Chapter Thirty-Three Jade Ring

  "The two energies of yin and yang give rise to the five elements, which in turn produce all things. When the five elements are complete, they form living things; when incomplete, they form dead things. Humans, insects, birds, and beasts all possess the five elements and are therefore alive. Grasses, trees, rocks, and stones lack one or more of the five elements and are thus dead.

  The human body also contains the five elements, so when disease arises, it is necessary to diagnose and treat according to the specific element involved. The five organs belong to the five elements: the spleen belongs to earth, the lungs to metal, the kidneys to water, the liver to wood, and the heart to fire.

  For example, in treating whooping cough, which often results from excessive lung fire, an ordinary doctor will directly attack the lungs with medicine to reduce the fire. This method is like pouring water on a fire and can be very damaging to the body. Even if it cures the disease, it will still harm the vital energy.

  A skilled physician, however, will first use medicine to temporarily suppress the earth element of the spleen, using the method of 'draining the ashes from under the cauldron' to prevent the earth energy of the spleen from producing metal in the lungs. Then, they will use warm tonics to nourish the kidneys, allowing the kidney water to become abundant. When the kidney water is abundant, the lung fire can temporarily cease, and as soon as it ceases, the disease will be cured."

  Mo Wen nodded silently, having also read some medical books. What Yuling said, apart from the five elements of the five organs that can be found in books, the rest of the insights are not recorded in medical books. Moreover, the treatment methods mentioned by Yuling are much more complicated than ordinary ones, and the difficulty of implementation is higher. It's undoubtedly a technique used by a master physician.

  Yu Ling saw that among the crowd, except for Mo Wen's unpredictable expression, everyone else was lowering their heads and frowning. She smiled and opened her mouth: "It's not easy to understand at once, it doesn't matter, I have prepared three medical books for you, one explaining how to diagnose symptoms, two explaining how to treat them, and three explaining how to refine medicine into a pill. The three articles are only over a thousand words, only talking about the method, not the technique."

  Yu Linglong finished speaking and took out several palm-sized books from her bosom, distributing them to the seven people through the air. The books were very thin, with two folds and three sides, on which many small characters were written in elegant handwriting, likely written by Yu Linglong herself.

  "The medicinal properties described in the text are quite abstruse, if it falls into the hands of ordinary people, they will not understand and use the medicine recklessly, which may harm people's lives. Remember to burn it with fire afterwards." Yuling said.

  "Yes." Everyone responded in unison.

  "Although the Upper Clarity sect doesn't prohibit meat and fish, I think it's still best to eat less of them. Blood food comes from the bodies of birds, beasts, insects, and fish, which also contain the five elements. The five elements are turbid and heavy after being absorbed by birds and beasts, which is not beneficial for cultivation." Yuling continued.

  Everyone nodded again when they heard the words. In fact, since coming to Mount Wutai, no one had seen any meat dishes at all, and being able to eat their fill of porridge and rice was already very satisfying.

  "No need to be polite, feel free to ask questions, you ask and I'll answer so that everyone can understand quickly." Yuling waved her hand at the crowd.

  "Excuse me, True Man," Night Wanderer was the first to rise and ask, "How does one determine whether a person is afflicted with illness?"

  "When people eat grains and miscellaneous things, they all have minor illnesses in their bodies. If they fall ill, the four methods of observation, listening, questioning, and pulse-taking can be used to determine where the illness is located. If one has achieved success in practicing Qi, one can also emit spiritual energy into the body to investigate."

  "How can we know before it happens?" Ye Xiang asked again.

  "Why must you know in advance?" Yu Linglong countered.

  "If it can be discovered in advance, it can be treated early and avoid missing the opportunity to nurse a tiger." Ye Xiao said.

  "It's not difficult to discover hidden illnesses before they occur, but I won't teach you. Yuling raised her left hand and counted on her fingers: "There are three reasons. Firstly, everyone has minor ailments, if you treat people as soon as you see them, it will only lead to mediocrity. Secondly, people are foolish, if you go to treat them before they fall ill, they will think you're cheating them out of money and have ulterior motives. Thirdly, you are Taoist priests, not doctors, each has their own duties, if you overstep your bounds, won't all the doctors in the world starve to death?"

  "I humbly ask the master, if it's not for treating illnesses and saving lives, why do we still need to practice the art of Qihuang?" Mo asked as he stood up.

  "If one doesn't understand pharmacology, they can't diagnose and treat their own illnesses, nor can they refine elixirs to supplement their energy and cultivate themselves. Moreover, after understanding pharmacology, one can also punish evil and promote good, accumulating merit." Yuling replied.

  As soon as this was said, everyone felt a slight shock. Yu Linglong's implicit meaning was that learning the art of Qi Huang was mainly for one's own cultivation, and saving people was secondary. Moreover, after learning the art of Qi Huang, not only could they save people, but they could also use it to kill people.

  "Dare I ask, sir, are you saying we should put ourselves before others?" Mo Wu asked in a low voice, plucking up his courage.

  "It's exactly so." Yuling smiled and nodded, "Life is short, the path to seeking truth is long. If you divide your attention for small kindnesses, it will be difficult to achieve great things. You all must remember that when weak, having benevolence in one's heart can only benefit one's hometown, but when strong, having good intentions can bring blessings to all living things."

  "The true person's teachings are that the junior still has one thing unclear, the true person's implied meaning of the Huang's technique can also be used to kill people, is this contrary to medical ethics?" Mo Wen asked himself.

  "Does a Taoist's actions only consider whether they follow the Way of Heaven? Is medical ethics greater than the Way of Heaven?" Yu Linglong asked with a smile.

  "Don't ask, you're so nagging and dragging your feet, just take over the family business and become a doctor!" Ba Li Kuang Feng said with a smile.

  Everyone burst out laughing, Yuling's expression was kind and gentle, her attitude was soft and gentle, and everyone had already become unrestrained.

  Mo Wen didn't ask or argue, he just sat down silently. He always felt that killing people with the art of Qi Huang was not right, even if they were bad people, they should be executed openly and fairly, how could they be poisoned to death in secret?

  Mo Wen sat down, and Ah Jiu next to him stood up, "The younger generation has doubts in their heart, I don't know whether they should ask or not."

  "It doesn't matter what you say." Yuling said with a nod.

  "Is it not improper for a true person to serve as a teacher, wearing this thin robe and coming to lecture us, causing Jade Hengzi and Tian Xizi's minds to be restless and unable to calm their spirits?" Ah Jiu said, raising his hand to gesture to Baili Kuangfeng and Ye Xiao.

  As soon as this was said, the entire hall fell silent, with not a sound to be heard. Ah Jiu's words were extremely rude, not only criticizing Yu Linglong but also implicating Bai Li Kuangfeng and Ye Xiangyang.

  Mo Wen looked at A Jiu with a moved expression, but the target of his words was actually Ba Li Kuang Feng, who had mocked him earlier. Yu Ling Long and Ye Xiao Yao were just being used as foils.

  "Heaven and earth have their differences, yin and yang are distinct, men and women are different. All women have a heart that loves beauty. I wear this silk dress for two reasons: one is to protect my body, the other is to satisfy my love of beauty. Yu Hengzi and Tian Ji's admiration also stems from the hearts of men. Besides, they only looked from afar and didn't get close, so it's not rude." Yuling Jiang not only didn't get angry, but her smile became even brighter.

  "Thank you for clearing up my confusion, sir. You are indeed a straightforward and natural person. I have learned from you." Ah Jiu said with a bow.

  "The poor Tao also has a question, Tianxunzi you should answer frankly," Yulinglong raised her hand and pointed at Mo Wen, "Was your previous question to help him get revenge?"

  Yu Linglong's words had just fallen when the others burst out laughing again, and even Baili Kuangfeng and Ye Xiaoyao, who had been attacked by Ajiu's words, laughed heartily. Ajiu wore a mask, so his face couldn't be seen, but his tense demeanor showed that Yu Linglong was right.

  "Yes." Ajiu bluntly admitted in a loud voice.

  Yu Linglong smiled and nodded upon hearing this, raising her hand to signal Ah Jiu to sit down.

  When Ah Jiu sat down, her face was already flushed red. After a brief hesitation, she bowed her head to thank Ah Jiu, saying that as a person, one must be grateful for kindness and cannot remain unmoved.

  Mo didn't ask and this ceremonial move made Ajiu very happy. Mo saw the situation and called out in distress, Ajiu must have misunderstood his intention.

  "It's almost noon, let's take a break for now and continue later," Yuling said as she stood up from her seat, stepped out of the hall, and everyone quickly got up to see her off.

  Yu Ling walked to the temple gate and suddenly stopped. "There is still one more thing I need to tell you, you seven have passed the six rounds of selection, but you still need to pass three more rounds to receive the ancestral transmission from the founder himself. After completing the apprenticeship, I will preside over the seventh round, whoever comes out on top will get a Dan Ding tripod."

  "Thank you, sir." The crowd thanked him again.

  Yu Linglong waved her hand and walked out of the palace, taking slow steps. At this time, the sun was at its peak, and the sunlight shone through Yu Linglong's gauzy clothes, making her figure more prominent, swaying gently, and charmingly enticing people.

  "A'jiu, you little girl has already started protecting your husband before even entering the door, when have I ever secretly looked at Li Zhenren?" Bai Li Kuangfeng shouted at A'jiu.

  "Don't ask about good fortune being shallow, just enjoy it well." Yexiao Yao pulled his gaze back from outside the door and followed with a laugh.

  Ajiu was too lazy to chat with others, so he led the way out of the hall, without asking who followed afterwards.

  "Don't ask, your family is a medical practitioner, have you seen Bao Ding?" Ba Li Kuang Feng and others also followed out.

  "The medicine shops treat illnesses with medicinal soups brewed in medicine jars, I've never seen a crucible for refining elixirs. However, Senior Xuan Yangzi once mentioned the precious tripod for refining elixirs in his lectures on the Cantong qi, it should be a small furnace that balances the five elements." Mo asked said, Senior Xuan Yangzi had mentioned the theory and general method of refining external elixirs in his scriptures, ordinary utensils have little chance of successfully refining medicinal elixirs, utensils that balance the five elements can protect the herbs from being destroyed by high temperatures, making it relatively easy to refine elixirs.

  "We won't fight with you over this, let's just let it go. In the future when we need medicine to heal our wounds and replenish our energy, we'll come find you for it." Ye Xiao Yao patted Mo Wen's shoulder.

  "It's better for you to go, I don't want it." Mo didn't ask, but in fact he was more interested in medicine than martial arts and magic, but he didn't want to take the treasure tripod.

  Yu Ling was young and beautiful, gentle in manner, able to learn from her the art of medicine, many people were naturally very happy, after lunch early returned to the East Temple waiting.

  Mo asked, while waiting, took out the Jade Linglong and distributed it to his fellow disciples. This small, exquisite manual of medicine did not record the descriptions of diseases and medication methods in detail, but rather recorded the techniques and details of alchemy. The elixirs refined from herbs and spiritual objects can be roughly divided into three categories: one type is for healing injuries, another type is for treating illnesses, and the third type is for replenishing energy. In the description of alchemy, it repeatedly mentioned the five elements being in harmony with the precious cauldron. Seeing this, Mo asked suddenly had a strange idea - if the human body were also in harmony with the five elements, what kind of result would occur? However, this fanciful idea was quickly negated by him. Firstly, at that time, all the sects practiced external alchemy techniques, and the cultivation of spiritual energy only stored it in the dantian (elixir field), without any internal alchemy methods using the human body as a cauldron. Secondly, the human body did not have the high temperature of a furnace, and swallowing herbs would directly reach the intestines and stomach, unable to be retained within the body.

  In the afternoon, Yuling arrived on time, but she didn't come from the Zhengdian direction. Instead, she climbed over the wall from the east side and carried a large cloth bag in her hand.

  "Go move two tables." Yuling said to everyone after entering the hall.

  Baili Kuangfeng and Ye Xiangyao rushed out of the door as soon as they heard the words, Mo Wu followed them out, but he didn't go to move the table, instead he went out of the hall to vomit. He noticed that the package brought by Yulingle was dripping with blood, and he also guessed what Yulingle would do next...