Chapter 712: Drawing a Question

Chapter 712: Chapter 712: Drawing a Question

Many people today say that Traditional Chinese Medicine is difficult to understand, esoteric, and incomprehensible.

On one hand, this is because most people are educated from a young age in a Western scientific system. The framework of knowledge they learn has little to do with the theories of TCM, which are based on natural philosophy.

Listening to a TCM doctor talk about "Yin-Yang and the Five Elements" or "meridians and zang-fu organs" is like listening to classical Chinese or a text from the heavens; they simply can’t grasp the meaning.

For example, take the common use of the term "shenming," or "spirit," in TCM.

When most people with a modern education hear this term, their immediate reaction is likely: "Holy crap, ’spirit’? Isn’t that just superstitious, shamanistic nonsense?"

In reality, the word "shenming" in TCM doesn’t refer to the clay and wood idols of Immortals in religion. It refers to a person’s mental state, conscious activity, cognitive abilities, and other higher functions of the central nervous system.

Many people mock TCM as unscientific simply because they don’t understand its context.

However, if people could set aside their prejudices and approach it from an objective, open-minded perspective...

And if TCM doctors, when explaining a condition, could be like Li Xu and "translate" those profound medical principles into simple, everyday language...

...then patients would be perfectly able to understand and accept it.

Li Xu’s explanation for "heat stagnation in the blood aspect"—using "high stress and eating fried chicken leading to pent-up fire in the body, with the fire rising upward"—had the girl’s mother nodding repeatedly, fully understanding the logic.

As she listened to Li Xu’s explanation, the anticipation in the girl’s mother’s eyes grew stronger.

"Dr. Li, are you saying... my daughter’s acne isn’t hard to treat?"

"It’s not hard to treat."

Li Xu offered her some reassurance. "Now that the pathogenesis is clearly identified as ’accumulation of heat-toxin and heat stagnation in the blood aspect,’ we just need to prescribe the right remedy. The primary approach is to ’clear heat, cool the blood, regulate qi, and relieve stagnation.’ Once we extinguish the fire in her body, clear out the toxins, and smooth out her qi, the acne on her face will naturally disappear, and it won’t be prone to recurring."

With that, Li Xu wrote out a prescription and handed it to the girl’s mother.

"This formula is a modified combination of ’Loquat Leaf and Lung-Clearing Decoction’ and ’Blood-Cooling Five-Flower Soup.’ Go get five doses to start. Take them for a few days, and we’ll see how the redness and swelling subside. She must avoid spicy food and staying up late. After she finishes the doses, come back for a follow-up consultation to adjust the formula."

...

Meanwhile, in Daoist Sun’s livestream, the tone of the bullet comments had completely changed.

"Holy crap, so acne is caused by pent-up fire from stress and fried chicken? Doctor Li’s explanation is so down-to-earth, I totally get it."

"The logic is flawless! ’The head and face are where all yang meridians converge, so fire travels upward.’ Brilliant! I feel like I could treat acne myself after listening to Doctor Li’s lecture."

Of course, some knowledgeable long-time fans quickly chimed in with reminders: "Hey, person above, don’t just treat yourself blindly! Doctor Li said this girl had ’heat stagnation in the blood aspect.’ Everyone’s constitution is different. Some people get acne from spleen deficiency and dampness accumulation, others from a disharmony of the Chong and Ren meridians. Even if the symptom is acne for everyone, the prescription will be completely different for different constitutions. TCM emphasizes treatment based on pattern differentiation. You have to let a doctor personally check your pulse and prescribe medicine. Don’t ever self-medicate!"

...

Li Xu saw a few more patients, his work crisp and efficient.

The number of people ahead of Daoist Sun dwindled. It would be his turn soon.

Daoist Sun’s heart pounded with excitement.

Not to mention, the number of viewers in his livestream had broken ten thousand, and the screen was dense with bullet comments, all discussing medical conditions.

Just then,

a few eye-catching, high-donation comments drifted across the screen, starting a new trend.

"Daoist Master, just watching other people get treated is boring. Since you managed to get a spot, can’t you get some benefits for all the brothers and sisters in the stream?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah! Ask about some difficult and strange cases for us!"

"We’re all begging you to ask on our behalf..."

The moment the suggestion was made, it was met with a flood of agreement from the netizens. The screen was instantly spammed with bullet comments, all asking for medical advice.

Daoist Sun saw the comments and scratched his head, looking troubled.

He glanced into the consultation room. Although Li Xu was seeing patients quickly, there was still a long line of people waiting.

’If I start asking him about all these weird and wonderful problems from the livestream,’ he thought, ’forget about whether Dr. Li gets annoyed—the patients behind me will probably eat me alive with their glares.’

"Ahem, everyone, please quiet down."

Daoist Sun spoke to the camera, "As you can all see, Dr. Li has too many patients. If I ask too many questions, I’ll be delaying their treatment, and that’s just a scummy thing to do. We who practice traditional culture believe in cause and effect."

"How about this..."

Daoist Sun thought of a compromise. "I’ll just pick one question. Everyone, post your questions about health and illness in the comments right now. I’ll count down from three, then take a random screenshot. Whichever question is at the very top of that screenshot, I’ll swallow my pride and ask Dr. Li on that person’s behalf. How does that sound?"

"Deal!"

"Daoist Master is a class act."

"Quick, quick, I’ll post first."

Instantly, the fans’ enthusiasm surged, and all sorts of questions scrolled madly across the screen like a waterfall.

"How can I treat my chronic insomnia and hair loss?"

"My mom has rheumatic bone pain, what Chinese medicine is good for that?"

"Does Doctor Li have any miracle formulas for weight loss?"

...

The questions were incredibly varied, scrolling by so fast they were impossible to read with the naked eye.

Daoist Sun took a deep breath and shouted, "Get ready! Three... two... one... screenshot!"

A crisp, simulated shutter sound played as the screen froze.

Daoist Sun zoomed in on the screenshot, looking at the question at the very top.

However, the moment he read the question clearly, he froze completely.

The user who asked the question had the ID "Flying Man."

His question was:

"Daoist Master, the delay potion recently released by Ding’s Pharmaceutical Factory is ridiculously effective. I want to ask the Divine Physician, since Chinese medicine is so amazing, is there any Chinese medicine that can make... ’it’... bigger? Like, really big. I want to emphasize that mine is already huge. I’m just asking for a good buddy of mine. It’s urgent."

"..."

Daoist Sun stared at the screen, utterly speechless.

’Is that *really* a health and wellness question?’ he thought. ’This is the ultimate question for all mankind!’

’And isn’t this "asking for a friend" routine a bit too obvious?’

’Going out of your way to emphasize that you’re already huge?’

’Talk about protesting too much... a dead giveaway.’

The other netizens in the livestream saw the question. After a brief moment of silence, a storm of bullet comments erupted.

"AHAHAHAHAHA, holy crap. This guy is a legend."

"The hell he’s ’asking for a friend.’ I can vouch for him—I’m the friend."

"This is a great question! It’s so representative of us all! Daoist Master, you have to ask! The lifelong happiness of our male compatriots is at stake!"

"Yeah, you have to ask, or we’re unsubscribing."

Daoist Sun wanted to cry but had no tears.

’I’m a streamer dedicated to traditional culture, a man with an otherworldly, ethereal air,’ he lamented inwardly. ’And I’m supposed to ask a Divine Physician *this* kind of question in front of everyone?’

’Do I have any shame left?’

But faced with the eyes of tens of thousands of gawking viewers and a screen full of gifts egging him on, he was being held over a fire. Retreat was not an option.

"Fine... Okay... I’ll throw caution to the wind!"

Daoist Sun gritted his teeth and gave the camera an OK sign.