This Doctor Is Too Wealthy

”After that, I used acupuncture and moxibustion to further stimulate and magnify this remnant vitality, allowing it to develop from a point to a line, and then from a line to a plane. Finally, I used massage techniques to help disperse the fire toxin that had invaded the skin. This prevents the muscles and nerves, which had just sensed the return of vitality, from becoming overly tense.”

As soon as Du Heng finished speaking, Director Wu suddenly froze. Did I actually guess correctly? Could it really be about using heat poison to attack ’dead blood’ and awaken remnant vitality?

Looking at the thoughtful Cao Binghe, Du Heng continued, ”Actually, this can also be explained from the perspective of modern medicine. Essentially, I first heated the muscles and nerves that had begun to stiffen, causing them to expand due to the heat. This thermal expansion helps reopen the blocked meridians and blood vessels, allowing blood and vitality to flow once more. It doesn’t require much—even if they can only move three millimeters, or just one millimeter, that’s enough. As long as there’s any sign of activity, necrosis cannot occur.

The human body possesses self-healing capabilities. The relationship between these healing functions and disease is a constant struggle for dominance; one will always overcome the other. There’s no equilibrium or peaceful coexistence. Halting necrosis gives the body’s healing functions a chance to take over. The subsequent acupuncture and moxibustion I performed serve to further boost these healing functions, like adding fuel to a fire.”

Cao Binghe understood and slowly nodded. However, the resident doctor who had accompanied him seemed a bit lost, nodding with evident confusion. It was a very contradictory expression and action. He himself probably hadn’t figured out what he meant to express.

Du Heng took a sip of tea and continued, ”The massage serves to relax the muscle fibers, nerves, and meridians that were expanded by the heat. These tissues currently lack elasticity. If they aren’t properly relaxed and cared for after such expansion, problems can arise. This could either cause the already compromised nerves and blood vessels to utterly rupture, or, even if they regain function and blood supply, they might completely lose their elasticity. In that case, that half of the face would permanently sag.”

At this point, Director Wu interjected, ”So, you’re saying that whether you use acupuncture, moxibustion, or massage, all these methods are fundamentally supporting the initial action of the fire toxin invading the skin. Only when the fire toxin effectively stimulates the residual vitality do your subsequent treatments become truly useful.”

Du Heng nodded. ”Precisely. The fire toxin is crucial. What I’m doing is essentially fighting poison with poison.”

At this moment, the resident doctor spoke up, ”Director Du, if that’s the case, wouldn’t using a hairdryer on its hot air setting achieve the same effect? A high-power hairdryer can generate significant heat. Considering the temperature from the iron you fanned today, it should be comparable.”

Du Heng shook his head. ”I did consider that, but I ruled it out. In the Patient’s current condition, it’s not just that the muscles and nerves on the left side of her face have lost function; the skin in that area has also lost its normal functions. This means the connection between the surface and the deeper tissues of her left face is effectively severed; the pathways are completely non-functional. Using a high-power hairdryer would generate a strong airflow. This wouldn’t only introduce the heat poison but, due to the forceful current of air, wind evil would also invade. The resulting toxicity and stimulation would indeed be stronger, but it would also overwhelm the nerves’ current capacity to withstand it. At that point, instead of stimulating the vitality to resist, it would likely extinguish it completely, and all hope would be lost.”

”Oh, is that how it is?” The resident doctor blinked a couple of times. ”In that case, an electric heater could be used, right?”

Du Heng smiled wryly. ”I’ve considered that too. It’s not feasible.”

The resident doctor was dumbfounded. ”But why? An electric heater doesn’t produce wind, and a high-wattage one generates intense heat. If you get close, you feel a burning sensation.”

”You said it yourself: get too close, and there’s a burning sensation.” Du Heng sighed. ”The issue is, this Patient requires a very high temperature. However, while her left face is numb, the rest of her body is fine and can perceive cold, heat, and pain. An electric heater doesn’t target a specific point; it radiates heat in all directions. Setting aside the risks of using high-power electric heaters in a Hospital, while they do produce high and sustained heat, the Patient wouldn’t be able to endure it. Her left face has no sensation, but other areas of her body would feel extreme discomfort and pain. Prolonged exposure could even lead to burns and injury.”

Du Heng shook his head with a helpless air. ”I didn’t want to resort to such an unconventional method either. But after considering all options, the iron was the only thing truly suited to this situation.”

Cao Binghe didn’t want to get bogged down in these finer details. He cut straight to the critical question for Du Heng: ”Director Du, based on your explanation, there must be a general range for the amount of heat introduced. Too little heat might be ineffective, or it could even hasten the decline of vitality. Conversely, too much heat is also detrimental, as it would extinguish any remaining vitality.”

Du Heng nodded. ”That’s precisely the case.”

Cao Binghe touched his nose. ”Then how do you control this amount? And how do you determine if it’s too much or too little?” After speaking, he looked at Du Heng with some trepidation. This is the absolute key to this treatment, Cao Binghe thought. If it fails, well, nothing is lost. But if it succeeds? If I could learn how to control this variable, it would be like having an ace in the hole for treating facial paralysis. Mastering this method... I could truly make a mark anywhere I go! But would Du Heng really divulge such a core technique?

Du Heng smiled, looked at Cao Binghe, and then simply said two words, ”By feeling.”

”Feeling?”

”Yes, feeling.” Du Heng smiled again. ”An iron, heated on an electric furnace, with the Patient’s skin right there before me. I can only observe, sense what’s happening, and then rely on that feeling—my intuition—to judge when to do what.”

Cao Binghe was dumbfounded. Just as he was about to ask what this ’feeling’ entailed, Director Wu, who had been silent for a moment, stopped him. Cao Binghe didn’t understand this ’feeling,’ but Director Wu did.

It’s the comprehensive application of experience, learning, courage, and insight, Director Wu mused. It’s not something that can be clearly articulated, nor can it be grasped merely by listening. This is why, after many great TCM Masters pass away, their direct disciples often achieve little of note. A Master can pass on knowledge and show you countless disease records. But whether you can synthesize all of that, internalize it, and truly make it your own—that’s beyond what any Master can teach.

Director Wu then asked Du Heng with a smile, ”So, do you believe this treatment has been effective? And how much more time do you anticipate it will require?”

Du Heng shook his head, a hint of helplessness in his voice. ”To be honest, I’m not entirely certain if it has been effective yet.”