I Can Hear the Heart's Voice of Traditional Chinese Medicine-Chapter 256 - 114: Mountain Burning Fire Practical Operation

Not only was Zhou Jiande curious, but in fact, Lu Xuan also wanted to try this acupuncture mastery.

Both of their eyes simultaneously turned to look at the woman who had just mentioned her cold and painful lower back.

The woman, seeing both of them looking at her, seemed to realize something—that she was about to become the subject of a needle experiment!

For a moment, the woman was somewhat apprehensive and instinctively looked at Zhou Jiande: "Dr. Zhou, will this be okay?"

People always harbor suspicion, if not fear, towards unfamiliar matters.

Especially after knowing she was about to be used for needle experimentation, it was even more so.

Seeing the patient so tense and even worried, Zhou Jiande hesitated for a moment and looked at Lu Xuan, saying: "Dr. Lu, why don't you try it on me first? Letting the patient be the first to try isn't really a good idea."

This suggestion was not declined by Lu Xuan.

Using a patient for a needle test indeed wasn't very good.

Although such things are common in Western medicine, such as the trials of new drugs or the emergence of new medical devices, they are essentially tested at the cost of patients' lives.

No one truly wants to try new drugs at the risk of their life; it's just driven by life's desperation.

However, traditional Chinese medicine is different. From ancient times to the present, traditional medicine, whether herbal prescriptions or acupuncture and other medical means, generally took oneself as the experiment subject.

Shennong tasting hundreds of herbs speaks to this principle.

Just like acupuncture, those who learn it in traditional Chinese medicine initially don't test needles on patients. They often practice on themselves.

Only in this way could one truly know how well they have learned acupuncture and whether it is effective.

Although Lu Xuan felt it was inappropriate to test on a patient, he shook his head and said: "Forget it, I won't needle Elder Zhou; I'll needle myself. This way, I can personally experience the acupuncture mastery of Mountain Burning Fire and Heart-piercing Cold."

Zhou Jiande had intended to be the first to try the needles, but seeing Lu Xuan say this, he didn't insist further. Indeed, personal experience is deeper than experiencing it through someone else.

Without delay, Lu Xuan took out another acupuncture needle from the needle box and aimed it at an acupoint to insert the needle.

When the acupuncture needle reached the Celestial Department, which is the upper third of the acupoint depth, Lu Xuan stopped exerting force, then performed the Slow Lifting and Tight Pressing technique nine times, rotating the needle to the left during pressing.

After nine times, Lu Xuan exerted force again with the hand holding the needle, sending the needle into the Human Department, which is two-thirds deep into the acupoint, and performed the lifting and twisting as before, then further to the Earth Department, continuing the previous technique.

After another nine times, Lu Xuan slightly exerted force with his hand to withdraw the needle from the Earth Department back to the Celestial Department.

"Mountain Burning Fire?"

Zhou Jiande observed for a while from the side, muttering softly.

"Yes."

Lu Xuan nodded and said: "Mountain Burning Fire is completed after one degree. Repeat the method three times, and if heat can be felt, the Mountain Burning Fire is successful."

"Is there a sensation of heat?" Zhou Jiande couldn't help but ask.

"Not yet."

Zhou Jiande frowned slightly.

Lu Xuan, however, wasn't concerned. His operation was guided by his Heart's Voice. As long as the technique and depth were correct, the sensation of heat should occur.

"With just one degree, it's possible that a sensation of heat might not manifest."

As Lu Xuan spoke, he administered the needling again according to the previous method. When he withdrew the needle from the Earth Department to the Celestial Department once more, an astonishing warmth quickly rushed from the Celestial Department to the Earth Department, and over time, this warmth became even more intense.

Feeling this warmth, Lu Xuan couldn't help but show a hint of joy on his face.

"How is it?"

Beside him, Zhou Jiande hadn't taken his eyes off Lu Xuan. At this moment, seeing the joy on Lu Xuan's face, he seemed to realize something and couldn't help asking, "Did it succeed?"

After speaking, Zhou Jiande also felt a little nervous.

Lu Xuan's success is related to whether the two great acupuncture masteries of Mountain Burning Fire and Heart-piercing Cold can see the light of day again, whether acupuncture can reach its zenith.

"There's a sensation of heat, and it's very strong. It's like the heat originally from the Celestial Department is rapidly concentrating in the Earth Department. But I still feel it's not quite enough; I'll try to complete the last degree."

Saying this, Lu Xuan didn't hesitate further and, while the sensation of heat remained, moved the needle again from the Celestial Department to the Human Department, then to the Earth Department. Nine times later, he quickly withdrew the needle back to the Celestial Department and then removed the needle, massaging to close the acupoint.

The speed of removing the needle must be quick, and so must the speed of massaging to close the acupoint.

The function of the Mountain Burning Fire is to draw the fire from the Celestial Department into the Earth Department. If the acupoint is closed too slowly, the fire in the Celestial Department can easily escape with the needle, resulting in just a very minor amount of fire being drawn into the Earth Department, rendering it ineffective.

"How does it feel?"

Zhou Jiande, long unable to contain himself, saw Lu Xuan remove the acupuncture needle and hurriedly asked.

Lu Xuan nodded: "It was a success."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"That's wonderful."

Zhou Jiande clapped his thigh, unable to contain his excitement, like a child receiving a favorite candy, smiling joyfully. His still wise eyes glistened with tears.

Nobody could understand Zhou Jiande's excitement and thrill at this moment. He had been researching the Mountain Burning Fire and Heart-piercing Cold for over a decade; although there had been some progress, he still couldn't figure out the actual operational techniques of these acupuncture masteries, nor could he feel any heat or coolness during self-experimentation.

In the past two years, he had even given up on researching these two acupuncture masteries.

The research was too time-consuming, causing his acupuncture practice to stagnate over the past two years, forcing him to give up.