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The methods of acupuncture are nothing more than tonifying or reducing the meridians and collaterals, expelling pathogenic factors, and admitting healthy qi. The selection of acupoints is minimal; only in cases of water disease manifesting as skin swelling (windy skin distension) must fifty-seven acupoints be needled.

It is also stated: "Extract all the blood from the skin." Why? Because excessive water qi necessarily overcomes Spleen Earth. When Spleen Earth is deficient, the flesh and skin of the entire body become swollen, not merely within a single meridian. If only one meridian is needled, water qi will gradually dissipate in the areas traversed by that meridian, but water qi in other meridians will remain. This remaining water will converge into the needled meridian, causing the previously drained area to fill up again. Therefore, all areas of generalized swelling and fullness must be needled and reduced so that water qi does not re-aggregate. These fifty-seven acupoints belong to the meridians of the Zang organs, which are the reservoirs for water qi. This approach is analogous to the method Yu the Great used to control the floods. When floodwaters overflow, the Yangtze, Huai, Yellow, and Ji rivers each guide their nearby tributaries into the sea; it is impossible to force all the water of the world into a single river before entering the sea. Furthermore, after draining the water, dietary regulation is essential. The Classics state: "Do not eat immediately after drinking, and do not drink immediately after eating." (This aims to separate food and fluid intake so that water does not enter the Spleen and Stomach with food, thereby preventing the generation of Dampness.) One must abstain from other foods for 135 days; this is why such diseases are difficult to cure. In my past treatments of this disease, mild cases mostly recovered, while severe cases inevitably relapsed with swelling. This was due to failing to needle all fifty-seven points and the patients' inability to observe the abstinence for 135 days. For such major diseases, any deviation from proper protocol renders a cure impossible; how can one not be cautious!

Diseases possess longitudinal and latitudinal aspects, constancy and variation, purity and complexity, orthodoxy and reversal, order and chaos. There are also conditions not found in medical texts, for which no established treatment methods have existed historically, yet these conditions are indeed curable. Since there are no conventional methods to follow, one must meticulously consult the *Neijing* (Classic of Internal Medicine), *Nanjing* (Classic of Difficult Issues), and other texts. One must examine the location of pathology in the meridians and Zang-Fu organs, the causes of interaction among the Six Qi and Seven Emotions, and the manifestations of internal-external division/convergence and the gathering/scattering of Qi and Blood. There must be solid evidence upon which to base treatment strategies. Treatments may be administered sequentially or simultaneously, separately or jointly, superiorly or inferiorly. The selection of herbs must be highly appropriate, and the formulation of prescriptions must be strictly correct. Ingenious thoughts and unique methods should be incorporated to penetrate the pathogenesis without being obstructed by superficial symptoms. Like Cook Ding dissecting an ox, even between muscles, sinews, bones, and joints, there is ample room for maneuver. Only then can one handle the myriad complexities of diseases with adaptable methods. This capability stems entirely from profound comprehension achieved during ordinary times through studying extremely difficult and critical scenarios, enabling one to remain unconfused when facing clinical situations. Otherwise, upon encountering difficulties, one would be at a loss, resorting to rash treatments, frequently committing errors, and harming many patients!