Hundred Herbs

This story is dedicated to someone, since it was his request after all. He demanded that Chen Yu's knowledge level must not be lower than Senku's-not to say they are equals, but rather that they are neck and neck in their respective fields. That was how the author understood it anyway.

And so, Senku also has to know about these medicinal herbs. What do you guys think?

Let me state beforehand: there are over twelve thousand kinds of traditional Chinese medicines in the world, and the commonly used ones for treating illnesses number in the several hundreds. This is what I looked up. Of course, I didn't look up the ones for humans and animals.

After Chen Yu returned, because Hyoga and Gen were currently searching for the traces of Ishigami Village down the mountain, the war hadn't started yet. However, because of Chen Yu's demands, some people had been injured while hunting, some had been bitten by snakes while searching for herbs, and others were suffering from insomnia because the drastic differences before petrification were too much for them to handle.

The reason they suddenly popped out of the woodwork was still because of the song Chen Yu sang. Although it was a-cappella, that voice sounded just like the real thing, and precisely for this reason, everyone's long-pent-up emotions erupted.

There was no help for it. With only four doctors in the Tsukasa Empire facing dozens of incoming patients, Tsukasa couldn't run away this time.

"Restless and flustered? Emotional agitation? Hmm... Dizziness?" Chen Yu looked at the man in front of him and asked.

"Uh, a little bit?" the man said uncertainly.

"Let me take another look." After saying that, Chen Yu started taking his pulse.

After a moment, he told Miwa beside him, "Use the stones I found myself earlier for weighing. Twenty-five grams of Cinnabar and Coptis, ten grams of Dong Quai, fifteen grams of Rehmannia Root, and ten grams of Licorice Root. Grind them into a powder, then decoct it using water found from down the mountain. Tell Reiko not to mix them up or lose them for me-these stones of various weights took me forever to find. If you can't measure it accurately, leave it to me to make into pills. After that, once you get it back, find me and I'll tell you the rest. Understand?" After saying this, Chen Yu looked at the person before him.

That person nodded in agreement.

"Good." As soon as Miwa finished speaking, she left, telling Reiko about these traditional Chinese medicines and having Reiko prepare them.

As for the water from the mountain, it was still a jar of liquor that Chen Yu had risked his life to bring back.

The amount was too small, so he used as little as possible.

(Cinnabar, aliases: Dansu, Dansha, Chidan... and there's another one I can't type out.

Nature slightly cold, flavor sweet, source sulfide minerals.

Left out a few things, sourced from the Illustrated Handbook of Chinese Herbal Medicine.)

Then came the next one: high blood pressure, followed by other conditions.

Chen Yu had Miwa fetch Jujube, as this stuff could treat high blood pressure.

Nausea and vomiting food? There was a remedy for this too; adding Blister Beetle directly could alleviate it.

It was a good thing there were jujubes here that could be used.

Next...

Night sweats? Poor mental state as well?

Let me think what I have. Dragon Bone, alias Five-Pattern Dragon Bone, ancient mammal fossils. This stuff is relatively rare; I hope no more cases like this pop up.

Next...

Aching waist and limp legs? Dizziness? Uh, is this illness a thing too? Let me search... Ah, Gojiberry. Good thing there's a little bit here, found just yesterday. Uh, never mind, I won't mention the prescription. If this stuff were spoken aloud, he definitely wouldn't take it.

"Go ask Tsukasa for some honey to make into pills. Remember, don't let anyone else see when you're making them." With that, Chen Yu whispered the prescription right into Miwa's ear.

Upon hearing this, Miwa looked at the man in front of Chen Yu. In this state, no wonder he needed Goji Berry and Rehmannia Root. Good grief, he didn't look that old either-how did he end up like this? It really wrecked the body.

No wonder it had to be kept secret; he was afraid of the embarrassment.

Next one. Uh, pain? Pain down there? Where does it hurt? Don't take off your pants. You tell me, why are you blushing? Ah, I understand.

"Have Tsukasa fetch some Kombu. We haven't processed this stuff yet." Chen Yu instructed the errand runner standing nearby; he couldn't keep looking for Miwa all the time. As for why he kept asking Tsukasa? You'd have to ask Tsukasa if he was willing.

Or he could dispatch someone else.

(Kombu, nature cold, flavor salty, Laminariaceae family.

As for what it cures, I won't say; I'm afraid it won't pass censorship.)

Next...

Freckles? Does this thing need to be checked too?

Fine, fine. Take some fresh Ginkgo Leaf, wash them, mash them into a pulp, and put them on the face. Whether it works or not, who knows.

And who knows how this thing even made it to the island? It should only exist back in the northern hometown, right? Stop thinking about it; I suppose it's the result of 3,700 years of changes.

Next...

You have that sickness too? Prescribe the same medicine again, this time adding Seaweed. This thing can also cure it, and it can relieve coughing too, but hold on for now. This thing needs to be soaked in water from down the mountain before it can be used.

Next...

It hurts over here? Hmm... and the stomach, hmm... indigestion. Let me look for Turmeric. This stuff will do, though I don't know if the one I found after leaving it out for so long is still usable.

(Turmeric also treats dysmenorrhea, postpartum abdominal pain, and traumatic swelling and pain.)

Next...

Uh, female?

Dysmenorrhea, constipation, does it hurt over here? Good, you guys go fetch a little Peach Kernel, make them into pill form using honey, and ask Miwa if there's anything you don't know.

Just like that, Chen Yu treated patients from daytime until night. Because some medicinal herbs couldn't be found, he had to resort to other methods, using specially crafted bone needles for acupuncture. Silver needles couldn't be exposed either; thank goodness Yuzuriha was so deft with her hands, or else every single poke would have really punched a hole in someone.

After examining the last patient, Chen Yu stretched his back and looked behind him. Most of the medicinal herbs in the Medicine Room had hit rock bottom, while Miwa, Reiko, and Xiao Xi had all fallen asleep from exhaustion.

"Thanks for the effort."

Suddenly, a voice startled Chen Yu so badly that his soul flew straight to his crown.

He turned his head to look-it was Tsukasa.

"I'm fine. Hmm... Your complexion is wrong. You've caught a cold. Hold on a second." Chen Yu peered at Tsukasa's complexion and sensed that Tsukasa was feeling a bit uncomfortable. After taking a closer look, the guy had caught a chill.

Heh heh, the strongest high schooler actually caught a chill; this was probably a first.

After all, life before petrification basically involved taking a bath right after getting into the water, and since Tsukasa was such a strong high schooler, things like catching a cold or a chill rarely happened.

"Alright." With that, Tsukasa sat down nearby and watched as Chen Yu bustled back and forth, brewing a bowl of soup for him.

Very quickly, a bowl of soup was ready. Chen Yu ladled it out and handed it to Tsukasa. "Drink it while it's hot."

"Okay," Tsukasa replied. Sensing that it wasn't very hot, he chugged the whole thing down in one go.

"Hey, that's bad for your stomach." Chen Yu gave Tsukasa a rap on the head with his knuckles.

Tsukasa took the blow out of nowhere, looked at Chen Yu, and said, "It won't happen next time."

"Who's giving you a next time?" Chen Yu rapped him on the head again.

"Oh right, Chen Yu, what is she gnawing on?" With that, he pointed at the sleeping Reiko nearby.

Chen Yu turned his head to look and discovered that Reiko was chewing on something or other.

He took out a torch to take a closer look, and it scared Chen Yu into an expression of pure shock.

"You're gnawing on Pokeweed again... Reiko, you idiot!!" Chen Yu snatched the object from Reiko's mouth and slapped her on the head with it.

This silly blockhead-he had told her to properly store this stalk of Pokeweed. After all, if someone randomly discarded it, he was afraid an uninformed person might mistake it for Ginseng, take it back to eat, and then get poisoned, so he had told Reiko to store it securely.

He thought the other person would find a covered place, like where she slept, but this chick just kept it inside her clothes.

What kind of dream was she having to pull it out and start gnawing on it?

(The stats have flattened out, probably because it's up for recommendation, but I didn't click it. Also, yesterday it broke two thousand, which is a very high stat, but if things stabilize I'll release extra chapters. Lately I've been feeling pretty good, just a bit cold.)