Shen Shuyao heard Shen Changchun's call and hurriedly asked, "Grandfather, what is the 'Return to Origin Acupuncture Technique'?"
A look of surprise and joy mingled in Shen Changchun's eyes, and after his chest heaved for a few times, he slowly exhaled a breath of turbid Qi, calming his emotions, and then he slowly began, "You've heard of 'Elemental Qi,' haven't you?"
Since Shen Shuyao was a graduate of the Jiangnan Medical College and had grown up under the influence of her grandfather, she naturally understood these theories and immediately replied, "Elemental Qi is a term in traditional Chinese medicine. It is the most fundamental and important Qi of the human body, the original driving force of human life activities. Traditional Chinese medical theory holds that Elemental Qi originates from the Essence Qi of the Innate and the refined essence of food and water acquired thereafter. The 'Nanjing' also refers to it as 'Origin Qi'."
"That's right," Shen Changchun, whose shock had subsided, nodded and continued, "The birthplace of Elemental Qi is the Innate Essence stored in the kidneys, and the Elemental Qi generated by the Innate Essence arises at the Gate of Life. The 'Nanjing: Thirty-six Difficulties' states: 'The Gate of Life... is where Origin Qi is anchored.' The Innate Essence in the kidneys is endowed by the reproductive essence of one's parents and exists during the embryonic period. After birth, it must be nourished and supplemented by the essence of food and water transformed by the spleen and stomach, in order to generate an ample amount of Elemental Qi."
Seeing that Mei Yinxue did not fully understand, Shen Changchun further explained, "To put Elemental Qi in terms of modern medicine, it can be divided into normal thinking responses, good sleep, good appetite and digestion, the ability to run and not panic, no coughing or shortness of breath, smooth Qi flow, good complexion, and a clear voice…"
"These manifestations of immunity are the original driving force from within the human body—Elemental Qi. There is a saying in traditional Chinese medicine: 'When Qi gathers, life is created; when Qi is strong, health prevails; when Qi weakens, one becomes feeble; when Qi disperses, death ensues.' Traditional Chinese medicine believes that Elemental Qi is the essence of life, the Origin of Life. When Elemental Qi is abundant, health abounds; when Elemental Qi is damaged, illness arises; when Elemental Qi is depleted, death follows…"
"Elemental Qi determines the entirety of life; that is, when Elemental Qi is plentiful, the immune system is strong, thereby overcoming diseases. If the body's Elemental Qi is deficient or weak, it cannot generate enough antibodies or immunity to triumph over illnesses, thus leading to death."
Saying this, Shen Changchun pointed at the several robust men who looked somewhat astonished and said, "They were originally snatched back by us and, though their lives were saved, they were still in a state of great illness and severely depleted Elemental Qi, needing to lie in bed and slowly recuperate for a period of time before they could replenish their Elemental Qi…"
"Yet just now, the Young Divine Doctor, in administering the 'Return to Origin Acupuncture Technique,' was employing an extraordinary acupuncture method created by a Divine Doctor of old, specifically for human Elemental Qi. This acupuncture technique is incredibly profound, not requiring those with severely drained Elemental Qi to lie in bed and rely on the daily consumption of food essence to recuperate their health; instead, it uses an exquisite technique to stimulate the patients' acupoints, allowing their dissipating Elemental Qi to swiftly recover…"
After briefly describing the specific principles, Shen Changchun paused and added, "Of course, this method of rapidly supplementing Elemental Qi does have some harm to the human body, but as long as one takes the unique healing prescription and consumes plenty of meat and Qi-Blood nourishment daily, the patients generally won't suffer any lasting side effects."
After listening, Mei Yinxue nodded thoughtfully and said, "So, that's why Doctor Mu just now urged them to eat more meat daily, as it's good for their recovery, and he mentioned he would give them a uniform prescription to drink in the coming days, to help restore the Elemental Qi they've depleted?!"
Shen Changchun nodded and said, "Right, that healing prescription is meant to be used in conjunction with the 'Return to Origin Acupuncture Technique,' ensuring that patients won't be left with irreversible side effects from the forced recovery of Elemental Qi by the stimulation of the technique."
After explaining, Shen Changchun fell back into a state of shock and murmured incessantly, "How could this be possible? How old is he? How could he possess such terrifying medical skills and master the 'Return to Origin Acupuncture Technique,' which has long been lost…"
When Shen Changchun had earlier questioned Mu Jinyu's intentions to treat Wang Zhengbiao, it was not out of contempt for him, but because traditional Chinese medicine is entirely different from Western medicine.
In Western medicine, there are some geniuses who, in their twenties or thirties, have become the chief physicians and specialists of hospitals; but that is because Western medical diagnosis and treatment mainly rely on medical equipment and laboratory findings to determine the cause of diseases, followed by specific treatments.
As long as one has mastery of those clinical data and indicators, even if one's clinical experience is not particularly extensive, they can still prescribe treatments for patients by the book.
But Chinese medicine is different; it primarily employs the "Four Diagnostic Methods" of observation, listening, questioning, and pulse-taking to explore the root causes of a patient's illness.
Western medicine does not treat people as whole beings but rather as a combination of parts, whereas Chinese medicine emphasizes the "Unity of Heaven and Man," highlighting the harmonious unity between humans and nature. It views people as integrated systems, prioritizes preventive medicine, and has developed a therapeutic system comprising moxibustion, acupuncture, cauterization, and medication.
The first three are basically physical therapies, causing minimal harm to the body. When it comes to medication, although there are only slightly over a hundred safe medicines, myriad prescriptions can be created through different combinations. Even for the same illness, each person might receive a unique treatment, truly adhering to the principle of patient-centered care.
Therefore, age is highly valued in Chinese medicine. The older the practitioner, the more experienced they are presumed to be at treating ailments, which is why elderly Chinese medicine doctors become more sought after as they age.
Young Chinese medicine doctors, on the other hand, generally would not have patients dare to seek treatment from them.
However, Mu Jinyu overturned his belief that the older the Chinese medicine practitioner, the more popular they became.
"It shouldn't be like this, ah. He's clearly so young, he should have no experience in practicing medicine, so why does he know the 'Return to Origin Acupuncture Technique'? Why does he..."
Shen Changchun fell into a state of confusion, muttering incessantly, still struggling to accept this reality.
"Heh... What's so hard to accept? 'One leaf obstructs the view of the entire forest!'"
Suddenly, a detached voice emanated from the doorway—it was Mu Jinyu.
Upon hearing this, Shen Changchun's body shuddered, and he turned his head to look. Mu Jinyu was already standing at the entrance, looking at them indifferently.
It turned out that while they were conversing, Mu Jinyu had already made a round inside the small clinic, treating all of Mei Yinxue's subordinates in need of medical attention, and then returned.
Naturally, he had also overheard Shen Changchun's shockingly unbelievable and incredulous words.
Seeing Shen Changchun looking back at him, Mu Jinyu's expression remained cold as he said indifferently, "Do you know? There are many buildings in this world that have stood for a hundred years. Some of them are preserved and protected at great expense, eventually becoming historical landmarks and cultural heritage...
"However, others, despite also being centuries old, are destined not to become landmarks or cultural heritage but to become dangerous buildings that people will tear down!"
As he spoke, Mu Jinyu fixed his gaze on Shen Changchun, let out a sneer, and said, "And people like you are destined to be those dangerous buildings that will be torn down!"