Jiang Ning fully understood why Wang Jin did not believe he could meet the requirements to enter the Inspection Office within three months.
It was perfectly normal.
After all, he had practiced martial arts for far too short a time.
What could three months possibly accomplish?
Looking at the test for Wang Jin's personal disciples, one only needed to master any one stance of the Five Forms Fist within six months to become his personal disciple.
This showed just how difficult martial arts training was.
His own eldest brother had practiced martial arts for so many years, yet he had only reached the level of perfected qi and blood, with his limbs fully connected.
Yet to meet the conditions for joining the Inspection Office, one had to enter the ranks of Martial Dao and be under thirty years old.
In Luoshui County, anyone who could accomplish that was either a Martial Dao genius or someone born into wealth and status, a martial artist piled up with money.
A smile appeared on Jiang Ning's face, his expression brimming with confidence. "Master, rest assured! It will not be long before I master the Five Animals Fist!!"
"Good! That is exactly the kind of confidence you should have!" Wang Jin praised again.
Then he slightly raised his head and glanced at the moonlight. "It is getting late! These old bones of mine will not keep fooling around with a young man like you! I am going back to rest! You should not practice fist techniques tonight either. You overdid it just now. Go back to your room and rest well, conserve your strength, and practice again tomorrow!"
Jiang Ning nodded. "This disciple understands!"
Then Jiang Ning spoke again. "This disciple has an unreasonable request to make of Master."
"Stop beating around the bush and hemming and hawing. Just say it!" Wang Jin said.
"This disciple wishes to borrow books from Master's study. It is still early before midnight, so I can read for a while. I can also read during my usual breaks from practicing fist techniques, while recovering my strength and resting, to broaden my knowledge!" Jiang Ning said.
"You're working that hard?" Wang Jin was somewhat stunned. His original intention had been for Jiang Ning to return and rest early tonight.
Yet he had never expected that Jiang Ning would want to take advantage of the early hour to borrow books and read.
Jiang Ning scratched his head. "Children from poor families have no choice but to work hard! If we do not strive, how can we change our fate? Besides, Master knows that the reason I asked to stay long-term at the martial arts school is because someone outside wants to harm me! Next spring, I also want to take the imperial examination and earn scholarly honors. Only then can I gain true peace."
"You need scholarly honors to gain peace?" Wang Jin continued in surprise. "Is the pressure coming from someone with official status?"
Jiang Ning said, "Not truly official status, but better than official status."
"I see!" Wang Jin nodded slightly, but did not ask further. Then he said, "It is rare indeed for you to have such aspirations. Being accomplished in both literature and martial arts is truly important! A true powerhouse has never been someone invincible in strength alone, nor someone invincible in intellect and wisdom alone, but someone who possesses both! There has never been a true Martial Dao powerhouse who was illiterate."
Jiang Ning nodded in strong agreement. "This disciple also greatly agrees with Master's words!"
Wang Jin nodded again. "Since you have such aspirations, how could I fail to support you? From now on, you may enter my study whenever you wish. Later, simply go to Auntie Sun and get a key!"
"Thank you, Master!" Jiang Ning solemnly cupped his hands in salute.
Knock, knock, knock—
A knock sounded on the door.
"Coming! Coming!"
As the voice rang out, a series of heavy footsteps sounded beside Jiang Ning's ears and steadily drew closer.
Creak—
As the small courtyard's door opened, Auntie Sun's somewhat burly figure was revealed.
"I knew it was you, brat!" Auntie Sun said.
A smile appeared on Jiang Ning's face as well. "Auntie Sun, sorry to disturb you so late."
"Ah, what disturbance? I have not even gone to sleep yet!" Auntie Sun waved her hand, then asked, "Why have you suddenly come looking for me at this hour instead of practicing?"
Jiang Ning said, "I overtaxed my body today, and I do not have wild ginseng to replenish what my body consumed. How could I still practice? So I just spoke with the head master and asked to borrow some books from the study. After he agreed, he told me to come to Auntie Sun for the key!"
"Is that so!" Auntie Sun nodded in realization. "Wait here! I will get you a key to the study!"
"Mm-hmm!" Jiang Ning nodded repeatedly.
A short while later.
Auntie Sun came bustling over to Jiang Ning.
"Here is the key! Do not lose it!"
"Rest assured, Auntie Sun!" Jiang Ning smiled and accepted the key she handed him.
Then he spoke again. "Oh, right, Auntie Sun."
"What is it?"
Jiang Ning said, "The head master just said that starting tomorrow, I can drink a bowl of medicinal soup every morning, noon, and night."
"Not bad, little fellow! I did not expect Hall Master Wang to value you so highly. He actually raised your treatment to that of a personal disciple! Xiao Peng only received this much after becoming a personal disciple today!" With a delighted expression, Auntie Sun gave Jiang Ning a heavy slap on the shoulder.
Then she continued, "I just heard that you had no wild ginseng to replenish the energy your body consumed while practicing, and I was worried that you might train your body into the ground! After all, among all the children I have seen training at this martial arts school over the years, you are the one most willing to endure hardship."
Jiang Ning merely smiled without speaking.
He had heard people call him diligent many times already.
But with the panel, every bit of effort brought rewards. He could see himself improving bit by bit and feel his physique constantly growing stronger. Who could help but be diligent?
The reason people were not diligent or hardworking was often because they could not see any gains, because their efforts brought no returns.
Especially when stuck at a bottleneck—after striving for a week, a month, even a year, only to be unable to advance an inch—how many people could continue to persevere?
After bidding Auntie Sun farewell, Jiang Ning quickly headed toward the study.
The collection in Wang Jin's martial arts school would certainly be far greater than the one at his home. There might even be Martial Dao cultivation manuals and secret techniques inside. Because of his earlier performance, his standing in Wang Jin's eyes had risen, and he had gained permission to enter the study. This filled him with anticipation.
Arriving before the study.
He unlocked the door and walked inside.
After lighting the candle stand, the entire layout of the study came into view.
Large bookshelves had been placed along three walls of the study, each one neatly lined with book after book.
Taking a book, Jiang Ning approached the bookshelf on the right. At a glance, he saw volume after volume on medicine and pharmacology.
As the saying went, medicine and martial arts were not separate families.
Martial arts involved the mysteries of every part of the human body. Those who created Martial Dao cultivation methods were surely people of immense learning and experience, deeply familiar with every mystery of the human body.
The same was true of medicinal herbs.
The path of Martial Dao was closely intertwined with all kinds of herbs, impossible to separate.
Without the aid of medicine, a person's lifetime achievements in martial arts would inevitably be greatly limited, and their progress would slow dramatically.
One had to know that the best golden age for learning martial arts began at fifteen, after the bones and body had fully developed. Until around the age of thirty-five was the peak golden age, when progress was greatest and fastest.
From around forty onward, martial artists would gradually begin to decline, their qi and blood continuously weakening.
By then, let alone advancing in Martial Dao, even maintaining one's strength without decline was difficult.
Unless one cultivated Martial Dao to a profound level, strengthening the five viscera within and extending bodily function, could one enjoy a longer golden age in which to advance in Martial Dao.
With these stray thoughts flashing through his mind, Jiang Ning's gaze quickly swept over the titles on the bookshelf as he slowly moved forward.
Thanks to Give You a Treasure to See for 1 monthly ticket, thanks to 299585 for 2 monthly tickets, thanks to Mo Jia for 1 monthly ticket, thanks to Numeric Book Friend for 1 monthly ticket, and thanks to Lingka Luo'er for the 100-point Peerless Beauty tip.
End of Chapter
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