Chinese Medicine: Starting with Daily Intelligence-Chapter 160: Massage Technique

The ancients left the *Massage Scripture*, its techniques obscure to most,

Twelve meridians run through the body, with three hundred sixty-five collaterals connecting all,

Circulating for a day and a night; stagnation of qi and blood gives rise to illness.

Swelling and pain indicate excess, an age-old principle; where soreness and numbness are felt, qi and blood flow,

No need for decoctions to guide them, massage smoothes the way with skillful hands,

The depth of the technique targets the ailment; press deep, lift light, with little pause.

I have practiced massage for many years, crafting these verses for future generations,

If a student can grasp these words, healing will be like fire melting ice,

Quacks often miss this truth; do not take the art of massage lightly.

For headaches, work the temples left and right; attack the Fengchi and Fengfu points all the same...

Li Xu studied the *Massage Scripture* carefully.

The *Massage Scripture* from the intelligence file included not only textual annotations but also videos in MP4 format.

When Li Xu opened it, he found a teaching series that was over 30 hours long.

There were materials related to the *Massage Scripture* on the market, but those paper-based resources were extremely unfriendly to beginners.

Without a teacher’s hands-on guidance, trying to master its essence through text descriptions and simple diagrams alone was next to impossible.

Li Xu recalled the massage class he took in college. His classmates either used too much force and made the patients cry out in pain, or their touch was so light it felt like they were just scratching an itch. None of them could grasp the fundamentals.

"Massage and acupuncture are the two pillars of external treatment in Chinese medicine." His father’s voice seemed to echo in his ears. "Acupuncture focuses on regulating qi, while massage focuses on aligning the muscles and tendons. The two complement each other and are both crucial components of the Massage department."

Li Xu snapped out of his reverie, his gaze falling upon the human acupoint model in the clinic.

It was marked with all the meridians and acupressure points.

He had been immersed in this since childhood, and he had also specifically studied the relevant subjects in college.

As a result, Li Xu knew the paths of the twelve major meridians and the eight extraordinary meridians, as well as the locations of over three hundred commonly used acupoints, like the back of his hand.

This knowledge was perhaps his greatest advantage in learning massage.

Also, from the *Commentary on the Art and Literature Record* he had obtained some time ago, he had learned several massage techniques and gained a new understanding of applying force.

Lost in thought, Li Xu clicked on the first video file.

An old man with white hair appeared on the screen in his mind, dressed in a simple, traditional Chinese-style cross-collared shirt, standing in front of an anatomical model.

The old man’s hands were bony yet exceptionally nimble, as if they had a life of their own.

"The way of massage first emphasizes ’achieving qi.’" The old man’s voice was deep and powerful. "Unlike acupuncture, which uses needles to guide qi, massage uses the hands as needles and force to guide qi."

Li Xu couldn’t help but sit up straight.

His systematic studies in medical school had given him a thorough understanding of the meridians’ paths.

But the techniques this old man was demonstrating were more exquisite than anything he had ever seen in a textbook.

The video switched to the Chapter on cervical spine massage.

The old man first used three fingers to gently press the model’s Fengchi Acupoint, his pressure moving from shallow to deep, like a fishing net sinking into water, searching for something bit by bit.

"For cervical spine massage, the force must be like a spring silkworm spinning silk—continuous and unbroken." The old man’s fingers demonstrated on the model. "Too light, and you won’t reach the ailment; too heavy, and you’ll injure the muscles and meridians."

Li Xu watched, mesmerized, unconsciously mimicking the old man’s movements.

His fingers traced patterns in the air, feeling the subtle changes in force—as light as a feather when touching the skin, as steady as a rock when reaching the muscle, yet immediately retracting upon touching bone, as if afraid of disturbing something.

"The cervical spine has seven vertebrae, and each has its own temperament," the old man continued to explain. "The first prefers a gentle touch, the second requires a steady pressure, the third..."

Before he knew it, two hours had passed.

He had gained a detailed understanding of the techniques, methods, and application of force for cervical spine massage.

Li Xu felt like a sponge that had soaked up all the ’knowledge’ about cervical spine massage.

He was eager to put it into practice.

’A human model?’

Li Xu had previously bought a very realistic human model to practice massaging female-specific areas.

But Li Xu wanted to try massaging a real person.

He practiced on the model for the female-specific areas because it was inconvenient to do otherwise.

The cervical spine was different.

There was nothing taboo about it.

’Who should I ask?’

Li Xu looked over at Song Sisi, who was playing on her phone.

Her head was down, revealing the distinctly clear lines of her fair neck.

She was wearing a high ponytail today, and the base of her hairline was a little red from looking down for so long.

"Sisi," Li Xu suddenly said, "don’t look down at your phone for too long. It’s bad for your neck."

Song Sisi was taken aback and subconsciously rubbed the back of her neck. "You’re right. My neck has been feeling uncomfortable lately..."

Li Xu’s eyes lit up. He flexed his fingers, eager to try. "How about I give you a massage?"

Song Sisi’s eyes widened instantly as if she had thought of something. Her cheeks turned visibly red. "B-Boss, you learned how to do massage? Um... my stomach doesn’t hurt!"

Li Xu froze for a moment, then understood—the girl must have remembered the realistic silicone model he had bought before.

He shook his head helplessly. "Where is your mind going? I meant a cervical spine massage."

"Ah? Oh!" Song Sisi’s face turned even redder, like a cooked shrimp.

She remembered that they had indeed just been talking about the cervical spine.

She quietly let out a sigh of relief.

At the same time, Song Sisi was also very curious about just how good her boss’s massage technique was.

She nodded. "Alright then... It is a little sore."

Li Xu motioned for her to sit in a chair.

Song Sisi was so nervous her back was ramrod straight, her high ponytail swaying gently with her movements.

"Relax." Li Xu stood behind her, recalling the key points from the video as he gently placed his hands on her shoulders.

At the first touch, Song Sisi’s delicate skin tensed, and she trembled slightly, the sensation like a nerve had been plucked elsewhere in her body.

Immediately after, tiny, dense bumps appeared—she was getting goosebumps.

To hide her embarrassment, Song Sisi said, "Boss, your hands are so warm."

"Warm is good."

Li Xu found the right spot.

He first used his thumb to gently press her Fengchi Acupoint, the pressure increasing from shallow to deep, just as the old man in the video had demonstrated, probing bit by bit.

"Ngh..." Song Sisi suddenly let out a soft moan. "Right there... it’s so sore..."

Li Xu could feel the muscle under his finger was as taut as a string.

He switched to the heel of his palm, slowly pushing down along both sides of her cervical spine. The force was neither too light nor too heavy, perfectly kneading open the knotted muscle tissue.

"Boss..." Song Sisi’s voice turned soft and languid. "When did you learn to do this...?"

"Just now," Li Xu said truthfully, his fingers finding a sensitive spot on her third cervical vertebra and gently rubbing it in circles with his fingertip.

"Liar..." Song Sisi closed her eyes in comfort. "This technique... ngh... is even more professional than my classmate who’s actually studying massage..."

Li Xu didn’t explain, focusing on applying the principles he had learned from the video.

When he used a specific technique to stimulate her Tianzhu acupoint, Song Sisi suddenly cried out, "Ah!"

"Does it hurt?" Li Xu immediately lessened the pressure.

"No..." Song Sisi’s voice sounded a bit distant. "It’s that... satisfyingly sore feeling..."

She shrank her neck back shyly. "It feels like a stream of heat is shooting up from my neck to the top of my head..."

This was exactly what the old man in the video called ’achieving qi’!

Li Xu’s spirits lifted. He continued following the steps from the video, clearing the meridians in Song Sisi’s neck bit by bit.

Twenty minutes later, the massage was over.

Song Sisi moved her neck, her eyes shining with amazement. "Boss! It really doesn’t hurt anymore!"

She rotated her head dramatically. "My neck feels so much lighter, like I’ve just unloaded a ten-pound sack of rice!"

Li Xu was also very happy.

His first attempt had already yielded results.

However,

to completely transform the techniques from the video into his own skill would still require a lot of practice.

"I’ll give you massages often from now on to keep your neck healthy." 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

"Wow, you’re the best, Boss... Boss, do you want me to give you a massage?"

"You know how?"

"You think I was just enjoying it? Hehe, I memorized your techniques."

Li Xu was highly skeptical.

However, to encourage Song Sisi, he decided to give it a try.