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Huangdi asked: "When people are born, there are differences in rigidity and flexibility, weakness and strength, height and shortness, and Yin and Yang. I wish to hear the principles behind this." Qibo replied: "Yin contains Yang, and Yang contains Yin. If one carefully examines Yin and Yang, acupuncture will have a method; if one understands where the disease originated, acupuncture will have rationale. One must cautiously assess the onset of the disease and correspond it with the times. Internally, it harmonizes with the Zang-Fu organs; externally, it harmonizes with sinews, bones, skin, and flesh. Therefore, there is Yin and Yang inside, and Yin and Yang outside. Inside, the five Zang organs are Yin, and the six Fu organs are Yang; outside, sinews and bones are Yin, and skin and flesh are Yang. Thus, it is said: for diseases located in the Yin within Yin (referring to the Zang organs), puncture the Ying-Spring and Shu-Stream points of the Yin meridians; for diseases located in the Yang within Yang (referring to the skin), puncture the He-Sea points of the Yang meridians; for diseases located in the Yang within Yin (referring to sinews), puncture the Jing-River points of the Yin meridians; for diseases located in the Yin within Yang (referring to collaterals), puncture the Luo-Connecting points of the Yang meridians. Diseases in the Yang aspect are named Feng (Wind); diseases in the Yin aspect are named Bi (Obstruction); diseases involving both Yin and Yang are named Feng-Bi. If there is a visible form but no pain, it belongs to the Yang category; if there is no visible form but there is pain, it belongs to the Yin category. In cases of no form but pain, the Yang is intact while the Yin is injured; urgently treat the Yang and do not attack the Yin. In cases of form but no pain, the Yin is intact while the Yang is injured; urgently treat the Yin and do not attack the Yang. If both Yin and Yang are disturbed, with symptoms appearing and disappearing intermittently, accompanied by vexation in the heart, this is called 'Yin overcoming Yang.' This condition is described as neither exterior nor interior, and the patient's life will be short.

Huangdi asked: "What is the sequence of Xing (Form/Body), Qi (Vital Energy), and Bing (Disease), and how do they correspond internally and externally?" Qibo answered: "Feng and Han damage the Xing; You, Kong, Fen, and Nu damage the Qi. Damage to Qi affects the Zang organs, resulting in Zang diseases; injury from Han affects the Xing, resulting in Xing manifestations; injury from Feng affects the Jin-Mai (Sinews and Vessels), resulting in Jin-Mai manifestations. This is the correspondence between Xing and Qi, and internal and external." Huangdi asked: "How should one puncture?" Qibo said: "For a disease lasting nine days, three punctures are sufficient. For a disease lasting one month, ten punctures are sufficient. The number and depth/distance of punctures decrease according to this ratio. For chronic Bi syndrome that does not leave the body, observe the blood vessels (Xue-Luo) and drain the blood completely." Huangdi asked: "Regarding internal and external diseases, what are the difficulties and ease of treatment?" Qibo said: "If the Xing is diseased first but has not entered the Zang organs, halve the number of days for treatment. If the Zang organs are diseased first and then the Xing responds, double the number of days for treatment. This is the correspondence regarding the difficulty and ease of internal and external conditions."

Huangdi asked: "How can one know the diseases of the skin, flesh, blood-Qi, sinews, and bones?" Qibo said: "If the color rises at the glabella (Liang-Mei-Jian) with a thin luster, the disease is in the skin. If the lip color is green, yellow, red, white, or black, the disease is in the flesh. If the Ying-Qi is moist/stagnant, the disease is in the blood-Qi. If the eye color is green, yellow, red, white, or black, the disease is in the sinews. If the ears are dry, withered, and covered with dust, the disease is in the bones." Huangdi asked: "Given the Xing disease, how should one select acupoints?" Qibo said: "The skin has its regions, the flesh has its pillars, the blood-Qi has its Shu points, and the bones have their attachments. The Shu points of the skin are located at the four extremities. The pillars of the flesh are in the intermuscular spaces of the Yang meridians of the arms and the intermuscular spaces of the Foot-Shaoyin (Kidney) meridian. The Shu points of the blood-Qi are located in the various collateral vessels; when blood-Qi stagnates, it becomes full and elevated. The region of sinews has no fixed Yin/Yang or Left/Right; one must observe the location of the disease. The attachments of the bones are the bone cavities (Gu-Kong) that receive fluid and overflow into the brain marrow." Huangdi asked: "How should one select them?" Qibo said: "The changes of disease, whether floating/sinking or shallow/deep, are countless and reside in their respective locations. For mild diseases, treat superficially; for severe diseases, treat deeply. For mild diseases, use few punctures; for severe diseases, use many punctures. Adjust the Qi according to the changes; thus, it is called Shang-Gong (Superior Physician)."

Huangdi asked: "Regarding the fat/thin, large/small, cold/warm constitutions, and the distinctions among old, strong, young, and small individuals, how are they differentiated?" Qibo said: "Individuals over fifty years old are considered Lao (Old); those over thirty are Zhuang (Strong); those over eighteen are Shao (Young); those over six are Xiao (Small). How to measure fat and thin? People have Zhi (Fat), Gao (Pamphlet/Soft Fat), and Rou (Flesh). How to distinguish them? If the muscle is firm and the skin is full, it is Zhi. If the muscle is not firm and the skin is lax, it is Gao. If the skin and muscle are inseparable, it is Rou. How about the cold/warm nature of the body? For Gao type, the flesh is soft; those with coarse texture feel cold, while those with fine texture feel hot. For Zhi type, the flesh is firm; those with fine texture are balanced (or hot, per Ling Shu), and those with coarse texture feel cold. How about their fat/thin and large/small sizes? Gao type has much Qi and lax skin, hence the abdomen hangs down loosely. Rou type has a large body frame. Zhi type has a compact, smaller body. What about the amount of blood and Qi in these three types? Gao type has much Qi; much Qi means heat, and heat means cold tolerance. Rou type has much Blood; much Blood means full form, and full form means balance. Zhi type has thin blood and slippery, scarce Qi, hence cannot become large. This distinguishes them from Zhong-Ren (Ordinary People). What are Zhong-Ren like? In Zhong-Ren, the skin, flesh, Zhi, and Gao are not excessive, and Blood and Qi are not excessive. Thus, their form is neither small nor large, fitting their bodies appropriately, named Zhong-Ren. How to treat them? First, distinguish the five forms, the amount of blood, and the clarity/turbidity of Qi, then regulate them. Treatment must follow constant principles. Thus, Gao people have hanging abdomens, Rou people are large above and below, and Zhi people, though fatty, are not large."

Huangdi asked: "Why do patients often feel clear-headed in the morning, peaceful during the day, worsened in the evening, and severe at night?" Qibo said: "Spring generates, Summer grows, Autumn harvests, Winter stores; this is the normal cycle of Qi. Humans also respond to it. Dividing one day and night into four seasonal Qi phases: Morning is Spring, Noon is Summer, Sunset is Autumn, Night is Winter. In the morning, Human Qi begins to generate, and Disease Qi declines, so one feels clear-headed (Hui). At noon, Human Qi grows; growth defeats Evil Qi, so one feels peaceful (An). In the evening, Human Qi begins to decline, and Evil Qi begins to generate, so the condition worsens (Jia). At midnight, Human Qi enters the Zang organs, and Evil Qi resides alone in the body, so the condition is severe (Shen). Why are there sometimes contrary situations? This is because the condition does not follow the Four Seasons Qi, but is dominated solely by the Zang organs. It will worsen in the time phase that the Zang Qi cannot overcome, and improve in the time phase that the Zang Qi overcomes. How to treat? Follow the Heaven's Time, and the disease can be expected to resolve. Following is Gong (Skillful); opposing is Cu (Crude)."