Chapter 162: The Appearance of the Manor Lord

Chapter 162: The Appearance of the Manor Lord

In the outer city, west of the training ground.

Dong, Dong, Dong—

The hour of the Snake, fourth quarter.

Dong—

Dong—

Dong—

The sound of drums being beaten reverberated around the training ground.

The drumbeats were like thunder, becoming increasingly rapid.

Clomp, Clomp, Clomp—

Suddenly, the sound of uniform footsteps echoed from outside the training ground.

Everyone followed the sound.

They saw two teams of armored soldiers, brimming with high spirits, running forward in perfect unison.

The armor on each of them was dark and black, and even under the sunlight, it retained its ominous aura.

They held long spears, the cold light flashing from their blades.

"What a formidable presence, and such high-quality equipment! These are indeed the elite soldiers under Wang Dou's command!" Cheng Ran, standing behind, exclaimed.

Jiang Ning observed this scene, nodding silently.

According to his knowledge of history, only a small number of elite soldiers, city guards, and personal guards of generals had such equipment, aside from those who wore full-body armor from ancient times to the present.

These two teams of soldiers before him were merely a hundred-person army stationed in Luoshui County.

The garrison of a mere county town had such a formidable presence and well-equipped elite soldiers, which was quite impressive.

"This Wang Dou must be very wealthy!" Jiang Ning thought to himself.

Based on his understanding, although this armor was not necessarily forged from hundred-fold refined iron, and the materials were relatively ordinary, equipping a single soldier with it would cost at least several hundred taels of silver.

Not to mention, just equipping these two well-equipped squads would cost ten thousand taels of silver."

And these were just two teams of armored soldiers.

What if there were more?

The crowd was also separated by these two teams of soldiers.

A man in a long dark robe with golden edges suddenly appeared before everyone's eyes.

This man was around forty years old, with a calm demeanor, his emotions unreadable, making it impossible to discern his true intentions.

"Lord Hong has arrived!" Wang Jin spoke, his expression grave.

"Master, is this person Hong Minghu, the Lord of Hong Manor?" Li Qing asked.

"Indeed, it's him!"

"What a powerful presence! With his stride like a dragon and a tiger, he makes my heart tremble even from a distance." Li Qing sighed.

Wang Jin said, "That's natural. It's rumored that Lord Hong Minghu has reached the peak of the sixth rank, and he might have even entered the fifth rank by now."

"He alone can easily sweep through us."

Hearing the conversation between Li Qing and Wang Jin, Jiang Ning wasn't surprised.

Because in the intelligence Lin Qingyi had given him, there was a record of Hong Minghu's strength.

At the peak of the sixth rank, possessing the power of both dragon and tiger, he was an invincible existence in Luoshui County.

Behind Hong Minghu stood Wang Dou, whom Jiang Ning had met before.

Beside Wang Dou were four people, three men and one woman, all with the stride of a dragon and the bearing of a tiger, exuding extraordinary auras.

Following them were the two teams of soldiers, who then spread out around the training ground.

After a moment—

Hong Minghu ascended the high platform and sat down on a chair atop it.

"Begin!" he said lightly.

His voice seemed weak, but it was clearly heard by everyone within the training ground.

"Inner Breath!" Jiang Ning heard the clear words by his ear, and his heart clenched.

Because he had seen this before, and Lin Qingyi's displayed abilities were just like this.

"It seems that this Manor Lord might not be of the sixth rank but the fifth rank!"

On the high platform of the training ground.

As Hong Minghu gave his orders, a person immediately stood on the platform.

"The rules are simple. The first step is to lift an eight-hundred-jin iron lock."

As his words fell, he waved his hand.

On the platform where the Martial Academy students were, everyone stood up.

They jumped down from the platform one by one.

They were the first group of examinees.

Soon, they effortlessly lifted the eight-hundred-jin iron lock for three breaths. This weight wasn't too challenging for ordinary ninth-rank martial artists.

Because ninth-rank martial artists typically had a strength of seven hundred jin as a starting point.

Eight hundred jin was only one hundred jin more than the threshold for entering the ninth rank.

This was an easy task for the Martial Academy students.

Moreover, they had known about the assessment beforehand, and if they couldn't pass, they wouldn't have come to the training ground to embarrass themselves.

After the Martial Academy students returned to the platform, it was time for the various forces to take the stage.

One by one, people emerged from wooden sheds, making their way to the center of the training ground to participate in the iron lock assessment.

Some succeeded, while others failed.

As most of them had just entered the ninth rank, they only had a strength of seven hundred jin.

And to lift an eight-hundred-jin iron lock for three breaths, their strength had to surpass the eight-hundred-jin threshold.

The martial artists in Luoshui County didn't have the same advantages as the Martial Academy students, who had been nurtured with high-quality medicines from a young age, enhancing their root bones and foundations.

So, most of the Ninth Stage Warriors in Luo Shui County only barely meet the basic requirements of a Ninth Stage Warrior.

Unless one has tempered their skin to the level of Stone Skin, it is difficult to possess the strength of eight hundred jin.

Under these circumstances, some began to fail the assessment.

Even those who barely managed to lift the eight-hundred-jin iron lock eventually failed because they couldn't hold it for three breaths.

As soon as someone failed, the examiner on the high platform mercilessly crossed out the corresponding name on the list.

If one didn't meet the strength requirement, they failed the assessment.

In less than an hour, it was Shen Wei Martial Academy's turn.

Five people, three men and two women, stepped out of Shen Wei Martial Academy.

"Wang Guan, my disciples will go first!" Yu Yuan spoke up.

"Please, Yu Guan!" Wang Jin gestured with his hand.

At the same time.

On the outskirts of the training ground.

"Elder, if there are no surprises, a man named Jiang Ning should be here right now."

"I understand!" The middle-aged man in the gray robe nodded slightly.

Then he looked towards the center of the training ground.

His lips moved slightly.

Hong Minghu's eyes flickered, and he looked towards the outskirts of the training ground. From his elevated position, he instantly spotted the gray-robed man.

"Gongsun Yu actually came? Shouldn't he, the Third Elder of Medicine King Valley, be in the valley?" Hong Minghu wondered.

Hong Minghu then sent someone to bring Gongsun Yu over.

At this moment, the five people from Shen Wei Martial Academy arrived at the center of the training ground.

As their names were called by the examiner on the high platform, they stepped forward and lifted the eight-hundred-jin iron lock.

The strength test was the simplest way to gauge one's abilities.

The first four passed quickly.

However, when the last person stepped forward, this female disciple's face couldn't help but tremble.

She knew her strength, and she had secretly tested herself before, but she only had around seven hundred jin, not reaching eight hundred jin.

"Lin Mu, begin!" the examiner on the high platform said.

Upon hearing this, Lin Mu, the female disciple from Shen Wei Martial Academy, clenched her teeth.

She bent down and lifted the bulky iron lock in front of her.

Even though it was made of iron blocks, its weight of eight hundred jin still made it appear somewhat bulky.

Once one's strength reached a certain level, it became difficult to test, and one could only rely on their bodily sensations.

When one's strength reached two to three thousand jin, there were hardly any objects that could be used to test their strength.

Even a two-to-three-thousand-jin iron block made of fine iron would have a large volume, making it difficult to exert force.

As Lin Mu's legs trembled and her body swayed slightly, the iron lock in her hand remained stuck to the ground.

"Disqualified!!!" The examiner on the high platform glanced at Lin Mu and declared her failure.

Hearing this, Lin Mu bit her lip and gave up on further attempts.

In the next round.

It was Jiang Ning's turn, along with the other four.

On the high platform.

Gongsun Yu came alone to Hong Minghu's side.

"Brother Minghu, I didn't expect to see you here," the gray-robed man said.

"Gongsun Yu, instead of staying in Medicine King Valley, what brings you here?" Hong Minghu frowned slightly.

Although he knew Gongsun Yu, they weren't exactly close.

Moreover, in the eyes of the Inspection Bureau, Medicine King Valley, as a sect in the jianghu, was also a target for them.

Historically, medicine and poison have always been closely related.

In recent years, several chaotic incidents in Great Xia were linked to those sects skilled in medicine.

One of the most outrageous incidents was the Danzhou Plague, which was intentionally spread by the Ten Thousand Toxins Sect.

After this was discovered, it enraged the court, and the Ten Thousand Toxins Sect's headquarters were raided, with all their disciples slaughtered.

Therefore, Hong Minghu wasn't very welcoming of Gongsun Yu's arrival.

Hearing Hong Minghu's words, Gongsun Yu immediately said, "An elder in our valley was chasing a thief who stole the tribute of Huai'an King, but he unexpectedly fell into the Luo Shui River a few days ago."

"There's someone here who knows some information, so I came to take a look."

"I see!" Gongsun Yu nodded slightly and then asked, "What's the name of that person?"

"Jiang Ning!"

At this moment.

Jiang Ning and the other four had also reached the center of the training ground.

According to the order on the list. The first one to step forward was Zhou Xing.

In Zhou Xing's hands, the eight-hundred-jin stone lock was effortlessly lifted and held high.

Zhou Xing's face remained composed, and he seemed relaxed and at ease.

The examiner on the high platform immediately nodded in approval as he looked at Zhou Xing.

"He's a good seedling! It seems he has the ability to compete for the squad leader position.

If this fellow performs well later, I might even consider adding him to my command." The man thought to himself, giving Zhou Xing an extra glance.

"Pass!" The man spoke, marking Zhou Xing's name with a red check.

Next!

"Zhao Hu!"

Zhao Hu stepped forward.

"Begin!"

"Pass!"

Hearing these words, Zhao Hu immediately relaxed his grip.

Boom—

The 800-jin iron lock fell heavily onto the ground.

"Brother Jiang, it's almost your turn!" Zhao Hu smiled at Jiang Ning.

"Zhang Tiesheng!"

Another name was called from the high platform.

Zhang Tiesheng hurried forward.

Having already broken through the Ninth Stage, he had been cultivating for years. Lifting the 800-jin iron lock was no challenge for him.

Three breaths later.

"Pass!"

Hearing these words, Zhang Tiesheng released his grip, letting the iron lock fall to the ground.

Boom—

The iron lock landed, and a muffled thunderclap sounded, followed by a cloud of dust.

"Brother Jiang, what should I do? I haven't even reached the Stone Skin level, and I can't lift the 800-jin stone lock." Seeing that it was her turn, Li Qing's face filled with worry.

Jiang Ning shook his head secretly, "Sister, I can't do anything about it either!"

"Li Qing!" The man on the high platform called out Li Qing's name again.

Hearing her name, Li Qing took a deep breath and slowly stepped forward.

"Begin!"

The man on the high platform glanced at Li Qing and silently memorized her.

This was also his task—to remember the names and faces of everyone being assessed.

Only by doing so could he prevent any cheating or undeserving candidates from slipping through.

After a moment, the man shook his head with regret.

If possible, he would have loved to recruit the woman before him into the Inspection Bureau as an inspector.

Regardless of her abilities, she was at least pleasing to the eye.

Moreover, the Inspection Bureau had too many men. In terms of innate Martial Dao talent, men were slightly superior to women.

Combined with various other factors, the number of male cultivators far exceeded that of females.

In such a situation, a female cultivator with exceptional beauty was naturally rare.

Unfortunately, the rules of the Inspection Bureau were set in stone, and it wasn't up to a single commander like him. It was the decision of Hong Minghu, seated in the Chancellor's Seat.

"Unqualified!" He declared.

Li Qing's shoulders slumped in disappointment as she stepped down.

Meanwhile, in the wooden shed where the Canglang Martial Academy disciples were gathered.

"What? No way! Didn't Sister Li Qing pass the assessment?"

"If Sister Li Qing failed, then we're in trouble! Brother Jiang will likely fail too."

"Who's to say otherwise? Sister Li Qing entered the Ninth Stage before Brother Jiang Ning, but she failed!"

"The 800-jin iron lock was clearly meant to weed out those who had just reached the Ninth Stage!"

For a moment, the Canglang Martial Academy disciples all wore worried expressions.

Standing nearby, Yu Yuan had a smug look on his face.

"King Wang, three out of five have failed. It seems your disciples' abilities are not as good as mine!"

"Isn't that a bit premature?" King Wang responded.

"Oh? So, King Wang still has high hopes for the later disciples?" Yu Yuan chuckled upon hearing this.

"How about we make a bet?" King Wang suggested.

"A bet? What are we betting on? Tell me." Yu Yuan immediately asked.

"If my disciple passes the assessment, will you teach me that secret technique of yours?" King Wang proposed.

"That's impossible!" Yu Yuan shook his head. He had heard about Jiang Ning, and it seemed Hong Chengtao had fallen to him.

"Then what are you talking about?" King Wang glared at Yu Yuan.

"Haha!" Yu Yuan laughed, unconcerned.

Meanwhile, on the high platform, the man conducting the assessment slowly called out the next name on the list.

"Jiang Ning."

At the same time, in the center of the spectator stands.

Upon hearing this name from the list, Gong Sun Yu's expression changed to one of surprise.

"Jiang Ning, is that him?" He muttered, his eyes slightly narrowed as he looked towards Jiang Ning in the assessment area.

He had arrived at the assessment grounds in a hurry after receiving the news, so he only knew the name and not Jiang Ning's appearance.

Who exactly was Jiang Ning?

But at this moment, he finally heard the name.

This name immediately caught his attention.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end