I Can Talk to the Internal Organs-Chapter 69 - 62: Five Elements and Six Qi

Xue Yiyi’s condition isn’t too complicated. After taking her pulse, Lu Jiu made some adjustments to the Aconite and Polyporus Decoction. After she finishes this, even if she’s not fully recovered, with her current lifestyle habits, she should be able to heal on her own.

After seeing Xue Yiyi, Lu Jiu checked on Chen Wei’s son. At the moment, aside from an increased appetite, there are no other changes.

But children have strong Yang Qi, so that bit of cold dampness isn’t really a problem for him. It’s estimated that it will take only a few days to dispel it. After that, he just needs to consistently add nutrition daily and use acupuncture on the three major height-increasing points.

Lu Jiu is also very much looking forward to seeing what changes will occur in this young boy under his treatment.

After taking his pulse, Lu Jiu performed acupuncture and moxibustion on the boy. After completing the process, they both left happily.

At the same time, a notification sounded in Lu Jiu’s mind.

[Patient Xue Yiyi, recovery progress for Spleen and Kidney Yang Deficiency is 10%. Symptoms recovery progress exceeds ten percent, activating regular reward. Would you like to receive it?]

[Patient Tao Jun, recovery progress for Middle Warmer Deficiency Cold is 15%. Symptoms recovery progress exceeds ten percent, activating regular reward. Would you like to receive it?]

[Receive!]

[Reward Obtained: Basic Acupuncture!]

[Reward Obtained: Basic Gua Sha!]

He has already received Basic Gua Sha three times, and his understanding of Gua Sha has reached a level where he can treat illnesses. This means that aside from acupuncture and classical formulas, Lu Jiu now has another skill.

Of course, compared to the former, his Gua Sha is still just at the usable stage.

In Chinese medicine, as long as one does not lose the skill of differentiation in syndrome, specializing in one method can definitely be pursued further, and the time and effort spent will be relatively less. However, having multiple methods often yields unexpected results.

After all, many difficult and complicated diseases might be hard to solve with acupuncture alone, but are relatively easy with classical formulas. Conversely, some ailments may see moderate effectiveness with formulas but have immediate results with acupuncture.

One could say that a Chinese medicine practitioner who can master both classical formulas and acupuncture and still have decent efficacy is already a rarity. If they also master Gua Sha, cupping, or even massage, it would be challenging to find many like them nationwide.

Lu Jiu did wish to specialize, but alas, the system doesn’t support it.

In the afternoon, after seeing just one patient, Lu Jiu closed the clinic doors around six o’clock.

Carrying a cat back home to have dinner, Lu Jiu then followed Purple Light Road into Sunshine Alley, soon finding the elder’s residence.

The elder was in front of his run-down little house, hammering and tapping, seemingly fixing a broken stool.

"Old man!"

Lu Jiu called out loudly.

The elder looked up and smiled, "Off work?"

Lu Jiu nodded, "Let me do that."

The elder smiled, "It’s already fixed. Come, have a seat and try it."

Lu Jiu didn’t hesitate, took the stool, and sat down, "Have you eaten? Oh, I almost forgot, you’ve been fasting for quite a while now."

Before meeting the elder, Lu Jiu thought that Daoist fasting, much like cultivation fasting in novels, meant not eating anything.

But the elder had informed Lu Jiu that Daoist fasting was about absorbing wind and drinking dew, consuming the energy of heaven and earth, not about not eating anything at all.

Because if the stomach doesn’t receive food for a long time, it will stick together, so will the intestines. If you don’t eat for a long period, the stomach and intestines stick together, and one would involuntarily refuse food. By that point, even if you want to eat, you can’t.

Gastric Qi would also be depleted during this process, leading to death.

So, in Daoist fasting, one must first maintain a full Gastric Qi, so even after a period without eating, the stomach and intestines won’t stick together, always remaining in a state ready for food intake.

Reaching such a level is very difficult. After listening to the elder’s explanation, Lu Jiu still couldn’t grasp the mystery of it.

Besides, he had no need to learn. While he may not have a big appetite, eating is a form of enjoyment he wouldn’t forsake.

The elder moved another stool over to sit beside Lu Jiu. At dusk, the elder’s forehead shone bright, "Young friend, last time you sat here chatting, wasn’t it right after your college entrance exams?"

Lu Jiu nodded, "Seven years ago."

The elder smiled, "Time flew by."

Lu Jiu curiously asked, "Where have you been these seven years?"

The elder smiled, "I visited a few Daoist temples to ask some questions. It wasn’t a wasted journey."

Lu Jiu asked, "Elder, I have a question for you."

The elder smiled, "Go ahead."

Lu Jiu said, "The things you told me before, is it because you calculated this year’s Five Elements and Six Qi?"

The elder laughed and shook his head, "Not my calculation, it was summarized by our predecessors."

Lu Jiu was puzzled, "What do you mean?"

The elder slowly began, "The yearly fire deficiency leads to a year influenced by red skies, concealed brightness, the North ruling in the guiyear, with lesser indicative sounds, leading to a year where cold Qi is prominent, fire forces are weak, resulting in poor growth, constrained Yang Qi, and early hibernation for insects. Heart fire can be attacked, resulting in pain in the chest, sides, and back, dizziness, sudden muteness, and pain."

"In years where fire influence is weak, water Qi constrains the fire, extreme fire depression leads to shortness of breath, sores, tumors, inflammation, swelling of the flanks, abdomen, chest, back, face, head, and limbs, bloating, sores, retching, spasms, bone pain... sudden death is common."

"Yangming rules the sky, and dry Qi descends, liver Qi follows upward, establishing the usage of wood, resulting in soil deficiencies, frequent chills, wood fights grass withers, pain in the sides, redness of the eyes, tremors, and it is hard to maintain standing... Shaoyin in the cavern, heat overpowers, surfaces as floating brightness in rivers and lakes, the abdomen constantly gurgles, Qi rushes to the chest, causing it difficult to stand long, chills followed by heat like malaria, lower abdominal pain, bloated abdomen, insects cease to hibernate."

"This year’s fourth movement has passed, summer was supposed to be hot but wasn’t, and now entering winter should be cold but isn’t. With such seasonal irregularities, diseases inevitably increase."

Pain in the flanks, bloated abdomen, chills followed by heat...

Though Lu Jiu didn’t understand all of the elder’s words, judging from the mentioned ailments, many of his recent patients fit those descriptions.

This method of predicting diseases using the Five Elements and Six Qi might seem mysterious to many, but it is indeed factual.

The two biggest factors leading to illness are emotions and the atmospheric Six Qi.

Some people usually feel healthy but in a particular year or season suddenly experience gastrointestinal discomfort, heart palpitations, but then return to normal after that period. These changes are attributed to the atmospheric Six Qi.

Rather than calling it a disease, it’s more like the atmospheric Six Qi enhances a biased tendency in the human body, leading to an imbalance of Yin and Yang. If coupled with poor lifestyle habits and pre-existing diseases, this bias can manifest as an illness.

The Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor discussed the Five Elements and Six Qi. Unfortunately, Lu Jiu hasn’t fully grasped its essence. If a Chinese medicine practitioner could master this doctrine, it would not only help patients prevent diseases but also assist the country in developing large-scale health prevention measures.

Yet, as of now, aside from a small section of Chinese medicine practitioners and some enthusiasts of traditional culture, the general public still regards these theories as superstitions.

"With fire influence lacking, elder, this year, many people with heart diseases should see their conditions worsen." Lu Jiu said.

Lu Jiu thought of Jiang Yun; his posts garner so much attention likely because many people feel heart discomfort this year.

If even the healthy experience this, those with existing conditions are naturally more at risk.

"Diseases are just part of it; what worries me most is the food supply." The elder’s smile faded, eyes tinged with concern.

"Food supply?" Lu Jiu was puzzled.

Huaxia is at the forefront of both food production and importation, how could there be a food issue?

"I hope I’m overthinking it," the elder said.

After three years of plague, with a flood one year and drought the next, and now unseasonal weather unfavorable to agriculture, the elder was feeling less optimistic.

"Well, this isn’t something we can worry about. Elder, why don’t you continue teaching me some health-preserving tips." Lu Jiu smiled.