The Seven Sisters and Their Hidden King-Chapter 178: Teacher John’s First Class

"Shh! Teacher, you're so narcissistic!"

The students burst into laughter. The atmosphere was lively, nothing like the boring traditional classes they were used to.

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Such was the personal charm of John.

He practically glowed on that platform—an aura of awesomeness!

Taking advantage of their curiosity about Magic Acupuncture, John smoothly shifted the topic to traditional acupuncture. He invited a girl with severe insomnia to come up to the platform, saying he would personally demonstrate the technique.

The girl hesitated and asked cautiously, "Teacher, are you going to do to me what you did to that other student earlier? I'm a girl, and I'm really shy. If I get embarrassed, I swear I'll hop on a train and leave the city overnight."

"Don't worry. You're so cute—how could I possibly embarrass you? Come, have a seat in the chair. I'm just going to insert a needle."

"Well... please do whatever you need to do!"

Holding the needle, John expertly inserted it into one of the girl's acupoints, explaining each location and its function as he went. "Look here—this one clears the mind, refreshes the spirit, and calms emotions..."

The students in the front row craned their necks, trying to get a better look.

Seeing their interest, John paused and said, "No need to strain yourselves. In my class, you're welcome to come closer and observe."

With that invitation, the students left their seats and crowded around the platform. Watching him insert a needle into the girl's head, one student asked, "Doesn't that hurt?"

"As long as you find the correct acupoint, acupuncture doesn't really hurt. It feels more like swelling, a dull sensation. Don't take my word for it—ask her."

"Really?"

"Yes, really!" the girl responded cheerfully. "The teacher is amazing. I barely felt anything—just a little swelling and numbness. It's actually kind of comfortable!"

Hearing this, several other students eagerly stepped forward, hoping to try it themselves.

John picked two more students for acupuncture. As more people lined up with interest, he chuckled bitterly and said, "For today, I'll stick with these three students. The rest of you will get your turn in future classes. We're short on time, and there are too many of you for just one session. I can't carry the burden all at once."

The students might have thought he was joking, if not for the serious expression on his face.

It would take some time for the acupuncture's effects to kick in. While waiting, John used the opportunity to explain basic principles of traditional Chinese medicine. Soon, one student raised a question.

"Teacher, since you said TCM is so powerful, how would it treat heart disease?"

"Yeah, what about stomach ulcers and inflammation? What kind of medicine does it use?" another asked.

Their questions weren't meant to be disruptive—they were purely curious.

"In fact," John said, "terms like heart disease, ulcers, and inflammation don't exist in traditional Chinese medicine. Those are Western medical terms. TCM names conditions based on symptoms."

Seeing the students' confused expressions, John elaborated, "Take the common cold, for example. Western medicine considers it a specific disease. But in TCM, 'cold' is a broad term that includes several types: wind-chill, wind-heat, damp cold, and internal deficiency cold. Each of these is considered a distinct 'pattern' or 'symptom type.'"

"So even though they share the same name, the causes—and therefore the treatments—are different. This is called 'treating the same disease with different methods' in Chinese medicine."

"There's another concept too: 'treating different diseases with the same method.' This means two different illnesses may require the same treatment if their symptoms are similar."

The students looked even more puzzled.

To help them understand better, John called up two more students. One was a girl with freckles named Pearl; the other had pimples on her face.

Looking at the freckles on Pearl's cheeks, John asked, "Have you had these for a long time?"

Pearl nodded. "Since senior year of high school. They never went away!"

"You often stay up late?"

"I don't sleep until the moon does!" she said playfully, sticking out her tongue.

"You say that like it's a badge of honor."

John gently tapped her forehead and continued, "Freckles can be congenital or acquired. Yours are clearly acquired—from staying up late and disrupting your metabolism."

He pulled out a small bottle of herbal powder.

"This is a TCM formula I developed myself. It promotes blood circulation, reduces bruising, detoxifies, and treats sores. Give it a try."

"Okay!"

Pearl wasn't shy. She returned to her seat, took out a mirror, and applied the powder to her face.

John then handed the same powder to the other girl with pimples.

A few minutes later, he asked, "How does it feel?"

"My face feels warm and a bit numb," Pearl said.

The girl with pimples nodded in agreement.

"That means the powder is working," John explained. "You—Pearl—have freckles, and she has pimples. These are two different conditions. But both are caused by the same root issue: metabolic disruption from staying up late. So even though the diseases are different, the symptoms are similar. That's why the same treatment works—this is what we call 'treating different diseases with the same method' in TCM."