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(Miu Ci [Needling Collaterals] is used for needling collateral vessels, Ju Ci [Cross-Needling] is used for needling meridians.)
When pain occurs on the left side but the pulse on the right side shows pathology, employ Ju Ci. When pathogenic factors invade the meridians, excess on the left causes disease on the right, and excess on the right causes disease on the left; there are also cases of shifting and changing. If pain persists on the left while the pulse on the right becomes diseased first, in such cases, one must employ Ju Ci. The needle must penetrate the meridian, not the collateral vessels.

Qibo stated: "When pathogenic factors invade the human body, they first lodge in the skin and hair (mao pi). If they remain and do not depart, they enter the Sun Luo [Fine Collaterals]; if they remain and do not depart, they enter the Luo Mai [Collateral Vessels]; if they remain and do not depart, they enter the Jing Mai [Meridians]. Internally connecting to the Five Zang Organs, they scatter into the Stomach and Intestines. When both Yin and Yang become excessive, the Five Zang Organs are injured. This is the sequence by which pathogens enter from the skin and hair and reach the extreme of the Five Zang Organs. In such cases, treat the meridians. The general principles of needling are: first observe the meridians, palpate and follow their course, examine their deficiency or excess, and then regulate them. For those that are not harmonized, use Jing Ci [Meridian Needling]; for those that are neither excessive nor deficient, take points from the affected meridian itself."

For Lung Excess, needle deeply to drain its Qi; for deficient pulses, needle shallowly to prevent the escape of Meridian Qi, thereby nourishing the vessel and expelling only the pathogenic factor. When needling Yin aspects, needle deeply and retain the needle; when needling Yang aspects, needle shallowly and withdraw quickly. Do not needle where the pulse is superficial; press upon the pulse before needling to prevent the loss of Essence, expelling only the pathogenic factor. Where the pulse is deep and invisible, do not press the pulse but needle directly; insert the needle slightly and retain it for a long time to guide the Qi at the acupoint.

In all needling methods, one must await the movements of the sun, moon, and stars, and the Qi of the Four Seasons and Eight Directions. Only when the Qi is stable should one needle. Therefore, when the weather is warm and sunny, blood flows smoothly and Wei Qi [Defensive Qi] floats, making blood easy to discharge and Qi easy to move. When the weather is cold and cloudy, human blood becomes stagnant and sluggish, and Wei Qi sinks. At the beginning of the lunar month, Blood and Qi begin to refine, and Wei Qi begins to circulate; when the moon is full, Blood and Qi are substantial, and muscles are firm; when the moon wanes, muscles diminish, meridians become empty, Wei Qi departs, and only the form remains. Thus, one regulates Blood and Qi according to heavenly timing. Therefore, do not needle when it is cold; do not allow stagnation when it is warm; do not use draining methods when the moon is waxing; do not use tonifying methods when the moon is full; do not treat when the moon is new. This is called regulating according to timely conditions. Following the order of heaven, observing times of excess and deficiency, moving light to determine position, standing upright and waiting, thus draining when the moon is waning indicates Zang Deficiency; tonifying when the moon is full causes Blood and Qi to surge, with retained blood in collaterals, termed 'Double Excess'; treating when the moon is new disrupts the meridians. Yin and Yang become confused, true Qi and pathogenic factors are indistinguishable, pathogens sink and linger, causing external deficiency and internal chaos, allowing licentious pathogens to arise.

The Yellow Emperor asked: "How are the Stars and Eight Directions observed?" Qibo replied: "The Stars are used to observe the movement of the sun and moon; the Eight Directions are used to observe the arrival of Empty Pathogens from the eight winds at their proper times; the Four Seasons are used to distinguish the location of Spring, Summer, Late Summer, Autumn, and Winter Qi for regulation. One must avoid the Empty Pathogens of the Eight Directions and not offend them. Thus, Spring Qi resides in the meridians, Summer Qi in the fine collaterals, Late Summer Qi in the muscles, Autumn Qi in the skin, and Winter Qi in the bone marrow. In spring, heavenly Qi begins to open, earthly Qi begins to vent, ice melts, water channels flow, so human Qi is in the vessels. In summer, meridians are full and Qi overflows, fine collaterals receive blood, and skin is substantial. In late summer, meridians and collaterals are both abundant, overflowing internally into the muscles. In autumn, heavenly Qi begins to gather, pores close, and skin tightens. In winter, storage prevails, Blood and Qi remain inside, settling in the bone marrow and connecting to the Five Zang Organs. Therefore, pathogenic factors often enter and lodge within the body following the changes of seasonal Blood and Qi. Those who use acupuncture must have rules: look up to the heavenly light, align below with the Eight Directions, avoid strange pathogens, and observe the people. Examine deficiency and excess, do not offend pathogens; this is receiving the dew of heaven. If one encounters a year of celestial deficiency and fails to cure, one suffers misfortune instead. It is said: 'One must know the taboos of heaven to speak of acupuncture intent.' In spring, needle scattered Shu points, coordinating with tissue planes; stop when blood appears; for severe cases, transmit Qi; for mild cases, circle Qi. In summer, needle Luo Shu points; stop when blood appears; exhaust Qi and circle, pain will descend. In autumn, needle the skin, following the grain above and below similarly; stop when Shen [Spirit] changes. In winter, needle Shu apertures at tissue planes; for severe cases, needle straight down; for mild cases, disperse downward. Spring, summer, autumn, and winter each have specific needling methods based on the location of Qi. In spring, Wood governs, Liver Qi begins to generate, wind is rapid and urgent, meridians are often deep, and Qi cannot penetrate deeply, so take between collateral vessels and muscle intervals. In summer, Fire governs, Heart Qi begins to strengthen, vessels are thin and Qi weak, Yang Qi lingers and overflows, heat steams the fen li [tissue spaces], entering internally to the meridians, so take from the Sheng Jing [Abundant Meridians] and fen li; removing through the skin indicates shallow pathogens. The so-called Sheng Jing refers to Yang meridians. In autumn, Metal governs, Lung Qi begins to restrict, Metal overcomes Fire, Yang Qi is at the He-Sea points. Thus, Yin Qi initially wins, dampness affects the body, Yin Qi is not yet strong and cannot penetrate deeply, so take Shu points to drain Yin pathogens, and He-Sea points to empty Yang pathogens; as Yang Qi begins to decline, take He-Sea points. In winter, Water governs, Kidney begins to close, Yang Qi declines, Yin Qi becomes firm and abundant, Taiyang [Greater Yang] sinks and hides, Yang meridins depart, so take Jing-Well points to subdue rebellious Yin, and Ying-Spring points to solidify Yang Qi. It is said: 'If Jing and Ying points are used in winter, Biu [nasal obstruction] and Nu [epistaxis] will not occur in spring.'

In the first, second, and third months, Human Qi is on the left; do not needle the Yang meridians of the left foot. In the fourth, fifth, and sixth months, Human Qi is on the right; do not needle the Yang meridians of the right foot. In the seventh, eighth, and ninth months, Human Qi is on the right; do not needle the Yin meridians of the right foot. In the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth months, Human Qi is on the left; do not needle the Yin meridians of the left foot.

On Jia and Yi days (self-multiplication/clash), do not needle the head; do not perform Fa Meng [Uncovering the Deaf] needling inside the ears. On Bing and Ding days, do not perform Zhen Ai [Shaking Dust] needling on the shoulders, throat, or Lianquan point. On Wu and Ji days during the four seasons (earth months), do not needle the abdomen for Zhao Zhua [Removing Claws] or Xie Shui [Draining Water]. On Geng and Xin days, do not needle joints in the thighs and knees. On Ren and Gui days, do not needle the lower legs.

According to the length of daylight, set limits for needling. Carefully await the appropriate time; illness can be expected to resolve. Losing the time and opposing the season means hundred diseases cannot be treated. It is said: 'To needle excess, needle when Qi arrives; to needle deficiency, needle when Qi departs.' These words refer to the timing of Qi's presence or absence, used to examine deficiency and excess for needling, and to needle according to the location of Qi; this is called Feng Shi [Meeting the Time]. For diseases in the Three Yang meridians, one must wait until Qi is in the Yang aspect before needling; for diseases in the Three Yin meridians, one must wait until Qi is in the Yin aspect before needling.