Chapter 770: Generating Yang Qi

“The *Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor* states, ‘Yang generates and Yin grows; Yang kills and Yin stores.’ On the level of disease, if the Yang Qi in our bodies is insufficient, the evil of Yin cold will run rampant.” Li Xu pointed to the sky outside the window. “The healing of our body’s wounds and the growth of new flesh require a continuous supply of Yang Qi and the warmth of Qi and blood. Basking in the sun is the simplest and most effective way to directly draw from nature and enhance the body’s Yang Qi.

“At the same time, what inhibits tissue growth is that putrid ‘Yin Qi’ and ‘death Qi.’ Yin Qi is the main culprit causing your muscles to turn black and constantly fester. Going outdoors to soak up the sun and borrowing the sun’s Pure Yang fire can greatly inhibit or even dispel the Yin Qi in your body, killing those anaerobic toxic bacteria. It can also promote blood and Qi circulation, accelerating the growth of fresh blood and flesh.”

Through a careful study of the patient’s medical records just now, Li Xu had discovered the crux of the problem.

The treatment plans previously provided by experts from the city’s top-tier hospitals—anti-infection, blood sugar reduction, and microcirculation improvement—were actually flawless according to Western medical logic and followed a very standard clinical pathway. It was just that this patient’s situation was too unique.

Clinically, the reason wounds in diabetic patients were extremely difficult to heal—often deteriorating to the point of amputation—was that long-term high blood sugar caused the patient’s overall metabolic capacity to become extremely poor. Microvessels were blocked, and the local tissues were in a near-death state of extreme “energy deficiency,” as well as “ischemia and hypoxia.”

In the words of traditional Chinese medicine, this was “an extreme deficiency of vital Qi, cold coagulation, blood stasis, and toxin stagnation.”

Under such circumstances, where the foundation had completely rotted away, simply using bitter and cold anti-inflammatory drugs to “sterilize” the wound, or applying topical ointments that solely promoted muscle growth, would naturally yield very poor results. The body simply didn’t have the spare energy, Qi, or blood to transport these medicines to the wound, nor did it have the materials to “build a new house.”

To untie this dead knot, it was necessary to address the problems of “declining Yang Qi” and “stagnant Qi and blood” from the source and as a whole. And basking in the sun was an extremely brilliant, cost-free therapy of “harmony between man and nature.”

Getting more sun was not only beneficial for sterilizing the local wound and improving blood circulation; more importantly, it helped dispel the gloom in the patient’s heart and uplifted their mind and body.

In daily life, many people shared this experience: when encountering insurmountable hurdles, or when feeling extremely low and depressed, they often liked to lock themselves in their rooms, draw the curtains, and hide in dark corners. They didn’t want to be disturbed and disliked seeing bright light.

In fact, this approach was extremely wrong and dangerous.

The worse one’s mood and the lower one’s point in life, the more they should step out into the sunlight and brighten their surroundings. Going outside to soak up the sun to one’s heart’s content could truly melt away more than half of the depression in one’s heart.

Under the warm sunlight, wrapped in its rays, one would feel incredibly comfortable and warm. Unconsciously, the pores of the body would open, the coldness in the meridians would dissipate, the body would warm up, and one’s mood would naturally brighten as well.

Traditional Chinese medicine believes that when a person is in a bad mood or feels despair, their mental state and bodily functions coordinate and influence each other. At these times, the “Yin Qi” and “death Qi” within the human body are extremely heavy.

Yin Qi encompasses all factors that hinder the body’s recovery and can even spur the development of tumors and ulcers. Moreover, Yin Qi is naturally complementary to and attracted by dark, damp environments.

The more you lock yourself in quiet, dark places, the easier it is to breed depression. Your mood will become heavier, and your bodily functions will decay faster, forming a terrifying vicious cycle. This is also why many people, when late night falls and darkness envelopes the dead silence, are more prone to recalling bad memories, feeling down, or even having suicidal thoughts.

It is because the night belongs to Yin, and Yin Qi is at its absolute peak.

“So, you can start today, right now,” Li Xu said, standing up and encouraging the patient. “Don’t always lie in the hospital bed waiting for medicine. Go embrace the sunlight.”

“Okay, Dean Li. I understand.”

Listening to Li Xu’s “psychological and physical” therapy, a glimmer of light seemed to reignite in the patient’s originally dead, ashen eyes. Basking in the sun didn’t cost any money, nor did it have any toxic side effects.

The patient’s wife was a woman who was receptive to advice. After hearing Li Xu’s words, she immediately ran to the nurse’s station to borrow a wheelchair. Carefully helping her husband onto it, she pushed him to the central garden downstairs in the inpatient department.

It was already late September, and the autumn air was crisp and refreshing. Although Feng City had a slight chill in the mornings and evenings, the sun at noon and in the afternoon was wonderful. It didn’t feel scorching on the skin; instead, it offered a warm and comforting sensation.

The patient’s wife was very attentive. She found a spot in the garden that was half in the shade and half in the sunlight, allowing the wound on the patient’s left leg to be exposed to the sun while his whole body basked comfortably in its warmth.

About an hour later, nearing two o’clock in the afternoon, Ren Hongbo, the deputy director of orthopedics and traumatology, arrived at the observation room with a new treatment plan. Pushing the door open, he frowned upon seeing bed 35 empty and the blanket folded neatly.

“Where is the patient from bed 35?” he questioned the nurse.

“His wife pushed him downstairs to the small garden to get some sun,” the nurse replied truthfully to Ren Hongbo.

“Getting some sun? It’s rotted to this extent, and they still have the mood to stroll in the garden?” Ren Hongbo shook his head and instructed the nurse, “Have someone call him back. I just contacted the endocrinology department for a consultation and adjusted his treatment plan. I’m preparing to do a debridement check on him and try a new, special medicated dressing containing epidermal growth factors.”

The nurse acknowledged the order and hurried downstairs to fetch the patient.

Before long, the patient was wheeled back by his wife. Although he had only basked in the sun for a little over an hour, whether it was a psychological effect or not, the man’s complexion seemed to have slightly more vitality than the lifeless look he wore when he was first admitted.

Ren Hongbo put on his gloves. As he carefully unwrapped the patient’s bandages in preparation for changing the dressing, he remarked casually, “Going outside to get some sun and breathe some fresh air is a good thing. It’s better than being cooped up all day in a ward that reeks of disinfectant. Being in a good mood is also beneficial for blood sugar control.”

“Thank you for your concern, Director Ren,” the patient said gratefully.

“It’s nothing. However, your condition is truly serious, and your vascular condition is far too poor. You need to be fully mentally prepared.” Ren Hongbo looked at the blackened toes and sighed. “We’ll observe you with this new plan for a few days to see the effects of this special medicated dressing. If the ulceration still can’t be controlled and continues to spread upward… then to save your life, we might really have to consider a high-level amputation.”