Thirteen Needles of the Ghost Gate

Yang Tianzheng was a very easy-going person and did not impose any additional rules on his apprentices.

"Master, Master, what are you going to teach me?"

Su Ziyang cheekily moved closer to Yang Tianzheng, calling him "Master, Master."

Yang Tianzheng didn't speak, but instead grabbed Su Ziyang's hand, held it in his hand and examined it repeatedly for a while, then nodded. "A pair of skillful hands."

Su Ziyang had no idea what Yang Tianzheng muttering, but he felt strange having his hand held by a grown man, so he whispered, "Master, don't you have some kind of weird habit? This is unacceptable!"

"Snap."

Mr. Mengfei slapped Su Ziyang across the neck, making him shrink back.

"What are you saying, you brat!"

"You learned this habit of using your hands from my Master Jin, didn't you? You need to change it!"

While complaining, Su Ziyang dodged Mr. Mengfei's attack range and then came to Yang Tianzheng's left side.

"Master, Master, what are you going to teach me?"

Su Ziyang continued to look at Yang Tianzheng with a sly grin.

Yang Tianzheng pondered for a moment and then said, "Acupuncture!"

"Ah! This is great! I was just worried that no one would teach me acupuncture."

Su Ziyang clapped his hands with joy.

"Want to learn?" Yang Tianzheng didn't expect Su Ziyang to be so happy, and raised his eyebrows to ask again.

"Mmm!"

Su Ziyang nodded hurriedly, as if afraid that Yang Tianzheng might suddenly change his mind.

"OK."

Su Ziyang was happy, and Yang Tianzheng nodded happily as well.

"Master, there's no time like the present! If it's convenient for you today, then teach me! Where should I begin? Do you need any props? I'll go get them!"

Su Ziyang hurriedly stood up, took a medical kit from his bedroom, opened it, and took out a box of acupuncture needles, cotton swabs, disinfectant iodine, alcohol, and other acupuncture supplies.

Yang Tianzheng was stunned by Su Ziyang's reaction. Looking at the series of props Su Ziyang had laid out in front of him, he was a little at a loss. "Um, um, Ziyang, let's learn the theory first. We don't need to do any actual acupuncture practice yet."

"Okay! Alright then!"

Su Ziyang packed his things up again, a little disappointed.

Yang Tianzheng give a lecture, everyone who was about to leave sat back down, wanting to hear what Yang Tianzheng had to say to Su Ziyang.

The audience listened intently; half of them were doctors, but Yang Tianzheng showed no stage fright. After taking a sip of tea, he began, "Acupuncture, acupuncture... When it comes to acupuncture, most people think it's just inserting a small needle into an acupoint and twisting it. Actually, it's not. Needles and moxibustion are two different things. Acupuncture refers to the common needling technique, sometimes called 'dry needling' or 'dry needle' because Western medicine needles contain medicine, while this one doesn't, hence the name 'dry needling.'"

Yang Tianzheng paused for a moment at this point. Everyone nodded, indicating their agreement with what Yang Tianzheng had said.

"As for moxibustion, it involves burning moxa wool made from mugwort on specific acupoints to treat illness."

"When talking about acupuncture, one person must be mentioned: Yang Jizhou!"

Yang Jizhou!

Su Ziyang was startled when he heard Yang Jizhou's name. Yang Jizhou, Yang Tianzheng...

Could it be...?

While Su Ziyang was still feeling intensely excited, he heard Yang Tianzheng continue, "Yang Jizhou, whose given name Jishi. He was the thirteenth generation descendant of the Yang family of Yang Clan of Liangjiayuan, a native of Sanqu, Zhejiang. His family had been doctors for generations, all of whom were physicians in the Imperial Academy of Medicine. Because his family had lived in the Capital for generations, they were also known as the ' Yang Clan of the Capital Gate of the Capital.' One of his books was called ' The Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion.'"

The publication of the book "The Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion" marks the significant advancement of ancient China acupuncture and moxibustion to a considerably mature stage.

"Master, you wouldn't happen to be a descendant of Yang Jizhou, would you!"

Su Ziyang excitedly voiced his thoughts.

"Huh?" Yang Tianzheng was taken aback by the question. "No, why are you asking that?"

"Ah! Your surname is Yang. I saw you were all smiles when you introduced Yang Jizhou, so I thought you were a descendant of Yang Jizhou."

Su Ziyang spoke his mind.

"No. It's just a coincidence, a coincidence!" Yang Tianzheng chuckled and explained, then continued, "The book ' The Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion ' is a comprehensive medical book on acupuncture and moxibustion that follows ' The Systematic Classic of Acupuncture and Moxibustion '."

"Ziyang, I suggest you buy a copy of ' The Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion ' and start reading. Then, today, I'll start a conversation about something a bit fantastical to boost your interest and motivation in learning!"

"OK."

Su Ziyang is a man of action; he immediately opened his phone and bought a copy of "The Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion".

Yang Tianzheng was amazed by Su Ziyang's execution ability, and his smile became even brighter.

"Mengfei just threatened me, saying I treat mental illnesses and that he would tell my father. I'm sure you all heard that. So, the acupuncture technique I'm going to talk about today is also related to mental illnesses. It's called the Thirteen Needles of the Ghost Gate!"

"I've heard of this technique, but I've never seen it in person. Now that I've encountered a master capable of performing this acupuncture, I'm truly eager to hear their expertise!"

Even the usually silent Old Daoist Master Xiao became interested.

"Then I'll make a fool of myself! I'll just say something off the cuff!"

Yang Tianzheng cupped his hands in a respectful greeting to the Old Daoist Master Xiao.

"The so-called Thirteen Needles of the Ghost Gate refer to thirteen acupoints on the human body. In ancient times, they were used to treat illnesses caused by so-called demonic possession or being possessed by evil spirits. However, in modern times, it is not necessarily all demonic possession; it could also refer to some mental illnesses, such as bipolar disorder or schizophrenia."

"The disease is caused by all kinds of evil and madness."

There are thirteen acupuncture points that must be recognized.

All needles are applied to the Ghost Palace first.

The second needle always responds to the ghost's call.

Ask them one by one from the beginning.

Men from left to right, women from right.

As Yang Tianzheng spoke, he uttered a few lines of ancient Chinese that sounded like a chant.

Su Ziyang discovered that the older generation, such as Mr. Mengfei, Daoist Jin, and even Yang Tianzheng whom he had just met, could recite almost all the incantations and ancient texts off the cuff, a level that he himself could not reach at all.

"The formula I just mentioned is one of the formulas for the Thirteen Needles of the Ghost Gate Acupuncture. Generally speaking, Heaven cherishes life, and it's rare to use all thirteen ghost points. The first three acupuncture points are enough to treat most cases of epilepsy and possession by evil spirits!"

"Just explaining it like that is too abstract. Let me tell you about a case. One year, there was a little girl, about sixteen or seventeen years old. She was perfectly fine, but suddenly she went crazy. She could make the voices of several people, both male and female, singing and making a ruckus. Her family was terrified and brought her to my house. When I saw her, I knew she was possessed by an evil spirit and should be treated with the Thirteen Ghost Needles."

"That girl was incredibly strong; even with my skills, I couldn't subdue her. It took several strong young men to barely hold her down. When I saw this, I could only quickly insert acupuncture needles. The first needle was inserted into the Renzhong acupoint (Ghost Palace), the second into the Shaoshang acupoint (Ghost Heart), and the third into the Daling acupoint (Ghost Heart). After these three needles, the girl stopped crying and was completely stunned."

I then asked her what kind of ghost it was, what it wanted, and that she could grant its request if she could.

"The ghost started talking?" Su Ziyang stared at Yang Tianzheng with wide eyes, while everyone else watched Yang Tianzheng nervously.

"You could say it's the voice of a ghost, but it's actually spoken through the little girl's voice. At first, it's a male voice saying he wants five hundred sheets of yellow paper, a roast duck, and a pot of wine. Then it changes to a high-pitched female voice, saying she wants a pig, a sheep, clothes, and so on. She said a whole bunch of things!"

Yang Tianzheng for a long time, but still couldn't say exactly what the woman wanted.

"Is it really that amazing? You can talk directly to ghosts and monsters!" Old Daoist Master Xiao stood up in surprise.

"Although I have performed exorcisms for people many times, I have never seen a ghost speak so directly, let alone speak so clearly. The Thirteen Needles of the Ghost Gate truly live up to their name."

"Elder Xiao, you flatter me. I don't know anything about professional exorcism techniques. In terms of expertise, you are definitely a master. It would be like showing off my limited skills in front of you!"

Yang Tianzheng spoke very modestly.

"So what happened next! That female ghost wanted so many things, did she give them to her?" Fairy Li was curious and wanted to hear the ending of the story.

"Of course I couldn't give it to her. I scolded her sternly, saying she was being unreasonable. Then I inserted the needle a fourth time into her 'Ghost Hall' acupoint. The girl started begging again, saying she only needed a chicken and five hundred pieces of yellow paper. In the end, we made offerings for them and burned the yellow paper. Then the girl's illness was cured."

Daoist Jin was amazed after hearing Yang Tianzheng's story.

"Master, you mentioned one or two needles, what are these thirteen ghost points? Could you explain them in detail?"

Su Ziyang is good at asking questions.

"Of course I can tell you, the first needle is the Ghost Palace, which is the philtrum."

The second needle is applied to the Guixin acupoint, also known as the Shaoshang acupoint.

The third needle is applied to Guilei, also known as Yinbai acupoint.

The fourth needle is applied to the Guixin acupoint, also known as the Daling acupoint.

The fifth needle is the Ghost Road point, also known as Shenmai point.

The sixth needle is the Ghost Pillow point, also known as the Fengfu point.

The seventh needle is the Guichuang point, also known as the Jiache point.

The eighth needle is the Guishi point, also known as the Chengjiang point.

The ninth needle is the Ghost Cave, also known as the Laogong acupoint.

The tenth needle is at the Ghost Hall, also known as the Upper Star acupoint.

The eleventh needle is called Guizang, which is Huiyin point for men and Yumentou point for women.

The twelfth acupuncture point is the "ghost leg" point, also known as the Quchi acupoint. When needling the Quchi acupoint, a fire needle should be used!

Yang Tianzheng listed the twelve acupoints one by one. Su Ziyang gestured to his own body while counting on his fingers, saying, "Wait a minute, Master, you said twelve acupoints. The Thirteen Needles of the Ghost Gate should have thirteen acupoints!"

"He can even count. Not bad!" Mr. Mengfei seized the opportunity to stab Su Ziyang in the back, making Su Ziyang pout.

"Haha!" Yang Tianzheng laughed when he heard Mr. Mengfei teasing Su Ziyang. He then explained, "The thirteenth acupuncture point is called Guifeng. It's located under the tongue at the midline. You don't need to needle it; you just prick it to draw blood, and that will achieve the effect. But I've never used this acupuncture point before."

"Oh, oh!" Su Ziyang nodded, then Freedom memorized it twice more.

"Truly amazing!" Old Daoist Master Xiao exclaimed once again.

"Old Xiao, you're just sucking up to me. When it comes to exorcising evil spirits, it has to be the talismans you draw and the rituals you perform—it's both effective and safe. You've been listening to Zhengzai's bragging. Come on, Zhengzai, tell us your embarrassing stories. Then let everyone hear why you stopped using the Thirteen Needles of the Ghost Gate!"

Mr. Mengfei spoke and laughed, while Yang Tianzheng's face grew increasingly dark.

"Damn it! Mengfei, I'm going to fight you to the death! Reveal my secrets, Flash Strike, Needle at the Bottom of the Sea! Take this!!!"

Yang Tianzheng got angry and attacked Mr. Mengfei with two moves. Before the punches even landed, Mr. Mengfei had already run onto the balcony.

"Zhengzai, stop fooling around. It's not right for you to be doing this while looking after your newly accepted apprentice; the younger generation is watching!"

Mr. Mengfei was too frightened to come closer, and quickly waved his hands while explaining to Yang Tianzheng.

"So you still know to protect my apprentice, huh? You've exposed my secrets, come here and let me punch you a couple of times!"

Yang Tianzheng looked determined not to back down.

Old Daoist Master Xiao, watching the two fooling around, cleared his throat twice and said, "Stop it, you two. You're not young anymore, why are you acting like children! Especially Mengfei, you have no manners at all. Don't let your Little Ziyang be corrupted by you!"

Old Daoist Master Xiao was the oldest person present. Yang Tianzheng Old Daoist Master Xiao speak, he sat back down.

"Sigh, keep a youthful mindset!" Mr. Mengfei chuckled as he slowly walked over after Yang Tianzheng sat down.

After the two had settled down, Old Daoist Master Xiao said to Yang Tianzheng, "I'd also like to ask, what did Mengfei mean by that? Could it be that the Thirteen Needles of the Ghost Gate have some unknown taboos? Could you tell us about them and broaden our knowledge?"

"Well, actually, I was just about to tell Ziyang this, so he wouldn't make the same mistake I did."

Yang Tianzheng's expression turned extremely serious. "Two years ago, I encountered a patient with the same kind of epilepsy. This person was a man who had been insane for seven or eight years, and had sought medical treatment everywhere without any effect. I don't know where he heard that I could cure him, so he came to seek treatment! His main symptom was unpredictable mood swings, but he didn't attack people. Most of the time, he would just squat in one spot, sometimes happy and sometimes cursing!"

"When I saw this situation, I immediately started using the Thirteen Needles of the Ghost Gate. After inserting the first three needles, the man didn't show any unusual reaction, so I inserted the remaining two. In the past, when I treated patients, no matter how serious the illness, I would only need to insert five needles at most. But that day, after I inserted the first five needles, something strange happened!"

Yang Tianzheng's account once again drew everyone into a tense atmosphere, and they all asked in unison, "What happened!"

"Just after I finished my fifth injection, the man who had been quiet all along suddenly widened his eyes and stared at me. His gaze was the most resentful and vicious I had ever seen in all my years. He started mumbling something, and it was a woman's voice!"

"Her voice was soft and halting as she said, 'You, you, you, don't meddle in other people's business. Everything has a cause and effect. She came here for a reason. She wants me to remove the needle!'"

As Yang Tianzheng recounted this, he was clearly still shaken. He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said, "Of course, I couldn't possibly pull out the needle. So I talked to her and said, 'What do you want?' Guess what she said?"

"What did you say?!" the crowd exclaimed in unison once again.