricter the control.

Although the camp’s restrictions didn’t currently impact his daily life, he was still afraid. What if the illness worsened? What if he lost control for longer periods? What if he suddenly went out of control and harmed someone?

After falling ill, Yan Qiu had always been under significant psychological pressure, although he had never shown it.

At this moment, hearing that he could recover, Yan Qiu finally felt relieved.

Meanwhile, the black panther, waiting for someone to feed it the medicine, had to manage on its own.

It struggled as it licked the medicine, finding it quite challenging.

Seeing this, Yan Qiu quickly lifted the bowl to feed the medicine to the black panther.

After drinking a large bowl of the brownish concoction, the black panther felt much better, and its body didn’t ache as it did before.

Yun Shan said, “Drink three times a day, morning, noon, and night, for three days, and you’ll recover.”

“It’s been feeling under the weather lately, and its appetite is not good. The black panther has become skinny,” Yan Qiu inquired, “Is there a way to get it to eat more?”

Yun Shan took out a wooden box filled with beef cubes, pork jerky, ham sausage, and dried chicken and duck meat.

The black panther, upon smelling the meaty aroma, immediately perked up! Its eyes sparkled with an astonishing light!

“Give it a try,” Yun Shan said as she fed the treats.

The beef cubes were chunky and filled with a rich meaty flavor.

The pork jerky was savory and delicious, leaving a delightful aftertaste.

The ham sausage, made from minced meat, was not only delicate in texture but also very refreshing.

The dried chicken and duck meat was crisp, firm, and exceptionally chewy.

Unconsciously, the black panther had turned into an emotionless chewing machine. Whatever Yun Shan put into its mouth, it would chew and swallow.

Yan Qiu was left speechless.

Even if it had never fallen ill before, even when facing its owner, the battle pet had never shown this much deference. He had no idea what kind of magical snacks these were…

“Chop these up and mix them into its regular food, it’ll increase its appetite,” Yun Shan said as she brought a cloth bag and grabbed a handful of beef cubes, then a handful of pork jerky, followed by a handful of ham sausage, and finally a handful of dried chicken and duck meat.

The black panther stared intently, eyes unblinking, secretly salivating.

“Remember to come and take the medicine every day,” Yun Shan said as she handed over the bag.

“Understood,” Yan Qiu’s throat rolled as he licked his lips, asking the most pressing question, “Doctor, how will the medical expenses be calculated?”

To be honest, a high fee for treating him and his battle pet would be justified. However, he was facing financial strain recently and might not be able to afford it.

He wondered if Dr. Yun Shan supported installment payments…

“The medical expenses will be covered by the Red Maple Pharmacy, and they will provide all the needed medicinal materials. If there’s nothing else, you can leave after the treatment,” Yun Shan said with a smile.

Yan Qiu struggled to conceal his shock.

He had thought he was brought in for treatment due to being looked down upon for taking sick leave every month. He never imagined that the doctor not only had exceptional medical skills but also treated patients without charging.

At that moment, Yan Qiu realized he had grossly misunderstood his superior.