Zhang Yanquan was thrilled to hear that Li Xu was willing to make Elder Cheng’s notes public.

"Fellow Friend Li, your generosity and vision are truly admirable. On behalf of the National Acupuncture Association and our countless colleagues in the field, I thank you."

He said solemnly, "When I return, I will propose to the association that you be granted the title of ’Honorary Council Member.’ I hope we can have more opportunities for exchange and collaboration in the future!"

"Dean Zhang, you’re too kind."

Li Xu didn’t really care for such honors.

Zhang Yanquan then tactfully suggested, "...Would it be possible to borrow the original manuscript of Elder Cheng’s notes? It’s an incredibly valuable document, Fellow Friend Li. Rest assured, the original will still belong to you, but we’d like to display it in the Acupuncture Association’s exhibition hall for a period of time."

"That’s fine."

Li Xu agreed.

He had already made several copies of the notes and also had a digital version.

Aside from its value as a collector’s item, the original manuscript was of no further use to him.

Zhang Yanquan expressed his thanks once again.

Then, he took the printed notes and began to read them intently.

Director Qian was no exception, poring over his copy, completely forgetting to eat or rest.

Seeing this, Professor Gao decided he might as well join in.

The vast reception room fell silent, the only sound being the soft RUSTLE of turning pages.

Zhang Yanquan and Director Qian, both titans in China’s acupuncture community, were now like two devout students, completely immersed in Elder Cheng’s notes.

At times, their brows would furrow in deep thought. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

At others, their faces would light up with sudden realization, and they would clap their hands in admiration.

Li Xu sat to the side, quietly sipping his tea, careful not to disturb them.

Before they knew it, more than two hours had passed.

Outside the window, the sky had grown completely dark.

At some point, Li Xu had turned on the lights, but none of them had noticed.

"Oof... my old eyes..."

Zhang Yanquan rubbed his sore, strained eyes, reluctantly looking up from the notes.

He was getting on in years, after all, and such long, intense reading of the dense text was starting to take its toll.

Director Qian also put down his printout and stretched his stiff neck.

He glanced at the wall clock and was surprised to see it was already past eight in the evening.

The three of them were guests, and they hadn’t even eaten dinner yet.

"Oh, dear! How remiss of me, how remiss."

Director Qian slapped his forehead and apologized profusely. "I got so engrossed in the notes, I completely lost track of time. I’ve been a terrible host, a truly terrible host."

That afternoon, the dean had specifically instructed him to be a good host to Zhang Yanquan.

And now, he hadn’t even arranged for dinner.

It was a serious oversight.

He immediately picked up the phone and called the hospital’s private kitchen, telling them to prepare a lavish meal as quickly as possible.

...

In a private dining room in the hospital’s cafeteria, several exquisite and delicious dishes were soon brought to the table.

However, aside from Li Xu, the three great masters of traditional medicine remained engrossed in the notes.

"...The ’Flying Meridian and Qi’ qi-inducing technique that Elder Cheng mentioned in his notes is simply ingenious. By changing the angle and depth of the needle, you can guide the needle sensation along a specific meridian, directing it with perfect precision. This... this is nothing short of miraculous," Director Qian said with deep feeling.

"Indeed,"

Zhang Yanquan nodded in agreement. "And there’s the ’Zi Wu Meridian Flow’ Acupoint Opening Method. Selecting corresponding acupoints for treatment based on the specific time of day, perfectly integrating the body’s circulation of qi and blood with the natural rhythms of the universe. This concept of harmony between humanity and nature is the very essence of our traditional medicine."

The atmosphere at the dinner table was thick with scholarly discussion.

However, Li Xu astutely sensed that Zhang Yanquan seemed to have something heavy on his mind.

Although he was participating in the discussion, a shadow of worry that he couldn’t seem to shake off lingered on his face.

He had been incredibly excited when he first started reading the notes.

But after finishing them, he didn’t seem nearly as happy.

Director Qian, seated beside him, noticed it as well.

He asked tentatively, "Dean Zhang, you seem to have something on your mind. Have you... run into a difficult problem? Please, tell us. We can all put our heads together. Our skills might not compare to yours, but as they say, two heads are better than one. Perhaps we can be of some help."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yanquan sighed.

He put down his chopsticks and, without concealing anything, explained the true purpose of his trip.

"To be frank with you both, my trip to Jiang Province wasn’t just for the academic conference. More importantly, I came at the invitation of a retired senior official to treat his illness."

"Oh? What illness is so troublesome that even an heir to the Chengjiang School finds it difficult to handle?"

Professor Gao asked curiously.

"Asthma."

Zhang Yanquan spoke the name of an illness that, while seemingly common, was a headache for every expert in the field.

"You both know what asthma is like. During an attack, the patient is left gasping, struggling to breathe, in absolute misery. But the most torturous part is its ’root,’ which is extremely difficult to eradicate."

A look of helplessness was written all over Zhang Yanquan’s face.

"We can use medicine or acupuncture to temporarily relieve the symptoms and allow the patient to breathe easily. But the moment it’s triggered—by a change in weather, emotional distress, or an improper diet—it comes roaring back. It’s a persistent, recurring affliction that’s nearly impossible to cure completely."

"And the case of the senior official I’m treating this time is especially stubborn."

Hearing this, a thought struck Professor Gao. "Dean Zhang, this senior official you’re speaking of... could it be Elder Wu?"

Zhang Yanquan paused, surprised, then nodded. "That’s right. It is indeed Elder Wu."

Professor Gao nodded in understanding. "If it’s Elder Wu, then it’s no wonder it’s a difficult case. I’ve examined him myself. Last winter, when his asthma acted up, I was called in for a consultation. I took his pulse and prescribed a modified version of the classic Stabilizing Asthma Decoction. In theory, it should have been quite effective. And while Elder Wu’s symptoms did ease after he took the medicine, the root cause remained entrenched in his body, impossible to eradicate."

"As for the cause, I believe there are two factors. First, Elder Wu is advanced in age—he’s almost eighty this year. His Kidney Qi is deficient, and his body’s functions are in natural decline, so his ability to absorb and ground his qi is insufficient."

"The second, more important reason, lies in Elder Wu’s unique constitution.

In his youth, he was a fierce general. He fought in the south and still bears the scars of many old wounds.

His constitution is a classic case of ’External Cold with Internal Heat’ and ’Excess Above with Deficiency Below.’ It’s a complex mixture of cold and heat, a combination of deficiency and excess syndromes. In short, it’s extremely complicated.

If you use tonifying herbs, you risk aggravating the constrained heat in his body.

Use draining herbs, and you risk further damaging his already deficient Kidney Qi.

It’s... a true dilemma. You’re caught between a rock and a hard place."

"Exactly!" Zhang Yanquan nodded in firm agreement. "Professor Gao’s assessment is perfectly consistent with my own observations!"

"I came this time at the request of Elder Wu’s family, hoping to see if acupuncture could be used to support his healthy qi and expel the pathogenic factors. If not to completely eradicate this stubborn disease, then to at least grant him a significant period of relief..."