Soon, the restaurant was thickly surrounded by people, and even the escape passage was filled with people in a line, wanting to ask Ding Ning to treat their illnesses. Besides, more people were on their way here after hearing the news.
A happy dinner was in a mess. Ding Ning would have wanted to refuse them, but when he felt that the Mermaid Tattoo kept squirming, he changed his mind immediately. “This is a good chance to absorb the reputation value!”
So, after eating a few mouthfuls of rice, Ding Ning negotiated with the boss of the hotel who came when he heard the news, rented the restaurant on the third floor, and treated the patients there.
The boss Xu Qingsong was a wise man. He knew that he could not afford to offend these Childes, but he found that the Little Miracle-working Doctor’s on-site free treatment event at Qingsong Hotel was a good gimmick to promote his hotel.
After Ding Ning cured the rhinitis that had plagued him for many years, Xu Qingsong was so happy that he announced that they did not need to pay for the dinner, let him use the entire third floor, and also asked the hotel’s waiters to help maintain order.
Beside him, the Childes sat there chatting, eating, and watching him treat the patents. Initially, they were a little confused about Ding Ning’s action, but when they found that all the patients cured by Ding Ning had put on a relaxed smile of having gotten rid of their illnesses and left with many thanks, some sensitive nerve in their hearts was touched.
Remembering that in the first half of their lives, by relying on their family power, they went here and there to bully others and lived a befuddled life in drinks and dreams, but still felt that they were great. Yet, now when they saw the grateful and sincere smiles on the patients’ faces and recalled the flattering and hypocritical smiles on the faces of those whom they bullied, they suddenly felt that life was empty and meaningless.
Smiling at them only meant that they were in awe of the power behind them, but that was not the same as the sincere gratitude Ding Ning received.
Silence suddenly fell on the liquor tables. A Childe said dejectedly, “I admire Brother Ning very much.”
These words just revealed everyone’s feelings, and Wen Rourou, the little Demon Girl, became rarely emotional. “I feel that I’ve spent the past 20 years in vain because I’ve never done anything meaningful.”
“We’re not as good as Ding Ning.”
Wei Biaobiao, who was also deeply touched, took up his cup and drained it.
Ye Huan and Ye Le were the happiest to hear that their brother was approved by so many people, so they said proudly, “My brother is the best.”
“It makes so much sense, and I also agree that the brother is the best.”
Pan Xiangyun became cheeky and directly called him brother so that Ye Huan and Ye Le had a strong sense of crisis. They looked at each other and saw the vigilance in each other’s eyes. “This girl isn’t hoping to take our brother from us, is she?”
“Well, seeing the smiles on their faces, I think it might make more sense to be a doctor who saves the wounded than to be a star.”
Filled with various feelings, Lan Mengdie looked at the light smile Ding Ning had been wearing and his gentle attitude toward every patient. “This man has never been so tall and great in my heart than he is at this moment.”
“Being moved is not as good as taking action. I’m full, and I’m going to help my brother.”
Pan Xiangyun had made up her mind to take Ding Ning as her brother, so she put down her bowls and chopsticks and went to help maintain order.
“My handwriting is not bad, and I can help Brother Ning prescribe medicine.”
Just when Ye Huan and Ye Le planned to go to help him, Wen Rourou, the Little Demon Girl with mild hyperactivity, unexpectedly stood up to help out.
“I’m full, you guys keep eating, and I’m going to see what I can do for him.”
Yang Ge put down his chopsticks and stood up just after Wen Rourou.
“Fuck, you all go to help him, so how can I have the mood to eat? I’m going to help him, too.”
A Childe complained but put on an expression of itching for a try, and stood up.
“Together, together, we can drink whenever we like, but I don’t think there’s always a chance to experience such a meaningful thing.”
“Right, together. We’re here to support Brother Ning today. He’s busy, but we’re eating and drinking here. It’s so awkward.”
“That’s right. Now I finally know the meaning of eating the dish without feeling its taste. I can’t eat anymore, and let’s go and help him!”
…
These Childes seemed to have been reborn. Suddenly, they wanted to do something meaningful, so they put down their bowls and chopsticks and went to help him together.
Teacher Liu and Lan Mengdie could not sit still and followed them to help him.
As a result, a strange scene appeared in the restaurant on the third floor of Qingsong Hotel: More than 100 Childes dressed in famous brands and looking extraordinary went running errands, with some maintaining order and some asking about the conditions of the patients. Therefore, the hotel waiters were all freed.
Only Wei Biaobiao, Luo Zhicheng, and their companions were left. Luo Zhicheng shook his head with a wry smile and raised his cup to ask Wei Biaobiao to go to him.
Wei Biaobiao walked over with a liquor bottle, poured a cup to Luo Zhicheng and then to himself, drained it, and shook his head with a bitter smile. “Master, I am not as good as him!”
“It’s not your fault. Ding Ning… is not an ordinary person. He has a kind of innate charm, which can attract all people to gather around him. It seems that he is a natural leader.”
Luo Zhicheng pulled a long face in front of Ding Ning many times in normal days, but it was hard to imagine that he gave him such a high evaluation behind his back.
Wei Biaobiao stared at Ding Ning’s back in a daze, while Luo Zhicheng was silent, drinking alone, but he narrowed his eyes into a slit. He knew that this student of his was arrogant, but he had an excellent power of understanding. The only problem was that he had not seen it through at the moment.
In the eyes of Xiao Nuo, the Demon Girl Gang was only a circle of playmates sharing the same interest, but the power all its members possessed was extremely huge.
For the top figures in Yan Jing’s various circles, everyone wanted to put it under his command, and there was no exception for Wei Biaobiao, so he wanted to take the opportunity of Ding Ning’s coming to Beijing to integrate into it and put it under his command.
Unfortunately, Ding Ning’s unintentional action had subdued these people, had drawn them over to his side, and was even subtly changing their personalities and hobbies.
Even though his sister Xiaoyao was the close friend of the gang head, he still lost to Ding Ning, who just came here from another city. He believed that from now on, anyone who wanted to deal with Ding Ning would have to take into account the feelings of the Demon Girl Gang.
Although being Xiao Nuo’s boyfriend was Ding Ning’s great advantage, Wei Biaobiao had to admit that Ding Ning’s personal charm was indeed convincing.
Fortunately, he had a free and easy personality, so he did not have too much sense of loss because of it. He picked up his cup and gave Luo Zhicheng a toast. “Master, let me give you a toast!”
Luo Zhicheng picked up his cup, drained his cup, and referring to the thing, asked, “Have you thought it through?”
“Yes, I have. I used to have too complicated minds and couldn’t concentrate on practicing martial arts, so I got stuck in the Hidden Energy realm and could never make a breakthrough. Misfortune might be a blessing in disguise and vice versa. I’ve let go of it now, but I have a sense of suddenly seeing the light. I believe that I will have a breakthrough within a month,” Wei Biao said with a smile, feeling relaxed from head to toe.
When his unwillingness was gone, he became enlightened.
Luo Zhicheng smiled happily and said to him in the manner of a patient teacher, “The cultivation of national martial arts is different from that of ancient martial arts. Ancient martial arts have a set of ready-made cultivation methods that are highly dependent on foreign objects. As long as one practices them according to the rules, he would naturally get success when conditions are ripe, while the cultivation of our national martial arts more focuses on the state of mind, and making breakthroughs only relies on the person’s understanding. If you get it, you get it; if you don’t, you don’t. Only when you have no distractions and can concentrate on the thing can you reach the peak of martial arts.
“Yes, master, I’ll remember it!”
Wei Biaobiao nodded respectfully and then said firmly, “Master, when I have reached the Turning Energy realm, I will want to go to the Seventeenth Department and see the wider world.”
“Seventeenth Department!”
Luo Zhicheng pondered for a while. “It’s good to go in and open your eyes. When I go back, I will tell this to your uncle, and then you can go there at any time.”
“Thank you, master!”
Wei Biaobiao immediately beamed with joy, took up his cup, and gave Luo Zhicheng one more toast.
“But you should remember that there are many other schools of national martial arts in the 17th Department besides us National Warrior’s Mansion. In it, there are many factions with complicated relations, so it is not so simple. If you can make the breakthrough before the end of this month, it’s best. Then, you will be able to attend the triennial Warriors’ Assembly next month. By the time, you can follow your uncle to open your eyes. For martial artists, it’s hard to get great achievements by only shutting their doors to practice and do research,” Luo Zhicheng took a sip of the liquor and said with expectations in his eyes.
“Warriors’ Assembly? Can I sign up?”
Wei Biaobiao’s eyes brightened immediately, and he promised seriously, “No need to wait until the end of the month, for I can make the breakthrough in 10 days at most.”
“The law of martial arts is that one who wants to be hasty will have less speed, so you can’t act with undue haste. You’re only 25 years old this year, and it won’t be too late even to make the breakthrough in a few more years. You can’t rush to make the breakthrough because you want to participate in the Warriors’ Assembly. Remember, an unstable foundation is the taboo of a warrior,” Luo Zhicheng warned seriously.
“Yes, master, I’ve remembered it!” Wei Biaobiao was shocked and said respectfully.
“Let’s wait and see. If you can reach the Turning Energy level when conditions are ripe and stabilize your realm, it won’t be too late to ask your uncle to temporarily add your name by the time.”
Luo Zhicheng nodded with satisfaction. “The Warriors’ Assembly, which is held in Gusu every three years, is a grand event for the martial artists in Jiangnandao to communicate and compete with each other, and it is also related to the division of territory and interests among the forces of the major warriors. Since the old Country-defending Martial-arts God is in our National Warrior’s Mansion, even if we win, it won’t bring us honor. Therefore, the regulations say that competition should mainly happen between young people under the age of 30.”
“Does our National Warrior’s Mansion also need to get in the division of territory and interests?” Wei Biaobiao asked with confusion.
“We don’t, but the other warriors’ forces need!” Luo Zhicheng said solemnly, “As the leader of the national martial arts world, we are the organizer and order maintainer of the Warriors’ Assembly and need to have the absolute right of speech in the national martial arts field, so we can’t afford to lose in the Warriors’ Assembly. Once we lose, the prestige of our National Warrior’s Mansion will fall sharply, and the other warriors’ forces will have disloyalty. Since ancient times, chivalrous people have been violating laws with violence. If people have different thoughts, chaos will easily happen.”
Wei Biaobiao saw light suddenly. “In fact, the Warriors’ Assembly is a meeting for the National Warrior’s Mansion to show its ‘muscles’ to the warriors’ forces. Although it does not participate in the interest competition between them, it has a dominant position, like the head of the martial-arts circles.”
There were many benefits to do so. Firstly, it could frighten all the warriors’ forces, so that they would obey the management of the Seventeenth Department and did not dare to easily make trouble and bring problems to the country. Although the Seventeenth Department also asked the other warriors’ forces to join it, it was fundamentally based on the National Warrior’s Mansion.
Secondly, this could urge the young generation of the National Warrior’s Mansion to study hard and strive for the best, and they would not dare to slack off. After all, the mansion head of the National Warrior’s Mansion was the Country-defending Martial-arts God, who was a god-like figure in the national martial arts world. If the disciples of the National Warrior’s Mansion were defeated by the other warriors’ forces and National Warrior’s Mansion lost face, it would even insult their faith.
Thirdly, it could promote exchanges between the warriors, broaden their horizons, and help them get more knowledge.
Fourthly, it could find some excellent young practitioners and try to ask them to join the Seventeenth Department to get new members for the Seventeenth Department.
Fifthly, there would also be auctions or exchange meetings organized by the warriors’ forces during the Warriors’ Assembly, and those who were lucky could possibly get a few rare treasures or precious items like magical objects, charms, weapons, armor, etc.
Sixthly, the warriors could get rid of their grudges through fighting, and this was the most wonderful benefit. There must be grudges between the warriors. After the young people’s exchanges and competition, those who had grudges could fight to end their grudges without being bound by the law in the arena.
