Chapter 681: Farting

Chapter 681: Chapter 681: Farting

Once the cause of the illness was clear, the treatment plan became simple.

If there wasn’t enough water in a pipe, you just had to add more. Once the qi was sufficient and the water level was high, it would naturally have the momentum to push through.

If the pipe was damaged and blocked, you just had to clear it out. Once it was unobstructed, the problem would be solved.

So, the treatment plan Li Xu formulated was simple: dredge the meridians to clear the bowels, and supplement qi to aid transport.

Li Xu first selected the Zhongwan acupoint. After inserting the needle and achieving a qi response, he then needled the Qi Sea and Zusanli points.

These three acupoints were chosen for very specific reasons.

Zusanli is the He-Sea point of the stomach and a crucial point for abdominal ailments, as the old saying goes. It’s the primary choice for treating disorders of the spleen and stomach.

Zhongwan, on the other hand, is the Mu-Front point of the stomach. Paired with Zusanli, it forms a combination known as the "Mu-He Point Combination Method," which powerfully tonifies stomach qi and benefits the spleen.

The Qi Sea point, as its name suggests, is the sea of innate Primordial Qi. Applying acupuncture or moxibustion here can fortify the body’s foundation, supplementing one’s innate constitution to support acquired health.

In fact, these three points also form the "Moxibustion Formula for Tonifying the Spleen and Stomach," created by the renowned Yuan Dynasty physician Luo Tianyi.

It has a miraculous effect on all syndromes of spleen and stomach deficiency-cold and middle-qi collapse.

Moxibustion enthusiasts can frequently apply it to these three points at home for excellent health and wellness benefits.

Although Li Xu was using needles, he was employing a special technique: a warming Supplement Method.

This was the legendary "Mountain-Burning Fire" technique.

Watching Li Xu’s fluid, graceful motions—the twirling, the lifting and thrusting, the complex supplementing and draining techniques—Li Lin and the other interns stared in awe.

Although they had only scratched the surface in school and their acupuncture skills were amateurish, they had enough discernment to know what they were seeing.

Li Xu’s technique was steady, precise, and powerful, with an incredibly strong sense of rhythm. He looked even more skilled than their professors at the academy.

After performing the technique, Li Xu didn’t retain the needle as was standard practice. Instead, he withdrew it immediately and swiftly pressed a finger over the point of insertion.

Li Lin was completely bewildered. He muttered under his breath, "He just... took it out? You don’t have to retain the needle?"

Ever since the Republican era, in an attempt to explain Chinese acupuncture using Western neurological theories, many traditional needling methods have been simplified or even distorted.

The concept of "achieving a qi response" became muddled, so practitioners no longer knew when to withdraw the needle.

In ancient times, the standard was "the effect is achieved when the qi arrives." Once the qi response was felt, the needle could be removed, or the retention time could be adjusted based on whether supplementation or drainage was needed.

Now, with no unified standard, schools have adopted a rigid, one-size-fits-all rule for the sake of convenience and standardization: no matter the circumstances, just retain the needle for thirty minutes and you can’t go wrong.

Li Xu, however, withdrew the needle immediately after the manipulation and then pressed the point to seal in the qi.

It completely shattered their understanding of the practice.

"Will it work?"

The interns exchanged uncertain glances.

What they didn’t know was that Li Xu was performing the "opening and closing" technique, a part of the Mountain-Burning Fire method.

Quickly sealing the insertion point after withdrawing the needle prevents the upright qi from escaping and allows the heat to build up inside the body.

This was exactly how it was supposed to be done.

Meanwhile, the little girl had stopped crying.

She blinked her large, tear-streaked eyes, which darted around as she curiously felt the changes happening in her belly.

As Li Xu performed the acupuncture, a warm sensation began to spread through the little girl’s abdomen.

A healthy flush slowly returned to her once paper-white cheeks.

She let out a small breath and whispered, "Mommy... I’m hot..."

"Huh?"

The girl’s mother grew alarmed and hurriedly asked Li Xu, "Dr. Li, she... she says she’s hot. Is that okay? She’s not getting a fever, is she?"

Li Xu smiled and said calmly, "This is a good thing. It means the Yang Qi is being generated and her qi and blood have begun to circulate."

The girl’s parents relaxed a little.

After needling these three qi-tonifying points, Li Xu picked up his needle again. His next target was the Tianshu point.

The Tianshu point, located two inches to the side of the navel.

The "shu" in its name means "pivot" or "hub."

Above the navel corresponds to Heaven; below it, to Earth.

This point marks the boundary between the upper and lower abdomen. It connects to the middle jiao internally and serves to mediate the body’s upper and lower sections, governing the functions of ascent and descent.

The first three points were for "tonifying qi," which was like increasing the pressure in a pipe. This point, however, was for "unblocking." Since the pipe was blocked and damaged, Li Xu would use this "pivot" to clear it out and repair it.

Once this pivot was opened, the upper and lower qi could flow freely. The "water" would naturally pass through, and the intestinal problem would be resolved.

As the *Golden Mirror of Medicine* states: "Tianshu primarily treats spleen and stomach injuries; it is most suitable for diarrhea and dysentery. It also treats distention and abdominal masses; with ample moxa, the illness will surely be healed."

In Chinese medicine, treating an illness isn’t about elimination, but about balance.

It’s about restoring the body to a state where "yin is balanced and yang is consolidated."

A person in balance is a person without illness.

The purpose of acupuncture is no different.

The Tianshu point is a remarkable, bidirectionally regulating acupoint.

It can treat both constipation and unrelenting diarrhea.

Although these two conditions seem to be polar opposites, the same point can be used to treat both.

The only difference is the specific manipulation technique: a draining method is used for constipation, and a Supplement Method is used for diarrhea.

This is the mystery of Chinese medicine, and also its greatest principle: balance.

As Li Xu applied the needle, he regulated the middle jiao, raising the clear qi and lowering the turbid.

The little girl’s complexion continued to improve, and the taut feeling in her stomach slowly began to fade.

The parents watched their daughter nervously, holding their breath, terrified of interrupting the treatment.

Suddenly!

There was a sudden "PFFT—."

Though the sound wasn’t loud, it was remarkably clear in the quiet examination room.

The little girl had farted.

"Oh! She farted! She farted!"

The girl’s father was so excited he nearly leaped to his feet.

The mother was ecstatic as well.

They didn’t understand the complex medical principles, but after their daughter’s surgery, the doctors and nurses had stressed, "Once she passes gas, it means her bowels are working again, and it won’t be long before she can go home."

But it had been almost a week since the surgery, and she hadn’t had a bowel movement or even passed gas. Her belly was swollen like a drum, and they had been worried sick.

To finally hear her fart now... it was music to their ears.

How could they not be excited?

The mother quickly asked, "How do you feel, sweetie? A little better?"

The little girl rubbed her tummy and answered, "A... a little better, but my tummy is still a bit bloated. Mommy, was my fart really stinky?"

The mother quickly reassured her, "Not stinky, not at all. Mommy wants you to fart a lot! Let your daddy have a good smell. The more you fart, the better! It means everything is clearing out."

The little girl blinked her big, innocent eyes and asked, "Daddy, do you like smelling farts?"

"Huh?"

The father froze for a second.

But after getting a fierce glare from his wife, he began nodding emphatically. "Yes, yes, of course! Daddy loves smelling farts! Sweetie’s farts are the best-smelling farts in the world."

"Really?"

The little girl’s eyes sparkled as if she’d discovered a new world. "Okay then, Daddy, get ready! I’m gonna use my special power!"

"Huh?" The father stared, not quite processing her words.

And then...

"PFFT— PFFT— PFFT—"

A rapid-fire series of sounds erupted.

An indescribable odor—a mixture of sour, rotten, and fermented stenches—instantly permeated the examination room.

The smell... it was practically a biological weapon.

Li Lin, who had been craning his neck to watch the spectacle, was hit by the fumes. His face instantly turned green, and he scrambled to push the door open for ventilation.

Hu Qiming, who happened to be passing by, heard the commotion and peeked inside. The moment he stuck his head in, he recoiled just as quickly.