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Both the principal qi (Zhu Qi, 主气) and the guest qi (Ke Qi, 客气) can cause diseases. The lower part corresponds to the principal qi, and the upper part corresponds to the guest qi. The Classics state: For the principal of Wood, drain with sour [flavor] and tonify with pungent [flavor]; for the guest of Jueyin (Liver/Gallbladder channel), tonify with pungent, drain with sour, and moderate/spasmolyze with sweet. For the principal of Fire, drain with sweet and tonify with salty; for the guest of Shaoyin (Heart/Kidney channel), drain with sweet and soften/harden-resolve with sour; for the guest of Shaoyang (Sanjiao/Gallbladder channel), tonify with salty, drain with sweet, and soften/harden-resolve with salty. For the principal of Earth, drain with bitter and tonify with sweet; for the guest of Taiyin (Spleen/Stomach channel), tonify with sweet, drain with bitter, and moderate/spasmolyze with sweet. For the principal of Metal, drain with pungent and tonify with sour; for the guest of Yangming (Large Intestine/Stomach channel), tonify with sour, drain with pungent, and moderate/spasmolyze with bitter. For the principal of Water, drain with salty and tonify with bitter; for the guest of Taiyang (Bladder/Kidney channel), tonify with bitter, drain with salty, fortify/strengthen with bitter, and moisten/lubricate with pungent. These are the principles of tonifying and draining regarding the principal and guest qi of the Six Qi (Liu Qi, 六气). When the guest qi prevails, drain the guest and tonify the principal; when the principal qi prevails, drain the principal and tonify the guest. Treatment should follow the urgency or slackness of the condition. Furthermore, the original Classics contain treatment methods for excessive influence (Yin Sheng, 淫胜) of the Six Qi during Si Tian (Si Tian, 司天 - ruling qi of the upper heaven) and Zai Quan (Zai Quan, 在泉 - ruling qi of the lower spring), methods for reverse prevailing conditions, and methods for appropriate medicines and foods based on the annual movement (Sui Yun, 岁运) above and below. There are numerous such methods; each should be applied according to the patient's suffering, following the seasonal movements and commands, using medicinal stones and the five flavors for regulation. A skilled practitioner must understand the annual seasonal commands, observe the physical signs and symptoms, diagnose the pulse for urgency, distinguish Yin and Yang, and rescue patients according to the canonical principles. How could one worry that the disease will not heal?

Among the Five Movements (Wu Yun, 五运), there is also a method of necessarily breaking the stagnant qi by first extracting the source of transformation (Hua Yuan, 化源). *Xuanzhu* states that when Taiyang rules, extract in the ninth month to drain the source of Water; when Yangming rules, extract in the sixth month to drain the source of Metal; when Shaoyin and Shaoyang rule, extract in the third month to drain the source of Fire; when Taiyin rules, extract in the fifth month to drain the source of Earth; when Jueyin rules, extract in the twelfth month of the previous year to drain the source of Wood. This is the method of using acupuncture to intercept and extract. Therefore it is said: Do not lose faith in the heavenly timing, do not go against the appropriateness of the qi; do not assist its dominance, do not praise its retaliation. This is what is meant by the principle of primary treatment. Generally, the formulation of medicine has established laws. However, diseases differ in duration (old vs. new), formulas vary in size (large vs. small), and substances vary in toxicity (toxic vs. non-toxic), all requiring appropriate regulation. This is the great principle of using medicine.

Some argue that when the annual movement is Tai Jue (excessive Wood leading to strong Wood and weak Earth), one should intercept this by draining the Liver Channel (Gan Jing, 肝经) and benefiting the Spleen and Stomach. This is not a universal theory. Why? Are the internal organs of everyone identical? Suppose the Liver element is deficient and the Spleen Qi is excessive. Encountering this Tai Jue movement, if the Liver Wood becomes slightly substantial, the Spleen Qi may become balanced, and the body achieves harmony. If one were to drain the Liver and tonify the Spleen in this case, it would be described as "making the excess more excess and the deficiency more deficient" (Shi Shi Xu Xu, 实实虚虚), damaging what is insufficient and augmenting what is already surplus. Those who die in such cases are killed by the physician. This failure to examine the error results in harming people and aggravating the disease even further. Why is this? The principle of things in the world is that adding to them makes the effect slow, while removing from them makes the effect rapid. If one takes a medicine to achieve an effect, the change is slow and subtle; if one consumes something that triggers a disease, the reaction occurs almost instantly. From this perspective, building up health is difficult while destroying it is easy. Can one not be cautious?