paranoianovel Chapter 18 Pharmacy 6 seconds
Chapter 18 Pharmacy 6 seconds
Xu Mo's pharmaceutical knowledge was almost nonexistent; his limited understanding came from his second uncle's dubious boasts and scattered online information. At this moment, he could only rely on his most primal instincts and intuition about words to make judgments.
His eyes flashed like lightning, quickly scanning the shelves.
"Injuries from falls and blows", "promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis", "relaxing muscles and tendons" - these keywords became Xu Mo's guiding light.
[Ten seconds have passed]
Xu Mo's hands moved with lightning speed, the first thing he saw being various medicinal oils and solutions. Safflower oil, Yunnan Baiyao aerosol, anti-inflammatory and analgesic tincture... He grabbed several bottles of safflower oil and Yunnan Baiyao aerosol, stuffing them into the already open backpack on his back without even looking at them. The glass bottles and metal cans clinked crisply at the bottom of the backpack.
[Twenty seconds have passed]
Next up was the plaster section, with musk bone-strengthening plaster, Yunnan Baiyao plaster, and meridian-clearing and pain-relieving plaster... Plasters with muscle and bone patterns printed on their packaging were swept into backpacks in heaps, the thick packaging boxes quickly devouring backpack space.
[Thirty seconds have passed]
The backpack was already bulging and almost couldn't be closed anymore. Xu Mo decisively rushed to the door and forcefully threw the stuffed backpack onto the ground on the side facing the apocalypse, making a heavy thud. Then, Xu Mo quickly took off his coat, spread it out in front of him, and used it as a makeshift bundle. In the internal medicine section, his eyes locked onto "Trauma Pills," "Sanqi Tablets," and "Muscle Relaxing and Blood Circulation Tablets." Glass medicine bottles rained down on his coat, quickly piling up into a small mountain.
[Fifty seconds have passed]
His coat was already fully packed, but Xu Mo's heart sank slightly—he didn't see the medicinal wine he had expected!
In that instant, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of several brocade boxes containing ginseng in the Chinese medicine cabinet.
Time is running out.
Without hesitation, Xu Mo punched the glass counter. With a crash, he grabbed the ginseng box and stuffed it into his arms, while wrapping all the medicines in his coat and holding them close to his chest.
In a flash, sixty seconds were up, and Xu Mo finally smiled.
Although he couldn't find the medicinal wine, the safflower oil, Yunnan Baiyao, and various medicines were enough to support him to continue his cultivation.
Xu Mo carried a backpack that was still heavy even after being reorganized, and tightly hugged a package made from a coat that was stuffed with various medicine bottles and boxes. He walked quickly but steadily back to the shelter.
Despite the heavy burden, Xu Mo's heart felt like it was about to take flight, filled with indescribable joy and a sense of peace.
This "opening" yielded results far exceeding expectations.
Back in the relatively safe room, Xu Mo eagerly and carefully spread all his "spoils" on the floor. The dazzling array of medicines almost covered a small area of the floor, especially the seven ginseng roots in an exquisite brocade box, which became the most eye-catching item among all his gains.
He picked up a brocade box, gently opened it, and found the root intact, the main root thick, emitting a rich and unique herbal fragrance. Just smelling this aroma seemed to invigorate him.
"Ginseng...this is a wonderful thing!" Xu Mo murmured to himself, his eyes gleaming with excitement. Although he didn't know much about traditional Chinese medicine, the reputation of ginseng as the "king of herbs" and its ability to greatly replenish vital energy were well-known and common knowledge to the general public.
From Xu Mo's limited knowledge of ginseng, its core effects are "to greatly replenish vital energy, restore pulse and prevent collapse, tonify the spleen and benefit the lungs, generate body fluids and nourish blood, and calm the mind and improve intelligence."
In simpler terms, it is a life-saving and life-extending treasure that can greatly replenish the body's most fundamental energy or vital energy. It has a miraculous effect of bringing people back from the brink of death, for those who are recovering from a serious illness, those who are weak from a long illness, and those whose vital energy has been greatly depleted.
Xu Mo remembered clearly that he had heard many real-life examples of elderly people who were at the end of their lives and unable to eat, who were able to prolong their lives by taking ginseng slices or drinking ginseng soup. This showed how potent the medicine was.
Given his current condition, the high-intensity "Thirteen Bodyguards Horizontal Training" is essentially constantly overdrawing his body's potential, consuming a large amount of "vital energy" to toughen his muscles, bones, and skin, while also continuously causing minor damage. Ordinary food provides energy and repairs muscles, but its effects on repairing deeper levels of vital energy depletion and muscle and bone damage are slow and insufficient.
These ginsengs can fill this gap perfectly. When you feel that you have over-cultivated, your body is depleted, or you have suffered a serious internal injury, you can cut off a small piece and hold it in your mouth or soak it in water. This may quickly replenish your vital energy, accelerate the recovery of your injuries, and may even help you break through the bottleneck in your cultivation.
In Xu Mo's eyes, these seven ginseng roots are seven "lifesavers" and "boosters" for critical moments.
After the initial euphoria, Xu Mo looked at the various plasters, medicated oils, and oral medications on the ground, and then at the ginseng roots. A clear idea emerged, which cooled his previous excitement and transformed it into a more thoughtful plan.
"I was lucky this time, I guessed some things right. But that Chinese medicine cabinet, with so many drawers, must be full of all kinds of medicinal herbs..." Xu Mo thought with some regret.
At that time, he was completely at a loss when faced with the row of small drawers filled with the names of medicinal herbs. He didn't even understand the most basic properties, meridians, effects, and compatibility of medicinal herbs. Even if he had the time, he would have had no idea which herbs would be helpful for his external martial arts training.
Xu Mo knew that he had encountered a knowledge barrier. Having a treasure trove but not knowing how to use it was a feeling that was more painful than not being able to find any supplies.
"Next time, I'll go to the pharmacy, or... it would be best to find a bookstore, or just find a book like 'The Compendium of Traditional Chinese Medicine,' 'Pharmacology of Traditional Chinese Medicine,' or 'Treatment of Traumatology'!" Xu Mo made up his mind.
Having the necessary resources isn't enough; one must also possess the knowledge to utilize them. This is especially true in the vast and profound field of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Without theoretical guidance, haphazardly using medication could turn a good thing into a bad one. One needs a systematic understanding of which medicinal herbs can strengthen muscles and bones, which can promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis, which can nourish vital energy, and how to use them—whether internal or external, and whether they need to be combined with other herbs, etc.
Only by mastering knowledge can one maximize the use of the resources brought by the "gate" and truly transform the treasure trove of traditional Chinese medicine in that static world into an inexhaustible "elixir room" on one's cultivation path.
The establishment of this new goal gave Xu Mo a new and clear direction for the next forty-eight hours of waiting.
He carefully stored all the medicines, especially the seven ginseng roots, away. Then, Xu Mo picked up a bottle of safflower oil, poured a little into his palm, and began to massage and pat his still somewhat aching arms and shins, following his senses.