Thirteen Ghost Gate Needles

The voice that suddenly rang out sounded jarringly out of place in the grief-stricken bedroom.

The attending physicians all turned to look behind them. When they saw that the speaker was a young man of about twenty, they frowned.

The young man before them had youthful features and a clean-cut face. At a glance, he looked every bit a university student in his early twenties.

Even if a young man his age had graduated, he could at most serve as an intern in a hospital, helping the attending physicians. Performing surgery was out of the question.

Someone who had never even held a scalpel dared claim he could save Madam Zi when even Elder Bai was helpless?

On the verge of breaking down, Zifeng Town trembled and hurriedly turned around. But when he saw that the speaker was Jun Wangchen, the hope in his eyes dimmed again.

"Young friend Jun, I appreciate your comforting words, but my wife's fate is already sealed. Perhaps this is simply her destiny. You needn't try to console me with a joke."

According to his investigation, Jun Wangchen studied medicine at Jinling University. At his age, however, his medical knowledge could only be theoretical. Compared with Elder Bai, he was no different from a fledgling beside an eagle.

If even the eagle could not accomplish the task, what ability could the fledgling possibly have?

"I'm not joking. I really can treat Madam Zi's condition." Jun Wangchen shook his head, his expression utterly serious.

As long as he used the Thirteen Ghost Gate Needles from Hundred-Year Acupuncture, he was completely confident he could cure Shen Yu.

Beside him, Bai Ren frowned. Medical skill developed gradually through practice and exploration, both of which required time.

Jun Wangchen was indeed far too young. His grasp of medicine was probably limited to the basics. He might never even have entered an operating room.

Entrusting Madam Zi's treatment to such an inexperienced youngster would be a joke, wouldn't it?

He was just about to speak when the attending physicians' expressions darkened. Pointing at Jun Wangchen's nose, they snapped, "Absurd! How much medical research could you possibly have done at your age? How many times have you held a scalpel? How many operations have you performed? How many patients have you seen?"

"Don't think that learning a little from books makes you a miracle doctor. Young people need the right attitude. You've strayed completely off the proper path, do you understand?"

"Medical skill has nothing to do with age. Who says someone has to be as old as you before their ability can be judged?" Jun Wangchen did not get angry. Instead, he remained calm and said mildly, "When it comes to surgery, I may not match you. But in traditional Chinese acupuncture, your current skills might not amount to even a tenth of mine."

"Arrogant! Utterly arrogant!" The attending physicians' faces darkened with anger.

Which of them did not have extensive medical experience? Which of them did not have a widespread reputation?

And now some brat was belittling them like this. If word got out, their colleagues would laugh them out of the profession.

Bai Ren, too, knitted his brows in displeasure.

Throughout history, every highly skilled physician had undergone years of repeated refinement before reaching a level others could only look up to.

Jun Wangchen was barely in his early twenties, yet he dared make such outrageous claims. He truly did not know his own limits.

Seeing the physicians' cold expressions, Zifeng Town hurried forward to ease the tension. "Esteemed doctors, please don't be angry. Young people can be a little conceited. Please be understanding!"

"Hmph!" The attending physicians snorted and said no more.

If Jun Wangchen had not been Zifeng Town's guest, they would already have started berating him.

Zifeng Town secretly sighed in relief and gave Jun Wangchen a meaningful look, signaling him not to antagonize the doctors any further.

Jun Wangchen remained unmoved, however, and said calmly, "There are two categories of causes for a vegetative state: acute injury, and degenerative or metabolic disease."

"The former mostly involves hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy caused by nontraumatic injuries such as traffic accidents, gunshot wounds, and birth injuries, while the latter mainly involves gangliosidosis and adrenoleukodystrophy.

"The fundamental distinction lies in bodily function. In a vegetative state caused by acute injury, bodily functions remain at a normal level, while in one caused by degenerative or metabolic disease, those functions are abnormal.

"Elder Bai's Three-Part, Two-Entry Acupuncture Method primarily clears the meridians, balances yin and yang, and stimulates the body's latent potential to restore vitality."

"In other words, if Madam Zi's vegetative state were caused by a degenerative or metabolic disease, Elder Bai's chances of successfully treating her would be nearly one hundred percent. The bodily dysfunction in such patients is precisely what the Three-Part, Two-Entry Acupuncture Method can remedy."

"Unfortunately, Madam Zi's vegetative state was caused by acute injury. Her bodily functions are normal. Aside from replenishing some of her yang qi, Elder Bai's Three-Part, Two-Entry Acupuncture Method would have no effect."

As his lengthy explanation slowly came to an end, the entire bedroom fell quiet.

The attending physicians exchanged looks, seemingly considering whether Jun Wangchen's explanation was correct.

Bai Ren, meanwhile, was stunned by what he had heard. His gaze filled with astonishment as he looked at Jun Wangchen.

Jun Wangchen's analysis could not have been more accurate.

Taking a deep breath, Bai Ren stared at Jun Wangchen, his eyes gleaming. "Young friend, judging by what you've said, might you have a solution?"

At these words, the attending physicians all widened their eyes.

Bai Ren seemed to be suggesting that Jun Wangchen should try his hand at treating her.

Jun Wangchen rotated his wrists and said nonchalantly, "It's nothing particularly clever. I'll simply use Reincarnation Power to pull Madam Zi's consciousness back from the Underworld."

He had originally intended to channel the spiritual energy of heaven and earth into Zifeng Town's wife, using its integrative properties to repair her acute injury and awaken her from her vegetative state.

The awkward problem was that, after using Qi-Driven Needle Control and the Acupuncture Point-Pressing Technique at the Blue Night Charm Bar, he no longer had enough Elixir Qi to draw upon the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, much less channel it into her afterward.

The Thirteen Ghost Gate Needles differed somewhat from other acupuncture methods. They consumed little Elixir Qi, drawing mainly on a person's soul power—their essence, qi, and spirit.

His essence, qi, and spirit were still abundant, making him perfectly capable of using the Thirteen Ghost Gate Needles. In his view, this method was actually better suited than other acupuncture techniques to treating Zifeng Town's wife.

What Jun Wangchen did not realize was that his words had made the attending physicians' eyes twitch. Some had even begun to snicker.

Reincarnation Power?

Pull Madam Zi's consciousness back from the Underworld?

Was this guy freaking insane?

Bai Ren's expression darkened in displeasure. "Young friend, this concerns whether Madam Zi can wake up. Please don't make fools of us."

Zifeng Town also frowned. Everything Jun Wangchen had said and done so far was so mystical that it was difficult to believe him.

If Jun Wangchen had not saved his daughter the previous night, he would probably have thrown him out long ago for putting on airs before the attending physicians today.

Knowing further explanation would be pointless, Jun Wangchen said nothing more. He swept his gaze around the room before settling on the row of silver needles.

After a brief pause, Jun Wangchen suddenly held both hands flat in the air and closed his eyes. A current of heat rose around him, circling without pause.

Moments later, Jun Wangchen's eyes snapped open, and he barked, "Rise!"

In an instant, thirteen silver needles floated into the air without any external force acting on them, spinning continuously.

Each silver needle was enveloped in a mass of qi, creating a remarkable sight.

"Th-this... is this Qi-Driven Needle Control?" Bai Ren froze at the sight and cried out involuntarily.

"What?" The other attending physicians shuddered, all staring in stunned disbelief.

Qi-Driven Needle Control was a long-lost, miraculous medical technique. The practitioner first gathered qi in the Dantian, then released it at will and directed it onto the silver needles, allowing the qi to control them.

This method could transfer the practitioner's vigorous yang qi to the patient, sustaining the patient's vitality and stimulating the growth of vital energy within their body.

But Qi-Driven Needle Control required vast reserves of Elixir Qi. Despite years of effort, none of these physicians had managed to develop any, so they could not perform it at all.

Even Bai Ren, who had developed Elixir Qi, could control at most two silver needles. Someone like Jun Wangchen, who controlled thirteen at once, would have ranked among the emperor's personal physicians in ancient times.

While everyone stood stunned, Jun Wangchen focused his gaze and gathered Elixir Qi at his heart.

Thirteen Ghost Gate Needles, first needle: Ghost Palace!

As the silent invocation ended, one silver needle flew out and descended into the junction between the upper third and lower two-thirds of Shen Yu's philtrum.

Thirteen Ghost Gate Needles, second needle: Ghost Trust!

Without pausing after the first needle entered her body, Jun Wangchen sent another flying. It pierced inward into the outer side of the final segment of the patient's thumb.

Thirteen Ghost Gate Needles, third needle: Ghost Rampart!

Thirteen Ghost Gate Needles, fourth needle: Ghost Heart!

With each silent invocation in Jun Wangchen's mind, another silver needle pierced Shen Yu's body. The onlookers saw only a flash of white light. By the time they reacted, ten silver needles were already embedded in her.

"Perfect positioning and proper depth. His needling technique is incredibly practiced!" The attending physicians' eyes filled with shock. Each had practiced medicine for over a decade and inserted needles more than a hundred thousand times. Their speed and accuracy were outstanding among their peers.

Yet after watching Jun Wangchen insert the needles, they felt ashamed of their own inadequacy, as though they were good only compared with those beneath them, but fell short of those above.

Beside them, Bai Ren's eyes widened abruptly at the sight. His body trembled without stopping, and the disbelief in his eyes was beyond description.

"For illnesses wrought by a hundred evils and madness, thirteen acupuncture points must be known. In every needling, begin with Ghost Palace, then Ghost Trust, and all shall respond. Th-this... is this the Thirteen Ghost Gate Needles?"