Chapter 1756: Chapter 1756: Another Honey Trap
(Fourth Update)
Luo Liansheng knew a lot about ancient rituals, and Dong Xiaowan also knew quite a bit, and of course, Yang Qingyin knew a lot as well.
Not only were they knowledgeable about ancient rituals, but the other people, including Ishihara Naka and Xu Zhiyuan who were about to become apprentices, as well as four other individuals, all understood the procedures of the apprenticeship ceremony.
Although Dong Xiaowan, Wang Hanying, Cheng Jiayan, and He Shengning knew how to become apprentices, they did not taste the bitterness of kneeling before Luo Ziling today. Ishihara Naka and Xu Zhiyuan, who did not want to kneel, felt a sense of humiliation as they knelt before Luo Ziling and called him master.
Meanwhile, Luo Ziling sat authoritatively in a chair in front of the table, accepting their ceremonial bows.
The apprenticeship ceremony was certainly solemn and serious, and kneeling was naturally a part of it.
A man’s dignity is as precious as gold, but gold was not as valuable as what could be gained from becoming an apprentice, so despite Ishihara Naka and Xu Zhiyuan’s reluctance to kneel before Luo Ziling, they still did so, respectfully calling him master and presenting brewed tea.
Luo Ziling took a sip of the tea they offered and put it down, signifying his acceptance of these two apprentices.
After accepting their bow, Luo Ziling solemnly instructed them on the etiquette they must observe and the daily tasks they needed to accomplish. Additionally, he introduced Luo Yuqing and Yang Qingyin earnestly, saying one was their master’s aunt, and the other their master’s wife, and whatever they said must be obeyed.
The words of the patriarch, Luo Liansheng, must certainly be heeded even more.
When Ishihara Naka and Xu Zhiyuan performed the apprenticeship ceremony, Dong Xiaowan, Wang Hanying, Cheng Jiayan, and He Shengning stood by and watched.
They naturally hoped to become Luo Ziling’s apprentices. If Luo Ziling accepted, then their grandfathers would not need to suffer the humiliation of being Luo Ziling’s disciples and could hence become Luo Ziling’s seniors.
They had witnessed many initiation ceremonies and did not resist the kneeling apprenticeship ritual. However, Luo Ziling was not accustomed to them regarding themselves as juniors, so they could only watch quietly as Ishihara Naka and Xu Zhiyuan conducted the ceremony.
After accepting Ishihara Naka and Xu Zhiyuan’s apprenticeship ceremony, Luo Ziling sternly reminded the other four, although they had not performed the ceremony, their usual tasks would be no different from those of Ishihara Naka and Xu Zhiyuan.
Of course, they didn’t have to address Ishihara Naka and Xu Zhiyuan as seniors. After all, the four of them were not his apprentices but were sent by their elders to learn from him.
Luo Ziling’s deliberate instructions made Dong Xiaowan, Wang Hanying, Cheng Jiayan, and He Shengning quite pleased inside.
They really feared having to address these two foreign devils as elders, which would have been very frustrating.
Meanwhile, Ishihara Naka and Xu Zhiyuan felt quite depressed. They originally thought that by becoming Luo Ziling’s apprentices, they would attain the same status as those old men who respected Luo Ziling as their master, and the juniors sent by those old men to learn would have to respect them as seniors. Unexpectedly, Luo Ziling made an exception.
They were quite indignant, both realizing that Luo Ziling didn’t want these two foreigners to be above the four others, which Dong Xiaowan, Wang Hanying, Cheng Jiayan, and He Shengning also understood. As a result, there was mutual discontent and seeds of resentment were sown from the first meeting.
Luo Liansheng handed them a book of Luo Family’s sect rules, the printing date of which was unknown, for Ishihara Naka and Xu Zhiyuan to take back and memorize. The same sect rules, which Luo Ziling himself didn’t know, were also given to Dong Xiaowan, Wang Hanying, Cheng Jiayan, and He Shengning.
Seeing their grandfather solemnly instruct these juniors, Dong Xiaowan, Wang Hanying, Cheng Jiayan, He Shengning, and Ishihara Naka, Xu Zhiyuan obediently agreed, which made Luo Ziling very happy.
After the apprenticeship ceremony concluded, Luo Ziling announced the upcoming arrangements.
He required them to live and eat there, promising to provide good accommodations and a living environment. They needed his permission to go out. Regularly, they were to read more, practice more, and also take on household chores. They were responsible for the hygiene of the clinic.
He would teach them acupuncture skills every day—unless he had special matters to attend to.
To practice the Taiyi Divine Needle, they had to begin with the basics, and training in qigong was essential.
Luo Ziling knew that these six people had a certain foundation in qigong; otherwise, they wouldn’t come to learn the Taiyi Divine Needle.
But regardless of their level of qi mastery, he wanted them to retrain for a while anyway—he certainly wasn’t going to teach them the real Taiyi Divine Needle skills any time soon. In his estimation, the fastest he might start teaching them the true Taiyi Divine Needle techniques would be a year later.
In this year, what the six people had to do was labor reform, act as his manual laborers to command.
If they had objections, he’d teach them a few basic moves of the Taiyi Divine Needle.
This year, they would receive political education and he would instill some of his self-created philosophies in them, with the aim of transforming them into people who would work diligently for him. Luo Ziling believed he could achieve this.
On the land of Huaxia, there are countless pyramid schemes, and so many people are brainwashed and engrossed in them. He believed he could succeed as well.
To intimidate them, after the apprenticeship ceremony, Luo Ziling performed the Burning Mountain Fire and Piercing Sky Cooling Needle techniques of the Taiyi Divine Needle in front of everyone. The subject of the needle practice was an acupuncture model, but not a Copper Man, rather a model Luo Ziling had practiced on before.
It was a highly refined piece crafted by Luo Liansheng, superior in acupuncture training to the acupuncture Copper Man.
When practicing Burning Mountain Fire and Piercing Sky Cooling, the effects could be seen directly, something the acupuncture Copper Man didn’t offer.
To impress them, Luo Ziling deliberately showed off, demonstrating needle techniques brilliantly.
During the demonstration, he didn’t allow the six students to film with their phones but instructed them to stand aside and watch.
After the needle practice, he sternly told the six: “I believe that, if you practice diligently, you will master the miraculous Taiyi Divine Needle in a few years—unless you’re really dumb.”
Luo Ziling’s words hurt the six a lot, but facing him and Luo Liansheng, they didn’t dare act out, and could only obediently agree.
When the demonstration and lecture were over, it was almost lunchtime, and Luo Ziling was ready to arrange their living accommodations.
The six of them were assigned to three rooms. Dong Xiaowan, being a woman, got a little benefit by having her own small suite. Wang Hanying, Cheng Jiayan, and He Shengning shared a three-bedroom apartment, while Ishihara Naka and Xu Zhiyuan shared a two-bedroom apartment.
This arrangement was accepted by the five men.
But to Luo Ziling’s surprise, Dong Xiaowan had a different opinion.
“Mr. Luo, why don’t you let me stay by your side and be your maid!” Dong Xiaowan batted her large eyes, speaking softly to Luo Ziling, “I want to listen to your teachings every day and learn more through your personal instruction, okay?”
“…” Luo Ziling was stunned by her words.