Rebirth 1977 Great Era

Chapter 848 The Whisper Behind You, "You're Too Clinging to Appearances!" (Combined Chapter)
"There's still water, it's constantly flowing in!" Ding Pei shouted.

Fang Yan held her cunguanchi in his hand, then touched the back of her head. Realizing that it might be a sensation from the meridian conduction of the Thirteen Ghost Needles, Fang Yan gently lifted the silver needle inserted into Shaoshang.

"Ouch...it's gone again! That hurts!"

Ding Pei initially felt water flowing into the back of her head, which felt cool and comfortable. Although she was a little flustered, her headache subsided. However, as soon as the "water" stopped, her headache returned.

Seeing this, Fang Yan once again used high-frequency vibration to stimulate the acupoints.

In an instant, Ding Pei spoke again:
"The water's back! It's back!!"

Fang Yan breathed a sigh of relief and said to Ding Pei:

"Don't get excited. This is activating the flow of Qi in the Lung Meridian of Hand-Taiyin, producing a sensation similar to 'water flowing' along the meridian. The 'water flowing into the back of your head' you described is a subjective feeling of Qi spreading along the meridian to the head."

In addition, Ding Pei's symptoms were diagnosed as headache due to qi deficiency, and her weak pulse and teeth marks on the sides of her tongue both indicated insufficient vital energy. Acupuncture at the Renzhong (GV26) and Shaoshang (LU11) acupoints aimed to raise yang qi and unblock the qi flow in the head.

When acupuncture triggers the redistribution of Qi and blood, she may experience "water flu" due to the increased local Qi and blood flow, especially in the back of her head, which is the area along the Bladder Meridian of Foot Taiyang.

In summary, Ding Pei's "water flu" is a physical feedback after the acupuncture technique stimulates the flow of Qi and blood, which is a normal phenomenon in the treatment process and indicates that acupuncture has intervened in the pathological state of Qi deficiency.

Since there is no actual liquid present, the possibility of physical liquid inflow can be largely ruled out.

The woman's shouting made Fang Yan nervous; he genuinely thought something had gotten into her brain.

"How is it now?" Miao Kexiu asked Ding Pei somewhat nervously.

Ding Pei said:

"It felt like a stream of water was washing over the back of my head, cool and refreshing."

"Does it hurt?" Miao Kexiu hadn't experienced it herself and didn't quite understand Ding Pei's description. She felt that someone's brain must be filled with water, so it must be uncomfortable.

Ding Pei said:

"No, it feels very comfortable, I can feel that sensation. The back of my head doesn't hurt anymore, only the top of my head still hurts, it's pulling at my temples."

Then she said to Fang Yan:

"Dr. Fang, you're amazing!"

After inserting the needle into the correct position, Fang Yan stopped manipulating it and said:
"Don't talk, you still have a needle in your mouth."

The silver needles in Ding Peiren's body were still trembling.

Ding Pei moved her chin, her upper lip stiff as she spoke:
"Hmm, it's okay, I won't move my mouth."

Fang Yan was speechless. Ding Pei's head was still hurting.

Fang Yan said to her:
"Take off your shoes, I'm going to put needles on your feet."

Ding Pei obediently took off her leather shoes and socks, revealing her feet with painted nails.

Fang Yan picked up the third silver needle and aimed it at the Yinbai acupoint on the inside of Ding Pei's left big toe.

When the needle was inserted, he used the technique taught by Chu Qiaonan, gently twisting his fingertips to insert the needle.

Ding Pei immediately felt a chill run up her spine.

She suddenly gripped the armrest of the chair and exclaimed urgently, "It feels like my feet are in ice water!"

Before she could finish speaking, the pain in her head receded like the tide, leaving only a faint ache.

She said in surprise:

"Hey, my head doesn't hurt anymore!"

"Burp!" But as soon as she finished speaking, she burped.

"Ugh!" She gagged a second later.

My mouth was watering uncontrollably.

Without needing to speak in dialect, Miao Kexiu immediately brought over a spittoon.

After gagging a few times, Ding Pei said to Fang Yan:

"My saliva has turned salty."

Fang Yan nodded, and then the fourth needle was inserted into the Daling acupoint in the center of the wrist crease, which is also known as the Ghost Heart acupoint.

Fang Yan inserted the needle obliquely into the acupoint using the technique taught to him by Chu Qiaonan, the silver needle swaying gently left and right like a dragon wagging its tail.

Ding Pei gasped sharply: "Something rushed up from my wrist to my throat!"

Then she made a gurgling sound in her throat, as if the phlegm that had been blocked was being forcefully cleared away.

The salty, astringent taste in my mouth suddenly stopped.

Before Ding Pei could speak, Fang Yan circled around behind her and inserted the fifth needle into the Shenmai acupoint, also known as the Ghost Road, located five fen below the outer ankle.

This acupoint belongs to the Yang Qiao meridian. He used a technique specifically targeting this acupoint to forcefully insert the needle three times, causing the needle tail to vibrate.

Ding Pei trembled, her neck suddenly tensed, and she said:
"I have a buzzing sound in my ears!"

Miao Kexiu was surprised to see that Ding Pei's earlobes were red and fine sweat was seeping from her hairline.

As Fang Yan continued to apply the acupuncture technique, Ding Pei sweated more and more.

This is the fifth injection.

I'm a bit unsure about the dialect now, whether or not to continue probing it.

"Someone...someone is calling my name!" Ding Pei suddenly exclaimed, her eyes wide with fear.

Her voice was trembling.

When Miao Kexiu heard Ding Pei's voice, she immediately got goosebumps all over her body.

He asked Ding Pei:

"Where is that? What's that sound? Man or woman? Can you tell?"

Ding Pei opened her mouth and said:
"Male...female, I'm not sure, it's right behind me."

Miao Kexiu glanced behind Ding Pei; there was nothing there. Goosebumps rose on her skin. She asked Ding Pei:

"Then... what did he say?"

Ding Pei said:

"I can't hear clearly."

Just then, Fang Yan held his breath and focused his mind, directly inserting a needle into Ding Pei's Fengfu acupoint at the back of her head.

The dialect uses the method of probing the acupoints to slowly insert the needle, with the needle tip penetrating deeper layer by layer, like a tortoise shell breaking through the soil.

Ding Pei suddenly widened her eyes, and the veins on her neck bulged: "I heard you clearly!"

The next second, her voice stopped abruptly, and Fang Yan suddenly lifted the needle half an inch, changing from stabbing to picking.

The air suddenly became still.

Ding Pei looked around blankly, then said with a hint of loss, "The voice... suddenly disappeared."

She felt the lingering tingling and numbness at the back of her head turn into warmth, like a warm current permeating her entire cranial cavity, and the headache was instantly swept away from her mind.

Miao Kexiu noticed that Ding Pei's originally pale earlobes had turned blood red, and her original gray complexion seemed to have been peeled away.

"Dr. Fang... I feel completely better!" Ding Pei said to Fang Yan.

"Headache, nausea, and I can't hear the voices around me. My head feels hot."

Fang Yan nodded at her:
"Leave the needles in for twenty minutes."

Judging from her expression, Fang Yan clearly knew that she must have heard the voice of someone she knew.

This is the first time that dialect has been used in the Thirteen Ghost Needles technique, and this is basically the limit. To use dialect again in the future, one will have to rely on comprehension.

Thirteen more needles and we're halfway through. Chu Qiaonan's advice really worked. Sure enough, usually we're done by the fifth or sixth needle.

"You two rest here for a while, I'll come back to get the needles later," Fang Yan said to Ding Pei and Miao Kexiu.

The two of them probably had something to talk about as well.

Then Fang Yan took the medical records and went outside.

As soon as Fang Yan left, Ding Pei pulled Miao Kexiu aside and said to her with a shocked expression:

"I just heard his voice!"

"But Dr. Fang inserted a needle and it was all gone."

Miao Kexiu asked:

"So... do you think it's real or your hallucination?"

Ding Pei said:

"I don't know either. Dr. Fang said he doesn't know those things, so it should be... it should be a hallucination, right?"

Miao Kexiu asked:

What did he say to you?

Ding Pei hesitated for a moment:

"I...I didn't hear you clearly."

Miao Kexiu frowned:

"Didn't you just say you heard me clearly?"

Ding Pei shook her head, her expression gradually calming down, and said:

"I heard who it was, but I didn't hear what they said."

"..." Miao Kexiu didn't speak, and turned to look at the doorway.

After a long pause, he said:
"That must be a hallucination."

……

Fang Yan was writing medical records outside the door, and he was also analyzing Ding Pei's reaction earlier.

First, let's rule out the possibility of it being metaphysical.

The third needle is applied to the Yinbai acupoint, using a circular needling motion to draw the cold and cool qi upwards.

Ding Pei's reaction at the time was that her feet felt like they were stepping in ice water, the pain on the top of her head disappeared, and then she burped and her saliva turned salty.

Starting with the dialect, it is deduced that Yinbai acupoint belongs to the Foot Taiyin Spleen Meridian, and the spleen is responsible for transporting and transforming water and dampness.

Acupuncture stimulates the spleen meridian's Qi mechanism, drawing the floating Yang Qi downwards, thus relieving headaches. The spleen meridian "connects to the root of the tongue and disperses under the tongue," regulating the metabolism of body fluids.

Hiccups and salty saliva are likely the adjustment reaction of the spleen and stomach's qi mechanism disorder. Spleen deficiency and dampness retention are the cause of the dampness and turbidity being expelled after acupuncture.

Fang Yan thought about it and realized that the logic should be sound.

So he wrote this deduction in the medical record.

Then came the fourth injection.

The dialect refers to the Daling acupoint, also known as the Ghost Heart.

Use the tail-swinging technique to stab diagonally.

Ding Pei's immediate reaction was a sensation of something impacting her wrist and throat, followed by a sudden cessation of her salty saliva.

Thinking about it from a dialectal perspective, what's going on here?
Daling (PC7) is the original point of the Pericardium Meridian of Hand-Jueyin, and the pericardium is responsible for receiving pathogenic factors on behalf of the heart.

The Ling Shu Jing Mai states, "The pericardium meridian originates in the chest, emerges from the pericardium network, descends through the diaphragm, and connects with the three jiaos."

The acupuncture technique applied in the dialect can effectively clear the stagnation of Qi in the pericardium meridian and resolve the symptoms of phlegm and dampness obstructing the throat.

The cessation of drooling indicates the restoration of body fluid distribution, confirming the theory that "the spleen is the source of phlegm."

After understanding the fourth acupuncture point, Fang Yan praised the explanation of the Thirteen Ghost Points acupuncture, saying it was indeed very reasonable!

It's not mystical at all.

After writing down the medical record, Fang Yan began to deduce the fifth acupuncture point.

This needle is inserted at the Shenmai acupoint, also known as the Ghost Road acupoint.

Fang Yan said that at the time, the needle was strongly pricked three times, and the needle tip trembled. Ding Pei's reaction was tinnitus, redness of the auricle, and sweating at the hairline.

What is the mechanism of this injection?

Shenmai acupoint belongs to the Yang Qiao meridian. The Nan Jing states: "When the Yang Qiao meridian is diseased, the Yin is slow and the Yang is rapid." This place intersects with the Foot Taiyang Bladder meridian.

The Yang Qiao point governs the Yang energy on both sides of the body; strong stimulation can draw Yang energy upwards to the head and face.

The ear response is related to the pathway of the Yang Qiao meridian "entering Fengchi", suggesting that Yang Qi flows through the ear orifices.

So where do auditory hallucinations come from?
Why did Ding Pei hear human voices during this injection?
Fang Yan suddenly realized that this didn't make sense; how could Ding Pei hear human voices here?

The original version of "Thirteen Ghost Needles" refers to Shenmai as "Ghost Road", implying that this acupoint is "the path for evil spirits to enter and exit".

When this acupuncture point is strongly needled, the needling technique disturbs the flow of Qi, causing the patient to briefly perceive a "non-physical sound," which the book explains as "the feedback of residual Yin Qi during the exorcism process."

That makes perfect sense; it's easy to understand.

But should it be written like this in the medical record?
Scratching one's head in dialect.

"No, there must be a way to convince them."

Fang Yan stroked his chin and began to think.

Don't just focus on one acupoint; perhaps you should look for connections between the acupoints mentioned earlier.

He quickly had a flash of inspiration and came up with an explanation.

Shenmai belongs to the Yang Qiao meridian, which governs the "Yang of the left and right sides of the body". Its pathway "goes up to the inner canthus of the eye and enters the brain network".

The *Nan Jing* states that abnormalities in the Yang Qiao meridian can lead to "excessive Yang Qi causing eye strain (difficulty closing the eyes)."

When he forcefully needled this acupoint, the trembling technique at the needle tip stimulated the upward rush of Yang energy, disturbing the brain's pathways, which may have caused Ding Pei's hearing abnormalities.

The heart governs the mind, and the pericardium takes the place of the heart in the transmission of evil influences. The fourth needle, Daling (the original point of the pericardium meridian), has already regulated the heart meridian, while the strong stimulation of the fifth needle, Shenmai, causes the yang qi to rise suddenly, resulting in "restlessness of the mind" and producing a physical feedback similar to "having someone's voice in your ear".

This aligns with the traditional Chinese medicine theory that "disordered Qi leads to mental confusion."

"Reasonable!"

Fang Yan nodded and then wrote the conclusion on the medical record.

From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, Ding Pei's auditory hallucinations were caused by the disturbance of the brain's meridians by the Qi of the Yang Qiao meridian, resulting in abnormal nerve perception; while Zhou Zuoyu's book describes it as a normal phenomenon in the process of "communicating with the spirits and expelling evil" using Taoist terminology.

Both essentially point to the regulatory effect of acupuncture on the neuropsychological system, while the metaphysical explanation is more of a metaphor for physiological phenomena in the tradition of Taoist medicine.

So the sixth needle is the Fengfu acupoint, also known as the Ghost Pillow.

Use the acupuncture point exploration method to perform deep, layered punctures.

Ding Pei said that the voices suddenly disappeared and her headache was completely gone.

What is going on here?
The dialect is analyzed based on the condition of the previous acupoint.

He quickly derived the result.

Fengfu (GV16) is the meeting point of the Du Meridian and the Yangwei Meridian. The Acupuncture and Moxibustion Classic states that "Fengfu is the meeting point of the Du Meridian and the Yangwei Meridian, and it enters the root of the tongue."

Deep puncture can regulate the flow of Qi and blood in the brain.

Auditory hallucinations are a pathological manifestation of qi deficiency with internal heat disturbing the mind, also known as "the spirit not staying at home" in traditional Chinese medicine. After acupuncture, the yin and yang are balanced and the internal heat is returned to its proper place, so the auditory hallucinations and abnormal sensations disappear.

She mentioned feeling a warm sensation in her head; this warmth in the cranial cavity is likely a sign of restored Yang energy and abundant Qi and blood.

All sensations of "water flow," "cold air," and "foreign object sensation" are physical projections of the flow of Qi and blood in the meridians triggered by acupuncture stimulation, which aligns with the classic description in the Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic: "The key to acupuncture is that it is effective when Qi arrives."

Changes in saliva and sweating reflect the rebalancing of body fluid metabolism, confirming the traditional Chinese medicine theory of the coordinated function of the spleen, lungs, and kidneys.

Ding Pei's reaction is typical of a headache caused by qi deficiency, which is a physiological process of adjusting qi and blood and balancing yin and yang through acupuncture.

This can also be explained using traditional Chinese medicine methods.

However, another problem arises: the Thirteen Ghost Needles technique is not only for Ding Pei's case, but it is used for all similar mental illnesses.

Why is that?

Can all mental illnesses be explained this way?
All of them fit perfectly?
The dialect made my scalp tingle for a moment.

The first requirement of the Thirteen Ghost Needles is that the acupoints used can only be these thirteen acupoints, and the order in which the needles are inserted is fixed.

Although the dialect has been modified in later generations, the method that Zhou Zuoyu passed on to Chu Qiaonan is a fixed rule.

The only change is in the technique used when inserting the needle.

It's as if Taoist medicine has mastered a set of universal formulas, or what could be called "the first law of XX acupuncture".

"Dr. Fang, it's time!"

A voice interrupted Fang Yan's thoughts.

Judging from the dialect, it turned out to be Miao Kexiu.

Fang Yan then realized that twenty minutes had already passed.

Time really flies when you're thinking about it.

Upon entering the study, Fang Yan removed the needles from Ding Pei's body.

Then he asked her:
"How do you feel now?"

Ding Pei had recovered from her earlier state and said to Fang Yan:

"My headache is gone, thank you Dr. Fang! Your medical skills are truly superb!"

"I promise you, the deal to make the movie for free still stands!"

Fang Yan said with a smile:

"Okay, then I definitely won't be polite if I need anything in the future."

Ding Pei stood up with a smile and said to Fang Yan:

"Then I'll be going now. I came here right after I got off the plane, and I haven't gone to the hotel yet."

She called out to her in a dialect:
"Wait a moment, I'll write you another prescription."

Ding Pei was somewhat surprised, and she said:

"Didn't you already help me get rid of...?"

Towards the end, she realized she had said the wrong thing and quickly corrected herself.

Fang Yan understood what she meant and explained:
"You have insufficient Yang energy, which is a physical problem and has nothing to do with exorcising evil spirits or anything like that."

Ding Pei nodded repeatedly:

"Oh, right! You're right."

After speaking in dialect, he began writing a prescription for Ding Pei.

Soon, a prescription was written that would replenish the middle qi and nourish the kidneys and calm the mind.

After adding notes on the decoction method, Fang Yan handed it to Ding Pei:

"The prescription is here. You can pick up the medicine at the hospital later. Both the hospital pharmacy and the restaurant where you're staying can prepare the medicine. I have written down the requirements for preparing the medicine on this form. Just have them do it according to the instructions."

Ding Pei accepted the prescription from Fang Yan with both hands and said respectfully:
"Okay, thank you, Dr. Fang! You are truly the most professional doctor I have ever met."

Fang Yan smiled and shook his head:
"You're exaggerating..."

Ding Pei laughed and said:

"Haha, it's no exaggeration. I've consulted many people in Hong Kong, but none of them worked. Only you were so amazing that you cured my illness in one go."

There was a hint of admiration and awe in his words.

I'm speechless. Is this guy trying to pass himself off as a Hong Kong traditional Chinese medicine practitioner who can exorcise evil spirits?
He said to Ding Pei:

"Please don't spread this around; feudal superstition is unacceptable."

Upon hearing the request in dialect, Ding Pei quickly nodded repeatedly:

"understand!"

The two then said their goodbyes. Fang Yan saw Miao Kexiu and Ding Pei off, and then returned to his study to take another look at Zhou Zuoyu's book, "Thirteen Needles of Ghost Gate".

Fang Yan was thinking, what if he used all thirteen needles?

So how should Ding Pei react today?
However, after thinking about it, it was unlikely that Shi Quan would be able to perform the acupuncture. The acupuncture technique would require needles to be inserted into private areas, and even if Ding Pei agreed, Fang Yan still felt it was inappropriate.

It seems I'll have to ask Chu Qiaonan later. Fang Yan wants to know if the reactions she saw after using these methods today were normal or not.

The medical cases this kid wrote before seem pretty normal, though he used dialect, but that doesn't guarantee he wrote them to pass censorship.

Those medical records were too concise. Fang Yan now believes that Chu Qiaonan may have hidden some key information.

At this point, Fang Yan even had the idea of ​​going to a mental hospital to provide free medical consultations.

That way, there would be a sufficient sample size for reference.

After thinking about it, he shook his head again. This thing isn't effective for all mental illnesses.

Otherwise, mental hospitals would have become widespread by now.

……

In the afternoon, Fang Yan also pulled Lao Fan and another classmate from Changzhou, Yuan Qingshan, a Taoist doctor from the Maoshan School (see Chapter 777), to talk about their views on the Thirteen Ghost Needles.

These two were, of course, talking about traditional Chinese medicine theories in front of others.

However, when faced with dialects, they also expressed some metaphysical views.

They believe that the Thirteen Ghost Needles is actually a ritual performed through thirteen acupoints.

Yuan Qingshan had clearly read more of the Daoist canon than Lao Fan. After discussing it with Fang Yan, he began to explain to Fang Yan in a mystical manner:
"The philtrum is also known as the Ghost Palace, corresponding to the Fetal Light Soul, which governs the origin of life. Needling this point is like opening the Heavenly Gate, drawing in the righteous energy of heaven and earth to dispel the evil spirits that possess the body. The Daoist Canon's Record of Nourishing Life states, 'The philtrum connects to the Mysterious Female, suppressing the gates of a hundred ghosts.' The Shaoshang point is also known as the Ghost Messenger, connected to the Hidden Arrow Soul, which governs the metabolism of impurities. Needling this point can sever the root of impurities, allowing the evil qi attached to bodily fluids to be expelled with sweat. The Yellow Court Classic also states, 'The Shaoshang point connects to the Netherworld, opening the path for ghosts.' The Yinbai point is also known as the Ghost Fortress, connected to the Devouring Thief Soul, which is responsible for devouring pathogenic factors. Needling this point can activate the Devouring Thief Soul's ability to devour yin..."

After hearing what he said, Fang Yan, who had never read a single copy of the Daoist canon, asked him:
"Is it possible that these things can actually be explained using traditional Chinese medicine?"

Yuan Qingshan shook his head:

"Brother Fang, you're getting too attached to appearances!"

"You're just like Western medicine insisting on using science to explain Traditional Chinese Medicine. Why do you insist on using Traditional Chinese Medicine to explain Taoist medicine?"

"Traditional Chinese medicine is derived from Taoist medicine. Your explanation can only be considered a forced explanation. The wisdom of our ancestors must have its reasons. Just like meridians, Western medicine believes that they don't exist, but we practitioners know that they definitely exist."

"Perhaps someone will be able to visualize it."

Fang Yan recalled a 2021 study published in the journal *Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine*, which used fluorescence to visualize the pericardial meridian. In this experiment, researchers clearly observed continuous fluorescent lines at acupoints along the human meridian for the first time. (See Chapter 199 with illustrations)
“That’s true…” Fang Yan nodded.

The fact that it hasn't been discovered yet doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

If you insist on explaining it yourself, you'll only end up making a fool of yourself.

And isn't he himself an unscientific being?

Actually, the initial purpose of using dialects was to find a reasonable explanation so that it would be easier to write medical case records later.

Otherwise, if you write medical cases in your own style, and the writing is suddenly simple and glossed over, or there is no way to explain it, what will your apprentices think?
They'll definitely think there's something wrong with it.

Now that I understand the dialect, the Thirteen Needles of Ghosts—I'll explain what I can with my own logic, but for what I can't explain, I'll just follow the summaries of my predecessors and tell them that's how they recorded it.

If you think it's unreasonable, then go find a reasonable explanation.

Once Fang Yan understood this, he stopped worrying about it.

There's nothing I can do; this is the first time in my two lifetimes that I've encountered something like this.

The afternoon passed quickly, and after get off work and school, Fang Yan was invited to attend a welcome dinner for new overseas Chinese businessmen hosted by the Ministry of Health and the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council.

He is a very important person tonight; most people came here specifically for him.

In addition, he also wanted to deliver the final blow to that kid Gu Mingyuan.

If you're going to use an anti-aircraft gun to kill a mosquito, then use an anti-aircraft gun to kill a mosquito. But this kind of person, just kill him first!
PS: The basic chapter of 6000 words has been updated.

I've gained 100 more monthly votes, so I owe you all another 2000 words.

I currently owe everyone a total of 63000 words.

There will be an extra chapter later!

(End of this chapter)