I Can Hear the Heart's Voice of Traditional Chinese Medicine-Chapter 259 - 115: Zhou Jiande Seeks a Master to Learn the Art

"What do you feel?"

Zhou Jiande seemed even more anxious than Lu Xuan and hurriedly stepped forward to ask.

A large face suddenly appeared in front of her. The woman was obviously taken aback. After seeing clearly that it was Zhou Jiande, she began to describe her current sensation: "Just after Dr. Lu gave me a tap, the heat that couldn't rise before seemed to suddenly connect and surged upwards directly. I now feel my waist has never been this warm."

As she spoke, she slightly lifted the clothing around her waist.

Zhou Jiande took a closer look and indeed saw that fine sweat was visibly forming on the woman's waist, and the amount of sweat was steadily increasing.

"Acupuncture should be effective when the qi arrives."

The arrival of qi is not the local sensation of soreness, numbness, heaviness, or swelling during acupuncture; the Spiritual Pivot does not discuss this either. Instead, it refers to the transmission along the meridians and the qi reaching the disease location.

Some diseases inherently have symptoms of soreness, numbness, and heaviness. Often, there's heat sensation after the Mountain Burning Fire technique, but patients may feel cold. Thus, one cannot rely on the patient's sensation during acupuncture to determine the arrival of qi.

Mainly because patients are not doctors, they are not very aware of the qi sensation and find it difficult to assess.

However, the Mountain Burning Fire technique is different; as long as it's not a child too young to speak, they can clearly describe the heat sensation.

The bladder meridian governs muscle diseases, while the sun governs cold. After the lumbar region's skin is opened, there's a sense of sweating as the cold qi is released from the internal to the external, showing yang qi driving the cold outwards.

Zhou Jiande was also overjoyed to personally witness the astonishing effect of Mountain Burning Fire.

It was successful.

Even though he hasn't witnessed Heart-piercing Cold being demonstrated on a patient, the success of Mountain Burning Fire is enough to prove that Lu Xuan's understanding of both techniques is correct, with no issues.

"Dr. Lu, no need to leave the needle?"

Zhou Jiande's student, seeing Lu Xuan remove the acupuncture needle, couldn't help but ask curiously.

Lu Xuan shook his head and said, "Mountain Burning Fire and Heart-piercing Cold differ from other techniques. When mastering the levels of needle insertion, withdrawal, and the amplitude of lifting and thrusting, clearly defining the layers, and uniformly applying techniques, one must distinguish between fast and slow without ambiguity.

When operating in the Celestial Department or Human Department, if the patient's skin heats up or sweats, or if there's a heat sensation near the acupuncture point or the whole body, there's no need to continue.

If the heat sensation appears, the techniques should be stopped immediately, ensuring the qi is guided along the meridian to the affected area. After the technique is completed, the needle may be left for 3-5 minutes, mainly to give the heat sensation time to travel to the disease location.

Since the heat sensation has already reached the waist now, leaving or not leaving the needle is no longer important.

If the heat sensation hasn't reached the disease location, then the needle must be left, but if the heat sensation still can't reach the specified position after leaving the needle, one must consider whether there are other reasons.

For instance, just now, the heat sensation stopped at the knee and couldn't move upwards. That was definitely a blockage in the meridian. After tapping, it was open, and the heat could naturally rise upwards."

Both nodded thoughtfully.

Zhou Jiande glanced at the woman's situation and smiled, saying, "When Dr. Lu withdrew the needle just now, there was still noticeable cold at Yinbai. Given the situation, you'll have to come one more time tomorrow. Another session of Mountain Burning Fire should disperse the cold evil from your waist."

"Just one more time?"

The woman was obviously a bit surprised. She had actually prepared herself for seven or eight sessions, and now learning that just one or two might suffice left her delighted.

"Thank you, Dr. Zhou."

"Why thank me? You should thank Dr. Lu."

The woman gave an awkward smile, then looked at Lu Xuan, "Thank you, Dr. Lu."

Lu Xuan waved his hand, not bothered by such matters.

As the woman went to pay her bill, Zhou Jiande said, "Dr. Lu, let's add each other as friends later; since you were the one needling her, I'll transfer the treatment fee to you."

"Elder Zhou, no need to be so formal. It was just a small effort." Lu Xuan looked at Zhou Jiande with some amusement.

However, Zhou Jiande was earnest, "But this won't do. Though it's not much money, it's meant for you. Just like with my two students—when they administer treatment, the money should go to them. What would it mean if I took it myself?

If you truly refuse, then I might hesitate to ask for your help next time. Even though I've learned the Mountain Burning Fire and Heart-piercing Cold, I must admit that should I administer them myself, it might not be as effective as when you do it."

Although Zhou Jiande is a master of acupuncture, far better in foundational knowledge than Lu Xuan.

However, the Mountain Burning Fire and Heart-piercing Cold are Lu Xuan's developments. He attended lectures as a student, not his own discoveries, so naturally, he wouldn't wield them as fluently as Lu Xuan. Moreover, regarding these acupuncture techniques, Zhou Jiande had to admit he wasn't as skilled as Lu Xuan.

Not nearly as skilled.

Just with the memory and understanding of those medical texts, he had to concede.

"Dr. Lu, please accept it. My teacher is like this, you have no choice. We experience this every time. In the end, the teacher directly approaches the accountant at the United South Chinese Medicine Association, asking them to transfer the money straight to our accounts."

"If you truly refuse, the teacher might end up going to the accountant, making it superfluous, don't you think?"

"Well… alright then."

Elder Zhou's persistence made Lu Xuan realize that further refusal might anger the old man. Hence, he agreed and added him as a friend. Shortly thereafter, Zhou Jiande transferred a sum.

It wasn't much, less than a hundred yuan, yet it revealed Zhou Jiande's character through even such an amount.

What's his remains his, and what isn't, he wouldn't take a cent.