Chapter 218: Returning Without Achievement, Plotting Against Jiang Ning!

Chapter 218: Returning Without Achievement, Plotting Against Jiang Ning!

At the Inspection Office.

The highest pavilion.

A faint mist rose.

"Marquis, taste this!"

Ye Qiu stretched out his hand, signaling Hong Minghu to try the freshly brewed tea.

A moment later.

"Good tea!"

Hong Minghu took a sip and nodded in approval.

"Marquis, do you want to address the chaos below?" Ye Qiu asked as he saw Hong Minghu put down his teacup.

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

"Marquis, are you truly unaware?" Ye Qiu inquired.

"Why hide it? Speak frankly!" Hong Minghu said.

Upon hearing these words, Ye Qiu fixed his gaze on Hong Minghu's eyes and remained silent for two breaths.

Then, he chuckled.

"Good!" Ye Qiu nodded firmly.

Just then, both men turned to look at the stairs behind them.

Thump, thump, thump—

Footsteps echoed through the quiet snow-covered day, sounding especially clear in their ears, and becoming increasingly distinct.

"Commander Jiang has come!" Hong Minghu looked at the just-appeared Jiang Ning and smiled slightly.

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

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

Then, he slightly cupped his hands towards Hong Minghu.

"Greetings, Marquis!"

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

"Thank you, Marquis!" Jiang Ning cupped his hands in response.

Then, Jiang Ning 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.

"Judging from Commander Jiang's appearance, he must have come with a purpose?" Hong Minghu asked.

"Yes!" Jiang Ning nodded.

"Feel free to speak your mind!" Hong Minghu said.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ning immediately asked, "Does the Marquis know about the matter of the people below killing Liang Maogong?"

"Killing Liang Maogong?" Hong Minghu's expression darkened. "Commander Jiang, please explain in detail."

"Marquis, do you know that all those captains and commanders who were surrounded and suppressed were ordinary people?" Jiang Ning asked.

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

Then he continued, "I've had them verified, and all of them were infected with the aura of the evil god defeated by the Idolatry Sect. Once infected with the aura of the evil god, there's no way it could be wrong."

"Marquis, are you truly unaware?" Jiang Ning's gaze fixed on Hong Minghu.

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

"Marquis, 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 the expression on his face.

He looked at Jiang Ning, "I know what you want to say! But I must tell you, the Great Xia Empire claims to share the world with the sect families, and this world does not belong to ordinary people."

"For the Inspection Office to act smoothly, it not only needs to establish authority but also needs to gain the support of those people."

"Those captains you speak of, those deputy commanders, why don't you check for yourself? Besides you, are there any others from ordinary families?"

"Those people were once believers of the Idolatry Sect and were infected with the aura of the evil god. So killing them is not unjust."

At this point, Hong Minghu stared at Jiang Ning.

"You come from an ordinary family, and your perspective on this issue is very problematic! Now that you're in power, you need not consider ordinary people but only those who are on the same level as you."

"In this world, ordinary people cannot overturn the heavens!"

As his words fell.

Hong Minghu said, "Commander Jiang, go back and think it over! You should know that Deputy Commander He Jinyun is a young master with a hereditary title."

"Deputy Commander Yuan Hua is from the Yuan Clan of Donglin City, and his father Yuan Xianzong is known as a small grandmaster and is the sixth elder of the Jinlun Sect."

"Deputy Commander Tang Miaomiao is a branch of the Tang Clan in Bashu County, and before the age of eighteen, he was deeply cultivated within the Tang Clan."

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

". . ."

A moment later.

"I take my leave!" Jiang Ning cupped his hands and turned to leave.

Ye Qiu also quickly said, "Marquis, I'll send off Commander Jiang and communicate with him."

"Go!" Hong Minghu said indifferently.

Then.

He watched the two men's departing figures and couldn't help but shake his head.

"Immature!!"

At this moment, Hong Minghu suddenly felt relieved.

He was relieved that Jiang Ning hadn't agreed to marry his daughter before.

After Jiang Ning had informed him about He Jinyun's killing of Liang Maogong and through today's various performances and remarks.

He had come to understand that Jiang Ning was a genuinely kind person.

But in his eyes, the truly kind were the most terrifying.

Being too upright, inflexible, and unwilling to compromise with the world, one would eventually be crushed by the overwhelming tide of events.

In the face of this overwhelming tide, the so-called Heaven's Pride and the young Grandmasters were all illusions, powerless against the greater forces.

How could one grow to such heights while opposing the tide?

Even if one did reach that pinnacle, becoming a Grandmaster who stood alone, they would still be unable to resist the tide.

Unless one became a figure like the Sage Warrior.

Only such a figure could represent the tide, embodying the will of the world!

Hong Minghu fell into deep thought, shaking his head after a moment.

"It's fortunate that I didn't become his in-law. Otherwise, with his current temperament, if he doesn't learn to compromise, it will inevitably lead to disaster in the future. It might even bring harm to my wife and daughter!"

He smiled to himself.

"My contribution points income isn't too bad!"

"I can't let this kid ruin my good thing!"

"I really want to try it!" Hong Minghu said, his expression filled with longing.

He hadn't reached the orthodox fifth rank Inner Fortitude Realm, so normally, he wouldn't have the qualifications to step into a higher martial arts level in this lifetime.

But nothing in the world was absolute.

According to his understanding, within the Sage Warrior Treasure Vault, there was a treasure medicine that could transform his body, possessing the power to defy his innate limitations. This treasure medicine could solve his current problems.

It would give him the qualifications to step into a higher martial arts level.

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

However terrifying it was, he still wanted to give it a try. He had his own ambitions!

On the other side.

Ye Qiu and Jiang Ning left the pavilion, walking on the soft snow-covered ground.

"Brother Jiang, I admire you!" Ye Qiu turned back and looked at him. After ensuring they were at a safe distance, he spoke.

Jiang Ning shook his head and sighed lightly.

"Brother Jiang, you've done your best. Your actions today were destined to be in vain. Do you know that Marquis Hong also participated in the distribution of contribution points?"

"Marquis Hong participated as well?" Jiang Ning was shocked, his eyes filled with surprise.

"Yes," Ye Qiu nodded. "As far as I know, that's how it is! They get three-tenths of the contribution points. Moreover, in the entire Luoshui County's Inspection Office, under the Marquis, including people like us, but anyone who obtains contribution points, the Marquis also enjoys an additional one-tenth of the income."

"So, Marquis Hong will definitely turn a blind eye."

"That Marquis Hong, he's the one who benefits from this!"

"Moreover!" Ye Qiu's tone shifted. "Do you know He Jinyun? What Marquis Hong said is indeed correct! There are some people that even we don't dare to offend."

"Like He Jinyun, whether it's me or Marquis Hong, we have to give them sufficient face."

"That young master, although his family has fallen, their status is still extremely revered. The family has a first-rate expert of this generation, and there are no shortage of fifth-rank experts under their command."

"So those people are hard to offend!"

"It's best to be cautious and not create conflict with their true power group over some ordinary people."

Looking at Ye Qiu's expression, Jiang Ning nodded.

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

"You understand!" Ye Qiu sighed. "An individual's power is minuscule before the tide of events. If I had a choice, I wouldn't even give you this advice!"

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

Jiang Ning looked at Ye Qiu and smiled.

After a while, Jiang Ning returned to his own courtyard.

"Sir!" Xie Xiao Jiu hurriedly stood up to greet Jiang Ning.

After draping a fur coat over Jiang Ning, she quickly brought a cup of preheated tea from the stove.

"Sir, have some tea first!"

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

"Sir, what did Marquis Hong say?" Xie Xiao Jiu's eyes lit up.

Jiang Ning shook his head. "There was no gain!"

"I understand!" The light in Xie Xiao Jiu's eyes faded.

How could she not understand? The captains and their teams, the people captured and killed by the commanders, and the contribution points they obtained, all came from the ordinary citizens of the entire city.

Although she wasn't born an ordinary citizen, she also didn't want to witness this scene.

But as a captain in the Inspection Office, she had no authority.

Although, from the outside world's perspective, a captain already held real power and privileges.

However, within the Inspection Office, a captain had no decision-making power, only the power to execute decisions.

So she had no choice but to comply.

After seeing Jiang Ning's reply, she couldn't help but sigh in frustration.

Jiang Ning's efforts had been fruitless, and she felt helpless.

A moment later, the room was filled with the quiet sound of Jiang Ning flipping through books and the occasional crackling of charcoal in the furnace.

As she read, her Literary Proficiency skill level increased by 1.

Literary Proficiency skill level increased by 1.

Literary Proficiency skill level increased by 1.

Her Literary Proficiency skill continued to improve.

Time passed.

The snow had stopped.

Under the gloomy sky, darkness descended, making the night feel especially early.

"Sir, I'm heading back!" Xie Xiaojiu climbed onto the carriage, then turned to look at Jiang Ning once more.

"Go! The roads are slippery on a snowy day, be careful on your way!" Jiang Ning said.

"Thank you, Sir Xie!" Xie Xiaojiu's face lit up with a smile at these words.

The next moment, she climbed into the carriage. As she spoke, the spiritually awakened horses raised their heads, pulling the carriage towards the Xie Family Manor.

Watching the carriage gradually move away, Jiang Ning slowly retracted her gaze.

"Finally, I can go home today!"

He sighed in his heart.

After the conversation with Liu Linmen during the day, he wasn't entirely clear why Liu Linmen was so respectful towards him.

However, he didn't mind. Liu Linmen wouldn't act against him, at least not for the time being, and wouldn't pose a threat.

Even if they did clash, Jiang Ning wasn't particularly afraid anymore.

In his opinion, he could definitely hold his own against Liu Linmen.

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

His martial arts prowess had reached the Sinew Like Dragon level, allowing him to double his explosive power on top of his existing foundation.

Moreover, his Thunderstorm Arrow had broken through his Breaking Limit, and even without a longbow, his Wind Thunder Arrow Technique and movement like thunder greatly increased his combat power exponentially.

Not to mention, the Firewood Chopping Technique had also broken through its limit, further enhancing his blade aura.

Each of these improvements alone could significantly boost his strength.

With multiple enhancements combined, his power was now worlds apart from what it used to be.

These realizations became the foundation of his newfound confidence.

However, when he thought about the exchange he had with Hong Minghu and Ye Qiu during the day, Jiang Ning's excitement suddenly deflated.

His strength had increased rapidly, but in the face of this situation, he was still powerless.

They were using human lives to gain Contribution Points, and almost everyone in the Inspection Manor was involved.

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

If he tried to stop it, he would be standing against the entire group's interests.

The people he was up against weren't just the captains, but also He Jinyun, a member of a prominent family and deputy leader, as well as Li Changkong, the leader of another influential family.

It might even cause Hong Minghu to take action.

Thinking of all this, Jiang Ning shook her head, "Forget it! I never claimed to be a savior of the nation or the people. As long as I can protect those I care about, that's enough for me!"

As she pondered, Jiang Ning continued walking towards her home.

At the same time, on the rooftop, a middle-aged woman peered through the thick snow, spying on Jiang Ning.

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

At this moment, she was even more excited about the spirituality Jiang Ning possessed, which 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 trembled.

"If I offer him as a sacrifice, I can definitely break into the Fifth Rank Inner Fortitude Realm!"

Greed filled the middle-aged woman's eyes.

She quietly emerged from the snow, careful not to make a sound, and followed Jiang Ning without being noticed.

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

If she did, she knew she wouldn't stand a chance against the marquis.

The difference between Sixth Rank and Fifth Rank Inner Fortitude Realm was just one rank, but the gap in strength was far greater than any previous rank difference.

In the Fifth Rank Inner Fortitude Realm, not only was the physique stronger, but the five viscera were tempered, allowing for longer endurance and stamina.

Additionally, when necessary, they could unleash the human body's potential, bursting with strength and speed far beyond normal.

On top of that, they mastered the mysterious and powerful Inner Breath.

With the support of Inner Breath, their combat power increased exponentially.

The combination of these three factors was enough to make any Sixth Rank warrior feel a deep sense of despair and invincibility when facing a Fifth Rank Inner Fortitude Realm warrior.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end