[Collect!]
[Reward obtained: Basic Gua Sha; Reward obtained: Acupuncture's Mountain Burning Fire!]
What!?
Lu Jiu was dumbfounded!
Mountain Burning Fire!?
This is an ultimate skill within the top Supplement and Drainage Acupuncture Techniques!
Its counterpart is the Defecation Technique, Piercing Cold!
These two acupuncture techniques are what many traditional Chinese medicine practitioners dream of learning!
Especially in today's society, where most people generally have symptoms of deficiency or coldness, or both, Mountain Burning Fire is the nemesis of such syndromes.
Most deficiency cold syndromes can be treated with Mountain Burning Fire, with effects as rapid as beating a drum is no exaggeration.
Of course, the prerequisite is that the diagnosis must be accurate.
When the reward was claimed, Lu Jiu felt the methods of Mountain Burning Fire and various techniques such as needling and Qi Sensitivity began to flash in his mind.
"Stabbing the deficient, then fill it, the heat is under the needle, the Qi solidifies, then heat follows."
"Push inward and rub, complement the warmth along with left assistance."
"Drive and circulate the Qi and blood, reach throughout instantly, connect up and down, make the cold warm and the hot cool, pain cease and swelling disappear, like irrigation of a channel, the effect seen immediately, what danger cannot be resolved... those who achieve it. Like passing the imperial exam. Those who use it as precise as an arrow shot, when the green needle meets the illness, it will recover instantly."
"..."
The basic principle of Mountain Burning Fire is derived from the Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor. Later, in the Comprehensive Acupuncture's Golden Needle Poem, it was named Mountain Burning Fire for the first time, and detailed operation methods were provided.
This method uses a technique of three advances and one retreat, dividing the depth of an acupoint into three sections: Sky, Human, and Earth, piercing the needle three times.
The practitioner presses with the finger, allowing the patient to breathe through the nose and mouth naturally. The needle is lightly inserted into the Sky section during exhalation, then the patient inhales once through the nose, and the practitioner rotates the thumb nine times while performing tight pressing and slow lifting. This is performed according to the nine yang number, then the needle is inserted into the Human section, carried out again with the previous method, and the needle is then inserted into the Earth section as before, and again perform the nine yang number, finally withdrawing the needle to the Sky section.
If the patient does not feel heat under the needle after this whole process, the Qi stimulation technique is used, such as flicking the needle handle, and if it still doesn't work, repeat the process until the patient feels heat, then withdraw the needle.
Lu Jiu felt the methods of Mountain Burning Fire in his mind, and he couldn't help but take out a needle and start operating on his own Hegu Acupoint.
At first, the speed was very slow because Lu Jiu couldn't fully distinguish the depth of an acupoint to naturally divide it into three sections.
But after a few attempts and with the experience in his mind, the sensation became stronger, and the technique gradually became proficient.
With one needle, Lu Jiu could feel the Qi moving the needle tip, and he could also sense the needle tip trembling, making it unclear whether it was the Qi moving or the needle moving.
The feeling was subtle yet interesting, giving Lu Jiu an indescribable joy.
"Sky section... Human section... Earth section... then retreat..."
As Lu Jiu gradually mastered the technique, combined with accurate Qi Sensitivity, he slowly felt a warm current begin to flow from the sole of his right foot, climbing up to the upper body.
It worked!?
Lu Jiu was overjoyed.
Although Lu Jiu's current level in acupuncture could only be described as average, mastering Mountain Burning Fire qualified him to attempt treating stubborn numb and cold tricky illnesses.
Comparing to the settings in martial arts novels, Lu Jiu's previous acupuncture level was like a knight qualified to wander the martial world. Now, he is comparable to a third-rate expert possessing ultimate skills. His internal strength may not match a third-rate master, but his Sword Technique can rival a second-rate master, favoring an unconventional approach.
It's estimated that if Lu Jiu now returns to Jinling Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, with this Mountain Burning Fire skill, he would easily qualify as an attending physician.
After all, most who master this acupuncture technique are famous practitioners with decades of clinical experience. What Lu Jiu lacks is just clinical experience. With a little practice, he won't be inferior to some renowned practitioners in technique and Qi Sensitivity.
"?"
Lu Mountain was flipping through medical books, feeling weary, glanced at Lu Jiu, only to discover him needling his own Hegu Acupoint.
It wasn't a big deal; Lu Jiu was practicing acupuncture yesterday, too. But upon closer inspection, Lu Mountain realized something was off.
After Lu Jiu performed the Supplement Technique, the three advances and one retreat, twisting and lifting actions were reminiscent of an acupuncture fragment he saw in childhood.
The name seemed to be... Mountain, Mountain Burning Fire, yes, it's Mountain Burning Fire.
The counterpart Drainage Technique is Piercing Cold.
Lu Mountain remembered his father once said if these two acupuncture techniques are mastered, treating most deficiency, cold, heat, and excess conditions would be very simple, with remarkably fast effects.
Unfortunately, though techniques are easy to learn, Qi Sensitivity is quite difficult to grasp. Among the Lu Family ancestors, only four mastered this top Supplement and Drainage Technique. By Lu Mountain's father's generation, due to the lack of acupuncture books, they couldn't fully grasp even basic acupuncture, let alone more advanced Supplement and Drainage Techniques.
Lu Mountain also tried practicing, but that acupuncture fragment documented only the techniques, and none other. However, in acupuncture, the most critical aspect is not the technique but Qi Sensitivity.
Although this depends on enlightenment, there are tips involved. Alas, true lessons require but a word; false teachings fill volumes. Without a teacher who deeply understands this art, future generations to learn it need extraordinary talent and continuous trial and error.
"Where did you learn Mountain Burning Fire?" Lu Mountain suddenly asked.
Lu Jiu, in ecstatic joy, heard grandpa's question without surprise because the old man studied Chinese medicine all these years. Although not proficient in acupuncture, his eye for skill is keen.
Where did he learn it?
He needed an excuse!
"Grandpa, I learned it online." Lu Jiu replied.
Online?
Lu Mountain didn't understand the Internet, nor knew how to learn medicine online.
"How does one learn online?" Lu Mountain asked.
"By watching other people's videos, some teachers demonstrate their techniques and record them into video materials to upload online, and I just practice along with them." Lu Jiu said.
"This is quite similar to the traditional master-apprentice system. Bring me your computer, let me have a look too." Lu Mountain replied.
Huh?
Lu Jiu couldn't help but laugh, "You're so old, and you still want to learn?"
Lu Mountain's eyes narrowed, "What's wrong with being old? Learning Chinese medicine has no end. No matter how capable you are, there's always someone better in some aspect. When I traveled with your great-grandfather, we encountered a patient with a leg abscess. We tried all sorts of treatments with little effect, yet an old lady in the village used a simple plaster, and the patient's abscess drained, muscle regenerated, the wound closed, and within three days, he could walk again."
"The plaster contained only two ingredients, plaster and red powder; the former is extremely cold, the latter highly toxic, yet effectively clears heat, detoxifies, closes wounds, and regenerates muscle. Knowing pharmacology and daring to use it are two different matters. Later, I accidentally found a medical book named Great Success in Surgery, discovering that the old lady used Nine-One Powder from this book."
"Since then, I dared not underestimate anyone. The field of Chinese medicine is too vast. You can never comprehend its entirety; one needs to constantly explore and be open to learning. After mastering Mountain Burning Fire, do not blindly become arrogant. You should know that true experts achieving precise acupoint coordination, even without any technique, can have astonishingly effective results."
"Acupuncture and prescriptions are alike, both have their Tao and technique. The Tao of prescriptions is coordination, known as 'sovereign, minister, assistant, and envoy,' while the technique is prescription methods. Understanding coordination allows flexible use of various classical formulas, while knowing only prescription makes you rigidly stick to formulas fitting symptoms. With such learning, you'll be enslaved by prescriptions, with rigid thinking."
"In acupuncture, the Tao is acupoint coordination, technique is the acupuncture method; mastering acupoint coordination achieves simplicity and endless methods, mastering acupuncture method only sticks to rules, step by step."
"Of course, I'm not belittling the subtlety of acupuncture methods. I'm merely telling you, in learning, you should prioritize the main from the secondary, avoiding the wrong path."
"Don't think just learning Mountain Burning Fire..."
Lu Mountain rarely spoke up, but when he did, he couldn't hold back from lecturing. He had truly heard many of these circular words and, feeling overwhelmed, quickly interrupted, "Grandpa, grandpa, I haven't learned it fully, just the technique, haven't achieved needle heat, no need to lecture further..."
Oh, not mastered yet.
I knew this kid, no matter how much of a genius, couldn't learn it so quickly.
Lu Mountain immediately found it more reasonable, feeling a bit more balanced in hearts.
"Then keep working hard, but while studying acupuncture, don't neglect classical formulas, erm..."
Lu Jiu quickly stood up, "Grandpa, I'll go get the computer, you wait here."
Grandpa is great in every way, just can't change the lecturing habit.