"… I've already bandaged the wound on your hand for you. Don't move around carelessly. There are some foods you should avoid, such as … keep your wound clean. Change the medicine for wounds every three days. If you want to bathe, don't let dirty water touch you. It'll be troublesome and you might die … I said, don't touch the wound …"
The afternoon sun was still dazzling. In the unfinished Grand Martial Arts Arena attached to the north of Chengdu, hundreds of people were gathered to watch the first round of selection for the "World Number One Martial Arts Competition".
Since ancient times, the economic base had determined the superstructure, as well as the appearance of society. Although the Chinese civilization had a long history and there were many great events that people took delight in talking about, from thousands of years ago to the Wu dynasty, the essence of the elite system had never changed. When people talked about a society and what kind of achievements it had, they mainly talked about the less than five percent of the upper class. The lower class had never existed.
In the past, the Wu dynasty had emphasized literature and looked down on martial arts. Although people of all religions and underworld pawns had always existed, many of the reasons that made their existence concrete could be attributed to Takeshi storytellers over the years. Although they could not cover the whole world, the stories they told were classics, and other storytellers imitated them one after another.
After more than ten years, the concept of Jianghu and underworld pawns had become relatively concrete in the hearts of some people. Even many people who originally practiced martial arts felt that they were just practicing self-defense. It was not until they heard the storytellers that they roughly understood that there was a "underworld" and a "Jianghu" in the world.
This form of address made them feel that they had a certain identity.
In the past twenty years, the so-called Zhou Dong of the Imperial Boxing School was nothing more than a good boxing master in the eyes of ordinary people. Many martial arts practitioners in the countryside would not have heard of his name. Only when they had practiced martial arts to a certain level would they gradually hear of things like the Saint Duke and the Nine Appearances of the Cloud Dragon. Only then would they gradually enter the circle of the underworld. And this underworld, in fact, was a rather small circle of people who did not have a clear concept.
It was Takeshi who made Zhou Dong known to everyone, and it was also Ning Yi who used Takeshi to unite the various bandits who came to commit suicide into the "Greenwood." In the past, the Greenwood Tournament would at most be witnessed by a dozen or dozens of people. People would compete, kill, and communicate in a small area. Most of the time, they would gather to kill, rob, and "do business". These martial arts competitions would not fall into the mouth of storytellers and be spread in all sorts of ways.
For martial arts practitioners, the biggest event recognized by the government in the past was the Military Examination. It was held once every few years, and the people actually did not care about it. Moreover, in the historical records handed down to later generations, most of the names of the Military Examination's top scholars were not recorded. Compared with people's pursuit of the scholars, the martial arts scholars were basically not famous and had little status.
The "World Number One Martial Arts Competition" in Chengdu was now considered to be an unprecedented "Greenwood" grand event. Based on Takeshi's storytelling, many people also began to make various associations. In the past, the Huaxia army had held such a grand event internally, but those were all military martial arts competitions. This time, it was finally opened to the whole world. During this period of time, some of the publicity staff of the Bamboo Shop also sorted out the stories and nicknames of some of the famous people in the world of martial arts, stirring up the atmosphere in the city of Chengdu. When the nosy people had free time, they couldn't help but come over to take a look.
It was at the end of April that the Huaxia army defeated the Western Army. Considering the long distance between the world and the rest of the world, it would take time for the news to spread and people to rush over. In the early stage, it was all talk and no action. The preliminary round of selection began in June. In other words, the martial artists who arrived first and signed up first would go through the first round of competition to accumulate their achievements and let the judges test their quality. Takeshi's storytellers made up more stories. When most people arrived in July, they would close the registration period and enter the next round.
At that time, people from all over the world would gather in Chengdu. The cultural elites could quarrel in the newspapers, and the tacky ones could watch martial arts competitions. They could roar and party at sports games. They could also parade and visit the Jurchen prisoners of war to show off the strength of the Huaxia army. At this time, the first round of business cooperation between all parties was basically finalized. They could make money together, and everyone was happy. In this atmosphere, the National People's Congress was established, and the Huaxia People's Government was officially established. It was legal and effective, and the whole world would celebrate — this was the basic logic of the whole situation.
Of course, because there were not many people who came, the audience for this knockout competition was not very large after the popularity of the previous few days. Now, the portraits of all kinds of martial artists with their names, nicknames, and achievements were posted in the outer tents of the stadium. Every day, a large number of people would pay attention to them. People who gathered in the nearby restaurants and teahouses would often vividly talk about the rumors of certain martial artists.
"Do you know how this XXX nickname came to be …?"
"XXX and XXX had a martial arts competition at XXX three years ago. At that time, only XXX was present as a witness …"
Or perhaps,
"Do you know Lu Tuo?"
"This ranking list is deliberately made by the Huaxia army. There are about five people who can compete for the title of number one in the world. Among them, the most powerful one might be the one. Do you know how Mr. Ning got his reputation as the Bloody Butcher …"
"But that Lin Zongwu is known by the Huaxia army as the 'Northern Woodland Kick'. Why? He is tall and thin, and his leg skills are excellent … "
All kinds of news and discussions converged into a lively atmosphere, enriching people's spare time cultural life. Inside the arena, the young doctor, who was only fourteen years old, routinely stopped the bleeding, treated the injuries, and reminded them to pay attention to hygiene.
Frankly speaking, there was really nothing much to see in a martial arts competition. A few days ago, he had been watching the fights with great interest and attention. But recently, he had completely turned into a big pancake face with lazy eyes and routine eyes.
The true masters of the martial arts world had their own strengths, while the martial arts world's weaklings were mostly noobs. For Ning Ji, who had seen many fights at the level of Red Grape, Watermelon, and Du Sha, and who had honed his skills on the battlefield for a year or two, it was really a little uncomfortable for him to watch so many fights in the arena.
Since he could not fight properly, he could only review the standard medical knowledge to balance the discomfort. Seeing that the strong man, who was sweating profusely, was about to stretch out his hand to tie the bandage, he reached out and patted it.
"… I told you not to touch the wound. You sweat a lot, too. Try not to exercise for the next few days …"
"Hey!" The strong man was not very happy. "You talk too much, kid. We are martial arts practitioners. Of course, we sweat, and of course we get injured! A few knife wounds are nothing. Look at this scar, and this one … Just casually bandage it, and it will heal on its own. Look at you, young doctor, your skin is soft and tender, and you have never suffered! Let me tell you, a real man should exercise more and eat more. It doesn't matter if you get hurt a little. Don't talk so much … We martial arts practitioners, don't worry, we can endure! "
Ning Ji glanced at his scar with no expression. "Your scar became like this because you didn't treat it well … You were lucky before, and nothing happened. There are all kinds of small bacteria around us that you can't see at any time and anywhere. The dirtier the place, the more these bacteria there are. If they enter your wound, you may get sick and your wound will become bad. Your bandages have been boiled … Don't open these bandages, I'll give you. Open them when you change your dressing! "
"What, what is it?"
"Bacteria." Ning Ji was bored anyway. Seeing that the arena was being cleaned up, he accompanied the strong man and said a few more words, "It's a living small animal, but it's very, very small. We can't even see it. When it enters your wound, it begins to eat your flesh and blood, which is the invasion of external evil. You used your hand to block the knife just now, and the knife opposite you is not very clean. If something happens in the future, you may get a fever, or you may die in the middle of it. "
"It's very, very small. Then how did you see it? You said you can't see it … Forget it, I won't argue with you, you little boy. You've bandaged it pretty well … Speaking of using my hand to block the knife, do you understand the beauty of my move just now, little boy? " The burly man changed the topic, his eyes starting to shine. "Forget it, you definitely won't be able to tell. Let me tell you, I could have dodged his saber attack, but I traded blows with him, and he immediately became afraid. My saber attack in exchange for his saber attack, so I won. This is called meeting on a narrow path, and the courageous wins. Also, little kid, let me tell you, in a martial arts competition, when he slashed at me, I slashed back at him. There was no time to think. In that instant, I decided to exchange injuries with him. This kind of response requires a lot of courage. I said today, I will definitely win … "
"… Indeed requires a lot of courage … Congratulations."
Ning Ji repeated it expressionlessly. He carried the medical kit to the other side of the arena and found a place to sit down. The strong man who had finished bandaging also patted the bandages on his arm and stood up. He first looked around as if he was looking for someone, and then strolled around the arena out of boredom. In the end, he still walked over to Ning Ji's side.
"Hey, I say, you little boy, you're already a doctor at such a young age?"
Ning Ji looked ahead. "The older ones go to the battlefield to kill enemies, and the younger ones become doctors. Isn't that right?"
"That's true. You're also a member of the Black Flag Army. The Black Flag Army is a true hero. I was rash with my words." The strong man's appearance was rough, and his words occasionally sounded genteel. At this time, he even cupped his hands in salute towards Ning Ji, and then sat down at the side. "The soldiers of the Black Flag Army are true heroes, but the people above you all have problems. Sooner or later, something will happen …"
Ning Ji's gaze moved to the corner of his eyes, glanced at him, and then returned to his original position. The strong man also seemed to feel that he shouldn't say these things. He sat there in boredom for a while, and then looked at Ning Ji's extremely ordinary doctor attire. "I see that you're coming out to work at such a young age, so you probably don't come from a good family. I also respect you Black Flag Army, and you're all true men. I'll say this here, my master is very knowledgeable, and there's nothing he doesn't say. He didn't say it blindly, he said it in private. He's afraid that your Black Flag Army's prosperity will be for naught …"
"Who's your master?"
"Don't be angry, boy. What I said, is from the bottom of my heart … My master is also doing this for your own good. He didn't say anything bad about you. I think he's right. If you can live like this for a long time, why don't the ministers of the Wu dynasty, and the many people who descended from the mortal world, be like you? They say that your methods can only last for thirty to fifty years, and then there will be great chaos. The Wu dynasty uses Confucianism, and talks about the middle, the middle, the middle … "
"… The middle?"
"Yes, you've been educated, boy. The middle can only last for two to three hundred years … You see, this also makes sense. The Jin Kingdom was strong for thirty to fifty years, and was defeated by the Black Flag Army. In thirty to fifty years, maybe you'll be defeated again … It's hard to say whether you'll last thirty to fifty years or not. The main thing is to say this. It's good that you remember whether it makes sense or not … I think it makes sense. Sigh, kid, in this Black Flag Army of yours, have you seen those who can truly fight? Which heroes? Tell me, I heard that they'll only appear next month … I'm not asking for information for myself, but my master's martial arts are much better than mine. This time, he's prepared to get a ranking. He said that if he can't get first place, he'll at least get first place … I don't know how he'll fight with the heroes of your Black Flag Army. Actually, the methods on the battlefield aren't necessarily powerful in one-on-one battles … Hey, have you been on the battlefield? You little boy shouldn't have, but … "
The two of them sat there looking at the arena. Ning Ji's shoulders had already collapsed as he spoke. He was bored, so he said a few more words. He didn't expect that this person was even more bored than him. Recently, the Hua Xia Army had opened its doors to welcome outsiders. The newspapers also allowed arguments. Therefore, there had been repeated orders internally that the military personnel were not allowed to beat people just because of a few words from the other party.
At the moment, he could only carry his medical kit and move to another place. That burly man also knew that the child was angry, so he sat there and didn't chase after him. Not long after, it seemed that someone appeared from outside the arena and waved at that burly man. Only then did that burly man walk out of the arena because he had waited for his companion. Ning Ji glanced at the person who came to find him. His steps were steady, and he probably had some internal martial arts. However, he had lost half of his hair. This was the accumulation of hidden injuries in his meridians, and couldn't be considered superior. He didn't know if it was the other party's boss who was preparing to take a ranking.
The stupid arena on the arena decided the winners and losers one by one. Shouts came from the spectator seats. Occasionally, some injuries would appear and Ning Ji would run over to deal with them. The rest of the time, he would just sit there and fantasize about how many moves he could use to defeat someone. Near dusk, the arena ended. His brother sat in a shabby looking horse carriage, waiting for him outside. He probably had something to do.
"I found a roast duck restaurant. The dough is great, the sauce is good. I will bring you there today and eat something good."
Ning Xi had recently found Ning Ji. Eight out of ten times, it was to find good food. People who didn't know would think that he was searching for good food in Chengdu all day. In reality, Ning Ji knew how busy this brother was. Although he was just 18, he had many things on his shoulders. He just liked to ask people about good food, and when he heard it, he would go with them during family gatherings. If it was really good, he would praise it profusely. If it wasn't, he would silently fill his stomach.
The two of them chatted in the carriage. Ning Xi asked Ning Ji about what he saw in the arena. Were there any famous experts who appeared, what level they were. She also asked him if he was tired from the arena. Ning Ji was more lively in front of his brother. With a long face, he said all the things he wanted to say in the past few days.
When they arrived at the roast duck restaurant, the two of them called for a single room upstairs. The room faced the street and could see the roads, pedestrians, sunlight, trees and the river and lake in the distance. Before the duck came up, Ning Xi took out a stack of scrolls from her bag along with ink and brush.
"There are 10 of them, sign at the back."
"What?"
"You don't have to worry about it, just sign."
"Let me see …"
Ning Xi pouted. Ning Ji took a few glances. The scrolls were similar, they were all about Zheng Qiming and the others describing Ning Ji's performance. At the back, everyone had already signed, "This is …"
"Of course it is useful, it is related to what I am doing now. You don't have to worry about it, just sign and it means it is correct … I didn't want to find you but there is a step. Sign first, the duck has to come up. "
"What is it?" Ning Ji frowned.
"Then can I tell you? Military secrets. "
"Is it about my third-class merit?"
Ning Ji looked at Ning Xi. Ning Xi held her forehead, "…"
"… Brother, I heard that Father isn't willing to give me that third-class merit. He wants to protect me. If he doesn't give it to me then forget it, I don't want it anyway."
"… Sign first, they aren't lying right? If they aren't, then the merit should be given. You risked your life for it. " Ning Xi said. Seeing that Ning Ji was still hesitating, she said, "Moreover, Father told me to help you appeal, it means that he is willing to give it to you. I know you don't care about it but this concerns my face, both of our faces, I have to succeed … I have been running around these few days, it isn't something that can be settled with just these confessions. But you don't have to worry about it, I will do the rest."
Ning Ji sighed and made his signature one by one. "I really don't want this third-class merit. Moreover, if we appeal like this, it will still be sent to father. He will call back, and you will have done all this for nothing. I think it's better not to waste time …"
"You don't understand, after going through the procedures, Father will acknowledge it, he values this step a lot." Ning Xi said, "Although you have been a doctor recently, you know what Chengdu wants to do right?"
"Set up a meeting and announce it to the world?"
Ning Ji replied. Just as Ning Xi was about to speak, the waiter sent the roasted duck in, so she stopped. Ning Ji finished signing and passed it back to his brother.
Ning Xi kept the file and after the door closed, she said, "Setting up a meeting is one of the goals, other than that, we need to reorganize Takeshi, Su Family, and put everything together under the banner of the Huaxia People's Government. Actually, all the big shots know about this, how to change, how to reorganize, how to move people, all the plans are already being made. However, when the congress is held, it will propose a reorganization through the congress, and then the government will be formed through the congress. It will be as if the idea was thought of by the congress, and all the people will act under the direction of the congress. "
The roasted duck was already sliced before it was sent over. Ning Xi wrapped one for her brother, "The meeting will give suggestions, the experts will solve it, the People's Government will be in charge of executing it. This is something that Father has always emphasized. He hopes that most things in the future will be done like this so that it will become a norm. So the complaint is the same. It is very troublesome but as long as the steps are done, Father will be willing to let it pass … En, delicious … Anyway, you don't have to worry about it … This sauce tastes really good … "
Ning Xi started to talk about delicacies and ate happily. The evening wind blew in from the window, bringing with it the aroma of the food on the streets.
Ning Xi asked, "Little Ji, are you really not participating in this competition?"
Ning Ji said, "I am not that strong. If I participate in the juvenile arena, I won't be able to fight. "
Ning Xi didn't ask anymore. In reality, the family had always been suspicious of Ning Ji's decision not to participate. Many people were worried that Ning Ji's emotions hadn't calmed down after visiting the widows of his comrades with his mother and thus he wasn't interested in the competition. But in reality, Ning Ji had a broader plan in this area.
He had already made up his mind that when the time was right, he would grow up and become stronger. Then, he would be able to leave Chengdu and wander around the world to meet all the martial arts masters in the world. Therefore, before that, he was not willing to expose his identity in a scene like the Chengdu Martial Arts Tournament.
And if he went to other places in the future, Ning Ji's identity would ultimately bring him more danger than ordinary people. Although he was still young, he had seen many deaths on the battlefield. He wouldn't be blindly arrogant. Compared to a warrior or a well-dressed young master, a doctor who traveled around the world could go further and be safer. After all, no one would casually kill a doctor. This was also the reason why he had been practicing his medical skills and treating people recently.
Of course, he wouldn't mention these thoughts to his brother for the time being. He wouldn't reveal it to anyone in the family. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to leave in the future.
Thinking of this, he changed the topic. "Brother, have there been any strange people approaching you recently?"
"What?" Ning Xi thought for a moment. "What kind of people are considered strange?"
"En, for example … beautiful girls. You are the eldest in our family. Sometimes you have to show your face in public. Maybe there will be all kinds of girls seducing you. I heard from Grandpa Chen that it's a honey trap … Don't let Sister Chuyi down. "
He was only a fourteen-year-old young man. When he talked about honey traps, he was a bit pretentious. When Ning Xi heard the last part, she slapped him on the forehead. Ning Ji's head swayed and the slap passed over his head. "Oh, my hair is messed up."
He fixed his hair. Ning Xi didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "What honey trap …" Then she became alert. "Tell me honestly, what have you seen or heard recently?"
"Nothing, I'm just guessing. And last time when Dad and Aunt Gua went to my place, they mentioned it when we were eating. They said that we should arrange a marriage for you and Sister Chuyi so that you can have children. So that bad women don't get close to you. Dad and Aunt Gua also said that they are afraid that you and Sister Chuyi will get pregnant before you get married … "
Ning Ji had been speaking casually and naturally. Only at this moment did he realize something. He was stunned. Ning Xi's face flushed red and she slapped him again. This time, it landed squarely on Ning Ji's forehead. Ning Ji held his head, his eyes turning slowly towards Ning Xi. "Brother, you and Sister Chuyi wouldn't really …"
Ning Xi kicked him. Ning Ji's legs bounced and he slid two meters away with the chair to the corner. He said with a red face, "Brother, I won't tell anyone …"
"You, you, you, what do you know? You are just spouting nonsense. Your Sister Chuyi and I … Come over, forget it, I won't hit you … We are innocent …"
"I studied medicine, I know what I should know." Ning Ji straightened his neck and raised his red face. He pretended to be familiar with adult topics. He wanted to ask more but didn't dare. He moved a chair over, "Forget it, I won't talk about it. Don't hit me when I eat. "
"Let's eat duck." Ning Xi changed the topic.
The two brothers then talked about some trivial things and finished the whole roast duck and various side dishes. They had been practicing Internal Strength since they were young, so they consumed a lot of energy and ate a lot. Ning Ji occasionally glanced at his elder brother and became curious about a certain taboo thing. He decided to secretly feel Sister Chuyi's pulse the next time he met her. Unfortunately, he was only a bag carrying assistant when he followed them to the countryside. Later, he was treated in the army for a long time. He had never really felt the pulse of pregnancy. He didn't know if he could feel it. If he did, he had to warn them to get married quickly …
But how should he say it? If he said it in front of Sister Chuyi, he would be beaten again. Especially if she was pregnant, he wouldn't be able to fight back …
The two brothers each had their own ulterior motives. After the meal, they went their separate ways. Ning Ji carried the medicine box and returned to the courtyard where he lived alone.
At this time, the sun had set below the western city wall. All kinds of lights were lit in Chengdu. Ning Ji changed his clothes in the room and came out with a small waterproof bag. Then he climbed over the side wall of the courtyard and stretched his body in the dark while walking to the nearby river.
There were many rivers in Chengdu. He didn't know the name of the river not far from the courtyard where he lived. It was summer now. He often came here to swim, but today he had other purposes. He went to the river where there was no one, changed into a waterproof diving suit and wrapped his hair. His whole body turned black and walked directly into the river.
In the distance, there were brightly lit boats cruising on the water. Ning Ji paddled smoothly through the water, and after a while, he became a corpse lying on the ground. Soon after, he came ashore on a relatively remote riverbed.
He took off the diving suit, let go of his hair, and shook off the water on his body. Wearing thin black clothes and a mask, he leaned against a courtyard not far away.
Ning Ji skillfully climbed over the wall and walked in the shadow of the backyard. After a while, he climbed along the wall, climbed up to the roof, and patrolled around. This was a rich man's mansion with three entrances. It seemed that there were not many people living here. The last courtyard was an embroidery building. There were maids and servants carrying hot water to the rooms on the second floor. Ning Ji looked at them for a while on the roof.
"Bathing so early …"
He murmured in his heart. Then he remembered that he had talked to his brother about having children today. He climbed down from the roof and found a foothold on the outer wall of the second floor. Then he stuck his head out to look through the window.
This was a good observation position. He could not only see through the window, but also many things in the front of the courtyard.
The hot water for bathing in the room had been prepared. Ning Ji was very strange that women needed hot water to bathe in summer. But when he thought that the women in the embroidery building always looked depressed, he knew that they must be in poor health, which could be explained from a medical point of view.
After a while, a girl with snow-white skin and beautiful eyebrows came into the room. She was about two years older than Ning Ji. Although she looked beautiful, there was always a melancholy temperament in her eyes. It was no wonder that bad people would die when they came to Chengdu. She probably knew that she would inevitably die here, so she was afraid all day long.
Since he had long regarded this woman as a dead person, Ning Ji was curious and peeped at her from the window for a while …
Then, in the courtyard in front of him, several people walked over together as they chatted and laughed.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
