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Suppose needling the Liver Meridian affected by Qi movement (referring to the rhythmic flow of meridian Qi according to time), one should tonify the Luo-connecting vessel of the He-sea point Ququan (LR8) of the Liver Meridian; suppose needling the Liver Meridian's blood movement, one should tonify the Jing-stream Qi of the He-sea point Ququan of this meridian. Upon needle insertion, the patient revives instantly, with efficacy as if raising the dead from the grave; other situations follow this pattern.

Pain indicates excess, itching indicates deficiency; the methods of draining the child and following the mother (i.e., tonifying the mother and draining the child) are key principles at the fingertips. Regarding the excess and deficiency of diseases, itching belongs to deficiency, while pain belongs to excess. The *Needling Methods* states: For deficiency, tonify its mother; for excess, drain its child. Suppose the Liver is in excess, drain the Ying-spring point Xingjian (LR2) of the Liver, which belongs to Fire, the child of Wood; suppose the Liver is deficient, tonify the He-sea point Ququan (LR8) of the Liver, which belongs to Water, the mother of Wood. In all needling, only select the Five Shu points (Jing-well, Ying-spring, Shu-stream, Jing-river, He-sea) of the Wood meridians (Liver and Gallbladder), applying the Five Elements' mother-child tonification and drainage method; this is the major principle.

Thinking of the ancient sages whose rapid and effective treatments never exceeded the scope of the *Classic of Acupuncture*; how can modern people cure diseases without relying on medical methods? In ancient times, treating diseases specifically discussed needles and stones; the *Suwen* discusses needling first, then pulse diagnosis; the *Nanjing* discusses pulse diagnosis first, then needling. Needling and pulse diagnosis cannot be neglected. In the past, Bian Que (Yue Ren) raised the dead, and Hua Tuo cured diseases, not by divine aid, but by employing these methods. Having been far from the sages for a long time, later learners find it difficult to master them thoroughly; thus, the profound mysteries of needling are rarely heard of in the world. Nowadays, when people are ill, they mostly seek doctors for medicine, and few use needling.

Xu Wenbo induced abortion through needling due to his swift technique; formerly, the Crown Prince of Song was skilled in medical texts. Upon seeing a pregnant woman in the palace garden, the Crown Prince diagnosed her himself and determined she carried a girl. He asked Xu Wenbo to diagnose her as well, who said she carried both a boy and a girl. Impatient, the Crown Prince wanted to perform a cesarean section to verify. Xu Wenbo volunteered to induce miscarriage via needling. He drained the intersection point Sanyinjiao (SP6) on the foot and tonified the He-sea point Hegu (LI4) on the hand. The fetus fell immediately upon needling, exactly as Xu Wenbo predicted.

Fan Jiusi treated throat ailments in Jiangxia, a story rarely heard. It is recorded that Cheng Gong, Grand Tutor of Jiazhou, was serving in Jiangxia. His mother suddenly suffered from a throat abscess, swelling abruptly with blocked cold qi. She ordered physicians to use only medicine and avoid needling to prevent damage. The physician replied, "If qi does not even pass through the throat, how can medicine work? Medicine taken orally will not take immediate effect." Thus, no physician dared to treat. Soon, Medical Doctor Fan Jiusi said, "Use medicine applied with a brand-new unused brush, and the abscess will heal immediately." Cheng Gong provided a new brush. Fan Jiusi dipped the brush in medicine and applied it to the abscess. Immediately, purple blood flowed out, qi circulation gradually restored, and the illness healed. Cheng Gong said, "This reaches the divine mystery!" Inviting Fan Jiusi to drink, he sought his prescription. Fan Jiusi laughed loudly and said, "The disease is heat-toxin knotting in the throat, blocking qi transmission, critically severe. Cheng Gong insisted on using only medicine, not needling. If I had followed his wish, lives would have been lost; if I did not follow him, treatment could not proceed. That day, I hid a small needle inside the brush tip, pretending to apply medicine, but actually needling to open the abscess, achieving efficacy. Otherwise, how could purple blood have flowed out?" Cheng Gong realized and rejoiced, saying, "Needling has the power to seize and eliminate pathogenic factors, verified today." The ancients said: A general who does not assess soldiers' capabilities cannot win battles; a doctor who does not understand drug properties cannot cure illnesses; a scholar without deep foresight lacks sure victory; a doctor without prior insight and vision lacks guaranteed efficacy in treatment.

Generally, relics of past and present are emulated by later generations. Formerly, sages left standards for others to imitate; one cannot force innovation alone. Especially regarding needling techniques, which are obscure and difficult to explore, those who emerge from the subtle gate as outstanding figures—who in today's world can achieve this? Therefore, the sage says: One must not fail to follow the legacy of former sages.

Wang Zuan cured possession by spirits through needling, causing evil entities to exit; it is recorded that Wang Zuan studied medical formulas in his youth, specializing in needling and stone therapy, becoming famous near and far. Zhang Fang's daughter, a resident of Jiazhou, stayed overnight in the Guangling Temple. An entity below pretended to be her husband, infecting her with spirit possession. Wang Zuan treated her; with one needle insertion, a malevolent entity walked out from under the woman's quilt, and she recovered.

Qiufu treated ghosts and achieved results, sparing souls from sorrow. Previously, Xu Xi, courtesy name Qiufu of the Song dynasty, was skilled in medical formulas and served as Magistrate of Danyang. He often heard ghosts chanting and groaning bitterly. Qiufu asked, "You are a ghost, why do you know this?" The ghost replied, "I suffer from lower back pain. Although dead and a ghost, the pain is unbearable. I hear you are skilled in medicine; please help me." Qiufu said, "I hear ghosts have no form; how can I treat them?" The ghost said, "Bind straw into a human shape, base your treatment on it, and simply select acupoints to needle." Qiufu followed his words, needled two points of Yaoshu (BL23) and two points of Jianjing (GB21), set up sacrifices, and buried the straw figure. The next day, a person appeared to thank him, saying, "Thanks to your medical treatment and sacrifice, my illness is now healed. I am deeply grateful," then vanished. Duke Gong said, "Ghosts are yin entities; falling ill and informing a doctor, once cured, they still feel gratitude. How much more so for humans?" The ghost's surname was Hu, given name Si.

Subsequently, sensing the subtle directions, using the direct guidelines of needling. These are the direct guidelines within the *Zhiwei Lun* regarding the subtle aspects of using needling.

Orifices align with sinews and bones; skin and flesh needling requires precision. "Orifice" refers to acupoints; "align" refers to appropriate depth. The classics state: When needling the skin, do not injure the bone; when needling the bone, do not injure the marrow. Diseases have superficial or deep locations; needling has shallow or deep depths. Each must reach its proper rationale without exceeding the correct pathway. Exceeding causes injury; falling short generates external stagnation, allowing pathogens to enter. Improper depth becomes a great disaster, disturbing the internal five zang organs, thereby causing severe illness.

Pain requires distinguishing between chronic and acute conditions, and organ vs. fu-organ, cold vs. heat. Pain is a disease. Human illnesses vary by duration (old/new), zang/fu involvement, and cold/heat/excess/deficiency patterns; these must be carefully examined and regulated. Needle shapes vary in length and tip type; mastering tonification and drainage methods allows selection based on the specific needs of the disease.

Connecting Qi and unblocking meridians depends on length and method. The main text states: To treat chronic hemiplegia and various Ying-Wei disorders, which often recur after apparent recovery, it is due to disconnected Qi and blocked meridian flow. Even if temporary masses appear, if pathogenic Qi overcomes healthy Qi, the disease remains unresolved. In such cases, one should connect Qi upwards and guide downwards. The number of breaths and meridian lengths have fixed numerical rules. For the Three Yang meridians of the hand, connecting Qi requires nine breaths, covering four cun of the meridian; for the Three Yin meridians of the hand, seven breaths cover five cun; for the Three Yang meridians of the foot, fourteen breaths cover four cun; for the Three Yin meridians of the foot, twelve breaths cover five cun. For severe cases, double these numbers; inhalation follows the same count. This is the method of connecting Qi and unblocking meridians via breath length.

Distinguishing interior-exterior extremes, differentiating between emaciation and fullness. The concept of interior-exterior of the five zang organs refers to the Heart and Lung being above the diaphragm, communicating with heavenly Qi. The Heart governs vessels, the Lung governs Qi, manifesting externally on the skin; hence termed "exterior." The Kidney and Liver are below, communicating with earthly Qi, storing essence and blood, filling the bone marrow. If exterior Heart/Lung Qi is severed, skin gathers and hair falls; if interior Kidney/Liver Qi is severed, bones become flaccid and sinews relax. Students of that era failed to distinguish interior-exterior excess-deficiency, leading to erroneous needle and drug administration. Thus, reinforcing excess and depleting deficiency (treating excess with tonification and deficiency with drainage), damaging what is insufficient and adding to what is excessive—such deaths are caused by the physician's error.

Do not needle individuals in extreme fatigue, as this disrupts Qi and collapses Shen (Spirit). The *Prohibitions on Needling* states: Do not needle those in extreme labor; labor causes panting and sweating, leading to internal and external confusion, resulting in scattered and chaotic Qi, and collapsed Spirit.

Be cautious with erratic breathing to prevent needle-induced syncope and blood stasis. Breathing facilitates the upward and downward flow of Yin and Yang Qi through the five zang and six fu organs. Erratic breathing during needling causes Yin-Yang disarray, leading to needle-induced coma, closed blood flow, and stagnant Qi.

Furthermore, constantly seeking ancient meanings reveals hidden mechanisms; encountering true wisdom from high sages leads to transcendent enlightenment. Meeting enlightened teachers clarifies how to support the critical. Ancient texts have profound literary logic and elusive meanings; hidden meanings may lie within characters or hypothetical scenarios. Their subtleties are hard to exhaust. Only by meeting highly accomplished scholars can one grasp their essence; one must not force interpretations.

Male and female Qi and pulses move according to time and degree. The main text states: Men, women, the elderly, and the young differ in climate responses; spring, summer, autumn, and winter have distinct cold and heat variations. Spring Qi generates slow pulse flow; Summer heat accelerates pulse flow; Autumn dryness makes pulse flow urgent; Winter cold causes pulse flow to congeal and stall. Children's pulses correspond to Spring; adults' pulses correspond to Summer; those over forty resemble Autumn; those over sixty resemble Winter. Illnesses have cold/heat distinctions; pulses have slow/fast rates. Each must be analyzed individually; one cannot mechanically apply standard measures to all. The *Nanjing* states: "One exhalation moves Qi three cun, one inhalation moves Qi three cun" is the normal pulse method. Those slightly ill lose the measure of Heaven and Earth, altering pulse function; their pulses cannot match normal individuals. Diagnostic method: Consider five beats per respiration as matching Heavenly measure. Pulses slower than this correspond to Spring/Winter; faster correspond to Autumn/Summer. For Spring/Winter patterns, retain the needle until Qi arrives; for Autumn/Summer patterns, remove the needle after completing breath counts. This is the principle.

"Nourishing Child Time Stems" (Yangzi Shike) dictates that acupoint injection must follow specific rules. "Nourishing Child Time Stem Injection" refers to the method where the prosperous Qi of each hour's Heavenly Stem injects into the Jing-well and Ying-spring points of the zang-fu organs. Each two-hour period involves five stages of generation/nourishment, injecting into the five points: Jing-well, Ying-spring, Shu-stream, Jing-river, and He-sea. Over twelve periods day and night, Qi and Blood traverse sixty acupoints. Each acupoint receives 1/60th of an hour (approx. 6.66 minutes). Sixty acupoints constitute one hundred ke (time units). To determine daily Jing-well/Ying-spring points, use the Wuzi Jianyuan method based on day and hour. For example, on a Jia day during Jia-Xu hour, the Gallbladder governs Qi initially emerging from the Jing-well point Qiaoyin (GB44) as Wood, flowing to the Small Intestine as Ying-fire, passing the Shu-point Qiangu (SI3) to the Stomach as Shu-earth, passing Xangu (ST41) and merging with the Yuan-source point Qiuxu (GB40). All six fu-organs have one Yuan-source point, which does not belong to the Jing-well/Ying-spring generation sequence but serves as the portal for Yin-Yang Qi entry and exit. Flowing to the Large Intestine as Jing-metal, passing Yangxi (LI5), entering the Bladder as He-water, concluding at Weizhong (BL40). This completes the five-stage generation of Wood-Fire-Earth-Metal-Water for one Jia-Xu hour. Other hours follow this pattern.

Now detailing the appropriateness of treating diseases, the sacred needle methods, extensively searching the secret texts of the *Nanjing* and *Suwen*, deeply examining the profound insights of various family manuals (Elbow Manuals). Hence, it is called the *Zhiwei* (Finger Subtleties) of Lujiang Liu Zhu, serving as a rule for later learners.