Why is the "Ghost Gate Thirteen Needles" considered legendary? Because it has some origins with the Heavenly Master Girl, and according to ancient records, the "Ghost Gate Thirteen Needles" was created by the first generation of Heavenly Masters from the Zhang Family, Heavenly Master Zhang Daoling.
What does Heavenly Master Zhang do? The duty of a Heavenly Master is to exorcise demons, subdue monsters, and catch ghosts. That is the duty of a Heavenly Master, but Heavenly Master Zhang Daoling went on to create the "Ghost Gate Thirteen Needles".
For this reason, the "Ghost Gate Thirteen Needles" differs from ordinary acupuncture skills. Its mysterious nature is evident from its very name.
The Taoists believe that the Tao is divided into Yin and Yang. Everything is divided into Yin and Yang, so are people. When a person dies, the Yang part ceases, while the soul is Yin. The Yin soul does not cease; it exists in the Yin world and is known in the human world as a ghost.
If a person in the human world has weak Yang energy or enters a place with heavy Yin energy and gets possessed by a ghost, they may develop strange illnesses, speak nonsense, or behave erratically. In old people’s words, this person is "possessed".
No matter what medicine the "possessed" person takes, it has no effect. The "Ghost Gate Thirteen Needles" is specifically for treating these "strange diseases" or, in other words, specially treats the soul. Therefore, the "Ghost Gate Thirteen Needles" can remove illness and expel evil, having miraculous effects on strange diseases.
Of course, what Lin Tian knows about these things comes from reading ancient texts, and as for their truth, he cannot determine.
However, modern medicine has conducted quite a bit of research on the "Ghost Gate Thirteen Needles". After verification, many experts believe that the "Ghost Gate Thirteen Needles" was touted for removing illness and expelling evil, which, in modern terms, means treating mental illnesses such as depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and schizophrenia.
The symptoms of being "possessed" are very similar to mental illness, but ancient times had no concept of mental illness, so they used "possession" to describe these ailments.
Of course, this is also speculation by the experts because the "Ghost Gate Thirteen Needles" has been lost. The truth of whether it really treated mental illness or genuinely expelled evil spirits might only be known to Heavenly Master Zhang Daoling.
If he ever encounters the Heavenly Master Girl again, Lin Tian would like to ask her if the Zhang Family has preserved the "Ghost Gate Thirteen Needles".
From hearing "Ghost Gate Thirteen Needles", to associating with so many things, the thought actually passed in an instant, not wasting much effort, and Lin Tian’s acupuncture hands had never stopped.
Acupuncture is a task that greatly demands physical strength and mental energy, and the Nine Needle Technique even more so, requiring precise control over the frequency of the vibrating needles and accurate transitions as acupuncture progresses, something an average person cannot achieve.
Only Lin Tian’s zombie body could easily handle it. Zi Yan could never master the Nine Needle Technique, not only because the technique itself is complex but also because her spiritual power and physical strength could not keep up.
Finishing the last Mingmen acupoint with acupuncture, Lin Tian slowly withdrew the golden thread and then flicked his wrist, and the golden thread wrapped back around his wrist with such flair that it made the girls’ eyes glow with admiration.
"Qi Jing, how do you feel now?" Lin Tian inquired, though he didn’t really need to ask as he could clearly see through that the blockage causing Qi Jing’s menstrual pain had completely cleared.
Qi Jing’s complexion now differed from before; her face had been somewhat pale earlier—not a fair kind of pale, but a lack of blood color, her lips not rosy enough, indicative of insufficient qi and blood.
After the acupuncture, fine beads of sweat appeared on her fair forehead, and her cheeks became a rosy white, resembling a woman with a low tolerance for alcohol drinking a glass of red wine, bringing a blush to her cheeks.
Qi Jing closed her eyes to feel for a moment, then opened them and said, "I feel like there’s warm water flowing in my abdomen, all my pores seem to have opened up, breathing in and out, like the flourishing of spring, exhaling the old and inhaling the new."
"Such a strong needle sensation, and the lingering effect is continuous, as expected of the Nine Needle Technique." Dean Miao exclaimed in admiration, "The sensation is like a Qigong practitioner opening their meridians, curing all diseases and prolonging life, it’s truly incredible."
"It’s just a pity, this is the second time I’ve watched the Nine Needle Technique, and I still can’t grasp even a tenth of it, it’s too difficult. Maybe I’m old, and my vision isn’t good." Dean Miao sighed, then turned to ask the other doctors: "You’re still young, full of spirit and good vision; tell me, how much did you understand?"
The doctors looked at each other awkwardly, with no one having the nerve to speak.
"What? Usually, you’re all quite confident. What’s wrong today, why don’t you dare to speak?" Dean Miao smiled, seemingly wanting to teach them a lesson, letting them know that there’s always someone better, something beyond, and urging them to be grounded in both life and work.
"Mr. Miao, this acupuncture is too difficult. Not to mention if our physical strength can last a whole treatment, even performing a set of continuous techniques probably won’t work, and precisely controlling the vibration frequency and rhythm of the golden needle is like climbing to the heavens, something that can’t be done without decades of clinical practice." A young doctor came forward, shaking his head in lament.
"Of course, it’s difficult. If it weren’t, I wouldn’t be asking you. I’m not trying to discourage you, but to remind you that in the field of acupuncture, you haven’t reached the ultimate, and there’s still a long way to go to the peak."
"Afterwards, think carefully about what you’ve learned today, how to continue improving your skills; that’s my purpose for letting you watch the Nine Needle Technique." Dean Miao seized the opportunity to teach the doctors a lesson, and then waved his hand to let them return to their posts to continue today’s medical consultation.
All the doctors dispersed, continuing the consultation. Dean Miao turned to ask Zi Yan: "Little Zi, how much have you grasped?"
Zi Yan thought for a moment, hesitantly saying, "Barely one-tenth, that’s counting everything along with what I’ve learned before."
"One-tenth? One-tenth is good enough. I’m not afraid to tell you, I’ve not even reached one-tenth." Dean Miao candidly said, unafraid to admit his shortcomings.
Being an authority in the medical field and able to say this, he was remarkably humble, as not every authoritative expert can be so open-minded. It showed that Dean Miao’s mindset was extraordinary.
"I’m curious, Brother Lin, you’re so young, how did you master the Nine Needle Technique? Of course, if it involves the secrets of a legacy, this question doesn’t need to be answered; I’m just curious." Dean Miao smiled.
Lin Tian shook his head and said, "There’s no secret of a legacy. I learned a massage technique when I was young, not knowing that it was the precursor to the Nine Needle Technique and also its foundation. So, to be precise, I’ve been studying the Nine Needle Technique for more than ten years, practicing the basics for over a decade."
"So that’s it. No wonder your technique is so skilled. What’s been concentrating on one thing for more than a decade isn’t something ordinary people can achieve." Dean Miao praised.
"Right, you said you practiced a set of massage techniques since childhood and didn’t know it was the precursor of the Nine Needle Technique. So, who taught you? Presumably, your master is not an ordinary person. Is it convenient for you to answer that question?" Dean Miao suddenly remembered something and asked seriously.