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There are fourteen acupoints on the Ren Mai (Conception Vessel), distributed along the abdomen and chest. It begins at Huiyin (CV1) and then Qu Gu (CV2); Zhong Ji (CV3), Guan Yuan (CV4), and Shi Men (CV5) can be connected; Qi Hai (CV6), Yin Jiao (CV7), Shen Que (CV8, umbilicus), and Shui Fen (CV9) are arranged in sequence; Xia Wan (CV10), Jian Li (CV11), Zhong Wan (CV12), and Shang Wan (CV13) are distributed from top to bottom; Ju Que (CV14), Jiu Wei (CV15), Zhong Ting (CV16), and Dan Zhong (CV17) are located in the upper thorax; Yu Tang (CV18), Zi Gong (CV19), Hua Gai (CV20), and Xuan Ji (CV21) are arranged upwards; Tian Tu (CV22) is located above the throat in a prestigious position; Lian Quan (CV23) is below the neck, and Cheng Jiang (CV24) is in the depression below the lower lip, where flavors blend.

Huiyin of the Ren Mai is located between the two yin organs; Qu Gu is secured in the depression at the pubic hair margin; Zhong Ji is taken four cun below the umbilicus; Guan Yuan connects three cun below the umbilicus; two cun below the umbilicus is named Shi Men; one and a half cun below the umbilicus is fully Qi Hai; one cun below the umbilicus is the Yin Jiao point; the center of the umbilicus is Shen Que; one cun above the umbilicus is Shui Fen; two cun above the umbilicus is Xia Wan; three cun above the umbilicus is named Jian Li; four cun above the umbilicus is Zhong Wan; five cun above the umbilicus is Shang Wan; Ju Que is at six cun and five fen above the umbilicus; Jiu Wei is five fen below the xiphoid process; Zhong Ting is taken six cun below Dan Zhong; Dan Zhong is located between the two breasts; Yu Tang is the master point one cun and six fen above Dan Zhong; Zi Gong is three cun and two fen above Dan Zhong; Hua Gai is raised at four cun and eight fen above Dan Zhong (note: four cun eight fen); Xuan Ji is five cun and eight fen above Dan Zhong; one cun above Xuan Ji, Tian Tu protrudes; Tian Tu is approximately four cun below the laryngeal prominence; Lian Quan is below the tip of the hyoid bone; Cheng Jiang is below the mental groove of the lower lip; the Ren Mai runs along the central line of the abdomen (running along the central abdomen, there are twenty-four points in total).

The Yellow Emperor asked Qibo: From where does man receive Qi? Where do Yin and Yang meet? Which Qi is Ying (Nutrient Qi)? Which Qi is Wei (Defensive Qi)? From where does Ying arise? Where does Wei meet? The Qi of the old and the strong differs, and the positions of Yin and Yang are distinct; I wish to hear your explanation. Qibo replied: Man receives Qi from grain. Grain enters the stomach and is transmitted to the Zang and Fu organs; all Zang and Fu organs receive this Qi. The clear part becomes Ying (Nutrient Qi), and the turbid part becomes Wei (Defensive Qi). Ying resides within the vessels, while Wei resides outside the vessels. Ying circulates without rest, meeting again after fifty cycles. Yin and Yang meridians interconnect like a ring without beginning or end.

This section details the generation and convergence of Ying and Wei Qi. Initially, grain enters the stomach, which subsequently generates fine essence Qi. This Qi originates from the Middle Jiao (Middle Burner), is transmitted to the Lung, and then the Lung transmits it to the Zang and Fu organs, so that all Zang and Fu organs can receive this fine essence Qi. The large Qi accumulated in the chest belongs to the Upper Jiao (Upper Burner), which is what is referred to as Zong Qi (Pectoral Qi) flowing into the Sea (Blood Sea) (the Upper Jiao corresponds to the Dan Zhong acupoint on the Ren Mai, also known as the Upper Qi Sea); Zhong Wan acupoint, four cun above the umbilicus, belongs to the Middle Jiao; Yin Jiao acupoint, one cun below the umbilicus, belongs to the Lower Jiao (Lower Burner). The relationship among these three Jiaos is: Qi from the Upper Jiao descends into the Middle Jiao, Qi from the Middle Jiao descends into the Lower Jiao, Qi from the Lower Jiao ascends into the Middle Jiao, and Qi from the Middle Jiao ascends into the Upper Jiao, resembling the phenomenon of Heavenly Dao descending and Earthly Dao ascending. The Upper Jiao is Yang; the upper half of the Middle Jiao is Yang, and the lower half is Yin; the Lower Jiao is Yin. However, the reason the lower half of the Middle Jiao is Yin is that Qi from the upper segment descends into the Middle Jiao, and the Qi of the Middle Jiao follows the Qi of the Upper Jiao to descend into the Lower Jiao, thereby generating Ying Qi. Ying Qi is Yin Qi. Therefore it is said: The clear becomes Ying, meaning it is generated by the clear Qi of the Upper and Middle Jiao descending. The Lower Jiao is Yin because when Yin reaches its extreme, it generates Yang, which ascends into the Middle Jiao, follows the Yang of the upper half of the Middle Jiao, ascends into the Upper Jiao, and thereby generates Wei Qi. Wei Qi is Yang Qi. Starting with very slight Yang Qi, it becomes very vigorous here, hence it is said: Yang receives Qi from the Upper Jiao. However, this Wei Qi is generated by the turbid Qi of the Lower Jiao ascending, hence it is said: The turbid becomes Wei. Zong Qi accumulates in the chest, emerges from the throat to govern respiration, and travels through the twelve meridians. Ying has a Yin nature and is refined and dedicated; it travels with Zong Qi within the meridians, so the movement of Ying occurs within the meridians. Wei has a Yang nature and is bold, rapid, and slippery; it cannot enter the tunnels of the meridians, so it does not travel with Zong Qi but moves independently between the skin and muscles of each meridian, so the movement of Wei occurs outside the meridians. Ying Qi travels with Zong Qi; during one exhalation, pulse Qi moves three cun; during one inhalation, pulse Qi moves three cun. At the pause between breaths, pulse Qi moves six cun. In one day and night, with thirteen thousand five hundred breaths, pulse Qi circulates fifty times around the body. Over the time it takes for water to drip one hundred marks, Ying and Wei Qi travel twenty-five times in the Yang regions and twenty-five times in the Yin regions; thus, after fifty cycles, they reconverge at the Hand Taiyin Lung Meridian.

The Yellow Emperor said: I have heard that the Upper Jiao is like mist, the Middle Jiao like fermentation, and the Lower Jiao like drainage channels; this is what is meant.

Zong Qi accumulates in the Upper Jiao, emerges from the throat to govern respiration, and travels through the twelve meridians, spreading diffusely like mist in the sky. Ying Qi combines with the Qi of food and drink in the stomach, emerges from below the Upper Jiao, separates the dregs, steams them into fine essence Qi, and relies on this to generate blood in the heart, condensing and floating like foam in water. The stomach receives water and grain, and the spleen transforms them; dregs enter the Large Intestine, and fluids seep into the Bladder. Thus, the San Jiao (Triple Burner) is the official of drainage, and the Bladder is the official of the capital city, precisely because the Lower Jiao acts like drainage channels to secrete and discharge water. However, the Yang within the Yin of the Lower Jiao ascends from here into the Middle and Upper Jiaos, and Wei Qi is generated. (Alas! The sixteen characters "The clear becomes Ying, the turbid becomes Wei, Ying travels within the vessels, Wei travels outside the vessels" in this passage are the fundamental principle of the Sages and Spirits, just as the lineage passed down from Yao and Shun is no different from the sixteen characters "The human mind is perilous." Whether a person is sick or healthy, alive or dead, is decided by this; ascent and descent, interior and exterior, Yin and tonification and sedation are distinguished by this. The disaster began with Yue Ren's *Nan Jing* (Classic of Difficult Issues), First Difficulty, where a "Wei" character was added under the "Ying" character that travels together with Ying in the fourth section of this chapter, causing the meaning of "Three Jiaos descending together and Three Qi being generated" to become unclear. This has led to many errors in medication in the world; how can there be the merit of reviving the dead? Alas! Since Zhang Zhongjing, figures such as Sun [Simiao], Wang [Bing], Liu [Wansu], Zhang [Yuansu], Li [Dongyuan], and Zhu [Zhenheng] have not yet recognized this meaning, let alone others.)

Lan Men refers to the junction where the Small and Large Intestines meet. From here, fluids are separated and seep into the Bladder, becoming urine.

Fen Shui refers to the reception of water and grain at Lan Men. Water seeps and irrigates into the Bladder to become urine. The filth of feces is transported from Lan Men into the Large Intestine.

Gang Men (Anus) is named because its shape resembles a chariot wheel. Zhi Chang (Rectum), Gang Chang, and Dong Chang all refer to this location. It primarily receives grain residues from the Large Intestine and guides them out.

Its connecting tissue penetrates upward to the Heart and connects downward to the Kidney. The Fire and Water of the Heart and Kidney interact, causing essence and Qi to overflow and discharge; this is the connecting tissue for transforming blood and storing essence.

Gang Chang, also known as Guang Chang, is the anus. Also called Gui Men (Ghost Gate), it is the exit for defecation.