Current Situation

Current Situation

At this moment.

Jiang Ning had roughly understood what kind of power the fragment of the Inner Elixir Life-Nourishing Technique meant by unleashing hidden strength.

The human body's five viscera and six bowels inherently held countless secrets.

In his previous life, he had heard of a mother who saw her son trapped beneath a car. With her body's potential bursting forth, she lifted the car and rescued him.

There were countless similar examples.

If the human body's potential could erupt, it could unleash strength far beyond the ordinary.

And those hidden powers, such as adrenaline, lay concealed within the five viscera and six bowels.

Thus, Jiang Ning knew very well that if he could reach this step, he would gain another trump card.

"However, grinding out these thousand experience points is no overnight task!"

Jiang Ning silently muttered as he looked at the Inner Elixir Life-Nourishing Technique's progress on the panel.

Afterward.

After resting for a while and feeling no abnormality within his organs, he continued to make use of the time before the hour of the Rabbit had passed and the hour of the Dragon had arrived.

Facing the great sun that had risen not long ago, he circulated the breathing and cultivation method recorded in the Inner Elixir Life-Nourishing Technique.

[Inner Elixir Life-Nourishing Technique experience +1]

[Inner Elixir Life-Nourishing Technique experience +1]

[...]

He did not stop until the hour of the Dragon was about to arrive.

[Skill]: Inner Elixir Life-Nourishing Technique (Beginner 6/1000)

That night.

Jiang Ning took two silver ingots from his robe, his expression complicated.

Each ingot weighed ten taels, making twenty taels in total.

These twenty taels had been personally delivered to the martial arts hall's entrance that afternoon by a former constable colleague whom his elder brother, Jiang Li, had entrusted with the task.

A trace of guilt appeared in Jiang Ning's eyes.

"Twenty taels of silver... I wonder where Elder Brother borrowed it from this time!"

He shook his head, his expression filled with a wistful sigh.

"Forget it. There's no point dwelling on this!"

"The urgent matter is increasing my strength. Only by becoming stronger can I change my own fate—and the fate of Elder Brother's family!"

"Once I enter the ranks of martial artists and join the Inspection Office, I'll bring Elder Brother, Sister-in-law, and their family to live in the inner city!"

"I'll slowly repay Elder Brother and Sister-in-law's kindness in the future!"

Jiang Ning silently made his decision.

Then he tucked the twenty taels of silver away and continued grinding his fist technique experience.

The next day.

After the martial arts hall opened during the fourth quarter of the hour of the Dragon.

Cheng Ran entered the hall, then left the front courtyard together with Jiang Ning and headed toward the small courtyard where Jiang Ning lived.

Only after entering the courtyard did Jiang Ning speak.

"Senior Brother Cheng, how did it go?"

Cheng Ran nodded. "Your guess was right. There really were two people keeping watch outside the martial arts hall. They were members of the Green Snake Gang."

"The Green Snake Gang?"

Cheng Ran nodded. "Luoshui County has three major gangs: the Green Snake Gang, the Black Tiger Gang, and the Bamboo Gang. Certain families stand behind all three. The Green Snake Gang is involved in canal transport and human trafficking, and the Cao Family stands behind it."

"So it really was them!" Jiang Ning nodded, not surprised in the least.

Cheng Ran looked at Jiang Ning. "As for the other matter Junior Brother Jiang asked me to investigate, I've also found some answers."

"A few days ago, the yamen took the initiative to suppress the God-Worship Cult, only to suffer a stifling defeat. As a result, the God-Worship Cult has gained even greater momentum in the outer city these past few days."

"However, your elder brother and sister-in-law's family are all safe for now. Patrols around their home have greatly increased recently, and constables pass by at regular intervals, so there hasn't been any unrest."

Hearing that his elder brother and sister-in-law were still safe and sound, Jiang Ning immediately let out a breath of relief.

"That's good!"

Cheng Ran continued, "As for Xu Yunfeng, whom Junior Brother Jiang asked me to investigate, I also found something. Xu Yunfeng has no records of taking action, but the last time he did act, he single-handedly captured a criminal who had committed violence and fled. That criminal was no weakling—he was a martial artist whose qi and blood had reached great accomplishment and who had successfully opened the pathways through all four limbs."

Jiang Ning said, "Then Xu Yunfeng is probably a martial artist like Senior Brother—one whose qi and blood are complete and who is about to enter the ranks?"

Cheng Ran nodded. "Probably. He is Cao Bin's man, with the Cao Family behind him. If he enters the ranks of martial artists, his position and standing in the yamen will certainly rise. As the saying goes, commoners do not fight officials. It truly is bad news that Junior Brother Jiang has been targeted by him!"

Jiang Ning said helplessly, "There's nothing to be done about it."

"There really isn't!" Cheng Ran nodded in agreement. "Cao Bin suddenly taking a fancy to your sister-in-law is truly a calamity that fell from the blue sky!"

He continued, "It's a pity that I, Cheng Ran, am insignificant and weakly spoken for. I can't ask my father to step in and plead for mercy, to make Cao Bin let your sister-in-law go!"

"I appreciate Senior Brother Cheng's goodwill!" Jiang Ning clasped his hands in thanks.

Yet inwardly, he shook his head. He had analyzed this matter repeatedly. Whether or not Cao Bin had selfish intentions, it was not that simple.

More likely than not, it involved the struggle between the county magistrate, a dragon crossing the river, and the local snake.

His elder brother and sister-in-law had been swept into this whirlpool. Perhaps Cao Bin's personal desires played a part, but more than that, it was because of the conflict between those two forces.

Since his elder brother had been chosen as a chess piece and drawn into this struggle, let alone Cheng Ran being unable to have his father intervene, even if his father truly did step in, the Cao Family could not possibly let the matter drop so easily.

I still have to rely on myself for all of this!

Becoming Wang Jin's true disciple can ease the immediate crisis.

Only by joining the Inspection Office and leaning against this great tree can I completely untangle this situation.

Jiang Ning silently muttered to himself.

Cheng Ran then said, "As for the other matter Junior Brother Jiang entrusted me with—finding medicinal supplements suitable for cultivation—I looked into it. Ten-year wild ginseng is indeed the most suitable. For Junior Brother Jiang, it offers the best value for money!"

"Ten-year wild ginseng sells for fifteen taels of silver on the market. Junior Brother Jiang might as well go to Senior Brother Zhou Xing."

"I've heard before that any disciple of our martial arts hall can buy ten-year wild ginseng from Senior Brother Zhou Xing for ten taels of silver. That's about five taels cheaper than the market price."

"Senior Brother Zhou Xing's family is one of Luoshui County's largest medicinal herb merchants. Those ten taels are likely the Zhou Family's cost price, so it's an excellent bargain."

"This afternoon, when Fierce Tiger Leaves the Cage is demonstrated, Senior Brother Zhou Xing will most likely come to the martial arts hall. Junior Brother Jiang can buy wild ginseng from him then."

After listening attentively, Jiang Ning clasped his hands once more. "I've troubled Senior Brother Cheng these past two days!"

Cheng Ran laughed heartily. "Junior Brother Jiang is being too polite. If you hadn't stepped in to help two days ago, how could I be standing before you today, chatting so freely?"

"My chances of obtaining a place in the Inspection Office would have been even slimmer! Junior Brother Jiang is the one who helped me immensely, giving me another chance to compete with Xiao Peng for the qualification to enter the office."

Seeing how full of vigor Cheng Ran sounded as he spoke, Jiang Ning could not help asking in confusion, "Senior Brother Cheng sounds so vigorous. Have your injuries healed?"

"Indeed!" Cheng Ran nodded with a smile. "When my father heard that I wished to join the Inspection Office, he knew this was a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity. So he spent a great sum to buy a Great Restoration Pill. My injuries healed completely in a single day, and my qi and blood grew by more than another tenth!"

As he spoke, Cheng Ran clenched his fist. "When I get the chance, I'll definitely settle the score from two days ago and let Xiao Peng have a taste of being injured too."

"What spirit, Senior Brother Cheng!" Jiang Ning praised.

Cheng Ran gave a chuckle. "I simply can't stand that Xiao Peng. He's too insidious. He hid that move of his, and I nearly got screwed over badly by him!"

"Still, it's a pity!" Cheng Ran then looked at Jiang Ning, regret appearing on his face. "Junior Brother Jiang has the greatest talent for fist techniques I've ever seen. You reached this level after learning boxing for only a few days. If you had begun practicing martial arts a year or half a year earlier, that spot could never have fallen to Xiao Peng. Though then it wouldn't have fallen to me either, so in that sense, it has worked in my favor!"

Jiang Ning smiled and shook his head. "There's nothing to regret! Who can say for certain what the future holds? The fact that I can practice martial arts already means I've escaped the fate of an ordinary man. I'm already very satisfied with that. As for how far I can go in the future, I'll ultimately have to rely on myself!"

"Junior Brother Jiang truly is broad-minded! I admire you!" Cheng Ran clasped his hands, then patted his own chest. "Rest assured, Junior Brother Jiang. As long as I'm here, it won't be so easy for Xiao Peng to obtain that place in the Inspection Office. I will definitely contend with him!"

Jiang Ning merely smiled and said nothing more.

He had never told anyone that he, too, intended to compete for a place in the Inspection Office, and he would not say so now.

(End of chapter)