Chapter 348: The Grandmaster's Personal Visit

Chapter 348: The Grandmaster's Personal Visit

December 15, 2024

Bai Manor.

After returning home, Jiang Ning carried some items and headed towards Bai Luoyu's residence.

The two families were only about five hundred meters apart.

After a short walk, Jiang Ning arrived at the entrance of Bai Manor.

"Please inform them of my arrival," Jiang Ning said with a bow.

"Elder Jiang, there's no need for announcements. I'll lead the way," one of the guards replied.

"Thank you," Jiang Ning said.

As he stepped into the front courtyard of Bai Manor, a guard instructed a maid he met along the way to inform Bai Luoyu of his arrival.

A moment later, in the backyard of Bai Manor...

"Brother Jiang!" As Jiang Ning entered the backyard, he saw Bai Luoyu walking towards him with a smile.

"Brother Bai!" Jiang Ning smiled back.

Bai Luoyu's eyes fell on the fish and meat in Jiang Ning's hands, and he looked surprised.

Noticing this, Jiang Ning lifted the fish and meat in his hands and waved them in front of him.

"I caught a fish demon with over two hundred years of cultivation in Luoshui Lake. I brought it here for you to taste."

"Over two hundred years of cultivation, this is indeed a rare find!" Bai Luoyu's eyes lit up.

Then, he smiled and said, "Since this is your kind gesture, I won't refuse."

He took the electric eel meat from Jiang Ning and waved for a maid.

"Prepare this for me," Bai Luoyu instructed.

"Yes, Master!" The maid bowed.

"Brother Jiang, please take a seat," Bai Luoyu gestured.

In the backyard pavilion, two jars of wine were already prepared.

"Please forgive me, Brother Jiang. I didn't know you were coming, so I didn't have any good dishes ready. For now, I can only offer you good wine. The chefs are preparing the dishes, and they'll be served soon."

Jiang Ning smiled, "Brother Bai, you're too kind! I should be the one apologizing for my abrupt visit."

Then, he continued, "Thank you, Brother Bai."

"It's nothing," Bai Luoyu chuckled. "You and I are friends, and I'm just doing what friends do. Moreover, looking back, I shouldn't have needed to intervene at all. If you had wanted, I believe the Liu family would have been wiped out today. After the fact, they could have been given any name, and they would have become a part of Dongling City's history."

Hearing this, Jiang Ning shook his head.

"The Liu family is my sister-in-law's maiden family and my nephew and niece's grandparents. Some things still need to be considered."

Upon hearing these words, Bai Luoyu burst into laughter, "Brother Jiang, you truly are a man of honor and integrity! No wonder we're friends."

As they spoke, the two took their seats.

"I propose a toast to Brother Jiang," Bai Luoyu said.

After a cup of wine, Jiang Ning refilled their cups.

"Brother Bai, this cup is for you. My brother, sister-in-law, and their family also appreciate your care."

After the second cup, Bai Luoyu spoke, "It's a small matter. If you need anything in the future, come to me, and I'll do my best to help if it's within my power."

"With your assurance, I'd like to propose another toast to you, Brother Bai," Jiang Ning said.

Seeing this, Bai Luoyu chuckled.

Without refusing, he drank the third cup.

After the third cup, Bai Luoyu sighed, "Brother Jiang, I never expected you to possess over sixty years of cultivation."

Jiang Ning wasn't surprised that Bai Luoyu knew about this.

The inner breath he had displayed at the Liu family served a dual purpose. It was a show of force to intimidate the Liu family and a way to reveal his true strength to Bai Luoyu.

Jiang Ning understood that friendships between people rarely existed in their purest form, especially in the beginning, when they often stemmed from mutual interests.

Just as it was unlikely for a wealthy merchant to befriend a beggar, most adult friendships were formed between people of similar status.

Bai Luoyu's friendship with Jiang Ning wasn't merely based on liking him; there was more to it.

That's why Jiang Ning chose to reveal his total inner breath at the Liu family.

Then, Jiang Ning continued, "Having such cultivation is a matter of luck and chance. Recently, I found a fish demon with over two hundred years of cultivation in Luoshui Lake."

Hearing this, Bai Luoyu's expression changed, and he said thoughtfully, "Could it be the fish demon's companion, a heavenly treasure?"

"Exactly!" Jiang Ning nodded.

"I understand now!" Bai Luoyu's eyes widened in realization, and he nodded, "That explains it. Otherwise, in this current environment, how could a small demon with over two hundred years of cultivation exist in a place like Luoshui Lake without heavenly treasures?"

At this point, Bai Luoyu looked at Jiang Ning with envy.

Jiang Ning nodded in agreement, "It's indeed a stroke of good fortune!"

"I wonder what treasure you found that could enhance your cultivation to such an astonishing level."

"The Thunderfruit!" Jiang Ning exclaimed.

"A hundred-year-old Thunderfruit!"

Bai Luoyu's eyes lit up with envy.

At that moment, he understood why Jiang Ning's cultivation at his age surpassed his own.

"A hundred-year-old Thunderfruit was once auctioned at the Wanbao Pavilion. A single fruit, aged one hundred and fifty years, fetched a price of five thousand taels of gold."

"Five thousand taels of gold?!" Jiang Ning was taken aback.

"Indeed!" Bai Luoyu nodded and smiled, "Doesn't that price seem exaggerated to you?"

"Yes!" Jiang Ning slightly inclined his head, "It does seem a bit exaggerated. Five thousand taels of gold, which is equivalent to five million taels of silver, for a Thunderfruit?"

Bai Luoyu explained, "Such a rare and precious item cannot be measured by its monetary value. You should know that the Great Xia Dynasty has been established for over eight hundred years. Many noble families have accumulated wealth for generations, and for them, wealth is almost like a mere number."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ning understood and nodded in agreement.

In his previous life, the wealth of the rich in his country had reached a level that was incomprehensible to ordinary people.

Ordinary people worked tirelessly for a monthly income of three to five thousand.

Generations of hard work and countless descendants could never surpass the interest earned by the wealthy.

And the Great Xia Dynasty had been established for over eight hundred years.

The accumulated wealth of these noble families must have reached an unimaginable level.

Jiang Ning now understood why the Thunderfruit could fetch such an extravagant price at the auction.

For him, a hundred-year-old Thunderfruit could enhance his cultivation by a full cycle of sixty years.

Sixty years was an entire human lifespan.

For someone with average talent, this fruit merely shortened the time needed for cultivation by a few decades.

But for someone with exceptional talent, it was like gaining an extra few decades of cultivation.

This could allow a genius, who could originally only reach the fifth rank, to rapidly accumulate cultivation and aspire to the fourth or even third rank of the Martial Dao.

A genius capable of achieving the third rank could now aim for the second or even the first rank, surpassing the third rank.

Given such effects, the price of five thousand taels of gold, though expensive, was well worth it.

After all, this was a world where martial arts flourished and individual strength was paramount.

A single person could dominate the world for over eight hundred years.

For a family to endure and thrive, it was inseparable from the strength of its martial artists.

Without strong protector, wealth was like a juicy piece of meat, attracting everyone to take a share.

At this moment, the dishes began to arrive one after another.

Bai Luoyu suddenly smiled mysteriously.

"Jiang Ning, a big shot is coming later."

"A big shot?" Jiang Ning's face showed curiosity, "What kind of person can be considered a big shot by Bai Luoyu?"

Bai Luoyu smiled mysteriously again, "You'll never guess!"

Jiang Ning became even more curious upon hearing this.

Then, Bai Luoyu uttered two words.

"A Grandmaster!"

"A Grandmaster? Could it be..." Jiang Ning's eyes flashed with contemplation.

"You've guessed correctly!" Bai Luoyu smiled, "It's the Master of the Patrol Office in Dongling City."

"Bai Luoyu is right, that's a true big shot!"

After the establishment of the Patrol Office.

In the entire prefecture, the most powerful and influential position was no longer the prefect, but the Master of the Patrol Office.

Because the Master of the Patrol Office not only had the authority to execute first and report later, but was also one of the few individuals at the pinnacle of the Martial Dao pyramid in the prefecture.

Holding both power and authority.

Their status naturally surpassed that of the prefect.

In Jiang Ning's opinion, only in such a world could such an unbalanced institution exist.

His intuition also told him that the Patrol Office would not improve the Great Xia Dynasty but might make things worse.

Abuse of power was an inevitable situation.

Moreover, without supervision, how could the members of the Patrol Office act impartially?

At the entrance of the Bai Manor.

A four-wheeled carriage slowly came to a stop.

A middle-aged man in a gray robe descended from the carriage.

He glanced at the entrance of Bai Luoyu's residence.

Then, he turned back and said to the driver, "Wait for me here."

"Yes, sir!" The driver nodded repeatedly.

If someone unaware of the situation witnessed this scene, they would never have imagined that these two seemingly ordinary individuals were among the top figures in Dongling City.

"Jiang Ning, with inner breath like an abyss and over a sixty-year cultivation, this news is quite astonishing!!" Zhao Yulong muttered to himself as he gazed at Bai Luoyu's manor.

He had just received Bai Luoyu's message and immediately put down his work to come here.

At Jiang Ning's age, possessing such extraordinary martial prowess was beyond his imagination, even with his extensive experience.

After all, he knew that Jiang Ning did not come from one of the top factions but from an ordinary small county.

In the Great Xia, there were countless small counties like Luo Water County scattered across the land.

Such small counties lacked the resources to nurture martial prodigies of unparalleled skill.

In the path of martial arts, even with exceptional talent, external aids were indispensable.

The path of martial arts had its limits, and many stages required assistance from external factors.

"Unbelievable!!" As one of the few Grandmasters in Dongling City, Zhao Yulong couldn't help but shake his head.

He then lifted his leg and walked towards the entrance of Bai Luoyu's manor.

A moment later.

In the backyard.

"Sir, the fish meat is ready!" Two maidservants carried a tray towards the pavilion.

Bai Luoyu's face lit up upon seeing this.

"I'm about to taste the flesh of a two-hundred-year-old fish demon."

Jiang Ning said, "Brother Bai, you won't be disappointed!"

"With Brother Jiang's words, I'm even more eager!" Bai Luoyu's face was filled with anticipation as he continued, "According to the records, the demon race has extremely strong physiques. In ancient times, the meat of demons was immensely beneficial for body tempering."

"The higher the cultivation, the more evident the benefits, and the more delicious the taste!"

"A two-hundred-year-old demon should be quite good."

At that moment.

Bai Luoyu suddenly turned and looked towards the archway in the backyard.

"Brother Jiang, the marquis is likely here. Shall we greet him?"

"Sure!" Jiang Ning nodded.

With his extraordinary senses, he had already sensed someone's arrival.

He had just been guessing, thinking it might be the marquis of the Patrol Office, one of the few Grandmasters in Dongling Prefecture.

Since Bai Luoyu had already mentioned Zhao Yulong's visit, Jiang Ning was filled with anticipation.

Grandmaster!

Apart from Lin Qingyi, Zhao Yulong would be the first Grandmaster Jiang Ning had seen with his own eyes.

The two of them stood up.

A maid quickly ran from the courtyard.

"Sir, Marquis Zhao is here!"

"I know!" Bai Luoyu nodded. "You may leave!"

"Yes, Sir!!" The maid retreated to the side.

The two of them walked to the backyard gate.

In just a moment.

A middle-aged man in a gray robe, wearing ordinary cloth shoes, and with a face filled with ordinary wrinkles appeared before them.

The wrinkles on the man's face clearly showed his age.

"Bai Luoyu pays respects to the marquis!" Bai Luoyu bowed.

Jiang Ning also bowed. "Luo Water County's Jiang Ning pays respects to the marquis!!"

Jiang Ning immediately felt a gaze fall on him as the man sized him up.

"You two need not be so formal; skip the formalities!" Zhao Yulong said.

Upon hearing this, they raised their heads again.

Jiang Ning saw a look of approval in Zhao Yulong's eyes.

"Jiang Ning, you are impressive!"

"Sir, you flatter me!" Jiang Ning replied politely.

"This is no flattery!" Zhao Yulong said with emotion. "In this world, there are very few people who can make me say 'impressive,' and you are one of them!"

He then said, "I didn't expect to meet two impressive young prodigies in just a few days."

"Who is the other person, marquis?" Bai Luoyu was filled with curiosity.

Based on his understanding of Jiang Ning, he didn't find it strange that Zhao Yulong would say "impressive" about him.

In his opinion, if Jiang Ning were his age, he would surpass his current achievements.

So, he was curious about the other person Zhao Yulong had mentioned.

Among the prodigies he had seen in his decades of life, Jiang Ning was among the top few in talent before.

Now, in his eyes, Jiang Ning could be ranked first.

This was why he had chosen to befriend Jiang Ning before.

In Zhao Yulong's words, apart from Jiang Ning, he had seen others in recent days who could match Jiang Ning's current level.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end