Chapter 451: Wang Qingtan's Scheme, Divinity and Humanity

Chapter 451: Wang Qingtan's Scheme, Divinity and Humanity

March 22, 2025, by Jiang Shangjing

In the courtyard, Jiang Ning was startled by the voices from outside. "How did the two sisters come here?"

He immediately continued his Five Animal Fist practice.

Halfway through the routine, stopping would be a waste of time, not contributing to his experience points in the Five Animal Fist.

After a moment, Wang Qingtan and Wang Qinghan appeared in Jiang Ning's courtyard, led by Lv Yi.

Across the lake, they saw Jiang Ning's relaxed and graceful silhouette.

"Jiang Ning's brother, why does this fist technique feel so soft?" Wang Qinghan stuck out her tongue, feeling a bit embarrassed to express her true thoughts.

At this moment, Jiang Ning's practice had reached the Deer Form.

His fists were light and agile, and his body moved with fluid grace.

"You don't understand!" Wang Qingtan slowly shook her head. "Jiang Xun Shi's fist technique has returned to its essence, and it looks so ordinary now!"

"Moreover, there's a difference between practicing and fighting. His current practice is for cultivating the body, and it has the effect of balancing and nourishing it."

As the two of them talked, Jiang Ning's fist technique reached its final stage. After a moment, he slowly retracted his fists.

[Five Animal Fist Experience Points +2]



Seeing the prompt in front of him, Jiang Ning glanced at the panel.

[Skills]: Five Animal Fist (Sixth Limit Break 5887/6000) (Characteristics: Wu Zang Cang Jing, Wu Xing Ling, Fist Technique Master, Xiong Hu Zhi Qu, Wu Xing Ti)



He was not far from reaching the maximum experience points.

Noticing Wang Qingtan's arrival also sparked some thoughts in Jiang Ning's mind.

He slowly turned around and saw the two sisters, Wang Qingtan and Wang Qinghan, across the lake.

At that moment, Wang Qingtan's appearance caught Jiang Ning's eye, and he couldn't help but be amazed.

It wasn't her beauty that amazed him, but the splendor of her outfit.

Wang Qingtan wore a luxurious golden-red dress, embroidered with golden threads, depicting a phoenix bathing in fiery flames.

The hem of the dress just touched the ground, and the phoenix's feathers seemed to flutter gently in the wind.

Under the afternoon sun, it sparkled brilliantly.

"She's so rich!" Jiang Ning thought to himself as he admired the dress.

With just a glance, he could tell that the golden threads on the dress were ninety-nine percent pure gold.

He felt that stripping Wang Qingtan of her clothes would fetch hundreds of taels of gold.

In other words, selling her entire outfit would bring in enough money to help him successfully break through 5,000 Origin Energy Points.

This would allow him to further break the limits of the Five Animal Fist.

With the current foundation, practicing the fist technique would also enable him to refine his Qi and blood more efficiently, increasing his power.

These thoughts flashed through Jiang Ning's mind.

Then, a faint smile appeared on his face.

"You two, aren't you afraid of getting tanned by standing under the sun?" Jiang Ning said, and as his words fell, his body leaped, instantly crossing the lake. He landed gracefully on the pavilion by the lake.

With a wave of his hand, the loose sleeves of his practice clothes swept across the tabletop, stirring a strong gust of air.

The floating dust on the stone table and bench was instantly swept away, leaving them spotless.

"If you have something to discuss, why not come over here?"

Wang Qingtan pouted and headed towards the pavilion where Jiang Ning was. As her sleeves fluttered, her dress shimmered with radiance.

After a moment, Wang Qingtan led her sister into the pavilion.

"Why do you keep calling us 'the two of you'? Don't I and my sister have names?" Wang Qingtan said, slightly annoyed.

Jiang Ning smiled at her reaction. "My mistake. I'll offer you tea as an apology, Miss Wang Qingtan!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Qingtan raised her chin, her face seeming to say, "That's more like it."

She then sat down, and Wang Qinghan obediently sat beside her.

"I wonder why Miss Wang Qingtan has come to see me today?" Jiang Ning picked up the teapot with chilled tea and poured some into the cup in front of Wang Qingtan.

Lv Yi, standing nearby, understood and discreetly left.

At the same time, Wang Qingtan heard Jiang Ning's words and extended her right hand, which had been hidden in her sleeve, placing it on the table.

Clang!

The golden bracelet on her wrist struck the stone table, emitting a crisp sound.

"Repay the money? No!" Jiang Ning picked up the teacup and took a sip of the chilled tea, then shook his head.

However, his gaze was drawn to the golden bracelet on her wrist.

He wondered how much this item was worth.

"There isn't any!" Wang Qingtan's eyes widened, her face filled with anger.

Jiang Ning sighed, "You know I'm a poor guy!"

As he spoke, his gaze slowly swept over Wang Qingtan's dress, which was embroidered with golden threads.

Where did she get so much money?

Jiang Ning was filled with doubts.

Just Wang Qingtan's dazzling outfit, along with her accessories, earrings, and headpiece, seemed to be worth at least a thousand taels of gold.

This was no small amount.

Even if Wang County Magistrate had embezzled a lot, it wouldn't be easy for him to come up with this sum.

Moreover, according to Jiang Ning's understanding, although Wang County Magistrate wasn't entirely honest, he was generally a responsible and good official.

Is it possible that she found some kind of treasure trove? Jiang Ning's mind flashed with this thought.

"What are you looking at?!" Wang Qintan noticed Jiang Ning's gaze and quickly hid the golden bracelet on her wrist, tucking it into her sleeve.

She then covered her chest with both hands.

"Miss Qintan, you've misunderstood!"

"I didn't misunderstand!" Wang Qintan gritted her teeth as she looked at Jiang Ning, "I feel like you want to strip my clothes off."

"No! Absolutely not!" Jiang Ning forced a smile.

"Are you short on money again?" Wang Qintan lowered her guard and looked at Jiang Ning.

"A little!" Jiang Ning nodded.

Then he sighed, "In a few days, I'm going to attend Xiao Qiushui's Zongshi Banquet."

"Xiao Qiushui?" Wang Qintan's eyes narrowed.

She continued, "She has now entered the ranks of the Divine Human Master, and you're going to waltz over there and get yourself killed? If it weren't for me asking my father for help, that woman would have killed you last time."

"Thank you, Miss Qintan!" Jiang Ning's heart understood, and his tone was sincere.

"Don't you dare!" Wang Qintan pouted, "You've got some nerve! You owe me so much money, and you've never taken it seriously. Not a single penny has been repaid yet."

"Forget it!" Wang Qintan waved her hand again, "I can't be bothered to chase you for it. Anyway, I'm not short on money right now, so you can owe me! Remember, you owe me a favor, and when I need you, you'd better be there for me!"

"No problem!" Jiang Ning readily agreed.

Wang Qintan was offering him a pie in the sky, which suited his intentions perfectly.

At this moment, he felt that he was indeed too short on money.

If he were to repay the debt, he genuinely couldn't afford it.

Then he said, "Miss Qintan, can I ask for another favor from you?"

"Why?" Wang Qintan widened her eyes.

"I'm about to enter the Third Grade, and I need resources!" Jiang Ning found another excuse.

"Third Grade?" Wang Qintan's beautiful eyes widened as she looked at Jiang Ning.

"Yes!" Jiang Ning nodded.

"With your talent, why are you in such a hurry to enter the Third Grade? You're wasting your potential!" Wang Qintan continued, "With your talent, you should take the first step into the Divine Human Master and complete the Nine Blood Changes to match your talent."

"I was thinking the same!" Jiang Ning nodded.

Hearing this, Wang Qintan was stunned.

She looked at Jiang Ning in disbelief.

"Do you mean you can enter the Divine Human Master?"

"I'm confident!" Jiang Ning sighed, "But I'm short on money right now!"

"Tell me how much you need, and I'll help you! This step is crucial!" Wang Qintan's expression was serious. "In the path of martial arts, the upper limit is actually very high, and it might not be weaker than the ancient Immortal Way. Its potential is even greater than that of the Godly Way."

"The Immortal Way, before reaching an indescribable level, relies too much on the external environment."

"Once the environment of heaven and earth changes, the ability to connect with heaven also changes!"

"As for the Godly Way, it's even more unnecessary! It's just a puppet bound by the divine position!"

At this point, Wang Qintan gave Jiang Ning another glance.

She suddenly remembered her previous guess that Jiang Ning was of the same kind as her.

Because in her understanding, Jiang Ning's talent was too terrifying.

It was even more so now that she recalled it. She further affirmed her earlier thoughts.

Thinking of this,

"Perhaps you already know all this, so there's no need for me to say more! But Blood Changes are the most important and final step in the martial path, so one must not be careless!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ning's heart skipped a beat.

He secretly shook his head. He understood that Wang Qintan might have some misconceptions about him.

However, he didn't feel the need to clarify this misunderstanding.

Let the misunderstanding be!

He nodded.

"Miss Qintan, you're right!"

Looking at the stunning beauty before him,

He remembered the true identity he had once glimpsed—Wang Qintan, an extraordinary being, an ancient deity who ruled over the world's flames.

Perhaps she was a reincarnation, or something else.

But she was undoubtedly extraordinary.

He secretly remembered Wang Qintan's words.

There was no other reason.

The words of such a being were not spoken in vain.

Martial Arts, Immortal Way, and Godly Way—

These were three paths.

He once thought that Martial Arts was the weakest path and the inevitable choice of this era.

But from Wang Qintan's words,

Martial Arts was clearly not weak.

Moreover, it relied the least on external factors.

Its power was self-contained.

It had the greatest resilience.

"What are you thinking about?" Wang Qintan seemed to see through Jiang Ning's mind and asked.

Jiang Ning snapped out of his thoughts and smiled.

"I'm thinking that some of the highest-grade cultivation methods in Martial Arts originate from Immortal Way techniques. Can this be said to..."

"Take the essence!" Wang Qintan spoke, firmly affirming what Jiang Ning wanted to say.

"You understand me, Qingtan!" Jiang Ning praised.

At these words, Wang Qingtan's chin lifted slightly, revealing a hint of pride.

Jiang Ning responded with a gentle smile.

Looking at the girl before him, he suddenly felt that his previous viewpoint was wrong.

If Qingtan were truly an ancient deity, how could she possess such an obvious youthful aura?

The passage of time, a change of body, couldn't simply erase one's existence.

He couldn't do that either.

After all, Qingtan was right in front of him, exuding a youthful aura and brimming with vitality.

How could she be an ancient creature that had lived for an unknown number of years?

Perhaps, she was still herself.

Not the so-called ancient deity who commanded the world's fires.

Suddenly, Jiang Ning had a realization.

"Speak, how much do you want?" Qingtan lightly sipped her tea.

"A thousand taels!" Jiang Ning said.

Pfft!

The tea in Qingtan's mouth instantly sprayed all over Jiang Ning's face.

"This isn't my fault!" she quickly defended herself.

Jiang Ning: "..."

"You're the one to blame, asking for such a high price! A thousand taels, do you know what that means?" Qingtan added.

Jiang Ning: "..."

She took out a handkerchief from her body and tossed it to Jiang Ning.

"You wipe it yourself! Return it to me after you've cleaned it!"

Jiang Ning took the handkerchief from Qingtan and wiped the tea off his face.

"Five hundred taels, plus my jewelry as collateral! You owe me a favor, and when I need it, you'll help me, right?"

"No problem!" Jiang Ning nodded immediately.

He agreed.

Upon hearing this, Qingtan removed the bracelet from her right wrist and then took off her earrings and necklace.

After a moment's thought, she also took off her hairpin, and her long hair, like a waterfall, instantly fell to her waist.

"Take these, they're yours!" Qingtan pushed the jewelry she had removed towards Jiang Ning.

"There's no need for this, Qingtan!" Looking at the jewelry that had originally adorned Qingtan, Jiang Ning suddenly felt a twinge of reluctance.

"Take it! Since I've agreed, there's no reason to take them back! But remember, you owe me two favors!" Qingtan said earnestly.

Their eyes met, and Jiang Ning slowly nodded.

"Alright!"

Qingtan smiled and then stood up.

"The remaining five hundred taels, I'll have someone send it over later!"

As her voice fell.

"Sister!"

"Ah!" Wang Qinghan woke up from a dream.

"What 'ah'! Let's go! We didn't get the money, and now we're giving it away!" Qingtan pouted.

"I'll send you off!" Jiang Ning stood up.

"Fine!" Qingtan crossed her arms.

A moment later.

At the front gate.

Watching the two girls' silhouettes gradually disappear into the distance.

Jiang Ning looked at the jewelry belonging to Wang Qingtan in his hand.

Those genuine gold-crafted pieces of jewelry shimmered with radiant light in the sunlight.

Especially the phoenix design carved on the bracelet, like a phoenix spreading its wings and soaring, glittered with dazzling radiance.

Jiang Ning's heart couldn't help but be moved.

This eldest daughter of the Wang family had already helped him a lot.

Now, she was even offering her jewelry to assist him, and his heart suddenly felt a twinge of reluctance.

He sighed softly.

"Forget it, just take it and keep it!"

Having made his decision, he collected the jewelry that still held Qingtan's faint body temperature.

On the other side.

Wang Qingtan's long hair flowed freely, and her elegant demeanor overshadowed the county magistrate's daughter's appearance.

But she still had her hands behind her back, and a light smile played on her lips as she hummed a tune.

"Sister, what's wrong with you? You're borrowing money, yet you seem so happy."

"You don't understand!" Qingtan's lips curved slightly.

She recalled the look of emotion on Jiang Ning's face when he took her jewelry, and her steps became even lighter.

"I, Qingtan, have a little trick up my sleeve. I'll give him all the jewelry to pawn, and he'll be so touched that he'll definitely help me with all his might later!"

"I, Qingtan, am a phoenix goddess reincarnated, and I'll marry too!!

Thinking of her previous life, she recalled the memories that had flashed through her mind.

Her heart gradually grew heavy.

She understood that her previous life, the memories of her past life, were both a help and a crisis.

She had her sister, her family.

She wanted to rely on herself to see and feel this world.

She didn't want to be replaced by the will of her previous life.

So, she hadn't used many things.

Because she was afraid that if she used them, she wouldn't be herself anymore.

But would instead be the so-called phoenix goddess!

Yet, she also knew that this might be an inevitable matter.

As the memories grew stronger, she feared that one day, she might be replaced by the will of her previous life.

A thought flashed through her mind.

She knew that if she died.

She would enter a phoenix rebirth state, and once she emerged from that state.

She would no longer be herself.

But instead, the will and personality of her previous life.

A divine will, not a human one!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end