Chapter 181: Paying Respects to the Powerful

Chapter 181: Paying Respects to the Powerful

Bright Moon Tower.

A group of officials and soldiers marched towards the newly opened Bright Moon Tower.

As they stepped into the main hall of the Bright Moon Tower, the soldiers began to drive people away.

"Move! Move out! This official is here to seal off the Bright Moon Tower. Anyone who continues to linger here will be arrested!"

It was just past noon, and there weren't many customers at the Bright Moon Tower, so under the soldiers' urging, the large hall of the tower quickly emptied.

Thump, thump, thump—

A series of footsteps echoed from the second floor.

"What are you doing?" Tong Xiuyun asked.

"Manager Tong, you've committed a crime!" replied a man with a sinister look, aged over forty, who had come with the soldiers.

Standing before this middle-aged man was a handsome young man with an extraordinary aura and appearance.

The young man waved his hand and ordered, "Take her away!"

"Yes, sir!" The sinister-looking man behind him immediately beamed with joy.

"Huang Dazheng, you've broken the rules!" Tong Xiuyun exclaimed, her face filled with anger.

"What rules have I broken? You, Tong Xiuyun, are suspected of child trafficking and murder, and as a law-abiding citizen, I have every right to report your crimes!" Huang Dazheng raised his eyebrows and smiled, revealing a set of yellow teeth.

He watched as several soldiers stepped forward and decisively seized Tong Xiuyun, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction.

This was how business wars were fought.

If you couldn't compete with the Bright Moon Tower in business, you just needed to find a powerful backer and have them arrest and frame the owner.

Although Tong Xiuyun also had a powerful backer, how could her connections compare to the young talent from Dongling City standing before him?

This young talent was the new upstart in Luoshui County, one of the squad leaders in the Inspection Bureau.

The personnel of the Inspection Bureau held the power of life and death, and they could execute first and report later.

From officials to commoners, they were all under their jurisdiction, wielding immense authority.

Moreover, the backer before him was a true ninth-rank official and one of the squad leaders in the Inspection Bureau, possessing eighth-rank peak strength.

At this moment, as Tong Xiuyun was led away by the soldiers, passing by the young man, her heart sank.

She couldn't help but recognize the young leader before her as the newly appointed squad leader of the Inspection Bureau.

Holding a ninth-rank official position and possessing eighth-rank peak strength.

In front of him, her previous backers were powerless to challenge.

Furthermore, this individual was a student from the Dongling County Martial Academy.

Within the Inspection Bureau of Luoshui County, the Martial Academy students formed a significant faction.

Among the more than ten squad leaders, seven or eight out of ten were Martial Academy students.

Each of these individuals possessed eighth-rank martial strength.

Not to mention the large number of ninth-rank Martial Academy students beneath them.

Thinking of this, Tong Xiuyun's heart couldn't help but feel a sense of unease.

She quickly composed herself and turned her gaze to the side, looking at the young servant standing at the entrance.

She signaled to the servant, indicating that he should go for help.

'I wonder if Xiao Jiu can help me when he finds out about this,' Tong Xiuyun thought to herself.

On the other side, the young man turned to Huang Dazheng and said, "Show me the way to the other wine towers, and I'll go seal them off!"

"Thank you, sir!" Huang Dazheng's face lit up with joy.

He felt that his decision to give away his family treasure the night before was a wise one.

The so-called family treasure had been useless to him, his father, and his grandfather.

Since it was of no use, there was no point in holding onto it.

It was better to give it away, just as he had done that night.

By giving away the family treasure, he had gained the favor of the powerful man before him, leading to this business war.

If he couldn't compete with the Bright Moon Tower, he could just have Tong, who had instructed him to arrest Tong Xiuyun, thereby eliminating the Bright Moon Tower.

Moreover, with this backer's support, he could seal off the other wine towers and take everyone inside into custody.

After today, the wine tower industry in Luoshui County would be under his control.

With this powerful backer, Huang Dazheng could finally achieve wealth and success.

Leaving the Bright Moon Tower, the soldiers escorted Tong Xiuyun to the Fu Yuan Escort Agency.

At the entrance of the Fu Yuan Escort Agency, Cheng Ran and his father, who happened to be inside, were dragged out.

As the soldiers took action, those watching from a distance could only dare to secretly observe from afar, afraid to get too close to the intimidating soldiers.

"Aunt Tong!" Cheng Ran exclaimed upon seeing Tong Xiuyun.

"Shut up!" A nearby soldier immediately shouted out a rebuke.

Cheng Ran's father shook his head slightly at Cheng Ran.

Seeing that the situation was more powerful than the person, Cheng Ran immediately fell silent.

At this moment, Tong Xiuyun also gave Cheng Ran a comforting look, as if to say, don't worry, I'll go get someone!

"Continue?" The young man looked at Huang Dazheng.

Huang Dazheng nodded heavily, "Continue, I've troubled you today!"

"Lead the way! The sooner we finish capturing, the sooner we can be done!" The young man said indifferently.

"Yes, sir!"

Inspection Bureau.

"Sir!" Xie Xiaojiu, dressed in black, slightly cupped her hands towards Jiang Ning.

At this moment, Jiang Ning was sitting in the inner hall of his own courtyard within the Inspection Bureau.

As a Deputy Commander, he had his own private courtyard within the Inspection Bureau.

The courtyard covered an area of several hundred square meters.

After just finishing touring the vast Inspection Bureau, he arrived at his own courtyard.

Although he currently didn't have any subordinates at his disposal in his courtyard.

However, the courtyard had already been tidied up by the servants.

So when he arrived at his own courtyard, he looked through some information in his inner hall, specifically about the Inspection Bureau.

Just like in the Administrative Section, he needed to know exactly what he could exchange with his access rights and how many contribution points were required for each item.

These details required thorough understanding.

After all, he had come to the Inspection Bureau for two reasons: to find a stable position and to facilitate his cultivation.

There was a lot of information, recorded in a thick book within the Administrative Section, which he couldn't finish reading in one sitting. He only skimmed through a few key points.

At this moment.

The inner hall of the courtyard.

As Xie Xiaojiu appeared, Jiang Ning immediately put down the book in his hand.

[Skills]: Literacy (Second Limit Break 1911/3000) (Characteristics: Photographic Memory, Extraordinary Senses)



After glancing at the dozens of experience points added to his literacy skill on his panel, Jiang Ning finally turned his gaze to Xie Xiaojiu.

At this moment, Xie Xiaojiu had changed into the official uniform of the Inspection Bureau.

The large black uniform had blood-red trim.

"Miss Xie is indeed a woman of her word," Jiang Ning said.

Xie Xiaojiu replied, "Since I lost to you yesterday, it's only natural that I would come under your command!"

Hearing this, Jiang Ning slightly nodded.

He was indeed very pleased with Xie Xiaojiu's arrival.

Xie Xiaojiu's strength was formidable. If she hadn't faced him, with her abilities, she would have been fully qualified to secure a squad leader position.

Moreover, during their previous encounter, Xie Xiaojiu had clearly not displayed her full potential.

She was one of the two Heaven's Pride of Luoshui County who was highly regarded by Lin Qingyi.

A Heaven's Pride with extraordinary swordsmanship talent.

Having such a skilled individual join his command was indeed a reason for joy.

Furthermore, Xie Xiaojiu was still very young, only a few months older than him, indicating her exceptional talent and potential.

Where could he find such a powerful subordinate now, let alone in the future? Additionally, Xie Xiaojiu had a deep connection with Lin Qingyi, and his relationship with Lin Qingyi seemed quite good as well.

If, after some time, Xie Xiaojiu proved to be trustworthy, her assistance to him would be immense.

The stronger Xie Xiaojiu became, the more energy he could devote to his own improvement.

Just then, Xie Xiaojiu suddenly looked up at Jiang Ning!

"Sir, I'd like to spar with you again!"

"Still feeling bitter about yesterday's defeat?" Jiang Ning asked.

"A little!" Xie Xiaojiu nodded.

Then she said, "If you can defeat me, sir, I'll be at your disposal from now on, without any complaints!"

"Good!" Jiang Ning nodded.

The two of them exited the inner hall and stepped into the spacious courtyard outside.

The courtyard floor was paved with green bricks, and the garden was tidy, with only a single massive banyan tree as its sole feature.

The banyan tree's dense branches provided shade, casting a coolness over the garden.

"Sir, please!" Xie Xiaojiu drew her sword.

Jiang Ning thought for a moment and instead of using the spiritual weapon he brought, he went to the side and took a standard long sword from the weapon rack.

"Miss Xie, you may begin!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Xie Xiaojiu moved with her sword, and the two of them immediately engaged in a fierce battle.

A moment later.

The sword tip pressed against Xie Xiaojiu's fair and jade-like neck.

Jiang Ning immediately sheathed his sword, "Miss Xie, thank you for your mercy!"

Xiaojiu fell silent for a few breaths, then spoke, "Sir, is this your full strength?"

Jiang Ning hesitated for a moment before slowly shaking his head, "No!"

"I see!" As she spoke, Xie Xiaojiu couldn't help but take a deep breath, calming her inner emotions.

"I've been so narrow-minded! I thought I was truly Heaven's Pride, but today I realized that in front of you, I'm no different from a frog at the bottom of a well."

"Miss Xie, there's no need to belittle yourself!" Jiang Ning spoke up to comfort her, "You are the most talented person I've ever seen. At just nineteen years old, you've already reached such heights. You're not far from the Seventh Rank!"

Upon hearing this, Xie Xiaojiu managed a forced smile at Jiang Ning.

"Thank you, Sir, for your kind words."

"Just call me Xiaojiu."

Just then, a voice came from the entrance of the courtyard.

"Sir, you sure know how to enjoy life!"

The two turned towards the source of the voice and saw Feng Jiuge dressed in fiery battle armor.

"Greetings, Captain Feng!" Xie Xiaojiu slightly bowed her head.

Feng Jiuge approached Xie Xiaojiu and lifted her hand, gently tilting her chin up.

"Miss Xie, you truly have a distinctive look. I find you so adorable!"

Xie Xiaojiu looked up at Feng Jiuge, her gaze calm, seemingly unaffected by Feng Jiuge's provocative gesture.

"It's nothing!" Feng Jiuge retracted her hand.

Then, turning to Jiang Ning, she said, "Sir, I'm reporting to you. From now on, I'll be serving under your command!"

Jiang Ning nodded slightly, "Miss Feng, you truly keep your promises."

Feng Jiuge pouted, "Sir, you're so good-looking. Serving under your command will at least be easier on the eyes."

Jiang Ning: ". . ."

He was momentarily speechless.

He felt like Feng Jiuge had stolen his words.

There was no doubt that both Feng Jiuge and Xie Xiaojiu were women with exceptional beauty and grace.

Each had their unique charm, and both could be considered beauties that could captivate an entire city.

These women were naturally born as captivating sights.

Having these two under his command, regardless of their abilities, at least made for a pleasant sight, a feast for the eyes.

At this moment, as Feng Jiuge arrived, Xie Xiaojiu started to walk towards the courtyard.

"Miss Feng, has your father agreed to this?" Jiang Ning asked as Xie Xiaojiu left.

"Just call me Jiuge. This 'Miss Feng' is so awkward!" Feng Jiuge replied.

She continued, "As for my father's reply, it might not come so soon. After all, he's busy with military affairs, so it might take a few days or even ten days or half a month for him to respond."

"I understand!" Jiang Ning nodded.

Then he asked, "Jiuge, would you like to come in and sit down?"

"Do you have any wine?" Feng Jiuge suddenly asked.

Jiang Ning shook his head, "Not at the moment."

"Then forget it! I'll go out and find some wine. I came here today mainly to meet you. From now on, I'll be serving under your command. If there's anything, just let me know directly!"

"Alright!" Jiang Ning nodded.

As he watched Feng Jiuge leave, Jiang Ning turned and headed towards the inner hall.

He hadn't finished reading the book about the Inspection Bureau yet.

"Sir!"

After taking a few steps and crossing the courtyard, just as Jiang Ning was about to return to the inner hall, he heard a woman's voice from behind.

He turned around and saw a somewhat familiar figure.

It was Ruan Hongmei from the Fuyuan Escort Agency.

Seeing her, Jiang Ning recalled the events of the previous day.

Ruan Hongmei, as one of the captains, had fought with Qin Xuan using a whip.

Although she had lost, her martial skills had managed to inflict a minor injury on Qin Xuan.

Before leaving the stage, Ruan Hongmei had also exchanged a few words with him.

"So, it's Miss Ruan," Jiang Ning approached her, "I'm glad to see you again."

At this moment, Ruan Hongmei was also dressed in official attire, the uniform of a captain.

Around her waist was a long whip, which now resembled a belt wrapped around her.

"Sir Jiang, may I ask if I can serve under your command?" Ruan Hongmei directly expressed her wish.

On her way here, Ruan Hongmei had made up her mind.

As a captain, she needed to find a superior to report to and be under the direct command of one of the four deputy commanders.

As a native of Luoshui County, her first choice was naturally Jiang Ning.

Although Jiang Ning might not be the strongest among the four deputy commanders, there was no doubt that he was the most handsome in her eyes.

Moreover, he was the most talented.

These reasons were more than enough!

"Of course, you're most welcome!" Jiang Ning smiled.

Based on what he had witnessed the day before, Ruan Hongmei's strength, among the more than ten captains, was at least above average, if not among the top.

This average strength also indicated that she possessed the peak of the Eighth Rank.

"I didn't know that the owner of the Fuyuan Escort Agency had such an outstanding daughter," Jiang Ning thought to himself.

Hearing Jiang Ning's words, Ruan Hongmei also smiled slightly.

"Since Sir Jiang has agreed, I'll be under your care from now on!"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end