Chapter 218: Returning Empty-Handed, Plotting Against Jiang Ning!

Chapter 218: Returning Empty-Handed, Plotting Against Jiang Ning!

At the Inspection Bureau.

On the highest tower.

A faint mist rose.

"Master, have a taste!"

Ye Qiu extended his hand, gesturing for Hong Minghu to sample the freshly brewed hot tea before him.

A moment later.

"Good tea!"

Hong Minghu took two sips and nodded in praise.

"Master, should we do something about the chaos below?" Ye Qiu asked as soon as he saw Hong Minghu put down his teacup.

"Chaos? What chaos?" Hong Minghu looked at Ye Qiu in surprise.

"Master, you really don't understand?" Ye Qiu asked.

"Why keep it a secret? Just speak frankly!" Hong Minghu said.

Upon hearing this, Ye Qiu stared at Hong Minghu's eyes and remained silent for two breaths.

Then, he chuckled.

"Good!" Ye Qiu nodded heavily.

Just then, the two turned their heads to look at the stairs behind them.

Thump, thump, thump—

In the silent snow-covered day, the footsteps were especially clear to the two men's ears, and they became increasingly distinct.

"Commander Jiang has actually come!" Hong Minghu smiled slightly at Jiang Ning, who had just appeared.

"Brother Ye!" Seeing this, Ye Qiu immediately stood up to greet him.

"Brother Jiang!" Jiang Ning also smiled and greeted him.

Then, he slightly bowed to Hong Minghu.

"Greetings, Master!"

"Commander Jiang has the leisure to visit me today!" Hong Minghu smiled and continued, "Let's sit together!"

"Thank you, Master!" Jiang Ning bowed.

Immediately.

Jiang Ning also sat down with Ye Qiu, facing Hong Minghu.

"Brother Jiang, have some tea!" Ye Qiu poured a cup of steaming tea and placed it in front of Jiang Ning.

Seeing this, Jiang Ning took a shallow sip and then put down the teacup in his hand.

"Looking at Commander Jiang's expression, it seems he has something to discuss with me?" Hong Minghu asked.

"Yes," Jiang Ning nodded.

"Feel free to speak frankly!" Hong Minghu said.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ning immediately asked, "Master, do you know about the matter of those below killing the innocent and claiming credit?"

"Killing the innocent and claiming credit?" Hong Minghu's face darkened, "Commander Jiang, please explain in detail."

"Master, do you know that those captains and commanders who have been suppressing the Cult of Malevolent Gods' followers these days are all ordinary people?" Jiang Ning said.

"That's impossible!" Hong Minghu shook his head.

Then he continued, "I've had them verified, and those people were all contaminated with the aura of the evil deity that the Cult of Malevolent Gods defeated. Once contaminated with the evil deity's aura, there's no mistake."

"Master, you truly don't know?" Jiang Ning's gaze fixed on Hong Minghu.

"Nonsense!" Hong Minghu's expression turned angry.

"Master, please calm down!" Seeing this, Ye Qiu quickly spoke up to stop him.

Then he grabbed Jiang Ning's arm and pulled him down.

At this moment.

Hong Minghu also slightly restrained his expression.

He looked at Jiang Ning, "I know what you want to say, but I must tell you that the Great Xia shares the world with sects and aristocratic families. This world does not belong to ordinary people."

"For the Inspection Bureau to act smoothly, it's not only about establishing authority but also gaining the support of those people."

"Those captains you mentioned, those vice commanders, go and investigate them yourself. Aside from you, are there any others from ordinary families?"

"Those people were once followers of the Cult of Malevolent Gods, contaminated with the evil deity's aura, so killing them is not unjust."

At this point, Hong Minghu stared at Jiang Ning.

"You were born into an ordinary family, and your perspective has a significant problem! Now that you are in power, you need not consider ordinary people but only those of the same status as you."

"In this world, ordinary people cannot change the world!"

As his words fell.

Hong Minghu said, "Commander Jiang, go back and think it over! You should know that Vice Commander He Jinyun, who holds the same position as you, is a young master with an inherited title."

"Vice Commander Yuan Hua, who holds the same position as you, is from the Yuan family of East City, and his father Yuan Xianzong is known as the Small Grandmaster and is the sixth elder of the Golden Wheel Sect."

"Vice Commander Tang Miaomiao, who holds the same position as you, is a branch of the Tang family in Bashu County, and until the age of eighteen, she was deeply cultivated within the Tang family."

"The commander above you, Li Changkong, is even more so a direct descendant of the Northern Li Clan."

". . ."

After a moment.

"I bid farewell!" Jiang Ning bowed and turned to leave.

Ye Qiu also quickly said, "Master, I'll see Commander Jiang out and communicate with him."

"Go!" Hong Minghu said indifferently.

Then.

He watched the two leave, and he couldn't help but shake his head.

"Naive!"

At this very moment, Hong Minghu suddenly felt a sense of relief.

He was relieved that Jiang Ning had not agreed to marry his young daughter.

After Jiang Ning had informed him of He Jinyun's act of killing the innocent and claiming credit, and through Jiang Ning's various performances and remarks today.

He had already understood that Jiang Ning was a kind person.

But kind people were the most terrifying in his eyes.

Because they were too upright, inflexible, and unwilling to compromise, they would eventually be crushed by the overwhelming tide of the world.

In the face of this overwhelming force, the so-called geniuses and young grandmasters were all illusions, meaningless.

How could they have a chance to grow to that level when they were going against the tide?

And even if they did grow to that level, becoming a grandmaster who stood alone in the world, they would still be unable to resist the tide.

Unless they could become a figure like that Saint Warrior.

Only such a person could represent the tide and the world!

Hong Minghu pondered for a long time and shook his head again.

"Fortunately, I didn't become his in-laws. Otherwise, with his current temperament, if he doesn't learn to be flexible, he will inevitably cause great trouble in the future. Instead, it would bring disaster to my wife and daughter!"

Then he smiled again.

He muttered to himself, "My contribution points income these days has been good too!"

"How can I let this kid ruin my good fortune!"

"I really want to make progress," Hong Minghu said, sighing deeply.

He didn't reach the Fifth Rank Inner Fortitude Realm through the orthodox path, so normally, he had no hope of achieving a higher martial rank in this lifetime.

But the world had no absolutes.

According to his understanding, there was a treasure medicine in the Saint Warrior Treasury that could allow him to transform and possess the ability to reverse his current issues.

It would give him the qualifications to enter a higher martial level.

But the contribution points required for that treasure medicine were terrifying.

However, no matter how terrifying it was, he still wanted to try, and he had his own selfish desires!

On the other side, Ye Qiu and Jiang Ning left the pavilion, stepping on the soft snow.

"Brother Jiang, I admire you!" Ye Qiu turned back and looked, feeling that the distance was fine, so he spoke.

Jiang Ning shook his head and sighed softly.

Ye Qiu said, "Brother Jiang, you did your best. What you did today was destined to be in vain. Do you know that the Hong Family Master also participated in the distribution of contribution points?"

"The Hong Family Master is involved too?" Jiang Ning was startled, his eyes filled with surprise.

"Yes!" Ye Qiu nodded, "As far as I know, it's like this! Their three-tenths of the contribution points, and in the entire Luoshui County Inspection Bureau, under the Family Master, including commanders like you and me, whenever we obtain contribution points, the Family Master enjoys an additional one-tenth of the contribution points?"

"So, the Hong Family Master will definitely turn a blind eye."

"That Hong Family Master is the embodiment of vested interests!"

"Moreover!" Ye Qiu's tone suddenly changed, "You know He Jinyun too! What the Family Master said was indeed correct! Some people are difficult even for us to deal with."

"Like He Jinyun, whether it's me or the Family Master, we have to give him enough face."

"That Young Master He, although he is considered to have fallen from grace, his status is still extremely revered. The hereditary Young Master He has a top-tier Fourth Rank sitting in the family, and there are numerous Fifth Rank followers."

"So those people are hard to deal with!"

"It's best if you restrain yourself and don't cause conflict with the real power group because of some ordinary people."

Seeing Ye Qiu's expression, Jiang Ning nodded.

"Thank you, Brother Ye, for the reminder. I understand!"

"I'm glad you understand!" Ye Qiu sighed, "An individual's power is insignificant as dust in the face of the tide. If I had a choice, I wouldn't advise you like this!"

"But you don't have a choice now. Being kind to yourself is actually the greatest kindness you can do."

Jiang Ning looked at Ye Qiu and smiled.

A moment later, Jiang Ning returned to his own courtyard.

"Lord!" Xie Xiaojiu saw Jiang Ning and quickly stood up to greet him.

After putting on the ermine coat for Jiang Ning, she hurriedly brought a cup of preheated tea from the stove.

"Lord, have some tea first!"

Jiang Ning took the tea from Xie Xiaojiu and drank a few sips, dispelling the cold from his body.

"What did the Family Master say?" Xie Xiaojiu's eyes lit up.

Jiang Ning shook his head, "There's no gain."

The light in Xie Xiaojiu's eyes dimmed.

She understood that the captains, squad members, and the people captured and killed by the commanders, the merit points and contribution points they received, all came from the ordinary people of the entire city.

Although she wasn't born an ordinary commoner, she was also born in Luoshui County.

But as an ordinary captain in the Inspection Bureau, she had no authority, only the power to execute decisions.

So she had no other choice.

Seeing Jiang Ning's response, she couldn't help but sigh in frustration.

Jiang Ning snapped out of his daze, and he began to breathe heavily.

A moment later...

The room was filled with the sound of Jiang Ning quietly flipping through books and the occasional crackling of charcoal in the stove.

As he read...

【Scholarly Skills Experience +1】

【Scholarly Skills Experience +1】

【Scholarly Skills Experience +1】

【.】

The experience of his scholarly skills continued to grow.

Time passed by.

Evening arrived.

The snow had stopped.

Under the gloomy sky, darkness fell quickly.

"I'm off!" Xie Xiaojiu said, turning back to look at Jiang Ning before climbing into the carriage.

"Go! Be careful on the road, it's slippery from the snow!" Jiang Ning replied.

"Thank you for your concern, Lord Jiang!" Xie Xiaojiu's face lit up with a smile upon hearing these words.

The next moment, she entered the carriage, and the intelligent horse, sensing her intentions, immediately lifted its four legs and began pulling the carriage towards the direction of the Xiao Family Manor.

As the carriage gradually moved away, Jiang Ning slowly withdrew his gaze.

"Finally, I can go home today!"

He thought to himself.

After the events of the day with Hong Minghu and Ye Qiu, he wasn't entirely sure why Liu Lintang was so respectful towards him.

However, he could make a judgment that Liu Lintang wouldn't harm him for the time being and wouldn't pose a threat.

Moreover, even if he were to face Liu Lintang, Jiang Ning no longer felt as intimidated as he did that night.

He believed he now had the strength to fight Liu Lintang.

Compared to that night, his martial strength had grown significantly, and he was no longer the same person.

His martial prowess had reached the level of Serpent Sinew, allowing him to increase his explosive power by twofold on top of his existing foundation.

Furthermore, with the consecutive breakthroughs in the Gale Thunder Arrow Art, even without using a longbow, his combat power increased exponentially due to his wind-like speed and thunderous movements.

Not to mention, the enhanced Wood Splitting Blade Technique further boosted his abilities.

Each of these improvements could double his strength.

With multiple enhancements, his power was now vastly different from that night, a complete transformation.

These advancements became the foundation of his confidence, making him believe in himself more than ever.

However, when he thought about the events of the day with Hong Minghu and Ye Qiu, Jiang Ning's heart sank.

Despite his rapid strength growth, he was still powerless in the face of such a situation.

They were using human lives to gain contribution points, and almost everyone in the Inspection Bureau was involved.

In this situation, he had no ability to stop them.

If he tried to stop them, he would be openly opposing the entire group's interests.

He was up against not only the captains but also the aristocratic descendants like He Jinyun and Yuan Hua, who were deputy commanders.

And against the likes of Li Changkong, the commander's heir.

Even Hong Minghu was willing to take action against him.

Thinking of all this, Jiang Ning shook his head, "Forget it! I never cared about the country or the people. As long as I can protect those I care about, that's enough!"

As he pondered, Jiang Ning began walking towards his home.

At the same time...

On the rooftop, hidden within a pile of snow, a pair of eyes peered intently at Jiang Ning through the thick layer of snow.

When she saw Jiang Ning, her eyes lit up with unparalleled excitement.

At this moment, she was even more certain that the spirituality within Jiang Ning was the most exaggerated she had ever seen.

Just thinking about the benefits she could gain by offering Jiang Ning as a sacrifice made her heart race with excitement and her body tremble with anticipation.

"If I offer him as a sacrifice, I will surely break through to the Fifth Rank Inner Fortitude Realm!!!"

The middle-aged woman's eyes gleamed with anticipation.

She quietly emerged from the snow, careful not to make a sound, and secretly followed Jiang Ning.

At the entrance of the Inspection Bureau, she dared not make a move.

If she did, she knew she would attract the attention of the bureau master, and she was aware that she had no power to resist Hong Minghu.

Although there was only a one-rank difference between Sixth and Fifth Rank, the gap in strength was immense.

This one-rank difference was far greater than any previous rank difference.

The Fifth Rank Inner Fortitude Realm not only enhanced one's physique but also refined the five viscera, resulting in prolonged stamina and endurance, never tiring.

When necessary, one could even unleash the potential of the human body, bursting with strength and speed far beyond normal.

Additionally, one would master powerful and mysterious skills.

With the inner core, combat power would increase exponentially.

These three factors combined would make any Sixth Rank expert feel powerless and invincible when facing a Fifth Rank expert.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end