Chapter 164: Chapter 137: This Is Fate, Not Illness

“Brother Lu, do you really believe in it?”

The concept of bringing the dead back to life is too grand, and Tang Yi found it hard to believe traditional Chinese medicine could achieve such a feat.

Moreover, how is death defined?

Is it when there’s no breath at all? No pulse? Brain death? Or when all body organs are completely failing?

If traditional Chinese medicine could save all these, are there any incurable diseases left in the world?

“Why not believe?” Lu Jiu countered.

“Brother Lu, don’t you think this is really arrogant? If traditional Chinese medicine could bring the dead back to life, then why were there so many incurable diseases in ancient times? Although I also think traditional Chinese medicine has its unique strengths, surpassing Western medicine in many aspects, like many chronic illnesses and incurable diseases that Western medicine still hasn’t understood the causes of, which is why they can’t treat them, while many diseases that Western medicine can’t cure, traditional Chinese medicine also can’t, so isn’t it ridiculous to say traditional Chinese medicine can bring the dead back to life?” Tang Yi frowned.

Lu Jiu chuckled, “I think what Elder Huang said about bringing the dead back to life refers to how traditional Chinese medicine can, at the brink of death for some critically ill patients, use various means to bring them back. This near-death state is somewhat like what Western medicine describes as shock.”

“I once read an ancient text about Bian Que, it seemed to be about Bian Que saving the Crown Prince of Guo. I can’t recall the exact details, but the prince had stopped breathing for more than half a day, and then Bian Que saved him. In modern terms, the prince should have been in a condition where he suddenly fainted, with cold extremities, obstructed energy flow, and declining viscera, which sounds a lot like shock.”

“I have to admit, in these critical conditions, Western medicine indeed surpasses traditional Chinese medicine considerably, not theoretically, but simply with more people and technology. I believe if all ancient traditional medical knowledge was thoroughly integrated, many of today’s emergencies would actually see better outcomes with traditional Chinese medicine, with no sequelae. Didn’t Master Li Huo treat many patients with heart and kidney failure? There are cases like those, it’s just that very few traditional practitioners reach his level.”

“As for your point about why there were many incurable diseases in ancient times if traditional medicine could bring the dead back to life, you misjudged traditional medicine. You and I both understand, most of the time, the illnesses are brought upon by the patients themselves, whether in traditional or Western medicine. If, when treating, the patient doesn’t change their lifestyle, doesn’t adjust their emotions, doesn’t listen to medical advice, do you think the disease can be cured?”

“Medicine isn’t theology, if every disease could be cured, that’d be eerie, just like many say Zhuge Liang died of tuberculosis, so in ancient times, tuberculosis was incurable. But if he were in modern society, it could be cured, which is a bit laughable. A person overwhelmed with work and worries about the Han Dynasty’s legacy, concerned with everything even on his deathbed, if such a person could be cured, then it’s not a doctor but a deity.”

Tang Yi couldn’t help but chuckle.

Indeed, he’d seen such claims online several times.

Initially, he believed it, thinking traditional medicine couldn’t cure tuberculosis.

Later, after studying traditional medicine, he realized tuberculosis is the consumptive disease in traditional medicine, which can be treated, and as early as the Tang and Song Dynasties, the ancients understood the cause, location, mechanism, and treatment principles for tuberculosis thoroughly.

The “Ten Divine Medicine Books” written by the renowned Yuan Dynasty physician Ge Kejiu is the earliest surviving specialist book on treating consumptive diseases in China.

It’s simply that illness is illness, and patients are patients.

The illness can be treated, but often the person with it isn’t readily curable.

Zhuge Liang’s illness was in his lungs, but the root was in his heart.

His demise was sealed when Guan Yu lost Jingzhou.

That’s fate, not disease!

After Lu Jiu’s explanation, Tang Yi felt that bringing the dead back to life didn’t seem as absurd as he imagined; at least he’d heard the name Li Huo. Back in college, when their professor who taught classic prescriptions talked about this old master, his eyes would light up, similar to how his sister looked when seeing Kun Kun. Uh… this comparison seems a bit disrespectful to the old master, but it was that kind of fervent adoration.

“So Brother Lu, it seems the highest realm of traditional medicine isn’t much stronger than Western medicine. Western medicine just needs to keep researching cutting-edge medical instruments to train batches of doctors to operate these devices to complete ’resurrections’, whereas traditional medicine requires a lifelong dedication to skill development and even then, its influence might not match a Western medical team,” Tang Yi said.

Lu Jiu nodded, “You’re right, numerically traditional medicine can’t achieve what Western medicine does, but don’t you think perceiving such a realm as the goal of our efforts is a kind of unspeakable pride?”

“If one day, without any equipment, not relying on anyone, relying solely on one needle and one medicine, you can pull patients at the brink of death back from King Yama’s grasp, how does that sound?”

“Anyway, I find it quite thrilling, if that day comes, I could cross thousands of years, converse on equal footing with historical medical giants like Qi Bo, Ge Hong, Bian Que, Hua Tuo, Zhang Zhongjing… and touch the threshold of divine medicine. Haha, then it would be worth a lifetime of studying traditional medicine.”

Lu Jiu’s fascinated expression also moved Tang Yi.

He suddenly realized Lu Jiu’s ambitions were far grander.

He even wanted to dialogue with ancient great medical practitioners across time!

Honestly, this idea is rather romantic!

Sometimes when he reads the Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor, reading the dialogues between the Yellow Emperor and Qi Bo, he imagines himself as a bystander, listening to their discussions on the way of medicine.

But his proficiency is limited, even reading is already quite abstruse, let alone communicating.

Now hearing Lu Jiu’s aspiration, he’s a bit intrigued too.

Could he achieve that in this lifetime?

On stage.

Huang Fusheng saw the commotion slowly calm down, smiled and said, “Everyone seems quite surprised. It seems that your understanding of the highest level of Chinese medicine is somewhat lacking. What I’m talking about—bringing back the dead—mostly refers to critically ill patients that Western medicine failed to save in hospitals, those who modern medicine deems beyond rescue. There are many examples of Chinese medicine saving such people!”

“In Xishan Province, Shiling people, Li Huo, known for his skill with Aconite, developed a formula called Heart-saving Decoction. In just three days, he had a seventy-year-old heart failure shock patient, who had received a death notice from the hospital, up and working. Throughout his life, he treated countless critically ill patients. He can be considered one of the most successful in reclaiming people from King Yama among modern Chinese doctors, and I admire him greatly.”

“Dengtang from Pingkai County, Dongguang Province. Twenty years ago, he petitioned to treat those afflicted with a non-specific disease without charge. Mr. Deng Sr. and his team achieved a record of zero deaths, zero transfers, zero infections, and zero sequelae, saving countless patients on the brink of death.”

“Zhou Yu from Anyong, Beihe Province, proficient in classical acupuncture, once used the Nine Yang Needles to bring a patient who had been dead for half a day back to consciousness for one hour, allowing the person to settle affairs and see their family before passing away. Dying with the pulse in his hand, he spent his life addressing patient suffering and deserves the title of a great doctor.”

“In Nanhe Province, Qiu Shen people, the Jade Cicada Palace master, Master Zhang, cured three late-stage cancer patients who were turned away by hospitals. Someone offered millions for the prescription, but Master Zhang did not sell it and later publicized the formula.”

“There are many other great doctors, both official and folk, who have the ability to bring back the dead. This ability far exceeds current medical technology. Certainly, technology can replace many things that medicine cannot achieve, but the abilities of Chinese medicine cannot be replaced by current technology.”

“If you can achieve their level of medical skill, you will naturally understand the true mysteries of Chinese medicine and realize what I mean by bringing back the dead.”

Ah?

Not long ago, Tang Yi was saying that the highest realm of Chinese medicine doesn’t seem much stronger than Western medicine, and then Huang Fusheng’s words were like a slap in his face, directly saying that truly skilled Chinese medicine doctors have much greater efficacy in critical illness than Western medicine.

That was a real quick face-smacking!

“Heh heh, just as I thought, Chinese medicine is the best,” Li Wei said.

He had been listening to Lu Jiu and another discuss for a long time. As an avid supporter of Chinese medicine, he was already unsettled when Tang Yi said the highest level of Chinese medicine wasn’t much better than Western medicine.

If it hadn’t been for Lu Jiu’s final words, he couldn’t help but argue with Tang Yi about what it meant to not be much better.

Upon hearing Huang Fusheng’s words, Li Wei felt immensely pleased.

For some reason, he found Lu Jiu more agreeable than Tang Yi.

Even though this guy mixes Western and Chinese medicine in his words, at his core, he recognizes the superiority of Chinese medicine. Just for that, Li Wei had no disdain left for him.

However, he still resented Lu Jiu’s use of Western medical terminology to explain Chinese medical theories.

“Yes, yes, Chinese medicine is the best, alright?” Tang Yi said helplessly.

He no longer wanted to get entangled in the issue now.

After all, he was just a little novice, and without fully learning Chinese medicine, participating in such deep discussions was indeed a bit overwhelming.

So he decided to just keep quiet and listen.

Lu Jiu pursed his lips and smiled, not speaking, keeping his gaze on the stage.

At this point, Huang Fusheng felt he had said enough. Seeing that it was around eleven o’clock, he cracked a few jokes and then handed the microphone back to the host before leaving backstage.

With the lecture over, the audience dispersed.

Huang Fusheng’s students had set up registration desks outside the conference hall, inviting anyone interested in becoming a Chinese medicine instructor to fill out their personal information.

Without hesitation, Lu Jiu walked out of the conference hall and filled in his information before saying goodbye to Tang Yi and heading home with Lu Mountain.

Walking on the road, Lu Mountain asked with a smile, “What did you gain from the lecture?”

Lu Jiu said, “Gains? Not really, just that the second half of Elder Huang’s lecture was quite interesting.”

Lu Mountain squinted, “Oh? Do tell.”

Lu Jiu replied, “I think the highest realm of Chinese medicine isn’t about bringing back the dead, but rather healing before illness. Bringing back the dead is just an ultimate measure for existing illnesses, which Elder Huang referred to as skill. But being able to help people before illness occurs is the true highest realm of Chinese medicine, which is the ’way’. No matter how strong the ultimate skill, there are limits, but mastering the ’way’ allows countless people to avoid the calamity of disease and prepare against unseen threats. I believe that’s the core of Chinese medicine.”

“Of course, if we separate Chinese medicine into top, middle, and lower levels, those with the means to bring back the dead indeed touch the threshold of top doctors. But to pursue this single-mindedly seems a bit misguided. I’d quite like to ask Elder Huang if there are Chinese doctors who can diagnose what diseases a patient will have just by observation. If such doctors exist, I’d love to learn from them!”

“So, it’s strange. Even people who haven’t studied Chinese medicine know that it treats pre-illness rather than existing illnesses. Why does Elder Huang specifically emphasize bringing back the dead?”

Lu Mountain laughed, “Hehehe, if you’re curious, why not ask him directly the next time you meet?”

Oh yes!

Today’s lecture might be over, but the examinations for Chinese medicine teachers are coming up soon, and Elder Huang will be the chief examiner. So indeed, there’s a chance for another meeting.

I’ll ask him next time!

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep