about it. This place can simply be called a nest of ghosts."Ah…..." Zhou Ruying who was pointing her finger at the foundation trench suddenly saw a shadow flash above the trench and screamed in fright...Chapter 267: Trial of Needling
"Uncle Teacher, are you alright"
Xiao Hongyang saw Xiao Yu when he entered the clinic but didn't say anything because he was busy seeing patients. Seeing Xiao Yu sitting with his eyes closed and a pale face, Xiao Hongyang asked worriedly; after all, Xiao Yu had just woken up from seven days of unconsciousness.
"I'm fine! I'll be alright after resting for a bit!" Xiao Yu said without opening his eyes as he leaned back on the chair.
“Okay!”
Xiao Hongyang nodded in response. Since Xiao Yu's medical skills were superior to his, and since Xiao Yu had said he was fine, Xiao Hongyang didn't worry too much.
When all the patients left, it was already dark outside. Xiao Yu let Liu Erxi finish her shift. As for Xiao Hongyang Xiao Yu did not send him away because the owner of the breakfast shop hadn’t brought his son over yet; Xiao Yu planned to teach Xiao Hongyang how to use the trembling needle technique through the case of the breakfast shop owner's son.
Soon, the owner of the breakfast shop and his son arrived at Wansheng Hall. While needling the owner’s son again, Xiao Yu explained the trembling needle technique to Xiao Hongyang; he hoped that Xiao Hongyang could learn it as soon as possible so that if something happened and he couldn't return, patients would still be able to receive treatment.
After the father-son duo left, Xiao Yu let Xiao Hongyang leave. Checking his watch, it was only seven PM; closing up too early might not be a good idea, so Xiao Yu simply sat at the consultation desk and closed his eyes to rest. He didn't close Wansheng Hall until nearly 9:00 PM that night, then went into the resting room for meditation.
Time flies by
A week passed as Xiao Yu spent his days seeing patients at Wansheng Hall and his nights meditating.
Xiao Yu exhaled a breath of turbid air before slowly opening his eyes. His complexion was now rosy, no longer looking sickly pale; although the ghostly shade remained as an ethereal silhouette, there were no major issues with his body anymore, and a trace of righteousness had returned within him.
Xiao Yu opened the curtains and looked outside. It was already dawn out; he washed up quickly before heading to the front gate of Wansheng Hall.
"Good morning, Uncle Li!"
"Good morning, Auntie Wang!"
When Xiao Yu came to the door and greeted a few seniors doing their morning exercises outside.
A few elderly men and women were practicing Tai Chi Sword on the square outside of Wansheng Hall. They practiced a standard performance-style Tai Chi Sword routine. Over these days, as there was nothing else for Xiao Yu to do in the mornings, he would often come out for exercises himself, so he had become familiar with them.
"Doctor Xiao. Up so early again Nowadays, there aren’t many young doctors like you!"
"Yes! Although Doctor Xiao is young, his medical skills are truly excellent!"
Hearing Xiao Yu's greeting, the elderly folks also returned his greetings.
Most of these elderly people would come to Xiao Yu’s clinic when they were ill. Naturally, they recognized him. Originally, these seniors exercised in a nearby park but after seeing Xiao Yu for their illnesses, they switched their morning exercise venue to his clinic.
When at the clinic, Xiao Yu would occasionally give them advice on health preservation or instruct them on Tai Chi Swordplay. Although he had not learned Tai Chi Swordplay formally, all skills have common roots, and with Xiao Yu’s understanding of Yin-Yang in nature, it didn’t take long before his mastery of performance-based Tai Chi Swordplay reached a master level.
By around 7:30 AM, the elderly folks dispersed to go home. After washing his face, Xiao Yu headed to the breakfast stall.
"Good morning, Doctor Xiao..."
"Morning, boss!"
The moment Xiao Yu arrived at the breakfast stall, the boss greeted him. Since Xiao Yu started acupuncture treatment for his son a few days ago, the boy’s mental state had significantly improved, eating more than before and no longer experiencing vomiting or indigestion after meals. As such, he was genuinely grateful towards Xiao Yu.
"What would you like to eat today, Doctor"
"A bowl of old tofu, two fried dough sticks, and two tea eggs."
Xiao Yu thought for a moment before saying this. The breakfast here suited his taste buds well; perhaps because the boss had lived in the north when he was young! Therefore, most of the food available here was from northern China, which was why Xiao Yu often came to eat here.
"Sure thing, please sit down first, it’ll be ready soon!" The boss acknowledged and went to prepare the order for him.
"Thank you, Doctor!" While eating, a woman’s voice suddenly sounded from behind Xiao Yu.
Hearing this, he turned around to see it was that girl named Xiaoxiao who had played with Ouija boards along with Wang Fang.
"It's nothing. I just guessed blindly, but these things shouldn’t be played anymore!" Xiao Yu said to the girl named Xiaoxiao.
Shivering all over at the mention of this incident, she replied: "No way, we won't ever play them again!
After she recovered last time, she was scared and stayed at home for a while. She only returned to school yesterday. Today, when she came out for breakfast, she unexpectedly ran into Xiao Yu.
The two of them sat across from Xiao Yu and started eating their meal. They occasionally glanced at him, with admiration on their faces the whole time.
Xiao Yu didn't say a word; he focused on his food. Soon after finishing his meal, he left some money on the table, bid farewell to the two little girls, and returned to the clinic.
That day, Xiao Yu stayed at the clinic all day. When someone needed treatment, he would help them, but when there were no patients, he would explain the Five Elements Trembling Needle technique to Xiao Hongyang.
"Hongyang, take a golden needle and try it on me!"
Xiao Yu stood up and said this to Xiao Hongyang. After saying that, he walked over to the treatment bed and lay down on it.
Xiao Hongyang hesitated for a moment before taking out a golden needle from his acupuncture kit and coming over to the treatment bed.
"Thank you, Uncle Master..."
Xiao Hongyang said gratefully.
Trying needles is very painful. If the acupuncture point is correct, there won't be much pain. However, if it's wrong, the consequences can vary from a minor suffering to serious complications, including death in critical cases.
Therefore, usually only extremely close people like masters and apprentices or father and son would allow each other to try needles, often on unimportant acupuncture points.
But Xiao Yu asked him to try the needle at a major organ point, which made Xiao Hongyang immensely grateful. Even in a typical master-disciple relationship, it's hard to see such trust!
Xiao Yu did this because Xiao Hongyang had some foundation in the Five Elements Life-Saving Needles technique over these years. Otherwise, if someone with no background in the Five Elements Needle techniques were taught for just several days, there would be no way he could let them try it on a person; trying needles carries certain risks.
Xiao Hongyang held the golden needle and took a deep breath before slowly exhaling. He then carefully inserted the needle into Xiao Yu's abdomen.
"Twirl!"
With his eyes closed on the treatment bed, Xiao Yu instructed Xiao Hongyang.
"Yes, Uncle Master!" said Xiao Hongyang as he bowed respectfully; this was almost like a disciple bowing to their master.
Focal point.......... Yes, this intensity can enhance the function of the stomach.
Xiao Yu instructed Xiao Hongyang to experiment with different intensities and observe how these intensities affect the stomach. He wanted to find out which level of stimulation is most effective for treating various illnesses!
"Remember these different levels of intensity!"
After letting Xiao Hongyang try several different intensities while twisting the needles, Xiao Yu told him to remove the golden needle.
"Uncle Teacher, I will remember them," Xiao Hongyang said respectfully.
"Good. Memorize these levels well because they represent a significant dividing line in stimulating the stomach with twisted needles. Since you have a foundation in the Five Elements Life-Saving Needles, once you master these intensities, you'll gradually understand and control the subtle differences between other intensities through your practice!"
Xiao Yu sat up after concluding the treatment.
Xiao Yu was now fully committed to Xiao Hongyang. This method of teaching is highly effective; it involves demonstrating needle insertion techniques to illustrate their effects, but this can be risky and hence not commonly used even in ancient times.
In old Chinese medicine families, only the family head could learn certain secret needle techniques. These secrets were passed down using this very method, where family members would first master basic needling skills before learning these advanced techniques.
To learn such exclusive secret techniques, one usually had to wait until the previous family head died. The new head would then practice on their deceased relative's body to grasp the most crucial steps of these secrets, which were vital for the survival and prosperity of a medical lineage.
Xiao Hongyang was well aware of this tradition, hence his respectful attitude towards Xiao Yu. He now had an idea but wanted to discuss it with his father before making any decisions.
"Uncle Teacher, I understand! I will not let you down!"
Xiao Hongyang bowed deeply in respect as he spoke to Xiao Yu.
"Good. Once you master twisting the needle technique thoroughly, then I'll teach you about removing needles."
Xiao Yu received this gesture with grace and acceptance.
This kind of teaching method was almost unheard of in ancient times, let alone in today's materialistic and restless society. Xiao Yu’s dedication truly warranted the respect he was receiving.
In the evening, when the owner and family of the breakfast restaurant arrived, as Xiao Yu had already treated them with tapping needles for a week, it was now time to use twisting needles to give their stomachs some rest.ole can be considered the actual leader of the hospital."Oh, then I'll head over in a moment!" After some thought, Xiao Yu agreed to do it.However, immediately after agreeing, Xiao Yu wore a slight sm...