Chapter 162: The Marquis Appears

Chapter 162: The Marquis Appears

In the western training grounds of the outer city.

Boom, boom, boom—

The fourth hour of the day.

Boom—

Boom—

Boom—

The sound of drums reverberated across the training grounds.

The drumbeats grew louder and more urgent.

Tramp, tramp, tramp—

A unified march of footsteps echoed from outside the training grounds.

Everyone turned towards the sound.

Before them, two teams of armored soldiers, brimming with confidence, sprinted forward in perfect unison.

Each soldier wore black armor that glistened with a dark sheen under the sun's rays.

They held long spears, their blades shimmering with a cold light.

"Their aura, their top-notch equipment—no wonder they're the elite troops of the Chief of the City's Guard!" Cheng Ran exclaimed from behind.

Jiang Ning observed this scene, his mind racing.

According to historical records, from ancient times to the present, only a select few elite soldiers and the personal guards of generals and city lords had the privilege of wearing full-body armor.

These soldiers before them were just the local garrison of Luo Water County.

A mere county garrison exuded such an aura and possessed such elite equipment, a testament to their might.

"The Chief of the City's Guard must be quite wealthy!" Jiang Ning thought to himself.

Based on his understanding, while this armor wasn't forged from hundred-fold refined iron, it was still a valuable asset. Equipping just one soldier with this armor would cost several hundred silver talents.

Not to mention, just outfitting these two elite squads would amount to a lavish expense of ten thousand silver talents.

And this was just two teams of soldiers.

What if there were more?

At that moment, the crowd parted for the two teams of soldiers.

A man in a long black robe with gold trim suddenly appeared before them.

This man, around forty years old, had a solemn demeanor, his emotions unreadable.

"Marquis Hong!" Wang Jin spoke, his voice heavy.

"Master, is this Marquis Hong, Marquis Hong?" Li Qing asked.

"Indeed!"

"What a commanding presence! Like a dragon's stride and a tiger's gait, I can feel the awe even from a distance." Li Qing sighed.

Wang Jin explained, "It's only natural. Marquis Hong is rumored to be at the peak of the Sixth Stage, and he might have even advanced to the Fifth Stage."

"He alone could effortlessly sweep through us."

Hearing Li Qing and Wang Jin's words, Jiang Ning's heart remained calm.

Because according to historical records, from ancient times to the present, only a select few elite soldiers and the personal guards of generals and city lords had the privilege of wearing full-body armor.

Following Marquis Hong, the Chief of the City's Guard, whom he had met once, walked closely behind.

Beside the Chief of the City's Guard, four others, three men and a woman, all with the stride of a dragon and the gait of a tiger, exuded an extraordinary presence.

Then, the two teams of soldiers dispersed around the training grounds.

A moment later.

Marquis Hong ascended the high platform and took a seat on the chair.

"Begin!" he said, his voice seemingly weak but carrying across the training grounds.

"Inner Breath!" Jiang Ning heard the clear words, his heart racing.

Because he had seen this before, when Lin Qingyi demonstrated her Inner Breath.

"It seems Marquis Hong is not at the Sixth Stage but the Fifth Stage!"

On the high platform of the training grounds.

Following the previous spectators, another person stepped onto the platform.

"The rules are simple. First, lift an eight-hundred-jin iron lock for three breaths to pass the test."

As his words fell, he waved his hand.

On the platform where the Martial College students stood, they rose one by one.

They jumped down from the platform, the first batch of examinees.

Soon, they effortlessly lifted the eight-hundred-jin iron lock for three breaths, a trivial task for ordinary Ninth Stage Martial Artists.

Because Ninth Stage Martial Artists typically started with seven-hundred-jin strength.

The eight-hundred-jin iron lock was merely one hundred jin more than the threshold of the Ninth Stage.

Not to mention, these Martial College students had been nurtured with medicinal pills since childhood, strengthening their foundation.

Hence, these Ninth Stage Martial Artists from Luo Water County were, for the most part, just meeting the basic criteria of the Ninth Stage.

Without refining the skin to the level of stone skin, it's difficult for anyone to possess the strength of eight hundred jin.

Under these circumstances, people began to fail the assessment one after another.

Even those who managed to lift the eight-hundred-jin iron lock with great effort eventually failed, unable to endure for three breaths of time.

As soon as someone failed, the host on the high platform mercilessly crossed off the corresponding name from his list.

Not meeting the strength requirement meant failing the test.

In less than an hour, it was Divine Might Martial Academy's turn.

Five people, three men, and two women, stepped forward from Divine Might Martial Academy.

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

"Please, Yu Guanzhu!" Wang Jin raised his hand in acknowledgment.

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 gray-robed middle-aged man nodded slightly.

Then he looked up towards the center of the training ground.

His lips moved slightly.

Hong Minghu's gaze changed instantly. He looked towards the outer perimeter of the training ground, and 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 to himself.

Then, he waved his hand, signaling someone behind him to bring Gongsun Yu over.

At this moment, the five from Divine Might Pavilion arrived at the center of the training ground.

As the host on the high platform called out a name, someone stepped forward and lifted the eight-hundred-jin iron lock.

Testing strength was the simplest way to gauge one's power.

The first four passed the test quickly.

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

She knew her strength, and she had secretly tested it herself, finding it to be around seven hundred jin, not reaching eight hundred jin.

"Lin Mu, begin!" The man on the high platform spoke.

Hearing these words, the female disciple from Divine Might Pavilion gritted her teeth.

Then, she bent down and lifted the bulky iron lock in front of her.

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

This was because once strength reached a certain level, it became challenging to test, and one could only rely on their bodily sensations.

Once strength surpassed two to three thousand jin, it became nearly impossible to find anything to test it.

Even a two to three thousand jin iron block, forged from fine iron, would have a massive volume, making it difficult to exert force.

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

"Disqualified!!!" The examiner on the high platform lifted his eyes slightly, glanced at Lin Mu, and immediately sentenced her to death.

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

The next round began.

It was now Jiang Ning and the other four's turn to take the stage.

On the other side, on the high platform—

Gongsun Yu arrived alone beside Hong Minghu.

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

"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 in the strictest sense.

Read the flawless version at 69 Book Bar! 6=9+Book_ Bar's first release of this novel.

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

Since ancient times, medicine and poison have been inseparable.

In recent years, several chaotic incidents in Daxia have been linked to certain sects skilled in medicine.

One of the most outrageous incidents in Danzhou was the outbreak of a plague, deliberately spread by the Ten Thousand Toxins Sect.

After this was discovered, it enraged the court, leading to the Ten Thousand Toxins Sect's mountain gate being breached, and all its disciples, from top to bottom, were slaughtered without mercy.

So, at this moment, Hong Minghu wasn't particularly welcoming of Gongsun Yu's arrival.

Hearing Hong Minghu's words, Gongsun Yu immediately replied, "One of our valley's elders, Liu, was chasing a thief who had stolen the Prince of Huai'an's tribute. Unexpectedly, he met his demise in the Luo Water a few days ago."

"There's someone here with some information about it, 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 to take the stage 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 calm, his breath steady, and his relaxed posture was evident.

The examiner on the high platform immediately nodded slightly, his gaze fixed on Zhou Xing.

"He's a promising talent! It seems he has the potential to compete for the position of Captain. If he performs well in the upcoming assessment, I might 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 promptly.

"Begin!"

"Pass!"

At these words, Zhao Hu's grip loosened on the iron lock weighing eight hundred jin.

Boom!

The heavy lock slammed 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 surpassed the Ninth Stage, Zhang Tiesheng's years of cultivation allowed him to effortlessly lift the eight-hundred-jin iron lock.

Three breaths later...

"Pass!"

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

Boom!

As the lock settled, 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 eight-hundred-jin stone lock," Li Qing exclaimed, her face filled with anxiety as it was now her turn.

Jiang Ning shook his head silently, "Sister, I can't help you either!"

"Li Qing!" The man on the platform called out her name again.

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

"Begin!"

The man on the platform gave Li Qing a fleeting glance, silently memorizing her.

This was his task—to remember the names and faces of every participant in the assessment.

Only then could he prevent those who might try to cheat or slip through the cracks.

A moment later, the man shook his head with regret.

If he could, he would have loved to recruit the woman before him into the Inspection Office as a patrol guard.

Regardless of her abilities, she was a sight to behold.

Moreover, the Inspection Office already had too many men. In the martial world, men inherently possessed greater talent than women.

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

Under such circumstances, a female martial artist with exceptional beauty was indeed a rare find.

Unfortunately, the rules of the Inspection Office were set in stone, and it wasn't up to a commander like him to make such decisions. It was the authority of Hong Minghu, seated in the Grand Marshal's Chair.

"Disqualified!" He uttered these three words.

Li Qing immediately lowered her head in disappointment and stepped down.

On the other side, in the wooden shed where the disciples of the Canglang Martial Academy gathered...

"What? No way! Did Sister Li Qing fail the assessment?"

"If Sister Li Qing couldn't pass, then it's going to be tough for Brother Jiang Ning too!"

"Sister Li Qing entered the Ninth Stage before Brother Jiang Ning. If she couldn't pass, it's unlikely he will."

"An eight-hundred-jin iron lock? That's clearly meant to test those who have just reached the Ninth Stage!"

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

Beside them, Yu Yuan couldn't hide his schadenfreude.

"King Wang, three out of five, it seems your disciple's ability is slightly inferior to mine!"

"That's a bit premature, isn't it?" Wang Jin replied.

"Oh? Doesn't King Wang have high hopes for his later-ranked disciples?" Yu Yuan chuckled.

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

"A bet? What are we betting on?" Yu Yuan asked eagerly.

"If my disciple passes the assessment, will you teach me your secret technique?" Wang Jin proposed.

"That's out of the question!" Yu Yuan shook his head. He had heard of Jiang Ning's playfulness, and it seemed Hong Chengtao had met his end at Jiang's hands.

"Then you're talking nonsense!" Wang Jin glanced at Yu Yuan.

"Haha!" Yu Yuan laughed, unbothered.

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...

Gongsun Yu, upon hearing the name called from the list, showed a look of surprise.

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

He had rushed here today due to a tip-off and only knew the name, not Jiang Ning's appearance.

Who exactly was Jiang Ning?

But at this moment, finally hearing the name, it caught his attention.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end