"Wow! Dr. Song, your diagnosis is really accurate!" Meng Wen exclaimed in surprise.
Meng Wu nodded and said, "That's right. My brother and I were indeed treated with acupuncture two months ago. We went to Shanghai to discuss a business deal and drank too much, which caused me unbearable stomach pain. On a friend's recommendation, we went to a Luo's Acupuncture Hospital. I remember a professor treated me, and miraculously, just one needle stopped my stomach pain. Later, the professor said that to consolidate the effect and prevent recurrence, he needled me a few more times. When my brother saw how effective the acupuncture was, he asked the professor to treat his rheumatic back and leg pain as well, and he was cured there too."
Meng Wu then asked in bewilderment, "What? Is our simultaneous illness related to that acupuncture treatment?"
"This..." Song Hao hesitated for a moment.
According to Meng Wu, the brothers' visit to the Luo's Acupuncture Hospital was a normal treatment, and there was no reason for them to have been subjected to "reverse needling." Moreover, the acupuncture professor mentioned, who could cure both brothers' illnesses simultaneously, must have profound expertise in acupuncture, and there was no possibility of him misplacing acupoints and disrupting the flow of qi in the meridians. However, Song Hao knew that the root cause of the Meng brothers' strange nighttime itching and numbness must have come from that acupuncture treatment. He couldn't say for sure why they had been subjected to "reverse needling," nor could he be certain. Because "reverse needling," which could cause strange illnesses, belonged to an ancient, lost art of acupuncture, and no one in modern times would use it. The *Secret Language of the Bronze Man Acupuncture Classic* only recorded the principle of "reverse needling" causing strange illnesses, but not the technique itself.
Tang Ji coughed lightly and said, "In the treatment of diseases, there are sometimes both advantages and disadvantages. This special case should be considered an accident."
Tang Ji had heard of the Luo family's magic needles, but he didn't know their workings and couldn't find any evidence. He also didn't want to reveal this to the Meng brothers, lest it cause a medical dispute and attract the Luo family's attention; hence, this explanation.
"Sigh! I never thought acupuncture would have side effects. The acupuncture professor even told my brother that if he ever contracted another illness, he would definitely cure him. We were planning to stay here for a few more days, and if it didn't work, we were going to go to the Luo Family Acupuncture Hospital in Shanghai to see that professor. Dr. Song, do you have any good methods to treat my brother?" Meng Wu asked with a sigh.
Tang Ji, standing to the side, sneered inwardly, "It's only because your brother is rich that he's been tricked without even realizing it. If he goes back to the Luo family's acupuncture hospital, he won't be able to cure his illness without spending hundreds of thousands. Luo Beiming, you old bastard, you're ruthless enough to use reverse needles on rich people. I wonder how much money you've swindled out of them with such despicable means! The Demon Needle Sect's rapid development in recent years must be thanks to the Luo family's Demon Needle for making money."
Song Hao then said, "I have never seen such a strange illness before. I will give it a try and treat you with acupuncture. By the way, do you remember the acupuncture points you were treated at that acupuncture hospital? Just a general idea is enough."
The Meng brothers then recalled for a moment and pointed to several areas on their bodies. Song Hao saw that they were all located on the Yin meridians and nodded secretly, saying, "That's it. It must be that the Qi of the Yin meridians was disrupted by the needling, obstructing the flow of Qi and blood, which is why it flares up at night. Now that we know the cause, it shouldn't be difficult to harmonize and regulate it with acupuncture. If it was a case of mistaken needling, that would be one thing, but if there were someone skilled in reverse needling who would deliberately harm people in this way, that would be a terrible thing."
Song Hao glanced back. Seeing this, Tang Yu quickly brought over the needle case.
Song Hao located several acupoints on the Meng brothers, inserted a needle into each, applied a slight technique, did not leave the needles in, and then removed the needles to complete the procedure.
"That's it!" Meng Wu exclaimed in surprise.
"It's over. I've already straightened out your meridians. If they don't flare up tonight, they'll be fine. If they still feel something, we can do it again tomorrow. There shouldn't be any problems then," Song Hao said.
"Thank you so much!" The Meng brothers were overjoyed to hear this.
"Xiao Song, could you explain the reasoning behind this?" Tang Qingshan asked.
Tang Qingshan was eager to know the reason, so he asked. For Song Hao's safety, he did not call him by his name directly.
"These two gentlemen were accidentally needled at the same acupuncture point during their treatment, which disrupted the flow of Qi in their meridians. It was probably due to the carelessness of the acupuncturist, hence the strange symptoms of intense itching and numbness. Treating illnesses with acupuncture points and treating diseases with medicine are somewhat similar. Medicines have medicinal properties, and acupuncture points also have their own properties. Improper combinations can have the opposite effect. Just now, I used acupuncture to regulate the Qi and blood in their meridians, which should have resolved the adverse effect," Song Hao said.
Tang Ji, Tang Qingshan, and Tang Yu all nodded in agreement, deeply admiring Song Hao's reasoned and well-founded explanation.
The Meng brothers then thanked them profusely and left.
“Song Hao, these two brothers have indeed been poisoned!” Tang Ji said solemnly.
"What!" Song Hao was taken aback upon hearing this.
Chapter Twenty-Seven of the Record of Strange Writings: Apology
The meridians are what determine life and death, treat all diseases, and regulate deficiency and excess; they must not be left unobstructed. (Ling Shu. Meridians)
The twelve meridians are the source of human life, the cause of disease, the means of treatment, and the origin of illness. They are the beginning of learning and the end of practice; they are easy for the novice and difficult for the expert. (Ling Shu, Jing Bie).
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“In this day and age, is there really anyone who can perform reverse needling? Yes! Yes! If these two hadn’t been given reverse needling, how could they have developed such strange illnesses for no reason? Even if it was an accidental needling, it wouldn’t have reached the point where they both fell ill at the same time at night. They were tricked. But why did the old man say it was an accident? Why didn’t he tell them to go to that hospital to seek an explanation?” Song Hao said blankly.
"Alas!" Tang Ji sighed, "Things aren't that simple. You see, the Luo Family Acupuncture Hospital in Shanghai has a powerful background. Its owner is Luo Beiming of the Demon Needle Sect. Among the nine sects and eighteen medical schools, the Demon Needle Sect is neither entirely righteous nor entirely evil. The Luo Family Demon Needle is very famous in the medical world. The Luo family secretly uses reverse needling on wealthy patients seeking their treatment. The needling technique is bizarre and cannot be cured by anyone other than the Demon Needle Sect members. They use this to extort money from patients. When patients they have schemed against develop strange illnesses, no medical instrument can detect them, and there is no evidence to expose them. It's fortunate that the Meng brothers were cured by your needling technique today."
"It's unbelievable that there are such insidious people in the medical field! Although that reverse needling technique uses different acupoints to disrupt and regulate the flow of qi and blood in the meridians, it also involves selecting specific acupoints and applying special techniques. Ordinary doctors, even if they follow the method, cannot achieve such results. Although these two were treated with reverse needling just now, it only affected the middle yin meridian. Judging from their pulse, it was still mild, and I could still regulate it. If the needling had been stronger, it would have been difficult to handle," Song Hao said.
"It's already quite remarkable that you were able to restore him to health!" Tang Ji praised.
"Song Hao"
Tang Qingshan hesitated for a moment, then said, "You need to be careful with this kind of Luo Clan Demon Needle that causes strange illnesses. You might encounter similar situations in the future. Also, you should be wary of the Luo family. I saw members of the Luo family in Penglai, and they were probably there for you. You were able to remove the Luo Clan Demon Needle, and given your connection to the Heavenly Saint Acupuncture Bronze Man, the Luo family might not tolerate you if they find out."
Song Hao was taken aback upon hearing this.
"Don't worry, with the Tang family protecting you, the Luo family can't do anything to you," Tang Ji said with a smile.
At this moment, Liu Youhe appeared outside the door and nodded to Tang Qingshan. Seeing this, Tang Qingshan knew something was wrong and quickly turned and went out.
In another room, Tang Qingshan asked, "What is it?"
Liu Youhe said, "Master, several unfamiliar people have appeared in the village these past few days. Although they are small vendors selling daily necessities, they are not hawking their wares so enthusiastically; instead, they seem to be observing something. I suspect..."
Upon hearing this, Tang Qingshan exclaimed in surprise, "It seems that Second Uncle was right. There are no secrets that stay hidden forever. The news that Song Hao is in our Tang family must have been leaked. We must immediately send more people to strengthen our defenses."
Song Hao returned to his room, his heart still unsettled. Even the path of medicine, meant for healing and saving lives, had its righteous and wicked sides. The complexity of society and the wickedness of human nature were truly beyond his expectations. He had been "invited" to Tangzhuang for a week, and his sudden disappearance must have left his uncles and aunts in Penglai extremely worried. It was a pity he hadn't remembered their phone numbers; otherwise, he could have called to let them know he was safe. His grandfather in Qingdao must also know and be worried about him. He never imagined that so many things would happen after leaving Baihe Town; it seemed beyond what someone his age could bear.
Song Hao recalled the carefree days of bathing in the Baishui River. His childhood was carefree, especially under his grandfather's loving care. Nothing bothered him; life flowed quietly and joyfully like the waters of the Baishui River. But now everything had changed. He had unwittingly been drawn into a conflict from which he could neither extricate himself nor remain uninvolved. Although the Tang family treated him with courtesy, Song Hao had a vague feeling that they were not entirely honest and still harbored designs on the medical treasure—the Song Tiansheng Acupuncture Bronze Man.
Song Hao sighed helplessly, lay down on the bed, and drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, Song Hao was awakened from his sleep by a knock on the door. He quickly got up and tidied the bed. When he opened the door, it was Tang Yu.
"Song Hao, you're amazing! I just received a call from the Meng family. The two brothers were safe and sound last night. Just as you said, they were cured thanks to your acupuncture treatment." Tang Yu said excitedly.
"That's good. It's just that the needles in those two brothers were applied less severely; otherwise, it would have taken more effort," Song Hao said. He secretly breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that his treatment was effective.
"The Meng brothers also said they wanted to thank you properly, but they have an important business to discuss today and can't come. They said they'll personally pick you up tomorrow and host a banquet to express their gratitude," Tang Yu said with a smile, looking at Song Hao.
"You're too kind. Please tell them that it's unnecessary, so I won't go tomorrow," Song Hao said, shaking his head.
"Whatever you like. I truly admire you; your acupuncture technique has such miraculous effects. Did your father teach you it?" Tang Yu said with sincere admiration.
Upon hearing this, Song Hao's expression darkened. After a long while, he sighed and said, "I have never seen what my parents look like. My grandfather raised me, and it was he who passed on his medical skills to me."
"Oh! I'm sorry!" Tang Yu was greatly surprised.