The Divine Physician System

Chapter 5

Adrian ran.

He didn't know where he was going.

He didn't care.

All he knew was that he couldn't let Lily die.

He carried her tightly against his chest as he rushed through the streets outside St. Raphael Medical Center. Blood continued to stain his clothes, dripping onto the pavement with every hurried step.

People turned to stare.

Some gasped.

Others moved out of his way.

A few pulled out their phones, wondering what had happened.

Adrian heard none of them.

His mind was consumed by one thought.

Lily was still alive.

The system had told him so.

There was still a trace of life inside her body.

But he had no idea how long it would last.

"Hold on, Lily."

His voice trembled.

"Please, just hold on a little longer."

Lily's head rested against his shoulder without the slightest movement.

She looked almost lifeless.

But Adrian could still remember the system's warning.

Remaining Vitality: 3%.

He had to find somewhere to treat her.

But where?

The hospital had already abandoned her.

And after what had happened with Victor Kane, Adrian would never take her back there.

Suddenly, a name flashed through his mind.

Carlson Pharmacy.

Carlson Pharmacy was the largest pharmacy chain in Eastcliff.

Unlike ordinary pharmacies, every major Carlson branch had an in-house physician capable of handling emergency medical situations.

If there was anywhere outside the hospital that might have the equipment he needed, it was Carlson Pharmacy.

Adrian immediately changed direction.

He ran several blocks before finally spotting the familiar blue-and-white sign.

CARLSON PHARMACY.

Without slowing down, Adrian pushed through the glass doors.

The bell above the entrance rang sharply.

Everyone inside turned around.

Then silence descended.

A young man had just rushed into the pharmacy carrying a blood-covered girl in his arms.

"What happened?"

"Is that girl injured?"

"Someone call an ambulance!"

A young pharmacy assistant hurried toward him.

"Sir, you need to take her to the hospital immediately!"

"There's no time."

Adrian pushed past him.

"Where are your medical supplies?"

The assistant followed him anxiously.

"Sir, this is a pharmacy, not an emergency room!"

"We don't have the equipment necessary to treat injuries like that."

"I said there's no time."

Adrian's voice was cold and desperate.

"I need a set of silver needles."

The assistant froze.

"Silver needles?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I need them to save her."

The assistant stared at him as though he had lost his mind.

"Sir, I think you need to understand—"

"Silver needles!"

Adrian suddenly shouted.

The entire pharmacy fell silent.

His eyes were bloodshot.

His clothes were covered in his sister's blood.

He looked like a man who had been pushed beyond his limits.

The assistant swallowed nervously.

"We don't sell those."

"Where's your doctor?"

Before the assistant could answer, an elderly voice came from behind them.

"Why do you need silver needles?"

Everyone turned.

An elderly man in a white medical coat slowly walked toward them.

His hair was completely white, and a neatly trimmed beard framed his weathered face.

Despite his age, his eyes were remarkably sharp.

The assistant immediately straightened.

"Dr. Harrison."

Adrian looked at him.

"Are you the doctor here?"

The elderly man nodded.

"My name is Elias Harrison."

Adrian didn't know the name.

But everyone else in the pharmacy clearly did.

Elias Harrison was one of the most respected physicians in Eastcliff.

For more than forty years, he had practiced medicine and treated countless patients.

His reputation had helped establish Carlson Pharmacy as one of the city's most trusted medical businesses.

Elias glanced at the girl in Adrian's arms.

His expression changed.

"Put her down."

Adrian hesitated.

"Please."

"I need to examine her."

Adrian carefully placed Lily on one of the examination tables.

Elias immediately checked her pulse.

His fingers remained against her wrist for several seconds.

Then he moved to her neck.

He checked her breathing.

Her pupils.

Her heart.

Finally, he slowly shook his head.

"I'm sorry."

Adrian's heart sank.

"What?"

"There's no detectable pulse."

Elias looked at him sympathetically.

"She has already passed away."

"No."

Adrian's answer was immediate.

Elias frowned.

"Young man..."

"She's not dead."

"I've been practicing medicine for more than forty years."

"I know what death looks like."

"She's dead."

"No!"

Adrian's voice echoed through the pharmacy.

Several customers flinched.

"My sister is not dead!"

Elias studied him carefully.

There was no madness in Adrian's eyes.

Only desperation.

"You need to accept reality."

"I won't."

Adrian clenched his jaw.

"I need silver needles."

Elias frowned.

"Why?"

"Because I'm going to save her."

The elderly physician stared at him for several seconds.

Then something changed in his eyes.

Perhaps it was curiosity.

Perhaps it was pity.

Whatever it was, he no longer looked at Adrian like a grieving man who had lost his mind.

"You believe you can save her?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"With acupuncture."

Elias glanced at Lily again.

"Acupuncture cannot revive someone whose heart has stopped."

Adrian didn't respond.

The System's instructions had already appeared in his mind.

Seven Meridian Resurrection Needles.

He didn't fully understand the technique yet.

But he trusted the knowledge that had been passed down to him.

"I need the needles."

Elias remained silent.

Then he sighed.

"Our pharmacy doesn't stock the kind of silver needles you're asking for."

Adrian's expression fell.

"Then..."

"I have a set."

Adrian looked up.

Elias continued.

"They belonged to my master."

"They've been with me for decades."

"They're the finest acupuncture needles I've ever possessed."

"Can I borrow them?"

Elias looked deeply into Adrian's eyes.

"Do you truly intend to use them on her?"

"Yes."

"Even though every doctor here would tell you she's already dead?"

"Yes."

Elias slowly nodded.

"Very well."

He turned toward the pharmacy assistant.

"Prepare the private treatment room."

The assistant's eyes widened.

"Dr. Harrison!"

"She's dead!"

"If this man does something reckless and damages the body, we'll be responsible!"

Elias's expression hardened.

"I said to prepare the room."

"But—"

"I'll take responsibility."

The assistant immediately fell silent.

"Yes, Doctor."

He hurried away.

Elias looked at Adrian.

"Follow me."

Adrian lifted Lily again and followed him through a door at the back of the pharmacy.

A small private treatment room was waiting beyond it.

There was an examination bed, several medical cabinets, and basic emergency equipment.

A moment later, the assistant returned with an elegant wooden case.

Elias opened it.

Inside were dozens of thin silver needles arranged neatly in rows.

Adrian's eyes narrowed.

The moment he saw them, an inexplicable familiarity surged through him.

His fingers tingled.

It was as though he had used these needles countless times before.

Elias noticed his expression.

"You recognize them?"

Adrian shook his head.

"No."

He reached for the case.

But before touching it, the System suddenly appeared.

[Medical Instrument Detected.]

[Purity: 98.7%.]

[Suitable for Divine Acupuncture.]

Adrian's heart jumped.

These were the needles he needed.

He carefully took the case.

"Thank you."

Elias nodded.

"Do you need my help?"

Adrian placed Lily on the treatment bed.

Then he activated Diagnostic Vision.

The world changed.

Lily's body appeared before him in a completely different form.

He could see her organs.

Her blood vessels.

Her meridians.

Her damaged tissues.

Most importantly...

He saw the tiny golden thread of life still flickering near her heart.

Adrian's breathing stopped.

The system immediately displayed a warning.

[Vitality: 1.2%.]

[Life force is rapidly declining.]

[Estimated remaining time: 4 minutes.]

Four minutes.

Adrian's eyes hardened.

He looked toward Elias.

"I need you to hold two pressure points for me."

Elias raised an eyebrow.

"Which ones?"

"GV20."

Adrian pointed toward the top of Lily's head.

"And KI1."

He pointed toward the sole of her foot.

Elias looked at the two locations thoughtfully.

"Those are important meridian points."

"Exactly."

He stepped forward.

"Tell me what to do."

Adrian nodded.

"Don't release them until I tell you."

Elias positioned his fingers on the two points.

Adrian opened the wooden case.

He slowly picked up the first silver needle.

The moment it entered his fingers, an ancient image flashed through his mind.

A white-robed physician standing beneath a moonlit sky.

Thousands of years of medical knowledge.

Countless lives saved.

A technique that had disappeared from the world.

The Divine Acupuncture.

Adrian took a deep breath.

His panic disappeared.

His trembling stopped.

His eyes became calm and terrifyingly focused.

He raised the silver needle above Lily's chest.

Elias watched him closely.

Then Adrian whispered,

"Lily..."

"Come back to me."

The needle descended.

And the legendary technique of the Hale Clan began.