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Difficulty 74 states: The classics say, "In spring, puncture the Jing-Well points; in summer, puncture the Ying-Spring points; in late summer, puncture the Shu-Stream points; in autumn, puncture the Jing-River points; in winter, puncture the He-Sea points." What does this mean? The answer is: In spring, puncturing the Jing-Well points indicates that the pathogenic factor is in the Liver; in summer, puncturing the Ying-Spring points indicates that the pathogenic factor is in the Heart; in late summer, puncturing the Shu-Stream points indicates that the pathogenic factor is in the Spleen; in autumn, puncturing the Jing-River points indicates that the pathogenic factor is in the Lung; in winter, puncturing the He-Sea points indicates that the pathogenic factor is in the Kidney. Why are these five Zang organs associated with the four seasons of spring, summer, autumn, and winter? The answer is: When one of the five Zang organs becomes diseased, it manifests with specific colors. For example, in Liver disease: a bluish complexion indicates Liver disease; a fishy odor indicates Liver disease; a preference for sour taste indicates Liver disease; a tendency to shout indicates Liver disease; a tendency to weep indicates Liver disease. There are many symptoms of Liver disease, which cannot be exhaustively listed. The changes of the four seasons have their fixed patterns and are all associated with spring, summer, autumn, and winter. The subtlety and wonder of acupuncture lie in its precision, down to the finest detail (like the tip of an autumn hair).

Difficulty 75 states: The classics say, "The East is excess, the West is deficiency; drain the South, tonify the North." What does this mean? The answer is: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth should mutually balance each other. The East corresponds to Wood, and the West to Metal. If Wood is excessive, Metal should regulate it; if Fire is excessive, Water should regulate it; if Earth is excessive, Wood should regulate it; if Metal is excessive, Fire should regulate it; if Water is excessive, Earth should regulate it. The East corresponds to the Liver, so we know the Liver is excess; the West corresponds to the Lung, so we know the Lung is deficient. Therefore, drain the Fire of the South and tonify the Water of the North. The South corresponds to Fire, and Fire is the Son (Zi) of Wood; the North corresponds to Water, and Water is the Mother (Mu) of Wood. Water overcomes Fire. According to the principle that "the Son can make the Mother full, and the Mother can make the Son empty," by draining Fire and tonifying Water, the intention is to prevent Metal from regulating Wood (specifically, to avoid Metal overcoming Wood excessively due to the imbalance). The classics state, "If you cannot treat the deficiency, what else is there to ask about?" This refers to this principle.

Difficulty 76 states: What are tonification and reduction methods? When tonifying, where is Qi obtained? When reducing, where is Qi placed? The answer is: When tonifying, obtain Qi from the Wei (Defensive) level; when reducing, place Qi into the Ying (Nutritive) level. If Yang Qi is deficient and Yin Qi is excessive, first tonify Yang and then reduce Yin; if Yin Qi is deficient and Yang Qi is excessive, first tonify Yin and then reduce Yang. Ensuring the smooth circulation of Ying and Wei Qi is the key.