ACUPUNCTURE 4

"Hey! Take care of your energy flow! Don't open the faucet too big!"

It was Gao Qing's summon that dragged his soul into his physical consciousness. Zhu Su did not immediately fully come into his own senses. And when he opened his eyes, he felt dizzy as if his feet were not completely stepping on the ground.

"Where did you go just now?" Gao Qing asked.

His teacher seemingly knew that he "had transcended the boundary of the realm"! "I... eeerrr... not so sure... But, Sir, I have succeeded in feeling the route of Energy Movement which is similar to the Theory of Jing Luo!"

Everyone looked at him with great interest. Even including Gao Qing.

"What kind of energy flow do you feel?" Gao Qing's voice was sharp, yet full of curiosity.

"There is a kind of pulse that starts in the armpit, then moves down the inner arm until it ends at the pinkie."

Gao Qing nid-nodded. "And?"

"And another. It starts from the inside of the big toe, then goes up the inside of the foot to the end of the lower abdomen."

"Just end in the lower abdomen?"

"Well... that's what I feel..."

Gao Qing nodded again. "Alright, now look at your book and match the feeling you've got with the Theory of Jing Luo."

"What do you mean?..." But he soon understood completely when he saw a picture on the page of the book Gao Qing was pointing at. The meridian pathway he felt was the same as the picture showed in the book.

"Yes, Heart Meridian of Hand-Shaoyin. That's what you feel. And." He turned to another page. "This. Spleen Meridian of Foot-Taiyin. But the feeling you get is just ended in the lower abdomen?"

"Yes, it finished there..." Zhu Su looked at the path of the Spleen Meridian Foot-Taiyin, which starts from the thumb, and it does not stop in the lower abdomen, but continues upward to reach the Heart Meridian. Even, in the external, the Spleen Meridian continues moving towards the chest and branches out to reach the throat and the root of the tongue. "What I feel is not exactly the same as the theory?..."

"You only feel half of it."

"Such a shame..."

"Not as you think. It is great for level of beginner. Not everyone can reach this stage. You must be proud to be one of those very few people."

"Really, Sir?" Zhu Su asked enthusiastically. It was so rare for Gao Qing to give praise. The only praise he got was when Gao Qing expressed his willingness to treat Zhu Youdun. But after that, he always became a cold-faced teacher who could only issue criticism. Except now.

"But don't be proud just because of one achievement. You have to train yourself even harder. Because actually what you should feel is not like that."

"So, what actually should I feel?"

"Why do the meridian pathways start from the lungs, and not from other organs?"

"The pathways start from... lungs?..." Zhu Su was perplexed. His memorization of the meridian pathways was still very blurred, could be forgotten at any time. As it happened right now.

"In every book, whether it is the introductory book on Theory of Jing Luo, or the basis of Chinese Medicine, or Acupuncture, or Tuina or Qigong, if it comes to the discussion of the meridian pathway, the sequence always starts from the lung organs, with its meridian pathways - Lung Meridian of Hand-Taiyin. Then it continues with the large intestine, stomach, spleen, heart, small intestine, bladder, kidney, pericardium, Sanjiao, gall bladder, and finally, liver. Why should it be? Apparently, it's not without reason."

"It follows Zi Wu Liu Zhu * , doesn't it?"

"That's only one reason, there's still another reason. Qi of Lungs originates from the middle part of our body. When we are born, what opens up to this world first is Qi of Lungs. Qi of Lungs comes from the middle part of the body. The baby breathes the air coming from outside, so he can cry aloud. That is why the Ancient Medical Experts put the meridian pathway of Lungs as the first pathway. Lung Meridian of Hand-Taiyin moves from the chest, descends to the tips of the thumb. It continues with the second meridian, the Large Intestine Meridian of Hand-Yangming, starts from the finger and goes to the head. Then the third path, the Stomach Meridian of Foot-Yangming, starts from the head and runs to the tip of the second toe. Followed by the fourth pathway, Spleen Meridian of Foot-Taiyin, which moves from the big toe towards the stomach. Now, those four pathways make a circle of energy."

"So, it is the same as the fifth and the rest?"

"True, the fifth to the eighth forms a circle of energy similar to before, and so does the ninth to the twelfth."

"Don't tell me... what I should feel is what you explained just now?"

Gao Qing nodded. "You only just feel one-sixth of the circle."

"And it's also jerky."

"But you never learn Qigong, right?"

Zhu Su shook his head. "Never."

"This level can only be felt by the Qigong practitioners who have trained for long time. You haven't even learned Qigong, it must be that you can only feel nothing, but you can feel some anyway. It's incredible."

Hu Nayin and Zhu Youdun stared at Zhu Su, their eyes sparkled with amazement.

"You are so great, Your Highness!"

"Fu Wang, wonderful!"

But instead of being proud, Zhu Su was confused with Gao Qing's words. "If you believe that all of us won't be able to feel the Movement of Qi flowing in the meridian pathways, then why do you tell us to do this practice? Isn't it will end in vain after all?"

"Because I am sure, at least one of you can do it." Gao Qing said. "And apparently, my guess is correct."

Zhu Su was stunned. "You are right..." He whispered.

"Fu Wang! You must teach us how to feel the Movement of Qi!" Zhu Youdun looked at his father enthusiastically. Likewise with Hu Nayin.

"But actually, I thought it is Nayin who will be able to feel the Movement of Energy."

No one was not surprised by Gao Qing's sudden statement. Hu Nayin asked, "Why, Sir?..."

"You can examine people just by holding their hands, can't you? And you can also choose the herbs suitable for patients just by holding them? I think, your paranormal talent can help you to feel the Movement of Energy faster than them. Yet it proves untrue... Well, talent is hard to be guessed. Even though I'm not surprised to find it's you who can reach the level. You obviously like Yi so much. And your passion guides you to be able to focus well and gain this achievement. It proves, willpower is far more important than talent."

All of them nid-nodded.

"You already know about the Energy Circle, which in Qigong's terms is called Da Zhou Tian. Practicing this will bring our Energy (Qi) and Spirit (Shen) unify in harmony, and it is believed that it can make us healthy and live a long life."

"Wow! So great! We can be espers!"

"Being healthy and living a long life does not mean you will become esper, Boy!" Gao Qing cut off the excitement of Zhu Youdun.

"Well... what actually I wish now by learning Yi is to use it to help many people," Zhu Su said.

"Help yourself first, by then you can help others. How can you help others if you are in miserable condition?"

...

* Zi Wu Liu Zhu = a rhythm within the human body that usually we are not aware of it. Chinese Medicine practitioners call it Zi Wu Liu Zhu. It connects with Meridian. The energy flow maximizes in one particular Meridian for every two hours.