Deng Qing carefully picked up a gold needle and lightly pricked the back of his hand. To his shock, the needle was so soft it couldn’t even pierce the skin.
"It’s soft," Deng Qing said, stunned.
"Gold is naturally soft," Qu Zhong said from the side. "Don’t you know that?"
"I know gold is soft, but I thought these needles were mixed with other metals. And when Gu Jingtian used them just now, they didn’t look soft at all," Deng Qing explained quickly. He had watched Gu Jingtian’s confident movements earlier; no one would have guessed the needles were soft.
Qu Zhong shook his head slightly. "If gold needles were mixed with other metals, they wouldn’t be gold needles anymore, and they wouldn’t work properly."
"Do gold needles have special effects?" Deng Qing asked, looking at Qu Zhong in confusion. The others also looked curious. Today’s display of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) by Gu Jingtian had shown them that their previous understanding of TCM was completely wrong.
As doctors, they didn’t care about which medical system was studied; they cared about which one worked better for patients. Clearly, TCM was very effective. Their previous view of TCM had been too narrow.
Zhu Ziming laughed. "People in our country like gold and silver. First, because they are valuable. Second, because in our culture, gold and silver can suppress evil energy. Gold suppresses evil, and silver tests for poison. This is precious knowledge passed down from our ancestors. In TCM, the human body is like a large container. The organs, blood, bones, and meridians are just parts inside this container. If one part has a problem, it can pollute the whole container. So, we need external tools to suppress the issue. For example, common colds are seen as evil wind invading the body. A slight acupuncture with gold needles can remove this evil energy and help the body recover."
"That’s too mysterious," George sighed. "I don’t understand it."
"That’s why TCM relies on experience," Qu Zhong explained. "Western medicine’s advantage is that it can quickly train many doctors. They use instruments and data to diagnose illnesses and prescribe Western medicine. TCM cannot do this. TCM doctors must use observation, listening, questioning, and pulse-taking to understand the body’s condition and find the best treatment. This is not something a young person can learn easily. It requires talent and experience. This is the difference between TCM and Western medicine."
"Which one is better, TCM or Western medicine?" Eugene, the representative from the US, asked impulsively.
Dong Bo Cao laughed. He was already handsome, and his smile made him look even more charming. "TCM has its advantages, and Western medicine has its advantages. My senior brothers have already shown you their strengths. TCM’s advantage is that it can cure the root cause of the disease with no side effects. However, it also has disadvantages. First, some treatments take a long time, and the effects of the medicine appear slowly. Second, it is hard to train a TCM doctor. They need talent and must gain experience through practice before they can treat patients. Otherwise, they are not allowed to practice. This is why most TCM doctors in our country are older. The fact that the six of us are young shows that we have good talent and high comprehension." As he spoke, Dong Bo Cao subtly praised the six of them.